Disclaimer: This entire magical world belongs solely to J.K Rowling . I own nothing.
Red and Silver
Chapter One: Running in to Trouble
The petite redhead ran swiftly and silently through the many long passages of Hogwarts. She ran with an eerie grace, as though she were hurtling through space.
It had not happened … it could not have happened …
Suppressing a shudder at where her train of thought was leading, at all the memories it was awakening, she pressed on. The distinct steady rhythm of her nimble footsteps could be heard as her shoes made hurried contact with the stone floor. Barely acknowledging the statue of Gregory the Smarmy, she rushed on purposefully, a single thought in her mind: to get to Dumbledore's office.
Coming up to the staircase leading to the seventh floor she stopped, wavering briefly. Peeves could clearly be seen in the distance almost certainly up to his usual mischief. She didn't want to stop but, as the circumstances would have it, she had to anyway. Sighing in frustration, she resolved to back-track and take one of the narrower, less used passages, which Fred and George had recently told her led to an opening just off of Dumbledore's office. Gathering her shadowy thoughts, she turned and headed in the previous direction.
The overpowering darkness of the corridor suddenly seemed to jump out at her, suffocating her, and as if only just realising it Ginny reached instinctively for her wand to perform a quick Lumos. Still caught up in her reverie she failed to hear the soft decisive footsteps that were coming her way.
"Miss Weasley."
Shit! ... The single word viciously invaded her mind as panic enveloped her, flooding through her body in an electrifying instant. Hurriedly performing a silent Nox she pocketed her wand.
Ginny Weasley whipped her head around in searched of the nameless voice. It was a familiar voice, soft yet laced with malice much like that of T- of someone she would much rather forget...
Watching with trepidation she shivered slightly as a figure with a feline grace melted out of the shadows. She stared; horror stricken, as the cold unforgiving eyes of the Potions Master met her wide brown ones.
"What, I repeat, do you think you are doing out of bed after hours?" he sneered, a hint of malicious delight laced into the words.
Ginny was painfully aware of how defenceless she was right now. How alone she was.
"Uh-uh I-I was e-er" She started, not particularly wanting to inform this man of the reason for her outing. She glared down at her shoes, wishing he would just go away so she could get to Dumbledore.
Fully conscious of her discomfort and of how he intimidated her, Snape inched closer, his presence swallowing the space between them, swallowing her.
"When I ask a question I do expect an answer, or are you simply inept at producing one?" The sneer grew wider and his eyes now gleamed with the same malicious delight that laced his voice. "Very well, I am to assume it is the latter. Let me see then, hum-mm-" he mused. "50 points from Gryffindor is in order for total disregard of school rules by being out of bed after hours and another 50 points for lack of responding to a teacher."
"No, NO! You c-can't!" she seethed.
Snape quirked an eyebrow in cold amusement "For the first time I think Gryffindor will be in minus points before the term has even begun" before adding snidely "Potter will be proud."
Whipping her head up she turned to glower at him, her red hair wildly flailing around her face in a cascade of waves. She chose to ignore the childish Potter jab, too irked at the loss of House points to even care. "You don't need to take away—" Her tirade was cut short by the teacher in front of her.
"So I see you haven't lost your capability of speech," he said, amusement showing in his sneer as he stared with his onyx eyes riveted on her. He continued in his smooth voice, "Now then, tell me what you are doing out of bed at this hour of the night."
Ginny wasn't sure what to say. She had been on her way to confide in Dumbledore. He was the only one who'd understand, he would know, he always knew. She'd had a nightmare about him; she hadn't had one of those since her second year. He was supposed to be out of her life, a forgotten memory … a nightmare.
In an attempt to compose herself she stood rigid but faltered, feeling an icy chill as his eyes stayed focussed on her. Quickly regaining her composure she spoke, not really wanting to tell the truth to her most hated teacher but not seeing much else she could do. "I was on my way to see Professor Dumbledore and I-I…" she stammered, not wanting to reveal the reason.
"And?" he probed, his curiosity steadily mounting at her discomfort.
"And I ran into you" she concluded quickly, wishing he would leave her be.
"And why, may I ask, were you on your way to see the headmaster at this late hour?" he asked, relishing in her barely restrained irritation, waiting for the opportune moment to take more points from Gryffindor house.
Glowering, Ginny looked at the Potions Master with thinly disguised abhorrence. Inwardly she smacked herself. She was a Weasley for crying out loud, not some little defenceless school girl – although that wasn't far form the truth at the present moment – but she shouldn't be allowing Snape to take advantage of her current state of mind; her current vulnerability. At any other time she would have barely bit back a cutting comment or a stream of muffled curses. Ginny inhaled the air slowly, her Gryffindor bravery slowly returning, and her previous angst all but forgotten.
An idea coming to mind – albeit a reckless one—a smirk twitched at her lips before she speedily plastered an innocent mask to her face. "Well, Professor," she began, emphasizing the word 'professor' with enunciated sarcasm. "I don't believe that my business with Professor Dumbledore concerns you, Sir," she said as a sneer of her own crossed her face.
Snape glowered darkly at the young redhead. The somewhat addictive, euphoric feeling of rebellion that had momentarily filled her, instantly depleted, because almost as soon as she said it, Ginny regretted it. Snape was not someone who was wise to cross. He was after all a Death Eater. Ginny trusted but to her Snape was a servant to him, to Voldemort, and not loyal to the Order.
She was abruptly hyperaware of the sinister ambience that Hogwarts projected at the dead of night. The vacant hallway looked larger, shifting her small frame in to the dark recesses of the corridor. A feeling of powerlessness began to gnaw at her.
Snape came towards her with such abrupt speed that Ginny stumbled against the hard stone wall in her attempt to get away from him. His towering body caged her small one, effectively trapping her.
She recoiled even further as he pushed her vigorously against the wall, getting too close to her body for any reminiscence of comfort. She could feel his body tense against her own. She tried to remove her arm from his grasp but was unsuccessful as he shifted, changing his position and tightening his already firm grip on her upper limb.
Quickly, her mind worked out how to get out of her current situation, but it was futile. Her wand was in her back pocket much too far to reach and as much as she would love to hex the greasy git, she would never be able to, regardless of being currently wandless. Snape's skills far exceeded her own. She may be a Gryffindor but she wasn't stupid and, besides, he was a teacher and she didn't want to be spending the rest of the year in detention with Snape. She clamped her eyes shut, shuddering at the notion.
Letting out an audible whimper at the force with which she was pressed against the wall, Ginny tried to quell the tears that were threatening to escape. A bruise could be felt forming on her forearm while her insides quaked with unease, all her previous confidence evaporated in an instant. It was replaced by a feeling of fear—fear for her life.
Opening her eyes she thought she saw a flicker of emotion in Snape's eyes, something soften within him, something humane, but it was gone before she could distinguish what it was; or if it had even been there at all. Releasing his bruising grip Snape looked at her intensely with something akin to nostalgia. He seemed unsure - something that was so foreign for the Potions Master, his forehead creased in what one might have said was unease. His obsidian eyes met her eyes and there was a prolonged silence before he spoke.
"These are dark and dangerous times Miss Weasley, see to it that I don't catch you out after hours again," he said in an even tone void of any emotion "or there might be greater consequences."
"Yes Professor," she replied in a barely audible whisper.
Unexpectedly, a dilute pained expression covered Snape's face; chancing a glance at his forearm he suddenly looked more alert. Without warning, he spun around taking off in the direction in which Ginny was originally headed.
Watching quizzically as he hurried away, she grimaced; she couldn't possibly go that way, not wanting to run the risk of another run-in with that Death Eater. She sighed in annoyance, her fear all but gone. Now she wouldn't be able to go to Dumbledore until later.
"Well, well, well if it isn't the little Weaselette," drawled another all-too-familiar voice. "Out for a midnight stroll?"
Startled out of her thoughts, she peered around and was surprised to see the only other person in this school she hated more than Snape. Great, she thought, cringing inwardly. Two in one night. Now was not the time for another run-in, least of all with Draco bloody Malfoy.
"What's your bloody problem Ferret? Just leave me alone!" she shouted towards said ferret, venting all her anger on him.
"I see your parents didn't teach you any manners," he answered in a nonchalant drawl whilst raking his eyes over her ragged nightgown and the sweat pants she had pulled on before she left the tower. "Well, looking at your deprived upbringing I can't say I'm surprised."
Flushing a dull pink Ginny wrapped her arms around her body and looked defiantly up at Malfoy. Smirking, he raised as eye brow in retort as if waiting for her to disagree.
Balling her fists in frustration she sighed. Now was not the time to have to be dealing with him.
"Will you just shut up Malfoy! You don't know the first thing about my family!" she yelled back defensively. She paused, regaining her breath and trying to calm herself. "What do you even want anyway?" She glared up at him, irked that he was so much taller than she. He moved closer, forcing her to tilt her head up a bit more.
"So what's a Weasley doing wandering the corridors at night?"
Scowling, she narrowed her eyes before retorting, "I could ask you the same question." She made to move. "Now if you'll excuse me I have better things to do than talk to you."
Before she could go anywhere she felt strong hands clamp on her waist as she found the steel grip of Draco Malfoy rooting her to the spot. "Get your filthy fucking hands off me Malfoy."
Removing his hands he paced them on the wall either side of her, rendering her trapped. "My, my haven't you grown up," he breathed, moving closer to her, now only a handful of inches away.
"Whatever Malfoy," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes as she turned, uncomfortable being so close to him. She pushed past him and began walking in the direction of Gryffindor tower when a sudden, searing pain came from her arm as Malfoy brought her to an abrupt halt with his iron hard grip.
"Ouch, that bloody hurts you bastard!" She hissed in pain, glaring down at the offending hand. When he didn't lessen his hold she shrieked, "Get the hell off me Malfoy, before I Bat Bogey Hex you!"
He wasn't perturbed. "I'll let you go once I've spoken to you," he said simply, not lessening his grip in the least. He simply stood there, stubbornly refusing to let her go. The only thing he did do was pull her closer to him. She could feel him pressed against her now.
"I have nothing to say to you," she spat, attempting to turn around and trying to free her arm. It was a futile attempt because he was much taller, and from the feel of his abs against her, much stronger as well.
"I never said you could go, Weaselette. And besides, I haven't spoken to you yet," he retorted as his trademark smirk crept upon his face.
"Fine," Ginny resigned, and stopped struggling. Finally he let go. She winced as Draco's hands grazed over her bruised arm, which was a result of both him and Snape. It was throbbing and the light touch felt like he was stabbing knives into her arm.
Draco's eyes immediately darted to her arm and before he knew what he was doing he had gently pulled up the sleeve of her cotton night gown. The beginning of a nasty bruise could be seen and the skin was all swollen and blotchy red, it stood out clearly against her pale skin. He gazed at her with obvious concern, a frown darkening his features, which only served to confuse Ginny.
He started to say something but lightly shook his head as if he'd changed his mind about what he wanted to say. He took a step closer to her. He hesitated in a very un-Malfoyish way. "I've got some healing paste in my dormitory; it's much better than the stuff Promfrey uses." He looked pointedly down at her arm. "You could do with some of it." He stretched out his hand waiting for her to take it. "Come on, we can go get it now," he said, his eyes darting from her arm to her face. Draco started at her stationary stance. "Come on Weasley … I don't bite" he said smirking, "much."
Ginny stared at him in disbelief. It was as if someone else had just taken the place of the annoying prat, Draco Malfoy she had known all her life. Of all things, she would have thought that he would have mocked her, not before making some half arsed comment about how she was probably too poor to get a healer anyway.
But she was wrong; he was still his derisive self, yet he seemed so…caring, and that was the odd thing because this was Draco Malfoy and he wouldn't help her unless he had something to gain from it. That was the way Slytherins worked, especially slimy ones like Malfoy.
"Quit gawking at me, Weaselette," Draco drawled, the familiar smirk now very firmly etched on his face. "Let's go," he said, placing his hand on the small of her back and directing her towards the dungeons.
What the hell am I doing? I can't go with him, "Errm, no," she said in protest, twisting away from his hand to stare in shock at him.
"So you don't want the healing paste. Your loss." Shrugging he looked at her knowingly before sauntering off.
Ginny there stood dumbstruck. Her arm was throbbing painfully and the flesh was swollen. Classes started tomorrow and she'd have trouble using her wand. It was nothing a Glamour Charm couldn't hide but while hiding it that wouldn't stop the pain, and besides she was awful at Healing Charms. She could go to Madam Promfrey but she'd asked how it happened and she didn't want her prying in to her business. Nobody would believe Snape did it to her, except maybe the Gryffindor's but then they – mainly Ron and Harry – would go after Snape and wind up in detention all year. No… it looked like she had only one choice. She hated to admit it but Malfoy was her best option right now.
"Wait Malfoy," she called wearily, rolling her eyes as she hurried after him.
Pretending he hadn't heard her he carried on walking, wanting to hear her ask for his help again and feeling some sort of satisfaction when she did.
Running faster to catch up with him she called after him again "Hey Malfoy, wait up, Mal – …. Draco" she called in a desperate attempt to get his attention. She knew it had worked when he stopped.
Smiling to himself briefly, he turned. A blasé expression was now lining his face and he looked at her knowingly as if he had been expecting her to come after him. He knew she would ask for his help but hate herself for doing it, but her options were limited and desperate times did call for desperate measures.
"Change your mind Weasley?" he drawled. The smirk grew as he watched her hurrying towards him.
"Yes," she stated submissively with a sigh, not able to keep the embarrassment from heating her face.
Grabbing her swiftly, he brought her close to his body, slipping his arm around her waist. He made sure her injured arm was in no discomfort and whispered in her ear in his perfectly velvet voice, "Good choice." He then proceeded to lead her in the direction of the Slytherin house dormitories.
"Wait, am I even allowed in the Slytherin dormitories?" she asked, trying to turn to face him but his grip wouldn't let her. She settled for looking up at him from his side as they walked.
"Nobody will know you were there" he looked at her pointedly, "Besides, none of the other Slytherins would dare defy me," he stated arrogantly, glancing down at her in a superior manner. He seemed to space out for a second, his eyes taking on a glassy sheen. "They know what would happen if they did," he mumbled more to himself than her.
Ginny rolled her eyes once again at the arrogant Malfoy, a smile twitching at her mouth as she tried to suppress her giggles.
Malfoy seemed to snap out of whatever momentary trance he was in when he heard the distinct melody of Ginny's giggling. He raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow sardonically. "Something I said?" When she didn't immediately reply he turned to her once again, curiosity drawing his attention. "What?" he inquired with genuine interest, focusing all his attention on her.
To her surprise, she almost missed the warmth of him at her side as she turned to face him too. "It's just..." she sighed exasperatedly "I just …. Oh, never mind" she trailed off.
Draco started at he intently "Go on … I'm listening," he commanded firmly.
Ginny paused. She was treading dangerous waters here. "I just thought there was more to you than everyone thinks there is." Her chocolate orbs met his grey depths, with Draco watching her intently. "I've never hated you, I haven't had anything against you, hell I don't even know you, but I just thought that maybe you were for once letting your cold mask melt. But just when I think I might have finally glimpsed a bit of the real Draco Malfoy you just ruin it with one of your arrogant, egotistical, pig-headed comments." Regret and a wisp of anger shone through her eyes, "It looks like I was wrong though, you are exactly who everyone says you are." She shook her head, as much in obvious confusion to the feelings she briefly had to her disagreement with how Malfoy was acting.
Draco's stoic stance softened for a fraction of a second. He looked like he wanted to tell her she was right, that there was more to him, that he wasn't what he always acted like... his hands twitched at his sides as if to grab her but he relaxed them instantly. He had kept up his charade far too long; hell he almost believed he was that person he was supposed to be
She wouldn't understand. Nobody would. As much as he disliked the petite girl next to him thinking badly of him, he couldn't tell her, it went against every belief he had been taught, he couldn't have a weakness.
He straightened up, his features hardening and his expression guarded "Sorry to disappoint my dear" he said somewhat derisively, "but I am a Malfoy" he chuckled humourlessly, "what did you expect?" He pinched the bridge of his nose and with that movement he seemed to relax slightly, his hardened expression alleviating "And anyway, I can't possible deny my rightful position," he drawled, the annoyingly familiar smirk crossing his face yet again.
"Rightful Position?" she bellowed, glaring up at him.
"Sh-sh Ginny" he commanded. Alarmed slightly at her shouting, he looked around before continuing, "Ginny" he repeated cautiously as if placating a wild animal, "you don't want Filch or even Peeves, for that matter, hearing us," he said, placing a finger lightly over her lips for a brief second. "I'm surprised you haven't already drawn them with your shouts."
"Okay," she murmured, looking down at her feet in embarrassment.
"What I mean by 'rightful position' is that I only do what others expect from someone of my station. The Malfoy name commands respect and power. I didn't ask to be ringleader or in charge of the whole Slytherin House. I mean, bloody hell, even the seventh years follow my lead. If I wasn't there to guide them, then Slytherin would be in chaos. I probably have more power within the house than even Snape does," he said with a roll of his eyes.
"Yeah right… hey wait a second," she mused aloud. Ginny's head snapped up and she looked at him, doing a double-take in surprise. "Did you just call me Ginny?" she inquired.
"Well it's your name isn't it? Or would you rather I call you Weaselette or, maybe, Kitten? I do have a fondness for pet names," he mocked with amusement dancing in his pewter coloured eyes.
She huffed in irritation "Actually my name is Ginevra and only my friends and family call me Ginny. Since you fit in to neither of those categories, I would prefer my full name. Oh, and just for clarification, I am no one's pet so you can keep dreaming."
"Don't worry. I will, Kitten" he drawled, laughter ringing in his voice.
Ginny's eyes flashed and the famous Weasley anger flared within her and, with a mound of force, she drew her wand using her left arm and, although her grip was slightly loose, she pointed it sharply at Draco's throat and said in the darkest voice she could muster, "I said no pet names. I suggest you refrain from doing so before I do something you regret." Her wand moved pointedly down towards his privates.
Draco's face betrayed no emotion but a slight twitch of his cheeks as she glared at him, once again. If looks could kill he would be six feet under by now.
A sound in the corridor drew Ginny's attention for a fraction of a second, but that was all that it took. Before Ginny could regain her composure, Draco had seized her wand and was toying with it flippantly, juggling it between two hands. "Give that back to me NOW," Ginny roared, not caring at this point if Peeves swooped down on them with Filch and Ms. Norris on his tail.
"Well I could, but where would the fun be in that?" Draco asked in a drawl. Ginny lunged forward and tried to snatch the wand but the boy was too swift and avoided her gracefully. "Now, now Princess, we wouldn't want you getting hurt now" he sneered down at her as she seethed with anger.
"So now it's 'Princess'? What happened to' Kitten'?" Ginny stalled, trying to regain her composure and rein in her anger.
"Well it suits you more. And besides that's what the rest of the school knows you as: the famed Gryffindor Princess. With six older brothers, all who have graced these halls and your own battalion, including Scar Head, the Mudblood, the blood traitor and the rest of your dismal house."
He paused momentarily before carrying on in a nonchalant manner. "Honestly, even I've heard the rumours that you've got your own throne in that common room of yours."
Ginny looked for a sign of a sneer, laugh, or even trademark smirk but was disappointed to see none "You're not serious are you?" she asked bewildered, too astounded to reprimand him on the Mudblood assault.
"What, don't you know?" he asked incredulously. "Everyone knows you, even the idiotic first years, as 'Gryffindor's Princess,'" Draco stated matter-of-factly.
He suddenly heard muffled voices speaking rapidly, the sound of feet running in their direction becoming louder. He pulled Ginny under an invisibility cloak that he'd pulled from his robes, and dragged her in to the darkened alcove. When Ginny's mouth moved in protest he spun her around and pulled her tight against him, burying her head in the crook of his neck, muffling any attempts at speech. When he was sure she wouldn't speak, he pulled away and looked out around the corner searchingly to see who was approaching.