"Grim Reaper? You mean as a soul collector, a death bringer?" Ginny was completely and utterly shocked. She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but that definitely hadn't been it.
"Essentially, yes, but I don't pick and choose who dies. As I have said before death is preordained, and today was not your death day." It was hard, wrapping your head around the concept that a 17 year-old boy was able to collect souls. The fact that said boy was Draco Malfoy, sworn Prince of Slytherin, made it even worse.
How exactly is one supposed to process a thought like this? Ginny really wasn't sure what to say. On one hand she was a little angry and wanted to accuse Draco of being a horrible person. Then again he didn't choose who died, so wasn't he therefore innocent of murder? It was all so confusing and she really didn't think any question she could ask would come out intelligently.
"So umm…how exactly are you a grim reaper and still living?" She was positive she sounded like a half-wit, but it was a logical question. She had never met a grim reaper before. The stories always said that they were skeleton death bringers who wore hooded black robes and carried scythes. Apparently the fairytales had been wrong because Draco Malfoy was definitely flesh and blood.
"There was an accident a few years ago, I wasn't supposed to die but a reaper fucked up and took my soul out. My body couldn't sustain me without some intervention, so death made a deal with me. My body was repaired, made stronger even, and in return I had to take up the duty as a Grim Reaper."
"So you collect every person who dies soul?" Ginny found this highly illogical. How could he maintain being at Hogwarts and taking souls? A person could not be in various places at one time.
"No, Red, I do not collect every person's soul. There are thousands and thousands of Reapers, and each one has a division."
"So what's your division?"
"I would think it obvious."
Ginny really didn't think that someone having a soul collecting division could have anything obvious about it. Not wanting to look completely idiotic, she decided to glare at Draco instead of responding verbally. He just smirked at her.
"Hogwarts, Weasley. I collect the souls of those who are killed here at Hogwarts."
"Oh," she felt extremely dumb at the moment. He had been right it was obvious, but it seemed that she was blind to the obvious, negating the obviousness of his statement. Merlin, she hated herself at times.
"Luckily there haven't been to many deaths, so I rarely have to collect souls. You've actually been the first soul I've popped in three years."
"You mean.." It was three years ago when Voldemort had killed Cedric Diggory. It didn't seem possible for Draco to have done it, Harry had never mentioned seeing Draco.
"Diggory, and all the other souls in Voldemort's wand. It was a horrible affair, since none had every fully crossed over, I had to lead each one to the next step. I let them do the whole goodbye deal, cheering on Potter, and what not, and then it was off to the great here after. I was completely drained afterward."
"So you were there, and didn't make any attempt to help Harry? What kind of monster are you!" Ginny was livid. Harry had almost died that night, Cedric did, and Draco had witnessed the entire event and had done nothing. How could anyone trust him with human souls?
"Now you wait just one fucking minute! I don't kill people, Ginevra, I guide souls! I can't interfere with fucking fate! Cedric Diggory had to die that day, and Potter was predestined not to. You can't fucking blame me for doing my job!" Draco had shoved himself from his chair, and was now leaning close, yelling his defense at her, each puff of hot breath hitting her in the face. She knew that despite her attempts to keep the fear from her eyes, it wasn't working.
"Listen, I can't change fate, even if I wanted to. You can't save them."
"Why not? You are the one popping the souls, you have the power to change fate." Banishing her inner turmoil Ginny stood, determined to make him see reason. He could be a saint and save millions of lives if he wanted to, but then again this is bloody fucking Draco Malfoy, Death Eater to be.
"Souls go bad, Red. If a person is meant to die and an outside force prevents it, well their soul begins to decay in place of the body. Slowly but surely, the essence of the person drains away. Why do you think we have evil in the world? People afraid to die cheated death and their souls rotted away. Any goodness they had in them left and become horrid and vile souls, Red." As Draco Malfoy spoke, Ginny could swear that sadness laced itself within those silver orbs.
"Very well put, Mr. Malfoy." Ginny had forgotten that Dumbledore was still there, and she felt embarrassed that she had been so hostile towards Draco right in front of him. "Now, I believe it would be best if you both retired for the night. Draco, I'm sure you have a spare shirt that Miss Weasley would use for bed." Holding back the urge to yell at the old coot, as he looked at them both over his half moon spectacles, Ginny watched Draco nod in acquiescence. The headmaster waved his hand in the direction of the door and Draco and Ginny obligingly walked out of his office.
Once out in the hallway, Ginny expected Draco to say something, but clearly today, as opposed to every day previous, decided to be unpredictable. The Head Boy just strutted down the hallway towards his room, not sparing her the least bit of attention. He had reached the end of the hall before he deemed her worthy of his notice. She scowled as he turned to her a cocked his eyebrow, in a demeaning, come hither, way. The red head stomped down the corridor after him, fuming at his arrogance.
Ginny thought she would never see the day when walking into Draco Malfoy's bedroom would cause a sigh of relief to escape her lips. During their trek to his chamber various students had walked straight through her, causing her to…well she really didn't know what to call it exactly. Apparating was probably the closest term to what had actually been happening to her. It was a very uncomfortable experience, which she did not care to repeat. Shaking off the discomforts of being disembodied, Ginny decided to let off some steam at the blond prat in front of her.
"You know you could've of talked to me on the way here, asshole."
"Yes, Weasley, I'm sure that seemingly talking to myself in public would mark me as sane." The prat had used that horrible drawl of his and that stupid, I'm so much better than you, look.
"Okay, maybe not talk to me, but you could've at least blocked people from walking through me."
"And miss your obvious discomfort? Sorry, Red, that would be going against my code of conduct."
"Code of conduct?"
"Yes. Rule number 3, if the opportunity to cause a Weasley discomfort arises use it to the fullest extent." Ginny glared at him, but was curious about the rules ahead of that one.
"And what exactly are rules 1 and 2?"
"1) Hate and aim to make Harry Potter's life hell and 2) Be generally mean to the Golden Trio."
"Wow, Draco, you actually went back to being your predictable self."
"Predictable?" His eyebrow cocked up, and his eyes got that look when he was about to do something particularly evil. Despite being perfectly aware that Draco was going to do something devious, Ginny stood her ground, staring him straight in the eye as he sauntered toward her.
"Yes, predictable. You have to be the easiest person to read on the planet." She said, ready for an onslaught of callous insults.
What Ginny wasn't prepared for was for Draco Malfoy to grab the sides of her face and lay his lips over her own. The first few seconds Ginny stood completely still, shocked beyond belief, but soon as his lips continued to coax hers she responded. They stood there kissing in the middle of his room for what seemed like forever until Draco pulled away. He licked his lips and then….
"Predictable?" He smirked and headed for the bathroom, leaving Ginevra Weasley with swollen lips and a dazed expression on her face.