Muggle Year
by Virgi Ca
Chapter 10 : A Promise Kept
A/N: Blue Acorn, I just want to say, I LOVE YOU!!!! I think I finally sorted the problem, but still, just in case.
The normal version without any weird signs (if any) and pictures drawn:
http://muggleyear.wildimagination.net/index.htm
'Moaning Myrtle's toilet?' Draco twisted his eyebrows in confusion, 'Weasel why are we – '
'Get in.' Virginia commanded in a gruff, swinging open the door. Draco cursed when he stepped into a floor of water and the door slammed shut. 'Give me your wand.' Virginia said, digging into his robe pocket.
'Hey, that's mine!' Draco protested in the dim light, faintly making out a door locking charm. He looked around and winced when he heard crying, then faced Virginia and put his hand on his hips, 'explain Weasel.'
'Malfoy, I'm asking you as a friend.' Virginia said quietly, not turning around to face him.
'A friend? When did we ever establish a friend relationship?' Draco sneered, 'you better explain.'
'Malfoy!' Virginia screeched, turning around. She grabbed his arms and glared at his startled face, 'You need to promise me, I need you to promise me. Not a word to anyone, what I'm going to do, what we are going to do, not a word to anyone, you have to promise me.'
Malfoy stared at her, stunned. 'What are you going to do?'
'Just promise me.' Virginia pleaded.
'I can't – '
'Look,' Virginia took a deep breath, tightening her grip, 'If Professor Lupin doesn't drink his Wolfsbane tonight, not only will he die, but he might even bring down the school. That means no Hogwarts, no you and me, no magic. Do you get what we're dealing with now? We can't just send Lupin away, we have to save him, by making Wolfsbane!'
'Weasley we don't have – '
'I know,' Virginia interrupted impatiently, 'I know we don't have unicorn blood, but we're going to get a replacement, right down there.' She let go of him and softened her eyes, 'please, I need your help, and I need your word. Promise me, don't tell anyone anything about tonight.'
Draco looked at his partner. Maybe she was right, she was practically always right, if they didn't feed Lupin potion tonight, no one will know what he'll do. Draco closed his eyes and exhaled loudly, 'fine, but just don't get me killed.'
Virginia wanted to kiss him. 'I won't, I assure you.' She said in relief.
'Ginny?' a soft voice rang. Myrtle floated towards them, 'what are you doing here Ginny? I thought you weren't going to go into the chamber anymore.'
Draco took inhaled sharply and stared at Virginia in shock.
'Myrtle,' Virginia started, 'I have to this time, I promise it's the last time, I need to save Professor Lupin.'
'Ginny, you can't – ' Myrtle cried.
'There won't be anything, it's dead already.' Virginia assured.
'Weasley how on earth are you going to open the chamber?' Draco asked.
'Just watch.' Virginia said quietly. She walked to the last sink and put her hands on it. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, feeling the powers… 'Open.' She suddenly hissed in Parseltongue. Draco almost jumped at the snake like hiss and was awed when the sink moved away and revealed the entrance, the tunnel that lead to Slytherin's chamber. Virginia turned and looked at Draco, a small smile. 'We'll have to fly into it if you don't want to slide down.'
Pushing away his shock and mounted his brook and held his hand out for Virginia. Virginia started at it, then took it and let Draco pull her up behind him. Virginia gripped him by the waist and they started to descend.
'Ginny be careful!' she heard Myrtle shout before they descended out of sight.
It seemed like forever as Draco's Nimbus Two Thousand and Two floated slowly down the tunnel. 'How long is this stinky thing?' Draco asked, turning his head.
'I, I don't know, I never counted when I slide down it.' Virginia stammered, looking away. Draco narrowed his eyes, making a mental note to ask her about all this later. After about five more minutes their feet finally touched the ground, which was also damp and a flooded in some places. 'Okay I can't see a thing.' Draco declared.
'Wait.' Virginia reached into the darkness and grab whatever she touched, which was Draco's cloak, 'don't light anything with your wand long.'
'What?'
'I don't know what will happen if magical fire touched anything, I never did but took a lamp down with me.' Virginia explained.
'Fine.' Draco took out the Hand of Glory from his Quidditch robes and muttered a quick fire spell and instantly it glowed. 'There, is that okay?'
'What? What did you do?' Virginia asked confused.
'Oh, I forgot.' Draco reached out and grabbed her hand, putting it over his. Virginia blinked and the instant light flooding into his eyes. 'It's the hand of glory, it only provides light to the person holding it. Guess that will have to do. Let's go.'
Virginia looked at him for a split second, then turned and looked down the dark tunnel. They walked carefully, avoiding any rock debris and other object in their way. Draco almost wanted to throw up when he saw the poisonous green Basilisk skin. 'You tell me you walk through this place without feeling anything but gross?' Draco asked incredulously.
'Well, I just got use to it every time.' Virginia replied absently.
Got use to it… Draco thought, wincing. This girl was getting more and more mysterious. He, as a Slytherin, had really wanted to take a look at Salazar Slytherin's chamber, but ever since he took off from home, he had lost interest in anything that was associated with Voldemart, thank you very much to the dark mark he had on his arm.
'We're here.' Virginia whispered. They were standing in front of a very large stone door, similar to the one at the Slytherin common room. After Virginia opened the door with parseltongue again, the whole chamber flooded with candle light. 'We're here.' Virginia said softly, letting go of his hand.
'Okay, you even had the time and mood to renovate this place.' Draco said warily trying to cover his shock. Water was running down from the holes under the candles, flowing onto the floor surrounding a mildly raised platform. It ended up into a small pool that was at the end of the chamber, soft light glowing. It was actually quite nice, if it weren't in the secret place where Tom Riddle almost killed students from Hogwarts.
Virginia lowered her eyes, then turned and pointed, 'Over there.' She was pointing to the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin. Under the dim light, Draco could make out a few stick like objects stabbed into the ground between it's feet. Virginia walked over and it turned out to be huge fangs that were the size of swords. 'This, is what will replace preserved unicorn blood.'
'These are Basilisk teeth?' Draco asked, looking down suspiciously, 'would it still have any blood since its been like four years already.'
Virginia nodded, 'Basilisks have very long lives, thousands and thousands of years. Even if the basilisk itself dies, parts detached from its body will still have some sort of organic substance that won't make it decay. There should still be blood inside its teeth. Even though I burned the Basilisk itself, I couldn't help be leave some teeth as a souvenir.' Virginia turned and gave Draco a small smile.
Draco looked at her with disgust on his face, 'Your gross, bloody gross, not even Snape would want to do something like this, and this is even worse than his slimy oily hair.'
Virginia turned and gave a laugh, 'yes, but it seems to be very interesting when you don't have anything to do.'
'Huh?'
Virginia reached down but Draco grabbed her hand, 'what, you want to pull it out by yourself? You're going to poison yourself!'
'We can't use magic to break it or it will burn all the blood, besides, the blood is inflammable!' Virginia argued, slapping his hand away. Without second thought she grabbed the long fang by both hands, and instantly flinched when green smoke started to rise from her palms and blood started to drip down her wrist, the fang had obviously cut her skin deeply. Draco watched in horror as Virginia finally took it out and smashed it against the floor. Dark green basilisk blood started to flow from the fang.
'Quick,' Virginia panted, her face twisted in pain, 'get the vile, it's in my pocket!'
Draco woke up instantly and dug into her pocket, grunting as he pulled out a glass flask with a cork, quickly he lifted the fang up carefully and started to pour the dripping blood into the vile, careful not the spill it, since it turned out to be corrosive. It had already made a small hole into the marble floor.
'Done.' Draco announced, putting the cork in place and stuffing it into his robe. He turned and saw Virginia whimpering in pain, her hands dripping with her blood and the blood from the fang. 'Oh jeez.' He put his arms under her arms and dragged her to the small pool and forced her hands into the water. Virginia screamed at the contact, the water stinging painfully into her skin.
'It bloody hurts!' she cried, trying to get her hands back up from the surface.
'Don't move Weasel.' Draco commanded, putting them further down, tightening his grip on her wrist, the sleeves of his own robes soaking, 'you have to wash all the basilisk blood from your wound, or it might corrode your whole hand.' After a while, the whole pool was dyed green. Draco put her hands on her lap and ripped his cloak, wrapping it around her cut, which was running diagonally across her palm. 'This should do, you'll have to get Promfey when you get back… Weasel? Weasel?'
Virginia took a few deep breath, then started to fall backwards. 'Weasley! Weasley! Wake up!' she heard faintly, but started to drift slowly into darkness.
'Virginia!'
_____________________________________________________________________________
'Ginny…… Ginny……'
'Oh dear, she's not waking up!'
'Madame Promfey said it would take at least a night, don't jump around Ron.'
'But – '
'Come on, she'll wake up sooner or later.'
Virginia opened her eyes slowly and met bright light, immediately regretting it she closed her eyes shut again, but her brother caught her immediately.
'Ginny! Your awake!' Ron exclaimed, rushing by her side.
'What time is it?' Virginia asked groggily, 'I feel like I've been sleeping for a whole month.'
'Almost,' Harry winked, 'you slept for two days already.'
'Two days? What happened?' Virginia asked, sitting up slowly.
'Well, Malfoy came bursting into the medical wing when we were all mourning, thinking whether or not Professor Lupin could make it. He was surprisingly carrying you, unconscious and all and threw you onto a bed.' Hermione explained.
'He still is rude when it comes to depositing a Weasley.' Harry added dryly while Ron scowled.
Hermione rolled her eyes, 'Well, after that, he locked himself in that working room until eleven thirty and announced that the Wolfsbane was ready. We had thirty minutes and rushed up to Lupin's office. He was already baring his teeth out, but we forced him to drink it and luckily we were in time and he turned into a harmless little werewolf.'
Virginia exhaled loudly in relief, 'at least we made it.'
'I couldn't believe that Malfoy could make Wolfsbane, its not something simple, in fact its so complex that even I can't brew it.' Hermione said, frowning.
'Oh come on Hermione, it's not like you're the best in Potions.' Ron said, rolling his eyes. Hermione glared at him.
'Well, you should be okay by now.' Harry said as the bell rang, signaling afternoon periods, 'get well, never imagined that you would have to be in the medical wing.'
Virginia smiled weakly and bid her brother and his friends goodbye as they left the medical wing. Once it was quiet again she sighed and looked down at her wrapped palms. They didn't seem to hurt much, just a little itchy. I guess Ron doesn't know that I've been to the Chamber of secrets. She thought in relief, she turned her head slightly and found two strips of black cloth hanging at the head of her bed. She reached out and pulled it from the bars, looking at it curiously.
'I kept my words.' Another voice said in an emotional voice. Virginia looked up and saw Draco leaning against the door, looking at her with even eyes.
'Uh… thank you.' Virginia murmured, lowering her head.
'Thank you,' Draco scoffed, pushing himself from the door, 'I get almost killed by your brother, hit by your, as I quote, ex-crush and poisoned by your brother's girlfriend, all I get is a wimpy thank you?' he pulled a chair and sat at her bed, glaring at her, 'have I missed anything else Miss Virginia Weasley?'
'I'm sorry,' Virginia apologized in a small voice, 'I shouldn't have pulled you down there, but thank you for keeping your promise, you don't now how much it means to me.'
'How would I know, I'm not you.' Draco smirked.
'What happened after I fainted? Why did I faint in the first place?' Virginia asked, frowning, 'did the entrance close?'
Draco rolled his eyes and sat back against his chair, 'I thought you're an acer in potions. Basilisk blood is poisonous, corrosive and irritant, it's not surprising that you faint from almost draining the blood into your body.' He looked at her hands that were lying on her lap, 'it should heal in a few days time, Promfey almost chopped my head off for putting her favorite student and helper in danger.'
'Was the Wolfsbane successful?' Virginia asked, changing the subject.
Draco shrugged, 'I'm a genius in Potions, the concoction was near perfection, I say that Basilisk blood gives an even better effect.'
'Really…' Virginia smiled and looked down at her hands.
There was an awkward silence before Draco cleared his throat and leaned forward, looking into Virginia's eyes, 'now, you owe me an explanation Virginia.'
Virginia widened her eyes in surprise and the use of her first name. She looked away, avoiding his eyes.
'I'm waiting.' Draco said gently, moving to sit at the side of her bed. He lifted her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes, 'you at least owe me an explanation to what happened down there, you nearly killed yourself with the poison.'
'I… I'm sorry.'
'Sorry is not what I want to hear, I want to know why you opened the chamber over and over again last year.' Draco said. Two tears let themselves slide down her cheeks and Draco let go of her chin in surprise. 'Are you – '
'It all started after my first year at Hogwarts, the terrible experience of not having the attention I desperately wanted.' Virginia interrupted, looking down again, pleading Draco not to cut in. 'No one wanted to be the friend of the Basilisk controller Ginny, so I had no friends at all, no real friends for the next two years. I was upset, angry, and scared. I didn't understand why this had to be, why was I bookmarked to be someone that will never have any friends, because of something I didn't want to happen, but had to happen on me. It was terrible, I was alone. Although everyone knew who I was from the red hair and frickles, it only made them scared and scoot away, and eventually, I closed myself to everything at Hogwarts around me.'
'I found myself going into Myrtle's washroom often, staring at the sink that used to be the entrance to Salazar Slytherin's chamber. I've been there at least ten times until one day, after a huge insult from my housemates in the Gryffindor common room, I fled from the tower and threw myself onto the sink, crying like mad. I didn't have anyone to talk to, didn't have anything to let out my rage and lonliness, I even wanted to have Tom Riddle's diary back. That was when I suddenly said something in parseltongue and the sink opened.'
'Why would you know parseltongue? Isn't it a language that only descendents of Slytherin could inherit?' Draco asked.
Virginia shook her head, 'Harry inherited parseltongue when you-know-who gave him his scar. Tom Riddle had poured out his heart to me through that wretched diary, so I'm not surprise that I've become a parselmouth. You don't know it, you just say it when you need to.' Draco nodded for her to continue. 'Well, I found out the entrance and grabbed a broom, lowering myself. I walked the whole way until I reached the chamber, and changed it to be my sanctuary, the only sanctuary that belonged to me, and nobody else. No one could share it with me, not even Harry. It was my heaven, and no one would steal it from me, that was where I escaped, ran away from the real world.'
'I changed it over and went there whenever I had time. Myrtle knew, and was sympathetic of my situation and bad relation with other students at Hogwarts. She never told anyone, but had begged me over and over again not to go into the chamber, but I ignored her and went there every time. If it weren't for Charlie and Lesley coming to Hogwarts this year, I would have been the lonely Ginny everyone knew again and hid in the chambers.' Virginia pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face inside her arms. 'It was the only place that would accept me…'
Draco listened in silence and looked at Virginia. He didn't want to look sad, but inside he felt a wave of sympathy. If it weren't for his damn reputation he would have said something to comfort her. Sighing he reached for his wand and summoned a mug of hot chocolate. Virginia looked up when he handed her the steaming cup, a small smile on his face, 'here, drink it, it would make you feel better.' He took her hand and wrapped her fingers around the handle, 'sorry for not knowing what to say, I'm not use to all this sadness.' Right you are, because you tend to ignore it you idiot. A little voice screamed inside.
'Thank…..' Virginia's voice trembled, no longer able to contain the feelings that have been welled up for the past four years of her school life. The cup fell onto her lap, spilling over her lap as she threw her arms around Draco's neck, crying.
Crying everything out.
And Draco Malfoy let her.
End of Chapter 10
A/N: Be kind and review! Email me at virginialo@wildimagination.net if you got any questions!
Thanks to my reviewers: To my new reviewers seekerpeeker, meg, Jessica- Canada, and Blue Acorn; also to my constant reviewers Princess Evil, Mionee, Rachel, Satans Little Princess. The next chapter will be posted, I guess next weekend, stay tuned for more D/G action!!
