"I can't believe they actually let you be my tutor!" Ginny exclaimed as she and Draco walked down the hall after receiving her OWL results.

"Well I thought it was obvious," Draco said as he walked along side Ginny in the hall.

"Oh really and why is that?" Ginny asked giggling.

"Well naturally, she's attracted to my good looks. Although I must admit even she is too old for my taste," Draco said smugly.

"Oh I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I refused to stay in the meeting if you weren't allowed to," Ginny said shooting Draco a smug look that made him chuckle.

"Well at least it will help our image at any rate," Draco sighed, as he and Ginny approached the heads dorm. Draco said the password and put his hand on the small of Ginny's pack to push her through the door.

"Do you think it'll be hard catching up?" Ginny asked biting her bottom lip.

"I think you can handle it. I have to go meet Blaise, did you want me to walk you back to Gryffindor tower?" Draco asked as he took a seat on the couch in the small common room.

Ginny sat down beside Draco on and gazed into the fire before she spoke.

"Can I wait here for a bit?" she asked.

"Of course," he grinned, as he stood up, and left, on route to the dungeons to meet his friend.

Ginny sat on the couch and looked at the parchment clutched in her hand

Astronomy: E
Care of Magical Creatures: O
Charms: O
Defence Against the Dark Arts: O
Ancient Runes: A
Herbology: A
History of Magic: A
Potions: O
Transfiguration: O

Her mother would be so proud, Percy had gotten 3 O's when he had received his OWLs, her mother would be thrilled with her results. Ginny decided to head back to her own common room to send her parents an owl.

Ginny was surprised she hadn't crossed paths with her friends or Harry yet, her and Draco were walking to class when Ginny stopped. Draco kept walking assuring her she'd do great when he realized he was talking to himself he doubled back.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea." Ginny stammered, as she adjusted her bag, and stared at Draco with large frightened eyes.

"Hey don't worry," Draco smiled as he held out his hand for her.

"You ready?" Draco whispered as they arrived in front of the defence against the dark arts class.

Ginny could already hear the voices of the students drifting from the classroom, and Ginny grew weary.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Weasly, do you plan on joining us, or would you rather linger in the hallway and join me after for detention?" Professor Snape called.

How he knew they were there when he hadn't glanced in their direction, Ginny was unsure, but she let Draco guide her into the classroom and to a seat across the room that a dark boy occupied.

Whispers filled the classroom, but one look from Snape silenced the class, as he began talking, Ginny saw Harry, Ron and Hermione staring at her from the back of the classroom, but kept her eyes glued on Snape.

"I would say I hope you have a perfectly good reason for being late. But by your present company I would say you have more than a perfect reason," the boy chuckled, from beside Draco

"Blaise, I think you know Ginny," Draco grinned indicating to Ginny on the other side of him.

Ginny tore her attention away from Snape and looked over at Blaise. She had seen him around Hogwarts, with the other Slytherin's. He was tall, with dark skin, and his hair was cropped short, that framed his jaw nicely.

"Ginny," Blaise grinned, with just a hint of Italian as he winked in her direction.

Ginny blushed as she smiled, before looking away, and returning her attention to the lesson.

"This is exactly why I didn't let you too meet, I don't want you stealing my girlfriend," Draco said playfully smirking at Blaise.

Ginny thought the whispering had died down before, but now the classroom grew completely silent. Snape's drowning voice seemed far away, as all the eyes in the room landed on the threesome sitting at the front.

Blaise raised an eyebrow slightly at Draco referring to Ginny as his girlfriend, and his eyes flicked to her for merely a second then he continued their whispered conversation, as if the news wasn't shocking.

"Mr. Malfoy, although I'm sure Mr. Zabini is thrilled to hear about your love life, this is my classroom and I'd ask that you stop talking and pay attention," Snape called from the front of the class, his eyes landing on Ginny.

The rest of the class passed in silence, and the two classes after passed in much the same way, the whispers and the stares seemed to follow the couple around.

Draco and Ginny made plans to meet for lunch, but Ginny was too hungry to wait for him. By now, the whole school had heard of the new couple, and Ginny's transfer to sixth year, and she wanted to escape in the familiar sea of Gryffindor's.

Walking into the Great Hall, Ginny felt more eyes on her then she had felt walking through the halls at school, she hurried down the aisle and slipped onto the bench, her head bent low as she loaded her plate.

"Ginevra Weasley! What exactly do you think you're doing with the slimy git Malfoy!" Ron shouted as he got up and moved down the table to where she was seated.

Ginny felt her face grow hot as she looked up to see Ron, Harry and Hermione following close behind him.

"Ron I-"

"Do you want me to write mum and tell her that you've lost it? Merlyn Ginny what were you thinking? I heard you were in his room all weekend? Do you want people to think you're a scarlet woman?!" He continued, his voice raising.

But now they had the attention of the whole hall, and Ron didn't seem to care, his face turning as red as his hair.

"Ron, there's probably an explanation for it," Hermione said calmly, as she reached out, putting her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.

"An explanation, you heard the bloody git in potions class!" Ron yelled turning on Hermione.

"Well we haven't even congratulated her on taking her owls and jumping up to 6th year, it must have been a lot of work,-" Hermione's voice was low as she soothed Ron.

"You can't possibly be Malfoy's girlfriend," Harry said, taking a step towards her, as he searched her face.

Ginny's heart beat faster, as she saw the concern on Harry's face, she opened her mouth ready to tell him it was all a lie, that she was really in love with him, when they were interrupted.

"Ginny!"

Ginny didn't have to turn to know whose voice that was, she could still hear him calling her name that day in the deserted corridor.

If Ginny thought they had the attention of the hall before, it was nothing compared to the silence that rang through it now, as everyone strained to hear Dean Thomas.

Dean walked across the hall, and stopped beside Harry.

"Ginny where have you been, I heard a rumour that you and Malfoy- I haven't seen you since-"

"Since when?" Ginny asked, cutting him off. "Since I saw you snogging Lavender Brown, and don't tell me she threw herself at you, because I'm getting tired of hearing that," Ginny sighed, keeping her voice surprisingly level.

"Ginny, I didn't mean-"

"You what?" Ron roared, turning on Dean now.

"Ginny it was an accident," Dean said, awkwardly, all eyes in the hall on him.

"Which time?" Ginny responded, asking what she had suspected all along.

Dean's face grew red, and he fidgeted in his spot, confirming what Ginny had guessed all along. Maybe Ginny hadn't loved him, but she really did like him, blinking back tears she looked up to meet his gaze.

"We're done Dean," Ginny sighed, closing her eyes.

"I cheated on you, and you cheated on me, we're even now, Dean smiled smugly as he folded his hands across his chest. "There's no need to be dramatic," he added.

"I never cheated on you," Ginny replied, trying to control her anger and her tears.

"I told you she threw herself at me, why aren't you listening to me. And maybe if you'd put out I wouldn't be so slow to shove her off!" Dean yelled.

Ginny stood up from the bench, her jaw hanging open. His words stung more than the sight of seeing him with Lavender. She raised her wand, ready to show him exactly what she thought of him now, when a warm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Allow me Ginny," Draco's voice came from behind her.
Ginny slowly lowered her wand expecting Draco to raise his, but instead her pulled her to face him by her hips, and lightly tilted her chin up with his finger. He held her gaze for only a second before he brought his lips down to hers and kissed her. The kissed only lasted for a few moments before Draco pulled away and punched Dean in the face.

If the hall was quiet before, the explosion of conversation was just as loud as Ron shouted at Dean, and Harry tried to control his two classmates.

Draco took Ginny's hand and led her out of the great hall, and into the deserted corridor.

"Are you okay?" He asked, as they slid down the wall, taking a seat on the floor.

"Yeah, I just didn't realise how much of a jerk he was," Ginny responded.

"Yeah, I would have loved to hex him, but the look on your brother's face? I figured I'd save him the honours." Draco said smirking.

There were hesitant footsteps from down the hall, and Ginny looked up and spotted Hermione as she came to a stop twisting her hands nervously.

"Ginny I am so sorry about Dean," Hermione said quietly as she flicked her gaze to Draco.

Draco looked between the two friends and rose, giving Ginny a small smile before he disappeared into the hall to give the two friends some privacy.

Hermione slid down the wall, filling Draco's empty spot

"I never should have encouraged you to date him, if I knew that's how he would have treated you," she said, as she wrapped her arms around Ginny.

"I'm proud of you for standing your ground though," she added as she pulled away. "Do you really like Draco?" Hermione asked after a moment of silence.

Ginny looked at Hermione from the corner of her eye, Hermione's question had taken her by surprise. Yet although Hermione tried to seem uninterested, she could tell she was holding her breath waiting for the answer, perhaps Draco's plan was working after all.

"I think so," Ginny replied, turning to look at her friend.

"Then I'm happy for you," she grinned, as she stood up brushing off her skirt.

"Should we go finish lunch before class?" Hermione asked.

"Sure," Ginny grinned as she let Hermione pull her up and lead her into the hall.

The two girls sat down beside Harry and Ron – who still looked upset.

"I can't believe I let that git date my sister," Ron whispered harshly to Harry as he glared at Dean, who sat further down the table being fussed over by Lavender and Parvati Patil

"Ron," Hermione scolded, as she indicated to Ginny, who was pushing her potatoes around on her plate.

Ron took the hint and shut his mouth although he didn't seem happy about it, as he aggressively shoved chicken in his mouth.

"So, Draco Malfoy?" Harry whispered, from where he sat beside her.

"I'm happy for her," Hermione said, giving Harry a pointed look.

"Are you encouraging my sister and the bloody git Malfoy?" Ron asked, as chicken spewed from his mouth.

"Ron, why don't we discuss it later," Hermione offered, handing him a napkin.

"Discuss it later?" he questioned, shocked. "As if the matter is up for discussion, no it isn't. I forbid it Ginny," Ron finished smugly as he grabbed the napkin from Hermione's outstretched hand.

"I think, I'm just going to go to class," Ginny said pushing her plate away as she stood up from the bench.

"Wait Ginny! Let me go with you," Harry said slipping out of the bench.

"No you have herbology, Harry. Ginny has ancient runes, I'll go with her," Hermione said matter of factly, rising from the table.

As the two girls took off in the direction of the ancient ruins classroom, Ginny couldn't help wondering how Hermione knew she chose to continue in ancient ruins and not herbology.