I forgot how much i like this story...IF i do say so MYSELF!
hahahahahaha
jk rowling owns all of harry potter. and good for her
Ginny woke up with a headache in an unfamiliar place. As her eyes adjusted to the pain on the side of her head, the memory of what she had just done came back to her and she groaned.
"Good," a sticky sweet and familiar voice came from behind her. "You're awake. Just in time for a little fun." On the word 'fun' Ginny felt magical bindings spring up and latch her down to the table she was lying on. There was a curious muffled roaring noise in the background and Ginny couldn't place it.
"Come now!"
"Don't do this!"
Ginny realized that it was the voices of all the old headmaster portraits all crying out indignantly.
"Shut up!" Ginny heard Amycus' voice shriek. "Shut up or I will blast you all to bits!" Ginny heard the loud noise clam down a bit but there was still a buzz of alarmed voices.
She began to sweat as Amycus' face came into view. She had hoped it wasn't him but his voice was too ingrained into her memory for her to ever really forget.
The squat, evil man stepped closer to her and touched a strand of her hair. Ginny screwed up her face and turned it away from him. Oh Merlin, she thought desperately as his hand slowly began to trail down her neck and rest upon her collarbone for just a moment... Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh-
She heard another giggle erupt from the back of the Death Eater's throat and she had to swallow her own bile that had seeped into her mouth.
His hand had now moved to the side of her body, cradling her rib cage and hovering there for a moment, as if to see if it could crush the bones underneath the warm skin. Ginny couldn't help it; she tried to squirm away from his touch. "My dear, lie still and this will all be over soon." Amycus brushed a strand of hair out of Ginny's eyes with his other hand. "Or maybe not." He let out a sickening laugh. "Especially when Snape gets here," the man's voice had taken on a singsong quality.
The hand on her rib cage traveled down, the thumb tracing the midline of her stomach from her breastbone to her bellybutton, the fingers caressing the curve of her body from ribs to hips.
The man moved his lips to her ear. "I will not make this gentle for you," he said, letting his thumb slide down past the end of her shirt hem. "This will not be enjoyable." He slid his hand upward under her shirt, pressing his hand down hard and scraping with his nails.
Draco's door flew open.
BLAISE, WHAT-? Draco began to write, startled by the sudden entrance of his friend. He stopped scrawling in the air as soon as he processed the look on the other boy's face. GOOD MERLIN WHAT? He demanded, heart clenching with nervousness.
Blasise took several deep gulps of air before heaving out a brief version of what had just taken place in the great hall. "And he just took her up to Snape's office, I mean, the headmaster's office." Draco made a strangled noise and then wrote quickly in the air.
CHARM ME. He wrote; jaw set in heavy resolution.
"So what?" Blaise asked. "So you can go wandering about the school and put us all in jeopardy?" The tall black boy shook his head. "No way, mate. I'm sorry I really am but I can't do it. It's just too risky."
Draco just stood there, gazing at his friend. Blaise was impressed with how well he was handling the news until he saw the bitter fire deep with in his stone grey eyes. THEN WHY DID YOU COME TELL ME?
Blaise stared at the blonde boy. "I dunno," he said, feeling caught. Why had he come? He started when Draco strode over to him and gripped him by the shoulders. His eyes widened when the boy spoke. His new voice was raspy, at a deeper pitch than his old one but powerful and urgent.
"Charm me, now."
Blaise did as he was told and cast his best disallusionment charm yet.
A door out of her view slammed open and another body walked into the room. Snape's voice rang out and Ginny gave a little cry of relief as Amycus' hand jerked away from her skin. "Amycus," the headmaster spoke in a powerful voice. "I told you not to touch her."
Amycus didn't move from his position over Ginny. "Don't act so relieved, darling girlie," he whispered ignoring Snape's orders. "He's going to do much worse." Turning around he simpered, "I didn't, I would never. I just prepared her for you."
Snape stared at the Death Eater and then nodded towards the door. "You may go." Amycus nodded and left, winking at Ginny who really felt like she was going to vomit. As the door to the office clicked shut, Ginny heard Snape flick his wand at it to lock and seal it for silence and privacy.
Ginny looked at Snape expectantly, waiting for him to unbind her from the restraints. When he didn't do this immediately, and instead walked around the table she was lying on and sat down in his chair behind the headmaster's desk, Ginny felt her skin crawl. Had she been wrong about him?
She didn't want to cry, she wouldn't let him see her cry. Her stomach was still reeling from the touch of Amycus
"You always did have a proclivity for the dramatic, eh Weasley?" Snape said with a hint of a smile in his voice rather than on his face. He lazily snapped his wand and the bindings fell away and Ginny sat up quickly, scooting off the table, rubbing her wrists.
"Sir," Ginny couldn't think of anything else to say.
She stood in front of his desk awkwardly, knowing that Snape wasn't going to let her off the hook. But finally he sighed. "So," he said, extending his white hands in front of him like pale, spidery stars. "Explain."
Ginny took a deep breath and a seat in the chair Snape had gestured to on the opposite side of his desk. "I saw you," she admitted, embarrassed for the both of them. "The other day in the classroom with…" she trailed off into a whisper. "With his portrait," She saw Snape stiffen but she went on. "I know what you're trying to do and we thought-"
Snape cut her off. "Who, pray tell, is we?"
Ginny fiddled with a button on her sleeve. "Just a couple of students…" With a harsh glare from Snape, she elaborated. "Neville, Seamus, well all the Gryffindors really, old DA members from other houses and…Nott and Zabini." Ginny stumbled purposely over those last two names, unsure if she needed to hide her new allies. And there was no way she was going to mention that other boy…
"Don't!" A deep, scratchy voice rang out sharply, startling the odd pair in the headmaster's office. Snape and Ginny turned to see Draco Malfoy panting in the doorway, a disallusionment charm trickling off him.
Taking in the scene before him, he looked just as surprised as the two he had barged in on. "Gg-whesluh?" Draco seemed to stammer worse than before.
Snape's eyes had grown wide. Sitting in silence for a moment he stared at Ginny. "I see," he finally stated before rising abruptly and crossing to the window overlooking the lake.
Left in the dead air, Ginny turned to stare at Draco who was still panting slightly in the doorway but still trying his best to look calm. The flush on his pale cheeks had receded for the moment, but he still looked frazzled.
What are you doing here? Ginny mouthed to the blonde boy.
Draco had an odd look on his face. Pure embarrassment mixed with shock and confusion. His mouth grasped at words to try and explain back, but he was at more of a loss than usual when it came to communicating. His mouth hung slightly open and he kept licking his lips, as if in preparation for the words that he would never find.
It was rather cute, Ginny decided before she blanched in horror at her inner thoughts and snapped her attention elsewhere. She gazed up at the portraits of the old headmasters and with a jolt she realized they hadn't gone back to sleep as per usual, but rather they were peering down at the pair eagerly.
One small witch even gave a little wave to Ginny, a slight smile upon her wrinkled features, as if in encouragement. Ginny waved back but blushed when she turned to Snape and realized that he was watching her.
"Er…" was all Ginny could think to say. "Sir."
Snape looked at Draco and his eyes narrowed slightly. "What on earth are you doing here? Why would you jeopardize your safety and this school by running around the castle?"
Draco looked as if he had more of a grasp on the situation. Having a simple goal of responding to a question helped. He flushed slightly as Snape raised his eyebrows, waiting.
Fumbling in his pockets, Draco finally retrieved his wand and began to write in the air, slowly, as if he were calculating his response.
BLAISE TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED. SO I RAN UP HERE TO SEE.
Draco paused in writing; obviously uncomfortable with something Ginny couldn't put her finger on.
AT THE REQUEST OF THE REBELLION, OF COURSE. SINCE I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO WOULDN'T BE MISSED.
Draco wrote the explanation quickly, as if he were trying to compensate for something.
Snape was silent for a moment, eyes only snapping from Draco to Ginny once with a minute frown of understanding. Then; "I see." The old potions master sat up straighter in his chair and regarded Draco coolly. "Rebellion," Snape quoted Draco's purple lettering with condescension. "Really," he trailed off, saying it more to himself than the two teenagers before him.
Standing up, the man began to pace, slowly. So slowly that it didn't look like he was making any progress until he was halfway to the window, bright blue-gray sky framing his dark cloaks.
Apparently satisfied with Draco, Snape turned his gaze back upon the redhead. Ginny was uncomfortable in his stare and searched desperately for something to fill the awkward silence.
"Sir," Ginny started, and then stopped. She had nothing to say.
"Yes?" Snape retorted, misreading her attempt for conversation.
Ginny blushed. She hadn't wanted to ask him to ask him a question; she had just wanted to fill the silence. Scrambling she pulled one out of her head that had been pressing on her. "Why did you move the portrait?" she blurted. She felt Draco straighten behind her chair and move slightly closer.
Snape sighed heavily and crossed the rest of the room to the window. "Because the Carrows kept defiling it. Besides," he said quieter. "I couldn't stand looking at it everyday."
Ginny wanted to move to him, but she sat completely still in her chair. "Why did you do it, sir?" she asked, in a voice so soft that she half hoped he hadn't heard.
Instead Snape turned to the window and clung to the railing, as if to keep the urge to fling himself off the tower at bay. Ginny was shocked. She had never seen this side of her teacher before. If he had trembled, or stifled a sob or displayed any other kind of emotional weakness other than self-destruction, Ginny wouldn't have been as startled. But seeing a suicidal recklessness pass swiftly through the man, she couldn't help but be in awe.
She jerked, standing up out of her chair as if in preparation to go to the man in order to…
To what, Ginny? She asked herself. To be of comfort? Ginny's natural instincts to help people had taken over before she had time to think of whom she would have been aiding. She stopped her forward motion to the new headmaster before the hiss of warning from Draco.
Ginny didn't bother turning to glare at the young blonde man. She was too mortified that she had just been about to go over and hug Snape. She was rooted to the spot, unable to sit down for the same reason that prey freezes before predator. Maybe no one noticed. She thought desperately and embarrassed. Thankfully, Snape began talking, distracting her from having to think about her reaction for the moment.
"That is one secret I will keep to myself," the man in black said, in a voice steadier than Ginny had imagined it would be. "And I am allowed my secrets, but as I am in a position of authority at this time and you two are in relative danger right now, I would ask that you do not keep any important secrets from me."
At the word "me", Snape straightened up and strode back across the office to settle down once more into his chair. Ginny had noticed that he had used the word "authority" instead of "headmaster".
"What, in Merlin's name, are you two doing working together? And the others? How did everyone agree to unite?" Something deep within Snape's eyes was flickering, but Ginny couldn't quite make out the emotion.
Curiosity, maybe? Perhaps the professor's penchant for knowledge was shining through at this moment, but Ginny couldn't possibly realize that it was something more. Hope and affirmation of past expectations were colliding together in Snape's mind and two unlikely students that were before him represented those feelings.
Snape had known that this day would come, the day when students of different houses would ban together in a time of need. How much of that comprehension had been helped along by Dumbledore he would never admit to nor truly know himself, but now all Snape wanted to know then was how.
Ginny didn't look at the man who killed her headmaster. "Sir, a lot of things have changed," Ginny paused, glancing quickly at Draco, who was still standing as if confusion were a posture.
She swallowed. "A lot, and I really don't know what to think anymore." She rubbed her forehead and ran her fingers through her hair. "Or who to trust. I took a big risk coming here to you a-and I want to make sure, on the behalf of the other students, that you come through for us."
She took a tiny step towards Draco, positioning herself next to her previously occupied chair instead of in front of it when Snape sighed and then stood up, turning the entirety of his tall body toward her. He looked down his hooked nose for a moment causing Ginny's heart to pound wildly against her chest. He was an impressive man, and the black silhouette of his clothing wasn't helping.
"Now why couldn't you ever be that eloquent in my potions class?" His face held no trace of a smile, but his black eyes glittered.
A rush of air escaped Ginny as her shoulders sagged in relief. Snape began his slow pace again behind his desk. "I just want to know why you chose to do it in the Great Hall? And at breakfast?" Snape asked.
Ginny consciously ignored the look of deep puzzlement from Draco she could feel in her peripheral vision as she held onto the arm of the chair for support. It would feel odd to be the only one sitting, and Ginny didn't need any more odd feelings at the time. "Because we wanted to get everyone's attention. At least those who want to listen, sir. We don't want anyone to feel alone in this situation at Hogwarts anymore."
Snape continued to look at her with his heavy gaze. "I see. And you didn't just come to my office because…" he trailed off expectantly.
"It was the only way I could have gotten in to see you, sir," Ginny said. "It would have looked suspicious if I had just gone up to visit."
Ginny saw the grudging respect flare up in his eyes and then quickly die. "Do you understand the position you've put me in?" His voice was suddenly sharp, the tone of a man taking out his frustrations and not really thinking about whom they fell upon.
"Here is what needs to happen." Snape had positioned himself in the center of his desk, arms outstretched, hands supporting his weight as he leaned slightly forward, looking like that of a muggle army general in a war briefing.
"You," he nodded toward Ginny. "Need to spend a night in the hospital wing, for effect. Let everyone leap to their own conclusions and don't affirm what may or may not have happened up here. At least," Snape paused, resisting the urge to shudder. Death Eater training was good for one thing; controlling emotions. "What could have happened."
He turned his attention to Draco. "You need to stop running around the castle," Snape spoke over Draco's noise of protest. "And that doesn't just include today. I know about the lake and the flying, and it has to stop, for your own safety." Draco bowed his head in acceptance.
"Furthermore, apart from what you have told be about your…group, I do not want to know anything more. Ignorance on my part is the best path to take at this point, I'm afraid. I wish I could offer you more assistance but I'm not blind to realize that you all got this far on your own."
Ginny started to protest, started to complain that she had risked her life to ask him for assistance, when she saw that it would be of no use. Snape was right, they had come this far and he was to be used only as a very last resort.
Snape nodded at her understanding and motioned for the both of them to leave. "You and Mr. Malfoy may go. I thank you for trusting me." The two students turned to leave, walking uncomfortably, knowing the long trek back to the hospital wing would be awkward.
"And Ginny," Snape called out, beckoning just her back as Draco started down the stone stairs. "Take care of the heart you carry. It's breaking could devastate you as well."
Ginny nodded, although she had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe speaking in code came with the job of headmaster of Hogwarts.
oh dear snapey snape. you are the best plot device...
reviewwww!