Next chapppppieee sorry this was supposed to be out sooner but I had two big projects due, a vacation, hell week for the school play, and some ex trouble! (but now all of that is over for the most part and I am BACK! Don't worry I am NOT going to stop writing this story. I love it to much : ) O I didn't have any of the Harry Potter books with me last time so that's why there were so many spelling errors but I've looked up Blaise's name and its spelled Zabini! D so proud of myself lol.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

"Blaise slow down, breathe" Draco said quickly looking worriedly at Ginny. Panic started to seep into his veins spread further and further by the erratic beating of his heart. God what is happening here? Did his father find him?

"It's It's gin-Ginny he w-was…" Blaise wheezed obviously in a chaotic haze.

Draco's patience was ebbing he wanted desperately to make sure 'Mione was alright, the sight of Ginny lying motionless on the sofa, stirring new worries in his mind. "He? Ginny? Yes keep going."

"He… w-with his wand he…" Blaise looked up, distress showing in his every feature, anger burning behind the green tint that was his eyes.

"Spit it out already man!" Draco threw his arms up in the air violently startling Blaise out of his frenzied stupor.

"I-it was your father, h-he cornered us in the second floor corridor near the stairs." The words rushed out in a flurry, as Draco heard them cold swept through his body followed by a cloud of dread.

"Alright Blaise calm down let's take her to the hosp-" Draco started.

"NO! I will not leave her there where he can easily slip in and finish the job!" Blaise barked.

"Alright…" Draco paused hands on his head as he tried to find another answer to their problem.

After a few minutes his head aching, he turned his eyes back to Ginny. "Alright Blaise we'll all share rooms. She and 'Mione can stay in 'Mione's room and you and I will stay in mine, or something. This way anyway we'll all be close by and paired off."

Blaise nodded, seemingly satisfied for the time being with Draco's plan.

"For now though you'd better not move her ok? At least until we have some idea of what's wrong with her." Draco called as he made his way into his own room and reappeared seconds later with a cd player in his hands, only to vanish again into Hermione's room.

Seeing her still laying there eyes closed he let out a deep sigh and slid down the foot of the bed landing in a heap on the floor. Exhausted he popped the headphones into his ears and pressed play. The sound of Taking Back Sunday suddenly shattered the strained silence.

This was his stress reliever, hitting the volume button he let the electric guitar and the steady drum push his problems into the back of his mind, giving him the peace of mind to drift off to sleep…

Draco woke slowly as the cd ended, the sudden lack of noise stirring him into conciousness. The sun had started to set quietly on the horizon the orange glow giving one last comforting wink before it slept for the night and the moon illuminated the darkness of the night.

His mind slightly muddled, his recollections of that day quickly resurfaced and he sprang to his feet looking wildly about. When his eyes landed on Hermione's empty bed his mind only pushed into a more frenzied state his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

Suddenly he felt the presence of a hand on his shoulder and without hesitation swiftly turned about brandishing his wand on his attacker. He stopped however when he heard Hermione start to laugh, trying and failing to contain it.

"God Hermione! You scared the stuffing out of me!" Draco yelled, but couldn't hide the relief in his voice.

"The stuffing Draco really?" she laughed even harder at this.

"Er...yes…no nevermind! You know what I meant!" He huffed.

"I do" she said still smiling, wrapping her arms around his neck as he rested his forehead on hers.

Gently leaning in Draco's lips had just grazed her own when… "GINNY!"

Blaise's voice boomed throughout the dorm, causing both the teens heads to turn sharply towards the door, bumping heads in the process.

Hand on his head to suppress the pain that was rising there, Draco swiftly made his way to the door shoving it open and fearing the worst. "Blaise what is it? Are they back!"

There in front of him stood a very very …happy? Blaise. Standing with a very awake Ginny.

"Ginny!" Hermione rushed past Draco and swept her best friend into a stifling hug. "Ginny you're ok!"

Draco stared at the scene in silence. Something just doesn't seem…right. He watched Ginny as she happily talked with Blaise and 'Mione. The smile on her face never quite reached her eyes however, in fact they seemed almost lifeless. You're thinking nonsense Draco she's breathing, laughing and talking just like she used to, it's just the after effects of being out for awhile.

Yet Draco still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, it plagued his mind and skirted his thoughts but he brushed it aside dismissing it as nothing to be concerned about. He simply couldn't handle another stress on top of his father and watching over Hermione, so he shut the possibility out as a minor detail.

"Draco aren't you gonna come say hi to sleeping beauty here?" 'Mione teased.

"Hey!" 'Mione don't make fun of me!" Ginny yelped playfully poking 'Mione in the ribs.

"Oh yeah sorry guys…"Draco smiled slightly before making his way slowly over to his trio of friends.

"Wait a minute if I'm sleeping beauty does that mean I get a kiss from prince charming?" Ginny's eyes glinted playfully as she turned to face Blaise.

"What?" Blaise asked a bit perplexed in the sudden change in topic.

"Hmm… well you'll have to do." Ginny smirked before leaning forward to capture Blaise's lips in a kiss.

Hermione and Draco stood awkwardly next to them, Hermione shuffling her feet on the oriental rug and Draco looking anywhere but the couple in front of him.

"How about we leave these two to catch up eh?" "Mione whispered and quietly dragged Draco through the portrait hole.

The couple walked aimlessly around the ancient castle it's halls for the most part empty as everyone had returned to their common rooms for the night.

"Draco I want to go outside" 'Mione stared out the window at the black lake sitting enticingly under the moonlight seeming to yawn with a sort of eternal comfort reflected in the mirror like stillness of the waters surface.

"Outside? Now? With my father and Blaise's on the loose and after us?" Draco asked not quite comprehending the words that were spilling from her mouth.

"Yeah, I can tell you are stressed and don't you dare tell me you're not Draco Malfoy, you're easier to read the Hogwarts, A History." 'Mione scolded.

"Alright, alright, I give let's go. Just stay alert ok?" He let out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping slightly in defeat.

Stepping out side the wind swept around them catching Hermione's hair, making a halo around her face. Draco just watched trying not to laugh as she fretfully pulled at the new knots in the long mocha strands.

Finally he couldn't help it anymore and a short laugh burst from his lips before he swiftly covered his mouth to prevent having a very angry Hermione. Too Late.

"Oh so you think this is funny huh? Well let's see how you like it?" She quickly shot out a hand and mussed up his already rather messy hair. He just smirked at her feeble attempts at revenge.

"No fair," she pouted, "You know if I had done that to you third year you would have completely flipped out."

"I would not," he stopped walking and stood defensively in front of her.

"Oh my god Draco! The Halloween ball I completely forgot! What are we gonna do it was supposed to be next weekend and we haven't done anything!" Hermione felt her stomach flip and her old bookworm ways start to set in again. "We still need to pick the club, and get the decorations, and pick the music, and –"

"'Mione relax! Dumbeldore pushed it back another week to Halloween weekend. It'll be fine." Draco said exasperated. Really how am I supposed to keep up with her, her mind travels a mile a minute.

She visibly relaxed and her irregular breathing settled back into a pattern that was almost normal. Well then again 'Mione was never really normal to begin with. He laughed again silently this time.

Now feeling VERY awake and exhilirated 'Mione looked to the lake and got an idea. Skipping stones! Anything to get rid of all the energy buzzing through her veins like neon.

Carefully slipping her feet into the ebony black surface she watched the ripples roll to the other side only to fall back into the depths of the lake.

Finding a stone of acceptable shape and size, she hurled it with all her strength, but much to her frustration it skipped a paltry number of two times and then with a funny plunk sound sunk beneath the surface. A few more stones were airborne before she finally threw her hands into the air in annoyance

Malfoy watched from the shore with a smile of lazy contentment on his amused face.

"Look Miss Granger you are doing it all wrong." He spoke in a mock-McGonagall voice making her start to laugh uncontrollably chasing away the ghosts of her anger. Standing up he sauntered over to her and started instructing her on the 'art' of skipping stones.

After their lungs were steeped in the crisp night air and the chill of the night had saturated their skin, they began their trek back to their common room in silence.

"We have a Hogsmeade trip this weekend don't we?" Draco asked suddenly as they reached the cat's portrait.

"Yeah we do," 'Mione replied before whispering the password.

"Welcome back," their black cat friend greeted peering at them with electric yellow-green eyes.

They walked into the warm, well-lit common room to see that Blaise and Ginny had fallen asleep on the sofa sitting up. 'Mione stifled a giggled as she kissed Draco goodnight and quietly made her way into her room, Draco retreating to his immediately after.

The next few days passed quietly for the friends. Draco finally found himself relaxing bit by bit as the days passed without the interruption of his or Blaise's fathers. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Ginny though. It laced his thoughts popping up at the least expected time, invading his mind. Still he brushed it aside, there was no solid evidence, no reason to support the foreboding that he felt whenever he looked at her.

The Hogsmeade trip was reached with a flurry of excitement and talk of the up coming dance. Students rushed down the stairs to breakfast in the great hall excited to leave. Hermione ate her scrambled eggs, toast and bacon happily with Harry and Ron before regrouping with Draco, Blaise and Ginny and heading down to the carriages.

The ride to Hogsmeade was a pleasant one, Hermione and Draco settled into one of the squishy velvet seats, Blaise and Ginny in the other. Everyone was in a good mood, though things were still a bit awkward between Hermione and Blaise.

I just don't know him very well. Mione reflected while looking carefully at Blaise. It'd be nice to get to know him though, I mean he must be nice since Ginny's so smitten with him.

'Mione was startled from her thoughts as the seat collided clumsily with her rear announcing they had stopped at Hogsmeade. The carriage was opened and unloaded, their shoes clomping on the damp stones of the walkway. The two couple's went their separate ways, Blaise and Ginny heading for the trails that circled the shrieking shack and Draco and Hermione off to Honeydukes.

They spent their day making plans for the dance and despite their lack of focus (I mean really who could focus with Draco shoving chocolates in your mouth and then laughing as you spluttered. Proper revenge had to be taken.) they managed to pick the club, the music and well that was all they had time for before Millicent Bulstrode clumsily approached and informed Draco that Ginny was looking for him.

Draco got out of his chair and noticing that Hermione was preparing to do the same he interrupted. "'Mione don't worry about it you keep on working alright? I'm sure this'll just take a second."

She stopped shuffling papers and turned to look at him seeming to consider something, but finally her lips curled into a smirk, "Alright just hurry back ok I'm going to go absolutely stir crazy if I have to sit here much longer!"

Draco just laughed and leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek before turning to leave. I think I may have had a bad influence on her. A smirk of his own slipped onto his face as he headed down the path Millicent had demanded he take to find Ginny.

'Mione stared after him her smile fading, replaced concern etched into her face. I have a bad feeling about this…Oh what am I doing! If I keep that up I'll end up like that poseur Trelawney! She shook her head violently as if to dispel her premonition in that manner but only succeeded in giving herself a headache. He's going to be fine.

Draco kept walking, listening to the sound of his own feet on the crackling leaves below him. Sucking in the clean air he kept his open searching for Ginny and Blaise. He kept going until a large piece of shrubbery rudely blocked the way. Dead end. Where is Ginny? God I bet Millicent got her directions confused.

He turned starting back to Honeydukes and Hermione when-

PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!

His body was beyond his control. He froze and felt his body crash into the grass and leaf carpeted ground. His neck strained as he tried to find his attacker in his surroundings.

You…

Ok guys back to old schedule I have time to write and post now so no worries!

Good? Bad? Ideas? Let me know

Ange