The Seductress

Part X

A Change Of Plan

February 13th.

What thrilled Ginny about the Valentine's Ball the most was the fact that she was going with Draco. They had gotten so familiar with each other over the past months that it seemed hard not to talk. As they passed in hallways, they smiled at each other, and Ginny looked away, blushing, as if they had a secret that nobody knew. And whenever Potions Class arrived, Ginny and Draco would sit next or near each other, and scribbled down their notes, each with a small grin on their faces.

Of course, it wouldn't be too long until everybody started to take notice.

It was brainy Hermione Granger that figured it out first. She was looking around the classroom for potions ingredients when she happened to see a secret glance between the heated couple. Of course, she knew she couldn't jump to conclusions so fast, and so after she productively did her homework and extra credit and studied for hours for her upcoming N.E.W.T.S. or other small exams, she did her fair amount of research.

Hermione followed Ginny almost everywhere, sometimes without her knowing. However, she was disappointed. Ginny went nowhere unusual, and spent most of her time reading up Potions books in the library. Finally, after dinner, Ginny claimed she needed to go upstairs to get something from her dorm, but Hermione Granger was not one to be fooled, and saw that Draco had gotten up after a few minutes. Finishing her food quickly, and receiving odd looks from her two best friends as she got up hurriedly, she swished from the Great Hall and into the deserted hallway.

She looked around, frowning. Ginny's red hair or Draco's noticeable gland of silver was not anywhere in sight. Sighing, she made her way up to the Gryffindor Common Room, and knocked on the door on Ginny's dorm, which she shared with five other classmates. There was a pause, and no answer. Hermione tried again, but no answer. Finally, she swung open the door and peeked in.

What caught her sight was a nearby bed, which Ginny was merrily sitting on next to (Hermione gaped) Draco, who was chattily talking to her, and every so often brushing away a piece of her hair.

The door closed, and Hermione leaned against it, her breathing becoming rather unsteady by each moment. Draco and Ginny?! No, it couldn't be possible. But she had seen it, with her own eyes. How could she have mistaken the first day that Ginny had come into Advanced Potions and she was sitting next to him? How could she have not warned her, that Malfoy was a name cruelly used? That he was using her, to relive his sick fantasies? How could she have thought Ginny was a careless young girl, and she didn't know what she was doing. As her breathing became steadier, anger flooded through her. Why had Ginny not told her, her brother? Her ex-crush, Harry? She was about to storm in, when the door swung open, and Hermione instinctively pulled herself against the wall, flattening her back body against it. Ginny and Draco left, holding hands. Hermione's heart leaped slightly. It was strange to see an evil person like Draco do something as intimate and loving as holding hands. Hermione shook her head, trying to get the mental images out as she fought to hide herself from their view. He laughed at something she said, and then he leaned down and...kissed her. Right on her forehead, then her nose, and then softly on her lips. Ginny seemed stricken by the kiss, and was still holding onto his shoulders for support. He put his arm around her, and they both exited the Common Room, leaving Hermione toward her thoughts.

~

Harry still held the book in his hands, and was reading the words intently. Hermione was right, he thought, his eyebrow furrowing slightly. 'This book is really interesting'. He had gone past chapter twenty five, where the Healer and the Seductress were falling into romance, and although it was a large book fulfilled with sixty two chapters, he noticed that half of them were missing. He went to the last page where he had seen written words before. And then he gaped. New words had formed. He examined them hurriedly, and blinked. They described how the Seductress was feeling after she had made love to the Healer, (Harry wondered how they had gotten there, since he had not seen the story continued until today). But then, after the new story sentences, were written words that were not printed. They weren't the continuation of the story. He studied the small sentences, with tiny font, over and over again, before they started to form themselves in his head. It looked slightly like Hermione's handwriting, which was scribbled hurriedly in black quill ink.

red hair, silver hair

virginia - seductress

healer, name unknown

seductress murdered valentine's day

seductress - red ribbon

healer - healing powers

1877

He looked forward, and frowned. After the little inscription detail from Hermione, she had glued on another piece of yellowish paper, that was printed, but not from the story, but looked as if it had been ripped from a book, which it probably was.

Myths

--------

.......as described below.

The most famous myths are not well known in Wizarding heritage. Myths are legend or tales passed down to prove a point or to teach life lessons. However, one myth, has been approved from what has happened ages ago. "Deg Sehug," a tale from Saudi Arabia, (translated to English: The Seductress), has been actually performed in real life, in a nearby village of England. Rumors tell us this much source. Virginia Riddle & an Unknown Healer in a village imported in Hogesmade were madly in love until Virginia was murdered on February 14th, drenched in her satin dress. Sources tell us the Healer had sworn on his life that he would get her back, even if it took a whole lifetime.

There was no more information. Harry's eyes wandered over to Hermione's written words, and over to the information at the bottom. There was a mystery she wanted to solve, something she wanted to know. What did this information add up? Why was it of such significance to her, and why did it matter to Harry? Because there was a large feeling in the back of his mind that it did. Virginia, healer name unknown, red hair, silver...

His mouth dropped open, as he recalled a memory on October 7th, Potions class. He closed his mouth, and blinked slightly. Finally, he understood.

~

Hermione walked into Ginny's dorm, her eyes placidly pondering over the various beds and other items. There was nothing suspicious, and as Hermione went into the bathroom to relieve herself, she saw a gleaming red object upon the floor carelessly.

She picked it up, frowning. A sudden sting went throughout her fingers, and she dropped it, her eyes closing.

"He's mine."

"Please! I love him!"

"Fine, if you love him so much, why don't I kill you instead?"

"Please kill me! Please! Give him mercy, just kill me!"

Hermione gasped, a sudden ache in her forehead. It slowly drowned away, and she looking at the red ribbon. She knew this was a highly magical object, since the punishment of contact with it was so fierce. She wondered if it was Ginny's. Finally, she picked it up with the sleeve of her robes and stuffed it in her pocket. She could worry about this later.

~

"I guess after that, your father and mine became really screwed to each other in competition of the ministry , and your mother and mine lost contact."

Ginny smiled at him. It was midnight, and she had sneaked him into her dorm again. She wanted to drown in every flesh of him again, she wanted her breathing to become unfurled again, and heavy. He made her feel like she was breathless, dying. The other girls were snoring and sighing peacefully in their sleep, and here she was, wide awake, with the covers draped around her bed, with a boy sitting cross legged across from her.

"Uh huh," she said absentmindedly, nodding.

"Have you been listening to a word I said?"

"Nope."

"I suppose I should be outraged, but I guess you seem occupied looking at me, then listening, huh?"

Ginny blushed shyly. "Well you better go. I have to get to sleep."

"Hmm, why, am I getting boring for you?" he teased.

"No...before you leave, I was going to teach you that muggle game, remember? It's called Truth or Dare. It's a pretty simple complex. The other person asks you truth or dare, you pick one. If it's truth, then, the other person asks you a question that you have to answer truthfully. If it's Dare, then the other person gets to tell you to do something risky and you have to do it."

"Sounds fun. Truth or dare?" he drawled.

"Truth."

He grinned. "Too chicken, huh?" She glared at him and he resided.

"Let's see...how about an easy one...who was your first kiss?" he asked, grinning. He was waiting for his eardrums to hear his name. She might've not been completely innocent, but she was quite an inexperienced girl, and surely he was her first kiss.

"Harry."

He gaped. Then, he closed his mouth slowly.

"I see. When?" he asked casually, trying to get rid of the tinge of furious jealousy in his voice.

"Err- in the summer before this year started. He hanged around our house, and then one time, we were talking, and then before he left, he just sort of brushed his lips against mine's, it was casual, not a very big deal," she said, but he could tell by the blush creeping up to her cheeks that it was a very big deal.

"Okay. Maybe I should go," Draco snapped, getting up.

"No! Wait! I still haven't you asked truth or dare!"

"Fine, go on then."

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare of course. Make it a quickie, I'm leaving," he snarled.

"Kiss me."

He glared at her for a moment, before grabbing her by the shoulders and kissing her fiercely. It was a long, heated kiss before he pulled away from her with all his control and undraped the curtains. She could hear his footsteps getting softer, and she sighed, knowing he was gone. Her fingers went to explore her lips, and she found that they were oddly bloated.

~

Hermione put it around a neat ponytail in her hair. She examined herself in the mirror, feeling a bit dizzy, the same stinging feeling coming back. It wasn't supposed to belong on her...red ribbon, seductress....

There was a flash of green and white light, and she found herself on the rug, with a bad headache. She clutched her forehead, moaning in pain.

Then, she found strength to get up, and a whole new sensation was floating through her, and she blinked. Blink. Blink. Then a small smile spread throughout her face.

~

Uh oh...that ribbon was meant for the Seductress....hmmmmm....

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Love,

Court