AN: sorry I haven't updated in a while... I attempted to pass my mid-terms and I no longer have a study to write/read fanfics, which sucks... I am really really really sorry!

Back to the Story…

Chapter 12: A Weasley's Worst Nightmare

"Hermione?"

"Who is it?"

"It's Ginny, let me in. Hermione! I really need to talk to you," she said desperately.

Hermione opened the door to her room slowly. There was fifty-eight minutes before the start of the dance, and Hermione hadn't done anything to prepare. She was still in her school uniform, and had been doing her heap of homework for the weekend.

"Thanks 'Mione, I really need to talk, something awful hap-" Ginny paused as she realized her surroundings. "Hermione! Are you smoking crack?" Ginny began annoyed, "I don't understand what is going on! You wanted to go to the dance with Draco sooooooo badly, but now that you have his undivided attention, you- you're just-"

"Ginny shut up!" Hermione shouted as she had become more aggravated with each of Ginny's words. "Just shut up alright?"

Ginny glared at Hermione, "No, I don't think I will until you explain yourself. The way you're acting…" Ginny said almost to herself, "Draco deserves better."

Hermione's eyes glazed with tears. She picked up her potions book and hurled it at the wall in anger and frustration, missing Ginny by a few inches. "Fuck you!" Hermione shouted. "You think you're so God-damned cool because you're fucking the 'Golden Boy'. Well, you know what? You're not! You're a pathetic sixth year who got lucky, no one really wants you around, but Harry runs this fucking school and you're also his best mate's sister, so just shut up."

Ginny stood in shock, disappointment for a few silent seconds. She turned to leave the Head Dormitory, and Hermione could have sworn she heard Ginny sobbing as she left. Hermione looked back to the homework on the desk. She sighed and retrieved her costume from the closet, which brought a sly smile to her face; Draco was going to die when he saw her. And all thoughts on Ginny were lost.

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"You look nice," Draco commented as Hermione emerged from her room. He knew a few more colorful words to describe how she looked.

"Same to you," Hermione returned as she looked Draco up-and-down. Draco had moved his arms around Hermione's waist to pull her to him. He gently kissed her mouth and then made his way to an inch or so below her ear. "Mmmmm… Draco," Hermione said in attempt to protest. "Later, not now… Draco!"

Draco let go. "You taste good."

Hermione smiled at his bluntness. "Thanks… special perfume."

"I like it."

"I thought you would."

Draco smiled and kissed Hermione again. "Let's go."

Hermione smiled as Draco placed her hand in his and headed to the Great Hall. Hermione was pleased with herself when passing boys stared at her costume. Draco noticed of course and removed his hand from hers' and slid it around her waist. They walked in thoughtful silence, until Draco realized something.

"Did someone come to the dorms earlier?"

Hermione faced Draco and gave him a puzzled look. "Huh?"

Draco frowned. "Well, when I was getting out of the shower, I heard some shouting and what-not. What happened?"

Hermione sighed. "That was Ginny," she started, the previous hour rushing back to her. "We had a row."

"What about?" Draco said in a curious voice.

"Nothing, it was stupid," Hermione said shaking her head quickly

Draco gave her a disbelieving look. "Hermione..."

"Well, she said something, then I said a lot more and she stormed out all worked up..."

"What did she say?"

Hermione paused. "She didn't mean it... I don't think so at least," then seeing Draco's troubled expression added, "It's no big deal, honestly."

Draco wasn't sure he was completely convinced. "Ok... I just don't want to deal with any drama," he muttered.

Hermione didn't hear what he said, but was now concerned how Ginny would act now. Would she act like nothing happened? It's unlikely. What if their friendship was ruined? I hope not.

What if she told Harry and Ron and they were mad at her too? That would be the worst.

"Ready Hermione?" Draco said interupting Hermione's paranoid thoughts.

Hermione nodded as they entered the Great Hall, impressed by their own work. Draco smiled as he held Hermione's hand and led her through the hall, proudly showing her off to every boy in the room. Blaise, (being typical) came over to greet his friends.

"Hermione, wow!" he said looking at her outfit.

"Aw Blaise you're so sweet," Hermione said giving him a quick hug.

Blaise smiled slyly to Draco as he glared at his best friend and Hermione.

Hermione felt something hard on her leg and blushed as Blaise and she separated.

"No need to be embarrassed Hermione," Blaise said conversationally. "When you walk in a room, guys' jaws drop and their penis's go up." Draco rolled his eyes and cleared his throat while Hermione blinked thinking she heard incorrectly. "Where'd you get the Hooters outfit anyway?" Blaise continued as if what he said was perfectly natural for conversation.

Hermione bit her lip. "My cousin got it for me as a joke when she went to Miami."

Blaise and Draco both looked befuddled.

"She got it in the States," Hermione explained.

"Oh," the boys said unanimously.

"Went to Boston once, last summer," Blaise started in a reminiscing voice.

"Really?" Hermione said very interested. "It's a very interesting place, a lot of history."

Draco snorted a little laugh, having heard about Blaise's time in Boston already.

"I agree it's interesting," Blaise smiled knowingly. "The girls kept coming up to me and just… staring at me. I thought there was something wrong with me... but, then I remembered it was because I'm so hot."

Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes. "It was also your accent."

"Really?" Blaise replied. "Hmmm, I'll have to keep that in mind for my next visit."

"Blaise?"

"Yes Hermione?"

"They did more than just stare at you, didn't they?"

Blaise put his hand to his chest. "Oh Hermione, that hurt."

Hermione raised her eyebrow

"Well… yes, I had multiple nights of sex, but what can I say," then after a pause he added, "those poor girls from Hamilton-Wenham got robbed in the guy department."

(AN: yes… we did get robbed!)

Draco cracked a smile and rolled his eyes at Blaise. "Hermione, would you like to dance?"

"I would love to."

Draco took her hand to lead her to the middle of the floor-

"But I need to find someone first."

Draco looked a little put out but figured this might have something to do with Ginny. "Alright, but remember why this is called a dance, ok?"

Hermione nodded and gave Draco thankfully before searching for her two best friends.

"Hey Draco," an upbeat voice came from behind where he stood.

Draco turned around to see a very skimpily clad Daria. "My God! Put some clothes on would you! D, you look like a whore!"

Daria smiled. "Thank god… I was afraid no one would figure it out," and walked away to find Ron, putting a little oomph into her step.

Draco sighed. "Where's Hermione…?"

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"Ginny, we need to talk," Hermione said firmly.

Ginny turned to Hermione and smiled sourly. "No, I don't think we do." Hermione noticed her eyes looked slightly red and swollen, reminding Hermione of the summer nights she spent at home.

Hermione tried to keep her anger in check as Ginny wiped some smudged mascara from her right under her lower eyelashes. "Ginny, grow up. I came to apologize for what happened, and I would like you to apologize too."

Ginny scrunched her face up in mock-thought. "No, I don't think so. I'm just some sixth year right? Why would you want a pathetic apology from me?" Ginny's reply was meant to be insulting, but it came out unconvincing because her voice cracked under her emotions.

Hermione was beginning to lose her patience. "Ginny," she started uncertainly. Then realizing nothing she could say would fix anything, she simply said "…whatever" and walked away from her best girl friend, feeling worse than she had approaching her. "Time to find Draco."

Draco was talking to Snape when Hermione found him. "Draco?" she said bemused.

"Hey 'Mione. Professor Snape was just praising us for our work," Draco said gesturing to their beloved professor.

"Yes," Snape droned in a bored tone, "Quite impressive," he continued. Although for some reason Hermione thought he was not impressed at all, and wanted to talk to Draco for different reasons. "I do believe every student in third year and above has attended this…" Snape paused thinking of a good word as Blaise and some random girl moved there grinding next to him, "activity."

Hermione blushed as she remembered what she was wearing. "Well… time to dance."

Draco smiled to his favorite professor and followed Hermione to the middle of the dance floor.

"Is something wrong?" Draco asked after squeezing past many tight couples.

Hermione barely heard him over the loud music. "No… I just don't feel comfortable around Snape… like this."

Draco cocked his head.

"…and dancing how we are going to be dancing," Hermione said with a slight blush.

Draco smirked. "Speaking of which…" Draco grabbed Hermione's waist and pulled her close to him as a new song began.

"OoO! I love this song!" Hermione said excitedly. She began to dance enthusiastically with Draco, making sure that they never lost contact.

"Bet you like my body, bet you thought about it…" Hermione sung into Draco's ear.

Draco smirked as he looked at Hermione. Then he impulsively kissed her. And he kissed her again, and before either of them knew it, the entire school had turned to look at their Head's making out in the middle of the crowd.

"Nothing to see here," Blaise's voice sounded over the music that had been lowered by the DJ. Slowly, the music went back up and people started dancing again as a very embarrassed Hermione ran her hand down the side of her face.

"That was awful!"

"Excuse me?"

"No, not you!" Hermione smiled, "I can't believe they were watching us!"

Draco shrugged. "I bet they've seen worse."

Hermione sighed. "You're probably right."

Draco mocked Hermione with a shocked look and a smile. "Can you say that again? The part about me being right?"

"Oh wow Draco..."

"Say it..."

"No."

"Hermione..." Draco said threateningly.

"You're right," Hermione muttered.

"Excuse me?" Draco put his hand behind his ear.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I said... you're right."

"Oh Hermione... say it again..."

"Draco! Stop it!" she laughed. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a very distressed Ginny pushing past Harry and exiting the Great Hall. Hermione couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt run over her body.

"Hermione, is everything alright?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded trying to keep her thoughts on Draco, and off of Ginny. But she knew that tonight it would be impossible. "Draco...?"

"Yeah..." Draco sighed.

"There's something I need to take care of."

And with that said, Hermione kissed Draco briefly on the cheek and started for the Prefect Dormitory. She tried to gather the thoughts that floated around her head, trying to figure out what she would say to Ginny. After a lonely walk, Hermione entered the Prefect Dorm, and saw Harry sitting in the common room, reading his potions book upside down. "Uh- Hey," Hermione said slowly.

Harry turned to Hermione and forced a smile. "Hey." Hermione observed that he had probably been crying too.

"Uh, I need to talk to Ginny."

Harry rubbed to side of his face and sighed. "She's really upset... she wont even talk to me about it."

"Talk about what?" Hermione asked in a frustrated voice. "She didn't tell me... I think she was about to, but we got in a fight."

Harry hung his head. "I think she would want to tell you herself."

Hermione started to go up the stairs; and the closer to Ginny's room she got, the more paranoid she became. What on earth could be it! Hermione stopped in front of Ginny's door and pressed her ear against the door. All she heard were sporadic sobs and young girl whispering comforting words. She knocked.

"No Harry. I don't want to talk about it," a voice that could only have belonged to Ginny shouted angrily.

Hermione inhaled a huge breath and said, "It's not Harry, it's 'Mione," making sure she was loud enough so everybody inside could hear her. Hermione hesitantly pressed her ear to the door after a few seconds with no response. Hermione strained her hearing only to hear a soft, "Let her in." Hermione jumped away from the door and but a second later she was face to face with Daria.

"Hey 'Mione," Daria said solemnly. "There's a lot you need to be filled in on."

Hermione braced herself for the worst case scenario as the door closed behind her. Ginny was laying face-down into her pillow. Her back was jerking up and down violently, Hermione recognized Ginny's movements immediately as hysterical crying; a position Hermione spent the better part of her summer in. Out of instinct (or maybe pity,) Hermione rubbed Ginny's back as she leaned over her. "Shhhh…" Hermione cooed softly. "It's ok."

"NO, IT'S NOT OK!"

Before Hermione could register what happened, Ginny's entire body flew off the bed and over to her bookshelf. She proceeded to tear everything from the shelves. All the books, papers, and pictures were fiercely tossed about the room, including a framed picture of the entire Weasley family.

Hermione winced at Ginny's obvious pain as the sound of broken glass created a ripple effect, and silence was the only thing to be heard besides Ginny's panting breath. Hermione and Daria suppressed tears as they watched Ginny collapse on the floor in sobs, leaning over the broken picture of her family.

Hermione still had no clue what would make Ginny so upset, but she figured it would be an inappropriate time to ask. So, for replacement of questions, Hermione walked cautiously over to Ginny and picked up broken pieces of glass surrounding the portrait of the Weasley's.

"Hermione…" Ginny cried, her tears falling sadly on the photograph. "Charlie was killed."

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An: Yes… what you just read is the truth… sorry if you don't like it… but there's more to come and I SWEAR I wont take 5 months to upload the next chapter :-)

REVIEW PLEASE! xoxo, Jackie