Ginny woke to screams. She sat up propped on her elbows and listened. She'd fallen asleep to the sounds of a thousand wizards celebrating the quidtich world cup. This however, was very different. The laughter and singing that had slowly pulled her into a deep slumber were replaced by the unmistakable hum of fear.
"Dad?" she called out nervously. Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes,"What's going on?"
Mr. Weasly burst into the tent.
"Something's happening. I've got to go with your brothers. You lot need to stick together and head towards the woods, " he said grimly. Hermione began to rummage for her robes, but Mr. Weasley stopped her.
"I'm sorry girls, but you don't have time to change. It isn't safe here." Ginny and Hermione traded looks before heading outside. They joined Harry, Ron and the twins who all shared the same dazed sleepy expressions. Harry glanced at Ginny, and she became immensely aware of just how frumpy her white ankle length nightgown was. She crossed her arms over her chest and wished that her father had allowed her to grab real clothing. Her irritability was quickly overtaken by horror. People were fleeing in droves. Entire families ran together, all clad in pajamas and bedhead. Loud cracks, like tree branches breaking brought her attention to dark figures on the horizon as tents were set afire in their wake . At first glance she thought it was a group of friends, maybe a large family. Suspended, high above them, was the muggle family who owned the land. For a moment her brain wouldn't process what she was seeing. She blinked hard.
"Are-are those Deatheaters?" she whispered. Sharp, pure adrenaline clutched at her heart. George nodded, and grabbed her hand. He began wordlessly leading the group towards the forest. He shouldered his way past panicking witches and wizards all migrating away from the camp grounds. Ginny looked back every few seconds to make sure that everyone else was still following. The smoke of burning tents was beginning to sting her eyes. She didn't dare take her eyes off of Hermione.
"What do we do if they catch up to us?" she asked. Her nightdress kept catching on collapsed tent spokes. George squeezed her hand tightly and looked back at Hermione who was facing the same struggle.
"We don't get caught."
Ginny nodded and grinned up at him,"Thousands of terrified drunk wizards, and a hoard of crazed masked death eaters, and all we have to do is protect one muggle born. I've survived worse in potions." They pushed forwards towards the woods. The closer they got the more congested the path grew. Soon they were surrounded on all sides by witches and wizards all clambering towards the same destination. Bodies pressed against each other all flying limbs and sharp elbows.
Someone stepped on the heel of Ginny's shoe and she buckled letting go of George's hand. In a terrifying instant she was sucked under the crowd. She fell to her knees, the force of the fall reverberating in her kneecaps. Every time she moved to get up she was foiled by the constant rush of moving bodies. I am going to die. I am going to be crushed. And no one will even notice, she realized panicked. In desperation she reached for a random passerby. She caught a witch's nightdress and managed to drag herself up. In retaliation she received a quick push to the side that sent her tumbling out the stream of people. Her ankle wobbled left to right with a sickening snap.
"George!" She stood on one leg and tried to spot him, but he was already swept away.
"Ron! Harry!" she turned back searching for familiar faces. Harry, Ron and Hermione were behind her only minutes ago. She was met with blank stares, and tired faces. Everyone had their own loved ones to worry about.
"Shit." She stood uncertainly at the side of the path. Maybe I should just wait here. They'll notice I'm gone and come looking for me. She looked about and tried to form a plan of action. Through the dark branches and thorny bushes she could just make out another path through the woods. It would be a pain in her arse to get to, but it'd be better than being trampled to death if her ankle gave way again.
"Bloody death eaters," she grumbled and started her way. She limped through briar bushes that snagged on her nightdress, and scratched at her legs. Tiny beads of blood began to form that stuck to her dress. Branches got caught in her hair, and she stayed trapped for several minutes before finally gaining the nerve to simply tear her hair out of the knot. Finally, with one giant heave past a particularly ornery bush she was free of the forest and onto the path. She turned back to see the trail that she had left. There was still a steady stream of people all shoving their way away from the campground. At least here she had enough space to breathe.
"Well if it isn't the tiniest Weasley," a smooth voice remarked. Ginny turned about and met a cool gray gaze.
"Malfoy. Sod off," She replied with as much passion as she could muster.
"Tsk. Manners. I'd ask if you'd been raised by wolves, but I suppose your appearance is answer enough," he commented. Ginny simply glared at him and began to pick twigs out of her hair. Of course, I run into Malfoy. Of all of the random little paths in the forest I have to find the one with Malfoy. She tried to brush some of the blood off her cuts but only served to dirty her night gown further. It's hem was a tattered mess.
Malfoy stayed watching her. He leaned against a gnarled tree, and marveled at how much she'd grown. He had always seen her following Harry Potter around. His eyes trailed up and down her body acutely aware that from now on she was no longer just a Weasley. Well, she'll always be a Weasley. But now she is a Weasley with breasts. Nice ones, he mused.
"Where's your family? Did the Death Eaters pick them off already?" he asked lightly.
Ginny turned on him suddenly with something inbetween fury and desperation,"I am not in the mood to deal with you and whatever nasty remarks you want to through at me. Another day, fine. But not tonight. Go. Be gone. Shoo," she yelled, her voice cracking at the end. Her face felt hot, and she knew that she was probably the color of a ripened tomato. Malfoy may be a royal git, but he was also one of the most attractive boys in his grade. The last thing she wanted was him spreading descriptions of her frumpy sleepwear.
"I'm not the one who should be leaving. If I was you, I'd be headed as far away as possible," Malfoy replied calmly. He continued to lean against the tree, arms crossed, observing her. Tonight had improved significantly. If he was going to be stuck in the forest and treated like a child, at least he would have entertainment. If the youngest Weasley was anything like her brothers than she would be easy to bait. Gryffindor stupidity, he thought scornfully. They never seemed to learn.
She tore the hem off her nightgown taking it from dowdy foot length to manageable knee length and asked more sharply than she intended, "What's the supposed to mean? My blood is just as 'pure' as yours. Why would the Death Eaters want to hurt me?"
He laughed condescendingly, and Ginny fought the urge to hurl a rock at him. She could make out his trademark smirk in the dim light of burning tents in the distance. They were still fairly close to the fields.
"Your blood may be as pure as mine, but you're a blood traitor. You don't want to know what they do to blood traitors" he said ominously. Ginny inhaled deeply. Only an hour ago she'd been asleep in her family's tent. Now she was hiding in the woods like an animal.
"Ok. I'll make sure that fleeing Death Eaters is my top priority tonight," she said sarcastically. She tried to take her first step back into the woods under Malfoy's harsh gaze. She managed to take two steps on her bad foot, before she started limping again. Every time she tried to put weight on her foot her leg gave way. He watched her struggle for several minutes before sighing dramatically. There was the standard fun of harassing a Gryffindor, and there was watching Ginny limp pathetically.
"Weasley, would you like help?" She spun about. He hadn't moved from his place propped against the tree.
"Why yes, I would. But I can't imagine a gentleman of such high wealth as you would help a lowly blood traitor like me," she replied. He rolled his eyes, and got up.
"Just shut up," he commanded, and wrapped his hand around her waist. What the bloody hell is he doing? She thought, panicked. She remained tense as he placed her arm upon his shoulder. If he noticed how tense her body was he didn't give any acknowledgement. He took the first step dragging her along a bit before she took the hint. She couldn't decide if she was irritated, or relieved. Even bloody Malfoy doesn't want me. Not that I'd want him to kiss me, but still. I must have some curse of invisibility to the opposite sex. They walked together at an ungainly gait. Unseen roots and jagged rocks made the trek a slow one.
"Why are you here and not with your father wearing a silly mask and terrorizing innocent people?" Ginny asked abruptly after several minutes of silence.
"What makes you so sure my father is one of them?" Draco couldn't see her face in the darkness but he could practically feel her eyebrow lift.
"Well, let me ask you this," he said, his voice becoming colder, "If you are so certain that my father is one of them then why would you interrogate me? And why would you, a blood traitor, think it wise to come into these deep dark woods where no one can here you scream with the son of a Death Eater?"
Ginny snagged a rock and fell to her knees. Malfoy's grip tightened as he kept her from tipping over altogether. His hand lingered on her hip. In the dark it was especially difficult to remember that she was a Weasley, and not another pretty Hogwarts girl.
"Because I will probably never be alone with you again. I've always wondered if it's possible for you to be as awful as everyone says," she said. She scooted over to him, just close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body heat, but not so close they'd touch. Her eyes strained to make out his face in the darkness. In the patches between the canopy she could make out the stars shining brilliantly on the night sky.
"So you think a lot about me then?" He asked.
"Well you don't exactly keep a low profile. You've got a bit of reputation for being a complete and utter git,"she replied lightly.
"Says who?" he scoffed, " Your Golden Trio? Potter's got an ego that can barely be contained within Hogwarts walls, your brother is an idiot, and Granger is a mudblood, so of course she wouldn't like me." Ginny scowled. This conversation was not going as planned.
"Harry's not so bad, " she said softly. Using her fingers she drew a heart in the dirt. An irrational fear that Malfoy somehow had the ability to see in the dark made her quickly grind it away with the palm of her hand.
" You are such a fangirl, " Malfoy said, and erupted into the most genuine bought of laughter Ginny had ever heard escape his mouth.
"Am not! I just think that Harry is really… cool" she finished lamely. Malfoy started to laugh again.
"You really do idealize him. He's such a pratt," he said sobering up. He shook his head. I will never understand why people are so fascinated with the git. Mummy and daddy died and left him with a scar. Everything he has is due to luck.
"You aren't one to judge my romantic interests. I've seen you with Pansy Parkinson. The girl has the face of a grindylow. You could stand to be a tad more choosy, " she slung back.
"That's different. I don't like Pansy. I just snog her. You-you actually like Potter," he replied, as though liking Harry was the most ludicrous thing in the world. Ginny rolled her eyes. Now she was getting somewhere beyond his constant haughtiness.
"What's the point in snogging someone if you don't even like them? I don't understand people like you," she said.
"Blokes?" He asked. Ginny paused.
"It's not a male thing though. I doubt Pansy is with you because of your stunning personality. I don't understand why you would want so many of your friendships to be superficial. I mean, " she turned towards him, " it has to be lonely. Doesn't it? Using people for your benefit, but never truly caring for them. It's all so very…."
"Slytherin," he finished. Whatever he had expected of tonight this had not been it. He had not believed that a Weasley could be capable of having a deep conversation. She waited, knowing that if she so much as uttered a sound she would cut off any chance of real insight.
"It is lonely. But that's the price of power. Caring about people makes you weak. It makes you sentimental. It can get you killed. You use people to get what you want, and toss them aside when you are done. Friendships are only means to an end," he spat. Ginny shook her head.
"You sound like you're reciting something. Friendships make us stronger, not weaker. They bind us together-"
"Typical Gryffindor stupidity, " Malfoy interrupted. He edged closer to her.
"Friendship won't save you when the Dark Lord rises again. Friendship won't stop Death Eaters from killing your mother, your father, your litter of brothers," he laughed darkly. Ginny opened her mouth, searching for a civil way to respond. She'd seen Malfoy, the real Malfoy beneath all of the Syltherin bravado, and she wasn't about to scare him off with her temper. Before she could say anything there was a deafening bang, and a green light was cast upon them. It glowed with unnatural fluorescence and she was just able to make out its source through the tree top. She and Malfoy were only inches away from each other. She rose slowly off the ground, never taking her eyes of the sky.
"The Dark Mark, " she said stunned. She glanced at Malfoy out of the corner of her eye. With his white blond hair, and new found height he'd never looked more like his father. He had slipped back into his standard mask of arrogance.
"Do you think we ought to get out of the forest? It looks like whoever shot it off is close, " Ginny asked. He nodded. Without a word he wrapped his arm around her, and they began the trek back to the fields. By the time they made it back, people had already set their tents back up. Wizards and witches stood huddled together and watched the Dark Mark hover over the forest, some young enough to have never seen one in their lifetime. Ginny quickly spotted the twins in the crowd.
"Well. Er-I mean thank you I guess. Thank you, " Ginny said awkwardly unwrapping herself from Malfoy's arm. He shrugged, and steadied her as she wobbled.
"Don't tell anyone about this," he said. Ginny looked up at him.
"Like anyone would believe me if I did, "she laughed, and began limping back to her brothers. Malfoy watched her go. She's not bad for a Weasley. Not bad at all.