"He said that he had an unbreakable vow with my mother to protect me, and one with Dumbledore so that he would do it instead of me. He said Dumbledore told him to do it. How can he offer me protection he knows he can't give. I just wanted my mum to be okay," his eyes were glistening unnaturally, and he shook his head.
Ginny reached up and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "No one knew what would happen. I'm sure that they never expected Voldemort to turn on them."
Draco's head snapped up and he looked in her eyes. "You said his name?" He asked is almost reverently. "You say it without fear?"
"He is crazy. You shouldn't fear him. Look at what he did to your father- probably his biggest supporter. He's got to be insane to do that. Don't fear someone like that. He'll screw up, and we'll be ready," she said with much more confidence than she felt.
Draco nodded, then almost smiled and said, "I bet he's almost as nutters as you looked in that awful pink sweater."
She punched him playfully and said, "Hey, maybe I liked that sweater." Getting him smiling is a good thing. Just get his mind off of it, since there is nothing we can do about it.
"Do you reckon he's been working with McGonagall this whole time?" That is definitely not a change of subject, Ginny thought.
"I don't know. Maybe." I may as well get some more info out of him while I can. "Did you hear what they were saying?"
"Apparently 'they' have finished their task and want to come back."
"They? They as in Ron, Harry and Hermione?" Her stomach dropped.
"I didn't even think about that. I bet it is." He looked up at her expectantly, only to see a look of grim determination on her face. "You have me. It'll be fine if they come back. We can handle it," he said.
"Right. And we can handle Snape. Even if he decides to come back and teach- he wouldn't do that would he?"
Draco thought then said, "I doubt it. He's hailed as Dumbledore's murderer. He can't very well come out and claim innocence when he is taking credit for it on the other side."
"Thank Merlin. I lied. I don't think I could handle him teaching me. I might just chuck a few hexes at him- every other second."
Draco smiled and thought about all of the hexes that he would throw at his godfather. "Remember that one duel where Goyle grew antlers? We could give him antlers."
"And a pink sweater. With kittens and baubles."
"And he would only be able to speak in mermish. Oooh, then no one would like him."
"But think about sitting through lectures conducted in mermish. It would be as much a punishment for us as for him."
"True." And the pair sat and considered what they would do to Snape if they got a hold of him before sleepily returning to their rooms late that night.
Ginny got a late start to Sunday after being up so late, and skipped lunch to work on her homework. She finally descended from her room in time for dinner, by which time she was starving.
When she arrived in the Great Hall, she saw Draco sitting in their usual spot at the corner of the table, watching the doors expectantly. He looked relieved when he saw her, and she gave him a questioning look when she sat.
"You didn't come to lunch. I thought you were upset or something."
"No. I slept late and caught up on some essays."
"Have you not heard then?" Her looked at her concerned.
"Heard what?"
Draco opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, Ginny heard the doors to the Great Hall open loudly and turned to see who it was.
They are back. She groaned.
Harry led the way and Ron and Hermione followed. They walked in as if they owned the school. As if they hadn't missed most of the term. Ginny saw their puzzled faces as they took in the new table arrangement and the surprising lack of students.
She shared a significant look with Draco and turned back to her food, as did he.
She heard Neville greeting them loudly and silently thanked him for the much-needed distraction. She was really not in the mood to deal with them. She wanted to talk to Draco. Find out how he was doing.
Finally she chanced a glance up when the hall had quieted down again and saw the dark looks that Hermione and Harry were sharing while Ron glared openly at Draco.
Under her breath, Ginny said, "I think I am done here. I don't have much of an appetite anymore."
"I'll come with you."
"Okay." The pair moved to stand, but was cut off by Ron's bellow from the other end of the table.
"Where do you think you are going, you smelly git of a ferret?"
"Mr. Weasley! Mind your language," Professor McGonagall scolded loudly from the head table. Draco and Ginny continued toward the door as if they had not heard him, unable to see the piercing glare that he was giving them, but feeling the eyes follow them all the way out. Ginny instinctively turned with him to go down to the Slytherin common room.
They walked in silence, but every now and then, Draco thought he heard, "Gits," muttered under her breath as she briskly walked downstairs.
When they arrived in his common room, Ginny threw herself down on the floor in front of the fireplace and glared at the ceiling. Draco had never been one to sit on the floor when there was perfectly good furniture sitting a few feet away, but he decided to join her in front of the fire.
After a few moments, he asked, "Are you okay?"
"Bloody brilliant, can't you tell?" she snapped irritably.
"Watch yourself," he replied calmly.
She rolled over to face him. "I'm sorry. I'm just so-" but she couldn't figure out exactly which emotion she was feeling. Was it hurt or anger or what?
"I know."
She scooted toward him and put her head in his lap. He began to stroke her hair affectionately.
"Why do I get so confused every time I see them?" she suddenly burst out. "I can't decide if I want to hug them or punch them."
"They were your friends, but they screwed up. You are hurt that they left you, angry that they are insensitive pricks, and happy that they are back okay. Plus one of them is your brother. It is hard to hate family…"
Ginny looked up at him. "Your father?"
He nodded, "As awful as he was, he was still the only father I had. I can't help but miss him sometimes. Though usually I miss what I remember that he was like when I was young. He didn't always use to be so heartless. It started my second year when he was cooking up ways to get rid of Potter and he came up that ridiculous Chamber of- Sorry."
She smiled gently. "You are fine. I already told you that I don't blame you for your father's actions."
"You could blame me for this, though," and he pulled back the sleeve of his right arm to show the black image of a skull and snake. Ginny gasped.
"Sorry," he muttered as he lowered his sleeve. He thought that he shouldn't have shown her. That she would hate him.
Before he could pull the sleeve over it, though, she stopped him and gingerly touched the mark.
"Does it hurt?" She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, and he wondered what he had done to deserve her.
"No, but it has been getting darker. I think he is planning something. He'll probably call everyone soon."
Ginny sat up quickly, "You are not going!"
Draco tried to smile, "Of course not. I'd be killed the instant he saw me. I am not that stupid, you know."
"You aren't stupid at all. So what will happen if you ignore it?"
"It'll hurt. It burns when he calls, but as soon as you answer it, it goes away. I don't know how long it will take for the burning to end on its own."
Ginny ran her fingers softly over the mark, and he stared at her in wonder. He saw a sparkle slip down her cheek. "Are you crying?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she replied forcefully without looking up, but the waver in her voice gave her away.
"You, Ginny Weasley, do not cry. And I am no reason for you to start." She gave out a small half-hearted laugh. "What is your full name?"
She looked up at him finally, and he brushed the single tear from her cheek. His hands are so soft, she thought. "Ginevra Molly Weasley."
"Ginevra? I like that. It sound so sophisticated."
"I guess. It sounds better when you say it."
He grinned cheekily, "Of course it does." All thought of his mark was gone, and he silently thanked Merlin for getting out of that territory.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him and lay back down with her head in his lap. He adjusted himself so that he could lay beside her with her head resting on his chest.
"It has been a rough few days hasn't it?" Ginny asked finally.
"It has. All the smarmiest gits of the world make their appearance within twenty-four hours of each other. Not good."
The next morning they had to attend classes with the trio all day. Ginny felt that like a fish in a tank; she was always under inspection. Ron usually had a grimace on his face and Harry a frown, though Hermione seemed to be keeping them in check, because neither had any big confrontations.
Ginny was not fond of Hermione any more than the boys, though, because she seemed so high and mighty. She had never attended a class with Hermione, but agreed that she was a good-for-nothing-know-it-all. In fact during potions, Draco knew the answer to a question before Hermione and she was actually angry. Serves her right for skipping most of the school year. The same happened in Charms, except Ginny had the answer and spent the rest of the day in a fit of joy over the look on Hermione's face.
Whenever they could, Draco and Ginny would sneak away from their prying eyes and breathe a sigh of relief. Being under a microscope every minute of the day was downright irritating.
When Ron saw Draco and Ginny enter dinner together, heads bowed in a whispered conversation, he stood so quickly that his chair fell over loudly and Professor McGonagall reprimanded him for disturbing the meal.
After dinner, Ginny retired to Draco's common room to study and relax before creeping up to Gryffindor tower well past curfew. As she entered, the trio sat by the fire facing the door, as if they were expecting her.
When she entered, Harry stood. "Ginny, tell us what is going on. We never got to talk about Christmas… and we want to know what is happening to you." Ron nodded fiercely.
"What is happening to me?" she repeated incredulously. "What is happening to me? What is the matter with you people? What do you think is happening to me? As if it is something out of my control…"
Ron opened his mouth, but was silenced by the look from Hermione. He gritted his teeth, but did not speak. Instead, Hermione said, "Look, we think maybe he has done something to you. Who knows what sorts of awful lies he told you to get you close to him." Hermione looked at Ginny strangely as she let out a low growl, but continued. "He has brainwashed you Ginny. You are so much better than him. Colin figures that you are dating him. Has he forced you to do anything?" Harry looked sick.
Ginny screamed. She screamed long and loud and the others looked at her as if she was mental. "We are not dating. He is my friend. He has not lied to me. Or tricked me. Or Imperiused me, for Merlin's sake! He has not forced me to do anything," she ranted. "If you all are so bloody closed-minded about everything I will not be associated with you. And if you don't think that I am capable enough of telling whether or not I am being brainwashed, then I don't think I want to anyway. I cannot believe you."
Ginny stormed toward the stairs to the girls' dormitories, but swirled around when she heard Harry speak. "Is that it then? You would rather be with him than us? We care about you Ginny. We are worried about you. All that bouncing ferret has ever cared about is how his hair looks and how quickly he can spend his daddy's gold."
Never before had the trio seen someone react so quickly in their lives. They hadn't even seen her pull out her wand, but suddenly Harry was feeling the results of at least a dozen hexes. Some were bouncing off of him and rebounding on Ron and Hermione, who shrieked and tried to pull out her wand, but it flew into the air.
"You – Will – Not – Speak – About – Draco – Like – That!" she shouted, each word punctuated by a nonverbal spell. She moved toward her stairwell, changed her mind and stormed out of the portrait hole, slamming it behind her to the immense displeasure of the fat lady.