A/N: As you might've guessed, I'm determined to finish this story! That said, I'm not going to rush it to a conclusion. I've spent six years with these characters in this story and I wouldn't do them a disservice by forcing them to either sort out all their problems or give up. Thank you all for reading, I'm getting some wonderful reviews.

More than anything, the next morning Hermione just felt ashamed. She couldn't believe she'd managed to fall down the stairs and, more importantly, she was now missing lessons because of it. In the small interlude between breakfast and her first class, Professor McGonagall came to see her.

'Madam Pomfrey has given you a clean bill of health, I hear,' McGonagall began as she sat down beside the bed. 'I'm relieved to hear it.'

Hermione just nodded, unable to predict whether her teacher was angry with her or just concerned. It was always easier with McGonagall just to see where she led you, especially since Mrs Weasley had... She forced her attention back to the woman in front of her.

The professor was examining her shrewdly. 'What happened?'

'I'm not sure,' she said truthfully. 'I might've just lost my footing.'

'Might have?' McGonagall repeated with a quirk of her eyebrow. 'I doubt you would be that careless, Miss Granger.'

Hermione studiously avoided her gaze. She'd already decided that she'd mention Malfoy to no one – especially not Harry and Ron – and she knew that if she broke her silence to McGonagall, the muddled way of things at the moment would mean the secret would soon be common knowledge. She didn't want any more trouble if she could help it.

After a moment, McGonagall sniffed. 'Fine. I've been speaking with Professor Dumbledore and he is as concerned as I am about your workload. We wondered if you would consider dropping one subject perhaps.'

'I've already dropped Divination,' she pointed out.

'Yes, so it perplexes me why you were in the vicinity of the Divination classroom when you suffered your accident.'

Shrugging, Hermione remained silent.

'Very well,' McGonagall went on finally, 'what about Care of Magical Creatures?'

'No. Hagrid would take it personally.'

'That is hardly a reason to continue lessons,' answered the teacher.

'I like it,' Hermione answered firmly. 'It's a bit of a break from books. And it's outside, isn't it? That's good for me.'

'Miss Granger, you're exasperating. Muggle Studies?'

'I like learning about the Muggle world from a different perspective,' she argued.

McGonagall let out a slight growl. 'Ancient Runes then.'

Hermione stared at her. 'I can't. I need to do this, don't you understand? Learning things is the only thing I'm any good at. Please don't take it away from me, not after everything.'

Eyes softening, McGonagall nodded. 'Fine. But you must promise to eat and sleep. I gather from Mr Potter that you've been rather lax on both counts.'

This time, she lowered her gaze. 'I'll try. It's just... It's difficult, that's all.'

'Because when you're near the dormitory you run the risk of seeing Ginny with Colin, and the same at mealtimes?' On seeing her startled expression, McGonagall smiled. 'Contrary to popular opinion, Hermione, teachers do have the ability to see things not directly related to their subjects. But if you continue to give Ginny time, perhaps she will realise her mistake with Colin.'

'You think something's going on then?' Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice light.

'I don't imagine Ginny's completely aware of it,' replied McGonagall. 'Anyway, I've asked Madam Pomfrey to excuse you from your lessons for the rest of this week. I believe you'll learn more away from the classroom than you would in it at the moment.'

She managed a smile. 'Thank you, Professor.'

Ginny slid into her seat at lunchtime, barely aware of Colin on her heels. The conversation between Ron and Harry had ceased the moment she'd appeared but she wasn't going to let that deter her.

'Have you seen her?' she questioned.

'Not this morning,' Harry said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. 'And she didn't wake up before we left the hospital wing last night. Madam Pomfrey says she'll be fine.'

'That isn't the point,' she muttered. 'How can she do this to herself?'

Ron made a funny noise and buried his head in his sandwich. Ginny stared at the reddening tips of his ears for a moment before glancing back to Harry. He looked more uncomfortable than ever but just shrugged and went back to his own lunch. Frustrated – and suddenly remembering Colin was at her side – she tried to drive Hermione from her mind once and for all. That didn't seem like it was going to happen when Draco Malfoy appeared at her elbow.

'How's the Mudblood?' he asked.

'Go away, Malfoy,' she said tightly. Across the table, Ron's chin lifted slightly.

'I was just wondering, that's all,' he pressed, 'whether she ran fast enough and hit her head hard enough. If not... Well, I'm disappointed.'

Bolstered by a laugh from Crabbe, he sauntered off towards the doors, leaving Ginny to process his words. Once she'd run through them three times, she jumped up and followed him. She heard Colin calling her name but ignored him.

She caught them up just outside the Great Hall. 'What did you mean?' she demanded. 'Run faster – what did you mean?'

His sneer grew more pronounced. 'Nothing.'

Grabbing his arm, she said, 'Tell me what you meant, Malfoy.'

With his friends around, he was completely sure of himself. He leaned in close and whispered, 'I've always expected Granger to run but I didn't think she'd do me the courtesy of throwing herself down a staircase. I'm almost grateful to her.'

As he stepped away, she withdrew her wand from her robes and was about to cast the first spell that came to mind when Harry knocked her arm down and stepped between her and Malfoy.

'Believe me, Ginny, he's not worth it.'

'Don't do me any favours, Potter,' Malfoy called. 'Let her hex me and then we can get another Weasley far away from Hogwarts. Not as far as her father but – '

Harry stunned everyone by turning around and punching Malfoy straight in the nose. There was a long moment of silence before chaos broke out: Ron appeared from nowhere and threw himself in the middle of Goyle's impending assault on Harry while Ginny tried in vain to find space for a hex. Somehow – and she didn't notice them arrive – Fred and George got in on the fight, holding Crabbe back as Harry leapt towards Malfoy with an anger that surprised Ginny. Colin, unfortunately, entered the fray only to be knocked backwards by Ron, landing on the bottom step of the staircase and knocking himself out cold. Soon it seemed half the school was in on the fight.

Minerva rounded the corner to see the absolute mayhem below her and stood, almost dumfounded, for a moment. There were at least a dozen students alternating between hexing and hitting each other and, she noticed with a sinking heart, there were quite a lot of streaks of red hair amongst them. She rushed down the staircase just as Hagrid came out of the Great Hall. Despite tripping over the prone figure of Colin Creevey, she managed to cast enough spells in the course of her journey to halt much of the fighting. Many onlookers – and some participants – had fled by the time she approached the group. Only those injured or defiant chose to stay – Potter, Longbottom, Finnegan, Thomas, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and no less than four Weasleys.

She surveyed their injuries quickly. 'Malfoy, Potter, Longbottom and you two,' she said, gesturing to Ron and Ginny, 'come with me to the hospital wing immediately. The rest of you go straight to my office and wait there.' Seeing the look that passed between Crabbe and George Weasley, she amended, 'Actually, all Gryffindors will come with me. Slytherins – with the exception of Mr Malfoy – will return to their common room.'

There was no movement. Then Neville Longbottom sneezed what appeared to be blood and Ginny Weasley stepped over to pass him a tissue. The group slowly began following her orders, a clump of them walking up the staircase, simply stepping over Colin Creevey. Ginny was one of them, she noted with slight interest. Nevertheless, they could hardly just leave him there.

'Hagrid, would you...'

He snapped out of his astonishment and picked up the second-year with ease. They proceeded to the hospital wing in absolute silence.

Hermione heard the multiple footsteps beyond her curtain and was immediately on her guard. She didn't want an interrogation by Harry and Ron, nor whoever else had joined them in their visit. But she was perplexed when the footsteps halted and she recognised Professor McGonagall's voice addressing Madam Pomfrey.

'I'm afraid this group were involved in quite a large fight, in the Entrance Hall no less. I think Malfoy may have a broken nose, possibly Longbottom too. Creevey is unconscious, Potter has a gash on his forehead and, from the way he's walking, I suspect some bruising on his ribs. Mr Weasley is limping for some unknown reason and Miss Weasley seems to be nursing her left arm.'

'Fighting, you say?' Madam Pomfrey murmured.

'Yes,' McGonagall said coolly.

On hearing Ginny's name, Hermione had slipped quietly from her bed and peeked around the corner of her curtain. Everyone looked worse for wear, though Ginny was still brimming with anger. Not wanting to be seen, Hermione crept back into bed and listened as best she could.

Madam Pomfrey dealt with Colin first, instructing Hagrid to place him on a bed at the far end of the ward. McGonagall made her exit with Dean, Seamus, Fred and George, instructing the others to come to her office after dinner that evening without fail. As soon as the Transfiguration teacher had gone, Harry stole into Hermione's sanctuary.

'You look terrible, Harry,' she muttered touching the side of his head almost involuntarily and coming away with blood on her fingers.

He winced at the sight. 'I'll probably get expelled for this.'

'What happened?' she asked.

Shrugging, he replied, 'Malfoy happened. He and Ginny and were arguing. He said... Well, it doesn't matter what he said but I lost it. I'd had enough of him. Things just caught up with me, I suppose.' A slight smile crossed his face. 'Might even be worth getting expelled for.'

'McGonagall wouldn't do that,' she said.

'She might not have a choice. I broke his nose.'

Despite herself, she chuckled. 'I heard.'

'Potter!' Madam Pomfrey called. 'Where are you hiding?'

With one last half-smile, he slipped past the curtain. Hermione listened to his treatment then Malfoy's study in whining followed by Neville and Ron being checked over. The four of them were dismissed by Madam Pomfrey as soon as possible leaving, Hermione guessed, only Ginny and Colin in here with her. The thought made her vaguely nauseous.

Then she heard Madam Pomfrey tell Ginny she was free to leave. Hermione held her breath, wondering if Ginny would announce she wanted to stay with Colin or whether she'd even come to see if she was all right. Neither happened. Ginny left quickly and Madam Pomfrey remembered she had another patient hidden behind a curtain.

'I've never had so many injuries at one time outside of a Quidditch match,' the nurse complained, fluffing up her pillows. 'Your friends too. Very unsavoury, the whole thing.'

Hermione nodded, her mind drifting over to what Harry had said and what Draco Malfoy might have used to provoke him. She hadn't thought her hatred towards Malfoy could grow, but it had. As she left, Madam Pomfrey drew back her curtain. Now she could see Colin curled up in the furthest bed from her. How had he got involved in the fight? Trying to protect Ginny? Hermione still foolishly felt that was her job, even if she hadn't really done a good job of it to date.

'Will Colin be okay?' she asked quietly.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. 'I should think he'll be fine. At least he hasn't been Petrified this time. A bang to the head is much easier to recover from,' she said with a smile as she disappeared towards her office.

Hermione's over-active brain was filled with more thoughts once she was left alone with the unconscious form of Colin Creevey. Would McGonagall be able to prevent Harry getting expelled? And what about Ginny and Ron? Mrs Weasley would be devastated if they were removed from school and, of course, McGonagall knew that. Everything was so mixed up. She couldn't see how it would iron itself out, though that was her grandmother's favourite phrase for fixing any ailment. This was too crumpled, she thought, balling herself up under the covers. And most of that was down to her, wasn't it?