Chapter 5
"Gin, can't you take a little break?" Harry called from the couch.
Ginny grinned and closed her book. "Alright. Half an hour. That's it though Harry." She laughed, plopping down on the couch beside him.
Harry's arm draped over her shoulders as he pulled her closer, hugging her to him. He kissed her and smiled. "This is nice. Snape has been killing me with detention! I swear that greasy-haired old buzzard knows that he's ruining every chance I have to see you."
"Well I'm with you right now." She said.
"I know Gin." Harry said, grinning as he kissed her forehead. "I'm glad. You make me so happy Gin. Thanks for being here."
She smiled back at him, moving closer. "I'm happy too Harry."
An owl dropped a small piece of paper in front of Ginny at breakfast. She was about to open it when she noticed the word Private scribbled across the front. The note was stuffed into her pocket as the owls cleared the Great Hall.
Ginny looked up, noticing that Harry, Ron and Hermione were all pooled over a newspaper. "Hey, guys. What's going on?" She asked.
"Oh, nothing Gin. Just checking for anything interesting." Harry answered casually.
"So is there?"
Harry shook his head. "Not a thing."
"Nothing we aren't used to anyhow." Ron added, joining the conversation.
"Do you have detention again tonight, Harry?" Ginny asked.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. We're going to visit Hagrid after lunch though. Do you want to come with us?"
She shook her head. "I can't. I've got tons of studying to do. I'm heading off to the library as soon as I've finished breakfast. Tell Hagrid I said 'Hi' though, will you?"
"Sure Gin. Sure you don't want to come and tell him yourself?" Harry asked.
"I'm sure, Harry. I can't afford to fail any of my exams. Mum would never forgive me."
"Well, if you're sure." He sighed.
"I am. Thanks, though."
Ginny kissed Harry hastily and walked into the library. She tossed her bag down on the table, fumbling in her robe for the folded paper. Her hand closed around it and, checking that nobody was near, she pulled it out. Ginny opened the note. The handwriting was the first thing she noticed. It was beautiful, the most exquisite calligraphy she had ever seen and somehow faintly familiar.
Ginevra,
If the offer is still available, I would
like to take it. Eight tonight.
There was no signature. Though she didn't really need one. She was sure of who had sent it. It had only been a week since the offer was made, but she was sure she wasn't mistaken.
Ginny folded the paper and stuck it back into her pocket. What do I do? She asked herself. How can I go? He kissed me. He does it every time I see him.
'He needs you.' Argued a small voice in her mind. 'He has nobody else. How can you turn your back on someone who needs you?'
She shook her head. I can't. I have to go. I promised to be there. With her mind made up, she settled back into her chair and focused on studying.
"Will you stop that insufferable noise you two oafs call laughter!" Draco growled at Crabbe and Goyle. Silence fell over the Slytherins surrounding him. "Finally, a little peace."
"What's got you so tense today, Drake?" asked Blaise Zabini.
Draco turned, glaring at his tall, handsome black friend.
"Don't be so stupid Zabini!" Pansy jumped in. "We all know that Draco's stressed about completing whatever task the Dark Lord has given him."
The blonde's glare turned to Parkinson. "Why don't you tell the whole bloody school Pansy!"
The Slytherin girl looked scared now. "But Draco, I wasn't. I was only-"
"Only talking about something completely secret in a very public place!" He snapped.
"But Draco, I-"
"Just shut it." He snapped again.
Pansy nodded, looking away.
"I've got plenty enough to do tonight without worrying about one of the bloody first years alerting that disgrace of a wizard we have to call Headmaster."
"Tonight?" Grumbled Goyle. "We're going tonight too?"
"No, I'm going. Not we."
"I thought we were your lookouts."
"Potter's been following us. I've seen him. It's less obvious if I go by myself in case he sends those sidekicks of his to watch us."
Crabbe and Goyle grunted their agreement.
"Right. Well, I'm famished." Draco said, getting to his feet. "You lot coming?" He called over his shoulder.
"I wasn't sure you would come."
Ginny heard his voice from behind her as she closed the door. She turned to see the blonde boy. "Of course I came." She said, offering him a smile. "So what did you want to talk about?"
He looked away nervously. "I-er. Let's sit down, shall we?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure, let's sit."
Draco offered her his hand. She hesitated before placing her own hand in it, letting him lead her through the piles of junk. She wasn't sure where he was leading her until they rounded a corner. There, in a clearing sat a table for two.
Draco led her over to the table. Hes hand dropped from hers and he moved to pull out a chair. He waved her over to the chair. "Sit. Please."
Ginny moved to the chair and sat. "Er, thank you." She said as he took a seat across from her.
Draco nodded curtly. "Ginevra, thank you for coming tonight." He paused. "I, uh, I don't really know how this works. I've never done this before."
"You've never talked to anyone before? Surely you're joking."
"I've never talked to anyone who cared before." He confessed. "And never about my personal affairs."
Ginny reached over, placing her hand on his. "Just talk, Draco. You can tell me whatever you like. You don't have to tell me what's bothering you right now. Not if you don't want to."
Draco took a deep breathe. "I-" He paused. "I don't know what to do. He's given me a task. And I must do it. I've got no choice."
She shook her head. "You always have a choice Draco. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
"I do! I told you before, He'll kill me if I don't."
Her hand squeezed his. "Draco, you don't have to do this. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
He looked down, shaking his head.
"We can help you Draco. We can hide you. They won't be able to find you if you let the order help you." She told him.
"And what about my parents? He said they would die if I failed. What do you think would happen if I ran away and hid?"
"We can hide them too Draco. The order won't refuse help to those who seek it."
"Please," Draco scoffed. "My father is a Death Eater. He worships the ground that monster walks on! He would never abandon the Dark Lord."
She wasn't sure what to do. "Tell me what I can do, Draco. Tell me how I can help you." Ginny told him.
His stormy gray eyes locked with hers. "You wouldn't be so quick to offer your help if you knew what he ordered me to do, Ginevra. I've done terrible things. Thinks that would shock you. Things that would scare you."
"I already know about Katie and the necklace, Draco. What else could be so bad that you can't tell me?"
He said nothing, only stared at the beautiful witch before him. The first witch to care about him. How could he tell her?
"Draco, talk to me." She pleaded.
He looked away for a moment before locking eyes with her again. "I almost killed your brother, Ginevra."
She gasped. "Ron? But how?"
His hands gripped his hair. "I poisoned him. I poisoned your brother and yet, here you are, talking to me." He stood abruptly, knocking over his chair.
Ginny sat quietly through all this. Ron, poisoned? Oh Merlin, the mead. She stood slowly, moving to him. She looked up at him, her hand gently touching his face. "You can't blame yourself for that, Draco. You couldn't have known that Ron would drink that."
Draco laughed harshly. "How can you say that, Ginevra? I just told you that I almost killed your brother and you're telling me that it wasn't my fault."
"It wasn't your fault Draco. It wasn't. Slughorn gave Ron that glass of mead. He should have been wise enough to check it. Dumbledore himself said that the poison was obvious."
"Yes. And thankfully precious Saint Potter was there to save the day." He sneered.
"It's Harry's fault that Ron was there at all. He took him there because Ron ate a box of chocolates laced with Fred and George's love potion."
"Who on Earth would send Weasley a box of chocolates laced with love potion?"
She rolled her eyes. "They were from Romilda Vane. And they were meant for Harry, not Ron."
"Of course. Precious Saint Potter."
"Why do you resent him so much?" She asked
Draco shook his head. "It's late Ginevra. You should go before the Slytherins come looking for me. You don't want them to find you here, trust me."
She nodded. "You're right."
Draco raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. "Thank you, for coming here. For listening to me."
Ginny nodded and walked back through the piles of junk, trying desperately to ignore the tingling in her hand.