A/N: Nobody freak out: Hannah told me that my chapter names were boring, so I changed all of them. Review and tell me if they're better! Sorry this has taken so long, but I've been really busy. Warning: long chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

The next morning, breakfast was tense. Hermione hadn't wanted to come down at all, but she knew she had to face everyone eventually. Fred and George were glaring along with Ron, who was being his usual git self. Bill looked mad, too, and Mr. Weasley was scowling into his toast. Harry looked uncomfortable, like he didn't know what everyone wanted him to think. Charlie, on the other hand, was grinning cheerfully. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Fleur, Bill's wife, were acting as if nothing had happened at all.

"Guess they told," Ginny whispered in Hermione's ear. Hermione nodded nervously, hoping that there wouldn't be some kind of dramatic outburst.

"Good morning, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said pleasantly. "Boys, stop glowering. You look as if your best friend has died."

"With good reason," muttered Fred. Hermione had expected his attitude, but not his mother's. Mrs. Weasley had not had the best relationship with the Malfoys. Unless… Hermione could barely hope this, unless Fred and George hadn't told anyone about the letter from Draco after all…

But of course, she didn't have that kind of luck. "How's Draco?" George asked maliciously.

Hermione sniffed, trying to act calm. "If you hadn't read my personal mail, I might actually believe you don't know."

Bill spoke up. "Hermione, I think that you and Malfoy… I just don't think it's a good idea." He looked as if he wanted to speak a lot more strongly, but, luckily for Hermione, didn't.

"Oh, come off it, Bill." Charlie rolled his eyes. "She's having fun. A bit of an adventure. People are allowed to take a risk now and then."

"It's a Malfoy. Their whole family was part of the Death Eater thing before You- Know…Voldemort was defeated."

"Eet is 'Ermione's life, not yours." Fleur said primly. "She can make 'er own decisions." Hermione felt incredibly grateful, even though Fleur was not her favorite person in the world.

"We just want to make sure she's safe," Mr. Weasley said quietly.

"Since when is it the business of the Weasley family to discuss Hermione Granger's relationships?" Ginny asked cryptically.

"What about Ron?" Mr. Weasley asked, determined to keep arguing.

"Dad!" Ron protested.

"Ron doesn't matter," Ginny interjected. "He doesn't have a brain.

"Ginny, be polite," Mrs. Weasley told her daughter disapprovingly.

"Well it's true!"

Charlie laughed. "Can't say I disagree with you there, little sister."

Then, Harry spoke up for the first time. "I agree with Fleur," he said softly. Everyone froze and stared at him. " I mean," he continued, looking uncomfortable with all these people staring at him like he was from a different universe, forget planet, "I think there are better guys for Hermione to date," he glanced at Ron, then kept going. "But it is her life." He looked at Hermione. She was stunned. She smiled and he smiled back ruefully.

"What?!?" Ron cried. "Come on, Harry! I thought you were on my side!"

"It's called being neutral."

"Traitor!"

"Stop being such a baby, Ron," Ginny snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard! You're acting like a spoiled, stupid, egotistical-"

"Everybody, stop it!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. Everyone stopped. "Quit fighting. It's the holidays. Boys, go play Quidditch or something. Ginny, Fleur, help me in the kitchen. Arthur, you need to finish those papers for the Ministry." They all left, grumbling, to leave Hermione alone at the table, thinking. What if she had made a huge mistake? What if Draco really was just playing with her? What then? She found that theory a bit hard to believe, though. Why would he send such a beautiful and expensive gift- she fingered her sun pendent- to someone he didn't even like? And he wouldn't 'mess around' with a mudblood. He didn't need to get disowned by muggle born-hating parents. She stood and paced towards the door. She grabbed a cloak off a gook- she didn't know whose it was and didn't really care at this point- and stepped outside. She walked out of the Weasley's overgrown garden, still pondering everything. She was so confused. Everyone was telling her something different. "Have fun." "Be careful." "Don't be stupid." And what was she telling herself? She wondered if she still liked Ron that way anymore. She thought for a moment. No, definitely not. Draco was… She couldn't even explain it. (A/N: Just have to say, I hate that line. It's stupid.)

A loud crack startled Hermione so badly, she almost jumped out of her skin. She tumbled forward… right into Fred's arms.

"Whoa," he said, putting her back on her feet.

"Fred," she replied, breathless. "Oh. I though… You were playing Quidditch."

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Ron was cheating."

"So you came to me? You're pissed at me, remember?" What was going on?

"I was."

"You were?"

He shrugged again. "You're hard to stay mad at for long." Then his eyes widened, as if he had told her someone else's secret. He turned and quickly walked away. Hermione's shock froze her in place for a moment.

"What?" she called after him. "What do you mean by that?" She ran after him, but, of course, she tripped, landing hard. She rolled onto her back, groaning," This is not my day." She could feel a small cut on her cheek and numerous scrapes on her hands and legs from the gravel on the path she had been walking on. The ground was cold, and a fine layer of snow covered it. She knew she would be soaked and frozen before long. Fred turned, looking a bit confused and worried- and started laughing. He threw his head back and just laughed. Hermione, however, scowled.

"Thanks so much for all the support," she said testily. "Help me up, would you? I'm cold." He laughed even harder at that, but leaned over to grab her hand and help her up. She glowered at him, turned on her heel, and marched away in the opposite direction, more carefully this time. She knew she could have apparated- she was of age- but she didn't. With all the luck she'd been having lately, she probably would have landed right in Ron's lap.

"Wait up!" Fred called. She could tell that he was only just holding his laughter in. he apparated right in front of her, and she nearly walked into him.

"Will you quit it?" she snapped, regaining her balance. He looked as if he was going to start cracking up again.

"Sorry." His smirk would have made Draco jealous.

"No, you're not."

"Have it your way, then."

"Argh! Boys are so immature!" She had to think. She apparated into Ginny's room, leaving Fred alone in the snow. She didn't see how disappointed he looked.

Fred trudged back to the field where the Weasleys played Quidditch. George was the only one left there, the others all having gone back to the Burrow for lunch. Fred wondered gloomily why girls were so emotional. Hermione had looked so pretty, and, well, hilarious, spread out in the snow. Of course he had laughed. But she had been so touchy about that stupid Malfoy… He sighed and tuned into what George was saying.

"…missed some really great shots of Harry's. Shame you couldn't have seen them. Where did you go?"

"Oh, nowhere," Fred lied.

"Yeah, right, and I'm king of Arabia. You went to see Hermione."

Fred's head snapped up. "How did you know?" he asked, shocked.

"Can't keep a secret from your twin for long. I've seen the way you look at her."

"I can't believe she fell for Malfoy." Fred changed the subject.

"Ron tells me that he has girls practically dripping from him. She'll get over it."

"Uh-huh." Fred sounded doubtful. "But even if she does, she'll never notice her ex-boyfriend's brother!"

"You'd better be careful the ex-boyfriend doesn't notice you going after her. He'd blow a fuse."

"No, really? I'd be so dead."

"Well," George grinned as they headed toward the Burrow. "I think you should go for it."

"Do you really think it's worth it?" Fred asked.

"If you get her," George winked, "trust me, it'll be worth it."

A/N: Long chapter, I know. So… was it good? Review! And a thousand thanks to all the people who review regularly. You are amazingly fantastic! And do you like the new chapter titles? I'll try to update soon. Not tomorrow- I'm going to be gone all day. And not Sunday, because it's Easter. But if I have minimal homework, I'll try to update this week.