Chapter 9

The truth revealed

The sun poured in through the girls' fifth year dormitories early on Saturday morning. Ginny groaned and buried her head beneath her pillow.

She hated waking up early in the morning actually she hated morning. Period. The previous nights events flooded back to her and she sat up with a start.

Malfoy had pleaded with her to trust him and he had seemed so sincere and sweet, yet she couldn't forget the feelings of unease he raised within her nor could she forget the ice-cold glint of something unidentifiable in his eyes.

She remembered comparing him to Tom riddle and then thinking that there had been no difference between them.

"Give me a chance Ginny, everyone deserves a second chance," the words he'd murmured in her ear were still echoing in her head.

She sighed and fell back down onto her pillow. Maybe he did deserve a chance. Maybe he was changed and maybe just maybe he was actually a good person.

But all those maybes were making her feel terribly uneasy, and hadn't she trusted Tom? And hadn't he left her with the bittersweet taste of betrayal?

Her head was already throbbing with unanswered questions and she hadn't even left her bed. With a groan of displeasure she pulled herself out of her bed and stumbled to the washroom.

After taking a long and very refreshing shower, she brushed her teeth got dressed into some very comfortable muggle clothes and padded down into the common room.

Like expected the common room was empty, and Ginny guessed they were all outside enjoying the last of the nice fall days before the winter took over.

Her stomach grumbled but having missed breakfast she would just have to wait until lunch. She collapsed into a chair and closed her eyes.

She wasn't ready to face the day. She didn't want to go down into the great hall. She didn't want to leave the blissful safety of the common room. She wanted to stay here and pretend that Voldemort was a figment of her imagination. She wanted to pretend that the voice she heard in her head was nothing.

"Well wouldn't that make you insane? Hearing voices you made up in your head? You should be grateful, mudblood lover, that it IS me and not you going mad."

His awful hissing voice had caught her off guard because she hadn't heard him in so long but she sighed and was resigned to the fact that she'd never have her own privacy, not even in her thoughts.

She concentrated her energy on blocking him out then waited a couple of minutes. When she heard nothing she sagged in relief.

She opened her eyes and decided to perhaps see if she could scrounge up a piece of toast in the kitchens then go study for potions in the library, since she'd gotten no studying done last night thanks to that very odd rendezvous with Malfoy.

She was on her way to the kitchens when she caught sight of Harry and Ron walking her way. She almost turned and ran but she

stretched herself to full height and with her Gryffindors bravery strode forward and forced herself not to be intimidated by Harry.

That would have been simple, if she could have just passed by them everything would have been fine, but no of course not. She wasn't allowed to have things simple, because Malfoy chose at that precise moment to wrap his arms around her waist from behind and swivel her around so that she couldn't see Harry or Ron's reactions.

He kissed her. Right there in front of Harry and her brother. It was at that moment that she decided that Malfoy was most definitely mad, and she wished he wouldn't kiss her at all. She was nearly sick every time he did.

"Meet me in the room of requirement again tonight." He whispered than with a look of fear at what was behind her he turned and ran off into the direction he'd come.

Here we go. She thought and turned around reluctantly to face

a very furious Ron and a very, very, very jealous Harry.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!?" Harry exclaimed grabbing Ginny's upper arm in anger. His heart was beating in his chest so fast he thought it would burst out.

That display had nearly shredded him to pieces and surprisingly Ron had to hold him back this time otherwise he most likely would have killed Malfoy. How dare that slimy Slytherin pompous ass lay a finger on Ginny.

the anger and rage cursed through him he barely noticed that he was clenching her arm a little too tightly.

She tore herself out of his grasp and sneered at him.

"What do you care Potter?! I can do whatever I want, whether it's with Mal-Draco or any other boy in this school! You cannot, will not dictate me!" she snapped and then ran passed him and down the hall.

Harry turned to Ron who was leaning against the wall a very amused look on his face.

"You just let your sister kiss Malfoy and did nothing about it?!! Have you gone mad?!" Harry shrieked his face emitting heat and anger.

Ron chuckled.

"That kiss meant nothing to her, actually I think its pretty safe to say it revolted her, if you knew her like I did you'd be able to tell that she was surprised when he touched her and revolted when he kissed her by the way she was stiff, didn't respond and pushed him away." Ron said wisely and Harry wanted to throttle him.

"And besides your demonstration of jealousy because you love my sister was entertaining." Ron continued.

Harry froze.

"I don't-" he was going to deny loving Ginny. He knew he should have, but he'd never analyzed his feelings until then and suddenly he realized he did love her. He did want to be with her.

He glanced up at Ron and by the smug look on his face he could tell that Ron had known all along. Even before he knew himself.

Perhaps Ron wasn't as oblivious or obtuse as he'd assumed.

A sheepish grin spread across his face.

"You're no going to kill me?" he asked and Ron laughed and walked beside Harry.

"Nah, then who would kill Voldemort?" normally a statement like that would have set him off but today it only brought about a large amount of relief and joy.

Okay he loved Ginny, but how to tell her that after he'd so horribly hurt her?

Harry sat in the common deserted common room his invisibility cloak wrapped securely around him.

It was only 8:00 but all the students were either in bed or down in the great hall. He sighed in frustration. This was the only way he'd be able to talk to her.

Every time he went near her she went in the other direction and when he started to talk to her she'd snap at him and run away. She'd been avoiding him all day.

So he was forced to sit in an armchair invisible so he could corner her when she came in.

Finally after what seemed an eternity she strode into the common room and with a great sigh dropped down onto the armchair right across from Harry.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered wistfully and Harry felt his heart melt.

He pulled off the cloak.

"Talking to me would be a wonderful start." he said and Ginny jumped three feet into the air.

"You bloody Prat!" she shrieked facing him her eyes wild with fear and her face red with rage. "Ginny-" he began and stood up in front of her, but she cut him off.

"No, you listen to me Potter! who do you think you are sneaking around like some snake scaring me half to death? Are you so insensitive that you think you can just come-" She was cut off however when Harry pressed his lips to her in a passionate embrace.

She struggled at first but then yielded to his tender caresses and melted in his arms.

He put one hand at the small of her back and urged her closer the other hand at the nape of her hair.

They continued to kiss passionately when Harry felt something very odd. A scar... it was a scar... in the shape of a lightning bolt on the back of Ginny's head!

He pulled away in shock, and Ginny still drunk with passion had no time to react when Harry turned her around and lifted her fiery red hair.

Sure enough a scar jutted out beneath her hairline an exact replica of his own scar.

"What the hell!!?? Ginny?" he asked in a stunned tone.

Ginny pulled away and stared at Harry, her eyes wide with fear when she suddenly realized what Harry had seen.

Harry grabbed her wrists and looked into her eyes.

"What is that Ginny? Why do you have a scar like mine?" he demanded but Ginny was saved from answering when Ron and Hermione burst into the common room bickering as usual.

"Hermione! I never said that you were..." they froze at the scene before them.

"Ron, your sister has a scar exactly like mine on her neck!" Harry blurted and inwardly cursed his bluntness.

"What?!" Ron exclaimed and she pulled herself away from Harry.

In an unexpected burst of speed Ginny ran from the common room.

Harry made to run after her but was stopped when Ron grabbed his arm.

"Let her go, are you sure you saw what you saw?" he asked and there was an underlying current of fear in Ron's voice.

"I'm telling you Ron. She has a scar like mine." he said. Hermione watching them both warily.

"You don't suppose this has anything to do with her attacks do you?" Hermione interjected and both boys turned to her.

Apprehension dawned on Hermiones face, the same look she gets every time she thinks she's figured something out.

She slapped her forehead. "Merlin I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I think of this before?" She exclaimed and Ron and Harry exchanged confused glances.

"Hermione-" Ron began but Hermione cut him off.

"I'll be right back!! I need to check something in the library." She exclaimed then turned and raced out of the common room.

She ran, her heart strained painfully in her chest and tears were pouring down her cheeks.

That kiss had been so blissful, she'd felt the love and tenderness in it. Then he had to look at the back of her neck and see her scar. Oh god. If they ever figured out what it was... if they realized... she couldn't think of the consequences right now.

She needed fresh air, she needed out.

"hey Ginger, where are you going the room of requirement is the other way." Malfoy's teasing tone interrupted her thoughts.

She pivoted around, tears streaming down her red blotchy face, her hair wild and unkempt and rage building up inside her.

"ITS GINNY MALFOY, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENTS WITH YOU!" she snapped and Malfoys features contorted angrily, it was however fleeting because it was replaced with concern.

"Ginny, what happened? Is Potter annoying you? Its Potter isn't it?" His voice was filled with such tenderness Ginny burst into tears and collapsed into his outstretched arms.

He wrapped his arms around her.

"Shah hush little Ginger, come on Virginia, I know what'll make you feel better. Come with me Ginny love." he whispered comfortingly and Ginny found herself following him out of Hogwarts onto Hogwarts grounds.