Chapter 2

Draco jerked his broom away, but then paused. She was asleep... but what the bloody hell was she doing up there?

He looked over her perch. He had passed it countless times of course, but he'd never ventured this near to it for some reason. It looked to be an ancient observatory or an old, unused owlry... yes... that would be fitting... they had always favored Gryffindor, so why not give them their own owlry? They had such redundant and abandoned areas all over the castle. They probably used less than a third of the castle really.

The owlry was pretty small... barely eight feet in diameter... the 'walls' were little more than columns holding up the roof. The 'windows' ran the whole length, ending just perhaps six inches from the floor.

She was laying in a little untidy pile of quilts and blankets, her head resting on the 'window sill', her long, straight dark hair flowing over the edge and drifting lazily in the breeze.

He drifted closer. There wasn't much light... He shifted the cloak aside a bit so he could see better... he thought he caught a hint of red in her hair... a delicate spatter of freckled across her nose... he suddenly realized who it was. He smirked. The littlest Weasley... and all on her own... His eyes trailed down the curves of her body showing through the blankets. He knew she had been looking much... 'older' this year... and to tell the truth, he'd always found her oddly fascinating... He'd been eyeing this brazen little crumpet since well before she showed any real potential as a suitable conquest... since before he'd even HAD his first conquest... In fact, he used to dream about her sometimes... of course that was back when he still slept... he couldn't remember the last time he had slept long enough to have a dream.

He made sure she was deep asleep, then reached forward, shifting her blanket down some... Her nightgown was of a very thin material... he could see the shape of her body clearly. He reached out, gently cupping her breast. It was hot and firm in his grasp. He fought the urge to squeeze it, not wanting to wake her. He ran his thumb over the little nipple, smirking as it hardened under his touch. She let out a little moan in her sleep. He stifled a groan. His previous discomfort, which had just begun to flag, was almost instantly back to full life.

She may be a Weasley, but she was a pureblood... and a very attractive pureblood at that... in fact, if it hadn't been for her brothers, he probably would have already had a go at her, despite her last name... The though suddenly held a great deal of interest for him... he was always flirting with death... what girl would put him in more danger? But this would take some finesse... He couldn't simply take her, even if he were inclined towards such things, or he'd end up in Azkaban... and that was not an interesting prospect by any means. Besides, what was the fun in simple, muggle-like brute force? It had never held any appeal for him. If he couldn't charm or con his way into a girl's pants, he didn't deserve to get in them.

Still... it was probably just the earlier 'excitement'.... but he was definitely in the mood to do more than just sit there and stare at her... the feel of her warm, pliant flesh sent whispers of desire through his entire body... he let his hand drift down under the blanket, feeling her flat stomach. He knew he would be discovered if she opened her eyes... his arm was completely out of the cloak, and therefore visible.

He couldn't resist letting his hand drift down further. He smirked. Her nightgown was shifted up on the side... he slipped his hand under the hem and slid it up against her knickers. She shivered as his hand caressed her. He had no doubt his hand was cold from being out in the biting wind of the night... and it was incredibly hot between her legs... He drifted forward, letting the silk-like material of the cloak part a bit, kissing her gently as his fingers rubbed her. She moaned into his mouth and he took the opening, slipping his tongue in. He knew he had decided not to make his presence known... but the taste of her sweet mouth was intoxicating.... and she was kissing him back...

He was lost in the kiss, his hand moving of it's own accord as it slipped into her knickers. Suddenly she let out a gasp and he came to his senses, immediately pulling his hand back and closing the cloak as her eyes fluttered open. He dropped down below her view, quickly rearranging the cloak to make sure he was completely invisible before cautiously drifting back up some.

She was looking around wildly, clutching the blanket to her. "Tom?" She whispered in a soft but terrified voice.

He blinked, suddenly remembering what his father had done to her in her first year. He began to wonder what exactly Voldemort's spirit might have done to her... At the evident fear in her voice, he drifted back level with her. If she thought that spirit had come back she may never return to this place again... he didn't want THAT.

"No..." He said in a soft gentle voice. He had no worry she would recognize his voice... he never spoke like this in front of others.

She started, her eyes darting around searchingly, but finding nothing. "Who are you?" She asked fearfully.

He thought quick. He obviously couldn't tell her the truth... he had to make something up... a smirk slipped onto his lips as a thought suddenly blossomed in his mind. "No one... just a passing spirit..." He said, keeping his voice soft and gentle, making it sound like the kind of whispering voice a ghost might have.

"But... I... you..." She said uncertainly, touching her lips. She had obviously woken in time to feel him.

"I'm sorry..." He breathed, letting his broom drift a bit, "You just... reminded me of someone... and I couldn't help myself...."

She blushed so brightly he could see could see the change in skin color even in the relative darkness. "I... see..." She said uncertainly, "Who do I remind you of?"

He paused. Hmmmm.... "A girl I once loved... we would meet here at night..." he whispered. The answers just seemed to be springing into his mind. This was getting fun...

"But... this only connects to the girls dorm... boys can't get up here!"

Good point, but he already knew the way around that one, "I flew here... on my broom..."

She blinked, just realizing that a boy could have indeed gotten around the wards that way. "Oh..." She said softly, then looked up, her eyes once again searching for a focal point. "Why do you haunt this place?"

"Because this is where I died... or the ground below to be more specific..." He said without hesitation. It seemed to be getting easier as he went along.

She leaned her head out, looking down at the dizzying distance to the hard cobblestones below. "How?" She breathed in morbid fascination.

"I jumped." He said simply.

Her head jerked up in shock. "Why?"

His storytelling and acting capabilities were certainly getting a workout tonight... "She didn't come." He said in a soft, infinitely sad voice. "One night she just stopped coming... I waited and waited... after the third night I couldn't take it any longer..."

Ginny put her hand over her mouth and Draco had to smirk. He was just too good!

"That's terrible..." She breathed, "But... why did your spirit linger then?"

"I couldn't help thinking maybe some day she would return to me... so I wait..." He paused, then went on softly, "Tonight... when I saw you... I thought for a moment she had finally returned... but I know that is impossible... it has been so long.... over a hundred years at least... I have lost track..."

Ginny was silent for a long moment. Finally, she spoke again. "Why can't I see you? The other ghosts are visible."

It took him a second to figure that one out. He covered with a sad sigh. "I choose not to be seen. We can do that... just fade away..."

"Oh..." Ginny said thoughtfully. "Could you... become visible? I'd like to see you." She requested softly.

Uh oh... "No..." He said, thinking furiously, "I've... long since forgotten how..."

"Couldn't one of the ghosts in the castle tell you how?"

"I do not go in the castle... I merely fly around the grounds... they probably don't even know I am here... I prefer it that way... otherwise they would try to get me to come in... I can't bear being around others... I do not wish their company."

"But... you are here with me..." She pointed out.

"No..." He said softly, "YOU are here with ME... you came to the place of my last moments... to me... I did not seek you out..."

"But... I've been up here many times since I found the passage to it last year... why haven't I met you before?"

"I tend to avoid this place... roaming the grounds instead... every time I come here I hope to see her... and every time that I don't..." He sighed sadly.

"Oh... do... you want me to leave?" She asked delicately.

"No..." He said quickly, then reigned himself back, "I mean... it's... been a very long time since I've had anyone to talk to... I've been.... sort of lonely..." He smirked. That HAD to tug on those pretty little heartstrings...

"Well... you can talk to me any time you want..." Weasleys were so predictable... always so rash, and yet complete bleeding hearts... "Maybe I could come out and see you on the grounds tomorrow...?"

Oops...

"No... I only haunt at night..." he said, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

She furrowed her brow cutely, "But where do you go during the day then?"

That one stumped him..... "I don't really know..." He admitted, "I only know nighttime... perhaps because it was my night time visits here that made my life... and my death... I haven't seen the sun since..."

"Oh... I guess some spirits only seem to walk at night... but I always just thought they hid during the day or something..." She said, nodding slightly. He smirked again. He was SOOooooo good...

She stifled a yawn.

"You should go back to your bed..." He suggested gently.

"No... I can stay." She said quickly.

"No... fifth year is hard enough without losing too much sleep just to please a ghost... I would feel guilty if your O.W.L.s suffered on my account..."

She perked up, "How did you know I was a fifth year?"

Oops. Damn. Well, honesty could help out once again... it was funny that way. "I've seen you through your window a time or two... you are in the fifth year room..." He admitted, sounding properly abashed.

She blushed. "Did you... um..."

"You were either clothed or under your blankets." He reassured her.

"Of course..." She said, getting up quickly, pulling the blanket up around her to keep warm. "Well... will I see you tomorrow night?"

"No." He said immediately. Her face fell. "But you may hear me..." He said, letting a little bit of amusement color his tone.

She grinned and nodded, then slipped through the trap door, giving the empty owlry one last glimpse before letting the door close quietly behind her. Draco drifted over to her bedroom window. He watched as she slipped in and got into bed, careful not to wake her roommates. He smirked widely as he saw the little smile slip over her lips as she closed her eyes to sleep.

This could get very interesting...

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