Title: Jaded
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: not mine. Go away.
Chapter Five: Demands
A/n: I am so so so sorry that I haven't been updating at all for the past..what was it, six months already? I am sorry..gomen! yea, I've started watching Rurouni Kenshin, haha. Let's see, I've been singing, mostly and my piano exam(horror bloody story) was yesterday. Hopefully you will review and still forgive me!!
***
Draco returned to his hovel to find a note on the desk. He picked it up, not surprised. So he had been summoned.
"About time, too," he muttered, picking up his wand. He walked over to a nearby fireplace and retrieved a handful of Floo Powder, thrusting it neatly into the grate.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Albus Dumbledore."
He felt the all too familiar tug that came prior to magical teleportation, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was standing just outside a distinguished looking fireplace, in the inner meeting room of the Headmaster's office.
"Lord Malfoy," said Professor Dumbledore with a nod of his head.
"Professor," greeted Draco, brushing soot out of his hair.
"I understand you wish to join the ranks of the Death Eaters?" said Professor Dumbledore.
Draco nodded grimly.
A strange look crossed over the Headmaster's countenance. Relief, regret, it was all there.
"I see. Have a seat."
Someone had been there. Ginny knew this, the same way she had known when Professor Snape had been murdered – in her bones, a chilling, unwelcome reality.
She wondered idly, as she swam to the edge of the lake where her things were, if she would be expelled for swimming in the lake, unaccompanied, at midnight. Then she realized that they wouldn't dare to expel her for fear of attack. On her, and on the school. Ginny's past experiences had left her in constant would-be danger, always having to be kept safe, until they could no longer protect her.
She climbed out, feeling somehow that she was alone again. As she wrapped herself in a red towel, she found herself thinking back to that dream, the one she had come here to forget about in the first place. Oh gods, the screams..
Ginny heard his voice again, that usually cold and calm voice strangely vulnerable, shrieking and then, once again, calm.
Virginia…
Her own name, whispered lovingly, resounded in her mind. The same voice overlapped it, help me…
Ginny shook her head, trying to clear her mind. This was out of her control, if she had had any control in the first place. She had to get to someone who would know what to do. Someone who would always know what to do.
Where are you…
Ginny whirled. There was nobody behind her, or indeed around her. The same voice echoed in her head, screaming, crying, then whispering, then screaming again. She started walking back to the castle.
The voice amplified steadily, calling out to her, as the calm fall of her step quickened to a stride and eventually to a full sprint until she threw herself against the cool, hard stone of the castle's walls.
Help me…help me…where are you…I love you, Virginia…please…Virginia…HELP ME
With a desperate burst of energy, she entered the castle. At once, the voices ceased their calls. Ginny breathed heavily, slumping against the wall. Reflexively, she tried to recollect herself, gulping as she realized that there was no light anywhere. Feeling unreasonably scared, she reached for her wand. "Lumos," she choked. Immediately, the tip of her wand began to glow. Ginny sighed, strangely relieved.
Right. Where was she? It looked like...a tunnel…one of Hogwarts' secret passages, then. How had she gotten in? She only remembered desperately wanting to be within the castle walls. She must have known about this one, she had just tapped one of the stones Let's see…near the front door, heading in a very vertical direction and to the right…
To the Gryphon. 'Aha,' thought Ginny, beginning to climb. Exactly where she meant to go anyhow. "Ow!"
'I said that aloud,' she thought stupidly as she rubbed her head. There must have been a turn somewhere. Ginny began to look around for another way to go. Unfortunately, she found only rock. 'How curious,' was her immediate reaction. 'How even more curious,' was the second, 'that I'm not afraid at all.' She sat down, thinking. She had never been in this particular passageway before, that was for certain, but somehow she knew that there was something that she didn't know, that she was supposed to know, about this spot, and this something was meant to be there. What was it?
Casting around again, she landed on an object filled with dust, as she discovered after several painful coughs and sneezes. She frowned. Dust? Why would there be a miniscule pot of dust in a dead end?
Wait. Dead end? Precisely what type of dead end? Damn. "Finite Incantatum," she whispered. Then, pointing at the 'ceiling', which was about half a foot away from her head, she said, "Illuminate." Ginny closed her eyes as a few sparks fell, then took a look. Whoa.
It was a sort of hole in the wall, secured by dark red bricks covered lightly with ash and soot. Ginny sat down in mild shock. A bloody fireplace. Within the walls of Hogwarts. What on earth could a fireplace doing there? There couldn't possibly be enough space in this cramped would-be tunnel to stuff people into..well, she was there, but that wasn't the point.
'Stop pissing about,' she heard herself think. Right. Fireplace. Therefore, the dust had to be…Ginny mentally slapped herself. Of course. Floo Powder! This must be some sort of emergency hiding place or something, one of those balm-shelters her father used to talk about. So all she had to do was grab the powder, and-, "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Professor Albus Dumbledore, external office."
Just a little precaution, Ginny said firmly as she asked herself why she hadn't gone straight for the 'Inner Sanctum'. 'Besides, he's probably asleep or something'. She let the teleportation take place, and in an instant she had rolled out onto and was sprawled on the floor of the Headmaster's office.
Ginny blinked. It seemed like the proper thing to do. Then she felt rather silly and got up, brushing herself off. Right. 'Excuse me professor, but I just thought I ought to tell you that I've been having these rather strange nightmares lately. Lots of carnage and marriage. And I knew immediately when Snape died which rather gives me the creeps although I suppose you did as well since the whole school was almost buzzing about it,' she said in her head as she walked towards the inner office. At once, she heard somebody talking. "Of course, you realize how dangerous this is." It was the Professor's voice. Ginny jumped. That tone, those words. She had heard them before, along time ago. She stopped to think of where she had heard that phrase…it was…in Professor Snape's old office. From a Pensieve. She shook her head. Focus, she told herself. As she stepped up to the door, she caught a flash of silver blonde hair. Gasping, she stepped back behind the door. Malfoy!
***
Draco turned his head. He swore that he'd heard a sound.
"Professor Malfoy?" said the headmaster.
"Hm?" he replied, turning back to more important matters.
"You realize, of course, how extremely dangerous what we're about to do is?"
"I do indeed, and believe me when I tell you that I fully intend to fulfill my father's wishes."
Professor Dumbledore looked at him through his half moon shaped spectacles. Was this what the young lord truly wanted? To follow in the exceedingly dangerous footsteps of a man who had been one of the most notorious Death Eaters in the Dark Lord's inner circle in his lifetime? Straight to the end where the line of duty had killed him?
Draco was needed though. Professor Dumbledore was not reluctant to admit that his cause desperately needed one like the Lord Malfoy, in fact exactly the Lord Malfoy, although he regretted it.
"Your sense of humor is, ah, misplaced. You also understand, do you not, that this will be rather painful? It has been for everyone else," he said.
"Hmm," was Draco's reply.
"At any rate, Lord Voldemort will certainly be pleased."
"I imagine he will be, yes," said Draco.
"Alright then," said the professor, rising. Draco also stood up. "Let's get started."
***
Outside the meeting room, Ginny was frozen in shock. It was all over now, she thought as she watched her headmaster performing what seemed to be magick of the scariest kind. His eyes were closed as beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, and Ginny couldn't even understand a tenth of the Latin being spoken in the room. She was shaken back to life when she heard Draco scream. Filled with a morbid fascination, she leaned in to get a better look at Draco, and saw him on his knees, shaking and perspiring obviously in pain. He shrieked again and Ginny gasped, immediately clasping her hand to her mouth. Then she turned, choking, and ran.
Inside, Professor Dumbledore hesitated, and Draco motioned for him to go on. He had caught the red hair, though.
"Artemis, goddess of the hunt, hear your servant, lend me your stealth," whispered Ginny haltingly as she stumbled down the spiraling staircase. Immediately, the noisy cluttering of her footfalls ceased. Ginny stopped at her dormitory, a stitch in her side and her mind reeling. Thoughts, impulses, ideas, certainties, all throwing themselves at her and at each other, and yet one phrase beat itself at her consciousness again and again. Get out get out get out get out get out get out GET OUT!
She had to get the bloody hell out of here. The sanctuary was not safe anymore. Ginny paused. Anymore? Had it ever been safe, then? Where could she go? To the Order of the Phoenix? Dumbledore's Order? What, was her brother fighting on the wrong side, now? What was going on?
STOP
Ginny forced herself to think properly. She must get away from the castle. She would go home. To the Burrow. If anything, she could grab all of her belongings and go find Bill or Charlie. Or something. Yes. Get home and figure it out from there. Or go to Egypt. Nevermind. Just get out!
She dragged out her trunk and flung it open on top of her bed, and began sending her belongings flying at random into it, not caring what went where or how.
To my Friends at the castle,
It is with regret that I find myself forced leave Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Ginny stopped when she came to a leather bound album. It was heavy, and would be more of a burden to her than she would be able to bear. Still..
Rest assured that I am a big witch and am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I must also request that nobody attempt to contact me save to inform me of the demises of my friends or family.
She set down the large book on her bedside table. Then, she tore off her swimsuit and changed into her thickest, sturdiest traveling robes. As an afterthought, she laid her Head Girl badge on the photograph album, atop a folded piece of parchment.
Please respect my wishes in appointing last year's Hufflepuff Prefect as my successor. In the event of her refusal to accept this post, the decision is to be left to the faculty.
Ginny was now in the Owlery. "Psst," she hissed. "Hey, Pig! Wake up, you little git," she whispered affectionately, poking Pigwidgeon with her wand. He woke up, twittering irritably. "Shut up, Pig," Ginny said. "Come on, we're going."
Pig's twittering was reduced to the equivalent of a whisper as he left his place in the Owlery for her shoulder, nibbling understandingly at her earlobe.
It has been an honour studying here with all of you all. Fare thee well, I hope to see you again soon.
Ginny, stepped out of the castle doors, shivering at the sudden cold, and closed them. Then, without looking back, she set off for the Forbidden Forest.
Faithfully yours,
Virginia Weasley
***
Unfortunately for Ginny, the pleading voices, the very reason she had escaped into the castle in the first place, hit her again moments after her departure from the castle. The shrieking, crying, all of it, only this time the screams sounded more real somehow. Ginny tried to shake the noise off and continued walking toward the Forest. And then she heard her name being called. Not screamed, or howled, just called. "Ginny?"
A voice. A real, physical-sounding voice which was disturbingly familiar. So familiar, in fact, that it pushed out all doubts of its realness.
"Ginny, can you hear me? We need your help!"
Ginny frowned. "Harry?" she called stupidly.
"Come quickly, we're outside the Forest!"
What? What the hell was Harry doing here? Did that mean that Ron was around also?
"Hurry! Just Apparate, we know you can."
We! Wait, they knew she was Apparating? This was bad. Ginny closed he eyes and disappeared with a crack, Pig and all. Ginny had found a loophole in the rules about Apparating into and out of Hogwarts; within the grounds was not a problem*. This, along with the thought that what she was doing was probably a violation of three or four laws, put a small smile on her face, a small smile which disappeared all too quickly at the sights which greeted her.
First, something absolutely gargantuan which could only be a magical portal, distorting the appearance of the Forest behind it; Harry, one arm hanging limply by his side, trying desperately to stay standing and focusing his energy at the portal. Hermione, as bruised and bloody as the rest of them, nearly unconscious on the ground directly next to Ginny and Ron beside her, supporting her limp figure.
"Ginny!" Harry managed to call before himself dropping to his knees. Pigwidgeon was blasted off her shoulders by the winds conjured up by the portal as it grew, Harry's obvious efforts to close the thing paused. Ginny rushed to his side, her own still wet hair stinging her on the face as she ran.
"Thank Hecate," she could barely hear him say.
"Harry, what's going on?" she shrieked, straining to hear his reply and getting her wand out.
"..shut the gate…have to..you have to seal the gate.."
"What the hell is that thing doing here?" Ginny screamed, just as a low rumble rattled the ground the stood on.
"..other side…army…Voldemort's there.."
Ginny reacted sharply, concentrating on the huge gaping wormhole before her, and was physically and psychically knocked back by the mental shock. This had to be exceedingly dangerous if it took that much power to open and close in the first place, the sort of power only brought on by very powerful emotions. The school was being put in serious jeopardy with the mere existence of the portal. 'Of all people,' Ginny wondered, pointing her wand at the stretching hole and concentrating, 'why would Harry do something as reckless as this?'
"I'm sorry, Gin," she heard her brother say from the ground. She was surprised at the wretched tone his voice had taken. "I had to."
Ginny decided not to listen, concentrating instead on sealing the opening.
"I had to," Ron repeated. "She's dying."
***
In the Headmaster's office, Draco breathed. In. Out. Still on his knees, he inspected his left am, where the skull and snakes glared up at him malevolently.
"Amazing," he murmured.
"I quite agree," said Professor Dumbledore, wiping some sweat off his bow. "One of my best Marks to date, I believe."
"A work of art, indeed."
"Thank you. Please rise, Sir Malfoy."
Draco stood, and shook the hand extended to him.
"Welcome to the Cause," said Professor Dumbledore.
"Thank you, sir," Draco said, turning around. "If you will excuse me, Professor, I bid you goodnight."
"Going so soon, Draco?"
"Well, yes. I hardly think that the Dark Lord will call at this particular time."
Just then, two plastic trolls standing on the Professor's desk began waving their arms and making an awful lot of noise for such short little toys.
The first shrieked the word 'portal' and the second 'apparition on the grounds!' repeatedly.
Draco looked at Professor Dumbledore worriedly. Without another word, the two of them exited the office.
***
Next to Hermione, Ron was weeping softly, holding the brunette's petite hand to himself.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," he was whispering shakily, over and over again.
"It's alright," she was telling him, gazing up with her wide, shining brown eyes into his. "It doesn't hurt so much now."
"No," said Ron roughly. "We're here at Hogwarts, we can-we can get help."
"Ssh," she said, closing her tired eyes and enjoying being cradled in Ron's arms. "Just stay here with me for a while, just a little while."
Ron forced back a sob. "Jus-just hang on for a while longer, okay?" he said desperately, his voice crackling and shaking.
"Don't give up, Hermione, please."
She could now feel his tears falling onto her cheeks, but she was sleepy, so sleepy.
"You can't give up, I-,"
He paused. Something made Hermione look up at him, her eyes questioning.
"I love you."
***
"Albus!"
Ginny whirled. Behind her, Professor Dumbledore and Malfoy were running towards them, wands out. Well, Draco was running, the Headmaster was just sort of cutting across the lawn very swiftly. And Harry, the idiot, was flagging them down. She was just in time to see Professor Dumbledore signal to Draco, who was running towards her now. "Harry!" she screamed. "What?" he yelled back. Behind her, the portal grew.
She grabbed his arm. "We have to get away from here NOW," she cried.
"What are you on about, Ginny?" Harry shouted, not moving.
Ginny glared at him before immediately pointing her wand at Draco, who was now where they were.
"Not so fast, Malfoy."
"Malfoy," said Harry without as much hatred in his voice as Ginny was accustomed to. In fact, it was more like a greeting than a curse.
"Don't trust him, Harry, he's a Death Eater!" Ginny was shrieking, retreating. "I saw you inside! Dumbledore's one of them too!"
"What the hell are you talking about? Malfoy's not a Death Eater," said Harry at the same time as Draco lunged forward at her, arms out to grab the girl.
But most of this was lost on Ginny as she suddenly found herself on the ground, looking up at a huge, black-clad Dementor.
***
"Yes, Ron, I know," Hermione said nearly carelessly, not wanting to believe it, "I love you too."
Ron closed his eyes, feeling thoroughly embarrassed and red in the face. Then, feeling that there was much too little time to be feeling embarrassed, he plunged on, making a small object appear in his free hand.
"What I meant, Hermione, is that I love you," he said again, presenting a diamond ring.
Hermione's eyes widened as she registered the piece of jewelry before her. Her senses were getting duller with each breath she took.
"Oh.." she said before bursting into fresh tears.
"Ssh," he said, this time, wiping the new tears from her face, quite forgetting his own.
"Alright, Ron, I do love you too," she barely whispered. She then put her right hand on his wet cheek, shaking with the effort. She brought her face up to his, closed her eyes, and pressed their lips together.
When they pulled apart, both of them were smiling for the first time since their school days.
"Thank you, Ron," she said happily, her voice now faint and distant.
Ron put his mouth to hers again, tears flowing from both of them, mingling on each other's faces. Within seconds, he felt Hermione's lips stop and the hand on his cheek fall away gently. He parted their mouths and touched his forehead to hers, his breath halting and choking as he wept for her. He lay her head onto his cloak which he had folded up earlier and closed his eyes.
ALRIGHT
That's it for now. Sorry it took me so long again, I have a teeny tiny bit of this chapter left to write even, I hope you like it. Please please please review i'm pretty proud of this bit and I think it's one of my best sp far, although I'm kinda shit at writing romance. Constructive criticism is always welcome!!!!!
*sorry about this, I know it's really, really dumb but I needed it! Gomen nasai again, ^_^
