CHAPTER FIVE

PICKING UP THE PEICES.

It was a sunny day, the grass looked greener than ever, the birds chirped a happy song and most students were up bright and early. Including Harry Potter, who had already had his breakfast and was sitting on one of the corridors benches with Ron Weasley. Harry was busy chomping on his chicken salad sandwhiches, which he had snuck out from the Great Hall, whereas Ron was eating a chocolate bar that he brought from Hogsmeade.

"How are you and Ginny?" Ron asked.

"Great! I love her." Harry beamed and took a large bite out of his sandwhich. Ron nodded.

"Cool. Good for you." He murmered, he was clearly not very pleased with Harry and Ginny's relationship but Harry didn't really care anymore. He loved Ginny too much.

"Speaking of Ginny, she said she wanted to meet me by the lake." Before Ron could say anything, Harry had jumped out of his seat and ran down the corridor. Ron sighed. Harry pushed past the various students, who all seemed to be getting in his way. The sun slightly blinded him for a few moments as he ran down the hill leading to Hagrid's hut. Finally, he reached the lake, where he saw Ginny sitting alone on a large rock, playing with her hair. He immeditley ran over and jumped up on the rock next to her.

"Harry! Hey." Ginny kissed him for a few seconds on his lips, ignoring the puzzled looks from other students. He rested his head on her shoulder and smiled up at Ginny. She was wearing a dark blue vest top covered by a slightly baggy cream coloured cardigan, she wore fitting light blue jeans tucked cosily into her black leather ankle boots. Ginny's hair was slightly wavy and loose, Harry thought she looked beautiful.

After a while of talking and kissing, Harry looked into Ginny's green eyes and kissed her. Properly snogged her, he had been wanting to do that for a while (after all, he is a lad). Ginny took the oppurtunity of the flat rock to lie on top of him as he placed his hand on her back. Students scurried away from the lake, leaving them in private. It didn't seem as thought anyone else was their anyway so they contined to passionatley kiss on the rock. Harry didn't mind that the rock was slightly damped, he still removed her cardigan and kissed her shoulder.

The weather nipped at their skin but they felt hot in eachothers embrace. Harry felt a pang of dissapointment when Ginny rolled off him and hopped off the rock.

"I'll see you later." Ginny said, added a flirtacious wink and hurried off, pulling on her cardigan as she went. Harry coughed quietly and jumped off the rock. With a quick glance back at the shimmering lake, he hurried back up the grassy hill.

No one had seen them, at least she hoped not. Katie and Cormac stumbled out of an empty closet, drunk on love and fortunatley the corridor was also empty. When they left the closet, Cormac turned to face her.

"So," he held her hands, "you ready to tell anyone?"

Katie shook her head. "Not just yet, they can find out for themselves." They scurried down the stone corridor, they had dropped hands as they did not want to be caught in the middle of their shannanigans. They arrived at the common room and saw Ginny and Nigel sitting on the sofa, talking and laughing.

"You really said that!" Ginny exclaimed, wiping tears of laughter from her eye.

"I sure did! Do you know what he said to that?" Nigel shouted, erupting with laughter.

"Get out of my seat?" Cormac interrupted, signalling for Nigel to move. Nigel looked up at him and laughed even more.

"Exactly! Wait-" Nigel frowned at him, "how very rude!" Nigel stuck his nose up in the air and folded his arms. Reluctantly, he stood up and took a seat in the arm chair. Cormac then sat on the sofa, where Nigel had previously been sitting and stared at the dancing flames in the fire. Katie giggled and ran upstairs, unable to hold in her happiness. Nigel turned to Cormac and raised his eyebrows. Cormac turned away.

"I saw you two kissing," Nigel said simply, "she knows. Its our secret!" Nigel always loved secrets, especially when he knew what others didn't. Cormac rolled his blue eyes.

"Oh, right..." His voice trailed off and he began flicking through a magazine.

"So... did you tap her?" Nigel asked.

"What? Tap, thats so immature man." Cormac laughed. Nigel shrugged.

"Sorry! Well, did you?" He repeated. Cormac shook his head, doing everything he could to avoid Nigel's gaze. Nigel rolled his eyes. Just drop it... Nigel thought and tutted. They were hiding something ... and he knew it. Katie was his best friend and eventually ... she would tell him. Nigel knew that they had slept together. He just had to keep it secret.

It was nearing 8:00pm now and everything was perfect. It was mostly silent in the Slytherin common room, apart from Draco and Pansy, who where talking about anything. He lay down on the sofa with his head resting comfortably on Pansy's lap as she weaved her fingers through his soft hair. Pansy smiled to herself, this was perfect. This is what she wanted and finally, she got it. Most of the other Slytherins were hanging out in various areas around the dungeon or finding different ways to piss off the Gryffindors, which Pansy was greatful for as it gave her some alone time with her new boyfriend. She felt a rush of happiness run through her at the word boyfriend. It had finally happened and she was going to do her best to keep him, Pansy knew he had to leave at the end of their sixth year and that he wasn't returning. Would she ever see him again? It really broke her heart to think that their relationship could never last very long. But then again, she had to treasure it while she could, because she was going to make sure that she would never loose him.

His father was sure to kill him. Draco had remembered his father saying something about 'no girlfriends, they're the biggest distraction of all', but to be honest, there was no one he hated more in the world that his father. After the way he had treated Draco, he was kind off glad he got sent to Azkaban, he deserved it. Draco suddenly felt worried, Death Eaters were going to attack the school at the end of the year and he would have to keep her in the common room and he probably wouldn't tell her where he was going. Which meant no goodbyes. He closed his eyes and tried to block out these worrying thoughts, Draco attempted to concentrate on Pansy, she was the only person he wanted to think about at the moment. He was quite happy to stay there, he was comfortable and sleepy, the heat from the fire reached them and he felt reasonably warm (considering the usual tempertature of the Slytherin common room).

"Draco, are you alright?" Pansy asked, she knew he was but she loved hearing his voice. So she was dissapointed when he just gave a sleepy nod. Pansy smiled. God was he adorable. No one really knew him like she did, Pansy knew him so well and knew that he wasn't just some popular sixth year bully who people looked up to. But he really did care and he was just scared, so she took his hand and kissed his wrist. Draco didn't show much signs of movement, but she knew he was awake, slightly. He looked so cute when he slept.

"Theres a Hogsmeade trip next weekend, you wanna go with me?" Wondered Pansy. Draco shrugged. Pansy loved the fact that whenever he rested his head on her lap, he would drift off and not wake up until she awoke him, which happened alot when she had grown desperate for the toilet. Gently, Pansy shook his shoulder, as much as she loved him when he was asleep, she also wanted to stay awake with him. Draco slowley sat up and leant back in the comfortable sofa, Pansy held his hand and kissed him on the cheek.

"What time is it?" Asked Draco, he was staring around the deserted room, "where is everyone?"

"Its about..." Pansy glanced at her watch, "quarter past eight and I have no idea where anyone else is." She was happy he was awake with her, Pansy loved talking to him, even if it was about nothing in particular. Pansy knew she was the only one he had really listened and talked to during the start of sixth year and she appreciated that, she hoped he appreciated her support too. He rested his head on her shoulder. She couldn't believed it had finally happened.

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Katie, Cormac and Nigel all sat arond the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ginny were entwined in a cosy armchair, Ron, Hermione and Katie were all perched happily on the sofa, Cormac had found a nice seat in he other vacant armchair and Nigel was lying on the floor and staring into the flames. Harry glanced around at all his friends, he really did like them and really did love his new girlfriend, who was kissing him over and over (she was ignoring the dusgusted looks they earned from Ron). Katie and Nigel were talking endlessley about the previous happenings of the day, Hermione was helping Ron with his potions essay, which he just could not understand and Cormac was busy playing on his Nintendo to notice any other goings on around him and except from the occasional smile at Katie, was silent.

"Im sorry Hermione, I just dont get it!" Ron exclaimed, he looked rather fustrated, Hermione just laughed and opened Ron's Advanced Potions Making book.

"Look, its simple. All you have to do is read through this page and then write the essay based on the potion its explaining!" Hermione explained and laughed again, Ron still looked clueless. Ron turned to Harry and shrugged, Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Just listen to her!" Said Harry, who was then drowned in flowing kissed by Ginny.

Ron quickly looked back at Hermione, slightly disturbed.

"Could you do it for me?" Asked Ron, Hermione raised her eyebrows at him and folded her arms, "please? I'll owe you!" He beamed at her and Hermione sighed.

"Fine. Hand it here." She took the essay from his hands and began writing quickly, while glancing back and forth from the text book. Ron leant back on the sofa and smiled. Harry looked at him and raised his eyebrows, he glanced from Ron to Hermione and back again. Harry nodded and mouthed the words ;'you like?' Causing Ron to immediatley look away and begin scurrying through his school bag.

"This is nice." Katie stated and smiled round at everyone.

"Yep, I have a feeling we're in for a good one this year!" Nigel annonced and clapped his hands together, "so get out your books and buckle down bec-"

"Pipsqueak, it was nice ... you took it too far." Said Katie, causing everyone to erupt with laughter at the embarressed look on Nigel oval shaped face. He smoothed back his strawberry blonde hair and frowned.

"Whatever..." He laughed. Harry held Ginny tightly in his arms and thought back to the intimacy they shared on the common room sofa. He averted his gaze to Ron, Hermione and Katie, who were now sitting happily on that very same place ... Harry looked away and suppressed a laugh. No one had to know. And that was when he knew that this year was going to be one to remember.