Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. I own the Plot though.

A.N; It's been awhile, hasn't it? I wasn't going to add to the story because I thought I was out of ideas, but this scene popped into my head just now. Hope you like it.

One Step Forward; Two Steps Back

I looked at myself in the mirror, silently contemplating whether or not I was actually going to go through with this. Afterall, just because Draco and I had talked a few times didn't make us friends; or running buddies. I checked the clock and groaned. I had fifteen more minutes to get down to the Quidditch Pitch before time was up.

I sighed, took one more look in the mirror then walked back to bed. Afterall, it was only Malfoy and I didn't care about him, and he sure as hell, couldn't care about me.

-----

"Why is Malfoy looking at us?" asked Ron, glancing at Harry.

I whipped around, only to catch him turning to Blaise Zabini beside him. I could sense that he was angry I hadn't shown up this morning.

Harry looked up. "He's probably up to something," he said, glaring darkly at Draco before returning his attention to the Daily Prophet.

"Anyone we know?" asked Hermione from beside me, brushing off the subject of Draco.

"Just says that a couple of wizards are missing since the attack on Diagon Alley," Harry replied, glancing at me for a moment. I shifted my eyes away from him.

Ron turned to me. "Good thing that Ravenclaw student found you, or we might have never seen you again."

I blushed and looked down. "Yeah, good thing," I mumbled, casting a look over my shoulder at Draco as the continued talking.

-----

The whole day had gone exceptionally well since breakfast. There had been no Draco sightings. But, the day was not over yet.

"Can you believe that test McGonagall gave us, Gin?" asked Colin, as the two of us walked to the library. "I thought for sure I would fail."

"I thought it was quite easy," I replied, pushing the hair out of my eyes.

"Of course you would Gin, you're incredibly intelligent."

I blushed and looked away.

"Woo-hoo, what do we have here?" sneered a voice from the shadows.

I inwardly groaned. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"Nothing from the likes of a pathetic Weasley and a dirty mudblood," he sneered, narrowing his eyes at me, while Colin gasped from behind me.

I narrowed my eyes at Draco. "Take. That. Back." I demanded, letting each word have the full effect of the meaning.

He laughed coldly. "Which one?"

"You know which one."

Colin glanced nervously between the two of us.

"Well, he is a mudblood. And so is Granger. So I guess that makes you a mudblood lover."

I slowly removed my wand from my front pocket, letting the anger rise in me.

Noticing my wand, he smirked. "Now, now, don't do anything stupid, Weasley. We wouldn't want you to get in trouble, mudblood lover," whispering the last part, so only I could hear it.

I snapped, brought my wand up and cast the Bat Bogey Hex at him. Seeing him squirm, I grabbed Colin and walked around Malfoy. "Ferret," I whispered at him.

Colin laughed from beside me. "That was brilliant, Gin. Thanks for standing up for me."

"Au contraire, Miss Weasley," said a voice from behind me.

I turned around to see Professor Slughorn behind me.

"That will be fifty points from Gryffindor and a dentention for you tomorrow night."

I sighed. One step forward, two steps back.

A.N: Done! Let me know what you think. Doing the chapter like so, makes it easier to keep plot bunnies open

xo