Cold Comfort
The Scandal
A lone figure sat on the rock but the lake staring up at the sky, there was a northern lights going on and everyone was watching from the quidditch pitch, except for two people of course. One was sitting on the rock and the other was watching from further down the lake; Ginny Weasley sighed as she folded her arms around her knees and lightly pressed her chin into her arms. The dancing lights were so beautiful; they made her feel disconnected from the world that surrounded her. She caught glimpses of blue, pink, orange, even deep streaks of purple that weaved in with the rest of the colours making them seem connected in everyway. She oohhed and ahhed appropriately with a giggle in between, then she looked around. Where was that goddamn bottle? It had probably fallen into the shallow water lapping at the base of the rock, growling she looked back to the sky and once again was lost to the colours.
A while down the river, Draco Malfoy watched the same show with the same sentiment but a sense of detachment settling in his bones, he'd been feeling this detachment for a few weeks now. The colours weren't exactly hurting his pale silver eyes; it was more of an itch that made him want to start clawing at his eyeballs. Suddenly the show faded away and he smiled a twisted smile. Much better, now the sky was only gray. The smile stayed there but wasn't so twisted as he trudged back up the path; he hesitating seeing a form on the rock, the rock he usually sat on wishing for complete darkness instead of gray, that Weasley girl, that's who it was wasn't it? Yes, it was, so why wasn't she hanging around Potter? She was still lovesick with him wasn't she? He frowned ever so slightly and looked back in her direction, to his suprise she was looking right at him. "Enjoy the show, did we Malfoy?" She asked with a slightly dazed sound to her voice.
"You sound drunk, Weasley. Go to bed."
"No. I think I'll stay out here for the rest of the night." Ginny smiled to herself and blinked away the glazed appearance of her dark brown eyes.
Draco was tempted to leave then but something was off about her; she was swaying slightly and her speech was slurred. "You really are drunk, aren't you?" as he spoke a bottle slipped from the rock and fell with a soft thud onto the dirt; he walked over and picked it up, it was a half-full bottle of whiskey.
"Give it here, Malfoy," Ginny made a grab for it and almost fell off the rock; only just managing to keep her balance, by sheer luck it seemed. Stars seemed to swirl around in her head so fast that she began feeling dizzy.
"You can't even hold your drink," he sneered disdainfully at her
"Give me back the bottle and go away," Ginny blurted out unhappily
"Cheap brand too, not that I could expect anything else from a Weasley," to his utter shock and uncomfortable disbelief she sniffled.
"I know. Pathetic isn't it?"
Now he felt like a real ass. No one had cried in front of him before, let alone because of him, she was still talking.
"I mean, I'm just Ginny. Nobody would care if I hit my head and drowned in the lake."
"You're ass of a brother would," he said uncomfortably, unwilling to comfort her.
"No. He's too busy trying to sabotage Harry and Hermione."
"Is that why your drinking? Because of those three prats?" Draco would've laughed but now she looked at him with tears in her eyes. 'Oh no. She's not really going to actually cry, is she?' He was beginning to panic, he himself hadn't cried since he was six.
"No. Although they are prats."
"She's realised after how long?" he paused, then sighed, cursing his conscience "Then... why?" Draco knew he didn't want to hear this but asked anyway because it was his good deed of the day. It was this thing that Professor McGonagall had with him; she wouldn't give him detention for blowing up Potter's hedgehog in Transfiguration if he tried to be nice once a while.
"I feel invisible."
"You're hard to miss with that hair," he hadn't meant for that to come out, it spoilt the good deed but she smiled tearfully. He felt immensely relieved when she did this.
"Everyone else has straight red hair. But mine's just--wavy. No, that's not my problem. I feel overshadowed. I'm just me. My brothers all have something they can put to their name."
Draco couldn't stand to listen to this for much longer so he spoke up; "Grow a backbone, Weasley! You'll always be just you if you don't do anything about it."
"Oh, well. I am the girl who got tricked by Voldemort."
"There. You've started already, good for you," he whirled on his heel and started back up the path.
"Hey, give me back my bottle!" There was the sound of footsteps stumbling after him.
"I think I'll keep it, you'll pass out if you have anymore. Go to bed." There was a thud and he stopped, holding his breath. Turning he saw her plain as day in the moonlight, unconscious on the dirt, "Oh bloody hell." Draco retraced his steps back to her prone form, nudging her with his shoe he sighed, out cold. Cursing the little part of his brain that made him pick her up, Draco adjusted to her light weight and looked down at her pale face, those freckles stood out in stark relief; she was right, her hair was wavy. Probably the only variation that made her stand out from the rest of the Weasley's. "You will owe me for this," he told her small face with a resigned sigh.
Despite how light she was, it was not easy to manouver through the trees that seemed to reach out to scratch him, remembering where he was he realised they probably were reaching out to harm him. "Back off," he hissed. There was a rustle and the trees were still once more. Noting that everyone had gone back inside already, as the quidditch pitch was empty; the night was as empty as it felt. Or so he thought.
"Malfoy, what are you doing?"
At the sound of Potter's voice he glanced over his shoulder.
"Taking her to the hospital wing, Potter. What does it look like?"
"Taking who?" before Draco could object, the nosy Gryffindor stepped forward and peered at the form in Draco's arms. "It's Ginny!"
"No!--" Draco gasped sarcastically, smirking all the while "--and here I was thinking it was your favourite mudblood." Potter flushed angrily at his words and dug out his wand, pointing it straight at Draco's forehead; annoying mouth opening to utter a hex but no sound came out. The taller Slytherin smirked. "You can't can you? Not while I've got her as a human shield."
"No, Malfoy, unlike you, I don't hit people when they're defenceless."
"It's no wonder Voldemort's still alive then. If you're the one whose supposed to save us I think we're all doomed," even Draco was shocked at how Potter responded; he just put his wand away.
"Did I hit a nerve, Potter?" There was a rush of twisted satisfaction that came free with the thought of having one up on the Boy-Who-Lived, but if he didn't go away soon, he wouldn't be alive for much longer.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry said bitterly then continued with his gaze on Ginny. "Give her here, I'll take her up to the hospital wing. Save you the pain of doing something right," he held out his arms avoiding his enemy's eyes.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Play hero as usual? I'll take her up, I know why she's unconscious."
"Did you do it?"
"You're even more stupid then I thought. See this bottle?" he indicated the bottle lying on Ginny's stomach with a laugh.
"Ginny was drinking whiskey? Why?"
"Dense too. Go to your little mudblood girlfriend, Potter. You'll get no respect here," reluctantly, the supposed saviour of the world looked down on Ginny who was still unconscious.
"Take her straight to the hospital wing, Malfoy. I'm warning you."
"Actually, I was planning on taking her to my dorm and ravishing her. But since you insist, I'll take her to the hospital wing first."
He blushed.
Potter actually blushed.
Draco entertained the notion that The Boy Who Lived was still a virgin.
"If you lay a hand on her." Harry said threateningly.
Definately a virgin.
And it was their seventh year.
How pathetic.
"Well, I better just drop her unceremoniously on the ground right here then." Draco made as if he was going to drop her. Harry blanched reaching forward. The Slytherin laughed scornfully at him; "I wouldn't touch her if I had a choice, Potter. Hurry back. I can see the invisible leash tugging. Granger must be waiting," with an angry snarl, Harry Potter stormed away and soon disappeared through the shadows. "I see your point now, Weasley." Draco muttered to the prone Gryffindor who didn't respond. With a sigh he continued up through the snickering greenery to the castle entrance.
* * * * *
The halls were silent as Draco proceeded through them, looking around him at the paintings; they shifted themselves to gaze after him in confusion, it wasn't everyday you saw Draco Malfoy doing something that didn't involve benefits for himself. A few paintings actually murmured in shock, he studiously ignored them, kept his gaze firmly on the corridor in front of him. He arrived at the hospital wing and knocked on the door with his foot.
"Just a moment, please," came Madam Pomfrey's voice, a few moments later the door was opened and the nurse's face peered out at him. "Mr Malfoy? How can I-oh! Who have you got there?" She swung the door open and ushered him inside.
"It's--" he actually had to say her first name, he blew a strand of blonde hair away from his eyes in exasperation.
"Weasley, is it? Yes, I was wondering if I'd see her tonight," at his look of bewilderment she smiled. "You look confused."
"That's because I am."
"Oh, Virginia is learning some medicine techniques. I have an apprentice, it's quite nice actually. Gets a bit lonely with only sick people around. Now! What's wrong with her?"
Where should I start? Draco said dryly to himself but shook the sarcastic remark from the tip of his tongue. "I found her drunk on the edge of the lake. Took the bottle and then she came after me and fell flat on her face." Draco left out the part where Potter had been, because all he served to do was take the spotlight.
"Drunk? How on earth did she manage to get alcohol? Honestly, these days." Madam Pomfrey tutted and motioned towards an empty bed. "Put her down. She'll have to sleep it off. What did she drink?"
"Whiskey."
"By merlin. Did she really? That is quite strong stuff," the thought of the school nurse drinking whiskey, being drunk even, amused Draco.
"Where on the lake?"
"Pardon?"
"Where on the lake was she, boy?"
"Sitting on that boulder."
"Of course, she was. Watching the show I suppose?"
"Yes."
"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked, determined to get a longer answer out of him.
"It hurt my eyes," that made her pause, and she tilted her head studying him.
"It hurt your eyes? Has this happened before? Perhaps it was because-"
"It wasn't a medical fault. Can I go?" Draco was getting antsy; he had a disconcerting feeling that the nurse knew more than she let on and that she could read him like a book. He needed to get out of there and soon.
"Yes. I'll tell Miss Weasley that-"
"She won't care. So don't bother."
"Alright then, Draco."
"That's Mr Malfoy to you," he snarled and left the room, leaving her to stare after him and then looked back at her young helper.
"That boy has some serious problems."
* * * * *
The first thing the young Gryffindor thought when her eyes opened the next morning was 'oh no.' Ginny hadn't even moved and she already felt incredibly nauseous, so naturally her second thought was to be 'I'm going to throw up.' With a thick groan, Ginny rolled over and felt as though her brain was hammering it's way out of her skull. After relieving the contents of her stomach into a bowl that was conveniently by her bedside, she rolled back onto her bed and concentrated on the pounding inside her head. It was like that one time Ron had attempted to play some of those muggle drums; she'd been in bed with headaches for a whole day.
"You're awake, Miss Weasley." Madam Pomfrey yanked open the curtain surrounding her bed, Ginny wondered fuzzily when the curtains had been installed, when she had last visited Harry in here there hadn't been a thing, just open spaces.
"Obviously, how did I get here?" Ginny grumbled putting a hand to her head.
"Nevermind that, I am severely disappointed in you, young lady. Of all things, you went and got drunk on whiskey and on school grounds too. I really thought you were different from the rest of them, I will most definately be suggesting to Dumbledore that you be kept under surveillance-"
"No!" Ginny interrupted the nurse with a cry of horror but it didn't deter the woman.
"-if you develop a problem." Ginny was aptly miserable and looked down, tears beginning to collect in her eyes, "oh dear. Please don't cry, you know your tears seem to be contagious to me." With an effort she cleared up her tears, but still remained a little misty-eyed. "Good girl, now will you be alright to go to breakfast?"
"My head is pounding to a rhythm. What do you think?"
"I suppose not. Do you want a glass of water?"
"I'd love one." 'If I can keep it down, that is.' Ginny thought with a groan she briefly attempted to sit up, only managing to get herself more frustrated. "Madam Pomfrey?"
"Yes?" the nurse was bustling about, searching for a cup and then headed over to the tap. Ginny watched her silently for a few moments. Madam Pomfrey turned around, raising her eyebrows at the student.
"How did I get up here?"
Handing the cup of water to her young companion the nurse sighed sitting at the chair beside her bed. "A student brought you in. He said you had collapsed."
"Oh." Ginny fell once more into silence, "Wait, he?"
"Oh, yes. Mr Malfoy," the Gryffindor choked on the sip of the water she had only just taken and Madam Pomfrey patted her patiently on her back. "I was suprised myself, is there something going on Virginia?"
"No!" Ginny couldn't believe this, how could Madam Pomfrey even begin to conceive that there was something going on. It was inconceivable! Also, the look Poppy Pomfrey was giving her was grating against her already frayed nerves.
"No need to get defensive. I would like to know what happened." Ginny scowled at the insufferable cheerfulness of the nurse, which only made her laugh. "Go on, Miss Weasley, I'm sure this will be a delightful story."
"It is not a delightful story! He was absolutely horrid to me…I think." Ginny added under her breath, saying that, she realised that she really couldn't remember anything. Not a thing. Thinking about it wasn't much of an option either; it made her head pound even more furiously; double beat, as if a professional muggle drummer was playing for his life.
"You think? The whiskey probably altered your memory a little bit. I should think you will regain it soon." Madam Pomfrey took the glass from the unresisting student and set it on the bedside table.
"You should think, so I'll remember the whole thing?"
"There's no reason for you not to," the old nurses eyes began to gleam with a look Ginny knew all to well, "perhaps you'll remember a sordid affair!" with her loudest groan yet, Ginny turned over and refused steadfastly to answer. Who knew that the nurse of the hospital wing had the biggest desire for gossip, and it didn't look like Ginny could even leave the bed to pretend to get some fresh air. It would be a long day.
* * * * *
That evening, after escaping from Madam Pomfrey's clutches and just before she went to dinner Ginny stopped off at her dorm. It was as cluttered as ever with the other girl's belongings, her own belongings were relatively as she'd left them, except for the little make-up she had, the bag had been tipped out onto her bag and sifting through it, Ginny saw that someone had stolen her watermelon lip gloss. Deciding that it had probably been Amelia, and that she would recollect it later that night she stared into the mirror, her skin looked washed out and on searching for it, Ginny realised someone had also used her moisturiser. Growling, she blinked disgustedly at her reflection and then turned away, not wanting to see anymore 'Congratulations Ginny, you've been able to make yourself look as bad as you feel.' Her inner voice taunted her maliciously and she slapped both her hands over her forehead. Then she heard the door to the dorm room squeak slightly as it opened and a voice calling out to her.
"Ginny? Are you in here?"
It was Hermione, poking her head just inside the door.
"What do you want?" Ginny didn't mean for her words to come out so sharply, the irritable ache on the nape of her neck had replaced the pounding of her head and now one third of the dream team had come to collect information to report back.
"I didn't see you all day. Where were you? The whole school is talking about this supposed scandal!"
"Hospital wing. Scandal?"
"Yes, scandal. So Malfoy…was telling the truth?" this information seemed to floor Hermione and she came further into the room emboldened by some odd reason.
"What?"
The look of superiority came over Hermione's face, making her face look snobbish, "oh, he was just having his usual insult of the day…" She took a moment to fret over the obvious indignity she felt of this and then shook herself, "…when Harry asked about you." Hermione actually winked, she probably thought that Ginny still liked Harry like that, there was a little something but nothing she was about to blush and giggle about like the snooty elder girl wished. When Ginny didn't react to the wink, Hermione flushed and then carried on, "Harry kind of went silent, and then Malfoy asked after you. Ron, well he'd started being a bit overprotective and if I hadn't been standing behind him he probably would've fainted! And then-"
Ginny held up a hand to ward off the next wave of words.
"Draco Malfoy asked after me?" despite herself she was interested in what the Head Girl had to say about this, she was hoping it would set off more memories. All day long she'd been having little memory flashes and it was annoying as hell, like when you were trying to think of a word, but you couldn't quite reach it.
"Yes, mind you he had that always present sneer on his face. Honestly, and then he said that you two had fun! I've never seen Harry blush so terribly, well, now Malfoy's probably sporting a bruise or two. I accidentally forgot to hold Ron back," for such a studious student Hermione sure talked a lot, Ginny took a moment to dwell on this but realised that Hermione was still talking. Deciding to tune the rest of her fellow student's words out because it was a strong possibility all she was babbling on about now was Harry and Ron's bravery and defending the trio's honour. Finally after watching the older girls mouth move for a further five minutes Ginny realised Hermione was glaring at her with a scowl.
"Are you even listening to me, Ginny Weasley?" Hermione demanded, somehow managing a petulant posture even when sitting down.
"Yes?" she meant for it to come out as an affirmative but that didn't work as well as she had hoped and it was more of a question, Ginny hoped Hermione hadn't noticed but by the anger darkening her brown eyes obviously she had. Perceptive girl she was.
"I was just saying that-oh forget it! It's not like you would listen, is it? You should rethink your attention span, Virginia," with a huff Hermione got off the bed with a stamp of her foot for emphasis and then turned, folding her arms impatiently.
"Coming down to dinner? We're already late. Should really cut down our chat timing, Ginny," all Ginny could manage was a strangled gasp of disbelief, first the seventh year Gryffindor was sniping at her and now was insulting her attention span? Hermione needed to come back down to earth, and fast. Reluctantly she followed Hermione down into and out of the common room, she could almost hear the cling and clatter of the Great Hall as she moved after her silently. It was one of those things she had acquired while trying to avoid her family at home in The Burrow, which was no small feat.
When the pair of Gryffindor's reached the Great Hall Hermione strode ahead, her precious prefect badge flashing, standing apart from her robes, briefly Ginny pondered whether or not Hermione spent more than an hour polishing the damn thing. An image of Hermione leaning over her prefect badge, wax and a rag in hand, her hair stringy with many hours of sweating over the blinding flash of her prefect badge silver. Ginny could almost picture what she would be saying, "My precioussss… mine…" A small smile flitted over her mouth and she ducked her head, staring at her feet as she kept walking, there was a small hush of silence over the hall. Ginny glanced up abruptly and looked around with quick jerky movements of her head and neck. Then she remembered Hermione's words; funny how the important speech seemed to sink in. 'The whole school is talking about this supposed scandal.'
With a strangled gasp, Ginny looked down and hurried towards the Gryffindor table, well aware of the blush on her cheeks. She absolutely hated this kind of attention! Hated it with a passion, sitting she avoided the glances of the housemates around her. Finally she looked up and glared at them all, even though the glare was weak, then she realised she had plonked down directly next to Harry and Hermione was gazing wide-eyed at her.
Ron was about to attack and he actually made an effort to control himself by banging his head onto his plate. "How" clunk "could" clunk "you" clunk "be" clunk "out" clunk "at" clunk "night" clunk "with" clunk "MALFOY!" with a final clunk he looked up at the ceiling and wailed. A bemused younger sister who raised her eyes to the ceiling took this in and then down again, by then Ron had just thunked his head onto the unfortunately empty plate and stayed there. "How could she? My baby sister?" Ron was now muttering to himself but Ginny wasn't listening. The object of her brother's helpless rage had been watching the display of insanity along with the rest of the hall, the professor's were all talking amongst themselves. Professor Snape had an evil grimace on his face that was probably a twisted smirk, and Professor McGonagall was looking quite worried, her lips set in a thin strained line. But Ginny didn't notice any of that, not even Hermione trying unsuccessfully trying to comfort Ron, or Harry's disbelieving snickers. She was staring across the hall at Draco Malfoy who stared unblinkingly back. Then the flash came to her, a whole memory, and not just annoying fragments.
Here went-sure he would laugh at her "I feel invisible."
"You're hard to miss with that hair."
Ginny gaped drunkenly at him. Was that a Malfoy-esque compliment?
"Everyone else has straight red hair. But mine's just wavy…no, that's not my problem. I feel overshadowed. I'm just me. My brothers all have something they can put to their name."
"Grow a backbone, Weasley! You'll always be just you if you don't do anything about it."
"Oh, well. I am the girl who got tricked by Voldemort."
"There. You've started already, good for you," then he was walking away, the edges blurred like Tom Riddle when he had come out of that diary she had treasured, suddenly there was two Draco Malfoy's and then she yelped something, he didn't even bother turning around and she struggled to move. Then thud, her face met the dirt and the last thing she thought of was the frightened look in his eyes when she hadn't met his hostility with anger.
Shaking her head slightly to herself she tore her gaze away looking down at her plate, ignoring Ron who was now bringing the plate up to meet his face. Then the plate met his face with food on it and the entire hall exploded into laughter. Ginny stared at her brother with wide eyes as he threw the plate down, glaring at it and then snatched the serviette Hermione held out. Amidst the laughter Ginny saw Malfoy getting to his feet and then leaving the hall, for once, Ginny noted, successfully shaking off both his goons and that Pansy Parkinson girl that seemed to be clamping on his arm all the time. Making up her mind, she slipped away from the Gryffindor table for once grateful for her notoriety and snuck out of the hall after him. Fortunately she could still hear his footsteps echoing in the otherwise silent corridor rushing after the sound she tried in vain to catch up to him.
Turning the corner she lost her balance but was gripped by a pair of merciless arms and stared up into a pair of equally merciless gray eyes.