Stolen Memories
Disclaimer; I do not own, nor will I ever own, Harry Potter or anything HP related, that all belongs to J.K Rowling. The plot is mine though.
A/N; I encourage you all to go and read 'I Am?' by May La Nee, it's a fantastic fanfic! Read it! Now!
Chapter 2
"Today we are going to have a little seating change." My head snapped up to look at Snape. He was smirking evilly; this wasn't going to be good.
"I've noticed that a couple of you seem to have a hard time concentrating on your work because your partner won't stop talking." Snape's eyes flicked to Hermione, I groaned and turned my head to glare at her. Hermione smiled sheepishly.
Ever since I had lied about the stress of seventh year potions Hermione wouldn't shut up during class! She's actually hurting my concentration more than she's helping my work. A change in seating didn't sound like a bad thing, the prospect of getting away from Hermione for a bit was actually welcoming, but I just didn't trust the little glint in Snape's eyes.
"Malfoy! Weasley!" My eyes snapped back to Snape. He couldn't do this! There was no way he could expect me to work better with Malfoy!
"Switch places." Snape smiled that evil smile, but I let out a sigh of relief. Zabini couldn't be as bad as Malfoy right? He was quiet enough in detention... then again... he was a Slytherin, and Malfoy's best mate... oh crap.
With a frustrated sigh I crammed all my books back into my bag and stood, Hermione gave me an apologetic smile but I just glared, this was her fault. Hermione's smile turned into a look of slight horror when Malfoy walked closer to her table, I couldn't help but smirk; she'll be more tortured sitting with Malfoy than I will be sitting with Zabini. I purposely walked to my new table slowly, so I could catch a glimpse of whatever Malfoy had in store for Hermione. To my utter disappointment Malfoy just glared as he sat down and turned his chair as far away from Hermione as the desk would allow.
To make everything worse, as soon as I fell into my seat Zabini moved his chair closer and stared at me.
"Hey love." I turned and glared but didn't say anything. "Oh come on," Zabini pouted. "is that any way to treat your new partner?" Zabini flashed his perfectly white teeth.
I rolled my eyes. "Why don't we just get to work?" I suggested trying to keep the venom out of my voice.
We got to work after that, Zabini continued to try and talk to me but I ignored him. When the bell rang to signal the end of class I jumped out of my seat and ran to the door before anyone else. I officially hated seventh year potions now, why had I even agreed to take it? I was bored in sixth year that was true, and I did think that having Hermione as a partner would have been fun, I'm an idiot.
~*~*~*~*~*~
After charms I walked to the Great Hall for lunch in a slightly better mood. Charms was easy, and Flitwick wasn't a git, it was enough to lift my mood and get me through the remainder of the day. As I walked into the Great Hal though my mood shifted slightly. There sitting at the Gryffindor table was Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry was beaming at me and patting the seat beside him, Ron was stuffing his face as usual, and Hermione seemed in a poor mood; probably still sour from potions.
With a sigh I marched over to Harry and sat down lightly, he went to kiss my lips but I turned so he only caught my cheek. Harry gave me a quizzical and almost hurt look so I nodded in Ron's direction and smiled sweetly. He took the hint, even though it was a lie, and smiled back before turning to his food.
Hermione started lecturing Ron about chewing with his mouth open and I rolled my eyes. Hermione might as well just go out with Ron; at least that way she would have a legitimate reason to tell my brother what to do. Harry tried asking me about my day and what I had planned for the weekend, it was obvious he wanted more attention than I was giving him, I only gave short answers and eventually he stopped. I wasn't being fair to him, I knew that, but I needed some space, but the more I pulled away the tighter Harry held on.
I bit my lip as I thought of how to 'nicely' break up with him. Anything that happened between us would be my fault; I'm such an idiot, why would I date my brother's best mate? There was no way it wasn't going to end badly. Harry would be upset, Ron would be angry, and Hermione would try to 'make me see what I was missing'.
"So you're not coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow then?" Harry pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Uh..." If I went then I would have no choice but to be with Harry. "No, I don't think so."
"Why not?" Ron asked with his head cocked to the side.
"I haven't been feeling well lately. I think I'm just going to relax tomorrow." I half lied.
Harry looked at me concerned. "Are you alright?" Of course now Harry see's that something is wrong, I only had to tell him first.
"Yes, I think I just need rest is all." I smiled brightly at him, he didn't look convinced but he dropped the subject anyway.
When the bell rang to signal the start of classes again I jumped to my feet and walked away without saying goodbye to Harry, Hermione, or my brother. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked away but I refused to look back.
"Trouble in paradise red?" I froze in the corridor. Only one person could make his tone so emotionless and he was the last person I wanted to see at the moment.
Slowly I turned. "What do you want Malfoy?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"Ha." Malfoy let out a bark of laughter. "As if you could give me anything I wanted." His eyes raked over my body and I shuddered. "I was just observing." Malfoy shrugged.
"Well keep your observations to yourself then." I spat bitterly.
As I spun on my heel to stomp away Malfoy spoke again. "Potter must be really thick not to see all the signs of a coming break up." I froze mid turn and when I looked back to glare at Malfoy he was already gone.
How could he have known that I was pushing Harry away? Was it that obvious? Was he watching me? I shivered as I pictured Malfoy's cold grey eyes staring at me. I must have stood there staring into the empty space where Malfoy had just stood for nearly ten minutes, Merlin I am an idiot today. I shook my head letting Malfoy's words fall away and looked around. The corridors were empty. In a panic I looked at my watch and realized I was going to be late for Transfiguration.
"Fuck!" I cursed loudly and ran down the corridors.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ginny Weasley opened her eyes slowly, they felt heavy and sore. What had happened to her? There was no light in this room, the mattress she laid on was not her own, it was lumpy and it didn't smell right. Ginny closed her eyes and listened hard. She couldn't hear her mother, or her father, her brothers were silent as well. Silence, complete silence. Something was wrong. The burrow was never silent, there was always some noise in the house; the ghoul made sure of that.
Ginny's breathing quickened and she started to panic. She wasn't at the burrow, that much she was sure of, she didn't know where she was but wherever she was her mother, her father, and brothers, her family, wasn't here with her. She was all alone. Ginny felt the tears escape through her closed eyelids and slide down her face. Why was she alone?
"Ah you're awake." A voice said to her. Ginny faintly remembered that voice but she was unable to place it.
"Who are you?" Ginny asked as she slowly opened her eyes, the man's face was not visible.
"Come now dearest Ginny. You know who I am." She shook her head trying to remember.
"Where are my parents?" Ginny felt more tears sting her eyes, all she wanted was to be held by her mother.
"Oh you won't be seeing them." Ginny started shaking with sobs. "At least not for a while." The man smiled cruelly at her. "You're mine for now."
~*~*~*~*~*~
I stepped into the searing hot water and inhaled deeply. These nightmares were getting out of control. I haven't had a peaceful night in two weeks! Here I am now sitting in scalding hot water at three o'clock in the morning trying to wash away the grimy memories my dreams have given me. At least tomorrow was a Hogsmeade trip; almost the entire castle would be gone. I'd finally have some peace.
I took another deep breath and submerged myself in the water completely. Bad idea. As soon as my eye lids closed and my hearing was blocked images of the dream flooded my memory. The dirty room was back, I would feel the putrid smelling mattress under my body. I opened my eyes hoping to see the ceiling of the bathroom, but all I could see was the dark stone walls. I snapped my eyes shut again. Relax Ginny. It's not real. It's your mind playing tricks on you. Slowly I reopened my eyes. There, standing not three feet from me, was the man from my nightmares.
He was coming closer. No this wasn't possible. I was in the bathroom of my dorm in the castle. I was not in this room, this man was not here, and he was not coming closer. three feet... two feet... no! He wasn't here! This isn't real. One foot... I closed my eyes again. One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine... ten... I opened my eyes. The man was right in front of my face, yet I still couldn't make out his features.
"My Ginny." His voice was clearer than I had ever heard it in my nightmares.
Not thinking, not remembering that I was still under the water I inhaled deeply. Water filled my lungs, the man vanished, and I started choking. Sitting up quickly I coughed and spit out water.
"Fuck." I choked.
I coughed a few more times to be sure the water was completely out of my lungs before resting my head against the wall. I had to do something to distract myself before I tried going back to bed. I looked around the room. It held nothing that could be distracting. There was a bar of soap, shampoo, conditioner, and a few razors. I grabbed the soap and began lathering it on my legs. Shaving my legs would at least kill some time.
I wasn't as careful as I would normally be. On my third swipe I nicked myself. It didn't hurt and it only bled for a moment. After wiping the blood off I continued. Not paying attention to what I was doing I dragged the razor up the skin of my other leg. My hand jerked and the razor slipped leaving a two inch gash in my leg.
"Ow. Fuck."
As I watched the blood run down my leg I felt as though all the memories and fears of my nightmares were going with it. I stared in amazement as the blood became thinner when it reached the streams of water on my skin. It branched out with the water and formed the most peculiar pattern.
I shook my head trying to forget my morbid thoughts. It was then that I realized the water had turned cold. Feeling more relaxed I got out of the tub and dried myself off quickly before going back to bed. It was the first time I slept peacefully with no nightmares in two weeks.
~*~*~*~*~*~
So far it was the most relaxing day I have had since I returned to Hogwarts this year. The corridors were vacant, along with the Gryffindor common room, except for a few first and second years of course. The Great Hall never looked so big! Only the grounds and the library showed any sign of life.
I had spent the better part of the morning sleeping and then getting my homework done before I got bored and decided to wander around the castle. Of course you could only walk through the empty halls of the castle for so long before every wall began to look the same. I wasn't paying attention to much of anything. I had no idea what part of the castle I was in at the moment, and I couldn't care less. I was letting my mind wander to anything other than my nightmares. Everything from what homework I still had to complete to how I should tell Harry that it wasn't working out right now.
A pang of guilt went through me at that thought. Harry has been nothing but good to me and here I was planning on how I should break up with him. Sure he was smothering, and he didn't notice things right away, and when he did notice something was wrong he always tried to fix it like the hero he was, but he was still a good guy that didn't deserve to get hurt.
"Weasley?" I was pulled out of my guilty thoughts. I spun around and, for the first time, realized that I was in the dungeons. How did I get here?
The owner of the voice came closer. "Is that you Weasley?" Oh great. It was Zabini.
"What do you want Zabini?" I asked in a bored annoyed tone.
"Little far from your area of the castle aren't you?" Zabini leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. It was the best Draco Malfoy impression I had ever seen.
"I didn't realize each house had to stay near their common rooms." I cocked an eyebrow.
"Not every house. But a Gryffindor wandering around in the dungeons has to have a death wish." Zabini said in a would-be-threatening tone had the corners of his mouth not pulled up slightly in a smile.
"Is that a threat Zabini?"
Zabini shrugged. "So, did Snape ban you from Hogsmeade today too?" Zabini started walking closer.
"No, why'd you do to get banned from Hogsmeade?" I asked with genuine curiosity.
"Why would you assume I was banned?"
I gave him a pointed look that he laughed at.
"It was nothing really." Zabini admitted. "Just a little misunderstanding about bringing fire-whiskey into the dorms." Zabini smirked.
I rolled my eyes and turned to walk away, but Zabini continued talking.
"What about you? Why are you here if you weren't banned from the trip?" He asked curiously.
I shrugged. "Didn't feel like going."
"Wanted a break from Potter?" Zabini was smirking now.
"Excuse me?"
"I saw you and Potter in the Great Hall yesterday. Looked like things were a little rocky."
My anger was rising. How was it that everyone knew about everything around here? "Everything is fine, not that it's any of your business." I lied.
"You know," Zabini eyes raked over me. "I could show you a good time if you'd like." His eyes kept looking up and down my body making me extremely uncomfortable. "I heard red-heads are quite fiery." Zabini smirked.
That was it, without thinking I whipped out my wand and sent a curse towards Zabini. The look of shock and horror on his face just before the curse flung him into the wall would have been comical had I not been so angry. Zabini hit his head and slid down the wall. I was slightly worried he may actually be hurt before he groaned and opened his eyes. He glared at me, I smirked and spun on my heel, feeling a lot better.
"Hold it Miss Weasley." A cold voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned around and groaned. Snape was standing a few paces away from Blaise Zabini who was now smirking. I am never duelling in the dungeons again.
"Come here." Snape commanded. I didn't have any choice so I walked forward.
Snape looked down at me for a few moments before speaking again.
"Detention. Tonight, my office. Eight o'clock." Snape smirked.
"Yes sir." I nodded and lowered my eyes to the ground waiting to be excused.
"You should have stayed near your tower." Zabini said in a weak voice as he tried to stand.
"You too Mr. Zabini." Snape said harshly.
Zabini's jaw dropped. I couldn't help but smirk.
"But... but sir! She attacked me!"
"I'm sure you were doing or saying something that gave her reason." Snape said dismissively. "Is that correct Miss. Weasley?" Snape looked down at me again.
"Yes sir." I said trying not to smile. If I was going down then Zabini could go down with me.
"Right. Tonight, my office, eight sharp." Snape glared at each of us before walking past.
"Thanks a lot Weasley." Zabini growled at me.
"Anytime." I said cheerfully as I walked back up to the main part of the castle.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zabini and I arrived out front of Snape's office at the same time, much to my annoyance. Being the gentleman that he was Zabini let me knock and pushed his way past me to enter the room first.
"Right on time." Snape smirked as we entered. "Give me your wands." He ordered.
Zabini and I obliged and reluctantly handed over our wands.
"Start cleaning the desks. When you are done with that clean the shelves and mop the floor." Snape smirked and pointed to two buckets of soapy hot water. "When that is done you'll be free to go."
I took one bucket and made my way over to the shelves as Blaise walked over to the desks.
"And you'll be working together. You both can start on the desks now." Snape's smirk widened.
I groaned at the same time as Zabini. I grudgingly walked over to the desks. "I'll take the top you take the bottom." I said, Zabini nodded.
We worked in silence. I had thought that the tops of the desk would be easier; at least I wouldn't have to scrap the gum from underneath. But the tops were just as bad if not worse.
Dried potion ingredients and spilled potions of all sorts rested atop of the desks. It took me just as long to scrub them off as it did Zabini to scrap off the gum and other disgusting bits from under the desks. Half way through our task Snape left the room muttering something about having better things to do then watch students work.
"You didn't have to turn me in red." Zabini said when the door closed.
"True, but then I would be here doing this myself Zabini." I rolled my eyes. "And the name is Ginny."
"Very true. Ginny." Zabini smirked. "You have to call me Blaise now though."
"What?" I cocked an eyebrow.
Zabini looked up and me and smirked. "If you expect me to stop calling you red or Weasley then you have to call me Blaise." He clarified.
"No I don't." I scoffed.
"Fine then. Red." Zabini grinned.
I didn't realize how much that little nick name annoyed me until now. "Fine. I'll stop calling you Zabini." I said with a frustrated sigh. Blaise looked at me and I rolled my eyes. "Blaise." I added.
"Good. See now we're getting somewhere."
"I don't want to get anywhere with you."
"Ah come on. I'm not that bad."
"Right, you're a real pleasure I'm sure."
Blaise frowned. "I wouldn't go that far." I couldn't help smiling a bit. "But we are potions partners. It would be a shitty working environment if we were hostile towards each other."
I had to admit that was true. "I guess that makes sense." I said slowly. "That doesn't mean I like you now though." I added when I saw Blaise's goofy grin.
"Give it time. You will." Blaise winked at me.
We went back to work silently. Blaise would make a joke here and there about something we were cleaning, or about what he thought Snape was doing at the moment. I couldn't deny that Blaise was funny, that didn't make him any less of a git though.
After nearly two hours the desks were shinning, the floors sparkled, and the shelves looked brand new. I dropped the rag back into the bucket of water and stretched my arms out. I never had to clean this much for this long without magic. My muscles were stiff and my body was tired. Blaise followed my actions and then sat on one of the desks.
"You know I've never seen someone get so much detention from Snape before." Blaise smirked at me. "He must not like you." I smiled sarcastically. "Or he really likes you." Blaise added winking.
"Oh that's gross!" I cried. "I've never seen Snape give someone in his own house so many detentions before."
"Yeah well..." Blaise shrugged. "I guess he thinks I'm a horrible Slytherin."
"You must be if you're trying to make friends with a Weasley." I laughed.
Snape came in after that. By the look on his face he didn't like seeing Blaise and I sitting on the desk with our work completed.
"Scrub the caldrons." He barked at us.
"What?" I jumped down from the desk. "You said we could leave when we finished the desks, floors, and shelves! We're finished." I whined.
"Look Weasley. Maybe you're used to professors going easy on you, but I believe detention should be a punishment." Snape sneered at me. "Now get to work."
"No, you said we could go when we were finished. We're finished. Let us leave." I was pulling out courage I didn't know I had.
"I'll let you leave when I choose too, and not a moment before. You cannot order me around." Snape said venomously. "Get to work." He smirked. "You're mine for now."
Those four words smacked me in the face. Instantly visions of the nightmares crept up on me. The dark room, the dirty walls and mattress, the man in the shadows coming closer, closer, closer. Everything was going black. There was a tug in my stomach. I was being pulled back into my nightmares. I felt someone try and grab me but I jerked away. Before the darkness engulfed me completely someone other than the man in the shadows call my name.
"Ginny!"
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N; Oooh... what's going to happen next? Thank you all who reviewed! There was so many of you, and sorry but I don't have the time to list you all here, but thank you all so much! Remember, it's your reviews that determine when I get the next chapter out. So review!
