It only took a few days and the sombre fog lifted over most students, Ginny and Hermione included. Ginny found herself thinking less and less about the loss of Fred and more and more about Quidditch and her forthcoming NEWTs. She and Hermione were both getting increasingly anxious that a professor had not been named for Defence Against the Dark Arts, but all of their other professors were happily compensating for this fact.

Ginny had not done so many revisions and studying like these since her fifth year, preparing for her OWLs. Hermione was an excellent study partner and helped Ginny get both organised and motivated. Although, Ginny knew she could never keep up with Hermione’s break-neck pace.

She had been re-reading the letters Harry sent, trying her best to not let her mixed feelings bother her. She cared about him, she knew she did. And there was very little she could doubt about Harry. He was, as Hermione had described, a stalwart boyfriend. Even if his scrawling handwriting was a murder to decipher, he still took the time to write her on a regular basis. She was under the impression Kreacher had not replaced Hedwig, as the owls Ginny saw varied from day-to-day. She wondered it that wouldn’t be an appropriate gift for Harry for Christmas.

She found herself daydreaming in this fashion on an hourly basis and Hermione spent a good amount of their time together trying to bring Ginny back to the task at hand. On many occasions, Hermione found Ginny plotting out Quidditch strategies on her revisions.

‘You are never going to get this History down if you don’t concentrate!’ Hermione was scolding Ginny as she pulled a fresh sheet of parchment out and crumpled up the one Ginny had been using.

‘Hey! I needed that!’ Ginny tried to reach for the parchment, but Hermione pointed her wand at it and it disappeared in a burst of flame.

Ginny grumbled something under her breath, but knew better than to make a scene with Hermione in the library. She picked her quill up and tried once again to concentrate on the task at hand. After what felt like days, Hermione finally showed signs of wanting to eat something. Ginny got up gratefully and followed her friend out of the library. They headed towards the Gryffindor common room, noticing a strange sort of smoke or fog coming from the third floor as they passed.

Hermione stopped, as if to investigate, but Ginny shook her head. ‘Hermione, this is something for Filch to look into, not you.’

‘I’m Head Girl,’ she stated authoritatively. ‘I think I should make sure there isn’t a fire or something.’

‘A fire?’ Ginny asked. ‘You can’t be serious? And you’re going to go in there and put it out?’ She grabbed Hermione’s arm and continued, ‘I don’t fancy saving you from suffocation!’

Hermione shrugged Ginny’s hand off and turned to her. ‘What if someone’s in trouble and we just walked away? Then what?’

Ginny sighed. They were both Gryffindors. There was no way they would turn from someone needing help. She nodded and pulled her wand out. ‘Fine, but I want to make sure that you remember that I did not think this was a good idea.’

Hermione ignored her caveat and got off the shifting staircase towards the third floor and the apparent source of the smoke. The smoke was wafting through the corridors surrounding one of the side entrances to the third floor. Hermione stepped off of the staircase with Ginny close behind. There were other students watching the activity, but with one swift hand motion, Hermione made it clear they were all to go back to their business. Ginny was surprised to see the students begin to move along almost immediately. She watched the students for a moment before realising Hermione had gone through the doorway, almost shutting Ginny out.

As she bounded through the door, she immediately saw Hermione in front of her. There was little to no light on the third floor and Ginny only spotted Hermione thanks to the light pouring in from the outer corridor. Ginny started to raise her wand when she saw Hermione wave her off.

Hermione cast a charm around them, a silencing one as Ginny stepped closer and heard, as if in a tunnel, ‘Someone’s here.’

Ginny tried to look around Hermione, but didn’t see anyone. ‘What do you mean someone’s here? I don’t see anyone.’

Hermione pointed towards a mirror that was covered in dust, but in the reflection, there was an image of two men. At first Ginny thought it might be a painting, but it was clear the surface was a mirror and the men were moving in and out of the picture, their arms in the actual hallway. She could just make out part of the conversation.

‘I think you’re bloody crazy! This is not the time to do this!’

Another voice, lower and more menacing, replied calmly, ‘Never were one to follow orders were you?’

A tone of exasperation met this question, ‘I have done everything I thought reasonable, but this is too much!’

‘Too much? Too much!’ The voice had grown in volume and continued, ‘You are a worthless, waste of space. You were never one of us…’

There was the sound of a scuffle and Hermione leaned back, knocking into Ginny. They both froze, realising they could be discovered at any moment. Hermione put her finger to her lips and pointed to the door. Ginny shook her head, wanting to know what was going on.

The other voice returned, more quiet than before, ‘I never wanted to be a part of this…you think I belong, I don’t belong…anywhere.’

Hermione pushed Ginny towards the door and Ginny reluctantly let her. Once clear of the door, she said, ‘I told you we shouldn’t have gone in.’

Hermione walked past her, paying her little mind and Ginny turned and jogged to catch up. ‘Where are you going?’

Hermione pulled the silencing charm off of them with one wave of her wand and said, ‘Professor McGonagall.’

Ginny was right behind Hermione, uncertain of what was happening. ‘Who do you think that was?’

‘No idea,’ was Hermione’s only response.

They rounded the last corner to Professor McGonagall’s office and Hermione said clearly, ‘Eye of Newt.’

The doors to the office opened slowly and Ginny raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s an interesting password.’

Hermione shook her head, smiling. ‘It’s that Muggle playwright again…’

The office was utterly silent. Ginny hadn’t seen Professor McGonagall’s office much since she’d returned, but it was brighter than when Professor Snape was the Headmaster. The paintings on the wall all took notice of their entrance. One, in particular, looked Hermione up and down and scoffed.

Hermione took a tentative step into the office. ‘Professor?’

There was no response. Ginny gave Hermione a side-long look. ‘Should we leave a note?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘We don’t know who else might see it.’

Ginny sighed, but stopped, seeing Professor Dumbledore’s portrait. She nodded at him and he winked at her, but said nothing. Hermione came up behind her. ‘He doesn’t say much these days, I’m not really sure why.’

Ginny gave the former Head Master a sad look, but he turned away, as if it were painful to see her. Another door crashed open on the other side of the office, causing both Hermione and Ginny to jump. Madame Pomfrey was bustling across the office and stopped short, seeing both girls staring wide-eyed at her.

Hermione found her voice first, ‘Is something a matter?’

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. ‘There was a slight incident, but things are under control. If you’re waiting for Professor McGonagall, she’s gone to London on some urgent business. Professor Flitwick is standing in as her replacement.’

Hermione nodded and turned to walk out, but Ginny stood for a moment and asked quietly, ‘Do you need our help with something?’

Madame Pomfrey stopped for a moment and shook her head, looking sadly at Ginny. ‘No, but I expected you to stop by the hospital wing last week and you didn’t. You had best stop in before your next Quidditch practice.’

Ginny bit her lip and nodded. ‘Yes, of course. I’ll be by later.’

Hermione shook her head as they headed to Professor Flitwick’s office. ‘I can’t believe you never went back. You were attacked by a dozen Dementors.’

‘You were there too! You and Luna both, but I’m the only one that was totally wiped out by it,’ Ginny said quietly. ‘I can’t believe they found us on the pitch at all.’

Hermione turned slowly, a look of concern crossing her face. ‘That has been on my mind a lot lately. What would they have been doing there? Did they never leave after the battle? Have they been waiting for students to return?’

The words started to flood out of Hermione’s mouth, ‘I mean, wouldn’t this be a feast for them? The Ministry never really had control of them, and now they’ve become rogues, all of them. Attacking and probably killing at will. There’s a lot written about how Dementors can be vilified, but no one really knows how to speak with them, or even communicate with them!’

Ginny arched her eyebrows; it was fascinating to watch Hermione trying to figure things out when she only had scant details at her fingertips. Hermione continued in a hushed tone, ‘I wonder if they weren’t really looking for you, but felt the tragedy you’ve lived through and sought you out.’

Ginny nodded, not knowing what to say. They slowed as they reached Professor Flitwick’s office. Hermione knocked, but got no response. She knocked a little louder, still there was no answer. She turned the knob and called out, ‘Professor Flitwick?’

The room was dark, but the moment Hermione’s hand pushed the door open, the room was flooded with light. Ginny shielded her eyes, but reacted too slowly as the light focused into a bubble and bounced straight into Hermione, throwing her into the nearby wall. Ginny pulled her wand out, but the bubble dissipated. Ginny rushed to Hermione’s side and was relieved to see she was okay, though her head had hit the wall hard. Pieces of the wall had crumbled to the floor around Hermione, but she sat up. Ginny wrapped an arm around Hermione’s shoulders. ‘Are you okay? What was that?’

Hermione shook her head, trying to clear it. Ginny gingerly touched the back of Hermione’s head and felt panic set in, her fingers felt damp. She had hit her head a lot harder than Ginny had initially thought. ‘Can you stand?’

Ginny wiped her hand on her robes so Hermione wouldn’t see the blood. Hermione turned her head slowly, as if this were a difficult task, and tried to stand. Hermione’s eyes went wide and Ginny cast a protection shield before turning to see what had startled Hermione. The office had grown dark again; there was no sign of life within. She tried to help Hermione to her feet, but they were both too off-balance to get far.

A much too familiar voice called out, ‘Are you both alright?’

Ginny dreaded the look Hermione would give her, and tried to avert her eyes. Hermione gave Ginny a pleading look, but it was no use. Draco Malfoy had hurried down the hallway towards them, putting a hand under Hermione’s arm so she could lean on him as he pulled her upright. He was still waiting for an answer and Ginny replied, ‘I’m okay, Hermione isn’t…Someone set a trap in Professor Flitwick’s office.’

Draco peered into the office, but didn’t get any closer. Hermione must have been feeling the effects of the collision; she was starting to lean her weight away from Ginny to Draco.

Draco seemed to notice this and shifted his arm across her back, supporting her. Ginny couldn’t help but notice the grime on the bottom of Draco’s robes. She eyed him warily. ‘What are you doing here?’

He gave her a frustrated look and said, ‘I was here seeing Professor Slughorn, then he got called away. I think some student saw a fire on the third floor. Rumour was, you both were there. Someone’s in the castle that shouldn’t be.’

‘Besides you?’ she asked acidly.

He grinned at her, a charming grin. ‘Yes, besides me.’ He shifted his weight slightly. ‘I think we’d best get our Head Girl to the hospital wing.’

‘I don’t think she’s ‘your’ Head Girl.’ Ginny was getting increasingly nervous about his presence. She thought back to what Hermione had said and shuddered to think that he might do something to her. Now more then ever, as Hermione was in little to no state to fend him off. She stood up to her full height. ‘I’ll come with you.’

He nodded. ‘Don’t trust me, do you?’

She shook her head. ‘I can’t imagine why I should.’

Hermione started to limp along. Ginny turned slowly. ‘Hermione, maybe I can just levitate you.’

Draco shook his head. ‘If you drop her, that’d be even worse.’

‘Why would you assume that I would?’ she replied.

His eyes bulged as he saw the cut on the back of Hermione’s head. He furrowed his brow for a moment before lifting Hermione easily in his arms. ‘This solves that discussion…and I know where the hospital wing is.’

He stalked off and Ginny rushed after him. Hermione came to, somewhat, and pointed back at Professor Flitwick’s office before passing out entirely. Draco rolled his eyes. ‘I think you’d be better of doing as she says.’

‘I don’t trust you,’ Ginny said curtly. ‘If anything happens to her, you’ll have me to deal with.’

She glared hard at him and he slumped his shoulders. ‘I would have thought…fine…I wouldn’t ‘do’ anything to her…if I wanted to do either of you harm, I could have when you got caught by that bubble-thing.’

He was right. She knew it. She narrowed her eyes. ‘You’d better be in that hospital wing when I get there.’

He turned without another word and headed towards the hospital wing. Ginny had a sudden wish that either Ron or Harry were there. They’d have made sure Hermione was okay. Or more likely, nothing would have happened to her. She hadn’t expected to get attacked on school grounds, but it had happened in the past, more recently than she’d like to recall.

She stepped back towards the office, throwing a stunning spell into the room, then a lighting charm to illuminate the room. She stood outside the door, fearful to get hit by the same bubble again. She put a hand on the door and took a steadying breath before setting foot into the office. Nothing happened. She kept her wand pointed outwards and called out, ‘Professor Flitwick?’

There was no answer. The office was empty. Everything appeared to be in order. No books were out of place, no parchment strewn on the floor. If something had happened, it hadn’t happened here. She surveyed the room once more, looking for some sign of Professor Flitwick, but there wasn’t any to be found.

Her mind quickly went back to Hermione and she hurried out of the office, shutting the door on her way out. There was a strange sound that came from the door as she shut it and she stopped, turning slowly. Perhaps this was the trap that had been set when she and Hermione had happened on the door not a half-hour previous.

She placed her open palm on the door to feel for some sign of the intense heat that had from the bubble, but it was cool to the touch. She took a few steps back and pointed her wand at the door. ‘Reducto!’

The door splintered into a thousand pieces. The bubble appeared, but it lolled for a moment before bursting in the doorway. Ginny had jumped back to avoid any backlash. There was a thin film over the door, but she didn’t dare touch it. She saw Draco hurrying back down the hallway towards her.

She glared at him. ‘I thought I told you to stay with Hermione.’

He glared right back at her. ‘I got her there and she’s fine. She told me to come and check on you.’

‘Did she now?’ Ginny asked, not believing him. ‘I find that hard to believe. She didn’t look in any state to be telling you anything.’

Draco’s face hardened. ‘Madame Pomfrey gave her something, and she came to almost immediately. She told me I needed to make sure you were okay.’

‘I can take care of myself,’ Ginny said huffily. ‘I don’t need looking after.’

Draco glared at her. ‘That’s fine, but I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.’

‘What do you know about it? Set it here for us to find, maybe?’ She glared at him more fiercely.

He looked shocked. ‘What? I…’ He glared at her to match her own glare and said, ‘I may have made mistakes in the past, but I’m not like that anymore.’

‘I’m so glad you’ve explained it to me, so much more believable,’ Ginny retorted.

As if realising this was a lost cause he shrugged. ‘Fine, have it your way. I’m here to kill all of you; just bidding my time.’

Ginny turned away, she knew she should thank him for helping Hermione, but she didn’t trust him in the least. He turned on his heel and stalked away. Ginny looked at the door again and decided he was probably right to not touch it. She headed down the same corridor and noted Draco some ways ahead of her. She was irritated when she saw him re-enter the hospital wing.

Ginny pushed the all too familiar doors open and saw Hermione arguing with Madame Pomfrey and Draco was already in the thick of it. Ginny could just make out Draco’s tone, ‘She shouldn’t be leaving, she almost cracked her skull wide open.’

Madame Pomfrey nodded approvingly. ‘Mr. Malfoy is correct, Ms. Granger. You need to stay over-night at the very least.’

Hermione threw Ginny a pleading look, but Ginny remembered how she had terrified when she saw the blood on her hands. She let her gaze fall to the floor and said, ‘I’m sorry, Hermione, I think you need to take it easy.’

She could feel daggers being shot at her and she added, ‘Maybe she can rest more comfortably in her own room. I can stay with her and make sure she’s okay.’

Hermione looked hopeful at this, but Madame Pomfrey didn’t seem convinced. ‘I don’t know, Ms. Weasley, you’re also prone to accidents.’

‘What!’ she spat out. ‘I am not! Not like –’

She turned away, not wanting to bring up the subject of Harry, but Draco seemed more than happy to oblige. ‘Like your boyfriend; Potter? Yeah, that one had his own personal bed here, didn’t he?’

He sneered at Ginny and she glared back at him. ‘Enough!’ Madame Pomfrey said sternly. ‘You can argue outside, but Ms. Granger needs her rest and you being here isn’t going to make that happen.’

She gestured to the door and Ginny said quickly, ‘I’ll come check on you in an hour or so, just get some rest.’

Ginny placed a comforting hand on Hermione’s arm. Hermione nodded and then looked up at Draco and said quietly, ‘Thanks…Draco…for helping me.’

He gave her a curt nod and stalked out of the hospital wing without another word. Hermione looked lost again, like she had after the memorial and Ginny felt badly leaving her, but she didn’t want Malfoy to get away without saying more. She hurried after him and saw he was clear across the corridor. She called out loudly, ‘Hey!’

He turned slowly, his movement fluid. He didn’t say anything, but kept a glare plastered to his face. She caught up to him and asked, ‘You were here to see Slughorn?’

His glare intensified and he replied evenly, ‘Yes.’

She felt like she were pulling teeth trying to get this information out. ‘You couldn’t just send an owl? Or make an appointment?’

‘It may have escaped your notice, but it is not that late. I can come to the school if I wish,’ he finished.

‘You hated this school, why would you ever come back?’ she asked.

‘You don’t know me as well as you think, Weasley. Think what you like, but I do not have to explain my actions to you or anyone else.’ He turned and walked away from her, not giving her a chance to reply.

She stood there for a moment before remembering the film over Professor Flitwick’s office door and sought out Filch. The groundskeeper was a Squib. He couldn’t practice magic and yet continued to work at the school. She never quite understood it, but he spent most of his time trying to find ways to assign detention. She found him in a broom cupboard, a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other.

‘Mr. Filch, there’s some sort of film or something over Professor Flitwick’s office door. Hermione and I came upon it –’

He broke in, ‘Put it there, did you?’ He mumbled under his breath, ‘Conniving brats…’

Ginny took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. ‘No, we didn’t. But I think you might want to look into it before someone gets hurt.’

She didn’t want to stand there and be interrogated any longer, so she walked away once she felt he wasn’t going to insult her further. It had only been about twenty minutes since she’d left Hermione, and she knew Madame Pomfrey would not be happy to see her again. She headed to the Great Hall to eat something before going back to revisions. Though the idea bored her, without Hermione, there was little direction in her revisions.

After eating dinner, Ginny decided enough time had passed and headed back to the hospital wing. Much to her surprise, Hermione was there and was fast asleep. Madame Pomfrey assured her that Hermione would be fine, but Ginny sat with her for a bit, before the discomfort of the chairs got the better of her.

She squeezed Hermione’s hand once before leaving, heading back to her room. She wrote Harry a letter, finally replying to the one he’d sent her after the memorial. She felt bad, but there was still a lingering feeling of doubt when it came to Harry; not that he didn’t care about her, but that his priorities seemed skewed. She sighed and sealed the letter. She would send it off first thing in the morning. She got ready for bed and tried her best to ignore the barrage of questions about what had happened. She didn’t know anything and would have to wait until the morning to find out if Hermione knew anything either.