The feast was, I think, a little bit more depressing than usual. For starters, only about fifty students had showed up this year. Unfortunately, Colin Creevey was one of them, and he would not shut up! He also started trying to get me to go on a date, which really got annoying. It's not like I didn't have enough men on my hands.

Anyway, there were about fifty students there, and only three first-years. Of course, that did make the Sorting much quicker, but it was still depressing.

At the end, Professor McGonagall stood up. I don't remember what she said, except that when she introduced Percy, I booed. Loudly. Then I got sent to the tower and was given detention. Sad, but it really saved me trouble, and, well, it did get a laugh.

The next day, I was totally exhausted, because the Gryffindors had been partying all night long. And, with a groan, I realized I had Transfiguration first period.

I grumpily stormed into the classroom. To my dismay, I was early, and the only one there yet. Percy looked up, annoyed, from his notes.

"Strayed away from the Ministry, Percy?" I asked, venom dripping out of my voice. "Or did you just get fired?"

His ears turned red, and he opened his mouth to speak, when Colin Creevey came in. I moaned.

The bell rang, signalling the start of class, and Luna came in. Percy looked around, and checked his list.

"I guess that's everyone," he said stiffly, and everything was awkward. "Well, as you know from the feast," he shot me a dirty look. "I am Professor Weasley, and I am teaching Transfiguration this year,"

"We KNOW, Percy, now get on with the lesson," Yes, this was me. Who else?

He glared at me. "Ten points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn, Miss Weasley. You are to address me as "sir", "professor", or "Professor Weasley" at all times,"

I was actually a bit shocked. Git that he had become, Percy had never spoken to me like that. It was almost frightening, but I replied with, "Professor? Yeah, right. More like Biggest Prat of the Universe,"

His eyes bored into mine. "Detention, Weasley," he told me firmly. And I shut up for the rest of the period, though I was fuming. Two detentions and ten points from Gryffindor already. It wasn't a great start to the year.

After class, I stormed down the halls, on my way to Potions with Professor Slughorn, who apparently hadn't left. On my way there, however, a hand grabbed my robes and pulled me into a closet.

As a reflex, I started hitting everything in my way, before at last I heard, "Ginny! Calm down! It's me!" and I realized I was hitting Draco.

I blushed. "Sorry. Being randomly pulled into a closet is a bit frightening sometimes,"

"Right, sorry about that," he kissed me briefly, and released me. "Meet me in the Room of Requirement at midnight tonight,"

"Under the eyes of teachers?" I asked, incredulously. He grinned.

"Be sneaky."

And our meetings usually went like this. He would pull me randomly in the halls, we would snog, and then we would set up a meeting for that night. It was odd, too, because teachers never caught us in these midnight meetings.

And in case you were wondering, we didn't do anything. We just kissed each other and caught up on the things we had done during the week. It was a lot like when Harry and I were together.

Speaking of which, I hadn't forgotten about him, either. I felt guilty on every meeting with Draco, and my heart ached for Harry all the time. I know others would disagree, but you can love two people at once, and I did.

September passed, with many more detentions, into October, which passed into November, which passed into December. At last, the Christmas holidays were upon us. Naturally, everyone was partying. Not that I don't like school or anything. It's just that I think Percy was purposely failing me, and school was really getting tense and depressing.

The only problem I found was that I couldn't see Draco for two whole weeks. I wasn't sure if Harry, Ron, and Hermione were coming to the Burrow for Christmas, but I hoping not. Yes, I ached for Harry. But I couldn't bear to see him and not be with him. And you can imagine how guilty I was feeling.

So on the day that I left for Hogwarts, I had gathered all of my stuff, and given a goodbye to Luna, who was going to spend her summer looking for "exotic creatures" which probably didn't exist with her dad, Neville, who would be going home and doing something, Colin Creevey, who had been sticking to me like a leech since the beginning of the year and would NOT go away, and, lastly, Draco. He caught me on my way to Percy's office (it was the main link between Hogwarts and the homes of the students and teachers, I wasn't going to say goodbye or anything), pulling me as usual into a random closet. But this time, my guilt took over, and I pushed him away, much to his confusion. I heard him call after me, but I didn't look back.

As I pushed hurriedly into Percy's office, he looked up. A large, worn suitcase lay beside his desk.

"Well, Ginny," he muttered stiffly. "Shall we go, then?"

I stared.

"What are you . . .?" I stuttered. He sighed.

"We're going home, and I'm coming too,"

I started spluttering. Percy hadn't come home for ages. Okay, so he had come last year at Christmas, but that's only because Rufus Scrimgeour wanted to snoop around and talk to Harry. Stupid ministry.

"You go first," Percy offered, and, frowning, I took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it in the fireplace. I stepped in, and as I shouted, "The Burrow!", I saw Percy's face flickering through the emerald flames. It was set in a determined way, and he seemed to be saying something that I couldn't hear over the roaring flames. But, I think he might have given me those two words, the two words he could never say.

"I'm sorry,"