Christmas Holidays. Virginia's eyes narrowed as she contemplated Christmas. Everyone was so happy it made her want to scream. And besides, she still didn't have her present for Draco ready yet. It was not a good thing. It was a distinctly scary thing. It was the thing of which nightmares are made of. She sighed unhappily and flung herself backwards ont her bed with a thump.

"Ginny, what's the big major problem?" Louise asked disinterestedly.

"Draco. In a what the hell do I get him for Christmas problem."

"Easy, nothing."

"You people have such a problem with hostility, you do know this?"

"He's a Slytherin, Ginny. I'd say get over this rebellious teen thing quickly and pick up Harry. Merlin alone knows why, but he still wants to go out with you."

"And I'll be handing out ice-skates in hell before that happens." Virginia got to her feet, grabbed her book and stormed out to the Common Room. "Sodding useless bitch." She flounced down into one of the empty armchairs and determinedly buried her nose in it, heart breaking a little more. This was getting worse, the whole pretend that Ginny isn't really alive thing, except when we try to talk her out of the Slytherin's arms and into Harry's. She was getting heartily sick of it, and sometimes she wondered if this was how Peter has felt. Yeah, he had been a worthless little traitor and she didn't know the whole story, just snippets from whispered conversations between the Dream Team, but the two of them had things in common. Outsiders, except he had always known it and she was only just finding out how little a place she had. And he had pretended to be what he was not. So was she. She pretended to be a big rebel, and not to care but every day her heart broke a little more as her brothers moved away or tried to protect her unnecessarily. She was all pretence and she hated it. She knew she had to, but she didn't like it. What she wanted to do was cry, and scream and break, but she wouldn't. She was stronger then that. A page scribbled with heavy writing fell into her hands from inside the Divinations book she was reading.

Virginia sniffled back the betraying tears and read ferociously of how to become an Animagi. She wouldn't break. Ah, to become something else. She could become something that ran, and just run and run and run. A wolf. She could howl her distress to the stars and they would glitter back. No one would know it was her, and she could rest, away from eyes and ears. She could stop acting, like she could when she was with Draco, but alone. Be alone. She read carefully of the rituals and itched to try them. It would be hard, but she thought she could do it. And it would be a useful thing. She marked her place and rose to find Draco.

~*~*~*~

"So you want to what?" Draco couldn't believe his ears. Virginia looked at him calmly, and he wished he could grab her brothers by the scruff of their necks and force them to look at what they were doing to her. She didn't laugh anymore. She didn't smile. And she needed to do it before she collapsed from misery. "Become an Animagi? Are you insane?"

"No. After all, the Marauders become illegal Animagi."

"And how do you know this?"

"I listen very carefully, Ferret. The Dream Team don't guard their mouths as well as they should." Draco sighed and pulled her down into his lap, presenting the picture of a contented couple to any who might pass them in the library. She curled up against his chest and he stroked her hair as he listened to her. "The spell isn't that hard, and it should be in the Restricted Section. I think someone copied it, and then just shoved it into the book. The only reason I think the Dream Team didn't find it was because it was in a book about dream reading, and Hermoine regards all that as pure nonsense."

"Could be right. So, what do you want to try and become?"

"I don't know." They settled into silence. "I've always thought of you as a cat." Virginia offered quietly. "A big, sleek feline of some sort. Powerful, disdainful, silent, always doing things with the minimum effort required."

"Really? Interesting." Draco chuckled against her head and she grinned faintly.

"Maybe a wolf."

"So what are you then?"

"I don't know. I'm so confused lately." She relapsed back into her melancholy and Draco's eyes narrowed. This would not continue. "How about I'll think about it and get back to you? I have to go, I have homework to do." Draco pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and let her go. He watched her hold her head high and keep her back straight as she walked through the Library and ignored the slight whispers. After a significant period of time passed, Draco got up and stalked out of the Library decisively to where he knew he could at least find the twins, if not Ron as well.

~*~*~*~

Draco followed the sounds of conversation around the back of Hagrid's cottage and he nodded as he saw the twins feeding some large cats, that had small horns above each eye and were coloured blue. Well, he'd find out what they were one day. He waited for the tall red haired men to finish patiently and as they turned back to the cottage, decided to make his presence known. "I have to talk to you." He said curtly, arms crossed. He could sense the hostility radiating from the two of them.

"What makes you think we want to talk to you? Ginny made us promise not to hurt you, and we won't as long as you don't hurt her, but that doesn't mean we have to talk to you." One of them told him sharply. Draco had no idea which one.

"So it's all right if you hurt her then?" They gaped at him and he sneered slightly. "Have you heard her laugh lately? Seen her smile? Do you have any fucking idea of what you're doing to her?" He barked a short, sharp laugh at the dawning looks of comprehension on their faces. "She cries on me, sobbing her little gryffly heart out because her brothers hate her. I don't like watching her cry."

"So drop her then." The other said as the twins pushed past him.

"And like that wouldn't make her cry more? No, I like my Cin where she is. All I want is for you gryffs to stop tormenting her." Draco took in a deep breath because attacking them wouldn't make Cin happy. "While beating the shit out of you both because you're hurting her would make me happy, it wouldn't make her very happy." Draco strode deliberately after them, face hardening.

"Like you could lay one hand on us." The first scoffed. Draco smiled dangerously and the twins took a small step back.

"I wouldn't want to test it. Look, what I want is very simple. Call it my Christmas spirit making me all warm and fuzzy. I want you two to talk to her, laugh with her, make her laugh for a while and forget that the person she's going out with is an enemy of her house. I want you to talk to Ron, and make Potter back off because if I catch him sniffing around my girl, there will be blood." The twins laughed at that, and Draco permitted himself a small smile. "We all have something in common, Virginia. Can we at least pretend to get along for her sake?"

The twins looked at each other and came to a decision. "I'm Fred, and he's George." The first one stuck his hand out and Draco shook it, his smile growing wider at the sheer absurdity of it. He shook George's hand solemnly as well.

"Draco Malfoy. And of course, I'd prefer it if my lapse from usual Slytherin cold heartedness was not widely noised about. Ah, question. When is Cin's birthday? She won't tell me, she just laughs hysterically and then runs off. It's getting slightly annoying."

"That would be because she doesn't actually have one this year. She was born on the 29th of February, and this isn't a leap year." George said with a grin. "She does tend to get embarrassed about it."

"Why? I think it's cute." Draco looked affronted as the twins laughed. "What?"

"You're not very Slytherin-ish when you're by yourself." Fred grinned. Well, Draco thought it was Fred.

"I am the epitome of what makes a Slytherin. It just takes too much effort sometimes." Draco explained loftily. "Besides, your sister makes a very good argument for not acting like a Slytherin all the time."

"You're not that bad. I think we'll keep you."

"What? Who said you were keeping me? I think I'll leave you two to your mad delusions and go to Quidditch practice." Draco turned and started back to Hogwarts, shaking his head. It was a wonder Cin was as normal as she was if her brothers were anything to go by.

~*~*~*~

Virginia stood at the Hogwarts train station, everyone rushing around making ready to go, saying goodbyes and all the usual. Her bags were neatly piled at her feet, and she turned and smiled as she heard her old nickname.

"Ginny! There you are." Fred said cheerfully, dragging his suitcase behind him. Her smile grew wider as he reached down and hugged her, and George soon grabbed her and did the same. "Well, ready to go home for Christmas?"

"I have to say I'm not looking forward to the scolding I'm sure to get." Virginia said wryly as they held her between them in a comforting embrace. "Draco and I have been rather wicked lately."

"And why did it take a Slytherin, and particularly *that* Slytherin to find out that you are really our sister?" George said mock-sternly. "We could have taught you how to cause trouble ourselves."

"Yes, I'm sure. However the trouble me and Draco like to cause is probably slightly too evil for you true Gryffindors."

"Don't say that, don't ever say that." Fred held her head up in one hand and looked into her eyes seriously. "Frankly, you've shown yourself to be more of a Gryffindor by sticking with Malfoy then any of us. It takes courage to stay with someone through everything."

"So you won't mind then that he's coming over for Christmas?" Virginia grinned at the horrified looks on their faces. "He is, by the way. I owled Mum and she said yes. Draco owled his parents and they said yes. So, a Malfoy is turning up at the Burrow."

"If he makes one disparaging remark, Ginny." George threatened.

"He won't. I'll pout at him and he'll go all to pieces. It's funny watching Draco go to pieces." The twins laughed and hugged her tighter then let go and stepped back. "It's getting very cold. Do you think it will snow for Christmas?" She asked wistfully as the train pulled in with a loud hiss, and students started getting ready to board.

"I think so. And if it doesn't, me and George will find a spell to make it snow for you." She went to pick up her bags, but Fred and George had picked them up for her already.

"I can carry my own bags." She said pointedly and tugged at the one in Fred's hand.

"Cin!" She turned and smiled at the only one who was allowed to call her that. Draco came up, Malfoy smirk re-engraved on his face. He caught her up as she ran towards him and hugged her before putting her back down on the ground. "Don't forget the act, luv."

"As if I ever could, Big Bad." Virginia answered him flippantly and then sighed. "Well, goodbye kisses and performances, here we go."

"You are so right." Draco whispered against her mouth and then he kissed her, tongue lapping delicately at her lips and then darting inside as she opened her mouth. She clutched at the back of his head, turned into an incoherent blaze of feeling and sensation, but it was all right because she knew he was too. She distantly heard a polite cough and she removed her mouth from Draco's as he decided to taste her neck.

"What?" She was annoyed, but only slightly as Draco's tongue continued to taste. His hands were just about the only thing holding her up now.

"Uh, Ginny, I'd call off your boyfriend before we have to go all big brother on you and beat him to a bloody pulp." George said almost regretfully.

"And then I'd cry, and help him beat you both into bloody pulps. Much pain suffered by all, so Draco, you better stop." Virginia was annoyed at them, but willing to recognize their restraint at not doing it at once. Draco stopped, giving her mouth a last regretful peck. "Let's get on the train then." Draco picked up his bags and the two followed the twins, hand in hand.