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Charon Calling by Blair
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Charon Calling

Blair

"I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!" Ginny chanted while stabbing her breakfast with the fork. He had left, opting to eat breakfast in the Great Hall instead of with the hotheaded 6th year in his room. She couldn't blame him for such a decision, and concluded that he actually did have a pinch of common sense. The events of last night still lay fresh in her mind, and the debacle of this morning only increased her deep loathing of the Head Boy.

After Draco had gone off to the bathroom Ginny had regained her senses. She was angry, confused, and most of all disgusted that she had let him touch her. In the wake of the kiss she'd pounded on the bathroom door, cursing Draco Malfoy to the seventh layer of hell. He opened the door and laughing said, "Sorry, Red, but I don't feel like giving you a shag right now. You'll have to settle for the kiss." That said he went back to whatever he was doing in the bathroom.

Ginny, exasperated and angry, decided that sleep was needed and Draco could take the floor. She walked over to the large oak bureau, which resided next to the bed, and started rummaging for something to sleep in. Following two drawers, one pants drawer and a sock drawer, Ginny found several white undershirts to serve her purpose. The bottom of the shirt just reached mid thigh on her, considering she was a tall girl of 5'8" and Draco only stood 5'11". Resigning to go without her skirt, it did little to hide her body anyway, Ginny slipped beneath the green comforter, drifting into dreamland soon after her head hit the pillow.

There Ginny received the best sleep of her life, sweet and peaceful was her mind, riddled with dreams of love and warm arms surrounding her. It was the perfect rest, the first time were her rest was not disturbed by nightmares of red eyes, a serpent, Tom Riddle, or the dreadful chamber where it all took place. Alas, such tranquility cannot last for eventually she had to greet the light of day. Unfortunately for Ginevra Weasley what she found in waking was something not to easily forgiven.

Draco Malfoy was lying next to Ginny, on top of the covers and wearing only a pair of boxers, his arm draped across his abdomen.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed and threw herself from the bed.

Draco woke abruptly clasping his hands over his abused ears. Ginny's face had flushed completely red, partly from embarrassment and partly due to anger. She clenched her fists in rage, angry welts forming in her palms.

"You fucking pervert!"

Draco just yawned, stretching his arms he replied, " Oh don't get your knickers in a twist. I was on top of the bleeding covers, and it should be noted that it is my bed, not yours. If anyone here is a pervert, Miss Weasley, it would be you." He got up and headed for the bathroom, as she continued to glare at him.

"Oh, Red," he smirked, "your knickers are showing." That said he disappeared behind the bathroom door, just as one of Ginny's loafers hit the door.

Ginny ignored him when he had emerged from the lavatory, and continued to do so until he left. A house elf had come with a tray of food, looking extremely perplexed, mumbling, "Master Dumbledore, crazy, crazy. No one in the room to eat, silly spells, silly spells." She assumed that Dumbledore had ordered her a meal, probably having a charm placed on it so that she could consume the food. Ginny found extremely unfair that even as a disembodied soul she still felt the pangs of hunger, which made no sense to her.

Much to Ginevra's dismay, she found her once abysmal appetite reduced to nonexistence. Her frustration with the situation she was currently in had caused her hunger to dissipate. Desperate for some form of release, Ginny began stabbing at her breakfast, growling out a mantra of, "I hate him." This disturbing behavior threatened to never cease until an interruption came, in the form of Albus Dumbledore.

"Miss Weasley, rest assured that your eggs were never fertilized, and bear no gendered for which you hate them." The headmaster's soft, kindly voice penetrated the young redhead's ears. Ginny instantly desisted abusing her eggs, blushing a shade of crimson resembling her hair.

"Professor, I.."

"No need, Miss Weasley. I understand that your living situation requires time to adjust to." He sighed and continued, "Now, you and I have some matters to discuss, some of which will require Mr. Malfoy's presence, but that will have to wait."

"Professor, I'm so confused about everything. Please explain to me all you know, I am no longer a child and I do not wish to be kept from harsh truths for my own protection."

"Why, Miss Weasley, I do believe you have done some growing since your first year." His eyes twinkled behind his spectacles, and Ginny had the inclination that Dumbledore had some personal joke with himself, laughing inside about something she could not see.

"I would have to agree, Professor, considering when I came I was barely five feet tall, and now I tower even over some of the sixth year boys."

"Yes, that is true, but not what I was referring to, but I think you know that."

Ginny just smiled at the kind old man her acquiescence to the statement. "You were saying Professor."

"Ah, yes, must get back on topic. Now, your food and clothing, as you have noticed you can eat. When Mr. Malfoy became a reaper, we were forced to meet certain needs of his. His body is corporeal, but it does not need food or anything to maintain him. In order to keep up appearances we experimented with charms and such to create a way for him to eat he food without a system clog. Basically the food vanishes after swallowing, you receive the taste and feeling of fullness but it does not digest. I felt that you would want to continue with normal habits, so you'll received charmed meals here."

"So basically I'm tasting food and avoiding hunger pains but not actually eating anything?"

"Yes, you see you mind tells you that you want to eat, though your body isn't there. You still feel the need to eat and cause an illusion of pain."

"What about bathing?"

"Not necessary but you can if you want to. Everything in this room is charmed, in case Draco's body gives way or something of that nature. I had every precaution taken when I found out about his condition."

"Clothing, you said something about Malfoy seeing to it."

"You two will pick up clothes for you an Mr. Malfoy can perform a charm which will allow you to wear them without other's being able to see clothing walking on it's own."

"Who is trying to kill me and why?"

"Honestly, Ginevra, we have no solid proof. I can give you speculations and that is all.

"Speculate as need Professor."

"The obvious answer is Voldemort. Why, I have no clue because I cannot think of a reason why he would need you dead immediately. Nor do I have any idea how he was able to execute the business with the chandelier.

Ginny thought she knew why he would want her dead, but it seemed silly to worry Dumbledore with the fears she harbored from first year. The diary had been destroyed and she doubted that he would go to such trouble for an ounce of revenge. She was a smart girl though, and decided that it was better to be cautious and ask.

"Professor, you don't think, it is possibly related to the,"

"Chamber of Secrets? No, I think not. Your dealings were with a memory, and though it was a dangerous one, it was only a memory. As you have said, you were possessed during most of the actions and remember little. I do not think if you knew something of great importance would he wait five years to take action."

"Thank you, Professor, I needed to hear that."

"You are not going to like what I am about to ask of you, but it is of the utmost importance that you abide it. For the time being you must stay within this chamber unless with Draco or myself. The person who wanted you dead may very well still be lurking about and if he has ties to the underworld…"

"Professor?"

"There is no telling what could happen to you. Your soul could easily be taken to another dimension. Heaven, Hell, who knows where, so please stay within this room unless Mr. Malfoy escorts you."

"I promise Professor." Ginny kept her voice calm, but inside she was a raging inferno. Did Dumbledore realize what he was asking her to concede to? Staying cooped up in this room, Draco Malfoy's room, and to only have it's prat of an owner to talk to. Ginny was on the verge of exploding with frustration. She suppressed the 'fuck you' that was hanging from the tip of her tongue and jus smiled at the great wizard.

"Good, please try to get along with Draco. He has an attitude but I believe you have enough of one yourself to handle him." Ginny had the distinct feeling that she had been both complimented and insulted at the same time. She didn't have time to vocalize this thought before the headmaster slipped out the door.

Life, or unlife, Ginny supposed, was seriously fucked up. She pitied the dumb ass that thought killing her was a good use of time. She was barely 17 years old and her only qualities to be noted was her role as a Beater on the Quidditch team and the fact she was associated with Harry Potter. Her life was mundane and nothing significant had happened since the Department of Mysteries and her role in that was small. Now, because some asshole wanted her dead, she was stuck with Draco Malfoy, biggest prat in the universe.

"Merlin, my life blows."

"Glad you finally came to terms with that, Weasley." Draco Malfoy, the object of her loathing, was leaning against the door and as always wore a smirk.

"Fuck you, Malfoy."

"Well if you insist."

"So funny I forgot to laugh."

"How original."

"Really should some one whose insults almost always deal with me being poor be talking about originality?" Malfoy just glared at her. Ginny just sighed.

"Listen, Malfoy, as much as I love our little spats we need to make an attempt to get along. We are going to be stuck with each other for awhile so we might as well call a truce."

"What are the terms then?"

"You don't mention me being poor or use the term mudblood in front of me."

"Done. In return you must not accuse me of being a death eater."

"Done. Also I propose we avoid shots at each other's families."

"Alright, but I'm not going to stop fight with your brother."

"That's okay as long as while you annoy him you'll maintain the agreements of our truce."

"So no Mudblood or poor insults then?"

"Yes."

"Alright I can manage that. Please note that we are still going to fight all the time, even with the truce."

"I'm aware of that, but at least neither of us will be taking cheap shots."

"Red, if you don't want me to insult your financial situation please do not mention cheap."

"You are such a prat." Despite the insult Ginny couldn't help smiling a little. The slytherin before her was truly the king of wit, and she could not deny the humor within his remarks. Of course Ginny finally came back to her senses and remembered the incident of the morning. All of a sudden she wasn't smiling anymore, but glaring, and Draco was looking like he wanted to run.

"Speaking of being prat, why the fucking hell were you in bed with me this morning!"

"Hey, we already went over this."

"If you think that we are going to be sharing this bed ever again.."

"Don't worry I'll transfigure the loveseat for you."

"And you couldn't of did that last night?"

"I'm a Malfoy, I do not sleep on loveseats."

"Oh, go to hell, you egotistical prat."

"No thanks, I'm fine where I'm at now."

"One day someone is going to push you off a cliff."

"That's nice, but for right now I need to get to potions."

Draco left the room, and Ginny was once again alone stewing in her anger. Pissed off and wanting to taste of revenge, she decided that since it was now her room too she was going to explore every inch of the Head Boy's private quarters.