Chapter Six – The Room Of Requirements

"Ginny." I literally jumped when I heard Malfoy whisper my name in the library. I had been so immersed in my book that I hadn't heard the shuffling of his feet or his light breathing as he read over my shoulder. I was in a secluded section of the library in order to avoid anyone sneaking up on me. How ironic it is that that is exactly what Malfoy did.

Composing myself into the cheerful and happy Ginny I played in front of the trio, I turned to look at the blonde boy who stood towering above me by at least three inches. His height intimidated me slightly, not to mention the fact that I had a feeling why he was here.

"Malfoy." Grey eyes bore into my brown ones and I refrained from breaking the eye contact. After a few seconds I said, "I assume there is a reason why you came here." He remained silent. To tell you the truth it was beginning to freak me out. I would much rather him loudly accusing me of things like Ron does, but not this. My mom uses these tricks on my to confess my secrets and guilt and Malfoy's demeanor was beginning to break me down.

"I'm out of here." I huffed at his emotionless face and threw my old book into my book bag, intent on leaving before anything happened. I paused when he quietly said, "I know". My heart sank and I felt a lump the size of a snitch form in my throat. Gulping audibly I resigned to the fact that he was going to get me my one-way ticket to Azkaban. Coming to terms with the situation I began to make my way out of the library and to the room of requirement. I looked back to see Malfoy standing in the same spot as before. Finally he started to follow me, eventually having to jog so he could fall in step.

"How much do you know?"

"Only that you were at Borgin and Burks buying ingredients of a certain sort."

"Did you find these items odd?"

Malfoy stopped and watched me walk three times in front of a blank wall in deep concentration. He, of course, knew all about this room since he had in his fifth year busted in on one of Harry's classes, later called Dumbledore's Army. Him and his squad caused a lot of trouble under Umbridge's rule that year. I still was nursing a particular wound from when one of his cronies roughed me up. Never would me ankle be quite the same.

Without invitation he opened the door and waltzed right on in, settling down on the large sofa that resided inside the room. I imagined another sofa in my head and heard a thump as it landed behind me. Collapsing onto the furniture I closed my eyes and waited for the questions to begin. I was surprised when he handed me a tray of strawberries. Delighted I bite into one and savored the juices. Smiling to myself I almost forgot about his presence. It was until he questioned…

"Whom are you working for? What are the ingredients for? Are you working alone?" Wearily opening my eyes I began to reply with honest answers, knowing that he would keep me here until he got what he wanted.

"I am working for no one except myself. The three ingredients are being used to create and ancient potion that hasn't been used in decades because it was lost for some time. I am alone but eventually will be sharing my potion with another human being." Twisting my hair innocently I looked up at him. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Ignoring my snide remark he shot off another set of questions. "Whom are you sharing the potion with? What exactly does the potion do? Since when did you become dark?"

I loudly laughed at his dark remark. Why would he care if I was a dark person? He was the epitome of darkness, along with his master and father. I shook my head in amusement and watched as Malfoy's face screwed up in anger. I became unsettled when he stood up and banged his fist against the wall next to him. His shout of rage got me rattling off the information.

"The potion gives the drinker immortal life, but is very dangerous and hard to make. I will persuade the Dark Lord to share in its glory with me so we can get ride of the scum of the Earth. And as for your last question," he leaned forward, "I am dark ever since I last saw your father."

As the words slipped forth from my mouth I noticed the disaster I was heading for. I shivered as Malfoy grabbed the scruff of my shirt and hauled me off my feet. His face was inches form mine as he screeched, "Don't you dare mention my father! He is nothing any more. If you ever even think his name I will hunt you down. Do you understand?" I was paralyzed with fear. Try as I might my lips wouldn't open. "Do you?" His reddened face contorted into a grotesque look as his madness overtook him.

I tried vainly to kick my legs so he would drop me to the ground. My air supply was being cut off by the angle at which he was holding the collar of my school shirt and I felt faint. Having wasted my energy fighting for release, I fell into the world of dreams.

As I slept with Malfoy anxiously waiting for me to awaken, I dreamed that a deafening scream was heard inside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Out ran a terrified Hermione who scrambled to Dumbledore's gargoyle statue. As if sensing her urgency it sprang aside and allowed her entrance without hesitation or the use of a password. Her cries for help alerted the headmaster that a student was in danger.

Rushing together to the scene of the crime, the pair came face to face with the body of a dead girl next to a bubbling potion. The girls Ravenclaw robes unveiled her identity as Monica Serapian, a fifth year student who was planning to celebrate her quinceanera within the following two months. Dumbledore ushered the terrified Hermione out of the bathroom and summoned Professor Snape and the Ravenclaw head of house. The urgency of his voice made the teachers scurry towards the usually unoccupied bathroom and come up short at the sight of a student.

Professor Flitwick practically crumpled to the ground when he recognized the girl as Monica and the smallest of sobs escaped his lips. As Dumledore comforted Flitwick, Snape cautiously maneuvered over to the cauldron and peered down into the lumpy substance. Magically creating a test tube, he placed some of the liquid inside the tube and tightly closed it, not knowing what the liquid could possibly do.

"She can't really be dead Dumbledore." wailed the distraught wizard. "I knew her, she always talked to me about charms…she had a real knack for it." Professor Flitwick hiccupped once more before standing up on shaky legs and excusing himself.

""I have a phone call that must be made."

"Don't worry about it Filius," the headmaster placed a gentle hand on his fellow staff member, "I can do it instead."

"No Headmaster, I must do this."

"No, this wasn't supposed to happen."

My eyes moved restlessly behind my shut eyes as I continued to watch my potion bubble calmly as if it hadn't just killed a girl a year behind me. A tear glided down my check and I brushed it away, opening my eyes to see where I was and that Malfoy was still there. Thinking he hadn't noticed my awakening I closed me eyes and pretended to sleep.

"Come on now, don't insult me." I waited. "I know that you're awake, so you can open your eyes now."

I muttered "crap" under my breath and gingerly touched my neck, flinching at the obvious bruises that had already formed. 'What will Ron think?' I got up off of the couch that Malfoy had apparently been kind enough to place me on after he chocked me and wobbled towards the door. For some reason I felt as if a Jelly-Legs Jinx had taken over my legs. When I heard Malfoy's annoying laugh at my uneasiness I scowled. 'How dare he laugh at me!' I swiveled too fast when I turned around to look at him, resulting in my falling on my bottom. 'Curses', I thought as I rubbed my sore bum.

"Going somewhere doll?" The classic smirk was plastered on his pale face. He just calmly watched me as I stomped over to him and shouted, "How dare you call me doll!" He just sat there and looked at me as if my outburst was normal.

"Malfoy, this meeting is over. I told you everything that I will tell you and that is it."

"No."

"Excuse me?" I looked at him as he stood up and walked closer to me so that our faces were mere inches apart.

"You heard me. I want in on your plan." His hand traveled through his hair that was beginning to lose its gelled back hold. I took a deep breath as I contemplated what I was going to do when I smelled something familiar. It seemed that Malfoy had recently polished his broom. My eyes widened, 'Was this man my soul mate?' Then I thought, 'Don't be stupid Ginny, this is Malfoy, your enemy! You couldn't be destined to love him.'

Moving back from Malfoy I told him what he wanted was impossible. His hands wrapped around my wrist and pulled me close to him again. "Come on Weasley. If you do this for me then I could raise through the ranks. Do this…for me!"

"For you! Malfoy I am not your friend, why would I want to help you?"

Laughing he answered, "Isn't it obvious. I could turn you in and get you sent to Azkaban for conspiracy and dark magic. How about that as a reason to help me?" His eyebrow rose up into his hairline and I just itched to smack him.

"How about this, if I find you to be trustworthy within the next week I will consider letting you becoming my partner." Malfoy let a wide smile grace his face so I hastily added, "But not till then." He just nodded his head in agreement and stepped away from me to sit back down on the gigantic couch.

"Oh by the way," I looked over towards him as he tiredly look up, "to fix the cabinet all you have to do is replace the screw on the bottom left hand corner and cast a repairing spell on the lid." At his shocked expression I turned around.

Opening the door to the room of requirements I said, "toddles" and left for my rooms. I entered the common room to a surprisingly quiet atmosphere. It seemed as though every student was sitting in the room with bent heads mourning a loss of something. Harry had his arms wrapped around a red-eyed Hermione and Ron was off comforting his girlfriend.

I approached Neville and asked him what was the matter.

"It's Monica Serapian. She is…dead!"