Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one.
A/N: Well, I'm glad you all like the last two chapters. I personally didn't feel that it was my best work but I always critisize my own stuff. Anyway, I hope I can continue to entertain you. Thanks for the wonderful reviews. They are really appreciated. Oh, and since I haven't mentioned it before, the chapter titles come from songs from a certain children's movie. Can anyone guess? I'll let you know in the next chapter.
Chapter Seven
We Can't Stop What We Have Begun
Ginny woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. She didn't think she drank that much last night but with the room spinning and her stomach queasy she knew that it was just enough. She tried sitting up but that proved the wrong thing to do. She shut her eyes, willing herself not to get sick. She heard the door open and carefully opened her eyes. No one was standing in the doorway and she started to get nervous. She slowly reached for her wand when a squeaky voice interrupted her movements.
"Ah, the young missus is awake," came the voice of Cizzy.
Ginny groaned and let her hand fall back to the bed. "What time is it, Cizzy?" she asked.
Cizzy opened the curtains to let the sun stream into the room causing Ginny to squint. "It's almost noon, Missus. You best be getting up," she remarked.
"Noon? I've been asleep that long?" Cizzy nodded her head. "Where are the other two?" she asked.
"Master and the ex professor are in the sitting room. Cizzy doesn't ease drop so I don't know what they are doing."
Ginny watched as Cizzy placed a tray on the bed next to her and then the house elf left the room. Ginny lifted up the dome and saw a plate of toast, unbuttered, some fruit and a cup of steaming tea. Just the things she needed for a hangover. She then noticed a small vial and a note on the tray. She opened the note.
Ms. Weasley,
I assume that you have indulged in a little more drink than you should have last night. I have taken the liberty of preparing a mild hangover potion for you. It should be just enough to get you up and out of bed today to take care of your charge.
-S. Snape
She wondered when Severus starting referring to her as Ms. Weasley again but pushed it aside. If he continued, she would have to speak with him about it. She gratefully took the potion and noticed that it did work but it wasn't as strong as the ones she was used to. Her headache dimmed a little and her stomach stopped turning enough to be able to eat a little. She managed one slice of dry toast and a few orange slices before she felt a tad bit queasy again. She sipped at her tea then stretched. When she looked down she saw that she wasn't wearing her clothes from the night before. Instead, she wore a really big black t-shirt, something she had never owned in her entire life. She looked by the bed and saw that her clothes were folded nicely and lying on top of a small wooden chair. "What the," she started and then it dawned on her. Draco surely couldn't have gotten her up here to her bed let alone change her clothes. She immediately shut her eyes and called for the house elf.
"The young missus called for Cizzy?" the elf asked as she popped into the room.
"You didn't by any chance bring me up here last night and change my clothes, did you?" Ginny asked.
Cizzy shook her head. "It wasn't Cizzy, Young Missus. Cizzy was washing dishes in the kitchen last night."
"Oh, alright, thanks. Um, do you think there is anything for me to wear? I can't very well go downstairs in this," Ginny asked.
Cizzy put her finger against her lips, deep in thought. "Stay here. Cizzy will return shortly." Ginny watched as the elf popped out of the room for the second time. When she returned, Cizzy had a few articles of clothing in her arm.
"Um, Cizzy, you are allowed to hold clothing?" Ginny asked remembering that house elves were never allowed to touch clothing.
"Cizzy was Mistress Narcissa's personal house elf. Cizzy did things only for her. But now, Mistress is gone so Cizzy can touch any clothing of hers. And, Cizzy was freed by the Mistress a long time ago but Cizzy wanted to stay with her."
Ginny was starting to see Draco's mother in a new light. Could she have actually been a nice person towards the end? Ginny shook her head and looked at the clothes. She turned back to the elf. "Thank you, Cizzy." The elf smiled, just a little, then left. Ginny looked through the clothes and found a simple sundress. It was pale blue with white flowers running through the hem. It fit her perfectly except the length. Narcissa must have been a shade or two taller than Ginny but it was ok. Ginny looked in the mirror and pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. She wished she had some makeup with her. Perhaps she could send an owl with some money to a local store and get some. She was afraid to venture anywhere by herself. It was almost like she was a fairy princess locked away in a dragon's castle. Ginny started to laugh at that thought. First, she was nowhere near a princess. Second, with the play of the word dragon, she just couldn't help herself. She took a deep breath and made her way down the stairs to the sitting room.
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While Ginny was getting ready upstairs, Draco and Severus were conversing downstairs. The two had been up at the crack of dawn. Draco had fallen asleep on the couch when Severus woke up in the middle of the night to check on him. He didn't want to move the boy so he just quietly went back upstairs to bed. When Severus woke for the day, he noticed that Draco was already up and eating breakfast. He joined his former student and they ate in silence. After their tea, Severus broke the silence.
"Draco, I may need to pick through what memories you do have from that day the curse hit you."
Draco sighed and lowered his head. "I was afraid of that. How far back are you going to go?"
"Only as far as when the curse hit you. Why? Are you hiding something you don't wish me to see?" Severus looked at the boy, scrutinizing him.
"I just don't want you to see me my last year at Hogwarts," Draco muttered.
Snape had to hide a laugh. "Malfoy, I can assure you that I have no inclination on seeing you and Ms. Weasley in some lovers' embrace. I merely need to know if I can detect anything on this curse. It's best to start at the beginning before I dive into any type of potion."
Draco shut his eyes tight and willed himself not to blush. "So, you knew?" he asked.
"I always knew what happened with my Slytherins."
"But- but how?"
"Your father, Draco. He told me all about that day he caught you with the girl. He was furious," Snape replied.
"Oh," Draco stated flatly.
Snape sighed. He had no time to fix Draco's hurt feelings. "But, that's all in the past," he said. "Right now, we have to find out what happened that day. Are you ready?"
Draco raised his head, his blank eyes staring blindly in Snape's direction. "What? Right now?"
"Do you know of a better time? We are wasting what precious time we have already. Or have you grown accustomed to you blindness? Would you rather remain this way?" Draco shook his head no. "Good. Just sit back, try to relax, and open your mind. Legilimens!"
Snape easily slipped into Draco's mind. He saw the day he arrived at the hospital, scared. He delved deeper to watch how Draco managed to survive by begging in the streets. He saw how people pitied him because of his blindness and threw muggle money at his feet. Pubs would give him scraps of food just to get him to leave the property. Snape decided not to linger too long on these memories for no Malfoy would be seen begging for anything.
Severus pushed deeper and came upon Draco's old room at Hogwarts. This was his own personal room that his father had given to him. Snape was about to withdraw from this memory until he saw movement on the bed. Peering closer, he witnessed the bare back of Ginny rising from the bed. She was in the throes of passion as she whipped back her head to push her fiery hair from her face. Severus heard her moan Draco's name so he quickly backed out of this memory.
Severus pushed forward, glad to get out and not disturb those passionate memories, and came upon a huge field where a great battle was raging. He was looking through Draco's eyes, this time, seeing the battle unfold before him. Many colored jets of light were shooting everywhere, barely missing him. Just then, Draco turned around to stare behind him. Severus knew that this was his biggest mistake but knew in an instant why he turned. There, just behind him, was Ginny. Her unmistakable red hair fanned out around her like a halo of an angel. She was shooting her own fair share of spells and curses at the death eaters. This was the first time in months that Draco had set eyes on her and in his eyes, she was even more beautiful than before. But just as he had laid eyes on her, she was gone. When he turned back forwards, a shot of light hit him right in the middle of his forehead. The light was a pale orange, not strong enough as the blinding spell should have been but strong enough to cause him to go blind. Severus had seen all he needed to see and quickly pulled out of Draco's mind.
Severus slumped back onto the couch and Draco did the same. They both tried to catch their breaths as Ginny walked into the room. She took one look at them and rushed over. "Merlin, what happened?" she asked as she pushed Draco's hair back and away from his eyes.
Severus opened his eyes slowly and looked at her. "I was just inside Draco's mind. I needed to see if I could find anything that might be of help."
"And what did you find?" she asked.
"I know the color of the curse. I should be able to work with that knowledge but right now I need some rest. I have never been this worn out from mind reading."
"Maybe if you didn't look into memories that you had no right to look at, then maybe you wouldn't be so tired," Draco sneered.
Snape looked at him. "Forgive me, but I did not mean to go back that far. Now, if you'll excuse me, I an going upstairs to lie down." Snape turned to Ginny and tried his best not to blush from Draco's memories. "If you would be so kind as to wake me in two hours, Ms. Weasley, I would like to start brewing."
Ginny nodded and watched as Snape left the room. She turned back to Draco and it was only then that she realized that Draco was holding her hand. "Are you ok?" she asked him.
Draco sighed. "Snape saw into my mind."
"I know that," she stated.
"He saw us, in bed, being- you know-," he started.
Ginny placed a single finger on his lips. "Don't," she said. "That's in the past." She winced when she said those words but she couldn't help herself. She was stuck here, for who knew how long, with the one person she had given herself. She pulled her hand back and rubbed it on her leg. She had to get out of the house, if only to get some fresh air. "I'm going for a walk. Will you be ok?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Ginny got up and left the room. She walked to the back of the foyer, hoping to spot a door she hadn't noticed yet. She saw one on the right hand side, a little further down from the sitting room. She opened it and saw stairs leading down. Well, she knew that down did not mean out so she closed the door and kept walking. On the opposite side of the hallway from the huge dining room, was a set of doors. The double doors were made out of glass with a wooden frame. She looked out and saw the most beautiful sight. She threw open the doors and ran outside. Just beyond the doors was a massive flower garden. Trellises were everywhere with many climbing plants covering them. She saw roses, lilies, daisies, sunflowers, and every type of flower she could have ever imagined. It must have been taken care of by magic because it was in full bloom. In the very center of the garden was a stone bench. She sat down and inhaled the perfumed air. As she opened her eyes, one of the flower bushes seemed to pulse with life. She reached out and was surprised to see millions of butterflies take to the air. It was a beautiful sight and a single tear fell down her cheek. Of all the gloom this place held, this garden was proof that there was beauty here. She lay back on the bench and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her skin. She knew that this was the place she would be spending most of her time in.
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Severus sat up in bed an hour later. He stretched and ran his hand down his face. Draco's memories of Ginny at Hogwarts kept running through his mind and he couldn't rest. He stood up and paced the room for a while. He knew that he was wasting time so he left the room and walked downstairs. He found Draco napping in the sitting room and decided not to disturb him. Down the hallway in the foyer, he found the door on the right and opened it. He descended the stairs and found the Malfoy's only working potions lab. He knew that Lucius would never have arranged for a lab except for the fact that sometimes the death eaters would gather at the manor. Sometimes, Voldemort needed Severus to start a potion and it was just easier for him to begin at the manor. He lit the candles with some matches and looked around. It would have been easier if he had his wand, but it broke during the war. He was wand less and since he had little to no money, he couldn't afford one. Severus saw that there were many potion ingredients still stored away and was grateful for that.
He pulled a pewter cauldron out from the broom closet and set to cleaning it. He didn't know how long it had been since it was cleaned or if it even was to begin with. After he was done, he set it on a table. He gathered different ingredients that he would need. He decided to start on one particular potion and planned to clean some more cauldrons while it was simmering.
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Ginny sat up on the bench and looked around. The sun had moved in the sky so she looked down at her watch. Three hours had passed since she found the garden and she had forgot to go and get Severus from his room. "Shit!" she whispered. She hurried back through the double doors and nearly slammed into Draco. "Draco? What are you doing?" she nearly screamed.
"I do know my way around my house," he responded. "I was just heading to the kitchen."
"Sorry, I keep forgetting. I better go and wake Snape."
"Why bother? He's already hard at work downstairs. Has been for at least 2 and ½ hours."
"Really?"
Draco nodded. "Yeah. I called out for him and heard him running up from downstairs. He told me that he has started at least three potions already. Then he asked me that if I should run into you, he would like some help."
Ginny wrung her hands together. "Um, yeah, sure. Where is he?"
"Downstairs. It's through the door next to the sitting room door, in this hallway. If I'm right, you are probably standing right in front of it."
Ginny turned around and saw the door that she knew led down. She turned back to Draco. "Thanks. Do you need anything before I head down?"
"Nah, I'm fine." Draco stepped up closer to her and leaned forward. He ran a hand down her side, taking in her apparel. "My mother's dress fits you perfectly," he whispered into her ear.
Ginny shuddered but kept her voice sounding normal. "She was taller," was the only thing she could think of to say.
"In heels, she was even taller still," he stated. "You should try some of them. I'm sure they would fit you as well."
"How would you know," she whispered so low he almost couldn't hear her. "You can't see."
Draco backed her into the door. "That was low," he growled. "You need to watch your pretty little mouth. Once Severus is done with the potion, and I can see again, you will be taught a lesson if you keep this up."
Ginny closed her eyes at his nearness. She eagerly wanted to just reach out and grab him, to kiss him passionately like they used to, but she kept her hands by her side. She had to keep her head straight if she were going to help Snape. Problem was, wasn't Snape the one that carried her to bed and changed her clothes last night? Ugh, one problem at a time, she told herself. She slowly brought up her hands and pushed lightly on Draco's chest. "Yes, well, we'll see. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and help Snape." She watched as Draco backed away before she turned to the door, opened it, and almost ran down the stairs. She would rather have been with the older man than with Draco at the moment. She nearly laughed when she realized that she considered Snape the lesser of the two evils.
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Severus looked up from one of the cauldrons when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He saw Ginny's feet, in her trainers, before she came into view. Before he smiled, he looked back at his simmering potion. Ginny silently made her way over to him and peered into the cauldron. "What's that?" she asked.
Severus sighed. "It's one of many potions I have decided to try. I'm not sure which one will work, if any, so I need to do what I can."
"Draco said you needed my help. What can I do?"
"I need you to keep an eye on the two potions over there," he said, pointing towards the cauldrons by the stairs. "I assume you can do that."
Ginny looked over her shoulder. "When you assume you make an ass out of you and me," she mumbled.
Severus looked up at her. "Excuse me?"
Ginny shook her head. "Never mind," she said. "I know I can do that. I did pay attention in your classes."
"You could have fooled me," he replied. "Just go over there. If I need you elsewhere, I'll let you know."
Ginny turned away from him and rolled her eyes. She walked over to the cauldrons and peered into them. One was a pale pink and the other was a vibrant red. "What color should these two be?" she asked over her shoulder.
"The pink one should be turning clear in a few minutes and the red one should be turning completely black in about a half hour. You don't need to stir or do anything except watch them. If they turn any other color, let me know," Snape explained while he added some more ingredients.
Ginny pulled up an old metal stool and plopped her tired self on top. Watching potions simmer was the most boring part of the whole process. This was the reason she opted out of the potions part of her healer training. She focused all her time on spell work instead. After 10 minutes, the pink potion turned completely clear. "Severus, the potion's clear."
Severus made his way over to her and looked into the cauldron. He then extinguished the flame and handed her a vial. "Put some of the potion into this. Be careful not to get any on you."
Ginny took the vial and waited until he left the area. She always hated when a professor would look over her shoulder. It made her nervous. She carefully ladled the potion into the vial and stoppered it. She hopped off the stool and made her way back to Severus. "Here you go," she said as she held out the vial.
Severus took it out of her hand. As he did so, their fingers brushed and Ginny felt a small volt flow up her arm. She jerked back and rubbed her hand on her leg as she had done earlier. She watched as he labeled the potion in a script she had never seen before. Severus saw her confused look. "It's an old wizarding script," he said.
"So, why use it? Why not just label it something like potion number one?" she asked curiously.
"I have always used this script when brewing potions that have yet to be tested. It's habit."
"I was wondering about that," Ginny started.
"Wondering about what?" he asked, frustrated.
"Well, if you haven't tested these potions, who's to say that these potions won't make him worse? Or kill him?"
"Worried about him?" Snape sneered.
"Of course. I don't want anything bad to happen to him."
"Don't worry your pretty little head," he said. "These potions will either cure him or do absolutely nothing."
"You're sure about that?" she asked.
"Yes. Now, if you will go back to the other potion so it doesn't burn-," he started.
Ginny put up her hands. "Ok, ok, fine." She walked back to the other potion and looked in. It was just then turning black. She was glad she brought a vial over with her. She carefully poured that one into the vial and then walked back to Snape. "Here's the other one."
Snape took that one, careful not to brush her this time, and labeled that one as well. "I need to store these in a dark place. Please watch this potion. It's almost ready for the last ingredient. But, do NOT do anything to it but watch it."
"Yes, Sir," she joked and watched him walk away. She didn't realize how hot it was down here with all the fires going. She took a cloth that was lying on the table and wiped the back of her neck with it. After she did this, she regretted it. Her neck started to burn and she called out in pain for Severus.
Snape came rushing back into the room and looked at her. "What?" he asked.
"My neck feels like it's burning," she cried.
Snape moved her ponytail aside and saw a red mark forming on her neck. He touched it and she hissed. "What did you do?" he asked.
"I was hot so I grabbed that cloth and wiped the sweat off," she explained as she pointed to the cloth on the table. Snape grunted under his breath and, holding on to her ponytail, merely dragged her over to the sink. Ginny held on to her ponytail as well, not liking the fact that someone was pulling her by her hair. "What are you doing?" she screeched.
Snape didn't say a word. Instead, he turned on the faucet and stuck her head under the extremely cold water. Ginny spluttered and tried to get away from her obviously crazed ex professor. After a few seconds, Snape pulled her back up and looked at her neck again.
"What was that for?" Ginny yelled, glaring daggers at him.
"Are you really that much of an imbecile?" he asked.
"WHAT?" she screeched.
"You do NOT grab anything off a potions table to wipe at sweat. You don't know what ingredient is on it and if it will have a reaction to human sweat. You are extremely lucky that I was here. You would have burnt the skin right off your neck!" he exclaimed.
"I didn't-," she started.
"No, you didn't. That's your problem," Snape interrupted. "What would you have done if I were not here? Would you have known to run your neck under water?"
"I don't-," Ginny started but was again cut off. Only this time, it was because of Snape's lips on hers. It was only a mere press of lips but it caused a shock to spread throughout her body. When Snape pulled away, she knew that her face was bright red. "Um," she said.
Snape ran a hand through his hair. "I better get back to the potion. I suggest you go and take a cool shower or at least run some cool water on your neck again. I'll leave a balm in your room. Just dab it on the burn spot and by morning, it should start to feel better."
Ginny could only nod and left the basement area. She walked up the stairs and made her way to the main staircase. Tears started to fall as she walked down the hallway. She didn't see Draco standing there and ran into him. "Whoah," he said. "Ginny?" He reached out and touched her cheek. "Why are you crying?" he asked.
"No reason," she lied.
"You're lying. Was it because of what I said earlier? You do know that I was joking, right?"
Ginny smiled. "I know. I just need to take a shower. Being in that damp basement has made me feel dirty." She quickly kissed his cheek and ran up the stairs. She couldn't believe that Severus had just kissed her. She had to have been dreaming. Snape would never do anything like that. She needed a shower and some alone time. She would worry about it later.
A/N: Again, thanks for the wonderful reviews. I hope to update this story more often. But for now, I have to start on the next chapter of Snake Charmers. My friend has finally given me the latest chapter so now I can continue it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as I like it better than the other ones. Let me know what you think. Just hit that little review button to the left of the screen. Thanks.