Disclaimer: All but plot belongs to the great and almighty JK Rowling.

A/N: I'm sorry this has taken so long to post, but to be honest, I've had somewhat of a writer's block. Also, I've been distracted by a HUGE project, and also by that little (HAH, little, whatever) thing with New York and Washington DC. My heart goes out to all those who lost someone or something (but didn't we all?) in the terrible tragedy of the demise of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the fourth plane crash in Pennsylvania. But . . . on the happier side, I've finally got the thirteenth chapter written. Hurray!! So without any further ado, I give you chapter thirteen of The Return of Salazar Slytherin.

Chapter Thirteen

Planning

Draco was not as much sad anymore as he was angry. It seems the one good thing in his life was taken from him. He only had a little while to be with her, and then she died. Why did he have so much bad luck?

After the left the Burrow, he had found himself walking to the rock where they had made out only a half hour ago. A half hour, he thought, sneering. My whole life changed in a half hour.

He sat on the rock, no longer feeling the heat that his leather outfit attracted. Instead, he felt oddly cold. Deep inside him something was aching, and his stomach felt hollow. The only thing he felt like doing was killing Slytherin at the moment. With his bare hands. It would be satisfying to dig his fingernails into his neck, the neck that once belonged to his father, and watch as he slowly lost life . . .

But he knew he wouldn't do that. The only person he would seriously consider killing was himself. What did he have to live for anymore? One more year of Hogwarts, then what? What job would he get, where would he live (surely not in his house), who would he eventually marry? Besides, with Slytherin powerful and mighty, the next few years would consist of mass panic and people living in fear, just like the time of Voldemort.

"Draco?"

He instantly recognized the voice, and thought, I've lost it. He obviously cared for her so much that he was hearing her voice.

Then he turned around, and there she was. As real and solid as she had been an hour ago, her fiery hair slightly damp, hanging around her shoulders. There wasn't a trace of blood on her. She had been walking towards him, but when his eyes met hers she burst out grinning and began to run. Draco stood up and by the time she reached him she was laughing. Planting her lips on his, she giggled into his mouth, while he kissed her with all he had.

Ginny was alive. He was so happy he didn't care how, but he just kissed her, tasting her, his hands feeling the smoothness of her skin, the warmth of her body pressed against his. He hadn't thought he'd ever hold her again, but he was.

When Ginny pulled her mouth away from Draco's, she was still smiling. They didn't release each other, but just stared into each other's eyes.

"Surprise," she said softly, the grin on her face nearly melting his heart.

"More like 'shock'," he corrected.

"I don't know what happen," she confessed. "One minute I was in extreme pain, and the next I wasn't and the knife wasn't in me anymore."

"So . . . what, did all the blood that you lost get sucked back into you?"

"Honestly, how can you make so light of the situation?" But her bright smile gave away that she was pleased with how he was reacting to her being alive.

"It's sort of like that saying: 'If I didn't laugh, I'd cry'. Except I wouldn't really cry, because . . . I just wouldn't. I just wouldn't be laughing," he said seriously.

"Whatever you say, Draco," she said, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, let's get back. I'm starving."

Later that night, Molly Weasley returned home. Fred and George left back to their joke shop. Of course, no one told Mrs. Weasley that Ginny had been dead for a few minutes. In fact, they didn't even mention Slytherin coming to the house.

While she fixed dinner, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Draco went into the backyard and sat on the ground in a circle, trying to figure out how to get Slytherin out of the way. Eventually he'd find out that Ginny was alive, and the next time he killed her she might not magically wake up.

"The only way we can get him to leave us alone is to kill him," Draco stated simply.

"Then I say we leave it to the Ministry," Ron said, his arm around Hermione.

"But we're the only ones who know who Slytherin really is," Harry pointed out.

"So?" Ron asked.

Draco shot him a dark look. "So, you idiot, we're the only ones who can do anything."

Ron glared angrily, and snapped, "Well, then why don't we tell other people?"

"Who would believe us?" Hermione asked softly, as if afraid Ron would get mad at her for siding with everyone else.

"They'll have to once Slytherin starts to take over the world," he answered.

"Still, we should try and do something, shouldn't we?" Ginny spoke up.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Harry said, "Well, it is up to Ginny. She's the only one in danger here."

"All right," Ron sighed angrily. "Gin, what do you want to do?"

"Try and see if we can find anything that could help us," she announced. "I don't want us to burst into the room and try and kill Slytherin with only wands and our pathetic knowledge on magic."

"Are you saying you want us to learn Dark Arts?" Hermione asked.

"If necessary," Ginny relented.

"Well, then we got a great teacher," Ron said brightly. "Malfoy!"

"Shut up, Ron," Ginny snapped.

Draco smiled triumphantly at Ron, and grabbed Ginny's hand just to annoy him further. "I've forgotten a lot of Dark magic," he admitted coldly.

"I can find some books about it," Hermione said slowly, reluctant to get into something that had to do with Dark Arts.

"Are you sure we should do this?" Ron asked.

"It's not like we're going to use the Dark magic on innocent people," Harry pointed out. "Just on Slytherin."

Ron shrugged.

"Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley yelled from inside.

"Well," Ginny said, standing slowly and reaching to help Draco up, "we don't have to get started immediately. Slytherin won't know that I'm alive for another couple of days yet. But Hermione, see if you can get those books as soon as you can."

Dinner was quiet, no one really having much to say. With a full stomach, Ginny felt exhausted. Even though it was barely dark, she went to bed early. Draco followed her up the stairs into her room.

"I'll just wait with you until you fall asleep," he said smoothly.

Ginny tried to contain her glee and quickly changed into her pajamas. Then she snuggled under the covers and closed her eyes. But she couldn't fall asleep, fully aware that Draco was across the room and watching her.

She opened one eye and smiled a little. "Come and hold me while I try and fall asleep," she said, hoping she didn't sound like a two-year-old.

But he obeyed, and kicked off his shoes and peeled off his jacket before crawling in next to her. And she fell asleep, safe and warm in his arms, where the troubles of the world seemed so far away.

"I love you," she murmured before she slipped off into sleep.

And maybe she dreamt it, but she could've sworn he replied, "I love you."

A/N: Aww, isn't that sweet? All right, peoples, I hope I've satisfied your craving – I'll be hoping to get the next chapter out pretty quickly!!

All right, time for thank yous:

w&m_law (Draco wasn't sad too long, was he?), *~*GinnyPotter*~* (I'm happy she's alive, too, if I killed her I think I'd have to flame myself!!! lol), 007 (me too), Lady Ev (Slytherin is WAY overconfident. Perhaps he should have pursued the Narcissa issue further, but he didn't think much of it), AliEnChiCk (sorry this took so long to get posted!!!!!!), Zoemma (Tony the Tiger? Quote: "GRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!!" lol, just kidding, of course), Draco's Lil Angel, Aquaria (MARRIED?!!! Now THAT'S an idea…..), Burke (thanks!!), sOmEoNeSpEcIaL, Hermione M. Granger (I'll try to keep it going as long as I can, but if that's not enough, check out my other stories!), summer_thyme (you've probably wasted away by the time it took me to get this stupid chapter out!!! Lol), Archer (why isn't chapter five of Catenus – hope I spelled that right :) – up yet?!!! I'm waiting very IMPATIENTLY for it!!! hee hee, but that's only because I love it so much), and Rosandra May.