This whole bloody fanfic is dedicated to Missy! Haha.

A bunch of quick updates

1) Being grounded SUCKS.

2) midterms SUCK.

3) I totally stole 'Freckles' from Lost. WHO CARES. SAWYER/KATE IS REALLY CUTE! (Not as cute as Jate though! OMG in 'the Moth'...!)

I hate my computer. I've lost this chapter, so I had to start all over. Then I was grounded and couldn't use the computer. And then I had no inspiration. I hope it's not as bad as I think it is.

Part II, Chapter 11: Here's the Rub

No song! (gasp)

Ginny was hearing voices all around her, swirling around in green mist. 'You can't hideeee, littleeee girrrrrl...' On the floor below her, there was a sea of green, and she carefully lifted up her gown and waded in the emerald water. As soon as her foot made contact with the water, a green snake hissed and began sliding up her foot, then up her leg, then eventually had covered most of her body. As the snake reached for her nose, she began realizing something was off. In a scared, terrified attempt at survival, she clawed at the serpent, but never actually got him.

'Littleeee girrrrl... I'm alwayssss here, alwayssss...'

She awoke with a start, tiny beads of sweat gathering on her forehead. A nightmare. That's all, she told herself. She prepared to close her eyes once more, but a strange sound made that impossible. What is that? Seconds later her question was answered when a large, green snake slid out from under her bedcovers. What the... It hissed and slithered out of her room and down the stairs. Without thinking, she chased it. What the hell - was that a snake? And why was it in her bed?

It was crawling down the steps, past the empty living room and kitchen. Before it reached the door and slithered outside, there was a large pop. The snake was standing upright, then suddenly it had legs... a body... two arms... a head... long, white hair. A man. The man from the masquerade. Ginny gasped as he turned around, glared, then made an odd movement with his tongue - one that reminded her of the stories about Barty Crouch Jr. The man then blew out, and she could do nothing but fall, fall, fall down the many stairs with a bang. Motionless. Silent.

-----------------

"Why... Why me?"

Ron sighed as Molly looked at her sleeping daughter. Ginny's red hair was sprawled out across the white pillows and she twisted and turned in her sleep. She had been murmuring incomprehensible words for the past three hours, but finally she had begun to speak in actual words. She listened silently as Ginny continued.

"Why did you leave... why aren't I good enough? Ever... ever good enough, ever... Never... How could you? Why would you? I loved you..."

Harry, Molly thought, thinking Ginny was still broken-hearted about her first love.

"Why?... Loved you... Why did you hurt me..."

Ron's fists clenched and he turned to his mother. Molly was about to say something when Ginny screamed out in pain, twisting in her bed.

"Buy... Buy... Frozen... Candles frozen... Candles frozen... Freeze..."

Molly gasped. "Isn't Candles Frozen that fairy tale from France?"

"I'm not sure. It might be..."

She shook her head. "I'm going to go buy it... I have a feeling she's trying desperately to tell us something. If she wakes up, be nice." Ron nodded and stared at his little sister as his mother ran to the floo. He grabbed her hand and lightly stroked it, watching as she writhed in pain. He reached out to grab a Quidditch magazine - some brainless stuff to read while waiting. As he began flipping through it, Ginny started murmuring again.

"Draco... why don't you love me?"

Ron looked up, fists clenched. "I'll make him bloody pay," he promised, patting her head. "He will pay."

An hour later, nothing more had happened. Ginny had finally gotten comfortable, it seemed, and wasn't talking in her sleep anymore. Molly finally returned with the book, tears filling her eyes.

"What happ -"

Molly put her hand up. "Get a calendar. Get a calendar now!"

Ron obliged, running to the kitchen and grabbing the calendar. He brought it to his mother and she flipped back and fourth between months, then gasped. She dropped the book and calendar and looked at her daughter, shaking her shoulders. "Wake up, darling, please," she cooed. Ron picked up the book and read a part his mother had highlighted -

...A little-known fact, however, is that Salazar added something to the curse. Although he told everyone that the Gryffindor would die if not married by her eighteenth birthday, he didn't mention that you had to be married by two months before the eighteenth birthday.

Ron looked at the calendar. It was January 13th... Ginny's birthday was March 14th.

"Draco..." Ginny murmured. "Please..."

He growled and ran downstairs in a hurry, ignoring his mother's questioning.

-----------------

The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, the ice was melting, and Draco Malfoy hated life for many reasons. One was because he had been spineless and practically begged Ginny to come home... and she still refused. Another was because his mum was coming to 'check up' on the 'happy couple.' And the third was because he was laying in her bed.

The covers were over his head and he inhaled her sweet scent, which had been slowly fading due to her lack of presence in the room. He felt like such a bloody retard. What the hell was he doing here? In her room? In her bed? God, what was wrong with him? He needed to get up. He needed to shower. He needed to read something, he was feeling illiterate. He needed to shower, because he smelled.

He needed to get her back.

...No, he didn't need her. He... wanted... no. He didn't want her, either. He didn't need or want her! She was useless to him.

Which, obviously, explained why he was curled up in the fetal position under Ginny's covers, wishing she was there with him. I'm such a bloody...

"Oi! Prat! Where are you, you bloody little twat? Hmmm?"

Draco sat up in bed. Someone was in his house. Calling him a prat, and a twat! What the... that voice sounded really familiar... He got up and ran down the stairs.

"What the bloody... Weasel? What the hell are you doing here? Get out!"

Ron stared at him, then burst out laughing. "What happened to you? It looks like you got in a fight or something! Is that... is that four o'clock shadow?"

Draco crossed his arms. "Out."

"No. Sit down."

Draco was wordlessly pushed into the chair.

"Shut up."

Draco opened his mouth, looking quite like a fish out of water.

"And listen to me, you stupid ferret!"

"You - what the - get -"

Ron didn't bother telling him to shut up; he was already launched into a speech. "You were forced to be with my sister. None of us could do anything about it. It's not like any of us thought that you would be a bloody saint to her or anything - that's just too out of the ordinary. But we did figure you'd have enough brain cells to figure out that if you hurt our sister, we would kill you.

"But no! You must not have gotten it - and you must not get it now, the way you're trying to bloody interrupt me. Shut up! There. Good. Like I was saying. It's my sister's heart you're breaking. You're not only putting her life in jeopardy by not marrying her, but you're breaking her heart! She's been out of it for a bloody day-and-a-half, and you wanna know what she's been saying in her sleep? 'Draco, why did you hurt me; Draco, I loved you; Draco, why aren't I good enough?'"

Draco's heart sped up. "Did you... say... putting her life in jeopardy?"

"Yes! Mum bought that bloody... frozen candles or whatever book, and guess what. You two have to be married two months before her eighteenth birthday! Nice ole Salazar Slytherin, eh, always throwing in nice little loopholes? You have one day to get your little ferret arse over here before Ginny dies. Now, I know you don't love her, and I know you never will. But if you have any bloody decency, you will HURRY YOUR FURRY ARSE DOWN TO THE BURROW BEFORE ONE OF US HAS TO DRAG YOU THERE. I may just be forced to send Bill. You've heard about him, right? The whole werewolf thing?"

With a pop, Ron was gone.

"Bloody hell..." Draco muttered, grabbing a spare bit of parchment to tell Narcissa that he wouldn't be able to have her visit today - but maybe in a few days.

-----------------

"Ronald Weasley! How dare you go to that man's house!"

Ron cringed. He knew it wasn't safe to come home so soon... but he was worried about Ginny.

"Mum - I had no choice, I had to -"

Suddenly he was being smothered in a maddening hug.

"Mum, Mum - I - can't - breathe!"

Molly let her son go, smiling. "You've helped so much, Ron. Your sister's going to be fine."

-----------------

The sun was setting when Draco arrived at the Burrow, looking around at the shabbiness of it. He unintentionally wrinkled his nose at the immense amounts of dust that was... well... everywhere. You call this a house? he sneered to himself, glancing around once more. He couldn't help but ask himself why the hell he was even at the burrow - in the back of his mind, he seriously felt that Ron was lying just to get Draco over here. He grumbled to himself before shouting out. "Er... hello?"

Molly appeared out of nowhere, wringing her hands and smiling. "Oh! Dra - Mal -" She trailed off, frowned, then shrugged and said "... Hello!"

Draco slowly raised his right hand and cringed - er, I mean, smiled. "Hi."

It was quiet, until Ron came downstairs. "Ginny's... um..." he glared at Draco. "...awake."

"Wonderful!" Molly cried, over-excited. She grabbed Draco's sleeve and pulled him up the stairs to Ginny's room, then lightly tapped on her door. "Gin-bug? Someone's here to see you."

Ginny slowly turned around; she was standing by the window, looking outside. Draco almost gasped when she was fully facing him - she looked awful. Beautiful, yet untame, quiet, and worn. Her red hair seemed limp and thin, her freckles were light and almost invisible, and her brown eyes were lighter, mousier. She glared at her mother.

"Why didn't tell me it was him?"

Molly frowned. "Just give him a chance, Gin." She glanced at Draco, who was staring at her daughter. She coughed, then turned back to Ginny. "Come down if you need something." She closed the door behind her, leaving Draco and Ginny alone in odd, embarrassing silence.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, looking back out the window. She didn't know what she was focusing on, but she made sure her attention was towards it... and not the way Draco looked - like a shell of himself.

"Your brother came to the manor... Said you were sick." He looked at her closely and stepped towards her. "I see he wasn't lying."

She turned to glare at him, and immediately he grabbed her wrists and brought her closer.

"Come home."

"Why are you always telling me what to do?" she hissed, trying to get out of his grip. "Why do you think you can control me? What makes you think I'm just going to drop everything and go home because you said so?"

"Because I love you!"

"That's easy for you to say!" Tears filled her eyes as she backed away from him. "What makes you think that lying about loving me will fix this?"

"That's just it, Gin." He looked her closely in the eye. "I'm not lying. I love you."

Ginny shook her head. "What gives you that right? Why do you think you can act like the bigger man when you were the problem in all of this?"

Draco looked down. "I figured we should learn to deal before the..."

"Before the what?"

"...Wedding."

"That's not for another year, besides we don't have to -"

"Ah, here's the rub: the wedding is tomorrow," Draco sneered, more than a bit angry at his bride-to-be.

"Wha... Are you... No one told me anything about this!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "That's because you've been unconscious, Freckles."

"Shut up, you," she snapped, pacing. "I can't - I'm not ready - tomorrow?"

"Yes, you can - you'll get ready - and yes."

She glared at him. "Why don't you just go shove off, Ferret? You're the one who caused these problems... Why did you have to be born a bloody boy?"

"Because it would be a shame to waste such good looks on a female."

She turned to him and emitted a snarl, one that sounded a lot like a wild cheetah about to attack a defenseless gazelle. She stood close to him, looking deep into his scornful eyes.

"You're disgraceful."

"It's the curse talking, love," Draco whispered, smiling condescendingly down at Ginny.

Stop being so rude. Stop it. Don't let the curse get to you. "Oh, my God... You're right..." WHAT? No, you're WRONG! In a single swishing movement, her hand made contact with his face, resulting in a long, hard slap.

Draco laughed, rubbing his cheek. "Have you been tested for Bipolar disorder, Freckles? You may have it."

"Stop calling me that!" She stepped away from Draco and shook her head, looking out the window for a brief moment of fresh air... and what she saw frightened her. A girl with pale skin, dressed in a long white dress, was sitting in a tree. She had long red hair that blew in the breeze, and her face was void of any emotions. Ginny gasped. "Oh, God. I think... we need to go to the Manor... I may be going... crazy..."

"What? You? Crazy? What would make you think such a thing?" Draco said innocently. "Come on. We have some planning to do."

She kept staring at the girl, who was climbing up the tree, never breaking eye contact. Soon, she was but a few branches away, and the girl smiled, then blinked. And in the blink of her eye, Ginny collapsed.

Author's Note: Well, that sucked! I'm really really sorry. I've been grounded/ungrounded numerous times, I've been busy catching up on 'Lost' (I'm renting the first season. How good was Confidence Man? Not my favorite, though - that would def. be The Moth or White Rabbit) and I have midterms. Oh, and my computer deleted the original chapter I had for this. Anyway, yeah. Please review nonetheless, and tell me your HONEST OPINIONS!

xx, She-who-wishes-she-could-be-called-Freckles