Chapter 18
Draco looked across the Great Hall at Ginny. He missed her. It was true that they had never been great friends before this year, or even talked to each other, but the time when they had been friends at the beginning of the year had meant a lot to him.
Growing up, Draco had always been lonely with very few real friends. He supposed that a large part of that was his fault, he'd always been cruel to most people who weren't pureblood Slytherins and he was always scared that anyone who was his friend was only being nice to him because of his father. He was a Slytherin and he knew that the people in his house would do anything for money and power, befriending someone that they didn't really like would be nothing to them. As the Prince of Slytherin and a Malfoy he knew that people like Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle only used to treat him well because their parents told them to.
His only real friend was Blaise and he valued him immensely, more than he valued all of his material goods. Blaise was more like family to Draco than his own father was. It had seemed as though Ginny was going to be a good friend to him and now it was ruined due to the fact that he didn't know how to shut up when drunk.
--
Ginny felt slightly nervous as she watched Draco exit the Great Hall and stood up to follow him. She wanted to talk to him but she had a feeling that he had been avoiding her lately. She walked as quickly as she could out of the gall, seeing Blaise nod at her out of the corner of her eye as she did so.
"Draco!" she called when she caught up with him. He pretended that he hadn't heard her but she knew that he had because he started walking faster. "I just want to talk to you. Please."
"What do you want Weasley?" he asked coolly, one eyebrow raised.
"I want to apologise," Ginny answered softly.
Draco's face softened a fraction at this and, looking around at all the people eavesdropping on their conversation; he grabbed her arm and dragged her out to an out of the way broom cupboard.
"Go on then, I'm listening."
"I apologise for the fact I took advantage of your inebriated state but you wouldn't let me help you and I was worried about you," Ginny said as diplomatically as she could.
Draco stared into her eyes for some time in a way that made her feel as though he was looking straight through her. He was probably using legimency on her, she had heard he was very good at it, and although she had been trained in occulmancy after her first year she thought it was probably better if she didn't try to push him out of her mind. Finally, he smiled crookedly at her and nodded.
"Apology accepted. I was rather harsh."
Ginny laughed, relieved, and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek. He turned his head just in time to kiss her full on the lips. The kiss was long, soft and tender and seemed as though it was going to go on for a long time until Draco suddenly gasped and pulled away, clasping his left arm.
"What's wrong?"
Draco was practically bent half over and as he looked up with pain filled eyes she thought she knew what must have happened.
"My Dark Mark, it's burning."
--
Draco had been luxuriating in the amazing feeling of Ginny's lips on his when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm, almost as though a knife was being driven into it.
He pulled away and clutched his left forearm with his right hand. Numbly, he felt around for the buttons of his cuff and undid them.
"What's wrong?" he heard Ginny ask as he rolled up his sleeve, almost crippled by the pain.
He looked up at her and told her.
--
Ginny was scared. She watched as Draco rolled up his sleeve and revealed his pitch black Dark Mark to her and she knew that there was absolutely nothing she could do that would help him.
"What are you going to do?"
"I have some pain relieving potion in my room. If you help me there I can take it to stave off the pain."
"OK. I'll check to see if the coast is clear, you cover your arm."
She stuck her head out of the broom closet and looked both ways. Once she was sure no one else was there she went back to Draco and helped him to slowly walk to the common room. Once there, he walked up the stairs, clutching at the banister, and into his room.
Ten minutes later he came back down the stairs looking composed again.
"Are you OK?"
"I'll be fine."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Check that Blaise and Sev are alright, go back to kissing you," Draco replied nonchalantly.
"Don't you need to tell someone?"
"Not really. I suppose I could but it's not as though I know what the meeting is about."
"They'll trust you more if you tell them about it. Please Draco or you won't get any kisses," she pouted at him.
"Fine but just for you. I'll go tell McGonnagal," Draco agreed, kissing Ginny quickly on the lips before leaving the room.
--
"Look, I know what I know Professor! My Dark Mark was burning and since Voldemort definitely wasn't trying to get in contact with me he must be calling a meeting."
"We can't just go on what you are saying Mr Malfoy, we need to confirm it."
"And how are you going to do that. In case you have forgotten, you no longer have my Godfather as your spy," Draco spat back at her.
"And why is that Mr Malfoy? Or have you forgotten your part in all of this."
"My memory is perfect. I remind you of what information I know and can give you. You would do well to heed my advice in these matters. I know for a fact that there will be a Death Eater meeting tonight and I can almost guarantee that an attack is imminent. You should do something about it right now."
"It's not my place to make such decisions."
"It's your place to protect these children and they won't be safe until the Dark Lord is defeated." Draco sighed in exasperation. "Look, I'm a Slytherin, I'm not going to do anything that will put me at a disadvantage and lying to you definitely would do that. Just trust me and do something."
With that Draco got up and left the room.
--
Draco stormed into the common room, muttering to himself under his breath about the stupidity of certain teachers and their stubborn refusal to listen to anyone else just like all the other Gryffindors.
"Are you alright Draco?" a startled Ginny asked as he passed.
"I'm fine. I'm going to see my Godfather so I won't be available to Blaise or McGonnagal if they want to see me. Make up a lie to tell McGonnagal but you can tell Blaise the truth."
Just as Ginny opened her mouth to protest Draco jammed the ring onto his finger and with a tug at his navel felt himself being pulled into a clearing in a thick forest.
"Severus," Draco greeted as he moved forward to join the man. "What are you doing here?"
"I have heard from various sources that this is where the latest Death Eater meeting is going to be so I thought I would come here and take a look around."
"Where are we? It might be good to let McGonnagal know so she can send some people here."
"I'll send her a letter."
Draco took another look around the clearing. It was deep in the forest and the surrounding trees were dark and crowded. The space was large enough to fit the two Death Eater circles in and was perfectly symmetrical to give everyone a good view of whatever Voldemort chose to do in this particular meeting. It was also perfect for an ambush or a spy to get in because no one would be able to see anyone in the tree line.
"I wanted to talk to you about my Dark Mark burning," Draco finally explained.
"Ah," Snape answered, sitting down on a tree stump. "What do you want to know?"
"Why did it burn? Did Voldemort know that I could feel it or was it a general summons to everyone that has the Mark?"
"Don't worry Draco; everyone felt the Dark Mark burn this time around. Something big is going to happen."
"Any idea what?"
"I've heard a few rumours. Go back to Hogwarts and make sure no one you care about leaves. You'll be safe there if you stay together. And try to persuade Tonks to act as a spy tonight. Our side needs to know what will happen."
Draco nodded and left with a sense of purpose he had sorely been lacking on his arrival.
