Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Chapter 17:
Rising Tension
It was nightfall by the time McGonagall finished lecturing Draco and Ginny on the rules of proper conduct in their new environment. She had droned on for hours, the severe tone of her voice promising to ring in Ginny's ears long after she'd left. And so it did, but the effect was not as dire as McGonagall had most likely intended. Instead it was something of a comfort that Ginny was still being given 'the talk' even after things had gone so haywire.
Haywire. Yes, that was one way to describe the path her life had taken. Ginny winced as she recalled the way she had left Ron and the others, still steaming in the common room. He would be… difficult to deal with for some time.
Well, at least she seemed to have an ally in Hermione. If anyone could cool Ron's jets it would be her. And maybe she could work some of that magic on Harry while she was at it.
Ginny laid out her pajamas on the new bed and glanced around. Her new quarters were fairly spacious – probably the largest room she'd ever had to herself. Even though the fire roared merrily from the hearth, and she knew Draco was in the next room, Ginny couldn't help but feel a bit lonely.
Taking stock once more of the finely crafted furniture, the crisp, clean bed linen, and the large cushy chair by the fire she decided she could easily get used to that.
The rooms were actually set up similarly to the chambers of the head boy and girl, rather than the two-person dorm Ginny had envisioned for herself and Draco. They each had their own separate quarters, but the bathroom linked them together. Speaking of… her eyes flew to the door that concealed the bathroom as she let her skirt join the shirt on the floor. Was it locked? Even if it wasn't Draco wasn't likely to come in while she was changing, but… she wriggled hastily into her night clothes anyway.
Quietly she shuffled into the bathroom. The sight that greeted her was that of a long counter embedded with two sinks on either side. She took the general disarray of the sink on Draco's side to mean that he had already finished his business and took her time washing up for the night. When her teeth were brushed and her face scrubbed clean, she paused, her gaze fixed on the doorway to Draco's bedroom.
They hadn't had a chance to talk since the visit to Dumbledore's. How was he taking all this? He had seemed somewhat startled after the bomb had been dropped, but then so had she… He hadn't sought her out either. She frowned at the door, as if it were somehow at fault, and steeled her nerves. If he wasn't curious as to how she was reacting, she wouldn't let that stop her from finding out what was on his mind.
Ginny gripped the handle and yanked on the door. It was a good thing it opened towards her, or she would have pummeled Draco with it. They stared at each other, blinking for a moment, each on opposite sides of the doorway. Draco was the first to move, stepping to the side and making a grand sweeping gesture.
"Come in," he said simply. He sounded a bit tired, and it took Ginny a moment to realize that she was a trifle sleepy as well.
She came into the room, taking it in and noting the similarities between it and her own quarters. They were virtually the same, but for the color scheme, which was a little darker than hers, and the slightly more masculine edge to some of the furniture. She made herself comfortable sitting cross-legged atop his neatly made bedspread.
"Well," she began after a stretch of silence, "what do you think?"
"It's much more spacious than my old room." He sounded as if he were perfectly serious. Only the slight twitch of his lip betrayed him. "I quite like it."
"That's not what I meant," Ginny rolled her eyes.
"I know," said Draco, moving to sit beside her on the bed. "But there's not much to think about is there? Whether it's real or not, we can't do anything – no one can."
"That was uplifting."
"I try."
She looked into his face, searching for… well, she wasn't exactly sure what. "So, this whole thing… it doesn't bother you? At all?"
He looked affronted. "Of course it does! It's a damn nuisance – all the packing and… we'll have to rearrange our schedules, you know. So that we're never on opposite sides of the castle."
Ginny frowned. She hadn't thought of that, but it made sense. They had been on opposite sides of the castle when they'd both passed out – he in the dungeons for Potions and she high up in Professor Trelawney's tower for Divination. How could Dumbledore keep that from happening, short of rearranging the entire fifth and sixth year schedules? He probably couldn't… maybe they would be taken out of classes altogether and tutored privately?
Whatever. She didn't want to think about it now…
"That's true," Ginny murmured. "I should have thought of that before."
It was a mark of how tired Draco actually was that he refrained from adding in a verbal barb after her last comment.
"We don't have much of a say in how things play out now. All we can do is use it to our advantage when we can."
Ginny arched a brow. "How could we possibly use this situation to our advantage?"
The question suddenly seemed inane in the face of Draco's lazy half-grin. He put an arm around her and they both fell backwards onto the bed together. Ginny smiled and slipped her arms around him, suddenly incredibly comfortable.
"You make it seem very simple," she told him, shifting her body closer to his. She could feel him shrug beside her.
"I do what I can."
They fell asleep that way, content and shut off from the world.
Winter was lovely, what with all the snow. When all the grounds were coated with glistening white it was a sight to behold. Spring was fairly nice too, in a fresh green sort of way.
But the transition was quite the opposite.
Where the sparse patches of snow had melted completely, mud and plants deadened by winter showed through, and the thinning snow mixed more easily with the dirt below, making a sort of brown slush. There was some green, yes, a sign of coming spring, but it only served as contrast to the russet remains of foliage and dirt. Even the lake was looking a bit dull.
So, Ron supposed, it was just as well that he was stuck inside anyway.
He turned his head away from the library window and back to the book in front of him. It wouldn't do him any good to think of all the things he could be doing on this admittedly not-so-lovely Saturday afternoon. It had been his choice to be here, he reminded himself. It didn't do a lot of good.
At the table next to him sat Hermione, leafing through a book considerably larger than the one in front of him and the one in front of Harry, who sat directly across from him. In fact, it was probably larger than both his and Harry's books put together. Ron didn't wonder at her enthusiasm – he was used to it by now – but he couldn't help goggling at her perseverance. She'd been at this longer than he had, and Ginny wasn't even related to her…
Ginny. She was the reason they were there in the first place. A few days had gone by since her little 'announcement.' And his little sister was avoiding him. Which was understandable considering how violently he had reacted, but…
Dammit! I deserve to know who she's going around with, don't I? Ron frowned, his head leaning heavily against his palm as he stared listlessly at the open pages in front of him.
The way he understood it, it wasn't entirely Ginny's fault that Malfoy had wormed his way into her good graces. It had to do with their respective stars coming together… or something. Ginny didn't seem to have any control over this affliction, and neither did anyone else, so they had come to the library – Ron for his sister, Hermione out of interest, and Harry out of loyalty and friendship to both Ron and Ginny. If this was some sort of illness that Ginny was infected with – and it sure sounded like one to him – there had to be a way to cure it, and if there was a way to cure it, they were going to find it.
And anything that had to do with sharing quarters with a Malfoy had to be an illness, right?
Oh, he'd gone through the roof when he heard about that one, but the way McGonagall explained it they wouldn't be allowed to do anything – Ron shivered – inappropriate. McGonagall was too trusting. He wouldn't trust Malfoy as far as he could throw him. And that wasn't very far at all.
Yes, he was going to cure his poor, suffering sister as soon as possible. Or at least find out more about whatever she was suffering. Ron didn't allow himself to think about what he would do if there was no cure to be found. Or what he would do if it wasn't actually an illness. Or if Ginny didn't want to be cured. Or if – Argh! Stop that!
"Is anyone else bored to tears?" Ron said to no one in particular.
Harry blew out a breath, looking relieved for a distraction. "Hate to say it, but…"
"You two! This is for Ginny, remember," Hermione rebuked them without moving her eyes from the text in front of her.
"I didn't say I was going to stop looking," Ron muttered.
Of the three of them Hermione was the one who openly supported Ginny's… relationship… with Malfoy. And yet she was also the most enthusiastic about researching ways to treat the affliction. Knowing Hermione, the fervor probably stemmed from intellectual interest.
Ron sighed inwardly, and tried unsuccessfully to muster the same enthusiasm as Hermione. It was his brotherly duty to do this. Might as well be excited about it.
Even so, his eyes wandered to the window again. The sight that greeted him was something of a motivator. Two figures were walking close together by the lake, blonde and fiery heads bent towards each other. They seemed to be heading back towards the castle.
Funny. Ron hadn't known Ginny was going out today.
He turned back to the book, ready to research seriously this time. Before he got the chance though, Hermione spoke up.
"Ron…I… I think I've found something…"
He decided right away that the tremor in her voice was not a good sign.
Ginny couldn't help but smile as she strolled into the front hall, her hand warm inside Draco's. They'd taken a trip to Hogsmeade and it had been… quite lovely, really. The fate predicament slipped easily from her mind when she had something to distract her.
And time with Draco was a welcome distraction.
"Ginny!"
She looked up, surprised at the sudden shout, and even more so when she recognized the voice. Ron was racing down the hall towards her and Draco. Hermione and Harry weren't far behind.
Ginny's first thought was that he was after Draco, but Ron looked more frantic than out for blood. She pushed aside the urge to step between the two boys with more than an ounce of shame. Thinking the worst of Ron wouldn't get her anywhere.
Ron banked to a halt in front of them, his face flushed as if he had run down here from the astronomy tower – and for all Ginny knew he might have. He bent over to catch his breath, hands clasping above his knees for support.
"Ginny, I – We… we found…" he took a deep breath, and started over. "We found something. Something you ought to take a look at." He straightened up, still looking a bit winded as Hermione and Harry came up behind him, both breathing heavily. What could he possibly have to tell her that was so important?
To Ginny's dismay, Ron finally seemed to take note of Draco's presence. He eyed him shrewdly, and then with the air of great self-sacrifice he added, "I suppose you should know as well."
Draco raised a sardonic brow, but before he could comment Hermione broke in.
"Of course he should come! It involves him as much as Ginny! Honestly, Ron, I'm not saying you have to be friends, but at least be decent."
Ron made a face. "That was decent. Decent enough."
Hermione gave a little huff, and appeared about to say something more when Harry, apparently sensing the same stirrings of conflict that Ginny was, cleared his throat and interrupted.
"I think we have more important things to discuss right now…"
Ron and Hermione blinked simultaneously, both going red-faced. Ginny stifled a grin. Some things never changed.
"R-right," said Hermione. She turned to look through the book-bag slung over her shoulder. "I checked out the book from the library… Here it is."
She handed a book to Ginny; the cover was brown and cracked with age and the title had been rubbed off over the years. Ginny remained still, not sure what to do with it.
"Well…?" said Draco flatly from beside her. Clearly, he was not impressed with the book or its supposed significance. Ginny couldn't help but feel about the same, though she tried not to. "What are we supposed to do with this?"
"Oh…," Hermione frowned in thought, "Turn to page four hundred fifty two."
Ginny flipped open the book, careful of the stiff pages. Immediately words jumped out at her: words she remembered hearing in a private conference with the headmaster not too long ago. Had Ron, Hermione, and Harry been researching her… whatever-it-was…? Ginny frowned inwardly. It wasn't any of their business.
"Where did you find this?" she asked, trying to keep the spark of rage from her voice.
Harry was the first to answer. "In the library."
"That's not what I meant," Ginny said thinly. "Why do you have this book?"
There was a general shuffling of feet amongst the trio during the rather strained silence that followed. Finally Hermione spoke up.
"I thought it might be interesting to do a bit of research…"
Ginny trusted Hermione was telling the truth – certainly she had no trouble believing it, but still…"You should have… asked, or – or something."
"You're right. I should have asked," Hermione promptly agreed.
"We were just worried about you, Gin," said Ron.
Ginny tried to sound reassuring. "But there's nothing to worry about."
"Yes there is!"
She started at that. It was like Ron to argue, but usually he came up with something, if not exactly highly sophisticated, at least a little more eloquent.
"Just spit it out, Weasley," Draco said, looking altogether bored.
Ginny, holding the book closed in one hand now, gave him a covert jab in the side before continuing more politely. "You've obviously got something important to tell us, Ron. What is it?"
Her brother opened his mouth and closed it several times, his brows drawn together in hopelessness. Apparently words had failed him. Beside her, Ginny could hear Draco snort and she silently thanked him for not saying whatever was on his mind.
"The book," Ron said finally. "Just read the page."
Careful not to let her inward sigh escape her lips, Ginny flipped the book open again and began to read. It took a bit longer than it might have with Draco reading over her shoulder, but eventually she finished scanning the tiny print and looked up.
She was afraid her face had gone a bit white.
"I… Dumbledore never mentioned this…" was all she could think to say.
"That's because it's utter rubbish." Draco took the book from her hands and handed it back to Hermione. Actually, he sort of shoved it at her, but Ginny decided not to make note of it. "Is this supposed to scare me? I'd tell you to do better, but if you thought this would work there can't be much hope of improvement."
Ron, Hermione, and Harry all looked suitably horrified at Draco's instigation. Hermione's mouth had dropped open, Ron's face had taken a decidedly red cast to it, and Harry's brows had shot up, his eyes widening behind his glasses. Ginny supposed she had a similar expression on her face, but there was a part of her that almost wished it were true, that the whole thing was merely an attempt to break her away from Draco.
She could hardly be angry with Draco for jumping to that conclusion, though the insult hadn't been necessary. Were she in his position she would have thought the same thing. He had no grounds to trust Ron. But Ginny did. And besides that, there was no way Ron could have gotten Hermione to play a part in their act.
Which meant it was very probably real. And that was… scary.
"How could you – How can you say that!?" Hermione gasped.
"Because he's a Malfoy." Harry spat out the word like dirt.
"Yeah," Ron put in, clenching a fist. "Must be easy when you're born without a sense of decency."
Draco's face gave away nothing, but for a slight twitch of his brow. "It's easier than being born a blithering idiot, I'm sure."
Ron couldn't seem to manage anything more intelligent than, "Why you –" as he surged forward towards Draco, red-faced and with fists raised. Draco's wand was out in a flash. It took the combined forces of Ginny and Hermione to keep a fight from breaking out – Hermione clinging to Ron's arm, and Ginny stepping between the two would-be brawlers.
Harry helped hold Ron back as well, albeit reluctantly. He was obviously not putting his all into the task, and though Ginny could understand his reasons, she mentally heaped the blame on him when Ron managed to break free.
The lanky red-head took a clumsy swing in the general direction of Draco's left eye. Draco leaned to the side to avoid the blow, and the momentum carried Ron into a sort of running stumble that sent him sprawling to the floor. His legs caught on Draco's as he went, and he took the blonde boy down with him, though probably not in the way he had originally intended. Draco's wand flew from his hand, coming to a stop when it hit the wall across the room.
From there it became a blur of motion as Harry, Hermione, and Ginny joined in, attempting to break the two apart. No one noticed Professor McGonagall standing in the door way until she cleared her throat.
"What is going on here?"
All of them paused for a split second before springing apart as if to prove them-selves innocent. For a while no one said anything.
"Well…?" Professor McGonagall prodded.
Ginny heard herself speak. "Is it true, Professor? About Draco and I… if the – the stars collide… are we going to… die?"
McGonagall's lips thinned, and that was all the answer Ginny needed. The passage from the book echoed in her mind: "As the stars draw closer to one another the possibility of a clash is inevitable. There have been but two documented cases, but the results of both proved identical. Death in such cases, usually by seemingly unrelated coincidences, as seen in the early stages, is widely accepted as the result of the clash…"
Ginny hardly heard McGonagall when she said, "It's not nearly as dramatic as you make it sound, Miss Weasley."
"Like hell, it's not," said Draco, by her side again.
"Language, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall told him sharply, then seemed to deflate with a sigh and a shake of her head. "I'll let the headmaster sort this one out. All of you, follow me."
Stunned into silence, they all did as they were told. As he fell in beside her, Draco grumbled under his breath, "the old bat better have a good explanation."
Ginny privately agreed.
A/N: Latest one yet! *Sighs* I was busy – with homework and Halloween, among other things. School is a lot harder this year. And contrary to popular belief, I actually have a life (sometimes -.-). But besides that, I'm tired of this story. I'm going to finish it, but there are a lot of other things I'd rather be working on, so it's not easy. One more thing; yeah this chapter seems a little over the top, but I had it planned from the beginning, it's not merely an electric shock for my dying plot bunny.