---

Of all the things to face before her morning tea, Ginny would rate a naked and crying Millicent Bulstrode somewhere between an earthquake and an inferno. She was seriously tempted to sneak back out of the communal showers that were usually empty this early and just go down to kitchens before taking her bath. Unfortunately, she was fairly sure Millicent had seen her, and she wasn't about to make the girl feel abandoned as well as miserable. "Bulstrode? Are you okay?"

Please say yes, Ginny thought. Even though it wasn't true, it would mean she'd done her duty and she could leave.

"Do I look all right?" Millicent snapped a towel around herself and scowled. "I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm alone, I'm at Hogwarts for an extra year because of failing the damn NEWTs, and I'm in sodding Gryffindor. As if that wasn't enough, none of my clothes fit anymore, which means it's getting worse."

Ginny bit her lip, the practical joke she'd heard some of the other girls talking about not seeming so funny anymore. It was one thing to be upset about former Slytherins being forced into the other Houses, it was another to confront the actual misery being caused to a former Slytherin. "Are you sure it isn't the clothes that shrunk, rather than you getting bigger?"

Sinking down to sit heavily on one of the changing benches, Millicent growled, "Stupid. I would've known that was a possibility in Slytherin."

Carefully sitting as far as possible without actually giving the impression of putting distance between then, Ginny wondered what to say. She finally decided on, "I wouldn't trust in the idea that not being a Slytherin equals not being mean."

"Just look at all of us who aren't Slytherins anymore," Millicent said bitterly. "No one would ever accuse us of niceness."

"No." Ginny sighed as she realized her tea would have to wait, as she actually did have a bothersome recurrent case of nice. "I will say, though, that dignity and grace seem to be a constant with your lot."

With a snort, Millicent said, "That's because Draco keeps us in line. No hexings, no tantrums, nothing that calls attention to us. We have to endure and be strong, because we don't have a choice."

"Being strong sucks." Only a few people had taunted her for being the basilisk girl and Potter's puppy, mostly because the twins had a uniquely persuasive way of silencing anyone who criticized their sister, but her mother had still insisted that she had to remain stoic and not give anyone the satisfaction of bringing her low. It was effective, moreso than throwing hexes and getting angry, but it was hard, and she couldn't imagine keeping it up when everybody was against you.

There was an awkward silence and Millicent struggled to get dressed without dislodging her towel. Ginny discreetly looked away, then cleared her throat. "Do you want to eat breakfast together?"

Millicent stopped buttoning her shirt to look at Ginny assessingly. "What's your angle?"

"Pity, mostly," Ginny said breezily. "And there's an element of being a sucker involved. Plus, you might be interesting eventually."

After a long pause, Millicent laughed and Ginny could breathe again. "Come on, then. I'll make you live to regret it."

They got into the habit of eating meals together, as Ginny had never really established herself in a social group after the twins had left and Millicent had been eating alone since she was moved to Gryffindor. It turned out that Millie was fabulously bitchy, and Ginny had to work at learning how to restrain her laughter at the constant flow of comments about anything and everyone that came from Millie's lips. The one exception was a skinny boy who sat at the Ravenclaw table and constantly stared at Millie; him she ignored, and she'd shut down entirely when Ginny had teased her about having an admirer.

The only thing that made Ginny uncomfortable was that Draco Malfoy would make a point of checking on them repeatedly during meals, and Ginny got to the point where she could barely eat from the feeling of being under scrutiny. It was almost a relief when, after two weeks, he dropped into the seat beside Millicent instead of at a seat on the end of the table, far away from all the Gryffindors and even the rest of the transplants.

"I need you to come with me," he said without preamble, and Ginny blinked. It seemed like he was talking to her, but why would she go anywhere with him? And why would he want her to? "Don't worry, you'll be back before curfew. And you can bring Loony as a chaperone if it'll make you feel better."

Ginny was about to protest, but Millie put her hand over Ginny's and looked seriously at Draco. "Another one?"

"Yeah. It's bad." Malfoy turned his attention back to Ginny, and her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his look. "Come on, Weasley, this is important."

"All right," she heard herself saying, but she checked on her wand before standing up.

Malfoy nodded and stood. "Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I'll go get Lovegood."

Confused as anything, Ginny made her way down there in Millie's company, not getting any answers until they'd just reached the doorway. "I like you, Ginny, and this isn't necessary but I'll say it anyway - please don't say or do anything to make it worse. If you're not sure what to say, stay quiet."

That hurt, that she could be so distrusted, but Ginny just nodded. She needed to find out what was going on before she made any decisions or judgments. Millie took a deep breath and opened the door, only to be greeted by Moaning Myrtle at her most off-putting, shrieking and wailing and maintaining a solid wall of water between them and the bathroom proper. It dissipated as Myrtle noticed Millie and said, "Oh, it's you. Get in there, they need you."

Ginny couldn't ask anything, even though she had wanted to, because now she could see that Millie's admirer was sitting in one corner of the bathroom, holding a sobbing girl on his lap. Ginny couldn't remember her name, but it was one of the Slytherins that had been re-sorted into Ravenclaw - a third year, maybe? Millie had already moved towards the other two and the girl threw her arms around her, her body racked by a renewed burst of sobs. Ginny's blood ran cold, because the gesture let her see the thick red lines along the girl's pale forearms.

She had no idea what to do, so Ginny sat down under the sink with the snake on it, the one that had been the gateway to so much misery, and she held on to the u-bend and watched mutely as Draco arrived, with Luna's wrist in one of his hands and a gaggle of former Slytherins rushing in behind him.

"I need our two bona fide upstanding members of society near the door," Malfoy said, gesturing sharply between Ginny and the door. Belatedly he added, "Please."

A bit intimidated by the crowd, which looked none too friendly, Ginny was tempted to slip through the door and keep going, but then she'd be leaving Luna behind, and she'd never get her curiosity satisfied. Quietly, she settled by the door, but brought her wand out and kept it in her hand. Luna settled down beside her, putting her head on Ginny's shoulder and whispering, "He said you'd gone to meet up with your cousin, who'd been hurt. I didn't know you had a cousin at Hogwarts."

"I don't," Ginny whispered, not entirely surprised Malfoy had lied. "All the Weasley cousins are older, and there aren't any on my mum's side."

They quieted, along with all the others in the room, as Malfoy held his hands up. "First, I need to say that I'm proud of you all. You've endured and you've held strong more than anyone could expect, and kept standing as you were pushed and pushed to the breaking point. Yes, even Mafalda, ignored by her family," and here he looked at Ginny contemptuously, causing her to bristle with outrage. "Even Mafalda, when she'd given up, found the strength to come back from it and get help."

"That's where we've been failing - coming to each other for help." Malfoy looked around the room, taking in each person there, and then said implacably, "That stops today. No one else is going to get pushed as far as Mafalda was, not when we can stop it."

Everyone was silent, waiting for Malfoy to continue, and Ginny thought he looked like the king of a weary army, readying for another battle in a long line of them. "From now on, no one walks alone. I mean that literally: none of us will ever be alone. Stick to groups of two, change out the groups regularly, and be prepared for the attacks to include remarks about being homosexual and about being whorish. It doesn't matter - we know who we are, and we will remember who they are for when the time is right."

There was a ragged cheer, and Draco nodded in response, waiting for everyone to quiet again. "We'll meet as a group once a week. Different times, different places, but we will. We're our only allies, and we need each other."

"What about the association statute?" The question was respectfully offered, but Ginny half-smirked, prepared to watch Malfoy ruin his heroic pose by deriding the poor fool who questioned him. Even Harry didn't like people arguing when he was in his crusading mode.

The smug expression was wiped off her face as Malfoy just nodded and said, "Good question, Baddock. I don't have a permanent solution yet, but I will. We're Slytherins; we will either find a way, or make one."

This time the cheer was a lot stronger, and Ginny's mind was racing. No one was allowed to say they were a Slytherin; it was grounds for expulsion. Everybody knew who the Slytherins were, of course. The first years had been assigned by lots, because the Sorting Hat had disappeared when it had been decided that Slytherin House would be abolished, but everyone else had just had to change their crests and move their beds - it wasn't like anybody had forgotten where they belonged.

The group broke up, and people started slipping out two at a time, at random intervals and with Moaning Myrtle scouting the hallway to make sure no one was watching. Ginny stood to leave, but Luna took her hand and brought her further into the bathroom, to where Draco was leaning down to talk to the girl - Mafalda - who was still sitting on Millie's lap. "Ginny doesn't have a cousin at Hogwarts."

Millie's glare was pure venom, and Ginny was taken aback as the girl, too exhausted to sob, just sniffled and leaned against Millie's shoulder. "Christ, Weasley, I never would've pegged you as someone ashamed to own your family for who they are."

"But... My mum's brothers both died, and all the cousins on my father's side are older than I am." Ginny spread her hands helplessly. "I'm sorry, I don't--"

"My father is your mother's cousin," the girl said, sounding weak.

An appalled feeling crept over Ginny. "The squib? He's a... countant?"

"Stockbroker, actually." Mafalda shrugged, obviously trying to look casual. "It doesn't matter. Your family made it clear they didn't want to have anything to do with mine."

Ginny had to sit down. "I didn't know."

Malfoy snorted. "And you call us heartless. We may disown family members, but we keep track of who and where they are."

"Yes, that makes such a big difference," Ginny said sharply. "I don't want to have anything to do with you anymore, but I'll be stalking you until the day you die. Have fun starving!"

"You look a little bit like Ginny's mum, you know. Around the eyes. Of course, Ginny's mum is as plump as a proper mum should be, so you might look like her in other ways that aren't obvious because of the size difference. You're really a tiny scrap of a thing - you should chew the bark of the Whomping Willow, it would help you gain some flesh on your bones." Luna was kneeling, her eyes wide as she peered inquisitively at Mafalda's face from about three inches away. "You'll have to let me take a shift with you so I can study your face more, just to make sure."

Mafalda looked terrified and confused in equal measure as she looked up to Draco, who shrugged. "Lovegood, I was talking to the Slytherins."

Thinking about that for a moment, Luna said, "Well, none of you are Slytherins, and the Ministry declared that they could sort people at will, so maybe I'll sort myself to be a not-Slytherin, too."

She stood up and dusted herself off before holding out a hand to Mafalda. "Come on. I know how to get into the kitchen, and then I can show you some of the places I go when the Ravenclaws are total twats and I don't want to deal with them."

Still looking bemused, Mafalda trailed after her obediently with Millie following, looking like the oddest row of ducklings ever created. Then Ginny and Malfoy were alone and he said admiringly, "Loony's a class act."

"I know," Ginny snapped, feeling strangely miffed. "What the hell was all this about?"

"I never took you for stupid, Weasley." With a sneer, Draco stalked out, leaving Ginny alone and confused.

---

Ginny waited outside Ravenclaw's common room for more than an hour before Millie came out on her own. "You're not following Malfoy's orders."

"You're here, so technically I am." The two girls fell in step beside each other as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, although by unspoken consent they were silent until they'd reached the dormitory and drawn the curtains of Ginny's bed around them. Ginny had long since charmed it for total privacy, which Millie knew from previous gossip sessions, and so all Ginny said was, "Well?"

"Pick a place to start, since there's so much you don't know." Millie sneered, but it was one of her friendlier sneers, with a touch of laughter about it. And she had a point.

Deciding that taking offense would be shelved entirely in favor of satisfying curiosity, Ginny said, "Association statute?"

"Don't you know anything?" At Millie's incredulous tone, Ginny crossed her arms and looked at her impatiently. "Okay, you know there was a war in the recent past, yes? Well, afterwards, it was decided that anyone even vaguely associated with the losing side was both a bad person and a danger to society."

"The Death Eaters are monsters," Ginny said fiercely. "I know this from personal experience, and even so the Ministry decided to be merciful to all but the worst criminals."

Millie shook her head sadly. "Some were monsters, yes, but on both sides. Only nobody talks about the pureblood families that were raided, the women who were raped, the innocent people destroyed for having the wrong relatives or saying something that didn't fit the correct political agenda."

There wasn't anything Ginny could say to that. Not when Millie's mother was lying in a bed next to Neville's mother, a victim of a Ministry raid. Instead she reached out and held Millie's hand tightly as the girl continued. "Anyone who can be shown to have any connection to anyone related in any way to the Dark Lord has to pay ruinously large fines - even if they'd prefer to go to Azkaban to save their families from penury. And, no matter how innocent the friendship, there's a law about who can associate with whom."

"What, like criminals who can't go back to their gang?"

"Yes, except that the 'gang' is everyone we've ever known, including our own family members. None of us can go home at Christmas, because you can only have two 'suspect persons' in one place at one time." She laughed, bitterly. "The Ministry 'forgot' to put an age limit on the statute, just like it's a 'fee' to file for an exemption, not a bribe."

Ginny told herself that it couldn't possibly be true, even as she asked, "Then, meeting in the bathroom, was that illegal?"

"No, because if there is a bona fide upstanding citizen present, that counts as someone supervising the meeting and making sure no evil plotting takes place." Millie clapped Ginny on the back. "Who knew being the perpetual virgin of St. Potter would make you useful someday? Lovegood was insurance in case you ran, but she turned out to be pretty brilliant."

"She is, if you just don't expect her to be like other people," Ginny said absently. "So can't anyone afford the bribes to the Ministry?"

Millie shook her head. "Draco offered to pay for everybody, but then someone got their back up and now there won't be any waivers issued until mid-January."

"Can't someone do something? That's just spite!"

Rolling her eyes, Millie said, "Welcome to the real world, Ginny."

---

Ginny looked over the assembled members of the DA and wished she had even a tenth of Draco Malfoy's leadership abilities. No one was even letting her explain, and finally she turned to Harry and said beseechingly, "You understand, don't you?"

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but I don't see what you expect me to do about it."

She could only stare, and then he got up and started to leave, Ron and Hermione following while darting glances between the two of them. Some of the others also stood, and Ginny's temper flared. Hands on her hips, she shouted, "I thought we were the ones who gave a damn about justice!"

"Justice?" Harry roared. "Death Eaters killed my parents, they killed Sirius, they killed Remus and Dobby and it'd only be justice if they all died, too!"

Ginny wasn't sure what shocked her more: his vehemence or that fact that he hadn't bothered to mention Fred. "We killed a lot of people, too, Harry. Don't their families--"

He didn't say anything, just turned his back on her and left. After a shame-faced look at Ginny, Hermione ran after him, leaving Ron to put his hand on Ginny's shoulder. "You've got a good heart, Gin, but... Just leave it to the Ministry to handle. It's not your problem."

"Like you lot let the Ministry handle You-Know-Who?"

Drawing back as if her acid tone had actually burned him, Ron said, "That was different. They were being mad and blind and--"

"And they still are!" Ginny crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared. "Go ahead and choose, Ron. Are you going to help me, or are you going to keep following Harry around, right or wrong?"

Turning scarlet, Ron said, "But he's not the one that's wrong, is he?"

With one last disgusted look at him, it was Ginny's turn to storm out without a backwards glance.

Neville caught up to her three corridors away, panting slightly as he jogged to catch up to her. "You're...really fast...when you're...angry."

Stopping in her tracks, she glared at Neville, willing to let him talk but not willing to waste any more time trying to be nice to people who couldn't see the difference between punishing monsters and criminalizing innocent people.

"I want to help." Neville had finally caught his breath, even though his face was still a little red from the exertion. "You're right, it's not fair. And a couple of the others will help, too."

Ginny threw her arms around Neville's neck and kissed his cheek. "Did I ever tell you I adore you?"

"Young love - how nauseating."

Ginny turned to see matching sneers on Millie and Malfoy, although Millie's looked a little friendly and Malfoy's... Well, it was a shame that bad things sometimes came in pretty packages. Although, he wasn't as bad as she'd thought - something she'd have to think about later. "Look, Neville, Hagrid must have left his crossbreeding cages open. I wonder what he was trying to make?"

Millie dropped Draco's arm like a hot potato. "Don't be disgusting, I would never breed with Draco. He's got more hair potions than Madame Fifi's Hair Emporium."

"Some of us," Draco said icily, "believe in a little thing called grooming."

"And some of us," Millie said, "believe in spending less than an hour in front of the mirror each morning."

"Do you think they need us for this part?" Ginny asked Neville. "I mean, we could go get a snack and then come back and check if they want to join in on the... Is it still plotting if it's for good and not evil?"

"Plotting is plotting, but it shouldn't be left to amateurs." Malfoy held out his arm to Millie, who took it. "The first step is to get out of the public eye."

They made their way back to the Room of Requirement, and Malfoy hesitated before allowing Millie to pull him inside. A few more people left when they came in, which left a group of five people, counting Ginny and Neville, to talk to the Slytherins.

---

Slughorn refused to consider making waves, and McGonagall just refused to consider the idea of having a Christmas party for the families of the Slytherins. When Ginny wrote home in desperation, thinking perhaps they could just invite the Slytherins back to the Burrow and have the party in the garden, like they'd had Bill and Fleur's wedding, the refusal had been dismissive, a mere line at the top of the page, while the rest of the three page letter was a lecture on the topic of why Ginny was choosing to hurt Harry's feelings like this, what Ginny was thinking, and that Ginny should get it out of her system before she came home for Christmas break. Ginny had gone straight from reading the letter to taking her name off the list of students taking the train back to King's Cross for the holidays.

She'd barely turned away when she saw Malfoy behind her, looking amused. "You know, this thing where you follow me around and watch me? Not attractive. Just in case you wondered."

"I can't say I ever did. Wonder, that is." Pushing himself off the wall he'd been leaning against, he fell in step beside her as she started walking back to Gryffindor.

"Did you want something, or am I just your entertainment for the morning? Shall I fetch a fan and do a dance?"

"Would you?" he said hopefully.

She laughed and shook her heads. "I would say 'in your dreams,' but if that's the case I'd really prefer not to know."

"Fans don't feature heavily in my dreams, if that helps you any." He gave her a crooked smile and then said, "Actually, I came to tell you that we're meeting before dinner. Two o'clock, prefect's bath. Myrtle knows to expect you."

Out of curiosity, she asked, "What did you do to make Myrtle so loyal to the cause?"

"She knows what it's like to be an outcast, to be treated as if you're invisible and meaningless." He looked grave as he added softly, "Now that we know, too, it's a natural fit."

"You can't really understand until you've lived it." She whispered it so softly that it seemed almost like a thought rather than a spoken sentence. Shaking off the moment, Ginny gave the password to the Fat Lady and they passed into the common room. "See you later, Malfoy."

"Looking forward to it, Weasley." Ignoring the hostile stares all around him, Malfoy made his way up to the dormitories.

Not seeing Harry in the common room, Ginny scurried to the stairs and called up, "If Harry's there, could you send him down?"

Draco didn't respond, but a moment later Harry was making his way down the stairs. "You needed me, Gin?"

Taking his hand, Ginny smiled and said, "Could we go somewhere private?"

"Sure," Harry said, and together they went down to the kitchens, to a small alcove no one else knew about or visited. They'd barely closed the curtain hung over the entry when Harry's arms were around her, his hands sliding to her waistband and creeping underneath to touch her skin. Ginny kissed him back, but pulled his hands gently away. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Ginny tried smiling, but it wasn't her best effort. She was far too nervous about this conversation, because she suspected she knew the outcome. No one had spent more time watching Harry Potter than she had, and she knew him, and too well to believe is his infallibility.

Harry frowned, but he dropped his hands and stepped out of the alcove, returning shortly with two chairs. "What's wrong, Ginny?"

Folding her hands together, Ginny took a deep breath and recited the speech she'd prepared and practiced. "I think you're letting your grief blind you to what's right, and I wanted to talk to you in private to see if I could help you understand my point of view on the issue of the treatment of the Slytherins."

"You're wrong." Harry didn't flush like Ron did, but when he was angry or aroused, the tips of his ears would turn pink. They were practically crimson now, and he didn't look at all turned on. "Ginny, how could you even think like this? You know what they are, but you're not only defending them, you're... I can't even look at you."

She didn't question what he meant, because an angry Harry could sometimes be a cruel one, but she had to force herself to remain calm. "Harry, you've never really led anyone, just let them follow you sometimes. This is your chance to lead people, to make the world a better place, a place Dumbledore would've been proud of."

"I did that already," he snapped. "I died to make the world better, isn't that enough? Do I have to go around sticking up for people who make the world worse just by existing?"

Sighing, Ginny admitted to herself that she had expected this. "No, Harry, you don't. But I don't think that we should be together anymore."

The way that Harry's lips twisted told her that the break wasn't entirely unexpected for him, either. "Going to go chase after Malfoy more now?"

While it wasn't much, Ginny drew herself to her full height and looked down at Harry disdainfully. "I'm not the one here who's been obsessed with Draco Malfoy for years."

She left then, her robes snapping behind her as she stalked through the castle, all the way out to the Quidditch pitch before she turned around and went to the Prefect's Bath to wait for everyone to show up. She had a long wait ahead of her, but Myrtle entertained her by giving her all sorts of gossip, and when Luna and Millie arrived, they'd each brought her food that they'd smuggled out when they saw she'd missed lunch. She filled them in on what had happened as the others trickled in, until Draco called the meeting to order.

It made little difference, except that the news being exchanged was said in a louder voice, and by one person at a time. When it was winding down, Luna raised her hand, waving it in the air and bouncing in her chair. Draco pointed to her and said, "The chair recognizes the not-Slytherin doing the Hermione Granger impression."

"I know how we can all get to see our families for Christmas."

The room went silent as everyone stared at Luna, who was sitting placidly with her hands folded in her lap. After a few pregnant moments, Ginny poked her in the side and whispered, "You should tell us."

"Oh!" Luna looked around to see people nodding, and said, "Well, it's simple, really. Draco pays Ginny for some sort of service performed - help with homework or something - enough to buy a small cottage in Hogsmeade. Then she can host a party there for everyone and their families."

Everyone looked at her in shock, but gradually a hum of excited murmurs broke out. "It'd be cheaper than the fee for all of us," Millicent said thoughtfully.

Mafalda sidled closer to Ginny, and Ginny smiled at her encouragingly. They'd been steadily building a relationship, but it was still a bit tenuous. "Would you be okay doing that? My parents could pick me up at your house, so I could go home."

This was the first Ginny had heard about Mafalda not being able to visit her parents, but it was enough to make her nod. "If we can do it and it's at least mostly legal, I'd be happy to."

"Luna, would your father agree to be there?" Luna nodded and Draco smiled and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "All right, this meeting's dismissed. Everybody who's not of age, go back to your dorms and write to your parents, requesting permission to be released to Mr. Lovegood, or to have one parent come to get you - make sure they've got written permission from the other parent, just to make sure the school can't make trouble."

There was a general air of excitement as everyone filed out in pairs, until Ginny and Draco were once again alone. "You're sure you're all right with this? It might mean you're not considered quite as upstanding."

Ginny shrugged. "It's the right thing. And maybe the rich guy who'll owe me a favor will let me stay in his new cottage if I get disowned."

---

What had become the core group went together on the Hogsmeade trip that weekend, going through the available properties to find the most suitable. The one Mafalda liked best was on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, close to the muggle roadway, but it had no fireplaces and so no one could floo there. Millie wanted to buy the Shrieking Shack, but Draco had pointed out that it'd take too much to repair it by the time they needed it. It had seriously disturbed Ginny how thoughtful Draco had looked when Luna had suggested they simply buy the Hog's Head or the Three Broomsticks, and she'd hastily insisted they go on to the next property, even including Millie's admirer in the conversation from his position about ten feet away, because none of the others had agreed with her that the very idea was insane.

It was Baddock, the admirer, who pointed out that the large house behind Honeyduke's had a 'for sale' sign hanging on the gate, and it wouldn't hurt to look. It was immense by Ginny's standards, although Draco and Millie sneered that it didn't qualify as a mansion because it only had one ballroom and only one bedroom had a full bathroom ensuite. Ginny threw her hands up as she argued that it was too much, but it took Luna to stop the argument about her concerns. "Everyone will assume you're paying Ginny for sexual favors."

"So give him a blowjob and take the house," Baddock said with a shrug. "You'd have to let people visit in shifts in anything smaller, and there'd be no guarantee you could get to everyone, and if your sexual prowess is sufficient to earn you this house, you're not a whore, you're a mistress, or possibly a courtesan."

Ginny could only gape, but Luna was nodding. "He has a point. It's like rich people are eccentric rather than loony."

Removing his face from his palm, Draco said, "Come on, don't embarrass Ginny. If she doesn't want the house, we'll keep looking."

"No, he had a good point." Waving off Draco's arched eyebrow, Ginny said, "Not about the sex thing, about getting everybody to see their families. We need a large space, and maybe we can say you're investing in a business rather than just giving me money. We can put in tables and serve tea and cakes or something. A less frilly alternative to Madame Puddifoot's."

"If you throw in decent food instead of the greasy swill they serve at the Broomsticks," Draco said longingly, "I'll even pay for the upgrades and permits needed to start a restaurant."

Mafalda chimed in, "She'll also need capital for expenses, preferably enough for a full year, including decor, tableware, food, breakages, staff... What? My mother's a restaurant manager."

"Get the final numbers together, then." Draco looked so confident that Ginny felt dizzy as he turned and held out his hand for her to shake. "Welcome to the restaurant business."

Dazed, she mumbled, "Thanks. It's been my life's dream for about two minutes now."

The walk back was full of Draco and Mafalda chattering, with Luna and Baddock talking and Millie trying to pretend she wasn't interested. Ginny was on her own, trying to figure out where she had lost full control of her life, and whether or not she minded. Ultimately, though, it came down to doing what was right. Maybe she was following Draco Malfoy now, but at least he was a leader, not just the guy in front. His importance now came from the way he brought people together and gave them strength and purpose, not from his father's money, and definitely not by being the anointed vessel of fate or any other super-worldly force. He saw a need, and he filled it.

She was still wrapped up in her thoughts when they got to Hogwarts and the others split off to parts unknown, leaving Ginny to look up and wonder where they were. Or, for that matter, where she and Draco were, since the area didn't seem familiar. "Is this the part where you lure the beautiful heroine into a dark corner and turn into a monster?"

"Not quite," he said, walking a few more paces before stopping. "Although I suppose this place is good enough."

"Good enough for what?" Ginny couldn't think of many things that a corridor would be good for, especially one that was mostly dark and coated liberally with dust.

Draco didn't answer, just turned and gave her a small half-smile. "I needed to tell you something before we got back to Gryffindor."

Before she could ask what, his lips were pressed softly against hers, his kiss chaste and almost sweet. "I said that Luna had class, but you're something else, Ginny Weasley. Thank you."

"Anytime," she said, and kicked herself all the way back to her dorm at the inanity of her response. It wasn't until she was safely in her bed that she allowed herself to be disappointed that he hadn't tried anything else and she'd barely gotten to kiss him back.

---

Dear Mum and Dad:

I'm not coming home for Christmas, and as I'm of age, you can't force me to. I'm sorry that I'm hurting you, but I have to do what's right. It's your fault, too, because if you hadn't taught be that integrity is the foundation of a solid character, and that any sacrifice can be endured in order to fight injustice, I would be home with my own family instead of making it possible for other families to be reunited.

I know you've heard some things already about what's going on, but please read this letter and remember that, of all people, I understand that Death Eaters are dangerous, that good people died, and that You-Know-Who was pure evil. I don't go a day without thinking of Fred and hurting because I know he'll never turn my hair green again. I can't write on a blank page without stopping after the first word, terrified that I'll see something there that I didn't write. I haven't forgotten; I can't forget.

What you've forgotten is what it was like for us to walk down Diagon Alley and have people sneer at me, call me names, all because someone decided to tell the world I was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets. It was only a few times, it was only a few people, and it cleared up quickly, because everyone knows the Weasleys are upstanding citizens, and Dumbledore made it clear that I was a victim - that I'm not evil, and never was.

Not all of the Slytherins are evil, Mum. Not even all of the Death Eaters are - or have you forgotten about Regulus Black, or Severus Snape? They were forced into the position of ultimate sacrifice, but they didn't have families to take care of. Do you think that they could change their minds and not lose everything, including their children's lives? There are Death Eaters who were evil and wicked, and they're the ones that are in Azkaban, or Kissed. The Ministry has cleared a number of the Death Eaters and the "dark" families enough to keep them out of jail, and even to avoid giving them trials - but they're deprived of their liberty and their families. How is this different from You-Know-Who? Which of you would leave the Burrow so that one child at a time could come visit to say 'happy Christmas'?

And "good" people can be vicious and cruel. You remember, I know, because Dad still won't speak to Jasper Derekby for saying I should be locked up for my own good, and Mum hasn't set foot in the Wee Wizards Wonderland to volunteer ever since the other ladies were talking and made me cry. Every day, all of the kids who used to be in Slytherin have to face a constant barrage of abuse - why wouldn't they, when the adults have as good as said that they're all scum? Every single one, with no trial, has been convicted and sentenced. Is that fair?

Is it fair that a thirteen year old gets driven to the brink of suicide by the despair of having to face constant abuse for the crime of being a Slytherin? The child of a squib and a muggle, who'd never heard of You-Know-Who and certainly hadn't joined him. It was only the indomitable spirit of the Prewetts, the same spirit that meant my uncles sacrificed themselves for what was right, that made her come back from the brink. Mafalda is getting better, and she's forgiven me for not even knowing she was here, let alone helping her. I wish I could forgive myself.

I don't know what you've heard - gossip around the castle and around Hogsmeade has been flying - but I'm not Draco Malfoy's mistress. He and Mafalda put together a plan and I'll be opening a restaurant with money that Draco's loaned me. I don't know anything about running a restaurant, and it might fail, but it doesn't matter. The purpose isn't to make money or even to build a business, but to provide a space where families can reunite and spend Christmas together, can see each other after long separations, can get hugged by both parents at once, and not have to choose which sibling they see. All it takes to make it happen is for some "upstanding citizens" to be there as witnesses, and as long as I'm considered one, I'll be there.

If there was any justice, though, the presence of Draco Malfoy would be enough, because he's as upstanding a person as I've ever known. Yes, he's done bad things. He was a bratty little boy, but I've got six examples just in my immediate family that bratty little boys aren't necessarily evil. When You-Know-Who threatened his family he obeyed, and it had a terrible cost. How terrible a cost did it have when Harry ducked lessons with Snape and ended up being tricked by You-Know-Who? How terrible a cost was exacted by Dumbledore trying to give Harry a normal life rather than preparing him to fight You-Know-Who? The Draco Malfoy I've gotten to know is a man who has regrets, and one who is living a life of integrity and self-sacrifice. He gives hope and unity to the former Slytherins, and tries to take care of them even with everything working against him. He's a leader, and I admire him.

So, I'm sorry, Mum and Dad. The grand opening of my restaurant is on the first day of winter hols, and I'll be there until every single one of the Slytherins has been reunited with their families, or until I'm arrested. You're welcome to come, but only if you'll be kind and fair to every person you meet there. It's the large place behind Honeyduke's; I'm thinking of naming it "Basilisk Girl's," just so I'll always remember what it was like for me, what it's like for them, and why it's important that I be away from my family during Christmas. I'll miss you.

Love,
Ginny

---

It was the big day, and a merry gaggle of students surrounded the bright figure of Xenophilius Lovegood, who had chosen a bright red and green ensemble for the occasion, with a hat shaped like a Yule log perched jauntily on his head. He was leading the children in song and it was almost like a parade as they made their way down from Hogwarts into Hogsmeade, streaming up the hill and past Honeydukes and on through the wide-open double doors of Ginny's still nameless restaurant. She'd watched from the balcony above the doors but quickly went downstairs to check on the mountains of food that a small army of employees - all model citizens! - had worked to prepare. The parents weren't scheduled to start arriving until three, but she had a strong suspicion that quite a few would come early. Certainly her own mother was always at the station two hours early to wait for the returning train from Hogwarts.

The first set had already arrived by the time she got to the bottom of the stairs, and it was barely past noon. What could be seen of Baddock from within the clasp of three women and a man who was obviously his father was a bright, cherry red - but he was hugging them back, and Ginny saw his forearm scrape across his eyes. Ginny hastily looked away as her own eyes misted over, knowing he wouldn't appreciate being caught in a sentimental moment.

"I'm a leader, am I?" She was almost a foot in the air before she realized it was just Draco whispering in her ear, and it took a moment for her to calm her racing heart, and another to process what he'd actually said.

Trying to sound cool and collected, Ginny said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

His words were lost as an unmistakable shriek sounded from across the room. "GINNY!"

"Mum?" Ginny cringed as she turned to face the door, where her father still stood. Her mother was already halfway across the room and Ginny braced for a cuff behind the ear only to be enfolded in a warm embrace.

Helplessly, Ginny put her hands up around her mum, waiting until her dad arrived so she could get the coherent answer she wouldn't get while her mother was busy crying against Ginny's neck. With his hand on her shoulder and his eyes grave, her dad said, "You were right, it's all our fault for the way we raised you - and we couldn't be prouder."

That was about when chaos broke loose, and Ginny was shuttling back and forth, shaking hands, greeting people, monitoring who was where, and at one point turfing an amorous couple out of her bedroom, despite her sympathy for them being separated by the curly-haired girl having passed her NEWTs and Goyle having failed his. Her mum had taken over the kitchen and was running the employees like an army, while her dad was supervising the surprisingly large number of volunteers who had come out to swell the numbers of upstanding citizens. And everywhere, to all sides, families were holding each other and crying or laughing or just talking, but all with such a clear devotion that Ginny wasn't the only one surreptitiously wiping tears away at regular intervals.

Well into the evening, Draco's strange knowledge of what she'd said about him was explained as she picked up a discarded copy of The Quibbler and saw her own letter printed right there on the front page. Horrified, Ginny remembered Luna reading over the final version after innumerable drafts and asking if she could take a copy for her dad. Apparently she'd meant for her dad to publish it, and Ginny practically mowed down a family of six as she looked for Mafalda's slight form amidst the revelers.

She finally found Mafalda in one of the sitting rooms upstairs, sitting next to Ginny's father and talking animatedly about something that required lots of arm gestures. One of those gestures turned into a wave, but Ginny was whirled away before she could get any closer. Draco's voice was right next to her ear again and he said, "Luna asked Mafalda's permission, and mine. She must not have asked yours as thoroughly if you're surprised by this."

"Not at all," she said breathlessly, trying to remember how much she'd said about the boy who held her.

"I admire you, too, Ginny Weasley." He'd brought them to an empty room and paced towards her until she was pressed flat against the wall, trying to decide whether she wanted to escape or turn the tables and push him against a wall. "Since you won't be my mistress, will you consider being my girl?"

Ginny thought she could probably set fire to the wall just from the heat of her blush. "I'll think about it. If you kiss me."


(The End)