Title: Jaded
Disclaimer: you know what? I'm now in the habit of imitating people. As such, screw disclaimers. You don't know me, you don't know where I live! You can't tell who the hell I am, so even if you do decide to sue me it won't work!!!! HAHAAHHAAH. Ahem. Sorry.
A/n: wow, I actually got reviews for this…thank you so so so much. I wuv you!
So anyway, this one's really weird…I'm not too sure how I want it to progress but that's what you guys are around for..isn't it?
Just in case you're wondering, formatting for this chappie is weird…er…the points of view will keep switching and italic typing means thought.. and normal is action..sorta..try too keep up with the switching, I aint telling…
Chapter Three – Hush…
Good Merlin… what is this place?
I must be dreaming. I couldn't possibly be so happy for real. But wait, I'm holding a bunch of flowers…and I'm so euphoric. Really?
There was a beautiful green hilltop, and a poor minister. There were birds chirping in the air, and the scent of apples and pine trees wafted on the breeze.
There's something amok about this whole situation. I seem to be best man at a wedding on a pathetic little hill with a pathetic little Ministry bloke, in filthy robes, and I'm bloody happy about it too. Oh wait, there's a bridesmaid. Mum, of course. But who is she following?
The young bride, with her face covered, makes her way to a spot on a hill followed by one bridesmaid. Her entire audience sighs as they see her; the minister, bridesmaid, best man and the husband to be.
Right. I can't wipe this Hecateforsaken grin off of my face. I must be really pleased. I'm a bridesmaid!
Right… I can't see the bride's face…she really has lovely hair, though, all long and curly. Maybe if I crane my neck a little..oh dear. That's me. How peculiar.
I'll bet it's Harry. I've always dreamed about marrying Harry…alright so I stopped. And so it was always in a great big church with a great big crowd and flowers everywhere...where's my string quartet playing Canon?
Somewhere, somehow, the song of a nightingale is heard.
I say, the groom looks just like me. Good Merlin, he IS. What the bloody hell am I doing here, then?
Anonymous, the bride reaches the minister. Lovingly, the bridegroom takes her hand.
What in Salazar's name is this? Oh dear gods, I'm watching MYSELF get married on a pathetic little hill by a pathetic little Ministry bloke. I'm in filthy robes. My best man is in filthy robes! Er..
Right then, I'm watching myself get married, I can't tell to whom, but I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy and dizzy, which means I'm really, really in love. With Harry!
Alright, alright, I'm still bloody happy about it. Wonder who it is though, can't quite see the bride's face.
The minister begins to speak, and the young couple gaze lovingly into each other's eyes.
Draco stared. This was certainly very surreal indeed, and he wasn't sure he enjoyed it one bit. He still couldn't make out the bride's face, but he had a few ideas about who it might be. Zabini, he hoped, although he knew that if his father had had his way it would be Parkinson, or perhaps Bullstrode. Dear Merlin, he hoped not.
He could faintly make out the words "I now pronounce you" being spoken, but the Minister didn't have to complete it, for the bride had flung her arms around his neck, lips locked.
His self was still blocking the bride's face, but she had the prettiest auburn locks…
There was a very, very light, happy air surrounding the whole event. As Ginny watched herself throw herself into an unknown man's arms, it suddenly occurred to her that none of her family members were present, which was ultimately strange to say the least. She was, after all, the youngest and only girl in the Weasley clan, her mother absolutely had to attend something as big as a wedding. She pushed the offending thought to the back of her mind and tried, again, to get a good look at the groom.
It was then that she noticed his platinum-blonde hair.
Draco's mind was working furiously, deducing, calculating.
He took the factors into consideration. Number one: he was extremely happy. Happier than he had ever remembered being. That meant he was in love. Actual, pure love. With the person he was getting married to.
Next: There was a total of five people present. Any Malfoy union, especially that of a son, was an event at the very least. Anybody who was anybody turned up, and if they didn't, they were spurned from polite society. Furthermore, the only sentiments felt at Malfoy events were cold, insincere. Obligatory. He was bloody happy. The most blaringly obvious fact that figured in all of this was that he was filthy. Malfoys were never, ever not a hundred percent immaculate. So he was poor, too?
This could all only mean one thing, he decided with an indefinitely sinking stomach.
He had eloped. With a red-haired girl whom he loved, and who his family unquestionably hated.
Now, who could that girl be?
Ginny could do nothing but stare in morbid fascination. In the back of her mind, some twisted part of her managed to figure out what was going on. That sick, perverse part of her that filled her with dread because it was right. She was marrying, legitimately but without familial blessing, with a person whom she loved but whom everybody around her hated.
And he had silver blonde hair.
And then, all hell broke loose.
The newlywed couple was torn apart, physically.
Draco saw, opposite of where he was standing, Potter, Weasel and Mudblood Granger. Granger was holding, as he had guessed, the littlest Weasel and Potty and sidekick were advancing on him, murder uncovered in their eyes, wands poised. Before he had time to react he, too, felt himself grabbed roughly from the back by someone who he could only guess was Parkinson, bitch, while Vincent and Gregory mimicked Ron and Harry.
Ginny's jaw dropped. It was Malfoy! Bloody ferret Malfoy, who hated all things Weasley and Gryffindor and not filthy rich, and she embodied every single one of those. And she- ugh- she had run away to marry him!
Strangely enough, she couldn't bring herself to regret this…this outrage. She was surprised, to be sure, but not scandalized. Nor disappointed. Well, well, well. As she watched herself being held back by Hermione, she couldn't help but protest, at least inwardly. Who the hell were they to stop her from being with who she wanted? On the other side of the hill, she could see the best man…Percy?...yelling as well.
Then, everybody was forced to the ground. There was a blinding white flash, a high, cold laugh, a laugh all too familiar for anybody's liking, and then came the pain.
"Ginny?"
Ginny's head snapped up. She coughed a couple of times, watching ash fall out of her hair. She brought a hand up to push her still curling red locks out of her eyes, and choked. Checking herself, she realized that her once beautiful, though simple, white dress was torn, tattered and stained eerily with blood. Looking around her, she found that she could barely see anything because the world was engulfed in a poisonous, bright green mist. She could barely see two feet around her, and dried tears could be felt on her cheeks.
Draco inhaled, an action which sent javelins of flames spearing through his body. 'Buggering hell,' he thought. He was in pain. Pure pain, agony such as had not been experienced for eons. He was lying, it would appear, on the ground, almost paralyzed by the way it hurt. There was a distinctly Slytherin shade of thick, green haze everywhere he looked. Oh Gods…
There was another round of high-pitched cackling, laughter which made Draco's hairs stand on end. At the end of it all, he heard somebody calling his name. At that moment, Draco knew only that he had to help whoever it was.
"Draco, where are you?"
"Ginny, where are you?"
Struggling and coughing, she got to her feet. She wavered unsteadily for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. She couldn't place the owner of the voice, although she had an idea of who it might belong to. It sounded so helpless, so desperate that her heart immediately ached for the poor creature. Determinedly, she set off in the direction of the voice.
Wait.
Which direction, precisely?
"Help me, Ginny, please."
"Where are you?" he called out anxiously, head darting from side to side.
"Please, Ginny, I can't hold on for much longer.."
It was coming at her from all around, like a voice in her head. Clear as a bell, only vague and elusive.
"I can't help you if I can't find you," yelled Draco, desperation clear in his tone. "Please tell me where to go!"
"Draco!" it was almost a scream this time.
Ginny felt something hit her in the stomach as she heard a silky swish sound through the air, like a whispering knife.
"No.." she whispered. She herself was forced to the ground, tears cascading down from her dark eyes. She couldn't be sure what had happened, but somehow she was dead certain.
The voice spoke again, only this time it was the soft, absent whisper of the nearly unconscious.
"I love you, Virginia..."
Ginny screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed. Frantically, she looked around her. She was in her bed, red velvet curtains drawn protectively around the four poster. "Lumos!" she cried, her voice hoarse. On her nightstand, her wand lit up. She took a couple of deep breaths and looked down at her nightclothes. Then she brought her hands closer to her face for inspections. No blood anywhere. Almost in hysterics, she crawled out of bed and flung open a window, letting the cool night air soothe her sweat drenched face.
Ginny sighed and relaxed, and then released.
She was crying, weeping with complete abandon. No walls or barriers, she was completely unshielded. She had been crying a lot lately, although most of the time she had been spilling silent tears, never wailing out loud like she was now. This bothered her quite a bit.
She stopped, closing her eyes slowly. The dream had been so vivid. None of her previous dreams had ever been so clear, so concise.
Shivering slightly and nauseous because of the crying, she made her way to her bathroom.
Draco awoke with a sharp intake of breath. He took a check. No blood. No scars. No missing limbs. Yes bed. Yes Hogwarts. Good.
He exhaled, feeling his body shake as he did so. He may not have been drenched in blood but he certainly was in sweat. The bed sheets he gripped were damp. He closed his eyes for a moment, then in one fluid movement sat up and threw off the covers.
"Lights," he murmured, getting out of bed. The tiny bedroom was lit gradually by the few suspended lamps he had chosen to furnish the bedroom with.
Running his left hand through his sweat sodden hair, he put on a black and silver silk robe and made his way to a small table, where his wand was. Slightly shakily, he transfigured a nearby candle into a cup of earl grey tea. Hot. As he sipped it, he opened up a window to let in a little of the night's chilly breeze.
Right. He needed to clear his mind. Draco took off his robe.
Tying up her hair, Ginny removed the bathrobe she had been wearing. Warily, she looked around, checking that nobody was there. Nobody was. 'Silly,' she thought. Who would be there, at this time of the night?
This was madness, especially in autumn, but it was a madness Ginny was well associated with, another one of her little escapes. Shivering slightly, she whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa," and felt herself rise.
She put her wand somewhere safe and wiggled her toes on the edge of the little platform.
Taking a deep breath, she jumped.
Draco ducked. Oh bugger.
There was somebody out there. He frowned. Wait a minute. He was no longer a student at the school. He was a member of faculty, a figure of authority! Aha. So somebody was going to get a detention tonight!
Confidently, he stepped out of the bush he had been hiding in…
Only to duck back in, jaw dropped, when he witnessed Virginia Weasley, clad in a black swimsuit, swan dive head first into the freezing cold waters of the Hogwarts lake. That was not something he had been prepared for.
He blinked a couple of times and closed his mouth, chiding himself for being caught unawares.
He began to make his way, quietly he hoped, away from the lake. As he crept out of the bush, he sneaked one last look at the littlest Weasley.
End of chapter
a/n: okay, don't ask why I called it hush. It was a dream thing, but I really, really suck at naming chapters, its all a load of bull. Anyway, this is my first update in about a month for any story and I'm very excited and happy, except that I have bloody school tomorrow. Hmph. So, I also know it was a bit short but I really really really wanna update! Which I am, so I'll shut up now.
Nah. I'm just gonna go on rambling, and rambling..and rambling…ooh, I watched the dvd of the rocky horror picture show, and I just love the idea of a rocky Hogwarts picture show but I think it's been done…I mean, damn, everything's been done. Think about it!
Dumbledore: I would like…
Hogwarts: You would, wouldn't you?
Dumbledore: …if I may…
Hogwarts: You may not!
Dumbledore: …to take you…
Hogwarts: Take me! Take me!
Dumbledore: …on a strange journey…
Yeah..and the protagonists will be..er.. James (asshole!) and Lily (slut!)
Ok..sorry…don't kill me for that…if there are any friends of yours who happen to be rocky horror veterans out there(which I am not by the way, just a small fan) then ask them, they'll know what I was talking about.
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
