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Elemental	By : AngelaBlythe Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Ginny Views: 3286 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 10
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- 12
ELEMENTAL

~by The Labris~

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

Windows to the Soul

Memoirs of the Midnight Man, Part II

�But � but, my Lord! The boy said he had begun
manipulating her! He said she would be ready!� The shorter man
whimpered on the ground, shivering in fright and huddling close to the shoe of
the taller man.

�Her name, Wormtail, I want her name,� the midnight man
said. �I won�t wait any longer for her! I want her now! I
require an heir, Wormtail, and I require one now!�

Wormtail looked as though he would die of fright, his silver
arm glinting in the angry moonlight. He crawled closer to his master,
only to be pushed away again. �I will find her name, Master!� It
came out like the terrified squeal of a wild pig. �Let me call Lucius
Malfoy; Draco must have reported something to him! Please, Master!�

The master calmed. �Yes, the boy would have reported
to his father by now. Yes, call to me Lucius Malfoy; call to me my Death
Eater.�

Wormtail nodded and disappeared into the darkness of the
wood for a moment. He returned, whispering hushed things to the taller
man in black. Only the man�s aristocratic hands showed from his robes,
but even his hands reeked of evil and sin.

He bowed gracefully to the master, letting his words drip
like honey off his tongue. �What can I do for you, Master? I live
only to serve you.�

�Yes,� the dark man said drably. �That you do,
Lucius. That you do.�

The dark man stood, walking slowly to the kneeling Death
Eater, and caressed the hood of the man�s robe back. He sighed and wound
his fingers in the man�s pale locks. Then he sneered and pulled on them,
tilting the man�s head up forcibly.

�What news from your son, Lucius?� he growled impatiently.

After the proper amount of simpering and homage-paying,
Lucius managed to squeal out a few intelligible words. �Master! He
says his seduction of the Weasley girl is going to plan. He says he
should have her in his webs within the month, by Christmas! Oh, Master!�

The man of midnight sneered again, tossing Malfoy to the
side and putting his hand to his chin. �A Weasley was the one who opened
my diary; yes, I remember that now. What is her name, Lucius, her given
name?�

The man on the ground said, �Ginevra, My Lord. Her
name is Ginevra Weasley.�

The dark man inhaled deeply, his serpent�s eyes
flashing. �Ginevra Weasley,� he breathed.

�Yes, Master,� Lucius said.

The tall man turned to the one on the ground, lifting his
chin so he could meet his eyes. �I grow impatient, Lucius. I want
her now, no more waiting.�

�Yes, Master,� the simpering man said. �I will tell
Draco. He is loyal to you; he will bring her to you.�

�No, Lucius,� the dark man warned. �I want her now.�

The Real Deceiver

Ginny woke and immediately rushed to the bathroom to puke
all the contents in her stomach. Her head felt heavy, as though someone
had been pounding at it with a metal hammer. It felt worse than when
Dorothea began to make contact with her. She vomited again, remaining
quiet so as to not wake Draco.

Draco...

It all came crashing down on her. He was... He
was trying... �a Death Eater� to
capture her. In the dream, it had said that. Voldemort had said
that. She was seeing one of Harry�s dreams again. Dorothea warned her
this would happen if she didn�t keep her shields high enough.

DRACO WAS TRYING TO
GIVE HER TO VOLDEMORT!

She knew she should have listened to Dorothea. Keeping
her shields up was important. It got her where she was right then, puking
her guts out because her head couldn�t handle the sledgehammer power of Harry�s
dreams. Especially his dreams of Voldemort.

AND HE WAS GOING TO
LET VOLDEMORT RAPE HER TO GET AN HEIR!

The dreams of Voldemort always came the strongest. She
remembered having the dreams long before she knew she was a Dreamweaver.
One of his dreams would just invade her every once in a while. Her
strongest wall would fall to him.

HE SAID HE LOVED
HER! HE WAS LYING THE WHOLE TIME!

Ginny shuddered on the ground, wrapping her arms around her
legs and huddling in the corner. He betrayed her. Draco betrayed
her. She had loved him, and he betrayed her. He said he loved
her. He had lied. It was all a lie. Everything he said, everything
he did, everything he felt...all of them lies.

She trembled mightily as she walked into his room again,
watching him carefully as he slept. She�s slept in the same bed as her
betrayer for two months. She�d given her love to him. She�d made
love to him. She�d given him everything she was, and he was going to
betray her. She thought he had changed. She thought he wasn�t like
the rest of them.

And she was wrong.

She climbed into her Hogwarts uniform silently and bit her
lip, unsure what to do. Flee? Yes, that sounded good. But no,
she was no chicken. She could catch him without his wand; he was
sleeping. She grabbed his wand from his night table, clutching it to her
as she backed away from him, towards the fireplace.

She sat in the chair and waited. What would she
say? She would have to confront him. She would have to tell him
off. That was a given. But what would she tell her family?
What would she tell Ron? Blaise? Colin? She bit her lip,
watching him sleep.

Gods! Why did he have to feel so right?! Why did
every inch of her want to go to him and make love to him?! Why did it
have to FEEL right!?! He�d been
so real, so completely truthful. But that was all a lie. A
Slytherin lie. A lie to lead her to her capture and who knew what else.

Ginny felt the tears coming and stopped them promptly as he
began to wake. His hand felt her absence on the bed, and Ginny almost
gagged. His lies started with the first thing he did in the
morning. That hurt the most. He never stopped. He was a
player in the game from the time he went to sleep to the time he woke.
Ginny snorted as she recalled that even in his sleep he seemed to love her.

�Ginny?� he asked in a morning voice. He cleared his
throat and looked around. �Where are you?�

�Right here,� she whispered, standing and crossing her arms
as she leaned against the fireplace.

He sat up in the bed and frowned. �What�s wrong, Gin?�

Ginny�s lip trembled slightly. Why did he have to
sound so sincere? Why did he have to sound like he loved her? She
pointed a shaky hand, her wand directed at him, with his firmly in her pocket.

�Ginny?� he asked again, looking very confused and
lost. His eyes were worried as he began to rise from the bed. It
made Ginny want to not care. Just as long as he pretended to love her the
way he had been...

No! She would be strong. Gryffindors were
strong. Weasleys were strong. She was both. �Stay right where
you are,� she commanded in a brutally shaky voice.

Draco looked at her, his eyes still confused. But they
traveled from her face to her wand, and he looked at his night table. He
frowned when he saw he had no wand. �Ginny, what�s going on?� he asked in
an unsure voice. He stayed where he was, though.

Ginny stood straight and stared at him with hard eyes.
�I think I should be the one to ask that question, Draco.�

�Maybe you should explain what I did, and we ��

�You want me to explain?! If anything, you should
explain, Draco! Or were you not going to tell me until Voldemort had
raped me enough for the child to seed?� Ginny�s bottom lip trembled
violently, and the floodgates opened. Her face glistened with
tears. �Were you not man enough to just capture me outright? Why
did you have to make me love you, Draco? Why?�

�Oh, Gin,� Draco said, apparently understanding. A
look of hurt came over his face, and Ginny cursed him again for being such a
good player in the game at which she was helpless.

He began to rise again, and Ginny glared at him through wet
eyes. �DON�T YOU DARE MOVE, Draco
Malfoy!�

He stopped and looked at her pleadingly. �Ginny,
please, you have to listen to me. Please, Gin? Just put down the
wand. I want to explain to you, please.�

Ginny shook her head. �No, I won�t listen to your lies
anymore, Draco. I can�t believe I ever did. That�s all it was to
you, one big lie. One master move in your game of life. I was just
a pawn you used to get the prize, right?�

�No, Ginny,� he said, his eyes imploring her to believe
him. �Not you. I would never play that game with you. Please
let me explain, Gin. Please. I love ��

�SHUT UP, DRACO!
I won�t believe your lies anymore! You haven�t changed at all! I
won�t let you manipulate me! You just leave me alone! I�m not going
to let him get me again! I refuse! Don�t make me hurt you, Draco;
stay in that bed.�

�Ginny, please!� he cried as she moved to the door.
�Listen to me! I beg you!�

�No,� Ginny whispered, almost too quietly. �You listen
to me, Draco Malfoy. I gave you a chance. I gave you my
heart. I gave you a lot of things. And if I thought for one minute
that your love was true, I�d give them a thousand times and not care about you
being a Death Eater or not. But you lied to me. You took false
words and made me believe them. I may not hate you now, but someday, when
I can heal from this, I will find you to be the most despicable human on the
face of this earth.�

Draco looked so completely heartbroken that Ginny, for a
moment, believed she was wrong. That perhaps the dream had been a
mistake. That perhaps in her flawed logic, she had seen something wrong.

�Ginny...�

�No,� Ginny said in a hard voice. She backed into the
door of Draco�s entrance to Inverted Tower and opened it. �If you know
what�s good for you, Draco, don�t follow me.�

Then she dashed out of the room, just in time to hear the
anguished wail of Draco calling her name. But Ginny ran and ran, leaving
Draco�s wand on the ground in Inverted Tower and sprinting to her room.
Once she was there, she decided she couldn�t face things at that moment.
Even though it was snowing, she intensely needed to be outside and in the fresh
air, the clean breeze on her face.

Anything to rid her of the disgusting feeling of betrayal
seeping into her skin. Anything to cleanse her � if even for a little
while. Trudging out into the cold snow, her lips chilled and her
eyelashes began to weigh down with snowflakes. Everything felt tainted on
her; she wanted to scrub it off her with rock or serrated metal or something.

She stopped, staring up at the sky. The winds whipped
the newly fallen snow around her face, while her feet browned the pure flakes
resting on the ground. She sighed, closing her eyes and letting her hands
drop to her sides. Little snowflakes danced on her nose; the wind played
games in the trees and in her hair. She wasn�t cold; she was being
cleansed.

Ginny fell to her knees, letting the snow soak the thin,
school uniform skirt as the tears ran down her face, frozen in the cold. A
great sense of loneliness and wrongness washed over her. That was when
she felt it, the lightning-like sensation that she was being watched. A
sharp sting in the back of the head told her she had been hit by some foreign
spell. As if in a daze, she brought her hand to the crown on her head and
felt something warm. Looking at it, she knew it was blood, her
blood. And before she knew it, she was lying face down in the snow, her
world going black.

The Source of Samson�s Powers, Part I�

He couldn�t believe how easy it actually was. He had
expected her to fight, or at least protest a little. But she hadn�t even
looked at him. She had barely acknowledged his presence when he hit her
with the curse in the back of the head. She had barely reacted other than
looking at her blood-stained fingers. With the curse he�d thrown at her,
it was a wonder she was able to do that.

He got a look at her and immediately understood Pettigrew�s
intense fear of her. A face and body like that was enough to turn any man�s
head, and he had immediately noticed that her Elemental power was far greater
than Narcissa�s. Narcissa wasn�t as weak as he told her she was, but this
girl�s � this Weasley�s � power far surpassed any he had ever seen. Well,
perhaps not his master�s. But that was going to be tested.

Also, by looking at her, he could tell why his master wanted
her so badly. She emitted a sensual aroma of power and magic strong
enough to drive a man insane. He wondered how his son had done it.
But then, his son could be immune to the Elemental power of her blood, being
one himself, or part of one.

He trampled the snow, closing the distance between himself
and her. She was facedown in the snow, her blood-red hair splayed
ethereally around her. He flipped her over. She was even more
breathtaking up close. Suddenly having a driving need to touch her skin,
he took off one of his gloves with his teeth and caressed her cheek with soft
fingers.

There was no doubting her beauty or her power. Her
skin hummed with it. He smoothed her crimson hair away from her face,
running his fingers over her forehead, nose, and fleshy, red lips. He bit
back the desire to kiss her. It had been a long time since he�d had that
desire. He never even kissed Narcissa anymore.

So frowning and wrapping her in a coat, he walked off
Hogwarts campus. She was light, for which he was thankful. He made
it outside the grounds and drew his wand. He Apparated to the ancient
stone castle at which his master had stationed himself. It was an old
castle, rumored to be the home of Mordred, the cursed son of Arthur of
Camelot. It was an evil place, one of darkness. It served his
master well.

Upon entering the cursed castle, he met his master�s
servant. He shied away from the girl, her aura, even unconscious, still
powerful enough to incite fear in the short, silver-armed man.

�The master wishes to see her now, Lucius,� he said
fearfully, backing away with every step. His message given, he bolted.

Repressing the urge to roll his eyes, he walked into the
open chamber his master occupied. His master was sitting at the stone
seat; his cold fingers steepled, his face dangerously calm. Approaching
his master was the worst part, all the simpering and begging for forgiveness.
He knew why his son hated it; the whole thing was degrading.

�Master,� Lucius simpered, holding the girl carefully, so as
to not incur his lord�s wrath. �I have her, Master.�

A cruel smile graced his master�s face, and his eyes
narrowed maliciously. Then he licked his lips and said, �Leave her,
Lucius.�

Caesar and Brutus, Jesus and Judas � She Calls Herself Righteous

Narcissa fingered the jewel around her neck before dunking
it back under her dress robes. Her hands shook nervously as she took out
her wand, smoothing the willow lightly and swallowing hard. She checked
her appearance in the mirror again. She�d covered up the bruises well,
healed most of them. Her face was as porcelain as it had ever been, and
her eyes just as chilly blue. Her hair was pulled back artfully in a
light sapphire pin that matched her eyes. Her dress was of the same
color, frosty blue. After pulling on her coat � it was white fox � she
held her wand in the air and Disapparated.

She knew where she was headed; she had planned it since
Draco came home from his �training� and told her everything. She had to
warn Dumbledore if he didn�t already know. She had to tell someone.
She had a guess Dumbledore knew about Lucius� master�s plans for the girl.
But she knew he wouldn�t know where to find the Weasley girl. She only
knew by accident herself.

So when she appeared in front of the castle�s gates that
chilly evening, she pulled her white hood over her head and closed her
eyes. Creating a shield around her with the wind, blending in with the
white snow, she walked steadily to the headmaster�s office. She knew the
way from her days as a student walking the halls. She briefly touched the
memories of her school days, perhaps the only happy memories in her young life.

She looked over at the Quidditch pitch, smiling when she saw
Ravenclaw was practicing actively. She was able to pick out the Seeker
immediately, wishing she could be up there with them, the chilly wind blowing
through her hair and caressing her skin.

But she walked on, clearing her path through the snow with
the wind. A dog�s bark was heard in the direction she wanted to go.
She knew she couldn�t walk right into the castle, not without escort. It
wouldn�t be proper. So when she came upon the small hut on the fringes of
the Forbidden Forest , she paused and rapped lightly on the large door.

Barking sounded louder from inside, and she backed away
fearfully. She didn�t do well with dogs. She�d had some bad
experiences. But the door opened, and Hagrid stood exactly the way she
remembered him. Well, perhaps he had a few more gray hairs and looked a
little less boyish. He appeared very surprised, his bead-like eyes
widening when he saw her.

�Good evening, Monsieur Hagrid,� she said softly, bowing her
head.

�Ms. Black � I mean, Mrs. Malfoy ��

�I�d rather you didn�t call me that, Monsieur Hagrid,� she
said softly, pleading with her eyes. He looked very sympathetic, but not
the way most people did when they attempted to show that emotion. He
seemed sincere.

�I see,� he said in a rough voice. �Well then, Ms.
Black, won�t you come in?�

�Please,� Narcissa said politely, walking through the door
and accepting Hagrid�s request for her coat. He offered her a seat, and
she took it, appreciating his kindness. He never had judged her, even
when he found out her secret. He was one of the first, she
remembered. But even then, he never judged her.

�I � Ms. Black � now I don�t mean to be rude or nothin�, an�
I hope you don�t mind me askin�, but what are you doing here?� he asked as he
sat across from her in a large chair.

Narcissa nodded and said, �No, Monsieur Hagrid, I don�t mind
you asking. I came in hope that you could help me see Headmaster
Dumbledore. It�s about the Weasley girl.�

Hagrid�s eyes opened wide, and he stood. �You know
where Ginny went?�

Narcissa�s jaw dropped. �She�s gone? When?
How?�

�We�ve got to get to Dumbledore! Follow me, Ms.
Black.�

Narcissa was unceremoniously pulled from her seat and put in
her coat by the well meaning half-giant. Then she was systematically
dragged through the snow, up to the castle, up a flight of stairs, through a
series of twisting halls, to a statue � at which the words �cherry cobbler
suckers� were uttered � and up yet another flight of stairs to a grand room
where a mildly surprised headmaster sat. He smiled, his eyes pleased and
bright as he looked at her.

�Ah, Mrs. Malfoy,� he said warmly. �What a pleasant
surprise. Please, sit.�

�I � thank you, Headmaster,� Narcissa said, about as calmly
as she felt. She shivered slightly from the chill that passed over her.

�Thank you, Hagrid,� Dumbledore said calmly, yet
dismissively.

Hagrid nodded and left, though Narcissa rather hoped he
wouldn�t. She forced herself to calm. She pulled away the hood of
her white cloak and straightened her hair a little.

�What can I do for you, Mrs. Malfoy?� the headmaster said
delicately, handing her a cup of tea.

Her hands shaking as they had earlier, Narcissa took it, but
she didn�t drink any. Instead, she held it politely and swallowed.
�I would appreciate if you would call me by my maiden name, Headmaster
Dumbledore.�

�Only if you call me Albus,� he countered.

Narcissa couldn�t help a small smile as she nodded.
�Agreed, Albus. And there is something that you can do for me. I
much desire to assist with the search for Mademoiselle Weasley. That is
the only thing I request.�

The fire spat up unceremoniously, and the fire-lined face of
a tired, yet still vital man appeared. The headmaster merely smiled and
said, �Remus, please do join us.�

Narcissa�s breath caught in her throat as the head in the
fire nodded solemnly and the whole body of Remus Lupin appeared in front of the
hearth. But her eyes widened and her tea dropped when he turned to her,
an unreadable, suspicious look on his face. He looked better than the
last time she had seen him. That was many, many years ago, shortly after
she left school. He seemed healthier, more stable, but still angry and
solemn. Narcissa�s fingers stifled a gasp as he shook his graying hair
and let out an animalistic sound.

�Let me help you with that, Narcissa,� Dumbledore said
kindly, repairing her cup of tea and setting it on the table in front of
her. �Please, Remus �� directing his attention to the suspicious man ��
sit. Have some tea.�

Lupin snorted and sat, accepting the offer for tea and
continuing to glare at Narcissa, which made her uncomfortable. No matter,
she could handle it. He would not corner her as he had all those years
ago. She had schooled him out of her blood long ago, hadn�t she?

�Not to worry, Narcissa,� the headmaster said warmly, taking
a sweet and plopping it in his mouth. �Young Remus here is helping with
this case too. A special favor for Molly Weasley. You remember
Molly Weasley, don�t you?�

Yes, she remembered the woman. She had been a sixth
year when Narcissa was a first year and hadn�t liked her because Narcissa had
somewhat of a sharp tongue back then. She was still touchy about the
whole orphan thing. Molly had struck a few chords with her when she was
tutoring Charms for Professor Flitwick.

�Yes,� Narcissa answered softly, shying away from Lupin�s
heavy gaze.

The headmaster smiled and continued. �Now, as for you
giving assistance in the case of the young Miss Weasley, I would love to have
your help, Narcissa. How can you aid us?�

For some reason, Narcissa felt her eyes go to Lupin before
she answered. She berated herself for being such a chicken and cleared
her throat. �I believe that I know where she is, Albus. And, if you
don�t know the Dark Lord�s plans for her already, I believe I know those as
well.�

The sharp sound of Lupin�s snort startled Narcissa enough to
make her drop her tea again, and she did. With a weak smile, she
reconstructed the cup herself and gazed demurely at the ground. Just like
at school, she could never look directly at him.

�Ah,� Dumbledore said smoothly. �The location of Miss
Weasley would be very helpful, Narcissa. I can�t stress enough that this
is very important and you will be doing something very noble by revealing this
to us.�

Narcissa licked her lips and looked Dumbledore in the
eye. �He Who Must Not Be Named is holding Mademoiselle Weasley at his
secure hiding place in Mordred�s Fortress, Albus. I am certain of this.�

Albus looked at her sharply. �Are you sure, Narcissa?�

�Yes,� she whispered, dropping her gaze again.

Remus frowned. �That�s how that bastard kept off our
radars. He�d being cloaked by dark magic.�

�Indeed, Remus, it seems he is,� the headmaster said
gravely. �Narcissa, how did you come across this information?�

Visions of the little boy�s blood, his broken body, Lucius�
ranting, the boy dying, and the maniacal laughter of Lucius after he devised a
way to capture the young girl flashed in her head. Narcissa swayed and
caught herself on the arm of the chair. She had come accustomed to the
blood, the poor, Muggle boys, and the death, but it hit her hard when she came
close to telling someone. She had only tried it once, but Lucius had
caught and beaten her.

�Albus, I would rather not say,� Narcissa said quietly after
a moment.

�Then how are we supposed to believe it?� Remus spat maliciously.

Narcissa held back a sob and cursed herself again for being
so weak. Her hand went to her stomach, and she tried to calm herself.

�Narcissa,� the headmaster said. Narcissa looked up at
him with glistening eyes. �How did you find out? We must know if
your information is viable.�

Narcissa swallowed hard, doing her best to compose
herself. Her bottom lip trembling, she looked first at Dumbledore, then
an angry Remus Lupin, and shuddered. �Lucius� he has...urges.� She
took a deep breath and unsuccessfully tried to compose herself again.
�When he is underr lots of stress, he � he sends for little boys. He is a
very violent man, Albus. He is a very evil man, too. He rants and
raves, sometimes revealing secrets. Secrets about He Who Must Not Be
Named, about his Death Eaters, and now about Mademoiselle Weasley. He �
he spoke of coming to Hogwarts last night, and capturing Mademoiselle
Weasley. I am too late, am I not?�

Dumbledore, who was looking at her with deep sympathy, nodded,
and tears ran down Narcissa�s face, her jaw trembling violently. �I am so
sorry, Albus! If I only had come sooner!�

Dumbledore offered her a handkerchief, and she took it,
wiping her eyes as she continued in broken English. �Ce petit gar�on. He died in my arms. I tried pour �pargner him. That poor gar�on!�

�Narcissa,� Dumbledore said kindly, waiting for her to
finish her episode. Narcissa hated and loved him for that. But she
hated herself more. She�d been weak for so long. She�d not stood up
for Draco as she should have. She had not saved all those little boys
that Lucius brutalized as she should have. She had not had any backbone
all those years ago to refuse Lucius as she should have.

�Narcissa,� Dumbledore repeated softly. Narcissa was
reduced to little sniffs and occasional dabs at her eyes with the lacy
handkerchief. She couldn�t bear to look anyone in the eye just then.

�You haven�t done anything wrong, Narcissa,� Dumbledore
continued. �Listen to me, my dear girl; you couldn�t have stopped
him. Not what he did to you or your son or any of those boys. You
did only what you could. You have freed yourself of him already by coming
here.�

Narcissa looked at him then. Beneath all her fears and
doubts, she felt Dumbledore told the truth. It couldn�t erase all the
grief, but it helped ease it. She glanced back down at her hands and
tried to still them.

�We�ll get that bastard, Narcissa.�

It wasn�t Dumbledore. It was Remus. She looked
at him sharply. Perceiving that his eyes wouldn�t betray her, for they
seemed so good and honest, she nodded, licking her lips nervously.

�You can�t go back home, can you, Narcissa?� Dumbledore
asked kindly, his blue eyes deepening with concern.

�No,� Narcissa whispered. �He would kill me. I �
I fear for all those children, though.�

Dumbledore nodded. �Yes, I do, too. Narcissa,
would you do me a favor? Please, for an old man.�

�Yes,� Narcissa answered automatically. �Anything,
Albus.�

�Stay here, Narcissa,� he said kindly, gesturing around
him. �Stay at Hogwarts. We can protect you here; you could even see
your son.�

Narcissa looked at the headmaster apprehensively. �I
would not want to intrude, Albus. My adopted parents, they might take me
back.�

�Perhaps you could help with Quidditch practices,�
Dumbledore pressed, not skipping a beat. �I know some Seekers who would
appreciate the advice of a former Quidditch player.�

�Albus,� she protested again.

�I was thinking about starting an Old Ways curriculum.
It has been a long time since we�ve had a witch as proficient as you in the
Elements and the Old Ways.�

She bit her lip. �I suppose...� Then she laughed
weakly. �It is better than living with my sister.�

Dumbledore smiled and rose from his seat, taking Narcissa�s
fine hands as she stood with him. �A room in one of the towers, I
think. With windows and perhaps a balcony. What do you think,
Narcissa?�

�Maybe nothing that extravagant...� But she trailed
off when she saw the hope in Dumbledore�s eyes. �Yes. Yes, Albus,
that would be wonderful.�

Dumbledore smiled and would have said something if it
weren�t for the brief knock on the door and then the clouds of black, billowing
robes following Severus Snape. �Albus, we have a bit of a situation ��

He stopped when he gathered in the scene around him.
He frowned at Lupin but bowed slightly to Narcissa. �Mrs. Malfoy, how are
you?�

Narcissa merely nodded her head, extended her hand, and said
softly, �I�m tolerable. And how are you, Severus?�

He took her hand and kissed it lightly. �Lovely,� he
said in a slightly less cold voice than that with which he spoke to other
people. �But I fear the pleasantries must be spared; I have an urgent
need to speak to the headmaster.�

�That is fine,� Narcissa replied. Then she turned
shyly to the headmaster. �I am sure that I can find my way, Albus.�

She wasn�t sure, but she thought a brief smile touched his
face before he said, �I would hate to leave you alone in the castle,
Narcissa. I�m sure Remus would be happy to escort you to Rowena�s Tower,
wouldn�t you, Remus?�

Lupin shot a look at the smirking Snape and then nodded
stiffly at the headmaster. �I�ll be back.�

�Thank you, Albus,� Narcissa said softly, �for
everything. I really don�t know what I would do without you.�

�Think nothing of it, Narcissa,� Dumbledore said politely,
yet dismissively.

�Severus,� Narcissa said, bowing her head at Snape before
grabbing her cloak and following Lupin�s angry footsteps down the stairs and
through the halls.

She put on her white cloak and looked around her, her own
footsteps falling behind Lupin�s fast ones. She sighed and quickened her
pace. She had rather wanted to look at the castle. But she figured
she would have enough time later, so she followed Lupin closely.

Once they had walked up a few more flights of stairs and
entered the Ravenclaw portion of the castle, Narcissa felt as though she were
almost right at home. She smiled at the portraits, nodding at some that
knew her. Up another flight of stairs and they stopped. The door
was made of white wood with blue locks and designs on it.

�This is it,� Lupin said gruffly, staring at her with hard
eyes once more.

He had changed so much from school. She could still
remember the quiet boy who followed her mercilessly down the corridors,
claiming to protect her from evils in the hall. She could still remember
his free laugh and bright, moony eyes. He had a forceful side too,
though, his Gryffindor side, what made him one of Godric�s chosen. He had
always been persistent, never embarrassed, never rude.

Not like he was now. But what could Narcissa
expect? The first betrayal must have been his parents. They were
never supportive of him or his disease. The second must have been
her. She couldn�t help her debt though. Then Pettigrew, of course;
his killing Lily and James like that must have been a powerful blow. And
after, Black had died, an innocent man by the story her husband often gloated
about. Black must have been the biggest blow. He had been Lupin�s
last living friend, besides Pettigrew, and that traitorous monster couldn�t
count. Bellatrix had killed Lupin�s last friend, his last link.

He had right to be bitter, to be hate-filled, especially
towards Narcissa. It had been Narcissa�s own adopted sister who had done
it. Narcissa had never fit in with either of her sisters. Andromeda
had always been the wild one, the one with morals. She�d been a Gryffindor,
a huge offence in the house of Black. Then Bellatrix had been the
perfect, vicious child, sorted into Slytherin with no doubts of her
loyalties. Narcissa knew Bellatrix was going to be a Death Eater ever
since she knew what they were. Narcissa knew Bellatrix had been evil
since the first day she�d met her. Right after Narcissa had been adopted,
when she was about six, she had met her sisters. Andromeda was wild;
Bellatrix was dangerous; Narcissa became the subservient one, the one who did
what she was told. She had been accepted because of this, despite being
sorted into Ravenclaw.

She always hated having to be the fake normal. She
longed to be like Andromeda but was stuck being a Bellatrix copycat. She
hated it. She just wanted to be Narcissa for once, a child of Wind and a
daughter of the Elements.

Narcissa nodded, and Lupin turned, ready to walk to
Dumbledore�s office again. Narcissa couldn�t fathom what encouraged her
to do what she did next. It seemed as though she was infused with some
bravery. She put a soft hand on Lupin�s forearm and said quietly,
�Remus...�

He turned sharply, and Narcissa immediately withdrew her
hand, the feeling of bravery flying away to wherever it came from. �Yes?�
he questioned in a gravelly voice.

Narcissa backed away a step. �It was nothing � foolish
really...�

Lupin frowned, cocking his head and lowering his
eyebrows. �No. What were you going to say, Narcissa? Can�t
you even talk anymore? Hmm? Cat got your tongue? You going to
run and hide behind Malfoy again?�

�No,� Narcissa whispered, hating her cowardice again.

�Well then, what were you going to say? It can�t be
that hard,� Remus said, attacking again as he had during her seventh
year. �Gods! You haven�t changed at all, have you, Narcissa?
You still can�t stand up for yourself! It�s pathetic! Just say what
you wanted to say.�

Tears were building in Narcissa�s eyes as she backed away,
fumbling for the handle of the door, trying to find an escape.

�Running again, I see,� Lupin said sharply. �You
always were good for nothing.�

�No,� Narcissa said, the tears threatening to fall.

�So just say it, Narcissa! Just say what you wanted to
say!�

The door clicked open, but Narcissa didn�t enter. She
stopped dead. He was right. She wasn�t good for anything. She
always ran away, even if it was into the arms of a heartless heathen. She
was pathetic, and she couldn�t stand up for herself. She hadn�t changed
at all. She couldn�t even protect her son.

Narcissa turned to Lupin, meeting his angry eyes with
apprehension. She licked her lips nervously. �I was wondering...if
you wanted to come in for some tea, Remus.�

This stopped him. His eyes changed slightly, as if
they were calculating her again. After a moment of uncomfortable silence,
he nodded solemnly. �Yes, Narcissa. That would be nice.�

She allowed herself a brief smile before walking into the
room. It lit automatically. In the antechamber, the walls were a
tasteful combination of blue, silver, white, and lighter blue. A steady
fire roared, and artful landscapes and portraits decorated the walls, one of
the sleeping Lady Rowena Ravenclaw herself. To Narcissa�s surprise
(though, upon reflection, it shouldn�t have been), there was a table with three
chairs and tea set for two, steam still coming off the pot.

Narcissa looked at Lupin, and he gave her the same
look. Yes, it was a little creepy that Dumbledore knew literally
everything.

So they sat. Narcissa gracefully poured herself and
Lupin a cup each, smiled shyly as she handed the cup to him, and he brushed her
fingers lightly. He took a sip. They sat in silence, Narcissa still
afraid to speak, and Lupin too afraid to break the peace.

But finally, Lupin sighed and set down his tea. �You
never answered me, Narcissa,� he said calmly, his voice free from the bark that
intimidated her.

But she stared at him questioningly, not understanding what
he was talking about.

Lupin sighed again, looking her firmly in the eye. �I
know you remember the question, Narcissa. After all, it wasn�t that long
ago. I�ve waited nearly seventeen years for the answer. Why,
Narcissa? Why did you do it?�

Narcissa swallowed, knowing exactly what he meant. �I
couldn�t let him die, Remus. Not even if I hated him. And I did; I still
do.�

�Then why?� He sighed, looking away angrily.
�Why did you have to go and marry the bastard?�

Narcissa smiled wanly. �I carried his son, Remus.
The Imperius is a powerful spell; he only needed me under it for a few
minutes while he had his way with me��

�That bastard,� Remus growled, clenching his wand
hand. �You should have told someone, Narcissa. You should have told
me!�

Narcissa nodded her head in defeat. �Yes, I should
have. I was scared, Remus. I still am. I was never as strong
as you or James or Sirius. I know...I know you wanted me to be like Lily,
but I wasn�t like her, Remus.�

Lupin reached over and captured her hand, caressing the
knuckles lovingly. �I would have protected you, Narcissa. I would
have killed him if you asked it of me.�

�I wouldn�t have,� Narcissa said calmly. �Remus...�

She smiled tiredly, standing and taking off her white cloak
to pull out her jewel. His eyes widened as he looked at it, reverberating
with magic from its silver chain. He stood, cupping her hands around the
jewel.

�You kept it.�

�Yes,� came her answer.

Windows to the Soul

Harry frowned, glancing around the common room. Once
again, she wasn�t there. Come to think of it, he hadn�t seen Ginny all
day long. She usually sat next to Colin and Dean at breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. But for some reason, she hadn�t been present at any of these
meals. Harry had become accustomed to watching her carefully at her
meals. Every once in a while, he would check on her, keeping his tabs
updated.

But now he hadn�t seen her since dinner yesterday, and he
was slightly worried. He looked around the common room once more for good
measure and then gave up. He would ask Colin and Dean, and then, after
she got back from tutoring the first and second years students who needed help
in Charms, he would ask Hermione to look in Ginny�s room.

�Harry,� someone said from beside him. Colin had sat
down on the couch, Dean standing next to him solemnly. �Harry, have you
seen Ginny today? Because we can�t find her.�

�We haven�t seen her since dinner yesterday,� Dean
admitted. �We were wondering if she was at the nurse�s office and had
told you or Ron or even Hermione.�

Harry studied them. �I was actually about to ask you
two the same thing.�

Colin looked at Dean, and Dean nodded. Colin
sighed. �Okay, Harry, you have to keep this a secret, especially from
Ron. He�d crucify us...like twice or something if he found out.�

�She didn�t want us to tell anyone because, well, because
she thought Ron would kill someone,� Dean said.

Harry nodded, waiting for them to continue.

�Ginny is seeing Malfoy,� Colin whispered quietly.

�I know,� Harry replied.

Colin frowned doubtfully, glancing up at Dean and then back
at Harry. �Ya � you do?�

�Yeah, I sort of saw them snogging in the halls the first
day back from summer break,� Harry admitted. �I knew something like this
would happen. I hate to say it, but we�ve got to confront Malfoy.
If he doesn�t know where she is, then we�re going to have to report it to
Dumbledore.�

�We just can�t tell Ron,� Colin said surreptitiously.

�Tell me what?� said Ron in a good-natured voice, plopping
down on the couch and taking a bite of an apple.

�Aw, shit,� Dean said under his breath.

Colin laughed nervously and scratched the back of his
neck. �Well, you see, it�s kind of a funny ��

�Hermione caught cold and is in the infirmary,� Harry said
quickly. �She didn�t want me to tell you because she didn�t want you
fawning over her and stuff.�

Ron frowned. �Okay. I should probably go see her
anyway.�

�Yeah, probably,� Colin said. �You know women, always
saying they don�t want something when they really do, hehehe��

�Yeah,� Ron said, looking at Colin oddly. �See you all
around.�

He left the common room, and Harry sighed, relieved he
didn�t have to tell Ron right then and there.

�Nice going, Col,� Dean snorted and cuffed him over the
head. �Come on, I know the way,� he continued, walking towards the
portrait.

�How do you know the way?� Colin asked suspiciously.

Dean blushed and just kept walking. Harry looked like
he wanted to ask something, thought about it for a moment, then shook his head
and followed. Dean led them down the dark passages and hallways, climbing
down the stairs quietly. It wasn�t strictly time to be in their common
rooms, but Filch would still hand them a detention if he thought they were up
to no good�like walking, or breathing oxygen, or talking, or living.

Then Harry heard it, the familiar thwack sound of flesh
hitting flesh in a none-too-friendly manner. Harry rounded the corner
quickly and saw why he heard the violent noise. Malfoy had Blaise Zabini
pinned against the wall by his neck and appeared to have just broken his nose.

�I�ll ask you again, you fucking pansy. Where�s
Ginny?� Draco growled viciously. He looked ready to kill, his malicious
gray eyes ripping into Blaise and his hand tightening ever so slightly on his
neck. Blaise just made strangled, gurgling sounds.

�Blaise!� Dean shouted angrily as he ran towards them.

Malfoy turned and sneered, his eyes glinting around until
they met Harry�s. �Potter,� he growled in a deadly, low voice. He
let go of Blaise, who promptly fell to the ground and gasped for breath.
Malfoy walked right past the worried Dean, his eyes still set on Harry.

�Tell me where she is, Potter,� Malfoy snarled
dangerously. �What have you done with Ginny?�

Harry crossed his arms and stared down Malfoy. �What
have I done with her? What have
you done with her? We haven�t
seen her since last night. It isn�t a secret to some people that she
spends her nights with you, Malfoy. Gods know why...�

Malfoy sneered, bringing his face close to Harry�s and
glaring mightily at him. Then he slammed his fist on the stone wall and
said in a deceptively cool voice, �Don�t play games with me, Potter. I am the game. Tell me where Ginny
is�NOW!�

Harry snorted. �The fact of the matter is we don�t
know. You�re the last person she talked to. So you�re the person
who should know, Malfoy. What have you
done with her?�

Harry wasn�t expecting it, so naturally he wasn�t able to
dodge. He had to give Malfoy some credit; he did know how to punch.
He wondered vaguely if Ginny had taught him, or if he had actually taught
Ginny. Whoever taught who, the punch was good enough to knock him
backwards and make him swear like Ron. Before he knew it, he was pinned
against the wall, just as Blaise had been, and he was punched twice more.

�I won�t ask you again, Potter,� Draco said softly.
�Tell me.�

Harry was thankful Colin, Dean, and Blaise were there to
pull Malfoy off him, because it certainly took all three of them. Malfoy
was insane, stark raving mad. He fought against the three people holding
him down, throwing nasty curses at Colin when he grabbed Malfoy�s wand away
from him.

Wiping the blood off his nose, Harry stood slowly. If
he�d had any less control, he might have hit Malfoy while he was held
back. But Harry couldn�t hit a man like that; he looked pathetic in a
weird sort of way. It was clear to Harry that Malfoy didn�t have anything
to do with Ginny�s disappearance. This was obviously a man driven mad with
sorrow and grief.

Harry sighed, sniffing the excess blood into his nose before
frowning at Malfoy. �Get a hold of yourself, Malfoy. We don�t have
her. If we did, we�d tell you. Now stop acting like a child and
pull yourself together.�

Malfoy fought on for a moment and then stopped completely,
falling to his knees and hanging his head. He was muttering things,
something like �should have told her� and �could have saved her.� Harry
frowned and signaled for Colin, Blaise, and Dean to let Malfoy go.

�Potter,� Malfoy said quietly, looking up at him through
shaded eyes, �you have no reason to believe me, and you have no reason to trust
me. The only way I can ask you this is as a man who loves Ginny
Weasley. You need to believe what I say is the truth. It is the
only way we are going to get Ginny back.�

Malfoy looked Harry in the eye. His face was sincere,
his words sounded sincere, and his eyes spoke the truth. Harry vaguely
remembered the proverb, �The eyes are the windows to the soul.� Harry
noted how Dean, Colin, and Blaise stayed silent. They had accepted Harry
as their leader, as the person who would make the decision. Harry looked
at Malfoy hard and then said softly, �Do you love her, Malfoy?�

Malfoy stared at him for a moment. �More than anything.�

�Then I believe you,� Harry said calmly.

Malfoy sighed; he stood, brushing off his slacks and not
looking the least bit sorry for the bit of mayhem he�d caused. �Then
listen to me, Potter. Ginny is in a lot of danger right now, a lot of
danger. I have reason to believe Lucius has her. Perhaps even
Lucius� master.�

�Lucius?� Harry said.

�My father, for lack of a better word,� Malfoy said dryly,
sneering ever so slightly.

Harry rolled his eyes. �I know who he is.�

�Good, the rest of the explanation will go much easier,�
Malfoy quipped. �You see, I was commanded by my master to capture the
Elemental at Hogwarts and bring her to him for his...for his pleasure.�

�What�s an Elemental?� Harry asked.

Malfoy frowned. �I thought she would tell at least
you, Potter.�

�Blaise, Dean, and I know,� Colin said quietly.

Malfoy just nodded and looked at Harry. �An Elemental
is a human born of the Elements: Wind, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Lightning,
Earth, etc. Ginny is a very special type of Elemental, a Hybrid Wind/Fire
born of a human, her mother obviously. If she trained herself, she could
command Fire and Wind. She has a low level of competence right now, but
it is better than mine.�

�You�re an Elemental too?� Harry asked.

�Half,� Draco explained. �My mother is a Wind
Elemental. I�m not very competent, but I can feel the magic better than
normal people. Anyway, as I was saying, he wanted an Elemental to
bear his heir, and he wanted Ginny to do it.�

�I know,� Harry said. Malfoy looked at him
questioningly. �I have a sort of connection with Voldemort, and I
sometimes dream what he sees.�

Malfoy snorted. �Figures. Ginny always said you
dreamed strong. I should have put that together. At any rate,� he
said before Harry could question it, �he wanted me to get her.� Malfoy
snorted again. �So the bastard started training me; that�s where I
went. You all were right; it was a Death Eater training camp.
Little did the bastard know I was gathering proof and recording information all
summer long, thanks to some help from a little thing I like to call the Voice
Recorder.� He smirked and brought out a large, silver medallion from the
front of his shirt. A glint of red-gold caught Harry�s eye before Malfoy
stuffed the medallion down his shirt again.

�So when I got back to school, I told Dumbledore everything
and asked to be a spy for him. He accepted. I wanted to tell
Ginny...believe me, I wanted to tell Ginny. But then I would have to tell
her about what happened over summer. How could she accept a killer
for...for anything, even a friend? Because, Potter, if you think you can
survive a summer among Death Eaters without killing someone, you�re
wrong. Dead wrong.�

Harry frowned. �So why didn�t you just explain it to
her? You know, rationally.�

Malfoy glared at Harry. �Imagine that you killed over
fifty people, Potter. Imagine that some of them were defenseless Muggles,
some of them were common wizards, some of them were your age. Now imagine
having to tell Ginny you did that. Imagine telling her you had to kill
the people your father and his friends only halfway killed. How do you
start a conversation like that? �Hello, I killed countless people this
summer. How was your vacation, love?� I think not, Potter.�

�Point taken,� Harry said dully. �So why�d she bolt?�

�I can only imagine that she had a dream which revealed it
to her, but from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named�s perspective � one of your dreams.�

�She�s a Dreamweaver, Harry,� Colin said calmly. �She
receives people�s dreams and stuff. She inherited it from her mother.�

Harry looked apprehensive, then nodded. �I think I
know what dream she saw then. The one last night, Voldemort learned
Ginny�s name and told your father ��

�I�d appreciate if you didn�t refer to him as such.�

�� to go and get her immediately. No wonder she
bolted.�

There was a profound silence in which everyone
thought. But unfortunately, it was broken in a rather unwelcome
fashion. For the one person no one really wanted to be busted by just
happened to round the corner, his billowing, black coat trailing behind him.

�What have we here?� Severus Snape said in a cool and
controlled voice. If Harry hadn�t known him for so long, he wouldn�t have
been able to pick up the note of joy in his voice as he commanded them to his
study to wait punishment.

�Samson�s Powers - reference to the Biblical Samson whose
power source was his hair; Delilah, his mistress, sold him out�

�Caesar and Brutus, Jesus and Judas - reference to Caesar�s
betrayer and nephew, Brutus, and Jesus� betrayer and disciple, Judas
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Elemental