The Enlightening Path

Or, How Godith the Grey Caused The Disappearance Of Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley

Chapter One

XxX

"You are such an ass Draco Malfoy!" Ginny hissed while gathering up her scattered books.

"I wasn't the one barrelling down the corridor as if I was being chased by a Manticore."

Leaning against the wall Draco Malfoy looked down at the younger Gryffindor who was currently knelt down on the cold stone floor trying to berate him while picking up her books. If she was aiming for retaining an air of dignity she was failing.

"Oh whatever Malfoy, you could have at least helped me pick my things up instead of standing there and making jokes with your stupid friends." Flushed, Ginny stood, a pile of books now in her hands and a broken bag swinging from her shoulder.

Catching sight of it Draco smirked. "If you didn't buy second-hand rubbish all the time maybe you wouldn't have to carry your books about by hand."

Ginny all but snarled but didn't give him the satisfaction of angrily yelling back. Instead she smiled wanly and sarcastically replied; "I know, but what can I do? I'm but a poor Weasley. If only I had your wealth, looks and intelligence. Oh, to be a Malfoy. To live in a large house so great that I could spend weeks without seeing another member of my family, to be part of a family that doesn't know what love was if it came up and licked their shoes clean. So rich my father shits gold and my mother grows silver in the garden. Blood so pure that everyone can only be beneath us; the only one you bend down to is a crazed master who would kill every member of the family if he felt like it. What a glorious life," she ended with a sneer.

Throughout her speech Draco's eyes grew more and more stormed, his lips became drawn and it was with a slight satisfaction she saw his frown so frank on his face. Satisfied on one hand but worried on another. Ginny Weasley had seen Draco Malfoy angry before, but now he looked in a rage. Without warning he swooped forward and forced her against the wall, her books falling to the floor once more. She raised her arms to push him off but he caught her wrists instead and pinned them to her sides, glaring at her all the while. He smiled bitterly at her reaction and she turned away from his eyes. His forehead pressed against hers as he whispered in her ear. "You didn't expect this Ginny," he said her name mockingly; "you thought I'd take your words and walk away? I am Draco Abraxas Malfoy you stupid little weasel. I'm not better than you because of my money or blood, I'm just better than you. You are nothing. When you leave Hogwarts you will get married and do nothing but give birth, just like your mother. You will get old, you will get fat, and you will die unknown. You are nothing and will die nothing." He stopped but continued to hold her in place with his face inches from hers. Ginny stood, still facing away from him, glad that he was still holding her as her knees felt so weak she would certainly fall if he let go. It was then they became aware of a voice behind them.

"Move away I say!" The voice angrily spoke from the portrait.

Draco looked at the small man and curled his lip with disdain. "Be quiet old man, your time to speak was over centuries ago."

The man's face reddened and spittle flew from his mouth. "Do you know who I am?" he thundered, to Draco's amusement.

"You're a gnarled, shrivelled up old man who lives on only in a portrait, a shade of what you were."

"I am Godith the Grey, a wizard with a bit of white and a bit of black. I am the light that saved the world and the darkness who cast shadows across the land."

"You're overly dramatic and rather poetic, but paint won't change the world."

Ginny wriggled, and Draco loosened his grip, freeing her. "Run away little weasel," Draco whispered, stepping back.

Ginny slapped him.

Draco's cheek went pink and all expression fled. "What the hell is wrong with you? I told you to go."

"Don't you dare touch me again like that Draco Malfoy, don't you dare."

There was a ferocious snarl and the two whipped their heads to the portrait. Inside Godith the Grey was surrounded by a purple swirling mist.

"What in the world? What are you-" Draco didn't get a chance to finish.

The purple mist leapt from the picture and curled around them. Draco tried to get away but found that his feet wouldn't obey him. And then the world went dark.

XxX

When he did awake he was lying on a rough stone floor. Sitting up he immediately regretted as his head started throbbing and a wave of nausea passed through him. He groaned as he looked around; he was inside the picture. The stone walls were partially covered over by rich tapestries bar the parts where bookcases reached from floor to ceiling. There was a set of armchairs too, placed on either side of a small open fireplace. 'Quaint,' Draco thought. Getting to his feet, he noticed Ginny was still on the floor. He walked over to her and nudged her lightly with his feet. "Rise and shine weasel," he called, shaking her out of her dazed sleep.

"Malfoy? What happened?"

Draco surveyed the nearest bookshelf while replying. "Godith the Grey. He did some kind of spell and dragged us in here." Picking up a book he went and sat in one of the armchairs and began reading. "No doubt he'll be along soon to get rid of us," he added.

Ginny rose uncertainly and all but collapsed into the other chair. "I'm going to be late for Charms," she said, twirling a bit of hair around her finger absentmindedly.

"I'm sure Flitwick will understand when you explain a crazed wizard dragged you into a painting."

XxX

Time passed slowly for Ginny, who took to pacing back and forth across the room and gazing out of the small windows. The windows looked out across wild lands; trees and bushes grew where and how they wanted, overgrown and dangerous looking. The air was cool and, judging by the brown and falling leaves, Ginny thought it was autumn. 'Just a normal Tuesday in November,' she thought to herself. Hours past and the pile of books near the fireplace grew higher and higher as Ginny began reading too. Eventually the light from outside began dimming and candles burst into life inside the room.

"I'm hungry," Ginny complained, "and thirsty. Why would he bring us in here only to starve us?"

"Punishment perhaps," Draco offered, placing his book down on his pile and drawing out his wand. Muttering he conjured two goblets and filled them with water using Aguamenti. "It won't taste that great, but it will do," he noted as he passed her a goblet.

Ginny thanked him and downed the water, topping the goblet up again with her own wand. "Any food?" she asked hopeful.

"Can't conjure food, do you ever listen in class?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "I thought you might have some on you. We could have enlarged it."

"Well I don't. I've never had the need to carry food around with me."

Thirst sated Ginny went back to the window and watched the sun set over the wood that stretched as far as she could see. As it did the sounds from the outside grew louder, growls and howls ravaged the air and shrieks, moans and faint laughter could be heard. Disconcerted, Ginny returned to the heat of the fire. She gave the windows weird looks for the rest of the evening while Draco read on, seemingly content. It wasn't until the light from the candles started flickering did he finally close his book and stood, walking about. "I expected him to come sooner. I didn't expect for him to leave us alone for the day," he said to himself as much as he did to her.

"What are we going to do?" Ginny asked, watching him walk from wall to wall. "Can you get us out?"

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me Weasley, but I'm a sixth year, not Dumbledore. This is slightly beyond me."

"So you're saying we should just wait it out? You obviously don't seem to care Malfoy, but I've got classes to go to, friends who will be missing me." Her stomach rumbled. "Food to eat," she added quietly.

Casting a scowl at her, Draco dropped into his chair. "We waited Weasley. All we can do." Drawing out his wand again he elongated his chair, turning it into a makeshift bed, and enlarged his school jumper for a blanket, before lying down and closing his eyes. 'Resourceful,' Ginny thought, 'but not exactly a bloody gentleman.' Picking her wand up off the side table, Ginny mimicked his charm and created her own bed but fell short when it came to a blanket.

Swallowing her pride, Ginny coughed and attracted Draco's attention. "What?" he growled, curled up under his jumper. 'More adorable than ferocious,' she thought to herself.

"I don't have a jumper," she said, not looking at him.

"So?"

"So? Could you help?" He looked dazed for a moment before smiling.

"You're asking me for help Weasley?"

"Yes," she said through gritted teeth. If possible his smile grew wider.

Without a word he summoned her bed to his and enlarged his jumper, making it wide enough for two. "Come on then," he said, returning to his sleeping position.

"I'm not sleeping with you Malfoy!" Ginny cried out, horrified.

"Weasley it's just sleeping. Besides, the beds are separate and you definitely don't have to worry about me impinging on your honour."

Ginny ignored the slight. "I thought you could just cut a bit of your jumper off and I could enlarge that."

"I'm not cutting my clothes up for you. Now get in or I'll make this a double bed for myself." With no offer option immediately open to her, Ginny crawled into the bed and led as far away from the boy as possible. Almost as soon as she did so the candles finally flickered out of life, and the room was plunged into darkness.

"I don't bite Weasley," he said, voice cutting across the night.

"Unless I want you to?" she muttered. Taken aback, Draco thanked the night for hiding his surprise and with a genuine, albeit small, grin on his face he responded.

"Yes, if you ask nicely."

XxX

They both woke at the same time when the door was flung open and a wizard gave a gasp of surprise. They too looked surprised when they saw the position they were in; tangled legs and arms with Draco almost protectively hugging Ginny to his chest. Jumping back in surprise (or as much as one can when lying down), they both hastily climbed out from beneath the jumper and stood before the wizard who had caused all the trouble in the first place.

"You!" Draco declared, thrusting a finger in the wizard's direction.

"Oh dear," he replied and wrung his hands. "Have I done something bad again?"

Dumbstruck, Draco's wavering finger slowly lowered as he asked, "What?"

"Oh dear oh dear," the wizard fretted. With a flick of his wand he reversed all their charms and the chair snapped back into their original forms with Draco's jumper folded neatly on one. "How long have you been up here?" Godith the Grey asked, lowering himself into a chair.

"About a day," Ginny replied. "Oh no, oh no. Did I do this to you children?" Mutely, they nodded which caused the wizard to wail and place his head in his hands. Looking up at them his face ached with such sadness Ginny couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Draco just regarded him with no expression before a strange look came over him.

"Godith the Grey," he whispered. "Oh you have got to be joking! They have a portrait of you at Hogwarts?" he asked accusingly.

"It was my old school!" Godith said defensively.

"Sorry, could someone explain?" Both men turned to her and Ginny thought that maybe silence would have been the better option.

Godith wailed and Draco shot him a look of disdain before turning it on her. "Do you really not listen in class Weasley? History of Magic? Godith the Grey was a brilliant wizard," at this Godith's wailing grew quieter, "before he screwed up an experiment. He was trying to isolate the evil in people so it could be ejected and dealt with but instead he managed to split his personality. They began to call him the Grey because he goes between being an evil sod and a weak light wizard. The evil one brought us in."

"And they have a portrait of him at Hogwarts," Ginny stated.

"Yes."

"Well that was a stupid idea," she declared simply. Turning to Godith she snapped and turned into her mother; determined to sort out all problems. "Right Godith, you brought us in here and you can send us out again. Now, you can do it right now."

Godith began wailing but Ginny was having none of it.

"Stop that! You're a grown man."

"It's just, I don't know how to get you out!" cried Godith. "I don't know the spell!"

"So how do you suggest we get out Godith?" Draco tersely inquired.

"You'll have to go see the Headmaster, he could get you out, I'm sure." "You're right! I'll just toddle along and get him shall I? Oh wait, I can't; I'm stuck in your portrait," he threw the last part at the weeping wizard.

"Travel through the portraits!" Godith all but yelled. "Take the path to the next portrait and make your way there. Go quickly too, before Godith the Black returns!"

Draco threw his hands up in the air. "Travel through the portraits? That will take us weeks Godith."

"They only way," he squawked.

"Godith, go and get us some food and drink to take with us," Ginny ordered and the wizard disappeared with relief.

"He's pathetic," Draco said while picking up Ginny's bag and casting charms on it.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking some compensation." And with that Draco began helping himself to a number of the wizard's books, more than looked possible. Ginny's voiced concerns fell on deaf ears. "He kidnapped us, starved us and can't help us. We deserve these. Plus some of these books no longer exist; we're doing scholars and people like Granger a favour."

Soon after Godith arrived back with a parcel of food and two goblets; "Self filling," he explained. He was also joined by a house elf. "This is Boogum," he told them, "my house elf will travel with you as far as the end of the fifth floor. If you get in trouble she'll come back and tell me. I may be able to help you somehow."

At which Draco snorted but accepted the house elf's presence.

"How do we get out of this portrait?" Ginny inquired.

"Follow the path," Godith replied and pointed out of the window.

Following his finger Ginny and Draco saw what he was pointing at. "Follow the path. The one that leads into the big scary looking wood?" Draco clarified.

"Yes," Godith confirmed.

"Just making sure," Draco noted with fake cheer.

"You better go now," Godith said and with that led them through the manor and out to the path's edge. "Well, good luck," he said, "and move fast. Godith the Black may come after you," he warned.

"Brilliant," Draco muttered while Ginny thanked the wizard for his help.

Together they turned to look at the woods. The day was still young so hopefully they'd get through it while it was still light. Without another word the two started on the path, Ginny clutching onto their food and Draco carrying a back filled with stolen books.

A/N: So, opening chapter . . . Thoughts?

Reviews! Muchly appreciated (and demanded! :P)

This story is a response to a challenge posted at the DG Forum.

Guidelines/Requirements: Use the penname of any active forum member in, or as the basis for, a D/G centric fic. The penname does not have to be included exactly as it is written, but it should still be obvious what penname is being used.

For example, using mine: "It was a sunny Tuesday in November when Draco propsed to Ginny..." etc etc.

Bonus Points:

- Using the penname exactly as written

- Including more than one penname

- If the Giant Squid makes an appearance

- The line, "For the last time, [Draco/Ginny], I'm not touching that thing!"

- Super extra bonus points if 'that thing' is something scandalous.

Usernames used: Tuesday (in) November, Boogum