Title: More than Mrs. Potter
Author: Joy
A/N: Thank you all for my birthday reviews. It meant a lot. You will need to forgive me if I slow down typing for a bit. I went to say a tiny little dog from the street and my dog decided to trip me. My palms are recovering raw hamburger at the moment. Ironically both dogs are fine. My dog has no idea what he did and the little dog that had run away, her owner showed up just after I fell. On the positive side my husband got me a little 10' Marvin the depressed robot doll from Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy (Yea Alan Rickman.) Also my best friend from high school that I just started to write again dropped me a birthday email. I haven't seen this guy or talked to him in about six or seven years... and he remembered my birthday. That is what you call a friend.
13. Telling the secret
Snape, albeit reluctantly, turned over a pensive with his memory of watching others and himself receive the Dark Mark to Dumbledore who then passed it along to his trio. Things were shaping up nicely in Dumbledore's mind. Ginny, Draco and Hope were all responding well to their Occlumency lessons. It was becoming increasingly important that their minds be guarded from others and especially Ginny's mind from Tommy Boy. If anyone had told Dumbledore that he would be teaching three students at his school dark arts magic he would have scoffed but it became more apparent as time went on that while Harry would be the one to face Voldemort, Ginny would be the one to keep his mind occupied...not that Dumbledore had spelled that out for her yet but he was fairly sure she had put the pieces together already.
Draco had discovered from Snape's pensive the exact nature of the Dark Mark. He recognized the basic spell from one of his many volumes he read over the summer. Once identifying the proper text it was easy for them to tease out the specifics and the intent.
The Mark was a blended spell that infused the desires of the caster to the nervous system of the recipient. The basic spell was actually an ancient mating spell used by werewolves to take a human mate. There was something of a magical tattoo placed on both parties, indicating to all other beings the human was marked and protected as well as letting all other werewolves know not to bother since wolves mate for life. The spell linked the individuals, let them draw strength from one another, feel each other's emotions, and call out to one another.
Voldemort had altered the Mark so that the positive effects were entirely one sided. The base spell was meant to be eternal but was able to be broken in the event that one partner would die. As the body began to shut down the tendrils of magic would disengage. Magic did not provide for a flat lining situation. A resurrection spell could be enacted but in this case Muggle 'magic' was safer.
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Ginny's glee was overwhelming when she realized what they had in front of them. "Do you mind if I tell Harry?" she asked the group.
"No," Hope shook her head.
"Go on and find him," Draco offered.
"Where will you be?"
Draco shrugged, "My rooms safest."
"Okay," Ginny gave a slight nod and was out the door.
"Your room is Safest?" Hope asked incredulously.
Draco gave a lecherous smile to his Hope sitting beside him.
"What?" she asked.
"We...need to celebrate," he replied.
"Do...we?"
Draco took Hope's hand in his and began to kiss up the inside of her arm. He dragged the tip of his tongue over the soft skin where her lower arm and upper arm met. "We do," he murmured.
"Okay that last thought you had...I am not even considering," she stated firmly.
"Not ever," he asked moving her hair off of her neck to kiss her throat from behind as he pulled her from her chair back against his chest.
"No," she whimpered.
"How about," he began as he took his left hand letting one finger barely brush the bottom of her breast before spreading his fingers out over her abdomen, "after I fill this space right here," he continued to kiss her neck as he rubbed her stomach, "with our little girl? Hmmm...might relax you?"
"You are really good at that," Hope muttered softly.
"And you are wonderfully responsive," Draco countered before taking her mouth in what she anticipated to be a very carnal kiss but ended up being very loving.
With big eyes she looked at him, "We're going to save you Drake."
He smiled back, "I know...I trust you."
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"We got it," Ginny announced proudly to Harry in front of Hermione and Ron.
"You're kidding. That's great. I'm so proud of you," Harry congratulated her hugging and kissing her forgetting their audience.
"Can we know yet or are we still in the dark?" Hermione pouted.
The couple pulled away slightly embarrassed although Harry was plotting in his own mind.
"Let's go for a walk," Ginny stated as they made their way to the Room of Requirements.
Once inside the inquisition began. "So what is this all about?" Ron asked glad to finally be included in the loop again.
Ginny cleared her throat, "Voldemort is gathering followers again. A few students have been considered to bare the dark mark. Pansy and Draco were the only two agreed on. Draco has seen what 'loyalty' to Voldemort brings...a whole lot of pain and curses. He asked for help. For the last several months we have been trying to find a way to lessen the effects of the Dark Mark on the barer as well as a way to remove it completely."
"Wow," Ron mumbled. "You've been working on all that."
"Yeah well..." Ginny shrugged bashfully.
Harry wrapped his arm around her, "And she has been doing an excellent job. She is finally gonna get to stick it to Tom."
Ginny had to chuckle before she noticed Hermione's frown. "What's wrong?"
"Why couldn't you tell me?" Hermione asked.
Gin sighed, "You weren't meant to know...You, Ron and Harry are the golden three. You are always together...always a team. When the war goes down, it will still be you three together. I know that. I am not going to try to interfere with that. But Mione I have something no one else in the world has."
"What's that?"
"An echo of Tom Riddle's magic. He lived in me for nearly an entire school year. He stretched the boundaries of my magic. He impressed some of his talents on me. Tom basically wore me like I was a glove Mione. Once he was gone I couldn't really return to the way I was before. I have fought so hard against that part that he left behind in me...that dark place he stretched out that will never go back completely. Now I can use it. Now, I can use that part that he left in me to hopefully save Draco...and Snape."
"I still don't understand," Hermione countered.
Ginny sat down next to her friend, "You are smart and clever and amazing at everything you do. Ron is brave and kind and loyal to a fault. You two balance Harry completely... strategically. I'm not like you...any of you. Harry and I are connected...we love each other. That does not necessarily mean I am the best person to be at his side in battle. You and Ron will be Harry's cover while he fights Voldemort...just like you always have. I will be dealing in far darker matters because I can."
"Why Ginny?" Ron asked. "Why not stand with us?"
Ginny looked at her brother, then her love, and finally back to her brother. "Because Ron, I'm not innocent little Ginny Weasley anymore. She died when I was eleven. Tom Riddle killed her in the Chamber of Secrets. I am who woke up Ron...I'm not the innocent anymore. That dark place inside all of us is very close to the surface with me. It's very close to the surface with Draco and Hope. The three of us battle and hurt and fight to stay above water everyday. And while Harry definitely has his own dark place to contend with, it's not the way it is for the Slytherins and I. See the reason the Slytherin house exists isn't because they needed a place to put all the evil students Ron. Slytherin exists because there needs to be a safe place for those who walk the line between dark and light can live, study and learn."
She continued, "You need to take your place in the war as a champion for light and protection. I need to take my place on the line because most people can't walk it. I can...I have...I will continue to. It is who I am now. It's the reason why I was supposed to be in Slytherin... but I asked to be put elsewhere. I now know that my place in the shadows is just as important as your space in the light. While you will be up front I will be working from beneath."
"What does this mean specifically Ginny?" Hermione asked.
The redheaded girl took a deep breath, "I'm not entirely sure yet...I have been spending a lot of time getting in touch with that part of myself that was stretched by Tom's magic. I will use that magic to put a dark mark of sorts on Draco as a test run. Once we know it works I will infuse that magic with Snape's mark and hopefully give him more control. I will spend a lot of time learning darker magic...it's the only way I will be able to keep the connection going with Snape and eventually Draco."
"I can't believe this. Do mum and dad know about this?" Ron questioned.
"No...and they aren't meant to know. I only told you this because you were so hurt to be left out. Now you know," Ginny stated.
"This doesn't bother you?" Ron asked Harry.
Harry looked at his friend in question, "Does what bother me?"
"This dark arts stuff?"
"You do realizes I'm gonna have to throw one or two unforgivables to get rid of old snake eyes, don't you?" the raven-haired boy responded.
"Yeah but..."
"So what right do I have to judge Gin? Ron, you're forgetting both Ginny and I were slated for Slytherin but asked to be placed elsewhere," Harry explained. "Look I know Ginny won't step over the line...but the thing is Ron, someone has to walk it. I would prefer Ginny whom I trust walking that line more than anyone else. She fought hard against Voldemort to remain a person her first year...that is a lot to ask of anyone at any age. She can handle this. You have to trust her to be able to handle it."
Hermione sighed, "Alright...so the dividing line now is between us and you...in the shadows?"
"No Hermione. You wanted to understand, so I did my best explaining. I'm not supposed to have told you any of that. Cut me some slack here," Ginny stated.
"We just need some time to adjust," Ron said and led Hermione out of the room.
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Ginny turned to look at Harry pitifully as he rubbed her arm. "They'll come around... right now though, lets find Hope and Draco to celebrate."
Gin smirked, "Actually I think they are celebrating quite well on their own...in Draco's room."
"Oh really...that's a little fast isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Snogging Harry...just snogging. He's not getting any if that's what you're asking... In fact I would hasten to say that you Mr. Potter are further up the base chart than Mr. Malfoy."
"Is that right?" Harry said teasingly. "Well, as long as he is not trying to score tonight I won't worry."
"Why do all guys respond to sports analogies with sex? Hmmm?" Gin asked.
"Because as a Weasley once told me, 'Males are uncomplicated. We like good drink, good food, good sports and want to see a woman naked.'"
"Which Weasley said that?" Gin asked.
"One of the twins," Harry answered.
"Of course...how silly of me to ask?"
After a short pause, she smirked at him and said, "So head boy, how bout we go use your room for celebrations."
"I don't know Gin...how far around the bases am I gonna get?" he teased.
"You're about to get a groin injury if you aren't careful slugger."
"No more sports analogies," Harry contended.
"Fine...I'll race you to your room," Ginny said taking off in a sprint.
"Oh Miss Weasley, I'll get you, my little Snitch," he yelled after her.
"I thought we were done with sports, there Seeker Boy," she yelled over her shoulder just as Harry caught up to her and spun her around.
He pinned her to the wall with his body kissing her for all she was worth.
"Potter...get a room," Draco called with a laugh his arm slung around Hope heading off from somewhere.
Harry pulled his head back and looked at his girlfriend, "You lying little..."
"Catch me if you can Potter," she taunted and took off toward his room again with Harry in hot pursuit.
TBC...
Okay now for all of you that didn't give me a birthday review...PLEASE. It will make me smile despite my hamburger hands. Please REVIEW. Please REVIEW.