A/N: Please Please forgive my lack of updating. My mother passed away on 10/12/2012, and this has been a hard week. I dedicate this chapter to her, and thank you for your patience and love. Please enjoy and your reviews and follows lift my heart :)

It was excruciating that they had to separate, after lying together all morning. The boys had held her while she slept, refusing to allow the nightmares to creep in; anything that could haunt her they would chase away.

Around lunch was when consciousness finally found her, finally brought her away from the peaceful warmth she felt nestled between Draco and Blaise. The familiar dawning like fingers entered mind as she studied the angular features of Draco.

She remembered him speaking, remembered the tantalizing way his voice had washed over her; filling her up with a sense of completeness. She knew who he was now, the young formless figure that visited her in her dreams.

Sitting at the Gryffindor table had been even harder for her, being separated from Draco and Blaise was something she should be okay with, but she was finding the separation much harder than it should have been, an ache so deep in cut her.

She felt the warm blood like presence of her own sibling sit down on her right side, as if he knew his Sister Love was in distress and needed the comforting warmth next to her. She could feel Fred's ache for George within him, even though he hadn't said a word. She placed her hand on his arm, letting him know that it was okay.

Had it not been for her two spirit mates dragging her into the Great Hall, she would have stayed in bed, wrapped in Blaise's protection; silhouetted by Draco's Love.

The boys wouldn't have it happen, and so begrudgingly they had shoved her up here. She could only hope that this lunch would be uneventful.

Ronald Weasely had other ideas.

It didn't take the youngest Weasely brother a second to recognize that one of his own family was sitting next to Ginny, associating with her as if she hadn't put her hands around his throat just a few days before.

He stopped dead cold, blue eyes shimmering with a hatred profound enough it affected everyone around him, leaking out in the atmosphere around the Great Hall, causing more than just one person to take notice.

"Frederick."

The tone was cold enough that the twin picked up his head, gazing at his brother as if he were a bug to be squashed under a boot.

"Yes, Ronald?"

The question was one that formed as a crowd of people gathered around them, eager for a fight; a war anything to break the ice cold tension that had the air heavy with a snapping twist.

"Is there a particular reason that you are fraternizing with a girl as dark as Voldermort himself?"

Ginny's tension was visibly clear in her shoulders, as her fist closed around her wand. She could sense Draco and Blaise behind her instantly, silently pleading with her to not let her lose control this time, to let others defend their Ember.

She was too important to be damaged by this cockroach.

She relented, but didn't relax; aware of Fred's hand on her thigh, of the tension in him ready to snap in a violent eruption, if Ron even pushed further.

"She is not dark, Ron. She is beyond your understanding, beyond anything you could ever imagine. Just as I am, just as George is."

Ron crossed his arms in front of his chest, eyes steady, wand raised at Ginny's throat.

"If that be the case, why are Zabini and Malfoy behind her; guarding her? Why did she slut herself out to them? Is she not destined to shag Voldermort, to become his queen? Tell you what mate, I'll end her life right now, save us all the trouble."

Fred lunged; red hot rage and blood-lust yanking him forward, more than willing to rip his brother's heart out as it still beat inside him.

He was halfway across the table when strong thick arms locked him from behind and pulled him back, crashing against a muscled chest.

He didn't recognize the arms, didn't care. All he cared about was that he was being held back, and that Draco and Blaise had Ginny secured between them.

"Easy Weasely, I have this handled." A sultry voice echoed in his ear. His eyes snapped around, and surprise filled his being.

Theodore Nott was not surprised at all that Granger couldn't keep her dogs collared and chained to her. Nor was he surprised when the youngest of the family would blatantly open his arrogant mouth to beings far more than he.

He couldn't wait to snap the twit's neck.

He had hidden himself in the crowd, watching as Ginny contained herself, controlled the blackness that threatened to spill her brothers blood.

She was learning. Now to turn it into a cold calculated cunning and she would be well on her way to darkness.

He rolled his eyes at her two body guards, yet found himself drawn to the other ginger haired male. The one who had so intimately touched his sister's thigh.

Very little slipped past Theo, and those observant ice colored eyes had no problems catching what the trio or others missed, or the simple meanings behind them.

There was opportunity here, one that was easy to take; if he played the cards right.

He overheard the words, watched the thin muscular beater leap for his breath, could smell the blood-lust and murder aching to come out.

Merlins beard, he loved the smell of blood, in any form; spilled on the ground or in the rage of murder in the air.

It turned him on.

No one noticed when he slipped behind Fred, when his own strong arms kept him in a arm-lock, pushing him into Theo.

"Easy Weasely, I have this handled." He all but purred into the ear of the twin.

He felt Fred stiffen, then jolt in shock before a guarded voice said, "Nott?"

He let the jokester's arms drop, slipping his own slender toned arms around Fred's waist.

Any other person would have let the twin go, believing he was contained.

Theo knew better, all it would take is one wrong word, and Fred would commit murder.

Theo as much as he would love to cut Fred loose, had other ways to go about the same means.

He slid his hand across Fred's back, before stepping to the taller man's side. He grabbed Fred's wrist, pinned it in between his elbow and ribs. He squeezed, and Fred hissed. Good, he was under control and if he tried his wrist would snap like a twig in a strong wind.

"GRANGER!"

His yell was sharp, and piercing enough even to make Ginny wince.

She slowly came out from behind Ron, chocolate brown eyes filled with fear. A look of someone who had just been hunted making her eyelids wide as her body shook.

"I believe that when we agreed Granger to your devious plot, that I warned you to keep your dogs on a leash."

When Hermione said nothing, he cocked a brow.

"Wait, you didn't tell them did you? You didn't tell them that after we shook hands, I made it clear to you the risks in coming after her?"

"Hermione, what's he talking about?" Ron asked, physically turning to his girlfriend, wondering exactly what the hell she pulled and what it meant for them all.

"She hurt you-" Hermione started.

"CRUCIO."

Ron flopped to floor, writhing as pain clouded his mind, choked him into oblivion. Theo allowed Ron to suffer like that for a few minutes, before Hermione knelt down next to him.

He lifted his wand, and Ron found he was able to breath again as warm life entered the now pain wracked body.

"So be it."

He looked over at the silent Great Hall, over at the teachers, at the Carrows and Snape looking amused, McGonagall so petrified she couldn't move.

"Let me make this clear to all of you now. Ginny Weasely and any of those she loves and holds dear are under my protection, the protection of the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself. Anyone dare mess with her, will die by my hand."

Blue ice found terrified brown.

"If I have to make myself clear one more time, Granger; I will strip your skin from your mud blood body slowly."

He glanced at a slack jawed Harry, and a gasping Ron. "I suggest you explain to your lovers exactly what you have done. Their lives hang in the balance, and it will be Ginny's mercy that will either spare them or kill them."

He turned with Fred still grasped in his arms; found he was facing three wands.

"Not here. I plan no harm. Let us pass, I must speak to Fred alone."

"Not alone, Nott. Take Blaise with you." Draco snapped out. He could feel Ginny trembling, his over protective side came out full swing, and there was no way Theo was walking out with Ginny's Beloved Brother in his clutches alone. Not while he breathed.

His lover didn't protest, feeling the emotions from both the ones he loved, he moved to Fred's other side.

"Let's go then." He said, nodding at Ginny assuring her that he would keep him guarded.

"Be safe. Love you both." She said, softly.

Theo winced, unsure why her soft words all of the sudden chinked him the way it did, but he sure didn't like it.

Silver and amber green watched the trio walk away from the crowd, before their hands clasped and they made their way slowly out of the Great Hall, heading to the Qudditch pitch to just be with another and wait for results.

That was when the teacher's moved. Dismissing students, escorting them to their classes, while the more light of them checking on Ron and the trio, the rest sharing dark laughter.

Snape knelt down in front of Hermione, eyes colder than they ever were in her six years of studying under him.

"What in Salazaars name did you do, Granger?"