December 4th, 1998

Ginny was on her way to Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but the sight of the Quidditch stands unexpectedly caught her eye when she was walking through the hallways. She looked longingly at the empty field through the castle windows. The burnt Quidditch stands were still in ruins and contrasted starkly against the white backdrop of the snowy grounds. There was no Quidditch practice until the stands were rebuilt, but Ginny still took her broom to the fields from time to time. The sight had caught her off guard and it almost physically pained her to look at the field, so she averted her gaze. She longed to play Quidditch again like they used to before the war. Tears suddenly stung in her eyes, but she didn't allow herself to let them run down her cheeks. She thought about the upcoming Christmas holidays. She was looking forward to spending two weeks at home and playing Quidditch with her brothers. On the other hand, she was dreading to spend the first Christmas without Fred. Thinking about Fred made her heart hurt and she pinched her own hand to distract herself. After a few moments she turned from the window and walked away.

Her mind unwillingly flowed towards Draco. She had tried to talk to him, but he had avoided her entirely. When she caught him alone in the hallway he only had said that she needed to wait until he talked to her. That had infuriated her, because he shut her out of the planning and researching entirely. Her curiousness had been piqued nonetheless, so she had spent some time in the Library researching the masks and the Oathbreakers herself. To her displeasure, there was next to nothing to find on the subject. She suspected the Restricted Section held more information, but she refused to get herself in more trouble for Draco. Ginny quickened her pace. The hallways were almost empty and she was sure she was going to be late for class.

"Weasley," she heard someone hiss. Before Ginny could react, Draco had pushed her in a corner. She stood with her back to the stone wall, looking up at him.

"You can't go home over the Christmas Break." Malfoy's face was contorted in a stern expression, his eyes studying her face.

"What? Why?" Ginny exclaimed in a hushed voice. "I am going to see my family this Christmas." She tried to put distance between them, but Draco pressed his hand against the wall, preventing her from turning. Ginny looked questioningly at him.

"We need-" he looked over his shoulders before continuing, making sure that nobody was overhearing them. He lowered his voice in a husky whisper. "We need to retrieve the first mask. I've done the research. I know where it is and how to get it. Christmas break is the perfect time. No one will question where you are if you say you're staying at Hogwarts. Just make something up."

December 7th, 1998

So she did. Ginny told her mother and father she was staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. The letter she received from her parents that morning during breakfast had a disappointed tone to it, but she tried to set it out of her head. It made her feel guilty for lying to them and it made her doubt her decision. However, the biggest part of her felt excited. It was odd, but she had been so sheltered from everything during the war. Looking back on what happened, she saw that her family had done the best they could to keep everything as normal as possible for her. And now, she had her secret adventure of her own. It gave her a tingly feeling in her stomach. Ginny put a piece of orange in her mouth. It was Monday morning and Hermione was just telling her plans for Christmas. Ginny decided that this was the best moment to tell her she wasn't going home this time.

Hermione was just as surprised as her parents had been. "You can't be serious Ginny. You always go home for Christmas. Why not now?" the brown haired asked.

"Don't worry about me Hermione," Ginny thought about it for a second. "I just don't want to be home and see Harry every day." Part of that was true. It would hurt to see Harry, knowing that he had pushed her away. She was still so terribly in love with Harry. Thinking about their possible future together made her heart flutter, but Ginny knew that was still far out of reach. When he had asked her to wait, she knew that it would be for longer than a few months.

Hermione nodded slowly, while looking at Ginny intently. "Did you tell your parents already?"

Ginny hummed in response and drank the last sip of tea from her cup. Their conversations was cut short by Gregory Pastel, who sat down next to Ginny with a huff. His face was slightly red and he seemed a little out of breath. He turned to Hermione who was sitting opposite them.

"You are familiar with the Library, right?" Gregory asked Hermione. "I was just there, researching Ignatia Wildsmith, you know, the witch who invented Floo Powder. Did you know she was a Ravenclaw? I wonder if most inventions were made by Ravenclaws. That would be an interesting study, maybe-"

Hermone held her hand up. "What's your questions Gregory?" Ginny smiled in amusement. If you didn't stop Gregory from talking, you'd still be sitting here next year.

"Oh yes. Well, I was looking at the Restricted Section. Not in it mind you, just looking. And I saw the most peculiar thing." He lowered his voice. "I saw this shadow in there. Like, a walking shadow you know? Maybe it's because I drank too much Butterbeer this past Saturday, but I could swear I also smelt something burning. The Butterbeer this Saturday was especially good, did you taste it? I asked Madame Rosmerta if it was a different recipe. She added some Indian spices. Chai something? It was delicious. But that burning smell in the Library, it was like burning paper. At first I thought there was a fire, I almost cast Aguamenti, but then I realised it came from that shadow!"

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know. I never read about anything like that," she responded before he could continue. "I think it's best if you report it to Madame Pinch. Or the Headmistress. It definitely sounds like something that is not supposed to be roaming around here. But I think it's best if you only tell them and not anyone else. People are still so antsy after everything. The older students are already scaring the younger students with stories of Dark Wizards roaming the hallways at night."

Gregory agreed to that and put a pastry in his mouth. Ginny thought back to when she was researching Asphodel in the Library a few weeks back. She had seen a shadow as well, but had thought it had been a trick of the light. Gregory's story gave her a chill, but she didn't say anything to her friends. He was already going to tell the teachers. They'll know what to do.

December 18th, 1998

It was dark when they left. The wind was cold and the moon was hidden behind fast moving clouds. Ginny had packed a backpack with some food, water, clothing and potions. She had asked Draco what they could expect, but as much as he claimed he knew what they were getting into, she still sensed that he didn't know as much as he led on. So a few days prior she had brewed some potions in preparation. Ginny was wearing her warmest clothing; a pair of boots, a thick pair of pants, a sweater and cloak. Her scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck and her gloves warmed her hands.

"You're going to get cold wearing that." Ginny turned around to the voice behind her.

Draco was wearing full winter regalia. Thick dragon hide boots, black pants and a thick black fleece pullover that was peeking from under his winter cloak. His family emblem had been stitched onto the front and the inside of the cloak seemed lined with black fur.

"We're making a stop in Germany. Hopefully there we'll be able to get you at least a decent cloak. You're no use if you freeze to death and I'll get irritated if you constantly whine about the cold."

Ginny just shrugged. It was all she had and she knew it wasn't up to par with his attire. She didn't feel like answering and Draco didn't expect her to. They got on their brooms and Ginny followed Draco's dark shape through the cold winter air. His broom was quicker than hers, but they weren't in a rush so it wasn't hard to keep up with him. They flew low over the trees. The trip would be long and it was too cold high up in the air. Draco seemed caught up in his own thoughts. Ginny studied him cautiously. His white hair looked like it glowed in the moonlight. His gaze was focused on the horizon in the direction where the Portkey would be that would transport them to Germany. He had told her that there would be another Portkey there that would get them to Russia. They didn't stop to take a break. Ginny had already expected Draco not to be the type to take breaks. Ginny wasn't either, but her hands were freezing and she couldn't feel her toes anymore. She was too proud to say anything though. The two hadn't exchanged any words, save for the few directions Draco had pointed out to her.

She had time to think while on the broom. Suddenly everything felt very real. Before, it had all been plans and thinking, but now she was really on her way to Russia with Draco Malfoy. Even doing something with Draco was something she never expected to do. In the previous years there had always been some kind of animosity, but now they were in some weird limbo. It felt like they were partnered together for a project while neither of them wanted to work with each other. Although she probably wasn't his first choice in travelling companions, she realised that he had asked her to help him. That meant that despite everything, he felt some kind of trust towards her, right? Did she trust him as well? Ginny couldn't answer that question. Suddenly she didn't want to think about it anymore. She closed her mind from the thoughts and focused on her surroundings.

It was past midnight when they landed. They were standing just outside a small village by the coastline. She could smell the salt in the air. Instead of walking towards the village they took a small path that lead them down the cliffs to the beach. Draco stood still for a moment.

"There should be... Ah- there it is." He held out his hand and Ginny realised he motioned towards her broom. She handed her broom to him and he hid them in a small indent where it would be hard to reach. He cast a Concealment charm to protect it from nosy Muggles and studied his work before turning around.

"Okay. Now to the Portkey. Follow me."

"That's what I've been doing," Ginny muttered. They trudged through the snow-and-sand mixture along the beach. After a few minutes they reached a cave-like indent in the cliffs. Draco cast Lumos and the surroundings lit up while they stepped into the cave. Ginny saw that the cave went deeper than she had initially thought. The stone walls where white like chalk and the floor was made out of rocks and sharp edges. The rocks were icy and slippery, but she followed in the Slytherins footsteps and caught up to him without falling. The inside of the cave was warmer than it was outside. There was no snow here and the wind couldn't reach them. Small critters scampered out of the bright light that came from Draco's wand. After a few minutes they reached a cavern. A litte tidepool had formed on the side, but there was nothing of note.

"Here is the Portkey." Draco stood over an old rusty bucket that looked like it had been there for a hundred years. Ginny nodded. Portkeys were usually nondescript objects, so Muggles wouldn't even bother to look at it. "Ready?" Draco asked. He hovered his hand over the bucket. Ginny nodded and at the same time they grabbed the rusty bucket. Ginny felt a hard tug behind her navel and felt her body being compressed and stretched out at the same time.

With a thud she fell to the ground. Travel by Portkey oftentimes went together with nausea and she refused to puke in front of Draco. When she opened her eyes she saw that they were in the middle of a forest. They had landed beneath the pine trees. She heard a groan to her side and saw Draco lying next to her. Obviously he was just as affected by the Portkey as she had been and a small chuckle escaped her lips. Draco recovered quickly and before she could make a sarcastic remark he had sprung to his feet. There were no clouds in the sky here and she could see the frown on his face that was illuminated by the moon.

"Odd. We should've landed just outside a magical town." Draco didn't bother to help Ginny to her feet. He just pointed his wand into the dark forest. "That way." Ginny hopped to her feet. She felt her stomach lurch, but she held her mouth tightly shut. She hitched her backpack higher on her back and wound her scarf higher around her neck until it also covered her mouth and nose. They walked for what seemed like hours. Ginny's question if they went the right way were met with a sneer and she knew better than to push him. The night was cold and although the pine sheltered them from the snow, it still was below freezing point. More than a few times Ginny heard movement in the undergrowth and she made sure there was no more than a few steps between her and Draco. The forest was scarier than she would ever admit.

"Almost there," Draco whispered to himself. They had reached the top of a hill and from there they could see some light shimmering in the valley beneath them. Ginny sighed in relief.

"I was wondering. Why couldn't we bring our brooms with us? We could have been down there by now." Ginny asked.

Draco didn't bother to look at her, but he still answered after a moment of silence. "Travelling between countries has become harder since the war. Especially for me. I'm not supposed to leave the country until my parents have been on trial. The Portkey we used isn't exactly... legal, so to speak. Probably the reason we ended up here and not just outside of the town. Our brooms wouldn't have survived the Portkey."

Ginny was still mulling over what he said when they reached a clearing. In the middle was a lake that sparkled in the moonlight. It had a faint multi-colour glow and around the edge plants that she didn't recognise grew. Before she could examine it, Draco grabbed her by the shoulder held his other hand over her mouth. In a normal situation, she would have elbowed him in the stomach, but she sensed his urgency. He turned her around to look at the other side of the clearing and released her from his grip. She didn't know what it was at first, but then recognised it with a startle.

"Is that a unicorn?" she whispered. The horse-like creature was small, it probably wasn't more than a year old. Its coat was golden and reflected the glowing light from the lake. It was stumbling towards the water. At first, Ginny thought the foal was tired, but then she saw the blood dripping from its side. The scene was horrifying. The foals stomach was clawed open and after a few steps it crumbled to the ground. Without thinking, Ginny rushed to the creature and fell to her knees beside it.

"Oh poor creature," she whispered. Draco knelt beside her. The sight of such a majestic creature made her heart almost physically hurt. "Is there anything we can do? We must try." She looked at the tall figure beside her. He was staring at the animal. Draco's eyes were cloudy and the expression on his face was unreadable. He tentatively reached out his hand and stroked its neck. He seemed entranced by it. Ginny grabbed her backpack and looked at the potions. "I brought some potions with me. I don't know if any of them will work on him." Ginny's hands were shaking. The need to help the animal felt so urgent. "I have Wiggenweld potion. It's the only healing potion I packed."

"We must try," Draco said resolutely. Ginny had never seen him like this. So determined to help something other than himself. They were both startled when a white creature came charging at them. Ginny fell on her back and crawled backwards. Standing over them was a full-grown unicorn. It's coat was stark white and the usual peaceful creature was staring at them with fury in its eyes. Ginny's heart was racing and she fumbled for her wand. What was she going to do? There was no way that she was going to hex a unicorn. Everyone knew that harming a unicorn was one of the worst things a wizard could do.

Draco held up his hands to the older unicorn. "We're trying to help. Let us help. Please."

The unicorn stared them down, everything in their body language showed that it was ready to harm them. Then, it seemed to sense his truthfulness, because it lowered its head. It nudged the foal on the ground, but the foal only let out a weak whinny. Slowly, Draco and Ginny approached the pair.

"Let's try the Wiggeweld potion. I researched some healing spells before we came here. We can do both," Draco suggested. Ginny agreed and grabbed the potion bottle from her backpack. The liquid in the glass bottle was green. She hoped that it would be enough. Normally Wiggenweld potion was ingested, but there was no way the foal was able to drink anything in this state. Slowly Ginny poured the liquid over the wounds. They were big claw marks on its side and she knew the unicorn was in tremendous amounts of pain. The potion stopped the wounds from bleeding, but they didn't heal. Draco pulled out his wand and began using different healing spells. Some seemed to work on the animal, others didn't. He differentiated between the ones that worked. After what seemed like an eternity, the wounds closed bit by bit. Both Draco and Ginny let out a sigh of relief that they had been holding. The foal didn't stand up, but they knew that it wasn't in danger anymore. The older unicorn lowered its head in gratitude. Without thinking, Draco and Ginny both lowered their heads as well, in a universal exchange of thanks. Softly and slowly they stood up. The unicorn had made it clear that it was time for them to go. Ginny grabbed her backpack and they walked out of the clearing.

"Stay close to me. We don't know what attacked them." Draco said. This time, he let Ginny lead the way, while he walked behind her with his wand in hand.