Harry Potter and the Night Moaning Myrtle Came Back to Life
Part II
Harry nearly skipped down the hallway. He barely registered bumping into Crabbe and Goyle, who seemed to be following Ginny rather closely. He leaped up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.
"Hey, Harry," Ron said, pulling Harry aside. "Can I borrow your invisibility cloak?"
"Oh, yeah, sure, whatever, that's fine with me," Harry said in an excited rush. He ran upstairs and brought it back down, handing it to Ron.
"I'll be back in an hour," Ron said darkly, concealing the cloak from any passersby. "I'm going to Hagrid's hut."
"Are you sure you wanna do that?" Harry asked skeptically, raising his eyebrows.
"Yeah, I need Hermione's help with homework," Ron said.
Harry shrugged. "Sometimes you have to see it to believe it."
Ron looked oddly at Harry before pulling the invisibility cloak over himself and disappearing.
Ron walked down the Hogwarts hallway, dodging people as he weaved in and out of the crowds. Up ahead, he saw a glimpse of red hair, accompanied by the wide, towering figures of Crabbe and Goyle.
Ginny! He took off at a run, hurrying towards them.
Crabbe and Goyle were on either side of Ginny, dragging her along with them.
Ginny wasn't going easily, but she wasn't any match for their strength. She was stammering out every curse word she knew, but Crabbe and Goyle still continued down towards the dungeons.
How did she learn those! thought Ron as Ginny let out a string of particularly strong swear words.
He knew it was hopeless to pry Ginny out of Crabbe and Goyle's grasp, so he followed them, creeping along as unnoticeably as possible.
They reached the portrait hole to the Slytherin common room, and Crabbe and Goyle muttered the password. How the portrait ever understood what they had mumbled was a complete mystery to Ron. Still, it opened to reveal the entrance, and Ron took his chance to dive in behind them. The portrait shut again behind them.
Crabbe and Goyle finally dropped Ginny in the middle of the common room. Ron tried to get a better look at whom they were facing, although he already had a pretty good idea.
Just as Ron had suspected, Malfoy laid sprawled on the couch.
Ginny didn't say a word, bravely staring at Malfoy.
"Well, well, well," Malfoy said in a good imitation of his father's drawl. "It's Ginny Weasley."
Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, so?"
"Oh," Malfoy said, smirking. "Defiant, aren't you."
"If you're so daring, then why'd you have your goons drag me here? Not brave enough to come get me yourself, are you?" sneered Ginny.
Ron felt a surge of pride at his sister's words; then a pang of sadness at the fact that he would never be able to muster up the courage to face Malfoy.
"Why do it myself when I have others to do the dirty work for me?" said Malfoy arrogantly.
Ginny snorted. "You're an asshole, Malfoy. You can't always expect others to do your bidding."
"Well that's what you're here for, isn't it?" Malfoy smirked.
Ginny practically snarled. "That's what you think."
Malfoy began to grow impatient. "Come on, Weasley. Don't play hard to get. It's not like you have a reputation to uphold."
Ron bristled at this. How dare he question Ginny's honor! She was the picture of innocence. She probably she didn't even know she had a uterus!
Ginny crossed her arms. "Maybe I don't want to."
"Why not? You've already screwed half the guys at Hogwarts! What's the matter? Am I not good enough for you, little Weasel?" Draco leered. He stood up, walking over to where she was standing. He trailed one finger down the side of her face. "I can be good enough. So good that you won't know your own name when I'm done with you." His voice dropped to a whisper and he slid one hand down her back.
At this, Ron was so outraged that he flung the invisibility cloak to one side and ran at Malfoy. "GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF OF HER!"
Malfoy jumped back in surprise and Ginny turned around with a shocked look on her face.
"Ron?"
"WEASLEY!"
Ron fumed. He dove at Malfoy, missing by nearly a foot and sliding across the common room floor.
Malfoy laughed sinisterly. Ron stood up and threw a punch at him, but Malfoy ducked.
"Hahaha," said Malfoy.
He tried to hit Malfoy a few more times, but each time Malfoy expertly dodged his fist.
"Come on, Ginny, let's go," Ron said furiously, taking Ginny by the arm and attempting to drag her out of the common room.
Ginny refused to budge. "Ron, who are you to order me around?" She stepped over to Malfoy, pulled him closer, and kissed him.
Ron's expression turned from surprise to anger in a split second.
"See, Weasley—" Malfoy started to kiss Ginny again.
She brought back her hand and slapped him across the face.
Malfoy stumbled backwards, glaring at her.
"Wow, that was brilliant!" Ron said, his fury forgotten.
She turned, and without saying a word, stomped out of the portrait hole.
Cormac McLaggen paced in a circle. He had been waiting inside the broomshed for nearly an hour. Ginny was rarely late, especially for a hunk like him…
McLaggen shivered, remembering their last rendezvous in the broomshed. Let's just say she had definitely polished his broomstick…
Ron grumpily pulled the invisibility cloak over himself again, getting his mind back on his original mission: finding Hermione.
He had lied when he'd told Harry he'd wanted homework help… Unless homework was a clever pseudonym for something else…
Ron could see the lights of Hagrid's hut in the distance. He stopped in his tracks, wondering if Harry's hints had any truth to them.
Nah, not Hermione, thought Ron, continuing down the castle steps.
Malfoy stared after Ginny, wondering how someone like that could turn someone like him down. No one turned a Malfoy down.
Crabbe and Goyle grunted behind him and Malfoy spun around. Blaise Zabini was standing with them, his arms crossed and a grin across his face.
"Tough luck, eh, Malfoy?" said Blaise, sounding amused.
Malfoy didn't say anything. How would Blaise know? Surely Ginny wouldn't choose Zabini over him…
"Rejection hurts, Draco," Blaise said, putting a hand to his heart. "But together, we can work through this! You will make it! There's more fish in the sea!"
"How would you know?" spat Malfoy, becoming angrier with Blaise by the second.
"Well, two nights ago…" Blaise began, but Malfoy sent him a scathing look. "Okay, fine, maybe Pansy can help you."
"Oh Draco!" called Pansy from the other side of the common room.
Malfoy faked a bright smile. "Hello, Pansy, darling."
Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle quietly exited the room.
"So, how are you?" Malfoy asked her, trying to fill up the silence.
"Fine now that I'm with you," she replied sweetly.
Malfoy sighed. Well, better Pansy than no one at all, he smirked.
Harry had never seen Myrtle in such a good mood as she was that night, swooping around the bathroom.
"Oh, hello, Harry!" she said cheerfully, doing loops in the air.
"Hi," responded Harry, slightly taken aback by her newfound excitement.
Her eyes widened. "Did you get it?"
"Yep, it was as easy as I'd thought, Slughorn just handed it right over with no questions asked," Harry said, grinning at her.
"Oh, heartthrob!" Myrtle said, sobbing out of joy. "Can I see it?"
"Of course," said Harry seductively, sliding it out of the bag and showing it to Myrtle.
"Oooooooooh, I'm so excited!" Myrtle cried, gliding around the bathroom again, shouting gleefully.
"Yes, me too," said Harry.
Myrtle stopped again in front of him. "Can I touch it, Harry?"
He blushed. "Well… I'm not sure you'll be able to, considering you are, well… what you are, but okay, why not? Just be gentle, you don't want to break it. I can't exactly ask Slughorn for another one, it'd be too suspicious."
"Okay," said Myrtle, gaping again. She reached towards it, but Harry pulled it away from her.
"Not yet, Myrtle. We mustn't let temptation overcome us. We have to wait 'til the moon is in the center of sky."
Myrtle sniffled. "I know. But Harry… I want to so badly. I haven't for years."
He looked at her sympathetically. "I know. Only a couple more hours, Myrtie."
Myrtle nodded sadly. "Oh well, I guess it will be more romantic that way anyway. Under the full moon…" She began humming a song to herself and with a splash, she disappeared into the U-bend of her toilet.
Harry turned his back on the bathroom. "I'll be back," he whispered into the darkness, knowing Myrtle was probably already zooming through the depths of the lake.