Chapter 4 Redhead's Revenge
"Gosh I swear, little Gryffindors trying to sneak out... it's repulsive!" Pansy shrieked from the Slytherin table.
"Who did you catch this time?" a tall brunette asked Pansy, her amber eyes twinkling with wonder.
"Get this, Weasley and Creevy!" Pansy roared, bursting into laughter.
"I always knew Creevy was a bit on the curved side if you get my point, but I thought he would go after Potter, not Weasley!" the brunette pointed out. Suddenly her chair jerked out from under her.
"What in the bloody hell was that?" the brunette asked dumb-founded, looking wildly around her, seating herself properly.
"It was nothing Nevaeh, don't worry about it," Pansy sighed turning to back to her food. "Anyway, it was the Weasley girl that snuck off with Creevy!" Pansy snickered, stuffing a spoon of mashed potatoes in her mouth. Nevaeh gasped in surprise.
"NO! I thought she was too busy worshiping Potter too..." Nevaeh trailed off.
"That's what I thought, but apparently she was really flustered when I mentioned it to her," Pansy concluded, her spoon of mashed potatoes flying up in her face. She groaned in disgust, wiping her face off with her napkin.
"I swear if that's Peeves, I'll sick the Bloody Baron himself on him!" Pansy spat, sitting up. Nevaeh followed suit, and bounded down the stairs to the dungeons. Pansy stopped short at a small stone gargoyle.
"I thought no one was supposed to use magic outside of class!" Nevaeh huffed as she stopped next to Pansy.
"You know no one regards the rules, especially not Slytherins!" Pansy spat at her feet. Nevaeh backed up a bit.
"Geze Pansy, you don't need to go all psycho on me!"
"And you don't need to go soft on me. Perhaps you need to transfer to Gryffindor or something, you've been acting really strange lately," Pansy spat, tossing her golden ringlets over her shoulder.
"Now what's the password again?" she wondered aloud.
"Ice," Nevaeh answered, placing her hand over the gargoyle. A pale green light emitted through the top of its head, a trap door appeared next to them on the floor. Pansy opened it up and trotted through, stopping momentarily when she saw a nearby vase fall over. She shrugged it off, blaming it on Peeves, and disappeared into the floor.
Ginny wiped nervous sweat from her brow when she saw Pansy finally vanishing into the Slytherin Common Room. She heaved a sigh, chanting the Slytherin password over and over in her head as she slumped back to the Gryffindor Common Room. She ducked into the bathroom once more, removing the cloak from her rounded shoulders, quickly tucking it into her school robes. She dashed off to the portrait of the fat lady.
Minutes later Ginny found herself mumbling her own password, climbing inside to her cozy room. Before she could even hit the steps, a blurred figure bounded up to Ginny.
"Where did you go anyway you little sneak?" Colin asked, his eyes practically brimming over with eagerness. Ginny smiled at him, reached up, and patted his head.
"Dear, dear Colin; you'll just have to wait and see!" she sighed.
"Awe, come on! You can tell me," he persisted.
"Oh I would tell you, but, the thing is..."
"WHAT?"
"I, er- well, I um,"
"JUST TELL ME GINNY!"
"You see the thing is, I haven't technically done anything yet..." she mumbled, looking at her feet.
"What do you mean you haven't done anything? I covered you so you could sit around doing NOTHIING? Lupin nearly bit off my head when I told him Nelley accidentally transfigured your finger into a deformed pencil and you had to see Madame Pomfrey!" Colin huffed, disappointment oozing from his voice.
"I'll do it tonight, I promise. Just let me get some sleeep!" Ginny yawned, placing her hand over her mouth.
"Oh alright, I just can't see why you won't tell me what you're going to do!'' Colin shouted at her fading figure.
She lifted her foot to the top stair, determined to get some peace and quiet in her room. After all she needed to rest if she was going to sneak into the Slytherin common room. Ginny twisted the doorknob to the sixth year's girl's dorm, and trudged over to her bed. She plopped down, fully clothed, passing out within an instant.
*_*_*
Ginny's eyes snapped open as her bedside lamp flickered out. She snapped up in her bed, swinging the curtains her roommate had kindly pulled shut, open; and glanced at her watch that was lying on the table. Ginny's eyes grew wide with horror upon seeing that the clock read midnight. She jumped out of bed, wiggling her slippers on. She creaked open the door, careful not to shine the hall's light on any of her roommates.
Ginny flew down the hallway, placing the cloak over her as she ran. One awake portrait oohed as Ginny suddenly disappeared. She flinched. Bad move Ginny, if they find out what you're doing you could get expelled. She stopped in her tracks at the thought. I could get expelled. Ginny bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether she should, or not.
"If you don't do it now, they'll never be put in their place," the portrait called out, aware that Ginny had stopped.
"Slytherins gave me trouble too, don't worry, I won't tell," the portrait called out again. Ginny sighed, relieved at the portrait's words and dashed off once more, not bothering to see it was a portrait of Godric Gryffindor.
Her heartbeat pounded with nerves as she dashed down the Main Hall's stairs. Her every step seemed to echo through the castle, and around every corner she could have sworn that she heard Filch or Miss. Norris. Ginny panted as she stopped at the stone gargoyle deep in the depths of the icy dudgeon.
A shiver rushed up her spine as a burst of wind swept through the hallway, whipping her cloak off her frigid back. Ginny ducked down on the floor, her hands searching frantically for the liquid-like cloak. Her shirt fell off her shoulder revealing her milky skin kissed with freckles. She reached around the gargoyle, her hand falling on the silky material.
"Exactly what do you think you're doing in the dungeons so late at night?" Draco's voice scolded from behind her. Ginny jumped, bumping her head. She hurriedly pushed the cloak into the nearest crease in the gargoyle. She got up, smoothing her skirt.
"Tell me, why should I explain myself to you…" Ginny snapped, the moonlight caressing her face, setting her hair into a blaze. Her chocolate eyes narrowed with scorn. Draco only pointed at his prefect badge. He took a step close to Ginny. She heaved a sigh; determined not to let her body's will take over her mind. She couldn't help but tense up when he trailed his finger over her pale shoulder, tracing her freckles to her shirt.
"You should really keep your clothes on," he muttered, pulling her sleeve up her shoulder. Conflicting pain surged throughout Ginny's body. She gracefully stepped up close to him, her mind screaming out no. Her mouth filled with saliva, she licked her lips to moisten them. He moved close to her, sweeping her fiery hair behind her ear. He slid his hand down to her cheek, smoothly cupping her face. Butterflies flew up into Ginny's chest; she breathed harder and harder as he closed his eyes, face leaning into hers.
Her mind regaining control, Ginny pushed her hands out, pressing them into Draco's chest. He stumbled backwards, eyes narrowing into daggers.
"What in the bloody hell did you do that for?" he screeched, smoothing his hair onto his head. Ginny bit her bottom lip, backing up slowly. Draco raised his arm as to strike her. She flinched, waiting for the blow, only it didn't come. Draco huffed in frustration, smashing a nearby vase into pieces, finally sliding into the trap door.
Before Ginny knew what she was doing, she slipped her slipper in the door. Ginny's eyes widened as she took in the whole situation. It played back right in front of her face. She slumped to the floor, realizing how helpless she was with him. Her hand raised to her face, slowly touching the spot he caressed her cheek.
"Why? GOD DAMN IT, WHY?" Ginny sobbed, pounding her fist on the floor. With every shuddered breath she took in, the more she despised him.
"How can he make me forget everything I stand for with just a single word? How can he make me lose control? Oh, his smirk... God how I hate his smirk. I hate the way he touches me, the way he breathes, even the way he makes me want to kiss him! The way his hair casually falls over his eyes is unnerving. I just hate the fact that I can't keep my mind off of him," Ginny shuddered, her hands raking through her pin straight hair.
She sighed, picking up the invisibility cloak. She wrapped it tightly around her. Silently, she stood up, tip toeing to the trap door. She opened it up, returning her slipper to her foot, and crept down inside.
A slight chill filled Ginny as she walked down the winding stairs. The coldness of the stone crept through her slippers, freezing her feet. She shivered, pulling the cloak closer to her and continued walking down. Her eyes became droopy with every passing minute. Finally she reached a tall silver door, stone snakes tracing the outlines. Ginny gasped in surprise, a scene from her first year flashing back in her mind.
>Flashback<
"Come Virginia, I promise everything will be all right," Tom's sugary voice called out, pushing Ginny to open the doors of the Chamber. Her small, frail hand reached out, shaking. She wrapped her frigid fingers around the doorknob, a snake's head. It's eyes moved, staring up at her. Ginny's fingers retreated as she jumped back in surprise.
"I, I... I can't do this. I'm sorry Tom, I can't..." Ginny sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
"Ginny, you must. I... I need you. Do you hear me? I need you to help me. If you truly want to be with me, you will let me inside!" the diary screamed at Ginny. She clutched it closely reaching out for the door once again. She looked away as the snake handle hissed at her, twisting the door open.
"Good Ginny, good! Now set me down," Tom called out. Ginny hesitantly dropped the diary, it's fall echoing in her head. She slumped to the floor, afraid. Tom's arm came twisting out of the diary, followed by his head and body. She couldn't bare to look on any further, so she burried her head in her skirt.
She felt a slight tap on her shoulder, immediately picking up her head. Tom stood towering over her. His transparent figure reached out a hand to her. She reached up taking hold of his hand. Surprisingly enough, it was solid, and warm. Ginny shyly smiled up at him.
"I told you everything would be alright Virginia," Tom cooed, pulling her into his arms. She felt warmth spreading through out her freezing body. Tom looked down at her.
"Ginny, I'm sorry," he whispered, planting his lips firmly on hers. Ginny's eyes snapped closed as she kissed him back. A ghostly light passed through their lips, making Tom whole, color fading from Ginny's body. She felt weak, and wrapped her arms around Tom for support. He pulled out of their kiss, looking down at her. His fingers wrapped themselves around tendrils of her hair, as his eyes stared into her chocolate orbs.
"Tom, I'm glad that I got your diary and; I... I," Ginny began, but fainted to the wet stone floor before she could finish her sentence.
>End of Flashback<
Ginny shivered, remembering his warm lips covering her own. She remembered how grateful she was to have a friend who listened to her with so much attention. She shook Tom from her mind, reminding herself that he only used her. Used her to open the Chamber and make himself whole. He didn't need her then. Just like Draco.
"They're using me, plain and simple," Ginny sighed to herself, extending her hand so it reached the doorknob. Hesitantly, she wrapped her fingers around it, closing her eyes she turned it, forcing the door open. She slid inside, closing the door behind her.
A spacious, yet cold, green common room met her gaze. A chilly silver fire blazed in the fireplace, a dark green leather couch positioned directly in front of it. Ginny stepped across the creaky floor, bounding down the steps.
She clutched her cloak around her waist, feeling the already freezing dungeon becoming colder. How deep does this thing get? Ginny wondered, suddenly stopping in front of a corridor labeled boy's dormitories. She dashed down the hallway, coming to the second to last door that had seventh years carved into it. Ginny took in a deep breath, closing her eyes.
"I am brave, I am a Gryffindor, I can do this," she chanted to herself slightly parting the door from it's frame. The damp light streamed into the dorm room as Ginny stepped inside. It was finally cut off when she closed the door as quietly as she could. She stared blankly at the four beds; not knowing which one belonged to Draco. Ginny bit her bottom lip uncertainly, gliding over to the nearest bed. She parted the curtain a bit, her eyes meeting a breath taking figure.
Shoulder length chocolate curls framed the boy's face, his rigid chest fluttering with every breath he drew in. He had thrown his blankets off in the night, only to reveal plaid boxers. Ginny gulped as her eyes traced down to a certain large bulge. She snapped the curtain closed, afraid of what she might do, walking briskly over to the next bed.
Before Ginny could peak in-between the curtains of the bed, her eyes were drawn to a green clad book, bound by golden snidget feathers. Sight masked by her cloak, Ginny removed the hood of the invisibility cloak from her head. Her dainty fingers wrapped around the book as she bent down by the dying lamp, her fingers tracing over the golden paint, reading a single word: journal. Curiously, Ginny opened the cover. Looking at the top corner, she found the name she had been hoping to find Draco Malfoy.
She squealed in delight, clutching the Journal to her chest, an image from her first year flickering in her head. She pushed the idea out of her mind. A jolt behind the curtains jerked her back to reality. She heard someone knocking various objects over on their bedside table. Ginny pulled out some of Fred and George's trick eagle quills, swapping it with the journal.
"Who's there?" a scruffy voice demanded from the depths of the bed. Ginny pulled the hood over head, making her vanish from sight. Not a moment later, a rather ruffled looking Draco emerged from behind the curtain. She suppressed herself from giggling when she saw him in nothing but cartoony dragon boxers. His tight abs tensed as Ginny inhaled, messy waves tousled about his sleepy face.
"I said, who's there!" he hissed. Cold shivers rushed up Ginny's spine. Draco's foot dropped to the floor.
"I," the other foot dropped.
"Want," he drew his wand from his pocket.
"An answer!'' he sighed, stumbling right into Ginny, his foot hitting her shin. Oh shit... Ginny inwardly cursed as his eyes narrowed, his wand snapping to her throat.
"Wonder who I've managed to catch..." Draco drawled, a smirk spreading from ear to ear.