Title: The Myth of Innocence
Author: Catalina Royce
Disclaimer: These stories are based on characters and situations created
and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made
and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Rating: R
"Virginia." She ignored Malfoy, instead preferring to squash her peas with her fork.
She was sitting at the Slytherin table, sandwiched between Blaise and Draco. It was funny how everyone was seated, really. Pansy seemed to have assigned Crabbe and Goyle as her personal guard, because she was directly opposite Virginia, both of them beside her. It was if Pansy had decided that Virginia was dangerous, although why she'd think that, Virginia didn't know. Perhaps Blaise had some idea.
Virginia looked over to where the Dream Team sat. She saw Hermione sitting – also sandwiched – this time between Ron and Harry. They, however, seemed to be talking over the top of her head, and Virginia recognised the loneliness that Hermione would be feeling – sitting alone in a group of boys, never being able to whinge or frown or talk about anything deep and meaningful. Perhaps that might work with other guys, but not with Ron and Harry. Virginia should know. After all, Ron was Ginny's brother.
Virginia looked down at her plate, the peas adequately squished. She moved on to the potato.
"Virginia." His voice came again. This time it was hard and cold, and she knew she couldn't ignore him anymore.
"Yes?"
"I'll show you your bed now."
She would have protested that she was still eating dinner, but his eyes mocked her for even thinking that. She'd been through with dinner at least half an hour ago, and she'd barely touched it as it was. Virginia stood up, dropping her fork with a clatter. She followed Malfoy out of the Hall, knowing that if she ever went back to The Burrow, there'd be many unspoken questions hanging over her head.
Actually, if she didn't do something quickly, Ron would probably send a letter home to Ginny's mother, and Virginia knew that Ginny would be upset if she lost her mother's respect.
She followed Malfoy down the corridors. He didn't speak to her, so she ignored his presence, instead preferring to think.
She wondered if she hated Malfoy. After all, he was the cause of Ginny's problems. But in an odd way, The Malfoys were the reason behind her existence. But the Malfoys had instigated the diary incident, after all. Tom Riddle was Virginia's father, although she'd never told Ginny that. Virginia's theory of it was that when Ginny had fed her soul into Tom, she'd started creating a shortage of souls in her body. It was just a theory, but Abio Draconus said that there needed to be a certain amount of soul in a body at one time. Virginia had first been made when Ginny had lost some of hers. When Riddle – daddy, she thought dryly – had fed his soul into Ginny's he'd had to blend with Virginia. When Riddle died, enough of him had been blended with Virginia to make Virginia a complete soul.
However, in the six months that followed, Virginia hadn't been strong enough to be active for very long. It was only that day in the hospital that had allowed her to become permanent.
The theory sounded messy to her, but it was the most logical reason she could come up with. She knew that she was created during the diary incident, but she'd been dormant in the sixth months afterwards. She also knew there were parts of hers – traits of hers – that were originally Ginny's, but other parts were exactly like Tom Riddle's (Although, Virginia thought, she was hopefully without the complete evilness). She had courage and determination, but she also had Riddle's cunning and manipulation skills. It only made sense that they'd combined.
Draco taped her on her shoulder, bringing her out of her reverie. He pointed to a bed that screamed decadence and wealth. It had to belong to one of the 'High Flyers' in Slytherin. Of course, the highest flyer she knew of was...
"I am not sleeping in your bed." She breathed, staring in horror at the bed. It had a green and silver embroidered quilt. The poster hangings were rich green velvet, and the sheets were green silk. It was decadent. It was more expensive than anything she'd ever touched. She'd conveniently forgotten that Blaise, too, slept in silk sheets.
Draco shrugged, his entire countenance one of unconcern. "That's fine. But you aren't sleeping with Blaise, as terms of our deal. So that leaves you Crabbe, Goyle, or Nott." He turned and opened a trunk – her trunk – which he must have had brought down sometime today. "At least I have enough disgust for you that I won't try to rape you in the night. Although I can't guarantee the other boys."
She'd seen the other 'boys'. They all looked like they could crush her with two fingers. Perhaps Malfoy was the lesser of two evils. And she wouldn't be alone with him. Not exactly. She could keep the hangings open, and make sure that she was in earshot with someone the entire time.
Malfoy brushed past her as he fetched something from his side table, and Virginia jumped, and realised she'd forgotten the lesson she'd learnt only this afternoon. Never be alone in a room with Draco Malfoy, she reminded herself.
"Fine. I'll...I'll take the bed." How to get out of the situation without him knowing what she was trying to do? "I..I think I hear Blaise - down in the common room." She started to leave, hoping it would work.
It didn't.
Malfoy's face closed over, his eyes angry. Ginny remembered the promise she'd made: she wouldn't voluntarily contact Blaise in a month. Reneging on that promise probably wasn't the best way to ensure a safe time in the Slytherin dorms.
"You will stay here for the rest of the night. You will not see him tonight. Now get changed." He folded his arms over his chest, face completely impassive. Virginia couldn't have been more shocked if someone had just pulled a gnome out of her ear.
"I'm not changing with you here." She was afraid of the man for goodness sakes. She wouldn't tempt him like that.
He mocked her. "Believe me Virginia, I've seen women with much better assets. I'm sure I can control my desire for you and not 'jump your bones'."
She could have hit him. He was right. She was acting like a complete idiot. Virginia moved to her trunk and pulled out one of her nightshirts. Malfoy made a sound of disgust and stalked over to his drawers, pulling out a green silk shirt.
"You like silk, don't you?" She muttered in a nasty tone.
"I like sleeping in between silk sheets. I do not like silk shirts. This one has never been worn. You can keep it."
He stalked out of the room. Virginia smiled. Obviously, he didn't like his masculinity being called into question. She'd file that away for future reference.
Virginia climbed into the bed, feeling the slide of silk over her skin. She felt like a princess, living only to be pampered. It was heavenly. She sighed, slipping deeper under the covers, glad that she didn't have to worry about a certain Malfoy – at least not for a little while.
Her first thought when the mattress depressed was that something bad had happened. The redhead's eyes flew open, and she sat up, her mouth stretched into a gasp of worry. Draco simply looked up at her from his position on the bed. He looked so smug, lying down with his arms hooked behind his head. Virginia licked her lips.
"Sorry. I..I thought.."
"I know what you thought." He was smiling at her, but his eyes were dark. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, or feeling. He pulled her down to lie next to him, then rolled over and fell asleep.
She didn't have as much luck. She'd only slept with Blaise, and he didn't threaten her. Every time Virginia relaxed, she started to roll towards him, because the bed was depressed where he lay. Virginia tensed her muscles and sat up slightly, closing her eyes, praying for the oblivion sleep provided.
When she awoke the next day, Virginia felt like a herd of Erumpent had spent the night trampling her body. It felt like she'd gotten no rest. It seemed to her that she'd spent the night half awake, trying to stop herself from getting near Malfoy.
She yawned once, dressed quietly so as to not awake the two still in the room, and looked in the mirror to do her hair. Her brush had been brought down with her trunk, so she tamed her hair and pushed it off her face, then left the room.
"Morning." Blaise's cheery voice lit the common room.
Virginia turned to him and smiled. "Morning. How are you on this...wonderful...Monday morning?"
"I'm well thank you."
"Virginia!" Draco called from the other side of the room. "I need to talk to you."
Virginia smiled an apology to Blaise, then turned and made her way to Draco. He looked good today, his black robes contrasting with his incredible paleness. His long fingers played idly with the coach next to him – the couch Virginia had stolen from Pansy, although Pansy seemed to have regained it this morning. She was sitting by herself, reading a leather bound book that couldn't be on the booklist. Perhaps there was more to Pansy than met the eye.
"It's breakfast time. What do you have first?"
Virginia looked around. "Nothing. Normally I'd have Divination, but I dropped it to do senior potions, so I could have a study period. I was planning to go to the library. There's some research I want to do." That, and she didn't want to be alone in this house, not anymore. Not after Draco's comments about rape last night.
Draco nodded, pleased with her answer. She felt suddenly like he was a master, and she his slave. She didn't need to account her whereabouts to him. She could do what she pleased.
Deciding to skip breakfast, Virginia left the common room quickly and made her way up to the library, ignoring the few people she saw on the way.
Madame Pince glared at Virginia, her thin face looking so much like a vulture it wouldn't take much to transfigure her, in Virginia's opinion. She stopped at the librarian's desk, then pulled out a piece of parchment. "I need this book. What section would it be in?"
Madame looked at the parchment, then pointed to the third row of books. "Over there. Third section, second shelf."
Virginia thanked her politely and move to the stacks, checking the books. "Third section, second shelf," She muttered to herself, checking the titles quietly. "Where is it?" There. Next to a green book edged in silver and gold. Her book was dusty leather, and very plain. She took her book out, then looked again at the green book. Something about it...
There was only one word on the spine; Adaline. Virginia's teeth worried at her lip, then on impulse she reached out and plucked the book from the stacks. Finding a table, Virginia sat down. She had to get to work on her thesis, which meant looking at Charon. It dealt with the idea of ferrying souls.
Virginia picked up the green book, opened it, and started reading.
Author's Note: Charon, in Greek mythology, is the ferryman of the dead. The souls of the deceased are brought to him by Hermes, and Charon ferries them across the river Acheron. He only accepts the dead which are buried or burned with the proper rites, and if they pay him an obolus (coin) for their passage. For that reason a corpse had always an obolus placed under the tongue. (From pantheon.org)
Oh, and thanks to the...two people [faer and theophania] who reviewed that last chapter. I have to say, I'm disappointed in the rest of you. *sniff* Just kidding. But read and review this chapter. I do love feedback.