Chapter III - Abandonment

Hermione shrieked hysterically as another quake hit the school, sending her racing across the corridor into a statue. Her arm hit the end of Sir Edmund's sharp sword and she howled, landing on the ground in fits of pain.

Panic arose in Hogwarts as the castle itself shook tremendously and bright sparks of red flew into the deep of the sky. Students were thrown into every direction, into every nook and cranny of the school. The staff was nowhere to be seen.

"Ron," she whimpered, "Harry … Ginny …" Bleeding profusely from both her arms and the injuries on her head, Hermione began to sob at the thought of them being hurt or wounded. Strength grew within her and before she knew it, she was standing tall and courageous, putting a foot before the other to get to the three of them.

She watched, eyes wide in horror, as blood from different students trailed heavily on the ground, following the path the quakes were creating for them. Bile rose in her throat as she stared at her fellow classmates being thrown into windows, tapestries, and each other.

She held onto the wall for support as she struggled to jog through the shaking hallway, but before she could turn the corner, the quakes halted with a bang, and all that was being tossed around fell achingly to the floor.

Hermione cried into her palm and landed on her knees, a stance one would describe as praying, and looked out into the sky and wondered how on earth this could happen to them.

"You fucking idiot," Ron muttered to himself, clenching Hermione's hand tightly. "You fucking idiot."

"Stop it," Ginny whispered. "Stop blaming yourself."

"You left her. You fucking left her, you prick. You trailed after Padma like a fucking dog and you left her to fend for herself," he proceeded, kicking himself in the stones.

The Infirmary was never so full in the past. Ginny found it hard to sit and breathe as others could not. Harry was currently being mended for broken bones in a separate room, Luna gargled the massive amount of blood emitting from her mouth, and poor Colin dealt with the bad news of his blindness.

It was a tragedy they did not expect.

The school itself shook so hard that it nearly leapt off the ground. Ginny recalled the glass of stained windows shattering, doors trembling off their hinges, and chandeliers crashing to the ground. She remembered clutching onto Malfoy for dear life. He never let her go.

"Ginny," Ron interrupted her thoughts, "he's here."

Ginny raised her head. "Harry?" she wondered, spinning around in her seat.

She faced a stoic Zacharias.

He was unharmed, but by the look on his face, it was not his exterior that was hurt.

"Zacharias," she greeted softly.

"Gin," he said in return. He hesitated. "I – I was here to see if Hermione was all right. And …"

"And?" she pressed.

"And to see if anything happened to you."

Letting out a breath, Ginny stepped forward and placed a hand on his chest. "I'm fine," she assured him. "I just … I'm just in shock. Everything … the castle … the injuries … I … I just couldn't …"

He embraced her fiercely and buried his face in her hair. Having her, there, in his arms, gave him a comfort he hadn't had in a very long time. He squeezed tighter, feeling the hot rush of tears cascading down her cheeks. "Gin, it'll be fine. We'll be fine."

"But, Harry … and Luna," she choked, ashamed of her crumbling façade.

"They'll be fine. We'll all be able to do this," he declared, confident. He opened his eyes and threw an encouraging nod at Ron, who watched the scene sadly. "We can do this. All of us."

"No," moaned Hermione in terror, hands flailing forward. "No! No!"

Ginny rapidly rushed over to the bed and helped Ron restrain her. "Hermione, please," she pleaded.

Hermione opened her mouth and let out a horrifying shriek, nails clawing at Ron's arms and elbows jabbing Ginny in the chest. "I said no!" she repeated, "Let her go! You let her go!"

"Hermione!" Ron snapped, taking her arms and holding them down. "Hermione, it's Ron! It's Ron and Ginny! Stop this!"

Madam Pomfrey came within the next second, a fogging cup in her hand. She drowned Hermione with its contents and waited as Hermione's body shook violently once more, before sagging into the sheets.

Ginny let out a loud sob.

Ron's glossy eyes moved from Hermione's limp figure to Dean's towering frame. "Dean?" he asked, confused. "What's the matter?"

"It's Neville," he answered, "His parents had some news."

"News?" Zacharias inquired, listening. "News of what?"

Dean hung his head down, mortified to be the bearer of devastating information. "The house-elves … the kitchens … they were all destroyed," he said slowly, as if convincing himself. "The professors went to investigate and found no trace of anything. The Floo network was cursed and every broom in the castle was taken."

Ron's hands balled into fists.

"There is no way out of Hogwarts. Whoever did this wanted us trapped here without any resources. We can't leave all by foot. The boats disappeared. Dumbledore's calling an emergency meeting tonight in the Great Hall." Dean's nervous eyes landed on Hermione. "Neville lost contact with his mum and dad just this afternoon. The owls – they – they were taken somehow." Dean took a deep breath. "Bloody hell, Ron, they even said that they didn't have enough ingredients to create the proper potions for the injured."

"It can't be Death Eaters," Ginny thought aloud. "It just can't. Voldemort was defeated over a year ago – he's already dead."

"It doesn't mean he's lost his followers," Zacharias said.

"But, Harry – he … he was there. He helped. It just doesn't make any sense," Ginny stressed, running an unsteady hand through her hair.

"Miss Weasley, my dear," Madam Pomfrey said softly. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you're being summoned to your rooms."

"Summoned," Ron snarled. "That bloody bastard thinks he can fucking summon you."

"Ron, stop," she protested. She looked at Madam Pomfrey. "Thank you. I'll be on my way soon."

The old nurse nodded gently and carried on with healing the sick. Dean said a quick goodbye and left without a glance back and Zacharias struggled with his next sentence.

"I'll escort you to your rooms," he blurted.

Ginny nodded.

They walked in complete silence. The corridors were darker than usual and it gave Ginny a feeling of foreboding. Her mood switched instantly from being worried to being afraid. Even with a friend beside her, she still felt vulnerable. She knew the castle, itself, felt vulnerable.

She lost track of her steps and passed Malfoy's painting, which cleared its throat and announced, "You have, again, confirmed you are a Weasley. Navigation was never your forte. Why, I remember your brother, Charlie, who always seemed to skip right past his dormitory. Forgetful lad he was – he never –"

"I know," Ginny spat. "Shut your gob already."

Zacharias touched her arm. "You're freezing," he commented, pulling her forward and wrapping her into his cloak – with him still in it. "I told you to keep using those warming charms, Gin. You never listen."

"Oh, gee, I'm very sorry, mother," she teased, having her first laugh that day.

His chuckle stopped short. "Is it true, then?"

"Hhmm?" She never really understood his randomness.

"You … you and Draco Malfoy. It's true, then?"

Ginny could hear the utter denial in his voice and shivered. Her feelings for Zacharias never changed, but hearing him this desperate – this in love with her – well, it made her heart ache. She had waited that morning, an anxious wreck, for him to appear at the Great Hall doors, but he never did. She wondered why.

He answered her question. "I couldn't stand to see you … with him. So … I skived the morning off and decided to swim at the lake. I need to know, Gin … is it true?"

"I'd be careful in touching what's mine," hissed a livid voice from beside them.

Ginny yelped and jerked away, almost as if Malfoy himself had pulled her from Zacharias. She turned to face his furious eyes. "He was just walking me," she explained. Gods, she sounded so pathetic.

"I believe I gave you permission in visiting Granger, not to frolic about with Smith," he snarled, lightly touching her arm. He grabbed her to him, tenderly, and threw a glare at Zacharias, signaling for him to leave. "I don't think this is your dormitory."

"I'll see you soon, Gin," he ignored Malfoy, "I'm here for you."

Ginny stared as he walked away.

She reeled around, ready to verbally abuse him, when she felt a cool pair of lips enclosed over hers. Ginny squeaked, unable to do anything else.

Just as quickly as he descended, he backed away, still impassive. "You are not his to touch," he reminded her.

"I am yours, Malfoy. I am. But, that gives you no permission to touch me," she said shakily. She rushed out of his arms and into the portrait hole, fearful to look back.

She woke up to his shouts of fright.

Ginny shot out of bed like a bullet and let instinct take her over. Her legs traveled as fast as they could to Malfoy's room, where she threw open the door and found him writhing on the floor, hand clutching his other arm.

Knowing exactly what to do, Ginny whipped out her wand and mumbled a binding spell, which trapped him motionless on the carpet. She immediately fell to the floor and ripped at his sleeve, revealing the jeering mark on his arm. Biting her lip, she put her left hand over it tightly and endured the scalding burn that seemed to affect her whole body. She held back a scream as her hand fizzled – sending small bouts of smoky air above them.

The pain died down and she released her hand, watching as the Dark Mark imprinted its brand on her palm. She thought she'd never see it again on her skin, but alas, she was wrong.

"Gin," he cut her name short.

She whispered a counter spell and yelped when he quickly stood up and glowered at her. "Never do that again. Do you understand?"

Her anger bubbled. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said sarcastically, "I'll be sure to remember to leave you on the ground when you're in severe pain."

"Do not mock me," he hissed, repairing his sleeve with a spell.

"It's not the first time I've done it," she said defensively, incase he thought her inexperienced. "I've healed others before."

"That is not healing," he snapped, stiffly sitting on his bed. "You've branded yourself with my mark and put your own body through turmoil. You do not understand what you have done."

"I do," she said sadly. "We're connected now … through your Dark Mark. I learned how to control the hurt when Percy …" she trailed off.

He stayed quiet, listening.

She began to tell her story, unsure of where her trust in him came from. "He had the same problem, as all Death Eaters do. He … he used to run into the backyard at night to avoid waking anyone up … and …" She felt overwhelmed with the rush of emotions that hit her. "I would see from out my window. I came to him one night and he told me what to do and I did it." She stared at Malfoy, begging for him to understand with her eyes. "I'd rather share the unbelievable amount of pain with Percy – then have him experience it alone."

"And why share my pain?" he inquired, closing his eyes.

Ginny stood up leisurely and timidly sat on the bed beside him. She inhaled sharply when her palm burned. "I don't know. I just ran as fast as I could when I heard you screaming."

"He's dead," Malfoy declared. "He is. But, his reign is not over – not with his followers still alive."

"Including you?"

"I am not a follower, Ginevra," he corrected her.

"Funny, it was Gin only a few minutes ago," she tried joking, but stopped herself. He didn't joke – she almost forgot. She had been so used to kidding around with her mates. "I'm sorry – you were saying something."

"Would you rather I call you Gin?" he asked, amusement in his eyes.

She shook her head. "No, that's fine. I just … it was nothing." She had no idea why her courage disintegrated when she was around him, but she knew her place, and it was wherever he placed her.

"Zabini used to chatter endlessly about you, you know," he told her.

"You always call your mates by their surnames?" she wondered.

"Only when they irritate me," he replied, his expression warm and inviting. "He would never close that mouth of his. Jealous of Smith, but rightly so."

"Jealous? Of Zacharias? Why?"

"He had you," was his plain answer.

"Is that why you wished for me? To keep me from Zacharias?" she challenged.

"Smith had nothing to do with my decision." His tone of voice changed from friendly to hostile in only a matter of seconds.

She changed the subject. "How did you manage to shy away from Padma's irresistibility? My brother's been going bonkers for her. Harry isn't any different."

"I have no interest in Patil. Irresistible or not. Our prizes do not intervene with each other."

"What do you mean?"

"Her irresistibility, as they call it, does not affect Longbottom or myself. Our desires do not conflict with the others who were chosen," he explained offhandedly.

Still contemplating the tradition, Ginny's eyes trailed to the clock, alarming her of the time. "Oh, it's late," she said aloud. "I should get to bed. We've got class tomorrow."

"All classes and exams were canceled due to the incident," he informed her.

The past day flooded her thoughts. "Oh, yes, I must've forgotten," she whispered, fiddling with the hem of her nightgown.

"Granger? Is she going to live and continue to grace us with her knowledge?"

She laughed at his sincerity and humor. "She's struggling, but she's Hermione. She'll fight this. I don't doubt it."

"And you?" he asked, almost coyly, but Ginny could never be too sure.

She faced him, raising an eyebrow. "I'm in perfectly good health. I'm under your protection, aren't I?"

"Stay with me tonight," he commanded his face merely inches away from hers. Ginny could almost taste the kiss he gave her just hours before.

She swallowed – hard. "Malfoy, I really don't think –"

"I chose you out of obligation to my feelings."

Her head was spinning with every new detail she had just learned today. "Obligation? What feelings are you talking about?"

"When this is all over, I will return you to your family, but for now …" He gingerly ran his soft hand down from her cheeks to her hair.

"You keep evading my questions. Draco, you never give me a straight answer," she accused, desperation in her voice.

He cupped the back of her neck. It was an indescribable feeling to hear her say his given name, but he controlled it. "What I feel for you is beyond words."

"I don't understand. We've never spoken so much as insults before," she stressed, torn between the soft touch of his hand and the declaration of his feelings.

He pulled away just as the door opened.

Pansy Parkinson entered the room, trembling and covered in what Ginny thought to be sweat. Her eyes jumped anxiously from Ginny to Draco. "Draco. You're needed in the common room," she choked, fighting hard to destroy the shakiness in her tone. The brunette clutched her upper arm until her knuckles turned a bright white. Her knees clanked together and Ginny listened as her teeth chattered softly within her mouth. She had experienced the same pain Draco had just moments ago.

Feeling like more than an intruder, Ginny excused herself. "I'll just get back to my room." She stood from the bed and walked towards the door – just short of passing Parkinson – when –

"You will accompany me," Draco called out, fetching his wool cloak and tossing it over his shoulders. He grabbed another and slung it over Ginny's small frame. He leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Just follow me."

The next morning started with a blur. The meeting the night before had been canceled due to another private meeting between the faculty. The students were called to the Great Hall as soon as the sun rose.

Ginny waited apprehensively in her seat beside Draco for the next batch of ghastly news that would terrorize the school once more. She tapped her foot against the stone ground and sighed in intervals of three.

Her attention was directed at the door when Professor Snape barged in, lips in a thin line and hands clasped together. He approached Madam Hooch, who stood quietly in the middle of the room and whispered something in her ear. They both left in a rush, but not before telling Colin Creevey some sort of news.

Ginny stared, still waiting.

Soon, the entire room erupted in whispers, some students going as far as crying or panicking.

Alarmed, Ginny made a move to get up, but was soon covered by both Draco and Gregory Goyle. She looked to the blond for help, but he dismissed her. "We will return to our rooms," he announced to his mates.

Ginny grabbed his arm before he walked away. "Draco, please," she used his first name to gain his favor, "I need to know what's happened." She glanced at the worried Ron, who apparently just heard the news that began spreading like wildfire. "I need to speak to my brother."

Parkinson got in-between them before he could reply and said her next phrase in a crazed hurry. "Just this morning – the professors – they said that there was a hex on the castle. It was cast just this morning. Draco, an infinite amount of wards was set to stop all magical activity. Our wands are useless."

Ginny clamped a sweaty hand to her quavering mouth and released a soft, keening cry as she fell to the floor, her classmates in pandemonium.