Chapter 21: Hate Is A Strong Word

For the next three days, Draco and Hermione worked on summoning Ivory from within Ginny. Ivory was not ready to let Ron nor anybody else truly know her yet, so she would only talk directly to those two.

They had told Ginny about Ivory and while at first Ginny was fearful, she quickly grew to having somewhat of an affection for the Empath within her. Even though she couldn't communicate directly with her, she would have Draco and Hermione ask Ivory questions that she would get answers back through them.

They were starting to pick up some of the meanings of Ivory's color changing eyes. Different shades of red of course meant anger, rage, or hate, blues meant happy, content, or relaxed, pinks meant love or desire, and greens meant sad or afraid.

Hermione and Draco both had their unique way of summoning Ivory. When Hermione would tap Ginny's shoulder three times fast, Ivory would appear for her. But Ivory made it amusing for herself when it came to Draco. He had to say " I'll never admit it." and in response she would appear and say "we already know." Both parties would simply say "you can go now" and Ginny would come back.

They had tried many times to summon her and try to have her and Ginny be present at the same time, but with no avail. Both parties didn't seem ready for that.

When Hermione and Draco felt it was time to let the others know, Ivory was extremely hesitant.

"I don't know about this." said Ivory as she walked in between Draco and Hermione, holding their hands as if they were her parents or siblings. Over time, Hermione had felt like a motherly figure to her, while Draco was like a protective big brother.

"This has to happen, Ivory." said Draco.

"Exactly. How else will you be able to start controlling your powers and eventually be free?" said Hermione.

"Draco's supposed to do that!" said Ginny stubbornly.

"I need help though, love." said Draco, rubbing Ivory's cheek. "And so do you. I promise I won't let anyone do anything to you that you don't want. Do you trust me?"

Ivory nodded in Draco's hand.

Now, we need for you to sit back for a little while and then I'll call you. Or do you want Hermione to?"

Ivory looked at Hermione and then Draco. "Hermione can, I guess. I don't want anyone asking you a dozen questions."

"Okay. You can go now." said Draco.

Instantly Ivory's expression changed back to Ginny's. It was odd to Draco that he could finally figure out the two. It was like they were identical twins.

"Do we have to do this?" asked Ginny. "I'm tired, I'm irritated, and I just want to go back to our room and sleep."

Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny, pulling her back into his chest and started kissing her neck. "Are you sure that's all you want to do?" he whispered.

Ginny giggled. "Stop it you randy git, Hermione is right here."

"I'm right here you know." said Hermione annoyed.

Draco groaned and moved his face from Ginny's neck. "But I miss her when she is gone." pouted Draco.

"That's so sweet." said Ginny, blushing.

"You can deal with that later. Right now we have a meeting to attend." said Hermione as they stood in front of the griffin that guarded Dumbledore's office.

Hermione said the password (bubblicious) and the steps appeared leading them to the door. The trio went up the stairs and through the door where everyone that was there the last time was in attendance was there, including Ron and Harry.

"You didn't tell me that Harry was going to be here!" whispered Ginny to Hermione and Draco.

"We didn't know." they both whispered back.

Ginny groaned as they walked over and sat down next to Blaise and Ron. Harry locked his eyes on Ginny as she held tightly to Draco's hand.

"I can see Miss Weasley that you seem to be upset at this meeting already." said Dumbledore kindly.

"With all due respect sir, I didn't know that Harry would be here." said Ginny, trying not to make eye contact with Harry at all for fear of what Ivory might do.

Harry looked at Ginny with a mixture of anger and sadness.

"I understand Miss Weasley. Harry is indeed a vital part of this situation and as such is required to be here."

"But Ivory doesn't like him, Professor." said Ginny.

"Ivory?" said Blaise, Ron, Harry, and Professor Wexler.

The room except for Draco and Hermione looked at Ginny in bewilderment. "Who is Ivory, Gin?" asked Ron.

"That's what we have to talk about, Ron." said Hermione. "Draco and I know what is going on with Ginny."

"Draco? You're on first name basis with this prat now?" growled Ron.

"Ron please, not now." said Hermione putting her hand on Ron's leg trying to calm him down.

"I understand the animosity Ron, but for the sake of this meeting can you set it aside for a few minutes?" asked Wexler looking serious and amused at the same time.

Ron nodded and took Ginny's free hand.

Hermione stood up and paced as if she was Professor McGonagall teaching.

"It took me awhile to find the right book to match what was going on with her, but it was finally concluded that Ginny is an Empath. Or rather, she has an Empath living within her."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. Professor McGonagall, Remus, and Wexler both expressed their amazement. Professor Snape looked over it.

"The being inside of Ginny has separated herself so that she alone can deal with the powers that she possesses. I call her Ivory." said Draco.

"She is generally a sweet girl. Her mind is young. Meaning she probably was created when Tom Riddle first possessed Ginny at age 11. She says that she protects Ginny from him, as well as other people or things that Ginny doesn't like or feels is a threat." said Hermione.

"Ginny and her don't exactly coexist." said Draco. "While Ivory knows everything that is said to her as well as Ginny, Ginny knows nothing of her but what we tell her. Ivory says that she feels herself losing control and that if she doesn't escape from Ginny soon, both of them will be hurt. But at the same time, Ginny needs her to defeat Tom Riddle, as Potter here is no longer the Chosen One."

"What the hell do you mean?"asked Harry defensively. "I'm the one who was made a bloody horcrux when I was a baby."

"Actually Harry, remember when you stabbed the basilisk and it's fang went into you?" said Hermione.

Harry nodded.

"Well the venom killed the horcrux within you. Since Tom had possessed Ginny, a piece of his soul latched onto her. Ginny was the remaining horcrux. And since Tom Riddle is alive now and his last connection was with Ginny, only she can destroy him." explained Hermione.

"That makes sense." said Dumbledore playing with his beard.

"Well, is there any way to know if she is here right now?" asked Ron. "Ginny, is this you?"

Ginny nodded. "They have to summon her." she told her brother.

Hermione tapped Ginny on the shoulder three times. Instantly Ivory started to tremble and latched onto Hermione's arm.

"Hermione, I'm scared." whispered Ivory sounding like a child. "Everybody is staring at me."

Hermione gave Ivory a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay. Draco and I are here and we won't let anything happen to you."

"Merlin's beard." whispered Blaise.

"She can be a bit timid so..." said Hermione looking at Harry and Ron.

"Miss Ivory?" said Dumbledore.

Ivory looked at the old man, her eyes as green as Harry's, shaking with fear. Dumbledore's quills started to levitate off of his desk.

Draco put his hand on Ivory's shoulder and whispered calming words into her ear. The quills started to float back down slowly, but Ivory's eyes didn't lose their intensity.

"Fear, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Dumbledore. Draco nodded. "My dear, there is nothing to fear here. You are among safe and trusting people."

"Not everyone in this room is." said Ivory in a low voice.

"Who in this room do you think you cannot trust, young one?" asked Dumbledore, as if he was speaking to a child.

"She thinks of me as a threat." said Ivory pointing to McGonagall. McGonagall was taken aback.

"He is afraid of me." said Ivory sadly pointing to Ron.

Ron looked lost for a moment. "Can you blame me? I just found out about you and I don't know what you could do to my sister."

"And he thinks of me as a freak." said Ivory pointing to Harry as her eyes changed from green to a deep red.

Harry looked at Ivory. It wasn't that he thought her a freak. He, like Ron, didn't know what they were dealing with.

"And you sir, are the more unreadable person in this room and therefore I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, and I bet it wouldn't be that far." she said glaring at Snape, who in turn glared back with just as much intensity.

"Blaise and Professor Wexler are amused by me. And you sir, and Remus find me fascinating."

Dumbledore smiled. "Indeed. You are very inquisitive."

"Seems to me like she is only good at reading minds." said Snape in his monotone voice. Only it sounded as if he was annoyed. He continued his icy stare at Ivory, who stared right back.

"I can read emotions not minds, oh unintelligent one." growled Ivory. Draco, Blaise, and Ron couldn't help but snicker.

"I don't think I appreciate your tone." said Snape. "For an entity, you sure do have a lot of unnecessary cheek."

"Back off of her Sna-...Professor" said Harry, feeling the need to speak up. "She's just a kid."

Ivory's eyes turned an even deeper red as she snapped her head over to look at Harry. If she could obliterate things with her mind, Harry would be a done deal at that present time.

"I'm not just a kid, you fool! I may not have aged like Ginny, but I guarantee you I'm a hell of a lot smarter than you'll ever be. Especially when it comes to Tom Riddle."

Harry was taken aback. "Ivory, if I offended you I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"That's your problem, isn't it? You never think and when you do you feel like your way is the only way. Well guess what? Both Ginny and I are pretty fucking tired of it. This isn't just your world, Potter!"

"Ivory, calm down!" whispered Hermione as Harry and Ivory stared each other down. Hermione could feel the heat coming off of Ivory and she didn't want what happened last time to happen again.

Ivory kept staring at Harry. "You seem afraid of me. Good." she said, almost evil like.

"I'm not afraid of what you will do to me, but what you will do to Ginny."

"Let's talk about what you have done to her, shall we? Like how you treated her and still continue to treat her like a damn baby? How you weren't there for her when she needed you the most? How you insulted her? Or need I smack the taste out of your mouth again." said Ivory, standing up and ignoring Hermione's whispers.

"So that was you?" shouted Harry. "And you two are acting like she is an innocent kid? That thing is mental! It's dangerous! It'll kill Ginny, mark my words!"

"How about I kill you after I do Tom Riddle in? I'd much rather do that." growled Ivory as purple energy started forming in her hand.

"YOU CAN GO NOW!" shouted Draco and Hermione at the same time.

The purple energy disappeared with a pop as Ginny returned, falling back onto Draco, exhausted.

Ron looked from Ginny to Harry and back to Ginny again. "Bloody hell mate." he said to Harry. "She certainly does not fancy you in the slightest now does she?"

"The feeling's mutual." said Harry. "Hermione do you have any idea what you are playing at? She could kill the lot of us."

"Actually, she would only target the ones she hates. And it looks like she only hates you and Tom. And possibly Professor professor."

"On the contrary Miss Granger. I find the child and her disdain for me rather fascinating. Vastly immature, but full of spirit and life much like Miss Weasley herself. She just needs to learn to harness her powers and direct them to the source that is needed. I so hope that Potter can stay off the chopping block" said Snape smugly.

Ginny stirred from her exhausted state. "What happened? Why am I so tired?"

"Ivory used a lot of energy getting mad at the Scarhead." smirked Draco.

"Hey! She wouldn't feel that way if it wasn't for your influence. Which, I might add, almost got her killed." said Harry.

"Her hate for you is no fault of mine, Potter. She just sat here and told you why she doesn't like your ass. Maybe you should listen next time."

Harry crossed his arms and sat glaring at Ginny. He didn't know what to think of anything anymore. Why was he all of a sudden public enemy number one around here?

The meeting went on without the appearance of Ivory again. They had decided to let Wexler and Remus be the ones to help when it came to channeling her powers as they felt she would get along best with them. When the meeting was over everyone went their separate ways except for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco. Ron felt he needed to spend some time with his sister as well as getting to know this Ivory character. He didn't need her hating him as much as she did Harry.

"What have you learned, my sweet?" purred Tom seductively in Pansy's ear as she sat on his lap. It had been a few days and Pansy had watched the group as close as she could without speaking.

"Well, apparently the Weasley girl and Potter have broken up and she stays in Draco's room now." said Pansy as she ran her fingers through Tom's thick black hair.

Tom felt a touch of anger but he set it aside as he ran his hand up Pansy's skirt. "Interesting. Any idea as to why?"

Pansy moaned as Tom rubbed up and down her thigh and nibbled on her neck. "They hang out a lot. I feel they are together. I've seen them snogging a couple times."

That caused Tom to push Pansy off of him and onto the floor. He sat up and yelled angrily.

"That blonde haired bitch! How fucking dare he put his lips anywhere on my Ginevra! That bastard! I won't stand for this! Ginevra Weasley is mine and mine alone!" he tantrumed.

Tom felt like he was losing himself slowly without Ginevra around. And the fact that another man was putting his bloody hands on her was enough to make him want to kill somebody. This Draco Malfoy was more in the way than he thought. It was looking like he was going to have to deal with him personally.

Pansy watched with jealousy at Tom's tirade. Why the hell did he care for that blood traitor so much? She wasn't anything special.

Pansy walked over and touched Tom's arm. "I'm sure whatever it is you are planning, it will come through. Try not to dwell on it."

Tom glared at the unsuspecting witch. "I don't keep you around for guidance. I keep you around to feed me info and to fuck me. Now get your ass over there and take off your clothes. Looks like I'm going to have to take my frustration out on you."

And with those words Pansy shivered in both excitement and fear as she climbed back on the bed and unbuttoned her shirt