Title: Of Memories, Of Quicksilver
Author: Firefly Lantern1
Rating: PG-13 for language, character angst, sexy Draco, sassy Ginny, and violence. All the good stuff.
Author Note: This chapter takes place 'back in the day' when Ginny is 15 years old and attending Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: JKR owns the HP characters. As much as I'd like to keep Draco, I only borrowed him for this story.
Oh, and P.S. Yay for DMGW! This is a Draco Malfoy + Ginny Weasley pairing. This is typed with wordpad so please excuse any weirdness.
-two-fingered sod-off: my take on the British form of 'flipping someone off", aka giving someone "the finger". They use two!
-Ceallach: In Irish, this means "war, strife". A fitting name for a beloved Malfoy pet. Woo! Much love and enjoy!
Of Memories, Of Quicksilver
Chapter Three
Hogwarts: 15 year-old Ginny's 5th Year.
A soft tapping from the window roused Ginny from her light slumber. She groaned sleepily and yanked the the covers over her head. The Gryffindor girls' dormitory was deliciously quiet except for the constant tip-tip-tap-click noise against the glass. This was the second night this week one of Lavender's 'male friends' decided to toss pebbles at the window, hoping for a moonlight rendezvous. On Monday night, Roger Davies had been as discrete as a cave troll. In formulating his 'genius' plan to wake Lavender from her coma-like sleep, he decided to throw a mini-boulder at the window. He calculated that throwing one big rock was more efficient than a fistful of pebbles. That night, oh-so-unbelievably, a Ravenclaw showed how having 'classroom' smarts isn't the same as having common sense. The shattering of glass, Padma wailing, "Something hit me! Something hit me!", and the resounding chorus of frightened girls' screams was enough to wake the entire Gryffindor house. Not even Lavender slept through that disaster. Ginny sighed. She loved Lavender, but she honestly wished her friend could be a tad more discrete about her snog sessions.
The steady tapping persisted. Lavender continued to snore through it like a dragon with a head cold.
"For the love of pixies!" Ginny hissed, flinging free of the blankets and wincing as her bare feet met the cold floor. She pushed open the window with a furious force, ready to hex the boy into oblivion. A shocked breath escaped her mouth as a flutter of white feathers landed on the sill. "Oh! Hello there. Aren't you sweet." Her anger dissolved at the sight of the tiny white owl. It chirped little hiccups as she stroked the strange black mark on its chest. It resembled a miniature crooked-tipped wizarding hat. The owl's eyes happily squeezed shut, savoring the loving attention. He gladly held out a dainty leg, offering Ginny a small roll of parchment addressed 'GW'.
"For me, Little Hat? Thanks." She broke the wax seal of the scroll with her thumbnail and unfurled the message.
Look down. Meet me in the East courtyard. I've had
a nightmare and I need you now, Ginny. Please...
Ginny hid in the shadows and cautiously peered down onto the flat expanse of the autumn-swept lawn. A figure drew back the drape of his cloak, revealing Harry's impish face in the dim moonlight. A phantom of a smile touched his pale lips. He was so beautiful, Ginny thought. Her heart softened. She rested her arms on the sill and leaned out into the night, waving a slim white hand. She gave a few dramatic 'yes' nods so he knew she would see him. Harry gave a curt nod in reply before disappearing into the night.
"Thanks again, Little Hat." Ginny smiled at the owl. He squeaked brightly and flew off before Ginny could pay him for the delivery. She quickly changed into warm clothes, draped a cloak over her shoulders, and made sure her wand was tucked securely in her pocket. Harry needed her now. She couldn't let him down. Silently thanking Fred and George for their knowledge of Hogwart's secret passageways, Ginny slipped from the room.
Hugging the cloak tight at its clasp, Ginny braced herself against the crisp autumn chill. Something had to be very wrong with Harry if he wanted to meet at 3 am in a far-off courtyard. She'd only been to the East courtyard once. There was nothing spectacular about it--just a few random plants and a few of stone benches. It was ivy-covered and somewhat wild because no students ever went there. It was the perfect place for a meeting. Who would suspect it? She saw Harry seated at a bench beside the moss-covered statue of a wood nymph. She slipped onto the cold bench and gently touched his cloaked shoulder. He jumped as if her fingers were red hot pokers.
"Sorry! I thought you heard me coming. Oh, Harry, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Ginny asked, trying to be supportive without being pushy. When Harry got into one of his moods, it was best to give him space. He often lashed out like a cornered animal if she talked too much. She coaxed the hood from his face and ran a hand through his unruly ebony hair. "Was it another nightmare?" She asked solemnly. He nodded and dropped his eyes in embarrassment. He hid behind the shaggy curtain of his bangs. Ginny's heart twisted at his pain. If only there was something she could do to make him happy. She cupped his face in her hands, lovingly stroking his chin with her thumb. "Hey, you. It's okay." Smiling, she placed a light kiss on his dry lips. He tensed beneath the gossamer touch. "Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny's brow furrowed with worry. He smiled in his haunted, pitiful way. The angles of his face were sharp against the paleness of the moonlight.
"Ginny..." He breathed in a voice that barely reached her ears. His glassy emerald eyes darted across her face. He looked bewildered by the innocent glow of moonlight illuminating her delicate features. He tipped her chin to get a better look at her. Satisfied, he gave a self-conscious smirk and leaned forward for another kiss. Ginny gasped as his usually soulful eyes flashed cold silver. The orbs were cuttingly cruel: predatory. Merlin! Her eyes widened in horror. This person was NOT Harry! She pushed him away with a mighty heave and snatched her wand from her pocket.
"Expelliar--" Ginny screamed, brandishing her wand. She wasn't fast enough on the draw. Her opponent toppled her with a firm should of "Stupefy!". He caught her limp form before she could collapse onto the stone tiles of the pathway. For a moment, Draco Malfoy stood motionless, staring numbly at the unconscious young girl in his arms. Her beauty almost made him forget she was a mudblood-loving traitor. She didn't deserve the pure blood flowing in her veins. It disgusted Draco how Ginny fawned over Harry Potter, cooing at him as if he were a pet. . . Kissing him with feather-soft lips; watching him with gentle dove eyes
A murderous tic twitched in his jaw.
Ginevra Weasley belonged to him--Lord Voldermort's rightful heir! He succeeded in carrying out his dark lord's bidding. He stole Ginny from her nancing, scar-headed git of a boyfriend; he snatched her from under Dumbledore's crooked nose! This was a night of celebration! He and his dark kin struck a foul blow against Dumbledore and his mudblood-loving followers. But, more importantly... Draco was finally able to finally to give Potter the two-fingered sod-off he deserved. This moment was sweetly deserved after seven years of embarrassment and humiliation. He heard Ginny sigh.
Her head fell backward in a spill of fiery red hair, revealing her white throat like a bold sacrifice. His fingers stroked the smooth column and sought the dainty flutter of her pulse. He watched her eyelids twitch from the force of some elusive dream. He hoped it was a nightmare.
"Prepare yourself, little blood traitor." He whispered.
He whistled loudly into the crisp autumn night. A slight breeze stirred through the dry tree leaves. He waited, listening carefully. A few moments later, a sharp whinny rolled through the distant air. The very sky itself seemed to descend upon Draco. The black pegasus landed in the courtyard with a powerful force. The stallion's mighty hooves tore apart the grass he stood on. His red eyes shone like fine rubies. He whinnied pridefully, tossing back the ebony gloss of his mane. Draco smirked at the sight of the regal beast.
"Ah, Ceallach. Faithful Ceallach..." He murmured, using a levitation charm to seat the unconscious Ginny Weasley on the back of the pegasus. He leaned her gently against Ceallach's mane. The pegasus snorted in amused response. "Don't get any ideas, old sir. She's the enemy." Draco laughed, easily swinging his tall frame onto the pegasus' bare back. He wound one arm around Ginny's waist and deftly cast a stay-put spell. Falling a few thousand feet and meeting a bone-smashing death wasn't part of the evening's plans. "Huh! Huh! Fly!" Draco nudged his heels into Ceallach's sides. Obediently, the pegasus flapped his velvety, black-plumed wings, carrying his riders high into the cool night.
Draco held Ginny tight against his chest. Idly, he realized her hair smelled of roses and sandalwood. He was too distracted to notice the little tuft of white feathers gliding gracefully through the air, faithfully following behind on the breeze.