Twenty-Seven

Ginny's mind fought to return to consciousness; she could feel herself being carried in Draco's arms, his spicy masculine scent assaulting her nostrils. Her head rested against the smooth silk of his shirt, strange as it was she could hear his heart beating beneath her ear. Her mind screamed for her body to wake up. She could feel Malfoy climbing stairs as her brain clawed and struggled its way back out of the fog it had been under. Ginny's moaned in Draco's arms, slowly she raised a limp hand to touch her forehead. Her eyelids parted looking up at Malfoy's face. His expression was determined; his grey eyes seemed almost vacant. Still fighting to become coherent Ginny turned her head noticing they were quickly approaching a door. Her senses came rushing back at her becoming fully alert as Draco kicked open the door to one of the last places Ginny wanted to be, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

With one quick push of his foot the heavy oak door swung shut again once they were inside the deserted restroom. Ginny started to struggle in Draco's cradling arms, "Malfoy what are you doing?" Ginny thought her voice sounded strange to her own ears, she fought to try and keep the panic out. "Put me down!" she tried a more firm angry tone, none which worked Draco completely ignored her walking towards the sinks. "Oh no, Oh No!" Ginny screamed shaking her head violently looking at the sinks. She began to pound Draco's chest with her free hand. "Stop it," Malfoy's voice was hollow and echoed within itself. It startled Ginny enough to cease her blows. Draco put Ginny on her feet, holding her wrist in a grip of steel. As soon as she standing Ginny began to try and jerk free again from his grasp while looking around wildly for anything to help her. "Dammit let me go!" she snapped. Draco's other hand moving to his robe pocket caught Ginny's eye; he reached in slowly pulling out a small clear glass sphere. It looked delicate and small enough to fit in Ginny's closed fist. She still gave the occasional jerk to try and set herself free, but Ginny's attention was caught up with the sphere in Malfoy's hand. The interior of the glass orb began to swirl with grey and milk white clouds, it glowed brightly to the point Ginny had to squint to try and see. It hovered mere inches above Draco's upturned palm, blinding blue-white light radiated out from it. The many brilliant beams of light moved around the room combining into a solitary ray, a hazy figure formed in the air a few feet away from the orb. Tom Riddle turned his blurred form around to look down at Ginny still in Draco's grip. Ginny's heart began to pound and a scream that had been slowly building itself up from deep within her surged forth reverberating off of the marble walls of the out of order bathroom.

Ginny struggled with all her strength to get away from Draco's hold on her. Malfoy simply dropped the hand that sphere had hovered over, his face blank. "Ah, Ginny, so we meet again." Tom's voice dripped with venom. "Draco let go!" Ginny screamed hitting his hand with her free one. "What, my dear?" Tom looked down sneering at the girl's pathetic struggles, "Are you not happy to see me?" Tom's attention turned to Malfoy, "Keep control of her!" he snapped. Malfoy jerked Ginny against him, snaking his arm around her waist pressing her back up against him so she could barely move.

Squirming Ginny glared back up at the reason for her years of torment and nightmares. "What do you want?" she spat. "You have something that belongs to me little Ginny, and I'm here to claim it." said Tom cocking his head to the side surveying her. "I don't have your stupid diary," said Ginny still struggling in Draco's arms, she could feel him tense against her and shudder. "I wasn't talking about the diary Ginny," said Tom, his face hardening "My essence, girl. You have my vital essence within you, and I intend to claim it back." Riddle smiled down at the look of utter confusion on the beautiful young woman's face. "And then there is you, I want you my dear. You're a powerful witch in your own right. With your power flowing through my veins there is nothing that will be able to stand in my way!"

Tom threw his head back and laughed before abruptly stopping looking down at Ginny again his eyes glittering dangerously, "I intend to finish what we started all those years back my dear, sweet, little Ginny," Tom smiled when understanding finally came to Ginny. "NO!" she screamed as Tom turned his attention back to the sinks. Ginny threw herself back against Draco as hard as she could knocking him off balance causing the two of them to topple to the cold stone floor. Draco gave out a grunt of pain as Ginny landed on top of him. "What the. . ." Draco muttered looking around.

An audible gasp caught the attention of Tom, Ginny and Draco. Moaning Myrtle had came out of her stall to see what all the noise was in her usually quiet restroom, "You!" Myrtle screeched pointing at Tom. "Ginny?" Draco muttered while Tom was staring at Myrtle as she spluttered. Malfoy jumped to his feet pulling Ginny roughly up with him. "Be gone you blubbering banshee!" Tom bellowed. Myrtle's screams caused Ginny to wince and cover her ears. A mirror cracked with the intense pitch Myrtle's voice took as she dove into her toilet, splashing water all over the floor. Tom's hazy figure turned around focusing his attention back on Ginny, "Now, shall we?" he turned facing the sink and began to hiss. "NO!" Draco yelled out in a deep forceful voice. "What!" Tom whipped around glaring daggers towards Malfoy. Draco grunted doubling over in pain; perspiration began to bead on his forehead as his body began to shudder. Ginny's legs were rooted to the floor frozen in confusion and fear. "Go, Ginny!" Draco gasped out. Ginny jerked out of her temporary trance looked down at Draco's bent form, "Go dammit, Run!" Draco threw his arm out pointing to the door. Out of the corner of Ginny's eye she saw Draco convulse before throwing his head back and roaring in pain and anger. "Get her!" she heard Tom bellow as she took off down the long hall.

She was running, paying no heed to where she was going trying to keep the panic from taking over her mind. Turning a corner she could hear pounding footsteps a distance away from her. Racing down a set of stairs she turned to the left running down a dim corridor. She had to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp; ahead of her, their backs turned away from her were Crabbe and Goyle. Ginny turned quickly to the right into another hall. She could hear muffled shouts in the distance sounding like Malfoy giving orders; she didn't concentrate hard enough to hear exactly what was said. Her brain only screamed for her to continue to move. 'I'm going to die,' Ginny thought over and over as she raced for her life through the school. For several fear filled minutes Ginny ran heedless to where she was going, panic induced to continue her flight.

Why was it tonight of all nights everywhere she turned was deserted like the entire castle wanted her to be caught. She turned another corner, now lost in a part of the school she'd didn't recognize. Pressing her back up against the cold stone wall she paused to try and listen, all she could hear was rushing blood through her veins and her panting breath. Ginny savagely wiped tears out of her eyes willing herself to calm down but it was a losing battle. Ginny looked up at the ceiling hot tears paved a path down her flushed face, her chest heaving as she tried to control the sobs that wanted to rip from her. Perspiration trickled down between her breasts the thin night gown clung to her sweat covered body. She began to shiver uncontrollably praying that she would wake up from this awful nightmare. Closing her eyes she tried again to find her bearings and center herself, distance footfalls caught her ear. Ginny gasped, before she pushed herself off of the wall and continued her lost flight one word came to mind, "Harry," she whispered heartbroken, she would never see him again. The sound of someone getting closer drove Ginny deeper into the castle.

Harry cried out in pain sitting up in bed. He looked around his room in confusion, gingerly he reached up touching his scar. It stung like mad, not the usual pain he felt when near Voldemort. He rubbed it gently trying to ease the discomfort. The pain no more than began to ebb away when his body convulsed. Freezing shivers raced down his spine as his body shuddered involuntarily. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to catch his breath. It felt like a solid chunk of ice had permanently settled into his stomach. The fog in Harry's brain slowly began to clear only to be replaced by one word, Ginny. She was in trouble and his brain screamed for him to go to her. Tossing his covers aside he bolted out of bed reaching for his cloths. Harry cursed at himself for taking so long to put on his t-shirt and jeans becoming out right pissed at how long it seemed to take him to tie up his sneakers.

Harry grabbed his wand and reached for the door before abruptly turning around striding back to his trunk. Throwing open the lid he rummaged around not caring for the large mess he was making when tossing bits of clothing and books around in his frantic search. He found the parchment he was looking for using his wand he activated it. His eyes scanned over the marauder's map quickly searching. His eyes found two dots moving down the corridor near the library, "What in the hell are Crabbe and Goyle doing out at this time of night?" Harry muttered to himself. This wasn't good, he searched further with mounting apprehension, two more dots were not too far away from the moving points of Crabbe and Goyle. Filch and Mrs. Norris were in what seemed to be a closet and were not moving. His eyes searched further when movement caught his eye down lower on the map. A dot was marked, Ginny Weasley, was moving fast deep within the castle. Harry's heart began to race wondering what she was doing. The need to get to her built to a powerful urge he couldn't resist, his heart came to abrupt halt at the site of another dot just a few corridors away from Ginny's quickly moving name, Draco Malfoy was heading in Ginny's direction. Without consulting the map further Harry raced out of the room.

Harry grabbed the handle to Ron's door trying to open it but it was locked. He pounded on the door not caring if he woke up the entire school much less the rest of the seventh year males, in fact it would be for the best if they did. "Dammit Ron open your bloody door! Ginny's in trouble!" he shouted at the top of his lungs trying to knock the door in with his fist. Harry could hear muffled voices and scuffling sounds though the door, behind him other doors opened as sleepy young men came to see what the uproar was about. Ron threw the door open eyes wide, an orange sheet wrapped around his waist, his red hair sticking up everywhere. Harry glanced beyond Ron's shoulder to see Hermione in one of Ron's white button down shirts which came down almost to her knees exposing slender legs as she struggled to put on her jeans quickly turning her head to look at Harry and Ron. Harry would have enjoyed catching his two best friends in such a compromising situation had it not been for the circumstances that brought him here in the first place. Harry filed away this little amusing tid-bit to use against his friends at a later date, "Get dressed and bring your wand," he commanded. Ron simply nodded the urgency in Harry's tone left not room for questions at that moment. Harry turned around and saw three other males heads disappearing into their rooms, "What's going on Harry?" shouted Seamus through the open door of his dorm. "It's Ginny, hurry up!" Harry shouted as he began to pace.

It was only a matter of less than a minute or two that it took for them to join him in the hall, but it felt like an eternity of precious time that couldn't be wasted. Harry keep checking the map seeing that Ginny was still a distance away from Malfoy. Hermione raced out of the dorm room with Ron right on her heels, Dean, Seamus and Neville were a few seconds behind. The group stood waiting wands in hand tense. Harry held the map out to the circled group, "We have to get to her," was all Harry had to say. "Shit," Seamus growled at the parchment. Harry didn't care at that moment if the other three found out about the map; he would talk to them later. "Come on," said Harry rushing to the staircase. "I'll kill him!" Ron yelled. The group was racing down the stairs towards the common room as Harry gave out instructions. "Hermione, get Dumbledore," Harry ordered. "You three go after Crabbe and Goyle," Harry barked as they ran to the portrait door. "What's going on?" a voice said from the middle of the common room. Colin and Ginger had been out for a midnight stroll and were still in common room talking when the group of seventh year students came flying down the stairs like bats out of hell. "Ginny, trouble, Draco." Neville said. "We're coming with you," Colin said firmly. Harry nodded turning back to exit the portrait entrance. The group split up, Hermione took off to get Dumbledore, Ginger raced behind "I'll get Professor McGonagall," she called out. Dean, Seamus and Neville took off in search of Crabbe and Goyle. Harry, Ron and Colin ran off at break neck speed towards Ginny. "Let me get there in time," Harry prayed out loud.

"Professor McGonagall!" Ginger yelled at the door as she hit on it with a tiny fist, "Professor McGonagall please!" Ginger cried out in frustration, tears welling in her eyes. Professor McGonagall pulled open her door quickly tying her night robe around her sleeping gown, "What on earth is the matter Miss LeMange?" said Professor McGonagall. "Ginny's in danger, something about Malfoy, the guys went chasing after her." Ginger's rushed words were almost impossible for Professor McGonagall to catch; the most she understood was Ginny, danger and Malfoy. "Ginger you need to calm down," McGonagall tried to soothe the frantic girl. "There's no time we have to go now!" Ginger cried out grabbing the Professor's hand tugging on her. "Ginny could die!" she screamed. "Oh dear," McGonagall's eyes widened at the usually calm girls outburst, "We must get to Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said shutting her door behind her.

Hermione ran up to the stone gargoyle panting for breath, "Lemon drops," she said. The statue stood unmoving. Hermione growled in frustration, "Chocolate fudge," still nothing, "peppermint patty. . . banana smoothie. . . butterscotch chips. . . raspberry cream. . . caramel toffee. . . Blueberry Buckle!" she screamed at the unyielding work of stone. "Dammit would you just MOVE!" Hermione cried out in extreme frustration rearing back she kicked the figure as hard as she could with her sneaker clad foot. Pain shot up her leg making her knees weak, she began to yelp in pain hobbling around. "You blasted piece of rock!" Hermione had lost patience and apparently part of her sanity at that moment, "Ruddy stupid heap of bloody stone!" Hermione screamed out her frustration at the stone gargoyle, if she didn't know any better the statue was smirking back at her. She heard quick footfalls behind her, wheeling around with her wand out she faced a fast approaching Professor McGonagall and Ginger both with stunned expressions on their faces. "Miss Granger, if you would kindly hold your tongue," Professor McGonagall said sternly as she stopped beside Hermione. "We could hear you all the way back there," Ginger pointed behind her. "We have to hurry!" Hermione rushed. "I know, vanilla chewy," McGonagall said turning to the gargoyle. The stone creature leap aside as the three females hurried forward to the stairs as Hermione walked past she could have swore she heard the gargoyle chuckling at her.