Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my name isn't J. K. Rowling...which means that I own nothing. While you guys read, I'll go cry in a corner about the fact that I didn't create this marvelous world and these amazing characters.

Here is my Christmas gift to all my readers! Another chapter before Christmas! I hope you like it.

By the next couple of days, everyone had heard about what had happened to Katie. The actual facts of how she got cursed somehow got lost and I overheard a third year telling her friend that she saw Snape hex Katie so she wouldn't get to play in the coming Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match.

"That's ridiculous," spat Florence when she first heard that theory.

"Well," started Evanna. "The game is coming up here and everyone knows how much Snape wants the Slytherins to win the Quidditch Cup."

"Now that theory is ridiculous," I said. "As much as I hate Snape, he's a teacher. He wouldn't curse a student no matter how much he wanted to win."

"Look, let's just forget about the Snape theory," said Florence. She turned to me. "Who is going to replace Katie if she isn't well enough for the first game?"

I shrugged, a sense of dread settling in my stomach. "I don't know but if she isn't well enough to play there isn't anything we can do. I hope whoever substitutes for her is as good a player as Katie."

"Change of subject," said Evanna, clapping her hands together. "How are you and Dean doing?"

Dean and I had been icy towards each other for the first day after our public fight but we soon made up. I felt bad for arguing with him in public and he felt bad for always criticizing my friends. After we both owned up to how stupid we both were, we settled back into our comfortable relationship.

"It's good. It's finally back to normal."

"I bet having Dean stop taking Ron's side in your fights really helped," laughed Florence.

I laughed. "Yeah, that really helped."

Dean had come running up to me two weeks later and said that Harry had offered him the substitute Chaser position.

"I guess Harry finally gave up hope that Katie would recover in time," I mused.

"I guess so. Look Ginny, I got to go. I'll see you at practice tonight."

I watched Dean run off down the corridor, probably to go tell some other friends his news. I laughed to myself at his excitement and then continued on my way to the common room.

I decided to skip dinner so I could sit up in the common room to finish as much homework as possible before practice. I had made a significant dent in my work by the time I had to change and make my way down to the pitch.

Once practice started, I could see that Harry was impressed with his choice of Dean as substitute. Dean flew well with Demelza and I and Peakes and Coote were getting better and better all the time. Harry was superb as a Seeker as always which made the only problem on the team Ron.

Ron was known to be an inconsistent player who suffered from nerves and a lack of confidence. The looming prospect of the opening game between Gryffindor and Slytherin seemed to have brought back all of Ron's old insecurities.

After letting in half a dozen goals, much of which were scored by me, his technique became wilder and wilder until he finally punched an oncoming Demelza in the mouth.

"It was an accident, I'm sorry Demelza, really sorry!" Ron shouted after her as she zigzagged back to the ground dripping blood everywhere. "I just—"

"Panicked," I said angrily. I landed on the ground next to Demelza and started examining her fat lip. "You prat, Ron, look at the state of her!"

Harry suddenly landed by Demelza and I and pulled out his wand and pointed it at Demelza's mouth. "I can fix that. Episkey."

Demelza's fat lip suddenly seemed to deflate and the only sign of her ever having an injury was the dried blood on her face and robes.

"And Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not the captain of this team—"

Harry sounded just like my father when he reprimanded me and it made my anger start to flare. I was tired of being talked to like a misbehaving child. "Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should."

Harry sighed. "In the air, everyone, let's go…"

By the time practice was done, I knew it was the worst practice we had ever had and I knew Harry was lying when he said, "Good work, everyone, I think we'll flatten Slytherin."

"I think Harry was lying about a good practice," I said to Dean as we walked up to Gryffindor Tower together.

Dean pulled aside a tapestry to a shortcut corridor and we both slipped in past the tapestry.

"He probably was," said Dean.

"I mean, did you see Ron!?"

Dean suddenly stopped and it took me a moment to notice that he wasn't walking with me. I backtracked and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up Dean?"

Dean took a deep breath. "I just want to say sorry. I never really apologized for all the times I took Ron's side in your guy's arguments. I mean, you're my girlfriend, I should always take your side."

I grinned up at him. "Thank you Dean, that means a lot to me."

Dean enveloped me in a warm hug and I let myself lean into him. It seemed like he lowered his lips the same time I raised mine and our lips met in a heated embrace. I felt his hands snake downwards to rest on my hips like I locked my hands around his neck to deepen the kiss.

"Oi!"

Dean and I broke apart and both looked around. At the end of the corridor we just entered was Ron and Harry.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't want to find my sister snogging people in public!"

"This was a deserted corridor till you came butting in!" I pointed out.

"Er…c'mon, Ginny," said Dean, "Let's go back to the common room…"

"You go," I said. "I want a word with my dear brother."

Dean, probably sensing another fight between Ron and I, departed without looking sorry at all that he was leaving the scene.

"Right," I said, tossing my hair over my shoulder and glaring fiercely at Ron. "Let's get this straight once and for all. It is none of your business who I go out with or what I do with them, Ron—"

"Yeah, it is!" said Ron, sounding just as angry as I was. "D'you think I want people saying my sister's a—"

"A what?" I shouted, drawing my wand. "A what, exactly?"

"He doesn't mean anything, Ginny—," said Harry, trying to calm the fight.

"Oh yes he does!" I yelled, flaring up at Harry. "Just because he's never snogged anyone in his life, just because the best kiss he's ever had is from our Aunt Muriel—"

"Shut your mouth!" bellowed Ron, turning a dark maroon colour.

"No, I will not!" I yelled. "I've seen you with Phlegm, hoping she'll kiss you on the cheek every time you see her, it's pathetic! If you went out and got a bit of snogging done yourself you wouldn't mind so much that everyone else does it!"

Ron whipped out his wand and Harry stepped swiftly between Ron and I.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron roared who was trying to manoeuvre around Harry to get a clear shot at me. "Just because I don't do it in public—!"

I sounded like a maniac as I screamed with derisive laughter as I tried to push Harry out of the way. "Been kissing Pigwidgeon, have you? Or have you got a picture of Auntie Muriel stashed under your pillow?"

"You—"

A streak of orange light flew under Harry's left arm and missed me by inches.

Harry ran forward and pushed Ron up against a wall. "Don't be stupid—"

"Harry's snogged Cho Chang!" I shouted. "And Hermione snogged Viktor Krum. It's only you who acts like it's something disgusting, Ron, and that's because you've got as much experience as a twelve year old!"

Without waiting for a retort, I turned on my heels and stormed away. I was in such a state when I got to the common room, I stormed right past Dean who was waiting to hear what happened and ran up to my dormitory.

I washed up, changed into my pyjamas and angrily flopped into bed, hoping tomorrow would be better.

"So, I heard a rumour," I said, laying aside my quill and leaning forward. "About you and a certain Pansy Parkinson."

It was just Draco and I studying together tonight. Blaise said he was busy with some Slytherin girl named Zara and Astoria was very vague, just saying that she had other work she had to do. There were very few students still working since it was almost time for the library to lock up so it felt like Draco and I were the only ones here.

"What kind of rumours is she spreading now?" he asked wearily.

"I heard that you two hooked up in the Room of Requirement two nights ago."

"False," he drawled, stretching with a groan.

"I thought so," I said, picking up my quill again.

"And why did you think so?"

"Because, Pansy resembles a pug. I know you well enough to know that you don't date girls that look like dogs."

"You got that right Weasley," he said, eyeing me pointedly.

I threw a balled up piece of parchment at him. He swiftly caught it and threw it back. "I heard a rumour about you too."

I sighed. "What did you hear?"

"That you and the young Dean Thomas were caught snogging like preteens in a seemingly deserted corridor last week and your brother and Potter interrupted."

"I do not snog like a preteen," I scoffed.

He quirked an eyebrow. "So you don't deny the snogging in the corridor?"

"Dean and I are perfectly allowed to snog each other."

"But Dean Thomas? You couldn't have shot for someone better?"

I threw down my quill again as I felt my anger start to rise. "Who I date is none of your business. I already have six brothers, I don't need a seventh."

Draco shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Whatever. As long as Dean can put up with your preteen style of snogging."

"Oh, because you are the master at kissing!"

"I've had pretty amazing reviews on my kissing ability," he drawled.

"So have I," I shot back.

Draco smirked. "As far as I can recall, haven't you only ever snogged that Ravenclaw, Michael Corner and your current boyfriend?"

I tried not to blush. "So what? It just means I don't go around snogging everyone."

"And nor do I."

"So what?" I asked. "You have just had tons of girlfriends?"

If possible, Draco's smirk grew even wider. "I never said any of them were my girlfriend. I've never had a girlfriend per say. I've just spent some private time with a few girls but we have an understanding."

"You're disgusting," I said, fighting a frown. I didn't want to sound like his mother or anything but using girls like that—understanding or not—was horrible.

"No, what's disgusting is your total lack of kissing knowledge."

"How's that disgusting?" I asked, outraged.

"I'm sure you don't know the difference between just a good kisser and an absolutely amazing kisser," said Draco. "I'm sure Dean Thomas is the former while I am the latter."

I threw up my hands. "There is no point in me defending Dean since you'll somehow find a way to insult him and stroke your own ego in the same breath."

"It's a talent of mine."

Despite myself, I smiled. "I can't believe we're arguing about who is a better kisser."

"Well obviously I am since the rumours say you kiss like a preteen and we all know that rumours are always true."

I snorted. "I'm sure I'm a better kisser than you."

An eyebrow shot up. "No offense to your deluded opinion of your kissing abilities Weasley, but I probably kiss better than anyone at this school."

"Prove it," I said, smirking.

"I'm not going to kiss you Weasley. I'd rather boil my lips."

"Arse," I laughed.

Draco and I worked in silence until Madam Pince came to shoo us from the library. I noticed there were still some students working so I figured that she now held a grudge against Draco and I.

"So are you excited for the opening game?" I asked as we walked.

Draco shrugged. "I guess so."

"You don't sound very excited. I mean, aren't you always trying to beat Harry?"

"I'm better than Potter at everything," he scoffed.

I grinned. "We'll see come next Saturday."

Draco smirked and gently rammed into my shoulder. "I'll try not to knock you off your broomstick."

"You wouldn't be able too if you tried," I laughed.

"We'll find out next Saturday then, won't we?"

Draco and I bantered like that back and forth until we came to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Well, see you," I said.

"Wait, Ginny," said Draco.

It wasn't the fact that it sounded like Draco wanted to tell me something important that made me turn around. It was the fact that he had actually called me Ginny instead of Weasley. I frowned and turned to him. "Yeah?"

He grinned. "Do me a favour and try to rethink your relationship with Dean Thomas."

I grinned and playfully shoved him. "Sod off."

And then suddenly, Draco was right in front of me, our breaths mingling together. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of unnerving me, so I stood my ground. He was leaning down and I found myself unconsciously leaning into him. Just this close of proximity to him was making my heart start to race and any coherent thoughts I had drift out of my mind.

He smelled of a mixture of fresh laundry and something musky that was purely male. I found myself breathing in his scent and I swore he knew what I was doing. I felt his hands gently brush hair out of my eyes and cup my face tenderly.

I thought he was going to see how far I would let him go before I snapped on him but I wasn't going to let him win this little game. He leaned down until his lips were a hair breadth away from mine as I fought to control myself.

And then he kissed me.

It was nothing like kissing Dean. Kissing Draco was electric and fiery and I found myself getting lost in the depth of the kiss. He tasted of mint and I vaguely recalled him eating some mints as we had studied.

I tangled my fingers in his soft blonde hair as one of his hands drifted to settle at the nape of my neck. I wanted this kiss to go on and on but he drew away after a few seconds.

He looked shocked for a moment for some reason and then he schooled his expression into a smirk. "Goodnight Weasley."

I stared mutely at him until his back turned a corner and then I sagged against a wall. Draco Malfoy was definitely the best kiss I had ever had.

I found the kiss with Malfoy was popping up in my head constantly. I couldn't shake the feeling of how amazing that kiss was. It was a very brief kiss to prove a point for Draco but that kiss had eclipsed every time I had snogged with Michael or Dean.

The only thing that helped me was rigorous Quidditch practice.

After the blow up Ron and I had, he treated both Dean and I very coldly. I was okay with it because he didn't bother me about my Slytherin friends anymore since he refused to talk to me. Unfortunately Ron was getting worse and worse in Quidditch practice.

He was getting more aggressive in his Keeping skills, so that during the final Quidditch practice before Saturday's match, he failed to save every single goal us Chasers aimed at him. That didn't stop him from bellowing at everybody so much that he reduced Demelza to tears.

"You shut up and leave her alone!" shouted Peakes.

I glowered at Ron which Harry caught and quickly intervened. "ENOUGH! Peakes, go and pack up the Bludgers. Demelza, pull yourself together, you played really well today. Ron…"

Harry waited until the rest of us trouped back into the change room to say whatever he had to say to Ron. I wished I could hear but I figured that Harry was just giving Ron some sort of pep talk so I gladly changed and dashed back up to the common room.

"How was practice?" asked Florence once I changed out of my dirty Quidditch robes and sunk into an armchair beside her.

"Horrible. If we lose tomorrow, it's going to be all Ron's fault."

Evanna grimaced. "He's still not saving anything?"

I shook my head. "I really think it's his anger at Dean and I that is affecting his Keeping skills."

"Maybe you should make up with him?" suggested Florence.

"Not likely. He has to realize he was wrong and apologize to me first."

"But for the team—"

"No," I said firmly.

"Okay, don't get your knickers in a twist," said Evanna. "Here, help me with this Charms essay."

The morning of the Quidditch game was its usual excitable affair in the Great Hall. Evanna and Florence came down for breakfast with me and shielded me from the Slytherins who would jeer at the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Guys, it's fine," I laughed. "I've dealt with their taunts before."

"Still," said Evanna, pushing a plate of eggs and sausages towards me. "Eat up."

I knew they weren't going to let it drop so I ate the entire plate to appease them. "Happy?" I asked, pushing away the plate.

"Perfectly," said Florence, standing up and wrapping her scarf around her neck. "Now get down to the pitch."

"Guess what?" said a voice by my elbow.

"Oh, hey Astoria," I said. "What are you doing over here? Aren't you fraternizing with the enemy?"

She laughed. "No, I came to wish you good luck."

"Thank you."

"I also wanted to tell you that our Chaser Vaisey won't be playing. And neither will be Draco. Our team is playing Harper instead."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"Vaisey took a Bludger to the head during practice and Draco's sick."

"Sick with what?"

Astoria shrugged. "I don't know. He just said he wasn't feeling well enough to play today."

"Thanks," I said.

Astoria grinned and patted me on the shoulder. "I figured you'd want to know. Anyway, I better go. Good luck!"

Once Astoria was gone, I turned to my friends. "Well, I better go."

"Flatten those Slytherins," Evanna called after me as I strolled out of the Great Hall.

The weather was perfect with a slight breeze and a sun that didn't shine too brightly. I met the rest of the team in the change rooms and changed into my Quidditch robes.

A few minutes later, Harry and Ron walked in.

"Conditions look ideal," I said to Harry, completely ignoring Ron. "And guess what? That Slytherin Chaser Vaisey—he took a Bludger to the head yesterday during their practice, and he's too sore to play! And even better for us—Draco Malfoy's gone off sick too!"

"What?" said Harry, wheeling around to stare at me. "He's ill? What's wrong with him?"

"No idea, but it's great for us," I said brightly as I tried not to think about Draco. "They're playing Harper instead; he's in my year and he's an idiot."

Harry smiled vaguely and turned to put on his robes. I shrugged and turned to talk with Demelza while we waited for the game to start. When it sounded like the bleachers were filled, Harry beckoned us forward and we walked unto the pitch to tumultuous roars and boos.

I noticed that one end of the pitch was a solid mass of red and gold while the other was a sea of green and silver. I grinned to myself as I picked out the sound of Luna's lion hat in the crowd.

Madam Hooch was waiting in the middle of the pitch and Harry walked up to her. Behind Harry, we all got into formation and mounted our brooms.

"Captains, shake hands," commanded Madam Hooch. Harry shook hands with the new Slytherin Captain, Urquhart. "Mount your brooms. On the whistle…three…two…one…."

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