(A/N: Hey hey hey! Another chapter! I'm lovin' it! Thanks, guys, for your reviews! It means a lot to me!)

Chapter Ten

The winters came upon Hogwarts like a wholly white blanket. The snow drifts on the grounds glittered in the sun and looked like frosting decked the top of the castles many turrets and towers.

Draco had tried the past few weeks to get Ginny alone to explain things to her but he just couldn't do it. He also felt Ron and Harry had acquired an annoying habit of hanging around whenever he had free time. As soon as he'd get out of class to find Ginny there Harry and Ron were to stop him and beg a game of chess. It was starting to irritate him to no end.

He also gave up flying to her window. The snow storms were unpredictable and he did not want to get caught in a high wind and be carried off to the end of the earth.

The thing that bothered him, though, was that Ginny wasn't trying to contact him. If she wanted to be out of this world so much how come she wasn't researching it with him?

All these combined caused Draco to lost a foot hold on his schoolwork and he began to forget answers to questions and key ingredients in potions. It also didn't help him in charms when he accidentally swished instead of flicked and caused his flamingo he was supposed to turn into an umbrella turn into a pail and shovel.

Christmas vacation was soon upon them and Draco knew his Father would call for Ginny to be home. He wanted to prep her as to what was expected around the holidays and possibly urge her to look in the Malfoy library. After dinner one night he ditched the trio and headed towards the dungeons. He hid in the shadows and waited for Ginny. He saw a few Slytheirns walk by and soon enough the red-head he was waiting for came into view.

Ginny was walking briskly down the cold corridor, her arms hugged around her waist. Draco noticed she had a slight spring in her step. As she was passing his shadowed hiding spot he grabbed her and before she could scream out in protest he pressed his hand against her mouth. He pulled her through an empty classroom and closed the door.

"Let me go!" Ginny screamed, elbowing Draco in the side.

Draco cursed loudly and it was then Ginny knew who her abductor was.

"Draco?"

"Who'd you expect, a vampire?" Draco clutched at the sore spot in his side.

"I'm sorry but… What are you doing?" Ginny was now very upset that Draco had scared her just to drag her into an empty class room.

"I just wanted to talk to you. You've been dodging me for the past month." Draco know straightened up and looked directly at Ginny.

At the mention of her deliberate attempt at not coming in contact with Draco she blushed. Draco saw the blush and wondered what strange ideas were running around in her head.


"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ginny asked, by-stepping the last part of his comment.

"It's almost Christmas and you'll be going to Malfoy Manor. I just thought you'd like to know what's expected of you." Draco looked down at his nails. "There are certain traditions that go on and if you don't know what they are you'll disgrace the family and probably be hurt within an inch of your life."

Ginny's eyes widened. "What traditions?"

"Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt?" Ginny nodded. "Well, it's sort of like that. On Christmas Eve at nine o'clock every Malfoy is given a clue that will lead them to the Christmas Feast. You have to follow twelve clues and collect twelve items and only then can you join the Feast."

Ginny gave a sigh of relief. She was good at problem solving and she needn't worry herself about some silly scavenger hunt. But she couldn't help be discomforted by the glare in Draco's eyes.

"I know what you're thinking." Draco said.

Ginny actually felt as if Draco's thoughts were penetrating hers. It felt a little too intimate for her.

"This isn't some silly childish scavenger hunt. From nine at night to nine the next morning you have to apparate from one part of the country to another, sometimes to other countries. There are dangerous obstacles in the way and only a true Malfoy could follow them."

"I can't do that!" Ginny said. "I'll never be able to do that!"

"Well, just wanted to warn you. Good night." Draco smiled and was prepared to leave when Ginny blocked the doorway.

"You just can't do that!"

"Do what?" Draco asked innocently.

"Let me go through that alone! I need help!"

"Oh really? The great Virginia Weasley—I mean Malfoy—needs my help? Well, it sure didn't seem like you did the past month. So why should I bother now?"

Ginny cast her gaze to the floor. She knew she had been dishonest, but if Draco knew Hermione was helping he'd have a fit. She bit her bottom lip in concentration. What should she do? Finally she looked up into Draco's eyes with pleading in her own.

"Please? I need your help."


~*~*~

"Hermione, I'm going to be going to Malfoy Manor for Christmas. Will you still look for the answer for me?"

Hermione nodded her head, not bothering to look up from the thick volume in front of her.

"Wow, Virginia, there are some interesting theories about parallel universes. I'm glad I'm able to research all this."

Ginny sighed then walked out of the library. Her luggage had already been put on the Hogwarts Express and she was about to join the other students on the train. The plan that her and Draco had come up with a few nights ago seemed radical and unable to pull off. But it was her only chance.

There weren't many students going home for the holidays. There was going to be some big extravaganza in Hogsmeade this year and many students were looking forward to it. Ginny wished she would have been able to join the others in the festivities. She had to catch herself before she cried.

At the station a butler she recognized from Malfoy Manor was standing near by, her luggage on a trolly by his side. She walked up to him and nodded her head. He began to walk towards a parked car. The luggage was placed in the trunk and Ginny was seated in the back. The drive to the Manor was short and soon she was in her room. As soon as she thought it was safe she pulled out a piece of parchment that had a checklist written on it.

She went through the list, going through it in her mind as to what she needed to do first and second and third and so on… First she had to go through the things in her closet and find an invisibility cloak. In only two days Christmas Eve would be here and she needed Draco to help her.

The plan was to have Ginny arrive at the Owl Post in Hogsmeade at eight o'clock where Draco would be waiting. He'd don the Invisibility Cloak and follow her the rest of the night. Ginny didn't know how to Apparate so Draco would hold onto her as he did to wherever they needed to go. It was promising to be a very memorable night.

The next couple of days Ginny was a complete wreck! The anticipation was killing her and she had no idea what was going to happen to her if she'd be caught. She resorted to biting her nails when no one was looking. She tried to stay out of everyone's way, which wasn't so hard. Meals were either spent alone or in silence.

The night of Christmas Eve was upon Malfoy Manor, which was decorated in holly and ivy. A huge Christmas tree was in the front hall and a strange violin solo was heard playing in the halls. Ginny watched the clock all day, waiting for eight to arrive. She had the floo powder in a small bag in her pocket, and she was seated in a small sitting room near the fireplace. The house was strangely silent and all she heard was the tick-tick-tick of the cloak.

When it struck eight Ginny jumped out of her seat and rushed to the fireplace. She threw the floor powder down and yelled "Hogsmeade Owl Post" and was sent flying through the Floo Network until she came to her destination. As she was stepping out of the fireplace she bumped her head and began rubbing it.

Looking around she noticed she was all alone. The soft hooting owls echoed over the walls. Ginny couldn't see anyone in the dark and hoped Draco hadn't been caught. She was beginning to worry when someone touched her arm.

"It's me." Draco whispered.

"I thought you weren't going to come." Ginny said, feeling her heart beat return to normal.

"Where's the cloak?" He held his hands out as Ginny pulled it out from under her shirt and handed it over. "Ok," He said after putting it on. "Take my hand."

Ginny did as she was instructed and felt her self being pulled towards him and through space. She landed in the same sitting room she had been just a few minutes before.

"Ok," she heard a soft whispered right in her ear. She wondered how close he was to her. "I'll be right here the whole time, don't worry. As soon as you get your clue wait until the others disapparate before talking to me. That's when we'll begin."

Ginny nodded her head then walked towards the front sitting room. Narcissa was sitting in a chair reading a novel. Lucius was nowhere to be seen. Ginny sat in a chair and wondered where in the room Draco was. She tried to picture him sitting next to her, but she felt no weight on the other cushion. After an agonizing forty minutes Lucius walked into the room and Narcissa stood. Ginny stood also and waited for instruction but none came.

The cloak struck nine and from the face three slips of paper drizzled out. Lucius grabbed them then handed one to Narcissa and one to Ginny. Ginny looked down at hers and noticed it had her name written on the top. She looked up at Lucius and Narcissa. Lucius was smiling then he quickly disapparated. Narcissa crinkled her eyebrows, but dispparated the same.

"Alright, now what?" Ginny whispered.

There were a few seconds of silence before Draco was up against her again and he whispered, "Now the games begin."