((dies just...dies saves lots of people lots of trouble BTW, renewing my Disclaimer - Don't own nothing. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Zip. 'Cept Polaire. But,uhh.... I don't want her. xX So... uhm... sorry?))
Ginny pounded her fists on the cold marble of the floor she was sitting on. She realized they were getting quite bruised, so she stood up and dusted off her robes. It had been almost two hours now. Two hours! And she was getting nowhere. The pictures in this corridor looked vaguely familiar, but she hadn't really stopped to look as she tried to find her way out of this web.
The pictures themselves hadn't been much help, either. Mostly they were landscapes, pretty paintings depicting brilliant scenes of Nature at Her finest. The few human portraits she'd encountered pressed her for details, having forgotten where they were and how long they'd been there. Apparently it was too stressful to venture far beyond their borders. She'd given up on them a while ago.
But now.... She found herself getting genuinely spooked. She's supposed at first she'd just wait for Ron, Harry, and Hermione to find her, but she was starting to doubt that they would. And even if they did, would they be able to find their way out?
Frustrated and more than a little tired from running around most of the morning, she sat back down and closed her eyes, wondering if anyone would ever come rescue her.
/
At the same time, unbeknownst to Ginny, Draco Malfoy was in a similar position, though for entirely different reasons. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall.
"This has been getting to be quite a nasty habit of yours, Weasel," he remarked with his eyes closed, surrounded for the second time that morning by angry Gryffindors. "This.... ambushing and cornering innocent bystanders." He twirled his wand lazily around his fingers. "The Dear Virginia still AWOL?"
"Look, you sick little-" Ron started to fume, but Hermione put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He backed up glumly and scowled at his feet. Draco laughed.
"Mudblood counseling? A new low... " He flashed a nasty grin at Hermione, who only glared at him, keeping her mouth shut. Harry came forward. He looked as if he were struggling to keep calm.
"Look, Malfoy, we'd just as soon never see your ugly face again.... but... if... we..." he couldn't seem to get the words out. Draco was immensely enjoying watching him squirm. Harry's face turned red. "We...uhh.... we need your help," he finally muttered, looking at the floor. Draco raised his eyebrows.
"Why? Surely Hero-Of-The-Century Potter and Prodigy-Witch Granger could come up with some clever and heart-warming way to save the day and rescue the damsel in distress," he scoffed with open scorn. "I really don't see the need of providing my services just to go look for some little tramp," He was making it up as he went, trying to hide his worry. Since she'd gone missing that morning he had been combing the halls surreptitiously, all the while hiding from Polaire. The damn girl was persistent!
After a few moments of silence Draco looked up, having expected a response. Harry and Ron were whispering heatedly to each other a few feet away. Obviously they couldn't make up their minds as to whether or not they really wanted him to help. Oh well. Their loss. But Hermione was standing directly in front of him, hand on her hips, giving him the queerest expression.
He looked at her nervously for a few seconds, and when she didn't say anything, he spat "What?"
Hermione just shook her head, that odd expression on her face. Draco grew uneasy as each second ticked by and all she did was stand there and stare. He closed his eyes again, but peeked through his lashed every couple of seconds to check is she was still watching.
She was.
/
"I still don't understand why we're even asking him!"
"What other choice do we have?"
"Kill him?"
Harry Potter sighed. "I'd like that as much as you would, Ron, but right now he's the best help we can get,"
"Why not use the Marauder's Map?" Ron demanded.
Harry sighed again. "I told you, I lost it!"
Ron snorted and muttered something under his breath that sounded amazingly like "Dumbass"
"What was that?" asked Harry suspiciously.
"Nothing," Ron replied, and hastily changed the subject. "Why not just go to Dumbledore, or McGonagall?"
"It's too late. They'd wonder why we hadn't asked earlier" Harry replied shaking his head.
"Fine," snapped a very Frustrated Ron. "But I don't think he's going to help. Stupid little git...." he cast a withering look in Malfoy's directing, but Hermione, who was crouching on the ground directly in front of Malfoy, obscured his view.
"What in bloody hell is she doing?" he remarked incredulously, staring at the two of them.
/
Draco was wondering the same thing.
He sat now with his legs crossed in front of him and his hands behind his head, staring straight into Hermione Granger's face. Her expression was apprehensive, as if some secret were about to be revealed. His own was one of cool contempt. Or so he hoped.
"Well?" he asked. He got the impression she didn't really want to be this close to him, so he sat up straight, moving his head a little nearer to hers. She instinctively moved her head back as he did it and this seemed to jar her out of her trance. She sat back on her heels and bit her lip, pondering for a moment.
He was growing impatient. "What is it? I don't have all day, you know." Which was funny, because he did, in fact, have all day. Hermione smiled a little.
"I know," she finally said, her voice lowered to a whisper. Draco just looked at her.
"Know what?"
She just smiled.
He was getting nervous. He tried to keep a blank look on his face but he knew it wasn't working.
"I know about you and Ginny.... For real,"
The words made his heart stop.
"W...What the hell are you talking about? I thought we'd working this out, Granger. It was all just a little game. For kicks. I wouldn't associate myself any more with that kind of trash." he snapped, shrinking back onto the wall.
"She told me."
Of course. Just like her to go spilling secrets to the loveable Mu.... Granger. Draco winced. Opposite the problem he'd had earlier, his heart was now pounding double-time, and he was sure she could hear it, if she couldn't at least see it jumping out of his chest. He knew Ginny had meant well, but what if Granger had told Potter? And Weasley? Or any other Gryffindor girl? Who'd tell a Ravenclaw.... who'd tell a Hufflepuff... who couldn't keep their mouths shut to save their lives. If word got out that he wasn't pretending, that he did.... Love.... Ginny Weasley... he'd be ruined. His father would be furious.... all his friends would abandon him... he'd never hear the end of it, especially not from Potter and Weasley.
Oh, hell.
/
Hermione looked at Malfoy with growing amusement. Nearly all the blood had drained from his face and his eyes had kind of glazed over. But she was also being extremely careful with her choice of words, because she knew if she backing him into a corner too far he'd lash out. She just needed to pressure him enough to get him to help.
Finally he said something.
"So?" he whispered defiantly, trying to shove some of his old malice back into his voice. But the fact that he was whispering told her how hard she'd gotten him.
"Soooo...." she imitated, annoyed. Couldn't he just be decent for once? But no, this was Malfoy.
"So, you'd better help us, or other people might just find themselves with the same knowledge I have," It was a bluff, but she knew she'd got him. As an afterthought, she added, "Besides, you know you want to find her as much as we do,"
His cheeks had returned to their normal color once she'd confirmed that no one else knew, but they grew slightly redder when she said that. He glared at her for a few seconds. Then he stood up suddenly, causing her to fall back.
"Fine. I'll help. Just tell stupid bloody Potter and Weasley to not drag me down."
/
Draco sighed with relief inside his mind. Good. Now he wouldn't have to lurk in the shadows anymore.
Besides... it was a bit of a relief that someone else knew... even if that person was as insufferable as Granger.
/
As Ron helped Hermione up, Harry eyed Malfoys suspiciously.
"You'll really help? You won't try to lure us into a dungeon and murder us?"
Malfoy rolled his eyes and ran a hand over his hair.
"Honestly, Potter, so paranoid. As long as... it'll get you two off my back, why not?" He shrugged and started walking away.
Harry and Ron glared at his back for a moment before grudgingly following.
Hermione was the only one who noticed the hesitation in his voice. She shook her head and hurried to catch up.
/
Ginny was almost asleep when someone rounded the corner of the passage she was in. She looked up hopefully, but her heart dropped when she recognized who it was.
"Hello, Virginia,"
((once again hides behind laziness ;-; It's not my fault, I tell ya! sulks Besides, no one reviews anymore. Anyway, my writing style has changed a bit, and I think the plot's getting confusing. I can't really think of any way to conclude it, so I'm just making it up as I go. shrug Oh well. Anyway, if anyone's still out there, I'll write some more :d))
Ginny pounded her fists on the cold marble of the floor she was sitting on. She realized they were getting quite bruised, so she stood up and dusted off her robes. It had been almost two hours now. Two hours! And she was getting nowhere. The pictures in this corridor looked vaguely familiar, but she hadn't really stopped to look as she tried to find her way out of this web.
The pictures themselves hadn't been much help, either. Mostly they were landscapes, pretty paintings depicting brilliant scenes of Nature at Her finest. The few human portraits she'd encountered pressed her for details, having forgotten where they were and how long they'd been there. Apparently it was too stressful to venture far beyond their borders. She'd given up on them a while ago.
But now.... She found herself getting genuinely spooked. She's supposed at first she'd just wait for Ron, Harry, and Hermione to find her, but she was starting to doubt that they would. And even if they did, would they be able to find their way out?
Frustrated and more than a little tired from running around most of the morning, she sat back down and closed her eyes, wondering if anyone would ever come rescue her.
/
At the same time, unbeknownst to Ginny, Draco Malfoy was in a similar position, though for entirely different reasons. He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall.
"This has been getting to be quite a nasty habit of yours, Weasel," he remarked with his eyes closed, surrounded for the second time that morning by angry Gryffindors. "This.... ambushing and cornering innocent bystanders." He twirled his wand lazily around his fingers. "The Dear Virginia still AWOL?"
"Look, you sick little-" Ron started to fume, but Hermione put a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. He backed up glumly and scowled at his feet. Draco laughed.
"Mudblood counseling? A new low... " He flashed a nasty grin at Hermione, who only glared at him, keeping her mouth shut. Harry came forward. He looked as if he were struggling to keep calm.
"Look, Malfoy, we'd just as soon never see your ugly face again.... but... if... we..." he couldn't seem to get the words out. Draco was immensely enjoying watching him squirm. Harry's face turned red. "We...uhh.... we need your help," he finally muttered, looking at the floor. Draco raised his eyebrows.
"Why? Surely Hero-Of-The-Century Potter and Prodigy-Witch Granger could come up with some clever and heart-warming way to save the day and rescue the damsel in distress," he scoffed with open scorn. "I really don't see the need of providing my services just to go look for some little tramp," He was making it up as he went, trying to hide his worry. Since she'd gone missing that morning he had been combing the halls surreptitiously, all the while hiding from Polaire. The damn girl was persistent!
After a few moments of silence Draco looked up, having expected a response. Harry and Ron were whispering heatedly to each other a few feet away. Obviously they couldn't make up their minds as to whether or not they really wanted him to help. Oh well. Their loss. But Hermione was standing directly in front of him, hand on her hips, giving him the queerest expression.
He looked at her nervously for a few seconds, and when she didn't say anything, he spat "What?"
Hermione just shook her head, that odd expression on her face. Draco grew uneasy as each second ticked by and all she did was stand there and stare. He closed his eyes again, but peeked through his lashed every couple of seconds to check is she was still watching.
She was.
/
"I still don't understand why we're even asking him!"
"What other choice do we have?"
"Kill him?"
Harry Potter sighed. "I'd like that as much as you would, Ron, but right now he's the best help we can get,"
"Why not use the Marauder's Map?" Ron demanded.
Harry sighed again. "I told you, I lost it!"
Ron snorted and muttered something under his breath that sounded amazingly like "Dumbass"
"What was that?" asked Harry suspiciously.
"Nothing," Ron replied, and hastily changed the subject. "Why not just go to Dumbledore, or McGonagall?"
"It's too late. They'd wonder why we hadn't asked earlier" Harry replied shaking his head.
"Fine," snapped a very Frustrated Ron. "But I don't think he's going to help. Stupid little git...." he cast a withering look in Malfoy's directing, but Hermione, who was crouching on the ground directly in front of Malfoy, obscured his view.
"What in bloody hell is she doing?" he remarked incredulously, staring at the two of them.
/
Draco was wondering the same thing.
He sat now with his legs crossed in front of him and his hands behind his head, staring straight into Hermione Granger's face. Her expression was apprehensive, as if some secret were about to be revealed. His own was one of cool contempt. Or so he hoped.
"Well?" he asked. He got the impression she didn't really want to be this close to him, so he sat up straight, moving his head a little nearer to hers. She instinctively moved her head back as he did it and this seemed to jar her out of her trance. She sat back on her heels and bit her lip, pondering for a moment.
He was growing impatient. "What is it? I don't have all day, you know." Which was funny, because he did, in fact, have all day. Hermione smiled a little.
"I know," she finally said, her voice lowered to a whisper. Draco just looked at her.
"Know what?"
She just smiled.
He was getting nervous. He tried to keep a blank look on his face but he knew it wasn't working.
"I know about you and Ginny.... For real,"
The words made his heart stop.
"W...What the hell are you talking about? I thought we'd working this out, Granger. It was all just a little game. For kicks. I wouldn't associate myself any more with that kind of trash." he snapped, shrinking back onto the wall.
"She told me."
Of course. Just like her to go spilling secrets to the loveable Mu.... Granger. Draco winced. Opposite the problem he'd had earlier, his heart was now pounding double-time, and he was sure she could hear it, if she couldn't at least see it jumping out of his chest. He knew Ginny had meant well, but what if Granger had told Potter? And Weasley? Or any other Gryffindor girl? Who'd tell a Ravenclaw.... who'd tell a Hufflepuff... who couldn't keep their mouths shut to save their lives. If word got out that he wasn't pretending, that he did.... Love.... Ginny Weasley... he'd be ruined. His father would be furious.... all his friends would abandon him... he'd never hear the end of it, especially not from Potter and Weasley.
Oh, hell.
/
Hermione looked at Malfoy with growing amusement. Nearly all the blood had drained from his face and his eyes had kind of glazed over. But she was also being extremely careful with her choice of words, because she knew if she backing him into a corner too far he'd lash out. She just needed to pressure him enough to get him to help.
Finally he said something.
"So?" he whispered defiantly, trying to shove some of his old malice back into his voice. But the fact that he was whispering told her how hard she'd gotten him.
"Soooo...." she imitated, annoyed. Couldn't he just be decent for once? But no, this was Malfoy.
"So, you'd better help us, or other people might just find themselves with the same knowledge I have," It was a bluff, but she knew she'd got him. As an afterthought, she added, "Besides, you know you want to find her as much as we do,"
His cheeks had returned to their normal color once she'd confirmed that no one else knew, but they grew slightly redder when she said that. He glared at her for a few seconds. Then he stood up suddenly, causing her to fall back.
"Fine. I'll help. Just tell stupid bloody Potter and Weasley to not drag me down."
/
Draco sighed with relief inside his mind. Good. Now he wouldn't have to lurk in the shadows anymore.
Besides... it was a bit of a relief that someone else knew... even if that person was as insufferable as Granger.
/
As Ron helped Hermione up, Harry eyed Malfoys suspiciously.
"You'll really help? You won't try to lure us into a dungeon and murder us?"
Malfoy rolled his eyes and ran a hand over his hair.
"Honestly, Potter, so paranoid. As long as... it'll get you two off my back, why not?" He shrugged and started walking away.
Harry and Ron glared at his back for a moment before grudgingly following.
Hermione was the only one who noticed the hesitation in his voice. She shook her head and hurried to catch up.
/
Ginny was almost asleep when someone rounded the corner of the passage she was in. She looked up hopefully, but her heart dropped when she recognized who it was.
"Hello, Virginia,"
((once again hides behind laziness ;-; It's not my fault, I tell ya! sulks Besides, no one reviews anymore. Anyway, my writing style has changed a bit, and I think the plot's getting confusing. I can't really think of any way to conclude it, so I'm just making it up as I go. shrug Oh well. Anyway, if anyone's still out there, I'll write some more :d))