A/N: I know this took forever. I do apologize, but the holiday season has been very hectic. But enjoy!

Disclaimer: Go away. I own nothing.



The four of them sat before the large oak desk, staring over it's top at the man behind it. Blaise and Pansy sat in the middle with Ginny and Malfoy on either side, as far from each other as possible.

Despite their decision to "work together" instead of bickering like fools for hours on end, it was still hard for her or Malfoy to remain civil when in close proximity to one another.

Dumbledor sat on the other side of his desk, gazing at them with serene, twinkling eyes. His withered old fingers were clasped together in front of him and he sat silent for a long moment of time, so long that Ginny had to fight away the urge to squirm, she noticed that no one else seemed to be bothered by the prolonged silence, and were sitting in regal positions all around her, as if they only deigned to be there, she hated that about them, their inherent superiority.

Ginny knew that no matter how hard she tried, sitting in these chairs would always bring her back to her first year, sitting before Dumbledor's desk and hoping that she weren't about to be expelled. No matter how hard she tried she would always have to resist the urge to squirm.

Dumbledor finally broke the silence with a question,

"So Ms. Weasley, I'm told that you and have made progress?" It was phrased as a question but Ginny knew that he already had the answer.

They reported directly to Snape on a weekly basis, and if any remarkable headway was made they made sure to tell him immediately. Snape, in turn, told Dumbledor all of their news in their own weekly meetings.

Regardless Ginny nodded, "Yes, sir. We've made a small amount of progress with the use of Lamian venom. We've managed to lessen the harshness of sunlight to the eyes without hindering the naturally enhanced vision that vampires have, making it a little easier for Pansy to get around in the day time." Ginny finished with a small smile.

Pansy had complained often of headaches from the bright rays of sunshine that filtered into the classrooms during the day. To the average student it never seemed all that bright, in fact it always looked particularly dim to Ginny, but she wasn't a vampire. Pansy and Snape had been discussing evening classes when Mafloy and Ginny stumbled upon their idea of using Lamian venom.

Dumbledor smiled, "Was this your idea?" Dumbledor asked the platinum haired young man.

Malfoy shifted in his seat momentarily, brushing imaginary lint from his robe. If it were someone less graceful Ginny would've said it was a squirm, but on Malfoy the word didn't suit.

"Actually sir, it was a joint discovery." He intoned rather blandly.

Ginny was taken aback at his response, while they had come up with the idea together, she had assumed he would've tried to take credit. Instead he sat looking at the headmaster somewhat sourly, but no less modestly.

Ginny snorted at the thought of a Malfoy being remotely modest about anything and shook her head, I've been inhaling way to many fumes from those cauldrons, Ginny thought to herself.

She blushed crimson when everyone in the room eyed her suddenly, both Pansy and Dumbledor looking mildly amused.

She was about to make her excuses when Dumbledor saved her from a response by addressing the room at large,

"I have no doubt that, with a little more work, the potion will be a success." He beamed at the four of them.

Ginny only wished she could share his surety, it seemed to Ginny that potion was progressing at a snail like pace and the need for it was rapidly enclosing on them.

Her argument with Malfoy and the realization of how dire the situation truly was, was enveloping Ginny like a darkened shroud, it was the main driving force behind her determination. It was what kept her up late at night pouring over books, it was the thing that kept her from walking out on Malfoy. If she was honest though, it wasn't the only reason, she also had a strange since of obligation, duty.

It wasn't to Dumbledor that she felt indebted, but for some reason Pansy. She felt the need to help Pansy, a girl whom she had previously disliked, press down upon her almost as heavily as the weight of the deaths in Hogsmeade. Normally, she would've dwelt on the reason why, instead she allowed it to fuel her determination. Dismissing the reason why, and instead focusing on her work.

"I understand however, that the potion will take time, and effort." Dumbledor said lightly, "Which brings me to reason that I've called you here today."

Ginny gazed at the elderly professor somewhat suspiciously, those words alone had Ginny on edge, and for a moment she swore she saw a mischievous smile play about it lips. But a second look and it was gone, a demure look in it's place.

"As you all know the Christmas holidays are approaching." Dumbledor said, when they all nodded he continued, "And the three of you have opted to stay here." He gestured to the Slytherins in the room, who again nodded.

Pansy was also eying the old man warily.

"Ginny, your family will be spending the holidays at Grimmauld place, is that correct?" He asked.

Ginny nodded slowly at the older man, not liking were this conversation was leading.

"I think perhaps it would be beneficial to have all of you under the same roof for the holidays." Dumbledor said without preamble.

Ginny felt her jaw drop unattractively and clamped it shut again quickly.

"The two of you can continue to work on you potion without interruption," Dumbledor waved his hands at her and Malfoy, "Not to mention that Grimwauld place has an extensive library to study." He nodded at Pansy and Blaise.

Pansy and Blaise had been spending their nights at the library as well, pouring over books, studying things that might be useful for the potion. while Ginny and Malfoy were busy brewing the potion and putting their newest theories to test.

"I hate for you all to be working through the holidays, however I fear that we haven't the time for even the slightest break." He looked at them all squarely in the eye, and the headline on the daily prophet swam before Ginny's eyes.

The attack on Hogsmeade, the deaths of so many innocent people. She had opened her mouth to argue but promptly closed it, she knew he was right.

So she nodded, even as Pansy and Malfoy leaned in to argue. Blaise sat calmly on her left, still like a statue. Looking unhappy, but accepting.

"I don't think that is necessary." Pansy said acidly, adding a belated "sir."

There was a fire in her eyes as she stared at the aging professor.

She had a feeling this was less about working on the potion and more about keeping her and the other two Slytherins in the room, safe. She had to fight the choking raging at the mere thought, she wasn't a Gryffindor, she didn't hide behind the headmaster every time something was wrong, and she wasn't about to start.

"I agree. We don't need to bunk up with Weasley for the holidays." Malfoy sneered. Apparently coming to the same conclusion as Pansy.

Ginny felt her cheeks flame in anger, "It's not like I'm exactly happy about it, Malfoy." She sneered back at him, griping the arms of her chair.

Malfoy opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Blaise who hadn't spoken since they entered the room, "Shut it you three. The headmaster is right." He gestured with a bronze hand at the man across the desk.

"Draco and Ginevra need to work on the potion, and the Order is the last place anyone will look for the three of us." Blaise said calmly, his honeyed voice rumbling through his chest pleasantly.

"We might not like it," Blaise's lip curled delicately, "but it is the best place for us to be."

"You know about the Order." Ginny whispered, looking at the young man next to her.

He smiled at her cockily, "I've read my history books dear." He stated simply.

Pansy slowly sat back in her chair, the thought of spending the Christmas holidays surrounded by Weasleys wasn't a pleasant one. Something about the close knit family made Pansy feel awkward, and out of place. It wasn't a feeling Slytherins liked to entertain. Pansy was used to entering a room like a queen, and from the moment she walked in the door she owned it. She had a feeling that owning a room chalk full of Weasleys would be a difficult task. But she knew that arguing wouldn't make a difference, Blaise and the headmaster were right.

Doesn't mean I have to be nice about it, she thought with a wicked smile.

Malfoy didn't give in as easily as the other two, and it took quite a bit of "talking" for him to finally realize that he wasn't really being asked.

An hour later and they were all standing to leave the room when Dumbledor called out to Ginny.

"If I may keep you a moment longer, Ms. Weasley." She stopped and turned, and he gestured to her former chair.

The three Slytherins didn't pause in their trek to the door, but Pansy did quirk an eyebrow at Ginny before leaving.

Ginny turned away from the door and dragged herself back to her seat. She resisted the urge to sigh as she sat back down, she was tired, hungry, and ready to leave. But she sat patiently for Dumbledor to speak anyway.

"I want to speak to you about your dreams, ." He said calmly.

Ginny nearly choked, all thoughts of food vanishing from her mind at his calmly uttered sentence. She hadn't told anyone about her dreams, no one except, "Harry, you bloody bastar..."she trailed off and met the headmasters eye, managing to look begrudgingly apologetic.

He ignored the slip of tongue however, and continued with the same calm gaze, "Yes, Harry." He said with a small smile.

"Don't worry , I doubt he fully understands the extent of your...dreams. He was only worried, and wondered if I might be able to help you, since it seems that the regular sleep aids have very little effect." He looked at her with understanding eyes that made her blush lightly.

After her first year they had tried everything to help her at night from the terrors of her own mind, her own darkened memory, but nothing had worked.

Snape had set to work on different potions with vigor, an unlikely savior to Ginny, he met with her every few days to give her different vials to test out, but to no avail. They had continued this until her fourth year, when Ginny finally got sick of forcing down bitter tasting liquids.

The day she stopped taking them she had asked Snape why he was trying so hard to help her.

"The headmaster asked me to help a student, I could hardly say no." He stated caustically, but Ginny sat in her seat for a moment and waited, she knew that their must have been more to it than that. The way he worked over the potions, like a man possessed, letting Ginny help on rare occasions, mostly the nights when she would wake from another dream, wasn't the actions of someone who was helping because of a sense of duty, no it was something else.

He gazed at her for a long time before he answered her again. "I once knew another red head with a penchant for bad dreams." He said in a voice barely above a whisper, looking into Ginny's eyes but not really seeing her.

She had left her desk then, swinging her bag over her shoulder and walked up to Snape's desk, she leaned in slowly, and gently, almost as if she were afraid to startle him, she placed a soft kiss to his cool, smooth cheek. Without a word she walked from the room, leaving the potions master to his papers and the lingering feel of her warm lips on his cheek. It was in that moment that their tolerance for one another grew into a mutual respect.

"What did you mean, the extent of my dreams?" Ginny asked, shaking her head to free her mind from memory's grasp.

"I mean that I believe your dreams might be more than they appear." He placed his palms flat on the desk.

"What was your last dream about?" He asked.

Ginny thought back for a moment, to the blinding flash of light, the agony that had seemed to sear her flesh from the inside out, the strangely calming voice from someone beyond her vision.

"I'm not sure." She whispered, looking at the desk. "Pain..." she added and then trailed off.

"Ginevra," Dumbledor said quietly to her and she looked up, "I think perhaps your dreams are not dreams at all," He said slowly, "I think that instead, they are visions."

And suddenly the calming voice gained a name, "Severus." She whispered, feeling faint.


Ginny had left the Headmaster's office much later then she thought, the halls were empty of students, most of them tucked away in their common rooms by now.

She had recounted many of her dreams to the headmaster as he sat and listened calmly to the gruesome details the laid out before him, he listened without shock or interruption. At the end of her long spiel, he asked her questions and she replied honestly.

It turns out that the dreams she'd been having weren't really dreams at all but, indeed visions of the future.

She had told one of them to Harry on a night when neither of them could sleep, and he had recounted it to Dumbledor in one of their own meetings. Apparently, three weeks later Snape reported to the Order an event not unlike the one that occurred in Ginny's dream.

Ginny asked the headmaster if her dreams might have anything to do with Harry's, after all he saw things sometimes too, right. But the headmaster merely shrugged, and answered her rather cryptically before sending her on her way.

"If you don't mind, Ms. Weasley," He said as she once again stood to leave,"I'd like for this to be kept between us." He said, and she nodded.

Like I'm going to say anything, she thought idly.

"Also, about Ms. Parkinson, and her friends," He paused a moment, looking saddened at the thought of them, "The holidays will be a difficult time for them, whether they concede the fact or not, and they will need someone in that house that isn't going to treat them like the enemy."

"Yes, sir." She said, nodding.

"All of them, ." He looked at her significantly.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, "I'll try, sir." She answered honestly.

"And that is all that I would ask of any of my students." He smiled slightly before adding, "especially when the task is rather...challenging." His eyes twinkled merrily at her.

She smiled at him and turned to leave, before she thought of something else.

"Sir, have you already spoken to everyone in the Order?"

Dumbledor looked up from his paper at her.

"I have," he said, "Your Mother has agreed to watch over them." He smiled and Ginny did too, her Mother had a bit of a soft spot for people without a proper family, even if it was Malfoy.

"Does Ron know, sir?" She asked.

"I've decided to let your family break the news to all three of them." He smiled mischievously and Ginny felt a matching smile creep onto her own lips.

She shook her head and exited the office.

This is going to be a long holiday, she thought to herself. Placing a slender hand on the mahogany railing and stepping onto the spinning staircase.


A/N: The next chapter should be up soon, and because I made you wait so long it will feature one Zabini in a Weasley Christmas sweater.