Chapter Twenty Five

No Wonder You're Jaded

Ginny stood, staring at the portrait. Little Red Riding Hood smiled down at her from her position on the wall.

"I think I know how you feel," Ginny muttered.

How do you survive nearly eight months with the man you love beside you? Ginny wasn't sure herself. But she had somehow done it. Eight horribly wonderful months of falling deeper and deeper into love with Draco Malfoy.

Ginny said the password and walked into the Head Boy's room. She glanced through the rooms. Draco wasn't in attendance so she sat down on the bed.

She had been spending a lot of time in Draco's rooms this year. The Slytherins were getting bolder and Draco was doing his best to keep them in line but he often told her that it was getting harder and harder. Based on all the stuff going on with the DA, Ginny believed it. She had been forced to step into several disputes recently.

Draco had stepped into numerous fights himself lately. He always seemed to be there when Ginny needed him and she couldn't help the little lurch her heart gave every time he appeared just when she needed him.

He was like a knight in shining armor, Ginny thought with a small smile.

But every knight had a weakness. Ginny didn't want to know what Draco's weakness was. She wanted him to be her invulnerable knight for the rest of his life.

She knew how incredibly selfish that was of her but she couldn't seem to help herself. She knew he didn't feel that way about her. To him she was still the little gay girl who finally got her prince charming.

Only Harry was in love with Gabrielle and had been since long before Ginny herself had ever dated Harry.

Now they were officially over. Harry had confirmed that months ago in one of the letters he kept sending to Gabrielle. Ginny didn't mind getting her news second hand. Especially not news concerning Harry and Gabrielle.

No, that information she could wait for indefinitely.

News had come through though. Hermione had been sending Ginny letters, one of which Ginny had been asked to pass on to Pansy. Pansy was still as happy as ever. She was forced to pretend to hate Ginny in public but they actually had some fun moments together.

Ginny reached into her bag and pulled out a long thin piece of wood, lying back on the bed as she did so.

Draco Malfoy's wand felt strange in her hands.

She turned it over between her fingers, wondering, not for the first time why Dumbledore had willed this object to her as well as why he had had it in the first part.

No one had been more surprised than Ginny when, nearly a month ago, a representative from the Ministry of Magic had come and taken her aside during Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny, like so many of her fellow classmates, hated that class. She was good, she could withstand the Impervious and she was quick but even so, she still got nailed a time or two.

She had willingly left the class early to talk to the man in the Ministry robes. He had merely handed her a small thin package and had her sign a form before giving her two pieces of parchment.

Ginny had not returned to class right away but had secreted herself away in the Head boy's room. Draco had been in class so she had read the parchments. The first was from the solicitor of Dumbledore's will. It simply read that Dumbledore had bequeathed this item to her but it was not to be opened until the predestinated date.

The second note was shorter but more to the point. It was penned in Dumbledore's hand merely saying that this item was hers to keep for a while. She was to tell no one of its existence. He concluded that when the time came, she would know what to do with it.

Ginny had known the wand for what it was from the moment she touched the wand. If the mere feel wasn't enough, the bronze snake that wrapped around the hilt would have clued her in.

She twirled it between her fingers. She had no clue what she was supposed to do with it. How had Dumbledore come into possession of it? What did he want her to do with it?

Ginny sighed and moved to put the wand back in her bag. As she did, a quick pain cut through her right forefinger.

"Ouch," she muttered, pulling her hand back. A small drop of blood welled at the tip of her finger. She put her finger in her mouth then looked to see what had cut her.

The snake's head on the wand was open at the jaw, two sharp fangs extended. As Ginny watched, the snake closed its jaws. It suddenly glowed bright red then faded back but rather than return to its normal bronze, the snake was now bright silver. Ginny stared at it, wondering what it could mean.

(A/N: not a lot of dialogue in this chapter. Try none. Any way, I hope you guys like it! I had fun with this. I know where I'm going with this story! Finally! And I'm updating!