Disclaimer: The characters and places in this fanfic (Except Mei Lien Chang and Professor Sylvermir) belong to J.K. Rowling and respective companies. I do not claim anything in this story except the plot and Mei Lien & Professor Sylvermir. This fic also contains situations that warrant the PG-13 rating. Please enjoy! =)

Still it Rains

Chapter 3: Moon Flowers and Nyteveil

The candles were nearly burned to the end of their wicks. Draco had poured over the large leather bound tome practically all night long. He sat in an emerald cushioned chair; legs propped upon the matching footstool. A mug of cinnamon and nutmeg spiced coffee hovered in the air to his right, suspended by a levitation charm. Draco took a sip and placed it back in its floating position, then tilted the book back up so that he could read. Turning to page seven hundred thirty-eight, he heaved a sigh and glanced up to the magic operated grandfather clock. One fifty-two in the morning. Rubbing his temples, he shifted his weight and continued to read on the next page. He felt as if sleep would claim him any moment, but he desperately needed to study for the Defense Against the Dark Arts test that would take place the following morning.

Unfortunately, the lulling atmosphere of the Slytherin common room made it relentlessly difficult for him to remain awake. The breathy hum of the fire in the fireplace whispered through the darkness as its flames cast dancing shadows along the stone walls. Glowing like captured faeries, the candles in the iron chandeliers hung low to provide scant reading light. Of course, there was also the ever so often purr of thunder, muted greatly by the thick Hogwarts walls and the depth at which the Slytherin dorm resided in the ancient castle.

When ever will this storm end? I swear it has lasted for several days now. Draco thought, too distracted with the need to sleep to concentrate on reading. His head lolled to the side, resting back against the cushion of the chair, and sleep finally claimed him. It wasn't long before images began to flicker in his mind—building and building until they formed the landscape of his dreams.

"Draco?"

"Yes, I'm here. Where are we?"

"I…I don't know."

Draco squinted into the darkness, unable to see anything. From the way their voices resonated, he could tell they were indoors, and that wherever they were, it was cold and damp. His companion muttered a charm spell, and a glow was emitted from a wand tip. This provided substantial light so that he could tell that they were in a very small stone room without a door, a window, or anything. Glancing up to his companion, he took note of her thick glossy tresses of red laced with gold, like autumn leaves, and the tattered appearance of her robes. She turned around to face him, and the light from her wand cast starkly contrasting shadows across her visage.

"How do we get out?" Ginny asked. She placed a hand on the cold stone wall, tracing the grooves with her fingertips.

"Maybe there's a loose stone, or a password."

"Mm. Maybe…" Ginny followed the line between the stones all the way to a corner, where her hand slipped through the wall as if it weren't even there. Gasping, she pulled her hand back.

"What?" Draco peered over her shoulder, a thin line etched between his brows as he studied the corner where she was staring.

"Watch." Ginny whispered, then tentatively brushed her fingertips across the surface of the stone until she reached the corner, where her fingertips disappeared. She continued to slowly press her hand through the wall, and Draco observed as the wall consumed her hand, then her wrist, then halfway up her forearm before she pulled it back out.

"Oh, an invisible wall." Draco mused, eager to get out of the cramped space. Ginny gathered her courage and pushed through the corner and out to the other side. Draco followed soon after and found himself standing next to Ginny in a well-lit house. Extinguishing the glow of her wand, Ginny stepped forward on the creaking floorboards. Draco began wandering around the house, not finding it the least bit bizarre that there was no furniture and the walls were barren. He didn't even feel the need to question where he was. Approaching a closed door, he paused and reached for the handle. Slowly, he pressed the door open and before taking a step, he noticed that from wall to wall there was a crystal blue swimming pool.

"Oh, you'll love this!!" Draco shouted, extremely out of character, as he jumped into the water. He swam around for a while, and when Ginny didn't respond, he began to get a little worried. Looking around, he tried to find a way out, because the door through which he had entered was no longer there. He found a window and burst through it, shattering glass all over the porch outside. Brushing the slivers of glass from his soaking robes, he glanced up to see Ginny standing in the distance. She was very still, not even the wind seemed to move her hair or her cloak. All around the house appeared to be fields of yellow wildflowers for as far as the eye could see. Ginny stood at the brink between the slightly overgrown yard and the field of flowers, and Draco stared at her, an overwhelming sense of fear and insecurity washed over him.

"Ginny?" He called out to her in barely a whisper, his voice drowned out by what sounded like a crowd of people talking all around him and laughing. He whirled around frantically, and desperately attempted to cover up the Dark Mark that appeared to glow brightly through the sleeve of his robes.

Draco began to run. He took off through the field of yellow wildflowers, and after running what seemed like hours, the voices finally faded away. He stood in the midst of the flowers as they danced around his shins. The wind had picked up, and he felt rather cold in his damp robes. Fear had not left him yet, however, and he peered around nervously, fully expecting something to lunge out at him. Taking deep breaths, he stared intently at the horizon now, at how beautiful the sky looked all laced with wispy white clouds.

There was a loud crashing sound all around him, echoing over the field, followed by something approaching him at a terribly unrealistic speed. The closer it got, the more he could see that it was a person! Before he could turn to run, the person was there in his face, with wild eyes.

"Go away from here!" Ginny screamed, her voice so shrill and haunting that…

Draco woke with a gasp, his body drenched with sweat and his heart racing. It took a minute for him to become accustomed to his surroundings, and he looked down to see that the mug of coffee had fallen and shattered into a few pieces while he was sleeping. The coffee had splattered everywhere, creating a sticky mess on the chair and the stone floor. That must have been the weird crashing noise I heard in the last part of that…bloody horrible dream.

The book he was studying lay opened on his lap, and he closed it and slowly stood. Things were awfully quiet in the Slytherin common room. Without the blessing of sunlight, since the Slytherin dormitory resided in the dungeons, he couldn't tell whether it was day or night. Yawning, he stretched his arms and glanced at the clock.

Draco swore and went swiftly to his dorm room to get his clothes and shower necessities. It was after ten thirty in the morning, and he had already missed his first class. Hurrying to the shower room, he took one tornado of a shower and began to get dressed, cursing along the way. He hated not being able to make sure every hair was in place and every article of clothing was without a wrinkle. Finally, he was at least mildly satisfied with his appearance, and hurried out of the common room and down the hallways to the Transfiguration classroom. At least I haven't missed my Dark Arts class yet…I just hope McGonagall doesn't hold me over after Transfiguration or I might be late for that also. Draco thought as he slowed to a steady walk so that he could catch his breath.

At last, Draco reached the Transfiguration classroom. He was twenty minutes late, and just knew that McGonagall would give him a nice sentence of detention. Lifting his chin with confidence, he strolled into the classroom as if it was perfectly fine for him to walk in late. The class was already engaged in their daily assignment, and McGonagall was moving around the room, observing and assisting when needed. Draco almost went unnoticed, since everyone was concentrating to the point that they were able to drown out most anything around them. McGonagall, however, was as attentive as ever, and glided over to his desk the moment he slipped into his seat.

"Mr. Malfoy, you are twenty minutes late." McGonagall glared down her nose at him, pointing out the obvious. Draco afforded her his gaze and unapologetically began taking out the materials he would need for class. McGonagall continued, "You will serve detention for this. This is the second time this week that you have been late. I suppose deducting points from your house isn't enough to prevent your tardiness."

Draco thought about arguing, noticing that virtually all eyes were upon him. Deducting points never worked much, mainly because he won points for Slytherin on a daily basis during Potions. Ron was smiling triumphantly at him from across the room, which sent a wave of anger over Draco and made him forget all about responding to McGonagall's detention sentence. He forgot all about it, until she revealed exactly what he would have to do, that is.

"Tonight, you will go out with a small group of Healing Arts students to the Forbidden Forest, where you will assist them in foraging for several of the herbs and other healing ingredients they need for an upcoming assignment. Professor Sylvermir, the Healing Arts professor, will not be able to make it, so you will be responsible for escorting the students."

So I have to go pick flowers with a bunch of losers. Draco just stared at her after she spoke, and then unaffectedly went back to copying down some notes from the blackboard. He knew this would infuriate her, his expertise in the art of aloofness, however at the same time he hoped that it would not incur a more vicious detention. McGonagall must have gotten used to his behavior over the years, and appeared to be ignoring it. He usually showed up for his detentions, no matter how he acted when he received it. This was her reassurance. It was his responsibility. Maybe tonight would be one of those times he chose to rebel. And face double detentions and maybe even an essay?

He hated giving in.

____________________

Later that evening, a small group of Healing Arts students, consisting of Ginny Weasley, Padme Patil, and Neville Longbottom were gathered at the front of the castle, waiting for the appropriate hour to depart for the Forbidden Forest. The sun had set not too long ago, leaving the clear night sky to a host twinkling stars and a full moon. The air was crisp and cool, and carried the scent of distant rain.

"Where's Professor Sylvermir?" Neville asked to no one in particular as he lit a lantern.

"Not sure. She said she'd be here by now. It's almost time to forage the herbs." Ginny responded, sitting down on a stone bench. Padme unrolled a parchment of notes about where the herbs grow and when to harvest them. She glanced it over intently, and then made a gesture to the moon. "The moon is almost in the position that Professor Sylvermir illustrated in class."

Ginny nodded subtly, staring up at the clear night sky. They were standing just in the archway that lead to the courtyard, and her thoughts returned to the other day when she had paused with Draco in this same location. The feel of being wrapped in his warm cloak had stayed with her ever since. She had seen him in the Great Hall in the three days after that incident, and always found herself sneaking fleeting glances over to the Slytherin table just to see what he was doing. He was typically carrying on conversation with his fellow Slytherins, oblivious to her existence. Although he infuriated her with his insufferable condescending behavior, she couldn't help but wonder about him. Why was he like that? What would it take to make him break? Why am I thinking about him?!

Ginny quickly conjured up the image of Harry in her mind, and smiled faintly. He seemed to have been taking on some kind of interest in her lately, one that she couldn't quite determine whether if it was a crush or just brotherly overprotection. She felt a hand on her shoulder, which roused her from her thoughts, and she turned to glance behind her. It was Harry, his piercing green eyes searching her face for any indication of what she was thinking.

"Hello, Gin. You ready to head out?" He asked calmly. Ginny stared at him pensively, wondering why he was here.

"Yeah. We were waiting for Professor Sylvermir. You're coming with us?" She asked.

"Yes. I got detention in Professor Snape's class for botching up a potion demonstration." Harry rolled his eyes as he thought of the situation. "I was told that I would be escorting you to the forest as my detention. Professor Sylvermir isn't going to be able to make it. We have to wait for Ron and Hermione though."

"Did they get detention too?" Neville asked, overhearing their conversation.

"Yeah." Harry answered, "See, the demonstration was botched because… well Snape called us up there on the spot, me and Ron. He asked us to put together a potion that we were going to learn that day—that we hadn't even learned yet. So, of course we had no idea what we were doing. The ingredients were up there, and since we have knowledge of potion making, we tried our best. When Snape came over to look at it, it kind of…bubbled up into his face. It didn't do much but scald him. He was pretty set off."

"Why was Hermione given detention?" Neville asked.

"For attempting to stick up for us." Harry answered. Hermione and Ron approached the group soon after Harry finished speaking, and were greeted by the rest.

"This doesn't seem like much of a detention, really." Ron commented. "It'll be like a party in the woods!"

"Ron, we have to search for herbs that are extremely rare. We might be out there all night. We haven't got time to fool around." Hermione said firmly. She moved over to Padme to look over the scroll with her. A conversation between them ensued, about where they would go and exactly what they were to be looking out for. Another scroll was sticking out of Padme's robe pocket, and she reached for it while allowing Hermione to hold the other scroll. Once she had fished out the map scroll, she took the scroll of notes back from Hermione and put it in the pocket of her robes.

"I have a rather crude map here," Padme said, turning to the group. "It should help us out some. I made a couple of copies of it in case we need to split up."

"Smart thinking," said Harry as she offered the scroll to him. He unrolled it and inside of the larger scroll were two smaller, hand drawn versions of the same map.

"So, there will be no professor to escort us?" Neville inquired, beginning to feel a little more wary about going into the forest.

"No, but we should all be okay. I find it unusual also, but they have allowed seventh years to go to the forest before. Only it was usually in daylight." Harry answered. He turned to Hermione, who stood nearby, and leaned down to her ear a little. "Something tells me there is more to this than just a walk through the forest. Do you get that feeling?"

Hermione pondered for a moment, "That thought hadn't crossed my mind, but now that you mention it…"

Ginny turned to the group after staring at the sky for a few moments, "You know, it almost seems odd that it isn't raining now. It has been raining for quite a long time now, and the lake is flooding its banks. The grass along the way to the forest is going to be terribly mushy."

"Yeah, but there is rain in the distance. I can smell it on the breeze." Padme added.

"It's just weather, nothing unusual about it raining a lot in this part of the world." Ron said.

"Well, is this the lot of us? We should get going." Harry said, handing the map to Hermione, and the group then headed out on their way to the Forbidden Forest. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Padme walked ahead while Ginny fell behind a few steps. Harry allowed his steps to fall behind along with her, and he glanced over to her, wondering if something was bothering her.

"Are you all right there, Gin?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little nervous about going into those woods. I don't feel right about all of this." Ginny answered. She couldn't help but look up to him, her face alight with a soft smile. He could tell she was blushing, even in the darkness. He knew that she had always had a crush on him, and wasn't sure whether or not her feelings had deepened to something more substantial. She was pretty, he thought, and she had a wonderful personality, but she just felt too much like a sister to him. He had decided that too much was going on with him now to allow himself to fall for anyone. Maybe if things were different, but for all he knew, death could be right around the corner. Death Eater activity had elevated to surpass what it was in the past, before Voldemort went dormant after giving Harry his scar. He was also constantly getting involved in the latest Voldemort scheme.

Ginny suspected that Harry was in deep thought, and just allowed the silence to pass between them. An eruption of laughter was heard just ahead as the rest of the group shared some kind of inside joke, or maybe Neville tripped. Whatever it was, Ginny wasn't paying much attention. Every ounce of her attention was diverted to the fact that Harry was walking next to her, so close that their hands had accidentally brushed together once or twice. If that happens again, I swear I am going to grab his hand and hold it!

Footsteps were heard not too far behind, and Harry paused, turning to see who it was. Ginny stopped as well, and the rest of the group was too far ahead to notice. Draco was approaching them casually, his face expressionless. As he drew closer, his eyes shifted to Ginny briefly. He had almost forgotten that she just so happened to be one of these loser healer students, but why was Potter here?

"Malfoy. What are you doing here?" Harry moved to stand between Ginny and Draco, crossing his arms loosely over his chest.

"I came out here to lure you deep into the forest and kill you for my master." Draco answered coolly, and punctuated his comment with a sardonic smirk. Harry slowly let his hands drop, and reached for his wand, just in case. He didn't really believe that Malfoy would just blurt something like that out if it were true.

Draco watched in a detached sort of way as Harry reached for his wand. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch. If I were going to kill you, I wouldn't give away my strategy." Draco commented, and glanced over Ginny's shoulder. "We're losing them."

"What do you mean 'we'? Don't tell me that you're coming with us," said Harry.

"Yes, I'm coming with you. Detention. It's not as if I'd just enjoy coming along for any other reason." Draco drawled and began walking passed Harry and Ginny. As he neared the other group, he groaned—a billion swears and curses flooding through his mind. Granger? Weasley?! This has got to be the worst detention ever. He decided he wouldn't make himself known to them yet, and just followed behind like a shadow.

"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Ginny asked to Harry.

"I guess…but we should keep our eye out on him. I don't think he realizes there isn't a professor with us. If he knew, he probably wouldn't have shown up." Harry answered, and they began walking once again.

Once everyone reached the edge of the forest, they hesitated momentarily. After discussing which direction they would go, they took off again in the thick underbrush that skirted the forest floor. It wasn't too long before the underbrush gave way to a thick carpet of leaves and twigs, still damp from the rain, that snapped and crackled beneath their feet. Neville had cast a levitation charm on the lantern, and it hovered like a ghost just ahead of them to light their path. The forest was alive with a myriad of noises from a variety of unearthly creatures. A cawing overhead, a howl far in the distance, and an enduring wail were just a few of the sounds that made up this foreboding symphony. Only the incessant croaking of frogs helped to remind them that they had not taken a walk into a muggle horror movie.

"Okay, now what does that scroll say about where we can find the herbs?" Neville asked as they stopped in a small clearing, his voice trembling a little. Over the years he had picked up quite a bit of courageousness, however in situations like this, when the unknown was severely more prominent, he tended to revert a little. The moonlight struggled to pierce the thick canopy, leaving the floating lantern to fend off the shadows itself, and overall the group felt wary and on guard.

"Well, they both glow, so they shouldn't be too hard to spot. According to this, the Moon Flower herb can be found clinging to the cracks of rocks, and the other, Nyteveil can be found closer to water," Padme informed. "It has been raining a lot lately, and this says that the Moon Flower glows brighter when it rains, but the Nyteveil glows much dimmer. It may be more difficult to find. I wonder if there is a place in this forest where we can find a lot of rocks?"

Hermione unrolled the map scroll, "According to this map, there is a lake about…fifteen kilometers from here, and another, smaller, lake about twenty kilometers from here. There is also a prominent outcropping of rocks at the foot of the mountains, which is thirty kilometers from here. I have a feeling we may be out here all night."

"Doesn't sound so difficult. Just time consuming. Maybe we should all split up?" Harry suggested. "Flare spells should be used though, in case we need to locate one another. We can use red if we are in danger, and green otherwise, such as if you wanted to meet back up again." He thought back to his first year when he had to serve detention in the forest, searching for the injured Unicorn.

"That sounds like a good idea," Neville commented. "How should we split up?"

"Well, maybe—," Ron began, but was cut off by none other than Draco Malfoy, who had finally decided to let his presence be known.

"There is no professor here?" Draco asked in an uninterested sort of way as he approached the group and slid his hands into the pockets of his robes.

"No. What are you doing here?" Hermione inquired. Everyone turned to look at Draco, who leaned casually against a nearby tree.

"I came to serve detention, Granger. I hear we need to go pick some plants. Let's get started then, I haven't got all night, and there are other things I'd much rather be doing." Draco responded. He wished he could punch each skeptical glare he received after he spoke.

"You're a lying bastard. Just go away now and stop bothering us," Ron said, feeling his temper rise—which was a rather typical reaction to Draco's presence.

Draco glowered at Ron for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed and he smiled a rather devious, one-sided smile. "Calm down, Weasley. I haven't done anything…yet."

"He's telling the truth. We ran into him along the way." Ginny added, hoping to ease the tension. Ron muttered a few curses and tried all he could to pretend Draco wasn't there. Draco shifted his gaze to Ginny, and for the first time since he woke up, he remembered his dream…and wondered if it meant anything.

"We have decided to split up into two groups of two and one group of three," Padme said. "I think the group of three should go to the stones, the one that would take the longest to get to."

"So, how shall we split up?" Neville asked.

____________________

"Albus, are you sure they are safe out there?" McGonagall asked as she approached Professor Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore appeared to be pondering the notion for a moment, and then leaned forward, speaking carefully.

"I assure you that they are not safe out there. However, the lamp that I had Professor Sylvermir give to the healing students will in fact show me where they are in the forest." Dumbledore reached into his desk and pulled out a large scroll, and then unrolled it on his desk. "This is a highly detailed map of the Forbidden Forest. You see this light here?" He pointed to the map, and close to the edge of the forest was what appeared to be a speck of flame burning on the parchment. It began to move forward, leaving a charred trail in its wake. The trail would linger for a moment, and then eventually fade as the parchment appeared to mend itself. "It also picks up wand activity. A highly valuable map that this is, indeed."

"Amazing, Albus. I have a feeling that they would choose to split up. This is a difficult task that we have given them." McGonagall said, her eyes following the little flame on the parchment. A long silence stretched between them as they observed the map. The little flame began to move again, and tiny sparks of light appeared in three clusters, each cluster heading in a different direction.

"Ahh. They are using their wands to light their path. It's going to storm soon though," Dumbledore commented with a jovial smile. McGonagall pursed her lips as she watched the lights for a little longer.

The room was soon alive with the sounds of someone entering, and Dumbledore looked up to the door over McGonagall's shoulder. "Ahh, come in, do come in, Aurellia."

The figure Dumbledore had addressed as Aurellia walked forward, and stood along side McGonagall. Her robes were of deep green velvet, embroidered with intricate gold designs. Long spiraling blonde hair fell over her shoulders and shorter ringlets framed her pale face. She gave an emerald-eyed glance to the map and then back to Dumbledore, canting her head respectfully.

"I trust they have begun on the journey, Headmaster?" the woman Dumbledore referred to as Aurellia asked.

"Professor Sylvermir, good to see you this evening." McGonagall said, moving over a little to allow Aurellia some room. Aurellia glanced over to McGonagall and smiled.

"I am well, very well, Minerva." Professor Sylvermir responded, and then turned back to Dumbledore.

"They have begun, Aurellia. Searching for those herbs will take them all night, I'd wager. If not longer." Dumbledore said.

"Severus could not make it here this evening. He said that he had previously made plans," McGonagall noted. Dumbledore nodded, knowing exactly where Snape had gone. He was also very concerned for Snape, mainly because he was certain that sooner or later the Death Eaters would catch on that they have a spy in their midst. "Harry Potter is now safely away from the school…"

After Dumbledore made this comment, the entire room grew deathly silent. All eyes were on the map, watching intently. The little flame continued on its journey in the direction of 'The Ancient Ruins of Kaylithian.' It was followed closely by three little sparks.

"On the map that I drew for them, and in their notes, I simply referred to the ruins as 'an outcropping of stones at the base of the mountains.' I also labeled the two portkey monoliths as lakes. They are in fact two very large pyramid structures, most likely covered in vines and moss. The children won't be able to miss them," explained Professor Sylvermir.

"They have no idea what is going on, do they?" McGonagall asked, her question directed to Dumbledore.

"Very clever, Aurellia. No, Minerva, no they do not. However, Aurellia, can you send out a scout to see who is in which group? We must keep our closest eye on Harry Potter."

"Yes, Headmaster," Professor Sylvermir responded, and then bowed out.

______________________

Two of those little sparks on the map that Dumbledore held in his office belonged to Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley. They were together, and headed for the farthest 'lake.' Just how they got to pair up together without Ron going ballistic can simply be explained by Ginny's own fiery temper. An enormous argument broke out over who would travel with Draco, and Ginny settled it by saying that she would. Ron, of course, jumped on the chance to argue with her about it, however she explained that she could fend for herself, that she wasn't a little girl anymore, and that she wasn't afraid of Draco in the slightest bit. She also figured the 'Dream Team' couldn't bear to be separated.

Draco and Ginny walked for a while in silence. They had not felt the need to consult the map yet, and pretty much avoided any form of communication. The wind began to pick up significantly as it whisked through the trees. The sound of leaves whispering against one another grew to such a volume that it nearly drowned out the other nightly noises. Once muggy and humid, the atmosphere suddenly shifted with the wind and the temperature dropped significantly. Branches creaked and the canopy shook violently as strong gusts blew over the Forbidden Forest. A rumble in the distance warned of an approaching storm.

"Not again…What is up with this weather?" Ginny asked out loud, although more or less to herself. Frail twigs and leaves blew off of the trees and fell in their path, littering the forest floor all around them.

"This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever done. I could be back in my common room, or perhaps in my bed, relaxing to the sound of the storm. But no, I chose to bend to the will of authority and serve this idiotic detention." Draco spat with contempt. Not to mention he was a little miffed that no matter who he had to be paired up with, it was a choice between people he loathed with every bone in his body, or people who annoyed him beyond comprehension. Then there was Ginny. He did not despise her, nor did he find her annoying. More or less, he hated her ideals and her quirks—her good-natured, muggle-loving, Potter-gloating, Weasley-blooded, temper-flaring, quirks.

"Doesn't it seem odd to you, though?" Ginny asked as she stopped walking. Draco stopped with her and fixed her with a demeaning stare.

"What ever are you talking about, Weasel? We need to keep going. The sooner we are done with this, the sooner I am asleep in my bed. I tend to not enjoy traipsing through the forest with rugged little muggle-lovers."

"Don't be such an arse. You're pathetic, really. You spend so much time complaining about things and don't take the time to just enjoy yourself."

"I was enjoying myself while you were quiet and I could pretend that you didn't exist." With that, Draco began walking again.

His words stung Ginny. She was so used to feeling as if she didn't exist—mostly around Harry, Ron and Hermione, that to hear someone come out and say something like that hit her pretty hard. It wasn't something she normally sulked over, for she typically was able to let things that bother her roll off of her shoulders. Evidentially, after they rolled off her shoulders they gathered there at her feet and would build up over time.

"Okay then. I'll walk by myself…seeing as how I have the map, I should be able to find my own way just fine." Ginny called out to him, her voice brimming with anger. Draco continued to walk without once looking back. It wasn't long before she lost sight of him, and found herself utterly alone in the forest. A raindrop or two landed on her head, and she swore under her breath as she unrolled the map. I have no idea where I am on this damn thing.

Shoving the map back into her pocket, Ginny began to walk again. The rain pierced the treetops and pelted all around, growing heavier and heavier every moment. She sorely wished that she hadn't lost Draco. Even if he was an arse, he was someone. Being with Draco in this wild and wicked forest was far, far better than being alone. Minutes went by like hours, and she was beginning to wonder if she was heading in the wrong direction. At least the pouring rain had drowned out the wailing, cawing and howling that she had found severely disturbing when she entered the forest. Every now and then, a wail would rise above the hum of the rainfall, sending shivers down her spine. She drew her robes around herself tightly and pulled the hood of her cloak over her hair. This time, she was sure to wear her rain repellent Hogwarts robes.

The sound of her feet slushing against the wet leaves diverted her thoughts from worrying about werewolves and giant spiders. She wondered where Draco could be, thinking he must not be too far ahead of her, she stopped walking and listened out into the forest.

"Malfoy!" Ginny called, her voice straining to travel beyond the thick trees and pouring rain. She listened for a moment, and the sound of footsteps off to her right caught her attention. Reaching for her wand, she bit her lip apprehensively and stared intently in the direction of the sound. After a moment, they stopped.

"Malfoy! I know that's you, quit trying to frighten me!" Ginny yelled. Off to her left, more footsteps were heard. The leaves crackled much louder than the ones she heard before, indicating a heavier source. She remained deathly still, her breathing coming out in short gasps. A low growl emitted from the direction of the heavier footsteps, and Ginny aimed her wand. Lightning lit up the surrounding area, bringing to light a form not too far from her. It was hunched over, and from what Ginny could see, it appeared to have hair all over its body. A werewolf…God…Just think back to Defense against the Dark Arts…Please Draco…Please not be too far away!

A/N: To be continued! What do you think so far? Should I keep going? Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed, and I apologize 28758708575 times over for how long it took me to get this chapter out. I've been busy with Graduating from college (its about time!) so my mind has been in a thousand different places at once. Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed this, sorry about the cliffie!