A/N: ha! I beat the damned system on blasted scene changes. Now the paragraph flow isn't dumb. Better fix my other fics now too. Oh by the way, thanx to EVERYbody that's given me reviews, it makes me want to keep pouring my insanity out.
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Part Nine- All Going Awry
Draco stood a fair distance away from Ginny as Madam Pomfrey was giving her a top to bottom exam. Professor Snape had been furious that Ginny was in his room, in the Slytherin dungeons. Snape had taken points from the Head Boy and Prefect, gave a weeks worth of detention to both and put in a motion to suspend them from their positions. Draco took all of this a meekly as he could. It also took all of his strength not to curse the Potions Master.
He still remained in the hospital wing because Dumbledore was on his way after Madam Pomfrey was finished with Ginny. The redhead hadn't stopped crying after she regained consciousness, but the weeping had been reduced to quieter sobbing.
The examination was the most anxious minutes Draco had ever suffered through. He was also contemplating what would have happened if Harry had been discovered. The other party hadn't resurfaced since Snape had escorted Draco out of the common room. Hopefully he was out, and that the library alibi would hold true.
The curtain was parted after more painful minutes and the Healer was taking a tray away from the bed. Draco rushed to her side and took her hand. He gave her a quick kiss to wet cheeks.
"So, I see that two enemy families are being united by star-crossed lovers." Dumbledore's voice came from behind and both looked at each other with fear.
Draco stood and faced Dumbledore. He would take his dismissal like a man.
"Sit down Draco. I would also like to add, that your third party can take off his cloak. I will swear Madam Pomfrey to secrecy."
Draco scanned the room for Harry. The Boy-Who-Lived appeared as he shed his invisible disguise and walked over to join the conversation.
The Headmaster summoned a chair himself since Harry took the spot at the end of Ginny's bed. He pocketed his wand and started down his nose at the three teens. "Now, let's start with why where you three in the Head Boy's room in the Slytherin dungeon?"
Draco spoke, Ginny just let the tears fall and Harry's throat seized up. "We were tired and we decided to take sleep for a couple of hours."
"Why all three of you together?"
This time Draco's throat seized up and no one spoke for a few minutes. "Draco and Harry are kinda together. I've kinda joined in." Ginny's had stopped; only silent tears gave away that she was weeping.
"Ah ha." It was Dumbledore's only response. He didn't move, he didn't say anything else for a few more moments. "Poppy tells me you haven't been sleeping Ginny."
"No."
"Why?"
"I've been having dreams." A sob broke in her throat. Both boys reached for her hand, and both held it.
"About?" Dumbledore said nothing about the gesture the two boys made; he just let his face show aloofness.
"Voldemort. Only he's not Voldemort. I saw Tom Riddle once, in a picture a few years ago. It was in the library about the past Head Boys and Girls at Hogwarts. Since then I've thought about his face more wholly, but only after Draco and Harry.
But he's there in my dreams. My mind wants to see Voldemort, but it also wants to see Tom." Harry sat in stunned silence. Draco clenched his other hand.
"I knew it, somehow…he's made his way into your mind."
"I have just come to that conclusion my self Draco. The question is how and why. He has no direct link to you Ginny, but he wants one. As I remember Tom Riddle was a very shy boy, charismatic, oh yes, but he was shy around girls. So, why now? Why Ginny Weasley?" He asked this more to himself than the three. "Would he have any reason to think that you and Ginny are a pair, Harry?"
"No, I can't think of anything." Harry shook his head. "I wish I did know why too."
"Well, he knew about the Chamber of Secrets right? Maybe something carried over to him while Tom Riddle, the sixteen year old boy and fifty year old book, was tangible?" Draco offered.
"The diary," Harry whispered. "Lucius, I gave him the diary to free Dobby, remember. But, there was a hole in the heart of the book, it was destroyed."
"I'm sure if Lucius Malfoy had the diary he would have given it to Voldemort, among everything he has collected about you, Harry, I'm sure that would include Draco's past letters. Before the discovery of the See-Me-Not potion in his body." Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment then looked back up at the stunned Draco.
"Yes, I would write all about Harry, I even told him…Gin had a crush on him. That's probably it! He's now using Gin; he's trying to mold her, like Lucius did me. Only it's made Gin sick, because the process is being sped up, he doesn't have time to do everything; or rather her mind is too mature. Most mind molding potions need to be administered in early youth."
"Clever, Draco, clever. The only question we have left is who had been 'feeding' the potion or concoctions to Ginny, and how. Sometimes it makes me wonder, how do I let things get past me? How can I put my own students into danger?" Dumbledore lowered his head.
"It's not your fault, Professor." Ginny's voice full of sympathy. "Nobody's perfect. I'm sure that who ever's been doing this, has been inside Hogwarts for a while."
"You think it's one of the students?" Draco raised an eyebrow. Dumbledore looked up at Ginny, a glint in his eye.
"I do too." Harry looked down at the floor. "I have several guesses."
"Be careful Harry. Suspicions make the worst enemies." The headmaster warned.
"I already have many foes as it is, what's a few more?"
"Don't do anything unless you have enough evidence to show me Harry." Dumbledore looked sternly at the vigilant teen. "I also want to take samples of Ginny's blood and have Professor Snape break it down."
"But he's furious with us!" Ginny cried out. "He won't do a damn thing. Oops I mean…" The old man held up a hand.
"Professor Snape will do what I tell him to do. In the mean time, the point reduction and detentions will still be in effect. I will not suspend you from your positions, because it will raise many eyebrows and Miss Granger does not need a double load due to her partner's carelessness. As for you Harry…detention for being outside your tower tonight after curfew. Be aware, all three of you. I have no actual qualms against you three being together as lovers, but the standard rules apply. Stay out of each other's rooms and dormitories, and put your studies and positions ahead of romance." Dumbledore waved his wand, the chair disappeared and he walked to Madam Pomfrey's office.
"That wasn't as bad as it could have been," Harry said with a nervous chuckle.
"No, it wasn't." Ginny started at the three intertwined hands.
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The next day in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry and Draco arrived early. They sat down towards the back of the room next to each other and began to carry on a civilized conversation that started with Quidditch. Draco pulled out his book but didn't open it like he usually did. They just kept on talking, like they usually did when alone.
Percy had started staring at them, from the front of the room. Neither looked up to meet his gaze, but they knew it was there.
Soon the class was flowing in. Ron and Hermione walked in together, really together. The redhead was holding her hand; Hermione carried a book in the crook of her arm to accommodate the new walking mannerism. Then both saw the two boys in the back isolated from the rest of the room. Ron immediately let go of Hermione's hand and marched to the back of the room.
"Have we suddenly gone 'Malfoy's-not-all-that-bad' too! At first I thought maybe Ginny just had a very fucked up crush, but you're sitting next to him and he's not dead!" Ron's voice was filled with fury and reaching that point when a whisper explodes into a shout.
"Ron settle down!" Hermione whispered.
"Ya know Ron things change, people change! Look years ago you wouldn't have admitted to liking Hermione, but I guess after a while someone grows on you." Harry had stood to face his friend eye to eye. Which was a little difficult since Ron had reached six-three.
"Hermione has always been my friend. This is Draco Malfoy. A few years ago he probably wouldn't have given a second thought to handing you over to You-Know-Who!" Ron's face was flushing a red darker than his hair.
Draco shook with rage and got to his feet.
"Weasley, what have I done as of late! What have I fucking done! I apologize to your girlfriend for what I've said and done to her! I treat her with the same fucking respect she's given me! I help out your sister when you don't do a damn thing. I've done wrong in the past, and I'm now trying to fix what was out of my hands!" Draco grabbed his bag shoved his book in and slung it over his shoulder. He pushed past Hermione and out the door.
Percy had arrived to the group. "Twenty points from each person for disruptions! If you don't break it up it will be detention too!"
Hermione sat between the stone silent boys for the rest of the class. Throughout Potions, Hermione also tried to talk to Harry, but the stone partner was worried more why Draco wasn't in Potions.
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With the map Harry found Draco in one of the library study rooms, eyes red and puffy, bent over a book. Harry sat down next to his lover and looked down at the book Draco was reading.
"Books, have you read the library yet?"
"No, only what's been interesting or required. What's the point?" He looked at Harry with eyes so metallic they were nearly inhuman. "What's the fucking point?"
Harry reached over and wiped a tear away with his thumb. He held Draco's face in his hands gently while he spoke. "Don't worry about Ron. Once we're all away from here, things will be different. When we actually join the Order, you'll be able to prove to Ron and all the Weasleys you're not Lucius Malfoy, you're Draco Malfoy. A Draco Malfoy, that for over ten years, was poisoned by his own father. It'll all turn out, I promise."
"Yeah, I guess so." Draco closed the book and Harry glanced at the silver lettered title on the blue leather.
"Magick in War: A Wizarding History of the Roman Invasion. What's it about?"
"I have a theory, it's the only thing I could find in relation to it, in this conservative library, is that we're…connected."
"What do ya mean?"
"You, Gin and me are reminiscence of something that hasn't been heard of in nearly seventeen-hundred years, a true triumvirate. Harry we dream-shared. That hasn't been heard of since the Roman invasion of the British Isles. I came across it over the summer. Two Celtic tribes held a great resistance to the Roman army near here…about fifteen miles from where Hogwarts is. The three that gave a recording of dream-sharing also became a triumvir. Only the three involved became prominently known..."
"Known what?"
"It doesn't really say."
Draco took Harry's hands from his face and held them in his own. "We've some how created a triumvir of power. I don't know how it was done, but we've done something that hasn't happened in nearly seventeen thousand years. Even before Hogwarts was created. A king and queen of two Celtic tribes and a Roman general, who were witches and wizards, melded their souls together. Their power was great."
Harry sat in silence for a minute then spoke softly, "why didn't we feel anything before? Before we go any further, let's find Ginny. She needs to hear this too."
"I was waiting for you and the map. I talked to Lovegood quickly and she said Ginny didn't show up for Herbology or Transfiguration."
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Ginny found the Room of Secrets quicker than she thought. The door was hidden behind a landscape painting. It took her several sobs to speak the right password, "passions." Upon entering the room the painting swung closed behind and the candles around the spacious room grew to give off just enough light to see.
She walked over to the shelf that had been magically stocked with white linen handkerchiefs embroidered with the Hogwarts crest. Grabbing one she drudged over to the bed, pulled off the school robes and slid under the covers.
Tears gave way, she wept for everything. Mostly herself, because she knew in her heart, she was dying.