Chapter 4

Ginny clutched her cardigan and pulled it around her more firmly. She had forgotten how cold it really was in November, it had been weeks since they were told to tell their secrets and after Ron had told his no one had said anything, as she continued to trudge against the wind on her walk around the lake. The only thing that blocked out the sound of the howling wind was Ron's voice in her head, Are you happy?

Was that her secret? Not her feelings for Draco but her need to feign happiness, it wasn't that she didn't love Harry, she did, there wasn't a doubt in her mind, but it wasn't there anymore. They had grown dull and worn, simply becoming part of the furniture to one another. Where was the heat they once had?

Ginny sat herself on the moist grass underneath a large tree that overlooked the lake, she knew she had to tell her secret, but first she'd have to know what her secret was. She sighed and leaned back against the thick moss covered trunk. "What am I going to do?" She muttered mostly to herself.

"Get it over with," came a voice from above her head, Ginny looked up and was greeted with the sight of one green eye and one blue, both pupils were slits instead of the round pinpricks they should be.

Sophie climbed down to a lower branch of the tree and hooked her legs behind it before letting go and simply swinging upside down, "The longer you wait, the harder it'll be, trust me."

"What are you doing up there?"

"The same thing you're doing down there, thinking. I always go outside and climb the tallest tree I can find, it clears my mind so I can think straight."

"Why do you have to climb a tree?"

"So no one can find me," Sophie said with an upside down shrug, Ginny wondered how long it would take for all the blood to rush to her head if she continued to hang upside down like that. "Besides I'm part cat, this is part of the fun of it. Flexibility and agility that others could only dream off,"

"Cat? Mione said you were part Veela," Ginny said shaking her head in disbelief.

Sophie nodded, "Mione as you so affectionately call her, was right I am but my ability, what makes me special, like Smith's ability to freeze things and Susan being able to see the future is my cat like reflex's and of course my eyes," She said blinking with a sinister smile.

"How?" Ginny said still not grasping how one witch could have so much power, and have no one know that she even existed, it didn't seem fair.

"How? How what? I am who I am because I was born that way, if there's one you learn quickly at the Alliance, it's not to ask questions. If you're suppose to know, you'll know."

"Then why make us tell all our secrets?"

"Because the secrets you keep, are suppose to be known." Sophie, still in her upside down position, unhooked her legs from the tree branch. Ginny gasped slightly as the lithe girl dropped head first toward the ground below, before simply turning and landing lightly on her feet. She smiled at Ginny before crouching down beside her, "I know it's hard and you don't want to hurt anyone, but have you thought about whether their secrets will hurt you? Think about, if you don't want to hurt them with your truths, don't let their truths hurt you. That way they have no reason to be hurt by your little secret."

Ginny opened her mouth but Sophie waved her hand for silence, "Yes, I know. We all know, and we're still talking to you. So it's obviously not as bad as you think it is," with that Sophie patted her on the shoulder and made her way toward the castle.

Ginny sighed again and lay back against the tree, it was simple, just get it over with, what was that thing Hermione use to say, quick and painless like a band-aid.

Ginny got up and made her way back to the castle, she had to find Harry. She had to do this before she lost her nerve again. She peeked inside the emptying great hall, but the trio were no where to be seen, as she turned to continue her search she caught sight of Draco. He was sitting in his usual seat with Blaise, Zandra, Smith and Foxworth but Sophie had also joined them today. As she did this Draco looked up from his plate and smirked at her, Ginny felt her knees tremble slightly and felt the knotted feeling in her stomach that she use to feel when ever Harry looked at her, and use to assume was hatred whenever it happened around Draco. Now she knew better, Ginny smiled back before biting her bottom lip, she had to find the others before she did anything else, with that she waved and mouthed 'bye' to Draco before leaving and continuing her search for the others.

She remembered that they had, had some potions assignments to finish up and were probably in the Library, so she made her way up there, taking the stairs two or three at a time. For the first time in along time, Ginny realised she was excited, she was possibly about to tear about her world as she knew it and couldn't wait to make the first rip. It was exhilarating, thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.

She bolted down the halls robes billowing behind her, as she swung around a corner she accidentally scared a bunch of first years who had been making their way out of the library. After a rushed apology, Ginny slowed down and entered the silent room. Madam Prince, the warden/librarian she was, was already watching her as she attempted to walk at a normal pace and catch her breath at the same time. Ginny walked down every aisle looking for Harry, with no luck as she moved deeper and deeper into the library. She had reached the last aisle before the restricted section and was about to give up when she turned the corner. Ginny stood stock still as she was over whelmed with shock, she quickly recovered before clearing her throat.

Harry and Hermione broke apart suddenly and looked up at her, tears almost instantly sprang to Hermione's eyes as she saw Ginny and Harry jumped up rushing towards her, "Ginny I-"

"No don't stop on my account," Ginny said raising her hands, defensively so Harry couldn't get much closer. Harry took a step back and tried to speak again, "Ginny, I can explain_"

"Don't bother, it's fine," Ginny said simply, surprisingly she was fine. She was actually trying not to laugh with how silly she felt all of a sudden, "It's absolutely fine, I was actually coming up her to tell you my secret," she continued like she hadn't just caught her boyfriend cheating on her red-handed.

"Ginny? Are you feeling ok?" Harry asked more than a little confused as to why he hadn't been hexed already.

"I'm great, Harry. Not as great as you obviously," she said looking down at the noticeable bulge in his trousers before, biting back a laugh and looking back at his face, "But I'm fine. Like I said I was just coming to tell you that, I'm leaving you Harry. This, us, we haven't been working for a long time, I mean were great friends, and it was comfortable and sweet, but there was no fire, no passion anymore. We lost something, probably about the same time you started fucking Mione," she added as an after thought, realising that, that could have been the problem she had felt in their relationship all along. "but anyway, it's fine because I'm breaking up with you." As she said it she felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her. She smiled and kissed Harry on the cheek, "Bye," she waved at Mione and turned to leave before remembering something else, "Oh, and I suggest you tell my brother, before I do. He doesn't deserve this." With that she skipped out of the library.

She hadn't felt this good in a long while, it had taken the lifting of the burden that was her relationship with Harry to help her realise that even when she had though she was happy before this point in time, she hadn't been nearly as happy as she was tight now. It was amazing; it should be illegal for someone to feel this good, she thought wildly to herself. As she rounded the corner to make her way back to the entrance hall, hoping to grab some desert before it was all gone, she walked right smack into the mass of lean muscle that was Draco, "Ow," she said taking a step back and rubbing her nose, "Sorry," she said before she went to go around him but as she went to continue down the stairs something stopped her, she turned back around and tapped Draco on the shoulder. As he turned around slightly confused after she had not only taken notice of him in the great hall instead of ignoring him like she usually did, but then just ran smack into his chest, he couldn't imagine what the littlest Weasley could want with him now.

He turned and looked down at her; she stood on the step beneath him which exaggerated their heights greatly, and she was smiling brightly, "What's wro-" Draco was cut of as she leaned up and kissed him.

Draco blinked before closing his eyes, Ginny was kissing him and he wasn't going to ruin it by asking question or wondering why? He slid his hands around her waist lifting her on to the same step as him, she tiptoed one foot between his and the other on the outside.

Here Ginny found the heat and passion she had wanted, the fire she had been missing with Harry, kissing Draco was far more intense, far less cautious and much more dangerous. It was excitement, the excitement of not only being in the middle of a hall, but being with Draco, no one knew that see and Harry had broken up yet and yet here she was in the middle of a hallway mere minutes before dinner was over with Draco Malfoy's tongue in her mouth. Ginny broke their kiss, Draco looked at her with a smouldering passion in his eyes, the look was making her want to push him in the nearest broom closet, but she had to restrain herself, She smiled, "Thanks," was all she said to him before turning around and continuing to skip down the stairs toward the great hall, I really in the mood for a nice hot chocolate brownie. As she got back to the great hall, Ron was back at the hall at the table they usually sat at, he seemed to have taken a break from his essay for desert, Aww, we are related, Ginny thought in amusement before sliding into the seat next to him and beaming, "What are you so happy about?" Ron asked, before taking a bite of his apple pie and custard.

"I just broke up with Harry," she said simply reaching for a plate containing a warm brownie dripping in chocolate sauce, "Oh and I just made out with Draco on the stairs, being single is fun." She said digging into her chocolate brownie with gusto. Ron froze mid-bite and absorbed everything his sister had just told him, "OK, anything else? Tattoos? Piercing? Giant pet gorilla?"

Ginny thought for a moment and then shook her head, "Nope, that's it," she said with smile and a mouth full of chocolate.

Ron nodded, "How's Harry taking this?" Ginny gulped down the piece of brownie in her mouth, "Harry's taking it well, all in stride I guess," she said hoping that wasn't another secret she would have to admit to. Ron nodded, "And now you're happy?" Ginny put down her fork and looked at her brother, smiling, "Honestly, yeah, I'm ecstatic."

Harry stood in the library less than a foot away from where Hermione sat silently weeping, they had been caught, Ginny had broken up with him, they were going to have to tell Ron. He sank back into his seat slowly, taking deep breaths as thoughts swirled and collided in his head, how was he going to tell people, explain why she'd broken up with him with out coming out worse off, "I'm a horrible person," he muttered to himself, "How could I do this to Ginny and Ron? They've been nothing but nice to me since we met. I'm awful,"

He felt Hermione shift behind him and wrap her arms around his shoulders, "It'll be ok Harry we'll figure it out,"

Harry shook his head, "There's nothing to figure out Hermione, we have to tell them. We were going to have to do it sooner or later, and now we've been caught, if we continue to hide it from Ron it'll only be worse."

Hermione nodded into his shoulder and tightened her grip around him, into a sort of backwards hug, "It'll be alright," she repeated, but Harry was unsure if it was to him, or herself.

Blake was hovering outside the great hall, Zandra and the other were scattered around the castle, it was amazing what a few months with company your own age could do, even for Elite warriors it seemed that they were having. . .fun. Blake went over and sat on the steps of the grand staircase and waited, What am I doing?, she thought wildly, getting back up and continuing to pace the entrance hall.

She muttered wildly to herself, part of her trying to talk up the courage to go through with it and the other telling her she was being silly, and that being in an actual school had simply made her start acting childish, "…that's it I'm just being childish," she whispered to herself with a note of finality.

"You are a child," said a voice from behind her, Blake jumped slightly and spun round finding herself face to face with Ron, "I mean I know you're some big bad witch, but you are still a kid you know," with that he started for the stairs.

"Wait," she said quietly, Blake turned again, "Wait," she said a little louder. Ron paused on the stairs to the staircase, "Yeah?" he said, a soft polite smile played on his lips.

"I was wondering if you, well. . . well, we, we were wondering, if you. . .and the others would want to go to Hogsmeade with us. Tonight, as like a getting to know each other thing," Blake fell silent, Ron was unable to fully read the expression on her face but he could have sworn she was blushing in the dim hall candle light. She was a very pretty girl, her light brown hair looking slightly highlighted in the flickering candle light and we bright green eyes swan in the orange glow, Ron smiled and nodded, "Yeah, sounds great, I'll tell the others. Want us to tell the Slytherins as well or. . ." he trailed off gesturing down the hall, to where the dungeons and the Elite's training quarters were, Blake blinked, "Oh, them, um yeah, Zandra's telling them it's fine," she said biting down on her lip, hard, to stop herself from talking anymore.

Ron nodded, "Ok, so we'll see you later I guess, about nine-ish?"

Blake nodded, "Yeah, nine is cool. See you then," with that she turned and started off down the hall to the Elite dorms, when she reached the end of the hall she broke into a half skip half run and did a little dance as she turned the corner, she flung out her arms and grabbed Susan who had been waiting for her, "He said yes,"

Susan smiled and patted her friend, "Yeah, I told you he would. One problem though,"

"What?" Blake said not understanding why her friend wasn't as happy for her as she was, "You invited him out with a group of us,"

Blake shook her head, "So? I'm not seeing your point here,"

Susan knocked on her head, "Hello? Anyone home? Have you asked Zandra if we can ALL go out into the village?"

Blake closed her eyes, "Shit, fucking protocol," she muttered to herself before taking a deep breath and shaking her head, "It's fine, I'll deal with it, I will." She said nodding in agreement with herself. "I can do this, right?"

The seer just smiled and patted her friend on the back, her mind drawing a blank as to what lay in the direct future for Blake, "I guess."

Blake ignored the unsure note in her voice and continued nodding as they made their way down to their rooms, on passing the Slytherin dorms they stopped an knocked. The wall slid open and a pug-faced girl stood there with a quirked eyebrow, "Can I help you?"

"No," Blake and Susan said in unison, before stepping past her and into the common room. "eeny, meeny, miny, moe," Blake said quickly pointing between the unmarked girls and boys dorm, in an attempt to decide which to try. Susan tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the left one as a surly looking boy came down the stairs, his hair was damp as though he'd just been in the shower and they took that as a good sign, "Moe, it is."

With that they started up the stair towards the boys dorm, lucky for them the names for who was in each room were listed on the doors and it was only a matter of minutes before the found Draco and Blaise's room. Ignoring the tie on the handle, they knocked and simply entered the room.

Blake covered her mouth in a failing attempt to hold back a snort of laughter, while Susan simply covered her eyes, "Hey, Blaise," they said again in unison with Blake averting her eyes to the ceiling. Blaise waved as there was a shriek from the girl who had been on top of him, who attempted to wrap herself in his sheet and cover up, "What the fuck Blaise? Did you double book or something?" she said smacking him in the chest.

"Ow, no, but I do take drop-ins. Unfortunately these ladies aren't here to sleep with me, how can I help you girls? Or are you here to sleep with me because if you are, I'm a little busy right now,"

"We can see that, but no we were just telling you we're going down to Hogsmeade, meeting in the entrance hall at nine, you and Draco are welcome to come,"

Blaise nodded, "I'll tell Dray, but if you don't mind," he pointed to the doors and Blake, who had looked down after the girl had covered up nodded ushering Susan, who refused to uncover her eyes, out of the room. As they made their way back down the hall they bumped into to Draco himself, coming back from the library, and after explaining to him about Hogsmeade, Susan couldn't help but ask a questions, "Is Blaise a gigolo or something?"

"Blaise? No, just your common run of the mill male slag, it's really nothing to worry about, he always uses protection and schedules it so it doesn't bother my routine as much," Draco shrugged and continued to his room, Leaving the Elite girls in the hall of the boys dorm to judge his friend.

The girls finally made it back to their own common room, by 8:30. Luckily everyone except Zandra and Smith were back and in the common room, so that they could quickly explain the situation and form a plan to coerce Zandra into agreeing to let them go, "…but we have to stick together guys or she'll never say yes,"

"Who'll never say yes?"

Blake closed her eyes and swore under her breath as she turned around to face Zandra, who stood by the door, arms crossed waiting for an explanation, "Well?"

Blake smiled, "Now, Zandra, lovely, lovely Zandra, remember that I love you when I say this,"

"Spit it out,"

"We would like to go to Hogsmeade tonight with the Hogwarts lot, as a way to kind of get to know them better and we'd really really like it if you said we could go," Blake trailed off and bit her lip at the end, bracing herself for Zandra to yell, or laugh or do something that ended in the word no but Zandra, whose arms had dropped to her side by this time, just shrugged, "Sure."

"Really?" Susan said in disbelief.

Zandra nodded, "Yeah, it's a good idea Elder Dumbledore is always on at me, to do something nice with them and 'get to know them' better, why not?"

Susan blinked, "Wow, I did not see that coming,"

The elite chuckled at the look of shock on their seer's face, "So we can really go?" Sophie said smiling, from her position balanced precariously on the back on the couch.

Zandra nodded and made her way toward her room, as Smith took a seat on the couch in front of Sophie, "Can you come?" Trebovir said quietly from his seat on the hearth rug. That stopped Zandra in her tracks, "Me?"

"Well, yeah. It'd be weird if you weren't there," Foxworth said from the arm chair, the rest of the Elite nodded.

Zandra shrugged, "I guess, Sure."

The smiled at their leader and then all went to get ready for their coming night out.

Ron sat quietly in the corner of the common room, he was waiting for Harry and Hermione to get back from the library to tell them about Hogsmeade tonight, Ginny was already in her room getting ready and being a boy Ron was already having simply changed into jeans and a t shirt. The portrait door swung open and Harry and Hermione entered scanning the common room for Ron, they seemed to have the most worried and lined expressions on their faces as Ron waved them over, "Hey, guys, um, the Elite invited us out with them tonight, we're going into Hogsmeade, meeting them in the entrance hall in like," he looked at his watch, "and hour and a bit, if you guys want to go get ready,"

They nodded but didn't seem to be listening, "Are you guys alright?" he asked simply.

They nodded again and shot each other nervous looks, "We have to tell you something," Harry started as Ginny came down the stairs. She looked over at the Scene Harry and Hermione standing over and confused looking Ron; he caught her glance and shrugged, his friends still silent and worried. Ginny turned back around and disappeared back up to her room, which only confused Ron more.

"You feeling ok? I mean Harry I know you and Gin just broke up, everything alright?"

Harry nodded, "Did she tell you why we broke up?"

Ron shook his head, when something occurred to Harry, Ginny hadn't actually told him why they had broken up, she was going to do it whether he had been up there with Mione or not, Harry pushed the thought to the back of his mind and looked at wrong, who was looking more and more confused by the minute.

Harry sighed and opened his mouth to explain, but Hermione cut him off, "I have to break up with you, I can't do it anymore," she said suddenly.

Ron blinked, "Ok, why? What have I done?"

"Nothing, you're wonderful, but I can't keep lying to you,"

"You've been lying to me?"

"We both have, Ginny fond out today and we wanted you to find out from us," Ron quickly realised where this was going his mouth formed a small o, as Hermione continued, "Harry and I have been seeing each other behind your back for the last couple of months, we're really sorry. We are, it just happened and,"

"We never meant to hurt you mate,"

"We didn't,"

"It just-"

"Happened"

Ron looked at his two best friends, their faces lined with worry, and then looked at the ground, "That's a big secret," he said quietly, before nodding to himself, "Thanks for telling me, you guys should go get ready, we'll be leaving in a bit," he continued to stare at the ground.

It was their turn to be confused, "Ron are you ok?"

"That depends," he looked up at his friends, "Do you make each other happy?"

They solemnly nodded, and Ron slowly nodded in understanding, "Then who am I to judge, I'm happy for you I guess," with that he gave them a sad smile and shrugged, "we'll figure it out tomorrow, but right now you guys need to go get ready," they nodded and went towards their separate dorms, as the left Ginny reappeared at the bottom of the stairs, she went over to her brother and hand him a small glass. Numbly he took it as she filled it with light amber liquid, "drink," she said lightly sitting down on the carpet at his side. Ron downed the hot liquid and shivered, before holding the glass out for another one, Ginny smiled and poured more fire whiskey into the shot glass, this continued for a few more shots until Ron had a nice warm feeling running inside him. He wasn't drunk but it was a good feeling, "So that's why you two broke up?" he said quietly as Ginny poured a quick shot for herself before stashing the bottle under a cushion, she shook her head while pulling face at the whiskey, "No, I was going to break up with him anyway, I just walked in on them together at the same time,"

"Were you angry?"

"Strangely, no, it was a relief I guess, it proved that everything I had been feeling wasn't just me being a bitch. There had actually been a problem, you?"

"No, but that's because anger is a useless emotion. You blow hot air for awhile and then feel worse afterwards, but as long as they're happy." He trailed off, but then perked up slightly, "I guess, I need to find me someone to me happy now,"

Ginny smiled at her Brother, "That'll be easy, you're a catch," She gave him a small peck on the cheek as Harry and Hermione made their way back down to the common room. They were both still very silent, and seemingly scared of the two red heads, Ginny couldn't help but laugh at their faces, "Guy relax, we're not mad, we promise. Shit happens." As if to prove a point she went over and hugged Harry and then Hermione, "Chillax, we're going to have a great night."

Oh look, It's been less than a year and Oh my, i've uploaded again. I'm getting good at this aren't i?

Read and Review- please and thank you. ^_^

Love

Flutterby