Chapter 6
"Do you mind Pansy? I'm trying to eat," snarled Draco in disgust when Pansy snuggled up next to him on the bench, wrapping her arm around his waist.
"Could have fooled me Draco, you've barely touched your dinner," simpered Pansy. "Course being forced to work with a dog like the Weaselette would make anyone lose his or her appetite. At least Michaela got partnered with a Ravenclaw and not that moron Longbottom."
"Shut up Pansy," snarled Draco in irritation as a sense that something was wrong settled around him and only intensified when he noticed the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall leave the Great Hall.
"Defending Gryffindors Draco?" questioned Pansy in concern.
"I'm trying to think of ways to decimate them on the pitch if you must know and it would be a hell of a lot easier without your prattling on in my ear constantly," Draco sneered, his sense that something was wrong increasing as more time went by. /-/Ginny/-/ he thought suddenly looking down at his wedding band which was glowing softly and was growing slightly warm on his finger.
"Draco, where are you going?" demanded Pansy when Draco pushed back and rose from the table.
Draco never answered; he simply walked away leaving Pansy to stare after him. "Excuse me Professor Snape," he said as he stepped in front of his Head of House.
"Yes Mr. Malfoy, what is it?" questioned Severus.
"May I speak with you sir? In private?"
"Can it not wait Mr. Malfoy?" asked Severus.
"No sir, I don't think that it can," replied Draco as he unconsciously touched his wedding ring, which was still glowing and quite warm to the touch.
Draco's unconscious action did not go unnoticed by Severus. "Come with me," he instructed as he rose from his seat at the Head Table and made his way from the Great Hall, Draco falling into step beside him. Severus led Draco into an empty classroom down the corridor from the Great Hall, locking and warding the door behind them.
"Sir, something's wrong," commented Draco worriedly the minute Severus put his wand away.
"And what something might this be?" asked Severus guardedly.
"It's Ginny sir. I don't know how I know, I just know. A gut feeling I have," replied Draco.
"Miss Weasley is in the Hospital Wing Mr. Malfoy, as you know. She is perfectly fine," argued Severus.
"No sir, she's not. I got this same feeling this morning and I ignored it only to have Ginny collapse in front of me this afternoon. I'm not going to ignore it a second time," Draco swore as his right hand once again went to his wedding ring.
/-/He loves her/-/ thought Severus sadly as he recognized the significance of Draco's unconscious gesture and knowing that this was one relationship that was doomed to failure regardless of how either Draco or Ginny felt. "Alright Mr. Malfoy, I believe you, but we must hurry. It will be best for both you and Miss Weasley if we can get you to her in the Hospital Wing without being seen," he said as he opened to door, breaking the seal and the wards before leading Draco out.
They managed to make it up to the Hospital Wing without being seen by taking the less frequented corridors.
"Ginny!" whispered Draco in quiet panic when they entered the Hospital Room only to find no sign of Ginny anywhere and Albus, Minerva and Poppy attempting to get into one of the private rooms at the back of the ward without much success.
"Is everything all right Headmaster?" asked Severus in concern stepping in front of Draco and blocking him from view. "Where is Miss Weasley?"
"Ah Severus, there you are," commented Albus. "Perhaps you can assist us. It appears that Miss Weasley has somehow managed to lock herself in this room and is preventing us from entering."
"I'm afraid that I can not assist you Headmaster," replied Severus, only to watch Albus, Poppy and Minerva deflate. "But I do know of someone who can," he continued.
"Well, who is it?" demanded Poppy in irritation.
"Before I tell you that I need your assurance that this ward will be sealed for the time being and that anything you learn here this evening does not leave this room and is never spoken of by any of you unless in a protected room and only with those of us present," explained Severus.
"Severus is that really necessary?" questioned Minerva. "It's not like anyone's life is in danger."
"That's where you're wrong Minerva. There are two lives on the line if this information falls into the wrong hands, Miss Weasley being one of them," explained Severus. "Headmaster, if you want to protect the lives of these two students, then do as I ask and seal the ward and ensure the truth does not leave this room."
"All right Severus, all right," agreed Albus, withdrawing his wand. With a flick of his wrist a shimmer spread out through the room, sealing the Hospital Wing off from the rest of the castle, preventing anyone not currently in the ward from gaining entry or overhearing anything that was said. With another flick of his wrist, Albus cast a spell that prevented Poppy, Minerva and himself from speaking of what was to be revealed to them by Severus.
With a nod at Albus, Severus stepped aside, revealing Draco to the others. "Go ahead Mr. Malfoy."
"But Professor…"
"Trust your instincts Mr. Malfoy. They brought you to me and they will get you through that door," Severus instructed quietly, receiving a nod from Draco in reply as he stepped past Severus and towards the locked room.
"Severus, what in Merlin's name is Mr. Malfoy doing here?" asked Minerva in confusion. "If Albus can't get through that door, how can you possibly expect a boy of Mr. Malfoy's age to?"
"Because Miss Weasley has a connection to Mr. Malfoy that she does not have with the Headmaster," offered Severus as he watch Draco tentatively approach the door.
"It's true then, that Lord Malfoy had his son married to Miss Weasley?" asked Albus.
"Yes it is Headmaster," replied Severus. "There is more to it than them simply being married I'm afraid. I know much of what Miss Weasley's life has been like since the marriage, but not all. Some of it I'm sure you can guess for yourselves as you know the child is here under the protection of Sanctuary. All I know is what Miss Weasley herself has told me. Lord Malfoy and his son showed up at the Weasley's house two weeks before the end of summer and her parents signed a marriage contract with them. Lord Malfoy apparently told them it was being done to protect Miss Weasley from the Dark Lord."
"Lord Malfoy protect a Weasley from the Dark Lord?" asked Minerva disbelievingly.
"I do not believe it any more than you do Minerva and neither does Miss Weasley…" Severus' words trailed off as the sound of a door slamming shut echoed throughout the room. When he looked towards the door that Draco had been trying to get through, the door was closed and there was no sign of Draco anywhere.
"Where did Mr. Malfoy go?" asked Poppy in confusion.
"I would guess that he managed to enter the room," replied Severus raising a sardonic eyebrow. "Now would someone explain to me how Miss Weasley managed to get herself locked in that room?"
"Miss Weasley regained consciousness shortly after Mr. Malfoy brought her in earlier and I thought it best if she at least attempted to eat something to regain her strength," replied Poppy. "So I ordered her some dinner from the kitchens once the rest of the students had been served."
"Did you take it from the house-elf before giving it to her?" demanded Severus, not liking where this was heading.
"Dobby brought it up so I saw no harm in letting him take it to Miss Weasley. You know how he dotes on Mr. Potter and his friends…"
"You stupid woman," snarled Severus furiously causing Poppy to step back in fear.
"Calm down Severus," urged Albus as he put a restraining hand on Severus' arm. "Now what is so terrible about allowing Dobby to serve Miss Weasley?"
"Oh I don't know Headmaster, maybe the fact that the girl lives in abject terror of house-elves," snapped Severus.
"A witch afraid of a house-elf?" asked Poppy in total disbelief.
"He's not joking Poppy," replied Minerva quietly. "I saw signs of it the day she first arrived seeking Sanctuary. She was terrified of the house-elves who were setting up her room. But it wasn't anywhere near this bad. She didn't do anything other than back out of the room trembling."
"She had a similar reaction when she visited me the following day when Dobby brought her tea," commented Severus. "Something must have happened between then and now to make her reaction this severe. My guess is Dobby was a little too persistent with her, pushing her over the edge of reason and in her terror she lost control of her magic and that's what is keeping us from that room."
"But where would a fear of house-elves this severe come from?" wondered Poppy curiously as this was the first time she had ever heard anything about anyone being afraid of house-elves. "They would never dream of hurting a witch or wizard."
"Normally they would not but these are not normal circumstances Poppy. This is Lord Malfoy we're talking about here and normal does not apply," replied Severus as the adults fell silent as the door to the room slowly opened.
While Severus was dealing with the adults, Draco made his way towards the room Ginny was in. Draco withdrew his wand, ready to hit the door with the strongest unlocking charm he could think of and if that did not work, he was prepared to blast the thing off its hinges. Just as he was about to cast the first spell, Severus' words to 'trust his instincts' echoed in his head, causing him to hesitate and look down at the wand in his hand.
/-/This doesn't feel right/-/ he thought as he felt a strange pulse come from his wedding band. When he looked down at the ring he noticed it now had a slight sparkling shimmer to it as well as the glow it had before. /-/What in the world/-/ he thought curiously when he looked up and found the same soft sparkling shimmer on the door in front of him. Draco ran his left hand slowly over the door to see how the magic keeping the door closed would react to him. He breathed a sigh of relief when there was no adverse reaction and was slightly surprised to hear the latch click and then have the door swing open when his hand hovered over the handle.
"Ginny?" called Draco quietly as he stepped cautiously into the room. When he did not see her right away he slowly made his way farther into the room, only to find Ginny tucked up in the corner on the other side of the bed, between the nightstand and the wall, mumbling to herself.
"I'm sorry…I didn't do anything…It's not my fault…I'm sorry…" Ginny mumbled quietly to herself, not even aware that Draco was there.
"Ginny?" Draco called quietly again as he knelt down in front of her. "It's alright Ginny, you're safe," he said soothingly as he carefully reached out towards Ginny only to have her flinch back away from him and unknowingly send out a shockwave of magic, which sent Draco crashing into the wall and slamming the door shut once more.
With a groan Draco shook the stars from his vision and carefully made his way back over to where Ginny was hiding. He was dismayed to see that she had somehow managed to curl herself into an even tighter ball than before.
"Shh Gin…" Draco let her name trail off when he saw her flinch once more. /-/Follow my instincts/-/ he thought as he changed his tactics. He got down on his knees in front of Ginny once more and thought about pushing as much calming feelings through the small connection he had with her thanks to their rings. Along with the feelings of calmness, he sent every ounce of love and concern he could muster. "Shh Fireling, I'm not going to hurt you," he said as he cautiously reached his left hand out towards Ginny, stopping inches away from her left hand. When Ginny did not pull away, he slowly closed the gap between them, taking her hand in his.
When Ginny felt Draco take her hand it was like something broke inside of her and the torrent of emotions she had been blocking for weeks finally broke free. As Ginny started crying, Draco pulled her forward and held her, sending his feelings of love through their rings.
"Shh Fireling, it's okay. Nobody's going to hurt you. You're safe here. I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you," Draco soothed as he let Ginny cry out her fear.
Draco continued to sit and rock Ginny even as her tears dried up and she drifted off to sleep in his arms. Holding Ginny while she slept had been something that Draco had always wanted to do but was never able to even though he was married to her, so he allowed himself to enjoy the feeling while he had the chance.
A short while later, knowing they'd have to emerge sooner or later; Draco carefully picked Ginny up and carried her back out into the main ward and gently laid her down on her bed and covered her with her blankets.
The three professors and nurse stayed back and watched Draco sit down on the bed next to Ginny, brushing strands of her hair off her face lovingly with one hand while taking a hold of one of her hands in his free one.
"Draco?" wondered Ginny groggily a short while later as she woke from her slumber.
"Shh Ginny, it's alright. I'm right here," reassured Draco as he gently caressed Ginny's cheek.
"Don't" Ginny snapped as she smacked Draco's hand away from her face. "What are you doing here Malfoy?"
"I was worried about you Ginny. I knew something was wrong so I came to help you."
"I don't need your help Malfoy and I thought I told you not to call me that," snarled Ginny as she rolled over and turned her back on Draco.
"Ginny…"
"Leave me alone Malfoy," ordered Ginny softly. "Go back to your fiancée and just leave me alone," she pleaded fighting back a fresh wave of tears.
"Come Mr. Malfoy," instructed Severus quietly as he stepped up behind Draco and put a hand on his shoulder. "Miss Weasley needs her rest."
With a nod and a final look at Ginny after pulling his hand back from where it was hovering over her arm, Draco rose and followed Severus from the room, looking back at Ginny one last time before the door closed behind him.
"Come Minerva, let us leave the child in peace," suggested Albus as he guided Minerva away from her course towards Ginny's bed and out of the wing.
Once Poppy had retreated to her office, Ginny rolled over so her back was to the doors to the wing and let her tears come once more.
"You wanted to see me Professor?" asked Ginny as she stuck her head in Severus' office the following evening.
She had been released from the Hospital Wing just before dinner when Poppy was confident that she would not collapse again and had made Ginny promise to seek help from her or one of her other professors if she was attacked again. Ginny gave her word that she would but knew that she never would. She had no way to prove that a house-elf, working under orders from Lord Malfoy, was the one responsible for torturing her. Who in their right mind would believe her? It was her word against his and his word would be taken as the truth for he was almost royalty and she was a mere peasant.
"Yes Miss Weasley," replied Severus, indicating for Ginny to take a seat on the other side of his desk. "Now then Miss Weasley," he began once Ginny was seated. "I want to you to tell me what happened between the time I left you in the Entrance Hall Friday night and you collapsing in the library yesterday afternoon."
"Nothing happened Professor," replied Ginny.
"Do not lie to me Miss Weasley," snapped Severus. "Madam Pomfrey told me that she suspects you were tortured in some respect.
"There's nothing to tell you that you don't already know Professor," snapped Ginny in reply.
"Watch yourself Miss Weasley," cautioned Severus. "I am still your professor and deserve to be treated with appropriate respect."
"I'm sorry Professor but he found out somehow and someone had to tell him and if it wasn't you than I don't know who would have told him since you're the only one that knows everything," replied Ginny.
"Told who Miss Weasley?" asked Severus in confusion.
"Lord Malfoy, Professor. How else would he know that I'm here under the protection of Sanctuary unless you told him," commented Ginny angrily.
"How much do you know about Sanctuary Miss Weasley?"
"Only what my parents told me after Tom came back in my third year," offered Ginny.
"How much did they tell you?" pressed Severus.
"Not a lot," admitted Ginny. "Just that if anything ever happened to them and we were in danger to come and seek safety here through Sanctuary."
"I see," mused Severus in disgust. "Yes Sanctuary provides you with the safety you seek but there is far more to it than merely that Miss Weasley. Given the situation you found yourself in this summer, seeking Sanctuary was the correct course of action for you to take. Your parents however, should have provided you with a better understanding of Sanctuary than they did. Sanctuary is not something to be taken lightly Miss Weasley."
"I assure you I don't Professor," replied Ginny. "I just don't understand how you could tell Lord Malfoy that I sought Sanctuary here."
"I did not inform Lord Malfoy of your presence here Miss Weasley, nor did I tell him that you were here under the protection of Sanctuary. The rules of Sanctuary prevent me from doing so," Severus informed her.
"But then how did he…"
"Lord Malfoy is a shrewd man, Miss Weasley. It wouldn't take much for him to figure out what happened when your parents failed to return you to his care after your disappearance," explained Severus.
"Oh," Ginny sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry Professor."
"For what Miss Weasley?"
"I was out of line accusing you of…"
"It is all right Miss Weasley," reassured Severus.
"You said the rules of Sanctuary prevent you from telling Lord Malfoy of my whereabouts. What rules Professor?"
"As I said Miss Weasley, Sanctuary is not something to be taken lightly. Given the circumstances it was the only option open to you and you made the right choice in seeking it out. I'm sure you noticed that it was not just the Headmaster that granted you Sanctuary here at Hogwarts," commented Severus.
"Yes sir," agreed Ginny.
"By agreeing to grant you Sanctuary, the Heads of House, the Founders and the Headmaster have evoked spells designed to protect you. These spells are so ancient that their origins are unknown. These spells prevent anyone who knows you are here under the protection of Sanctuary from telling anyone outside of the castle. If I were to leave the grounds and be taken by Death Eaters, I could not tell them you are here no matter what they did to me, for even though I would know that you are here, the words would not come forth. This is why it is impossible for me to have informed Lord Malfoy. If I tried to sit down and write it in a letter, I would not be able to write the words," explained Severus.
"I see," replied Ginny. "Professor, again…"
Severus waved off Ginny's apology. "No need to keep apologizing Miss Weasley. You did not know."
"There is more to these rules than your not being able to tell anyone where I am, isn't there?"
"Yes Miss Weasley, there is," agreed Severus. "The most important rule is that you are not under any circumstances to leave the school grounds. As long as you stay within the protective wards of the Hogwarts grounds than anyone intent on doing you harm can not reach you, nor can they see you. You could be facing each other less than a foot apart, but as long as you are on this side of the wards you will be invisible to them. The minute you were granted Sanctuary you were keyed into the wards guarding the school. You will know when you are near them Miss Weasley. This will prevent you from crossing them unknowingly."
"I see," replied Ginny. "Professor, you said that the wards prevent anyone intent on harming me from reaching me."
"I did."
"What do you mean by anyone?"
"What are you asking me Miss Weasley?"
"Well is it only witches and wizards or is it other creatures as well?"
"Witches and wizards and any creature considered to be dark or that is known to attack witches and wizards," replied Severus.
"Oh. Thank you Professor," replied Ginny sadly. "I think I should go now," she finished rising from her seat.
"Not just yet Miss Weasley," Severus informed Ginny, indicating for her to retake her seat. "You said that Lord Malfoy knows you are here under Sanctuary. How do you know this?"
"He told me," replied Ginny. When Severus raised a questioning eyebrow and steepled his fingers in front of himself, Ginny figured she had better explain further. "While I was at Malfoy Manor this summer, the Lady Malfoy purchased a number of things for me. She sent them to me yesterday. Along with the trunkful of items, the owl also brought a letter. Turns out the letter was from Lord Malfoy, which I did not know until I'd opened it.
"Does this have something to do with why you ended up in the Hospital Wing?" inquired Severus.
"Yes Sir and why I wanted to know which creatures were kept away from me. It seems that Lord Malfoy has found a way around that rule," replied Ginny.
"And how is that Miss Weasley?"
"Do you remember me telling you about the house-elf Lord Malfoy assigned to my care?" asked Ginny quietly.
"I do," replied Severus with a nod.
"Somehow Lord Malfoy found a way for Blinky to make it through the wards. When I opened the letter from Lord Malfoy, Blinky appeared. Needless to say Lord Malfoy was quite angry to return home from the Summer Ball, and not only find me gone but not be able to get at me. Blinky made sure I knew exactly how upset his master was with me."
"Why not tell Draco of this?" wondered Severus.
"Because I'm not supposed to be spending any time with him other than our weekly…appointments," replied Ginny, her voice filled with sarcasm and was that hurt Severus heard? "Thank you for trying to help me but this project of the Headmaster's may very well be the death of me."
"I will advise Draco to inform his father of his partnership with you in the Headmaster's special project. That way Lord Malfoy will have no reason to have the elf punish you further. I will also speak to the Headmaster to see what we can do about Lord Malfoy's elf having access to the castle. I suggest you inform Draco of your status here under Sanctuary so that he does nothing to jeopardize your safety. You might also want to inform him of the elf and its actions towards you," instructed Severus.
"I can't Professor," replied Ginny.
"And why can't you?"
"Because if we're alone together before our appointed time, I can guarantee that Lord Malfoy will find out and I will pay the price and this isn't exactly something I can tell him in the library," commented Ginny.
"You still have detention with me this Friday, you can tell him then," Severus informed her.
"You'll stay in the room?"
"If that is what you wish Miss Weasley, then yes I will stay in the room while you tell him," replied Severus. "Now I suggest you return to your Common Room."
"Yes Sir," replied Ginny, rising from her seat once more. Stopping at the door, Ginny turned back towards Severus. "Thank you Professor, for everything…"
"You're welcome Miss Weasley," replied Severus. "Now get out of here."
"Yes Sir," answered Ginny with a smile before turning and walking out the door.
Unfortunately for Ginny she once again faced Ron's inquisition upon her return to the Gryffindor Common Room. After attempting to convince her brother that she had been speaking to Professor Snape and not Malfoy for the tenth time, she simply stalked off, making her way up to her dorm room and slamming the door behind her, leaving her brother and his friends in baffled silence.
As the days progressed, every time Ron tried to press Ginny about Malfoy and the project, Ginny would simply walk away, even when it meant leaving a meal early, much to Draco's dismay. As for Draco, Ginny was avoiding him at all costs outside of their joint classes, where she made sure that the conversation never strayed from the topic the professor was covering.
"Ginny where are you going?" asked Hermione when Ginny rose from the table. "You've barely eaten."
"I'm leaving Hermione," replied Ginny.
"Ginny, you've hardly eaten anything all week. It's not good for you to miss so many meals," argued Hermione.
"Well then get Ron to stop his inquisition of me every time I enter a room and maybe I'll actually get to eat something," snapped Ginny in frustration. "I am working with Malfoy Ron," she snarled as she leant across the table. "Accept it and get over it. There is nothing you, I or even Malfoy can do about it."
"That's not true Ginny," interrupted Harry. "Dumbledore told us that you and Malfoy both had the opportunity to have your partnership changed but neither of you took it."
"We weren't exactly informed of that opportunity Harry and excuse me for actually wanting to take advantage of working with one of the smartest students here. He is Head Boy for a reason you know and before you say it Ron, his father had nothing to do with that. Malfoy earned his spot as Head Boy. Now if you'll excuse me, I have detention with Professor Snape," Ginny said spinning on her heel and stalking out of the Great Hall and all the way down to the dungeons, where she sat down outside the potions classroom, pulled out her potions textbook and began reading, which is how Severus and Draco found her a short while later.
"Miss Weasley," Severus greeted with a nod as he unlocked his classroom.
"Professor Snape, Malfoy," greeted Ginny as she closed her book and got to her feet before entering the classroom.
Severus made his way over to his desk and began grading papers as Ginny and Draco settled themselves at one of the work tables.
"I informed my father about our working together," commented Draco.
"And?" questioned Ginny. "What was his reaction?"
"Unhappy would be putting it mildly," replied Draco.
"Oh," commented Ginny quietly as she rubbed her arms trying to banish a tremor of fear. "I see." /-/I'm in for it now/-/ she thought sadly.
"He's angry to say the least but he does see the benefit of it," Draco said.
"Benefit?"
"My father realizes that this partnership will make it easier for us to be together without raising too much suspicion. He also informed me that he's expecting us home for Christmas. He said something about having a gift for you that he was unable to give you before you left. It sounds like Father might actually be coming around."
"Don't get your hopes up Malfoy," commented Ginny. "I know exactly what this gift of your father's is and I can guarantee he'll never get the chance to give it to me."
"What are you talking about Ginny?"
"I told you not to call me that Malfoy," Ginny reminded him. "This gift of your father's is why I left in the first place Malfoy and it's one of the reasons…one of the reasons why I sought the protection of Sanctuary here at Hogwarts."
"You're here under Sanctuary?" asked Draco in surprised confusion. "Why?"
"I didn't just suddenly change my mind about attending the Summer Ball Malfoy. Your father changed it for me. What he did to me before is nothing compared to the beating I received that day. And this gift that he's talking about is the gift of learning my place at his hands. Your father promised to rape me when he returned from the Ball. I couldn't willingly let him do that so I left and sought Sanctuary here. And before you ask, no I couldn't go to my parents because they would simply turn me back over to your father," explained Ginny.
"Oh Red," sighed Draco sadly. I had not idea. I am so sorry."
"Red?"
"You refuse to let me use your first name and the name Weasley makes me think of your brother," replied Draco with a shrug.
"I see. And you weren't supposed to know but something's come up and Professor Snape made me realize that there are some things you need to know if we're going to make this arrangement work and keep me safe," informed Ginny.
Ginny spent the next while explaining to Draco the deal surrounding her plea of Sanctuary and everything it entailed, along with what happened to her the week before and why she had collapsed and later suffered the panic attack that he pulled her from.
"We should probably get going and get this over with," commented Ginny as she rose from her seat.
"We probably should," agreed Draco. "I just need to ask Professor Snape something first so why don't you wait for me in the hall and I'll be out in a moment."
"Alright," agreed Ginny a little reluctantly before making her way from the room.
"Professor Snape, I'm curious about something," commented Draco as he approached Severus' desk.
"What might that be Mr. Malfoy?" asked Severus as he looked up from the parchment in front of him.
"Why does Ginny keep refusing to let me use her name and why did she push me away like she did in the Hospital Wing last week?" asked Draco, his confusion clearly evident. "Merlin, she won't even let me kiss her properly."
Severus set his quill down with a soft sigh. "If I am reading Miss Weasley right Mr. Malfoy, she is using it as a means of protection for herself."
"I don't understand Professor. Protection from what?"
"From you Mr. Malfoy," replied Severus.
"From me? But Professor I would never hurt her. I'm in love with her."
"You would not intentionally hurt her no, but what about unintentionally? Where you do see your future Mr. Malfoy?" asked Severus.
"I don't know exactly Professor, but I do see Ginny there beside me," replied Draco.
"And your father Mr. Malfoy? What does the Lord Malfoy envision for his son? I can almost guarantee that Miss Weasley is not a part of the future he has planned for you. Miss Weasley knows this and is doing what she must to protect herself from getting her heart crushed," Severus explained. "Now I suggest you return to Miss Weasley's side and do what you must."
"Yes Professor," replied Draco, turning and making his way out of the room.
While Draco had been talking to Severus, Ginny had found herself on the receiving end of one of Blinky's pain curses. It was nowhere near like what she had suffered the week before. It was more like what he had done to her at the Manor. Needless to say it was still strong enough to drop her to her hands and knees in the corridor. Ginny knew better than to cry out or to try and draw anyone's attention. If she did, she knew her punishment would simply be more severe the next time Blinky caught her alone. Blinky forced Ginny to drink her anti-conception potion moments before Draco opened the door. Luckily for Ginny, she was able to sit leaning back against the wall for support before Draco noticed anything was amiss, Blinky disappearing from sight at the same time.
Draco and Ginny's time together followed the same pattern as their other nights in Draco's bed. After speaking with Severus, Draco understood why Ginny acted the way that she did in regards to certain things, like the way she would turn away just as he was about to kiss her on the lips. Of course, just because he knew why she did what she did, it did not mean that he was going to stop trying.
"Malfoy, let go of me, I have to go," commented Ginny when Draco lay down next to her wrapping her in his arms and pulling her close.
"You're not going anywhere Red," replied Draco with a squeeze. "Besides Blinky isn't even here."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that," commented Ginny quietly, spying the elf over Draco's shoulder.
"I'm not letting you go because we're not finished yet," Draco told her as he rolled them over so that he was lying on top of Ginny once more, his growing erection becoming quite evident.
"Malfoy…please…I can't…" pleaded Ginny turning her head to the side as Draco tried to kiss her, only to make eye contact with Blinky, who nodded, telling Ginny to allow Draco to do as he wished.
Ginny carefully extricated herself from Draco's arms after he fell asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief when she managed to get dressed and out of Draco's room without running into Blinky. That relief was short lived however when she ran into the elf in the corridor just down from Draco's room.
"Master will not be happy to hear how Girl tried to deny the young master what is rightfully his," Blinky said as he hit Ginny with his pain curse. "No. Master will not be happy," he repeated causing the intensity of his curse to spike higher, closer to the level he had used the week prior, for a moment before disappearing completely.
When she came to a few minutes later she found herself laying on the corridor floor, blessedly alone, no sign of Blinky anywhere. Rolling over Ginny slowly got to her feet, her body protesting every small move she made. It took her longer than normal to make her way from Draco's room up to the Gryffindor Common Room, but she managed to get there without running into any of the prefects or professors out looking for students out after curfew.
"Harry?" Ginny asked in surprise when she entered the Common Room.
"Hey Ginny," replied Harry rising from his spot in front of the fire. "Can we talk?"
"Harry, I…"
"Please Ginny?" pleaded Harry. "It's just me, I promise. Ron's upstairs with Hermione."
"Alright," agreed Ginny as she carefully made her way over to the sofa where Harry was and gently lowered herself until she was sitting down.
"Ginny are you alright?" asked Harry worriedly after noticing the way that Ginny walked and had sat herself down.
"I'm fine Harry."
"Ginny please don't lie to me," pleaded Harry. "I can tell you're in pain. Would you please tell me what's going on? Does it have something to do with Malfoy and this project of Dumbledore's?"
"Yes Harry," replied Ginny with a sigh. "It has to do with Malfoy and the Headmaster's project was created because of it in order to help me. I can't tell you anymore than that. I'm sorry," she finished getting up from her seat.
"Ginny wait," begged Harry jumping to his feet and grabbing Ginny's hand as she went by.
"Harry, please, I can't tell you anymore than I have and I've already told you too much as it is," pleaded Ginny turning to face him.
"It's okay Ginny. I understand. I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever need me," Harry said, closing the gap between them and pulling Ginny into his arms.
"Thank you," replied Ginny into Harry's shoulder before pulling away once more and making her way up to her dormitory.