SONG SELECTION:
1. Take me home~ Jess Glynne
2. Love me like you~ Little mix

Ginny's POV:

"Alright, follow me," Hermione stage-whispered, careful not to draw attention to us.

I grabbed her arm as she tried to turn the corridor. "Wait. Are we close?" I asked

"Yeah Gin, it's right past the library, before the restricted section." I let out a small giggle at that. "What are you giggling about?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, y'know, 'Restricted Section', that's all," I said, stifling a laugh. I was met with a blank stare from Hermione. "Oh you're so innocent, I love it."

"What?"

"Nevermind. I was going to say that I should go on alone from here, it will work better for my plan."

Hermione grinned and nodded. "I can't wait. This is going to be hilarious. Just go past the library and walk through the right wall of the corridor, can't miss it."

I raised an eyebrow. "Through the wall? How... clandestine of you."

She swatted my arm lightly. "Just go already."

I smiled at her and winked. "Showtime."

With that, I walked confidently over to the special wall and tapped it. My hand went through. Huh, I thought. Guess it really is a secret room. I took a deep breath and pulled down the neckline of my already low cut top. This was going to be a difficult act.

With no further hesitation, I strode through the wall. I was greeted by the sight of an ornate wood-panelled room with very Slytherin decor. And at the fireplace, was a shirtless Malfoy, leaning against the wall.

"Took you long en-" he started, his voice purposefully low and sultry. However, as soon as he caught sight of me, his tone changed. "Weaslette?! What are you doing here?"

I widened my eyes innocently and walked over to him. Placing my palms on his shoulders, I slid ever closer, pressing my scantily clad chest to his bare one, "Oh Draco, why must you be so standoffish?" I pouted. "Why can't we just," I paused to bring my lips to his ear, "get along?"

"Umm what?" he said, shaking his head slightly, pushing me away from him a little roughly and stumbling backwards into a wall.

Not to be deterred, I suggestively grabbed his belt and pulled him back to me. "Well, I heard you were giving some very special lessons, and I thought I could learn from the best," I whispered. Then before he could protest, I leant in for a kiss; only to be met with air as Malfoy scrambled away onto the couch.

"I, umm, you, but," Draco stammered. His eyes suddenly brightened as he announced, "You're dating Potter!" sounding almost... relieved?

I grinned wickedly. This is progress. "He gave his blessing," I said, starting towards him once more.

He dodged, stammering again. "But uh-" Enough.

"I knew it!" I yelled, leaping away from him at once, fixing my top.

If possible, this confused him even more, though he looked a fair bit relieved. "What in Merlin's Marvellous Magical Mishap are you doing?!"

"Wow, I've never heard that one before."

"Ginny!"

"Look at that, you learned my name."

Standing up, he whipped out his wand (not that one) and pressed it to my chin. "Explain yourself," he growled, now quite fed up with my antics.

"Oh, Hakuna your Tattas," I said dismissively, swatting away the wand without fear.

"What is that?" Draco hissed through clenched teeth, getting progressively angrier.

"I actually don't know, I think it's a muggle thing, I heard Hermione say it once."

"Can you stop being obstinant for one second!?" Draco shouted.

"Right. Well, the 'I knew it' bit was just that I know you're in love with Hermione, that's all. Nothing too surprising."

With that, I was successful in rendering the great Draco Malfoy utterly speechless. He slumped backwards onto the couch, covering his eyes. After a pause, he straightened and looked at me. "What," he said blankly, a statement rather than a question.

"You're in love with Hermione," I repeated. "And apparently quite dense on top of that." I took a seat next to him on the couch, though a respectable distance away.

Draco frowned at me, running a hand through his dishevelled platinum locks. His skin was flushed, and he was breathing quite hard. "I haven't the faintest what you're talking about."

"Please, you're obvious. You were desperately searching for a reason not to do the frickle frackle with me instead of just saying yes or no. And if it was just a general aversion to me, you'd have put a shirt on by now. Speaking of which, can you put a shirt on please?"

He nodded, shrugging on the standard white Hogwarts button down. "That doesn't mean I'm in love though," he said almost numbly.

"Besides," I continued, "you haven't denied it." I casually studied my nails. "Seriously, you underestimate me."

"Look I... I just don't know what I feel about Granger. She's so..." Draco trailed off with a very faint smile on his lips, lost in thought.

I cocked my head. "Why do you call her Granger? She calls you Draco."

"I'll always call her Granger," he said softly.

"Oh, right, until she becomes a Malfoy?" I said innocently.

"Don't say that. I don't know what you know but don't ever say that."

"I don't know, Draco Granger doesn't have the same ring to it."

He hung his head. "Ginny, I can't think that way. I won't."

"So you have feelings for her."

"Of course I do! What kind of dunderhead wouldn't? But everything, and I mean everything, is against the possibility of an 'us'."

"Regardless, she needs to know where she stands with you Malfoy. She doesn't want to get thrown to the side once you're done with her. She cares for you." I paused and whispered my next words. "More than she knows."

"My feelings aren't going away, I can know that for certain. But she's with Ronald. And I have these emotions that, for the first time in my life, I don't know how to control. That's why all Hermione and I can have is a tenuous acceptance, and perhaps these lessons."

I watch him closely, the way his chest is rising and falling rapidly as he gets more and more agitated about Hermione, the way he tangles his hands in his already disastrous locks. "Draco," I murmured. "are you... in love?"

"No. Yes. Maybe," he sighed. "But I'm in something. And that something means that I need to stay far away from Hermione Granger," he said softly, his voice catching slightly.

*****

Hermione's POV:

As I watched the blank wall that Ginny had disappeared into, I couldn't help but run through every possible disastrous scenario. In an attempt to quiet my racing mind, I ducked into the library to distract myself. However, I was utterly unsuccessful.

Y'know, there are a lot of things that could go wrong.

Oh for once, just please shut up Brain.

But what if he hexes her?

He's not going to hex her.

How would you know?

Because I do. End of story.

My brain was silent for a few heartbeats.

What if she hexes him?

She won't.

How would you know?

Because I asked her not to.

Still though....

Shut up.

But...

Shut. Up.

But..

Right, that's it.

I snapped my book shut and replaced it on the shelf. The only way to sate my overactive imagination was to find out what was happening in there.

I approached the special wall anxiously, nervous about what I might walk in to see a dead body, or a smoking crater or Merlin knows what else. Wringing my hands, I cautiously peered through the wall to see the last thing I ever expected.

The room was quiet, and there were no fires or explosions to speak of. Ginny and Draco sat side by side on the leather couch. Ginny looked at ease, leaning back on the couch with her legs crossed. Draco, however, looked the complete opposite.

His hair, normally gelled and combed, was a messy disaster. I forgot how much I loved seeing it like that. A crisp white uniform shirt hung open on his torso, a pale contrast to the bright flush in his cheeks. Straining my ears, I could just make out Ginny's soft words.

"Draco," she murmured. "are you... in love?" I could barely hold in my gasp. Was he? What would that even mean? I awaited his answer with bated breath.

"No. Yes. Maybe," he sighed. "But I'm in something. And that something means that I need to stay far away from Hermione Granger," he said softly.

What?

I stumbled out of the room, landing squarely on my arse. Panicking, I staggered to my feet as quickly as I could and sprinted away. Not in any particular direction, just away. Away, away, away.

For a moment, the singular directive to get away was enough to occupy my reeling mind, but all too soon, I felt my lungs about to give out so I ducked into an empty classroom; crumpling to the floor.

What?

He's in love? But then why would he need to stay away from me? I should feel happy that I wasn't just going to be cast aside, so why wasn't I?

I felt off, like my whole world had been tilted by five degrees, and everything was wrong, but I couldn't pinpoint the cause.

And then I realised.

It's not me he loves.

Merry Christmas!! Hope everyone got what they wanted

Don't forget to vote! And this chapter personally is my favourite xx

I love writing this book more than any of my other books so it would mean A LOT if you guys continued to read it bye xo

Edit: For first time readers this is where it will start to get confusing, because in this chapter there was the first major change in the editing process. 

-SirenSong55