A/N:Thanks to all of you who voted for my other sories in the Ginny Draws Draco Challenge hosted by the fabulous Rowan Greenleaf.

I disclaim.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Before entering the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning, Ginny grabbed Draco by the wrist and pulled him to a stop.

"Are you sure Professor Snape isn't going to accost me about sleeping in your room last night?"

Rolling his eyes slightly and suppressing a groan, Draco replied, "Ginny, when he came in this morning he saw that you were sleeping in my bed and that I was on the couch. What reason would he have for being angry with you?"

"I know, but he seemed upset. I don't know, I thought he was disappointed or angry or something."

"You sensed emotions in Snape? You really must be a natural Legilimens." Draco had no qualms about laughing at his own joke and Ginny giggled as well. "Besides, he did apologize to you for not putting a silencing spell around Pansy's bed, so he can't really be angry at you, now can he?"

Making an effort to get beyond her fear of Snape's supposed wrath, she simply said, "Let's eat. I'm hungry."

They joined the rest of the Slytherins and Ginny sat next to Luna, who was eating with Blaise today.

"Oh Ginny, I'm so happy to hear you'll be camping out with me for a while. We can set up a tent and tell each other tales of days of yore."

Ginny knew it would yield no useful information, so she decided to forgo asking Luna if she was serious. Instead, she chose to agree with Luna's odd plans and found she was looking forward to having time to spend with her and talk.

Ginny hadn't seen Luna much lately and she thought she might find a way to discuss some of her girly issues with her.

Just as breakfast was finishing Professor Snape approached the table, and Ginny looked down at her plate nervously.

"Will the four of you please come to my office in fifteen minutes?" Snape's question was more of a demand, due to his firm delivery.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and left in a billow of black.

Draco looked at Ginny knowingly. "I told you he wasn't going emo on us."

X

Once everyone was comfortably seated in Snape's office, he turned to Ginny. "I have discovered what we are up against, and it will be a most difficult task for you to face, Miss Weasley."

His words sent a little shiver up her spine, and Draco slid her hand into his in a sign of support. "What is it, and what do I have to do?"

"The mind has a strong magic all on its own." Snape spoke in a knowing tone that was different from his typical lecturing voice, which Ginny usually heard laced with disdain for those of the Gryffindor House. "I believe young Voldemort created a hybrid spell of sorts, and that is what he used on you. Based on what you have told me and what I 'saw' in your mind, I believe I have identified the two spells he used."

Snape's tone of voice was deep and soothing. Ginny found that, though what he was telling her was frightening, she was feeling calm and relaxed.

"The human mind has extraordinary skill in creating a vivid self-delusional state. Sometimes this is as basic as convincing oneself that something that happened didn't happen. The human instinct to shield oneself from suffering increases the strength of this talent."

Ginny wasn't sure she understood what he was getting at, but after a pause Snape continued. "We often encourage the mind to use this skill. Why does a Gryffindor rush foolishly into danger? Because they have convinced their mind that what they are doing is worthwhile. A Slytherin is in control of everything around them because in their mind they are assured of their superiority. These are examples of the basic nature of the power of the mind, and what we need to focus on. We need to ascertain what triggered this spell." Snape spoke in a quick tone that snapped Ginny out of her daze.

She looked to her Potions professor and saw that he was watching her intently.

Ginny felt as if something buried deep in her mind was crawling to the surface. She felt disconcerted, and opened her mouth to ask him what was happening. Before she could, he spoke again.

"Miss Weasley, what has changed in the last few months in your life? I believe this spell was triggered by something around the time that you started fazing out during your artistic endeavours."

Ginny knew what he was referring to, but was afraid of telling him. If her relationship with Draco was causing this, then she couldn't bear the thought. She didn't want to be away from him.

Caught up in her fearful thoughts, she didn't notice when Snape entered her mind. The teacher was watching her reactions intently; for his plan to work he needed to ensure that his entry into her mind was not noticed.

Ginny was thinking of how much she loved Draco, how much he had brought to her life in just this short time. She was the same Ginny as when they had started, but she was stronger. She was stronger in her confidence in just being who and what she was. She accepted Draco, the good and the bad, and knew that he felt the same for her. That gave her a self-confidence she had never experienced before. She didn't want to lose that Ginny, and she definitely didn't want to lose Draco.

"Do not fear Miss Weasley, you will not lose Mr. Malfoy. I believe I know the exact nature of the curse Tom placed upon you." In relief, Ginny squeezed Draco's hand, realising only then that she was still holding it.

"Tom Riddle needed you for varying purposes when he took you to the Chamber. One of the things he wanted from you was your strength of character. You are the only female child in a house over burdened by testosterone. Your many brothers have influenced you to become comfortable in being aggressive in situations where females are usually docile."

Ginny wanted to protest but realising Snape was correct, kept silent.

"I believe some of that bravado was lost when you started Hogwart's and fell under the trap of Tom Riddle's diary. When he realised that he was losing his battle to obtain your soul, he implanted this curse in you."

The room around them had become heavy with his explanation and the memories of Ginny's time in the Chamber, a grave reminder that she had almost died while trapped below the castle.

The four students were spellbound by the professor's speech and sat silently. The older wizard sent a wordless spell towards Ginny and Draco on their couch and was pleased to see a pale pink rune glow briefly above their heads.

Snape continued speaking softly, pacing around the room without distracting from his lecture. "If young Voldemort couldn't have the strength within you, he wanted to make sure that no one else could have it." He picked up a small glass jar off a table.

"You still have your spirit, your inner strength, and passion, but he wanted to ensure that you never shared those things with anyone else. In a way, he had become enamoured of you during your interactions with his diary. He didn't want you to open yourself to anyone else in that way. He was a jealous and bitter boy when you met him, Miss Weasley, and he was vindictive."

In Ginny's heart and mind she knew that every word the professor was saying was true, but she felt the urge to protest. "Tom loved me; he was my only friend that year. Why would he do this to me?"

Ginny's interruption caused the other students to shake their heads slightly as if they were beginning to wake up from a dream.

"Ah, but Miss Weasley, what did he do with that love? He used it to achieve his own means." He spoke in deep, soothing tones so as to calm her irritation. The potions professor had opened the jar and was taking out pinches of the shimmering mauve powder inside and was sprinkling it into the brightly burning fireplace.

"Tom forced you to do harmful things to others, and tried to use your soul for his own purposes. Would any of the three people sitting with you now do those things to you?" His words were strong, but said with silky smooth warmth that again relaxed Ginny.

She felt herself lean into Draco unconsciously and take a deep relaxing breath.

Snape had to manoeuvre very carefully or the intricate spell he was now casting would fail. He moved behind Ginny on the couch, and sprinkled the powder over the students who had become hypnotised during all of this. The room smelled of a deep, musky smell that seemed to make them slightly drowsy.

"Do you think that Draco, Luna or Blaise would ever try to make you feel worthless? Would they use you to gain power? Would they abuse your own power?" Snape purposefully used their given names to personalise his inquiry.

"Tell me Miss Weasley, do you want to keep Tom in your life? Do you still desire his friendship? Will you open yourself to him? Will you invite him into your new circle of friends?" With each question Snape waved his wand over her head in a complicated flick, and sprinkled the powder on her head. The room was now slightly hazy and resembled the Divinations classroom, with the heavy scent and smoke.

Ginny's mind was turbulent though her body was completely relaxed. She was feeling totally content in her physical body snuggled next to Draco, but there was a voice shouting inside her mind. This was not the inner voice she spoke of that the three Slytherins had teased her for last night. This was Tom's voice, and now she realised what had been happening to her.

Scenes and memories of her life since Tom's possession were flashing through her mind. She saw how her guilt had undermined her self-confidence, made her doubt herself and people's acceptance of her at every turn.

She saw how her fear of opening herself to anyone had kept her from enjoying people's company for the last five or six years. How Michael, Dean, or Harry had tolerated her at all she didn't know.

Then there was Draco; she didn't want to shut him out. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. He had gone beyond her fear; he had pushed through her unwillingness to accept him in any kind of intimate manner. He had waited over a month just to kiss her for the first time. She knew that was quite a feat for a hormone driven wizard.

What had Tom ever done for her? Torture, possession, and now he had cursed her so that she could never experience love with another, because the spell wouldn't let her.

Tom had not shown her any friendship or affection at all. He had tried to kill her; how could she have convinced herself otherwise for all these years? But with Professor Snape's questions poking into her confusion, Ginny could see that she had not convinced herself.

He had cursed her. His spell used her own mind's power of conviction against her, it convinced her heart that Tom was the only one who could know and love her. Ginny wanted to break that spell.

Snape had been watching her eyes carefully. He knew when it was safe to enter her mind again, without triggering Tom's spell to defend itself, closing her off again for good. He could clearly see that the girl had almost won the battle, but he could do no more with powders and spells. It was up to her now; her mind had to overcome the programming of the spell.

Because the heart and mind were so intimately intertwined in the actions of this spell, Snape knew he had to do something to prompt both parts of her into the necessary step to win over the curse.

"Ginevra, what is it that is worth living for?"

At the sound of her name, Ginny's senses and awareness were returned to her in full capacity. She felt Luna and Blaise's warmth and affection from the opposite couch they were sitting on. She felt Draco's hand in hers, his warmth surrounding her, his love and affection radiating off of him in waves.

She reached out for Draco's heart with the invisible tendrils from her own. Somewhere in the middle they intertwined and she knew what the all-important answer was.

"True love."