Sorry for the slow update...I hope that this (filler) chapter makes up for it. :) Please tell me what you think!

"Good," I smirked, "because that's all I'm offering."

I laughed at his expression, and walked ahead, pausing when I realized that he wasn't following me.

"Well, come on!" I turned back, "I'm hungry!"

I heard him muttering and it sounds suspiciously like, "I'm not surprised," but I ignore it. He got lucky.

We get to the kitchens quickly, and once again, I decided to indulge the house elves and let them choose our dinner. This time, though, I was smart enough to lay out a condition: a three-plate limit for each course.

We were settling into a large treacle tart when Draco brought up Quidditch.

"Your tryout is Monday afternoon, right, Gin?"

"Yep," I tried to settle the intense fluttery feeling in my stomach by taking another bite of the sweet tart. "When's yours?"

"The same."

"Are you nervous?"

He glanced up and me and shrugged. "I suppose, a little bit. There's no point in playing if you're too self confident to be nervous. That means that the competition isn't up to par." He paused, spooning some of the vanilla ice cream from the carton onto his steaming pastry. "What about you?"

"I don't know," I said, "I practiced a lot with Harry and Ron over the summer holidays."

His jaw clenches, but he answers cordially enough. "You should be fine, Gin. I've played with you."

"You mean the one time that I fell of my broomstick? What are you going on about? Did someone spike your pumpkin juice?" I snatch the glass in front of him and bring it to my nose.

He steals it back, the orange liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim of the goblet. "It was because I was there. Remember, you still despised me at that point. You were just getting too competitive and weren't think straight. Just keep your head in the game and you'll be fine. Don't do anything too fancy or complicated. You're a Quidditch player, not an acrobat."

"What's an ack-ro-bot?"

He smiled at my atrocious pronunciation. "An acrobat is a muggle who does cartwheels and flips and other things of the like."

"Oh," I said, not really understanding. "I hope I get chaser, it's such a popular position."

"You'll do fine, like I said. How about we meet in here afterwards, right around dinnertime? We'll do something fun."

"Like what?"

"It's a surprise."

I pouted. "First Luna and now you."

"Or we could just skip the surprise."

I reached across the table and slapped at his arm.

"Ow!" he looked at me sulkily.

"That's for keeping everything from me!"

"I'm still not telling you," he smirked.

"Fine." I crossed my arms across my chest and glared at him.

He ignored me, nonchalantly spooning another generous helping of dessert onto his plate. Pig.

I gave up after awhile, finishing my tart grumpily and standing up. "Are you done?"

"Yeah," he said, abandoning his pastry. "Let's go to the Room of Requirement so you can write your letter."

I groaned, but followed him out the door nonetheless.

We walked in silence. Finally, Draco sighed and turned to me. "Gin, I know that you don't like when people keep things from you, but indulge me, just this once?"

I considered, tilting my head to the side and staring at him. "Fine," I eventually said. "I suppose. But just this once, mind you!"

He smiles and wraps his arm around my waist, confidently. I knew that he knew he'd get away with it. He always did, manipulative Slytherin that he was.

And loyal Gryffindor that I was, I forgave him. After all, he'd been trying to be nice in the first place. I leaned my head against his shoulder, expelling a great gust of air from my lungs in a measly little sigh.

He grins, tightening his arm possessively even though it was past curfew and there was no one in the hallway but us. Even so, I enjoyed the warm pressure of his hand around me.

We finally reached the Room of Requirement a few minutes later. Draco handed me my bag, and I pulled out my parchment roll, ink, and quill.

Sitting down on a royal blue davenport, I begin writing:

Dear Mum and Dad,

I don't know how to put this:

I scribbled it out, starting again as Draco thumbed through the books on a nearby shelf.

Dear Mum and Dad,

How are you all? I know that I haven't written in a while…

Scrapped.

Dear Mum and Dad,

I know that it's a little early for me to send a letter home, and that's its very late at night and that I don't usually send post until Sunday, but it's urgent.

I've had a good week so far, Luna and I are part of the ball committee, some rubbish about Inter-House relations…I'm head of the whole thing and it's on Saturday night. Wish me luck!

Quidditch tryouts are on Monday. Chaser's a popular position to play, so hopefully I make it! I took a nasty fall with a new maneuver, but Madame Pomfrey fixed me up, so no harm done.

About the urgency…I'm sure that Ron's already sent you a letter full of insane blathering and no real understanding, so I'll attempt to make you see my side.

Draco Malfoy, ferret extraordinaire, was on my committee. He's head boy and, as you are already fully aware of, son of the former death eaters Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy.

Anyhow, we were planning the pairs for the dance. For an interesting twist, we decided (as a committee) to use compatibility factors as the decision, rather than having it be an asking between the students. We also decided to do it by House, so that, say, two Hufflepuffs couldn't be paired together.

So, Draco and I were doing the pairs, (which Blaise Zabini was supposed to help with) and we used a spell that we found in the library to do it. Surely enough, the expected happened: Luna and Harry (I am so happy for them! They do make a much better pair than Harry and I, honestly) and Ron and Hermione were paired. Naturally, I'm sure that you're curious about Ron and Hermione's, as they are in the same House. They were resorted and found that Hermione was also quite compatible with a Ravenclaw named Grant Frères, a really nice boy in seventh year. (But, I'm sure that it won't change Hermione's feelings for Ron, no matter how much of a git he was being about it.)

However, that's beside the point. On the first try, mind you, I was matched with Draco at a 96%, the highest of any compatibility factor in the entire school. In addition, I know that it wasn't a fluke, because I'm sitting in the Room of Requirement with him right now, whilst writing this to you. He's reading a book, in case you care, not hovering over my shoulder or doing something equally creepy.

Naturally, at this point we still hated one another bitterly. However, as we spent more time together, there was this…this spark. He really does like me, even more than I like him, maybe. Remember how I mentioned going to see Madame Pomfrey for some injuries? I'd fallen off my broom, and he'd caught me.

I was planning to let everyone know the night of the ball. You know how I am, I like being completely honest with people. It's the Weasley way, after all. While the theme is masquerade, everyone would know that it was Draco and I anyway. We're both very easy to spot, even though it's for different reasons. I hope that, with time, that will change, as he's truly a better man than he was before.

Speaking of the masquerade and the fact that I don't want to leave a bit of it out, Mrs. Malfoy sent me a beautiful mask to wear. She knows who I am, and seems to have changed as well. I always did think her a beautiful woman, (almost as pretty as you, Mum) even with the bitter hatred I had for them all. Don't worry, I won't be nearly as quick to forgive Mr. Malfoy, but Draco seems to truly love his mother. She even sent me some magazines to find my dress. Luna and I had spent eons trying to find one for me. The dress I found is white, and I really like it. Luna altered it for me, but I'm not allowed to see it until Saturday. Her dress is green, a little lighter than Harry's eyes. I'll be sure to send you pictures. Lots of them.

So, Draco and I were sitting in a corridor, not snogging, thanks for your confidence, Mum. We'd stayed up later because of homework. I was working on Snape's dreadful essay on Felix Felicis. Call me crazy, but I almost wish that Voldemort had killed him…but back to the point. We were in a corridor and I fell asleep. You know me; I can't do without my full eight hours. When I woke up, Ron was going completely mental. Draco was the perfect gentleman until Ron dragged me up by my arm, resulting in bruises. Bruises, Mum! Luckily, Hermione stopped him from doing any further damage. Harry asked what had been going on, and I was completely honest with all three of them. Ron, upon hearing this, attacked Draco, who then pinned Ron and didn't hurt him any further. Moreover, he had a good reason to, considering the all the insults Ron had said. You would've washed his mouth out with soap. Ron's wand, you might be pleased to know, considering how you take this revelation, snapped in half.

After threatening me with a nasty letter to you, no doubt a letter that he has already sent, lacking details, he left with Harry and Hermione for the hospital wing.

Draco and I also went there a few minutes later, as he had a black eye and many other bruises and I had fingerprints on my arm. He was very calm, the whole time, I assure you.

Then we ended up here, in the Room of Requirement.

I know that you usually accept my decisions and believe in my good judgment, so have that kind of faith and confidence in me this time, please. I'm not under any spells. No one is hurting his friends, and me, besides Ron. I'm not being blackmailed or talked badly of. Luna fully approves, and you know that she's a Ravenclaw, and smarter than the average one, at that.

I fully intend to have Draco over for the Christmas holidays if you'll have him, and I intend to send post to my brothers as well, to tell them of this development. I never intended to keep any of you in the dark, and hope that you all respect me and my ability to make good decisions.

Your loving (and only!) daughter,

Genevieve Weasley

That was as good as any letter describing this hullabaloo would get. I sealed the letter and folded it. I then wrote identical, less detailed letters to Bill, Charlie, Percy and the twins. Letters that just barely stated what was going on and that Draco Malfoy was part of my life, whether they liked it or not. I also asked them, all right, threatened them, into leaving Draco alone. Once I was satisfied with my letters, I stood up and tapped Draco on the shoulder.

He turned around, setting aside his book, 101 Quidditch Maneuvers for the Avid Seeker, adding it to the already teetering stack beside him. He saw the notes, all rolled up neatly and sealed, in my hands. "You done?"

"Yep, my little bookworm," I teased, not quite masking the trepidation in my voice. "You know that Harry's read that book, too, right?"

He frowned at me. "Shut up, Weaselette."

"I might," I returned lightly. We sat in grim silence, neither of us willing to break it.

I could tell that he wanted to tell me that it'd be okay, but we both knew that it might not be.

"I'll go with you and we'll get these posted tonight," he paused. "Do you need to borrow Incentius?"

"If you didn't mind, Draco. I'd rather not borrow a school owl, since someone else might need one…"

"Don't worry about it," he smiled at me. "Let's go."

By this time, it was nearly midnight, and the darkness of the castle was slightly alarming. Our footfalls echoed on the stone floor, and the torches were only dimly lit, casting ghostly shadows over the corridor. Even the sudden way the staircases moved, normal in the daytime, was starting to scare me, just a little bit; the Gryffindor in me yelling for me to man up.

Tonight wasn't an ordinary night. It was riddled with consternation, foreboding, apprehension.

I reached for Draco's long, lean, porcelain hand, larger than my own, and he clasped it in his comfortingly, for once making no snide remarks as a cold wind swept through the building.

I just wanted to get this over with and get to bed. I was cold, tired, and unhappy.

We finally got up to the Owlery, and Everdeene hooted, a letter tied to her leg.

I untied my latest letter from Anonymous and tied the letter to my parents first. They were the top priority, as I was sure that they, at least, had already heard.

Borrowing school owls, I sent letters to Percy, the twins, and Bill. Charlie was the farthest away in Romania, so I borrowed Incentius for him.

Draco yawned, standing near the doorway. "Let's go to bed, Gin. We still have classes tomorrow, as well as the meeting you called for the ball."

I nodded my head, putting my letter away in my bag and putting the bag over my shoulder. "Let's go."

Draco walked me back to my dorm, arm held protectively around me while I leaned into his warm shoulder eagerly. It was just nearing one o'clock when we woke the Fat Lady at the portrait hole. Draco kissed me on the cheek goodnight and I crawled through, all the while listening to the Lady's complaints about inconsiderate students up at all hours of the night.

Luck was with me for once, and the Golden Trio was already upstairs, in bed.

I went up to my own dorm, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.