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.

My deep burning happiness didn't last long. I had just gotten out of the shower and just wrapped in my towel when I was confronted by Florence and Evanna. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under by now. As I stared into their glaring faces, I became aware of the puddle of water dripping from my hair and forming under my feet.

I swallowed hard and decided to start the conversation since both girls looked like they were pretty comfortable just shooting daggers at me. "Hey?"

"Hey?" Evanna ground out through clenched teeth. "Hey is all you can say?"

I decided to play dumb. "What else am I supposed to say?"

Florence threw up her hands in exasperation. "How about explaining what the bloody hell you were doing kissing Draco Malfoy!?"

"Who I kiss is no worry of yours," I said, shoving past them into the dormitory. Thankfully, it was empty of the other girls.

Evanna and Florence both followed me and stood shoulder to shoulder as I rummaged in my trunk for clothes. I could feel their stares at my back but I ignored them as best as I could.

"He's Draco Malfoy, Ginny!" screeched Florence. "He's a Death Eater."

"That's not proven," I pointed out, securing the corner of my towel firmly under my arm.

"Well it seems that if anyone would know, I'd be you!"

"So what if I kiss him," I said, waving my wand over my hair to dry it. "It was just a kiss."

"It was not just a kiss!" protested Evanna.

I stepped into my underwear and skirt and shimmied them up my legs under my towel. "I can make out with whomever I wish."

"Just tell us the truth Ginny! Just for once, tell us the bloody truth!" yelled Florence.

I slipped my arm through my bra straps and with my back turned, I dropped my towel and closed my bra straps. I quickly put on my white blouse and turned back to Florence and Evanna.

"Fine! I'm dating Draco Malfoy!"

Both their eyes turned into saucers and I felt a wave of smug satisfaction. While they both gaped at me, I slipped my vest over my head. They both seemed speechless so I managed to slip on my stockings and shoes before they found words.

"You are unbelievable," said Florence, he voice deadly calm.

I narrowed my eyes. I was starting to get angry at this confrontation but I knew I partly deserved it. I had lied to Florence and Evanna a lot in the recent past and when I didn't want to lie, I had simply not told them things.

"Your own brother is on a mission to destroy You-Know-Who and you're shagging one of his lackey's!" screamed Evanna. "Obviously this didn't just happen overnight! Have you been lying about Malfoy to us this entire time!?"

I could feel my cheeks heating up from anger. "You just shut up about Draco being a Death Eater! You know nothing about it!"

"But you don't deny shagging him?"

"Why does it matter to you who I do or don't shag!?

"Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater who is just going to drag you down with him! He's a vile, sneaky Death Eater who's probably committed his fair share of murders! Once you can understand that and get it through your amazingly thick skull, the better off you and everyone around you will be!" declared Florence.

"Why don't you two get off your high horses and leave me alone! I'm with Draco and the sooner you guys understand it, the happier I'll be! You don't know him like I do and until you do, you have no right whatsoever to judge me and Draco!" I yelled.

"Oh get a grip Ginny! Have you been Confunded? You've been acting totally different and now we know it's because of Malfoy," Evanna shouted. "We both know you've lied to us on several different occasions but being good friends and all, we pretended not to notice! He's changed you!"

"Stop acting like you're so hurt! So what if I lied a bit? Name one person who hasn't lied in their lifetime? And you know what, yeah, I am different. But it's a good kind of different. I feel free for once in my life so stop acting like bloody fools. You both are acting like stupid little children!"

I wasn't prepared for the stinging slap that landed my right cheek. My head snapped to the side and my hair flew into my eyes. When I straightened up, I was shocked to feel unshed tears bringing my eyes.

Evanna was shaking out her hand and Florence was glancing back and forth between Evanna and I with her mouth popped open. I didn't easily cry but I as I felt a tear slip down my cheek, I knew it was time to get out of there. I whirled around, grabbed my wand and bag, and shoved past Evanna and Florence.

I heard one of them shout my name but I ran so fast down the stair, I never knew which one of them called out to me.

I wanted to run and see Draco but I knew I shouldn't. I refused to be the type of girl who runs to her boyfriend with every little problem she had. So what if I had fought with my friends? That should be no worry of Draco's. Instead, I turned to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I knew no one ever went in there and if I wouldn't go see Draco, I just wanted to be alone.

The last time I had been inside, I had been eleven years old and desperate. I had tried flushing Tom Riddles diary down the toilet which had flooded the floor. When flushing the diary hadn't worked, I had thrown it at Myrtle's head and ran. And then I guess I had been here again when I was possessed and had climbed down into the Chamber of Secrets but I didn't remember that. Now, everything looked exactly the same though the floors were dry.

I dropped my bag by the sinks and moved farther into the bathroom. Weak sunlight was streaming through the high window so I found a patch of sun and leaned against the wall. I was in such deep thought, that when Moaning Myrtle appeared, I nearly screamed.

"What do you want Myrtle," I gasped, clutching my chest.

"What happened to your face?"

I flinched and tenderly touched my cheek with my fingertips. "Why? What's wrong with my face?"

"You have a red handprint of your face. It really stands out, seeing as your face is so pale," said Myrtle, almost sound happy.

"It's nothing," I muttered, turning my face so my injured cheek was facing away from her.

"I recognize you," she said suddenly, floating translucently in front of me. "You were there when Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy fought in the sixth floor boy's toilet."

I nodded. "So what?"

"What ever happened after that? Draco stopped coming to see me, just like Harry did."

"Harry isn't at school now but Draco's still here."

"Why doesn't he come to see me?"

"How should I know?" I said, shrugging. "He's all better from his wounds though."

I peered closer at Myrtle's face and I became uneasy upon seeing almost indiscernible tears falling from her eyes. I knew that she was close to one of her famous explosions so I quickly excused myself and left the bathroom as fast as my legs could carry me.

I ducked into the nearest empty classroom and checked my watch. I had twenty minutes until the end of Charms. After Charms, I had Care of Magical Creatures until lunch. With my resolve weakened, I decided to hunt out Draco.

Knowing that he had Potions, I moved as sneakily as I could down to the dungeons and hid in an empty classroom until the bell rang. I quickly dashed out into the hall and joined the throng of Slytherin students moving to their next class. With my head down, I navigated the crowd until I found Draco walking with Astoria and Blaise. I easily squeezed beside him and slipped my hand into his. Almost instantly, I felt better.

"Blimey Weasley!" exclaimed Draco, smirking as he peered down at me. "You scared me."

I smiled up at him. "That was my intention."

His smirk slowly slid from his face as he stared at something on my face. I suddenly remembered the red handprint Myrtle said was on my cheek and quickly flipped my hair so that it covered the mark.

"What happened to your cheek?" he said, sounding dangerously calm.

"It's nothing," I said, pasting a smile on my face.

Draco suddenly stopped walking and clutched my hand so I was forced to stop too. Astoria and Blaise gave us weird looks but they kept moving. All the other Slytherins shot us annoyed glances since we were standing in the middle of the corridor but they moved around us anyway.

"Seriously Weasley, what happened?"

"It's nothing," I insisted. "An argument just got out of hand is all."

"Who hit you?"

If I didn't know Draco so well, I wouldn't have been able to pick up on the anger burning in his eyes or the tense set of his jaw.

"Look, I'm not going to tell you because then you're just going to go off and hex them," I said, glaring up at Draco. "Frankly, I deserved it. I goaded them."

Draco tucked my hair behind my ear and gently ran his fingertips over the red mark on my cheek. "Maybe it's good that you're not going to tell me. I don't think I could help but hex them repeatedly."

For some reason, the fact that Draco had become so protective made me smile. "What class do you have next?"

Draco thought for a second. "Transfiguration. Why?"

I tried to put on my most seductive smile. "Feel like skiving off?"

The anger seemed to disappear from Draco's eyes and instead, a desirable heat took over. He smirked down at me. "Only if you skive off with me."

"Why did you think I asked," I teased, rolling my eyes. "I think I need a good snogging to feel better."

Draco pulled me flush against him and pressed our foreheads together. "Then I think you found the right man."

I got another detention that day in Defence of the Dark Arts because I had forgotten my tie. After serving it that night, I tiredly climbed down to the Slytherin common room. Draco was simply happy that I came to spend the night with him and he didn't question why I didn't go back to Gryffindor Tower. He knew about my detention though so we just cuddled all night.

The next morning, I sat at the Gryffindor table so I could talk to Neville. Since that first meeting of the DA, we hadn't had another and my latest detention had fanned the flames of my desire to help as best as I could.

"Morning Ginny," greeted Neville as I slipped in at the table beside him.

"Morning Neville," I replied, trying to sound as open as I could.

"What's up?"

"Well, I was just wondering if we're still doing the blood writing on the wall thing tonight?" I asked in a hushed tone.

Neville leaned closer and nodded. "I got the blood from the potions cupboard. Luna and I discussed it and decided to write it on the same wall that the Chamber of Secrets messages were written."

"Okay, well I'm coming too," I said, feeling slightly annoyed that they had talked about the plan without me. "Where shall we meet?"

"How about Moaning Myrtles bathroom? No one ever goes inside. How about I'll tell Luna that we'll meet after midnight?"

I smiled. "Okay, sounds like a plan."

Thankfully, I passed the rest of the day without gaining any detentions so I would be able to participate in our D.A recruiting mission that night. Draco proved to be an obstacle though. Since I had spent the last two nights in his dormitory he had gotten the idea that I would stay there all the time.

"So you aren't staying with me tonight?" he asked for the fourth time.

I smirked. "I know you're obsessed with me and everything but I do have to return to my own dormitory now and then. We're supposed to be low key, remember?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Screw them."

"How about, I go to my dormitory and pretend I'm going to bed. Once I'm sure everyone's asleep, I'll come join you," I said, smirking up at him. "And then come morning, I'll have a clean uniform with me so everyone will just assume I got up early."

"Sounds like a plan, love."

I blushed whenever Draco called me love and today was no exception. I think he knew how much I enjoyed it though because I swear I could always pick out a little smirk whenever he saw me blush.

I kissed him chastely on the lip and flounced away.

"That's all I get?" he called after me, laughter colouring his voice.

"Wait for tonight!" I called over my shoulder as I turned the corner.

His laughter followed me down the corridor and I grinned like a maniac as I pranced away.

"Is that the blood?" I asked Neville, peering at the three small jars he had clutched in his hands. Neville and I were in the Gryffindor common room, checking everything over before we left to meet Luna. The fire was out in the grate and the entire common room was shrouded in shadow.

"Yeah, one for each of us," he murmured back.

"Here, I'll take them," I said. "I have my bag."

Neville handed the jars to me and I stuffed them into my book bag.

"I think it's about time," said Neville, examining his watch.

I led the way to the portrait hole and pushed it open as gently as I could. I didn't want to wake the Fat Lady.

"One of the perks of being Fred and George's younger sister," I whispered to Neville as we crept away from the snoring Fat Lady. "Is knowing a lot of the secret passages."

"Like?"

I smiled at him as I pulled back a tapestry. "Like this one that leads us down to the fourth floor."

"Excellent," Neville breathed as he led the two of us through the black passage.

"We'll come out near the Fourth Floor Balcony," I whispered to Neville.

After that, it was a game of avoiding Peeves, Filch, Mrs. Norris, and the Carrows as we took the main staircases down to the first floor. We had a few close calls and when we had almost been seen by Peeves, I wished for Harry's Marauders Map or Invisibility Cloak more than anything.

A couple minutes after midnight, Neville and I crept into Moaning Myrtles bathroom. Luna was sitting on the lip of the stone sinks and conversing quietly with Myrtle. Upon seeing us, she smiled serenely and hopped up to meet us.

"I thought you weren't coming."

"We had a few close calls but we made it," I explained, unslinging my bag and yanking it open.

"Ooo, are you three making Polyjuice Potion like Harry Potter and his friends did?" asked Myrtle.

Neville frowned and shook his head. "No, but we are doing something almost as bad so you can't say anything."

Myrtle looked affronted but a few calm words from Luna and she was bouncing happily as can be in her U-Bend.

I laughed quietly. "You really have a way with her."

Luna shrugged. "People just aren't usually considerate of her emotions."

I didn't know what to say to that so I busied myself with digging out the jars of blood and passing them out. I uncorked my small jar and looked to Luna and Neville.

"Ready?" I asked, my nerves evident in my voice.

"What shall we write?" asked Luna.

That had us stumped for a moment. I remembered at the meeting Luna suggested something about recruiting and that's when it came to me.

"How about 'Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting'?"

"That's perfect," said Neville, beaming. "Let's go."

Neville led the way into the corridor after making sure that it was deserted. The three of us faced the wall and glanced at each other, nervousness on our faces. I shook my head, knowing that this was right. Defying the Carrows was the right thing to do, no matter what happened if we were caught.

Taking a deep breath, I stuck my fingers into the slightly warm blood and started painting the wall with our chosen words. My ears were pricked for any noise while I wrote and once I even took off running, almost sure I had heard a sneeze. But no one came and as we finished, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pride.

"Done," I breathed, stepping back to admire our work. The blood was still drying so 'Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting' glimmered in the moonlight coming through the window behind us.

"It's perfect," said Luna.

"Come on, let's go before we're caught," said Neville, recorking his jar and wiping his fingers on his pant leg. I followed his example, hoping silently that the dried blood would come out of my jeans.

We bid a goodnight to Luna as we separated from her and climbed the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower in silence. I was loathed to wake the Fat Lady but it had to be done. Thankfully, she seemed like she was recovering from drinking too much so she let us in without a lecture once we gave her the password.

"Well, goodnight Neville," I said, making my way over to the girl's dormitory entrance.

"Wait, Ginny," said Neville.

"What?" I yawned.

"I want to see how this message goes over before making another D.A meeting."

"I think we should plan one anyway. If anything, after this message, the Carrows are going to be on the lookout for kids seemingly sneaking around," I explained. "If we're constantly whispering to each other at mealtimes, the Carrows are sure to notice eventually."

"That's true," said Neville. "And after this, maybe some students will express some desire to join."

I nodded. "Right. So how about we meet in the Room of Requirement next week Thursday?"

"Okay. I'll let Luna know. Maybe she can contact some old members with her fake Galleon."

"Perfect," I said. "Goodnight Neville."

"Goodnight Ginny."

I tip-toed up to the dormitory and was thankful that everyone was asleep. I quickly stripped off my dirty jeans and stuffed them in the bottom of my trunk along with the three jars of blood. I put on sleep shorts and an old shirt of Bill's and filled my bag with everything I would need tomorrow. I padded to the washroom, washed my hands since they were covered in dried blood and crept back down the common room.

My trip down the dungeons was as eventful as my trip to the first floor but thankfully, no calls too close for comfort. The Slytherin common room was empty as I padded through it and up to the seventh year boy's dormitory.

I dropped my bag at the foot of Draco's bed, peeled back the covers and slipped down beside him. He immediately wrapped his arms around me and drew me to his side. I felt him press his lips to my neck and I shivered as he breathed against my cool skin.

"About time," he whispered against my skin, his breath stirring my hair.

"Sorry, one of the girls is going through a breakup and wouldn't stop crying about it to her friend," I said, the lie coming easily to my lips.

"Glad that's not us," he laughed, kissing my neck again.

I drew his lips up to mine and threaded my fingers in his hair. "Never," I breathed against his lips.

"Never," he agreed before pressing his heated lips to mine.

Review! Review!

I know I can only say this so many times but I am so so sorry for all these late updates. I really wish I had enough time to do an update everyday and it's not exactly fair for everyone who has stuck with me but I truly promise I will try to do better.

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