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Forbidden Forest…
"Since we've ventured along to make sure you don't find your grisly end, Weasley, it'd be polite of you to wait for us," Draco pointed out. Ginny let out an un-ladylike snort.
"You wouldn't know polite if it jumped up and bit you on your conceited little arse. Besides, I never asked for Your Highness to escort me," she said, keeping her pace brisk and her fingers brushing the comforting wood of her wand in her robe pocket.
"It's good of you to recognize my place in the hierarchy," Draco drawled. Ginny looked over her shoulder at the boy and rolled her eyes before marching ahead. The trio kept on walking in a discomfiting silence, winding their way through trees and over the rolling land. Ginny made her way over yet another knoll and let out a small shriek as her foot tripped over something and she fell to the ground.
Both boys hurried over the small hill when they heard a second, almost strangled shriek from the redhead. When they were within view again, they found Ginny almost face to face with the unmoving body of a fifth-year Hufflepuff. Not one of them could place the boy's name at the moment, but they knew he was dead. Harry and Draco both drew their wands as Ginny continued to stare, transfixed in horror, at the boy's lifeless face.
"We've got to get back to Dumbledore…" Harry said quietly, his eyes looking quickly around for whatever may have been fatal to the student. Draco's eyes also searched the area, but he made his way towards Ginny.
"Let's be off, Weasley," he said, giving a quick tug at the hood of her robe. "We can't stick around here…" Ginny blinked, bringing herself back to the moment. Her heart was beating wildly as the direness of the situation finally hit her.
"It wasn't an animal that did this…" she trailed off. Draco and Harry both watched her closely as she took a closer look. Suddenly, a cool prickling at the back of his neck had Draco shoving Harry to the ground and reaching for Ginny. His fingers gripped the material of her robes and pulled her roughly back towards him. He landed on his back with Ginny half on, half off of him and looked up in time to see the green flash of deadly magic just miss them.
For a second he also saw spots since Ginny's elbow had connected with his forehead in the fall. He blinked a few times to clear his head, but heard Harry cast the Immobulus spell and quickly got to his feet in time to see a dark cloaked figure stop in his tracks. Knowing full well that a Death Eater would only be partially affected by any magic he, Harry or Ginny could conjure Draco, with Harry's help, roughly dragged Ginny to her feet and began to run back towards Hogwarts.
"Don't look back. Just keep running. There could be more of them," Draco hissed.
"If there are more of them, we'll never make it out of here alive," Ginny said, struggling to find the pace of the taller boys who'd gripped her arms.
"Where's your Gryffindor optimism?" Draco sneered, pulling her along just a little bit faster.
"Excuse me if I left it behind with the unfortunate Hufflepuff…" she growled.
"Would you two shut it? Your arguing will lead them right to us!" Harry scolded as they approached the tree line that presented a slight sense of safety. The three of them burst out of the forest and ran quickly to where students were still mingling.
"Harry!" Hermione called as she saw her friend. As she and Ron rushed to meet the other three, they took in the disheveled appearances – especially that of the usually perfect Draco Malfoy – and the worrisome looks on their faces.
"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed. "You lot look as if you've seen You-Know-Who dancing around in frilly knickers… or completely starkers…" The boy shuddered at the thought.
"Not now, Ron," Ginny said, shaking off the two boys' hands.
"We need to see Dumbledore… immediately…" Draco said and began to march towards the castle, Ginny following close behind him and Harry continuing after. Ron and Hermione gave each other confused looks before running after them as well. Their entreaties to know what was going on were ignored as the five of them wound their way through the school towards the headmaster's office. The trek was hampered as Professor McGonagall stepped into the hallway from her Transfiguration classroom.
"You five should be on your way to your classes – of which I am fully aware that they are not in this particular corridor," she said with a stern look on her time-worn face. Ron and Hermione opened their mouths to speak but were beaten to the punch.
"We're going to speak to Professor Dumbledore. Right now," Draco's autocratic voice all but ordered. Professor McGonagall didn't know what to be more surprised at: the dirt smudging the blond boy's usually spotless face, the fact that he'd actually used Albus Dumbledore's name with respect, or that he'd included himself willingly in a joint "we" that included two Weasleys, Granger and Potter… all Gryffindors.
"What is your purpose, Mr. Malfoy?" McGonagall asked, a brow arched. Draco scowled his usual scowl.
"There is a very dead Theodore Jordan in the Forbidden Forest and you want to know my purpose?" he asked, his own brow rising. Professor McGonagall sucked in a breath and motioned for them to follow her.
The five of them kept close as the willowy professor led them through the hallways to the archway that led up to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Professor McGonagall muttered. Ron and Ginny smiled slightly with pride at the Headmaster's choice of passwords. Draco just rolled his eyes. The spiral staircase began its ascent to its destination, Professor McGonagall stepping onto the steps and leading the way.
"Ah, my dear Minerva…" Dumbledore greeted as she stepped into his office. His eyes followed the teenagers as they filed in behind her. "And Ms. Weasley, Ms. Granger… Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley…" The old wizard stepped out from behind his desk and awaited the first to speak with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir…" Ginny started. "We… well… There…" Draco rolled his eyes again.
"What Weasley is trying to say is that Theodore Jordan bit it in the Forbidden Forest," he drawled. The other four teenagers looked over at him with frowns. He continued to look dispassionately at Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster did not look surprised, but he brought a hand to his chin.
"Yes. Hufflepuff… fifth year. Are you sure that he is dead?" he asked gently. Harry looked to Ginny. She took a hard swallow and nodded her head.
"I had a close up look, Professor. He… he was dead. It must have been the killing curse," she said. Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him gratefully. She'd experienced evil and fear in her first year, but rarely had she ever had it so starkly shown to her.
"The killing curse was leveled our way as well, Professor," Harry said. His eyes darted to the Slytherin and then back to the headmaster. "If it hadn't been… if it hadn't been for Malfoy, we'd all be dead." Dumbledore's eyes took on a knowing look.
"A Death Eater," he said. Ginny and Harry gave emphatic nods while Draco inclined his head just once.
"A Death Eater? On Hogwarts grounds, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked with a frown. Dumbledore waved the question away.
"Did he reveal himself in any way?" he asked, his bearded face very serious.
"No," Harry and Ginny both answered with shakes of their head. The headmaster nodded at the two of them, but looked to Draco expectantly. The blond was silent as he returned the look.
"It was my father," Draco said suddenly, his eyes taking interest in his dirtied shoes. All heads turned to him in shock.
"Your father?" Ron exclaimed.
"Isn't he in Azkaban?" Hermione asked, unsure of what response she would get from the Slytherin next to her. There was silence as all waited for Draco's answer. The blond head rose and his grey eyes met the headmaster's, unflinchingly stoic.
"He was," was all he said. Professor Dumbledore studied the young man staring back at him. He then gave a small smile.
"Very well…" he said. "Forewarned is forearmed, or however the saying goes. All students will refrain from free reign of the grounds and all Hogsmeade visits are suspended until further notice. All instructors should be notified immediately. Now, you should all go down to dinner… except, perhaps, Mr. Malfoy… if you please, I would wish to speak to you…"
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Ginny walked out of Dumbledore's office still slightly in shock. Ron had taken her hand and led her out.
"I just don't understand. Why would Lucius Malfoy, just escaped from prison, come to Hogwarts grounds and try to kill his Death Eater son?" Ron asked the question they were all thinking. Harry shook his head.
"I don't know, Ron," he said. But Hermione had a thoughtful frown on her face.
"Maybe he wasn't here to kill anyone. Maybe he was hiding here. It isn't exactly the first place one would look for an escaped Death Eater," she said. "In addition, it would be close to his son. We're not sure of Malfoy's intentions. Maybe his father isn't either. That way, it is taking care of two things at once. Hiding… and observing his son…" Ginny frowned at Hermione's way of thinking. If she was correct, then Malfoy was in as much danger as they were, if not more. She wasn't sure why her heart started racing at that thought…
"Are you okay, Gin?" Ron asked. When she looked up, she saw that concern marred her brother's face, making his freckles more pronounced. Hermione and Harry were both watching her as well. The fact that all their attention was now on her rankled a bit, especially since Harry had been through the exact same experience.
"I'm fine," she said, at that moment honestly meaning it. But her mind was surprisingly back in Dumbledore's office with a blond, pale Slytherin.
"You have a scratch on your face," Hermione's voice broke in. "You had better have Madame Pomfrey take a look at it." Ginny's hand went up t her face. It was tender in a few areas where she'd fallen on the ground and she knew that she'd also have a few bruises as well… especially on the arm that Draco had so ruthlessly tugged. The redheaded girl nodded, placating her brother and friends.
"I'll go before dinner," she affirmed. Suitably relieved, the trio nodded and turned to start down the hallway, not noticing that Ginny failed to follow them. She stood still, watching the three friends go. There was a small pang in her heart that wished she could claim to be as close to each of them as they were to each other. But it was a small pang…
"Breaking the rules already? I'd expect better of a Gryffindor… As Head Boy, I should take points," Draco's voice snapped her attention back. She turned to face him slowly, her eyes taking in his appearance. His hair was neatly tousled, his robes scourgified back to their crisp black and green, and his thin face was set… only just a mite more pale than usual.
"Breaking the rules?" she asked finally. Gray eyes rolled once more as he began to walk, Ginny falling into step with him.
"No student is to wander about all by their lonesome. By decree of the headmaster," he drawled.
"Well, you're out wandering about," Ginny noted. Draco looked over at her.
"All the more reason you should be hurrying along. Can't be seen with a nasty Slytherin… think of the hell you'd catch from your Gryffindor mates," he said. This time Ginny rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything for a moment. Their footsteps echoed in the silent hallway.
"I wanted to see if you were alright," the redhead admitted. Draco's step faltered only slightly at her concern. Finally, he stopped altogether, causing Ginny to stop as well.
"Why?" he asked. Ginny's eyes searched his face.
"No one deserves a Death Eater for a father," she said. Draco's shoulders straightened as he pulled up to his full six foot-some height and looked down his nose at her.
"Even someone like me, right, Weasley?" he asked harshly. Her hand kept him from walking away from her as her brown eyes burned in anger.
"Don't you dare put words in my mouth, Malfoy! If that was what I thought, I'd have bloody well said it," she bit out. "You may be a pompous, near-insufferable, officious, arrogant brat, but you're just like the rest of us." He arched a brow, but held back his own insults, awaiting an explanation to her cryptic comment.
"Human," she clarified. Draco's gaze combed the corridor, looking anywhere but at her. She took a small amount of pleasure at having unnerved him.
"That's been debated quite thoroughly, I'm sure," he muttered dryly before locking his gaze back on her.
"Near-insufferable?" he asked after a moment, a silent laugh suddenly lighting his eyes. The change in demeanor had her stunned for a moment. He was more moody than a woman at times. Still, Ginny tried valiantly to fight off the tell-tale blush from crossing her cheeks… and she almost accomplished the feat. But the tips of her ears gave it away – the Weasley curse.
"Well, you know full well…" she started to bluster.
"I don't think I've ever been paid such an honest compliment, especially from a Gryffindor," he cut in as he continued to walk in the direction of the Great Hall. Ginny watched for a second before stamping her foot in frustration and following after.
"You never answered me, Malfoy," she said. Draco smirked.
"I don't answer to a Weasley," he said. Ginny frowned. And they were almost getting along so well…
"Fine then, Malfoy… be that way. I don't care anyway," she said, her words contradicting her earlier actions. She was about to quicken her pace to sweep by him, but his hands shot out and gripped her upper arms, turning her towards him as they stopped. Ginny didn't have time to react or spit out further condemnation.
His lips, just like his hand had done the day she tried often not to think about, surprised her with their warmth as they set themselves gently against her own. His grip did not fall from her arms, instead it pulled her closer. She welcomed it as she lost herself in the gentle touch.
Kissing Draco Malfoy was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, nor ever thought to experience. Ginny's mind told her that she should be resisting… with everything that was Weasley within her, for that matter. But when one pale hand came up to rest against her cheek, his long, thin fingers as light as a butterfly's touch, she melted even further into the kiss. The lightness of the embrace was a distinct contradiction to the passion that seemed to flare up between them. Only when it seemed to overwhelm them both did they step back from each other.
Ginny's cheeks were flushed and her eyes roamed over Draco's face in confusion. He stood straight, his eyes watching her, but no emotion cracking over his face. He was as cool as she was confused. The only tell-tale sign that he had been anywhere near affected was the pounding pulse Ginny could see at his neck and it made her feel infinitely better.
"To answer your question, Weasley, I think I may be doing better than I first thought," he said before sweeping away from her, his robes billowing after him in a way typical of a Slytherin as he walked quickly towards the dungeons and away from the Great Hall. Confusion still flitted around in his wake, but the sudden lightness in her heart kept Ginny from dwelling on it.
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