Chapter Four: A Look at the Map

Harry was really curious now. Ginny and Draco had been tormenting the twins for two days straight with their spontaneous snogging sessions and no one had a clue as to how they were doing it. Ginny and Draco… that thought still gave him the willies. It was Malfoy, for crying out loud! But if Ginny's happy, he thought to himself, then I guess the rest of us can get used to it. He smirked and thought, And if we don't there'll be hell to pay with Ginny.

He glanced at his watch again. It was just past seven and he'd run up to his dorm room to put away his books. Suddenly a thought came to him. Quietly he walked over to his trunk and dug around the bottom until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the Marauder's Map and sat down on the edge of his bed. Double-checking to make sure no one else was there, he pulled out his wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

The map unfolded itself and thin black ink lines spread across the parchment. Quickly he searched the paper for the dots indicating Ginny and Draco. They were both in the fourth floor corridor on the right side, very close to… Harry's eyes traveled down the corridor and found a dot with 'Fred Weasley' written next to it, unknowingly moving right towards Ginny and Draco. Hm, Fred but not George. Interesting. Harry thought. Maybe they decided to split up.

He watched as the 'Fred' dot came around the corner and apparently he saw Ginny and Draco because the dot turned around and started running. Harry couldn't help a giggle. The giggle stopped suddenly when the 'Ginny' and 'Draco' dots disappeared from the fourth floor corridor.

"Wha--?" Harry scanned the map again and found them down on the first floor close to a tiny dot that said 'George Weasley' next to it, which, incidentally appeared to be moving straight towards Ginny and Draco. Harry chuckled again when George saw them this time and took off running in the other direction.

"Okay, so how are they doing that?" He watched again as both Ginny and Draco disappeared only to reappear somewhere else on the map. "I've got to show this to Hermione."

Harry found Hermione a few minutes later pouring over mounds of books in the library, like usual. "Hermione, you've got to see this."

Hermione looked up from her book and motioned for him to have a seat. "What's up, Harry?"

He showed her the map and pointed to the dots that indicated Draco and Ginny. Two dots that indicated Fred and George were farther down the corridor. Apparently they had regrouped.

"Okay, what am I watching for?" Hermione asked after a second.

Harry pointed to the dots again. "Just watch."

The twins rounded the corner and apparently saw Draco and Ginny again because they took off running in the opposite direction.

"Keep watching," Harry said, indicating Ginny and Draco again. A split-second later the dots disappeared and reappeared just around the corner from the twins.

Hermione gasped and shot a look at Harry. "How did they do that?"

He shrugged. "No idea. Whatever they're doing, it's bloody brilliant. I've never seen the twins this worried before!"

Hermione nodded with a slight smirk. "Brilliant, yes, but how long should we let them torment them this way?"

Harry laughed. "Just a little longer. It's not often someone can get one up on the twins."

Hermione chuckled. "True. Okay, just a little longer, then we talk to Ginny."

"Agreed."

elsewhere in the castle

Ginny collapsed against Draco in a fit of giggles. "Did you see their faces, Draco?"

He laughed and hugged her close. "Yes! That was bloody brilliant! Remind me never to get on your bad side, love!"

She nodded. "Consider yourself reminded. Now, shall we do that again or should we call it a night?"

He smiled. "One more, then I have to get to Quidditch practice."

"All right then." Ginny tilted her head to the side and listened to the tracking device she'd placed on her brothers. "They're one floor up, same side."

Draco shook his head in amazement once again at Ginny's invention. It was rather ingenious, actually. She had created these trackers several years back when she wanted to keep tabs on people. Okay, so she'd made them so she could eavesdrop on her brothers. Ah, the joys of being the youngest of seven. The trackers combined both muggle technology and magic, something most people thought impossible, into a clear patch which was placed on her brothers' skin. The earpiece she was wearing "listened" to all the trackers and told her where her brothers were at any given time.

She grinned at him and entwined her fingers in his. "Let's go." Then she activated the second part of her invention: a small device the size of a coin that allowed her to transport herself and anyone she was holding onto to within twenty feet of her brothers' trackers or back to a pre-set location so she wouldn't be discovered in her eavesdropping. It wasn't technically apparating therefore it wasn't regulated in the slightest by Hogwarts.

They reappeared around the corner from the twins and recommenced snogging happily, their arms wrapped around each other once again. The twins rounded the corner and saw them yet again, both emitting a little squeak of terror and backtracking immediately the way they'd come.

Ginny let out another giggle and collapsed against the wall. "Oh, this is far too much fun!"

Draco grinned at her then said, "I've really got to go, love. Again after Quidditch?"

"Absolutely!"

Draco squeezed her hand and gave her a quick kiss. "See you later then, love."

"Bye."