Thank you kindly to those who reviewed.
veronica21 – I did indeed have more chapters, but it was because I dived directly into writing when I was hit by inspiration, rather than thinking out the plot entirely. I removed the story to start from scratch, though I may use parts of what was up before.
See Me
Chapter 1 – Tickling a Dragon
Ginny Weasley was wrenched violently from her sleep, her large eyes blinking frantically as she looked around the compartment to find the source of the noise that had woken her from her sleep. There had been a scream, she was sure of it, but as the echoes of laughter passing in the hall outside of the door reached her ears, her certainty wavered. Her heart was racing, and as she noticed that, Ginny for a moment struggled to remember what she'd been dreaming about. As sometimes happens, however, she could remember nothing.
Sighing, Ginny relaxed back against the cushion of the seat, and looked for Luna, who had been sitting across from her before she'd fallen asleep, rocked into slumber by the gentle movement of the Hogwarts Express. Her blonde Ravenclaw friend was not in their compartment any longer, but Ginny didn't worry. She picked up Luna's carelessly discarded copy of the Quibbler and began reading, flipping through to look at the pictures when the articles grew boring or too complicated, and smiling to herself each time a phrase reminded her of something Luna had said one time or another.
When she grew hungry, Ginny pulled out the carefully wrapped sandwiches that her mother had packed for her, and nibbled until they were gone. When she needed to use the washroom, she took with her to the compartment her Hogwarts robes and changed.
It was only when she realized that the sky was dark and they'd be pulling into Hogsmeade soon that Ginny began to worry for her friend. She slid the compartment door open and stepped into the hall, before moving towards the back of the train. At first she took her time stopping in at each compartment to say her hellos and ask about the summers of her friends that sat within, but when the only response to her question "Have you seen Luna Lovegood perchance?" was "No", she did away with formalities and began opening each compartment a little faster, until she finally heard the faint sounds of Luna's lofty tones.
There were coming from the last compartment on the train, a compartment that Ginny remembered to usually house Draco Malfoy and his hefty henchmen Crabbe and Goyle. With a faint smile, she felt a surge of hope within her at the thought that Malfoy and his goons might have stayed home from Hogwarts this year, the same way that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had done.
However that hope was short-lived, and as she opened the compartment door, Ginny felt it rush from her body like a deflating balloon.
Luna was in the far corner of the compartment, pressing herself into the cushions as far as she could, with her wide eyes open in an expression of something akin to terror. Her usually pale face was flushed and her clothing, which was normal for somebody of her strong character, was disheveled. Her focus was on the tall blonde man that towered above her quivering form, his wand drawn.
"Expelliarmus!" Ginny cried, not knowing when she'd drawn her own wand, and watched Malfoy's wand shoot into her outstretched hand.
Malfoy whirled to look at her, and Ginny's breath caught in her throat as she looked at him. His face was calm, but menacing, and his jaw and cheek bones seemed more defined than the pointy look they used to carry. But it was his eyes that made her stop. They were cold and hard as ice, seemingly piercing into her soul, while at the same time, shimmering slightly, as though he was laughing at her.
"A look, the littlest weasel, come to save her loony friend." Malfoy drawled.
"What do you think you're doing Malfoy?" Ginny snapped, her cheeks burning. "You're not allowed to go around terrorizing students."
"Who said I was terrorizing anybody?" Malfoy retorted, voice silky as he motioned to Luna. "I was simply asking Loony over here if she's really as good with a wand as Blaise claims she is."
Ginny glanced quickly over towards Luna, who's face was a reflection of the confusion that she felt, and adorned with extra embarrassment. Her eyes landed back on Malfoy, who was smirking, triumphant.
"Blaise Zabini?" she began, eyebrows raised in questioning. "You mean that rather handsome Slytherin boy?" she challenged.
"Although I can think of a more handsome Slytherin, yes, that would be the one. There is only one Blaise at this school, Weasley. You think you'd know that." Malfoy's voice was slow, bored.
"Of course I do, Malfoy." Ginny retorted, patronizingly sweet. "Of course, all the girls at Hogwarts have heard of Blaise, and more importantly, his attempts and failures at using his wand."
Malfoy looked at Ginny, raising an eyebrow and moving to speak.
"Now," she stopped him, staring him down with a pointed look. "If you enjoy have a functional wand yourself, I would suggest you leave Luna alone, now, and for good. Now come Luna." Keeping her wand and eyes trained on Malfoy, Ginny edged over to Luna, taking her hand to lead her from the room. They were moving through the corridor to their compartment, feeling the train coming to a slow stop, when a voice behind them called out.
"Weasley!"
Ginny turned, eyes settling on Malfoy, who though seeming a little quieter, still towered over her in a way that made her gut wrench. "What do you want Malfoy?" she snapped.
He stopped, staring at her darkly. "My wand, Weasley. I believe you still have it."
Ginny looked down towards her left had, and saw that she was indeed still carrying the unfamiliar wand. Rather than hand it to him, however, she took it between her two hands and looked right at him.
"A warning, of what will happen to you if you touch my friend again." She quickly snapped the wand in two, and threw it at his feet.
"You bitch!" Malfoy roared, lunging for her. It was only due to the fact that Neville, Dean and Seamus came out of the compartment on their right, that stopped Malfoy from knocking Ginny to the ground, and as it was, his hand connected with the left side of her face with a sharp slap.
As the three Gryffindor boys realized what it was they walked into, the voices rose to shouts, and other students began to exit into the hall, some dragging trunks, and others simply to see what the ruckus was about. Luna and Ginny, however, turned and pushed through the throng of students to collect their belongings. They joined Hannah and Ernie in a carriage up to the castle, and sat silently, occasionally looking at one another.
In the Great Hall, Ginny joined the Gryffindors for the Sorting and dinner, while Luna spent it with her Ravenclaw housemates. Ginny spent the meal trying to dismiss the feeling of Malfoy's glares towards her back, while Luna watched him studiously. When Malfoy noticed her stares, she only looked away for a second, before her eyes were on him, unwavering in their focus. Eventually, he was the one to avert his gaze back to Ginny.
Neville leaned over towards Ginny, and caught her eyes. "Malfoy's done nout but stare at you all dinner. And I saw him slap you earlier." He added softly, before continuing. "Gin, what've you done to piss him off?"
"I haven't done anything Neville," Ginny said gently.
"You sure?" He asked slowly, raising an eyebrow. "You know, I'm not like your brother. I'm not about to freak out and run and tell yer mum if you did do something to Malfoy. In fact, I'd probably just wish that I'd been clever enough to do it first."
"I know you wouldn't tell my mum, Neville." Ginny said with a sigh, dropping her forhead into her hands. "It's nothing, alright? Let's just forget that it even happened. Please?"
Neville stared at her for a moment, quiet, before nodding, and then returned to his food.
Luna made eye contact with Ginny after dinner as they filed out of the Great Hall, and the two girls met outside the painting of Camilla the Creative, a brazen women who was creating rather revealing armor in her depiction. Luna smiled gently at her friend.
"Thanks for earlier Ginny, but you really shouldn't have done that."
"I know." Ginny ran her fingers through her tangled red curls. She looked around them at the corridor, and crossed her arms across her chest.
"He'll tell Sn –" Luna paused, and Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her into an empty classroom. Luna didn't miss a beat. "He'll tell somebody. The new head of his house. And you'll get in trouble. He'll twist it to make it seem like you've done more than you have."
"Snapes gone, Luna." Ginny said softly.
"It doesn't mean that nobody will believe him."
"No, but I don't care if they do believe him. I won't be here for them to be angry with."
Luna stopped for a second, and moved towards Ginny, her hand outstretched, and an expression of deep concern for her friend. "Ginny, you can't say things like that – I mean, I thought you were doing okay with the breakup?"
"What?" Ginny retorted, thoroughly baffled. "The breakup? Are you talking about Harry?" Luna nodded. "What's that got to do with – Oh."
Ginny felt a few laughs bubble up from between her lips, and she let them go, grasping Luna's arm for support. When she was finished, she composed herself, and hugged Luna. "Luna, I'm not suicidal. Not at all. And especially not because of Harry. He's going to do what he wants to do, and I can't change that. I'm going to leave Hogwarts."
There was a noise from the entrance to the room, and Ginny froze, moving towards the door. She opened it, and searched the abandoned corridor with her eyes, finding no signs of life, before finally closing the door. Returning to her blonde friend, Ginny took Luna's hands in hers, and smiled gently at her.
"What I'm saying," she began, "Is, if Harry or Hermione or Ron, any of them, finally respond to or get one of my letters, I'm hoping they tell me where they are so that I can leave, so I can join them or help them, or at least do something rather than sit here uselessly."
"But you are doing something!" Luna insisted softly.
Ginny threw her hands into the air. "What? What am I doing!" she exclaimed.
"You're learning how to protect yourself, how to defend yourself so that when the real battle is here, you won't be defenseless. You'll be able to fight." Luna reasoned, her voice never wavering or raising to anything even resembling a shout.
"The real battle?" Her face was blank, her voice low and menacing. "Seriously Luna, the real battle?" before she finally snapped. "The real battle is happening now, all around us, in everybody. And I won't stand by and wait for somebody to make a battle cry and let the people I love be killed. I'm going to do something about it before it comes to that."
In the hallway, an extendable ear stretched from the base of the door, along the floor, into an alcove next to a suit of armor. Colin Creevey, eyes wide and thoughts focused on the ear pressed against the side of his head, didn't notice the figure approaching his hiding place until a fist intruded his space. The fist grabbed the scruff at the base of his throat and dragged him out into the open corridor, before smashing him hard against the wall.
"What's going on Creevey?" a low voice drawled into his ear. Draco Malfoy stood, still a good half head taller than the Gryffindor prefect, and gave him a pointed look. "Are we spying on the littlest Weasel and her loony friend?"
Colin pressed his lips together and shook his head from side to side.
Malfoy continued, unfazed. "Don't worry, Creevey." He said, smirking. "I won't tell the Weaslette about your plans to woo her, and your desperate attempts to get involved in her life."
Colin started. "I'm not – I – Harry –" before abruptly shutting up. That was apparently what Malfoy had been looking for his eyes narrowed.
"Spying for Potter then, Creevey?" Malfoy sneered, menacing. "I see that Wonder Boy really has become desperate if he's recruiting the likes of you to his cause. But why does he have you spying on the littlest Weasel brat?"
Colin turned his his head to the side to look away from Malfoy, who took his insolence as an opportunity to cause the Gryffindor further discomfort. He pressed his wand in to Colin's turned cheek, forcing his face into the stone wall behind him, and brought his mouth close to his ear.
"Creevey – you've got a younger brother, haven't you? A fifth year, I believe. Am I wrong? Dorky little thing, isn't he – and small too, no challenge in a fight."
Colin's eyes widened and he tried to face Malfoy, who only slammed him harder against the wall in response before continuing. "We wouldn't want something – unfortunate – to happen to poor Dennis, would we?" Colin was silent.
"You're going to tell me what Potter wants you to do, and why he's spying on the Weasel. And you're going to tell me whatever you overheard the brat talking about. For the safety of your family. Got it Creevey?"
For a moment Colin was still and silent, but he finally opened his mouth and whispered, "Never. We're not afraid of you Malfoy."
Malfoy's face came alive with a cold fury, and Colin closed his eyes, fearful for what might be headed his way. But there was a loud creek, and the door next to them opened. Malfoy pulled quickly back from Colin and ducked into the alcove behind the armor, just as Ginny and Luna came into sight.
Ginny immediately noticed Colin, and rushed over, voice thick with worry, for Colin's face was pale and his breathing labored. "Colin, are you all right?"
Colin opened his eyes, looking at her in disbelief, and looked around her to where Luna looked on with concern. Malfoy was not in sight, but he knew that he had to be nearby. Colin straightened, brushed himself off, and nodded. "I—I'm fine. Thanks Gin." And promptly headed down the hall at a brisk pace.
"That was strange." Luna commented, head slightly tilted as she watched the boy disappear around a corner.
Ginny laughed at her friends words, although the sound of it was unnatural, forced. She looked around the corridor once, slowly, before turning with her blonde friend and heading towards the stairs.