A/N: Oh my goodness gracious! It's been SO long since my last post.
Please forgive me! . Anyways, I have good news! During my long recess,
I wrote the next three chapters ^-^ Proud? I will continue to try to post
more later, but only if time permits. The month of March doesn't seem too
promising for me right now.
Chapter 4 Weakness
Draco walked irritably into the private room outside Professor Snape's office. It had been three days since his encounter with Ginny and he had just heard the news that had been sweeping Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. It was awful, awful news. He slammed the door behind him and glared at the red head in front of him.
"What the hell did you do?" He practically screeched. Ginny glanced up from her copy of Most Potente Potions nonchalantly and looked innocently at him.
"What?"
"You know very well what I mean! It was you, wasn't it?" He stalked across the room and grabbed Ginny by the shoulders, shaking her violently. Ginny was becoming angry. She promptly stepped on his foot. Hard. He let out a growl and released her.
"Okay, so I know very well what you mean, but I swear it wasn't me! I told her not to drink it! She didn't listen to me. You know, Cho Chang, the all-knowing potions master."
"Hardly" Draco huffed. His anger seemed to have gone down a little, but his face was still a bright red color. After all, he had every right to be upset. Cho Chang, the seventh year that was on their team had been sent away to St. Mungo's. Apparently she had gotten ahold of a very potent Forgetfulness Potion and had no idea who she was. This meant that Draco and Ginny had to work together, alone, and try to find the answer to the riddle at hand. How exactly does one cure a werewolf? People had been trying it for centuries, but Ginny, as stubborn as she was, was adamant on finding the solution.
"So, now that that's over with, let's get to work. We have much to do." Ginny said as she put her book off to the side and pulled out a new one. Ancient Greek Wizards and Witches it said. Draco looked at it curiously.
"What is that, Weasley?" He asked.
"Oh. This is a book about the most famous witches and wizards in ancient Greece. Muggles idolized them. They even made them into gods. I figured I should catch up on my reading about the moon. If I'm not mistaken, werewolves transform on sight of it." She said, and then triumphantly read aloud, "Selene, known to Muggles as the goddess of the Moon, watched over her domain peacefully, but was one day caught in a fight between Athena and Ares. Blood was shed and Selene fell very ill. In order to recuperate, she sought out the help of two elderly Muggles that lived in a small cottage in a barren meadow. There she rested and there she heard the woes of the people. Before she was fully healed, she left the cottage and planted a single seed into the ground. She fertilized the seed with her blood. After her departure, the barren meadow sprouted with life. It became known as Selene's Grotto. The flower grew next to the new stream, growing and multiplying. It is now called the Moon Flower because it only appears at night during a full moon. It represents tranquility and peace, as that was what the witch herself was most adamant about. These flowers are considered to be of the bloodline of the goddess and are only found in this grotto." Ginny finished reading. She looked up to Draco and smiled.
"What's so funny Weasley?" He spat.
"Temper, temper Malfoy. Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" She started, and at Draco's impatient look she continued, "What if I were to tell you that the reason they haven't found Selene's Grotto is because it wasn't in Greece? What if I were to tell you that it is located in the Forbidden Forest?"
"Why should I believe you? You could be lying to me and I wouldn't know."
"We need to end this now. Let's start over. Truce. You are now my ally, Malfoy. We can do much more damage together than apart. United we stand. What so you say?"
"What? Truce? Ally? You honestly want me to be partnered with a Weasley? A girl?"
"Is that it Malfoy?" Ginny said. She walked over to him and put her chest to his, "Is it because I'm a Weasley, or is it because I'm a girl?" She whispered in her most husky voice.
"Both." He growled out.
"Oh. Poor baby, having to deal with a Weasley all alone. Pity you don't want me. For a pathetic, poor, little Weasel GIRL, I've bested you twice now." She brought her face closer to his, watching him fight the urge to recoil. She smirked, "Let me know what you think, Draco, meet me by the edge of the lake at midnight. There's a full moon out. Be careful. We wouldn't want our little Draky to get bit before we speak to the big bad moon Goddess, now would we?" She smiled sweetly and placed a small, tender kiss on his lips and walked confidently out of the room. It was already 10 and she had to prepare.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ginny waited by the edge of the immense lake at a quarter to eleven. It was a beautiful night out and she wanted to see the sky. She knew Draco would come, but she had to wait until he did. The sapphire sky was full of glittering diamonds. In the center of them was the moon, large and beautiful. It rose, large and round, out of the water over the horizon, heading into the sky. It was almost as if it sensed Ginny's purpose and awaited contact. There was a noise behind her and Ginny looked into the snow-filled field for the source.
"Looking for something, Weasley?" Draco Malfoy drawled. Ginny turned around to face him and smiled. Draco had to gasp. She was stunning. She was wearing a white two piece outfit. It fit her tightly around the waist and flowed out around her feet. It was a skirt, and Draco knew how much Ginny hated skirts. The top was slightly less covering. It ended right below her chest and had long sleeves that were loosely fitting around her arms. Around her, she wore a shawl as pure white as the rest of her clothing. The hems of all of the clothing were all embroidered silver with moons and flowers. The moon was rising over the horizon into the sky now and it made a perfect frame around Ginny. Her hair stood out as the only bright thing in the night. She cleared her throat.
"So, Draco, do we have a deal?" She asked.
"Tell me, Weasley, what does this deal entail?"
"Well, first of all, you have to call me by my first name. And after that, I want to be a team. Instead of working against each other, we could work for a common goal. Maybe pull a huge prank on my brother and his friends."
"You want to call a truce, hurt your brother, and make me call you by your first name? You drive a hard bargain-"
"Not just my brother. That's too cliché. I'm talking all of Hogwarts, Draco. We could own that school if you'd only help me."
"No. I may be ambitious, but I'm not stupid, Virginia."
"Ginny. And I was just testing you, Draco, I just need you to get out of my hair that's all. I've got OWLs this year, and you haven't been helping much. I take it you accept, so we'll be on our way now." She said, not giving him a chance to change his mind and dragged him along the shoreline. Her clothes were dragging into the wet sand, but they showed no signs of the soil at all. Finally they reached a clump of trees and Ginny stopped.
They slowly went into the Forbidden Forest. Ginny lead the way, holding up her skirt. Draco looked to the ground and noticed that she was completely barefoot. There was a glowing crescent moon tattoo on her ankle.
Abruptly she stopped. They had reached a large and barren clearing. In the center there was a stone platform. Ginny let go of Draco's hand and walked up to it. Draco walked to the edge but stopped. Ginny was now at the center of the platform, on which was a large podium. She began to chant some incoherent words.
Suddenly there was a brilliant light. The moon was immediately above her and she was wrapped in the warmth. As soon as it came, she light vanished. Draco looked onto the platform and noticed that Ginny was no longer alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Draco Malfoy. You have entered my sacred grotto. What do you have to say to me?" The tall, pale skinned blonde that stood next to Ginny said as she walked down the stairs. Her hair clung to her body and flowed to the ground in long tendrils. She was wearing the same outfit Ginny was. 'Ginny.' Draco thought, 'What happened to her?'
"Do not worry about Virginia. Summoning me takes a lot out of her. She will awake in time. But first, I think you have something to request of me." She said, motioning to the pale, faint redhead on te podium's surface.
"Selene." He said, "I-I don't know what to say..."
"You are going through hard times, are you not? You are being forced to marry against your will, to take the mark of the Dark Lord. Your fate is grim. There is not much I can do."
"Then you can do something?" Draco asked. The goddess nodded her head slowly. She turned to Ginny.
"I can help you as I have helped her. You saw the mark on her ankle, did you not? That is the mark of my people. It will protect you from the ranks of the Dark Lord, but I am afraid, the matter of your inheritance is something I cannot address. Roll up your sleeve." Draco did as he was told and the goddess touched the inside with her finger. A glowing crescent identical to Ginny's appeared.
"Thank you." Draco said, "But what about Ginny? What did she need saving from?"
"You and Virginia shared almost the same fate. Lucius Malfoy has gotten to both of you, and has implanted the image of Tom Riddle into your minds. He almost had full control of her when I was called to her side. He almost took control of you as well. It is fortunate that she brought you to me. Why she felt that she had to make peace with you to do so is beyond me, but it is a good thing you can trust her."
"Yes, I agree. Selene, we came here-"
"Oh yes, the flowers. I always told Virginia that the wizarding world only needed them. At least someone listened. Feel free to take as many as you wish, but only use them for good. Otherwise their magic will be destroyed." Draco nodded and the goddess wrapped her arms around him, "Do not be afraid to feel, boy. Stay here as long as you wish. It is the holidays, yes? Rest. No one else will find or miss you. The cottage is over there." Slowly the goddess disappeared.
Draco looked down at his arm in amazement. He had gained the mark of the moon goddess. He was no longer in danger. It was a dream come true. From the platform he heard Ginny groan. He ran onto it and noticed for the first time that his clothes were made of the same silky material as hers.
He had officially been accepted by the Moon Goddess herself.
A/N: Well, that certainly went in a different direction than expected. Hope you like it. Don't worry, the plot doesn't really change as much as you are thinking. It'll be just fine. Really.
Please review! Tell me how you feel about all of the mysticism and such? Constructive criticism okay ^-^
I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!
Chapter 4 Weakness
Draco walked irritably into the private room outside Professor Snape's office. It had been three days since his encounter with Ginny and he had just heard the news that had been sweeping Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. It was awful, awful news. He slammed the door behind him and glared at the red head in front of him.
"What the hell did you do?" He practically screeched. Ginny glanced up from her copy of Most Potente Potions nonchalantly and looked innocently at him.
"What?"
"You know very well what I mean! It was you, wasn't it?" He stalked across the room and grabbed Ginny by the shoulders, shaking her violently. Ginny was becoming angry. She promptly stepped on his foot. Hard. He let out a growl and released her.
"Okay, so I know very well what you mean, but I swear it wasn't me! I told her not to drink it! She didn't listen to me. You know, Cho Chang, the all-knowing potions master."
"Hardly" Draco huffed. His anger seemed to have gone down a little, but his face was still a bright red color. After all, he had every right to be upset. Cho Chang, the seventh year that was on their team had been sent away to St. Mungo's. Apparently she had gotten ahold of a very potent Forgetfulness Potion and had no idea who she was. This meant that Draco and Ginny had to work together, alone, and try to find the answer to the riddle at hand. How exactly does one cure a werewolf? People had been trying it for centuries, but Ginny, as stubborn as she was, was adamant on finding the solution.
"So, now that that's over with, let's get to work. We have much to do." Ginny said as she put her book off to the side and pulled out a new one. Ancient Greek Wizards and Witches it said. Draco looked at it curiously.
"What is that, Weasley?" He asked.
"Oh. This is a book about the most famous witches and wizards in ancient Greece. Muggles idolized them. They even made them into gods. I figured I should catch up on my reading about the moon. If I'm not mistaken, werewolves transform on sight of it." She said, and then triumphantly read aloud, "Selene, known to Muggles as the goddess of the Moon, watched over her domain peacefully, but was one day caught in a fight between Athena and Ares. Blood was shed and Selene fell very ill. In order to recuperate, she sought out the help of two elderly Muggles that lived in a small cottage in a barren meadow. There she rested and there she heard the woes of the people. Before she was fully healed, she left the cottage and planted a single seed into the ground. She fertilized the seed with her blood. After her departure, the barren meadow sprouted with life. It became known as Selene's Grotto. The flower grew next to the new stream, growing and multiplying. It is now called the Moon Flower because it only appears at night during a full moon. It represents tranquility and peace, as that was what the witch herself was most adamant about. These flowers are considered to be of the bloodline of the goddess and are only found in this grotto." Ginny finished reading. She looked up to Draco and smiled.
"What's so funny Weasley?" He spat.
"Temper, temper Malfoy. Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" She started, and at Draco's impatient look she continued, "What if I were to tell you that the reason they haven't found Selene's Grotto is because it wasn't in Greece? What if I were to tell you that it is located in the Forbidden Forest?"
"Why should I believe you? You could be lying to me and I wouldn't know."
"We need to end this now. Let's start over. Truce. You are now my ally, Malfoy. We can do much more damage together than apart. United we stand. What so you say?"
"What? Truce? Ally? You honestly want me to be partnered with a Weasley? A girl?"
"Is that it Malfoy?" Ginny said. She walked over to him and put her chest to his, "Is it because I'm a Weasley, or is it because I'm a girl?" She whispered in her most husky voice.
"Both." He growled out.
"Oh. Poor baby, having to deal with a Weasley all alone. Pity you don't want me. For a pathetic, poor, little Weasel GIRL, I've bested you twice now." She brought her face closer to his, watching him fight the urge to recoil. She smirked, "Let me know what you think, Draco, meet me by the edge of the lake at midnight. There's a full moon out. Be careful. We wouldn't want our little Draky to get bit before we speak to the big bad moon Goddess, now would we?" She smiled sweetly and placed a small, tender kiss on his lips and walked confidently out of the room. It was already 10 and she had to prepare.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ginny waited by the edge of the immense lake at a quarter to eleven. It was a beautiful night out and she wanted to see the sky. She knew Draco would come, but she had to wait until he did. The sapphire sky was full of glittering diamonds. In the center of them was the moon, large and beautiful. It rose, large and round, out of the water over the horizon, heading into the sky. It was almost as if it sensed Ginny's purpose and awaited contact. There was a noise behind her and Ginny looked into the snow-filled field for the source.
"Looking for something, Weasley?" Draco Malfoy drawled. Ginny turned around to face him and smiled. Draco had to gasp. She was stunning. She was wearing a white two piece outfit. It fit her tightly around the waist and flowed out around her feet. It was a skirt, and Draco knew how much Ginny hated skirts. The top was slightly less covering. It ended right below her chest and had long sleeves that were loosely fitting around her arms. Around her, she wore a shawl as pure white as the rest of her clothing. The hems of all of the clothing were all embroidered silver with moons and flowers. The moon was rising over the horizon into the sky now and it made a perfect frame around Ginny. Her hair stood out as the only bright thing in the night. She cleared her throat.
"So, Draco, do we have a deal?" She asked.
"Tell me, Weasley, what does this deal entail?"
"Well, first of all, you have to call me by my first name. And after that, I want to be a team. Instead of working against each other, we could work for a common goal. Maybe pull a huge prank on my brother and his friends."
"You want to call a truce, hurt your brother, and make me call you by your first name? You drive a hard bargain-"
"Not just my brother. That's too cliché. I'm talking all of Hogwarts, Draco. We could own that school if you'd only help me."
"No. I may be ambitious, but I'm not stupid, Virginia."
"Ginny. And I was just testing you, Draco, I just need you to get out of my hair that's all. I've got OWLs this year, and you haven't been helping much. I take it you accept, so we'll be on our way now." She said, not giving him a chance to change his mind and dragged him along the shoreline. Her clothes were dragging into the wet sand, but they showed no signs of the soil at all. Finally they reached a clump of trees and Ginny stopped.
They slowly went into the Forbidden Forest. Ginny lead the way, holding up her skirt. Draco looked to the ground and noticed that she was completely barefoot. There was a glowing crescent moon tattoo on her ankle.
Abruptly she stopped. They had reached a large and barren clearing. In the center there was a stone platform. Ginny let go of Draco's hand and walked up to it. Draco walked to the edge but stopped. Ginny was now at the center of the platform, on which was a large podium. She began to chant some incoherent words.
Suddenly there was a brilliant light. The moon was immediately above her and she was wrapped in the warmth. As soon as it came, she light vanished. Draco looked onto the platform and noticed that Ginny was no longer alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Draco Malfoy. You have entered my sacred grotto. What do you have to say to me?" The tall, pale skinned blonde that stood next to Ginny said as she walked down the stairs. Her hair clung to her body and flowed to the ground in long tendrils. She was wearing the same outfit Ginny was. 'Ginny.' Draco thought, 'What happened to her?'
"Do not worry about Virginia. Summoning me takes a lot out of her. She will awake in time. But first, I think you have something to request of me." She said, motioning to the pale, faint redhead on te podium's surface.
"Selene." He said, "I-I don't know what to say..."
"You are going through hard times, are you not? You are being forced to marry against your will, to take the mark of the Dark Lord. Your fate is grim. There is not much I can do."
"Then you can do something?" Draco asked. The goddess nodded her head slowly. She turned to Ginny.
"I can help you as I have helped her. You saw the mark on her ankle, did you not? That is the mark of my people. It will protect you from the ranks of the Dark Lord, but I am afraid, the matter of your inheritance is something I cannot address. Roll up your sleeve." Draco did as he was told and the goddess touched the inside with her finger. A glowing crescent identical to Ginny's appeared.
"Thank you." Draco said, "But what about Ginny? What did she need saving from?"
"You and Virginia shared almost the same fate. Lucius Malfoy has gotten to both of you, and has implanted the image of Tom Riddle into your minds. He almost had full control of her when I was called to her side. He almost took control of you as well. It is fortunate that she brought you to me. Why she felt that she had to make peace with you to do so is beyond me, but it is a good thing you can trust her."
"Yes, I agree. Selene, we came here-"
"Oh yes, the flowers. I always told Virginia that the wizarding world only needed them. At least someone listened. Feel free to take as many as you wish, but only use them for good. Otherwise their magic will be destroyed." Draco nodded and the goddess wrapped her arms around him, "Do not be afraid to feel, boy. Stay here as long as you wish. It is the holidays, yes? Rest. No one else will find or miss you. The cottage is over there." Slowly the goddess disappeared.
Draco looked down at his arm in amazement. He had gained the mark of the moon goddess. He was no longer in danger. It was a dream come true. From the platform he heard Ginny groan. He ran onto it and noticed for the first time that his clothes were made of the same silky material as hers.
He had officially been accepted by the Moon Goddess herself.
A/N: Well, that certainly went in a different direction than expected. Hope you like it. Don't worry, the plot doesn't really change as much as you are thinking. It'll be just fine. Really.
Please review! Tell me how you feel about all of the mysticism and such? Constructive criticism okay ^-^
I'll try to get the next chapter out soon!