A/N: More Draco, more Ginny, hurrah! Fairly short, and they *still* don't meet Tom. Dazma, you know I do it just to torture you. Now, read on, thou who is stout of heart! AHH! School starts MONDAY! But don't worry, I will still update, *lol*
DISCLAIMER: The Harry Potter Universe is the property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros, and various other third parties. Copyright infringement is not intended.
It worked.
The plan had worked, and Draco and Ginny now found themselves facing the great stone visage of Malfoy Manor.
Surprisingly, there were no obstacles that the two had to face, in order to get there.
Ginny, under the pretense of sleeping, had stayed in her room when Hermione, the Wonder Twins, and the rest of the Gryffindors went down to breakfast. She took her trunk, charmed it to be feather-light, and hurried out the portrait hole before anyone could come back and notice her. She crept down the halls, until she came to a secluded classroom close to the main doors. She dropped off her trunk, then headed into the Great Hall to have breakfast, and to wish them all off.
She slinked into her seat and grabbed a few pieces of toast, smothering them with butter. She smiled as Ron turned to speak to her.
"We sure will miss you Ginny! Are you positive that you want to stay?"
Ginny gave a sigh. "Yes, I'm positive. I really need to get a good grade on that essay. But I'll miss all of you too."
Ron grabbed some sausages from a nearby platter, and shoveled them into his mouth. "Weel, haff fun hen. Eh 'ope ou dun't get lunly."
She blinked, not understanding a word her brother had just said.
Harry leaned over toward her, and winked. "If you were still looking for a gift for Ron, I think it could be some table manners. He might not like them, but I'm sure the rest of us would appreciate it."
Ron glared at Harry, and took a large swig of pumpkin juice to help him swallow. "I said I hope you don't get lonely." He checked his watch. "Well, it looks like we should be going." He pushed back his chair, and Harry and Hermione soon repeated the action. "We already put our trunks in one of the carriages, so I guess we can just say goodbye here."
Ginny pretended to frown. "All right, then. Have a happy holiday."
"We will, and we won't forget to owl you your Christmas presents!" He leaned over and gave her a brotherly hug, which she reluctantly returned. "Stay out of trouble, will you?"
Ginny could only nod.
You have no idea . . .
* * * * * *
Draco watched the scene in silence. He was sitting between Crabbe and Goyle, and was trying his best not to look at them while they were eating. It tended to cause a loss of appetite.
He allowed himself a malicious smile when he saw Weasley (the big, gangly one) hastily hug his sister (the smaller, more attractive one), and then usher himself and the rest of the Dream Team away. Ginny returned to the Gryffindor table, and took a pancake off a platter. As she turned, seemingly to reach for the maple syrup, she glanced at the Slytherin table. She caught Draco's eye, and gave a surreptitious wink.
He rose from the Slytherin table, regally placing his napkin upon his plate. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him questioningly.
Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm going by myself. You don't have to stop eating your breakfast." The two boys gave bright smiles, and promptly resumed stuffing their faces. Draco turned away, disgusted, and lightly strode out of the Great Hall.
Ginny watched him pass through the tall oak doors, and counted slowly in her head.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
She rubbed her eyes, and turned to Neville, who was sitting next to her. "Whew, I'm beat. I think I'll just get back into bed. Have a happy holiday."
Neville smiled. "Have a good Christmas, Ginny."
Ginny returned the smile, and got up from the table. She walked out of the Great Hall and turned down the corridor, going to the room where she had stashed her trunk. She lithely slipped in the door, and found herself facing Draco.
"Did you tell someone you were going back to bed?"
She nodded. "Yes, Neville. And he's not staying for the holidays so he will never know I was lying."
He grinned. "Excellent. Now all we have to worry about is someone seeing us on the way out." He drew his wand. "A glamour should do, don't you think?"
Ginny smiled. "I always thought it would be interesting to be a blonde."
"Evitius lebinablum," said Draco, and casually flicked his wand at Ginny's hair. Where her auburn curls had once lay, there was now a waterfall of straight golden tresses. "Perfect."
Ginny raised her face to his. "Thanks," She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, earning a lustful look from Draco.
"No need starting things that can't be finished, Ginger."
She smiled slyly. "But judging from your descriptions, your bedroom should be quite large and comfortable."
"And it is." He checked his watch. "We need to get going."
She took his hand in hers. "Do you think we will be able to do it?"
"Well, we've gotten this far, haven't we? Besides, if we don't, it would mean that I was wrong, and I'm never wrong."
Ginny laughed. "Oh, yes, for the day Draco Malfoy is wrong is the day that the apocalypse begins. C'mon, let's get out of here."
She quickly peeked out the door, and after assuring no one was looking, grabbed her trunk and slipped out the door. Draco waited a few moments, and then followed her.
The snow was bright across the grounds, temporary turning the castle into a winter wonderland fit for a Christmas card. The whiteness seemed to reflect hope at the two, and renewed Ginny's faith.
Draco got into the carriage that all ready held his trunk, and helped Ginny shove hers into it. He then held out his hand, and helped herself get in. They slammed the door shut, and made there way slowly to the Hogsmeade train station.
They rode in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Draco's were mainly filled with the little seductress sitting next to him, but Ginny's were filled with someone else.
I'm so close, Tom. Soon we will be together again.
Her eyes softened, and she smiled as she thought about him.
I know you haven't changed, Tom. I know you wouldn't do that to me. You love me, just like I love you. I can't wait to see you again, to hold you. It's never been the same since you left. I was so lonely, so very lonely. All I ever wanted was to have you back, and now I get you.
She was looking out the window, gazing at the snow that swirled around the carriage, enveloping it in a whispery embrace. She could see Tom's arms around her, hugging her, making everything seem peaceful again. She wanted him so bad she could almost touch him, right now, even though he wasn't there.
She turned her arm over, and rolled up her left sleeve. She carefully grazed her fingertips across her pale skin, forming the pattern that she had traced on Draco's forearm so many times before. Her skin was the same color of the snow, with the same virginal purity that few possessed. The field would be branded soon, and she would have the pretty little tattoo that she had been hungering for. She would also have the pretty little inkslinger to go with it.
The carriage lurched to a halt, awakening both teenagers from their thoughts. They had reached the Hogsmeade train station.
Ginny opened the door, drawing her cloak closer around her as the wind bit at her face and ears. She jumped down to the ground, and grabbed the handle of her trunk, pulling it after her. Draco followed her, taking his trunk.
The snow was falling thickly now, and with a wind that froze and stung, it was making the Hogwarts students get onto the train with more haste than usual. Everyone was too busy with their own affairs to notice the two blonde teenagers who clandestinely walked away from the station.
The snow was thick in the streets of Hogsmeade, as the storm had just started about an hour ago. No one had come to clear it out yet. Ginny and Draco trudged their way through the main road, pulling their weight-free trunks behind them. Ginny looked back once, and saw with approval their footsteps being slowly covered by the snow.
Finally, after their cloak hems and boots had been relatively soaked, they reached Hondeyduke's. Draco led the way around to the back of the store, in a secluded little alleyway that looked as if no one had entered it for ages.
There, looking regal in an emerald cloak against the sparkling white background, was Lucius Malfoy.
He smiled malevolently as the two approached them. He eyed Ginny as if she were some less-than-worthy gemstone, and he the appraiser. "I thought you Weasley's all had that blinding red hair."
She narrowed her eyes at him, then smiled unkindly. "We used a glamour, so no one would follow us. Unless, of course, you'd like the whole village to know you were cavorting with such a low class as us?"
Lucius laugh, one that was free of malevolence. "Ah, what a temper! My girl, no one talks like that to me. But," he smiled slyly. "I admire your spunk. Now let's hurry, or we'll all freeze to death."
He pulled a small silver chalice out of his robe pocket, and held it out to the two. Draco and Ginny held it with one of their hands, and had the others carefully hanging on to their trunks. They waited a second, then were suddenly thrust into nothing with a small 'pop', Lucius Apparating shortly after their departure.
After the whirlwind of darkness, they landed with a thump on an oriental rug in the entryway of an imposing stone building. Ginny looked to Draco, who was grinning.
"Welcome to Malfoy Manor."
Whew, that was fun, now wasn't it? The elusive Tom Riddle makes an appearance in the next chapter, as I'm sure you all will be thrilled to learn. Now, review! Review if you love Tom or Draco!
Thank you . . .
Lucius (Naughty=Good, *lol*) Shanm(Thanks!) sasori (I'm glad you like it!) Aerial (More, like requested ^_^) Spiffy Chan (MMM . . . Devilish . . .) LaughingGasGirl(No Tom yet, I'm sorry, but they *are* at the manor!) audig (Thanks!) Dazma (DON'T HURT ME! I know, Tom wasn't in this chapter either, but they're at where he is! Which means there will be a Tom appearance SOON!)