Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Envy and Manipulations	By : rrabbit Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Ginny Views: 8376 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters from it.... therefore I do not receive any payment for this writing.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
"Uh, what?"

Draco raises his brows. "What part of that didn't you understand?" he asks flatly and I push him back.

"What did you mean by that? What do you mean we're married?" I ask in a panic and he rolls his eyes like I was being foolish. "We're not married. I'm only sixteen! I think I would have remembered something like that..." I trail off as I remember the fidelity spell I agreed to, how the red lines bound our hands together. I saw it again when we were... doing it for the first time...

Bonded together with magic... Bonded... Marriage...

"No," I say as I shake my head because it can't be true. He wouldn't do that to me. "No , you didn't."

"It's old magic," he says as he leans against his writing desk and crosses his arms. "Old magic that you agreed to, I would like to point out," he says and I furrow my brows. "When we slept together, it consummated the agreement and you accepted an heirloom from my family, cementing the relationship and solidifying your willingness to enter my family," he says, nodding to the bracelet. I start messing with the clasp again, trying to take it off.

"But, I didn't agree to all that!" I yell, anger boiling up in my insides as I try to take off his damn family heirloom. "If I would have known, I wouldn't have done it!"

"Precisely why I didn't tell you," he says sharply. "But, aren't you glad that I went ahead and did it now? You will not have to marry some old 'creepy death eater' and you won't give your blood to anyone either. I forbid it as your head of house," he says and I can feel my insides turning. "I saved you from a fate you can't even imagine."

"Why would you do all of this?" I ask. "How did you know?"

"I know a lot of things," he scoffs and I frown.

"But..." I stumble over my words and then I let my hands drop to my sides. "Wait, but you did all of this over the summer," I say, trying to work it out in my head. I honestly can't wrap my head around this properly. "That means you knew this was all going to happen? You knew that the Death Eaters would take over the country... You knew that they would do this new marriage law! You knew they would change Hogwarts... You knew and never told me!" I shout. Then I think of every conversation we ever had. "YOU LIED TO ME!" I scream like a mad person. I'm so loud I fear I might start shaking the windows. "You said you didn't believe Harry!"

He doesn't seem very bothered by this whole conversation and it's really starting to piss me off. He's the only boy I've ever loved and his betrayal is hurting me deeply... and he doesn't even care.

"You told me you didn't believe that Dark Lord was back! You lied right to my face if you knew all of this!"

"Calm down," he says and I sneer.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" I think of the password I gave to him to get into my house and the fact that I was sure he never gave it back. Did he lie about that? Did he give the Death Eaters the password so they could get to my parents? Why would he do all of that?

Doesn't he love me?

"What happened to the password I gave you?" I ask and he raises an eyebrow.

"What?" he asks and I glare.

"The ward password I gave you so you could get into my house. What did you do with it?"

"I told you I gave it back-"

"You're liar!" I yell again. I take out my wand and point it at him, shouting that mind reading spell he would use on me when he was training me to shield my thoughts.

I only get to see a glimpse of him in a dark cloak outside of his Manor before he pulls me out of his mind.

"How dare you," he says in a deadly whisper as he walks towards me and he snatches my wand.

Finally, some emotion from him.

"You read my mind all the time," I scoff. "Don't tell me that pissed you off."

I remember the golden compact that he still has and I push him to the side so I can go through the drawers on his writing desk.

I want it now.

I can't trust anyone anymore.

"I swear to god, Draco, if you're the reason why my mother is in Azkaban... why my house is destroyed... I swear, I will never forgive you,"

I pull out each drawer of the writing desk roughly and let them slam on the ground. One wooden drawer even breaks by the impact, but I don't care. I'm too angry to care.

When I find nothing of importance in his writing desk I move to the nightstand, he follows.

"I wouldn't do that," he says gently as I pull the drawer out so far that it smacks against the ground again. "I did everything to keep you safe, to keep you mine..."

"Why?" I hiss as I push around papers and quills. "You didn't need to keep me safe! You should have told me not to come back to Hogwarts! If that's the case, then you should have just let me leave with Harry."

He's silent for a moment and then he narrows his eyes. "You wouldn't be safe with him. He's wanted dead or alive... anyone with him is free game and your family is a target. You know that, Ginny. You're safer here, with me."

I shake my head.

"I love you," he says and I scoff again. Nothing is in the nightstand so I move to his dresser. "You're special, Ginny, but you were mine by right," he says and I glance at him over my shoulder before opening another drawer. "I told you that story of our family history," he says and I roll my eyes. "When you were born, it broke that curse, but the promise was still there," he says and I furrow my brows as I pull out his shirts and let them litter the floor. "I've known since I was little that you were promised to me, all I had to do was claim you. I wasn't going to," he says. "But I decided that I wanted you, and now no one else can have you. You were mine since birth."

"Where's my compact?" I hiss because I don't care to listen to him.

"Stop moving and let's talk about this."

"Why?" I ask as I turn on him. "So you can talk me out of it, change the subject, and manipulate me into believing a lie?"

Oh my God.

What if he's a Death Eater?

I recall him coming to my room at night during the summer in black clothing and smelling of smoke... He lies about everything... but why would he help Harry leave the castle if that was the case? He said he only does things that benefit him. What did he get for that?

"Ginny," he says flatly as he walks up to me and he grabs my arms. "You love me," he says as he searches my eyes. "And I love you. I know I should have told you everything from the beginning, but you would have ran away from me," he says gently and I narrow my eyes again. I grab my wand from him and stuff it in my pocket. "I saved you from being sold off as property to someone else. You should be grateful that I would do that for you."

Really?

I push his chest so he's no longer touching me.

"Listen to me," he hisses as I grab my bag to leave the room. I can not be around him right now. "You need to be introduced for it to be official in society," he says as I walk towards the door. "But you are my wife, Ginny," he says harshly because he's angry with me. "And I am your head of house and you will listen to me."

"Fuck you," I snap and his eyes narrow. "I want to break up."

If he knew all of this, he could have warned my family some how... he could have done a lot of things.

He's silent for a moment, and then he glares hatefully.

"I am trying to be patient with you," he says through clenched teeth. "That bonding spell we used is very old and I could have a lot of control over you if I wished. Don't temp me."

That thought actually sent a chill down my spine, and I furrow my brow.

"I want to break up," I repeat again because I'm so very angry and I just want to hurt him.

"You can't just break up with me, Ginny," he sneers like I was stupid. "I'm your husband."

It didn't sound right at all.

This is not how I imagined my married life taking off...

"Then I want a divorce," I say with my head tilted up and he actually laughs at me.

It's a humorless laugh.

"That's impossible," he says as he puts a hand on his slender hip. "I told you our bond was done with old magic. It's unbreakable because you were a virgin when we first made love. I'm sorry, but you're stuck with me."

"I hate you," I whisper. I didn't mean it, I know I didn't, but I just needed to say it for some reason.

I needed to get away from him so I could figure all of this out, but I had no one to run to. I narrow my eyes. That's his fault too.

"No, you don't," he scoffs like I was an idiot. "Now, stop this ridiculousness. It's over and it's done. It's not like we have to go and buy furniture together or anything. I did it to protect you. Fucking trust me, I don't want to be fucking married at eighteen, but I did it for you. As your head of house I can control what happens to you here."

"You're a liar and a manipulator and you're just like Tom," I tell him in a hissed whisper and he narrows his eyes again. "You're just like him," I tell him and the I look at him under harsh eye lashes. "Only not as powerful. You're a poser and I hate you and I don't want to be married to you and I want you to take this goddamn bracelet off of me! I should have never let you into my life. Everyone was right to tell me to be careful, but I didn't listen and now I'm stuck with you and you're a terrible person and after all of this Harry truly did like me and I should have gone with him because he never would have done something like to me!"

I meant for it to hurt, and I suppose it did because he clenched his fist and a vase shattered somewhere behind me. It made me jump and when I looked back at Draco in surprise for the uncontrolled magic, he was breathing heavy and his cheeks were flushed.

"I'm going to give you a moment to calm down," he says hatefully, loosening his collar as he tries not to yell at me. I've never seen him look more angry and that pissed me off as well. He has no right to be upset. The liar."I'm going for a walk."

He leaves after that, and I'm left standing in his stupid fucking room.

I narrow my eyes and then I go back to rampaging his things to find my compact. I look in every drawer, I check the closet, and the bathroom, and I even look behind his wardrobe with no luck. I can't find it anywhere and with a frustrated sigh I try one last place. I don't find it under bed either, but I find his potion's kit and I sit on the floor as I put it on my lap and carefully snap it open. He has a whole array of potion bottles and vials in here, labeled with black marker.

I pull some of them out and read the labels carefully. Stamina... one says. Pepperup is written on another. I pull out another vial that has my name on it. Ginny/birth control it says and I make a face at it before putting it away. It made me feel easy for some reason to see my name by that. Something along the lid caught my eye, though. I noticed a manila folder sticking out from behind the lining of the box. I carefully tear the fabric until I can pull the whole thing out.

The Prometheus Project is written across the front of the folder in bold type.

It makes me think of the fiendfyre I saw him control at his Manor... and of the dead Ministry employs...

Maybe I'll find some answers.

I open the folder and skim through his pages of math formulas and spells... I don't understand most of it, so I keep going. There are drawings of rune symbols, lines with numbers around them, and odd looking buildings that are labeled by location. I don't get it, but I can recognize Draco's smooth handwriting. His notes are written in a language I don't know... It might be french, maybe, but my uncultured mind can't translate it and I end up biting my lip in frustration.

Then I find the pictures.

They are the mugshots of Voldemort's trusted inner circle. All of them have been released from Azkaban after the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters took over Wizarding England. I flit through the glossy photos of the sneering death eaters until I find the photo of Izador Rookwood. He looks vengeful in his mugshot, with his eyes on fire and his lip curled back in a sneer. He's a lot younger looking as well, with his hair long and a beard neatly trimmed.

I quickly turn it over to find some more of Draco's script.

Head of education

unmarried-DBP

What does DBP mean?

That's what's written on the back and I furrow my brows as I set the photo on the bed. I pick out another picture, one of Phillip Macnair and I turn that around as well.

Treasury department

Widowed-DBC (Daphne)

Why is Daphne's name on there?

I put that one on the bed as well before going through the rest. There are five photos of men, all with their new titles with the Ministry printed on the back. Draco's female friends are written by most of them as well and it confuses me as I try to put it together.

Everything bloody confuses me.

Rabastan Lestrange, the new Head 'Auror', has Pansy's name on the back of his picture and a fat man by the name of Charles Vandrows has Millicent with that mysterious DBC printed as well...Carlton Crow, a rather nasty Death Eater who killed his entire family for being blood traitors has Cho Chang's name printed on the back and I focus on her name for a few long moments before putting the stack on the bed.

It didn't make any sense to me and I couldn't figure it out.

It's really odd and I don't understand the DB... whatevers that are written either. There are two photos of women in the stack... one of Dorothy Whitewater who went to Azaban for killing muggles to use their body parts in her potions, and one of Bellatrix Lestrange.

They didn't have the same thing written on the back of their photos.

That Dorothy woman just had an address written. It looks liked some private home and a note was scrawled in beside it like an after thought. (By the levee) it read and I shake my head before turning to the sneering and wild picture of Bellatrix Lestrange.

She had one word... one that was a bit more curious and I frown as I read Draco's handwriting.

Christmas.

That was the quick note etched there and I set it down with the rest of the stack as I try to figure it all out.

Hermione would probably figure this whole thing out in two seconds flat.

Hermione... I need to find Hermione...

I snap my eyes to the clock in the room before making my decision.

I'm leaving.

I take Draco's folder and grab my bag. I will figure this out and I will find my friends. I leave his room and head straight towards the Slytherin dorms with determined and forceful steps. I find a first year pureblooded boy hovering around their portrait hole and I force him to give me the password with my wand pointed at his poor little chest.

"B-But," he starts as I jab my wand into his ribs. "No one can go in there just now. They said-"

"Just give me the fucking password," I tell him and his eyes brimmed with tears. "Please?" I added because I didn't want him to cry. He looked so little.

"Helios," he whispers and I pocket my wand.

"Thanks," I mutter softly, letting him run away.

I felt a little bit bad about doing that to him, but the moment of guilt passed quickly once I got inside of the common room.

To my surprise, and relief, the common room was empty and I hike up my bag before going over to the fireplace with Draco's folder under my arm. I know Draco tapped something over here with his wand to get it to open and I take out my own as I study the stones, trying to remember what he did the day he helped Ron and his friends leave the castle.

I tap a few stones with my wand, but nothing happens and I sigh before trying again. Think, what did he do? He said something too, I think. I try to remember what he muttered into the wall but after a few minutes, the door starts to open behind me and I panic.

I quickly, and stupidly, I might add, hide behind some curtains along the wall and I tilt my feet in to hide myself more as two people walk into the common room. I can see them through the little sliver I've allowed myself and I pray they don't notice how oddly I'm hidden with my bag pressing painfully into my back as I hold Draco's folder close to my chest. I hold my breath when I see Pansy and Blaise make their way in and they check the room to make sure it's empty before facing each other.

Blaise sits heavily down on one of the couches and Pansy settles across from him with her long legs crossed at her knees.

"So, you cleared out my common room quite efficiently," he says as he looks around. I hold my breath as his eyes run past me, but he gives no indication that he saw me. "What did you do? Threaten to sing to them."

The first year did start to say something about no one going into the common room. This must be why.

Damnit.

"Don't be a dick," Pansy hisses at him as she crosses her arms. "You know I've been wanting to talk to you for a while and you've been avoiding me."

"Successfully until now it seems," he says flatly and she glares.

"I want to get a few things straightened out," she says. "Before I do what I have to do," she adds and I furrow my brows. "You are fully aware of my feelings," she says sharply. "I have mentioned them to you many times throughout the year but you have either brushed me off or turned the conversation completely around."

Zabini raises and eyebrow and puts his arm along the back of the couch. Making himself comfortable, I see.

"Now, I know I've told you before, but this time I mean it. Either you fully commit to me and this relationship, or we're over."

Zabini is silent for a few moments before he taps his fingers against his knee. "What do you want me to say?" he says with a shrug and Pansy narrows her eyes. So do I. Zabini is such a tool. "You know I have no intention of being in a relationship with anyone. Before we started this, I made my intentions perfectly clear. You promised me that nothing was going to come of it, but here we are, having this fucking conversation that I always told you I didn't want to have."

Pansy retracts like she was struck, and then she narrows her eyes. "You told me you loved me."

He laughs.

"I was drunk," he says like it didn't matter. "And you were taking advantage of the situation."

"How was I..."

"You knew what day it was," he snaps hatefully and she shuts her mouth. "I said it because you did first. I don't love you. I won't love you and this whole conversation is bloody ridiculous. All that we are to each other is a few good fucks and then-"

Pansy pulls out her wand and shoots a curse at him.

He dodges it just in time and it hits the couch, tearing it to reveal the stuffing. He narrows his eyes as he hops out of his seat and he takes out his own wand as well.

"You fucking bitch," he says before throwing a curse at her.

I gasp as they start dueling against one another. A curse hit's Blaise that makes his nose bleed and then a spell hits Pansy's arm that causes it to burn and she screeches in pain. I spell hits the curtains I'm hiding behind and they catch on fire. I cover a scream and quickly point my wand at it put out the flames before they burn me up or reveal my hiding spot. No one notices the fire go out because they're too busy trying to kill each other.

I can't believe they're fighting so violently like this. It makes me think of my own fight with Draco and how tame that was. After twenty minutes of a heated duel that ended up breaking two lamps, a chair, Blaise's watch, and a painting, they finally stopped flinging curses at each other long enough for someone else to come into the common room.

The curtain I'm hiding behind is singed from the fire curse and it smells horrible so I cover my nose and close my eyes until I hear the new person's voice.

"What are you two doing?"

That is the last person I want to hear right now and I open my eyes to see Draco walk into the room with a scowl on his face. He takes one look around the room before he makes a face and takes out his wand.

He lifts it and takes their wands away from them.

They don't seem to protest much and they glare at each other as Draco places their wands in his pocket.

"Fighting inside," he tisks his tongue as he walks further into the room and he takes seat on one of the leather arm chairs. "How very common of you two. Although not all together surprising, I thought we had agreed to keep a relatively low profile for the time being," he says sternly as he looks at the broken lamp by his side. He takes out his wand and fixes it with a swish of his wrist. "Although your spell work is lovely." he adds sarcastically before crossing his legs. "Is the room secured? I suppose it is after the show you just put on," he says and they both look away.

No one says anything for a while and he looks at both of them with raised eyebrows.

"Well?" he says, his cheeks still tinted pink and Pansy quickly nods her head..

Daphne once told me that only happens if he's pissed off or turned on. I bet I know which one he is right now, the bastard.

I wonder if he's still reeling from our conversation. I hope he is.

"Sit down," he says and they follow his order quickly. "Did you get your folder?" he asks Pansy and she nods her head before handing it over to him. Draco opens it and quickly glances down at the pages inside as Zabini wipes away the blood from his nose. "Well, you already know what you have to do," he says irritably as he closes the folder and throws it on the coffee table with his leg bouncing up and down. "I'm tired of bloody repeating myself to everyone I come into contact with and if you don't get Theodore Not off of my damn back I will break his hands," he says levelly, glaring at Zabini.

Blaise nods his head and runs his fingers over his thigh. "I will speak to him," he says flatly and Draco nods his head sharply.

"See that it gets done. I have more important things to do than worry about how he feels."

No one says anything for a while and Blaise sits back with his arms crossed as he glares at the table.

"How did Ginny take the news?" Pansy asks after a while of silence and my ears burn at the mention of my name. "She left the hall," she adds. "I couldn't watch her after that."

"Not well, as you can imagine," he says flatly and then he licks his teeth. "They had Rookwood talk to her," he says and my stomach starts sinking. They all knew this before I did. "He has put in his claim already and they're going to start taking her blood."

"We'll have to move up our plans," Blaise says with an eyebrow raised and Draco snaps his eyes to his friend.

"Yes," he says flatly as he furrows his brows.

He starts tapping his foot against the floor again... both of them take notice. Who is he? Is it Rookwood? They have to know who that is too!

"Are you okay?" Pansy asks skeptically as Draco starts to chew on the insides of his cheeks.

"Yes, I'm fine," he says sharply and she raises her eyebrows.

I hope he's not fine. Jerk.

He clears his throat. "I had to tell Ginny about our bonding," he says flatly as he looks at Pansy. "She was getting hysterical about the marriage arrangements they had made for her and I wanted to put her at ease," he says and Zabinia rolls his eyes. "But it seems to have had the opposite effect."

Hysterical. He honestly said I was being hysterical!

"I can see that," Blaise says flatly. "Girls can be so dramatic," he says, shooting a look to Pansy who narrows her eyes.

"I can understand her anger and confusion," he says as he taps his foot against the floor again. He stares ahead of him, not bothering to make eye contact with the others. "But once she calms down I am sure she will see the benefit to this. She wouldn't honestly try to leave me. Not that she could anyways, but still," he says, like he was talking to himself and Pansy and Zabini exchange an odd look. "She loves me."

"Well," Pansy says. "Maybe she said that to you when she was drunk and you were taking advantage of the situation," she says, making a jab at Zabini, but he rolls his eyes again.

"Hardly," Draco scoffs with a glare. He starts tapping his foot again and Pansy sits forward.

"I was just joking, of course," she says with concern as she watches Draco's wand hand twitch around his wand. "She will see the benefit of being bonded to you, Drake," she says, like she was reassuring him... carefully so. "You are a handsome rich wizard who can take care of her and she does love you. Girls like her do not lie about such things. She will come around and bend to your wishes."

Bend to his wishes?

What does that mean?

For some reason, that made Draco relax a bit and then he seems to find his fire again.

He flicks his eyes to Zabini. "I've made the decision to go to the levee tonight," he says and Zabini nods his head in understanding. "Time is more important now than anything," he says as he stands and walks towards the fireplace.

Crap.

I suck in, like that would fucking help, and try not to be seen as he takes out his wand and taps the stones. I try to pay attention, but I can't see from this angle and I can't hear what he whispers against the wall. The fireplace moves to reveal the passageway and he turns around to face his friends as he takes out their wands from his pocket.

"Conduct yourself with a little more dignity," he says as he tosses each wand to it's owner. "If we are the higher race, then we must act like it," he says before checking his watch. "I should be back shortly. I find that she is usually alone on most nights so it should be rather easy. My alibi is obviously with the two of you, so get your stories straight before I return. The papers will be buzzing and we need to be in shock with the rest of them," he says.

He waits for them to agree, and when they do, he nods his head before walking off.

The fireplace closes behind him and Blaise and Pansy spend exactly thirty seconds alone before they both stand up.

"We're studying charms in Draco's room. How does that sound?" she says sharply and Blaise nods his head.

"Perfectly fine and impossibly boring to me," he says with an eyebrow raised.

She glares one more time before leaving the common room and Blaise watches her go before running a hand through his hair and sighing.

"I need a cigarette," he mumbles to himself before jogging up the staircase to the right.

I take a deep breath and slide out of my hiding spot. My initial 'I'm leaving' fire has left me and I clutch Draco's folder to my chest as I scurry out of the common room. It's almost too much to digest, too many questions I need answered and no one to talk to. I clench my jaw as I walk around the castle, trying to figure things out and trying to decide how my actions will fit in with them until I find myself at the main entrance hall.

I can see Dementors floating in the distance outside and I sigh as I walk towards the doors and push them open. There's a constant fog around the castle now because of those stupid creatures and I take a seat on one of the concrete steps as I look at the sky, letting the wind chill my bones as I place by bag by my side.

I really wish I had someone to talk to here. I cross my arms with Draco's folder on my lap as I chew on my lip. I need a friend. I feel so isolated right now. Pansy had known this whole time it seems, and that would mean that she knew way before all this happened as well. Was she only my friend because of Draco?

I shake my head at my limited amount of friendships that have survived and I try to see my situation from another persons perspective. If my friend was going through what I was going through, what kind of advice would I give them?

I would probably tell her that Draco was a no good liar who was way too controlling.

I remember taking health class in my fourth year and we had to read a whole check list of red flags of an abusive relationship and as I think Draco, he does fit some of those descriptions.

-jealous and possessive... check

-controlling...check

-intimidating... double check

I can't talk to any of my family members and the only friends I have now are his friends... besides Luna, of course, but she's so far up Theodore Nott that she barely has time to look at me. I furrow my brows as I think about Luna. Did Draco make Theo date her just so I would be on my own? So I would accept his friends better... No... I shake my head. He wouldn't do that. That's just ridiculous.

I start chewing on my nails.

Of course, Draco has his good points as well.

I love him and I'm pretty sure he loves me.

He can be so sweet and he makes me feel important and special... sometimes... not when he lies.

I bite so hard I break a nail and I move to another finger.

He gives me nice things and he takes care of me and he kisses so bloody well.

I had trusted him completely when everyone warned me not to. I should have listened to Hermione.

I sigh as I think about how much he makes my heart ache and I start chewing on the fingers on my other hand. I can't focus on my feelings because I'll choose him every time just based on the way he makes me feel when we're together. I need to see this critically... as an outsider.

But he's so handsome...

But he could have told me everything sooner! He could have warned my family and the Order!

I feel like my heart is breaking.

This must be what it feels like to die.

"Would you like one?"

I jump when I hear Zabini's voice and Draco's folder slips to the ground. I quickly pick it up and stuff it in my bag. I was too stuck in my own thoughts to hear Blaise's approach and now my heart is racing. He sits down beside me and offers me a cigarette, but I shake my head and turn back to the gate.

"Suit yourself," he says as he puts one in his mouth and he uses his wand to light the end.

I roll my eyes.

"How did you know I was out here?" I ask coldly and he glances at my profile.

"I'm not stalking you, I assure you," he says as he blows smoke from the corner of his mouth. I glare at him. "I obviously just came out here for a smoke and I saw your little red head hanging about. I thought I'd come and say hi before they started showing up."

"Who's they?" I ask sharply and he nods towards the gate.

"They'll be coming back today," he says and I raise my eyebrows. "The people who were sent for re-education," he clarifies.

Neville.

I'm a terrible friend. They were all taken away last week. I was too worried about my family to really try to help him and Draco kept me so distracted...

That's another thing to add to the con list.

-Manipulative... check.

Some Gryffindor I am.

"What happened to them there?" I ask and he shrugs. Of course he doesn't know. If he did, he wouldn't tell me anyways.

We sit in silence for a long time before it becomes too much for me to bear.

"You knew." I whisper, thinking of Draco and I look at my right hand, where the red lines of his bonding spell secured our hands together.

"Knew what?" he asks flatly as he dusts ashes off his black slacks.

"That Draco and I were bonded?" I ask with a furrowed brow. I give him a troubled look. "I didn't know," I admit in a small voice. "He didn't tell me... I thought..." I trail off and shake my head as he studies my face.

"Of course I knew," he says and I give him a sharp look that he smiles at, with his amber eyes twinkling. "I told him it was a good idea," he says and my throat goes dry. "Why are you so angry about that?" he asks with his head tilted to the side. "It has always worked out in your favor, has it not?"

"But... my family..."

"They're still alive, aren't they? That's more than most people can say these days."

"But..."

"If you love him, why are you upset?"

"He lied to me. Not everything is forgiven just because you love someone," I say heatedly and he raises one of those dark perfect eyebrows.

"I thought that's what people like you did," he says. "Forgiving people and loving... all that nonsense."

I glare at him again, and then I stare at his lips as he puts the cigarette at the corner of his mouth and takes another drag before flicking it to the ground. It burns against the first stone step and I stare at it as I think of Draco.

I don't know if I feel like crying or hitting something right now, but I know I just want to understand what's happening... I want to understand why Draco has done things the way they he did and why... and I want to hurt him like he hurt me...

What would piss him off the most?

I glance at Zabini from the corner of my eyes as he runs his hands through his dark hair.

I smile a little to myself at my plan. I don't know why I'm smiling, actually. I'm not very pleased. I just want to break Draco's heart like mine is breaking. Draco has trust issues, that's been the thing from the start and he's always been so ridiculous when it came to me being around other guys. Now that I think about it, that's a little unhealthy. A little jealousy is nice, it makes you feel good, but not to that degree... not enough to justify trapping someone into a marriage they never agreed to in the first place.

But you love him...

It doesn't matter!

I look at Blaise's pretty face again... I want to make Draco cry a little, see if he even cares.

First step:

Seducing Blaise Zabini.

"Blaise," I say as I turn my head towards him as he pockets his wand.

"Hm?"

"Look at me," I say and when he looks at me with his golden eyes, I bring my hands up to his one of the curls by his face and I touch it gently, pretending to smooth something off of it. "You had something in your hair," I tell him softly and he gives me a suspicious look and then he glances at the hand I have yet to move.

I study his face as I move my fingers down to his cheek.

I know Zabini is attractive, beautiful even, but he doesn't stir the same kind of feelings that Draco does... or that Harry used to... but he sure is nice to look at.

"What are you doing?" he asks with an eyebrow raised as I lick my lips.

My hand starts burning as I rest my hand on his smooth neck.

"Weasley, what the fuck?" he says as I let my hand slide down his chest.

The burning is almost unbearable now, but I keep going.

"Do you think I'm pretty, Blaise?"

It sounded like such a ridiculous question coming out of my mouth. It sounded sexier in my head, but I find that my mental rehearsals never seem to measure up to the awkwardness that is me in real life.

He grabs my hand before it can go any lower.

"Your boyfriend will cut off my head," he says, his voice sounding deeper, almost charmingly seductive.

Geez, no wonder he gets so many girls.

I look at his lips. "He might not be my boyfriend for much longer," I say a little sadly before leaning in and pressing my lips against his.

I can ruin a lot of things with this kiss.

Pansy's relationship (or lack there of) with Blaise. Blaise's relationship with Draco. Draco's relationship with me. My friendship with Pansy...This could be a domino effect and I can hit it all in one go.

It's nearly perfect, actually.

I get tugged back like I did with Harry that night, but I stand my ground and tense my muscles as I push him back and straddle his lap as I think of how angry Draco will be and how he'll be able to feel this because of that 'promise to be faithful' bond that was really a fucking marriage thing. Even Pansy would be angry if she knew who I was kissing and I don't even care. She lied too. She told me that many people did that in relationships and that it was a good thing. She knew all along as well and I slip my tongue against Zabini's lips as it starts to burn at such a level that I think I'm going to catch on fire.

Blasie kisses me back, to my surprise, and he even twists his hands in my hair.

I almost push him back because he seems to be getting too much into this... and then he freezes and he tries to push me off of him.

When I pull back he looks shocked for a moment before he glares at me.

I'm pissing off a lot of people with this and I'm pleased.

"What are you doing?" he hisses. I stare at him with my eyebrow raised. He pushes me off his lap and stands up with a panicked look on his face as I settle myself on one of the concrete steps. "Why did you do that?" he shouts as he stands up. "Do you realize what Malfoy is going to do to me? Do you have any fucking clue?"

I smirk at him as he cusses under his breath …. I think he calls me a cunt, actually, and I make a disgusted face at his back as he stalks off.

Good riddance.

I wipe off my lips and stand up with my bag slung over my shoulder as the gate starts to creek open. My body feels like it's on fire, but I'm too worried about everything else to really notice. Suddenly, rows of students dressed in black come walking in and I step to the side as they walk towards the castle in four single file rows, neat and crisp. They're all walking with their heads down and I furrow my brows as the female Carrow professor walks beside them, spewing off orders about staying in line and keeping their heads bowed.

I see Neville in the back and I hesitate for a few moments before running towards him.

He doesn't even look up with my approach and I grab his arm. "Neville, are you okay?" I ask.

Then he looks at me and I gasp.

There are bluish looking bruises around his eyes and his facial expression is blank. There isn't the warmness in his eyes that he usually has... there's nothing there.

"Neville?" I whisper. He's looking at me like he has never seen me before and that he didn't care to know who I was. "Are you okay?"

"Hey you," the female Carrow comes towards me and grips my arm. "You get back in the castle."

"What have to done to them?" I say, looking back at Neville's blank face as he falls back into line.

He looks like a zombie, they all look empty, cold.

I get pushed back and they all walk back into the building as I stare after them with my jaw slightly dropped. I should have helped Neville when I could have. I should have made Draco help... having a chance at life on the run would be better than whatever that is.

What happened to them?

Once they're in the castle and the doors are closed, I turn back to the gate and look out as it closes. My skin still burns, but I ignore it as I clench my hands around my wand.

I stand there for an hour, my skin burning, and that's how Draco finds me.

He steps behind me and puts his chest against my back. He smells like fire... like smoke, but I don't question it because I don't want to talk to him. I ignore him, but shift my gaze when he raises the golden compact in front of my face. I see my angry reflection in it and I reach up to snap it shut.

"I'm sorry," he says against my ear. He kisses my cheek and the burning stops. "Come back into the castle with me," he says seriously. "It's going to rain."

"I made out with Zabini," I tell him to hurt him.

"I know," he says with a sigh. "Come," he says as he takes my hand. "Come with me."

"Why did you do this?" I ask softly, sounding embarrassingly broken as tears threaten to fall.

"We'll talk later," he whispers. "Now is not the time."

I really do hate him right now.

"I don't run on your time line anymore," I say and there's a shakiness in my voice that I wish was a little more steady.

"I'm weaving a very tangled web," he says against my hair as I cradle the compact to my chest. "It's going to be hard for you to keep up."

"Okay," that's all I say... that's all I can say as I think of Neville and his zombie eyes.

"But..." he continues and I blink a few times before pulling back and looking at him. He looks into my eyes for a few moments as he runs his fingers gently down my jaw... and then he grips my chin with his fingers painfully to keep me in place. "If I ever find out you kissed Blaise Zabini again, I'm going to fucking kill him. I know you did it to get my attention but there are other ways to achieve that end. I won't tolerate it again."

When he lets his hand drop, I glare.

I take out his folder and push it at his chest. He looks surprised as it all falls to the ground.

"I never want to speak to you again," I tell him coldly before going back to the castle.

To my surprise... and a little disappointment... he doesn't follow me, nor does he make anyone else check up on my either.

I spend the night alone, in my bed with the curtains pulled tight as I stare up at the ceiling. I wish I was older, smarter, more powerful... I with I was a lot of things because I'm sure if I was better... I would know what to do, but instead all I can do is stare ahead of me and try not to cry.

It takes me hours to fall asleep and when I do I dream of Tom and snakes and boats...

When I wake up the castle is buzzing with gossip and fresh news. I grab a paper as I walk towards the great hall and I stop walking when I read the headline of the censored Death Eater run paper.

Murder at the Levee

I stop breathing for a moment or two as I see the photo underneath that bold letters.

Dorothy Whitewater.

...Trusted Advisor and Head of the Security Council was found burnt to death in her flat last night. The aurors say they have no suspects, but all signs point to the underground Order of the Phoenix movement which has claimed the lives of more than twenty wizards and witches in the past two weeks..

That's an awful lot of speculation for a news paper... I guess it's more of a propaganda piece now.

..The Auror department has no solid leads at this time but it has been assured the death of Mrs. Whitewater will not go unpunished. The Dark Lord has let it be known that anyone associating with or murmuring the thoughts of the recently disbanded Order of the Phoenix will be tried for treason...

The articles goes on to describe what a great family woman and loyal follower of the Dark Lord's regime that Whitewater woman was and I fold the paper over as I stare at the wall, seeing nothing.

Draco went the levee, now a woman is dead.

He smelled like fire...

Oh, my god.

"I think I'm going to break up with Draco."

"What?" Pansy says flatly with one sharp brow raised.

I don't say anything for a few moments as I let it sink in. I know they all heard me. The three of us are sitting on top of the beds in the seventh year girls dorm and you could hear a pin drop it got so quiet.

"But... you can't break up with Draco," Daphne says, giving me an uncomfortable smile as she leans forward. "No, no, no, Ginny. You don't want to do that. Don't be silly."

"I'm not being silly," I say as I look at them both. "I'm being serious."

"But..." Daphne blinks again. "No, Gin, you love Draco, remember?"

"I know..." I say uncomfortably as I test the waters of our friendship. I need to find out if I have anyone on my side. "But I think it's time for us to take a break."

"Take a break or break up?" Pansy asks coldly. "Those are two different things."

"He's not the person I thought he was," I say honestly as I cross my legs. It was true. Who was Draco Malfoy? My lying, death eater husband, or the killer of death eaters? I don't know because he never tells me one way or another.

It's all scary.

"No one is who they seem at first," Pansy says as she slides off her bed. "Stop being so dramatic."

She knows that I know about my 'marriage' or whatever to Draco and she's eying me critically, like she was waiting for me to say more. What a bitch. I was so nice to her when she was talking about breaking up with Blaise and now she's trying to make me feel stupid for even bringing up such a thing. No one even asked me why I want to end it with him.

"I don't know if I love him anymore," I say. It was a lie, of course. I love Draco so much it hurts sometimes but now my mission is to hurt Pansy. "I think I like someone else."

"Who?" she asks sharply.

"I kissed Blaise," I tell her and Daphne gasps with her hand over her mouth.

"What?" Pansy says flatly as she narrows her eyes.

I look at her. "I kissed Blaise," I tell her and she looks like she wants to curse me, but instead she puts her hand on her hips as she stands. "It was nice," I lie and she narrows her eyes into small little slits.

"Why would you do that?" she asks through clenched teeth and I stand up as well.

"I thought you broke up with him?" I say softly, cruelly. I was supportive of her and her decisions, but come to find out she was never my friend to begin with. It all goes back to Draco.

"It doesn't matter what I fucking did," she hisses and Daphne widens her eyes as she takes a step back. "There's a girl code, Ginny, and you can't just snog your friend's boyfriend!"

"Girl code?" I snap hatefully. "If there is a 'girl code', I'm sure it's in there somewhere that if a friend is being manipulated by her over bearing boyfriend, then a friend should step in and help out."

"What are you talking about?" she hisses and I glare.

"You knew what Draco's been doing," I say and then I glare at Daphne. "You both knew and never told me because you were never my friends to begin with."

"Oh, Gin..." Daphne takes a step forward and shakes her head. "We..."

"Shut up," I say and she widens her eyes again in surprise. "I'm tired of people using me... lying to me..." I say as I glare at Pansy. "And I'm done with you both," I say as I storm towards the door. "By the way," I say as I glare over my shoulder. "Blaise will never love you. He doesn't even like you," I tell her to hurt her as I remember their conversation in the slytherin common room and I know my words hit target, because she makes a sad face before masking it with hatred.

I go back to my own dorm after that with my stomach fluttering nervously. I've never been this bold or hateful and it didn't sit well with me.

I pull the curtain around my bed and tuck myself on the side as I stare at the golden compact in the dark. I've been carrying it with me everywhere I go since Draco gave it back, but I haven't heard anything from Hermione or the others. I also found that it's a one way mirror... I can't send messages to them so I'm stuck just staring and waiting for something to happen.

I tap my fingers against it and close my eyes. I know I won't be sleeping anytime soon, so I just lay in the dark, thinking over my conversation with Draco over and over and over again. There's a knot in my stomach as I think about the way Daphne and Pasny looked at me as well. I hate it when people don't like me, but I'm too angry to give in right now.

Then the compact vibrates.

I sit up and grab my wand. I silence the bed around me and light the end of my wand before putting it behind my ear and carefully clicking the compact open.

I don't see Hermione.

I don't see Ron.

I see Harry instead.

What?

I sit up and give him a puzzled look as he eyes me through the mirror. He looks so tired, and it looks like he has the beginning of a beard coming in.

"Harry?" I whisper and then I bite my lip. He's not wearing his glasses. "Are you okay?"

"I can't sleep," he admits in a soft voice. "Ron and Hermione are in the other room. I took this from her purse... I hope... I hope you don't mind. I haven't talked to anyone in a while. I just wanted to see a friendly face."

"It's okay," I say with a sad smile.

Lonely Harry... lonely like me.

"Is it," he grabs his glasses from somewhere and places them on his face. "Is it safe for you to talk?" he asks, his voice sounding clearer and not so sad. "I'm such an idiot sometimes..."

"No, Harry, it's fine," I whisper as I draw my knees up to my chest. "I put a silenco spell around my bed. No one can hear us."

"Oh," he nods his head and then he glances at me with troubled eyes. "How's Hogwarts?" he asks softly. "We've heard rumors about the goings on at the castle, but it's hard to decipher the fact from fiction when you're on the run."

"Yeah," I say as I lean against my headboard and I start fiddling with my mother's necklace. I've taken to wearing the small sea shell jewelry just in case they escape Azkaban and ever try to find me. They'll know where I'm at no matter where I find myself. That makes me feel better for some reason. "Things have changed here," I explain to him. "Everything is different."

I give him a detailed account of the new happenings at Hogwarts. The divisions between blood status, the new classes, the punishments. I let him know about the building by the forest for the muggle borns and the re-education. Neville and the others were placed in a special dorm by the kitchens and they all walk around like lobotomized zombies.

Neville doesn't even know who I am and it breaks my heart.

"Are you serious?" he says sharply when I tell him about Neville and his dead eyes.

"It's all so terrible," I say and I'm going to start crying again, but I try to stop myself. I don't want to cry in front of Harry. He's the one who should be crying. He has the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders. "I don't know what to do. Everything's messed up and now they have this new marriage thing they're doing."

"What does that mean?" he asks with concern.

I tell him.

I tell him about what the woman said in the great hall and I tell him about the 'person' who requested me.

"That's barbaric," he says in disgust, his eyes light up with a new kind of anger. "They can't do that to you. Can't you just say no?"

I shake my head, and then I think of Draco.

"What does Malfoy have to say about all of this?" With the mention of Draco's surname, I really do start crying. "Oh, Ginny, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"No, it's fine," I say as I try to push away those embarrassing tears. "It's just everything is so fucked up right now."

"I know," he whispers. "But it will get better. I promise."

It was an empty promise, but I cherished it none the less.

"I wish I would have gone with you," I admit as I hold the compact closer to me.

"What was that?" he asks because I said it so quietly he probably didn't hear me.

"I wish..." I trail off and furrow my brows as I look into his emerald eyes. "I should have gone with you. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," he says. "Maybe this is for the best. I mean, Malfoy has connections right now that could keep you safe. We're constantly running for our lives out here... it's no way to live."

There's a noise in the background on his end and he fumbles the compact. I can see that he's wearing one of my brother's jumpers that has a big golden R stitched across the front.

"Sorry," he mutters once he comes back into focus. "It was just a cat. I'm so jumpy."

"You have every right to be," I admit and then I furrow my brows. "Why are you wearing that god awful sweater?" I ask, trying to lighten the mood.

I don't want to tell him everything about Draco because that would just mean that everyone who told me to be careful was right. I already feel stupid and embarrassed, I don't need anymore shame placed on me.

He gives me a boyish smile that tilts my heart.

"Ron has never worn it," he says as he brings the collar up to his nose and then he lets it drop. "And it smells like you."

That makes me pause and his cheeks turn pink as he tries to backtrack.

"I mean... that it's... your Mom probably used the same cleaning stuff and it smells like the Burrow. Is all I meant. Not that is smelled like you because that would be weird... not that you smell weird, of course. You smell lovely. I'm just saying that I didn't mean to say that the sweater smelled like you because I didn't want you to think I was a... weird-o or anything... because I'm not..I obviously didn't mean to say the sweater smelled like you... I... it's just..."

"Harry," I say to get his attention so I can put him out of his misery. "It's okay. I get it."

"Good, then," he says awkwardly and then he looks down. "We saw Fred and George a couple of days ago," he says and I sit a little straighter.

"You did?" I say. "Are they okay? What's happening with them? Where are they?" I ask. Fred and George were on some kind of 'watch list' according to Umbridge. They were the few family members I have that aren't rotting away in jail.

"They're under house arrest in their flat in Diagon Alley. We barely made it out of their building alive," he says with a slight shiver like he was mentioning something unpleasant. "But they're alive and as funny as ever," he says with a sad smile. "They've been doing an underground radio show to keep the Order members connected and informed on what's been going on. It's all in code and disguised as a comedy show, but I think the Death Eaters are starting to catch on because they keep on putting restrictions on them. I think they're going to try to escape here in the coming weeks."

"Oh, well, that's good," I say with a little smile. I'm glad they're okay and I'm glad there are people still out there hoping for a better tomorrow with out Voldemort. "I'm glad they're okay."

"Yeah..." he says and I look into his eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay too," I say and he nods his head. "Are you... okay?" I ask carefully.

He shrugs. "I guess so," he mutters and then he looks away. "I-I should go," he says and I wish he wouldn't. I sit up straight and stare at the mirror. "Can I... can I call you again sometime?" he asks tentatively and I find it positively adorable.

But for some reason I feel bad, like I was cheating on Draco or something like that, but I'm not doing anything wrong.

"Of course," I say with a pleased smile. "Just make it late at night... that way it doesn't go off during the day."

He smiles. "I'll try to remember."

"Great," I say and then I hesitate a second. "Good night, Harry."

"Goodnight, Gin," he says with a pleased grin and before he can close the compact I quickly say his name. "Yeah?" he asks uncomfortably.

"Thank you for.. .you know... everything," I say and he raises an eyebrow in question. "I mean being the savor of the wizarding world and all. I couldn't have picked a better candidate."

He laughs a little.

It's a sad laugh.

I close the compact after that and I lay back against my pillows with a little smile on my face.

All hope is not lost.

A large picture of Salazar Slytherin now hangs in the main hallway of the castle, looming down at the students with an ominous glare on his twisted looking face... and I'm painting all over it.

I hold the brush in my right hand and smear the red paint all over the old man's head. He looks like something out of an abstract painting now and I smile to myself. I've become quite the vandal to the utter annoyance of all the teachers in the building. I start writing over the picture, looking behind my shoulder once to make sure no one is watching before turning back.

Long live Dumbledore's army!

After painting out the message, I smile and stand back with the can of paint and the brush hanging in my hands as I look at my artwork. I seem to be what's left of Dumbledore's army, but who cares.

Little things like this make me feel like I'm doing something worth while. A little anarchy never hurt anyone and no one has figured out it's me that's defacing all of the statues and paintings of pureblooded hot heads like Salazar Slytherin. I'm pleasantly surprised that the other paintings and the ghosts haven't told on me yet, but I suppose they miss the way Hogwarts used to be run as well.

It's like a jail here now, some military jail run by monsters.

I hear someone coming down the hall and my heart starts racing.

Now would be a terrible time to get caught.

I quickly gather up all of my evidence of misdeeds and throw them in my bag before running from the scene.

I haven't talked to anyone in two weeks. Well, besides Harry, but his conversations are short and unsatisfying, usually cut off by some attack in the background. I wish I was with them, instead of being stuck here at this stupid castle with these stupid people and my stupid boyfriend.

I haven't spoken to him yet. So I really haven't had a chance to officially break up with him, but I think he gets the idea because he hasn't tried to talk to me... and he hasn't sent any one of his minions either. I wish there was an easy fix for all of this. I don't want to break up with Draco because I love him so very much, but I know I can't stay with him... Can I? I have no one to talk to now, and a part of me does miss him. I honestly feel like getting sick every time I think about him and my eyes water when I'm in class at the slightest mention of his name.

It's pathetic, really, and I thoroughly blame him.

Freaking jerk.

I clench my fists as I think of him and I duck my head as I try not to get upset about it. Then I run into something solid and that something solid makes me fall on my bottom.

My bag falls and the flap opens, revealing the paint and brush.

Fuck.

"Miss Weasley."

I cringe. Snape's voice is like nails on a chalk board and shyly look up at him as I quickly grab my bag and close it so he won't see what I've done.

"You're out of bed after curfew," he says as he eyes me with narrowed eyes. I stand up. I gulp and try to explain why with a lie, but he cuts me off. "I don't care what your excuses are," he says hatefully and my cheeks heat up. "Detention," he says and I make a face. "Tomorrow after classes are finished."

I sag my shoulders.

"Now, go to bed," he says as he walks past. I sigh in relief. "And Miss Weasley," he says and I look over my shoulder with my eyebrow raised. "You have red paint all over your hands," he says and I quickly look down. Fuck, he's right. "I would suggest cleaning all of that off before running into anyone else this night," he says, eying me closely before walking off with a swish of his robes.

That's it? That's all?

I sigh again. I guess Snape is feeling charitable tonight... he has to know it's been me doing all the graffiti around the castle. Why would he just let that slide?

I'm not going to push my luck.

I take a quick shower when I reach my dorm room and ignore everyone as I crawl into bed.

I make it through my day of classes before heading towards the detention hall where three other students are spread out. Cho Chang was made the new Head girl after her evaluation, and she's sitting at ones of the desks at the head of the class room, working on some art project that involves pipe cleaners and cotton balls... and Draco... Draco is sitting at the main desk.

I hate them both.

I narrow my eyes when I see Draco at the head of the classroom, writing on a piece of parchment with a black feathered quill. The Head boy and Head girl have to monitor the Wednesday after school detentions now and they don't look happy about it. When I walk in, he looks up and eyes me coldly before checking the clock. I take a seat at the very back and when it turns three on the dot, Draco stands up.

"You all have to sit here for an hour," he says as I pull a book from my bag. "No talking, no sleeping, no leaving," he says harshly.

He sits back down after that and goes back to his parchment.

I glare at him and start tapping my fingers against the desk.

It echoes in the large empty room and he snaps his eyes towards mine.

I raise an eyebrow and then start tapping my polished shoe against the leg of the chair. His eyes narrow, but after a few moments he goes back to his paper.

I take out a pen from my bag and drop it on the ground. He looks up in annoyance and I hold his intense gaze as I pick out another pen and do the same thing. It clanks against the ground, and rolls towards the front of the class. Cho shushes me and I smile at her as I take out a pencil and do it again. The three other kids in the room all look at me as well, but I don't care. I stare right at Draco as I pick up my book and slam it on the ground. The other kids jump and gasp as it slams against the stone floor.

"Stop it," he says coldly with his brows furrowed in irritation. "Or I'll have them schedule a more grueling detention for you."

I've heard those rumors, about how the Carrows deal with the more intense detentions with unforgivables, and I can't believe he'd actually threaten me!

I take out another text from my bag and actually throw it.

It lands on the desk in front of me and it echoes in the room as well.

"Ginny Weasley," Chang snaps as she stands up with her hands on the desk. "I'm going to report you to the head master-"

"Let me handle it," Draco cuts her off with a look and she sits down with a scowl on her face.

Draco stands up to intimidate me, glaring daggers. "Stop it," he says again as I take my pencil case and I throw that as well. I lands on a chair and rolls off, clattering against the floor.

I feel almost bad for the other people in the room, but I don't care.

"No," is all I say as I take out another thing from my bag.

I throw my ink well across the room. It shatters against the wall, getting ink and glass all over the stones.

"Fucking stop it," he hisses and the other kids cower as he stalks towards me.

"No," I say again and he looks like he's going to kill me once he finally reaches my desk.

He leans down until his face is right in front of mine. "You are really starting to piss me off," he says in a cold whisper so the others won't hear. "Knock it off."

"What are you going to?" I ask hatefully. "Crucio me."

"That's it," he hisses as he grabs my arm and pulls me out of the seat. The other students gasp in surprise as he drags me to the door, but Cho forces them to quiet down. "Do you think I enjoy heading detentions?" He questions once we reach the hallway with his hand still gripping my arm. "Do you think I enjoy giving up my free fucking time to babysit a bunch of idiots who don't know how to behave?"

"Are you calling me an idiot?" I hiss and he grips a little tighter as he pulls me further into the castle.

"Shut up," he snaps and I narrow my eyes.

When we get to the empty classroom he felt the need to drag me to, I wrestle myself away from him and cross my arms. "Don't tell me to shut up."

"You can't stay mad at me forever," he says hatefully and I glare.

"I can stay mad at you for as long as I like."

"Would you rather be married to someone else?" he snaps and I snap my mouth shut. "Do you like the thought of an old man slithering into your bed at night? He's not a man anymore, Ginny, he's a monster. Does that turn you on?" he asks, getting closer to me. "Does it get you wet thinking of the terrible life you're going to be subjected to and all the potions you'll have to drink just so you can conceive some twisted monster in your womb. Had I not stepped in and taken some fucking initiative your life would be goddamn miserable. I bet you wish you were with him right now, don't you? I bet you'd love for him to fuck-"

I smack him.

His face flies to the right in surprise and then he levels me with the coldest glare. I bring my hand up to my mouth to cover my surprise. I can't believe I just smacked him.

"You just smacked me," he says like he didn't even believe it himself. "You just fucking hit me," he says with a little more venom as he brings his hand up to his red cheek.

"Oh, my god," I whisper. I feel terribly guilty now... I know I shouldn't have done that no matter what he said. "Draco, I am sorry," I tell him as I step forward and bring his hand down so I can look at it. "I shouldn't have smacked you. I'm sorry," I say again as I touch his cheek. He winces so I let my hand grip his arm. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't believe you just hit me," he says with a head shake.

"Draco, I'm sorry," I'm starting to sound like a broken record. I just can't believe he made me so angry where I resorted to violence like that.

"Are you sorry?" he asks levelly as he looks into my eyes.

I nod my head. "I shouldn't have hit you."

He eyes me curiously for a few more moments before shaking his head. "You should be grateful to me," he says hatefully. "Any other girl would be."

"You're a pretentious bastard," I tell him coldly. I shouldn't have fucking apologized for hitting him. I take a step back to get away from him. "I feel bad for any girl you've ever dated. You're a horrible person."

"Bitch," he mutters and my eyes inflame.

"What did you just call me?" I hiss through clenched teach. "I have every right to be angry with you, Draco Malfoy!"

"Well, fucking get over it, Ginny," he shouts and I clench my fist. "There is nothing you can do to change anything. Even your midnight chats with Harry Potter can't help you now."

How did he know about those?

Has be been spying on me!

I push him and he stumbles back a few paces. "How do you know that?" I hiss as his eyes get so intense that I fear he might be trying to set me on fire.

"I know a lot of things, darling," he sneers sarcastically and I squeal in anger. "Oh, fucking grow up," he says in response and I ball my fists. "What are you going to do, hit me again?"

"Shut up," I hiss and he takes a step closer to me. "Go away!" I tell him before he traps me against a desk with his large body pressed into my own. "Step back, you brute."

"No," he says, mocking me from earlier and I narrow my eyes.

"I swear I will knee you in the crotch if you don't back away from me!" I bring my hand up to smack him again, be he grabs my wrist and glares down at me with stormy eyes.

"You aren't fucking hitting me again," he tells me coldly as he presses his body into mine. "Do you understand that."

"Get away from me."

"You're mine, Ginny," he says with darkened eyes. "I can do whatever I damn well please."

"You are the worst husband ever!" I shout and he's silent for a second before he actually starts laughing.

I don't want to be laughed at.

"Stop laughing!" I tell him and he smirks at me before looking down at me with fond eyes.

"Oh, Ginny, Ginny," he says with a head shake. "My sweet little innocent Ginny," he says before bending down and trying to kiss me.

I turn away.

"What are you doing?" I hiss because this is not where I imagined this fight ending up.

"I'm going to fuck you," he says flatly as he starts undoing my tie. "I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk properly for a week," he says and my cheeks turn red in embarrassment.

Did he really just say that?

I smack his hands away.

"What?"

That kind of caught me off guard. I thought we were fighting.

"It has been two fucking weeks," he says as he starts unbuttoning his jacket. "I'm stressed and I want to fuck my girlfriend," he says as he puts his arm around my waist and he pulls me close, pressing his lips against mine. "Is that okay with you?"

"No, it's not."

Is he insane? Why does he think this would be okay? What is wrong with him?

I try to push him back again, only to have him grab my wrists and push me so I'm half leaning on the desk. He throws my legs apart with his free hand and he settles between them as I try to struggle.

"Get off of me!" I yell as I try to get away and when he tries to kiss me again, I bite his lip so hard I break skin.

He hisses and when he pulls back there's a bit of blood on his lower lip. "Fuck," he says as he brings his free hand up to the blood and then he looks at it glistening off his pale fingers. "That hurt," he says and then he looks at me again with fire in his eyes. "Be mad all you want," he says as he glares down at me. "But I know you still want me."

Of course he's right, but I don't want him to know that.

He takes my hesitation as an invitation, and he kisses me again. This time I don't bite him. "Give into me," he says against my lips as he loosens his grip on my wrist. I let my hands fall to my sides like a useless idiot and when he runs his tongue along my lips, I give in like a weakling. I want to be close to him... I'm so lonely and afraid all the time...

It's weak... I know it is.

I'm always so disappointed with myself... but he can make me feel so good.

Ugh, I'm a frustratingly self destructive person.

"I missed you," he whispers against my skin as he moves his mouth down my jaw and to my neck. "Please."

Please.

It sounded so genuine when he said it. I clench my eyes shut and kiss him back. My thoughts are too complex and my feelings are too warped to be much help right now. I can practically feel him smiling as I bring my useless hands up to rest on his shoulders. I slide the jacket off his arms until it falls to the ground as I sit up a little straighter and he hooks my legs around his waist as we kiss passionately.

It wasn't sweet or gentle.

In fact, it felt rough and desperate as I clawed at his clothes and he tore my blouse until it ripped open, the buttons popping off and rolling across the floor. I didn't think it could actually happen like that, to be honest, but I didn't seem to mind because I was in a totally different kind of state than a logical and practical one. He pulled my hair, so I bit his shoulder. He was slamming into me so hard that it hurt, so I forced him on his back and teased him slowly until he growled and used his strong hands to manipulate my movements. He's so strong that he can easily pick me up and throw me into different positions against the desk or along the wall and my nails are long enough that they leave angry red marks down his back when I scratch my fingers down his skin with the intention to leave a mark.

"God," he says as he pushes me up against one of the walls and he lifts me carefully until he slides right into me. "You are so fucking hot," he says and I kiss him again with my hands gripping his arms for balance. "What do you think, sweetheart?" he asks. I bury my face into his neck as my body starts to tingle. "How does it feel? Did you miss me too?" he asks softly as he leaves an open mouthed kiss on my shoulder.

"Yes," I say pitifully.

I shouldn't have said anything at all, because I could feel him smiling.

Smug bastard.

I was a sweating mess full of bruises and bite marks by the time we were both finished and I slumped against the desk as I tried to catch my breath. It made me feel better that Draco was in the same boat and after he was done getting off, he fell on top of my body with a sigh against my ear and labored breathing. His body felt warm and heavy against my own and I used my right hand to slick back some of his damp hair. It was nice that he was sweating too. It evened things out a bit. Draco was almost too perfect looking sometimes.

"Jesus," I heard him whisper and I smiled a little bit because I knew exactly what he was thinking.

That was bloody amazing and intense.

And it felt good to be close to him again... I needed this.

I ran my hand along his neck and shoulder and he hissed when my fingers ran over a rather nasty scratch on his arm. I kissed his cheek and relaxed again as I cradled him between my legs and closed my eyes. I felt at peace for the first time in weeks and as my body came down from the high of climax I let myself pretend that things were all right again.

"I forgot how good this little body of yours felt," he says with a smile as he sits up and hovers over me. I look at his naked body, glistening with sweat and flushed with excitement and I look away with a heavy heart when I remember why I was mad at him in the first place.

He's so good at getting me to do what he wants just because I want him so much.

It's not fair.

He leans down to kiss me, but I turn my head at the last moment. He gives me an odd look when I refuse to face him again. "What is it?"

I gently push him off of me and I start gathering my clothes.

I'm so mad at myself for giving into him.

"Ginny, what are you doing?" he asks as I slide into my knickers and I hook my bra back on. "Ginny," he snaps as I start to put my uniform back on.

He starts getting dressed as well and I can hear him buckling his pants as I attempt to button up my blouse... but I sigh when I remember that it's torn and most of the buttons are gone. I angrily take that off and put on my sweater with out it.

"Goddamnit," he hisses. "Fucking talk to me."

"I have nothing to say," I tell him with a tight throat as I right my skirt.

"Don't pull that shit with me," he says while stomping over to me. He grabs my arm and forces me to look at him. "Why are you acting this way? We just made love."

I narrow my eyes. "We just fucked," I tell him and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as I pull back my hair so I can put it in a quick bun. "That was it."

"Why are you acting this way?" he says like he was genuinely hurt by my actions. "What do you want me to do?"

"You could start by apologizing and actually meaning it," I tell him shortly before leaving him there in that stupid room that smells of sex and all things Draco.

My hands are shaking when I reach the hallway and I rest against the wall with my hand on my forehead.

That's how Daphne finds me.

"Oh, Ginny," she runs over to me and I glare at her as I try to walk past. "You're not still angry with me, are you?" she says as she follows behind me. "Draco made me swear not to tell you. He wanted to tell you himself and he would eventually. Stop being so mean to all of us," she says, but I continue to ignore her. "What do we have to do to make you forgive everyone?"

I stop and look at her. She blinks her big eyes at me. "Do you know a way to leave the castle?" I ask with an eyebrow raised and she bites her lip.

"Only Draco can open that passageway," she says like she knew what I would ask.

"Could you get him to open it for you?" I ask and she furrows her brows as I take a step closer. "You know he won't do it for me."

"Did you ask him?" she says and I shake my head, but I know he'd just say something to talk me out of it. "Daphne, there is something I have to do. I only have have a handful of family members not in Azkaban. Fred and George are on house arrest right now in Diagon Ally and I need to go see them. I need to know what's happening to my parents."

"But..." she trails off, looking sad. "But I'm sure if you asked Draco he would help you with that. He'd go with you and make sure things turned out alright."

"I don't want to ask Draco," I tell her honestly. "I'm asking you. If you were ever my friend you would help me."

"You would come back to the castle, right?" I nod my head. She licks her lips and gives me a critical look. "I'll go with you," she says. "If I go with you, I'll see what I can do."

"Of course," I tell her, only half lying. I'm not sure what I would do with here with me, but I'm sure I could lose her.

"Okay," she says nodding her head. "We're having a party Friday night in the Slytherin common room... it's Crabbe's birthday... meet me there and I can see if I can get Draco to open the passageway.

"Okay," I say with a head nod.

"But if I do this, Ginny," she says as she takes a step closer. "If I do this for you, you must forgive Draco. You must do as he says."

"Why is it so important to everyone that I stay with him?" I ask and she furrows her brows.

"Because it's what he wants," she says like that made sense and I furrow my brows.

"Why does it matter what he wants?" I question and she bites her lip.

"Because," she says seriously, trailing off uneasily. "Because it's Draco..."

"Whatever," I say with an eyeroll as I start walking away. "I'll meet you there."

The party was a loud ridiculous display.

Drunk people were crawling all over the common room and music was blaring so loud I just knew the teachers would come and break it up. I glare at my reflection above the fireplace. Daphne had me drink a polyjuice potion to look like Pansy because she said that Pansy wasn't going to come anywhere near this party because Blaise was going to be here. She still hasn't forgiven him for some grave offense against her, I suppose.

So here I was, stuck in Pansy's skinny body with a red cup in my hand as I glared at everyone in the room. I thought it was a pretty good imitation of her, actually.

"So, now," Daphne comes to me with a smile on her face. "I'm going to ask Draco if I can go get more wine. Hopefully he'll open the passageway for us."

"Why are you doing this?" I finally ask her as she looks over my face... Pansy's face...

"Because I don't want you to think I only liked being your friend because of Draco. Of course," she adds as she looks at him. He's sitting on one of the leather chairs by the fire place, glaring into the fire with a shot of some kind of dark liquor in his hands. "We probably wouldn't be friends if it wasn't for him, but I do like you, Ginny. I like you a lot," she says, giving me a beautiful smile.

I smile a little back. Perhaps I was wrong about Daphne.

"Thank you," I tell her seriously.

"But you must never ever tell Draco that I did this," she says worriedly, furrowing her brows as she looks at him again. "He would be so very angry with me and he gets very frightening when he is angry."

"I won't tell him," I say softly. I really have no intention of coming back.

"And you must start obeying him," she says and I narrow my eyes as I look at her. "I know that's a disgusting word," she says and I nod my head. "But he really does have good ideas."

"What does that mean?" I ask and she raises her brows.

"Just, be good to him, yeah?" she says as she starts walking away. "I'm going to go ask him. Don't look suspicious or anything."

"Yeah, right," I mutter once she leaves and I lean against the wall with my arms crossed as I tap my fingers against my red plastic cup full of some kind of foul smelling drink.

I see Blaise approaching me from the corner of my eyes and I look away.

Fuck.

I look like Pansy right now.

Fucking fuck fuck.

"I'm surprised you showed up to tonight?" he says as he slithers beside me. I ignore him. "As I recall you said that you never wanted to look at me again for as long as you lived."

I don't say anything and he laughs.

"I think this is the first time in our history that you haven't had anything to say to me."

"Go away," I tell him shortly because I really do want him to go away.

"Ah, don't be that way, lovely," he says and I glare at him. He smiles again as he props up his arm by my head. "Come to my room tonight," he says and I give him a disbelieving look. After the fight I witnessed between the two of them, why would he even try after he so carelessly hurt her feelings? "Finish what we started this morning," he says with an eyebrow raised and I give him look.

I don't even want to know what they were doing this morning.

"When you told me you never wanted to look at me again but you ended up on your knees sucking my-"

"Oh my god, you're disgusting," I tell him as I cover my ears. "I don't want to hear you talk anymore," I tell him as I start walking away.

He follows with an amused smile.

"In all seriousness," he says as he strolls beside me as I push stupid drunk people aside. "I have the blue prints Draco asked for," he tells me and I stop to look at him. "I would like you to look over them before I turn them in."

"Blue prints for what?" I ask and he raises an eyebrow.

"Are you drunk?" he asks and I shake my head. He eyes me suspiciously before licking his lips. "Right," he says and then he steps back. "Anyways, I want you to look at them. You know how he gets when every little detail isn't perfect," he says, looking at Draco. "He'll be gone most of the night and he needs them by morning."

"Oh, alright," I say uncomfortably because I don't want to arouse suspicion.

"Good," he says and then he smirks as he pinches my bottom. I look at him in surprise as I smack his hand away. What a pervert. "My room tonight," he says with an amused smile and I glare at him as he walks off.

What a bastard Zabini is.

God, no wonder Pansy wanted to break up with him.

I glare at his back, but I turn back to Draco as Daphne kneels in front of him, speaking to him with animated hand gestures.

I inch closer to them so I can hear their conversation.

"... but, please, Draco. I would really like some wine tonight and it will only take a second."

Draco glares at her and then he looks at his watch. "I'm leaving soon," he says and she nods her head.

"You could let us out then and we'll come back right after. Please, before you leave."

"Why are you so annoying?" he asks and then his eyes flick to mine. "Is it so important that she has wine?" he asks flatly, looking hateful.

I nod my head.

"Everything is closed anyways," he says sharply as he eyes her harshly. "It's a Friday night, Greengrass."

She makes a confused face, like she didn't even think about that obvious flaw in her logic.

"Oh, but they have those vending things outside of the building. It's the cheaper wine, but I just would really like some tonight. Everyone else has what they want."

"Why didn't you fucking tell me when everyone else was getting their alcohol?" he asks and she frowns.

"I didn't know I wanted it until now. Draco, please?"

"Fine," he hisses as he stands up. "But I don't want you to talk to me for at least a week," he says and she claps her hands and then looks at me with an excited smile.

He walks over to the fireplace, and I follow close behind him as he takes out his wand. I hover over his shoulder so I can watch him do it, and he gives me a sharp look.

"Move back," he orders flatly and I gulp before doing as he says.

He never speaks this coldly to me and it surprises me that he does it to his female friends.

The passageway opens after a few moments and Daphne thanks Draco before skipping past him. I go to follow, but Draco cuts me off with his arm across the threshold. I stop and fearfully look up at him.

"Have you spoken to Ginny today?" he asks levelly.

I shake my head nervously.

"Still upset over Zabini?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

Oh.

I nod my head.

"I don't care about your feelings," he says and I furrow my brows. "When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it," he says coldly and I look away. God, he is so mean. Why is anyone friends with him? "I am tired of this petty bullshit," he snaps. "Do you understand?"

I nod my head.

"Can't you talk?" he asks sharply.

I lick my lips.

"Yes," I say softly. "I understand."

He eyes me for a moment. "Good," he says before dropping his arm and letting me pass.

I follow Daphne out and we exit the passageway on the other side by moving a large rock with out wands. My stomach is twisting in knots as Daphne takes my hand and starts walking us towards Hogsmeade.

"Where are we going?" I ask because the Apparation point is the other way.

"Draco is here," she whispers. "He needs to think we're getting wine, remember?"

Oh.

I look over my shoulder. Draco had followed us and he's looking at his watch again as he pulls a pair of black leather gloves from his pocket. He puts them on and then he slides a black cloak around his shoulders.

"What is he doing?" I ask as he walks towards the Apparation point.

"He has a meeting," she says and I furrow my brows.

"What kind of meeting?" I ask and she sighs.

When he pops away, we start back tracking to that point. "Just a meeting. Stop asking me so many questions. I don't know everything," she snaps at me and I glare as she takes my arm.

We Apparate to Diagon Alley and I find my brothers flat with no problem.

I knock, but no answer, and I give Daphne a troubled look as I gently push open the door. It's unlocked.

That can't be good.

I walk into their small living room and look around with worry in my chest. Tables have been turned over and there are scorch marks on the wall from magic.

What happened here?

There's an arrest warrant laying on the ground. I pick it up with my eyes glistening with tears and I shake my head in anger at this new world we find ourselves living in. It's not fair. My family, my brothers, are good people. They're not criminals and they shouldn't be treated as such.

"I'm sorry, Gin," Daphne says as she puts her hand on my shoulder. I crunch up the arrest warrant with my fingers and drop it on the ground.

"I just wanted to talk to them for a little bit," I say with a sob in my throat. God, I hope they're okay. I sit down on one of the torn up chairs and I put my head in my hands. "Why is this happening to everyone I love?" I ask softly to myself.

Daphne walks over to me and sits on the arm of the chair. She gently pats my back.

"It's alright," she says softly. "Everything will work out for the best. Everything happens for a reason," she says gently and I roll my eyes. "We should get back," she says as she stands up. "Your potion will only last for twenty more minutes and we can't have you walking back into the common room in your own form. Someone will notice and I will be in trouble."

"What would Draco do to you if he knew you helped me leave?" I ask softly as I take out my wand.

She shivers a bit.

That's not good.

"Draco can be..." she trails off and gives me a sad smile. "He can be creative in his cruelty. Let's just leave it at that."

"But what does that mean?" I ask and she shakes her head.

"Let's get back," she says seriously. "Before we find out, shall we?"

"I'm sorry, Daphne," I tell her as I lift my wand at her chest. She widens her eyes. "Thank you for helping me." I tell her before blasting her with a stunning curse.

She falls to the ground, stiff as a board with a look of surprise frozen on her face. I walk over to her and kneel by her side.

"I really am sorry," I tell her seriously as I take out her wand and place it in her hand. "My stunning curses only last a few minutes," I tell her with a frown. "Don't hate me too much," I add because she was a genuine friend after all, but I can't go back to the castle. "And tell Draco not to be mean to you. You were doing the right thing."

I stand up and dust off Pansy's skinny jeans before leaving the flat and closing the door tightly behind me. I have no idea where to go now. I pull the compact from my jeans and I open it up, staring at the mirror, willing Harry or Hermione or Ron to call me so I can find out where they are so I can join them... but I'm not so lucky and Daphne will be unfrozen soon.

I leave the apartment building and cross my arms over the sparkly tank top and black jacket Daphne made me wear as I try to think of someone I can talk to who isn't in Azkaban, someone I can trust.

The first person who comes to mind is Delsia from Folk hills. She was always a no nonsense person and she seemed to know a thing or two about the pureblooded elite. Maybe she could help me, or at least, know someone who could.

I walk around the cobble stone street for a while until I feel the poly juice potion starting to wear off.

My hair grows longer and turns back to it's original auburn color. The jeans are little too skinny now and I hide in a alleyway as I pop open the first button so I can actually breath with out it causing pain. It's a bit embarrassing, actually. My breasts fill out the tank top a little bit more and my feet scrunch up in the uncomfortable heels. I take them off and glare down at my feet.

I didn't realize I was such a freaking amazon in comparison.

I grip my wand as I hold onto the heels and I think of Del again with her stern face and warnings.

Yes, I need to find Delsia.

I don't know why I feel like I'll find her at Folk hills. I know she has a life outside of the club, but there are only a few places that I actually know the location of to Apparate to. I find an Apparation point and pop to the entertain of the club. I doubt I would be allowed in looking as I look right now. In clothes two sizes too small and bare feet, so I go the service entrance and slip in that way. On my way in, I pass by my old bag and cloak check out counter and I see Nadia there, filing away at her nails.

She looks up as I approach and her eyes widen in surprise.

"Ginny! What are you doing here?" she asks with a smile like this was a pleasant visit. "I thought you were at school."

"I was," I say seriously. "I need to talk to Delsia, though," I tell her seriously as I put my hand on the counter. "Is she working tonight?"

"Oh," she says and she makes an odd troubled face. "No, um, she doesn't work here anymore."

"What?" I ask seriously and she nods her head.

"She was fired today," she says like it was scandalous. "For speaking out against our Great Lord," she says and I would roll my eyes if I wasn't so worried.

"Did they send her to Azkaban?" I ask worriedly and she shakes her head.

"No," she says as she taps her nail file against her chin. "I don't think so. She was cleaning out her office earlier. You might be able to catch her if she's still here," she says and I nod my head. "So what are you doing here?" she asks but I don't have time to answer, because I start running down the hallway.

Which, by the way, is fucking hard in skinny jeans that are way too skinny in the first place.

I finally find Del's office and I knock on the door before going in.

All of her personal effects are in a small cardboard box on the desk and she's standing by the wall, staring at the keys hanging on their hooks.

"Del?" I say uncomfortably and she blinks her eyes before looking at me.

She looks odd. Her eyes look... flat.

"Ginny," she says and then she smiles as she walks towards me. "How good of you to visit me?"

What?

I clear my throat and walk a little further into the room. "I need your help," I tell her quickly. "I'm not sure what to do with myself my whole family..."

"It's a lovely night, isn't it?" she says as she looks around the room.

"Uh," I start with my brows furrowed. "Okay, yeah, I guess it is," I say uncomfortably as I tug on the tight tank top I'm wearing. "But, look, I was wondering if you could..."

"I lost my job today," she says like she was walking in a fog and I make a face as she walks back to the wall of keys. "Did you know that?"

"Yeah, I heard and I'm sorry," I add impatiently. "But, look, you were right about Draco and his friends and you said that I could always walk away if I wanted to. I don't think I'm too far into this and I was wondering if you could help me..."

"What time is it?" she asks dreamily and I slouch my shoulders.

She acting odd... she's acting... I widen my eyes when the realization hits me... she's acting cursed.

"Del, who cursed you?" I ask softly as she takes a key off the one of the hooks.

"Is it ten yet?" she asks and I nod my head as she walks towards me.

"Good, I must be going. It's been lovely chatting with you, Ginny," she says before walking past me.

"Where are you going?" I ask as I follow after her.

I can't just let her go anywhere by herself. Someone cursed her for godsakes.

"Club house five," she says as she dangles the keys in front of my face to show me. "You remember that place, don't you?"

"Yes, of course," I tell her and she nods her head.

"Did you know that Folk Hills was built on top of the infamous Black Hills?" she says as she licks her lips.

Black hills. That rings a bell and it makes me think of Draco when he was telling me the story of our families blood feud. The Black hills were the land that our ancestors were fighting over because of the magic it was said to have possessed... because of one of the caves and it's pocket of magic.

"The Malfoy's have owned this land for centuries," she says and for some reason it makes me feel uncomfortable... like it made that story he told me real. "And clubhouse five is said to be one of most powerful places of concentrated magic on the entire planet."

"How do you know all of this?" I ask uncomfortably as we walk towards the clubhouse with soft steps.

"I work here," she says with a shrug. "They say that every spell and every potion and every charm is ten times stronger when it's in Club house five. That's why all the ceremonies and rituals all the purebloods have are hosted there... It's a hotplate for magic and wands."

When we get to the door of clubhouse five, she puts the key in the lock and opens it quickly. I start biting my nails, but when she pushes open the door, I freeze.

"I see you have brought someone with you."

Fuck.

No.

I let my hand drop and I widen my eyes as Lord Voldemort eyes us from his place in the middle of the room. There are torches blazing around him and robed figures with their hoods up are all standing along the perimeter of the room. I can't see their faces and I pinch myself to make sure this isn't a dream.

Holy fuck.

I turn around to run, but the door slams in my face and I feel my heart skip a few beats.

"Let's see what you've brought me," he says and then one of the robed Death Eaters comes towards me and grabs my arm, dragging me to the middle of the room, right in front of him as Delsia stands by the door with her cursed mind. "Hm," he says as he looks me over. "What, oh what, are you doing out of school?" he asks with a sinister smile.

Harry told me that Voldemort had looked like a monster when he came back, with a skeletal bald head, slits for a nose, and lip-less mouth. He was more snake than man Harry had said, but he didn't look that way now... he looked more like the Tom from the diary... if Tom had been drawn by a thing of nightmares. The creature before me is wearing an expensive looking three piece black suit with a waist coat lined in silver thread and a red collared shirt with a matching silk tie.

I shivered as I looked at his face.

He looks older than the Tom Riddle from the diary. He seemed closer to middle age. His hair is thick and as black as coal, cut in an older looking shorter fashion and combed away from his face in a stately manner.

He let his eyes flick over my face and body and I tried not to stare at him. His eyes were sharp and redder than embers. He gives me a thoughtful look before putting his hands behind his back and slowly circling me like a vulture, studying my body in a way that makes me wish I was covered in a large wool sweater. His skin looks like white wax, with odd grooves in it like it was partially melted in some areas and his fingers were long and pale, like spiders legs and yellowing around the fingernails. He looks like he was in the process of dying... like his body was decaying and it made him look like an animated corpse.

"They've sent me photos of you," he says as he circles me. "I know exactly who you are, Ginevra Weasley," he says and I try to still my beating heart because it's thumping so loudly I'm sure they could hear it in another country.

He stops in front of me and tilts his head to the side before reaching out a hand towards me as he takes a step closer. I try not to cringe away as he gathers some of my hair in one of his creepy hands and he brings it up to his face where he inhales a deep breath.

He's smelling me.

I feel like I might faint.

"Your scent is a bit different from what my senses remember," he says as he runs my hair over his pale lips. He does have lips, but they're as pale as the rest of him is. "But there's still that little girl scent in there underneath it all. It's quite charming," he says as he lets my hair drop and I gather it all in my hands, trying to rub out his touch.

"You remember... how I smell?" I say in a shaky voice. This was a different Tom. This was Lord Voldemort, not the cruel teenager from the diary. This was the frightening thing that had killed thousands.

"I remember everything from the interactions with my things," he says as he walks around me again. "It's a fuzzy, jumbled mess, of course, but I remember things," he adds, running his hand along my arm. Like he was deciding whether or not he wanted to buy me from the market. "I remember your blood," he says and it sends a chill down my spine. I even shiver a bit. "It seems our meeting is a bit premature, I'm afraid. You are still too young and I am still a work in progress," he says and I give him a troubled look.

"What does that mean?" I ask in a soft whisper and he smiles. His teeth are disgusting, edged around the corners with some blackish blue substance by his gums.

"This body is new," he says as he steps back and holds out his hands. "Made entirely of magic, but I only have a fourth of my full potential in here," he says as he taps his chest. "You have curse breaking blood," he says, taking a step closer to me.

I look down at his shoes. They are polished so perfectly that I can almost see my reflection.

"Generational, rare, curse breaking blood," he says as his crimson eyes dance across my face. His pupils are slit like a cat's and he smells putrid like a rotting corpse. "Blood that I can use to make myself strong. It has already started to work, as you can see," he says motioning to his face and body. "When I came back I was nearly a skeleton in a robe, but I am slowly starting to build myself back again. I am still a wonder to behold with my wand, am I not?" I asks to the crowd and they all agree with him.

I forgot they were there, to be honest, and I worriedly put my hand on my neck as I try to make myself as small as possible.

"You're going to kill me?" I ask fearfully as I imagine myself cut and drained of all my blood.

He laughs. "Don't be silly," he says. "I must keep you around for a very long time. I will not waste such a gift by going all out in one go," he says as he starts walking around me again.

It makes me uncomfortable. It intimidates me and I'm sure he knows it.

I start breathing heavy.

I might have a panic attack.

I need my pills.

"Your body," he says as he places his hand on my stomach. I want to throw up and my eyes sting with tears. "Radiates old magic," he says thoughtfully. "I am not a man anymore," he says as he runs a cold hand up my arm. I shiver. "I am a God and I will live forever," he says and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "But recently it has been brought to my attention the benefits of having offspring that share my blood. There are many spells and potions that can be derived by such a union and seeing as how your blood is pure and strong, I believe we could make quite efficient children. I am a firm believer in fairy tales."

What?

"Oh my god," I hiss as I take a step back. I'm breathing so hard no I can barely get a word out. He cocks an eyebrow and smirks like my distress was amusing. "Oh my god, it's you," I say as I widen my eyes and cover my mouth with my hand as I try not to faint. "You're the person who requested me... you want to be bonded with me," I say in disgust. I can feel the bile in the back of my throat as he nods his head.

"Like I said, this is a body built on magic, but I have taken measures to insure my future in that area," he says as he takes a step closer to me. "And I was able to splice out unsatisfying genes. All that I will need is your half of the DNA and a womb to carry such a creation," he says and all I can think of is giving birth to little snakes with red eyes that spit ink. I feel dizzy and I close my eyes to collect myself... I can feel myself sweating. "You should be proud, little Ginny Weasley. You will very soon be associated with the most power wizard the world has ever seen. You are lucky I have chosen you."

"I think I might throw up," I say around my hand and he narrows his eyes.

"Don't you dare," he says darkly and it makes my spine tingle. He glares for a few more moments before smirking again. "Would you like to see, Ginevra, why your blood is important to me?" he asks and I shake my head. "Good, I shall show you," he says, ignoring me as he walks over to the cauldron in the middle of the room. I didn't even realize it was there and I know nothing good could come from a cauldron that big.

I'm breathing so hard that it's filling up the whole room with the noise and I feel like the walls are closing in, so I start backing up, away from him, until I hit something solid. That something solid is one of the Death Eaters and it grips my arms to keep me in place.

He nods towards one of his Death Eaters. "Bring the unicorn," he says and I look around me in surprise.

I've never seen a unicorn close up before and I cover my mouth again when I see one of the robed figures bring out a small baby unicorn from the shadows. It's a small thing, laying on some kind of cart. It looks so out of place in this dark room because it's as white as snow and it's pointed horn glistens like marble in the candle light. It's too pure of a creature to be in this den of snakes and I have to wonder if I look as helpless and as scared as that poor animal on the cart.

It's tied with coarse looking rope that binds its legs together so it can't move and it's mouth has been harnessed shut. It's dark eyes looks wildly around as the Death Eater wheels it towards the pot. It looks impossibly frightened and, with out even thinking, I bust away from the grips of my captor and I run towards it.

"What are you doing with it?" I ask as I gently pet it's mane to try to calm it. I even try to remove the rope from around it's snout, but it's tied too tightly.

"It's so hard to find and capture such creatures," Tom says as he walks towards me and he lays his hand on the unicorn's head as well. He's wearing a ring with a thick black stone at the center that has a intercity carved S set into it. I flick a look to him in surprise. "But there is a whole colony in the forbidden forest at Hogwarts," he says as he pets it. "It's like catching flies there," he says with a sinful smile and I frown. "The magical possibilities are endless."

"What are you going to do with it?" I ask again, licking my dry lips as I put my hand on it's side. The poor animal is shaking so hard it's vibrating the cart.

He smiles. "You shall see," he says and then he puts his hand on my wrist and he pulls it away. "Back away," he says, nodding to the Death Eater who had held me by the arms. The brute comes back to me and pulls me away, but I don't even struggle because I am far too afraid. Voldemort looks to another black robed figures against the far wall. "Kill the half-breed," he says and he uses his wand to curse Delsia again as she walks towards the cauldron.

I forgot about Delsia. I forgot that she was cursed. Is this why they did that? Is this why they brought her here?

"No," I say as I try to run towards her. They can't kill Del! "No, don't hurt her," I say as the big death eater holds me back with firm hands. "Don't kill her!"

"My Lord," and old voice hisses and Voldemort looks to his left. "The girl is being awfully insubordinate to you."

"Yes, Wormtail," The Dark Lord says in annoyance. He looks at me and smiles again. "But she is still young and learning, and I am a patient Lord, am I not?" he asks and the others in the room agree with him like puppets. "Good," he says and then he looks at the fat death eater who spoke. "Get back into your spot," he says harshly. "You speak out of turn one more time and I will have your tongue," he says coldly and I blink out a few tears.

I'm even more afraid now.

"We all have to sacrifice something for our nation, Ginevra," he tells me calmly as he pets the unicorn's head again, like the disruption never happened. "Everyone has their role."

"No," I shake my head again as a man comes out with a large knife and he grabs Del by the hair, leaning her over so her throat is exposed over the burning cauldron. "No! Stop it! Please!"

"Do make her shut up," Voldemort says.

The man takes a gloved hand and sets it firmly over my mouth. I can't get it off of me, but I keep trying to fight it.

"Wake her up," he says as he pets the unicorn again with his long scary fingers. "The potion tastes sweeter when there's fear," he says and the man with the knife lifts his wand.

Delsia blinks and then she starts screaming like she was coming out of a terrible dream. "What are you doing?" she shouts as she tries to wrestle away from the man who's holding the knife to her throat. "What do you want? I'll do what you want just don't kill me."

"Oh, but, sweetheart," Vodlemort says in a sweet voice as he leans over so he can see her eyes. "You see, killing you is just what I want," he says and she starts screaming again as he motions for the man to cut.

I clench my eyes shut, but I still hear the knife sever her head. It lands with a plop in the potion and I feel dizzy, like I might faint... or throw up... which ever comes first.

"Good," Voldemort says and I keep my eyes shut, willing myself to wake up from this nightmare as I feel myself getting pulled forward. "Open your eyes, little one," he says and the hand that was around my mouth disappears. I blink reluctantly and open my eyes to see him staring at me with a smile on his face. "Dark magic is a dastardly business," he comments as he looks over my face. "But entirely necessary for the greater good."

My lower lip starts to tremble as I see Del's headless body get dragged away.

Then I really do throw up.

All over Tom's perfectly polished shoes.

I hear the other death eaters hiss and cuss at me, but Voldemort raises his hand. "It is alright," he says and he cleans the foul mess with a flick of his wand as I bring my hand up to cover my mouth. "I would be worried if you were more used to such blood shed," he tells me as he brings a handkerchief out of his pocket and removes my hand, dabbing the corner of my mouth where I guess there was leftover vomit.

I'm too afraid to even think that's gross.

"I always appreciate a mind that has yet to be molded," he says with a dark smile before throwing the handkerchief to one of his death eaters who doesn't seem too pleased to be holding something with my vomit on it. "Now," he says. "Where were we?"

I can't even move or speak now, I just keep staring at him as he goes back to the unicorn. I have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach as he strokes the creature's head again. I fear it's going to have the same fate as Del.

Poor Del.

I feel tears slipping from the corner of my eyes as Voldemort takes the knife from the man in the robe. He pets the petrified unicorn and few more times before slitting it's throat.

The noises it makes...

Oh, God.

I cover my ears with my hands while it struggles against it's bonds. The silvery blood leaves it's body through the gaping hole in it's neck and I try not to throw up again. Voldmort takes a golden goblet and gathers some of the gushing blood into the cup. Then he pours it into the potion that hisses and sizzles with the contact. He touches some of the silver blood as it leaves the unicorn's body and I watch him in disgust and fear as he rubs it in between his fingers before putting it into his mouth.

I always knew it was a grave sin to murder a unicorn, but even more great was the sin committed when you drank it's blood.

Tom Riddle was for sure going to hell if he died.

I've never wanted someone to die before, but I was hundred percent positive that I wanted Lord Voldemort to die as soon as possible.

I clench my eyes shut again as he has one of the bigger brutes come up and snap off the creatures horn. It sounded painful, so I was almost thankful the thing was now dead. They threw that into the potion as well and then he turned towards me.

"Now for the main ingredient," he says as he holds out his hand. "Why use a tiny vial when I have the source right in front of me?" he says with an amused smile. "Take my hand, little one," he says and I shake my head. He narrows his eyes, like he wasn't used to someone telling him no. Then he smiles sweetly at me. "I don't think you heard me properly," he says in a bitter sweet smile. "I told you to take my hand."

"I don't want to," I whisper and someone makes a disbelieving noise behind me.

His nostrils flare and he clenches his fist before bringing his hand up and grabbing my hair, dragging me to cauldron that way as I try to break free. "I am running low on patience," he says flatly as he pulls me forward by my hair."Don't move," he orders as he lets me go. I cringe as I rub my hurt scalp and my cheeks heat in embarrassment because every one of those stupid Death eaters saw him treat me that way.

Tears and snot are freely running down my face now, but he doesn't seem to mind as he takes the knife and cleans it on one of his Death Eater's robes.

"Now," he says as he pulls my arm out so it's hovering over the hissing potion. "This is like our first date," he jokes and the others laugh as I cry a little harder. "Romantic, isn't it?" he says sarcastically before putting the sharp end of the knife to my arm. "This is going to hurt," he says before pressing down and slashing.

I scream as the wound burns and he turns my arm over so the blood drops directly into the potion that hisses and spits and turns a glowing neon red.

"There," he says after a few moments. I feel dizzy again. He cut too deep and I'm losing a lot of blood. "Now," he says again as he pulls my arm away and he pushes me back. I look down at my arm, feeling faint as I try to press my hand against it to stop the blood flow. "Heal her," I hear him say dismissively as he throws more things into the potion.

A small figure comes over to me and when their hood falls back, I gasp at Bellatrix Lestrange and her demented looking face.

"You are such a lucky little girl," she says wistfully as she mends my wounds and cleans off the blood. "So lucky," she whispers again before going back into formation.

I don't feel lucky.

After a few moments of stirring and chanting, I suppose the potion is done, because he takes out the goblet again and dips it into the boiling pot.

"A toast is in order, I think," he says snidely as he looks at me and he raises the goblet. "To Ginevra Weasley, my very own fountain of youth," he says with a smirk before downing the potion.

It makes him twitch and he cracks his neck as the potions settles within his body. Someone comes up and starts pouring the left over potion into a set of silver containers and wheeling them away as the Dark Lord hunches over and makes odd noises that sound like he's dying.

No one moves though, and no one moves to help him. I wish he would just die, but of course it doesn't and when he settles down and faces me again, he looks a little more real, a little more human. The waxy, almost melted look on his face is gone. He looks more firm, younger, and his skin is a shade darker, like a normal skin tone... his lips have a hint of color now too. There's also something else about his appearance that makes him look less like a monster and more like a man, but I can't put my finger on it and when he walks towards me, he smiles again and takes my hand, bringing it up to his face.

"See," he says as he looks into my eyes and he rests my hand on his cheek. His eyes are still red, but not as cat like in appearance. "Warm," he says with a small smile. "Your blood is important," he says as he lets my hand drop. "And it will help me rule the world."

I swallow hard as the other people in the room clap like they just witnessed the most amazing show.

He smiles again.

"Someone please escort Miss Weasley back to the castle and make sure no harm befalls her," he says out loud to the robed figures. He looks back at me. "I will see you again," he says, touching my hair once more. "And you will be prepared for me."

I swallow again, but I can't say anything like a coward as one of the Death Eaters comes up to me and takes my arm.

I let myself get dragged away. I don't even care what happens to me. I feel like a zombie. The cloaked figure Apparates us just outside of Hogsmeade where the opening to Draco's passageway is and I don't even have it in me to act confused.

"Do you see, Ginny?" I robed figure says and I shoot my eyes up in surprise as he pushes back his hood.

Draco.

"Do you see why I've done what I've done?" he says as he takes my arm and start kissing my wrist where the wound used to be. To be honest, I'm relieved he's here. He makes me feel safe. "Do you see what I'm saving you from?"

"D-Draco," I stutter out like an idiot and then I lunge at him, hugging him around the waist as I think of that poor unicorn and Delsia. "That was the scariest thing I have ever seen," I whisper into his cloak and he kisses the top of my head.

"He's a madman," Draco says and I look at him in surprise. "And his blood isn't even pure," he adds and I furrow my brows.

"So," I say softly. "What are you going to do?" I ask as I think about his careful planning. "Why have you done all of this?" I ask, gesturing to the bracelet he gave me.

He sighs loudly before giving me a critical look. "I need Potter and his friends to keep doing what they're doing," he says and I'm confused so I tilt my head. "The Dark Lord doesn't plan on claiming you right away so we have time before he finds out about our marriage. He will be angry, but there is nothing he can do about it because the magic is so old. He will never be able to touch you intimately as long as I'm alive," he reassures me as I blink back tears. "He will never be able to plant a child inside of you. Our bonding will not allow it, but he will still be able to take your blood. As your head of house I can forbid you to give it to him, but he'll find a different way. He will use force if he has to. You saw him in there," he says gently. "He needs it to keep going. The potions last him a month and he has to take it everyday to be stabilized in the kind of body that he desires."

"Why do you need Harry to keep doing whatever he's doing?" I ask in confusion and he looks at me for a few long and hard moments before speaking.

"I have plans, Ginny, but I can't do them on my own," he says seriously. "I need something from you."

"Okay," I say with a head nod. "What is it?"

"The Dark Lord plans on taking your blood whether you want to or not," he says as he searches my eyes. "I'm asking that you give it to me willingly."

I feel my shoulders slouching. "Why do you need my blood too?" I ask suspiciously. I didn't know it was so damn special, to be honest.

"Because," he says as he brings his hand up to my face and he touches my cheek. "I'm going to kill the Dark Lord, Gin," he says and I widen my eyes in surprise. "And you're the key to doing that."

You're the queen, baby.

Blaise's words ring in my head as Draco looks into my eyes like he was trying to see my soul. After a few moments, I nod my head slowly and he smiles a beautiful smile before he kisses me.

I sleep in Draco's room that night and I fall asleep with a dark twisted feeling in the pit of my stomach, like a monster that's lurking in the dark.

You're the queen, baby.

The thought is constantly repeated in my head throughout the course of the night as I fall in and out of sleep. I wake in the morning to Draco's fingers between my legs and his warm lips against my ear telling me how much he loves me.
- 10
- 11
- 12
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Envy and Manipulations