Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related material are not owned by me. No infringement is intended. Kisses. Don't sue me please. Thanks a million.
Read y Review, por favor! I hope you enjoyed the beginning chapters. Again, here it goes.
It had been truly amazing. He was quicker than anyone she had ever seen. He had gone past her in the hall and she had been practically simpering. She wondered if she could do that. On her brother's command, she had followed them up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had clucked her tongue and stopped the bleeding in about a second. She also gave Harry a potion that she said helped steady the body and nerves after an attack by dark magic. "And this is dark magic. Simple spell, one of the first cures I learned, but dark nonetheless." A shiver had shot down Ginny's spine. Look what it could do! She headed off to Herbology and gotten into the greenhouse just as the bell rang. Ginny had given an explanation to Professor Sprout who had given her an appraising look.
"Is Mr. Potter alright?" She asked breathlessly. Wasn't he always?
"I hope he can cope with simple dark magic if he's the supposed savior of wizard kind." Ginny had said testily, before going to sit with Colin Creepy and Jamie Black. Professor Sprout had looked slightly surprised, but Ginny refused to look at her and the woman shortly started class.
"Belladonna and Deadly Nightshade today, folks." She pointed to a grouping of plants. "Combined with a few simple ingredients in a potion and you've got quite a frightening effect."
"What is it?" Ginny had asked, on the edge on the of her seat.
"Immediate emaciation. The person must continue eating until the potion wears off, but often they gorge themselves to death. A very mild version is put into most dietary supplements that our kind send off to Muggles." She shook her head. "Today we're going to be repotting them, as they are useful in many other potions, such as…" But Ginny had tuned her out and thought of what you could do with such a potion. She looked at Colin Creevey beside her, taking notes, tugging at his lip with his teeth. His cheeks sucked in and his skin grayed. His ribs pushed out and his stomach filled with gas. All his bones were brittle. She could snap them and set food just away from his broken body. Ginny let out a shaky sigh in admiration. She raised her hand and Professor Sprout had answered it impatiently.
"What is it called? The belladonna and nightshade potion." Professor Sprout blinked in slight shock. She had moved on from the potion. "Professor?"
"Oatless. Oatless Concoction. After its creator."
"Oatless?" Ginny asked incredulously.
"Yes, Ms. Weasley." Professor Sprout seemed to be becoming frustrated.
"I don't know. I guess I was expecting something more dramatic."
"I suppose." Professor Sprout began speaking again and Ginny's thoughts had drifted. What she could do with a potion like that.
She was in bed now, looking up Oatless Concoction. She set the book down, frustrated. Her sketch book was constantly on her mind, and it seemed to be constantly on Draco's because he continually was probing at it. "Haven't you figured it out by now?" She growled.
"You still up, Weasley?" Sandra, the only other girl in her year, mumbled sleepily. "Turn off the light." Ginny shut her book quickly and shut her eyes against the anger.
"Fucking half-blood ordering me around…"
"Hmmm?" Her roommate sounded desperate to go back to sleep. "Weasley!"
"Nothing. Nothing. Sorry." She blew out the candles next to her bed and watched as the pretty sandy-haired girl flipped over and disappeared under a pillow. Ginny clapped her hangings together and let her hair spill against a pillow. "She'll get hers. Won't she, Tom." There was no answer and for a moment Ginny sat both anticipating and fearing the voice that never laced through her head. "Won't she?"
* * *
Ginny tried to trail the Slytherins as best she could, to figure out the password and search for her sketchbook, but they didn't seem to go to great lengths to say the password. Finally, Malfoy caught notice of her and caught her by the arm. "I know I'm vastly appealing, Weasley. But I said no." Several people chuckled and Ginny made herself remain indifferent.
"I know. I know. I'm sorry, Draco, you are irresistible." He smirked. "I just wanted to let you know that I agree. Hagrid is better suited for you than I am." There were more chuckles and she wrinkled her nose at him.
"Well Weasley, you certainly can't boast a giant dick."
"Oh well. Neither can you." Ginny shrugged. "You set yourself up for that."
"Indeed." He considered for a moment. "At least I didn't set myself up for failure like you did, by being born."
"It took you awhile." Ginny yawned. "A poison arrow to my heart." She cried sarcastically. "You'll eat those words someday, Malfoy."
"Better than some of the things you eat, Weasley."
"Sticks and stones, Draco. Now I believe you have something of mine and I'd like it back."
"You can't take back your virginity. It just doesn't work." Draco shrugged helplessly.
"You didn't take my virginity because something of yours doesn't work." Draco flushed and she smirked. Victory. "Now. My property?"
"Until your ability to apologize begins to function, I'm afraid something else won't."
"What, your brain?" Everyone around seemed to be enjoying this.
"That's it. I'm sorry. No book for you."
"Alright. I'm sorry, Malfoy. But I challenge you to a duel." There were gasps.
"Weasley! Don't be stupid. He'll kill you!" Blaise Zabini cried. "Draco. Remember what happened just yesterday. Draco, please!"
"I accept." He whipped his wand out and his mouth opened. It seemed to go in slow motion. Ginny tore her wand from her robes and managed to get out of the way of the jet blue light. It blasted away stone. Everyone backed away but stayed close enough to watch.
"Nice try." Ginny whirled around and yelled out a spell and it hit Draco in the shoulder. Everyone gasped. Draco felt heat radiating from the wound and then the spell retracted from his shoulder and back into Ginny's wand. She bit her lip and smiled contentedly. Draco's energy drained and blood from his shoulder dripped onto the stone floor.
"That's black magic that is." He gasped.
"I missed breakfast, Malfoy. I thought I'd take some energy that you seem to have from a few breakfast too many." That was a low blow.
"I'm not fat!" He shouted, along with something that sent white light directly into Ginny's leg. She crumbled and clutched her leg. She sent something else at him. He gasped and wheezed. Someone broke off from the crowd and raced up the stairs. Draco sent a spell at Ginny. She spat blood onto the floor so she could curse him back. He clutched his eyes and sent something towards her. It rang true and she barely dodged it.
"You trying to kill me?"
"Only if I'm lucky." He spat, still struggling to breath. She cried out and he crumbled to the ground due to excruciating pain in his arm. She had hit him in the same shoulder wound. "Is it fair to hit a blind man?"
"Only if you were the one to blind him. AARGH!" He put the same spell that she had previously performed on him, constricting both their breathing. They gasped and flopped around on the floor continually wounding each other back and forth, until Professors Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore skidded down the stairs to the dungeon.
"STOP! STOP!" McGonagall bellowed. Draco, although he couldn't see, flopped gratefully down and tried to collect his breath. Ginny stayed up, but sucked her breath through gritted teeth.
"What happened?" Dumbledore asked, with no small amount of contempt. No stepped up. "What happened here?" He repeated looking over the crowd, who mostly bowed their heads.
"They were dueling over something." Blaise said loudly, stepping out of the crowd and looked angrily at her companions. She wasn't ashamed to speak out. "They're both bloody brilliant with their wands." Snape closed his eyes and shook his head. Draco fainted with a groan, his chest barely rising.
"Alright. Up to the hospital wing." Dumbledore said, conjuring up stretchers. Ginny pulled herself onto the stretcher with some difficulty and barely contained herself from retching right on top of the blood that was pooling on the floor. A few of the other students seemed to be feeling the same way and they moaned and turned away. The world was buzzing as Ginny was taken upstairs and deposited on a clean, starched bed.
"Alright then. You two are a right mess. And on the second day of school." Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Tell me now. What spells were used exactly?" Ginny took as deep a breath as she could.
"Cureless constriction curse." She managed to say.
"Well. That was right bright of you. That can kill you. You're just lucky that the name doesn't hold true. There is a cure. And I repeat, luckily for you." Ginny took heavy labored breaths as the spell was taken off of her and then Draco. Her head steadied and she was able to repeat the rest of the curses, jinxes, and charms to Madam Pomfrey. Finally, she rested back, healed, but exhausted. She gulped air and tried to swallow. Madam Pomfrey sat in the chair by the bed. Ginny shifted her head. "Yes?"
"Don't use that tone with me. Can you sleep?"
"I'm hoarse, not impertinent. I took some of Malfoy's energy and the only thing that's happening is my total inability to sleep." Ginny took a gulp of the water that was offered, and then another.
"I'll give you some sleeping potion after you've had some water and Anti-Dark Matter Potion. How did you learn all that Dark Magic? I've seen grown wizards not know that. I don't suppose I would if I hadn't gone to healing school." Ginny took more water and another few breaths.
"It's interesting isn't it. The dark arts, I mean. You know?" She couldn't say anymore and Poppy seemed to sense it. Ginny drank the dark matter potion and then glutinous purple liquid. She fell back on her pillow and murmured for a minute before rolling over again and beginning to snore. Loud.
Snape came up behind Madam Pomfrey and whispered. "How are our little delinquents?"
"Severus." Madam Pomfrey patted a hand on her supple bosom. "You gave me a fright. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Weasley will be fine. It's fairly obvious why Mr. Malfoy would know such things, but the Weasley family is… well…"
"Light?" Snape suggested. He didn't wait for Poppy to answer. "Professor Dumbledore wants word sent to him when the two of them wake up. I believe he'll need to question them."
"For a simple duel? Can't the heads of houses-?"
"Poppy. You didn't see them. It was amazing, how quick they were, when they were still just collapsed on the floor, they were faster than a lot of students on their feet. And that was dark, dark magic. Not just your run of the mill, oops, that's just a curse my mum taught me. They would have killed each other had not one of my students come to me. They could have killed each other before then, I believe, but both were holding back. To save themselves a murder trial, I'm sure."
* * *
Hours later, Ginny's eyes slitted open and a smirking Draco looked at her tiredly from his pillow. "You were brilliant." He whispered. "And you snore."
"I know. On both counts. You weren't so bad yourself." She conceded. "I ache all over, especially in my chest."
"You know no idea. I think my shoulder has died and gone to hell."
"It looks to be rotting off your back. That's a good spell, yeah?" Ginny smiled proudly.
"Yeah. I should have used it." He said. "I wouldn't have passed out."
"Nah, it's mostly for show. The energy itself feels too much like caffeine."
"Speaking of which, I could go for some food." He glanced at her. "You don't really think-?"
"That you're fat? Oh my god, Draco. No, no I don't." She snorted and yawned. Reaching over and squeezing his hand she smiled at him. "You ready to face the world for the awful deeds that we've committed?" He nodded.
"Madam Pomfrey!" He called out hoarsely, clearing his throat. "Food!" She came out and looked at their hands, clasped together and breathed a sigh of… well, it could have been relief.
"Well then. I can certainly bring you food. But then… then you have some explaining to do." She disappeared again.
"So…" Ginny said softly. "No hard feelings?"
"None at all. Except for the fact that I think I'm jealous of you."
"Don't you think that's a little much? I was striving for admiration." Ginny whispered hoarsely "Plus, I look like more of a train wreck than you do I'm sure." He chuckled and wheezed happily.
"Are we friends or what?" He asked.
"Equals. Definitely equals. But we could be friends if your cronies could swing it."
"I have a feeling they might." Draco gave her hand a little squeeze and dropped it.
"And my brother?"
"Oh, the look on his face will be enough for me. If you're going to tell him."
"Ah. The aspect in my life in which I am totally unbrave."
"I can tell you are, because you're making up words."
"Unbrave is a word." She defended.
"No. It's not."
"Is too!" She said shrilly, making herself cough. "Look. I challenge you to a wizard's…"
"No, Weasley! You'll kill your new best friend."
"I always was sort of a loner."
"Not anymore." He said, with a smirk. "You've been initiated into the Slytherin circle."
"I thought there was a hat for that." She said thoughtfully.
"The hat puts you in the house. Shit like that makes the house worth being put into."
"Draco?" He didn't answer. "New best friend?" He smirked.
"Yeah, new best friend?"
"So, I guess the way to a Slytherin's heart is through his destruction." They both smiled and, too tired to throw pillows, simply fell back onto them and fell asleep.
* * *
Ginny snorted and flopped off of the couch onto the floor, waking herself. She pushed herself onto an elbow groaning and looking around for a clue to her location. It slowly came back to her as she recognized faces. She was in the Slytherin common room again. She was always exhausted after detention. A pretty face pushed itself into her view, along with one that wasn't as easy on the eyes. "Pansy, Blaise." She jumped to her feet quickly. Blaise smirked, impressed. Pansy's eyes swam with anger, but her face reflected indifference. Ginny had thought looking to the eyes for emotions was the stuff of romance novels, until she experienced the cold expressions of the practiced Slytherins. She tried her best to mirror it at all times. Her position was now one that was respected but she remained friendly, so gradually they opened up to her. She enjoyed their company. They were blunt with her, but they knew her power, so they were never rude. The ability to control such things was intoxicating.
Ron had been angry of course, when she had been given a year's worth of detention. He hadn't been all that angry after all though, she had kicked Draco Malfoy's ass. A month later, he still hadn't noticed that she spent most of her nights away from Gryffindor tower. She spent them on the couch of Slytherin house. Blaise had instructed Millicent Bulstrode to give Ginny her bed, but Ginny had refused. "And Blaise." She had drawled. "I'll give the instructions around here as that pertains to me." Blaise's chin had gone in the air and her hand had gone casually for her robes. Ginny didn't make a move. She knew that if Blaise was as stupid as to try anything, she would have her wand out and Blaise on the floor. Blaise seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Her arms dropped to her sides and she bowed slightly.
"Yes, Ginny." Ginny had shivered with the power of those words. She had let Blaise go, and seen Snape looking at her thoughtfully, before disappearing into his quarters. He was the only head of house connected to the dorms. That had worried her at first.
Snape, like many of the Slytherins, had remained neutral on her sudden initiation into the Slytherin house. He woke her up some mornings when Draco or Blaise were having a lie-in, and reminded her to be watchful of heavy sleep. There was nothing out of the ordinary in class, except he stopped talking to her. She was fully glad of this. And she began to realize he had a begrudging respect for her. She hadn't realized that she had been that great until she saw people's reactions. Then, she went in feet first. There was no time to doubt herself, or she might lose some of the hard earned respect of this cool race. And they did almost seem to be a completely different race.
"Time to get up already?" She stretched her arms above her head and yawned.
"No. You've only been asleep an hour. It's Severus. He wants to talk to you." Pansy said in measured tones. Draco looked up, surprised, from his homework. Pansy, stupidly, usually showed contempt in her voice, which was unwise in front of Ginny, who would lash out.
"Fine. I appreciate that you didn't wake me up." She touched her wand to make sure it wasn't missing from her robes. They both lowered their heads respectfully and moved away. Ginny sat down next to Draco. "Was it just me or has Pansy finally learned her lesson?"
"I don't know what's up with those two. Blaise is still leader, but you've gotten some kind of approval." Draco shrugged. He had NEWTS this year and so he had tons more homework. She usually finished hers up in detention. "You know what? Death eater society reminds me of a wolf pack."
"Oh yeah? Well, I guess I'm moving in for the kill." Draco smiled weakly. "Seriously though, I don't see students bowing for Blaise and such."
"Blaise would make a mean politician. You'll never be able to lead crowds like she does. Keep her close. But you have something that women don't always have in this pack. You don't sleep around for one, which many of the older girls do. Also, you have power. Blaise is like the snake, you know, the serpent of Adam and Eve. She could make anyone take that apple, but she couldn't beat you in a duel. I don't know if anyone could."
"The Dark Lord could." Draco shrugged.
"I say this in the strictest of confidence because you know as well as I that we don't speak ill of anyone above us, but the Dark Lord isn't that good at dueling. My father could beat him at a duel, but he would rather be in the Dark Lord's favor than proved above him. To be a leader you need followers. And if you're a fairly good follower you get closer to the leader. My father knows that."
"I wish I could duel your father." Ginny said wistfully.
"He's in jail. Otherwise I'm sure he'd be more than glad to oblige you."
"I know that. Remember, I had a bit of a hand in it." Draco's jaw tightened at her words.
"I know you did."
"Oh don't be angry, everyone has their facades. I was impressed by what they did. Very impressed. I wanted to be just like them all. Really. I didn't even like Sirius that much." A hand clapped onto her shoulder and she looked up into two cold black eyes. "Professor Snape. I was just about to come see you." She glanced at Draco and stood up.
"I have to finish tonight's homework. See you around, Gin." She waved vaguely and followed Snape to his office.
"So?" She sat in his chair before he could, and propped her feet onto his desk.
"I think you had better go to your own dorm tonight." They stared at each other for a long time, and Ginny found that she couldn't probe into his mind and had a feeling that he couldn't either.
"Alright. I've missed a bed."
"You could've had one." Snape said slowly.
"The Dark Lord does things one way, I do things another."
"Why-?"
"You seem to be comparing us, Severus. Let me tell you that despite what it may seem the younger generation is a little tamer. A little girl comes to me for help on her homework. Who do you think she will stand by when the time comes. Someone who scares the wits out of her, or someone she can rely on? I know that the Dark Lord seeks a queen. We would make a good pair."
"Why do you think that?"
"The Dark Lord is a good leader, but he needs a good cop." Seeing the confused look on his face, she further explained. "You see. There's something that Muggle police do, called good cop bad cop when they want a confession. The bad cop comes in throwing things, yelling in peoples face. Or the Dark Lord, performs Cruciatus on them. And they'll talk. But it will be out of fear. The bad cop gives 'em a scare and the good cop comes in. You tell 'em, don't want that to happen again, I don't want him to come in again, but I need you to tell me this. They don't want him to come again either. And so they tell the good cop. The Dark Lord scares the shit out of people, no denying it. And it works. You can't deny that either. But there isn't anything alluring or seductive about the Dark Lord's method. I'm powerful. And people will come to me. They will!" She cried indignantly at the look on his face. "You fear me, but you'll still talk to me person to person without licking my robes."
"Why should I fear you? Perhaps I could beat you in a duel."
"Perhaps. But I know that you're a double agent. That could hurt you."
"You…" He glared at her and then seemed to be confused. "You haven't told yet."
"I like you Severus, but I have something to hold over your head when someone says that I've been in the Slytherin common room. Or when good ol' Dumbledore inquires as to something."
" The Dark Lord may be watching through your eyes." He accused.
"I think he sees some things. But some of it is the stuff of dreams. When I let my guard down. And since we're not kissing and I'm not particularly upset my mind is guarded."
"But if he looks into your mind."
"Then he'll see what I want him to see. Look, your secret is safe with me unless you fuck up."
"What if you become queen?"
"Severus, never underestimate the power of blackmail and suggestion. An informant is a challenge. It'd make things too easy to just wipe you out. I want to get respect the way I have so far, not by being a little Peter Pettigrew and running off… I'm not going to win any favors by weaseling someone out of a very good position for me. I may be power-hungry. But I'm not stupid."
"No you're not."
"You're damn right I'm not. Now I'm going to take your advice and go to bed. But one little slip of the tongue and that's it. Professor." She bowed as people bowed to her and left, stealing quietly and quickly through shadows until she reached the portrait hole and slipped inside. She groaned, the tremendous trio was at it again.
"Ginny! What are you doing out of bed?" Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled. "I should take points away, but it's only eleven thirty, so I'll let it go this time. This time." She warned. Ginny sat down next to her and watched Hermione knit. "How was detention with Monsignor Malfoy?"
"Fine. I suppose. We don't really talk that much. I'm in the best damn shape I've ever been in my entire life, though."
"What were you doing out in the corridors?" Ginny gave Harry a long look. He was tired and he thought Hermione looked pretty with her hair up. He scolded himself for thinking so.
"None of your business. Hermione, you just look beautiful with your hair up."
"Why, thank you."
"I think so, too." Ron leaned over and kissed her. Ginny raised her eyebrows. Okay, when had this happened? "Gods Ginny, you should see the look on your face." He went back to his essay.
"You tired of studying yet, Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Yep. I was tired of it a long time ago. They should have worked us harder in 6th year, I almost forgot what exam time was like."
"I beg to differ." Harry said quietly. He was looking at Ginny however. "So remind me again why you have to have detention with Malfoy."
"Because I plowed him in a duel."
"Malfoy?"
"How many times, Harry? Yes." She shrugged, staving off frustration. "Every night the same question."
"I've gotten into duels before and I haven't gotten a year."
"Well, you're Harry Potter. Aren't you?" It felt good to let emotion into her voice, so she let the disdain flow. "It's not that hard, Harry."
"One of the girls watching told me you used dark magic."
"One generally does that when dueling a death eater."
"She said you initiated it."
"Five times a day, Harry. I think you can repeat the answer for yourself."
"But I don't believe your answer."
"Harry. Calm down. Think what you're accusing her of before you do it." Hermione said soothingly. "You must be tired, Gin girl. Maybe you want to rest."
"Maybe I do want to go to sleep." Ginny glared at Harry. "Get away from all this…" She swept Harry's papers off of the table. He stood up, and Ginny couldn't believe what she was doing. "I guess I get tired and it makes me a little irritated at the constant accusations of being a dark witch!" She was circling and she pushed over a chair. Hermione and Ron were watching a little fearfully.
"I get a little tired of being lied to, myself. Maybe I should sleep." Harry mirrored her behavior. Ginny slightly dodged the chair.
"Sure Harry. You look a little peakish. You should just forget about homework until tomorrow." She pointed her wand at it, and the sheer force lit the parchment on fire. Harry dove for his precious homework. Hermione put it out and repaired the damage, as Ginny had known she would know how to do.
"Ginny. That's a little far." She said quietly. "You've proved your point. And Harry, it was a good one. I don't know what's started with you two. But I want it to end. I've barely seen you, Ginny, and every time I do, Harry, you've interrogated her. Ginny screwed up. But everyday she sacrifices her evening free time and runs five times around the lake and does three hours of studying. The fight is outside this circle, not within it. I thought by now you would've learned that by now." Ginny felt like a kicked puppy. She didn't care what anyone said, McGonagall didn't have anything on Hermione. "So…"
"Sorry, Gin." Harry said grudgingly.
"Apology accepted." Ginny said loftily. There was a pause.
"Ginny." Ron said testily.
"Alright. I'm sorry Lord Potter."
"Ginny. Harry's apologized." Ron explained calmly.
"Well that was very big of him." Ginny said sarcastically. "Good thing he meant it and all or else I wouldn't want to apologize."
"I'm sorry. It's just that with the war going on and everything…" Harry trailed off at the look she gave him. "I was being a prat. I'm sorry, I just wish you would tell me what happened."
"Maybe I will." She said quietly. Hermione chose to ignore the fact that Ginny still wasn't apologizing and clapped her hands together.
"You do that. Ron and I will just head to bed." She followed Ron up the boy's staircase.
"Uh…" Ginny said. "Wrong staircase."
"She has to get Crookshanks." Harry righted a chair and sat across from her. Hermione appeared a moment later with a blush and a cat and scurried back up the girl's staircase. "Almost midnight."
"Uh-huh." Ginny said. "So what did you want to know?"
"Where did you learn all that dark magic?"
"Oh come on, Harry. You've seen what it does."
"Yeah I have. It killed my parents."
"Regardless." She held up a hand before he could tell her exactly he felt about disregarding his parents' death. "This war is about power. About good over evil. Dark magic is power. You think the worst that the Dark Lord has to offer is-"
"What did you call him?" Harry's eyes narrowed.
"A safe alternative to both you-know-who and his real name. Why?"
"I've only heard death eaters call him that."
"Surely not. And if that's all the proof you have well, I know about a hundred death eaters including Dumbledore who need to be brought in. Will you let me finish?"
"Sure." Harry gestured in resignation.
"Do you think that the worst the Dark Lord has to offer is a jelly legs jinx? You have to fight fire with fire in this case."
"Doesn't that make more fire?"
"It takes fuel away from the other fire. In learning dark magic I've learned to defend myself against enemies in an enemy's defense. A UN Ambassador with an AK-47 is better off than a UN Ambassador with a peacekeeping badge when the bad guys all have AK-47s."
"I don't think I understood that analogy." Harry said helplessly.
"Never mind." Ginny brushed it away. "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere in that duel unless I knew the same spells Draco had. Remember in my fourth year, you thought it was ridiculous that you weren't learning any spells in DADA? Well I think it's ridiculous that people aren't being taught the Dark Arts in a time when Dark Arts are a major threat."
"So, if you're about to be hit with a giant flood, you think you should send a giant flood back? People still drown, Ginny."
" You've gotten the point pretty well, Mr. Potter. But imagine what would happen if our side met that giant flood toting only straws. I can guarantee you a helluva lot more people would drown and the bad guys would have climbed to safety. Think about it." The portrait hole suddenly burst open and Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore. They took one look at her and relaxed.
"When did you get here, Ms. Weasley?" McGonagall asked.
"Just after detention. I've been hanging out with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. The others have gone to bed, but Harry and I are discussing tactical strategy."
"Very good. Is this true, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked at Ginny and nodded. Ginny then made the mistake of looking into his eyes. She bent under the pressure of keeping him from her mind. Finally something broke before she could manage to look away, but something trickled in as well. "I'll see you in my office tomorrow, Ms. Weasley."
"Something to look forward to, Dumbledore."
"Professor Dumbledore." McGonagall corrected.
"Oh yeah. Sometimes I forget." Ginny stood up and started for the door.
"Do you know the time for our meeting?" Dumbledore said softly.
"7 am. You've already said."
"I thought so." He said in the same soft voice. "I want to hear no more reports of you in common rooms not your own."
"You shouldn't have in the first place."
"I think I understand that." They left quietly. Harry looked at Ginny and back at the portrait hole as though he were watching a highly interesting tennis match.
"Whose common room were you in?"
"Hufflepuff." She said casually sitting on the arm of Harry's chair. She watched his adam's apple go up and down.
"Why shouldn't he have heard?"
"Cause he just thinks I was in there. I wasn't really." She said softly. "Silly Dumbledore. He should keep his mind on the war. I'm starting to think the other side would win if it wasn't for… well…" She ran a finger down his arm, he made an atypical hormonal turnaround, smiling. She leaned in close to his ear. "You."
"I'm not that great." He said modestly.
"Oh please, Harry. Not that great." She giggled. "Sure you are. You know, I've always really liked you." She leaned forward and kissed him shyly, not deepening it at all. He pushed her away.
"Ginny. You know there's Luna."
"Oh, Harry." She made her lip tremble and then put a hand on top as if to stop it. "I've forgotten. I feel awful." She put her hands over her face.
"It's okay, Ginny. I know you're stressed out over detention and all that."
"Yes. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Harry." She let a single tear go before starting up the stairs of her dormitory. She swore. None of her stuff was really up here. Her clothes were of course, but not her toothbrush and such. She had forgotten about Luna and Harry's damn morals. She was still swearing when she changed into a spare nightgown and went into the bathroom. She took her hair down and shook her head at her reflection. It really was a shame. Harry Potter would have been a useful tool to ensnare.