Ah, and where*is* our snarky silver haired hero? Let us find out. . .
~*~*~*~
Draco was glaring at his father.
"I am perfectly aware that it is Ginny's birthday tomorrow."
"And she will be sixteen. . ."
"The point behind this conversation would be? I still have to fulfil academic requirements at Hogwarts, no matter that you hold the School Board in the palm of your hand. If you have nothing important to say, I have to get back to class." Draco folded his arms across his chest, steel grey eyes focused on Lucius Malfoy.
"The Dark Lord wants her."
Play the double game. . .
"Really now? And how exactly does he propose to get her?"
"He expects her to come of her own accord, of course. And if she does not. . .then I am sure that you, as my faithful and dutiful son and servant of our Lord, will bring her."
"I am as always, the Lord's to command." Draco bowed slightly. "If that is all?"
"That is all."
Draco stepped backwards into the grate.
"Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts!"
~*~*~*~
Draco stepped out of green flames and rubbed his head tiredly. So. It was all coming to a head now. Could she do this? Pretend? Or. . .maybe there was a way to get around it.
The wolf he'd unleashed when he'd become an Animagus howled in fury at the thought of letting its mate go to another. He couldn't ask it of her. They'd figure out something. She wouldn't be made to do this. . .he couldn't let her do this. Wouldn't let her do this. She deserved so much better then what she had in him. . .someone who was caught up in such dark things that he could even be considering to let the girl he. . .loved? Did he love her? For truth?
The wolf howled, echoing through his mind as Draco paced uneasily. The chill of snow on the forest. . .
Did he love her?
Would he have such doubts and problems if he did? Before he'd become involved with Cin, it had all been so much easier. Hate Potter, Granger and any Weasleys. Hate the Gryffindors. Hate Dumbledore. Everything fit into neat little boxes. And then she'd shaken everything up. He'd doubted the wisdom of his father's actions for much longer then that though. He'd doubted that since Voldemort had come under the roof of Malfoy Manor.
The gradual sounding out of Snape had taken even longer. He didn't want to be one of those who died, back breaking under the strain as the Crucio curse whipped through and through them. Mouth open in a never ending scream as the capillaries burst and the blood came from the corners of their eyes.
He'd seen more then one person die that way. It was an agonizing and ignoble death. Nothing to boast of. . .except for maybe how loud you could scream. How long you lasted. But that was more of a curse then a blessing.
Deatheaters took bets sometimes, on the Muggles or Aurors they caught. Or the ones who Voldemort hadn't shown him enough respect, or disobeyed an order or failed. . .
Draco threw himself into an armchair and brooded.
~*~*~*~
Later he ghosted up to the infirmary, slipping past the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey thanks to his Invisibility cloak. He watched Cin sleep for a few moments, then shook her shoulder gently, cowl of the cloak slipping back to reveal his face, one hand ready to go over her mouth if she screamed.
"Draco." A simple statement of fact.
"That you're in the infirmary is good."
"Oh?"
"He wants you."
No further words needed to be said on that subject as their eyes met in perfect understanding.
"What happened?" Draco asked her softly, ears pricked for the sound of the nurse's heels on the floor.
"I fell down the stairs on my way to Potions in the dungeons," Virginia whispered. "But the top step was slippery, and I swear, Draco. . .there was a hand in the middle of my back helping me down."
"Dangerous accusations. . ."
"Who am I accusing?"
They both knew, of course.
"Have you told anyone what you think?"
"No except you."
"Good."
Draco bent and brushed his lips over hers.
"I'll make sure I'm abed for a few more days."
"Do."
Draco left again as silently as he had come, and Virginia started to plot.
~*~*~*~
The next morning, she came down with a most spectacular case of illness. Madam Pomfrey quarantined her for over a week. Hermoine, as Hermoine does, made sure that in no way was Virginia's schooling suffering because of her protracted stint away from classes.
Although Virginia was glad for the feeling it showed Hermoine felt for her, she really could have done without the homework.
And you'll probably be glad to know that Eris bounced back with few complications, spitting and cursing like only a cat can at Fang while she shared Hagrid's cottage with the enormous hound. She'd walk with a bit of a limp forever after, but cats are resilient things and they do have nine lives after all.
~*~*~*~
Sorry that took so long. My computer died, and I couldn't access my stories at all, at all. Anyone who's been reading Cat will be glad to know that soon (touch wood) I will have finished the next chapter of that. After what, six months? Meh.
DitzCat.
~*~*~*~
Draco was glaring at his father.
"I am perfectly aware that it is Ginny's birthday tomorrow."
"And she will be sixteen. . ."
"The point behind this conversation would be? I still have to fulfil academic requirements at Hogwarts, no matter that you hold the School Board in the palm of your hand. If you have nothing important to say, I have to get back to class." Draco folded his arms across his chest, steel grey eyes focused on Lucius Malfoy.
"The Dark Lord wants her."
Play the double game. . .
"Really now? And how exactly does he propose to get her?"
"He expects her to come of her own accord, of course. And if she does not. . .then I am sure that you, as my faithful and dutiful son and servant of our Lord, will bring her."
"I am as always, the Lord's to command." Draco bowed slightly. "If that is all?"
"That is all."
Draco stepped backwards into the grate.
"Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts!"
~*~*~*~
Draco stepped out of green flames and rubbed his head tiredly. So. It was all coming to a head now. Could she do this? Pretend? Or. . .maybe there was a way to get around it.
The wolf he'd unleashed when he'd become an Animagus howled in fury at the thought of letting its mate go to another. He couldn't ask it of her. They'd figure out something. She wouldn't be made to do this. . .he couldn't let her do this. Wouldn't let her do this. She deserved so much better then what she had in him. . .someone who was caught up in such dark things that he could even be considering to let the girl he. . .loved? Did he love her? For truth?
The wolf howled, echoing through his mind as Draco paced uneasily. The chill of snow on the forest. . .
Did he love her?
Would he have such doubts and problems if he did? Before he'd become involved with Cin, it had all been so much easier. Hate Potter, Granger and any Weasleys. Hate the Gryffindors. Hate Dumbledore. Everything fit into neat little boxes. And then she'd shaken everything up. He'd doubted the wisdom of his father's actions for much longer then that though. He'd doubted that since Voldemort had come under the roof of Malfoy Manor.
The gradual sounding out of Snape had taken even longer. He didn't want to be one of those who died, back breaking under the strain as the Crucio curse whipped through and through them. Mouth open in a never ending scream as the capillaries burst and the blood came from the corners of their eyes.
He'd seen more then one person die that way. It was an agonizing and ignoble death. Nothing to boast of. . .except for maybe how loud you could scream. How long you lasted. But that was more of a curse then a blessing.
Deatheaters took bets sometimes, on the Muggles or Aurors they caught. Or the ones who Voldemort hadn't shown him enough respect, or disobeyed an order or failed. . .
Draco threw himself into an armchair and brooded.
~*~*~*~
Later he ghosted up to the infirmary, slipping past the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey thanks to his Invisibility cloak. He watched Cin sleep for a few moments, then shook her shoulder gently, cowl of the cloak slipping back to reveal his face, one hand ready to go over her mouth if she screamed.
"Draco." A simple statement of fact.
"That you're in the infirmary is good."
"Oh?"
"He wants you."
No further words needed to be said on that subject as their eyes met in perfect understanding.
"What happened?" Draco asked her softly, ears pricked for the sound of the nurse's heels on the floor.
"I fell down the stairs on my way to Potions in the dungeons," Virginia whispered. "But the top step was slippery, and I swear, Draco. . .there was a hand in the middle of my back helping me down."
"Dangerous accusations. . ."
"Who am I accusing?"
They both knew, of course.
"Have you told anyone what you think?"
"No except you."
"Good."
Draco bent and brushed his lips over hers.
"I'll make sure I'm abed for a few more days."
"Do."
Draco left again as silently as he had come, and Virginia started to plot.
~*~*~*~
The next morning, she came down with a most spectacular case of illness. Madam Pomfrey quarantined her for over a week. Hermoine, as Hermoine does, made sure that in no way was Virginia's schooling suffering because of her protracted stint away from classes.
Although Virginia was glad for the feeling it showed Hermoine felt for her, she really could have done without the homework.
And you'll probably be glad to know that Eris bounced back with few complications, spitting and cursing like only a cat can at Fang while she shared Hagrid's cottage with the enormous hound. She'd walk with a bit of a limp forever after, but cats are resilient things and they do have nine lives after all.
~*~*~*~
Sorry that took so long. My computer died, and I couldn't access my stories at all, at all. Anyone who's been reading Cat will be glad to know that soon (touch wood) I will have finished the next chapter of that. After what, six months? Meh.
DitzCat.