AN: Please review and thanks to those who have already!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 9: Behind Enemy Lines
Harry wandered through the corridors, eagerly making his way back to Gryffindor tower. He needed to find Ginny. He found himself wondering what excursion she had planned for them next. Harry had been exercising the use of his invisibility cloak more and more as he devoted his time to Ginny. He had seen her at lunch and she had promised him, "a most exhilarating evening," and Harry was quite looking forward to it. He tried to put the thought in the back of his mind, but he couldn't help thinking of it at the use of her word, "exhilarating." He wanted to kiss her again. He blushed scarlet at the thought and looked around as if expected someone to jump out at him from behind the dusty portraits adorning the walls.
When he finally reached Gryffindor, Ginny was waiting for him. "You're late, Mr. Potter," she said in an unrecognizable tone. It seemed to be somewhere between sly and mocking.
"I had to get away from Ron and Hermione. Ron wouldn't let me leave without an explanation. You know how he is," Harry muttered. "So…did you have an idea for tonight?'
Her eyes flashed in an excited manner. "Of course! I'm not sure you're up to it Harry. It's quite dangerous and a tad against the rules." She inspected her fingernails like one who had ventured out into unknown territory numerous times.
Harry laughed. "I think everything I've done with you has been against the rules. I'm ready. Lets do it." He held up the invisibility cloak.
Ginny followed him out the portrait hole. "We're going to the Slytherin common room. I've always wanted to see what a snake does when no one is looking."
Harry snickered. "You really do live on the wild side. How do you expect us to get in?"
"Well," she began, "it's not that late. Someone will be coming in and will follow them." She grinned in a superior way and Harry couldn't help but laugh. It was a wonder, he thought, that someone could make him laugh so much. His mind drifted back to the time they had walked across the lake. It had been so easy to talk to her that first time they were really together. So easy to tell her what he was feeling. It almost shamed him to admit that he didn't have that connection with anyone else.
They began their trek to the Slytherin dungeons. Harry explained his first trip there to her on the way. "Ron, Hermione, and I mixed up Polyjuice Potion in our second year to get inside the Slytherin common room."
Ginny looked confused. "Why did you guys want to go in there?"
Harry paused. He didn't want to being up the Chamber of Secrets. They were having a good time. No reason to bring up a bad part of both of their pasts and ruin it. "Same reason that we're doing it now. We just wanted to see what it was like and we wanted to play some tricks on Malfoy, but the potion ran out before we could. It only lasts an hour" That had sounded convincing, but the way Ginny looked at him made him think that she didn't believe his story for a second.
However, she did not say anything. Perhaps, she too, did not wish to dreg up the past. When they reached the common room, they waited patiently for a Slytherin to come and let them in. "What was the password when you were last?" Ginny asked curiously.
Harry snorted contemptuously. "It was pureblood."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Can you think of a sorrier lot than the Slytherins? There is something wrong with a group of people that can be so…prejudice."
Harry nodded in agreement. "You know I've always wonder if all Slytherins are like that."
Ginny shrugged. "The loud ones are. Do you think that there are muggle-born Slytherins?"
The thought had honestly never crossed Harry's mind. "Dunno. We might be able to find out. Very shortly, in fact." Crabbe and Goyle had just rounded the bend up ahead and were heading for their dormitory.
Harry did a quick scan to make sure they were completely covered with the cloak and followed Crabbe and Goyle as they gave the password, "Power." Harry and Ginny stayed dangerously close to the two as they entered the common room. Fortunately, neither Crabbe nor Goyle seemed to notice that the stone door stayed open for a moment longer than normal as Harry and Ginny came through.
"Wicked," Ginny muttered, sounding much like her brother. The Slytherin common room looked identical to the last time Harry had seen it. The long narrow room with its coarse walls and chilly underground feel held none of the homey quality that Gryffindor tower seemed to possess. "This place is so…uncomfortable," Ginny whispered, voicing Harry's thoughts aloud.
Harry motioned for Ginny to follow him as he spotted Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle lounging on high-back chairs in front of the fire. "Father says that the Dark Lord is getting stronger everyday. I can't wait until he comes to Hogwarts and gets rid of that egotistical Potter and Weasel the sidekick. Not to mention Miss-I-Know-Everything the Mudblood." Crabbe and Goyle cackled gleefully.
Harry felt sick to his stomach. Malfoy talked about Voldemort as if he was someone to be revered. And the way he spoke of him and his best friends…Harry sincerely hoped that Voldemort never got the chance to hurt Ron or Hermione. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ginny smiled reassuringly at him. Harry grinned back. It was hard to feel too depressed and melodramatic while spying on Draco Malfoy and his cronies with Ginny.
Ginny signaled him to follow her as they eavesdropped on a conversation between three Slytherin fourth years. The brown-haired one was talking to the others in a low secretive voice. "I got Jake from Hufflepuff down for five Galleons on Slytherin. And Caleb from Ravenclaw bet 15 Sickles on us too. I don't know whom they're kidding," the boy said dropping his voice even lower. "Potter has Draco Malfoy's number. We don't stand a chance."
Harry struggled to stifle his laughter. Malfoy's own house didn't think he had talent. Ginny gave him an amused glance and then motioned for him to follow her once again. He was surprised to see her heading in the direction of the steps, but he followed her all the same. She walked up stealthily and Harry tried to walk quietly as he trailed right behind her. She paused at the top and went right. Harry watched as she peaked into one of the doors and then opened it enough so he could get through. She shut the door behind them and laughed quietly. "Malfoy's dorm room! This is great."
She immediately went to the bed with a large metallic 'M', embroidered on the sheets. "Spoiled little brat brings his own sheets," she said with a scowl.
Harry realized the potential danger of the situation they were in. "Ginny, what if someone bursts in here while we are going through all their stuff."
Ginny shrugged. "We can look for a minute." She rummaged around in Draco's nightstand until she found something that made her laugh so loud that Harry had to hold his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.
"What is it?" He whispered. She was still laughing as she pointed to a piece of paper that had a long curvy writing on it. Harry began to read, My little Draconi, the letter began. Harry worked so hard to stifle his laughter that he thought his lungs would burst. It was from his mother and she called him…Draconi? Perhaps, the Malfoy family had some relationship ties with macaroni.
Harry heard footsteps coming quickly up the steps. He stuffed the letter back in the drawer and it took him a moment to realize that he wouldn't be able to drape the invisibility cloak over the two of them in time. He pointed to the closet, "get in," he hissed. Ginny dove into the closet and Harry followed her, invisibility cloak in hand. He closed the door of the closet just as someone opened the door it the room. Ginny threw the invisibility cloak over them. They needed to get out of there. Harry hoped that whoever it was, was not going to sleep.
"Where the hell is it?" Harry heard someone drawl. It was Draco. Harry willed himself not to think of the letter from Draco's mother. He didn't need to have a laughing fit in the closet of Draco's dorm. Next to him, Ginny gave a low impatient sigh.
"What is it?" Harry whispered.
Ginny moved again, this time causing a creaking. They turned their heads towards the door of the closet, wondering if the motion had been heard by Draco. There was no sound except for incoherent muttering as he searched for something. "This is so uncomfortable," Ginny murmured. She attempted to move again and fell against Harry. Their lips met and Harry felt himself getting into it despite the situation. He leaned in closer to her…but she broke away from him.
"Really, Harry do you think this is the time or the place?" Ginny said breathlessly. Harry grinned sheepishly. He supposed she was right.
"Ah-hah!" Draco's voice called out. Harry heard the staccato of footsteps and the thud as the door closed. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Let's get out of here," he said to Ginny.
"Agreed," she muttered. Then she gave a small snicker. "Draconi, that's classic."
Harry smiled. He peaked through the door before he and Ginny walked through it and down the steps into the common room. Now was the tricky part. They had to get out of there without anyone noticing that the stone door had opened on its own. Luckily, Ginny had thought of this before. She pulled out a small candy. "What's that?"
Ginny grinned. "Canary cream and I've been meaning to try it on Malfoy." She and Harry crept closer to Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Ginny set the Canary Cream innocently on the table next to Malfoy. Malfoy's elbow rested on the table and when he noticed the candy there he smiled widely.
He looked at the little candy and popped it into his mouth. A second later he turned into a canary. "Wow!" A sixth year Slytherin said. The rest of the common room was looking at Draco in awe.
Harry and Ginny opened the door and exited the dungeon, but not before they heard the same boy who had been taking bets earlier say, "Hey Draco, you've turned into a ferret and a canary! What's next?"
They walked back to the Gryffindor common room in silence and didn't say a word until they were safely inside. Ginny let out a hearty laugh. "That was so much fun!"
Harry nodded. "I had a great time." He walked closer to her, his heart beating fast. He wanted to continue what they had been doing in the closet, but he wasn't sure that Ginny was as eager as he.
"Ginny-I-," but she had put a finger to his lips to silence him. She leaned down and kissed him so forcefully that his knees almost gave out. Once more, Harry was left in the common room alone as she raced to the girls' dormitory.
Harry walked up to the boys' dorm and ignored Ron's questioning as he climbed into bed and replayed Ginny kissing him over and over in his mind.
AN: Well Whaddya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Please Review!