Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Author's Note: Once again, I do not speak French. I am using a dictionary/translator on my computer, so I'm aware it won't be perfect. If you do speak French, I would like to apologize now for any slaughtering of the language I may have inadvertently caused. Otherwise, what do you care, right?
French translations: ((example))
Responses to my wonderful reviewers: tkmoore, once again, my goddess, you have gone above and beyond and reviewed like a queen! I LOVE YOU! cloaked, I just adore you and your reviews! (Draco kisses for you!) seri-chan, once again, we think way too much alike! lol a-sam, you have no idea how I wish the exact same thing! AnitaBlake/BuffyFan, thank you a bagillion times over! I think I might cry! That was a beautiful review! Paranoid Raven, thanks, I will! lielabell, thanks! KingFabuckwad, love you, keep reviewing! Nehima22, thanks, didn't mean to make you cry! jenn, thank so much! san-lee, that's awesome, thanks! Midnight's Rainstorm, yes, yes it did. sillysun, thanks, aren't they just beyond hot? power of the stars, thanks, and sorry 'bout your friend! lol little-munchkin-poo, thankyouthankyouthankyou! me, I will try to give you what you wish! lol angelfire33, please, no! (posting chapter and running away) musiclover86, I loved that part too! SamiJo06, that was like one of the best complements ever! I think I'm gonna cry…jen s, thank you! xxbabysparklesxx, he did get the crap beat out of him, didn't he? hehehe Iced Faerie, me too! aoi-yuki-yume, hope you dig this one! Psi, thanks! Chaney, thank you bunches! Tytianne, I hope this chap clears up some of your questions! beautiful-exterior, hope this is soon enough! lol babykelyse, I think everyone wants to punch his teeth straight! I do! short arse, I have no idea how they came to realize that, nor do I care! lol Pyro89, thanks, devil chicken! gin rose raposo1, thank you!
IMPORTANT: I WON! I WON! I WON! I totally won at the fanfiction awards! First Place for Best Draco Characterization! You can see the award here: http:img68.exs.cx/img68/7541/draco.png
Thanks to all of those who voted for me!
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Marcus had worked out his plan to a 'T'. When the Dark Lord had offered him this mission, he had accepted eagerly. He'd seen the pictures of the youngest Weasley that had been gracing the pages of the papers for weeks, and he had developed somewhat of an obsession with her. He had never seen a female more beautiful in his entire life, and cursed the fact she was being wasted on his third cousins. Those two didn't know what was good for them. Refusing his Lord! It was preposterous. Marcus hadn't ever liked them, even when they were children. There had always been something odd about them, something that made his spine shiver with fear.
And he hated them for that. And now, now, they had the object of his desire. He had never wanted anything as much as he wanted the little fox, and he dreamed of breaking her at night. They were sweet, satisfying dreams, full of her screams and pleas and terror. She would make a perfect pet for him, a more than fitting reward for his services to his Lord. He didn't believe the tales all over the news, didn't believe that the three of them were really all that special. His cousins were just fucked up in the head, and she was just some poor, Gryffindor slut who needed to learn her place. And he knew just how to make her, even if he had to go against his Lord.
It's not as if the Dark Lord had specifically told him not to, he'd just said not to tarry. And Marcus didn't plan to stay too long, just long enough to get his share of the flame bitch's…treats. Because, after all, what if the Dark Lord wouldn't let him have a taste later? There was no way he was going to miss the chance to fulfill his fantasies and fuck his cousins over at the same time. They'd always had everything; nobility, nearly endless power, intelligence, fear, respect. Not to mention looks. He'd gotten stuck with his father's figure and face, while they had all of the aristocratic elegance and beauty that their bloodlines were infamous for.
He wasn't afraid of them anymore, or so he told himself. But he had no intention of being caught by them. Even if they walked in while he was having his way with their little whore, he had a special portkey in his pocket, given to him by his Lord. He knew it would work through Dumbledore's wards, as he'd tried it out earlier, so there were no worries there. He prepared the rest of his supplies, also given to him by the Dark Lord, activated the charm that would hide his scent and pulse until it was too late, and waited. The Dark Lord had expressly forbidden him to try anything if his cousins were with her, so he had a four-day wait hiding in the woods with a tracking charm before he got his chance.
He felt her storm out of the Great Hall, felt the girl that followed, and tracked them stealthily. He hadn't been a Slytherin for nothing. She finally turned into a corridor he knew came to a dead end, and he ghosted ahead using another charm from his Lord, and set up his trap quickly. The davascian net went up first, and then the wards around the classroom he intended to use for his own purposes. His Lord had said he didn't care if she was roughed up a bit, but he had also said for Marcus to get in, get her, and get out, with no delays. But how could he? All he could think of was forcing his length inside her, her horrified screams urging him on.
He had always found that to be the best way to fuck, and many muggle males and females alike had discovered that the hard way. But he'd never had the chance to break a wizard or a witch, not even one of those stupid mudbloods. So he made sure there were no gaps in his plan, forming his Lord's orders and his own wishes into one. And, to his delight, it worked perfectly. Beautiful, he thought again as his fist slammed into her face repeatedly, right before his knife slid through her tight abdominal muscles. Then he began exploring all of that creamy skin, ripping and tearing as he went, his nails, teeth and daggers doing their jobs well.
Then, to his surprise, she somehow found the strength to fight him, kneeing him hard in the groin when he started to penetrate her with his thick, meaty fingers. Yelling, his temper coming unleashed, he spat something at her before knocking her in the temple with the hilt of his dagger. She slumped in her chains, her eyes glazing and falling shut, and the last bit of her robe slid off her shoulder, falling to the floor and revealing a swirling, dark rainbow of colored light that was blazing on the skin of her forearm. He stumbled back a step, instinctual fear seizing him and causing him to sweat profusely, his limbs shaking and quaking.
Ripping his eyes away, he hurriedly covered the rune of the god back up, his mind refusing to accept the obvious. It's just a trick, he thought to himself, just some scam by Dumbledore and those bastards to fool everyone. Before he could lose his nerve, he resumed his attack even more zealously than before. So absorbed was he that he didn't notice the darkness in the corners thickening, didn't notice the tingle of divine fury growing steadily. With a cruel smile, his lust clouding and fogging his mind, he stabbed her again and again, forgetting his Lord's anger as his fantasy unraveled before him. Then, leaning back and letting his straining member free, he guided it to her entrance, intent to have his revenge and his prize.
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Pansy woke slowly, awareness rushing back and scent telling her she was laying with Anton and Melody curled up on either side of her. Her body was still trembling and sated, and a quick time spell let her know that dinner was over. Then something caught her attention. If dinner was over, where was everyone? The common room was empty but for them, when it should have been teeming with her Housemates. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach, and she slid from between her friends, getting to her feet. Looking around and straining her ears, she saw and heard nothing. Her stomach tightening even farther, she shook Melody and Anton awake.
"Get up!"
"Wha-" Melody started, but she drug them to their feet before the other girl could finish.
"Pans? What's wrong?" Anton asked groggily, and she started pulling them toward the exit.
"I don't know. No one's here. Come on." She said, and they became instantly alert. No more words were spoken as they bolted out of the portrait and up to the entrance hall. They'd just come out of the stairway when two blurs shot past them, nearly knocking them off their feet. A second later, a horde of students poured in from outside, looking around wildly. Gregory, Vincent and the other Slytherins spotted them and came rushing over.
"Where'd they go?" Gregory asked, out of breath. "We have to hurry. Something's happened to Virginia."
Pansy's blood ran cold, and without so much as a murmur of acknowledgement, she spun on a heel and tore off after Draco and Blaise. The others followed her, while she followed her nose. They twisted through what seemed like endless passageways and corridors, winding farther and farther into the castle until the dust choking the halls was almost suffocating. She finally slid to a stop as she saw Daphne getting shakily to her feet, blood pouring down the side of her face but otherwise okay, and Draco and Blaise standing before a lightly shimmering door. A split second later, they threw shields around the room at the same time they blasted the door into splinters, along with the wards that shouldn't have been there, but were.
She followed closely behind them as they entered in a whirlwind of primal fury, and almost fainted at what she saw. Virginia was chained, mostly naked and unconscious, to a wall, bleeding from numerous wounds, and her face was a shattered mess, while her abdomen looked as if it had been pulverized. Marcus Flint was standing before her, just about to shove his cock inside of her, when his head snapped around in shock. He paled as he saw his cousins at full power and utterly enraged. Draco and Blaise threw their heads back and howled, and their voices rang through the silence, tinted with a divine hatred that traveled through the stone walls and reverberated in their very bones.
"Time to go, little fox." Pansy heard Marcus mutter before he yanked a battered quill from his pocket. He twisted the end, a smirk on his face, obviously waiting for something. When nothing happened, though, his triumphant look faded rapidly. "But-But it w-worked earlier…" Then his eyes went back to his cousins, only to find that they weren't there.
A second later, he was screaming as two sets of claws impaled him from behind, at the same time black salt rained over him, making whatever they planned to do incontestably legal under the circumstances. Pansy ran to Virginia, undoing the cursed chains and catching her before she fell. She felt two familiar shields wrap around them at the same time the circle snapped up, and they were full of healing energy laid out for her disposal. She put the offered power to good use, healing what she could of her friend's ravaged body. Looking back up, she saw that Draco and Blaise were just toying with the foolish bastard so far, inflicting wound after wound and keeping him conscious with magick.
But then…then Virginia screamed.
It was long and loud, bloodcurdling and hair-raising, full of fear, anger, terror, despair…And underneath it all was an unspoken cry for help, for vengeance. The sound seemed to slice straight through her boyfriends, cutting them to the core and breaking their control, and they snapped. Humanity and sanity fled from their ebony eyes, and what took its place scared even Pansy. She had never seen them look like that, and she had seen them pretty fucking pissed off before. Marcus was already nothing more than a whimpering pile of flesh at their feet, but he soon became much less then even that.
They ripped him apart piece by bloody piece. Literally. They descended on him at once, ripping huge chunks of meat away furiously, his screams echoing wildly as skin and muscle flew in every direction, bouncing off the invisible boundary walls of the circle. The first to go was his dick, then a handful of his thigh, then a few fingers…And through it all, they kept him alive and aware as their claws tore through him, as their rage drove them to new depths of savagery. A mostly-fleshless hand hit the boundary right in front of Pansy, and a strange sense of satisfaction filled her from head to toe. The bastard deserved what he was getting. He'd very nearly raped her best friend, and that was unforgivable.
A foot followed the hand, hitting the boundary on the opposite side and causing quite a few people to shriek. She hadn't even noticed that there was anyone else in the room until then, and didn't have time to pay attention beyond throwing her outer robe over Virginia to cover her. No, Pansy's eyes were locked onto her friends and Marcus, unable to turn away from the grisly, yet appeasing, scene. Half of a leg bounced across the floor, soon joined by a single, brown eye that was perfectly whole, and she could hear people gagging and throwing up behind her. But Pansy, for some reason, didn't feel in the least bit ill. Just…vindictive. And pleased. And Marcus was still screaming and screaming.
She felt a laugh bubbling up in her throat, and it soon escaped her in rolling peals, twining with Marcus's agony-filled wails. Had she had eyes in the back of her head, she would have seen even her own Housemates looking at her in shocked silence before another limb went flying. The only parts of Marcus that were still even vaguely intact were his torso and head. Both legs had been torn off in sections, as had his arms, and the rest barely even resembled something human. Except for the screams. Those were very human, yet somehow animalistic, as if Marcus's mind had shattered and all that was left was feelings and fear.
Then it got nasty. The vitals were next, organ after organ being removed and flung with startling precision, and she realized that they weren't keeping him alive alive. There was no way he could survive that, even pumped full of their magick. No, they were somehow keeping his spirit trapped within his mutilated body, somehow making him still feel everything that they were doing. Pansy idly watched a large piece of what she fancied to be his liver hit the boundary, when without that invisible wall, it would have gotten her square in the face. She wondered if she would even care. Looking down at her twitching friend, she decided that, no, she probably wouldn't.
Once again, her gaze was almost forced back to the carnage before her. It was so strange how it was all contained within the circle, while the rest of the room was unaffected. It's like a deranged snow globe massacre. Except even though it looks like a multitude of people have been killed, it's really only one. Just Draco and Blaise style, she thought wryly, clutching Virginia close to her and whispering to her even as her eyes followed two ribs in their flight through the air. And still Marcus was screaming, even though his mouth was closed and his lungs were…oh. Well, not collapsed. Gone, now, and hitting the blood-soaked floor with a 'splat'.
Then it got scary. Draco and Blaise, both of whom were once again covered from head to foot in blood and much thicker things, tore off the right sleeves of their robes simultaneously. Their Marks were shining like small, dark suns, iridescent and prismatic. They flashed, and a wavering, ghostly shape began forming over what little was left of Marcus. It swirled into a human form before it filled out with his features, and that mouth was open, terror-stricken shrieks still pouring from its translucent throat. Then their Marks went utterly dark, as if black holes had just opened up on their arms, and tendrils of that darkness began leaking out of them.
They wrapped around the spirit hovering above the demolished, shredded corpse, and Marcus's screams grew even louder, though if asked, Pansy would have said that that was impossible. The circle crashed down, the blood dripping down it splattering those closest, and they felt what they hadn't been able to feel with the circle still up. None of them had ever experienced anything like it before, but somehow, they just knew what it was. Cold and searing hot, primal and ferocious, protective and destructive, death manifested. The God's Rage. What happened next was quick compared to the rest. The darkness simply devoured the spirit in a rush before sinking back into Draco and Blaise's skin.
Nothing moved for a long moment, and then the two of them were at Pansy's side, the shields of their making coming down as they kneeled next to her. Each ran darkly glowing hands over Virginia's wounds, pushing power into her skin and closing their eyes in concentration. The smaller cuts and bruises had disappeared earlier under Pansy's ministrations, but the other girl calmed down at their touch, her shaking subsiding and her face healing. The larger, serious stab wounds had stopped bleeding, but they weren't closing. Draco and Blaise's eyes snapped open, though Pansy didn't meet them yet, and bandages appeared out of nowhere. They worked quickly, wrapping the mess of flesh up neatly and then securing Pansy's robe around her, the buttons done in heartbeat.
"Merci, Pansy." The two young men said in unison, their voices mystical and ethereal, but still choked with fury. ((Thank you))
Divinity was still cloaking everything in the room, and she noticed something with a start as she looked up and did meet their gazes. Draco and Blaise's pupils were split, which wasn't that unusual, but the irises…The irises were blood red. The eyes of Cocidius, she thought wildly, her brain trying to process what she was seeing. But it couldn't be…No one but the First Born had been able to actually channel a god's essence, the body and the mind simply couldn't handle it, but there they were, with eyes of crimson shadows, flickering with Hell's fires. Another twinge of ancient, long-buried memory, another instinct tweaked, and she named them for what they were. Godridden.
"Bien entendu, mon seigneurs." She found herself replying, subconsciously knowing that they were still enraged, and therefore following etiquette to its finest. "Il être ma plaisir." They looked at her intently for a moment, before small, identical smiles curved their lips. ((Of course, my lords. It was my pleasure.))
"There is no need for formalities." They told her softly. "Not from you. Cocidius is keeping us clearheaded, for we have much to do. You have our gratitude, Lady, for being there for her while we spilt our fury with our god. The shields would have healed her, but not as efficiently as you did. And your presence in itself surely helped. We are in your debt."
She sucked in a surprised breath, for she hadn't even thought of it like that, she didn't mean for them to owe her anything, and their smiles grew a bit, as if they knew that. They leaned in, and each kissed her on one cheek before pulling back and scooping Virginia out of her arms. They stood, blood dripping off of them and hitting the floor in heavy drops, and Draco moved for the door first, Virginia in his arms, while Blaise helped Pansy to her feet and walked slightly behind them in what she was sure was a rearguard position, whether it was subconscious or not. Knowing Blaise, it was quite conscious. Lethally so.
"How is she?" Severus appeared from the huddle of Professors, his face white and his brow furrowed even more than usual. He didn't look the least bit disturbed by what had just happened, nor by his godsons' appearance, and Pansy lifted a hand to hide her smirk. She felt quite giddy now that Virginia was in their capable hands, and as they weren't exactly panicking, she figured that her friend was going to be fine.
"She'll be alright after a quick trip to Reverie." Blaise said, and their forward progress never slowed.
Severus fell into step with them, as did Dumbledore, and both nodded. Now that she had a chance to look around, she saw that there actually weren't that many people in the room. Most were her Housemates, who trailed after them with wide eyes but otherwise blank faces, two other Professors, and a handful of other students who bolted from the room as soon as they saw them approaching. She felt a little better at the lack of an audience, until they got outside and into the hallway. It was filled with green-faced, gaping students, who practically slammed themselves against the corridor's walls at their approach, opening up a walkway down the middle.
They flinched away as Draco and Blaise passed them with the other Slytherins, eyes huge with disbelief and fear. Pansy spied quite a few of her Housemates licking the blood that had sprayed on them off of their lips and each other's, sneering viciously at the frightened, gawking onlookers. She allowed herself a small smile once they rounded a corner, and shot an amused look at Anton and Melody, who were behind her with Daphne between them. They smirked, as they'd been two who just hadn't been able to help themselves, but none of them said anything as they made their way quickly back through the maze of passageways to their dormitories.
They reentered the entrance hall only to find more students milling around, and she heard Draco and Blaise curse quietly right before the air around them wavered and they…disappeared. What the fuck!? She could hear her Housemates' suck in startled breaths, but they all took it in stride and made for the dungeons. None of the other students seemed to have noticed, as most had been talking amongst themselves in whispers and only turned when the Slytherins fully emerged from the shadowed archway. Ignoring them wasn't a problem, as they were all more than used to it by then, and they made it to their common room unhindered.
"Why are your cheeks glowing? And where are they?" Melody hissed once they were inside, and as if in response, Draco, Blaise and Virginia appeared once more in the center of the room. Draco moved immediately for their room with her still in his arms, while Blaise hung back and motioned Pansy over. She went to his side instantly, meeting his scarlet eyes inquiringly.
"Are my cheeks glowing?" She asked unthinkingly, since Melody's question had startled her. Blaise smirked.
"Yes." He said evenly. "Come with us." At her nod, he took her hand and led her to their room.
"But why are they glowing?" She asked, and his smirk grew wider.
"A sign of the debt each of us owes you. The glow will fade with the night."
"But Blaise, I don't need you to-"
"We know." He replied simply, and they passed through the vampire portrait, which fluttered its eyelashes at Blaise as he went in, looking fondly at the red fluid covering his lithe form. The portrait shut behind them and they went to the cushion that Draco had laid Virginia on, crouching beside them.
"Alright," Draco started, brushing a bloody lock of hair off of Virginia's pale, but healed, face. "It'll be a short trip. Can you cast the circle for us?" He asked her, and she gulped, but nodded. She knew why he was requesting that she do it. They wanted her to see them come back from Reverie safely, and not like the last time she had witnessed it.
"Yeah, yeah, I can."
"Excellent. Let's do this then." He said, and he and Blaise each took one of Virginia's hands, slicing her palms and their own open quickly.
Their fingers intertwined with hers, their blood mingling, and they began to chant in low, sure voices. When their eyes glazed and the chanting trickled into nothing, she moved forward, casting the circle just as she had the last time. Then she sat back abruptly, her heart racing and her breathing uneven. Cursing her weakness, she tried her damnedest not to panic, but this was something right out of her nightmares. Praying that it wouldn't continue in the same vein, that everything would be okay for once, she looked down and saw that her hands were shaking. Clasping them together tightly, she forced her eyes back to her friends.
How many times had she seen Draco and Blaise in similar positions? She had cast circles for their Reverie trips countless times. But that last…She didn't know why she couldn't stop thinking about it. Their ruined, wasted faces seemed to follow her everywhere, haunting her steps. Silver falling to dust beneath her fingertips, indigo eyes milky and blind, once-pale flesh black and dead with frostbite…She shivered. Gods, she could still see it even with her eyes open. Shaking her head clear, as she'd been doing more often then she'd like to think about, she refocused on her friends. How long had it been? She had no idea.
I'm not going to freak out, she told herself sternly after another ten minutes. I've seen them do this a million times. Just calm down. Did Draco's finger just move? Of course not. Sighing, she took several deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves. Those damn dreams were fucking her head up. She was a Parkinson, damn it! She was not going to let something so miniscule drive her mad. She'd seen worse, she'd seen them do worse, but…but it had never happened to them before. And Virginia…Pansy might not have known her as long as she'd known Draco and Blaise, but the girl had gotten under her skin. It felt like she'd known her forever.
They could talk to each other about anything, and had. They were both close to Melody and Daphne as well, but not quite as much. Pansy had always been a little apart from the other two girls, most of her real secrets and confessions being told only to Draco and Blaise, who had listened and comforted her with all of the protective indignation and love of older brothers. And then Virginia had come. Their connection had been almost instantaneous, and neither could really explain it. They'd just been drawn to each other, and had made fast friends. And a night spent in Pansy's room with a couple of bottles of brandy-laced wine had solidified it.
They'd gotten utterly smashed, much to Draco and Blaise's amusement, and when they'd fallen asleep, the other two had covered them up and let them sleep in Pansy's bed, as Virginia usually did when they had one of their 'girl nights'. She and Virginia had woken up an hour or two later, still drunk as shit, and had spilled, well, just about everything. Pansy had no idea what had prompted her to do such a thing, as no amount of alcohol could have loosened her tongue like that for anyone else, but afterwards, they had been closer than ever. A movement caught her eyes, and she nearly, nearly, mind you, shrieked in utter glee.
"Oh, thank the gods." She muttered as their eyes cleared and Virginia sucked in a huge breath.
Then the other girl's eyes flew open and she started to panic, her hands going to her wrists, then her ankles, before her boyfriends grabbed her hands gently and their Marks pulsed, while Pansy noticed something she hadn't before. There were wide, dark red welts on her friend's skin where the davascian cuffs had been, and Pansy knew that they wouldn't heal except on their own, over time. She'd taken care of Blaise and Draco's own skin too many times, soothing it with salves and ointments after their…lessons with their fathers, not to know how davasca affected their flesh. Muttering a swift summoning spell, she moved forward slowly.
"Virginia?" She called softly. "How are you?" Slightly dazed, slightly shocked charcoal eyes met hers, and Pansy gritted her teeth when she realized how taxing it had all been on her friend. Because those eyes should still have been black. But she looked okay otherwise, and Pansy let herself relax a bit.
"P-Pansy?" Virginia started slowly, her nose scrunching as she tried to remember. Her eyes widened, then narrowed, and Pansy started slightly when those eyes did bleed to solid black once more, the Mark on her arm flickering brightly enough to cast shadows under her sleeve, which is what drew Pansy's gaze to it in the first place. Maybe she wasn't as worn out as she'd seemed, after all. "Where is he?" Virginia demanded, and Pansy met her eyes again.
"Dead." She supplied neutrally, but wasn't able to keep a small, satisfied smirk from ghosting over her lips.
"And damned." Blaise chimed in, his head tilted to the side, blood encrusted raven locks falling over his equally bloody shoulders. Virginia's eyes widened again as she fully registered his appearance, and then shot to Draco. Suddenly, she moved forward, sitting up and leaning closer to him, her hand moving towards his collar before stopping. Then she laughed. Low, husky and slightly musical, it surprised all three of them. She kept laughing, until tears were running down her cheeks and she could barely draw a breath.
"Umm…" Pansy hesitated, glancing at Blaise, who shrugged, looking slightly amused as he watched his girlfriend. "Are you alright, Virginia?"
"O-oh gods." Virginia managed to say between bursts of hilarity. "It's…It's…oh gods."
Then she couldn't say anything, giggling quite hysterically again, and pointed vaguely at Draco's neck. Blaise moved forward, leaning over Virginia and looking from where she had, but it was on the opposite side from where Pansy was, and she was starting to wonder if she even wanted to know. Blaise froze mid-blink and didn't seem to breathe for a moment, before he, too, started laughing. Draco sighed, as if he didn't really want to know either, and a weird, morbid sort of curiosity lit within her. She crawled over Blaise's legs and craned her neck, but she couldn't see anything except dried blood and little pieces of pink…something. Then she moved his hair, saw it, and fell backwards onto Virginia's lap.
"Is that an ear!?"
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Four days later, Virginia closed her eyes as the stiff, cold wind whipped past her face, blowing her loose hair out behind her like a banner. Metal slammed against metal in the courtyard seven stories below her, and she idly wondered how much longer they planned to stay out. It wasn't quite curfew yet, and they'd already been at it for over two hours, ever since the sun had fully set. The moon shone bright and almost full above them, and from her perch on one of the ancient, diorite gargoyles that lined the upper levels of the castle, it looked huge. The sky was clear, a glassy black speckled with thousands of stars, and it reminded her of the Lady, which had her smiling.
Glancing back down, she saw her boyfriends starting yet another round of sparring with each other, and sighed contentedly. They were beautiful when they fought, especially with blades, but when they fought one another…It was quite breathtaking. They were matched in skill, so they could let loose and give their all without either hurting their sparring partner or meaning to kill. A group of Slytherins was spread out in a loose circle around them on the lawn, talking to each other lazily as they watched their leaders fight. It was a common occurrence, and others had been fighting on and off as well, honing skills they didn't plan on losing just because they were at school.
Virginia had already gone a few rounds with Pansy and Blaise earlier, before scaling the wall to watch the sky. She'd found this place right above the clearing they fought in a month ago, and usually retreated up to it at some point during these excursions. She'd made a point to that night, since they were leaving for winter break the next morning. She rubbed one of her still-aching wrists distractedly, wondering, once again, what the Manor would be like. Gregory and Vincent would be coming with them, as were Pansy, Anton, Melody and Daphne. They'd all been there before, but Virginia was practically dying of anticipation.
She knew the grounds were full of different magical creatures, and she was looking forward to exploring. And, wonder of wonders, she had talked Draco and Blaise into visiting a muggle town with her. They'd been in them before, of course, but usually stayed in the wizarding sections that were hidden away by spells and glamours. They'd never actually gone into any of the shops, and she knew that it would prove to be an entertaining day. Sinking down onto the gargoyle's massive head, she fell back with a sigh, a pillow of fire saving her head from cracking against the stone. Half a breath later, she back was on her feet, knife in hand and ready to throw, as she felt something moving for her from the left.
"Peace, mon âme." A low, smooth voice intoned, and her boyfriend slid out of the shadows in a fall of silver silk and black, rustling velvet.
"Are you insane?" She hissed, returning her dagger to her boot sheathe. "I was less then a second from sending this at your head! Why did you cloak yourself from me?"
"Because if you had impaled me with that wicked little blade of yours, you'd feel horrible. And then, of course, you'd wait on me hand and foot, telling me how sorry you are and how much you love me, and you'd do that delightful thing with your tongue, and-"
"Okay, okay!" Virginia cut him off, sneering at his smirk.
He moved toward her slowly, his mercury eyes glinting, and she melted against him when he wrapped strong arms around her waist. He smelt of jasmine and snow, and he hadn't even broken a sweat after hours of fighting, which almost everyone else had despite the chilly air. His hair twined with hers as the wind swirled and howled around them, and she didn't have the first clue to how long they stood there, nor did she care. Something was missing, though, and they eventually broke apart to go to him. She turned to climb back down the steep wall, but Draco stopped her, a mischievous smirk on his face.
"Not that way." He said, his voice nearly lost due to the swift, whistling air, and he stepped backwards…onto nothing. She started to lunge for him when two discs of ice appeared beneath his feet, supporting him in midair. Sucking in a breath, she looked at him wonderingly.
"How…"
"I don't know." He replied sincerely, holding out a hand to her. "Call it an epiphany. Go ahead. It's a bit like your convenient little pillow."
Cautiously sticking out a foot, her hand clasping his, she concentrated, and a disc much like his but made of the same flames her pillow had been hovered in the air when she opened her eyes. She tested it gingerly with a toe, and found it quite sturdy. Still a bit dubious, she steeled herself and stepped out onto it, instantly creating another for her other foot. Looking down, she wished she hadn't. The ground was really far away, and there was no comforting presence of a broomstick underneath her. Her stomach momentarily flipped, but his hand tightened around hers and her Mark tingled, and she calmed enough to find her center of balance.
"Holy shit." She murmured, and Draco laughed.
"It is quite exhilarating, is it not?"
"Yes." She agreed, and took a few steps forward.
After a moment, she didn't even really have to think about creating the small platforms of fire, it just sort of…happened. They headed for the ground as if they were descending a spiraling staircase. It wasn't until they were halfway down that they made a game of it, secure enough in their prowess to start running. And it wasn't until the end, about ten feet off the ground, that she caught Draco and they tumbled to the ground, landing on soft snow that rose up to catch and cradle them. Laughing, her legs entangled with his, she looked up to see Blaise standing over them, an ebentine sword in each hand and a smirk on his dark, sensuous lips.
"And just what was that all about?"
"He started it!" Virginia said accusingly, waving vaguely in Draco's direction.
"No, I didn't!" Draco argued, absently flinging a handful of snow at her. "You got all cocksure-"
"I got cocksure!?"
"Yes, and you-"
"Children, children." Blaise tsked from above them. "Do stop bickering. We still have to finish packing, you know."
"Children?" Draco asked incredulously. "I'll have you recall that I'm four and a half days older than you, thank you very much."
"Then act like it." Blaise said haughtily, sheathing his swords and vanishing them.
"Ooooh, I am going to kill you." Draco growled, and Blaise's eyes widened.
"Moi?" He asked innocently, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. Draco didn't get a chance to answer when a voice rang out over the lawn. ((Me?))
"Ginny!" Ron called, and Virginia turned her face to him slowly. He was stomping through the snow with Hermione and Harry, and Virginia tried her damnedest not to smile as she spied the slight limp Harry was still sporting from his run-in with her lover. "What are you doing laying in the snow?" Ron questioned as he came to stand over her as well, his voice rough.
"You probably don't want to know." Virginia said cheerfully, rising to her feet while Draco did the same.
"You're probably right." Her brother grumbled.
She'd forgiven him, once again, for his habit of saying stupid things, and he had broken down when he'd come to see her after the…thing with Marcus. He'd been one of the students that had run after her boyfriends, as had McGonagall, while Hermione and some other upper year Gryffindors had taken Harry to the Hospital Wing. McGonagall had stopped him from going after her immediately, but he'd seen what had been done to her, knew what had almost been done, and had actually managed a stumbling, reluctant thanks to Draco and Blaise the next day, as had her other brothers. Her parents' gratitude had been a bit more genuine, though.
As for her boyfriends…What had happened had spooked them. Badly. They didn't like the fact that the confusion spell Marcus had cast on her had been strong enough to cause her to forget how to open the Marks. They didn't like the fact that it had been able to happen inside the castle with none the wiser. They didn't like the fact that it had been so close, too close. They didn't like the fact that the Dark Lord seemed to want something with her. They didn't like the fact that she woke up screaming no matter what they did, dreaming of Marcus's disgusting attentions. And, because of that last bit, they had been wary of touching her for over two days, almost as if they had been afraid to. At least that insanity had finally come to a stop.
"Ginny!" Her brother's voice cut through her thoughts, and she pushed them away for later inspection. Apparently, Ron had been trying to get her attention for a while, judging by his annoyed expression.
"Sorry." She said, shrugging. "So, what do you need?"
"You still going with them?" He asked, jerking his head at her boyfriends.
"Yes." Virginia sighed. "I was still going yesterday, and last night, and four hours ago. Why would I not be now?" Ron looked flustered.
"Look, I was just checking, alright?" He huffed. "You might have returned to the ranks of the sane, or something."
"That's hilarious, Ron. Really."
"So…Are you okay?" He asked, and she stopped herself from screaming in frustration. There was that damn question again.
"Yes." Virginia said shortly, suddenly feeling tired.
She was so sick of this. She hadn't been raped, for the love of Gaea. So why in the hell was everyone but the Slytherins acting as if she had been? She could understand why Draco and Blaise had acted differently, but she was in a physical relationship with them, and that had been the only thing that had changed. It sure as hell didn't last long, either, she thought with a flash of triumph. She'd explained to them, quite simply, that yes, it had been disturbing and disgusting, but nothing so traumatizing as how it probably would have been had they been five minutes later, and could they please shut up and fuck? Could they ever. Her calves were still sore.
"Are you sure?" Ron persisted, and Virginia clamped her hands in tight fists, determined not to snap at him. He was just concerned, she knew that, but everyone treating her like glass was far past chafing. She looked forward to the next two weeks more than she could say.
"Yes, Ron. I'm very, very sure. I'm healed, I'm whole, and I'm not mentally damaged in any way." She said, and actually kept the sarcasm to a minimum level despite her intense desire not to. It was still there, though, and he gave her a mild glare.
"I'm just worried about you." He said in a low voice, moving closer, as if he feared that the Slytherins would hear him. Well, she knew two that definitely could.
"There's no reason to be."
"There is!" He exclaimed in a soft, yet harsh, whisper. "Ginny, it's bad enough about what happened, but going to that wretched place with them as well? Are you determined to get yourself killed?"
"Nothing's going to happen to me while I'm there, Ron! You know the Manor's better protected then Hogwarts and the Ministry combined!"
"It's not 'better protected'! It's got a bloody bunch of dark creatures prowling around, waiting for some little thing like you to come along, all unawares-"
"Who, exactly, are you talking to?" Blaise snapped acidly before Virginia could retort, and Ron spun to face him. "Because it surely can't be her. I know that even you couldn't have the audacity to imply that someone who could break you in half like a twig is helpless."
"Look, Zabini, just because you got a couple of lucky shots in on Harry the other day-"
"Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit." Virginia muttered darkly, moving closer to Blaise incase Ron somehow became even stupider within the next few seconds. Which was highly likely.
"-and just because you got lucky, again, and barely got to my sister in time-"
"This is bad. Shut up, shut up, shut up." She begged quietly. He was pushing buttons best left alone. Very, very alone.
"-doesn't mean that you can just talk to me that way. I'm her brother, damn it, and that comes before whatever momentary, rebellious thrill she gets being with you two for the time being-"
Was it getting colder?
"-and when she sees just how fucked up you both really are, when this girlish fantasy that's blinding her falls away-"
And darker. It was definitely getter darker.
"-it'll be me there that has to watch her pick up her broken heart, if she's even alive at that point. And with the danger just being with you two has put her in-"
Okay. She was pretty sure that she was about to strangle her brother.
"-I doubt she will be! It shouldn't be any wonder that I'm worried about her safety! Look what a shoddy job you two did keeping her safe on Monday!"
Silence. Stillness. Not a single thing moved or spoke. Except for her goddamned brother.
"Who do you think she'll blame for that when she comes to her senses? When she sees that pain and death and torment are the only things that she'll ever gain from being with you!?" He shouted the last, and Blaise and Draco stepped back as if they'd been struck. They said nothing, their faces blank, and it wasn't until they glanced at her that she saw just how deep those last jibes had cut. And that hesitance, that guilt, neither of which should have been in their beloved eyes, made her control over her temper crumble, along with years of silence and restraint.
"You wanna start laying fucking blame at people's feet?" She hissed furiously, shoving him hard and making him stumble backwards. "Let's start with you, then. Where were you, dear brother, in my first year? Hmm? Let's see—you were traipsing around with the Boy You Wish You Were and a girl you've been angsting away over for years, looking for the big, bad Chamber of Secrets. Sneaking into Slytherin after the girl wonder whipped you up some Polyjuice, looking for their Founder's Heir. What's the face for, Ron? Surely you didn't think I didn't know about that? Tom was anything but careless."
"Ginny, don't say that name-"
"Why the fuck not!?" Oh, just screw it all. "I'm the one who had him in my fucking head! You try so hard to rule my life, saying that you only do it because you care, but where the fuck were you then? A year, Ron. I was being possessed by the bloody Dark Lord for almost an entire year, and you never noticed. In fact, I think you spoke to me a total of four times. You searched and searched, when I would have told you everything if you'd even so much as asked me if something was wrong."
"Ginny, I-"
"Shut up. Just shut up. You started this, you usually do, and I'm fucking tired of it. You wanted to throw stones, and I've got dozens. You rarely even acknowledged me after that incident. You think I don't know why you got those Sneak-a-Scopes in Egypt? You think I didn't hear the family whispering at night when you thought I was sleeping? 'Poor thing', you said, 'Not the same', you said, 'Tainted', you mumbled, as if saying it softly and only when the lights were out made it less real. I know you all think that's why I'm with them now, with the exception of maybe mum; I know you think something went wrong in me after that."
"Ginny, we don't-"
"Leave it. I've had years to accept it. But what you didn't, and still don't, understand, is that I was different from the rest of you long before that. It's just that none of you noticed until you started looking for the differences. I could spend hours detailing the incidents in which you could have been there for me and weren't, but why keep us here for so long? And as for Monday, if you hadn't had to be such an interfering, nosy bastard who couldn't keep his mouth shut, I never would have told Draco and Blaise to stay behind so I could be alone for a bit to wonder why my big brother, whom I love, doesn't seem to return that love even enough to support me and my decisions."
"You told them-"
"Of course I did. Did you see them come with me?" Sarcasm is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
"Oh gods-"
"Exactly. I see you're starting to understand. If you hadn't started some shit simply to start some, I would have been with them the rest of the night. Safe. You tell them that they didn't do a good job protecting me, when you're the reason I wasn't under their protection at the time. You tell them I'll blame them one day, that I'll only experience pain if I stay with them. Do you want to know who I would really blame, if I were to blame anyone at all?" A lengthy, heavy pause. "No, you probably don't. So I would drop it if I were you."
"But-"
"We're completely different people, Ron, even if we are family. I never fit in at home, not really, and I've always made a horrid Gryffindor. But I've found people that I do fit in with, that I'm comfortable around, and you can't stand it because they're Slytherins. You say that you hate them so much; you say that you absolutely loathe them, when all you've ever really been is jealous. You say that you love me, you say that you only want what's best for me, but all you really want is me away from them. But I never will be, and do you want to know why? Do you want to know a secret?"
"I-I guess…" He stammered, and she leaned in close to him.
"I was supposed to be a Slytherin, brother of mine." She whispered emotionlessly, and he stumbled back a step.
Looking at her as if she were a stranger, he started shaking his head in disbelief, still backing away. Her anger evaporated suddenly, being swiftly replaced by a well of sadness at his reaction, even though she'd known that that was how it would be. Telling herself she would not cry, she watched the emotions flicker in his familiar eyes. She saw the denial, she saw the disgust, she saw the horror, she saw the rejection. A dry sob caught in her throat, and she cursed herself. It was just…she hadn't known it would hurt so much. Maybe she had still held some delusions. Maybe she had still hoped against hope that he would say it was okay, say that he loved her anyway, and wrap her up in a hug.
"Ron-"
"No." He said raggedly, falling and barely noticing as he scrambled back to his feet, shoving Harry and Hermione's hands away from him. "No. You…you…a-a Slytherin! How…no Weasley has ever…you really are one of them! Oh fuck, oh shit, oh fuck. No way, no bloody way, no sister of mine…"
"Ron? Ron!" Hermione yelled, shaking him. "What in Merlin's name are you jabbering about?"
"Didn't you hear her?" Ron demanded. "Didn't you? A Slytherin, 'Mione! She was supposed to be a goddamned Slytherin!" Harry and Hermione looked shocked as well, their jaws dropping open, before Hermione collected herself after a moment.
"Okay. Okay. That's…different. And?"
"And?" Ron repeated incredulously. "What do you mean 'and'? That speaks for itself! Weasleys are not supposed to be Slytherins!"
"Well…" Hermione started slowly, looking anxious. "She is."
"No, she's not."
"But you just said that she said-"
"I know what was said!" Ron shouted. "And I meant what I said! Weasleys are not supposed to be Slytherins!"
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Virginia asked quietly. "Do you not consider me a Weasley because of this now?" He locked angry, hurt eyes on her, looking classically betrayed.
"How can I?" He questioned just as softly, and turned his back on her, figuratively and literally, storming away through the snow. She didn't register much after that, as the words seemed to scorch her very soul, and she wasn't aware of crumpling to the cold ground.
She'd always known that she wasn't like them, true, but she'd still believed that they loved her, even after the Percy mess. But there went another brother, gone from her grasp, and the last of her ideals about the bonds between family shattered around her. A fundamental part of her world seemed to crash and burn with them, along with her inner defenses. The full weight of Percy's treachery finally hit her as she watched a second brother abandon her, and time seemed to stop, leaving her numb and cold. So it came as quite a shock when she finally became aware of her surroundings again and found herself curled between Draco and Blaise on their bed.
"I'm sorry." She intoned in a low voice that was barely audible even to them, and she felt them shift around her.
"What on earth could you possibly have to be sorry about, cher un?" Draco asked, running his fingers down her side.
"For being so stupid about this." She clarified morosely. "I knew better then to tell him that, I knew how he would react, but I was so angry…"
"And there is still nothing to be sorry for." Blaise pointed out, plaiting her hair almost unconsciously. "He has no right to judge you for something like that, but sadly, that's just the way it is."
"I know. That's why I feel so stupid for letting it get to me." She sighed, cursing the tear that leaked from her eye against her will.
"It would get to anyone, love. It's not pretty when your own kin turns against you." Draco said, and there was a hard edge under his smooth words. Something clicked inside her mind.
"Oh, shit. Wasn't Marcus your cousin or something?" She asked, rising up on one elbow and racking her brain for the pureblooded family trees that she'd been forced to memorize as a child.
"Third cousin on my side through my mum, and on Blaise's through Jeran." Draco replied stiffly, and she ran fingertips over his lips.
"It's alright. We can't help who we're related to, after all." She said, and laid a soft kiss on his lips and then Blaise's before falling back on the pillows. "Gods, I wish tomorrow would hurry up and get here."
"Ready to get out of this hellhole, are you?" Blaise teased, tugging on the end of one of her newly finished braids.
"Yes. I'm looking forward to dragging you two around muggle stores more then you would believe." She said, grinning at the appealing idea. Their noses scrunched up and they rolled their eyes.
"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be thrilling." Draco said sourly. "Tons of excitement."
"What could muggles possibly have that would make the time we're going to be wasting worth it?" Blaise asked, shaking his head. "Sounds pointless to me. But we'll go like we said would."
"You'll see. My dad's taken me a few times. And I thought you knew a bit about muggles."
"Their weapons." Blaise supplied dryly. "We know plenty about those, seeing as that's what makes them mildly threatening."
"But their knick-knacks and culture?" Draco questioned doubtfully. "I think I'd rather spend a day with Aunt Bella, and that's saying something." Virginia snickered.
"Yes, well, didn't I tell you?" She asked angelically. "Your reactions are what's going make it amusing." She almost made it off the bed, laughing when they caught her, but she couldn't completely shake the feeling of abandonment that lingered in her mind like a dormant shadow.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Nagini slithered into the makeshift throne room, her tongue flicking out and leading her to her Lord. He had called for her and she had answered promptly, as always. She made her way to where he sat slowly, reluctant to change back into her human form. She hated walking on two legs. It was degrading. But she would do it for him. She would do anything for him. Her Tom. And because of that, she didn't hesitate shedding her beloved skin for the detested one when she reached the bottom of the dais. She kept her head bowed until he wrapped a hand in her hair and yanked her up unto his lap. His forked tongue slid out and brushed her cheek, making her shiver.
"What news, faithful one?" He asked her in a sibilant, kindred voice.
"They leave for the Manor on the morrow, my lord." She replied, her human mouth feeling odd as she moved it. "We were not able to retrieve the supplies the Flint boy lost us."
"It does not matter." He said, his hand tightening in her hair painfully. "That fool failed, but I was prepared for that. It would have been sweeter had he succeeded, but it accomplished something nonetheless."
"It did, my lord?"
"Oh yes." He said happily. Or as close to happily as he ever got. "All plans must have an alternate path for them to follow."
"I'm sure you thought of everything, my lord." She said sincerely, and kicked one of the crawling, pleading muggles at their feet away as it tried to grab her ankle, its eyeless face gazing up at her, its mouth open in a scream that spells had long ago silenced.
"Yes, that I did." He agreed, looking pleased with himself. The muggle grabbed his foot, having made its way back to them somehow, and her Lord hissed angrily.
"Will someone please take that thing somewhere else?" He asked in a low, booming voice, and three hooded figures appeared out of the dark corners of the room.
"As you bid, Master." The tallest one said humbly as they prostrated themselves before their Lord.
"Then do it!" He screamed, his eyes blazing, and they hurriedly complied, dragging the mostly-dead muggle from the room and back to the pile in the huge basement. Her Lord calmed again in an instant, looking as cool and composed as ever, and she gazed at him adoringly.
"You were saying, my lord? About your plan?" She queried, wanting to hear him speak some more.
"What? Oh, yes. Well, Flint might have failed, and quite miserably at that, but not all was lost."
"How is that, my lord?"
"Because," he said gleefully, "I know young pride and protectiveness. Her lovers don't like what happened. They want her safe, and if I won't leave it alone, they'll want me dead. They've stayed mostly neutral so far, no matter what the stupid muggle-lovers print, but they won't much longer."
"And how is that good, my lord?" Nagini asked, slightly confused but trustful of his knowledge and reasoning.
"It's good because they'll come looking for me, to either make a deal or warn me off. As I've told you, they're arrogant. Too bloody arrogant, but it fits my purposes well. They won't tell the girl or anyone else, and it might take a while, but they'll come. Oh yes, my pet, they will come."
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Mwahahahaha! Please review, or I shall die!