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The Great Hall...
"Umm… hi…" an uncomfortable voice greeted from beside her. Ginny looked up into the face of Harry Potter.
"Hi, Harry," she said, moving the books next to her so he could take a seat. They fell into a silence that was almost deafening. "Was there something you needed?" she asked finally.
"Ron said you wanted to talk to me," he finally said. Ginny frowned. Stupid meddling brothers…
"Did he…" she muttered darkly. Then when Harry turned to look at her, she flashed him a wide smile.
"Actually, I did," she said. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend…" It took Harry a moment to register her words, but when he did, he gave her a genuine smile.
"I'd love to…" he said, a faint red tinge covering his cheeks. Ginny let out a small laugh.
"Why, I've made Harry Potter blush. Usually, that's my game," she said. Harry chuckled as well, the blush deepening.
"Well," she said. "I've had enough Herbology in the Great Hall for one day. I'd best go to the library and start my Potions essays." Harry stood and reached a hand to help her stand up. She quickly gathered her books and the two started towards the door.
"You know, I think Ron may actually try to tell Hermione how he feels this weekend," Harry said. The look on his face told her that he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that. Ginny smiled at the boy's emotional indecision, but she kept the information she knew to herself. They'd tell Harry eventually. And maybe he'd be better prepared when they did.
"It's about bloody time," she said. Harry's frown lightened and he chuckled.
"At least you weren't the one that had to keep them from bashing each other's heads in," he said with mock grumpiness. Ginny laughed. Harry would be fine.
"Maybe bashing each other's heads in would have moved the romance along," she said. Harry shook his head with a grin.
"I'll never understand relationships," he moaned. Ginny bumped his shoulder with her own.
"I don't think we are meant to," she said and returned his grin. The two fell into a comfortable camaraderie of good-natured ribbing and laughter. But Harry felt the icy tingle of eyes watching him as they left the hall. And he knew quite well who it was…
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He watched with cold eyes as the pair made their way out of the Great Hall. She'd laughed… really laughed. Draco could count on one hand the times he'd made her really laugh like that. He couldn't really tell what hurt more… the fact that she'd really laughed with Potter or the fact that Potter had been the one to make her laugh. One normally wouldn't find a distinction between the two, but to Draco, the difference was colossal. He'd never been one to fall victim to jealousy. Oh, he'd had occasions of hope or wishing a situation to be different when it pertained to certain people. Or even a blinding hatred. But he'd never been one to be jealous, despite what people thought of him. He had always seen it as a useless emotion. Now, he could feel the spidery green fingers working their way through his body.
From the looks of it, Ginny Weasley would finally have her Harry Potter. Or Harry Potter would have his Ginny Weasley… whatever the way of it. Draco turned back to the homework he had been unconsciously avoiding since she had stepped foot into the hall. Things were the way they were supposed be… no matter how much he wished it different.
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Saturday, Hogwarts…
"What is going to happen now, Cole?" Morag asked. The boy she'd directed her question to paced in front of the fireplace that warmed the dank common room only slightly and rubbed his aching wrist.
"The Malfoys will be no more," he said. She smiled.
"How?" she inquired. Warrington smirked as he turned to look at her.
"You are a right twisted little bint, aren't you?" he asked. Morag threw a lock of her mahogany hair behind her shoulders and gave him an unaffected look.
"No more twisted than you are love," she commented. Warrington resumed pacing once more.
"Pansy and Crabbe will take Malfoy to his father. Lucius will, no doubt, brand his son for the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord has been informed…"
"By you…" Morag interrupted. Warrington smirked.
"But of course. And once he sees that his most trusted has disobeyed him, he will kill both Lucius and Draco. Perhaps he'll burn Malfoy Manor to the ground as an example to all others," he finished, pleasure alighting his eyes. Morag shifted slightly in her seat.
"What about Narcissa Malfoy?" she asked. Warrington's smirk widened to a cold grin.
"Perhaps I shall suggest she be inside the manor when it is turned to ashes," he said. Morag suppressed a pleased shiver at his words.
"And Ginny Weasley?" she couldn't help but ask, studying her nails.
"I'm sure the Dark Lord has plans for his favorite Weasley. If not, I'm sure the Death Eaters have plans for Draco's plaything," he said, a sneer in his voice at the thought of the red haired girl.
"Why do you hate Draco so much, love?" Morag asked, looking up at him. Warrington placed a hand on the stone mantle, the firelight playing over his stony features.
"This has never been about Draco. This has been about me and what I feel I deserve. I want what he has… money, respect, power and the ability to cause pain and suffering with just a name. He scorned all of this. If he will do nothing with it, I will take it from him," he said.
"Pain and suffering… is it so important?" Morag asked. Warrington turned to look directly at her.
"It is what our world is built on. It is what makes men great," he said.
"You enjoy the pain and suffering… You like watching the misery people are put through," she commented. Then she smirked. "You get off on the torture…" The ghost of a smile on his face confirmed her statement. Her smirk widened as she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"What about my pain and suffering? Do you care so much for it?" she asked coquettishly. Warrington didn't say anything. Instead, he gripped her waist and took what she offered. He had a little time before he had to meet Crabbe in Hogsmeade…
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Saturday, Hogsmeade…
Harry and Ginny meandered through the streets of Hogsmeade, just enjoying the fact that they were now able to go off of school grounds. The winter air had lightened only slight and held no hints of the spring that was supposed to follow in a few short weeks.
They continued to walk through the streets and chat amiably. Ginny listened with a half ear as she hugged her heavy robes closer to herself. It was crazy to be walking around in the temperature the day bestowed upon them, but fresh air, no matter how frigid, was enough to coax all students outdoors With half an ear, she heard Seamus Finnegan talking to Neville about something or other, Dean Thomas was going on and on about his favorite Muggle sports team as usual, and even Professor McGonagall sounded cheerier than normal as she told someone how Dumbledore was visiting the Ministry. Harry was saying something about the last Quidditch match when he realized that the conversation was bordering on menial. He stopped mid-sentence and looked over at Ginny as he cleared his throat.
"You know, we're going to reform the DA," Harry confided in her as they made their way past Honeydukes. Ginny tore her gaze away from the pounds of chocolate that sat tantalizingly in the window to look over at him.
"You are? What's led to this?" she asked. Harry looked to the ground.
"We think that Voldemort may be planning attack, quite probably at Hogwarts," he said.
"We… as in you, Ron and Hermione? Or as in you and Professor Dumbldore?" she asked. Harry looked ahead to where Ron and Hermione stood, the redhead's arm around the girl's shoulders. He smiled at the way Hermione beamed up at his best friend. They were finally figuring things out…
"Me, Ron, and Hermione," he answered. Ginny took a hold of Harry's arm and stopped their walking.
"Hang on. Why is it you suspect this?" she asked. Harry's hand reached up to run over his scar. But he dropped it quickly when he saw the understanding in Ginny's eyes.
"He was angry the other night. Very angry. It's only a matter of time, really," he told her. Ginny's eyes unfocused in worry. If Voldemort was angry… Draco wasn't safe. He was never safe to begin with, but this made things worse. He'd already stood up to his father. What if he'd said something to the Dark Lord himself? Her worry became apparent and Harry took her hand.
"I didn't mean to upset you, Ginny." Ginny looked at him.
"You didn't… I mean, not really," she said. Harry smiled gently at her and squeezed her hand.
"I just figured you would want to know." Ginny smiled back at that, her heart warming at Harry wanting to include her. After years of being kept in the dark – 'for her protection' and 'because she was so young', as they would all say – it was nice to be given information without begging.
"Thank you, Harry," she said. He grinned as he turned at started walking again, tugging her hand to pull her along. It was then that Ginny became fully aware that Harry had no intention of letting her hand go.
Preconceived notions seemed to fall by the wayside as Ginny noted that Harry's hands were cooler than the ones that had held her before. And it wasn't the only distinction her mind registered. Harry's fingers weren't nearly as long or as tapered. They didn't wrap around hers as pale ones had… Ginny inwardly cursed herself for thinking such thoughts. This was the boy she'd once hoped she'd be able to do this with. Yet she couldn't help but wish he were taller, or had lighter hair, or stormier eyes… there was so much she wished for that her heart ached. She tightened her grip on Harry's hand and let him pull her after a bickering Ron and Hermione. This was how things should have been – once upon a time. But she no longer wished for that fairy tale.
Ginny sighed. Ron had always told her that she needed to grow up. If only he knew what growing up had led her to – or to whom. He'd wish her shy, giggly, Harry-fancying, hero-worshiping days back in a heartbeat.
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Elsewhere in Hogsmeade…
Winter was his least favorite time of the year. The holidays were only a few days away, and all this time Draco had been stuck inside the grounds of Hogwarts. No careless meandering the school for him. No Hogsmeade visits without an entourage. No anything besides classes, his Head Boy rounds, and braving the Slytherin common room 'For his own safety' had been Dumbledore's excuse to keep the Slytherin secluded in the dungeons. Now, winter was half over, but Nature had decided to remind everyone that it wasn't the calendar that ruled the seasons. He pulled his cloak closer to him and cursed himself for wanting to come out here in the first place. But months of being inside gave him the urge to become one with Nature. Fat bloody good that was, he thought as he rubbed his hands together to warm them. The warming charm was practically useless against the stinging wind. It didn't seem to stop the students from milling about the small town almost aimlessly.
Draco had seen Ginny with Potter earlier, and he was trying with everything in him to avoid running into the pair. He seriously did not want to spar words with Potter. He hadn't the energy. And he certainly didn't want to spar words with Ginny. In fact, he didn't want any words with Ginny, sparring or otherwise.
He'd been weak enough to give Ginny the choice. To either stay with him and go along with his plan, or to leave for her own safety. She'd chosen to leave and it had cut him like nothing else. Even Potter continuously winning the bloody snitch had never cut as badly as her walking away had. She hadn't trusted him. But then, how was she supposed to know that was what he was asking? He hadn't even known that was what he was after in the first place. If he hadn't known, how could she have?
Draco shook his head as he walked slowly to meet up with Pansy, Blaise, Goyle and Theodore Nott. There was no time to dwell on Ginny when things were in motion.
"There you are, Draco," Pansy's throaty drawl greeted him. She reached out and looped her arm through his. He neither threw off nor acknowledged the movement. He just stood and looked around his group of 'friends'. They'd welcomed him back into the fold with barely any questions. It made Draco suspicious. But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It just meant that he would get what he wanted, even though he'd still have to look over his shoulder more than he would have liked.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of other green and black robes. The loud guffaw of laughter told him that it was Crabbe. A quick, surveying look over his shoulder revealed that his old mate's companion was Cole Warrington. There was a prick of unease on the back of his neck as he saw the two conversing with one another. Draco eyes shifted to Goyle, who nodded in understanding.
"I'm off to look at Quidditch brooms," Goyle said before departing. Nott let out a snort.
"Because he broke the last one just by sitting on it," he sneered. Pansy let out a shrill laugh. Blaise and Draco smiled knowing it was expected of them, but Draco shifted on his feet as he watched Goyle disappear into the shop.
"Maybe I should go with him to make sure he gets one that fits him," he said. He was about to start off after the other boy, but Pansy tightened her hold on his arm.
"You don't want to go look at silly little Quidditch stuff. Why do that when you can come watch me try on pretty dresses for the Initiation ceremony," she said huskily as she ran a finger over Draco's arm. "Besides… I've missed you so much." Draco held back the sneer he felt was warranted. The girl was positively sick-making. Pansy hadn't missed him as much as she had missed the attention he'd given her… not that it had been all that much in the past, anyway. A snog here and there, and if he'd been desperate enough, maybe even a shag. They had been thrown together as children, tools of their parents, and they had capitalized on it when it had benefited them. Beyond that, Draco had never been able to stand her. Yet still, he knew that Pansy was loyal to the Dark Lord – almost as fanatical as his Aunt Bellatrix. He wanted deeper into the circle, and Pansy was his way to do it. Her birthday was only two weeks away. She'd be receiving her Mark soon.
With another look over his shoulder, Draco took note that Goyle had exited the Quidditch shop and was now following Crabbe and Warrington. A little bit of relief released some of his tension. Gregory Goyle may not be seen as intelligent, but there were certain things he did very well. And one of them was obeying Draco's orders unfailingly.
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Later…
"I'm going to go with Ron, is that alright?" Harry asked. Ginny chuckled. Boys and their Quidditch supplies. It was like dangling cheese in front of a mouse.
"That's fine, Harry. You don't need to run everything by me," she said. We're not on a date… Ginny didn't say that particular thought because she either hoped Harry knew that already, or she wanted to avoid hurting him so blatantly if he didn't. The Boy-Who-Lived squeezed her hand.
"You could always go find Hermione at Flourish and Blotts," he suggested. Ginny's face twisted in disgust.
"And have her quote to me from the handful of books she'll undoubtedly purchase? No thank you. I love Hermione, but I came to Hogsmeade to get away from school…" she said. Harry laughed before he scurried off after his best friend. She watched him go with an affectionate shake of her head.
Suddenly, she stumbled forward as someone ran none-too-gently into her. When she caught her balance and turned, all she saw were the backs of green and black cloaks. Another large form covered in green and black made its way past her. Just as she was about to leave the Slytherins to their pratish behavior, Gregory Goyle caught Ginny's attention. He was walking alone and seemed to be following the laughing Vincent Crabbe and Cole Warrington. It almost classified as stalking, really. It surprised her that Warrington was still at the school. But she supposed, reluctantly, that Dumbledore had motives for doing so.
Suddenly, Goyle's eyes slid from the pair in front of him to her. They stared at each other for a moment. There was no sneer, no look of hatred or disgust… he just nodded once and continued on his way. Her interest peaked and all thoughts of waiting for Harry and Ron wiped from her mind, she immediately went after the tall, hulking boy. They continue on for a bit down the cobblestone street before the group came to a halt. Crabbe soon left Warrington in front of one of Hogsmeade's many knick knack shops and Ginny sucked in a breath at whom he met up with.
It had been the first time since their last confrontation that she had seen him. It had become quite apparent that he'd been avoiding her as much as she had been avoiding him. He looked impeccable in his dark, Slytherin robes. But she knew that he wouldn't go anywhere public without looking flawless.
Draco looked disgusted at Crabbe's presence, and Ginny understood why. He'd told her about what he had done. It came as a surprise to Ginny when Draco and Pansy started walking again, allowing Crabbe, Nott and Zabini to continue behind them. She frowned. What was going on? Then she remembered. I am taking the Mark… Those words continued to haunt her, even now, in the light of day. The fact that he was chummy with the seedier side of Slytherin House only served to further prove his words to her. He was going to do it. It was that painful thought that spurred her feet to quicken their pace.
Goyle continued to follow the group, hanging behind enough to not draw attention to himself. Pansy Parkinson was holding on to Draco's arm like a leech. Ginny knew that Draco felt nothing for her – he'd told her many times how obnoxious he found her. But the thought that they were together and that he seemed to be entertaining the thought of being with her caused a lump in Ginny's throat. She continued to follow Goyle, who in turn was following Draco. The lump in her throat became larger as the group turned their way down the dark alley that signified the entrance to the seedier side of the small village.
Hogsmeade was full of bright, cheerful shops and well-kept homes and hostels, but lingering behind those beautiful layers was the dark side that accompanied every good thing.
"What makes you so sure that we will find what you require down this way, Pansy?" Ginny heard Draco ask. There was an uncertainty in his voice that made Ginny nervous. Draco rarely felt uncomfortable – especially in situations that he could control. And if he was uncomfortable now, that meant he wasn't in control. It could mean many things, but Ginny had a sinking feeling that none of them were good.
And of course, with the way Pansy was almost insistent that the small group make their way to the side of Hogsmeade closest to the Forbidden Forest, Ginny wasn't the only one that was nervous. Goyle would occasionally look over his shoulder and look around with a worried expression on his face, making him look less intimidating than any other time Ginny could remember in her six years at Hogwarts.
She lost sight of the small group as they turned around the corner of a building that Ginny didn't recognize. She turned the corner quickly and had to stumble to a stop as she saw the huddled Slytherins only a few yards away. They didn't see her, so intent were they on what had their attention. Looking around, Ginny couldn't spot Goyle anywhere and wondered to where he had taken off. But then, a blond head lying in the snow caught Ginny's own attention. Her heart stopped as she saw Pansy slip her wand back in her robes and beckon for Crabbe and Theodore Nott to pick Draco's now-motionless form up from the snow. Ginny kept herself from yelling out and calling attention to herself. If they found her, she'd be in much of the same state as Draco. She needed to go get help.
Quickly turning around, she made her way back up the darker streets of Hogsmeade. She'd just made her way around the final corner back to the main road when a hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She drew her wand and prepared to fight whomever grabbed her.
"Shhhhhh…" a voice hissed. Ginny frowned as she looked into Gregory Goyle's face.
"Goyle… what the hell are you doing?" she hissed back. He gentled his grip on her arm and accompanied her the final few feet.
"They've got Draco. Blaise is with him, but there isn't much he can do without giving himself away. We've got to go get Dumbledore… he's the only one that can keep them from giving him the Mark," he said finally. He wants the Mark, she thought to herself. Suddenly, another thought ran through her head and Ginny stopped their progress to take Goyle's large hand in her own.
"I heard McGonagall say that Dumbledore is at the Ministry of Magic today. If you search him out and bring the Aurors down, there is no telling what could happen. Draco may have the Mark by now. If he does, the Aurors will make no distinction between black cloaks. They will kill him," she said. Goyle's eyes looked troubled.
"This is all Crabbe's fault. If he'd kept his big gob shut, Draco could have found a way out of this just as he'd planned. But the wanker played his hand and now Draco is as good as dead," he said. Ginny dropped his hand and stood straight.
"Not yet," she said. "Go find my brother Ron. Tell him to go back the Burrow. My brothers should all be there. Tell them it's important and I need their help. Don't say anything about Draco. Just tell them I've gone with the Death Eaters into the Forbidden Forest." The boy looked at her with surprise and a little bit of admiration.
"You're willing to risk your family for a Slytherin?" he asked. Ginny's eyes met his.
"The entire wizarding world underestimates us Weasleys. I'd be more afraid for the Death Eaters," she said before turning and heading into the forest. "Now, hurry!" Accustomed to taking orders, Goyle ran as quickly as his tall, bulky form would let him.
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