All Harry Potter Characters don't belong to me.
The Source - Chapter Thirty Five
"Speaking"
<Thinking>
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"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore called out while standing up. "Please control yourself. Everyone return to your breakfast. Mr. Malfoy, Miss Weasley please come with me."
Dumbledore walked down from the staff table and was heading to the doors behind Draco. Ginny had stood up and waited until Dumbledore walked past before following behind the headmaster.
When Dumbledore, Draco and Ginny disappeared around the corner Ron slammed his fist onto the table.
"I'm going to kill him," he growled.
"You will do no such thing," said a voice from behind. Ron looked up and saw Sirius standing behind him.
Ron was furious and stood to speak to Sirius. "Even if I don't kill him, I'll definitely pulverise him," Ron said heatedly.
Sirius placed a hand on Ron's shoulder to calm him down. "I think you three should come with me. It's about time you knew about Ginny and Draco."
Ron and Harry were confused but Hermione nodded her head and followed Sirius.
Sirius took the trio to his room and sat them down. Sirius's main goal was to try and explain to Ron that Draco wasn't a bad person and if Hermione and Harry also knew then they might help to convince Ron. Also deep down, Sirius knew that it was mainly the Weasley family hate towards the Malfoy's that makes Ginny too afraid to admit she likes Draco. Sirius thought that maybe if Ron didn't hate Draco so much it would be easier on Ginny and so he started to explain what he knew.
Sirius told them about Draco's health condition, something that Ginny didn't tell Hermione in detail. To hide the fact that Ginny was the Source Sirius lied about Draco disliking Madame Pomfrey and didn't want to be treated. He then told them that Ginny wanted to heal Draco because it would provide good training for her if she could see the affects of Vervexia. Luckily Ginny had told Sirius what she told Hermione so he could stick with the story. He then told them about how Draco was being a spoilt little brat and wouldn't go to the Hospital wing to collect his medicine and so Ginny had to bring it to him every night.
Ron, after hearing this grew angry again but Sirius told him to calm down and listen. Sirius then explained more so to Ron than Harry and Hermione that Draco had been a real gentleman throughout Ginny's visits. He didn't hurt her or anything during the whole few months that she had been attending to him. Sirius also tried to reassure Ron that what he saw in the photo was no indication of anything 'improper' happening between Ginny and Draco, and that the photo was probably a fake. Though Sirius highly doubted it personally, it was the only thing he could say to ease Ron's temper.
Ron was doubtful as to what Sirius was saying but Sirius told him that Ginny had told him all this, and since Ron knew how close Sirius and Ginny were he believed what was said. Ron was now angry about Ginny secretly going to see Draco every night for the past few months and was planning on giving her a lecture when he saw her next. Sirius couldn't stop Ron from being a protective brother but at least Ron did not want to kill Draco now, which is some sort of improvement.
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Dumbledore had taken Ginny and Draco up to his office but didn't really say much. He just told Draco to control his temper in the future and then dismissed him so that he could speak to Ginny alone.
Draco had left Dumbledore's office still angry and in search of who had started this whole mess. He desperately wanted to speak to Ginny and comfort her but she didn't look like she wanted to speak to him right now so he would wait. So in the mean time he would find who started this and deal with them.
Ginny was sitting quietly in Dumbledore's office after Draco had left and was holding in her tears. Her world was crumbling down around her. The whole school had seen that picture and would jump to all these weird conclusions. Ron would definitely throw a fit and just this morning she was bombarded by girls questioning her. She had tried not to be noticed, but now she was the centre of attention and she definitely couldn't go see Draco anymore because everyone would be looking out for them. All this mess was too much for Ginny to bear and she dug her fingers into the side of the chair to stop herself from crying.
Dumbledore had become somewhat like a grandfather to Ginny after the whole Chamber of Secrets incident. He was constantly looking out for her after her first year and was very sad to see that she hadn't gotten over it, but was overjoyed when he found out that Sirius was helping her. Ginny had regained her self-confidence after Sirius had taught her how to spy, and when she set up her business in the school, Dumbledore didn't stop her because he believed Ginny could use other peoples secrets to her advantage but at the same time not hurt innocent people. Ginny would only use what she knew badly on bullies or people who deserve to be humiliated, and other people who are nice students, Ginny would try her best to help them but at the same time earn money. Dumbledore trusted Ginny's character and knew she would do the right thing. Most of the information students asked for were harmless anyway.
Dumbledore was waiting for Ginny to calm down a bit and she was now looking up at him and didn't look as tense.
"Are you alright, Ginny?" Dumbledore asked gentle.
Ginny put on a forced smile "I'm fine Professor. Nothing to worry about."
Dumbledore smiled back at Ginny. He could tell she was trying to be strong.
"You may be dismissed from class today, Ginny," Dumbledore said. "Just so you can have some time alone and clear your mind."
"Thank you Professor," Ginny said and then left Dumbledore's office.
The corridors were empty because classes were running and Ginny was grateful for the lack of students. She remembered what happened this morning and shuddered.
Ginny entered the Great hall and sat down next to her friends and had started to eat, but then there were whispers going on all around her so she looked up to see what was going on. Pieces of paper were falling down from the ceiling and she managed to grab one. It was a photo of her and Draco in the potions backroom resting against each other and sleeping.
Ginny's heart had literally stopped beating and people started to crowd around her demanding she explain what the photo was; Ron being one of the very persistent ones. Ginny couldn't handle what was happening so she had covered her ears and bowed her head down so she didn't have to explain; she really wanted to die at that moment. Suddenly everyone around her was moving away and Ginny lifted her head to see what else had happened. Ginny locked eyes with Draco and then she heard him demand to know who had done this.
Ginny reached the Gryffindor Portrait and said the password to enter. Ron, Harry and Hermione were waiting for her and she froze.
The moment Ginny stepped into the room Ron had stood up and walked towards her. She took a deep breathe and was preparing to explain, but Ron stopped her.
"Sirius told us everything," Ron said angrily before starting his lecture. "Of all the people to heal, you just had to choose Malfoy didn't you? What is wrong with you Ginny? Don't you know what a bastard that Git is? What were you thinking? Or were you not thinking at all?" he yelled at her.
Ginny clenched her fists and glared Ron. "What I do is none of your business," she said through clenched teeth. "Who I choose to heal and where I choose to heal them is for me to decide."
"You still will not admit you are wrong," Ron yelled
"There is nothing wrong here," Ginny screamed.
"You were sleeping with Malfoy!" Ron bellowed and then held a picture in front Ginny.
"We were only sleeping!," Ginny said back.
"It's doesn't look like it," Ron screamed.
"Well it's true," Ginny yelled back. Ron was obviously over exaggerating things.
"I'll send this to Mum and Dad," Ron growled, "then we'll see what they think."
"Don't you dare threaten me with Mum and Dad," Ginny said angrily and held a finger in front of Ron's face. "I could also send them pictures of you and Lavender, or better yet, I'll send the photo's to Lavender's parents."
Ron grew red in the face and ears. "You wouldn't dare," he growled.
"Try me!" Ginny yelled.
Ron and Ginny were glaring daggers at each other so Harry and Hermione thought that it was about time they stepped in.
Harry patted Ron's back and was trying to make him stop death glaring Ginny. Hermione placed her hands on Ginny's shoulders and was trying to guide her to sit down.
Ginny shrugged Hermione's hands away and snatched the photo from Ron's hands. "I know what I'm doing Ron so I don't need you babying me," She said sternly and then ran up the stairs to her room.
Ron growled before stomping out of the common room grumpily.
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Ginny locked the door to her room and fell onto her bed burying her face in her pillow. She breathed in deeply so that she could relax and think of a way to fix this mess. Ginny rolled onto her side and looked at the photo she had snatched from Ron.
<I guess Malfoy's Accio wasn't strong enough to get all of them.> Ginny thought sadly but then couldn't help smiling when picture Ginny snuggled up against picture Draco.
<I would have loved this picture if it was given to me under different circumstances, but because it is causing so much trouble I hate it right now.>
Ginny scrunched the picture in her hands and threw it into her trash can, where it caught fire and turned into ash. Her trash can was charmed to burn anything that entered it. Since Ginny had a lot of private information she thought that it was necessary to eliminate any thing written on paper.
Ginny breathed in deeply and started thinking about how she could fix this problem. Finding out who distributed the photo was a must, but convincing the whole school that there was nothing between her and Draco was the more important issue right now, so looking for the culprit would have to wait till later.
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Draco had gone to class after he left Dumbledore's office but he wasn't paying attention to what the teachers were teaching anyway. A lot of students were giving him looks during the day, some were laughing at him, some of them were giving him compliments (mostly the guys from Slytherin) and all the Gryffindor's were just down right glaring at him. Draco ignored all if this because his main goal was to find out who had distributed those photos. He wasn't as good as Ginny in finding information secretly but he was very intimidating and if he wanted to know something all he had to do was ask (in his own special way). Draco suspected who it was but he needed the proof, or at least someone who could clarify that it was that person who did it. No use jumping to conclusions.
Draco found the witness to be one of his fellow Slytherin classmates. It was a 7th year girl who was one of Felicity's victims of bullying. She knew that Draco was looking for who had distributed those photos and telling by Draco's grumpy mood, she knew that he would be really mad at Felicity, and so to get her revenge, she told Draco about what Felicity did.
"I was walking past the potions room this morning," The girl was explaining to Draco in a deserted hallway, "when suddenly Felicity Lateris came barging out and bumped into me. The camera she was holding crashed to the ground and broke into two pieces. I was apologising but she looked very angry and was about to yell at me when I offered to help her fix it. She agreed to let me fix it and also ordered me to develop the photos for her while I was at it. I did as she asked and fixed her camera while also developing the one photo she had taken. As soon as I had it developed she snatched the photo from me and warned me not to talk to anyone about what had happened. The photo was the same one the whole school saw this morning."
Draco was listening to this calmly. "How do I know what you are saying is true? Since you hate Lateris so much you could be making this up to frame her," Draco said.
"If I'm brave enough to lie to you then I should be brave enough to stick up for myself when Lateris picks on me," The girl said logically. "I've told you what I know Malfoy. Believe it or not it's up to you." And then she left.
Draco chose to believe the girl because all his house mates knew better than to lie to him. All except one girl who even dared to interfere in his life. Felicity Lateris.
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Ginny was in her bed with the curtains drawn around her and hugging her knees. Hermione and Harry had kindly told Amy and Colin that the photo was a fake and so now all four of them were explaining to all the Gryffindor's, who were gossiping about her, to stop and that the photo was a fake. Thanks to them Ginny wasn't bombarded with questions from her room mates, but she didn't know how the others were reacting because she hadn't left her room since she had that fight with Ron. Ginny chose to hide behind her curtains because she didn't want to see the looks she would get and even when everyone had gone to dinner Ginny still stayed in the sanctuary behind the curtains of her bed.
Ginny heard the door creak open and then footsteps walking into the room. Her curtain was drawn back slowly and she saw Colin's face smiling down at her.
"I brought you some food," he said with a small smile and then handed the plate to Ginny along with a fork. He then sat down on the bed and watched as Ginny ate.
Colin had been Ginny's very first friend, even before Tom Riddle and so she always had a special connection with him. Even though he was a guy, she still felt closer to him than she did to Amy or Hermione.
Ginny wasn't feeling very hungry so after a few bites she was just poking her food around with her fork. Colin saw this and took the plate away from Ginny to put on the bed side table. Only then did Ginny look into Colin's eyes and for the first time after Ginny's first year, he saw that she was lost. Lost within herself.
"The photo wasn't fake," Colin stated more than asked.
Ginny took in a deep breath and shook her head.
Colin smiled weakly at Ginny. "With my experience with photos I could kind of tell, but only after seeing you like this were my suspicions confirmed."
"We were really only sleeping," Ginny started to explain.
"Shh…" Colin said, stopping her from explaining anymore. "I know you would never do anything more than that."
Ginny laughed sadly. "You're the only one who seems to understand and believe me," she said shakily.
"Don't worry, Ginny," Colin reassured her, "I don't know what's going on but I know you will figure it out. You always do."
"Thank you, Colin," Ginny said and then hugged him briefly.
"I won't tell anyone that the photo is real," Colin said into Ginny's ear and then pulled back. He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Ginny. It was the photo.
"More of these were distributed around the school after Malfoy burnt the ones in the hall," Colin explained. "Practically everyone's got one, so I thought that since you're in it you should at least have a copy."
"Thanks," Ginny said quietly.
Colin nodded his head and then left Ginny alone.
Looking at the photo once and then slipping it under her pillow, Ginny grabbed her invisibility cloak along with her book bag and left her room quietly.
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Draco was waiting around the corner from the Great Hall waiting for Felicity to arrive. He saw her walking down the corridor towards the Great Hall and when she walked past his hiding place, he pulled her into the shadows and covered her mouth with his hand so she couldn't scream. Draco dragged Felicity into an empty classroom and roughly shoved her into a seat.
Draco slammed both his hands onto the table and leaned close to Felicity's face with a fierce look on his.
"What are you trying to do?" Draco growled. "Why do you continue to interfere in my life?"
Felicity smirked and slid out of her seat so she could place her hand on Draco's shoulders.
"Because I want you, Draco," she whispered into his ear.
Draco pushed her away and drew his wand out to point at her. Felicity had predicted his movements and so she too had her wand pointed at him.
"I warned you, Lateris," Draco hissed
"Yes, you did, Draco," Felicity said smugly. "But I didn't hurt her this time. I might have even helped her to be with you."
"You didn't help her with anything," Draco yelled. "You just caused lots of trouble and ruined everything."
Felicity smirked. "What's wrong Draco? Embarrassed that you were seen with a Weasley? Oh but no, it's not you is it. She's the one who is embarrassed to be seen with you, and that pisses you off."
Draco's grip tightened on his wand because Felicity hit the bull's eye. Draco did have a feeling that Ginny was embarrassed to be seen with him.
"Painful isn't it Draco?" Felicity purred. "The way she hides when people come near. How she ignores you during the day but is a totally different person at night."
"Shut up!" Draco yelled.
Felicity laughed. "You know that she's going to leave you soon. Now that the whole school suspects something, you know that she would start to back off. Get as far away from you as possible because she's ashamed of you. Hogwarts bad boy isn't good enough for the Gryffindor angel."
Draco breathed in deeply and then smirked. "And you aren't good enough for me Lateris," Draco said smugly. "You were only a replacement for her. Just a little thing to occupy my time but as soon as she came back I dumped you. Why stay with trash when I could have real beauty, something you obviously don't have."
Felicity growled and lashed out at Draco. He managed to dodge her and she fell over the desks landing on the floor in a heap. Draco smirked at her sprawled out on the floor and then left. Felicity hit the floor with her hands and growled.
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Draco wasn't feeling hungry so he made his way back to his room. As soon as he entered, he saw Ginny sitting in a chair waiting for him. Draco was happy to see her because he had so much he wanted to tell her, but her face was void of any emotion and Draco got a dreaded feeling.
"Malfoy," Ginny said as she stood up, "we need to talk."
Draco heard the coldness in her voice and tensed up. "Sure," he replied and then sat down in a chair opposite of her.
Ginny sat back down and handed him a vial of his medicine. Draco took the bottle and waited patiently for her to start.
"I can't come here anymore," Ginny said while looking into his eyes.
Draco clenched his fists. He was hoping that she wouldn't do this. "Why?" he asked in an equally cold tone.
"Because the whole school is suspecting something is between us and I don't want to give them an excuse to start anymore rumours," Ginny explained.
Draco was just sitting there looking at Ginny with his silver grey eyes. They were cold and piercing this time, not glistening like they usually were when she was here.
Ginny swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. "Ron also knows," she said, "He knows that I've been coming to give you medicine and so he's keeping a constant eye on me along with the other people in my house."
Ginny looked at Draco and waited for his reaction. His cold demeanour was scaring her.
"There's another reason you've left out," Draco said and bore his eyes into hers.
Ginny was confused. She didn't know what he was talking about and since she was not giving him the answer Draco told her instead.
"You're embarrassed to be seen with me," He stated.
Ginny was shocked. "Where did you get that idea?" She asked.
Draco smirked. "But its true isn't it?" The pain was evident in his voice. "All the times you hid when someone walked in here, the anger you showed when I bid for you at the school auction, you even said it yourself that you might be able to survive 24 hours with me."
"It's not like that," Ginny said desperately
"Then what is it like? Why do you insist on keeping us a secret?" Draco said angrily.
"Because there is no us." Ginny said.
"Fine," Draco said back "Then this agreement we have, whatever you want to call it. I just want to know why you don't like people seeing you with at times you are not obligated to."
"Because it isn't right," Ginny said.
"How is it not right?" Draco asked.
There was silence for a moment while Ginny pondered the question.
"You wouldn't understand," she muttered and then got up to leave.
"Ginny," Draco called.
Ginny paused in front of the portrait and turned around to see Draco standing in front of her. He stepped closer and looked into her eyes sadly. "Don't go," he said softly.
Ginny was trying very hard not to give in. She told herself that when the time came she would let go, and now it was time to do that. Ginny took a deep breath and looked Draco in the eye with as little emotion as she could.
"We are merely two students of Hogwarts, in rivalling houses," She said in her coldest voice "To me you are a blond haired Slytherin who is one year above me, and to you, I am only a little red headed Girl who is the sister of your worst enemy. This is how it was at the beginning and this is how it will remain." Ginny turned around and left Draco's room quickly, under her invisibility cloak.
End of Chapter Thirty Five. Thanks for reading and I Hope you Review.
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