A/N: Hey there everyone! I have finally returned to this story. I know, I know. I've been away from it for a very long, long, long time, but I could ignore the messages in my inbox no longer. So this one is for you guys, thanks for the support and encouragement. I couldn't finish this story without all of you!
Disclaimer: Nope, not mind. ....Alas...
Ginny stared up at the canopy of her four poster bed and sighed. She had been trying, rather vainly, for the last several hours to come up with a way of getting herself out of the mess she'd somehow gotten into. Two dates on Saturday, with two different boys. What was she to do?
I can't just go out with both of them, Ginny thought to herself, least of all on the same day.
The only other options she could think of, however, involved telling one of them she couldn't make it. Immediately, she thought of Harry, and just as quickly guilt washed over her. She told him she would give him another chance. How could she turn around and take that back now?
The worst part was that she'd thrown herself so completely into getting Draco's attention that she'd allowed her other relationships to fall to the side. She and Emily hardly spoke anymore. None of her other friends spent time with her either, so she had no one to turn to for help.
Except, maybe…Hermione. She and the brunette had never been very close, but Hermione and Harry were. Ginny could turn to Hermione for Harry's sake, and she knew that Hermione would at least be able to give her a different perspective on the situation.
The problem with that was, now that Ginny thought about it, she hadn't seen Hermione around in a while. In fact, as far as she knew, no one had. Not even Ron. It hit Ginny then just how much she'd missed out on by focusing so thoroughly on Draco and a feeling of melancholy overtook her for a moment.
Ginny exhaled harshly and gave herself a mental shake. It was too late to worry about all this now. What was done was done. She couldn't go back and change it, so there was no point in wallowing in self pity. She would simply have to be more aware from now on.
Sitting up, Ginny threw her legs over the side of the bed and decided to go seek Hermione out. If there was one place Ginny was likely to find her, it was the library. She would start there.
16
Blaise was reading in the common room next to the fire when Draco found him. For a moment, Draco stood to the side, not daring to approach his friend. He knew what he had to say, but had no idea how to begin.
Standing there was doing nothing for him, though, and he knew it. So, steeling himself, he moved forward and sat beside Blaise, gaining his attention in the process.
Blaise looked up at Draco, noticed the look on his face, and silently put his book down. He'd known Draco long enough to know when he wanted to talk, so Blaise sat up and turned his attention completely on Draco.
"What is it," Blaise asked, and waited.
Draco was silent for a moment more before he said, "I have…a favor to ask of you." When Blaise remained silent, Draco pressed on, "It's about Ginny."
"Drac-"
"No. Listen," Draco said sternly, cutting him off. "I want you to hear me out and actually think about this before you answer, alright?" Blaise nodded and Draco continued, "I asked Ginny out to Hogsmeade on Saturday, and I asked Potter to do the same. She has agreed to both dates, as far as I can tell, and I want you to do the same.
"I think…that the best way to settle this for everyone," Draco added, "is for each of us to have a chance to show Ginny what we can offer her. She shouldn't decide until then. That's what I think, anyway."
There was a silence that fell between them then. Blaise looked away from Draco and stared into the fire as he considered what Draco had told him. Everything Draco had said made sense, but there was something about the whole thing that caused Blaise to hesitate.
"I'll think about it," Blaise agreed at last.
"Okay," Draco agreed, and he stood. There was nothing left for him to say, so he turned and left Blaise to think.
16
Ginny did find Hermione in the library - in the very back of the library, to be exact. She was sitting at a table with a pile of books, flipping nonchalantly through one in her lap. She didn't notice Ginny as she approached, but as Ginny stopped before her, Hermione looked up.
Blinking a few times, Hermione cleared her head and murmured, "Oh…Ginny. Hi. What's up?"
Ginny paused, trying to think of what to say, but nothing came to mind. As a way of stalling, she looked about the table and grabbed the nearest chair. Pulling it out, she sat and looked at Hermione.
"Um…Hermione," she began haltingly. "I have…a little problem. I was hoping…that you might be able to…uh…give me your perspective on it."
Hermione was silent for a moment as she watched Ginny. Finally, she closed her book and said, "Sure, what is it?"
"Well…you see," Ginny said, "I've been…I…well…I have a…a crush on Draco. I have for a long time. Since I was dating Harry, in fact, and that's why we broke up. I just…I couldn't be with Harry when I knew that I had feelings for Draco, so I decided to try getting Draco's attention…and I did. Now, Draco and Harry have both asked me out to Hogsmeade on Saturday, and I kind of, accidentally, agreed to both of them. Now I don't know what to do, because I…it doesn't feel right to go out with both of them."
Ginny fell silent then and looked at Hermione earnestly. Hermione was silent for another moment, and Ginny could almost see the wheels turning in her mind as she considered what Ginny had told her.
"Well," Hermione said at last, "are you going steady with either of them?"
"Um…no," Ginny said, "but I've told Draco that I want to get to know him better, and I told Harry I'd give him another chance."
"Well then, go with both of them," Hermione said simply. "They both know that you aren't exclusive with just them. Harry already knows that your interest is in Draco, and Draco knows that you're only getting to know one another right now. If you're still worried about it, tell them both about the other date."
Ginny thought about this for a moment. It was true that she and Draco weren't going steady, and her date with Harry was a last chance thing. It wasn't like she thought going on a date with Harry this last time would change her mind; she was just doing him a courtesy.
"Alright," Ginny said. "I'll just go with both of them, you're right. Thanks Hermione."
"No problem," Hermione replied as she pulled out her book once more. Ginny stood and turned to leave, but paused and looked back at Hermione. There was something about her that seemed distant, despite her willingness to help Ginny.
Ginny looked closely at Hermione and thought to herself that if there was anytime to stop being so self-absorbed, it was now. Hermione had helped Ginny with her problems, the least Ginny could do was make sure Hermione was okay.
"Um, Hermione," Ginny said tentatively.
"Hm?" Hermione replied as she looked up from her book.
"Well…I was just wondering," Ginny began slowly, "are you alright? I noticed…you haven't been around much, and…well…you seem sort of…distant."
Hermione looked down at her book again, but Ginny noticed that her eyes weren't moving across the page. Ginny stood silent, waiting patiently for what Hermione would say next.
"Well, if you must know," Hermione began tersely, "you're brother, Ronald, and I are in a fight."
"Oh…I see," Ginny said. "Um…do you want…to talk about it?"
Hermione marked her spot and set the book aside once more. Looking piercingly at Ginny she said, "Are you sure you want to know? It isn't pleasant."
Ginny paused for a moment before moving back to her chair and sitting down. She looked straight into Hermione's eyes and said, "Yeah, I want to know."
"Fine," Hermione said shortly. "Have you heard about the list that's been floating around recently?"
Ginny thought once more of the list that had caused so many problems between her and Draco, and nodded. "I think so," she said, "the one that had girls trying to sleep with all the guys on it?"
"Precisely," Hermione acknowledged. "Well, did you know that there are girls who've made it all the way up to Draco Malfoy – who is second on the list?"
"Uh…yeah, I did, actually."
"And did you know that your brother is at the very bottom of that list," Hermione continued. She took a deep breath then and added, "which means…of course…that he is no longer a virgin."
Ginny was silent for a moment as the realization of what this meant sunk in. "Ron slept with someone other than you. That's why you're upset."
Hermione could only nod. Tears sprung into her eyes at this point and she murmured, "The worst part is…it's my own fault."
Ginny furrowed her brows and asked, "How do you figure that? It was Ron's own choice."
"I know," Hermione said as she reached up to brush the tears from her eyes, "but he wouldn't even be on the list if it weren't for me."
Ginny said nothing; she could only stare at Hermione as the girl tried vainly to keep from crying. Finally, Ginny murmured, "You wrote the list."
"Not exactly," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I did contribute, but I didn't actually take much more part in writing it other than suggesting Ronald's name be at the bottom. I happened to walk in when Lavender and Parvati were writing it with some of the other girls. I knew what they were up to, and I figured if I suggested Ronald as the first person you had to sleep with, they wouldn't get anywhere. Shortly after that Ronald and I got into a fight and broke up. I suppose that's when he…"
Hermione could only shake her head and cover her face with her hands and as she began to sob quietly. Ginny watched her as mixed feelings turned with in her.
"Hermione," she finally said, causing the aforementioned to look up tearfully. "I know that what Ron did was…well…upsetting. I don't really like it either, but it's not like he did it to hurt you. You don't even know the circumstances. Right now, Ron might be feeling really used, and you wouldn't even know, because you haven't spoken to him since, have you?" Hermione shook her head and Ginny continued, "It's not like he cheated on you, or anything. I think you should talk to him about it. Give him a chance to explain himself, at least."
Hermione was silent for a long time before she finally sniffed, and wiped the tears from her eyes one last time. "I suppose you're right," she agreed. "I really…haven't given him a chance. I'll go see if I can find him now."
She stood and gathered her things as Ginny stood, too, and pushed in her chair. As Hermione pulled her bag onto her shoulder, she looked at Ginny and said, "Thanks Ginny."
"You're welcome," Ginny replied with a smile, "It's the least I could do, after all."
Hermione smiled in return before excusing herself and leaving Ginny behind to ponder her own confusing love life. She had decided that she would honor both dates. She owed that much to Harry…and to Draco. She could decide once and for all on them after wards. It was the fairest way, after all.
A/N: Aaaaaaaaaah! FINALLY, this darned chapter is DONE! I feel like it's taken me forever, because – even when I wasn't writing it – I was thinking about how to write it! I finally wrapped up what happened with the list. Now you all know how it started, and I've added a little more to the story line than just Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. She can't have all the spot light, after all. And now…
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