~*~Green and Gold~*~
By Kellyanne
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I am up to no good…oh, I mean…I own nothing *sheepish grin*
Chapter 6
Hours, days, weeks…they all seemed to blend into each other. Ginny couldn't believe it was already Halloween. Well…not quite Halloween, but a day shy was practically the same thing.
Her classes were all extremely easy, except Potions. She had been put into a 6th Year class because of her scores on Snape's Finals the year before and now she was glad that she had really pushed herself last year.
She was partnered with Hermione, who seemed to be the only one that believed that she hated Malfoy.
Whenever Ron or Harry couldn't find her, they'd assume she was with Malfoy. When they found her, usually the next morning at breakfast, they'd treat her like a criminal being interrogated.
She hated her brother and his friend for treating her like a child.
So, the day before Halloween rolled around and Ginny had never been more excited. Hermione had hinted about something extraordinary happening at the feast the next day and she was ecstatic.
She had Double Potions today with Slytherin. She dreaded these classes because of Malfoy. She could always feel his cold eyes on the back of her neck and it was distracting.
Today was not unlike any other class. She and Hermione were trying to conjure up an Invisibility Potion while Malfoy kept his eyes glued to the back of her head.
For some reason, though, it didn't bother her. Come to think of it…it had never bothered her.
She glanced coyly over her shoulder, pretending to be looking for someone and she caught Dra…Malfoy's eyes. He didn't avert his gaze and she didn't either…she didn't want to. There was something in those liquid, silver eyes that she liked, something that she wanted.
"Ginny, can you add the next ingredient?" She heard Hermione ask. She turned back around and nodded, adding the stinky, green goo that would make the potion work.
"Hey, Gin?" Hermione said as the potion began to boil. They had to let it heat up for five minutes, so the girls could relax, at least for a short period of time.
"Yeah," She replied, trying to hide the fact that her cheeks were burning red. Damn Malfoy for making her blush.
"Do you like Draco?"
The words hit her hard as though Hermione had actually punched her. She was so shocked that she hit right into the cauldron and knocked it to the floor.
Green gunk splattered everywhere, causing Seamus Finnigan's hand to disappear and Lavender Brown's nose to vanish.
Everybody started screaming as though a group of Dementors had been unleashed in the dungeon classroom.
Snape, of course, took control of the class quickly, but not before Crabbe and Goyle had both fallen into the goo, their faces becoming invisible, which were major improvements for both guys.
"Who is responsible for this??" Snape bellowed. Ginny took a deep breath, believing it might be her last, before she quietly said, "I did, sir."
Snape glanced at her for a moment, looking her over as though trying to see if she was lying. Finally, he turned away and muttered a few spells that made the invisible body parts of several classmates reappear.
"Miss Weasley, apparently you and Miss Granger are not suitable working together. I believe you would be better off partnered with…" Snape paused and Ginny realized she was holding her breath, "…Mr. Malfoy."
He had heard what Hermione had asked Ginny, the question causing the entire class to erupt into chaos as Ginny knocked over her cauldron. She either liked him or the idea of doing so repulsed her so much that she nearly had a heart attack.
He preferred to believe the first.
When he heard his name mentioned he looked up, holding back what would have been a very un-Malfoy-ish smile.
"But…Professor…" Snape cut Ginny off with a wave of his hand.
"Mr. Crabbe, please switch seats with Miss. Weasley. You will now be partnered with Miss. Granger," Snape said sharply, Ginny's mouth hanging open.
Crabbe stood up from his seat, kicking his stool painfully into Draco's leg. He winced and rubbed his knee under the table.
Ginny plopped down next to him a moment later and she pushed her stool to the farthest edge of the working space.
"For the love of Merlin, I don't have leprosy, you know," He said.
"That's questionable," Ginny muttered.
He had to fight back another smile.
She was in the common room that evening, studying, when she heard her owl pecking at the closed window.
After her father had gotten his promotion, he had bought her an owl, which she desperately needed. She had named it Mauvaise, which was one of her favorite names.
It was pitch black outside. She pushed open the window and saw that Mauvaise had a letter. She had been flying all day, so it made Ginny wonder whom it was from.
She untied the parchment from the owl's leg and Mauvaise flew back out. The black owl quickly disappeared into the silky night sky.
She watched the bird fly and continued to stare out the window even though she could no longer see it's wings flapping.
Finally, she looked down at the letter.
A chill ran down her spine and she yawned, her eyes falling on the clock above the fireplace.
Blimey, it was after midnight!!
"I'll read it in the morning," She whispered to herself, stifling another yawn.
Tucking the letter into her Potions book, she walked up the stairs, barely making it to her bed before she collapsed into a peaceful sleep.
He opened his eyes, not recognizing his surroundings. Black walls and a blood red canopy bed. A blazing fire in the hearth, clothing thrown across the dark wood floor.
Finally he recognized it as his room in the Malfoy Manor.
Sitting up his ears tuned into the incessant sound of Lucious and Narcissa screaming at each other once again.
He sighed, wishing they'd shut up for five seconds to think about what their bickering did to him…and to Allison.
A crack of light appeared in the room and he saw the tiny six-year-old frame of his sister creeping through the doorway.
"Drakie, are you awake?" Allison whispered, her nightgown swishing at her feet as she walked.
"Yeah, love. How could I sleep anyway??"
Allison appeared from the shadows, standing in front of the fireplace. The light from the flames was licking at her face, casting a beautiful glow against her tiny features. She was the only reason he didn't go insane living in this house.
"You close your eyes, silly," She giggled, jumping onto his bed. He brought the quilt up to cover her and she snuggled against him.
"Drakie, why do mother and father fight? Don't they love us??" Her big blue eyes gazed desperately into his, searching for an answer that he honestly couldn't give her.
He bit his lip, "Of course they love you, Allie."
She smiled, obviously not realizing that he hadn't said they loved him as well.
He wasn't going to lie to his sister.
"Drakie…"
He put a finger to her lips to silence her, "Shh…mother and father are coming."
Sure enough, footsteps sounded down the hallway towards his room. He sat up a bit more so he could hear them.
"The boy is sixteen! He should have received the mark five years ago!!" Lucious was yelling.
"He isn't ready," Came Narcissa's reply.
The he heard the blood-curdling crack of fist connecting with bone. His mother's scream confirmed it.
Lucious had hit her…hard.
The sad thing was Draco knew the next morning; the bruises would be covered with muggle makeup. He pitied his mother, not being brave enough to wear her battle wounds proudly. When Lucious hit him, which was less and less because he had learned to fight back, he would hold his head up high and show the world what his father had done. He was like a soldier coming triumphantly out of war, but his mother was the one who stood at the sidelines of the battle and watched until the guns were turned to her. Even then, she did nothing, excepting the bullet, or the fist, or the wand.
The sound of another slap snapped him from his reverie.
"I'll decide when he's ready!!" Lucious hollered before Draco's door burst open.
Lucious' eyes widened when he saw Allison lying beside his son. Lucious hadn't wanted a daughter. Hell, he wouldn't have wanted Draco if he hadn't been aware of the fact that he needed a male heir.
Allison was kept in her room most of the day, restricted to her bedroom so she didn't aggravate Lucious. Him seeing her here was a shock that he clearly hadn't expected.
Lucious recovered quickly, though.
"Get up, Draco. It's about time you received the mark!!"
He stood from his bed, standing before his father. He looked down at his father, "No."
The flames from the fire were reflected in Lucious' eyes. Narcissa gasped from her place on the hallway floor. Her cheeks were red and a bruise was already forming around her eye.
"You will receive the mark now, boy!" Lucious bellowed, whipping out his wand.
Allison gasped and, before Draco could react, jumped in between the two men.
"Leave Drakie alone, father!" She said, trying to push Lucious away from her brother.
"Get off me, girl!" Lucious said, turning his wand to Allison.
Draco's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened. Lucious saw the concern in his son's eyes.
"Tell this…this child to get off me or else…you'll both regret it."
Draco didn't need to be told twice. When it came to Allie, he was willing to do whatever his father said if it meant protecting her.
"Allie, get away from Lucious, ok??"
The little girl didn't listen, but began to punch at Lucious' legs, "Get away from him, father!"
"I warned you, boy," Lucious hissed.
Draco's eyes widened and he realized, two seconds too late, what his father was going to do.
"Avada Kedavra!" Lucious bellowed and Allison fell to the floor in a heap of golden blonde hair.
Draco fell to his knees, bending over his sister's body. Her eyes were open, their enchanting glimmer of life and innocence gone.
She was dead. His father had used the Killing Curse to murder his own daughter, his own flesh and blood.
"You unbelievable bastard, you killed her," He whispered, tears stinging his eyes. He blinked them away and stood to look at his father.
Before Draco could say anything else, his father turned his wand and said, "Crucio."
He felt the pain above his heart making his entire chest throb. He writhed in pain and collapsed to the cold, wood floor.
Everything went black.
It took him a moment to realize where he was. He half expected to find himself in his room at the manor.
He wasn't there, though. He was back in his cold, dungeon bedroom, the sounds of Crabbe and Goyle snoring almost driving him mad.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, remembering his dream.
It hadn't been a dream, though. He knew that.
The whole bloody thing had happened. He was just remembering it.
He had watched helplessly as his father murdered his sister in cold blood. He had succumbed to the blinding, white pain that formed around his heart and spread out, making him wish for death.
But why had his mind decided to recall that hellish night now??
He couldn't think of an answer. All he could think about was Allison and how much she would have loved Ginny.
Dammit, why did you have to go and think about her??
Another question that would be left unanswered.
A/N- A huge thanks to BeetleBon99. It meant a lot when you said I was brilliant…*tear.* And you also see why Draco doesn't wanna be like his father. I know where I'm going with this fic…HOORAY
Love from Kellyanne