Madness And Mayhem
Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter! It's mine! *Small voice in background* Hm? I'm being sued by who? Oh dear. Doesn't belong to me.
Authors note: this is my first fic, please be gentle.
Thanks to my Beta, Bethany Potter
***
Ginny Weasley sat rigid on the courtyard bench, glaring at the figure that was towering over her.
"What do you want?" She snapped. The boy just grinned down at her.
"Good looks and money." He laughed, "Oh wait, I already have that."
"Go away." Ginny growled. Again the boy did nothing, just smiled. "Do I have to call my brother?
"Like that overgrown oaf could do anything to me." He said, but his eyes darted around, looking for Ron.
"Why are you here?" Ginny asked, grinding her teeth together.
"Well, I'd like to spend some time with my girlfriend." He suggested.
"I've told you Dean, we are not going out!" Ginny stood up angrily. "I thought you were a nice guy but you're obviously not. I've told you to stay away, Ron's told you to stay away, and even Harry has!"
"Ginny, please, give me another chance!" Dean squeezed into the seat next to her. "I know I was stupid, but I've missed you like hell. I'll make everything up to you."
"Dean, when Parvati told me she caught you kissing Lavender I didn't believe her, when Hermione told me I didn't believe her, when my brother told me I didn't believe him. But I saw you. So can you please go away?" Ginny half ordered, half pleaded.
"We are not over Ginny." Dean told her, standing up. "Not by a long shot."
"Ok, that was scary." Ginny muttered to herself as she watched her ex walk off. She sighed sadly. She had really liked Dean, even to the extent of ignoring her friend's warnings about him. But seeing is believing and Ginny had seen it all. She just wished that he would let it go.
Standing up, Ginny noticed someone was watching her. Glancing over she saw Draco Malfoy, smirking over at her. Shivering in the cold Ginny looked away and headed inside.
***
"If we have to go through this one more time Thomas I'm going to curse you to next week!" Ron shouted, standing in front of his sister.
It had been three weeks since the conversation in the courtyard and Dean's attempts to win Ginny back had become more persistent, almost obsessive. Coming out of potions Dean had grabbed Ginny, bruising her wrist in attempt to stop her escaping. Luckily Ron had pulled him away.
"Ginny, please, this is just between us." Dean pleaded.
"The only thing I want between us is a brick wall." Ginny said, but her voice wavered in fear. Her wrist throbbed with pain.
"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked, also standing protectively in front of Ginny.
"I love her," the dark haired boy whispered, staring longingly at the younger girl.
"No you bloody well don't." Ron snapped. "You're just obsessed. Get over her, she's over you."
"No." Dean said firmly. "We're soul mates Gin, you and me. You know it."
"Oh Dean," Ginny sighed sadly, shaking her head, "I'm sorry." With that she turned and left, hurrying down the corridor.
***
Draco watched the event with interest. He had observed many of the interactions between Weasley and Thomas. It was like a mini drama in the comfort of his own home. Except it wasn't mini and Hogwarts wasn't really his home.
"Drackie!" A high-pitched singsong voice called. Draco winced before arranging his face in an expression of sickly sweet delight.
"Pansy!" He smiled; changing his posture so hugs would be impossible.
"Someone just told me that Two-Time Thomas made a grab for Whiffy Weasley." Pansy squealed in delight.
Two-Time Thomas? Whiffy Weasley? What is wrong with this girl? Draco thought to himself. But what he said was "Yeah, I just saw. Apparently he's obsessed with her."
"Obsessed with a Weasley? How revolting. Isn't it just wonderful?" The pug- faced girl smiled. "Gryffindor is almost splitting up over this. They're taking sides!"
"Have any teachers noticed?" The pale boy asked.
"Teachers? Don't be silly. Weasley is too scared to go to a teacher and no one else wants to ruin it. This is the only excitement we've had since coming back to this school." Pansy told him.
"So, tell me a little about these sides." Draco smiled cruelly.
***
It had started with just Dean, Lavender and Seamus against Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione. When Dean asked whose side Neville was on he'd sided with Harry. Lavender had combated that by getting Parvati involved. Slowly the whole of Gryffindor started drifting into the two sides. Everyone noticed but no one commented on how the groups were generally decided by who liked and who disliked Harry. Even though the fight was over Ginny, she mainly stayed out of the way when arguments started up.
"They're using me and Dean as an excuse." She had confided in Hermione one day. "This is really about Harry and who's behind him."
***
Ginny sat by the lake, breathing in the cold morning air. She had been sitting in the common room when another fight had started. Ron and Seamus had had begun arguing, Seamus insisting that Ginny had intended for this to happen and Ron demanding to know what Seamus had meant by that.
"It's gone too far, hasn't it?" Came a soft voice from behind her. Ginny jumped in fright.
"Please Ginny, I just want to talk." Dean explained. "Just to talk."
"Ok then." The red haired girl nodded. "Maybe that's a good idea."
Dean sat down beside her and gazed out over the lake. "I only wanted a little support to help get you back. Seamus was my best friend so of course he agreed to help. And Lavender felt so guilty for breaking us up that she jumped at the chance to make things better. I didn't mean it to go like this."
"It's not just the whole sides thing." Ginny explained. "It's you. You started to really scare me. Like the other day when you grabbed me, that really hurt."
"Oh god Ginny, I never wanted to hurt you, ever." Dean turned to face her, his hand snaking forward, searching for hers. "I really do love you."
"I wanted to love you." She admitted. "I could have loved you. But when I saw you with Lavender, it didn't hurt enough for it to be love. It wasn't that mind-blowing agony that seeing the one you love being unfaithful is supposed to bring. It just hurt."
"Is there any chance that we can start again? I'm not asking you to forget what I did, not at all." His hand intertwined with hers, pulling her closer. "I'm just asking for another chance."
"I'm sorry Dean, I want to so badly, but I can't. You've put me through too much." Ginny dropped her head sadly.
Dean's hand tightened painfully, squeezing Ginny's small delicate fingers. Ginny's head snapped up, her eyes meeting the boys. He stared at her, his face full of anger.
"You can't? I think you'll find you can, and you will." Dean's hand clamped around the back of her head, the other hand working desperately at her clothes. Ginny screamed in terror and disgust, struggling in an attempt to break free. The hand that had held her head mover over her mouth, pushing her head to the ground with a painful thump.
"I'm sorry Ginny." Dean whispered, pulling away pieces of clothing. "I love you, I just want you to see that."
Ginny's eyes filled and overflowed with tears as he pulled her up, dragging her out of sight of any students. And, silently, she screamed the scream that so many women had screamed before her.
***
Draco walked by the lake, deep in thought. When he had been younger, having Pansy Parkinson in love with him had been a wonderful ego boost. But now all he wanted was to be rid of her.
He sat down, near an old hollow tree. He sat there for several minutes before he realised he could hear something. Someone was crying. A cruel smile played across his face. Draco loved finding already tender meat.
Standing up and walking towards the sound, Draco found himself in front of the hollow tree. He peered inside, stared, and then stumbled back in horror, still looking inside the tree.
Ginny was huddled up deep within the old tree, desperately clinging onto the corpse of Dean Thomas.
***
When Dean had finished he had smiled at Ginny.
"Aren't you glad we did that?" He asked, "Don't you just feel so much closer now?"
Ginny had shrunk deep inside the huge hollow tree, tears still falling down her cheeks.
"Ginny?" Dean looked down at his blood stained hands. Suddenly, what had happened caught up with him and his face went pale. He began muttering under his breath, panic in his voice.
"Oh god Ginny, I'm so sorry." Dean leaned forward, reaching out to her.
Two minutes later he was dead.
***
Draco carried Ginny through the Great hall doors, shouting for help. The hall was filled with students and teachers who were having their lunch.
"What happened?" Ron shouted, jumping from his seat and trying to run to Ginny. He managed to get out of his seat before falling over. Harry held him where he was, having the vague suspicion that the first thing Ron would do was hit Malfoy.
"There was an accident." Draco said to Dumbledore, who had appeared at his side. "I think there was an accident. Dean Thomas is dead. Weasley is.hurt. Please help." The last bit has been so silent that only Dumbledore had heard. But the whole hall had heard that Dean Thomas was dead and panic was rising.
"Where is Mr. Thomas?" Professor Snape asked urgently. Draco told him, his eyes still fixed on Ginny's blank face. She was awake but unresponsive. The head of Slytherin house nodded, sweeping out of the hall, followed by several other teachers. Dumbledore ushered Draco out of the hall and up to the hospital wing.
Draco laid Ginny onto the bed and watched for a moment as Madame Pomfrey began her work.
"Mr. Malfoy, please tell me exactly what happened." Dumbledore urged him.
"I was out by the lake, just thinking. I heard some crying so I went to see who it was. She was huddled in that hollow tree and she was hugging his body."
"Mr. Malfoy, what do you know of the relationship between Miss Weasley and Mr. Thomas?" Dumbledore asked. Draco had the impression that the old man knew exactly what their relationship had been.
"They used to go out but she dumped him because he cheated on her." Draco told him. "He got a bit obsessed with her. There was a whole big thing about it, half of Gryffindor on Thomas' side, saying they should get back together and the other half saying that he should just leave Weasley alone. There was this one time where he tried to grab her and he kind of hurt her a bit."
"And why didn't anyone report any of this?" Dumbledore asked.
"It was something to talk about I guess. If the teachers got involved it would end and then we'd all get bored aga-"
"So a young man seems to be dead because the student body wanted something to talk about." The Headmaster cut in. "Well, they have something to talk about now."
"Sir, what happened?" Draco asked, looking over at the beautiful but damaged girl.
"Only miss Weasley knows for sure."
"Can I stay with her for a bit?" The pale boy asked.
"Poppy, do you mind Mr. Malfoy staying with our young guest?"
"Well, I've done what I can for the physical damage." Madame Pomfrey said. "As long as he doesn't disturb her rest then it should be fine."
Draco sat on the chair by Ginny's bed, looking down at her pale face. In his entire life he had never felt responsible for anyone but now he did. He had found Ginny; it was now up to him to find out what had happened.
And besides, how could he give up the chance of being the first to know how Hogwarts little drama had turned out to be a full out whodunit?
***
Ginny felt her eyes blink open. She immediately snapped them shut again, shielding them from the light. A moment later she was aware of the room darkening. Someone had closed the curtains.
"You awake?" Came an all too familiar voice. Ginny' eyes sprung open and she was greeted by the sight of Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy?" She croaked.
"Hey." He nodded in response.
"Why are you here?" Ginny asked.
"I wanted to see how you were." Draco told her.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just did." He sat down beside her and, to her huge surprise, placed a hand over her own. "How are you doing?"
"I'm ok." Ginny smiled in confusion. She opened her mouth to ask why she was in the hospital wing when she remembered. He body jolted and she gasped, the pain she was feeling was so strong it was almost physical.
"Oh god oh god oh god." Ginny whispered, tears spilling down her face. "He's dead, he did this and now he's dead. Oh god, please!"
"Ginny, what happened?" Draco asked, standing up in surprise. Madame Pomfrey hurried in, having obviously heard her.
"Here, drink this." She said, placing a vial next to Ginny's lips. The girl took two sips and then fell asleep.
"What happened to her?" Draco asked.
"Isn't it obvious Mr. Malfoy? The late Mr. Thomas had his way with our young girl here, and not with her consent. And when he was done Ginny did the only thing she could think of." Madame Pomfrey sighed sadly. "She killed him."
***
Ron paced up and down the Gryffindor common room, ignoring the sobbing that was coming from all around him.
"Do you think that whoever killed Dean and attacked Ginny is still around?" Parvati asked weakly, staring out a window that overlooked the lake. Her eyes narrowed on an old tree that was surrounded by teachers, peering inside.
"If he is then I'll find him and kill him!" Ron snarled, stopping his pacing for a moment. Suddenly, without warning Ron picked up a nearby vase and flung it against the wall. There were several shrieks of alarm and Harry was slightly taken back by his friend's anger.
"Ron, Ginny's fine." Hermione reminded him. "It's Dean who is. well, you know. And you and him weren't on the best of terms."
"It could have been her who was killed." Ron snapped. "Gin's already been through hell. Remember what happened to her in our second year? And at the end of last year? It's not like with Harry and us, we do this because we have to, she just gets dragged into things."
"As if we could have got her to stay behind last year." Hermione huffed. "Honestly Ron, you're getting far to emotional about this."
Ron looked as if he was going to say something back when someone new entering the common room interrupted him. It was Neville, his face pale with fear.
"What is it Neville?" Harry asked.
"I was using some of Fred and George's extendable ears to listen in on the hospital wing." Neville panted. He had obviously run all the way back. "And I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to Malfoy. Ron, I'm so sorry."
"What? What happened?" The tall boy demanded.
"Dean Thomas raped Ginny." Neville stuttered. "And then Ginny killed him."
Ron screamed, Harry yelled, Hermione burst out into sobs, Lavender fainted and the Gryffindor common room broke out in mayhem.
***
Ginny woke up to the dark room. For a moment she couldn't work out what had woken her, but then she heard the shouting.
"No, she cannot have any visitors!" Madame Pomfrey was shouting. "And I will not answer any of your stupid questions! Miss Weasley has had a terrible ordeal and she needs peace and quiet!"
"But was she really raped?" An unfamiliar voice shouted.
"And did she kill Dean Thomas?" Asked another.
So they knew. Ginny shuddered, pulling up the thin sheet around her body tightly.
"Horrible, isn't it?" Came a soft silky voice from next to her. Ginny turned and faced Draco.
"Horrible?" Ginny asked.
"They all want you to have killed him." Draco explained. "They love this story. Poor innocent Ginny, violated by her obsessive ex-boyfriend, lashes out at him and kills him."
"I didn't mean to, I don't even know how I managed it. He's so much bigger and stronger than me." Tears slipped down her pale cheeks. Draco reached out and brushed them away.
"Adrenaline rush? It happens." He sighed sadly, but there was an excited glint to his eyes. "Will you tell me what happened?"
"You already know." Ginny said. "And I'm not going into any kind of detail."
"No. I didn't mean." Draco stopped. "I just wanted to know. oh I don't know."
"You did want details, didn't you?" Ginny moved away, horror in her eyes. What was even more disturbing what the horror in Draco's eyes as he realised the same thing.
"Oh god, I don't know." He shook his head. "I'm not a nice person, I've never said I was. But I'm not sick, not like that. But for a second there I really did want to know exactly what happened."
"Just like all those people." Ginny looked at the door, where Madame Pomfrey was still ushering people away. "What's going on here Draco? Everyone is acting so strange."
"What do you mean?" he asked, although he had a slight suspicion.
"It started with just me and Dean. Then Dean does something so unlike him, he cheats on me." She frowned, placing events in her mind. "Then all of Gryffindor starts getting way too interested in our relationship. People break up all the time but it's never been like this. Then other people from other houses start getting involved. People have been fighting so much, and it can't just be about Dean and me. And then Dean and me try and sort it out and, out of nowhere, Dean has a personality transplant and. he. you know. And then I. I." More tears spilled from her eyes.
"Ok, so the whole school is flipping out a bit." Draco nodded. "That is a bit weird. No one can blame you for doing what you did and it's possible that Thomas is just a psychotic bastard."
"No, it doesn't make sense." Ginny muttered. "After he was done he seemed so shocked, like he couldn't understand what had happened. Please Draco, something strange is going on here and I need to find out what."
"Ginny, something horrible has happened to you." Madame Pomfrey was suddenly standing by the bed, having evidently heard the whole conversation. "And it's natural for you to try and find some other reason as to why it happened. But there isn't another reason. Dean lost control of himself and you defended yourself as best you could. Professor Dumbledore and I will do everything in our power to make sure that the authorities understand that what you did was all in self-defence. You won't get in trouble for this."
"Thank you Madame Pomfrey." Ginny whispered. "Um, please can I talk to Draco alone for a bit?"
"Fine, if you insist." The medical witch nodded, walking away.
"She's wrong." The young girl said stubbornly. "Something is wrong here. And I think it's only going to get worse."
"Ginny, you're tired, sleep." Draco said.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Ginny asked. "For all the time I've known you you've never said a kind word, but suddenly you're being so nice to me."
"Maybe whatever's screwing with the other students is screwing with me too." The older child joked. Ginny's forehead creased as she considered this.
"Could be, could be." Ginny nodded, but not too enthusiastically as she was already falling asleep. "Especially since you're holding my hand."
Before Draco could respond Ginny was asleep.
Could there be something wrong with the school, with me? He thought to himself. He reached out and brushed a finger against Ginny's lips longingly. When he realised what he had done he jerked his hand away.
Definitely.
***
The mediwizard peered over the body of the dead boy with interest. It was obvious what had killed Dean Thomas; his neck had been snapped quite efficiently. It was the blood that was interesting him. It was glittering.
"Any idea what it is?" His assistant asked. He shook his head and motioned for her to be quiet. A moment later he spoke.
"I cannot be certain unless we run some tests, but I think they may be alive." He told her.
"Alive? How can they live in his blood? And how could he survive with so many?"
"I'm not sure but I do have a theory. I'll run a few tests on his blood, I need you to call his parents in and take a blood sample from them. And any other family he may live with." He fixed his assistant with an icy glare. "This is important. Find out if this boy has been on holiday recently and who he went with."
***
Dumbledore sat by Ginny's bed, Draco by his side.
"Your mother has asked me to tell you that if you wish you may return home." Dumbledore told her.
"Thank you Sir but I'd rather stay here." Ginny smiled thankfully.
"Also, Mr. Weasley, your older brother, has demanded that Mr. Malfoy be removed and that he is allowed to visit."
"I'd like visitors, but I'd prefer it if Draco stayed."
"I'm glad you too have put your family quarrels behind you." Dumbledore said, but he had a troubled look to his eyes.
He knows something is wrong, Ginny thought to herself.
"Still, Mr. Malfoy has already missed a day of lessons, I'm not sure his father would appreciate it."
"If I go to all my lessons can I still stay over night?" Draco asked.
"That is, of course, up to Poppy."
"It's just that I have nightmares sir." Ginny sighed, embarrassed. "And those Aurors keep on visiting to ask me questions and it makes me feel sick. I sleep better when I know Draco's here."
"I'll do my best." Dumbledore assured her. "And I'll tell your friends that they can visit you for fifteen minutes at five."
"Thank you Professor." The small red head smiled and waved goodbye to the headmaster as he left.
"Where is Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny asked finally.
"I think she's with Professor Snape again." Draco smirked. "They seem to be having quiet a few meetings about medicinal potions." Ginny giggled and hummed a few lines of the song 'love is in the air'. Draco looked at her in confusion.
"It's a muggle song." She explained. "Called 'love is in the air'. My dad wired our radio so it picks up muggle stations."
"Well, from what I've found out when I went to lunch today while you were asleep, love definitely is in the air. There have been more strange couples and break ups in the last week then in the entire history of Hogwarts."
"What strange couples?" Ginny asked.
"Someone caught Cho Chang making out with Vincent Crabbe in a broom closet." Draco explained. Ginny almost fell out of her bed laughing. Draco felt a smile pull at his lips. "That's the first time I've heard you laugh since, well, since then." He regretted in instantly as the smile slipped from Ginny's face and was replaced by a pale-faced grimace.
"I can't believe I forgot about that." Ginny whispered. She leaned back in her bed and was silent. Her eyes were closed but tears will still slipping out. Draco reached out and took her hand into his own. The two were silent until five, when there was a knock on the hospital wing door.
"Come in." Draco called, wondering whether he should remove his hand. He decided against it. How he would love to have a fight with Ron Weasley.
The tall boy slipped into the room, followed by Harry and Hermione.
"Hi." Ginny smiled weakly. Ron stayed still for a moment before swooping down on his sister, engulfing her in a hug.
"Oh Ginny, I'm so sorry." Ron whispered, tears springing to his eyes.
"It's ok Ron, I'm ok." Ginny said, hugging him back fiercely.
"We were all so worried." Hermione told her friend. "We begged everyday to be allowed to see you but Madame Pomfrey said that you weren't ready."
"I just needed a little time." She admitted. "I didn't know how I could face you, after what happened."
"No one blames you." Ron told her.
"Seamus and Lavender are blaming themselves for encouraging him." Harry added.
"So it's their fault." Draco said unpleasantly. Ginny cringed with anger and embarrassment.
"Draco, please." She said.
"What? It is their fault. They told him to go for it and he did." The pale boy shrugged. "How can you not say it's their fault?"
"This is none of your business." Ron growled. "I don't even know why Dumbledore let you stay here."
"Because Ginny asked him to." Draco said smugly. "I'm the night in shining armour in this story Weasley. I found Ginny, I saved her."
"I bet you just love having all this attention, Malfoy." Harry muttered.
"And I bet you just hate not having all the attention for once, Potter." Draco sneered. Without warning Harry launched himself at the other boy.
"Harry, no!" Ginny pleaded.
"Get him Harry!" Ron shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione sounded outraged. "Both of you stop this now! Oh, for goodness sake. Separatus!" An invisible force dragged the two boys apart. They struggled against it but were held in place by Hermione's pointed wand. "That was completely uncalled for Harry, you should be ashamed of yourself. Malfoy's done nothing but help Ginny and we should be grateful."
"Yeah, Potter." Draco sneered.
"Draco." Ginny warned.
"And you Ron, honestly." Hermione shook her head. "Why did you have to urge Harry on? Are all males this immature?"
"And violent?" Ginny asked.
"Maybe it's got something to do with your theory." Draco said to Ginny.
"When we want your opinion, Malfoy, We'll ask for it." Ron snapped. He was silent for a moment before; "Um, what theory is that?"
"It's just that I've noticed that people are acting very strangely, not like themselves at all." Ginny told the others.
"That's just because we're all anxious about You-Know-Who." Hermione explained.
"Yeah, that's why Chang's decided that Crabbe's the love of her life." Draco sneered.
"Oi, leave her out of this!" Harry shouted, trying to fight his way to Malfoy. Draco just laughed.
"You are so lucky Madame Pomfrey's with Snape at the moment or you'd be in big trouble." Ginny pointed out. Harry nodded and stopped struggling.
"Madame Pomfrey's with Snape? That's disgusting." Ron said, but he had that same excited glint in his eyes that Ginny had seen in Draco's. Ginny pointed that out and explained what she had noticed as clearly as she could.
"Are you saying that the whole school's been affected by. something?" Ron asked.
"Yes, yes." Hermione nodded. "I can see that now. I've even felt it myself. Things that shouldn't interest me, things that should disgust me, I've found fascinating."
"Everyone in the school is buzzing for news, for something to pay attention to. When they can, they do stupid things themselves so that people pay attention to them." Ginny explained.
"And everyone is acting so much more aggressive." Draco added. "Fighting over the most stupid reasons. People are just generally more emotional."
"I think that's why Dean did what he did to me." Ginny carried on. "He was attracted to me so, in his head, he built it all up until he was in love with me and couldn't live without me. And when I turned him down he just let his aggressive nature take control. And then, when he was finished, I let my aggression get out of control."
"Look, I've never asked you for anything, ever." Draco said. "And it would mainly be for Ginny anyway so you can't really say no, but can you do us a favour and keep a look out. Ginny's worried that it's gonna get worse so maybe you could just calm things down if it gets too bad."
"Alright, for Ginny." Ron agreed. Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Good." Draco nodded. "You were supposed to go ten minutes ago, so could you please leave?"
Ron's draw dropped and Harry tightened his hands into fists but Hermione just laughed and led them out.
"That Granger has an alright sense of humour." Draco pointed out. Ginny smiled and shook her head.
***
Ginny had been out of the hospital wing for a week and was only just getting used to the constant questioning. It seems that the entire school knew what had happened, but they all wanted to know the details. But to Ginny' great disappointment she had barely seen Draco at all since she had got out. That was about to change.
Ginny sat in the courtyard, reading a book on behaviour altering. Nothing seemed to be at all useful.
"We do not allow books to be taken into the courtyard." A cold voice snapped. Snape looked as if he was going to say something else when he recognized who he was talking to. "Ah, Miss Weasley. How is your recovery?"
"Oh, um, very well, thank you." She replied, surprised by Snape's concern.
"Good. Please do not let me interrupt your reading." He nodded a goodbye and walked away, leaving Ginny stunned.
"He may be a bit. mean at times but not a teacher in this school is going to say a word about rules to you." Came a voice behind her. Ginny smiled and turned to face Draco.
"Why not?" She asked.
"After what happened to you? Are you kidding?" Draco laughed. "They're scared that you'll have a mental break down. In fact, they think you're in a bit of denial. You were raped and you killed your attacker. Most people would need a bit more than a week in bed and a cup of hot chocolate."
"It's because of this thing that's happened to us." She told him. "I know I should be crying my eyes out, but I'm not. I know I should be in a lot more pain but all I can think about is." Ginny stopped, shaking her head.
"What? What can you only think about?" Draco asked, uncertainly.
"You damn well know." She snapped. "All I can think about is you. And how much I want to kiss you."
Draco bent over and pulled her up, taking her into his arms. Ginny placed her hands around his neck and pulled his head down.
Half an hour later the school was buzzing with the news.
***
The mediwizard's eyes widened in surprise and delight. He called his assistant over, filling her in on what he had found out. She nodded, trying to take it all in.
"This will make us famous." He told her. "A Magical Bacteria and a cure! And look at what it does to the system! If we could isolate the different properties we could sell it as an enhancer."
"Surly that would be dangerous?" She said uncertainly. The mediwizard stopped and them began to nod.
"Of course, of course." He muttered. "But the discovery itself is still worth a fortune, not to mention the cure. Are you sure it was just Dean Thomas and his parents who were infected?"
"Yes, and his parents weren't half as bad as him." The young assistant told her boss. "It seems to thrive in magical adolescents because of the build up of uncontrolled magic."
"An illness that screws up teenagers even more than normal? Wonderful." He chuckled.
"But there's some bad news." She said, and her voice quavered. "Some very bad news."
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's highly contagious, sir. When I took a blood sample of myself I had small traces of it already."
"Oh dear."
"Sir, Dean Thomas went to Hogwarts. That's about four hundred students' sir. Thomas had been there long enough to infect the whole school twice over."
"Oh Shit! Bollocks!" he shouted. "Get a message to Dumbledore! We have a mini epidemic on our hands here!"
***
Ginny was sitting on Draco's lap, leaning up against him. She could honestly say she didn't remember ever feeling safer in her life.
"You know, you should probably keep trying to find out what's wrongs with us." Draco told her.
"If I do, and I find a way to reverse it, you know we won't like each other, don't you?"
"Well, yeah." Draco nodded. "I mean. well. no one's died since Dean Thomas. Is there any rush to sort this out?"
"That's what I was thinking." Ginny smiled. They stood up together and began to kiss again. Her head swam and she became dizzy. Clinging to Draco for balance seemed like the sensible thing to do. Unfortunately Draco seemed to have lost his balance and the couple toppled over, falling into a black nothingness.
***
"She's waking up!" Came a familiar voice.
"Ron?" Ginny whispered.
"Gin, can you hear me? Come on Gin, wake up." Ginny opened her eyes and smiled weakly up at her brother.
"I wake up here too much." She told him. He nodded, smiling.
"Madame Pomfrey? I think she's ready for the antidote." He said. Madame Pomfrey appeared, nodding, and poured bottle of liquid into a spoon.
"Drink this." She said. Ginny nodded obediently and sipped the spicy tasting liquid. Suddenly, a buzzing she hadn't even been aware of stopped and her mind cleared.
"Ron?" She called.
"It's ok Gin, go to sleep." Ginny nodded and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
***
Ginny sat opposite Dumbledore. She was still in the hospital wing bed but she was now fully awake and upright.
"Where's Draco?" She asked.
"He woke up about an hour ago and convinced us to let him go." The old man explained.
"Can you please tell me what happened?"
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded and made himself comfortable. "As you probably know, Dean Thomas went on holiday with his parents to Ecuador over the summer. It seems that while he was there he picked up an unknown Magical Bacteria that thrives on magical adolescents. He returned to Hogwarts on September and, unknowingly, he passed the bacteria to the rest of the school.
"Now this bacterium has some very interesting qualities. It promotes aggressiveness and makes people take leave of their common sense. It also makes people a lot less tolerant of boredom, which, as you can imagine, is not a very good thing when one attends a boarding school. It makes people develop morbid fascinations. And eventually, it kills you."
"What!" Ginny gasped.
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded "This is just an assumption, but am I correct in believing that directly before you killed him Dean Thomas seemed to regain control of himself?" Ginny nodded. "That is because he only had a short while left to live. The bacteria had literally sucked all the magic out of him and were dying themselves. Dean Thomas would have died that day, regardless of what you did."
"But it was still me who killed him." Ginny's body began to shake violently. Dumbledore stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"We haven't looked after you very well Miss Weasley." The headmaster said sadly. "You seemed to have dealt with what had happened very well and none of us considered that that may been due to something else. But it is now obvious that you are still suffering greatly. Please understand that neither you nor Dean was in control when you did what you did. But I think it would be best if you took a few weeks off school and returned to your home. Your mother, with your consent of course, would like to take you to a councillor."
"How could my family pay?" Ginny asked miserably.
"The mediwizard who discovered the bacteria is willing to pay a great deal of money to study you, as it was you and Dean Thomas who were affected by this the most." Dumbledore explained.
"Study me?" She asked weakly.
"You can sort that out later. If you wish to return home, you will have today to say goodbye and you can leave first thing in the morning."
"Thank you sir, I'd like that."
"I thought you would."
***
Ginny spent the day hugging people goodbye. Ron explained to her how Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting in the hall and had told everybody about the bacteria. According to Hermione there had been an outburst, people sobbing about how they were going to die.
"It had been quite immature." She huffed.
"Oh, shut up Hermione, you screamed your head off and declared undying love for Harry." Ron pointed out to a reddening Hermione.
"Only because he kissed me." She muttered.
But Dumbledore had soon calmed them all down by saying that there was an antidote, and they were all to be given the required dose.
"Once we were back to normal we all worked out what had happened between you and Dean." Harry told her. "Everyone felt really bad about always asking you about it."
It was now the morning that Ginny was going to leave and Ron, Harry and Hermione had walked Ginny to the awaiting carriage, which would take her to Hogsmead station.
"I'll see you in a few weeks, ok?" She called. Her bother and his friends smiled up at her and waved.
"Can you see the horses?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, they're kinda creepy." Ginny replied.
She managed a few more goodbyes before the carriage began to move. Ginny leaned out the window, not wanting to lose sight of her friends. As the carriage rolled away another figure joined her three friends and leaned over to talk to Hermione. A figure with pale blond hair.
"Goodbye Draco." She whispered, but the sound was swallowed by the wind.
***
The journey had been a long, uneventful one. Ginny was used to the Hogwarts Express being filled with laughing children, not with these severe looking witches and wizards. But, as she stepped onto the platform, all thoughts of laughing children and severe wizards were banished from her mind.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood near the barrier, smiling nervously. When Mrs. Weasley spotted her daughter, her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh Ginny." She whispered, pulling her daughter into her arms.
"You're famous, Gin." Came a voice from behind her parents. Fred and George stood there nervously, holding several newspapers, some of which looked a few weeks old.
"Yeah." Said Fred, agreeing with his brother. "We kept all the papers just in case you wanted to see them."
"Thanks." She said, hugging her brothers.
"Are we all ready to go?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Yeah." Ginny smiled at her family. "Let's go home."
They walked out of the station together. Fred and George began asking if the tiny bit of swamp Professor Flitwick had left was still there. Fred wiped a pretend tear away when Ginny told him that some second years had put up a plaque above it.
***
Ginny had been away from Hogwarts for four weeks. She and her mother had gone to counselling three times a week and being back home had done wonders for Ginny. Shortly after she'd been cured of the Magical Bacteria she had begun to get nightmares again, but now they were infrequent. The only un- enjoyable times were when Ginny had to visit the mediwizard and answer his questions.
But now she was returning to Hogwarts and a prickle of fear was rising in her stomach. She had one more day at home, and all her brothers apart from Ron had come to spend the day with her. Even Percy, who had been completely cut off from the family last year, had swallowed his pride and come home.
But while her brothers sat downstairs enjoying each other's company Ginny sat huddled in her bedroom, pouring over the newspapers about her, Dean and the Magical Bacteria.
Hogwarts Student and daughter of Ministry Official found raped.
Raped Hogwarts student accused of murdering her attacker.
Strange illness responsible for Hogwarts rape and murder
All these headlines and articles had become so familiar to Ginny that she could almost recite them without any prompts. There were photos of her in nearly all the papers, sometimes crying, sometimes smiling weakly. There was even one in which she was lying in the hospital wing asleep.
"Ginny, come down!" Shouted her mother. "This is your going away party."
"Ok, coming mum." She called back, folding up the newspapers and climbing out of her bed.
In the kitchen all her brothers cheered as she appeared. Well, Percy clapped a little.
"Enjoyed your time off?" Charlie asked. Ginny smiled and nodded. She then sniffed the air carefully.
"Do I smell cake?" She asked, giving her mother a hopeful look.
"If you finish you dinner." Mrs. Weasley nodded.
"Yay." Ginny smiled, sitting next to Bill, who ruffled her long red hair.
"Hey, Ginnylocks, wanna hear a joke?" The oldest Weasley boy asked.
"If it's the one about the hag, the manticore and the little old wizard then Ginny's too young to hear it." Mrs. Weasley said sharply. Bill laughed and looked apologetically at his sister.
"Sorry Gin." He said shrugging.
"What about the one about a Malfoy and the over-sized snitch?" George asked.
"Don't you dare." His mother growled, but she laughed along with the rest of her family. Ginny smiled weakly, her mind wandering to Draco.
"I wonder what he would do with an over-sized snitch?" Ginny muttered to herself.
"What was that?" Percy asked. Ginny just shrugged and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see her blush.
Finally the evening came to an end. Arthur Weasley stood up, raising his glass.
"I'd like to make a toast." He said. "To Ginny, the bravest, most wonderful daughter anyone could ever ask for. We're so lucky to have you."
"Thanks dad." Ginny felt herself blush again.
"Now off to bed." Molly Weasley ordered. "You have a long day tomorrow, you should be well rested."
Ginny hugged her older brothers and her parents before climbing the stairs do her bedroom. Normally she stayed awake all night, going over whatever had happened that day, or going over the day Dean had died.
But, for some unknown reason, Ginny fell straight asleep that night, with no time for reflection.
***
Ginny clambered off the Hogwarts express, dragging her suitcase with her, a moment later a pair of familiar hands lifted the suitcase up with ease.
"Thanks Ron!" She said, hugging her older brother.
"It's ok." He laughed. "Puny suitcases are no match for me, Mr. Muscle Man."
"Hello Ginny." Hermione smiled, hugging her friend. Once she'd let go Harry also hugged her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as he pulled away.
"I've missed you." Ginny told them all.
"How's the family?" Ron asked.
"Everyone's good. Percy came over last night!" she told him.
"Percy? That smug git! He's lucky you lot didn't slam the door in his face." Ron sounded outraged.
"He's family Ron, be nice." Ginny reminded her brother.
The four friends made their way to the waiting carriage, laughing.
***
Ginny dragged her luggage into the entrance hall where a house elf thanked her for giving him the job to carry it. Hermione winced, wanting desperately to tell the house elf that he didn't have to thank her.
"Don't Hermione." Harry whispered. "You'll only upset him."
"Her." Ginny corrected. Harry stared at the house elf then looked away, shaking his head.
"Welcome back." Ron said finally. Ginny smiled at her brother and friends.
"Thanks guys." She said finally, and they began the walk up to the Gryffindor common room.
***
Ginny changed into her dress robes, placing her hat on her head. It had been so long since she had worn them that they looked odd on her and she felt uncomfortable in them.
"Are you ready?" Asked Crystal, one of the girls who Ginny shared her room with. Ginny nodded, worry filling her. "Don't worry. The school is back to only having the normal amount of nosiness about you. No one's going to interrogate you about your time away."
"Thanks Crys, but it's not just that." She turned to her friend. "It'll be the first time I've talked to Draco since we."
"Kissed? I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you." Crystal assured her. "You're the prettiest girl in our year, and pretty much the school. And Malfoy has showed no interest in Cho Chang, Hermione Granger or Blaise Zabini."
"But Cho was disgusted with herself when she realised that she's been snogging Crabbe, wasn't she?" Ginny pointed out to her friend.
"Are you kidding? They're still going out!"
"What?" The red haired girl's mouth dropped open.
"Every one reckons it's just to make Michael Corner jealous." Crystal explained.
"What, Michael dumped Cho?" Ginny smiled to herself. "Things have changed."
***
In the Great Hall Ginny was very aware of the eyes on her.
This must be how Harry feels all the time, she thought to herself.
"Hi Ginny." Squeaked Lavender Brown, who was smiling nervously. Seamus waved slightly.
"Hi." Ginny said back.
"Look, we're really sorry for. what happened." Seamus muttered. "We didn't know it would end like that."
"Seamus, don't worry. None of us were ourselves." She smiled at them, but, just because they had been really horrible to her, she walked right past the chair Seamus pulled out for her and set next to Hermione.
"That wasn't very nice." The older girl pointed out.
"Do I have to be really nice all the time?" Ginny asked.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt if you made a public display of forgiving them." Harry told her. He was sitting opposite Hermione, next to Ron.
"I did! I talked to them, I told Seamus not to worry." The youngest Weasley pouted, sadly.
"I don't think you're a very nice person Virginia Weasley." Came a voice from behind her. Ginny glanced over at Hermione, who was smiling brightly.
"Is there a boy behind me?" She asked her.
"Yes." Hermione nodded.
"Blond?" Ginny asked.
"Uh-huh."
"A Slytherin?"
"Yep."
"Good looking?"
"Well, no, not really." Hermione laughed.
"Hey!" Draco sounded offended. "I am very good looking."
"Hello, Malfoy." The brown haired girl said, smiling up at him. Ginny suddenly remembered seeing Draco leaning over to talk to Hermione as she rolled away in the carriage. A pang of jealousy hit her.
"Granger." He nodded his greeting. Harry and Ron glared at Draco but didn't say anything. "Ginny, can I talk to you?"
Ginny nodded and got out of her seat. Draco led her out of the Great Hall and into a long empty corridor.
"You and Hermione seem friendly." Ginny said. "I thought you two hated each other."
"We've had a lot of time to talk." The pale boy told her. "Mainly about you."
"Oh."
"Remember when we were talking about how we had to find a way to reverse what had happened to us? Only we decided not to because you thought we wouldn't like each other if we got better." Draco said. "Well, you were wrong."
"I've noticed that." Ginny agreed. "Well, this is awkward."
"Is it?" Draco asked. He moved closer and touched her face. "I hadn't noticed."
"Lucky you." She muttered. A moment later her lips were covered with his.
***
Three figures crouched round the corner, peering around.
"See! I told you." Hermione whispered.
"I'm gonna kill him." Ron muttered, trying to jump forward. Harry held him back.
"Don't be dense Ron." He hissed. "Ginny'd kill you."
"And you know she could do it." Hermione pointed out.
"I have to protect my little sister from that monster!" Ron insisted.
"If you move another inch I'll tell Hermione about you and Luna." Harry threatened.
"Luna Lovegood!"
"Harry, you promised!" Ron shouted. There was a long silence and then fast approaching footsteps.
"Oh Ron, you idiot." Hermione sighed. A moment later Ginny and Draco peered around the corner, and then down at the three friends.
"Were you spying on us?" Ginny asked politely.
"Um, no?" Harry looked up in innocence. They all started laughing; apart form Draco, who just smirked.
"I am not becoming part of your little dream team." He said.
"Oh yes you are." Hermione corrected.
"No I'm not! I'm just Ginny's snogging partner! I will under no circumstances help you fight the forces of evil." Draco insisted. "Potter put my dad in prison. Yeah, he broke out last month, but still! I'm the typical archenemy; I can't go around being all buddy buddy with Potter. And my parents would kill me if they found out I was seeing a Weasley! And don't even get me started about Granger."
"And yet you stand in a corridor which is about to be swamped with students, talking to us." Ginny teased.
"Damn."
Fin
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter! It's mine! *Small voice in background* Hm? I'm being sued by who? Oh dear. Doesn't belong to me.
Authors note: this is my first fic, please be gentle.
Thanks to my Beta, Bethany Potter
***
Ginny Weasley sat rigid on the courtyard bench, glaring at the figure that was towering over her.
"What do you want?" She snapped. The boy just grinned down at her.
"Good looks and money." He laughed, "Oh wait, I already have that."
"Go away." Ginny growled. Again the boy did nothing, just smiled. "Do I have to call my brother?
"Like that overgrown oaf could do anything to me." He said, but his eyes darted around, looking for Ron.
"Why are you here?" Ginny asked, grinding her teeth together.
"Well, I'd like to spend some time with my girlfriend." He suggested.
"I've told you Dean, we are not going out!" Ginny stood up angrily. "I thought you were a nice guy but you're obviously not. I've told you to stay away, Ron's told you to stay away, and even Harry has!"
"Ginny, please, give me another chance!" Dean squeezed into the seat next to her. "I know I was stupid, but I've missed you like hell. I'll make everything up to you."
"Dean, when Parvati told me she caught you kissing Lavender I didn't believe her, when Hermione told me I didn't believe her, when my brother told me I didn't believe him. But I saw you. So can you please go away?" Ginny half ordered, half pleaded.
"We are not over Ginny." Dean told her, standing up. "Not by a long shot."
"Ok, that was scary." Ginny muttered to herself as she watched her ex walk off. She sighed sadly. She had really liked Dean, even to the extent of ignoring her friend's warnings about him. But seeing is believing and Ginny had seen it all. She just wished that he would let it go.
Standing up, Ginny noticed someone was watching her. Glancing over she saw Draco Malfoy, smirking over at her. Shivering in the cold Ginny looked away and headed inside.
***
"If we have to go through this one more time Thomas I'm going to curse you to next week!" Ron shouted, standing in front of his sister.
It had been three weeks since the conversation in the courtyard and Dean's attempts to win Ginny back had become more persistent, almost obsessive. Coming out of potions Dean had grabbed Ginny, bruising her wrist in attempt to stop her escaping. Luckily Ron had pulled him away.
"Ginny, please, this is just between us." Dean pleaded.
"The only thing I want between us is a brick wall." Ginny said, but her voice wavered in fear. Her wrist throbbed with pain.
"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked, also standing protectively in front of Ginny.
"I love her," the dark haired boy whispered, staring longingly at the younger girl.
"No you bloody well don't." Ron snapped. "You're just obsessed. Get over her, she's over you."
"No." Dean said firmly. "We're soul mates Gin, you and me. You know it."
"Oh Dean," Ginny sighed sadly, shaking her head, "I'm sorry." With that she turned and left, hurrying down the corridor.
***
Draco watched the event with interest. He had observed many of the interactions between Weasley and Thomas. It was like a mini drama in the comfort of his own home. Except it wasn't mini and Hogwarts wasn't really his home.
"Drackie!" A high-pitched singsong voice called. Draco winced before arranging his face in an expression of sickly sweet delight.
"Pansy!" He smiled; changing his posture so hugs would be impossible.
"Someone just told me that Two-Time Thomas made a grab for Whiffy Weasley." Pansy squealed in delight.
Two-Time Thomas? Whiffy Weasley? What is wrong with this girl? Draco thought to himself. But what he said was "Yeah, I just saw. Apparently he's obsessed with her."
"Obsessed with a Weasley? How revolting. Isn't it just wonderful?" The pug- faced girl smiled. "Gryffindor is almost splitting up over this. They're taking sides!"
"Have any teachers noticed?" The pale boy asked.
"Teachers? Don't be silly. Weasley is too scared to go to a teacher and no one else wants to ruin it. This is the only excitement we've had since coming back to this school." Pansy told him.
"So, tell me a little about these sides." Draco smiled cruelly.
***
It had started with just Dean, Lavender and Seamus against Ginny, Ron, Harry and Hermione. When Dean asked whose side Neville was on he'd sided with Harry. Lavender had combated that by getting Parvati involved. Slowly the whole of Gryffindor started drifting into the two sides. Everyone noticed but no one commented on how the groups were generally decided by who liked and who disliked Harry. Even though the fight was over Ginny, she mainly stayed out of the way when arguments started up.
"They're using me and Dean as an excuse." She had confided in Hermione one day. "This is really about Harry and who's behind him."
***
Ginny sat by the lake, breathing in the cold morning air. She had been sitting in the common room when another fight had started. Ron and Seamus had had begun arguing, Seamus insisting that Ginny had intended for this to happen and Ron demanding to know what Seamus had meant by that.
"It's gone too far, hasn't it?" Came a soft voice from behind her. Ginny jumped in fright.
"Please Ginny, I just want to talk." Dean explained. "Just to talk."
"Ok then." The red haired girl nodded. "Maybe that's a good idea."
Dean sat down beside her and gazed out over the lake. "I only wanted a little support to help get you back. Seamus was my best friend so of course he agreed to help. And Lavender felt so guilty for breaking us up that she jumped at the chance to make things better. I didn't mean it to go like this."
"It's not just the whole sides thing." Ginny explained. "It's you. You started to really scare me. Like the other day when you grabbed me, that really hurt."
"Oh god Ginny, I never wanted to hurt you, ever." Dean turned to face her, his hand snaking forward, searching for hers. "I really do love you."
"I wanted to love you." She admitted. "I could have loved you. But when I saw you with Lavender, it didn't hurt enough for it to be love. It wasn't that mind-blowing agony that seeing the one you love being unfaithful is supposed to bring. It just hurt."
"Is there any chance that we can start again? I'm not asking you to forget what I did, not at all." His hand intertwined with hers, pulling her closer. "I'm just asking for another chance."
"I'm sorry Dean, I want to so badly, but I can't. You've put me through too much." Ginny dropped her head sadly.
Dean's hand tightened painfully, squeezing Ginny's small delicate fingers. Ginny's head snapped up, her eyes meeting the boys. He stared at her, his face full of anger.
"You can't? I think you'll find you can, and you will." Dean's hand clamped around the back of her head, the other hand working desperately at her clothes. Ginny screamed in terror and disgust, struggling in an attempt to break free. The hand that had held her head mover over her mouth, pushing her head to the ground with a painful thump.
"I'm sorry Ginny." Dean whispered, pulling away pieces of clothing. "I love you, I just want you to see that."
Ginny's eyes filled and overflowed with tears as he pulled her up, dragging her out of sight of any students. And, silently, she screamed the scream that so many women had screamed before her.
***
Draco walked by the lake, deep in thought. When he had been younger, having Pansy Parkinson in love with him had been a wonderful ego boost. But now all he wanted was to be rid of her.
He sat down, near an old hollow tree. He sat there for several minutes before he realised he could hear something. Someone was crying. A cruel smile played across his face. Draco loved finding already tender meat.
Standing up and walking towards the sound, Draco found himself in front of the hollow tree. He peered inside, stared, and then stumbled back in horror, still looking inside the tree.
Ginny was huddled up deep within the old tree, desperately clinging onto the corpse of Dean Thomas.
***
When Dean had finished he had smiled at Ginny.
"Aren't you glad we did that?" He asked, "Don't you just feel so much closer now?"
Ginny had shrunk deep inside the huge hollow tree, tears still falling down her cheeks.
"Ginny?" Dean looked down at his blood stained hands. Suddenly, what had happened caught up with him and his face went pale. He began muttering under his breath, panic in his voice.
"Oh god Ginny, I'm so sorry." Dean leaned forward, reaching out to her.
Two minutes later he was dead.
***
Draco carried Ginny through the Great hall doors, shouting for help. The hall was filled with students and teachers who were having their lunch.
"What happened?" Ron shouted, jumping from his seat and trying to run to Ginny. He managed to get out of his seat before falling over. Harry held him where he was, having the vague suspicion that the first thing Ron would do was hit Malfoy.
"There was an accident." Draco said to Dumbledore, who had appeared at his side. "I think there was an accident. Dean Thomas is dead. Weasley is.hurt. Please help." The last bit has been so silent that only Dumbledore had heard. But the whole hall had heard that Dean Thomas was dead and panic was rising.
"Where is Mr. Thomas?" Professor Snape asked urgently. Draco told him, his eyes still fixed on Ginny's blank face. She was awake but unresponsive. The head of Slytherin house nodded, sweeping out of the hall, followed by several other teachers. Dumbledore ushered Draco out of the hall and up to the hospital wing.
Draco laid Ginny onto the bed and watched for a moment as Madame Pomfrey began her work.
"Mr. Malfoy, please tell me exactly what happened." Dumbledore urged him.
"I was out by the lake, just thinking. I heard some crying so I went to see who it was. She was huddled in that hollow tree and she was hugging his body."
"Mr. Malfoy, what do you know of the relationship between Miss Weasley and Mr. Thomas?" Dumbledore asked. Draco had the impression that the old man knew exactly what their relationship had been.
"They used to go out but she dumped him because he cheated on her." Draco told him. "He got a bit obsessed with her. There was a whole big thing about it, half of Gryffindor on Thomas' side, saying they should get back together and the other half saying that he should just leave Weasley alone. There was this one time where he tried to grab her and he kind of hurt her a bit."
"And why didn't anyone report any of this?" Dumbledore asked.
"It was something to talk about I guess. If the teachers got involved it would end and then we'd all get bored aga-"
"So a young man seems to be dead because the student body wanted something to talk about." The Headmaster cut in. "Well, they have something to talk about now."
"Sir, what happened?" Draco asked, looking over at the beautiful but damaged girl.
"Only miss Weasley knows for sure."
"Can I stay with her for a bit?" The pale boy asked.
"Poppy, do you mind Mr. Malfoy staying with our young guest?"
"Well, I've done what I can for the physical damage." Madame Pomfrey said. "As long as he doesn't disturb her rest then it should be fine."
Draco sat on the chair by Ginny's bed, looking down at her pale face. In his entire life he had never felt responsible for anyone but now he did. He had found Ginny; it was now up to him to find out what had happened.
And besides, how could he give up the chance of being the first to know how Hogwarts little drama had turned out to be a full out whodunit?
***
Ginny felt her eyes blink open. She immediately snapped them shut again, shielding them from the light. A moment later she was aware of the room darkening. Someone had closed the curtains.
"You awake?" Came an all too familiar voice. Ginny' eyes sprung open and she was greeted by the sight of Draco Malfoy.
"Malfoy?" She croaked.
"Hey." He nodded in response.
"Why are you here?" Ginny asked.
"I wanted to see how you were." Draco told her.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just did." He sat down beside her and, to her huge surprise, placed a hand over her own. "How are you doing?"
"I'm ok." Ginny smiled in confusion. She opened her mouth to ask why she was in the hospital wing when she remembered. He body jolted and she gasped, the pain she was feeling was so strong it was almost physical.
"Oh god oh god oh god." Ginny whispered, tears spilling down her face. "He's dead, he did this and now he's dead. Oh god, please!"
"Ginny, what happened?" Draco asked, standing up in surprise. Madame Pomfrey hurried in, having obviously heard her.
"Here, drink this." She said, placing a vial next to Ginny's lips. The girl took two sips and then fell asleep.
"What happened to her?" Draco asked.
"Isn't it obvious Mr. Malfoy? The late Mr. Thomas had his way with our young girl here, and not with her consent. And when he was done Ginny did the only thing she could think of." Madame Pomfrey sighed sadly. "She killed him."
***
Ron paced up and down the Gryffindor common room, ignoring the sobbing that was coming from all around him.
"Do you think that whoever killed Dean and attacked Ginny is still around?" Parvati asked weakly, staring out a window that overlooked the lake. Her eyes narrowed on an old tree that was surrounded by teachers, peering inside.
"If he is then I'll find him and kill him!" Ron snarled, stopping his pacing for a moment. Suddenly, without warning Ron picked up a nearby vase and flung it against the wall. There were several shrieks of alarm and Harry was slightly taken back by his friend's anger.
"Ron, Ginny's fine." Hermione reminded him. "It's Dean who is. well, you know. And you and him weren't on the best of terms."
"It could have been her who was killed." Ron snapped. "Gin's already been through hell. Remember what happened to her in our second year? And at the end of last year? It's not like with Harry and us, we do this because we have to, she just gets dragged into things."
"As if we could have got her to stay behind last year." Hermione huffed. "Honestly Ron, you're getting far to emotional about this."
Ron looked as if he was going to say something back when someone new entering the common room interrupted him. It was Neville, his face pale with fear.
"What is it Neville?" Harry asked.
"I was using some of Fred and George's extendable ears to listen in on the hospital wing." Neville panted. He had obviously run all the way back. "And I overheard Madam Pomfrey talking to Malfoy. Ron, I'm so sorry."
"What? What happened?" The tall boy demanded.
"Dean Thomas raped Ginny." Neville stuttered. "And then Ginny killed him."
Ron screamed, Harry yelled, Hermione burst out into sobs, Lavender fainted and the Gryffindor common room broke out in mayhem.
***
Ginny woke up to the dark room. For a moment she couldn't work out what had woken her, but then she heard the shouting.
"No, she cannot have any visitors!" Madame Pomfrey was shouting. "And I will not answer any of your stupid questions! Miss Weasley has had a terrible ordeal and she needs peace and quiet!"
"But was she really raped?" An unfamiliar voice shouted.
"And did she kill Dean Thomas?" Asked another.
So they knew. Ginny shuddered, pulling up the thin sheet around her body tightly.
"Horrible, isn't it?" Came a soft silky voice from next to her. Ginny turned and faced Draco.
"Horrible?" Ginny asked.
"They all want you to have killed him." Draco explained. "They love this story. Poor innocent Ginny, violated by her obsessive ex-boyfriend, lashes out at him and kills him."
"I didn't mean to, I don't even know how I managed it. He's so much bigger and stronger than me." Tears slipped down her pale cheeks. Draco reached out and brushed them away.
"Adrenaline rush? It happens." He sighed sadly, but there was an excited glint to his eyes. "Will you tell me what happened?"
"You already know." Ginny said. "And I'm not going into any kind of detail."
"No. I didn't mean." Draco stopped. "I just wanted to know. oh I don't know."
"You did want details, didn't you?" Ginny moved away, horror in her eyes. What was even more disturbing what the horror in Draco's eyes as he realised the same thing.
"Oh god, I don't know." He shook his head. "I'm not a nice person, I've never said I was. But I'm not sick, not like that. But for a second there I really did want to know exactly what happened."
"Just like all those people." Ginny looked at the door, where Madame Pomfrey was still ushering people away. "What's going on here Draco? Everyone is acting so strange."
"What do you mean?" he asked, although he had a slight suspicion.
"It started with just me and Dean. Then Dean does something so unlike him, he cheats on me." She frowned, placing events in her mind. "Then all of Gryffindor starts getting way too interested in our relationship. People break up all the time but it's never been like this. Then other people from other houses start getting involved. People have been fighting so much, and it can't just be about Dean and me. And then Dean and me try and sort it out and, out of nowhere, Dean has a personality transplant and. he. you know. And then I. I." More tears spilled from her eyes.
"Ok, so the whole school is flipping out a bit." Draco nodded. "That is a bit weird. No one can blame you for doing what you did and it's possible that Thomas is just a psychotic bastard."
"No, it doesn't make sense." Ginny muttered. "After he was done he seemed so shocked, like he couldn't understand what had happened. Please Draco, something strange is going on here and I need to find out what."
"Ginny, something horrible has happened to you." Madame Pomfrey was suddenly standing by the bed, having evidently heard the whole conversation. "And it's natural for you to try and find some other reason as to why it happened. But there isn't another reason. Dean lost control of himself and you defended yourself as best you could. Professor Dumbledore and I will do everything in our power to make sure that the authorities understand that what you did was all in self-defence. You won't get in trouble for this."
"Thank you Madame Pomfrey." Ginny whispered. "Um, please can I talk to Draco alone for a bit?"
"Fine, if you insist." The medical witch nodded, walking away.
"She's wrong." The young girl said stubbornly. "Something is wrong here. And I think it's only going to get worse."
"Ginny, you're tired, sleep." Draco said.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" Ginny asked. "For all the time I've known you you've never said a kind word, but suddenly you're being so nice to me."
"Maybe whatever's screwing with the other students is screwing with me too." The older child joked. Ginny's forehead creased as she considered this.
"Could be, could be." Ginny nodded, but not too enthusiastically as she was already falling asleep. "Especially since you're holding my hand."
Before Draco could respond Ginny was asleep.
Could there be something wrong with the school, with me? He thought to himself. He reached out and brushed a finger against Ginny's lips longingly. When he realised what he had done he jerked his hand away.
Definitely.
***
The mediwizard peered over the body of the dead boy with interest. It was obvious what had killed Dean Thomas; his neck had been snapped quite efficiently. It was the blood that was interesting him. It was glittering.
"Any idea what it is?" His assistant asked. He shook his head and motioned for her to be quiet. A moment later he spoke.
"I cannot be certain unless we run some tests, but I think they may be alive." He told her.
"Alive? How can they live in his blood? And how could he survive with so many?"
"I'm not sure but I do have a theory. I'll run a few tests on his blood, I need you to call his parents in and take a blood sample from them. And any other family he may live with." He fixed his assistant with an icy glare. "This is important. Find out if this boy has been on holiday recently and who he went with."
***
Dumbledore sat by Ginny's bed, Draco by his side.
"Your mother has asked me to tell you that if you wish you may return home." Dumbledore told her.
"Thank you Sir but I'd rather stay here." Ginny smiled thankfully.
"Also, Mr. Weasley, your older brother, has demanded that Mr. Malfoy be removed and that he is allowed to visit."
"I'd like visitors, but I'd prefer it if Draco stayed."
"I'm glad you too have put your family quarrels behind you." Dumbledore said, but he had a troubled look to his eyes.
He knows something is wrong, Ginny thought to herself.
"Still, Mr. Malfoy has already missed a day of lessons, I'm not sure his father would appreciate it."
"If I go to all my lessons can I still stay over night?" Draco asked.
"That is, of course, up to Poppy."
"It's just that I have nightmares sir." Ginny sighed, embarrassed. "And those Aurors keep on visiting to ask me questions and it makes me feel sick. I sleep better when I know Draco's here."
"I'll do my best." Dumbledore assured her. "And I'll tell your friends that they can visit you for fifteen minutes at five."
"Thank you Professor." The small red head smiled and waved goodbye to the headmaster as he left.
"Where is Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny asked finally.
"I think she's with Professor Snape again." Draco smirked. "They seem to be having quiet a few meetings about medicinal potions." Ginny giggled and hummed a few lines of the song 'love is in the air'. Draco looked at her in confusion.
"It's a muggle song." She explained. "Called 'love is in the air'. My dad wired our radio so it picks up muggle stations."
"Well, from what I've found out when I went to lunch today while you were asleep, love definitely is in the air. There have been more strange couples and break ups in the last week then in the entire history of Hogwarts."
"What strange couples?" Ginny asked.
"Someone caught Cho Chang making out with Vincent Crabbe in a broom closet." Draco explained. Ginny almost fell out of her bed laughing. Draco felt a smile pull at his lips. "That's the first time I've heard you laugh since, well, since then." He regretted in instantly as the smile slipped from Ginny's face and was replaced by a pale-faced grimace.
"I can't believe I forgot about that." Ginny whispered. She leaned back in her bed and was silent. Her eyes were closed but tears will still slipping out. Draco reached out and took her hand into his own. The two were silent until five, when there was a knock on the hospital wing door.
"Come in." Draco called, wondering whether he should remove his hand. He decided against it. How he would love to have a fight with Ron Weasley.
The tall boy slipped into the room, followed by Harry and Hermione.
"Hi." Ginny smiled weakly. Ron stayed still for a moment before swooping down on his sister, engulfing her in a hug.
"Oh Ginny, I'm so sorry." Ron whispered, tears springing to his eyes.
"It's ok Ron, I'm ok." Ginny said, hugging him back fiercely.
"We were all so worried." Hermione told her friend. "We begged everyday to be allowed to see you but Madame Pomfrey said that you weren't ready."
"I just needed a little time." She admitted. "I didn't know how I could face you, after what happened."
"No one blames you." Ron told her.
"Seamus and Lavender are blaming themselves for encouraging him." Harry added.
"So it's their fault." Draco said unpleasantly. Ginny cringed with anger and embarrassment.
"Draco, please." She said.
"What? It is their fault. They told him to go for it and he did." The pale boy shrugged. "How can you not say it's their fault?"
"This is none of your business." Ron growled. "I don't even know why Dumbledore let you stay here."
"Because Ginny asked him to." Draco said smugly. "I'm the night in shining armour in this story Weasley. I found Ginny, I saved her."
"I bet you just love having all this attention, Malfoy." Harry muttered.
"And I bet you just hate not having all the attention for once, Potter." Draco sneered. Without warning Harry launched himself at the other boy.
"Harry, no!" Ginny pleaded.
"Get him Harry!" Ron shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione sounded outraged. "Both of you stop this now! Oh, for goodness sake. Separatus!" An invisible force dragged the two boys apart. They struggled against it but were held in place by Hermione's pointed wand. "That was completely uncalled for Harry, you should be ashamed of yourself. Malfoy's done nothing but help Ginny and we should be grateful."
"Yeah, Potter." Draco sneered.
"Draco." Ginny warned.
"And you Ron, honestly." Hermione shook her head. "Why did you have to urge Harry on? Are all males this immature?"
"And violent?" Ginny asked.
"Maybe it's got something to do with your theory." Draco said to Ginny.
"When we want your opinion, Malfoy, We'll ask for it." Ron snapped. He was silent for a moment before; "Um, what theory is that?"
"It's just that I've noticed that people are acting very strangely, not like themselves at all." Ginny told the others.
"That's just because we're all anxious about You-Know-Who." Hermione explained.
"Yeah, that's why Chang's decided that Crabbe's the love of her life." Draco sneered.
"Oi, leave her out of this!" Harry shouted, trying to fight his way to Malfoy. Draco just laughed.
"You are so lucky Madame Pomfrey's with Snape at the moment or you'd be in big trouble." Ginny pointed out. Harry nodded and stopped struggling.
"Madame Pomfrey's with Snape? That's disgusting." Ron said, but he had that same excited glint in his eyes that Ginny had seen in Draco's. Ginny pointed that out and explained what she had noticed as clearly as she could.
"Are you saying that the whole school's been affected by. something?" Ron asked.
"Yes, yes." Hermione nodded. "I can see that now. I've even felt it myself. Things that shouldn't interest me, things that should disgust me, I've found fascinating."
"Everyone in the school is buzzing for news, for something to pay attention to. When they can, they do stupid things themselves so that people pay attention to them." Ginny explained.
"And everyone is acting so much more aggressive." Draco added. "Fighting over the most stupid reasons. People are just generally more emotional."
"I think that's why Dean did what he did to me." Ginny carried on. "He was attracted to me so, in his head, he built it all up until he was in love with me and couldn't live without me. And when I turned him down he just let his aggressive nature take control. And then, when he was finished, I let my aggression get out of control."
"Look, I've never asked you for anything, ever." Draco said. "And it would mainly be for Ginny anyway so you can't really say no, but can you do us a favour and keep a look out. Ginny's worried that it's gonna get worse so maybe you could just calm things down if it gets too bad."
"Alright, for Ginny." Ron agreed. Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Good." Draco nodded. "You were supposed to go ten minutes ago, so could you please leave?"
Ron's draw dropped and Harry tightened his hands into fists but Hermione just laughed and led them out.
"That Granger has an alright sense of humour." Draco pointed out. Ginny smiled and shook her head.
***
Ginny had been out of the hospital wing for a week and was only just getting used to the constant questioning. It seems that the entire school knew what had happened, but they all wanted to know the details. But to Ginny' great disappointment she had barely seen Draco at all since she had got out. That was about to change.
Ginny sat in the courtyard, reading a book on behaviour altering. Nothing seemed to be at all useful.
"We do not allow books to be taken into the courtyard." A cold voice snapped. Snape looked as if he was going to say something else when he recognized who he was talking to. "Ah, Miss Weasley. How is your recovery?"
"Oh, um, very well, thank you." She replied, surprised by Snape's concern.
"Good. Please do not let me interrupt your reading." He nodded a goodbye and walked away, leaving Ginny stunned.
"He may be a bit. mean at times but not a teacher in this school is going to say a word about rules to you." Came a voice behind her. Ginny smiled and turned to face Draco.
"Why not?" She asked.
"After what happened to you? Are you kidding?" Draco laughed. "They're scared that you'll have a mental break down. In fact, they think you're in a bit of denial. You were raped and you killed your attacker. Most people would need a bit more than a week in bed and a cup of hot chocolate."
"It's because of this thing that's happened to us." She told him. "I know I should be crying my eyes out, but I'm not. I know I should be in a lot more pain but all I can think about is." Ginny stopped, shaking her head.
"What? What can you only think about?" Draco asked, uncertainly.
"You damn well know." She snapped. "All I can think about is you. And how much I want to kiss you."
Draco bent over and pulled her up, taking her into his arms. Ginny placed her hands around his neck and pulled his head down.
Half an hour later the school was buzzing with the news.
***
The mediwizard's eyes widened in surprise and delight. He called his assistant over, filling her in on what he had found out. She nodded, trying to take it all in.
"This will make us famous." He told her. "A Magical Bacteria and a cure! And look at what it does to the system! If we could isolate the different properties we could sell it as an enhancer."
"Surly that would be dangerous?" She said uncertainly. The mediwizard stopped and them began to nod.
"Of course, of course." He muttered. "But the discovery itself is still worth a fortune, not to mention the cure. Are you sure it was just Dean Thomas and his parents who were infected?"
"Yes, and his parents weren't half as bad as him." The young assistant told her boss. "It seems to thrive in magical adolescents because of the build up of uncontrolled magic."
"An illness that screws up teenagers even more than normal? Wonderful." He chuckled.
"But there's some bad news." She said, and her voice quavered. "Some very bad news."
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's highly contagious, sir. When I took a blood sample of myself I had small traces of it already."
"Oh dear."
"Sir, Dean Thomas went to Hogwarts. That's about four hundred students' sir. Thomas had been there long enough to infect the whole school twice over."
"Oh Shit! Bollocks!" he shouted. "Get a message to Dumbledore! We have a mini epidemic on our hands here!"
***
Ginny was sitting on Draco's lap, leaning up against him. She could honestly say she didn't remember ever feeling safer in her life.
"You know, you should probably keep trying to find out what's wrongs with us." Draco told her.
"If I do, and I find a way to reverse it, you know we won't like each other, don't you?"
"Well, yeah." Draco nodded. "I mean. well. no one's died since Dean Thomas. Is there any rush to sort this out?"
"That's what I was thinking." Ginny smiled. They stood up together and began to kiss again. Her head swam and she became dizzy. Clinging to Draco for balance seemed like the sensible thing to do. Unfortunately Draco seemed to have lost his balance and the couple toppled over, falling into a black nothingness.
***
"She's waking up!" Came a familiar voice.
"Ron?" Ginny whispered.
"Gin, can you hear me? Come on Gin, wake up." Ginny opened her eyes and smiled weakly up at her brother.
"I wake up here too much." She told him. He nodded, smiling.
"Madame Pomfrey? I think she's ready for the antidote." He said. Madame Pomfrey appeared, nodding, and poured bottle of liquid into a spoon.
"Drink this." She said. Ginny nodded obediently and sipped the spicy tasting liquid. Suddenly, a buzzing she hadn't even been aware of stopped and her mind cleared.
"Ron?" She called.
"It's ok Gin, go to sleep." Ginny nodded and drifted into an uneasy sleep.
***
Ginny sat opposite Dumbledore. She was still in the hospital wing bed but she was now fully awake and upright.
"Where's Draco?" She asked.
"He woke up about an hour ago and convinced us to let him go." The old man explained.
"Can you please tell me what happened?"
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded and made himself comfortable. "As you probably know, Dean Thomas went on holiday with his parents to Ecuador over the summer. It seems that while he was there he picked up an unknown Magical Bacteria that thrives on magical adolescents. He returned to Hogwarts on September and, unknowingly, he passed the bacteria to the rest of the school.
"Now this bacterium has some very interesting qualities. It promotes aggressiveness and makes people take leave of their common sense. It also makes people a lot less tolerant of boredom, which, as you can imagine, is not a very good thing when one attends a boarding school. It makes people develop morbid fascinations. And eventually, it kills you."
"What!" Ginny gasped.
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded "This is just an assumption, but am I correct in believing that directly before you killed him Dean Thomas seemed to regain control of himself?" Ginny nodded. "That is because he only had a short while left to live. The bacteria had literally sucked all the magic out of him and were dying themselves. Dean Thomas would have died that day, regardless of what you did."
"But it was still me who killed him." Ginny's body began to shake violently. Dumbledore stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"We haven't looked after you very well Miss Weasley." The headmaster said sadly. "You seemed to have dealt with what had happened very well and none of us considered that that may been due to something else. But it is now obvious that you are still suffering greatly. Please understand that neither you nor Dean was in control when you did what you did. But I think it would be best if you took a few weeks off school and returned to your home. Your mother, with your consent of course, would like to take you to a councillor."
"How could my family pay?" Ginny asked miserably.
"The mediwizard who discovered the bacteria is willing to pay a great deal of money to study you, as it was you and Dean Thomas who were affected by this the most." Dumbledore explained.
"Study me?" She asked weakly.
"You can sort that out later. If you wish to return home, you will have today to say goodbye and you can leave first thing in the morning."
"Thank you sir, I'd like that."
"I thought you would."
***
Ginny spent the day hugging people goodbye. Ron explained to her how Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting in the hall and had told everybody about the bacteria. According to Hermione there had been an outburst, people sobbing about how they were going to die.
"It had been quite immature." She huffed.
"Oh, shut up Hermione, you screamed your head off and declared undying love for Harry." Ron pointed out to a reddening Hermione.
"Only because he kissed me." She muttered.
But Dumbledore had soon calmed them all down by saying that there was an antidote, and they were all to be given the required dose.
"Once we were back to normal we all worked out what had happened between you and Dean." Harry told her. "Everyone felt really bad about always asking you about it."
It was now the morning that Ginny was going to leave and Ron, Harry and Hermione had walked Ginny to the awaiting carriage, which would take her to Hogsmead station.
"I'll see you in a few weeks, ok?" She called. Her bother and his friends smiled up at her and waved.
"Can you see the horses?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, they're kinda creepy." Ginny replied.
She managed a few more goodbyes before the carriage began to move. Ginny leaned out the window, not wanting to lose sight of her friends. As the carriage rolled away another figure joined her three friends and leaned over to talk to Hermione. A figure with pale blond hair.
"Goodbye Draco." She whispered, but the sound was swallowed by the wind.
***
The journey had been a long, uneventful one. Ginny was used to the Hogwarts Express being filled with laughing children, not with these severe looking witches and wizards. But, as she stepped onto the platform, all thoughts of laughing children and severe wizards were banished from her mind.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood near the barrier, smiling nervously. When Mrs. Weasley spotted her daughter, her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh Ginny." She whispered, pulling her daughter into her arms.
"You're famous, Gin." Came a voice from behind her parents. Fred and George stood there nervously, holding several newspapers, some of which looked a few weeks old.
"Yeah." Said Fred, agreeing with his brother. "We kept all the papers just in case you wanted to see them."
"Thanks." She said, hugging her brothers.
"Are we all ready to go?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Yeah." Ginny smiled at her family. "Let's go home."
They walked out of the station together. Fred and George began asking if the tiny bit of swamp Professor Flitwick had left was still there. Fred wiped a pretend tear away when Ginny told him that some second years had put up a plaque above it.
***
Ginny had been away from Hogwarts for four weeks. She and her mother had gone to counselling three times a week and being back home had done wonders for Ginny. Shortly after she'd been cured of the Magical Bacteria she had begun to get nightmares again, but now they were infrequent. The only un- enjoyable times were when Ginny had to visit the mediwizard and answer his questions.
But now she was returning to Hogwarts and a prickle of fear was rising in her stomach. She had one more day at home, and all her brothers apart from Ron had come to spend the day with her. Even Percy, who had been completely cut off from the family last year, had swallowed his pride and come home.
But while her brothers sat downstairs enjoying each other's company Ginny sat huddled in her bedroom, pouring over the newspapers about her, Dean and the Magical Bacteria.
Hogwarts Student and daughter of Ministry Official found raped.
Raped Hogwarts student accused of murdering her attacker.
Strange illness responsible for Hogwarts rape and murder
All these headlines and articles had become so familiar to Ginny that she could almost recite them without any prompts. There were photos of her in nearly all the papers, sometimes crying, sometimes smiling weakly. There was even one in which she was lying in the hospital wing asleep.
"Ginny, come down!" Shouted her mother. "This is your going away party."
"Ok, coming mum." She called back, folding up the newspapers and climbing out of her bed.
In the kitchen all her brothers cheered as she appeared. Well, Percy clapped a little.
"Enjoyed your time off?" Charlie asked. Ginny smiled and nodded. She then sniffed the air carefully.
"Do I smell cake?" She asked, giving her mother a hopeful look.
"If you finish you dinner." Mrs. Weasley nodded.
"Yay." Ginny smiled, sitting next to Bill, who ruffled her long red hair.
"Hey, Ginnylocks, wanna hear a joke?" The oldest Weasley boy asked.
"If it's the one about the hag, the manticore and the little old wizard then Ginny's too young to hear it." Mrs. Weasley said sharply. Bill laughed and looked apologetically at his sister.
"Sorry Gin." He said shrugging.
"What about the one about a Malfoy and the over-sized snitch?" George asked.
"Don't you dare." His mother growled, but she laughed along with the rest of her family. Ginny smiled weakly, her mind wandering to Draco.
"I wonder what he would do with an over-sized snitch?" Ginny muttered to herself.
"What was that?" Percy asked. Ginny just shrugged and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see her blush.
Finally the evening came to an end. Arthur Weasley stood up, raising his glass.
"I'd like to make a toast." He said. "To Ginny, the bravest, most wonderful daughter anyone could ever ask for. We're so lucky to have you."
"Thanks dad." Ginny felt herself blush again.
"Now off to bed." Molly Weasley ordered. "You have a long day tomorrow, you should be well rested."
Ginny hugged her older brothers and her parents before climbing the stairs do her bedroom. Normally she stayed awake all night, going over whatever had happened that day, or going over the day Dean had died.
But, for some unknown reason, Ginny fell straight asleep that night, with no time for reflection.
***
Ginny clambered off the Hogwarts express, dragging her suitcase with her, a moment later a pair of familiar hands lifted the suitcase up with ease.
"Thanks Ron!" She said, hugging her older brother.
"It's ok." He laughed. "Puny suitcases are no match for me, Mr. Muscle Man."
"Hello Ginny." Hermione smiled, hugging her friend. Once she'd let go Harry also hugged her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as he pulled away.
"I've missed you." Ginny told them all.
"How's the family?" Ron asked.
"Everyone's good. Percy came over last night!" she told him.
"Percy? That smug git! He's lucky you lot didn't slam the door in his face." Ron sounded outraged.
"He's family Ron, be nice." Ginny reminded her brother.
The four friends made their way to the waiting carriage, laughing.
***
Ginny dragged her luggage into the entrance hall where a house elf thanked her for giving him the job to carry it. Hermione winced, wanting desperately to tell the house elf that he didn't have to thank her.
"Don't Hermione." Harry whispered. "You'll only upset him."
"Her." Ginny corrected. Harry stared at the house elf then looked away, shaking his head.
"Welcome back." Ron said finally. Ginny smiled at her brother and friends.
"Thanks guys." She said finally, and they began the walk up to the Gryffindor common room.
***
Ginny changed into her dress robes, placing her hat on her head. It had been so long since she had worn them that they looked odd on her and she felt uncomfortable in them.
"Are you ready?" Asked Crystal, one of the girls who Ginny shared her room with. Ginny nodded, worry filling her. "Don't worry. The school is back to only having the normal amount of nosiness about you. No one's going to interrogate you about your time away."
"Thanks Crys, but it's not just that." She turned to her friend. "It'll be the first time I've talked to Draco since we."
"Kissed? I'm sure he'll be pleased to see you." Crystal assured her. "You're the prettiest girl in our year, and pretty much the school. And Malfoy has showed no interest in Cho Chang, Hermione Granger or Blaise Zabini."
"But Cho was disgusted with herself when she realised that she's been snogging Crabbe, wasn't she?" Ginny pointed out to her friend.
"Are you kidding? They're still going out!"
"What?" The red haired girl's mouth dropped open.
"Every one reckons it's just to make Michael Corner jealous." Crystal explained.
"What, Michael dumped Cho?" Ginny smiled to herself. "Things have changed."
***
In the Great Hall Ginny was very aware of the eyes on her.
This must be how Harry feels all the time, she thought to herself.
"Hi Ginny." Squeaked Lavender Brown, who was smiling nervously. Seamus waved slightly.
"Hi." Ginny said back.
"Look, we're really sorry for. what happened." Seamus muttered. "We didn't know it would end like that."
"Seamus, don't worry. None of us were ourselves." She smiled at them, but, just because they had been really horrible to her, she walked right past the chair Seamus pulled out for her and set next to Hermione.
"That wasn't very nice." The older girl pointed out.
"Do I have to be really nice all the time?" Ginny asked.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt if you made a public display of forgiving them." Harry told her. He was sitting opposite Hermione, next to Ron.
"I did! I talked to them, I told Seamus not to worry." The youngest Weasley pouted, sadly.
"I don't think you're a very nice person Virginia Weasley." Came a voice from behind her. Ginny glanced over at Hermione, who was smiling brightly.
"Is there a boy behind me?" She asked her.
"Yes." Hermione nodded.
"Blond?" Ginny asked.
"Uh-huh."
"A Slytherin?"
"Yep."
"Good looking?"
"Well, no, not really." Hermione laughed.
"Hey!" Draco sounded offended. "I am very good looking."
"Hello, Malfoy." The brown haired girl said, smiling up at him. Ginny suddenly remembered seeing Draco leaning over to talk to Hermione as she rolled away in the carriage. A pang of jealousy hit her.
"Granger." He nodded his greeting. Harry and Ron glared at Draco but didn't say anything. "Ginny, can I talk to you?"
Ginny nodded and got out of her seat. Draco led her out of the Great Hall and into a long empty corridor.
"You and Hermione seem friendly." Ginny said. "I thought you two hated each other."
"We've had a lot of time to talk." The pale boy told her. "Mainly about you."
"Oh."
"Remember when we were talking about how we had to find a way to reverse what had happened to us? Only we decided not to because you thought we wouldn't like each other if we got better." Draco said. "Well, you were wrong."
"I've noticed that." Ginny agreed. "Well, this is awkward."
"Is it?" Draco asked. He moved closer and touched her face. "I hadn't noticed."
"Lucky you." She muttered. A moment later her lips were covered with his.
***
Three figures crouched round the corner, peering around.
"See! I told you." Hermione whispered.
"I'm gonna kill him." Ron muttered, trying to jump forward. Harry held him back.
"Don't be dense Ron." He hissed. "Ginny'd kill you."
"And you know she could do it." Hermione pointed out.
"I have to protect my little sister from that monster!" Ron insisted.
"If you move another inch I'll tell Hermione about you and Luna." Harry threatened.
"Luna Lovegood!"
"Harry, you promised!" Ron shouted. There was a long silence and then fast approaching footsteps.
"Oh Ron, you idiot." Hermione sighed. A moment later Ginny and Draco peered around the corner, and then down at the three friends.
"Were you spying on us?" Ginny asked politely.
"Um, no?" Harry looked up in innocence. They all started laughing; apart form Draco, who just smirked.
"I am not becoming part of your little dream team." He said.
"Oh yes you are." Hermione corrected.
"No I'm not! I'm just Ginny's snogging partner! I will under no circumstances help you fight the forces of evil." Draco insisted. "Potter put my dad in prison. Yeah, he broke out last month, but still! I'm the typical archenemy; I can't go around being all buddy buddy with Potter. And my parents would kill me if they found out I was seeing a Weasley! And don't even get me started about Granger."
"And yet you stand in a corridor which is about to be swamped with students, talking to us." Ginny teased.
"Damn."
Fin
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