Well, I would've had this chapter up earlier, but I haven't been able to login for the past few days. There was some problem with the site, but now it's fixed…obviously. So yeah, not quite my fault for the delay. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing in this story.

Chapter 26: Turn the Page

Who is it? Draco thought, scratching his head. Who took who? He had been trying to figure out who the kidnapper had taken that evening while everybody else was watching the fireworks. He had tried to catch students' faces as he came back to the castle, but in all the commotion it had been hard to tell people apart; after all, all of the boys had been wearing similar dress robes. That's one thing he knew for certain; whoever the kidnapper had decided on this time, it was a boy. That's what the two crazed students had shouted when they had run into the Quidditch pitch. And where were they that they saw the boy being abducted? If they saw him, then didn't they see the kidnapper as well?

So many questions and absolutely no answers to be found. Draco was becoming frustrated very quickly, sitting all alone in the common room. It was late in the evening, very late. After everybody had gotten back to their respective common rooms, most of the Slytherin students had gathered in the common room, every person asking questions and demanding answers that they knew nobody could give. Eventually they had all gone to bed, but in the early hours of morning, Draco still sat alert as ever, thinking things through.

There was one good thing about what had happened that night with the kidnapper taking his next prey. Draco had been at the Quidditch pitch the entire time; everybody had seen him there. No more would the suspicion and blame be on him, even though it had diminished slightly over time. He had an alibi, and the whole school was his witness. Nobody could say that he had taken the boy and then gotten back to his seat in the Quidditch stadium before those two students got there. It was impossible.

Draco sighed and folded his arms. He really should sleep. The trains would be leaving Hogwarts in the morning to take students home for Christmas. That was another thing bothering him. Home. What in the world was he supposed to do when he got there? If Lucius didn't murder him the second he set foot in the house, then he had to help his mother somehow. But no, Lucius wouldn't murder him. As Draco had told him, his father wouldn't harm him, at least not permanently. Lucius Malfoy was hoping to present a new servant to the Dark Lord. He wouldn't dare kill him.

Ok, Draco reasoned. He won't kill me. But how do I rescue my own mother from him? This had been troubling Draco ever since he had read her letter. Lucius Malfoy surely wouldn't let him just walk out the door with her. He needed somewhere safe to bring Narcissa and then he needed to convince her to come with him. That part would be tricky because the Imperius Curse would probably prevent her from coming with her. Yet Narcissa had proven that she was capable of resisting the curse. Who knew how much that cost her to do that one night though.

Draco clenched his fist, frustration leaking through. It all seemed so helpless. Who would believe Draco when he said that his father had placed his own wife under the Imperius Curse for seventeen years? No, he could never tell anyone. That would only bring suspicion and trouble on Draco himself. The only place Draco could think of to bring his mother was Hogwarts, but he doubted that Dumbledore would allow it. Perhaps Draco would just have to rent a room in Hogsmede at one of the inns and have her stay there. But if Lucius found her…

It's hopeless, sighed Draco. What can I possibly do? Even if I get her away from him, he'll find out and come after us. Draco slowly stood and stretched. Dawn was only in a few hours. If he didn't want to sleep through the Hogwarts Express's departure in the morning, he needed to sleep now.

As Draco walked up the stairs to his dormitory, he couldn't help thinking that he'd rather sleep instead of step onto the train in the morning.


Ginny slowly packed her belongings the next morning. The other girls in her dorm were busily getting ready to go home for the holidays as well. Part of Ginny was happy to be going home, to forget about all the troubles of school and to be a kid again, but part of her felt a bit of foreboding at leaving. She couldn't help but feel like when she returned, nothing would ever be the same, that everything would change.

It's already changing, she thought ruefully. Other than her first year, this had been the most abnormal year at Hogwarts so far.

She threw a pair of robes into her trunk without bothering to fold them. A quick check of the room assured her that she had left nothing behind. Just as she was dragging her trunk through the doorway, she paused and looked back. From under the bed she caught a glimpse of the dark red box that contained her dress, gloves, mask, and the ring.

Ginny dragged the large trunk back towards the bed and dropped down to her knees. She pulled the lid off of the box and gently lifted out the dress. After last night, she had worried that the grass and mud wouldn't come off, but with a little help from Hermione, she had succeeded in charming it off. Ginny opened her trunk, shoved aside a few items, and put the dress, mask, and gloves inside. She glanced back at the box and the silver ring lying inside.

After a moment's consideration, Ginny placed the ring in her robe pocket before snapping shut her trunk and hauled her trunk out of the door.

Once in the common room, Ginny went and sat with her trunk by one of the windows, where Hermione was already seated.

"How are you doing, Ginny?" she asked, not taking her eyes away from the window.

"Fine," Ginny replied.

"Dumbledore will be making an announcement at breakfast," the Head Girl said, finally turning her gaze on Ginny. Ginny's eyes widened as she saw Hermione's face. Her eyes were puffy and red; obviously she had been crying.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ginny asked, alarmed. She saw more tears well up in Hermione's eyes.

"It was Neville," she said quietly. "That's who was taken last night. McGonagall came and talked to me and Ron earlier this morning." She sniffed and looked down at her lap. "It was in the Greenhouses. A Hufflepuff boy and a Ravenclaw girl were in Greenhouse seven and saw it all. They took off running to the Quidditch pitch and…you know the rest," she sighed.

Ginny sat in shock. Neville? What would anybody want with one of the nicest boys in Hogwarts? Ginny felt anger bubble up within her. Neville was a friend. What had happened to him? Where was he? Who took him?

"Hermione, did they see who took him?" Ginny asked, excited at the possibility of knowing who it was. Hermione, however, shook her head.

"They didn't," she said. "All they saw was some big figure come and Stupefy Neville, and they hid until he dragged him off. Then they ran."

Ginny felt a shiver race up her arms. Automatically her mind went back to the monster that she and Draco had found under the school. Is that what took Neville? Perhaps Draco and she had stumbled upon the kidnapper but hadn't realized it yet. Something in her mind, however, told her that whatever took Neville wasn't what was under the school. That was a whole other problem, one that needed serious attention. Maybe I should just tell someone, she thought. That would be the responsible thing, and it might help Neville.

As Ginny inwardly battled with whether she should reveal the monster or not, Harry and Ron approached them. Ron heaved his trunk to a halt and plopped down next to Hermione on the couch. Harry set Hedwig and her cage atop his trunk and sat next to Ron.

"I take it you know?" Harry asked Ginny, who nodded. Of course Ron would've told Harry by now, probably Dean and Seamus as well, considering they were all Neville's room-mates.

"Well, shall we?" Ron asked glumly to no one in particular.

"Shall we what?" Ginny retorted bitterly, her chin resting in her hands.

"Go down to the Great Hall," Ron answered sarcastically. He wrinkled his mouth and stood with a sigh. Harry and Hermione rose as well, and Ginny reluctantly followed them out of the common room and down to the Great Hall.

Once there, they set their trunks against the wall with everybody else's and took their seats. Breakfast was a solemn occasion that morning. Everybody was relatively quiet, pondering what had happened. Constantly students would glance up at the Heads' table, waiting for Dumbledore to say something. Obviously they figured he'd explain what had happened the night before. Soon Fred and George joined them.

"What happened to you two last night?" Ginny asked them.

"We went to our room," Fred said.

"Dumbledore had a guest room all ready for us," George added. "Somewhere up near the Room of Requirement."

"There's guest rooms here at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked in interest. "I didn't know that."

Harry and Ron looked at each other in shock. "So there's something you don't know," Harry stated.

"Are you feeling alright?" Ron asked in pretend shock.

Hermione sighed and muttered, "Boys…"

Ginny ignored her brothers and friends and scanned the Great Hall. She saw Draco sitting as usual with Crabbe and Goyle. He looked up and for a moment their eyes met. Ginny offered a tiny smile, barely perceptible. Draco's eyes widened and he looked away, causing Ginny's face to redden. She glanced down at her plate. Why did she just smile at him? Oh, what's wrong with me…she silently groaned, rubbing in between her eyes. I must be going nutters.

Suddenly a throat cleared and the whole hall went silent. Dumbledore had risen from his seat.

"All of us seem to be aware of what happened last evening," he said gravely. "One of our own has been taken gain, this time Neville Longbottom, and outstanding Gryffindor student." The Headmaster paused as whispers flew around the room. "It seems while trysting in the Greenhouses, two of our students witnessed this attack, yet failed to see who took Mr. Longbottom. Rest assured that we are doing all we can to bring Neville back and will not be pacified until we solve this mystery." Dumbledore's eyes gazed at all of his students, seeming to examine them each individually. "We do not know who has been taking our students, but we will find out soon. As you all leave Hogwarts this morning to go enjoy your Christmas, keep Mr. Longbottom in your minds and hearts and hope that he makes it through this safely. The rest of the teachers and I feel that since Mr. Harding and Mr. Johnson have been returned to us safely, Mr. Longbottom will be as well. The only other thing I have to say is that I am disappointed in your actions last night, fleeing from your seats in the Quidditch pitch as you did. In times of peril, it is always better to remain calm rather than lose control over yourself. That is how accidents happen." Many of the students in the hall had the grace to look sheepishly at one another or to glance down in shame. "In the future, I expect all of you to handle yourselves with better caution for yourself and your fellow students. We must stick together during this time and help each other instead of fight. If we all do that, I am sure that we will be able to figure this mess out shortly."

With that said, Dumbledore sat down, and after a moment, talk broke out among the hall.

"Well that's that, I guess," Fred said. "Poor Neville. I knew you shouldn't have gone out with Seamus, Ginny," he said. "If he hadn't been sulking in the Greenhouses, this wouldn't have happened."

"Shut it, Fred," Ginny growled.

"Better back off, brother," George said. "She's dangerous when she's angry." Ginny sighed and got back to her breakfast.

When the group was finished eating, they were about to leave the Great Hall, collect their trunks, and get a seat on the Hogwarts Express early, when they were joined by Dean and Seamus. At seeing Seamus approaching her, Ginny groaned. This ought to be fun.

"Here comes trouble, mate," Harry whispered to Ron, seeing Seamus take a seat next to Ginny.

"Come on, boys," Hermione said, ushering them away. Ron only protested once before the three were out of sight. Fred and George, however, took their times leaving. Before she and Seamus even said one word to each other, she glared at them furiously. Obviously taking the hint, they stood.

"Way to ruin it, George," Fred hissed at them as they walked away. "We would've been able to hear if you hadn't stared."

"I wasn't staring," was all Ginny heard before the twins were gone. She turned to Seamus.

"I was waiting for you up in the common room," Seamus said. "Didn't know you'd already come down…"

"I was hungry," Ginny shrugged. "What's up?"

"Are you mad at me, Ginny?" Seamus asked. Ginny paused. What was the right answer to that? She wasn't exactly mad, her anger had dissipated during the night. However, she knew that her relationship with Seamus –if it could even be called a relationship– was not working. I don't want to break up with anybody, though, thought Ginny.

"No," she ended up saying with a sigh. "I'm not mad. Not anymore. Last night I was, and I was resisting a strong urge to curse you." As Seamus's eyes widened in surprise, Ginny smiled. When he saw her smile, Seamus looked like he didn't know whether she was joking or not.

"I'll be honest with you, Seamus, I don't think this is working," she said hesitantly. Seamus hunched his shoulders and looked at her with an apologetic look on his face. "I mean, it's not you, and it's not me either, I just…" she searched for the right words. "I just don't think we're meant to be." Seamus was silent for a moment, looking down at his hands. Ginny waited fearfully for him to say something.

"I figured it'd happen sooner or later," he said, his voice heavy with resignation, as he looked up. "I just thought it'd be later."

"Seamus, I –"

"No, Ginny, don't," he interrupted, smiling weakly. "Don't be sorry. Like you said, we're meant for other people. It's okay."

Ginny looked at him helplessly, not liking the dirty feeling in her. But why should she feel dirty? She wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Does this mean I'm breaking up with you?" she asked, offering a tentative smile.

"Were we ever really going out?" he asked with his usual laugh, causing Ginny to laugh as well.

"I don't know," she laughed. "By Hogwarts standards, yes, I suppose we were."

Ginny looked at Seamus gratefully, happy that he wasn't mad at her. A mutual breakup, she thought cheerfully.

Just then, there was a rustling from above and hundreds of owls poured into the room, carrying letters and newspapers. With a sudden remembrance, Ginny thought of the Nimbus 2001 she had put her name in to win a week ago in Hogsmede. What had Ron said? They announce the winner on the day everybody leaves to go home for Christmas. That was today. She looked up, half expecting a broomstick to plop into her lap. However, she didn't see a broom being carried by an owl. All she saw were letters. But that would make more sense, announcing the winner with a letter. That way those who didn't win wouldn't feel bad. Her hope thinned when the owls started delivering their messages and nothing came to her.

Glumly, as she walked out of the Great Hall, she thought, I guess I was one of the ones who wasn't supposed to feel bad. She sighed.

When she saw her trunk buried under many other bags and trunks, her spirits sunk even further. She started dragging and lifting the luggage off of her trunk as best she could, all the while grumbling under her breath about the inconsideration of Hogwarts' students.

Before long her trunk was free and Ginny was dragging it down the snow-packed path towards the Hogwarts Express. There were many other students happily making their way towards the train as well, talking and laughing with their friends in the excitement of the holidays. The crisp winter air, as well as the infectious smiles that spread across faces like lightning, helped to raise Ginny's spirit until she herself was grinning.

Many students were gathered on the platform where the train was waiting. There was a line to get on the train, but nobody seemed to care. The train wouldn't be departing for another hour, and students still had plenty of time to get seated. Hagrid was scraping snow and ice off the front of the train, and a few first years were clustered around, watching him with awe. On the opposite side of the platform was a long row of benches, covered with a wooden roof and wooden sides, facing the train. Several students were gathered around and Ginny took a seat on the bench in the corner, slightly in the shadows of the early morning.

For a few minutes, Ginny just sat and watched the bustle going on around her. She saw some students she recognized from classes; a few waved at her, and Ginny returned their greetings. Ginny wanted to wait a while before getting on the train. She still had an hour to get on, and it was too busy to get through the door at the moment anyway.

Just as Ginny was yawning, a person approached her. Ginny looked up, but the person was standing next to the sun, and the light kept her from seeing his face. When he stepped in front of the sun and blocked the light, however, she straightened her back and looked around them. Draco Malfoy stood just in front of her, looking down at her.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, her eyes darting around. What would people think if they saw them together? Probably just think that he's making fun of my family, as he usually does, she reasoned, calming down again. After all, it's not illegal for us to talk to each other.

Draco looked at her as if he didn't quite know what he was doing there. He handed her a piece of paper. "Here," he said.

Ginny looked from the letter in his hand to his face, and then warily took it. Draco's name was addressed on the front of the letter. Unfolding it, she read:

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

We are pleased to announce that you have won our raffle and that a brand new Nimbus 2001 is waiting in our office for you. You may pick it up at any time, preferably after the holidays since our store will be closed for Christmas.

Congratulations and a very Happy Christmas to you,

James Caroll, President of Quidditch Supply Plus

Ginny read the note twice and sighed. What, was Draco trying rub his victory in? She felt angry for a moment, and then her anger died away. What could she expect of Draco, that he'd magically become a nice person? It didn't work like that, life didn't work like that.

"Yeah?" she asked emptily, looking back up at him and holding the letter back to him. "Congratulations, you got just what you wanted."

"I don't want it," he said stiffly. "You take it."

Ginny's eyes widened. Had she heard correctly? Did Draco Malfoy just offer his prize to her? "Excuse me?" she asked.

"You heard me, Weasley," Draco said, shifting his feet uncomfortably. "I already have a broom better than that; what would I want with another?"

Ginny let out a heavy breath, caught in a dilemma. True, she needed a new broom, but could she really accept one from Draco? If he had been any other person, she would've accepted his offer.

"I – I can't," she said, biting her tongue for wanting to say "yes."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Look, Weasley, just forget your pride, alright, and take the broom. I don't need it. And give them this." He held out another piece of paper. "It's me saying that you can have the broom, just so they don't think you're stealing it."

"Why would you give me a broom?" Ginny asked. "Especially one that you won."

The uncomfortable look came back into Draco's eyes; he looked as if he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Well," he said, his usual arrogance coming back only slightly, "I don't want to beat a handicapped team, and with you on one of those antiqueschool brooms, you're definitely handicapped. I want to beat the best."

Ginny didn't know what to say. This was a kind offer, but she still didn't know what to do. What her friends say if they knew she accepted a broom from Draco. Well, she could never tell them, obviously. She'd have to tell them that she herself got the letter and that she won. It could work, since they had left before the mail came. Seamus had been with her, but she could possibly, if he ever brought the subject up, say that the letter had been delivered later on. Yes, it just might work.

"Well," she began, but Draco cut in.

"Just take it, Ginny," he said simply. "Don't ask questions. Just take it."

Ginny barely had time to register the fact that Draco had called her by her first name before he started to walk away. "Wait," she called out, standing up. She glanced about for a moment, but nobody seemed to be paying much attention to them. Draco turned around and looked at her, almost fearfully. Ginny reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver ring. She looked at it once before holding it out to Draco.

"Then take this," she said. "I don't need it either, just like you don't need that broom."

"A ring?" Draco asked, a small smirk creeping up his face. "What is this…wait, you're not proposing, are you?" he asked, grinning widely. Ginny didn't know whether to smack him or laugh, but in the end she couldn't help the smile that graced her face. "Because if you are, you're too late. Two first years, a third year, and all the girls in my house have already beaten you to it, so I hate to disappoint you, but -"

"Stop it," Ginny said, laughing. "I found it and it's too big for me. Besides, it's a guy's ring. I have absolutely no use for it, and it doesn't need to go to waste."

"Well," Draco said, all levity gone, "I – well, yeah…" he was looking at the ring in Ginny's hand. For a moment, Ginny didn't think he'd take it, but he ended up reaching out and gingerly picked it up with his thumb and forefinger. He looked at it a minute and then he shrugged and put it in his pocket. Then, as if realizing that he was talking to Ginny Weasley in perfect sight of everybody, he said uncomfortably, "Yeah, well, see you around," before turning around.

"Goodbye," Ginny called after him, "Draco," she added with a whisper, her gaze lingering on his back as he disappeared in the crowd.


"Where's Ginny?" Hermione was asking as Ginny dragged her trunk down the corridor on the Hogwarts Express.

"I'm here," she said, standing in the doorway. Inside the compartment were Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ewan, sitting next to Hermione. Ginny, with a vicious shove, got her trunk under the seat and sat down next to Ron. "Look," she said, handing the letter that Draco had given her to Hermione.

"Is this good news?" she asked, looking at the letter.

"It's very good news," Ginny smiled.

"'Dear Miss Weasley,'" Hermione read aloud. "'We are pleased to announce that you have won our raffle and that a brand new Nimbus 2001 is waiting in our office for you.' Ginny, this is great!" Hermione said. "You won!"

"Yes," Ginny said. She had changed the name on the letter with a simple spell. It was the only thing she could think to do so that nobody would ask questions about how she got the broom.

"Nice one, sis," Ron said. "We'll beat those lousy Slytherins for sure, now," he and Harry grinned.

"Yeah, imagine Malfoy's face when he sees that you won instead of him," Harry said. "He'll be so mad."

"This is great," Ron said with glee.

"What's great, little brother?" George asked as he and Fred entered their compartment. Fred ruffled Ron's hair, much to the younger male's annoyance.

"Ginny got a new broom," he said. "A ruddy good one, too."

"Ah, Ginny, moving on up, I see," Fred said, looking at Ginny proudly.

"I, uh, guess we taught her right, eh, Fred?" George said, nudging his brother in the side.

"Right you are, George," Fred answered.

"Well, we'd love to say here and join you kids," George began.

"But we've got to go," Fred continued.

"Go where?" Hermione said. "I thought you were going back to the Burrow for Christmas."

"Oh, we are," Fred said. "But if you lot think we're going to sit here for hours on a train when we can Apparate there just as easily, then you've got another thing coming."

Ron looked at his brothers ruefully, obviously wishing he could Apparate as well.

"Ta-ta," George waved at them as he and Fred walked out of the compartment and off of the train.

"We really need to get on that Apparition test, mate," Ron said to Harry.

Harry nodded.


Draco moved through the crowded train until he found the compartment his friends were in. Crabbe and Goyle sat on one side of the compartment, already eating some sweets they had brought. Draco sat down across from them and looked out the window. The ring Ginny had given him was clenched in his right hand which was resting on his knee.

When Draco had decided to give the broom to Ginny, he knew that there would be a catch. Why would she give him a ring, anyway? Draco didn't ask for it. Despite his inner turmoil, there was a strange feeling in his stomach. It couldn't have been because of the ring. Maybe it was because he'd been given a gift. But it wasn't like Ginny had intended for him to have it, like she had gone out and bought it just for him. She probably wouldn't even have given it to him if he hadn't given her the broom in the first place. It was just an exchange, a way of not being in his debt. That was all. Surely that was all.

Draco sighed. In a few hours, he'd be home with his parents. He still didn't know what to do. Would he ever know? Draco doubted it. Most likely he'd just wait for an idea to pop in his head and use his instinct to guide him through it.

There was a knock on their and Draco looked up. In walked Headmaster Dumbledore. Crabbe stopped with his hand, holding a chocolate frog, halfway to his mouth. Goyle blew some of Droobles Best Blowing Gum into a bubble and it popped, leaving a sticky pink substance on his nose.

"May I please speak to Draco alone? Dumbledore asked. Goyle and Crabbe rose from their seat, snatched up their bags of sweets, and walked out of the door.

"We'll be outside," Crabbe said back to Draco, who nodded. When the two boys were gone, Dumbledore shut the door and took a seat across from Draco, who watched him nervously.

"How are you doing?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Draco intently.

"Fine," Draco replied, gazing back at Dumbledore just as seriously.

"There's nothing going on, nothing that you want to talk about?" Dumbledore inquired.

Draco shook his head.

"What is your greatest fear, Draco?" he asked abruptly. "What is it that you are afraid of most."

Staring at his headmaster, Draco shook his head again. "I don't fear anything," he said. "There's nothing."

"I see," Dumbledore sighed, standing up. "Well then, I will see you next semester when you return to Hogwarts. Have a happy Christmas."

Draco opened his mouth to ask what Dumbledore was on about, asking him what his greatest fear was, but the enigmatic man was gone before Draco could retort.

As Dumbledore disappeared around the corner, Crabbe and Goyle lumbered back in.

"What did he want, Draco?" Goyle asked.

Draco stared at the spot where Dumbledore had walked out. "Nothing," he said solemnly. Draco tore his gaze away from the door and settled it upon his friends. "He wanted nothing."

-----------

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

-----------

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

-----------

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

-----------

A/N: There you go. Originally this was going to be a filler chapter, but I ended up with lots of important stuff going on. It may not seem important as you read it, but it paves the way for stuff to happen later on. How'd you like the interaction between Ginny and Draco? No matter if you liked it or not, review and let me know!

Lauren