She couldn't help it…
Hermione burst into hysterical laughter. Tears started to run down her face at the hilarity of Karma's timing for her downfall. After everything she had gone through… Unable to think of anything else to do, she wiped at the evidence of her guilt as it slid down her cheeks and gave the girl a startled look of horror. "Oh… You… You're serious?!"
"I wouldn't have had the balls to say it if I wasn't," Ginny said, wearing a pale imitation of the indifferent mask that she had grown used to seeing on an entirely different set of restrained features. "I am spirited, not stupid."
"Are you absolutely positive about that? Because, for the first time since I have met you, I am questioning your genius…" She shook her head as if offended by the proposed identity of her paramour and took a step back. "Honestly, can your guesses get any more ridiculous or insulting?"
"Would you like me to give it a try? Or are we going to spare your pride and skip to the part where you admit who he is if I am wrong?"
Called on her bluff, she scrambled for a way out of the dilemma, "I've told you a million times by now, I cannot tell you who he is…"
"I don't need to know all of his dirty little secrets. All that I want is his name." Undeterred from her goal, the redhead walked over to the closest table and leaned against the ledge to wait for the keenly anticipated divulgence.
"Why does it matter?"
Ginny glared at the empty stone wall in front of her, "Whoever he is… I want to have a private conversation with him."
"Threats like that are not going to encourage me to betray his trust!"
"He needs to be made aware."
"Of what?!"
"He isn't good for you." A breathing personification of Tisiphone, the sinister look of loathing that distorted her friend's face was alarming. "And if he ever leaves you in the state I found you in again… I will hunt him down. Crucio his ass until he is begging for death. Thankfully, I am merciful. Once I am satisfied, I will hex off his alleged mythical dick and shove it down his throat."
Beyond disturbed by the violent daydream and pure hatred that radiated off of the other witch, Hermione took yet another step back. Afraid of redirecting the rabid fury toward the nearest deserving target, herself, she chose placation as her next tactic. "Ginny…"
"Don't Ginny me!"
"Your anger is justified. That was a hellish traumatizing night, for the both of us, but… Premeditated homicide by castrated penis is a tad too far, don't you think?"
"One night? Like it hasn't been weeks of silent worry, spent watching you struggle to give reason to every one of your breaths. I can't fathom how he managed it but Malfoy slithered in and almost succeeded in poisoning your very essence." Ginny's voice was laced with her own lethal venom as she surveyed Hermione out of the corner of her eye. "Yet… here we are. He is lucky the only thing I want to do is warn him of the retribution that comes with his plans for your demise."
"If he wanted me dead I would be."
They both froze at the realization that her foolishly impulsive defense of the innocent wizard had confirmed the unthinkable. No matter the amount of certainty the youngest Weasley had held in her guess, irrefutable validation of the treachery Hermione was a willing participant in, upended the framework of her entire existence. As punishment for her hubris, she was forced to stand to the side quietly as her friend processed through the stages of grief at an inhumane pace.
Bewildered shock. Confident denial. Troubled sadness. Indignant anger.
And finally… Reluctant acceptance.
"This is Malfoy we are talking about… He is evil, Hermione! You can't tell me he wouldn't get some sick kick out of messing with your head until you do it for him." Frustration shifted the urgent plea for clarity into a vile accusation.
"This damn cycle is fucking exhausting! I can't tell you how I can guarantee that between the two of you… You are the one spending their time obsessing about my death." She closed her eyes against the sharp sting of her persistent tears. Her inability to explain any sort of detail, let alone the context required for a proper judgment, was physically painful. After a few deep breaths, she did her best to disentangle her panicked thoughts and looked back up to beg. "I can't tell you a single thing that will help you understand him. Or us… Or how… Or why… None of the stuff that matters… And I can't let you go around threatening Malfoy of all people. Over me! Please, I need you to trust that I am trying my hardest to do the right thing."
"The right thing?! How am I supposed to believe that when you are won over by the first good-looking deviant to show interest with cheap trinkets and sham pick-up lines?" Ginny shouted as she stood to her full height, rightfully provoked by the cryptic defense of the unforgivable deceit.
The long-predicted vilification hurt. Modest when compared to her own mind and what was surely to come, it still managed to suck the air from her lungs. Hollow, even to her ears, the automatic denial was inadequate at best without any evidence to be shown to the contrary. "That… That is not what happened."
"Pretty convenient that you get to betray everyone who truly cares about you and take zero accountability. All because of some misguided loyalty to this 'brooding sex god with a hidden sweet side' farce! Get a grip on reality, girl…" Desperation for her to listen to reason tinged the bitter roasting. "This isn't one of our mums' bedside romance novels. There isn't a happy ending where you get everything you ever dreamed of."
"Tell our headmaster that…" Hermione mumbled under her breath as she frantically tried to find a shred of truth that wouldn't lead to a demand for further rationale.
"What did you just say?"
"I told you to voice your concerns to our headmaster before you go around destroying months of my hard work." The glaringly obvious indulgence almost made her laugh again. Relief flooded through her, drowning out the incensed exasperation over it taking her an appalling amount of time to summon the paralyzing respect that her single confidant held. "He should decide what you are allowed to know."
Let the benevolent bastard be useful for something…
For the second time an indistinct stretch of mute retrospection on what her declaration meant to the bigger picture passed between them. Ginny was, once more, stuck reconciling the truth with her assumptions. It wasn't just a superficial clandestine love affair. There was an unfathomable depth to the situation that the girl wasn't privy to.
While Hermione was giddy to be able to give the burden to someone else.
Someone well-versed in the delicate politics of manipulating those who trusted them. Someone who had years of practice to build the necessary skills to eloquently appeal to the intrinsic decency found inside of most people. Someone able to make the meager sprinklings of honesty seem like an unearned reward bequeathed by a god among men.
Not an ambushed seventeen-year-old girl who had thought she was watching her plans die a very gruesome death…
The future Ginny didn't think possible. The one where she did get everything she had ever dreamed of… Eventually. She had to believe Draco was capable of redemption when his mother was safe. It would take time to prove himself, of course. She wasn't under some grand delusion of a sickeningly sweet kumbaya moment where everyone hugged and skipped to dinner arm in arm. However, there was potential for mutual civility built upon their love for her. A begrudging understanding that each of them had become vital to her functioning as a whole person.
"...Dumbledore is in on it?"
Ginny's request for verification interrupted her hopeful ponderings, "I've already said too much."
"Dumbledore is in on it." The repetition was said like an answered prayer as the redhead's smile lifted. "This is for the Order? You are not breaking Harry's heart for dick?"
"Such little faith."
"Thank the Gods!" Shrill shrieks of joy echoed around the empty room as Ginny celebrated the newfound opportunity for forgiveness. "I don't have to be the one to tell Harry you are boinking Draco Malfoy behind his back!"
Hermione stayed quiet, letting the other witch draw her conclusions. The mere mention of the ancient authority quelled the majority of worries. If he was involved she couldn't be a traitor. She was reconnaissance. A brave soldier sent into the enemy's territory instead of a scared child whose hopes hinged on a son convincing his mother to abandon their patriarch to a certain death.
"Dance with me!" The girl giggled as she bounced to a beat only she could hear until she stood in front of Hermione.
"How about no?"
Riding the high of elation, Ginny reached over and grabbed her wrists, with aggrandized swaying she tried to tempt Hermione into joining her in a haphazard waltz. "You are no fun!"
She sighed loudly and fought with the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips, "I can't risk losing my spot as resident killjoy now could I?"
"Ugh! Fine…" The witch dropped her grip and also gave a heavy sigh. "Let's pretend this conversation never happened."
Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled her wand from her pocket to undo the protective charms that kept their fight from passing ears. "I should have asked Luna. Then it never would have and there would be no need for good imaginations."
"True, but you would have had to listen to her latest theory on what the Ministry's plans are for Fudge's leftover Heliopath," Ginny walked to the door and waited for her.
"Colin would have agreed to take a normal picture for me. According to you, that would be enough to entice… Mystery Guy." She changed tactics, uninterested in entertaining the thought of hours wasted listing the nefarious advantages of militarized fire spirits.
"Got me again, but then you would have had to listen to him wax poetically about the different potions and spells required to make the pictures move."
"At least I would have learned something other than one of my best friends thinks I am nothing but a cum guzzling hussy." Hermione accused, hoping her joking intention eclipsed the flare defense from her earlier hurt. "Speaking of, before we stick to this whole pretending this never happened bit… Why did you agree to help me if you knew?"
"I had this whole plan to confront you while you were naked. That way you couldn't run off." The girl confessed. Staring at the window they had used as a backdrop for the photograph, unable to meet her eye. "But I chickened out and had to improvise."
"Oh."
"Yeah. The fact that your wand would be far away while I did was a plus."
"Mmm," She absentmindedly hummed her agreement as she slipped the wand that still hung limply at her side back into her sweater pocket. "Are… Are you going to develop the picture? Or?"
Ginny nodded, captivated by the glowing streak of deep maroon that remained at the bottom of the window frame. "I suppose so. We all have to do what we can to help the Order, right?"
"Right… If it will make you feel better, I will make sure to casually mention your revenge schemes the next time I speak to him."
The other witch finally looked at her with a twinkle of mischief in her eye and smirked, "That's my girl."
-\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/-
Seven days later, Hermione hid behind the stack of rotting dust-covered tomes wondering if she should add stalker into the mix of insults that rattled around inside her head. It would add a bit of variety to the tired litany and her behavior certainly warranted the incorporation…
Ever since the moment the transfigured piece of parchment was passed to her over breakfast a few days before, she was plotting a way to guarantee it was received by the intended target. The easiest and fastest was to hand it to him directly, but that would mean he would have had to agree to any of the multiple summons she'd sent. One could only assume that she was being punished for the last time they had planned to meet. Canceling for a tedious night of homework with a certain surly brother, who was quickly finding it tiresome for his favorite person to be otherwise occupied with his sister, was unacceptable.
He'd been too busy to offer an alternative day the past three nights. So, her silly x-rated birthday gift had become a brattish reminder of exactly why he might want to make the time for her in his busy schedule…
Charmed for protection or not, she couldn't leave the delivery to chance. Their old strategies were much too risky to attempt when considering the contents. After being denied for what she hoped was the final time that afternoon, her entire evening had consisted of watching the raucous group of usual suspects dwindle from the study session. Until only he stayed, having noticed the deformed origami kitten that would randomly appear on a shelf eye-level with his seat throughout the lulls in conversation.
Once he was absolutely sure that his dismissal of Crabbe and Goyle had been followed, he plucked the limping decoration from where it paced the short distance between missing volumes. Her abysmal replica earned an amused grin that vanished as his practiced fingers undid the clumsy folds to reveal empty paper. Confused, Draco glanced around at his vacant surroundings waiting for the punchline.
Nicer than her suitor, she didn't make him wait. A single word was sent across the magical tether that bound their jewelry. Simple but obscure, the key to unveiling her carnal offering heated the metal that wrapped around his finger.
Gardenia
As soon as the change in temperature was registered he wrenched the ring from his hand and read the password. He rolled his eyes at the shrouded entendre and replaced the treasured heirloom to its proper place. Another quick precautionary scan of the deserted section of the library preceded him taking out his wand and tapping the piece of blank parchment.
She stepped closer to see his reaction better…
There was little doubt of the precise moment the spell faded and her erotically posed body came into view. His eyes widened and, like a young child with their hand in a cookie jar, he could not determine what was best to focus on. The delicious mouthwatering treat or the threat of apprehension with no feasible argument for innocence?
Hermione stifled her laughter by biting her bottom lip. Pleased that Ginny's tactless prediction about his natural response wasn't just nervous chatter to delay her confrontation.
Aware he was standing in the middle of a public place, his cheeks flushed a light pink as he used his bag to shield the growing bulge from view. Following another brief peek, the photograph and his wand disappeared into the safety of the polished leather. He feigned issues with the clasp closing to give a pretense for the time needed to gather himself.
Unrelenting, she grabbed the first book her hands found and walked out from the shadows. Her planned demand left her lips as a vapid plea, "Eleven?"
His piercing gaze startled her enough to halt her departure. Draco took advantage and stepped close. With zero hesitation, he reached up and slowly twirled one of her errant curls around his pointer finger. "You have forty-five minutes."
"I'm already late for Prefect duties…"
"Then you had better use your time wisely and convince the Weasel to take over your responsibilities for the night." His voice was low as he continued with the ultimatum. "Or I will track you down, Kitten. And then I will fuck you, wherever I happen to find you until every being inside this castle can hear you screaming my name."
"Hide and Seek was always a childhood favorite."
"Forty-four."
Hyperbolic as his threat was, the look in his eye as his stare ran from her lips to the tips of her toes and back up again suggested he was being charitable. His astonishing amount of self-control was the lone reason he hadn't enacted certain parts of his raunchy fantasy the second she had appeared. He dropped the curl he still had a hold of and raised his eyebrow in challenge.
"Forty-three."
She rolled her eyes to cover the way her breathing hitched, turned around, and sauntered down the nearest aisle that would leave to the exit. Before she was out of hearing distance she called over her shoulder. "See you at eleven…"