It was becoming colder at Hogwarts now moving into the beginning of December. This meant the rain cut into a lot of their practices. Ginny felt that, unlike Wood, she didn't want her team to be getting bronchitis right before the Christmas holidays. Instead she was starting to have to cancel some practices because the rain was falling too heavily. Light rain they could handle, but pelting drops from the sky could easily make one sick.
So without as many practices to look forward to, Ginny began retreating to the library where she could work and study in private. It was comforting in the library and she knew she couldn't be disturbed. She hadn't yet reconvened another D.A meeting after the fallout during the last one. It kind of made her nervous to try again. But she needed to think of ways to try and get the Sword from Dumbledore's office.
They had plenty of assignments due now leading up to the Christmas break, giving her little time for anything else. But Carrow seemed to be eyeing her in class and thinking of ways to try and get her to break and confess what little she knew of Harry. She hadn't received another letter from him since the last one.
Ginny was sitting in Defense one day when Carrow announced to the class (they were taking defence with the Slytherin's), "Today, boys and girls, we will begin practicing the Cruciatus Curse again. I feel it has been too long since we last used it." It was almost as though he got a kick out of it. He eyed the students as he announced, "Everyone get up!"
Ginny stared at Colin, scared and worried. She didn't want to curse him again. She felt sick and Carrow made all of the desks fly to either side of their classrooms, along with their belongings. Carrow smirked and nodded in satisfaction before saying, "Right, Slytherin's on this side of the room in a line, please, and Gryffindor's on the right hand side."
Slowly, as if in slow mode, Ginny numbly positioned herself where indicated. She faced a Slytherin who was tall and reminded her of Marcus Flint…she thought this guy was his younger brother and they looked strikingly alike- strong jaw line and massive teeth that jutted out, with a horrible scowl on his face. He was standing opposite her and Carrow chuckled as he walked on the other side of the Slytherin's and said, "Alright then, Slytherin's, this is your chance to show me how good some of you are at Cruciatus. I want to see which of you can hold the charm for the longest. Gryffindor's, I want to see which of you can hold it the longest without screaming, since you're supposed to be so brave. We stop when we have a winner."
Ginny stared at him in disbelief. She really thought she'd seen everything now. She gritted her teeth and glared at Flint's brother with fire in her eyes. If it was a fight Carrow wanted, it was a fight he was going to get! She mentally prepared herself for the fourth strike…
Carrow grinned like the maniac he was and said, "On the count of three…" He counted down and when Ginny felt the strike, she refrained from falling to her knees. She bit her lip so hard she was afraid it was going to bleed from the pain. She felt her insides burning, Ginny felt as though her throat was on fire and she couldn't breathe from the burning sensation that was rippling throughout her body. She could vaguely hear Carrow timing in the background how long they'd been standing for…
Ginny heard him briefly say something only like thirty seconds! Thirty seconds she'd been standing there and enduring this pain. She shook her head and she tried to wrench her eyes open. She regretted it immediately. Some people must have fallen the instant the spells hit them. She heard yelling in the background too. Then she said to herself 'Come on Ginny, make it to fourty five seconds…' She surprised herself and endured the fiery, knife-stabbing pain for another ten seconds before she felt her body give in and collapse to the floor. She inhaled sharply and closed her eyes tightly so she could try and regain some sort of strength, any strength. There were still two people standing behind her…Charlotte and Julia. She raised her eyebrows in surprise! She didn't know Julia had that kind of strength. She admired her.
Everyone else was out of breath, clutching their ribs to their sides. Carrow chuckled as Julia fell to the floor seconds after Ginny and Charlotte was the last to remain standing, eyes scrunched up tightly. Carrow clapped his hands and he told the Slytherin's firmly, "Come on, Slytherin's, show some chivalry! Clap your fellow Gryffindor's for an outstanding performance!"
Ginny glanced up and glared at Flint, who was sneering at her through his teeth. Carrow announced, "An excellence performance from Miss Roberts, Miss Williams, and Miss Weasley. I'd like to see you all try a little harder to build resistance to the spells. Trust me, you'll be doing yourself a favor in the long run." Charlotte suddenly got defensive and asked, "Professor, forgive me for asking, but why don't we get to practice on the Slytherin's?" Ginny lay on the floor, her spine aching and her ribs burning as if she had been running for miles and miles without a breath. It was like that but one thousand times worse.
She waited for Carrow's response and it came with a sharp sense of mirth, "Why, Miss Roberts, I'm so pleased you asked. You see…it's because they will never be the ones receiving the curse. I'm simple preparing you for the future." Ginny sat up through the dull ache already forming in her ribcage. She heard all the Slytherin's cackle and she saw Carrow walk on by with an evil glint in his eye, as if he were thoroughly enjoying seeing his students in so much distress.
Just then there was a knock on the door and none other than Draco Malfoy appeared at the door. He analyzed all of the Gryffindor's lying on the floor in pain and he said slowly, "Professor Carrow…Professor Snape would like a word with you in his office." Carrow glared at Malfoy with irritation on his face and he snapped, "What now?" Malfoy nodded and his cold, blue eyes landed on Ginny who refused to let him see her weak like this. She forced herself up off the floor and Carrow sighed, "Right. I better get going. Malfoy…you take charge while I'm gone. You know what to do."
Malfoy nodded slowly and then Carrow left, closing the door behind him. Malfoy said in a stiff voice, "Gryffindor's, get up off your lousy feet." Ginny was already standing, using the back of a cupboard to support herself from falling down. Her body was still weak from the attack as she glared at Malfoy. Draco said firmly, "Gryffindor's, it's your turn to repay the favor."
Flint looked surprised and he spluttered, "B…But Malfoy, Carrow said only the Gryffindor's must get punishment!" Malfoy walked up to Flint and gave him a glare that told him not to question his authority. Flint looked petrified and finally enough, and even his shell-shocked face. None of the Gryffindor's seemed to know what to do. A bunch of them looked at each other, but Romilda shrugged and was the first to do as she was told when she pointed her wand at the Slytherin in front of and muttered, "Crucio…"
Ginny stared at Flint's now even paler face and knew she couldn't do that to someone unless her life was in danger. She stared back at him and bit her lip, while some others around her did a brief Crucio, before releasing. Malfoy walked down the line of Slytherin's and when he reached her, he raised a pale blonde eyebrow, stood behind Flint and asked, "Why are you doing it?"
She stared at him in disbelief and whispered, "The same reason you never killed Dumbledore…" Draco raised his eyebrow at her and for brief second. Ginny stared into his cold-blue icy eyes and for a wild minute, Ginny felt like she understood him. She felt like they were on the same level and that they thought in the same manner. No matter how much pain they had both endured…they couldn't do it to someone else, even under duress. She could see some sort of understanding form in Malfoy's features and he nodded briefly before continuing on his way.
To every Gryffindor's relief, Carrow did not return for the remainder of the class. When Carrow did return, ten minutes before the end of the lesson, he found the tables back in their places and the students writing an essay on how to repel Crucio. Carrow stared in awe and gaped, "Malfoy, what is this? Why are they not practicing on each other?!"
Ginny daren't glance up. She glanced at Colin instead who seemed to be feverishly writing next to her. She heard Malfoy reply, "Well, Professor, I find theory on unfriendly spells is equally important." She couldn't believe her ears and continued scribbling with her quill, head bent. Carrow spat at Malfoy, "Weren't my specific instructions to…" Malfoy interrupted him sharply, "Yes, Mr Carrow, I know what your specific instructions were…but I have instructions from higher up which are more important and are more direct to follow, if you understand what I'm saying…"
Ginny could only guess he was talking about instructions from Voledmort. She wanted so badly to know what they were- if they had anything to do with why he was being so…decent towards her. He hadn't touched her, he hadn't made his usual snide remarks, and Ginny could only think of one logical reason…Harry's fears were coming true. They were trying to use her to get to him. She was going to get it out of Malfoy. It was the only reason he could be acting nice to her. That Ginny was certain of!
After that class, Ginny walked outside and waited about five minutes before Malfoy followed everyone else. He had stayed as Carrow had told him he wanted to speak to him afterwards. When he walked out and saw her, he rolled his eyes and asked irritably, "Stalking me, Weasley?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, arms folded and leaning against the wall. She whispered coolly, "I happen to think it's quite the other way around, Malfoy."
Malfoy, who had continued on his way, turned around in a nanosecond and quipped, "What?!" She took hold of his arm and pulled him into a small, deserted corridor. She spat at him with frustration, "Harry broke up with me at the end of last year. He doesn't care for me anymore. So the hell do you feel the need to keep recuing?" Malfoy stared at her with a look of amusement on his face and he folded his arms across his chest in a defense stance, a smirk forming on his face "For your information, Weasley, you just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Ginny's eyes tightened in annoyance and she retorted, "You know I don't believe that! I'm not some bloody damsel in distress! I don't need your help!" she snapped, feeling all worked up about it. Malfoy chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "Seems to me you are…always getting in trouble with the Carrow's. And you were a damsel in distress in my second year also. It didn't seem to bother you when Potter came to your rescue." She glared at him and she couldn't help herself as she growled, "Just tell me the truth! The reason you're being decent to me is because Voldemort wants me to earn your trust." He shivered at the use of the name and Ginny gave a self-satisfactory smirk at his cowardice.
Malfoy stumbled over his next words, "N…no! Why would you think that?" Ginny contemplated him for a minute and she replied tonelessly, "It's the reason Harry broke up with me in the first place. He knew what Voldemort would do if he knew about me." Malfoy…for the first time since Ginny had known him, had no response to make. He was rigid, stiff and she had to believe that he was truly terrified of Voldemort, just like the rest of them were. She almost felt sorry for him.
Ginny stepped away from him and sighed, shaking her head. As she was about to leave, Malfoy grabbed her arm and muttered to her "I don't want to make you fall in love me. I couldn't stand it. It would be such a shame, and you're not making it any easier either." Ginny all but laughed at the ludicrous idea. Then she realized that no matter what, no matter his valiant efforts Malfoy would fail at this impossible task that he had been given. And then she did feel bad for him.
Ginny stared at him, his pale face thin and withdrawn. She thought about all the times he had teased her, and mocked her for being a Weasley and a blood-traitor and she winced in pain from those memories. But she knew he must be seriously insecure if he had to say those to her and taunt her and her family throughout his schooling career. She sighed and whispered, "I'm sorry Malfoy, but I can't help you respect me at all, you will leave me alone." She gave him one more glance, feeling nothing but pity for him, until she walked away, lost in thought and headed to Transfiguration.
A/N: And another one for you guys! Unfortunately, this may be the last I may be able to post this week as I am starting my new course tomorrow! Please let me know thoughts and I hope to get time in the week where I can write, if not please bare with me and understand it's not by choice. Thank you to my latest reviews from meekerprincess9778. It's always nice to hear from someone new!