A/n: thanks go to Lady-Nimoe, Victoria27, ginny2442, Skygazing and Actrez - you guys rock. Your reviews make it all worth writing!
Sorry about the wait for this one but I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual, you know how it goes.
Chapter 14 – People in Glass Houses
Persephone had arrived back at the room in a great frenzy.
The first thing she'd done had been to meticulously tidy all the belongings on the floor into neat piles. Then she reordered the books in the bookcase, first alphabetically, then chronologically, and she was just about to start doing them by number of pages when Ginny finally managed to persuade her into talking about it.
Once Ginny had torn her away from the bookcase and was suitably content that she didn't keep glancing at it, she resolved to discover the problem.
"So what exactly happened on your meeting with James?" Ginny asked apprehensively.
"Oh no!" gasped Perse, clapping a hand over her mouth, "I completely forgot about him." She bit her lip nervously.
"Hang on, you never saw him?" the red head asked in confusion. "What have you being doing for the last half an hour?"
"Blaise Zabini," Persephone muttered darkly. She quickly described what had happened in the hallway to Ginny.
The red-haired Gryffindor plopped herself down on her bed in amazement. "So he just kissed you? Just like that?"
"Yup," agreed Persephone, arranging herself cross-legged on the other end of the bed from Ginny.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Ginny asked cracking open a tube of Drooble's Best Bubble Blowing Gum and offering one to Persephone.
"Avoid him for awhile?" asked Perse taking a purple piece and popping it into her mouth.
"Why don't you like him that much?" inquired Ginny, chewing thoughtfully.
"He's Slytherin for a start!"
"They're not all that bad," defended the redhead. Perse eyed her suspiciously.
"Are we talking about Mr. Malfoy here? Because personally I think he is that bad," asserted Persephone.
"He did save my life, and so did Blaise, which means they can't be all evil. There must be some good beneath all the posturing." Ginny upheld, knowing that, had someone told her she'd be standing up for Slytherins a month ago, she'd have laughed in their face.
Persephone blew a bubble big enough to engulf her entire face before sealing it off with her tongue and letting it float around the dormitory. There was a moment's pause whilst they both watched it
"They may not be evil," conceded the black-haired girl. She looked out of the window, where the bubble had just floated. "But they know more than they should about both of us."
Even at Ginny's questioning look she refused to explain further.
# # #
Ginny was having one of 'those' mornings. She'd been back to the dormitory twice already, the first time because she forgot her socks, the second time because she'd forgotten her tie, and then she'd got almost to the hall and realised it was actually Tuesday instead of Monday and she had all the wrong books. Hence the third (and hopefully final) trip back to the sixth year girl's room.
At this rate she'd never have any breakfast.
As she left the room she did a quick mental inventory that this time she definitely had everything. Satisfied, she half jogged, half ran, in the direction of the Great Hall, hoping that Professor Sprout wouldn't be too annoyed that she'd be late for Herbology. Again.
Her fast trajectory course and mind-on-other-things guided her straight into the last student leaving the Great Hall at great speed.
Everything went everywhere. It would have been quite spectacular to watch had she not been the one who it was all going to come down on.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" cried a familiar voice from above her head.
Incredibly, all the implements that were presently in an arc about to crash painfully onto the stone floor, just stopped and hung in midair, like a very clever juggling act.
She took the proffered pale hand and clambered to a standing position.
"Thanks Malfoy," she muttered. Ginny hated feeling indebted to him.
"You're welcome Weasley," he drawled sending a tiny, inexplicable, quiver down her spine. "Next time, the suggestion is to a) slow down, and b) actually look where you're going."
She nodded mutely, gathering the suspended book and pencils and packing them more securely into her bag. Ginny noted a top seam had split. She would have to remember that for later, after she actually got to Herbology.
Draco watched her collect the scattered items attentively, noting her hair had fallen out of the regular pony tail and was hanging loosely about her ears and to her shoulders. He rustled a bit of paper out of his pocket and held it out for her, waiting for her to notice.
She took it curiously, questioning him with her eyes.
"It's for you," he assured. He noticed that her shoulder school bag had dragged up the side of the skirt so that an almost indecent amount of thigh was exposed. Well, not that much if he was honest, but enough to get the blood pumping a bit faster round his body.
This is stupid – what is this girl doing to me?
Without a word he just turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" cried Ginny. He stopped. "How did you get my clue?"
"A little birdie gave it to me," he smirked before disappearing down the hall even though half of him wanted to go back and kiss her stupid but it wasn't right, it couldn't happen.
Ginny followed him with her eyes before flicking her eyes back to the page in her hand.
'Appears to be many options, but for him there are too few'
She sighed; this morning was just improving all the time. She stuffed the parchment irritatedly in her pocket and then remembered Herbology.
"Oh, shit."
# # #
Blaise watched Draco from the opposite side of the abandoned common room. The artificially lit shadows danced across his darkened face whilst he watched his friend watch him. Finally, Draco spoke.
"So what exactly are you saying?"
"I'm saying she's a Seer," repeated Blaise, running tapered fingers through his thick black hair.
"Yes," snorted the blonde derisively, "I understand that bit, surprisingly. What I'm asking is how you know?"
The dark-haired Slytherin coloured slightly at the recollection that ran through his mind in vivid detail. "Well, you see, I kissed her." He smiled as his eyes tracked the memory over the ceiling. "I saw her fear, her dread of seeing, but I also saw her power, glowing and merging, coalescing and burning. She let me see." He sighed deeply to himself. "It was mind-blowing," he added, a slightly star-crossed lover look appearing in his pupils.
Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.
"So she can see the future, big deal. There has to have been plenty of students that have come to Hogwarts that can see the future," Draco dismissed, praying for no more soppy I-love-her talk.
"Not as many as you'd think," replied Blaise, knowing full well that his love babbling really pissed Draco off. A slight smirk danced at the corner of his lips. At the blonde's inquiring look he continued; "I checked the library, there has only been two other proper Seers in the whole of Hogwarts history."
Draco waved an arm for him to continue and internally wondered why he always ended up with library crawlers as friends. Crabbe and Goyle only earning the title because they went there to sleep, in fact he hadn't seen them for ages, he supposed this was because he no longer went out of his way to be mean to Gryffindors and assert his Slytherin princeship.
Blaise slid a book on the table nearer to him and flicked it open casually. "First, of course, was Rowena Ravenclaw who founded the Divination, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes at Hogwarts. Then was a young woman named Amelia Sloane who attended Hogwarts from 1902 until 1909, she returned to the castle in 1925 and took up the post of Divination professor until she disappeared in 1939." He looked up to see what Draco's expression showed.
"Yes, that's all very well, but what's the point you're trying to make here?" he asked impatiently.
"That they're very rare, so therefore would be an asset to both sides of the war."
Draco chewed this over. "You reckon Dumbledore knows?"
"I thought you hated him," replied Blaise snapping the book shut.
"No, I just dislike being preached to. There's a difference."
"Whatever," shrugged Blaise and their conversation dissolved into silence as it was often wont to.
Neither of them noticed a flickering shadow across the opposite wall, or heard the muffled sound of the common room door opening and closing, both too lost in their own thoughts on their present situation.
# # #
Harry watched Persephone and Ginny whisper and talk in the corner. Hermione was off on head girl duties and Ron was massacring Colin Creevey at chess in the corner, which left Harry free for some unaccustomed time to himself.
Ginny unexpectedly burst into laughter after something Persephone had whispered, drawing looks from around the common room. Looks, and smiles, Harry noted.
The change in the youngest Weasley since the beginning of term was incredible. Ron hadn't noticed it because she would always be his youngest sister, regardless. Hermione had though, and the week before had commented about it to Harry.
"She's grown up pretty fast hasn't she?"
That sentence echoed around his head, frequently driving away any other thoughts.
She'd have to grow up very fast indeed if what he'd been told on the first day of Hogwarts was true.
Professor McGonagall had warned Hermione and him at the beginning of the year that there had been rumours from the Dark side that Voldemort remembered Ginevra Weasley. Rumours that he wanted a queen. Rumours he wanted an heir.
Harry knew they should have told Ron, but he would have flipped and never let Ginny out of his sight which would only result in her drifting further from them than before. So they had resolved to watch her, make sure she was safe.
But then what could really happen to her at Hogwarts?
A lot, he knew this from experience.
He felt Ginny's eyes on him and realised he'd been staring a little too long. He caught her look of questioning before turning back to speak to Persephone. Harry studied the Gryffindor room hangings diligently feeling embarrassed.
She's only Ron's little sister, nothing to be embarrassed about. But, try as he might, he couldn't see her that way anymore.
"You look like someone caught in the larder," announced Ron, slumping bonelessly next to Harry on the sofa looking very pleased with himself.
"Really?" inquired Harry warily. "Well I can assure you I haven't."
Ron shrugged. "Do you know what time Herm's getting back from the meeting with the head prat?"
Harry felt it was his civic duty to channel Hermione. "You know Hermione doesn't like you calling him that. But eight, I think."
There was a companionable pause while both friend's minds drifted to other things.
"Have you worked out who you have for the ball yet?" Ron asked interestedly.
"Nope," Harry replied raising an eyebrow. "But I reckon it's someone rotten. You?"
Ron shook his head as well. "It's not like they exactly made it easy for us is it. Y'know I bet it was the Sorting Hat who wrote them. He likes riddles."
Harry wondered absently whether the Sorting Hat actually had a sex at all. He went back to watching Ginny out of the corner of his eye.
# # #
Although Ginny hadn't felt tired at all, and had only gone to bed because Persephone had, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head the pillow. Disallowing her any time whatsoever to think about Draco.
Exquiseta was waiting for her in Resumbria, impatience written all over her tiny face.
"You know I've been projecting Mirabella and Patience into your dreamland for way over the recommended time?" she exclaimed.
Ginny managed to school herself so she didn't flinch. Much.
"Sorry," she muttered, although she wasn't entirely sure what she was apologising for.
Patience bobbed and floated happily, spinning occasionally as though marvelling at the world around her. Mirabella, on the other hand, looked stern and mirrored the fairy queen's posture carefully. A slight smile tugged at Ginny's mouth at the sight of them.
"We are leaving the Forbidden Forest," the red-haired queen announced.
Ginny's eyes widened, she hadn't been expecting this.
"Yes," said Exquiseta, seeing her look of mild shock, "the banshees have left. We do not know why, but you no longer need us to protect you."
Ginny nodded. "Thank you so much for doing all you have up until now, I am so grateful," she replied. Then, in true fairy custom, she curtsied low before the three fairies.
Exquiseta smiled and curtsied to Ginny as well. "However, we are a little worried about the abrupt change in circumstances, so we will not leave you entirely on your own."
Ginny cocked her head curiously.
Patience floated forwards, her hair almost black in the summer sun. Out of the folds of her light green leaf skirt she produced a tiny ring. Ginny held out her hand, fingers splayed and Patience placed it gently in the centre of her palm. As they watched it grew to almost twice its original size.
"This is a Fairy Ring," explained Patience quietly landing delicately on Ginny's hand next to the ring. "Wear it all the time and we'll always be able to find you." She knelt on the bends of Ginny's fingers and kissed the swirling onyx embedded on the curve of the ring, then she floated to Ginny's eye level and placed another tiny kiss on her forehead, with that, she vanished.
Ginny looked at the ring inquisitively turning it over in her fingers, feeling the soothing magic it radiated before resolutely slipping it on her right index finger.
Mirabella came forwards next. From the folds of her dress she produced something very small, but very shiny. Again it was placed on Ginny's palm and began to grow.
It was a diminutive mirror almost four times the size of the ring. There was a slim border with leaves and petals inlaid into it, framing the reflective surface of the mirror.
"This is a Wish Mirror," Mirabella explained matter-of-factly. "If you are ever lost and wish to find your way, this will guide you. All you ever have to do is ask."
She smiled a tiny smile before daintily kissing Ginny's nose before disappearing just as Patience had.
Ginny looked up to find Exquiseta regarding her gravely. "The Shadowers still stalk these lands," she warned, "be careful at all times." Ginny nodded, grateful for the concern.
Exquiseta produced something indistinguishably rectangular from her voluptuous rose petal skirts. Ginny held out her hand expectantly but Exquiseta shook her head. "For this you'll need two hands." She obeyed, internally wondering.
The rectangular shape grew and grew until it rested full across both Ginny's outstretched arms. It became evident that it was a quiver, complete with arrows.
She looked at the Fae queen enquiringly.
"This can be used in Resumbria, and it will kill things that no mortal weapon can. It is weaved from a hybrid of my dreams and your own, in this way making it stronger as it is mixture of fairy and human." Exquiseta paused. "It can be used against the Inverse, should the event command it." She floated up to Ginny's eye level. "Learn and grow my child, you have great potential, just please be vigilant. It was a pleasure to meet you Ginevra Weasley." The queen pressed a kiss on each of Ginny's cheeks before fading as abruptly as the others.
Ginny studied the weapon in her hand curiously.
Time for practise I think…