Back To Hogwarts
Well, they would be in that bedroom for a while. She had to speak to Dumbledore anyway, about the upcoming attack. She disappeared with a pop landing just outside the door of Dumbledore's office and knocked briskly twice.
"Come in," said Dumbledore.
She walked in to see nearly the entire Order there. She hadn't been to an Order meeting in months…she couldn't afford to be seen by the Dark. Snape had never been as high in the Hierarchy as she was now. To be seen would be a fate worse than Death…as Blaise said, the Dark Lord had his ways.
She looked around quickly. Saw the red hair that betrayed her, the pity in the eyes of others. She didn't want it, didn't need it. In fact, it infuriated her. To think they thought she was pitiful. But it didn't affect her the way it would have a month ago, before this maelstrom of changes spun its course. Before she was part of the Dark Trio. Part of a higher cause.
She didn't want to waste time in the company of people who didn't know her. She merely looked at Dumbledore, who watched her with guarded eyes. She nearly laughed. He looked at her as though she needed to be watched. She wasn't weak, she wouldn't break or turn traitor. In fact, the greatest danger lay within the loyal themselves. They were weak enough to jeopardize the victory of the Light for their feelings.
"The Death Eaters will attack in three days. I have matters to speak of with you, Dumbledore. At your convenience, please come to my office. I will be waiting." She swept out, robe billowing behind her in a flurry of black as the door shut with a heavy thud.
The Order murmured and whispers began. Meanwhile, a redhead slipped out of the room unnoticed.
For The Light
A/N - Ok, some of you are going to laugh. Ron called his little sister "Gin-Gin" when they were kids (at least in my imagination). He mentions the nickname in here, and it's cheesy (it's meant to be). Just so you all don't get confused, he began calling her Ginny (upon her insistence) in public and all the time as soon as they came back from the Chamber.
The door to Ginny's office opened. She stood up, thinking it was Dumbledore. "Albus, I -"
"I'm not half as old as Dumbledore." Ron Weasley stepped into the doorway. Ginny abruptly sat back down.
"Get out." Her eyes were burning into his. "Get out before I hurt you."
His eyes pleaded with her. "You wouldn't do that." She laughed in his face.
"You don't know me at all if you really think I wouldn't. You don't mean anything to me anymore, Mr. Weasley. God, if any of you did, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I'd be back at home cooking and cleaning for you."
"Everything isn't as it seems, Nevra. We did want you to fight for the Light."
"Yet you pushed me away because I couldn't be a Healer…I had to be on the front line…just like you, and Bill, and Charlie and Percy, and George and Fred - notice none of you were turned out of the family."
"It really isn't like that. I can't tell you more, but -"
"Shut up, Weasley. I can lie to the Dark Side, say that it was because I rejected Harry's proposal…one which he betrayed, not me…so that they don't realize that Harry Potter is not valued higher than everything but life on the Light's side. But I don't lie when I don't have to…and I don't have to now. I think each and every one of you are pathetic."
Ron recoiled. "You - you aren't my sister. You can't be. Damn it, Ginny, we're family."
She said bluntly. "No we aren't. Not anymore. And you have no one to blame but yourself."
"Mom was the one who -'
"That's just like you - to blame it on someone else. Like when we were little and we did pranks together, you always ran away and left me with the punishment. Whatever, it's long past. But it is your fault…the whole family's. Because everyone stepped back and let Molly Weasley do it. No one said a word in my favor."
He just stood there, looking at her. He had been about to reveal it all, say that Molly Weasley had been the one who made the decision to push her away to save her from the scrutiny of the Dark Side. But there was no response he could make to her. He hadn't said a word against her disownment…to protect her. To save her. He couldn't tell her that it had hurt them just as much as it had hurt her. That Molly Weasley had cried for a month…that she still cried every night when she looked at the clock, now missing Ginny's name. He couldn't. They still had to protect her, even if she didn't realize that they were doing it for her.
"Get out, Weasley." He looked and wished he could say something. Since he couldn't, he merely walked away.
On the way back to Dumbledore's office, he walked by Dumbledore himself. Suddenly fury filled him. He stepped in front of the old man, who stopped and said, "Yes, Ron?"
His words were poison. "You killed our family. I don't have a sister anymore. She - she's let us go. This isn't protecting her - this - this - it's killing who she used to be. And I don't like who she's becoming!"
Dumbledore looked at him sadly. "It is protecting her from being found out as a spy. And you do believe that, or you would have told her the truth. We all do what we must for the Light - even sacrifice our loved ones. But just because you don't know the person she is becoming, doesn't mean she's becoming a bad person."
"She isn't feeling anything anymore! You call that not bad?"
"She isn't feeling anything for you. That doesn't mean she isn't feeling."
"Who, then? Who does she feel for?"
"That is her business. Not that I have any idea. All I know is that she told me that her loyalties are to Love itself…and as long as that remains she will be loyal to the Light, because the Dark never has believed in Love. Ever."
Ron turned his face away from Dumbledore's gaze. "The "higher good" doesn't seem to matter. All I can see is my baby sister, my Gin-Gin, is changing into this jaded, hateful thing. And I could make it better if I just told her. I could bring her back to us."
Dumbledore sighed. "We all do what we must. For the Light."
Ron nodded. "For the Light."
Dangerous Thoughts
July 16, 2005 - Hi guys! I'm speechless (not wordless, note the chapter below!). The sixth book…well, my predictions were right about who dies…but the Half Blood Prince…I could have never guessed. Anyway, I am attempting to integrate this story into the new circumstances of book six, so please go back and read the A/N edits of chapters 2 and 4 to get more information. Also, to adjust…Draco freed Lucius after he attained the Dark Mark as his Initiation to the Inner Circle. More details about that in this chapters. Details about Snape being loyal to the Light and Dumbledore being alive will come in later chapters. Now…on to the story! Enjoy!
Blaise turned from the doorknob. Neither of the men before him glanced in his direction, their focus fully upon each other. He casually gestured with a hand, raising a wall of sapphire between the two. Draco started in surprise, Lucius whirled to face him.
Blaise smiled. "Well, I can't have you two throwing spells at each other when I'm in the room, can I? Might destroy my pretty face if you miss." Neither showed signs of amusement. Lucius actually sneered at him.
Blaise addressed Draco. "I am assuming this is about that lovely redhead just outside your door? If it is, shouldn't I be included…considering I was the one who suggested her?" Blaise asked as he walked over to stand beside Draco.
Lucius took an involuntary step toward him behind the sapphire wall, his wand out. "You? You suggested that - that whore - for your Trio. You?"
Draco's jaw clenched and Blaise's hold on his arm tightened as he smiled at the old fanatic through the blue haze. "Hmm, yes. Although I must say, insulting powerful females' virtue is the oldest slander in the books…and nearly always wrong. Nevra could have never gotten where she's at if she bedded every man she saw."
"No, she just beds the ones that count. Even a Zabini should exercise some self-restraint." Blaise ignored the innuendo involved with that statement. It didn't matter.
Finally Draco spoke, his voice ice. "Nevra has been Initiated into the Inner Circle and Allied with the Dark Trio. You have no say in the matter and never did. This talk is over." Lucius sneered.
"Going to turn out your own father for the girl. She must be something wild. Don't even think you'll get your inheritance after this." Draco tensed again then relaxed.
"My father is Tom Riddle now. I have no need of the Malfoy inheritance when I can have the world from my father." Lucius's eyes widened and Draco smirked. "You never really are truly loyal to anyone, are you, Lucius? Not even the Lord that has ruled your life…not even the Lord that freed you from Azkaban."
"The Dark Lord didn't do that, you did."
"But I never would have unless He had made it a requirement for my Initiation into the Inner Circle. Things are so much easier when you are locked away so you can't hurt yourself. But the Dark Lord rewards his followers…loyal or not."
Lucius's eyes were filled with an unknown emotion as he stepped into the green fire and spun away on the Floo network.
Draco smiled. "I have never seen that look on his face before…but I think it's a good thing for me that he looks that way."
Blaise knew instinctively what Lucius Malfoy had felt. "He's scared."
He grinned at Draco…who grinned back, the reckless smile lighting his grim features for an instant, the reminder of youth and innocence poignant. The memories of countless pranks at Hogwarts and merry laughter. Blaise sighed in regret. What he wouldn't do for another year of that…of innocence and childhood.
Draco sighed as well. "He's scared of me…kind of ironic. Remember I used to hide in the Room of Requirement whenever he used to come to school…he never did find me…but I don't admire him anymore. I'm not scared of him. He's not the idol he used to be. He's just a weak, old, Dark fanatic…Is that what will happen to all of us as time passes? Will we fall from being the best of the best, to someone disdained as old and past our time? When Voldemort is gone -"
"Don't Draco. Lucius, and you and me…we may come and go…maybe even Him someday. Not that it's likely - I don't think he's human anymore. But don't hasten your fall from glory by thinking thoughts like that. As skilled an Occlumens as you are, you can't hide thoughts like that from the Dark Lord. Better not to have them at all."