Legend
Chapter XIII: Trapped
by Marie McKinnon
Gryffindor's balcony overlooked the now-frozen lake and was adjacent to the common
room. Ginny made good use of this information and stood outside, bathed in the warm firelight
from the Den, as its most frequent occupants called it. She needed to think. Wandless magic--
that wasn't possible for witches or wizards. No one could do it. The smooth wood of the railing
was cool under her fidgeting fingers. Resisting the urge to look at it, she kept her head up and
looked at the pool of metallic light created by the moon's reflection on the lake. Anyone could
see that she was upset by the way she stood in the corner and clutched the railing tightly, but no
one seemed to want to see her.
Harry always saw her. If she were near, he knew from the surge of aggression and
possession that almost overpowered him. Now that she seemed so vulnerable, so afraid, he
thought he would try to comfort her. At least, that was what he told his mind to justify his
actions. He knew he would lose control over his limbs once he reached her side. But the
firelight spilling over her back and red-gold hair illuminated her. She was a beacon in the
darkness, a light in the shadowy forest that called all wayfarers to her delicate iridescence. If she
were lost, it was his turn to be the buoy and keep her afloat.
She was lost, but not unable to find her way. The deep recesses of her mind seemed
impenetrable in the blackness that surrounded her. No hints of this power were hidden in her
past. Her wandless magic was inexplicable, and seemed it would remain that way for the
present. Ginny turned her mind to Harry. Thankfully he hadn't attempted to have anything to do
with her lately, but he was over-protective. It bothered her, because they weren't related and he
had absolutely no claims to her time or affection. As long as he kept his hands off, she wouldn't
force him to stop.
As soon as she prayed that he would keep away, a large hand came to rest on either side
of the elbows she'd balanced on the rail. "Think of the Devil," she muttered, so quietly he didn't
hear her. Louder, she said "What a surprise to see you here, Harry. I was just contemplating the
amazing peace of solitude."
"Beg pardon?" He asked drowsily.
"I was enjoying being alone."
Her harsh tone cut through any hopes he'd cherished about her falling into his arms.
"Well, then you won't mind that we're alone, will you?"
She turned around to address him properly and swallowed a gasp as she realized how
close he was. "Perhaps you misunderstood. I like being by myself. Not with other people."
"You were certainly relishing your time with Malfoy this afternoon," he pointed out
lightly.
"He's a very good ice skater. You're not."
"How do you know?" The distance between them was decreasing by the second.
"You've never seen me skate."
"Come just a little bit closer, Harry," she said dangerously. Pretending to misunderstand,
he did so, bringing him within an inch of her black-clad figure. Her glare was evident even in the
dark. "and I will drop you over the railing. Understood?"
The only response was a tiny step forwards. "I don't think you will."
"Oh?" One eyebrow raised.
He dragged his hands off of the rail and onto her waist. "You'll be too busy." Ginny
leaned backwards to avoid him and to get room for a fist or a knee to the you-know-where.
There was no room. She'd already been right in the corner, and that left no room for backing up
to evade the mouth that landed exactly on hers. Her eyes shut of their own accord while she
struggled to get a fist loose. Harry wasn't as stupid as he looked, however, and pinned her arms
to her sides. His whole upper body was flattened against hers. She bent back, trying to get
herself as far away from him as possible, but his strong arms pulled her back.
Kisses, hard and rough, forced themselves on her lips. She felt bruised and gasped for
breath. This only left an opening for him to achieve his goal and give her both her first kiss and
her first snog. She couldn't help but think that Draco would never lose control of himself like
that. He would be as cool and composed when he kissed her as he was when he talked or flew.
Fury boiled in her blood. Harry knew she was unwilling. The God d*** b****** knew she
would never have let him touch her if he hadn't had her backed into a corner. This anger finally
gave her the strength to wrench her arms out of his grasp and sock him in the nose. She relished
the crack she heard as it broke.
"Pity," she said. "Now there's blood on my robes."
*
Light on a balcony attracted Draco's attention. It was yellow, as though from a fire. A
sole shadow obstructed the light's flow. The shadow moved, shut the balcony door, and
apparently locked it. Wind, fierce and cold, whipped the figure's thin robes. Instead of curling
into a ball, it stretched what seemed to be its head out. The fluttering curls identified it as a girl.
Who is that? He asked himself. She's angry, but that doesn't help.
Ginny was still furious after she locked the door. She needed some outlet for her rage.
The wind helped a bit by chilling her, but the boiling inside cancelled the icy grip on her bones.
Oh, she would get him for that. He had a broken nose, of course, but that had been a physical
injury. If she added a mental one on top of that, it would ease her feelings slightly. In the
meantime, the anger rolled off of her bones in waves, poisoning the air.
He saw a huge bubble around her glow silver, and realized that it had to be a spell of
some sort. No wand, he thought. She hadn't had one when she'd locked the door. How? I
don't know anyone who can do magic without a wand. No one can do magic without a wand, for
that matter. Even Merlin couldn't, and he was the greatest wizard of all time. It's impossible.
So how is it that some tiny witchling is creating a shield around herself without magic? Or is it
not a shield? The sparks floating around her receded into her skin, and an audible sigh floated
out to Draco. She went in, glowing in the firelight. Before he could see who she was, the door
closed.
I have to be careful, Ginny thought. I can't afford another magic trick like that. It helped
with the anger, though. Don't get discovered, and most importantly, don't get stuck in a corner
like that. Don't let yourself get trapped.
Chapter XIII: Trapped
by Marie McKinnon
Gryffindor's balcony overlooked the now-frozen lake and was adjacent to the common
room. Ginny made good use of this information and stood outside, bathed in the warm firelight
from the Den, as its most frequent occupants called it. She needed to think. Wandless magic--
that wasn't possible for witches or wizards. No one could do it. The smooth wood of the railing
was cool under her fidgeting fingers. Resisting the urge to look at it, she kept her head up and
looked at the pool of metallic light created by the moon's reflection on the lake. Anyone could
see that she was upset by the way she stood in the corner and clutched the railing tightly, but no
one seemed to want to see her.
Harry always saw her. If she were near, he knew from the surge of aggression and
possession that almost overpowered him. Now that she seemed so vulnerable, so afraid, he
thought he would try to comfort her. At least, that was what he told his mind to justify his
actions. He knew he would lose control over his limbs once he reached her side. But the
firelight spilling over her back and red-gold hair illuminated her. She was a beacon in the
darkness, a light in the shadowy forest that called all wayfarers to her delicate iridescence. If she
were lost, it was his turn to be the buoy and keep her afloat.
She was lost, but not unable to find her way. The deep recesses of her mind seemed
impenetrable in the blackness that surrounded her. No hints of this power were hidden in her
past. Her wandless magic was inexplicable, and seemed it would remain that way for the
present. Ginny turned her mind to Harry. Thankfully he hadn't attempted to have anything to do
with her lately, but he was over-protective. It bothered her, because they weren't related and he
had absolutely no claims to her time or affection. As long as he kept his hands off, she wouldn't
force him to stop.
As soon as she prayed that he would keep away, a large hand came to rest on either side
of the elbows she'd balanced on the rail. "Think of the Devil," she muttered, so quietly he didn't
hear her. Louder, she said "What a surprise to see you here, Harry. I was just contemplating the
amazing peace of solitude."
"Beg pardon?" He asked drowsily.
"I was enjoying being alone."
Her harsh tone cut through any hopes he'd cherished about her falling into his arms.
"Well, then you won't mind that we're alone, will you?"
She turned around to address him properly and swallowed a gasp as she realized how
close he was. "Perhaps you misunderstood. I like being by myself. Not with other people."
"You were certainly relishing your time with Malfoy this afternoon," he pointed out
lightly.
"He's a very good ice skater. You're not."
"How do you know?" The distance between them was decreasing by the second.
"You've never seen me skate."
"Come just a little bit closer, Harry," she said dangerously. Pretending to misunderstand,
he did so, bringing him within an inch of her black-clad figure. Her glare was evident even in the
dark. "and I will drop you over the railing. Understood?"
The only response was a tiny step forwards. "I don't think you will."
"Oh?" One eyebrow raised.
He dragged his hands off of the rail and onto her waist. "You'll be too busy." Ginny
leaned backwards to avoid him and to get room for a fist or a knee to the you-know-where.
There was no room. She'd already been right in the corner, and that left no room for backing up
to evade the mouth that landed exactly on hers. Her eyes shut of their own accord while she
struggled to get a fist loose. Harry wasn't as stupid as he looked, however, and pinned her arms
to her sides. His whole upper body was flattened against hers. She bent back, trying to get
herself as far away from him as possible, but his strong arms pulled her back.
Kisses, hard and rough, forced themselves on her lips. She felt bruised and gasped for
breath. This only left an opening for him to achieve his goal and give her both her first kiss and
her first snog. She couldn't help but think that Draco would never lose control of himself like
that. He would be as cool and composed when he kissed her as he was when he talked or flew.
Fury boiled in her blood. Harry knew she was unwilling. The God d*** b****** knew she
would never have let him touch her if he hadn't had her backed into a corner. This anger finally
gave her the strength to wrench her arms out of his grasp and sock him in the nose. She relished
the crack she heard as it broke.
"Pity," she said. "Now there's blood on my robes."
*
Light on a balcony attracted Draco's attention. It was yellow, as though from a fire. A
sole shadow obstructed the light's flow. The shadow moved, shut the balcony door, and
apparently locked it. Wind, fierce and cold, whipped the figure's thin robes. Instead of curling
into a ball, it stretched what seemed to be its head out. The fluttering curls identified it as a girl.
Who is that? He asked himself. She's angry, but that doesn't help.
Ginny was still furious after she locked the door. She needed some outlet for her rage.
The wind helped a bit by chilling her, but the boiling inside cancelled the icy grip on her bones.
Oh, she would get him for that. He had a broken nose, of course, but that had been a physical
injury. If she added a mental one on top of that, it would ease her feelings slightly. In the
meantime, the anger rolled off of her bones in waves, poisoning the air.
He saw a huge bubble around her glow silver, and realized that it had to be a spell of
some sort. No wand, he thought. She hadn't had one when she'd locked the door. How? I
don't know anyone who can do magic without a wand. No one can do magic without a wand, for
that matter. Even Merlin couldn't, and he was the greatest wizard of all time. It's impossible.
So how is it that some tiny witchling is creating a shield around herself without magic? Or is it
not a shield? The sparks floating around her receded into her skin, and an audible sigh floated
out to Draco. She went in, glowing in the firelight. Before he could see who she was, the door
closed.
I have to be careful, Ginny thought. I can't afford another magic trick like that. It helped
with the anger, though. Don't get discovered, and most importantly, don't get stuck in a corner
like that. Don't let yourself get trapped.