Disclaimer: Insert Appropriate Legal Disclaimer Here.

High Serpent King – No, there were no clues regarding the silver hand in that chapter. However, this is a good segue to another thing that I might as well let out of the bag: Crabbe and Goyle's newly acquisitioned super-strength is basically Voldemort's counter to Ron's ability with his silver hand. They're the perfect choice, as they're incredibly stupid and therefore Voldemort doesn't believe it likely that they'll turn against him.

Emily – Well, as to Brittney, it just goes to show you can't win them all, or even necessarily keep the ones you previously won over. Perhaps later on she'll check out my next story, as that won't be a sequel to this.

Tria Marie Val – We'll be seeing plenty of Ron and Hermione eventually as Ron is really the main character in this story.

Squigglius – Yeah, I like to keep my stories filled with action as opposed to lots of build up and then a huge action scene…although that's not to say that there won't be a huge action scene.

Dancerrdw – Thanks!

I'll be perfectly honest with all of you guys here and go right ahead and admit that this chapter barely made it out of the door. It was extremely tough to wrench myself away from the great gameplay of my latest purchase, Guild Wars. But anyway, here's the (45th!) chapter…

Chapter 45 – The Starlit Night

Draco had tailed Crabbe and Goyle all the way to the prison not sure of what to do, but he now realized that he actually had no plan whatsoever. Draco quickly determined that the easiest way to do this would be to quickly knock them out by stealth, preferably simultaneously, because if they ever managed to stay awake long enough to be able to hit him, he would probably be out cold within seconds, due to their newfound super-strength. Draco wracked his mind for spells, but finally decided the best one would just be a simple Stunning Spell, as it was relatively easy to reel off two of those consecutively and should be quiet enough to not attract much attention.

Crabbe and Goyle, unknowingly followed by Draco, who was a few yards behind them, finally reached the door of the place where Ginny was being held temporarily, until they relocated her to a more secure camp as was Death Eater policy. Ginny was curled up in the corner, sleeping fitfully. It was clear from looking at her that she had been crying before going to sleep.

"So," Crabbe grunted. "I'll go first then." Goyle nodded sullenly. Draco knew that although both of them were immensely stupid, Crabbe was slightly larger and marginally less stupid, and so clearly got first pick. Crabbe started to approach Ginny, lust in his eyes. Draco brandished his wand.

"Stupefy!" he said at normal volume. A jet of red light hit Crabbe and he collapsed. Ginny, who had woken up at the sound of Crabbe talking to Goyle, gasped as Crabbe landed right next to her, knocked out. Draco didn't waste any time. He turned straight towards Goyle, who was simply looking around dumbly, and released another Stunning Spell at him. Goyle fell quickly.

Draco tapped himself on the head, fully undoing the charm that was already starting to wear off. He ran over to Ginny.

"Ginny! Where's your wand?" Ginny pointed, hand shaking, towards Crabbe.

"Over there."

Draco nodded, retrieved it, and gave it to her.

"Hold on tight!" Draco wrapped his arms around her, hoping with all his might that this would work. He concentrated as hard as he could, visualizing both Ginny and him arriving at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest – right outside Hogwarts Grounds. He grit his teeth, and with a crack, Apparated out.

Dumbledore had searched the grounds everywhere for Hagrid, but he was nowhere to be found. He had quickly intuited that if Draco succeeded at his rescue attempt, he would Apparate Ginny and himself out, to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Obviously, though, the two couldn't just walk through the Forest, so they would need a Thestral.

Unfortunately, Hagrid had earlier today relocated the Thestrals to an isolated section of the Forest with a magical barrier around it, as they had recently been venturing out of the Forest too often. This would mean that Draco and Ginny would have no transport to Hogwarts, other than walking. And although Dumbledore knew that the two of them together were a formidable force, the horrors that Dumbledore knew of in the Forest were many, and doubtless there were more waiting, especially if they got lost. However, Hagrid didn't appear to be anywhere near – he wasn't in his house or anywhere in the Castle. He wasn't even at the Order Headquarters.

Dumbledore sighed and ventured back in the castle. Maybe Remus would know.

Ginny and Draco appeared at the edge of the Forest, which loomed darkly ominous before them, contrasting sharply with the cold, wintry and blindingly bright day around them. Draco collapsed, exhausted, onto the snowy ground. If it was only him Apparating that far it would have been a tough journey, Apparating the two of them had been a brutal and energy draining endeavor. Ginny ran over to help him up.

"Draco! Are you alright?"

Draco nodded grimly and sat up and looked around for a Thestral. However, to his horror, there were none nearby. Draco surveyed his surroundings, looking for any way to get to Hogwarts.

"How are we getting to Hogwarts?"

Draco sighed grimly, but readied his wand. "I'm afraid, Ginny, that we're going to have to walk."

Ginny looked shocked. "You mean there's no other way?"

Draco shook his head. "There are no Thestrals nearby. We're miles upon miles away from Hogsmeade. We're not even anywhere near the path that everyone will come back to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade. No," Draco finished, turning back to face the looming expanse of the Forest, "we're going to have to go through there."

Ginny looked immensely frightened, but after a tense beat, nodded. "Well, we should probably start now then, right?"

"Yeah. Best to cover as much ground as possible during the day. Although," Draco said, looking at her, "we can wait a bit if you like. Rest up."

"No, I'm fine." Draco nodded, then pointed with his wand at a path that led into the Forest.

"That should probably lead into Hogwarts. We might as well start along it." Draco started to go out, with Ginny following him close behind.

The day of traveling went on without major event, although within twenty minutes of entering the vast forest it had become immensely darker and much colder, the trees barely letting any sunlight in and often sprinkling snow on them, making them shiver despite the Warming Charms Draco had cast on both of them. Also unnerving was the very Forest – it seemed to live and breathe, and weird rumblings could be heard in the distance often. It was never quiet.

After about seven hours of slow walking, the two decided to set up camp. It was pitch-black other than a feeble light emanating from Draco's wand (thanks to Lumos). The two went on until they discovered a clearing free of trees that thankfully let some starlight in. Draco, exhausted, said "Nox" to turn off his wand. Ginny conjured two sleeping bags for both of them, and Draco made a crackling fire. All in all, it wasn't half bad, except for the general lack of food. Still, they had some water, albeit little, and thankfully weren't particularly hungry at the moment. Ginny went into her sleeping bag, expecting Draco to follow suit into his, but was surprised when he didn't.

"Draco? Aren't you going to sleep?"

Draco shook his head. "Got to keep watch."

Ginny immediately felt stupid for not realizing this obviously essential task. "Well, shouldn't we take turns or something?"

"I'll wake you up if I get tired," Draco said. "But at the moment I can't really sleep."

Ginny nodded, understanding what he meant. She settled down into her sleeping bag with the full intent of sleeping a nice slumber until about halfway through the night, at which point she thought that Draco might wake her up. However, there was one thing not working.

She wasn't tired either.

Ginny sat up with a start. Draco, who had been staring contemplatively up at the stars, turned to face at her.

"Ginny?"

"I'm not tired," Ginny said. "I got sleep earlier today, after all."

"But surely you must be tired," Draco protested.

Ginny shook her head. "I'm as awake as I can be," she said quietly.

Draco shrugged, choosing not to push it. "Do you want to talk about something then?"

"How do you know how to Apparate?" Ginny said eagerly.

"My father taught me in fourth year. It's necessary if you're a Death Eater."

Ginny nodded, understanding. "But why doesn't the Ministry detect you?"

"Oh, they do, but Voldemort's got connections. You'd be surprised just how much blatant corruption there is in the Ministry of Magic."

Ginny suddenly came to an abrupt realization. "Draco…is your father still a Death Eater?"

Draco stayed perfectly still for a tense moment. "Yes," he finally answered, stiffly.

Ginny bowed her head. She shouldn't really have expected anything else at all, but it still came as a shock to her that Draco, by joining Dumbledore, had basically betrayed his own family. She couldn't imagine how hard it must have been, rejecting all of the values she had grown up with her. Struggling with her words, she wondered how to put was she was thinking into words. She couldn't think of anything, but felt as if she should say something, and so forced herself to do that.

"I'm sorry."

Draco didn't look at her, but kept staring up at the stars. "You haven't done anything to me," Draco said quietly. The two both silently let out a breath they had been holding now for a long time. It essentially acted as an apology on both sides and an acceptance of that on both sides. Draco knew that he couldn't act now, but felt freed up to act romantically towards Ginny now.

Ginny's eyes started to droop, the quiet, starlit atmosphere and the dark night starting to cause sleep in her. However, she soon realized that it would be tough to sleep in her sleeping bag on the uneven ground without some kind of pillow. Oh well. Suppose I should just get used to it. Ginny tossed and turned incessantly for about a minute before Draco decided to work up the nerve to ask her something that he figured would benefit both of them.

"Ginny, why don't you just lay your head on my lap over here?"

Ginny grinned (although Draco couldn't see it) but was reluctant. "Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding?"

"Not at all," Draco said, trying to ooze chivalric charm. It must've worked, Draco thought, as Ginny scooted over with sleeping bag in tow and unceremoniously laid her head on his lap, scooting her legs in up close to him as well. The two gazed at the stars like that for a while, but Ginny was having a bit of trouble doing so. Because she was directly under Draco's head, Draco's visage had a certain way of protruding her view of the sky view.

Should I make my move now? Ginny didn't really think that the Forbidden Forest was exactly the most romantic place, but it was hard to argue with a crystal clear starlit night. She debated whether or not to do so but all those thoughts were banished when she heard an immense kind of rumbling or crashing in the distance. Instinctively, she gripped Draco's hand, who hadn't moved but was looking curiously off in the distance.

"Don't worry, Ginny. Whatever it is, it's going away." And indeed this was true, as the crashing faded away into the distance. Still, that didn't stop Ginny from being afraid. Ginny continued to grab Draco's hand until she finally drifted off to sleep in that same position, her head nestled on him and her hand tightly wrapped in his.