I am so excited to post this chapter. It leads to a very important moment between Draco and Ginny. Please Review once you are through! Thanks lovlies!

Xx Put on that deserving tone

and don't forget that this was all your fault.

It's breathing down your neck,

you know you've got to let this go.

You're such a wreck and now it starts to show.

Cause all you can't deny is held inside

And when we go, we say goodbye,

and then we run, we run away xX

Chapter 6

Matter of Time

The following evening had gone off rather well despite the previous evening events. Draco had actually been somewhat cordial to Ginny unless you counted the three times he called her a blind sighted tart. Ginny had also found herself remaining fairly civil to the Slytherin Prince. She had only sneered once at his remarks, and even offered to help him fix his final shelf in the last row since she had finished her side relatively early. He had let her help without so much as one word of thanks, but he had not made any snippy remarks. To Ginny, this was practically thanks enough. Even after they gathered their belongings and left the storeroom Ginny was almost certain she heard a distinct mumble of 'Goodnight' in her direction. Of course it could have been the unruly breeze wafting through the dungeons. She liked to think it was his voice. Though admitting that she liked to think this was making her sleep patterns very difficult.

So for another two weeks it went just the same. They showed up around six in the evening and worked on their shelves on opposite sides of the room. They didn't dare speak more then it was necessary to each other. Draco could have sworn he had witnessed her open her mouth on a few occasions to say something but she had closed it quickly again. He had not let another word about his family slip out to her. What was even worse was the sinking feeling he had developed since that very night. It was almost like something in the back of his head was ushering him to spill his deepest secrets to her. From what he understood she had indeed kept her promise. No one seemed to know a single thing that happened the night he had exploded. Not even her closest Gryffindor friends. He half expected to be pelted with questions and accusations by Longbottom the next day in Charms, but was surprised when the round faced prat merely walked by him and went right to his seat.

It was odd. They had both exchanged something so bloody huge to each other and yet neither of them spoke of it. Draco was not used to this. He never had anyone to exchange information with. He never even had any close friends. Sure Crabbe and Goyle were always around him, but they were more like brooding minions then actual living and breathing friends. Zabini had always come close to being something like a friend, but lately his relationship with Zabini was teetering on the edge of jagged rocks. He just couldn't stand to be around anyone, let alone trust them.

On the Tuesday three weeks after the explosion incident, Draco was sitting on the floor of the storeroom fixing some vials when the door opened and she walked in. There was something unusual in her step, and the normal blank stare in her eyes was replaced with curiosity and what looked like concern. Draco merely blinked up at her, and then choked back a snort.

"You look like crap, Weaselette. Someone die?" It was blunt but he didn't care. Just because he had told her personal things, by mistake no less, didn't mean he had to actually care about her. All she was to him was a fiery little pain in his arse.

Ginny winced at his sentence, but shrugged. There was a folded piece of parchment in her hands that she quickly shoved within the pocket of her robe. "No sorry…not dead." She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Just an owl from home. It's getting worse out there." She dropped her gaze to the floor. "And I'd appreciate it if you could be a little more tactful when addressing the deceased. For all you know your parents could be on the receiving end of a nasty spell. I wouldn't knock you down a few notches if that was the case."

He narrowed his eyes ready to lash out at her. How dare she even mention his parents! A filthy family like hers had no right to even mention the Malfoy name in passing. Yet he stopped himself. "I wasn't asking if anyone in your family was dead. Just curious as to what has your knickers in a twist."

For some reason Gunny blushed at this statement. "Nothing has my knickers in a twist, and please don't bring up any article of clothing I am wearing EVER again!" The thought of Malfoy speaking of her knickers made her shudder in disgust. Still the tips of her ears began beaming fire red. They matched her hair in no time flat.

He had immediately noticed this and leaned back against the base of the ladder. "Aw has little bitty baby Weasley been embarrassed?" A smirk crossed his lips, "You could cook a full dinner on those things." He pointed to her bright read cheeks and ears.

Ginny grunted something that he couldn't make out and let her hand drop to the side of her robe. The crumbled piece of parchment sat comfortably there. "Sod off."

His eyes darted to the pocket she had placed the parchment in and he quirked a brow. It was a shame that curiosity always got the best of him. What was that saying? Curiosity killed the kneazle or something of the sort? Leaning forward and away from the ladder base, Draco managed to push himself up in one single swoop. Her dark chocolate eyes darted to the side of his face, and then back to his eyes. Draco had to admit that the color of her eyes were pretty. Very plain, but pretty.

"What was written in that parchment?" He folded his arms across his chest.

A bitter cough came out of her mouth, and she contorted her face in pure sarcasm. "Oh right let me whip it out and tell you." She coughed again, "Get off it, Malfoy."

Ginny turned to go back to her work but felt his hand latch on to her wrist. She whipped around so quickly that a sharp pain shot through her neck, and she cursed rather loudly. Her free hand moved up to press the soft fleshy area. She glared daggers at him. How dare he even put his hands on her! After he had hit her in the past no less! Almost as if he had realized this too Ginny felt the grip loosen and he finally dropped her arm. There was that unreadable expression on his face again, but this time behind the lifeless silvery eyes Ginny could make out the concern. He was worried about his parents. It was clearly evident. She knew that look because she felt it every second she walked through the corridors. Were they safe? Had the Death Eaters ransacked their house? Did they get Charlie or Bill? Was Fleur ok? Did Fred and George close the shop and go into hiding? Worse…had they managed to get Harry, Ron and Hermione yet?

Her mother's letter had been so brief that these questions lingered madly on her mind. With fumbling fingers Ginny reached into her pocket and let out a very irritated sigh. She could not believe she was doing this for the all time reigning supreme git.

"I just want to know-" His voice cut out and she nodded understandingly.

The parchment was only folded over once, and Draco could easily make out the flowery scrawl that must have belonged to the dumpy woman the Weasels referred to as mother. If only the woman had a little more dignity she would clean herself up like a respectable Pureblood. Malfoy had opened his mouth to say something about this when Ginny cleared her throat.

Ginevra,

We are not even sure you will receive this. Most owl posts are being confiscated and destroyed before the recipient receives it. Your father and I hope all is well. Charlie has gone off. Bill and Fleur moved out last week. We wonder where- well yes- the rest of the family will be going.

It is imperative you stay out of trouble. Thirteen muggle deaths over the hill in Ottery St. Catchpole this past week. Banding with a few 'members' soon. You-Know-Who's followers have been stopping by. One in particular has asked if we heard word from you. I expect your cheek is feeling better now.

Till Christmas.

Love From,

Mum and Dad

She controlled herself from breaking down in front of him. Letting Malfoy see her cry over something as silly as a letter would only fuel his flame. Yet shouldn't she be given a free card to let it all out? Half her family was on the run. Her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend really, was probably on his way to an early grave, and the worst part of all was that innocent people continued to die every day. Wasn't that enough excuse for a very good cry?

Well perhaps not with Malfoy around.

She folded the parchment again, and finally looked up to greet his face. Ginny placed the parchment back into her pocket and her hands crammed in the small slots as well. "What?" She looked at him perplexed. Why was he staring at her so strangely?

"Who was your mother referring to?" It came out quiet and very unnerving. In fact he saw Ginny shuffle back a few steps.

She didn't really want to answer that question. She of course knew exactly who had been making the frequent stops to the Burrow. It was the only piece of the letter that made any real sense to her. After all her mother wouldn't have asked her about her bruised face if she wasn't referring to the eldest Malfoy. Why was he dropping by so often? Furthermore why was he so concerned about Ginny's letters? After all he had taken a good five or six swings at her face the last time he had seen her. It didn't seem like he cared then so why would he care very much now?

"Well at my brother's wedding there was -" and then it hit her so squarely in the face she felt stupid for even second guessing herself. Lucius Malfoy was not there to check on Ginny's injury. He had shown up at her house to see how school was going. He wanted to know how Hogwarts was holding up with the Carrows present. Her stomach flopped. He wanted to know if his son was safe. Her mouth hung open like some common toad.

" There was what?" His hands reached up to push the few fallen pieces of his hair back out of his face. "And what about your face?" Suddenly he found himself reaching out and taking her chin in his fingers. "It looks just the same as it always does. Well maybe a bit less dirty. Shower today then?" He gave the side of her face a short tap and then dropped his hand.

That damn cocky Malfoy smirk pushed to his lips, and Ginny huffed. Fine. If he wanted to play with bludgers, well she was certainly game. "There was a Death Eater attack at my brother's wedding. Don't act surprised by this Malfoy…" She jumped in as he began to roll his eyes in protest, " and your despicable lousy father wanted information. When I didn't give it to him he beat my face so badly that it took my Mum four days of medi-spells to heal me. This was my mothers way of informing me that its your blasted no good father that keeps showing up at my house. No wonder my brothers have run out the door."

"He hit you?"

For a moment there almost seemed to be a sense of concern in his voice. Ginny looked away afraid to look at his face. He probably still had that damn smirk plastered there. "No he didn't hit me…he beat me. Six hard blows to the right side of my face. Finally knocked me unconscious, and I say thanks to that. It forced him to leave cause no one else dared to speak."

Draco stared coldly at a spot on her chin for a moment. His father had told him that he had merely crashed the wedding to look for answers. When Draco asked if they had hurt anyone his father had said that they had just gone to warn them. All they wanted was precious Potter, and if the Weasleys handed him over there would be no problems. His father had sworn to him that no one touched a single soul. Lucius had even told Narcissa that when Potter wasn't found they left the wedding in a hurry allowing the ceremony to somewhat resume. This was all a lie? Was the weasel trying to play at him, or was it the truth? He thought back to the other times his father had told him bits of information.

"You are a Malfoy. Malfoy's do not serve detention while present in that school."

In his first year his father's words rang like little lying pixies as he served his detention with Potter in the Forbidden Forest.

"We will only need a moment to get this in the girls possession. After that we will have nothing to worry about, Draco."

Everything in their house had been confiscated when it was learned that his father had been the one to slip the Weaselette that diary. It took months for them to purchase new things.

"That half-breed is as good as gone, Draco. With your injury and my pull in the trial there is no question."

Hagrid had not been sacked, and what was worse that stupid animal had not been murdered. Draco had noticed it outside the oafs hut the previous year. He said nothing because he didn't care any more, but his father had lied again.

Over and over, year after year he had listened to the words of his father, and most of the results ended with Lucius' lies.

"Don't worry Draco. All you need to do is follow one set of orders and then the Dark Lord will grant you full acceptance."

This had been a lie. He had been asked to do many things by now and not one of them had given him the rightful Dark Mark he deserved.

Everything was always a lie. Apparently the Weasley wedding wasn't any different. Oh Draco didn't want to give the sodding Weasley's a happy go lucky day. He could have cared less whether or not the wedding resumed or if it had been ruined beyond repair. It was just that he had wondered briefly what would happen at the hands of the Death Eaters. He knew from personal experience that most were itching at the seams to go on a murdering spree. Even though it was the Weasely's he just didn't want that blood on his own conscious. He already had enough guilt. The constant faces of the Bloodtraitors swimming through his nightly dreams would have surely driven him mad.

"My father was never one with words." His voice came out curt and dead.

She blinked and then cast him a very confused expression. "Do you actually feel sorry for me then?" It had come out of her mouth so fast that she blubbered around for a few seconds before letting her sight fall to the stone floor.

Malfoy raked his hands across the side of his face. Why did he allow himself to fall into these predicaments with her? "I'm only sorry that I wasn't there." He didn't venture with these words any further. She could take them as she saw fit.

Unfortunately Ginny read them harshly and cursed wildly under her breath. "Of course your sorry you weren't there. You would have screamed thanks to the heavens for such an event."

"You are almost as thick as your Weasel brother." He turned his back on her.

Her hands flew to her hips. "I am not thick!" She paused, her eyes scanning him up and down for a moment. They lingered a bit too long on his bum. "I mean what gives you the right to say I'm thick when it's your father using a small innocent witch as a punching bag?"

This made him laugh bitterly. "You tell me I have a lot to learn when you can't even read in between the lines. Perhaps Granger should have hung around with you a bit longer. The Mudbloods intelligence could have rubbed off."

Ginny paused. "You really like being vague don't you? Why don't you just mimic what you mean with hand puppets to get your point across you bloody wanker."

Draco turned back to the shelf and began aligning vials. He didn't dare look at her as he said it. "I would have stopped him from hitting you. No wizard should ever hit a witch."

Ginny had to strain her ears to even hear him clearly. When it all finally registered in her head she let out a very audible sigh. "Oh." What? Is that the best you can say? She yelled at herself. Then another thing popped up in her head. "But you-"

"I was out of line hitting you. I was out of line holding my hand against your throat that first night. As much as I hate you, Weasely, I would never harm a woman. I have a little thing called respect as far out there as it sounds."

She stifled a short chuckle. "Well it really is very very far out there."

Where the exchange came from neither of them would ever be able to figure it out. One minute he had been glaring at her, and the next they both broke out into the most rambunctious fit of laughter. Ginny clutched her sides as the stitched with laughter pains. Malfoy dropped his face into his right hand and wiped repeatedly at the side of his eyes. Through her own squinted tears she could see the genuine grin on his face. It wasn't so horrible to look at when she came to think of it. Sure his features were very strained and cocky looking, but the grin on his face seemed to soften those aspects. His usual lifeless eyes for once seemed to be alive. She couldn't help but laugh even more at this considering she was actually appraising Draco Malfoy. And his laugh? Well his laugh was something she had never expected at all. It wasn't an evil chuckle or a degrading cackle. It was deep and almost pleasant as though this was the first time he had ever laughed before.

Ginny hiccupped and clutched the edge of one shelf to balance herself. Somehow she always managed to catch the hiccups when she laughed to much.

Malfoy on the other hand could not believe he was standing there laughing with his greatest enemy. Oh if only Pansy could see him now. Surely she'd throw herself off the North Tower. This thought was quite pleasing, and he broke into another round of laughter. Perhaps with enough persuasion he could convince the redhead to act just like this around Pansy one evening. This prospect caused him to stop laughing for a very brief second. He was actually thinking of asking Weasely to be seen with him outside of detention? Once again the laughter returned, but this time with new vigor. Though the trouble was he wasn't sure if it was because of the idea, or the nervous wonder whether she would agree.

Malfoy suddenly cleared his throat and ceased his outlandish laughter. "Yes well…" He turned around suddenly and began fixing the shelves again.

Ginny furrowed her brow but did not protest. She took a deep breath instead and forced the last bit of laughter out of her. This had been another one of those fluke moments between them, but it was strange how often they kept occurring.

"How many more shelves do you have left?" She suddenly changed the subject in order to get them back on speaking terms. Despite what the little voice in the back of her head kept telling her the feeling in her gut pressured her into speaking. Go figure.

Malfoy didn't look at her. "Have about five on this row and then the last seven in the corner. Then…well then I should be done."

"Right." She looked over her shelves and sighed. She was just about half way finished as well. A few more sessions of detention and the Storeroom would be up to Slughorns standards.

There was a shift in the emotion now present in the room. Draco couldn't help but think about the owl the redhead received, and still couldn't drop the fact that his father was making frequent trips to her house. Ginny on the other hand was stuck in some sort of uneasy rut in where she couldn't quite grasp anything. She had shared a laugh with the ferret and even held a semi civil conversation with him. What was wrong with her? Better yet what was wrong with him? In silence they worked, Ginny casually taking quick glances over her shoulder to see what he was doing.

It was about an hour later when she rose from her position on the floor and dusted off the dirt from her robe. Leaning over she grabbed her black bag when a stifled snort forced her to turn around.

"What?" She shot him a look over his shoulder as if daring him to laugh again.

Malfoy shrugged. "You've got dust on your arse."

Ginny craned her neck and glanced down the back of her robes. Sure enough there was a perfect imprint of dust on her bottom. She snorted back a laugh as well, but immediately began wiping away at the back of her robes. She had almost wiped away the entire area when there was a sudden pop, and the dust whipped up into a burst of wind and blew her hair wildly up around her head. An empty vial was turned over on the floor where she had been sitting. Bottled tornado extract. She cursed. "I'm finished for today."

"So am I." He replied quickly trying to choke back another laugh.

Her hand swiped against her robe pocket again. The letter was still crumpled inside. She needed to speak with Neville. If things were getting risky beyond the walls of the castle they would definitely need to speed up organizing the D.A.

"Well then tomorrow I suppose…"

"Tomorrow Weaselette." He nodded curtly, but crossed the room and opened the door for her.

Ginny stood in her place dumbfounded. Apparently Malfoy must have realized what he had done because he quickly dropped his hand from the door and stepped through it before she could.

Draco turned left towards his dungeon dormitory, but briefly looked back over his shoulder to watch her turn right and move towards the staircase leading to Gryffindor Tower. She disappeared after moving up five or six steps, and Draco turned forward again to continue towards the dungeon common room..

"Sounded like you two were having a laugh riot earlier." The voice boomed from what he had thought was an empty classroom. Zabini stepped out and folded his arms across his chest.

Malfoy wound up and punched the tall black wizard square in the arm. "Never jump out at me like that." He let out a very rude comment and then began down the corridor with Zabini on his heels.

"Touchy Malfoy" Blaise quirked a brow, " afraid someone might catch you doing something …illicit? "

Malfoy furrowed his own brow, and paused in his place. "What are you insinuating Zabini?"

Blaise smirked. "That little redheaded Bloodtraitor was quite disheveled as she left that Storeroom. Have you been playing hide the broomstick with her?"

Malfoy contorted his face in utter disgust. "Are you suggesting that I'm snogging that Weasley girl?" He threw back his head and let out a deep laugh.

Blaise cocked his head to the side. "Well I heard you two earlier as I was passing by the room. Laughing in there as though you were right best mates. Figured you must be itching to get your claws into her if you are actually pretending to enjoy her filthy company." He paused. " I mean she is rather fit despite how poor her family is."

Draco pursed his lips together. "I wouldn't touch that filthy little Mudblood lover if you paid me."

"Good then…I hate sloppy seconds." Blaise clapped his hands together. "Though I still think it's awfully suspicious. I know you too well Malfoy to just shoot the breeze with some girl if there wasn't an ulterior intention." He sighed. "But as long as you don't mind I think I'll give her a go."

Malfoy frowned. "What are you getting at, Blaise?"

Zabini's lips twitched. "Just want to exert as much of this power as possible. We could do practically anything round here and get away with it. Alecto and Amycus wont do a single thing about it…and Snape practically gave me full reign of the school when I spoke with the other day." His smirk twisted into an evil sort of crescent, "Just curious as to what every bloke in this school went on about last term."

"You were quite adamant last term that you'd rather be dead then touch a Bloodtraitor." A sudden swelling in Draco's chest began to pound at his ribs.

"That was before my mother sat at the left side of the Dark Lord. I can take care of Bloodtraitors any which way I want." He snorted, " Besides I have yet to use this to my full advantage," He rolled up his sleeve and revealed the Dark Mark that was brandished into his skin. "It's like a free pass that will bring anyone to their knees. I'm hoping she's just good on them…" He chuckled again and brought his sleeve back down to his wrist.

There was a slight buzzing in his ears that caused Draco to miss the last bit of Zabini's words. It was like something had punched him square in the stomach and knocked the air right out of him. Why was he so concerned about what Zabini planned on doing to that girl? It was the same feeling he had gotten when he saw the gash slice across her face the first night at school. Was he so desperate to try and make up for all the foul things he had done over the summer holiday? Was it something else all together? He shook his head as they began to approach the common room entrance.

"So you plan on doing what? Taking advantage of her just because you can get away with it?" Draco's voice had suddenly gone hoarse.

"Yes well that's what the mark is for isn't it? Should be able to treat those little Bloodtraitors as we see fit." He turned to the Slytherin door and murmured the password. The door swung open and both boys stepped inside the dark room. "You look flushed Malfoy."

A flash of anger crossed Malfoy's face and he hoped that Blaise was too occupied with his thoughts to notice it. "The Dark Lord wouldn't be pleased you were touching a Bloodtraitor regardless of the reason."

"Oh come off it Malfoy." Blaise rolled his eyes as he moved towards the dormitory staircase. "If you don't want me to touch your little ruby then just say the word."

Draco stood motionless in the center of the common room. What had come over him? "Goodnight Blaise." He turned sudden on his heel and stormed up the staircase and into his dormitory.

Ginny smiled across at Seamus as he signed his name to the sheet. It had only taken two days for her to get the entire D.A. functional again, and she couldn't have been more thrilled. There were at least a dozen more students then the last time they had organized the group seeing as more and more students were worried that they didn't have enough training to take on the Dark Arts. Just as Hermione had done in Ginny's fourth year Luna had managed to charm the coins for all those who signed their name to the jinxed parchment. Each person slipped a coin into their pocket as they signed their name, and Ginny turned to face Luna who had taken a seat on her right hand side.

"Thanks for working the charm Luna. I wasn't sure how Hermione had done it last time, and my jinxing on inanimate objects isn't quite good yet." She smiled at the blonde Ravenclaw.

"Oh its no trouble at all." Luna replied with a casual tone. "Here you go." She handed one of the coins to a nervous fifth year Hufflepuff.

"You are sure that we wont be caught?" The Hufflepuff girl flickered her gaze between Ginny and Luna.

"Lets chat." Neville who was standing behind both girls reached out and took the Hufflepuff by the hand. He ushered her to the far corner of the room where Ginny watched him speak to her in hushed tones.

One by one each person who took a coin slipped from the Room of Requirement. She had a good half hour to rush down to the Storeroom and at least show face to Malfoy. She doubted he would even question where she was. He probably enjoyed the fact that he got a whole evening to himself for once. The previous evening he had been so quiet that she had felt she was working by herself. It was like he had tucked himself away into a different world just to keep himself from speaking to her. She didn't mind. It only helped remind her that it was his stupid pompous attitude that caused her to despise him.

As the final Ravenclaw grabbed their coin Ginny tucked the list of students into her pocket and stood from the table. "See you soon I expect." The Ravenclaw girl, who Ginny was almost certain was called Orla Quirke, grinned and hurried out of the room with the Hufflepuff that Neville had been speaking with.

Ginny didn't' look up at the two as she gathered her things. "You both go first." She ushered towards Luna and Neville who had stayed behind.

"You sure, Gin?" Neville was leaning against one of the bookcases that lined the room. "The three of us together wont look suspicious. They know we are friends."

"I know." Ginny sighed. "I just need to run down to detention. It will be easier if I go alone cause I can use the alternative route to the dungeons. I'll be more noticeable if I'm with you two, and if anyone finds out I skipped… " She grimaced.

Luna nodded at Ginny's words. "All right then. Come on Neville." She grabbed Neville's hand and began pulling him through the door.

"I'll wait for you in the common room." Neville yelled back to her. "We can go over some of the new plans."

Ginny just chuckled and gave a brief wave to Neville. "It's ok Neville. We can talk tomorrow. Go get some rest."

There was another grunt from the round-faced boy, but Ginny's feet scratching around the room muffled his words. She doubled checked a few of the things that were sitting on tables, and when satisfied that everything had been put away or taken with the others she slipped from the room as well.

It was nearing eight thirty, and Ginny shuffled quickly down a flight of steps disregarding the suit of armor that asked her where she was going. Her first instinct was to take one of the passageways, but since Dementors were watching them she turned down another side stair and took the longer alternative route. It would take her a few extra minutes to get down to the dungeons, but she ran less of a risk running into a Professor or worse Snape.

"Oof!" Her feet shifted beneath her as the staircase she had taken began to slowly change directions. "Damn!" It was swinging her directly back in the direction she had just come from which meant she had to swing around the entire castle again just to make it to a staircase that would lead her to the dungeon.

Stepping out into the corridor Ginny frowned. For all the years she had been attending Hogwarts she was certain that she had never entered this corridor. Sure there were new surprises found in the castle every day, but with all the exploring she had done in her past years she would have thought that she'd stumble upon this. It was a very strangely lit corridor that wrapped in a gradual bend. There was no other way to go. Moving down the corridor was the only way to find another staircase to the dungeons. She bit down hard on her lower lip, but continued to move down the corridor as her eyes took in the portraits on the wall. None of them looked remotely familiar. An old hag sat smugly on a stool sipping out of a very shifty looking bottle. The hag smirked a toothless grin, and Ginny quickened her pace to rid herself of the creepy corridor.

The grab on her wrist was so sharp and sudden that she didn't even have time to emit one single cry for help. There was a small pop, and Ginny was almost positive her shoulder had popped out of place for a second. This was confirmed when the blistering pain shot through her left arm. She had been yanked into a side room that was barely lit by the glow of the moon through the window. Ginny tried her best to pull her arm from the attackers grasp, but a wand tip pressed into the side of her neck. Whoever had pulled her into the room was standing behind her, and she could feel their hot breath running along the back of her neck.

A male voice finally broke the silence. "Traveling alone tonight, Red?" The tip of the wand dug further into the soft flesh of her neck.

"I-" She opened her mouth to reply, but the male whipped her around and clasped a hand firmly over her mouth.

"I didn't say you could answer me. You'll speak when I say you can speak…or scream when I give your permission. Either way ought to be fun then."

Ginny's eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness in the room, but from the sharp features in the face she could already make out the wizard in front of her. Blaise Zabini stood towering over her delicate frame, a sinister glint sparkling from the corners of his eyes.

"Now now…" His hand remained firm on her mouth, "a young vial little Mudblood lover seems to have strayed from the safe path. Either that or you were spying." He wheeled back the hand that was covering her mouth and slapped her across the face. Ginny grunted a cry. "Where you spying on someone then, Red? Trying to find your way to the dungeons to get sensitive information?" He raised an eyebrow, which Ginny assumed was her cue to speak.

"Detention." She croaked out pathetically.

There was a hint of knowing in his eyes, and Blaise snorted. "Liar…you were trying to get information so you could owl your muggle loving boyfriend. The bloody Chosen One." He covered her mouth again. "Tell me, Red…" His eyes worked their way down her face and landed right above the nape of her neck. "What did that Half-blood Potter ever see in a twit like you?" He flicked his wand, which sent her careening backwards into the brick wall.

Ginny grabbed her stomach as the air was immediately knocked out of her. Her face was wet. When had she started crying? "Stay away-" Her left hand moved towards her pocket for her wand, but Zabini was too quick. With another flick of his wand Ginny watched her own fly across the room and land against the side wall.

Blaise approached her slowly with that same sick smile plastered to his lips. " I'm just curious, Red. Just wondering what everyone keeps blabbering about. Even Malfoy seems to have some sort of peaked interest in a filthy Bloodtraitor such as yourself." There was a sharp movement of his right hand and the hex he threw at her slashed at her robes.

"Stop!" She charged forward with as much strength as she could muster, but he effortlessly knocked her back down to the ground. Her forehead hit the floor with a sickening thud. The metallic taste of blood dripped into the sides of her mouth, and she gagged.

"Silencio" Blaise sliced his wand down again. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Quickly she turned and began crawling madly towards her fallen wand. Again she felt a cold stab at her side, and then he flipped her onto her back with a swift kick to her gut. "Aww there will be none of that, Red." He chuckled like a five-year-old boy at Christmas. "You just stay right there…quietly…" He quipped with that sick grin on his face.

" And we are going to see just what the rave is all about." He rolled up his sleeves to reveal the dark lines of the Dark Mark.

Ginny opened her mouth to yell for help again, but the only thing she could hear was the pleading voices inside her very own head.

This chapter contains lyrics from Matter of Time by Cartel

Who loves a nice little cliffy? I do! I do! I'm so stoked to get the next chapter up. Its one of the few moments that had fueled me to do this fic in the first place. Until then...please leave me a little love via review. BTW: The person who leaves me the most reviews by the end of this fic will win a grand prize to have an OC in my next fic.