A/N: Okay, fixed the 'keeper/seeker' thing. Thanks for pointing it out.

Disclaimer: Natalie McDonald isn't mine; she got sorted into Gryffindor in GoF. Only Su, Daisy, Augustus, Labelle, and Julius are mine, along with plot. All else belongs to JKR.

Chapter 8

Neither Su nor Daisy was around when Ginny entered the Common Room. It was just as well since she had no idea what she would have said them at the moment. A few of the students sitting around the room looked up and nodded, but no one took much notice of her. That was good, too. Ginny didn't feel up to socializing right now. She felt numb, but at the same time she ached everywhere. Her head felt fuzzy and achy, very much like when she'd had 'flu a summer or two ago and the fever rose so high it nearly caused delirium. Ginny was doing well just to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other, but even that was almost beyond her at the moment.

Labelle was walking in front of her, making encouraging noises and Ginny silently blessed the wonderful little kitten. She wouldn't have made it out of the dungeons, much less all the way to Gryffindor if it hadn't been for Labelle. Ginny would have probably have collapsed on the stairs and just sat there until someone came to haul her away! At that, it took over twenty-five minutes to travel what normally took her less than ten.

Thank goodness for the Kneazle, Ginny thought again. Without Labelle's presence, Ginny would also have been easy prey. Not that anything had happened, but it could have. Ginny suppressed another shudder as she stumbled toward the fireplace. She was so cold! If she could just sit down and get warm, she'd be all right. As long as she didn't think, things would be fine. But first, she had to get warm.

"Hey, Weasley, you okay?"

The voice seemed to come through a thick fog and Ginny really couldn't comprehend the words. Despite feeling frozen to the core, Ginny felt flushed and short of breath. All at once, she couldn't support her weight anymore. She heard Labelle mewl in alarm a second before her legs just gave out. Ginny crumpled to the floor next to one of the worn couches.

When she opened her eyes, Ginny found herself surrounded by concerned Gryffindors, each one staring at her with an anxious expression. Labelle was sitting in her lap, watching her worriedly, and Ginny saw that she had somehow ended on one of the overstuffed chairs, covered with blankets. She was half-sitting, half-reclining, but when she tried to sit upright Colin's stern voice ordered her to be still.

"Just stay where you are," he said and Ginny finally focused on his face. "You need to warm up and relax. Do you remember what happened?"

Colin was kneeling beside her and holding one of her hands, gently chafing it. His hair was windswept and his cheeks were flushed. Still wearing his practice robes, too, she saw.

"Oh, Colin, I'm sorry," Ginny whispered. "I didn't mean to interrupt practice!"

Colin gave her a confused look, which cleared quickly.

"Don't worry, Gin. Practice was called early. Seems your Adonis reserved the pitch first."

He gave her a grin that faltered when he saw the pained look on her face. Closing her eyes, Ginny murmured, "He's not mine." Then she closed her eyes and turned her head away.

She heard Colin stand. "All right, you lot," he said. "Excitement's over. Give her some room!"

The quiet murmuring of the kids surrounding her subsided and Ginny heard them move away. Thank goodness. She'd made enough of a spectacle of her self by fainting. She didn't want to make it worse by breaking down and crying. Cautiously opening one eye, she saw Colin drag a chair closer. When he'd seated himself comfortably, Ginny screwed up her courage and faced him. "Guess you're wondering what happened," she said quietly.

Colin shrugged. "Only if you want to tell me. Must be bad, though. Malfoy looked like murder when he stormed on the pitch. Threatened to blast us all if we didn't shove off!"

He grinned again, but Ginny didn't return it. It was still too fresh and painful for her to find any humor in the situation. Colin took her hand again. "I'm sorry, Gin. When you're ready to talk, I'm always here, right?"

Ginny gave him a grateful smile that felt more like a grimace. It hurt to think of what had happened. And it wasn't just emotional; Ginny felt an ache deep inside that threatened to swallow her if she released the tight grip she was keeping on her feelings right now. Sighing, Ginny tried not to think about it, but came back to her anyway. Draco, the dungeon and the ugly, hated mark on his arm. She didn't shudder, but her insides felt cold again.

"You don't have to tell me, Gin," Colin said in a quieter tone. "But your brother is going to want to know what's happened. He missed your spectacular nosedive onto the carpet, but he's sure to hear about it. Have any idea what you're gonna tell him?"

She shook her head. "I just can't think right now. It's-I'm-everything's so confused."

"Well, how about this? You were hurrying back to Gryffindor, you had to use the loo and stopped in Myrtle's since you couldn't wait. She'd flooded everything again; you slipped and gave yourself a knock on the head. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," Ginny said dully. "But don't you think Ron'll insist I see the healer? I mean, especially if it was bad enough to knock me out."

Colin looked around her chair and said quickly, "Well, better think of something quick. Ron's here, and he's brought Hermione with him."

Ginny sat straighter and this time Colin didn't object. Labelle gave her an encouraging meow and settled herself more comfortably on Ginny's lap. Ginny instinctively began to stroke the Kneazle who was now almost the size of a medium dog. She didn't have long to wait. A few minutes later Ron and Hermione were at her side.

"What happened, Ginny?" Ron asked worriedly. "That McDonald girl said you came in and passed out on the floor! Are you sick?"

He reached out to feel her forehead, but Ginny waved him off. "Not sick, just clumsy," she answered in what she hoped was a reassuringly sheepish voice.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Well," Ginny began, giving Colin a quick look. "I was running up here to do my homework and I had to use the loo, like bad! The closest one was Moaning Myrtle's, so I ran in there. I guess someone ticked her off again, because she'd flooded the whole floor. I slipped and knocked myself on the head. Got soaked in the bargain. That's why I passed out. Just cold and a bump is all."

Ron gave her a 'give-me-a-break' look, but seemed to be swallowing the outrageous lie. Hermione, however, was frowning and biting her lip. She wasn't going to buy it, Ginny thought.

"Jeez, Gin, you know better than to use Myrtle's loo. She's totally nutters! Barmy damned ghost! But what are you doing here? Why aren't you at the healer's?"

Ginny glanced at Hermione before answering. The Head Girl looked very interested in what Ginny was about to say. "Uh, I just wanted to get back here. Embarrassing enough, without telling Madam Pomfrey. Besides, I'm fine. Colin already checked me out."

Ron and Hermione looked at the young man standing by. Without missing a beat, Colin nodded.

"Yeah, she's got a small lump but otherwise she seems fine. I'd just keep an eye on her this evening; you know, make sure she doesn't start raving or anything."

Ron opened his mouth to insist, but Hermione placed a hand on his arm.

"You know, I talked with the healer after Harry's accident and she said Colin is very good at healing. If he says Ginny's okay, I'll believe him."

It was a blessing that Ron was looking at the young woman like she was crazy. He'd have known something was up if he'd seen the way Ginny's mouth dropped open when Hermione actually took her side. Clamping her mouth closed quickly, Ginny hid her face in Labelle's fur. Ginny, at least, hadn't missed the speculative look Hermione had bent on her before answering Ron.

"Anyway, she's right here in the Common Room, and she's got two great roommates. If anything changes, we'll be able to get her to Madam Pomfrey almost immediately, right? You will tell us if there's anything important we need to know about, right Ginny?"

Hermione had turned away from Ron so abruptly that Ginny was taken by surprise. "Er, yeah," she answered quickly. "Of course."

"See, Ron? Ginny knows she can trust us to take care of her. Anyway, since you don't have practice, shouldn't you be working on that essay Professor Snape gave you ?"

Hermione had deftly taken Ron's arm and begun to lead him away, her voice trailing off as they crossed the room. Ron stopped and turned back.

"Sure you're all right, Gin? Can I get you anything?" he called.

Ginny lifted a hand. "No. Thanks, though," she answered.

She turned disbelieving eyes to Colin, about to ask whom that girl was and what had happened to their real Head Girl, but he was staring at the hand she'd lifted. Ginny realized Draco's bloodstained handkerchief was still wound around her finger and pulled her hand self-consciously back. She tried to hide it under the edge of the blanket, but Colin reached out and pulled it gently to him.

"What happened to your finger?" Colin demanded, unstrapping the small healing kit that had been slung over his shoulder. He had begun taking it to Quidditch practice after the messy rainstorm business, 'just in case' as he said. "Let me see that."

"It's nothing," Ginny muttered, still trying to pull away. Colin clicked his tongue and gave her a frown.

"I DO want an explanation for all this, eventually," he said, holding the wrist firmly. Colin gently unwrapped the handkerchief, which was now firmly stuck to her finger with her own blood. "This might hurt," he murmured.

It did, terribly. The anesthetic spell that Draco had used had worn off and now the finger was throbbing. Ginny struggled not to spew as she watched Colin at work. The nail was hanging on by a bare quarter inch of nail bed and it was bleeding again. Colin whistled.

"It must hurt like hell," he said, groping in his bag. Bringing out a small jar of some smelly salve, he slathered a thick layer onto the nail and around the edges, causing Ginny to suck in her breath. "It stings, but it'll prevent infection. You're going to lose that nail, you know. And you'll have to protect the finger until the new nail grows in. Of course," he paused, looking closely at Ginny. "Madam P could probably give you something to make it grow back faster?"

"No way," Ginny answered. "Just stop the bleeding and I'll take care of the rest."

He shrugged. Tapping the wound with his wand, he whispered a healing spell that formed a thin layer of skin over the raw tissue. Covering the whole with a dressing and bandage, he tied off the ends and put everything away. Then he settled himself on his chair.

"Why am I sure this injury involves your lovely, angry young man and not Myrtle's loo?"

Ginny looked at him, seeing his concern, and nearly wept. She had thought that she couldn't tell anyone, but he might just understand. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'll try to explain."

Before she could say anything else, though, Daisy rushed up. Su was with her, but as Daisy approached, Su stopped and stood, almost indecisively. Ginny was about to say something, anything to her friend, when Dean Thomas walked over.

"Say, Gin, I heard you got hurt. All right now?" he asked.

Ginny saw Su's expression grow hard. The girl spun on her heel and marched away. Ginny sighed. "Yeah, Dean, I'm fine." Ginny was about to go into a lengthy explanation for both Dean's and Daisy's benefits, but she had a sudden idea. "You know, Dean, Su's not been feeling well, lately. Do you think you could see if she's all right? You know, she always did like your sense of humor."

Dean looked surprised as he glanced around to where Su had disappeared. "Really?" he asked, sounding interested. "Maybe I should go try to cheer her up?"

"That sounds like a great idea!"

Dean turned and headed off, barely remembering to wish Ginny a speedy recovery. Daisy watched, bemused, but Colin's eyes danced. "Very neatly done, love. Are you sure you belong in Gryffindor? That was very Sly, if you know what I mean."

That brought a ghost of a smile to Ginny's face. Colin had coined that term for anyone he thought was acting like a Slytherin. The word 'sly' was close enough, but when he said it in just that tone, you could imagine the capital 'S' and know what he was implying.

"Ginny, are you all right? When we heard, Su and I rushed down! We were really worried!"

When Ginny gave her a skeptical look, Daisy had the grace to flush. She went on doggedly, though.

"Really, Ginny! I know Su's being weird right now, but she's still your friend, and she was worried, even if you don't believe it!"

Ginny didn't want to argue. "Fine, Daisy, if you say so. I'm just tired, I guess."

Giving Ginny a small smile, Daisy perched on the arm of the chair and said quietly, "Good idea, though. Can you tell me what happened?"

Ginny gave Daisy the 'Myrtle' story and left it at that. She decided not to mention anything else right now. Whatever she said, Daisy would, naturally, pass on to Su. It probably had to a lot to do with not wanting Su to think she was right about Draco, after all. Daisy insisted on escorting Ginny upstairs to change before supper, but Ginny wasn't hungry. She changed, but decided to stay in the dorm and do her homework. At the moment, Ginny wasn't sure if she'd ever want to go to the Great Hall again.

The days crawled by. Su and Ginny still weren't speaking even though Dean had begun spending more time in Su's company. Daisy was spending more time with Su than Ginny and Colin, and when she and Daisy spoke now, Ginny felt a strain that hadn't been there before. Colin, on the other hand, spent the majority of his time with her, and the two pairs drifted farther and farther apart. Classes dragged along and Ginny found that she couldn't concentrate in most of them. Labelle was a darling, but she, too, seemed torn. Sometimes the kitten would disappear for hours and Ginny was certain that she was spending time with Draco.

Draco! Ginny couldn't stop thinking about that horrid afternoon in the potions classroom when he'd said those hateful things and shown her his mark. She also couldn't stop thinking about what had happened before, when he'd kissed her. He had thanked her for believing in him, and then kissed her tenderly. In fact, he'd only become upset after he'd hurt her. But that had been a stupid accident! Ginny was torn with conflicting emotions. Part of her wanted to talk to him again, to try to get him to explain what was going on, but the other part was still horrified at all the implications of his being marked. Professor Dumbledore had said that she would understand things in time, but it didn't seem that understanding would dawn any time soon. If this weren't enough to distract her, now the Tom look-alike was haunting her steps. Being a prefect, the boy could go just about anywhere he wanted, and Ginny noticed that all too often he seemed to go wherever she happened to be. Ginny had difficulty sleeping and was plagued by confused nightmares where Blaise Zabini was chasing her, trying to mark her. She would run away, panicked, just to run into Draco. Then he would rip his sleeve up and leer at her, telling her it was her turn.

When she saw Draco in the hallways, she couldn't shake off the dread the nightmares had caused. Even if he hadn't looked so cold and unapproachable, the chill she felt remembering the bad dreams sapped her courage to try to talk to him. If ever his eyes met hers, he would glare and turn away. Besides, if she did have the nerve to talk to him, he would probably have ignored her.

Things went on, unchanged for almost two weeks and Ginny thought she'd go mad. Zabini was not obvious, but he was following her. Draco was very obviously ignoring her. Colin was still pushing for an explanation and Daisy and Su seemed just as happy without her company. Her grades were suffering, she was always headachy and just this afternoon Professor Snape had taken five points from Gryffindor for her 'insolent inattention in class'. He'd also given her detention.

Now Ginny stood before his desk, waiting for the axe to fall.

"Your performance in my class lately is appalling. Is there anything bothering you, Miss Weasley?" he asked acidly.

"Uh, no, sir," she mumbled. "At least nothing I can talk about."

His reaction surprised her. He laughed harshly. "Ah, well, I see your words were very pretty, but hardly accurate, were they, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

"I'm sure you don't, Miss Weasley. You told me a few weeks ago that mistakes should be forgiven, didn't you? Obviously you have a short memory. Not a lot of kind forgiveness in the Gryffindor Common Room right now, is there? And here it is, almost the holidays, too. You're dismissed, Miss Weasley!"

His tone changed abruptly and he dismissed her with an almost disgusted look. Ginny gathered her things and hurried back to Gryffindor, confused and now hurt. She actually liked Snape in a way. She looked up to him and admired his skill in Potions, and until right now, he'd always behaved fairly with her. Labelle was waiting for her, having skipped Potions today to do whatever it was she did when she wasn't with Ginny. Colin stood but Ginny shook her head. She didn't want to talk, which seemed to be a permanent state with her now. Colin wouldn't wait much longer.

At least two good things had happened in the last two weeks: Ginny's finger was no longer painful and Dean had asked Su to go out with him. Ginny was glad for Su, but it still hurt that Su continued to avoid her. She was glad about the finger, too, because the bandages were a major pain. Count your blessings and take 'em where you can get 'em, she thought. Hurrying up the stairs, she cautiously opened the door to her dorm.

It was becoming more and more uncomfortable there, too. Su was still not talking to her and Daisy barely said a word when Ginny was around. Mostly Ginny would just avoid the room, except for sleeping, and now even her sleep was disturbed. Thankfully, no one was around. Ginny tossed her book bag on her trunk and flopped onto the bed, unbelievably weary. Labelle jumped up and took her place across Ginny's abdomen.

Letting out a little 'woof' as the Kneazle flopped onto her, Ginny grinned. "It's now official, love. You're too big! I can't even carry you any more, and if you don't stop growing, you're going to be as big as a tiger!"

Labelle purred smugly and began grooming her claws. Ginny folded her arms behind her head and replayed the scene with Professor Snape again. What had he meant about forgiveness? She remembered the strange conversation a few weeks ago, when he'd asked about forgiving someone who made a horrid mistake, but she thought he'd been referring to himself. With a jolt, Ginny wondered whether Snape already knew about Draco's mark? What if he was talking about DRACO'S mistake? What if Draco, himself, thought he'd made a mistake? But, no, if he had, why would he still be acting so hateful? Unless-Labelle made an inquisitive noise and Ginny looked into the intelligent eyes. Again, she had to wonder what it was that Labelle saw in people that made her give or withhold her affection.

"I can see how he fooled me," Ginny murmured absently, scratching behind the Kneazle's ears. "I wanted to believe in him. But you, Labelle! How could he fool you? How could you not sense--?"

Ginny stopped, her brow wrinkled. A snatch of conversation came drifting into her head. She couldn't remember everything, but it was part of a conversation between Hermione and Ron. Something about the Yule Ball three years ago, and what Ron and Harry had learned about Professor Snape. Hermione was actually defending Snape, and Ron was, of course, not. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember what they'd been saying.

"-don't care what Dumbledore says. Snape was a Deatheater! I don't trust the slimeball! You know what they say. A tiger can't change his spots!"

That had been Ron, of course. Hermione had spoken, sounding typically worried and a bit superior.

"Tigers have stripes, Ron. Leopards have spots. And besides, that's appearance, not behavior. You know the Headmaster has faith in Professor Snape. Professor Dumbledore trusts him! And Professor Dumbledore knows a lot more about these things than we do!"

"God, Hermione, do I have to explain it again? Harry and I were there! We saw him and that Karkaroff fellow talking about it. Regular old mates, they were! And Snape was saying how it was getting darker and darker and he even pulled up his sleeve!"

"Yes, but Ron, didn't Harry say that Professor Snape and Snuffles were going to work together? Wasn't the professor like a spy for the Headmaster? I don't see why this is so hard for you to understand?"

"Yeah? Well, just think! Snape could be playing both sides against the other! He could be spying for You-Know-Who, too! That way, whoever wins, he's on the winning side! Just like a Slytherin!"

They had continued arguing the point for some time, but they'd moved out into the garden and Ginny hadn't heard much more. She hadn't known at that time that 'Snuffles' was the name Harry's godfather, Sirius Black took when he took his Animagus form and it had take forever to piece together THAT story. But the important thing was that, despite hating one another, and that Professor Snape had been a Deatheater, they were now working together. She couldn't believe that she'd forgotten that conversation! Snape had been a Deatheater, but something had caused him to come over to Dumbledore's side. That was what Labelle had sensed in him. That was why she liked him! There was something in the professor that had prevented him from becoming like the others. He'd made a mistake, but he'd been forgiven, so to speak, by Dumbledore's faith in him.

Ginny sat up, now growing excited. Labelle meowed in complaint at being so rudely dislodged from her favorite spot, but Ginny stood and started pacing.

"He wasn't talking about himself, Labelle," Ginny told her. "He WAS talking about Draco! And I didn't see it! And what did I do when he showed me the mark? I freaked out! I stared at him like he was some repulsive snake, ready to strike! Oh, God! And Snape! He must know that I know now. No wonder he was so disgusted!"

Ginny continued to pace, but now she was thinking to herself. Had Snape, too, shown his mark to some young girl in hopes of understanding and forgiveness? She shook her head. It didn't matter. What mattered was finding out why Draco had shown her his mark. What he trying to get rid of her for good? Had he been so disgusted with himself for caring about her that he'd finally had to pull out the 'big guns' to brush her off? Or was he, as it seemed, trying to protect her? She didn't know, but she was determined to find out.

Sitting on her bed again, Ginny began to plot. Su and Daisy came in soon after, to clean up for supper, but Ginny ignored them. When they left, she turned to Labelle.

"You know how I feel about Draco, right?" she asked the kitten.

Labelle meowed and rubbed against Ginny's arm. Ginny obliged by petting and stroking her friend. A picture of Draco's face appeared in Ginny's mind again, looking wan and worried. Ginny sighed, wondering if that was what Draco looked like when she wasn't around. She sent a thought back to the Kneazle, this of her, holding the quills Draco had given her, and snapping each one in half. Labelle laid her ears back and pulled away with a yowl.

If Ginny could speak Kneazle, she was sure Labelle would have just said, "Are you out of your effing mind?"

Reaching out to reassure the kitten, Ginny murmured, "I know, Labelle. It's mean and dishonest. But if he's trying to get rid of me, he won't care anyway, right? And if he does care, maybe that'll make him come talk to me. Even if it's only to yell at me."

Labelle blinked her large amber eyes. The Kneazle made what Ginny called her affirmative sound and stood. Whether she agreed or not, Labelle would do as Ginny asked. Without another look or sound, the kitten turned and hurried out of the room.

Saturday morning dawned bright, clear and eye-wateringly cold. It was the kind of day when most students would huddle inside by the fire and happy to do so, too. But today was different. The second Quidditch game of the season was scheduled. Today Slytherin would play Ravenclaw and everyone was excited. The first game, between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had been quick, boring and not worth telling about. Harry had grabbed the Snitch within the first seven minutes of the game, but by that time the Gryffindor team had already scored six goals. Hufflepuff had been stampeded 210-0 and not even the Gryffindor team had wanted to talk about it. It was almost embarrassing. Today's game, however, promised to be a bit more exciting.

For one thing, rumour of Draco's being caught outside the library just before a valuable (and evil) book had gone missing (and still was missing) had finally gotten around. Many of the students thought he should be expelled and were in an uproar that he continued on at the school and was allowed to continue to captain the Slytherin team. Also, the Ravenclaws had won the house Quidditch cup last year and were the defending champions. And finally, this was alumni weekend! There would be players and alums from all four houses into watch the game today. Even some of Ginny's brothers would be attending. The Great Hall was festive as the students ate that morning.

At least, most of the students seemed to be in a festive mood. Ginny was feeling better than she had for some time, but when she chanced a glance in the direction of the Slytherin table her cheery mood disappeared. Draco was sitting in his usual spot, but instead of ignoring her, he was giving her the most hateful look to date. Ginny felt chilled by the venom in his look and she turned quickly away. She was about to slip from the table when Colin stopped her.

"All right, Gin, this has gone far enough. Just what is going on between you two?"

"Actually, Colin, nothing is. And it probably will stay that way."

"So I gathered," he said, flashing a look toward the Slytherin table. "But what happened? And why is he looking daggers at us right now?"

Ginny glanced up again, startled that he would still be staring at her. He wasn't, though. As a matter of fact, Draco and the entire Slytherin team were now on their feet and headed for the exit. Ginny's face fell. "Good luck," she murmured quietly.

"Hmmm, like that, is it?" Colin mused, watching Ginny's face. "You're still hooked, he's obviously still hooked, so what's the problem?"

Ginny shrugged. "I-I'll tell you about it after the game, right? We'll find somewhere quiet and I'll tell you everything. Then you can commit me for being a lunatic."

Colin gave her a tiny grin and hugged her tightly. "Lord, Gin, you've been a lunatic for as long as I've known you. Why should I try to commit you now?"

As the late breakfast broke up some time later, Ginny slipped from the table.

"Where are you going, Gin?" Colin asked. "We're about to go out to the pitch!"

Watching the game was the last thing Ginny wanted at the moment, but otherwise she'd be stuck in the castle by herself with only her own thoughts to keep her company. Giving him a small smile, Ginny said, "Just going to get my cloak. Be back in a sec."

She joined the growing crowd of students exiting the Great Hall, and streaming toward their houses to gather mufflers, gloves, hats and cloaks. Ginny headed up the stairs with a few of the younger Gryffindors, listening absently to their conversation. She barely heard when someone called her name.

"Hey, Gin!"

One of the fourth years nudged her and Ginny looked blankly at the girl. "Oh, uh, Natalie, right? What is it?"

The girl, Natalie McDonald, was looking down the stairs and pointing. "Potter's calling you," she said simply and continued up the stairs.

Ginny saw that Harry was at the bottom of the stairs and was waving to her. When he saw that he had her attention he called, "Will you bring my cloak, too? I left it in the Common Room!"

Ginny nodded and now hurried up the stairs. She didn't want to drag Harry's cloak all the way out to the pitch. When she got to Gryffindor, Labelle was waiting patiently for her. The Kneazle followed Ginny up to her dorm and jumped up on the bed. Ginny grabbed her own cloak and gloves and sat next to the kitten.

"I take it you gave him the message?" she said.

The Kneazle meowed. Then she looked into Ginny's eyes and sent a picture of a livid Draco Malfoy that was almost as enraged looking as the boy she'd seen at breakfast. Labelle gave a soft, sad mewl.

"I'm sorry, Labelle. I hope he wasn't mad at you! You were right. It was a bad idea! Now what am I going to do?"

Ginny asked the Kneazle if she were going to the game but the kitten stretched out on the bed, obviously staying put for now. Ginny didn't blame her. It was horribly cold out there and even though it was Draco's team playing, Ginny didn't feel like cheering. Donning her cloak and gloves, she retrieved Harry's cloak and headed back downstairs.

A bunch of Gryffindors was just heading out when Ginny came running down the stairs. Harry took his cloak and thanked her, then headed after Ron and Hermione. Colin fell in beside Ginny and gave her a questioning look.

"Ginny, are you sure you don't want to tell me what's going on right now?" he murmured when the others were out of earshot. "I mean, Malfoy's stamping around like an enraged dragon, you act like your best friend just died, and I think that Zabini fellow is following you!"

Ginny looked around. She didn't see anyone following and turned back to Colin. "Not now, Gin. Just in general! So give! What is going on?"

Ginny sighed. "Not now, Colin. There's just too much to tell, and some of it is really shocking. Later, all right?"

Colin looked dissatisfied, but he nodded. "All right, Gin. Later, then. But would you at least TRY to be cheerful right now?"

With a small laugh, Ginny linked her arm through Colin's and nodded. "Hey," she said with not quite forced good humor. "I'm walking with one of the best looking boys in school! What's not to be cheerful about!"

Ginny was amazed at the number of people packing the stands. She'd been to Alumni Weekend games before, but she didn't remember it being this crowded. She even said so to Colin.

"Yeah, I think it has a lot to do with You-know-Who's rising. People feel safe here, so they come back whenever they can! Hey, isn't that the twins?"

Ginny glanced where he was pointing and saw George and Fred standing with a crowd of young men and women. Ginny was sure she recognized Angelina Johnson, who now played professional Quidditch for the Holyhead Harpies. They were all absorbed in their own conversations and didn't notice her waving. She shrugged and turned back to Colin. They were standing in one of the higher boxes, along the railings, and had a fantastic view of the action. In fact, the entire Gryffindor team was ranged along the rail with girlfriends and boyfriends filling in the spaces. Several feet away, Su was standing with Dean and Daisy, and nearer, Ron, Hermione and Harry were talking excitedly.

Looking around, Ginny was glad she'd come out, after all. It was very cold, but the sun was shining brightly and with the streamers and banners fluttering in the breeze, the noise of the crowd, and the general atmosphere of cheer, Ginny felt pretty good. Just then the announcer cleared her throat and announced the teams. The crowd cheered wildly as the Slytherin and Ravenclaw teams zoomed into the air and performed loops, dives and rolls while warming up. Ginny's eyes were drawn, in spite of herself, to the slender figure of the Slytherin Seeker, who was at present soaring high above the pitch.

Ginny had always loved watching the players, especially the graceful ones. Harry was a delight to watch, always looking as though he'd been born to fly. But Draco Malfoy was, she had to admit, perfection. He looked like the broom was an extension of himself when he flew, and even when she'd loathed him, she'd enjoyed watching him fly. Today was no exception. His flying was graceful and flawless as he executed a few loop-the-loops and barrel rolls. His long, blond hair was caught neatly at his nape in an elastic band, as usual, and flowed brightly in the wind. The green robes were spotless at the moment and fit him perfectly. The phrase 'eye-candy' came to mind again and Ginny sighed. She knew he was warming up and not showing off, but she felt her cheeks flush anyway.

Finally, after several minutes of the aerobatic exercises, the announcer called out that Madam Hooch was ready to release the balls. The crowd stilled for a moment as the small figure of the flying master could be seen in the center of the pitch. The woman opened the case holding the balls and released the Snitch. It fluttered for a second, then zoomed away. The Bludgers came next, shrieking into the sky just as Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air. The Quaffle was enchanted to drop slowly, but it could travel fast when thrown. As soon as it left her hands, the players erupted from their hovering positions. Beaters flew up to cover the Bludgers, Chasers jostled one another to get at the Quaffle, and both Keepers rushed to their respective goals. Two slim figures soared high above the action, both taking watchful positions above the pitch. The Seekers had only one job: to find the small, golden winged Snitch.

Ginny tried to watch the play, but her eyes kept wandering to the slim figure in green zipping this way and that, trying to find the elusive gold ball. The crowd around her yelled loudly and Ginny realized that Ravenclaw had just scored the first goal. Now the teams settled down for the battle. Ginny had to admit that Ravenclaw was very good, possibly better than last year. But the Slytherin team was determined, and very disciplined. After the first goal, the Keeper looked more vigilant and the Chasers grew more aggressive. They snagged the ball from one of the Ravenclaw Chasers and rushed the goal in a wedge formation, passing the ball from one to the other to confuse the Keeper. As they came in scoring range, the Chaser holding the ball feinted to her teammate, then zipped around the Keeper and scored.

Another wave of cheering, though not as loud, broke from the crowd. Ravenclaw recovered the Quaffle and was making another charge for the Slytherin goal, but the Chaser took a glancing blow from a Bludger and dropped the Quaffle. Slytherin recovered and began passing back and forth. Ginny looked away from the game to watch the Seekers. She was surprised to see that Draco was now hovering much closer. In fact, she could see his face clearly! He wasn't looking at her; he was searching for the Snitch. Ginny took advantage of the moment to watch him until he flew out of range once again. So it went for some time. Slytherin was very good this year, and Ravenclaw was only keeping up by dint of enormous effort. Ginny was surprised that there was none of the outrageous cheating and fouling that usually went on in a game involving Slytherin. Well, she amended, in any Gryffindor-Slytherin game. Slytherin was still in the lead over an hour later, by just one goal. It was an exciting game and Ginny was actually enjoying herself. It would be close, that was for sure, she thought. It was going to be a Seeker's game. She caught herself searching the skies for Draco's form yet again.

"Hey, Gin, thanks for bringing my cloak," Harry said suddenly, right in her ear.

Ginny jumped and turned to him. He was standing right next to her now, smiling at her.

"I'd have frozen without it."

He reached out and gave her a friendly hug, then turned back to Hermione and Ron. Ginny shook her head and looked back to the game. Slytherin had scored and was now leading by two goals. She looked around for Draco, wondering where he'd got to. Finally she spied him. He was on the far side of the pitch and he was bent nearly double over his broom. He must have seen the Snitch! Ginny tried to find the small, golden streak, but couldn't. The Ravenclaw Seeker suddenly joined in the chase and all eyes, even those of the other players, seemed to be on the race for the Snitch.

As they flew across the pitch, dodging Bludgers and the other players, Ginny could finally make out the flash of gold that was the Snitch. It swerved back and forth, and both Seekers were jostling one another to get into better position. The Ravenclaw Seeker looked faster, but Draco was the better flier. Ginny watched, breathless, as they flew closer to her position. Then she frowned. The little golden Snitch seemed to be headed right toward where she was standing. Ginny felt a chill of unease snake down her back. The balls were enchanted not to leave the pitch area, but that didn't mean they couldn't fly right into the stands. In fact, Bludgers occasionally glanced off the heads of unwary spectators. But even though the Snitch was much too small to do much damage, the two twelve- to fourteen-stone Seekers behind it could do lots of damage! Colin seemed to be thinking the same thing as he gripped Ginny's shoulders and started to back away. She shook him off, wanting to watch the action. Then everything seemed to happen all at once.

Ginny saw the Snitch fly right at her face, so fast she barely had time to flinch back. Both Seekers were neck and neck, intent on the small golden ball, but Ginny could see the Ravenclaw Seeker's eyes widen as the boy realized the danger. He suddenly pulled his broom up. Draco ignored the boy and came on harder, reaching for the Snitch. At the last second he slewed his body sideways, slamming into the railing with a wood and bone- jarring crack. There were shouts of alarm and cries of fear as people threw themselves clear of the impact. Colin was holding Ginny tightly, preventing her from rushing forward. Ginny tried to shake him off again, but he was holding too tightly.

"Draco!" Ginny cried, seeing the look of pain cross his face.

His hair had come loose of the elastic and was whipping across his face as he braced himself on the broom. The Snitch had hovered for a second beside Ginny's face and Draco stretched the last inch toward her. Wincing, he deftly plucked the Snitch from the air beside her face and held it there as his gaze locked with hers.

Ginny blinked.

"You're hurt!" she breathed quietly.

He had to have broken something! Ginny was shocked that he was still on the broom! As she reached toward him, Colin stopped her. He was still holding her tightly, saying something about the damaged railing, while Harry and Ron were demanding to know what the hell Malfoy thought he was doing. As Ginny watched, Draco swept a strand of hair from his eyes, slanted a glare in Harry's direction and yanked his hand back. She gasped as he wheeled his broom about and raised his fist high in the air, the Snitch held tightly.

The crowd roared again, ecstatic at such an exciting game-ender. Ginny finally yanked free of Colin's hands and rushed to the rail. She watched as Draco flew slowly to the ground, ignoring his teammates happily back- slapping and high-fiving one another. He landed and tossed the Snitch to Madam Hooch, then slowly dismounted. Ginny saw him trudge painfully toward the exit, his broom dragging behind him.

"Colin," she cried. "He's hurt!"

Ginny turned and tried to push her way through the crowds now thronging to the exits. Colin called for her to wait, but she ignored him, pushing and shoving to get down to Draco. It was taking forever and Ginny wanted to scream from frustration. Why couldn't these idiots just MOVE!? Finally, after what seemed forever, Ginny was almost down to the ground level. She could actually see Draco moving slowly toward the locker room and she took heart. She might make it, after all. But as she was about to step off the stairs, she was grabbed from behind and pulled to the side.

Struggling, Ginny twisted around to face her assailant. She froze as she looked up into Blaise Zabini's piercing eyes. Ginny didn't remain frozen for long. She started struggling again, this time ready to call for help. He released her abruptly, but pointed behind her.

"Before you start howling your head off, Weasley, I suggest you look. Recognize anyone?"

Ginny cautiously looked where he was pointing. She could feel the blood leave her face as she saw Marcus Flint standing aside with two younger boys, watching the crowd leaving the pitch. Ginny recognized him, as well as the two boys who had chased her. Looking back at Zabini, Ginny grimaced. He smirked at her.

"Who-who are the two boys with Flint," Ginny asked finally. "They're the ones--,"

"Got it in one, Weasley!" Zabini interrupted. "Malfoy said you were a quick one, but I never believed him. He owes me big for this."

He glanced back at Flint, then down at Ginny again. Now he sounded serious. "Apparently you haven't had the 'pleasure' of meeting Julius Flint and his best friend Augustus LeStrange. Marcus, Julius and Augustus," Zabini sneered. "Noble sounding names for as rotten a pack of bastards as I've ever seen. Wonder what they're looking for? Or who?"

Ginny shivered as she looked at the small group again. They were definitely looking for someone, and Ginny had few doubts who. And if Zabini hadn't stopped her, she would have practically run right into their arms. She turned to thank him but he was gone. Just then, she spied Colin hurrying off the stairs.

"Colin! Over here!" she shouted.

He saw her and headed for her immediately. "Ginny! Thank God! Did you see?"

He looked darkly toward Marcus Flint and company. "I thought you were going to charge right into them!"

Taking her arm, Colin pulled Ginny tightly against him, shielding her slightly from them. But as they approached, Ginny saw Professor Snape walking casually up to the three watchers.

"Ah, Mr. Flint. Welcome back to Hogwarts. I hope you enjoyed the game?"

Colin and Ginny slipped by as the Flints and LeStrange spoke with the Slytherin Head of House. Once they were away from the pitch, they hurried back to the castle. No one seemed to be able to talk of anything besides Draco's remarkable catch and his survival of the horrendous crash against the stands. In the excitement, Ginny was able to duck Colin's questions for a little while, at least. She was pretty sure he would corner her eventually; probably after supper. But she wasn't concerned about that. She had something else to think about now. Although Ginny was as amazed and impressed as everyone else with Draco's fantastic catch, she was remembering something else. No one else had seen it, but he'd very deliberately and very gently brushed her cheek with his fingers as he snatched his hand away.

"He must be really hurt, to miss supper!" Ginny was telling Colin as they left the Great Hall.

The Slytherins had been understandably jubilant, considering their win over Ravenclaw, and it seemed everyone could talk about little else besides Draco's spectacular game-winning catch. But Draco hadn't been there. Ginny had fretted and worried, wondering if she dared ask Snape if he knew anything. When she looked his way, Professor Snape pointedly looked away, as though ignoring her purposely. Su, Daisy and Dean were sitting nearby and Daisy was trying to include Ginny and Colin in the conversation, but Ginny wasn't about to say anything in front of either Su or Dean. Dean wouldn't understand, and Su would probably accuse Ginny of being 'selfish' again. With the meal finally over, Ginny decided to visit the hospital wing to see if Draco was there.

Colin agreed to go with her and they headed off immediately. The hospital wing was empty; even Madam Pomfrey was gone. Now Ginny fretted even more.

"Where could he be?" she asked for possibly the hundredth time.

"Gin, why don't you just ask Labelle to find him? I notice that she seems to have a link with him, too, right?"

Ginny almost slapped her forehead. Of course! How simple! She was amazed she hadn't thought of it herself. As they hurried back up to Gryffindor, Ginny thanked God that she had such a good friend. And regardless of how things turned out with Draco, she wished Colin could find someone special for himself.

Entering Gryffindor, Ginny glanced around for the Kneazle. Labelle was usually waiting for her to return from meals, but not always.

"Just my luck she's decided to go mousing tonight," Ginny said glumly.

"Well, just wait on her. She's never very late, right? Besides, you could fill me in while we're waiting, right?"

Grimacing, Ginny shook her head. "I think I might have been wrong, Colin. I thought he really hated me, but now I'm not sure. I want to understand everything first. Do you mind?"

Colin sighed. "Ginny, we've been friends for years and I trust you completely. Why don't you trust me?"

"Oh, Colin," Ginny said, grabbing his hands. "If it was just about me, I'd tell you anything! But it involves Draco, too! Just be patient a little longer?"

"Well, I gotta tell you, Ginny, I can only think of a few things that would be so bad you think you can't share 'em with me. If you say so, though, I'll wait. But if I have to wait much longer, I'll just have to go ask Malfoy what his intentions are."

He said it cheerfully enough, but Ginny knew he was serious. She nodded, understanding. Colin nodded back and took himself off to talk with teammates. Ginny decided she might as well finish her homework while she was waiting for Labelle. She ran upstairs to grab her bag and brought it back to work at one of the tables in the Common Room. The Quidditch team had gathered near the fireplace and Ginny rolled her eyes, knowing they would now be planning their strategies for their upcoming game with Slytherin. Gryffindor had lucked out, since Slytherin had seen very little of their game, but they'd been treated to over two hours of Slytherin play. Pulling out her Potions scroll, Ginny set to work.

After half an hour of staring at the same line, Ginny threw down her quill. It was one of the old ones and this was the last straw. The mended tip shattered altogether and a large blot of ink now stained her Potions homework.

"Damn," she said irritably. It had been the last of her old quills and there was still two weeks before the Christmas holidays. She couldn't purchase new quills (she didn't even have the money for it) until the next Hogsmeade visit. She'd have to use the ones Draco had bought.

Ginny hadn't had a chance to return them yet, which was just as well or she never could have sent that image to him through Labelle. She probably shouldn't have done that considering how angry he'd become. Labelle had been right on that score. And now that she considered, it might be a bad idea to try to return them, too. She stood and stretched, impatient that she hadn't gotten anything accomplished. Where was that Kneazle, anyway? Ginny considered sending her thoughts to the kitten, but she wasn't in trouble, and she didn't want to bother Labelle if the Kneazle was enjoying herself. Frustrated, Ginny blotted the ink away, rolled the scroll up again, and shoved everything back in her bag. She'd just have a nice, hot shower, change into her pajamas, and wait for Labelle in her room, Ginny decided. She had all of tomorrow to finish her homework, right?

The shower was lovely and relaxing, and her pajamas freshly laundered. She slipped into the faded old boys pajamas and pulled on her dressing gown. The pajamas were old hand me downs that were worn almost to the point of immodesty, but they were comfortable. And the dressing gown was a relic from her fourth year. But Ginny hadn't gotten much taller, or much curvier since, and it still fit well enough. Stuffing her feet into her fuzzy little slippers, Ginny sat on her bed and wished again for her novel. She hadn't seen it since the day she'd left it in the library. It was probably now in a dustbin somewhere, but Ginny hadn't gone back to check. She'd been avoiding just about everything for the last two weeks. She silently vowed that whatever finally happened when she was able to talk to Draco, she would stop being such a coward. With that thought, Ginny lay back and dozed off.

Daisy and Su had returned to the room, but that wasn't what had awakened Ginny. Labelle was planted on her chest, mewling quietly and swatting at Ginny's face with her paw. Ginny opened her eyes slowly, trying to figure out what was going on, when Labelle sent her an image.

It was Draco, but as she'd never seen him before. He seemed to be hurting terribly! His hair was wild, with sweaty hanks hanging across his face. His face was twisted in a mask of pain and he brandishing a small, evil- looking knife! Ginny sat so suddenly that Labelle rolled off onto the mattress. Ginny's heart was pounding and she could feel her stomach clench. What was happening to Draco!? Looking at her roommates, Ginny decided against waking them. Whatever was happening, she was certain Draco wouldn't want them witnessing it. Shaking, she slipped from the bed and grabbed for her cloak. She was still wearing her slippers and her dressing gown, so she was ready to go in an instant.

"Let's go," she whispered to the Kneazle, slipping through the door.

It took less than a minute to move through the Common Room and to the exit. When they were standing in the hallway outside of Gryffindor, Ginny knelt down.

"Labelle, can you take me to him?" she asked, still shaking from the vision Labelle had given her.

"Here, what are you doing out of bed at this hour, young lady?"

Ginny jumped, but it was just the lady in the portrait. "I'm going to help a friend, and if you want to wake up the entire castle, that's a good way to do it!"

Turning her back on the portrait, Ginny followed as Labelle slipped quietly down the hallway.

"Where are we going, Labelle?" Ginny whispered.

The Kneazle had begun by taking Ginny down the back passages they'd used to sneak to the kitchens. It didn't take long, however for the kitten to lead Ginny into different passages, ones she'd never even noticed before. And they were heading down, toward the dungeons. The passages were becoming more and more dusty and musty smelling and Ginny had a feeling that even George and Fred hadn't explored some of these paths. Labelle stopped at Ginny's question and looked at her.

The image of Draco in pain briefly flitted through her brain again, and Ginny flinched. "I know we're going to Draco. I'm just totally lost right now. Where are we?"

Instead of making any sort of answer, the Kneazle continued down the hallway they were currently traveling. Ginny shrugged and followed. It was growing colder and damper, and she hugged her cloak tightly around her. An instant later, both Kneazle and girl stopped, listening intently. From somewhere up ahead they heard a crash and a loud voice yelling harshly. He's in trouble! Ginny thought, charging ahead without thinking. Labelle had leapt forward at the same instant and both were pelting down the corridor full tilt when another loud crash was heard from behind a doorway up ahead.

Ginny ran to the portal and snatched at the doorknob, throwing the door open and rushing into the room, Labelle at her heels. The sight that met her eyes caused her to stumble to a stop, staring dumbly. The room looked like an old, disused potions classroom. At least, there were sinks along the wall and heaps of vials, beakers and cauldrons in dusty piles on the various shelves. There was no furniture in the room save a single tall stool, and that was occupied by a very loud, very intoxicated-looking Draco Malfoy! He was sitting on the tall stool, still wearing his Quidditch uniform, though the robe and wrist guards had been discarded. He didn't appear to be in pain at the moment. What he appeared to be was dead drunk. Otherwise, why would he be talking and yelling to himself? Not only that, but he was plucking beakers and vials from a nearby shelf and flinging them against the far wall, watching as they splintered into hundreds of pieces. A large, nearly empty bottle of Ogden's Fire Whiskey sat near his elbow, precariously balanced on the very edge of the countertop.

Ginny's first thought as she took in the sight was to wonder where on earth an underage schoolboy got his hands on alcohol in the middle of the school year? Her second thought was more to the point. Why was Draco here, alone, and raging drunk? This was the emergency that had had Labelle and Ginny frantic?

Anger began to build inside her and Ginny slammed the door firmly. As she advanced on Draco, he finally seemed to notice her.

"Well!" he said, giving Ginny a sloppy, leering sort of half smile. "If it ishint the li'l weashel! And her li'l Kneazle, too!"

He stood, left arm hugging his waist, and pushed the hair from his face. With the wobbly grace of the profoundly drunk, he executed a low bow. Ginny glared at him, shaking her head. She was not disgusted with his being drunk. With six brothers, most of whom were born pranksters and adventurers, she was familiar with this typically male behavior. Stupid, yes, but typical. But that he'd worried herself and Labelle so made her spitting mad. In fact, she was so angry she nearly turned on her heel and left him to his bottle. Labelle however, meowed loudly and Ginny watched in horrified fascination as Draco fell over, flat on his face.

"Draco!" she cried, running to his side.

Kneeling beside him, Ginny tugged him onto his back. Grabbing his lower arm, she began to shake him, only to drop his arm quickly. It was wet. And sticky. Her stomach heaved as Ginny looked at her hand. It was covered with blood!

"Oh, God, Draco! What have you done to yourself?"

Ginny was muttering as she struggled to yank the Quidditch jumper and tee shirt from Draco's arms. The first thing she'd done after discovering that he was bleeding was to send Labelle for Colin. Then she'd rushed back to Draco's side. She'd tried to tug the sleeves up, first, but the tee shirt was too tight. If he'd been either unconscious or sober this would be much easier. As it was, he was semi-conscious and being a prat.

"Go 'way, weashel!" he was saying right now. "You wanna undresh someone, go fin' Potter! You were pretty frien'ly wi' him earlier."

Ginny swatted at his hands, trying to get him to stay still. "Well, why shouldn't I be friendly with Harry? It's not like anyone else is interested in me, right? Now stop fighting and let me see what you've done to yourself!"

He stared at her for a moment, but it was long enough for Ginny to drag the jumper and tee shirt off the left arm. Ginny nearly gagged at what she'd revealed. Grabbing the left arm, Ginny felt her stomach roil and clench again. In the middle of the forearm, where the hated mark had been, was now a gaping, shredded wound. Blood was still oozing from the gash, although slowly, and Ginny could see small fibers of material from his jumper stuck in the congealed blood at the edges.

"Oh, my dear Lord. Draco, your poor arm."

She'd barely whispered it, but clearly he'd heard. Draco yanked his arm away and tried to sit up.

"Don' need your damn' pity, Weashley," he gritted out. "Why don' you jus' fuck off? Go fin' Potty an' live happily ever after?"

Ginny flinched as though he'd struck her. Then she lashed out herself.

"Pity? Oh, yeah, Malfoy," she spat out. "I so pity you! Poor little Draco! He has everything he wants. His daddy is rich and he gets anything he asks for. And if that isn't enough, he's got goons to beat up anyone who gets him mad, doesn't he? Yeah, it so sucks to be you, doesn't it?"

Ginny glared at him. "I can't believe I was worried about you! I think I'll do that! I'll just fuck off and go find Harry. Even if he treats me like his sister, at least he's never treated me like crap! Have a nice life with your Deatheater friends, Draco!"

She would have stood, but his hand snaked out and gripped her wrist. "Please," he said quietly. "I'm sorry!"

Angrily wiping tears from her eyes, Ginny demanded, "Well, make up your mind, Malfoy. I'm tired of being pulled back and forth. Do you want me to stay or not?"

"You an' Potter? You're not--,"

"You said it yourself, Malfoy," Ginny said acidly. "He never knew I was alive."

"But you wish he did, don' you?" Draco was staring intently at her, gripping her hand so hard it hurt.

Ginny didn't pull away, though. Instead, she covered his hand with her other one and squeezed. "Not for a long time, Draco," she said softly. "Not since this horrid, awful boy rescued me and Labelle in Knockturn Alley." She shrugged. "Since then, all I could think was 'Harry who?'"

Draco closed his eyes and groaned. "God, wh' an idiot," he muttered.

"You got that right," Ginny said, still hurt. "Now let go and let me see what else you did to yourself."

She pulled her hands free and reached for the jumper. He caught her hands again. Then he smiled. With a sudden mood swing, he leered at her again.

"Still tryin' to undress me, li'l weashel?"

Ginny was confused for a moment, but she remembered that her brothers sometimes did the same thing when they'd drunk too much. They would get all wound up about something and then forget about it in the next minute. Right now, Draco seemed to have forgotten that he just told her to 'fuck off' and was cheerfully trying to help her undress him. In fact, he was becoming enthusiastic about trying to undress her, as well.

"Here, li'l weashel," he slurred. "Lemme get thesh boots off, too!"

He leaned forward and tried to reach for the buckles of his flying boots, but Ginny was quickly losing patience.

"Damn it, Malfoy! If you don't lay back and behave, I'll-I'll sit on you!"

He turned amused eyes to her and leered. "Tha's s'posed to make me behave, li'l weashel? Or ish tha' a promish?"

But he lay back anyway and finally Ginny was able to work the garments off his other arm and over his head. She sucked in her breath when she saw the extent of the bruising on his ribs.

"Oh, my dear Lord," she breathed, reaching out tentatively to touch a livid weal on his side.

"'S'matter, Weasley?" he said in a tired slur. "Never seen a naked boy before?"

Ginny tried to glare, but she wanted to cry. The bruises and the ragged wound in his arm were horrid. Looking at the arm again, Ginny swallowed. He hadn't been trying to kill himself, she was certain of that. He'd merely been trying to carve the hated mark from his arm. She shook her head.

"Never seen such a sorry specimen, is all," she said, her voice wobbly. "Besides, you're only half-naked. I'm going to get some water and clean you up, so you just stay there."

He'd snorted at her insult, but as Ginny tried to stand he reached out with his uninjured arm and grasped at her hand. "Jus' stay a while, okay?"

"But, your arm-," she began.

"Fuck the arm," he snapped. Then, "I missed you," he said more quietly. He held her hand tightly.

Ginny stared at him. Did he even realize what he'd just said, she wondered? Or was it just the alcohol talking? With a little shake of her head, she pulled her hand away. "At least let me cover you! You'll freeze!"

Ginny unfastened her cloak and started to drape it over him. He chuckled and leered at her again. "Wi' a gallon of Ogdens's and you in your bed things? Not likely, li'l weashel."

She could feel her face flushing as he continued. "Las' time I saw you like tha'.." his voice trailed off and his eyes closed. Ginny thought he would fall asleep, but he spoke again.

"Thought I wash dreamin'. Thought you were an angel...my own angel...there t' reshcue me."

He drifted off again, and Ginny reached out to tug the cloak more closely about him. She gritted her teeth as she looked again at the bruising down his side. He had hurt himself earlier, and he hadn't done anything about it.

"Git," she hissed, feeling tears sting her eyes.

Leaning forward, she smoothed the hair from his brow and brushed her lips over his forehead lightly. He opened his eyes.

"Not s'posed t' call people names when they're hurt, Weashley. Unsportin'. Damned if you shouldn'da been in Slytherin!"

"Yeah, well," she said, blinking the tears away and sitting up, "I told the sorting hat I'd rather be in Gryffindor, thank you very much. Besides, when people behave like idiots, they should be told about it. Idiot!"

"An' what did I do thish time, li'l weashel?" He grinned at her again, a lopsided grin that made Ginny's heart race. Brushing more of the long strands of his hair away from his face, Ginny leaned down again.

"Well, Malfoy, you could have been celebrating with your team, but instead, you're alone in this depressing room, half-naked on the freezing floor with a hole in your arm! Doesn't that sound idiotic to you?"

His eyes glittered and Ginny suddenly wondered if he were quite so drunk as he made out. "Not alone, Weasley. An' if I could jus' get you half-naked, too, it wouldn't soun' idiotic at all."

Releasing her hand, he wrapped his own around her neck and pulled her closer. He leaned up toward her. "Ginny," he whispered as his lips touched hers.

"Dear me, Labelle, I think we're interrupting!"

"Shit," Draco hissed as he released Ginny and sank back to the floor.

Ginny hadn't jumped when she heard Colin's voice; she'd been expecting him any time. But she couldn't help being disappointed at his timing. With a sigh, she sat up and motioned to him. Labelle rushed over and began to sniff at Draco, then wrinkled her nose and sat back.

"Sorry, L'belle," Draco said to the Kneazle. "I mus' be pretty ripe, huh?"

"This isn't quite the emergency Labelle's images of gore had prepared me for," he quipped as he knelt beside Ginny. "So, Malfoy, glad to see you're alive. Hello!"

He gasped suddenly and reached for Draco's arm. "You're supposed to carve pumpkins, Malfoy, not your own arm!"

Draco frowned and tried to pull his arm back, but he was either weak from a combination of too much alcohol and blood loss or Colin was much stronger than he looked. Colin held his arm firmly in one hand and began to rifle through the bag he'd brought with the other. Labelle tried to help out by moving to stand on the Slytherin's chest, but Ginny pulled her gently away.

"Dunno what you're so nervous about, Malfoy. I'm really quite good at this, and if you're worried about me taking liberties, don't. I'd never try to pinch Ginny's fellow. Be a love, Gin," he said casually, "and help Malfoy sit up. I'm sure he'll feel less vulnerable that way."

That earned him a glare from Draco, but Ginny merely nodded and moved to Draco's other side. Wrapping her arm under his shoulders, she heaved him upward as Colin pulled. Draco's already pale face was white and sweating when they'd gotten him upright. Labelle mewled sympathetically and crawled onto Draco's lap.

"Anesthetic's worn off, has it?" Colin said mildly, nodding to the bottle of Ogden's. "What were you thinking, anyway, Malfoy? The mark's magical. Can't just carve it out, can you? Gin, wet that tee shirt and bring it back. We've got to wash this out. By the way, Malfoy, how much Ogden's did you start with?"

Ginny looked up at Colin, shocked. Draco stared at the other boy, his look steely.

"Don't worry, Malfoy. Ginny didn't say anything. I just figured that was the only thing she could have found out about you that she wouldn't tell me about! Now, how much Ogden's did you say there was?"

Giving Colin a half-hearted glare, Draco mumbled something that Ginny didn't hear. She was busy rinsing out the tee shirt and shaking her head. So Colin had guessed, anyway? And he obviously hadn't cared, or had trusted Ginny's own judgment enough not to be too alarmed. He'd even continued to encourage Ginny. Glancing at the bottle again, she wrung out the tee shirt and grabbed the Ogden's. Even though there was only about a finger left in the huge bottle, you never knew when you'd need an antiseptic, right?

"The whole damned thing? And you're still conscious! Damn, Malfoy, you're my new hero! Did you hear that, Ginny? He drank the whole thing himself!"

Colin was obviously trying to lighten the mood in the room. Draco's half- hearted glare turned into a full glare which took in both Gryffindors equally as Ginny began to giggle. She handed Colin the tee shirt, which he promptly began to rip.

"Hey! Waddaya think your doing?" Draco demanded, trying to grab his shirt back.

"Just relax, Malfoy. It's not like its your only tee shirt, right? And if you're still put out about it tomorrow, I'll buy you a new one. Now just lean back against Ginny and try to think pleasant thoughts while I clean this up."

Draco had started muttering, but when Colin finished, he gave Ginny a grin. "Come on, Weashley. You heard Creevey. I need t' lean on you!"

Ginny grimaced at Colin but moved obligingly closer. Draco took Colin at his word and leaned firmly against Ginny. He squirmed about for a second, making himself more comfortable, adjusting the large Kneazle on his lap, and then, finally, reached for her hand. Wrapping her arm around his waist, he settled his uninjured arm on top of hers and sighed.

"Ri', then, Creevey, do your wors'."

Colin concentrated on the injury and brought out his wand. He'd thoroughly cleaned out the ragged wound and had smeared a stinging antiseptic salve on it. After it had set for a moment, Colin whispered a healing spell and tapped the arm gently.

They could immediately see the wound edges begin to pull together and fill in. Colin then put the wand aside.

"Right, then. Now let's see those ribs."

Draco scowled at him and pulled Ginny's arm more tightly around his chest. "Back off, Creevey," he said. "I'm no' some guinea pig for you t' practice on."

Colin shrugged, but Ginny yanked her arm away. "You can find another pillow, Draco Malfoy, if you don't let Colin see. He's probably just as good as the healer, you know. And you're hurt! Now stop being stupid!"

"Jus' who d'ya think you're callin' stupid, little weasel?" he demanded, turning painfully to glare at her.

Ginny smiled sweetly. "Why, you, Malfoy. You're the only one in the room who qualifies. But, if you really think you don't need Colin's help, we'll just leave now. Ready, Colin?"

Labelle jumped out of his lap as Ginny prepared to stand, but Draco grabbed her hand. She moved against him again and he leaned into her arms.

"Dam' manipulative li'l weasel. I see how its gonna be. Wrapped roun' your finger. Pathetic."

He glared at Colin and said, "Jus' remember, Creevey. Everythin' you see already belongs t' Weasley."

With that, he took a deep breath and held his arms away from his body. Colin's eyebrows, which had shot up at that last statement, now settled in a line above his eyes.

"Wow, you really go all out when you get hurt, don't you, Malfoy."

"Do my bes'," he answered calmly.

Even though Ginny had seen the bruising before, now that he wasn't covering half of it with his arm, she gasped. His entire left side was purple, black and blue. The flesh over his ribs was scraped, and over two ribs in particular, there were misshapen lumps. The bruising extended down his side to disappear beneath his trousers. Colin was gently examining the ribs and he clicked his tongue.

"Broken, definitely," he murmured.

He began to prod at Draco's side and stomach, causing the Slytherin to twitch.

"Are you ticklish or does that hurt?" Colin quipped.

"'s sore," Draco gritted out.

"But not the 'scrape you off the ceiling' kind of sore, right? Just achy?"

Draco shrugged. "Yeah, like a bruise."

"Right. How 'bout your hip? Any pain there besides bruising? If you don't want me to look, I could have Ginny-,"

"My hip's fine, and so's my ass," he growled, struggling to sit straight. "All ri'? Done yet?"

It had to be having him so close. Having Draco half-nude in her arms was making Ginny feel giddy and reckless. Especially after the things he'd said. Her lips twitched as she murmured, "Are you sure? Just a quick peek? I wouldn't mind looking. I mean, I'm just protecting my property, right?"

Ginny let one hand slide down his side and rest on the edge of his belt. She even toyed with the leather. Draco gasped and pushed her hand away while Colin choked on a laugh.

Draco turned his head to glare at her. "Evil. You're evil, you know that, li'l weasel? How'd you end up in Gryffindor, anyway?"

"Wicked, not evil. There's a difference. Besides, YOU'RE the one who said everything Colin saw already belonged to me," Ginny pointed out reasonably. "I was just exercising my rights of ownership."

His reply was very unreasonable, Ginny thought. "Yeah, well, nex' time, exercise 'em when there's not an audience!"

Colin finally got his 'coughing' fit under control and took up his wand again. "All right, children," he said in a mock-stern voice. "Play-time's over. Let me heal the ribs, and we can get Malfoy back to Slytherin."

"Sure you know wha' you're doin'?" Draco asked.

"Mending bones is easier than fixing cuts," he said simply and tapped Draco's ribs with the wand.

Despite there being two of them and Colin's being as tall as Draco, and nearly as strong, the two Gryffindors weren't having an easy time of helping the Slytherin boy back to his Common Room. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that the tall blond was still ragingly drunk. Even with both of them working together, they were struggling to keep Draco upright and moving in the right direction. They had to rely on Labelle to get them to Slytherin since all Draco seemed interested in doing was hanging on and struggling not to spew on them all. He'd been fine when they'd left the classroom, but the longer he was on his feet, the more he seemed to be in danger of losing the enormous quantity of alcohol he'd quaffed.

At least he wasn't loud and obnoxious, Ginny thought with a sigh. The last thing they needed was to have Filch descend on them and take them all in for being out after curfew. And being drunk. Ginny was wondering if it wouldn't just be easier to place a 'mobilicorpus' spell on Draco and float him to Slytherin, when Labelle froze. Colin and Ginny pulled Draco to a stopped a pace behind and they all listened intently.

Someone was coming! They were in a long stretch of corridor with no doorways on either side, and there was no place to hide!

"What now?" Colin said, smiling thinly.

Ginny bit her lip. "Here, Colin, lean Draco on me and you take off!" she whispered, trying to take the tall Slytherin's weight.

"Like hell," both boys said at the same time.

"You two shove off, I'll be fine," Draco slurred, trying to stand on his own.

Colin rolled his eyes at the Slytherin. "Right, Malfoy, you can barely walk. Look, Ginny, just go, right?" he said. "It'll be okay."

Ginny was about to argue when a cool, smooth voice cut in. "And if you all make any more noise, you'll wake half the damned school. What the hell's going on?"

Ginny shivered as Blaise Zabini strolled casually up the hall, robes flowing after him and his prefect's badge glittering conspicuously on his chest. Oh boy, she thought. They were in deep this time.

"Zabini!" Draco said with a grin. "Jus' in time to save our asses!"

Then he dropped to his knees and threw up.