I don't own Harry Potter. The Elms are a band, but I thought the name would be a good one for a British manor house.
Chapter Four
Although the rest of his classes were quite dull, Draco Malfoy couldn't help but congratulate himself on finding a way to ensure that he would have to talk to Ginny again. For an unplanned plan, he'd hopefully picked a good one. Pathetic, yes, but there was just something about that girl that made him wish for many more future conversations, no matter the topic. And perhaps more....
When they were back in the Common Room after dinner, Draco approached Blaise.
"Blaise, could I borrow Cassandra Trelawney's diary from you?"
"Why? You don't take Divination. For that matter, neither do I."
"Because, I promised Ginny that I'd let her borrow it."
"What?"
"I don't know, it just seemed like a good thing to say at the time."
"Real romantic, Draco," Blaise said, shaking his head.
"What, I can't believe that you used to say that you and Mandy Brocklehurst were just studying together." Blaise was currently dating Mandy Brocklehurst, a Ravenclaw in their year. Ever since the terrifying attack on Hogwarts in their 6th year, the houses had learned a somewhat grudging unity and respect for each other. And in some cases, such as this one, the sentiment was much less forced.
"Well, we were...at first. She's quite good at Arithmancy, you know. Well, that and kissing." Blaise said, his handsome face blushing somewhat.
"Well, that comment was certainly necessary," Draco smirked. "So, do you have the book?"
"Er, I'm not sure. Let me go check in my trunk."
They looked through their dormitory, but failed to find the diary.
"Hold on, it must be in the library at home.... But, I could Floo back right now and get it for you." Blaise added hastily when he saw Draco's face fall.
"Thanks."
"Well, anything for a friend. Especially one I've known for fourteen years."
Walking back into the main area of the common room, the fire was burning low. Throwing a pinch of the sparkling green powder into the fireplace, the flames rose again, turning to emerald. Stepping into the fire, Blaise cried, "The Elms!" and was gone. Draco paced the Common Room quietly, thinking. A few minutes later Blaise returned, almost falling down onto the flagstone hearth as he spun through the fire. He was clutching a thin and dusty volume in his hand.
Handing the book to Draco, Blaise said, "I think we had better go back to the dormitory now and get some sleep, we haven't got History Of Magic Tomorrow."
Walking back through the stone archway that led to the Seventh Year boys' dormitory, Draco examined the book. It was bound in scarlet, and "The Diary Of Cassandra Trelawney" was scrawled across the front in curling, silver script. Suddenly, the dusty volume slipped through his fingers and landed, pages open, on the stone floor of the dungeon. When Draco retrieved the book, he felt unexplainably compelled to read what was written on the pages that the diary had opened to when it fell. With the torches in their brackets burning dimly, he entered the dormitory and sat down on his bed. He turned on his lamp and began to read. And what he read was this:
Fifth April. In the second reign of terror, when the Chosen One is soon to defeat the Dark Lord for the last time, the son of cruelty will have truly found a girl of flaming hair after they have been unmasked to each other. Though born into mutual hatred, these two are bound to love. They shall wed after the brave one ceases of their seventh year of learning, and this marriage of Fire and Ice shall bring forth the new time of hope and trust.
Draco blinked twice very rapidly before scanning the paragraph again. Was this a prophecy referring to himself and Ginny? It sounded like it could be. But what did it mean by being unmasked? Was he really reading this? Perhaps it was the lack of proper lighting in the dungeon. Or sleep-deprivation. Or both. After tucking a stray bit of parchment into the diary as a bookmark, he quickly slipped into his pajamas and fell into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, Draco woke at the usual time and pulled on his black school robes. But as the other boys left the dormitory to go to breakfast, he pulled Blaise aside, saying quietly, "I have to show you something."
"What is it?" Blaise replied sleepily.
"This." Draco opened the diary to the page with the prophecy and handed the book to Blaise. Blaise slowly read the prophecy, his eyes growing wider every few seconds.
"Is this what I think it is?" Blaise asked, gazing at his fried with horror.
"Well, that's what I was going to ask you."
"Bloody hell! What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. If I show this to Ginny, she's going to think that she has to like me. If she already does, she's going to think that she has to stop." said Draco, his face thoughtful.
"And if you don't?"
"Well...if we do somehow end up together, I'll show her eventually."
"It does say you're bound to love each other, though."
"Well, yes, which means that I wait to show this prophecy to Ginny until we've been dating for a while and she'll understand."
"You certainly seem to be one to have their love life predetermined, don't you?" said Blaise. "Come on, let's go to breakfast, we'll be late for class."
Draco silently followed his friend up the stone stairs and into the Great Hall, where Crabbe and Goyle were already piling food into their mouths as if there was no tomorrow. He ate his eggs in a sort of reverie, only glancing at the Gryffindor table once as he thought about his destiny.
A few days later in double Potions, Gregory Goyle's color-change solution suddenly exploded into violet flames as he stirred it. Rushing over to the flaming cauldron from his previous position lurking behind Neville, Professor Snape inspected Goyle's badly burned face.
"Well, we seemed to have had a slight accident here," said Snape sardonically. "Malfoy! Would you escort Goyle to the hospital wing?"
Draco left his own cauldron of potion and helped Goyle, who was clutching his face, out of the dungeon. As they left the room, he could hear Snape saying, "Well, class, now you know what will happen if you are so extraordinarily idiotic as to add a third tadpole tail. Longbottom, I congratulate you on finally misunderstanding less than all of my instructions."
As the pair entered the hospital wing, Draco glimpsed a head of red hair in the gap of the floral curtains around a bed. Leaving Goyle with Madam Pomfrey and making sure that she was fussing over him and muttering about dangerous classes, he silently slipped into the cubicle. It was indeed Ginny laying asleep (unconscious?) on the bed, with a long, purpling bruise along her arm. Though injured, she looked so perfect, so peaceful in sleep, with her long hair spread out on the pillow like a halo. Throwing a nervous glance outside, Draco traced a pale finger along the curve of her jaw before softly brushing his lips against hers. Looking at Ginny one last time, Draco went quickly from the hospital wing and back to Potions class.
-x-
I'm not sure that I'm completely satisfied with how this chapter went, so it may be updated again later. Keep on reviewing, it turns my frown upside down! Or something.