DISCLAIMER: Same as chapter 1.

Ginny yanked the pillow over her head as the sunlight poured into her room through a small gap in her pale blue curtains. She groaned as the light seemingly became brighter, and turned the other way.

It didn't help though, for in a few minutes, Ginny realized she was awake, and there wasn't any way she was going to be able to go back to sleep. She groaned as she stumbled out of bed, shoving her hair rather unceremoniously into a messy bun, and splashing her face with icy cold water. She took a while to get ready, partly because she was half asleep, and partly because she was dreading telling her mother she wouldn't be staying at The Burrow for Christmas.

When she finally trudged down the stairs, she noticed Harry sitting at the far end of the room, paper in one hand and coffee in the other. Her mother had probably invited him to stay for Christmas. He gave her a small smile, and she purposefully ignored him.

"Ginny!" exclaimed her mother. "Merlin, how long have you been sleeping? So much to do today. I'd like you and Hermione to help me with the dinner. And the garden has got to be degnomed. Charlie can do that. And the house has to be tidied up. Bill, honey, could you do that?"

"I will do it," chirped Fleur from the doorway, in heavily accented English that persisted, but had improved impressively over the last few years.

Molly smiled appreciatively at her daughter-in- law, who grinned back.

"Oh dear, and I almost forgot the tree. The twins will have to do that –"

Molly broke off mid-sentence, and cursed silently. The room was dead quiet. No one dared to speak, and the tension was palpable. Gina gulped slightly and her eyes made her way slowly to George, who was pointedly looking away from them, but if he noticed the mistake in his mother's sentence, he made no indication of it, and continued to sip his orange juice, albeit slightly tensely.

Probably not the best time, thought Ginny, judging by her mother's emotional state, and the obvious tension in the room, but it was now or never. Molly had returned to making porridge and was facing away from Ginny.

"Ummm...Mum...I'm not staying at the Burrow for Christmas."

"What's that, dear?" asked Molly absentmindedly.

"Christmas. I have to be somewhere else."

"Off to meet a boy, are we?" teased Charlie

Ginny groaned internally. Charlie, of all her brothers, was the most oblivious or her relationship - if you could call it that - with Harry. Sure, he liked him well enough, but he felt no special inclination towards him, and therefore felt no shame in teasing her with other boys.

Perhaps, in a way he was right. Harry and Ginny hadn't been a couple for a while now. For almost two years, Ginny had tried to talk sense into him, but it was no use. The war had left him shattered and broken, and for almost three fourth of a year, he hadn't talked to any of them. And when he did, he was distant and aloof. Only recently had he started to return to his former self, and Ginny had tried in vain to explain to him that she wanted to help him move on, but he refused to let her.

"Everyone who I ever cared about is dead. Don't you get it? I don't want that."

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry. There was a war going on, people were bound to die. They did so because it was inevitable, not because you loved them."

"I'm an omen. Anyone related to me is –"

"Have you gone barmy? Stop being so stupid. Merlin, what's gotten into you? Ron and Hermione and me and mum and dad and young teddy even, we all love you and we're right here."

"Exactly! I don't want to lose you, too. I've lost enough already. I'm not going to be the cause of death of the people I love. Again."

"It was a war, Harry!"

"Because of me."

"Not everything is about you. Stop being so selfish. It was a war to establish a better world. To rid it of evil."

"Well, if it weren't for me, so many people wouldn't be dead. Poor Teddy, doesn't know his own parents. If I had just gotten there sooner, it would've been so much easier, I shouldn't have asked for time, I should've just gone to him when he asked for me."

"And what would that's have done, Mr, I'm-the-reason-every-tragedy-occurs? You would've died. And then, he would've finished every last one of us. Or we would be living in a society where Hermione wouldn't be allowed a wand. Is that what you think is better?"

"It's not like that. People died. I watched them. It hurts, I can't stop thinking about it. It haunts me. Everyday. I can never forget."

"I know, Harry. I was there. I see them, too. We could do this together. I want to help you."

"No, just stay away from me. It'll be better for you, I promise. Just stay away. You'll be happy that way."

Ginny blinked, and the memory faded.

"No, I have a couple of odd jobs all over the country. I'll be staying at a friend's. Got lots of work together.

"Oh, Ginny, this is ridiculous, can't you go some time else?" cried Molly.

"Mum, this is the best time of the year. People in the holiday spirit, waiting to spend money, and almost everyone is off. It's perfect for business. You know I need it."

"Ginny, why can't you just be a little less stubborn and let all of us chip in?" asked Bill, his hand laying protectively on his wife's protruding belly, as though afraid someone would snatch the baby away.

"Because… I want to stand up for myself."

"Ginny, we could all help," added Harry.

"But," she replied glaring at Harry, "I don't want help. I want to do this myself."

"Why?" asked George.

"Because, I need to be Ginny. Not the Weasley Girl, or Arthur's daughter, or Ron Weasley's sister or Harry Potter's girlfriend," she said haughtily, spitting out the last few words."

She noticed Harry grimace, but didn't care too much about it.

"Oh, and paying for dear Ronniekins wedding will make you famous?" asked George sarcastically.

"I don't want to be famous, it's not about the others, I want to be self-made, and the first step is feeling confident about myself, and this will help me, so can't you all just be happy for me?"

There was a small silence at the table as she uttered the words, and slowly people started whispering, and a few grudging 'all rights' were heard, and Ginny beamed at her family.

"What odd jobs will you be doing?" asked Harry, rather protectively, and Ginny almost felt herself redden slightly.

"It's a secret."

"So, where will you stay again?

"Mum, please," groaned Ginny.

"Oh, alright. When will you be back, then?"

"The 1st."

"Everyone's leaving that day."

"I know, but we'll have Easter and summer, and lots of time to catch up. I swear, you'll have so much fun, you won't even miss me.

"Oh, alright, go on then. Have fun. And if you need anything –"

"I know, I know."

Ginny was pulled into bear like hugs. Several minutes, and slightly annoyed glares at Harry later, she was finally ready to leave.

She apparated to the Malfoy Manor, and stood panting slightly at the gate. No matter what she had convinced herself of earlier, she was nervous, she was in enemy territory, but she reminded herself it was for Ron and Ginny, and braced herself accordingly.

She pulled off her grey cloak, and rid herself of the dark pants she had been wearing at breakfast to reveal a pale blue dress, that fit her perfectly, and had a small satin ribbon at the side to add to the delicate beauty of it. She let her hair fall down to her mid-back, and applied a dash of make up before making her way to the door.

She passed a garden on the way, that had an abundance of flowers, many of which she didn't recognize, they were all magical though. The white mansion loomed in front of her, it's walls high and impressive, the pillars carved from stone. She decided to marvel at the beauty of the house later, and walked faster towards the door.

She knocked on the door lightly at first, and when no one answered, a bit more firmly.

Surprisingly, instead of a house elf, a slender woman with blonde hair tied into a neat bun, crystal blue eyes and a tired, yet haughty expression on her face opened the door. When she saw Ginny, her eyes turned into immediate disdain, which she quickly replaced with an indifferent stare.

"Yes?" she asked politely, though Ginny could tell that rather impolite words were waiting to leave her mouth.

"I'm Ginny Weas –"

"I know who you are. What do you want?" she asked, her tone blatantly formal.

"Is Draco home?"

Narcissa Malfoy, whose skin had started to develop creases near the eyes, looked startled, and she didn't do anything to hide it. She eyed the pretty girl at the door wearily, and simply stood there.

Ginny was started to feel slightly intimidated by her stare, and almost faltered when she said, "I'd like to see him."

Narcissa's eyes flashed in a combination of suspicion and anger. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a call of 'Ginny!' by an uncharacteristically enthusiastic Draco. He ran down the stairs, his white blond hair swept to one side, his grey eyes bright for once, as he made his way to the two women. He would've looked rather handsome, thought Ginny, if he didn't have that arrogant smirk on his face, and that inarguable air of superiority. 'False superiority,' added Ginny mentally.

Draco placed his arm around Ginny's waist slowly, and smiled thankfully. Instinctively, Ginny shrugged it off as soon as he touched her. Whether Narcissa noticed the second part or not, she had noticed her son put his hand around the girl's waist, and if possible, her skin had turned paler than in already was. She had called for her husband twice, and now he was by her side eyeing the girl beside his son. He narrowed his eyes, and sent her a hateful look, which she mirrored immediately.

"Mother, Father," said Draco, bringing their attention to him as he tentatively put his arm around her shoulder, and to his visible relief, she had let it stay.

"This is Ginny Weasley. My girlfriend."

It was hard to tell which of his parent's faces showed more disgusted shock.

A/N: Well, hello! How was this chapter? Did you like it, or hate it? Or were you completely indifferent to it? Do let me know, reviews make me very happy.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed this story and/or put it on alert. It means a lot! (: