"The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core strength within you that survives all hurt."
-Max Lerner
Chapter Eight
The next few weeks proved to be as challenging as we both feared. Our friendship was kept highly secret and no one, save a curious glance from Dumbledore every now and then, suspected anything out of place. Draco monitored my eating habits from his spot from across the Great Hall. Though he was always discreet about staring, I could still feel his eyes watching my every move without as so much as glancing up. I started studying again for most of my classes, I'll never be as great as my older brothers, but I at least wanted to get through school without failing anything. It was nearing Halloween and the house elves were in a frenzy decorating the school for the annual Halloween celebration. I glanced over at the clock and realized I only had a few minutes to get to the dungeon for Potions. I would never make it in time no matter how fast my feet carried me.
"Seven minutes late Miss Weasley. Ten points from Gryffindor and detention." Snape snapped as I hurried to my cauldron to begin preparing today's assignment. I glanced over at Raven, a soft-spoken Slytherin and my lab partner, to see what potion we were making.
"It's some kind of sleeping potion, very powerful. It's supposed to make the victim sleep for days and puts them in a coma like state. Professor Snape explained that in the old days when Wizards wanted to trick one another to fake their deaths, they would drink this potion." Raven whispered softly as I poured a few drops of dragons blood into the cauldron. Raven was one of the few Slytherins that I could stand to be around, aside from Draco of course. She came off as being shy, but beneath that soft exterior was a stubborn, impatient, cunning young woman. We weren't friends though, at least we didn't admit that to anyone. It was unheard of for a Gryffindor and a Slytherin to be seen together and neither of us wanted to disgrace our houses. But in class we were always civil and often whispered amongst ourselves childish gossip that we heard.
"Did you hear your brother and Hermione had a huge fight the other day?" She whispered softly so that no one could overhear us.
"No I didn't. What happened?" I asked curiously. The topic sparked my interests as soon as she mentioned my brother's name.
"My cousin Kaitlyn saw Hermione storming out of the library shouting how stupid men are. Rumor is that Victor Krumm wrote to her and mentioned that he was in town for a few days and wished to visit her. But your brother got real jealous and forbid her to go see him. Professor Lupin was in the hall when he heard the battle and took ten points from Gryffindor for disturbing the peace and locked both of them in his classroom until they ceased screaming at one another." She finished and began laughing.
"Why are you laughing so?"
"Well, everyone was so curious about what was being said in the room that people gathered all around the door to listen to the screaming match. When the couple emerged from the room Ron's face was bright red and his hair was completely messed up and his neck looked as if someone was choking him. Hermione didn't look much better for her hair was standing on end and her face was flushed with anger and embarrassment. Being Head Girl and treated like a five year old obviously took a hit on her pride."
I began to laugh along with Raven for I can surely picture Hermione strangling my brother until she got her way. As much in love as those two were, they still fought as much as they did when they were younger.
"Miss Weasley, Miss Tanner, you are supposed to be working, not gossiping. Now get back to work." Snape commanded from behind them. Both of us blushed at being caught in the act and the other students soon turned around to watch us.
"But Professor, we're done with our potion." Raven answered for I was still mad at Snape for giving me detention, though in truth it was my own foolish fault.
He picked up the clear rounded flask, which now held our potion in it. After a thorough inspection (I swear he was really trying to find some kind of fault with it), he placed the flask back on our desk and looked at both of us.
"Very good you two. You have managed to complete a highly advanced sleeping potion perfectly." He sneered while giving us the compliment. He was torn between praising a student of his house, and…well…me. Truth be told Snape despised my brother and his two Gryffindor friends with a passion. I know Draco informed me that Snape was pleased at my grade and effort in his class, but one would never know with the constant sneer on his face.
"Ginny did most of the work sir, I merely assisted. She knows far more about potions than I do." Though Slytherins were known for their pride, Raven still felt honor bound to explain the truth to him.
"Raven you helped far more than you give yourself credit for." I whispered to her, knowing full well that Snape could still overhear us.
"Miss Tanner I am fully aware of Miss Weasley's accomplishments. The bell will ring shortly so everyone take their potions and place them on my desk and then you are dismissed. Miss Weasley, I'll see you at 8 o'clock tonight, here."
The day dragged on as it usually does. I was still upset about my upcoming detention, but after receiving a high mark on my Muggle Studies paper, my mood was severely altered. I decided than that nothing could spoil my good day, whether that be the constant glares from the Slytherins, the disappointed glances from my fellow Gryffindors, or the ever watchful stare from a certain golden haired snake.
"I hear you have detention tonight for being late." A voice said from the shadows of the corridor I was walking through. I knew the voice belonged to Draco the moment the first word left his mouth. The hallway was deserted, and I was highly grateful for that; for in truth we had not been around each other for a few days and I was dying to be able to see him face to face.
"Yes, I was seven minutes late for class. I hoped to persuade him to change his mind once he saw the fantastic job Raven and I did on the sleeping potion, but he just complimented us and left." I replied to him as I joined his side next to a stone statue of a gargoyle.
"What do you think he'll make me do for my detention?" I asked him, hoping he would have some kind of clue as to what type of detentions Snape gives out.
"I don't know. He's done a bunch of different punishments that I've heard of. Manual labor mostly; cleaning or organizing something in his classroom. Last week a Hufflepuff third year was given detention and Snape made him scrub every single one of the cauldrons until they shined. But I can't really say what he'll do for you. In truth I doubt you'll have a bad detention though, Snape thinks too highly of you because of your interest in potions and all. Maybe he'll just have you organize the jars of something."
"Gee what a way to spend two hours of my time. I guess I can't really fault the man though. I was late though in truth I was up real early this morning. I must have just spaced out for a while and lost track of the time."
"Ginny, I need you to promise me something." I was shocked at the sudden change of topic and the seriousness that arose in his eyes.
"What's wrong Draco?" I was beginning to get worried. His eyes, a normal brilliant silver, darkened to a stormy gray and tensed.
"There are some things you don't know about many of the Slytherins, things I don't have time to explain to you right now. And you may hear…rumors…about some of them that may or may not be true. I know most people fear Snape, but you cannot listen to what others say about him. If the time arises I shall explain to you the meaning of what I'm saying, but until that time I just want you to be aware. Snape is not the enemy. I am being summoned home next weekend, so are a lot of upper class Slytherins. People are beginning to notice a change in my character and I fear they may be catching on. I'm still going to help you Virginia, but we are not going to be able to be around each other often. These are dangerous times with the Dark Lord rising in power each day. They are speculating that by Christmas his power will exceed that of which it was before 16 years ago. My father…" He paused for a moment as if the very thought was acid in his throat.
"My father has requested my presence at our manor for a private meeting with Voldemort."
"You cannot go!" I nearly shouted to him. I had to lower my voice for fear of acknowledging our presence in the deserted corridor.
"I must. If I refuse to go then my father will know something is wrong. I will be leaving next Friday after class."
"Draco you cannot put yourself in such a dangerous position! He is evil! More evil than anything in history! What does Dumbledore say to your leaving?"
"My father will be sending a letter to the Headmaster explaining that there has been a death in the family and that I am to return home immediately."
"But you mentioned that other Slytherins will be leaving too?" I gasped at finally realizing what was going on.
"The other Slytherins, they are children of Death Eaters too aren't they? You are all going to be meeting the Dark Lord? But what excuse will their families make at their leaving school?"
"Surely you have noticed that all Slytherins are strictly pureblood. We pride ourselves on that fact alone among other things. Most families, surely you will notice just by looking at my two cohorts Crabbe and Goyle, in time intermarry. Though the very thought repulses me, it is true. My father and mother are distant cousins, which I am thankful for because in some families the relationships between the parents are far closer. The other families will inform Dumbledore of our family's 'tragedy' and will therefore remove their children from school to attend the 'funeral'."
I nearly gagged at the information that Draco was telling me. Intermarried families? How disgusting! How absurd! And just to keep up the pureblood line! That's wrong! Immoral! My thoughts did not linger long, for my concern suddenly focused back onto the problem at hand. Draco was being forced into the serpents' den.
"You know I must go, I have no other choice. I promise to return to you. No matter what kind of torture my father or the Dark Lord inflicts upon me, I will not let them destroy who I am. I will not give them that satisfaction." His scowl was back in place and for a brief moment I was looking back at the old Draco Malfoy. His words comforted me though; in heart I knew he cared deeply about me, even if he wouldn't admit that feat out loud.
"I would never let them take you away from me." I replied to him with just as much anger in my voice as was in his. He smiled at my threat against the two most powerful people in the world and I knew my threat pleased him.
"I don't know what I would do without you Virginia Weasley." He turned and smiled down at me. My stomach began to flutter and my palms sweated with anticipation. Would he kiss me like in my dreams? I found myself wanting him to as days passed on. I couldn't help my heart wishing him to be more than just a friend. I can't tell him how I feel though, for I would be jeopardizing our friendship, besides a relationship between a Slytherin and a Gryffindor could never work out in the end. The Malfoys are a very influential, powerful, and deadly family and the Weasleys are just a poor, hard-working average wizarding family. No, it could never work out in the end. But that still did not stop my heart from wishing…
"Tell me what you're thinking." He asked in his deep sincere and down right sexy voice of his. My heart sped up even more so than before.
"Just how much I've come to depend upon you lately. It's not right, but I wouldn't change it for the world." So it wasn't a complete lie, just…exaggerated…
"I'll always be here to protect you Ginny, you have my word."
"And I will forever be in your debt for what you've done for me these last few weeks." I replied back to him. He was standing so close that I could smell the scent of his rich cologne. It was a very pleasing scent indeed.
He smiled arrogantly as he took my hand a placed a feathery light kiss upon my knuckles. The gesture was both pleasing and overly gentlemanly and I felt like I was some Renaissance princess or something. His lips left my hand a few seconds after and he smiled down at open astonishment.
"Don't you have detention in a few minutes with a certain professor of ours?" He asked smugly.
I glanced at my watch and realized I had exactly ten minutes to report to Snape's classroom down in the dungeons. It was plenty of time truly, but I didn't want to leave Draco just yet though I knew I had to.
"Yes, I have detention. Will I be seeing you before you leave for home next week?" I asked with just a hint of anxiety in my voice.
"The day after tomorrow meet me at the Astronomy tower around midnight." He replied as he turned to walk in the opposite direction. I walked in the direction of the dungeons but a familiar feeling kept nagging me at the back of my head. I looked back at the place where the two of us were conversing not a scant few minutes. The stone gargoyle seemed terribly familiar to me and yet for the life of me I couldn't quite place where I saw it before.
'No time to worry about the past Ginny, you have detention with the devil incarnate…'
