The Vampiress and Veelan

Nival Vixen

Rating: R
Genres: Romance, Suspense
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 6
Published: 03/08/2006
Last Updated: 28/12/2013
Status: in_progress

Ginevra finds out that she is a Vampiress and works to show everyone that she can be happy with who and what she is becoming. Draco is a Veelan and discovers that Ginevra is immune to his charms... The future always changes. DG

Chapters

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Twp

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

7. Chapter Seven

8. Chapter Eight

9. Chapter Nine

10. Chapter Ten

11. Chapter Eleven

12. Chapter Twelve

13. Chapter Thirteen

14. Chapter Fourteen

15. Chapter Fifteen

16. Chapter Sixteen

17. Chapter Seventeen

18. Chapter Eighteen

19. Chapter Nineteen

20. Chapter 20

21. Chapter Twenty-One

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

24. Chapter Twenty Four

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

26. Chapter Twenty Six

27. Chapter Twenty Seven

28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

29. Chapter Twenty Nine

30. Chapter Thirty

31. Chapter Thirty-One

32. Chapter Thirty-Two

33. Chapter Thirty-Three

34. Chapter 34

35. Chapter 35

36. Chapter 36

1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue.

(a/n: I know this kind of story where a character is a vampire seems to be cliched and overused, but I am trying to make it my own work, so please be patient!

No flames unless you have a ruddy good reason!

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter One

Ginny sat down at the table, wondering what was going on. Already there was her father, her mother and Albus Dumbledore. No one else had been called in, save Ginny. She looked from her parents to the Headmaster. Molly and Arthur looked apprehensive and nervous, while Albus was only smiling knowingly.

"Is this about the swamp? I didn't know that the twins were actually going to use the spell! Honestly!" she said quickly. Dumbledore shook his head.

"My being here is not about the swamp, Miss Weasley," he said. Ginny sighed in relief.

"Then ignore everything I just said," she said with a grin.

"We have something important to tell you, Ginny," Arthur said, sounding forlorn. Ginny's grin faded. "What do you know about the Weasley's family history?" He asked her seriously. She frowned at his question.

"We've been here for centuries, longer than the Malfoys', I think," Ginny said. "If I'd known I was going to be tested, I would have studied," she said, smiling.

"Stop being childish Ginevra and listen to your father!" Molly snapped. Ginny stared at her mother in shock. Molly had never yelled or raised her voice at her before.

"It's all right, Molly," Arthur said, patting his wife's hand. He looked back to Ginny with a strained smile. "We arrived here almost at the same time as the Malfoy's did. A day or two in front or behind, it doesn't matter. Our families were friend's back then, and one of the Weasley daughters, Emelia, fell in love with their son, Edward. They married each other and Emelia soon fell pregnant. During her pregnancy, Emelia was bitten by a Vampire. It was through no fault of her own, nor was it Edward's fault. Amazingly, Emelia didn't become a Vampiress. Her daughter, however, did. Emelia went into labour and birthed a silver-eyed, red-haired Vampiress. That was five centuries ago. Emelia loved Virginia as any parent loves their child and went on to have another three children. They were all boys, and none of them turned into Vampires. Virginia married her second cousin, Marick Malfoy and they had two children, one boy, and one girl. The first born, the boy didn't become a Vampire, but his sister did. No, Virginia was not bitten during her pregnancy, and the gene that she had to become a Vampiress would have passed on to her son if she had been bitten," Arthur said.

"All right... How does this affect me?" Ginny asked.

"All of the Weasley-born women have the same gene that Virginia Malfoy, nee Weasley, had. They all became Vampiress'. They went through their life watching as their sisters, mothers, aunts and female cousins became Vampiress', while their brothers, fathers, uncles, and male cousins lived their normal lives. All of the Weasley-born women have a gene inside of them that makes them become a Vampiress. You are a Weasley-born female Ginny and that gene is in you too. You're a Vampiress," Arthur said. She stared at him in shock, then smiled frostily and stood up.

"Thank you for telling me that, father. I'm going to my room now," she said in a neutral tone, then went up to the attic.

Ginny had made a deal with the ghoul. As long as she could sleep in the attic, he could rattle chains and bang pipes in her old room as much as he liked. Molly hadn't been too happy until she realised that Ginny had made Charlie soundproof her room.

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Ginny slammed the door behind her and flopped onto the bed with a sigh.

A Vampire, huh? That's not going to be good for my social life... Ha, what social life? She thought to herself with a huff. Someone knocked on her door politely. Knowing her family, she sighed and sat up.

"Come in, Professor," she said. Albus opened the door and walked in, his eyes twinkling.

"Hello, Ginevra. How do you feel after hearing that news?" He asked, closing the door behind him.

"I'm angry. Why didn't they tell me about this sooner? I'm sixteen for the Gods sakes! Why not when I hit puberty or something?" She asked, too angry to blush or be modest about her words. Albus smiled.

"The gene is only activated three years after your menstruation cycle begins. Something to do with the proper cycle, I believe," Albus said with a grin. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a wrapped lolly. "Lemon drop?" He offered.

"Thank you," Ginny said and took the offered sweet.

"I have made a list of books that I would recommend you read so you can understand what is happening to you," Albus said, placing a scroll on her desk. "Most of the books on the list you will find inside the chest in the cupboard," he said, indicating to the cupboard beside Ginny's bed. "You will also be required to take other subjects to help you refine your new abilities. You have everything written in this letter," he said, placing a Hogwarts envelope next to the scroll. "If you need anything else, then do not be afraid to owl me and ask. I will be glad to help in any way I can," Albus said. Ginny nodded.

"Do you think I should tell anyone?" She asked before he could leave. Albus turned and smiled at her.

"You can tell whoever you feel to be trustworthy. It is ultimately your own choice. Your brothers are all being told now," he said, then walked out of her room. Ginny rolled back onto her bed and hugged her teddy bear tightly. After a few minutes, she rolled over again and with a sigh, went over to her desk. She took the scroll and envelope, then sitting on her beanbag, began to read them in the fading daylight.

Ginevra Weasley,

6th Grade at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Chosen and compulsory subjects:

Transfiguration- M. McGonagall

Astronomy- O. Rion

Potions- S. Snape

Divination- Firenze

Defence Against the Dark Arts- R.J Lupin and A. Moody

Charms- F. Flitwick

Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid

Rune Studies- K. Yepir

Extracurricular studies:

Society and the affects on an outsider- R.J. Lupin

Emotions and control- S. Snape

Seeing the future- Firenze and S. Trelawney

Sensitive senses- R. Hagrid and O. Maxime

Medieval and modern fighting- A. Moody

Changing shapes and forms- N. Tonks and M. McGonagall

History of mythical beings- W. Binns

Living to an old age and the benefits- A. Dumbledore

The books and equipment you will need for this year are written on the next page.

We look forward to seeing you!

Happy learning!

A. Dumbledore

Ginny looked over the page, and sighed in relief when she saw that the books were only for her normal subjects. She untied the scroll, wincing as the parchment flowed over her knees and landed just past her feet. She hoped that Dumbledore had really big writing...

Ginevra,

Before I write the books you will need, I am required to tell you this...

For the next two years at Hogwarts, you will be taught by various Professors, on various subjects to help you understand who you are and what you are becoming, as both a person and a Vampiress.

As you have probably heard, Vampires and Vampiress', have the tendency to drink blood. However, contrary to popular wizard and Muggle belief, not all drink blood. If you feel the urge at any time to drink another's blood, get away from them as quickly as you can achieve and proceed to contact me immediately

As no one is sure whether you will have this tendency, you will be given your own room, just in case. If you have any problems about this arrangement, then please owl me and tell me, so we can organise something better suited to your liking.

You will be allowed to come to Hogwarts two days earlier than the other students to decorate your room according to your own preferences. During this time your training can begin so as to get you acquainted with the routine straightaway. Your parents have already been told about this, so you have no need to tell them.

In addition, you will also be allowed in the Restricted Section of the library, as long as you tell Madam Pince exactly what book you are researching. You will be stopped from going in if the book is not one that will help you with understanding what you are going through. I know you will understand.

We all look forward to seeing you on Friday the 30th of August!

Enjoy the rest of your holidays, and keep safe.

A. Dumbledore.

Ginny glanced at the list of books, then sighed and pushed the scroll off of her. She stood up awkwardly and went over to the cupboard. Realising that she could still see, even though it was night, Ginny pulled the chest of books out quickly and opened the latch on the front. The lid sprung open to reveal hundreds of books, magically shrunk to fit inside the chest. Ginny looked at the list again, then took out the book on the top of it. 'The Weasley family: their history since arriving in England'. Their family crest was on the front, and the wyvern roared and spat friendly fire at her to show his recognition.

Ginny had to know what was happening to her, especially since she had just lifted a chest that she'd struggled with not only last week! She closed her curtains and lit the candles, then sat down on her beanbag to read. The introduction read much like what Arthur had already told her about their family over the years, so Ginny skipped right to the information on Virginia Weasley.

Virginia Weasley (nee Malfoy). (1705- present)

Virginia Weasley is the oldest Weasley in history. Over five centuries old, Virginia outdates all Weasley's, even your Great-Great-Great-Great Uncle Milbert, who died of boredom last year.

Virginia has the traditional red hair, and although she was born a Vampiress, the effects did not take affect until she turned seventeen years old. She has looked seventeen everyday since, only putting on weight when pregnant with her two children, Maverick II and Francesca (see below). Virginia has the ability to look older when she chooses, often selecting an old woman when she has the need. Unfortunately, Virginia had the Thirst and often risked her own life to Drink others, until she married Maverick at twenty. He allowed her to Drink from him and in doing so, became an immortal as well. (See below.)

Francesca was also a Vampiress until she played a trick on a Muggle village and was killed when captured. The two Muggles that killed Francesca went missing a week later and their bodies were never recovered. Neither Virginia, nor her husband have made a public statement about that affair, and 'do not wish to, and for these bloody books to leave them alone'.

For more information on Virginia, her husband or their children, find it yourself!

Ginny shook her head at the book, then closed it with a thud. Grabbing another book from the chest that was also on the list, Ginny started to read that.

Vampires are nocturnal beings, and are often associated with bats in both the Muggle and wizard worlds. Although some Vampires may turn into bats naturally, it is rare that someone comes across a morphing Vampire. Often, the person turning into a bat is only a wizard with their Animagus licence trying to scare a Muggle or fellow wizard. Vampires heal quickly, as their blood and skin regenerates two times faster than that of mortals.

Vampires are the only beings that are unaffected by the Veela's hypnotic dance. This started a war in the 19th century, as one Veela was so desperate to attract a Vampire that every woman and man in a ten-kilometre radius became attracted to her instead. These included the Vampire's wife and son (his daughter was unaffected). As Vampires mate for life, the Vampire in question threatened the Veela's life unless his wife and son were returned. The Veela by then, had no control and kept dancing. In his rage, the Vampire killed her. Set out for revenge, the Veela's family killed him and his family.

Both sides made a huge mistake, as they had killed the Veela Princess and the Vampire Prince. Although the war ended a century later, the two sides have had an uneasy truce ever since. It is only in the last few years that Veela's and Vampires have been able to attend functions without an argument or at least one death occurring.

Vampires and Werewolves came to a truce two centuries ago, when the Vampire Princess and Werewolf Prince fell in love and produced children. The two leaders of each clan only spoke to each other at the birth- they both demanded that their children marry. Two arguments and one death occurred at the wedding, but that was irrelevant to the werewolf or Vampiress in question- one Vampiress found out that her husband was having an affair (the ultimate insult and offence) and she killed him, after two arguments.

Vampires and Centaurs respect each other. As of yet, they have not had any wars, marriages or deaths caused by the other species. They both intend to keep it that way, as they both know that the other side are messy and ruthless warriors when the need arises. They distance themselves from the other in an attempt to keep it this way.

Vampires' reflexes are faster than that of normal beings, wizards included. Their reflexes are so fast that people often refuse to fight against them unless they it has been verified that they have taken a slow-reflex potion.

Vampires are quick learners, and are extremely knowledgeable and smart. They have photographic memories, and often remember events down to the last detail centuries after the event actually happened.

When faced with a problem, a Vampire will often study all sides and then figure out the answer in less than ten minutes, depending on what and how large the actual problem is. Due to this, Vampires will often become Judges in the Muggle world, or will be employed in other problem-solving jobs.

"Ginny! Dinner's ready!" Molly yelled up the staircase. Ginny sighed and, putting the book away, went downstairs to the dining room. Silence fell when she walked in the room.

"If you're all going to act as if I've got dragonpox, I'm going to eat in my room!" Looking at each of them, Ginny noticed that none of her siblings meet her eye. Only Molly and Arthur looked at her. "Fine," Ginny said. She stalked over to the table and grabbed a plate and some food, then went back up to the attic. She kicked the door shut and sat on her bed, refusing to cry.

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For Ginny, August 30th couldn't come quick enough. Her brothers had hardly looked at her for the rest of the week, excepting Fred and George. They'd only tried to offer her Blood Pops and ask if she could turn into a bat excessively every single day. She was sick of it; sick of them, and sick of being ignored, yet again.

Looking at her parents, Ginny made herself smile and kissed them goodbye. They were the only two who hadn't treated her any differently. They'd seen how hard it had been for her after Voldemort, and they didn't want to make the same mistakes over again.

"You be a good girl, Ginny. Have fun at school and do your best. Learn and listen to what you're being taught," Molly said, adjusting Ginny's scarf for her. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Yes Mum. Goodbye," she said and hugged her tightly. "Bye Dad," Ginny said, hugging him just as tightly. "Thank you for being there for me," she whispered to them. "Say goodbye to the boys for me, will you?" She asked, looking down so they wouldn't see her tears. Her brothers had refused to come in through the barrier and had all said formal and stiff goodbyes in the Muggle world.

Molly nodded in response to her daughter, her smiling face being replaced by an angry one. It was true that the boys hadn't seen Ginny after her first year. They hadn't heard her crying and screaming throughout the night. They hadn't had to watch as their daughter grew paler and skinnier. Ron was too busy worried about Harry and Hermione to take any interest in his sister, Fred and George were always creating explosions in their room, Percy was too busy studying and reading, and Bill and Charlie had their work. Molly and Arthur hadn't done anything to help Ginny either. They'd sat back and watched as their daughter wasted away.

This time it was different. There was no danger of her still being possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. This was her; this was Ginny. It was whom she was, who she was becoming, and not one of her brothers had supported or encouraged her in any way. Fred and George's antics didn't help in any way...

Molly hugged Ginny again and kissed her head.

"We'll tell them for you, dear. You have to hurry, or else you'll miss the train," she whispered. Ginny nodded and Molly let go of her reluctantly.

"Listen to what you're being taught, Ginny. Oh, and enjoy your new room. Have fun decorating it," Arthur said with a wink. He ruffled her hair, then kissed her. "Be good. We're very proud of you," he whispered. Ginny nodded. "There's a gift for you in your trunk. Open it when you get there, ok? Don't tell your mother I told you," Arthur whispered again. Ginny smiled and nodded. He let go of her, then watched as she walked over to the train. Ginny turned and waved at them. The clock struck eleven, and Ginny went inside to an empty train. Arthur and Molly waved until the train was out of sight, and their daughter could no longer be seen. Molly straightened out her robe, then narrowing her eyes, went out to where her sons were waiting to give them a good telling off.

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Ginny woke up with a start and looked at her watch. Ten minutes left. She thanked the Gods with a sigh, then began packing up Exploding Snap. It had been a boring trip. Snap was boring with one person. There hadn't been anyone to talk to, play pranks on, or even just see. She's read or slept for most of the trip. Ginny sighed and put her old robe on. She had the feeling that her life was going to be just like that from now on: lonely and boring. She stepped out onto the waiting platform, and smiled over at Hagrid. He beamed down at her.

"'Ello Ginny. How are yeh? Nice trip?" he asked. Ginny shrugged.

"It was kind of boring. I mostly read and slept. I discovered that Exploding Snap isn't as exciting with one person," she said with a grin. Hagrid nodded, then pulled out a watch.

"That ain't good. We're goin' to be travellin' to the castle in Olympe's carriage," he said. Ginny nodded and followed him over to the large powder-blue carriage. He opened the door for her, and grinning, bowed. "Madam," he said. Ginny smiled and went into the carriage, Hagrid following. Ginny was thankful that she was so small, and that the carriage was so large, as Hagrid filed most of it.

"Thanks Hagrid. You're the only person besides Mum and Dad that's treated me civilly since I found out I'm a Vampire," she said, looking around her. The seats were dark purple and there were blue silk belts strapped to the seats.

"Yer better use those. The horses are a bit rough. Poor things haven't been out for ages," Hagrid said. Ginny nodded and tied the strap around her waist. Hagrid whistled loudly, and the carriage began to lift off of the ground. Ginny could hear the horses wings flapping steadily, and concentrating for a moment, she found that she could actually hear each and every feather moving on their wings. She shook her head, but the noise didn't go. She cursed under her breath. "No cursin' now. What happened?" Hagrid asked, looking at her in concern.

"My hearing's just improved I'll say. This is going to be annoying," she said with a sigh. Hagrid smiled at her.

"It'll be a'right. Yer'll learn how to control it soon enough," he said. "What can you hear?" he asked.

"All of the horses wing feathers moving with the wind. And I can hear your brother in the Forest. If I really concentrate, I can hear Dumbledore talking to Snape in the dungeons. I think I can hear in a thirty kilometre radius all the way around. Wait, how high are we up? The Hogwarts castle is supposed to be thirty kilometres tall..." Ginny said, looking out of the huge window. She groaned. "Crap! Sorry Hagrid... We're about five kilometre's above it. A thirty-five kilometre radius hearing range. Not good..." Ginny said with a sigh. Hagrid beamed at her.

"It'll be good. Yer'll see," he said. He looked out the window and saw that the horses were starting to descend. "Get ready. We're goin' down," he said. Ginny nodded and held onto the side bar. The carriage landed with a small bump, and Hagrid climbed out of it. Ginny followed him, and they went up to the castle. Hagrid opened a side door, and took a torch from the wall. "This is the way to the Great Hall. Teachers corridor," he explained as they walked down the passage. Even though Ginny was behind Hagrid, and there was minimal light, she could see everything around her as if it was broad daylight and there was no roof. After a few minutes, Hagrid stopped and opened a side door. Ginny walked into the Great Hall, blinking at the sudden light.

"Ah, Miss Weasley! Right on time," Albus said, smiling at her. Ginny smiled back uncertainly. "As there are no teachers, we have decided that you can dine up here with us for the next two days. If you don't want to, then we will understand," Albus said. Ginny nodded. She saw the other teachers along the table. Everyone, including Sibyl Trelawney was in attendance. Well, nearly everyone. Lupin was absent. Snape glared at her, obviously not happy about the arrangement. Ginny smirked inwardly.

"Well, as everyone's here, I wouldn't want to disappoint you all," she said with a grin. Albus smiled and conjured a chair from thin air. Ginny sat on it and as soon as Albus was sitting, the food appeared on everyone's plates. The meal was eaten in silence. When everyone had finished, Albus turned to Ginny and smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"Would you like to start your training tonight once your food has had time to settle, or tomorrow after some rest?" he asked. Ginny considered it. Tonight would mean that she'd have to admit that she was indeed a Vampiress. Tomorrow would mean that she could sleep in her own room and try to forget that tomorrow was coming...

"Tomorrow, please. I'd like to decorate my room tonight," she said, smiling fakely. Albus nodded and looked at her over his half-moon spectacles with a frown. Then, as quickly as he'd done that, he was sitting straight and smiling at her again.

"The password's 'password'. We haven't had time to change it yet," he said. Ginny nodded. "You're allowed to use magic to decorate. You know the spells, I presume?" he asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, sir. Thank you," she said, standing. "Goodnight Professors. I will see you in the morning," she said with a smile, then walked over to the side door, somehow knowing that the large doors were locked. Once they had said goodbye and Ginny was gone, Snape turned to Albus.

"Are you sure this is appropriate, Albus? She could have easily started training once everyone else had arrived," he said quietly. Albus nodded.

"I am well aware of that, Severus. From tomorrow onward when Harry and Hermione find out about this from Ron, Ginny's life is going to be hard. Indeed, it is already, since her first year here with Voldemort. It was a very difficult life she chose," he said, now addressing all of the teachers. "I think you should give her some credit and see that she is not a small girl with immense power; she is a lady who needs to learn to control her immense amount of power. That is what you're all here to do. You have to teach her to control this," he said. "We all have to make it seem that her life is actually worth living. She is at a difficult age, and with the entire school and her friends shunning her, she will feel isolated. When a person is isolated, the world seems bleak. You all know this. You've all experienced isolation long before you came to me. You need to help her, or else she will have the ending that all of you tried to escape," Albus said. Severus nodded curtly.

"We know what we're here to do, Albus. We know that we have to stop her from dying. I just wish you'd tell us why. Why is she so important?" Minerva asked. Albus chuckled.

"Every individual is important Minerva, some more so than others. Those people are often the most seemingly insignificant people of all. Harry Potter, was an ordinary baby and after one tragic event, he became the most famous wizard in our world! Other people may not become famous, but does that make them less important than those that are? Most people that are famous are that for the wrong reasons; very few are for the right reasons," Albus said. Minerva narrowed her eyes at him.

"You didn't answer my question, Albus," she said. Albus nodded absent-mindedly, then smiled at her.

"I'm off. I have to organise everything for her training tomorrow," he said, then left the Great Hall with a quick goodbye to everyone. Minerva shook her head, then sighed, and left too.

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Ginny walked into her room and looked around. There were plain white sheets on a plain white king-size bed. The walls were white, as was all of the furniture. Opening a door, she saw a white bathroom with white towels. The only things that had colours were herself, the flames in the white fireplace and her trunk. Even the carpet was white! Definitely too much white, she decided. She picked up a note on her bed.

Ginevra,

Your room can be coloured to suit your taste. You can use magic to colour the walls, furniture, linen, bathroom, anything you like. Have fun!

A. Dumbledore

Ginny grinned and started colouring everything with her wand. The walls turned light blue, and the carpet went dark blue. Ginny decided to keep the ceiling and skirting boards white, but made glow in the dark stars appear on it. Her quilt changed to burgundy, the sheets and pillowcases turned silver, and as an afterthought, Ginny made her towels purple. Her furniture changed to black. The windowsills turned to green, as did the curtains (a lighter shade though). Going into the bathroom, Ginny made the tiled walls a mix between purple and blue, making the basin a pale purple. She changed the colour of the toilet a few times, before finally settling on plain white, and making the toilet seat the same colour of the basin. The fireplace turned black, as did the mantelpiece above it. The mirror standing in the corner, Ginny left white then she stopped and looked around her new room. She smirked then went over to her trunk suddenly feeling exhausted. She managed to change into her pyjamas before collapsing on her bed. After crawling beneath the quilt, Ginny fell asleep.

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"Good morning Ginny. I trust your sleep was good?" Albus asked, smiling at her. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, thank you. I'm not a morning person, so I'll apologise now for my lack of response," she said with a grin, then sat down to breakfast. Albus chuckled.

"It's good that you're not a morning person. It makes it easier for the change to occur," Lupin said. Ginny nodded, then remembered that she hadn't seen him at dinner the night before. At the same time as this came to her realisation, so did the fact that it had been a full moon. The last full moon of the month, in fact. Lupin looked pale, which wasn't unusual, but other than that and a few scratches he'd received by going to the Shrieking Shack, he looked considerably well.

"You're looking well, Lupin," she said, smiling. Lupin nodded, then smiled back at her.

"Miss Weasley? How is your studying going?" Minerva asked, smiling at her.

"For school or my new... lifestyle?" Ginny asked.

"School," Minerva replied. Ginny grinned apologetically.

"Most of my time has been with what's happening to me, and I've barely given school a thought at the moment. I hope you understand," she said. Minerva nodded.

"You can't put off your responsibility as a student just because you're changing form," Snape said, glaring at her. Ginny tried not to groan. Here she was, only just having woken up and too many people were asking questions, or accusing her. It was really annoying!

"I do realise that Professor, but as I only just found out that this is happening to me, I wanted to know as much as I possibly could before I hurt someone without realising it. I didn't want a repeat of my first year happening without me knowing what was going on. Professor Dumbledore? Where would you like me to meet you for my training to begin?" She asked sweetly. Albus glared over at Severus then cleared his throat. Ginny noticed that Minerva was trying not to laugh at Severus' shocked expression, which he immediately covered up with a scowl.

"The Room of Requirement will suffice for now. Minerva, did you make the timetable up?" he asked, turning to her. Minerva nodded and handed him a parchment. Dumbledore looked it over, then handed it to Ginny. "The top half is for weekends, including this one, the bottom half is your school schedule and how your extra lessons will fit around them. If you want anything changed, then just ask. Hogsmeade weekends will be your choice if you decide to study or not. Any questions?" he asked. Ginny looked over the parchment.

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Saturday and Sunday

9:00 to 10:00- Room of Requirement- A. Moody

10:00 to 11:00- Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom- R.J. Lupin

11:00 to 11:20- RECESS

11:20 to 12:20- Divination classroom- Firenze and S. Trelawney

12:20 to 1:20- History of Magic classroom- W. Binns

1:20 to 2:20- Transfirguration classroom- N. Tonks and M. McGonagall

2:20 to 3:00- LUNCH

3:00 to 4:00- Dungeons- S. Snape

4:00 to 5:00- Room of Requirement- A. Dumbledore

5:00 to 6:00- Hagrid's hut- R. Hagrid and O. Maxime

7:00 to 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner

If there is a Hogsmeade weekend, it will be your own decision as to whether you join the other students.

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School

Monday to Tuesday

9:00 to 10:00- Transfiguration- M. McGonagall

10:00 to 11:00- Divination- Firenze

11:00 to 11:20- RECESS

11:20 to 12:20- Defence Against the Dark Arts- R.J. Lupin & A. Moody

12:20 to 1:20- Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid

1:20 to 2:20- LUNCH

2:20 to 3:00- Rune Studies- K. Yepir

3:00 to 4:00- Potions- S. Snape

5:00- 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner

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Wednesday to Thursday

9:00 to 10:00- Charms- F. Flitwick

10:00 to 11:00- Potions- S. Snape

11:00 to 11:20- RECESS

11:20 to 12:20- Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid

12:20 to 1:20- Rune Studies- K. Yepir

1:20 to 2:20- LUNCH

2:20 to 3:00- Defence Against the Dark Arts- R.J. Lupin & A. Moody

3:00 to 4:00- Astronomy- O. Rion

5:00- 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner

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Friday

9:00 to 10:00- Astronomy- K. Yepir

10:00 to 11:00- Charms- F. Flitwick

11:00 to 11:20- RECESS

11:20 to 12:20- Divination- Firenze

12:20 to 1:20- Transfiguration- M. McGonagall

1:20 to 2:20- LUNCH

2:20 to 3:00- Care of Magical Creatures- R. Hagrid

3:00 to 4:00- Study time

5:00- 10:00- training for extracurricular subjects, homework and dinner

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"No questions, sir," she said. Albus nodded. Everyone finished eating their breakfast in silence. "When will Tonks be here?" Ginny asked once she'd finished. Albus looked over at Lupin, who shrugged.

"She said she'd be here at eight. She probably lost her watch again," he said with a grin. Suddenly there was a loud bang from outside of the Great Hall doors.

"Who's smart idea was it to lock the bloody door? Let me in!" They heard Tonks yelling. Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling as he opened the door. Tonks stood there, looking annoyed and embarrassed. "Sorry Albus. I was told to come to the front..." she said, glaring over at Lupin, who smiled. Ginny smirked at them. "I'm not late, am I?" Tonks asked, suddenly worried. "I couldn't find my watch this morning," she said, glaring at Lupin again. She reached the table quickly. "Hey Ginny! Didn't see you there! How's it going?" Tonks asked, grinning. Ginny smiled as Tonks' hair turned electric blue and her eyes changed to pink.

"Good. How are you?" she asked. Tonks shrugged and waved her hand about, her nails changing from pink to black and blue.

"Could be better, could be worse," she said off-handedly. Ginny nodded. Tonks went over to Lupin, who was grinning openly. "Give me back my watch, you ruddy git," she demanded. Lupin held up his hands.

"I don't have it," he said, his grin going wider.

"That's why it's in your left robe pocket," Moody muttered. Lupin glared at him. Tonks grinned and held out her hand. Moody smirked at them as Tonks grew an extra arm and started tickling Lupin, while the other arm went into Lupin's pocket. Laughing, Lupin tried to slap away her hand. Finally getting her watch, Tonks' third arm retreated and disappeared. She put her watch on, then went back to Albus, who was smiling largely.

"When do I have to meet Ginny?" she asked. Albus looked at Ginny.

"Twenty past one," she said. Tonks groaned.

"You mean I got up before ten and I didn't have to? That sucks!" Tonks said. Ginny laughed quietly then stood up, excusing herself from the table.

"I'm going to go get ready. See you in half an hour Moody," she said, smiling, then left through the Great Hall doors. She went straight to her room, and saw clothes sitting on her bed, a pair of pants, shirt and long karate-like coat. There was also a pair of lace-up boots with a small strap on the inner side of the left boot. All of the clothes were white. Ginny grinned and changed into them quickly.

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Ginny arrived in the Room of Requirement a few minutes early, dressed in the clothes she'd been given and looked around the room. There were Muggle weapons and equipment, as well as wizarding ones. Everything was already set up, and she saw Moody over in the corner, making sure the swords were sharp enough.

"Ginny. You're early," Moody said, then turned around to her. Ginny nodded. The bell rang outside loudly and she grimaced. "Sorry," he said and the room became void of all outside sounds.

"Thank you... You don't mind that I'm early?" she asked. He shook his head, grinning grimly.

"It's probably the last time you'll want to be early. In fact, I doubt if you'll ever be early again," he said with a smirk. Ginny nodded. "Warm-up instructions are on the wall. Read them, then do them," he said. Ginny went over to the indicated wall and looked at his instructions. She realised she didn't have to read it to know what it said, and started doing as the instructions read. After stretching her legs and arms for five minutes, she started skipping with a nearby rope. After another five minutes, she stretched her arms and legs again. "Is your blood pumping properly now?" Moody asked when she'd finished. Ginny nodded. "Good. Get over here," he said. She walked over to him. He handed her a small white handled dagger. "Put that in the strap of your boot," Moody instructed. Ginny did as he said. He looked at her, then nodded. "Get on the mat," he said. Ginny walked over to the blue mat and looked at him. "Do you know anything about martial arts?" Moody asked.

"Not a lot, sir. Only what I've seen on the Muggle movies, but I think most of it is bullshit and wirework," she said. Moody nodded.

"Call me Moody, not sir," he said. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, Moody," she said. "I know how to punch and kick, but not very well. Mum never let me play with the boys when she knew they were getting rough. We played when she wasn't around and I learnt bits and pieces then," Ginny said. Moody nodded.

"Show me," he barked. Ginny nodded and kicked the air. "Punch," he said. Ginny nodded, then put her hands up to her face, clenching her fists and making sure that her thumbs weren't tucked in. She punched the air. Moody frowned. "Again," he said. Ginny punched again. "You're wrists are moving too much. You'll break your hand doing that and won't even dent the opponent. Give me your wrists," he said. Ginny held her arms out, and Moody touched his wand to her wrists, muttering a spell. "Punch again," he said. Ginny punched again and could feel that it was a better punch. "Good. Now punch this bag ten times with your left hand, then ten with your right," Moody said, and a punching bag appeared out of thin air. Ginny began doing as he asked, and after five minutes, she had finished. Moody made Ginny do some more warm ups, then told her she could go.

"Already? Why?" She asked. Moody looked at her.

"If you do too much in one day, you'll hurt your muscles. You haven't used them enough, or in this way before, so you don't want to hurt yourself by doing too much at once. Do the warm ups at eight o'clock for half an hour every day. It will make you hungrier for dinner and after two hours you'll feel tired and ready for sleep." Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't say anything and he didn't reprimand her. "Go to your next lesson now," he said, pushing her out the door.

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"Nice outfit," Lupin said, grinning. Ginny smirked.

"Thanks... I forgot to bring a change of clothes. Mind if I go and get changed now?" she asked. Lupin waved her away. "Hi Tonks," Ginny called, smirking as she left. Tonks stopped hiding under the table and looked at Lupin, shocked.

"How'd she know?" She asked. Lupin shrugged.

"No idea..."

Ginny shook her head. The hearing thing was all right for some things, but other things she did not want to hear! Tonks and Lupin snogging was one of those things! She shook her head again then walked into her room and changed quickly. She went back to the room, listening to make sure that nothing was going on inside, then knocked and went inside.

"Ginny... How are you?" Lupin asked, grinning at her. Ginny shrugged.

"I'm learning how to become a Vampire. How do you think I am?" she asked, smirking. Lupin nodded in agreement. "What about you and Tonks?" she asked him. Lupin went red slightly.

"We're just friends," he stammered. Ginny nodded.

"Sure... If that's what you want to tell yourself Moony, go ahead," she said, smirking again. Lupin paled, and narrowed his eyes at her.

"What did you just call me?" he asked, his voice threatening. Ginny looked at him, unfazed by his tone.

"I called you Moony, Remus Julian Lupin," she said, her tone and face unwavering. He raised a hand to hit her, then let it drop by his side.

"Get out, Ginevra," he said quietly. "Now!" He yelled when she didn't move. Ginny walked over to the door calmly, then stopped and looked at him.

"Do not confuse me with her, Remus. I'm not Lily and I will not be who you want me to be," she said. Lupin looked at her, his eyes beginning to turn from blue to black. Ginny stalked back into the room angrily and slapped him. His eyes turned to blue again.

"Do not hide away from me like that! I forgave you years ago, you've just been hiding too much to realise it! Snap out of it Moony, or I swear I'll make you!" Ginny said in a voice that wasn't her own, then left the room again. Lupin sank to the floor in shock.

One conversation that she wasn't even supposed to remember and she knew him inside out!

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Flashback

Ginny sat in 12 Grimmauld Place, staring out of the window, completely bored. She wasn't allowed in the meetings; Harry, Ron and Hermione payed less attention to her every day and Kreacher was just a pessimistic weird house-elf, wrapped up in his own intentions and his Mistress' love of hatred. Her Dungbomb supply had run out the day before and there was nothing left to do. She heard a knock on the door and looked over to see Lupin standing there, smiling. He'd forced himself to come up here, to talk to her. He was scared, she could tell.

"Hi Ginny. Is this seat taken?" he asked. Ginny shook her head.

"Go ahead. How are you Lupin?" she asked, smiling.

"I've been better. Full moon tonight..." he said, staring up at the sky. "Make sure I get out before it comes on, ok?" Ginny nodded.

"Why do you do it Lupin? Why don't you just take the potion?" she asked him. Remus sighed heavily. "It's because of Lily, isn't it? You still love her..." Ginny said. Lupin looked at her, wondering how she knew something that not even James or Sirius had known.

"How did you..." he began, then stopped. Ginny continued.

"You miss Lily more than anyone, because she treated you kind and you loved her more than anything. Yet, you didn't do anything because you thought she'd reject you because of what you became every full moon," she said. Lupin didn't ask how she knew. It wasn't important anymore; she simply knew. "She asked you to be the Secret Keeper too, but you refused, because you knew you'd go there every night to watch her. To watch James with the wife you should have had and the son you could have had. You refused because you didn't want to be reminded of everything you missed out on," Ginny said. She had no idea where this information was coming from, but it seemed that she was right. "You turn into a wolf every month and don't just howl at the moon, you howl for her too. She's the sanity that you have in your mind every time you change, she's the thing that keeps you human, isn't it? That's why you can't talk to me. People say that I look like Lily sometimes, and you're afraid if you talk to me, you'll see Lily, you'll hear Lily, because you want me to be Lily. Don't you Moony?" Ginny asked, looking at him. He'd barely begun to nod when she fainted.

"Albus!" Lupin yelled. He lifted Ginny up and carried her down to the meeting. He kicked open the door and everyone stopped talking immediately. Albus, Molly and Arthur rushed over quickly. "We were just talking... Just talking," Remus said. He put Ginny down on the table and Albus looked at Ginny quickly. He lifted an eyelid and checked her pupils.

"Are you sure you were just talking?" he asked, frowning. Remus nodded.

"We were just talking..." he repeated. Albus smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Go down to the kitchen. Sit down for a while. Molly, Arthur, can you take him down please?" Molly and Arthur nodded then helped Lupin outside. "Everyone leave now, please," Albus said. "Severus, you stay," he said. Severus nodded and walked over to him.

"You believe him? That they were just talking?" he sneered, then looked down at Ginny. Albus nodded, and looked at Severus sternly.

"Severus, we have been through this numerous times before. When will you trust me and my judgement?" he asked, shaking his head.

"I do trust you. I don't trust him," Severus said, indicating to the door where Lupin had just left. Albus nodded, then looked back to Ginny.

"Lily?" he asked quietly. Ginny opened her eyes and smiled at Albus. "It's against the rules, Lily. You shouldn't do this. The girl has already had too much trouble in her life..." Albus said. Lily/Ginny nodded.

"I know, Albus. It can't be helped though. She will have much more trouble, pain and hurt in her life. This one day will be a flower compared to them... You will find out what I mean at the beginning of the next school year. Hello, Severus. You're looking healthier than last time we saw each other..." Lily/Ginny said with a smile. Severus nodded, shocked. "Oh, dear... I seem to be shocking everyone today. I should go. I doubt she will remember what happened, so don't worry. If she does then... then it can't be helped and she's meant to remember. Oh, before I go... Severus," she said, looking at him. "Be kinder to people, will you? You always were too mistrusting. Believe in people, and they will surprise you. At least believe in this one more... She values your opinion. A 'harsh opinionated critic of my family and life' is what comes up mostly. Do try," Lily/Ginny said, smiling. Albus looked at Severus, who merely scowled. Ginny's eyes closed again.

"Ginny? Are you ok?" Albus asked. Ginny opened her eyes and sat up in shock. She swayed for a moment before falling backwards again.

"Dizzy... Why am I here? I'm not allowed," she said, her brain registering where she was quickly. Albus smiled at her.

"It's all right, Ginny. You fainted. You're all right now..." he said. Ginny nodded slowly so as not to make the dizziness worse and closed her eyes. "Do you remember what happened?" Albus asked.

"Umm... I remember talking to Remus... Professor Lupin, sorry. I don't know what about though," she lied. "Then I woke up here," she said. She kept her eyes closed for two reasons; one, so Snape couldn't tell that she was lying, and the second to make sure her headache wouldn't get worse.

"All right. Do you feel well enough to go down to the kitchen now? Your parents are down there with Remus," Albus said kindly. Ginny opened her eyes squinting then, making sure the headache was gone, nodded and stood up. She walked out of the room and listened very carefully while trying to make it seem as if her footsteps were getting fainter.

"Do you believe her, sir?" Snape asked quietly.

"I'm not sure... She seems too innocent to lie, but appearances are often deceiving. I'm not sure what to think about anyone anymore..." Albus admitted, then laughed softly. Ginny walked away quietly.

End Flashback

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Ginny did nothing until recess, then walked to the Great Hall through the tunnels, and came out through the side door. She sat down at her seat, avoiding anyone's gaze. Albus smiled at her as she ate a piece of cake, making Ginny wonder if she'd suddenly got cake on her face. When everyone had finished, Albus made the teachers leave and told Ginny to stay.

"Remus told me what happened at your lesson," he said. Ginny nodded. "How often do you let Lily take you over Ginevra?" he asked her, smiling still.

"Not very often. Once or twice a year. Birthdays, anniversaries, the times when she needs to feel human and cry. That time I made her take me over. Remus needed a good slap and he wouldn't have let me do it. I knew he would let Lily though, so I told her to do it. She agreed and we did what needed to be done," Ginny said simply. Albus nodded.

"All right... I won't argue with you on that. You haven't told anyone about this have you?" he asked. Ginny stared at him in surprise.

"That's rich coming from you, Albus. You told me to tell someone whenever something like that happened to me again, and now you want me to keep it a secret? Of course I didn't tell anyone! I'm not an eleven-year-old anymore and I know what to do. Could you imagine the impact on Harry, or anyone else for that matter, if he found out I was being possessed by his mother? He'd never leave me alone!" she said with a short laugh. Albus smiled.

"All right... You should go to your next lesson now. Firenze and Sibyl are expecting you," Albus said with a smile. Ginny nodded and left quickly.

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"Ah, Miss Weasley! I had the feeling you would be late..." Trelawney announced. "I'll get the tea!" she said, and turned around to get everything ready. Ginny nodded in disbelief, raising an eyebrow at her when she wasn't looking. Firenze smiled at Ginny, then walked over and cupped her face with his large hands.

Don't be cynical, Ginny. She means well, Firenze said in her mind. Ginny sighed and nodded.

"I know, Firenze. I know," she replied quietly. "Are you comfortable helping me? Our species haven't spoken to each other for centuries," she said, remembering the information from the book. He smiled again, then let go of her.

I am fine with it, no matter what my old herd think. Though your species are ruthless, as are ours, I hardly see it necessary in this instant for us to fight a war against each other. I agreed to teach you and teach you I will. He said, smiling still. Ginny nodded and sat on a cushion just as Sibyl turned around with two teacups. Firenze waited patiently as the two women drank their tea and Sibyl tried to get Ginny to do some tea reading.

"I can't work with one whose aura is so clouded by grief and anger!" Sibyl cried impatiently after five minutes. Ginny looked at Sibyl, confused.

"How am I angry?" She asked, frowning. "I'm confused, but not angry," she said, turning to Firenze, her confusion showing clearly.

"Sibyl... Perhaps you should rest for a while. Let me try," he said, leading her away. Ginny listened as his hooves made a kind of musical pattern along the wooden floor as he walked back. Ginny put her teacup down gratefully. "Follow me, please," he said quietly. She nodded and followed, wondering why his hooves weren't making the music again as he walked. "Centaur's have their own powers, we just do not like to brag about it," Firenze said over his shoulder. "It would be faster if you rode me. Climb onto my back," he said.

"Are you sure, Firenze?" she asked softly, frowning. Firenze nodded. Ginny climbed onto his back reluctantly and held on as he galloped outside. He went around to the lake and stopped on the side closest to the Forbidden Forest. Ginny climbed off unsteadily.

"I can not go in with you, but I can give you this," he said passing a wooden bowl to her. "Fill it with water, and go into the clearing to your left," he instructed. Ginny nodded and filled the bowl with water from the lake then went into the Forbidden Forest quietly. She walked in the general left direction and eventually walked into a clearing. Not knowing what to do next, Ginny placed the bowl in the centre of the small clearing and sat in front of it. She looked into the bowl, feeling foolish. At first, nothing happened. She watched her reflection, then, ignoring her face, looked deeper into the bowl. Suddenly, pictures began appearing in the water and Ginny knew straight away that they were not reflections.

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Draco Malfoy stood in the corridor, glaring at Ginny, who smirked triumphantly and walked away. He glared for a moment longer, then smirked and closed his eyes. When nothing happened and Ginny continued to walk away, Draco opened his eyes, and glared at her retreating back. He concentrated again, but Ginny continued to walk away. From nearby classrooms, people began to walk out and over to Draco. He took no notice of them, still glaring at Ginny.

"Move!" He hissed at a nearby girl, who simply ignored him and tried to grab his robes. He pushed her away, then, before anyone else could touch him, closed his eyes. Everyone stopped looking at Draco, then looked to each other in confusion. Not knowing why they were out there, they simply walked back to their classrooms again. Draco glared after them, then looked around for Ginny. He shook his head with a scowl, then left.

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The picture changed and Ginny would have gasped if she had control over herself.

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Ginny kissed Draco hungrily, swearing at him under her breath.

"You are such a conceited jerk. I hate you," she breathed. He smirked, kissing her neck.

"Right back at you, bloodsucker," he sneered, then kissed her again.

"Veela," she retorted smirking, then ripped his shirt open.

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Ginny willed the picture to change. She did not want to see that! The water rippled, and it changed to black. She grinned, knowing what to do now. She wanted to see... herself in two years and willed it to show her.

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An older looking Ginny wrapped her cloak around her tighter and pulled the hood over her face. She looked around suspiciously, then walked down Diagon Alley quickly and surely. She knocked on a door three times. A slit opened, and someone looked down at her.

"Where do the birds fly?" He asked. Ginny smiled.

"South to see the sun rise," she said. The door opened quickly, and Ginny walked into the darkness. The door shut behind her, and she took off her cloak, her short black hair shining in the candlelight.

"This way, Ma'am. Sorry about that... Precautions, you know," the man said, sounding both scared and apologetic. Ginny nodded and the man led her down a side corridor. Ginny walked after him, fingering the dagger in her sleeve. She knew that the dagger in her boot was still there, even without feeling for it or looking to check. It had become part of her two years ago when she'd received it from Moody.

Loud noises filtered from side rooms, most of it recorded by Muggle devices, and played to disguise what was really happening inside the rooms. Ginny grinned inwardly. So, he knew she'd come... His attempts to conceal the activities were useless however, because she managed to hear everything anyway.

"How do you know she will come here, Malfoy? She doesn't take well to demands, even if it's by you," a man said sounding worried.

"She's already here, Rowan. Be patient," Draco replied with a smirk. Ginny smirked at his voice, knowing that he was in the end room where the recordings were being played the loudest. The man opened the end door and Ginny walked inside. The door shut behind her with a bang, but she didn't even batter an eyelid, or wince at the sound. Draco stood up with a charming smile on his face. "Welcome, Ginevra. I trust that you are comfortable meeting here?" He asked. Ginny held back a smirk.

"Quite comfortable, Draconius. You requested a meeting with me, however, as I do have other appointments to keep, I would appreciate that we make this quick," she said coolly. Draco nodded and pulled the seat out for her. Ginny sat down and waited until he'd done so too, to continue talking. "Mr Ollivander is expecting me at midnight, so you have fifteen minutes to talk Draconius," she instructed. Draco nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Ollivander? He's not in Diagon Alley anymore and his shop's closed. No one's been able to find him, so how do you know where he is?" Rowan asked, glaring at her. Ginny looked at the scrawny man beside Draco and smiled evilly.

"I am quite aware of the circumstances involving Mr Ollivander, Rowan. You would do well to teach your cronies manners, Draconius," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. Draco nodded, glaring at Rowan.

"Do not speak unless spoken to, do you understand me, Rowan?" He said in a threatening tone. Rowan nodded, pointing to his throat. Draco held back a smirk, then looked to Ginny. "Please refrain in hexing my men, Ginevra. As much as I dislike Rowan's manners, his information is invaluable and his voice is a vital resource so I can receive that information," Draco said. Ginny nodded her head once and took the spell off of Rowan silently.

"You now have ten minutes, Draconius," she said. Draco nodded.

"The Veela have decided to join the Vampires, but they have some conditions," he said. Ginny nodded for him to continue. "They don't want any of your people to bite any of ours. They want to use our spies during it and the final condition is that they will join only if you agree to lead both sides into war," Draco said, looking at Ginny intensely for a reaction.

"I will have to take the final condition to the rest of the Council, but I am sure the conditions can be arranged," Ginny said calmly. Draco nodded.

"Rowan, leave us. I have a final condition to tell Ginevra that you were not privy to and I do not wish to lose my life over a careless action," Draco said. Rowan stood up and bowed to both Draco and Ginny before exiting out a side door. Draco walked over to Ginny and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I like what you did with your hair," he said, smiling at her. "It's dark. Suits you," he said with a grin.

"Well, I could hardly walk around with it being red at this time. I am under suspicion for everything I have not done and I do not wish to attract attention to myself. We are on the brink of a war and my hair being red would have just been screaming 'target'," Ginny replied with a smirk. Draco nodded and sat on the table in front of her.

"Do you really know where Ollivander is?" He asked. Ginny smirked and stood up to meet him face to face.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked, then kissed him softly. "I've got to go shopping, my cupboards are completely empty," she said. Draco nodded seriously.

"I didn't think that shops were open at this time of night," he replied.

"Some shops are only open now," she said, then left. Draco sighed as the door closed behind her. Ginny left the building quickly. The man bowed to her before he closed the door after her. She smiled and placing the hood over her head again, walked over to a side alley and Disapparated.

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Ginny kept watching, wanting to know what was happening to her, why people were scared of her, bowing to her and how she was on a 'Council' that she had no idea about.

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Ginny arrived at an intersection and began walking down a road. She stopped in front an old house and knocked on the door five times. Like in Diagon Alley, a slit opened and someone peered down at her.

"Is that you Mabel?" the voice asked void of any emotion.

"Mabel has been found, but she is not here at the moment. May I come in?" Ginny asked politely. The door opened and Ginny walked in. Ollivander smiled at her, making his hologram disappear.

"Hello Ginevra. What do I owe this pleasure? You were very limited in the fireplace," Ollivander said. Ginny nodded and removed her hood.

"I apologise Oscar, but it was difficult to be certain that the line was secure. I know that we were talking through various fires, but I did not want to risk telling you everything," she said. Oscar nodded.

"To be wary is to be safe," he said, smiling at her. "Come into the lounge room. Would you like some tea?" He asked as they sat down.

"Yes, please," Ginny said. The teapot poured two mugs of tea and the spoon lifted with sugar on it. "One, please," Ginny said. The spoon dropped the sugar in the mug, and the mug lifted itself to Ginny's hand. She sipped the tea and waited for Oscar to start his before talking. "How are you finding the Muggle world these days?" she asked, smiling. Oscar sighed and sipped more of his tea before replying wearily.

"I'm restless. I am waiting for this war to end so I can return to my home. A giant went through the neighbouring land last week. It took all of my will not to go out there and stop it myself. I timed the Ministry. They took an entire minute to get here, then an extra twenty to finish erasing everyone's memory. I saw that your people got here in two seconds. Congratulations," he said, smiling. Ginny looked at Oscar, worried.

"You should not be outside when things like that happen, Oscar. It is too dangerous for you to go out," she admonished. Oscar smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I know that Ginevra. Besides, who said I was outside? I happened to be Looking and I managed to time it accurately from that. Are you keeping up with your Seeing, Ginevra?" he asked, smiling. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, I am, thank you Oscar. How else do you think that my people were there in two seconds flat? They managed to get the target out before the Ministry arrived, or the Veela's. They arrived a second after we did, I heard," she said. Oscar smiled.

"Half a second actually. Thankfully neither saw each other. Or at least, then had enough common sense not to attack each other," he said. Ginny nodded.

"The Council gave strict orders to them all. They followed them and even when Maverick saw the Veelas', he had enough sense not to attack them while there was a giant overhead. Over five centuries old and he still acts like a teenager," she said, shaking her head. Oscar laughed.

"And you do not? You think are more mature than him?" He asked, grinning. Ginny shook her head.

"I do not walk out into the battlefield without a wand! He had no weapon whatsoever! He was lucky to survive with the injuries he received! If he had not had that Cloak on, he would have been killed instantly! I, at least, have enough common sense to go out with two knives and a wand, Oscar!" Ginny said. Oscar nodded gravely.

"How is the Council nowadays? I haven't heard of them for years. Is Xavier still leading them?" Oscar asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, he is still the Council Highness. Agnes is still married to him and Virginia Weasley is also on the Council... Virginia Weasley, the most feared Vampiress in all worlds, magical or Muggle," Ginny said, contempt filled in her voice. Oscar raised an eyebrow at her.

"Contempt? You don't fear her? Or you wish you were in her place?" He asked. Ginny shook her head with a small smile.

"I am happy with my own position on the Council, Oscar. I just think that Virginia is overestimated. I have known her for two years and I have not seen one piece of evidence to attribute to this reputation of fear. I am not afraid of her at all. I have seen her in her Vampiress form and I have watched her kill. There is nothing about her that makes me think of her as anything special, unless you count the way she uses seduction, or the offer of seduction, to get her prey. She is part Veela after all," Ginny said. Oscar smiled and nodded.

"That is exactly why she is feared Ginevra! She can seduce anyone, no matter what species or if they are man, woman, or child. That is the reason she is feared, because the love the person thinks that they feel for her will drive them to do anything for her. She's even seduced Vampires with the Veela part of her, as she can control it. A man would even kill himself if she asked them; just because they think they're in love with her. She has stopped an entire army just by seducing the enemy's leader and killing him," Ollivander said. Ginny sighed with a nod.

"I know... I am not afraid of her because she failed to seduce me. She tried everything, the Veela side of her, the Vampiress side of her; both sides offering the world. She tried everything, yet she failed to seduce me. She does not scare me, because she is scared of me. If I will not succumb to her, then she has no control over me, or what I will do. That is why she tried to seduce Draco away from me, to use him as a way to control me. I do not think I thanked you properly for that spell bag..." She said, smiling. Oscar smiled back.

"You've thanked me thousands of times, Ginevra. There is no need to do so again!" He said, waving her thanks away. Ginny nodded then took his teacup from him, knowing he was done. She smiled when she read the leaves. "Anything new?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

"My husband is following me. He is going to try and see if you are actually here, which will prove fruitless, as you are not, are you, Oscar? Since I am not the Secret Keeper either, he is going to have a hard time figuring out where you are exactly," she said with a smile. She looked at her own tealeaves, then laughed quietly. Oscar raised an eyebrow, looking for an explanation. "He is going to try and seduce the information from me," she said. Pulling a watch from her pocket, she looked at the moons and dials, then stood up. "It is time for me to go. I have less than six hours of night left. Be well Oscar and do not let yourself be seduced by my husband. He is still the enemy, do not forget," she said with a wink, then kissed his cheek and let herself out, closing and locking the door behind her.

She looked around, and spotted a bush nearby. She knew every part of this place and that bush was not part of it. Smirking, she set it on fire. Draco changed back into himself and cursed loudly as he put the fire out.

"You bint! Those were new robes!" He yelled. Ginny laughed and walked over to him, smirking.

"Maybe Rowan is not the only one that needs a lesson in manners. You do know it is rude to stalk people, Draco?" She asked, grinning. "I already know that you are going to try and have sex with me to get the information, but I am not the Secret Keeper. How about we call a truce, then go home and have sex anyway?" She asked, smirking. Draco ran a hand through his hair, then looked at her intensely.

"Promise you're not the Secret Keeper?" he asked. Ginny held up a hand and nodded.

"I, Ginevra Molly Malfoy, nee Weasley, promise that I am not Ollivander's Secret Keeper," she said solemnly. Draco smirked at her, then kissed her hungrily.

"All right. I think sex sounds great. How long do we have left?" He asked, pulling away.

"Less than six hours," she replied and they Disapparated to Malfoy Manor.

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Ginny stopped the images and shook her head slowly. She knew that Malfoy was going to be a big part in her life... She stood up shakily, then walked out of the Forbidden Forest to where Firenze was waiting. She noticed that the sun was in a different position from before and looked at her watch. She'd been in there for rest of the lesson!

"How are you feeling?" Firenze asked, smiling at her.

"Annoyed. Oh, it worked," she added when he looked at her, surprised. "I saw four different visions, all of them had to do with Draco Malfoy and myself. The last one was more with Mr. Ollivander, then there was some stuff with Malfoy," she said. Firenze just smiled and instructed for her to tip the water on a nearby tree, then climb onto his back. Ginny did as he said, then held on as he galloped over to the school entrance. She climbed off quickly and thanked him, before getting out of the sun. Her eyes were hurting from the intense light and her skin was tingling.

"Enjoy your next lesson. We will see you tomorrow and Sibyl will let you work on your tea-reading some more," he said. Ginny nodded, then went in through the side door, and headed to her lesson with Professor Binns.

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"Ah, Ginny, there you are," Professor Binns said, floating through the wall. "I was wondering where you were. You're late," he said. Ginny nodded.

"Sorry Professor. I took longer than expected with my lesson beforehand. I apologise," she said. Professor Binns nodded, seemingly surprised.

"That is all right. Do not let it happen again," he said. Ginny nodded and sat down. "I will begin by asking you what knowledge you have of the Vampires. I understand that most students rarely listen in my class, as shown by their sorry scores in their end of year exams," he said, with a pitiful smile. Ginny nodded, silently thanking her memory.

"I know that Vampires mate for life and they are nocturnal beings. Vampires are immune to the Veela's hypnotic dance and stare. The Vampires came to an uneasy truce with the Werewolves two centuries ago, when the Werewolf Prince and Vampire Princess fell in love and had children. The Council Highness is Xavier, I believe," Ginny said. Professor Binns nodded.

"You have been reading, I see," he said with a ghostly smile. "The Council Highness is Xavier Torleni, as you said, and the other information you said, is correct. Now, we will go through some dates then see if you can remember them in a different order," he said. Ginny nodded. "15th century. 1413, February 6, the first Vampires were discovered in the Muggle world. It was not until the next century that people started telling the tales. Vampires were hunted for another full century before the Muggles stopped then began believing that they were all just a myth. That was the same time that the Ministry began and the Wizarding Protection Act was introduced. That was 1723, though there were many tales of Vampires from then on. Even now, Muggles claim to have seen a Vampire sucking someone's blood," Binns said. Ginny nodded.

"What's the 'W' stand for in your name?" she asked, remembering the first letter of his name.

"I hardly think that it is necessary for you to know my first name, Miss Weasley," he replied. Ginny gave a nonchalant shrug.

"I know, I just thought I could mix up information and see if I still remember things without getting the other information mixed up with it. I'm just remembering the part that Vampires were hunted by Muggles during the 16th century," she said. "If you were to throw in something else while I was remembering that, then it might make my memory better for trying to keep it remembering the right things," Ginny said. Professor Binns nodded, understanding what she meant.

"My first name is William," he said.

"William, got it. I like the name William," she said, grinning. Binns nodded, then continued to read off the dates.

"1825, April 26th, the Vampires declared war on the Veelas for killing the Vampire Prince. The Veelas declared war right back, for killing the Veela Princess. The war ended this century, due to a shortage of beings on both sides. They have only just been able to go to wizarding functions without killing each other," William said. Ginny nodded. "The giants were almost made extinct during the last fifty years due to the war with You-Know-Who. Some half-breed giants survived, as did some others that chose not to participate in the war," Professor Binns said. Ginny nodded.

"Are you scared of Voldemort?" She asked. Professor Binns shook his head. "Why don't you say Voldemort then?" She asked him. William cleared his throat.

"I refuse to say his name as I do not think that he deserves the title of 'Lord'," he said. Ginny frowned.

"Why not his childhood name then? Tom always hated when anyone called him by that," she said. William nodded.

"I never thought to call him by that. It seems a trivial name to give someone so... feared," he said.

"Yet if you don't fear him, then any name you call him will become trivial, don't you think Professor?" She asked with a smile. "It's time for my next class," she said, standing up. "Have a nice day, Professor. I look forward to our next lesson," Ginny said, leaving the room.

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"Hey Ginny. How was old Binns?" Tonks asked with a wink. "As boring as his usual self?" She asked, grinning. Ginny shrugged.

"I stayed awake and I learnt something, so I'd say it wasn't a total waste of time. Where's Professor McGonagall?" She asked. Tonks grinned.

"She's been indisposed. Women troubles..." She said with a wink.

"Right... What's with the blue hair?" she asked. Tonks shrugged and pulled at it, making it grow slightly longer.

"The pink was getting too bright, so I changed it. Now... What do you want to change first?" She asked, smiling at her. Ginny shrugged. "The easiest to do is probably your eyes. Once you can change them, the rest is as easy as a click," she said, clicking her finger with a grin. Her nose began to grow, then as quickly as it had done that, it was back in its normal shape.

"So how do I do that?" Ginny asked, eager to start. Tonks smiled.

"Think about your eyes changing colour. Think about them changing from brown to another colour. Black would be the easiest at the moment because it's the closest to your natural colour. Close your eyes and think about it. Thinking about it?" she asked. Ginny nodded. "Good. Now will it to happen. Want your eyes to change like your life depends on it. If you don't change your eye colour then the world will end, how about that?" Tonks asked with a grin. "All right, open your eyes now," she said after a while. Ginny opened her eyes, and Tonks whistled. "Well, you just saved the world. Congratulations," she said, handing her a mirror. Ginny looked at her reflection and tried not to gasp too loudly. Her eyes were black. "Will it back to your natural colour and it will do it," Tonks said. Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. "Uh, uh. Eyes open this time," Tonks said. Ginny opened her eyes reluctantly and willed her eyes to turn back to brown. She watched as the black colour began to fade and it started to brown again. When Ginny's eyes were back to normal, she looked at Tonks.

"That's it?" She asked. "I have to do that for every body part and it will happen?" She asked in disbelief. Tonks shrugged.

"Often the simplest things give the best results. I didn't believe it either until I did it," she said with a grin. "Can I ask you something?" Tonks asked. Ginny nodded. "Is it true that Vampires can turn into bats?" She asked, grinning.

"Some can, but it's very rare. Apparently it's usually just wizards with their Animagus licence turning into bats," Ginny said. "I haven't tried it yet though," she added when Tonks opened her mouth. Tonks shut it with a frown.

"How'd you?" She began to ask, then waved the question off. "Don't worry. I bought a book on the anatomy of a bat if you want to read it and try it out," she said, grinning. "It's also got other animals, in case you wanted to turn into an owl or wolf without your licence," she added with a smirk. She turned around and took a thick book out of her bag, handing it to Ginny. "Just think of it as... extra homework if someone asks," Tonks said with a wink. "You head off to lunch, I've got to talk to Albus before I go there, ok?" Ginny nodded and left the room. Tonks went over to the fireplace and called Albus' name after throwing in some powder. Albus' head appeared in the fireplace, and he smiled at her.

"Is everything all right, Nymphadora? You look shocked," he said. Tonks nodded.

"Well she just managed to change her eyes, both of them, I might add, in less than half an hour and turn them back. All in one lesson! I didn't even manage to change one of mine fully in an hour, and I was born with this ability!" she said. Albus smiled and nodded.

"You have to understand Nymphadora that she... Have you made the room soundproof?" he asked suddenly. Tonks shook her head and quickly did so.

Ginny stopped listening with a small frown. She wanted to know what Albus was going to say...

"As I was saying, you have to understand that Ginevra has been looking for a way to escape the reality of her life since her first year here. Being a Vampiress has given her that chance and she will do everything to keep that, whether she does it unknowingly or not. Though she may not admit it, being who she is becoming has given her more control and power over herself. She is changing, and unlike other people her age, she knows what and whom she is changing into. She may change a few things along the way, such as the way she looks or the choices she makes and the things she experiences, but all in all, she will become a Vampiress, like her ancestors before her. We have to attend lunch now... I hope there's chicken stew again, I quite enjoyed that," Albus said with a smile, then turned the connection off. Tonks shook her head, then left the room to go to the Great Hall.

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Now she knew what to do, Ginny wondered if she could change her appearance spontaneously. She smirked to herself as she sat down. As she started eating her stew, she began to concentrate on changing her appearance. She willed her hair to grow slightly longer, grinning when she felt it hit her shoulders. Wondering what to do next, Ginny looked around without moving her head. She could see that Snape was staring at her in shock, and tried not to laugh. Apparently, he'd noticed. Ginny started to change the colour of her eyes to something completely opposite from her natural colour. Green would be good... She thought with a smirk, then looked at her reflection on her spoon discreetly. Her eyes had changed to green! Excellent! Ginny thought, trying not to laugh. Other than Snape, no one had noticed yet. The bell went and Ginny changed back to her normal appearance before leaving the Great Hall.

"I presume you saw all of that?" Snape muttered to Albus, who smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Personally, I thought it was relatively entertaining," Albus replied, then left the Great Hall chuckling to himself. Snape glared at nothing in particular, then smirked evilly when he realised Ginny's current lesson was with him.

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Ginny waited patiently outside of the Potions classroom for Snape to arrive. She didn't have to wait long before she heard his footsteps echoing loudly throughout the dungeons. She could even hear his cloak billowing in the wind he created by walking fast. Ginny made a mental note to get some headache potions from Madam Pomfrey. This extra-sensitive hearing was going to kill her when the rest of the student population returned! She sighed softly. Snape turned the corner and saw Ginny waiting for him. At least, he presumed it was Miss Weasley. The girl standing in front of his classroom had black hair.

"Miss Weasley?" He ventured. Ginny nodded with a frown. "I am quite aware of your ability to change your features. There is no need to show off," he drawled coldly.

"I didn't realise that I had changed anything, Professor," Ginny replied coolly, making her appearance go back to normal. Severus nodded curtly and entered his classroom, not bothering to wait for Ginny or let her in first.

"I presume you realise that you are here to learn about Occulmency as well as how to control your emotions?" he asked. Ginny nodded. "How? I was only just told of it yesterday," Snape said, glaring at her. Ginny smiled.

"Yes, I know that. I heard Professor Dumbledore speaking of it to you. I only listened because my name was mentioned and then I stopped," Ginny said. Snape nodded briefly.

"You've guarded your mind well," he said.

"I had to so I could survive. I will not risk my life over such a trivial matter as leaving myself, or my mind unguarded for people to see," Ginny replied.

"Good. Make sure it stays that way," Snape replied. She nodded curtly. "I will try a few things to do with Occulmency, then we will begin emotive control," Snape said.

"Yes, sir," Ginny said, knowing he would appreciate, or at least acknowledge the term as one of respect. Snape nodded curtly.

"Close your eyes and think of something that you think I would not know about you already," Snape instructed. Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. She thought of Lily taking her over and how they all thought that she couldn't remember it. Concentrating on that Ginny kept her mind closed too. After a few minutes, when nothing happened, Ginny opened her eyes cautiously and saw Professor Snape staring into space intensely.

"Professor?" When he didn't reply, Ginny waved a hand in front of his face. "Wake up," she said. Snape snapped out of his trance-like state immediately and glared at her.

"Never do that again!" he snarled. Ginny nodded, slightly frightened. "Go to your next lesson," he said. Ginny grabbed her things and left quickly, wondering what had just happened. Snape made the dungeon soundproof and went over to the fireplace, throwing some powder into the flames.

"Albus!" Snape said. Albus' head appeared, looking both amused and inquiring, an effect only he could pull off.

"Yes, Severus?"

"That... She... She just... She just pulled me out of an Occulmence state!" Snape said sounding more shocked than his features let on.

"Really?" Albus asked, his eyes twinkling. Snape sighed and shook his head.

"I really do not know why I bother telling you anything anymore, Albus," he said and made the fireplace connection cut off.

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Ginny walked to the Room of Requirement and seeing the door already there, opened it and went inside. Albus smiled over at her.

"Hello, Ginevra. You have been causing quite a stir I have heard," he said smiling.

"I must have, as Professor Snape just kicked me out of his lesson ten minutes early," Ginny replied with a small smile. "All I did was make sure if he was all right. He wasn't moving..." she said shrugging. Albus nodded.

"He was in an Occulmence state. It is supposedly impossible to get someone as experienced as Severus out of an Occulmence state. Congratulations," he said with a smile. Ginny nodded slightly.

"What are you actually going to teach me, sir?" She asked with a small frown. "It says on the parchment 'the benefits of getting old', but I don't understand how can you teach me something like that," Ginny said. Dumbledore smiled at her, eyes twinkling.

"Quite right, Miss Weasley. I will be telling you of my own experiences, difficulties and solutions to life, but not even I know everything, or how to handle things from other's point of view. I will be showing you around the world that you will be experiencing as a Vampiress. You will meet some of the Council members. But before we do any of that, I must teach you the etiquette required when meeting a Council member," Dumbledore said. Ginny tried not to look disappointed, but she must have failed as Albus smiled at her. "Do not worry, I am sure I will only have to tell you once. It will not take long," he said.

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said. Albus nodded and began talking.

"Firstly, you must always bow, or curtsy, when you meet a Council Elder. It is a sign of disrespect if you do not. Even when the Elder tells you not to, still do it to show your respect for that person, or their rank..." Albus kept talking and soon Ginny found herself feeling bored and tired. His voice kept droning on, even when she put her head on the table and fell asleep. Ginny started snoring softly, yet Albus kept talking, knowing that her memory would remember the things he said when the time came. Besides, the Muggles had shown that the brain responded better to new information while the body was asleep...

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Ginny looked around warily then headed into a nearby building. She closed the door firmly behind her, then started walking up the stairs. She walked up to the very top of the staircase, ignoring landings and doors on either side of her. She went over to the only door on the landing and walked into the small circular room. A large window was the only thing the room had, but Ginny didn't seem too upset or annoyed by this. In fact, she seemed rather glad. She walked over to the window then stepped onto the windowsill and looked out into the night. The moon was full and she could hear wolves howling to the moon somewhere in the distance. From their distinctive howl, she also recognised werewolves howling and grinned, knowing that Lupin would probably be howling somewhere too. She removed her cloak and left it in a heap on the windowsill before stepping off the edge calmly. As she fell downwards, Ginny's body began to change shape. Her arms and legs shortened and her body began to take on a leathery look. By the time the wolves stopped howling Ginny had changed into a bat and was flying away from the building. From the way she was flying, it was obvious that Ginny knew where she was going.

Ginny landed on a tree and hung upside down from a branch then squeaked loudly. The noise reflected back and Ginny knew that the window was opened. Ginny flew inside and morphed to her original body and smiled at Draco. He smirked at her then closed the window and drapes.

"What took you so long?" He asked between kisses. Ginny kissed him back before pulling away to reply.

"You try falling from a twenty storey building and changing into a bat at the same time," she said.

"Maybe some other time," Draco said and pulled her back to him, smirking.

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Ginny woke up and looked around quickly. Albus smiled at her as she looked at her watch.

"Our time is up. You should go to your next lesson now. Hagrid and Madame Maxime are waiting for you at the hut. Be quick in the light. Even though you won't die from it, if you stay outside on a sunny day for too long you could end up very sick and extremely sunburnt. More than other people..." he said. Ginny nodded then left through the side door. She went out of the entrance and over to Hagrid's hut where, indeed, Hagrid and Olympe were waiting.

"Hello Hagrid. Hello Madame Maxime. How are you?" Ginny asked once she was in the shade. She felt boiling hot and had hardly been in the sun for more than two minutes!

"I am veree well, thank you," Olympe said, her French accent drawing out.

"I'm good. We should start now, eh?" he said grinning, and led them into the forest, his crossbow slung over his shoulder.

There was complete silence for most of the trip, but to Ginny it seemed as if there was noise everywhere. It was even worse than at a Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match with everyone barracking for their team! Seeing that Olympe and Hagrid seemed to be unaffected, Ginny bit her cheek in an effort not to complain about the intensity of the noise and kept walking.

Soon enough they stopped and Hagrid turned to her, beaming broadly.

"Well done! That were bad enough for us, but it musta bin worse for you, eh? Sorry 'bout that, Gin. Tell me wotcha can hear," he said, then waited patiently. Ginny nodded and closed her eyes.

"There's a herd of Thestrals twenty-five kilometres east. They're teaching a young one to fly," Ginny said smiling. "An Augurey is trying to coax some bugs into it's nest somewhere that way," she said, indicating to where the bird was, eyes still closed. Hagrid looked at Olympe who nodded. "A herd of Centaurs are over there. They're discussing the movement of the planets and... us being here in the Forest. They're not happy, but as long as we stay in the clearing they can't hurt us," Ginny said sounding relieved. "You can't hear them, can you?"

"No, we can'," Hagrid replied.

"Our 'earing is veree... How you say? Limited compared to Vampyres," Olympe said. Ginny opened her mouth to talk, then turned frowning, her eyes still closed.

"Wot is it?" Hagrid asked quietly.

"A Jobberknoll is dying..." she said and with a horrified shudder tried to block her ears. It apparently didn't work, as the look of distress didn't leave Ginny's face and she fell to the ground. "Stop that noise. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it," she repeated, pleading as every noise the bird had heard was screamed out backwards.

"Listen ter somethin' else, Gin," Hagrid said. He wrapped his large arms around her, knowing how horrible the Jobberknoll sounded. "Listen ter me heart," he said softly. Ginny nodded and listened to Hagrid's large heart beating. Soon enough, the sounds from the Jobberknoll faded and all Ginny could hear was Hagrid's heart. She kept listening, even when she felt Hagrid lift her up and carry her out of the clearing. Ginny didn't move her head, knowing that the Jobberknoll hadn't died yet. Hagrid started running, his footsteps pounding on the forest floor. Ginny could hear Centaurs following after them and a few arrows whizzed overhead.

"Turn left," she said so suddenly that Ginny wasn't even sure if she had said anything. Apparently she had though, as Hagrid turned left. Ginny could hear Olympe following them. As they entered another clearing the Centaurs stopped following them and Hagrid put Ginny down carefully. "We need to go out that way for about three kilometres and we'll be in front of Hogwarts," Ginny said, pointing in the right direction and trying not to listen to the Jobberknoll. She listened to her own heart beating and found that it drowned out most of the sounds. Hagrid looked down at her frowning.

"Jus' how do yer know this?" He asked. Ginny smiled.

"I just do," she said with a shrug. She thanked Lily silently then waited for Hagrid to pick her up again. He headed in the direction Ginny had indicated, Olympe following behind them. A few minutes later, they saw light between the trees and Hogwarts came into view. As they walked out of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid put Ginny down and he looked around, not recognising the surroundings.

"Where are ve, 'Agrid?" Olympe asked, looking around too.

"We are near the back entrance to Hogwarts. Your hut is over there, Hagrid. You'll start recognising the trees in a few seconds," Ginny answered. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll go in myself. I'm going to have a sleep before it's time for dinner. Thank you for the lesson, Hagrid. I learnt a lot. I look forward to seeing you both for tomorrow's lesson," Ginny said, then left them. She heard Hagrid and Olympe walking in the direction of his hut and soon she heard Hagrid mutter, 'She was right'.

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Ginny walked over to a nearby tower that was joined to Hogwarts and slipped around the side. She fought her way past bushes and vines and stopped when she saw a door that looked it hadn't been used in years. She opened it carefully, Lily telling her about the traps that had been set by students to stop other students from coming in. After sending a beam of light at the Devil's Snare and making the Muggle booby-trap disappear, Ginny looked around the large room. There was a long large table with chairs placed around it, a few cupboards and a circular window.

"Where am I, Lily?" Ginny asked. Lily smiled.

"This is connected to the oldest part of Hogwarts. It was rumoured in my time to be the meeting place of the Council that you've been hearing about. My friends and I found a corridor... Well, it will be easier if I show you. This way," Lily said and walked in a particular direction, not needing to light her wand. Lily/Ginny opened a side door and walked into the large circular room. There was a bed and various parts of furniture on one side of the room. On the other side there was a door that seemed to lead into a walk-in closet. Lily/Ginny walked over and opened the door. She looked in the wardrobe with a grin then went straight to the back of it. She took off the Glamour and a door appeared. Lily/Ginny opened the door and walked down the long tunnel. After a while, Ginny realised that she could see doors up ahead.

"Where do those doors lead to?" She asked Lily.

"They are secret doors into the castle. This is the oldest part of Hogwarts, so everything was built around it. What do you think is behind all of the tapestries?" Lily answered grinning. "The doors are hidden by runes and Glamours so no kids could just suddenly fall into a tunnel while they were with their girlfriend or boyfriend," Lily said laughing as she ran to the doors. "You better do this in case we get caught. Albus won't be happy if he finds out I've told you about this," Lily said.

"Why?" Ginny asked, but Lily had gone. Curiosity taking over, Ginny opened the first door and pushed the tapestry away slightly so she could see where she was. Judging by the cobwebs and dust in the corridor, Ginny guessed that it hadn't been used in about thirty years. Going back into the corridor, she opened the door opposite and pushed the tapestry away. Seeing the familiar statue of the one-eyed witch, she listened carefully before going out even further. Not hearing anyone, Ginny walked out and closed the door behind her, it disappearing into thin air. If Ginny hadn't known different, she would have assumed that it had only ever been a stone wall, not a door.

Why aren't you exploring any more? Lily asked.

I'm tired and I want to look at that anatomy book that Tonks gave me. I'll explore more tomorrow. Ginny replied. Lily nodded then left quickly as they both heard footsteps approaching. A while later, Dumbledore came into view and looked at Ginny, seeming surprised.

"Hello, Professor. Are you all right?" Ginny asked smiling at him.

"I'm fine, thank you Miss Weasley. I just... wasn't expecting to see you here. Where did you just come from?" he asked, looking at her over his glasses.

"I came from the girl's bathroom," Ginny lied, knowing that it was nearby. He merely looked at her, unconvinced.

"As much as I would like to believe you, Miss Weasley, I find it a hard thing to do. The alarm was set off inside there," he said, indicating behind the tapestry. "Lily has already taken you over today and she is the only one that knows about that part of the castle. Not even the Marauder's know about that, as Lily has assured me. 'They weren't part of the club', if I remember you correctly," Albus said smiling slightly. Lily sighed and frowned at him.

"I was just showing her around. It would be easier for her to be there, away from everyone. She's going to be hassled by everyone's sleeping habits and won't sleep for most of the year. At least there are soundproof spells in there. It wouldn't be too hard to move everything from her current room," Lily said. Albus shook his head at her.

"Yes, yes. I believe it would be easier. As long as you promise to get to your lessons on time and still keep up with your studies, Miss Weasley?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I won't go into the Forbidden Forest unless it's for my lessons, either. Don't worry. I know what I can and can not do," Ginny said smiling.

"I see you have the telepathic ability," Albus commented. "Only one sided though. Even without the natural block, your mind would be difficult to penetrate," he mused. "Your things will now be in your new dwellings," he said, then left Ginny standing there.

"How do I get back in?" Ginny asked, unsure of what to do.

"Point your wand at the tapestry, flick it to your right and say 'Open to me', then the door will open," Lily told her. Ginny did so, then went into the corridor again and down to her new rooms. There was no noise to be heard in the corridor, meaning that thankfully, the silencing spells worked both ways. Upon arriving in the circular room, Ginny realised that it was decorated exactly as she had decorated the room she had been given originally.

She sat at her desk and looked at the things she had been given over the day. She looked at the dagger that Moody had given her closer, and realised that there was writing on the blade. Frowning, Ginny tried to read the minuscule writing. She held the dagger on the blade and yelped as she slit her finger on the sharp edge. As she watched her blood creep down the blade, the writing became clearer and she could read what it said.

Awaiting blood... Ginny frowned. After her blood reached the bottom of the handle, it stopped immediately and the writing began to change.

Blood received... The dagger pulsed slightly, almost as if it was alive. Again the writing changed.

Ginevra's blood. Ginny moved the blade slightly in the light, noticing a red tinge to the writing. She stood up to go wash the blood from her finger and heal it, then realised that the slit was gone. The slit had closed up and there was only a small horizontal scar along the top of her finger. Ginny wasn't really surprised, as she remembered that Vampires healed two times faster than mortals did. She cleaned the dry blood from her finger then grabbed the book that Tonks had given her. She put it on her desk, hoping that the weight of it wouldn't break it. She looked in the contents and began to read the section on bats and their anatomy.

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Hearing the Hogwarts bell, even from this part of the castle, Ginny realised that it was eight o'clock. She remembered Moody telling her to excercise at eight o'clock and grudgingly did the excercises she had done that morning. After the half hour work out, Ginny noticed that she felt hungrier than she usually did at this time and thought that perhaps Moody was right, after all...

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After dinner, Ginny excused herself and went back to her room. She continued to study the anatomy book then read over some of the other text books for school, rather than her 'extracurriculur activities'...

Later that night, Ginny slipped out of the tower. She filled wooden bowl with water, then headed towards the Forbidden Forest. She knew she'd promised not to go into the Forbidden Forest, but there was something she needed to do.

She stopped in the clearing that Hagrid had gone into to escape the centaurs and sat down with her bowl and water.

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Ginny looked at her husband, and nodded briefly. She smiled slightly, then slipped out of the room quickly and quietly. She walked outside, the full moon making her red hair seem even brighter. She started running towards the nearby forest and began to change her body.

Her shoulders broadened and fur began to grow. Her face became longer, and a snout appeared. Soon a wolf was running in Ginny's place. The only thing that made her recognisable was the red fur on her stomach. She stopped at the edge of the forest and howled. Soon, her ears picked up the sound of an owl flying overhead. Ginny howled again, shorter this time and the silver feathered owl landed on her back carefully. She walked into the forest and stopped in a clearing. The owl flew off Ginny and Draco landed on the ground, the owl gone. He helped Ginny up and looked at her.

"Why must we continue to do this, Ginevra?" Draco asked. Ginny smiled at him.

"Your guests were there on official business. The silencing spell they used was weak, at best. I'm certain they didn't want anyone to hear what I heard. I didn't want to take any chances. They could tell I knew what they were up to this morning... That's why they went to bed straight after dinner. They're planning to kill us..." she said grinning. Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"All right... Did you still need to go shopping?" he asked suddenly. Ginny looked at her watch.

"Yes, I better. Would you like to come? My suppliers have been asking of you," she said.

"I'm sure they have. Do they have my supplies or are they trying to get my money?" Draco asked.

"They have your supplies, but they want your money before they'll give them to you," Ginny replied. Draco sighed in frustration when he realised he didn't have his money in his robes. Ginny held up a bag, smirking at him. "Is this what you're looking for?" she asked.

"Ginevra, I've told you not to steal my things," Draco growled, snatching the bag from her. Ginny laughed at him and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She smiled at him sweetly.

"I'm sure you did... But then, I also remember you telling me that you'd never marry me if your life depended on it," she retorted, still smiling. Draco kissed her.

"I was stupid to say that. Do you know what I dreamt about after your stupid speech? I dreamt about you every night for a week. You stood at the foot of my bed, smiling at me, never doing anything. You just smiled. Then on the last night you kissed me..." Draco whispered.

"I know... Who said it was a dream?" she said then Disapparated. Draco shook his head then Disapparated after her.

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Ginny smirked at Draco and changed her appearance. She knocked on the door in front of them and they waited for a moment.

"We're closed!" A voice called. The heard footsteps and a slit opened in the door. "Oh, it's you. You brought him, I see... Come in then," the gruff voice said. The door opened and Ginny and Draco walked into the shop.

"Thank you, Isaac. I hope I didn't inconvenience you too much," Ginny said sweetly. The man shook his head and waved her off.

"It's fine, as long as you've come to take away those things. It's dangerous times. The Ministry are doing raids everywhere... If I was caught with those things..." Isaac said shaking his head.

"Did you do as I instructed?" Ginny asked. Isaac nodded. "Then you don't have to worry. They wouldn't have been seen if you'd been raided, so don't worry," Ginny said.

"You have my items, I presume?" Draco drawled. Isaac nodded.

"Everything is out the back. This way..." the man said and led them to the back of his shop. He moved a box off the floor and opened a trapdoor after removing the powerful Glamour. "They're down there. Follow me," Isaac said and taking a torch, went down the stairs. Ginny and Draco followed. Looking around, Ginny saw shelves full of beakers and jars. She recognised the ingredients in them and didn't seem too surprised that most of them were illegal. Isaac stopped in front of a large crate. "This is yours, Ginevra. That one's yours, Draconius," Isaac instructed.

"Thank you, Isaac. Leave while we check them," Ginny said. The man nodded and left gratefully. Ginny opened her crate and began looking at each of the items she pulled out. "Where is it?" she muttered to herself. After going through the entire crate, Ginny frowned. Glaring, she turned around. "Isaac!" she called. Isaac came down nervously.

"Yes, Ginevra?" he asked. She walked over to him, outwardly looking calm.

"Where is it?" she asked in a quiet tone. Draco stopped looking through his crate and watched, knowing how dangerous Ginny was when she used that tone.

"Where is what?" Isaac asked, obviously knowing what she was talking about.

"I ordered a Chimaera egg... Where is it?" she asked, her tone still dangerously calm.

"It... it should be there..." Isaac stuttered fearfully.

"Are you calling me a liar, Isaac?" Ginny asked. She put her hand around the larger man's throat and her nails began to grow, piercing his skin.

"I put it somewhere else so it wouldn't be smashed!" Isaac said. Ginny still didn't release him.

"Where?" she asked. Isaac pointed in one direction but his eyes looked in another direction. Ginny went in the direction his eyes looked and pulled a crate apart easily. A Chimaera egg sat in the shredded paper, it's black shell giving off a glossy look. Ginny picked up the egg and walked over to Isaac. "You took a great risk to hide this from me, Isaac, and an even greater one to lie to me about it," she said. She flicked her hand and Isaac fell onto the ground, clutching his throat. "Why did you try to deceive me? Your own benefit, or did someone give you a better offer?" she asked. Isaac gurgled in response, still clutching his throat. Ginny flicked her hand again and Issac stopped clutching his throat. He took deep breaths, trying to get it back to normal. "Tell me, or I won't be as lenient and you will never leave this cellar," Ginny warned.

"It was... Virginia Weasley. She told me... not to give it to you," Isaac replied, still trying to catch his breath. Ginny walked over to the crate and looked in it again.

"And the Re'em blood?" she asked.

"Same reason. It's next to the crate that had the egg in it," Isaac breathed. Ginny walked over to it and slashed open the crate. There were ten large vials full of a liquid. She picked them up and passed them to Draco who placed them, with the egg, into her crate. Isaac was now standing up and attempting to heal his neck, where there were five half-cresent marks. Ginny walked over to him and slapped his face so hard that it began to bruise and swell immediately.

"If you ever betray me like that again, I will go to another supplier and you will not be alive. Do you understand me?" she threatened. Isaac nodded, frightened.

"Yes, Ginevra... I will not betray you ever again!"

"Even to Virginia?" she asked. Isaac's pupil's dilated with fear and he hesitated.

"I can't control myself around her. She... she does things... I can't stop myself from doing things in her presence," Isaac admitted.

"You will be able to resist her once I heal you. I will not accept this excuse next time, Isaac," Ginny said. She healed him leaving her fingernails scarred into his skin.

"Thank you! You have been so kind to me! I will not forget it!" Isaac said. Ginny glared at him.

"Nor will I, Isaac," she said. She picked up the heavy crate with ease and walked out of the cellar, Draco following. He smirked at Isaac evilly on his way out.

"Where are we going now?" Draco asked. Ginny looked up at the moon.

"I will be going to see Virginia," Ginny said. "Did you bring your charm?" she asked him. Draco felt around his neck and pulled out a necklace with a dragon pendant on it. "Then you may come," she said. Holding her crate in one hand, Ginny put her arm around Draco and Apparated.

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Ginny placed her crate by the door and motioned for Draco to do the same. She spelled them silently so no one could take them or look inside. Then she turned to Draco and spelled him. Ginny opened the large wooden doors before her and walked into the old mansion.

"Ginevra! What brings you this way so early in the night?" a man asked, smiling down at her kindly. Ginny smiled back at him and bowed.

"Hello, my Lord. I fear it is business that brings me tonight and I can not stay longer than is necessary," Ginny said sounding apologetic.

"How many times have I told you to call me, Xavier? Ah, Draconius... When you have the chance tell your council that we have accepted their terms," the man said. Draco bowed to him.

"I will. Thank you, my Lord," Draco said solemnly. He moved slightly behind Ginny and she looked to a side door with a barely suppressed glare.

The air went still immediately as a lady walked into the room, her body wrapped in a red dress with fox fur around her neck. Her blue eyes were piercingly beautiful, as they were cold. She wore thin high heels that were strapped up her legs. Two men followed her. One was her husband Maverick and the other, her bodyguard Bart. Virginia Weasley, the most beautiful woman in the world had come into the room.

Ginny was almost certain that Virginia was screwing Bart, but since she had no solid proof, she couldn't tell the Council.

Upon seeing Ginny, Virginia smiled fakely and walked over to her.

"Ah, Ginevra. It's a pleasure to see you," Virginia cooed. Ginny would have slapped her if she wasn't a Council Elder.

"Virginia," Ginny replied coldly.

"Why the hostility?" Virginia asked surprised.

"You intercepted my order from Isaac and told him to hide the Chimaera egg and Re'em blood," Ginny said. Virginia laughed lightly.

"Why would I want to do that? Those things have no value to me!" Virginia said.

"You knew what I was planning to use them for and didn't want it to be done!" Ginny said.

"Well, why don't you tell everyone what you were doing?" Virginia asked, her blue eyes narrowing. Ginny knew that Virginia had trapped her and smiled briefly. So, she had scared Virginia, yet again.

"Well?" Xavier asked, looking down at them. Ginny knew she had to confess, and did so whole-heartedly. She knew exactly what she had been doing and didn't regret it one moment.

"I was attempting to help a friend under the orders of Albus Dumbledore, my Lord," Ginny admitted, looking up at him.

"Attempting to help which friend and how?" Xavier asked.

"My friend, Hagrid. He's trying to increase his strength so he can... persuade others to help on the Light side of the war," Ginny said. Xavier nodded.

"Hagrid is the half-giant?" he asked.

"Yes, my Lord. He is trying to convince the full-blooded giants and he can not achieve that without a strength equal to theirs..." Ginny said.

"Well, I see how the Re'em blood would help with that... What of the Chimaera egg then? How does that help your friend?" Xavier asked.

"That wasn't actually for Hagrid, my Lord..." Ginny admitted.

"Then..." Xavier began, but he was cut short.

"Then who was it for? Why are you obtaining Grade A Non-Tradeable Goods?" Virginia demanded. Xavier looked over at her and glared. He, like Ginny, was immune to Virginia's charms.

"Do not interrupt me, Virginia!" Xavier bellowed.

"I apologise, my Lord," Virginia said stiffly, taking an effort not to glare at the older man.

"Who was the Chimaera egg for Ginevra?" Xavier said, effectively ignoring Virginia.

"The egg was a present for my husband," Ginny replied.

"Come forward, Draconius," Xavier instructed. Draco moved so he beside Ginny and bowed to Xavier again.

"Yes, my Lord?" Draco asked.

"Do you have an upcoming occasion that could be celebrated with the gift of this egg?" Xavier asked him.

"Yes, my Lord. It is my birthday in two week's time," Draco answered. Xavier nodded.

"Well, that settles it then. Virginia, what reason did you have to make Ginevra's supplier hide these ingredients?" He asked her sternly. For the first time in a long time, Virginia faltered.

"I... I was merely protecting her ignorance from the wizard's Ministry. It is illegal for them to trade Chimaera eggs," Virginia said. Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, then looked to Ginny who was refraining from talking with some difficulty.

"You have something to say to this, Ginevra?" He asked calmly. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, my Lord. Unlike, Virginia has said, I am quite aware that the eggs are not allowed to be traded. That is why I had my supplier do a spell so that even if his store was raided, he would not have been found out and taken to Azkaban. The spell I used was one you taught me yourself the fourth time I met you," Ginny said. Xavier nodded.

"Yes, I remember that. The spell is quite effective..."

"You shouldn't need ten vials of Re'em blood," Virginia said suddenly. Xavier glared at her, not liking that he was being interrupted, yet again.

"Virginia, if you interrupt me once more, you will be sent from the room!" He bellowed.

"I apologise, my Lord," Virginia said frostily. "If I may continue with my question, please?" she asked. When no one said anything to stop her, she continued. "You shouldn't need ten vials of Re'em blood to make him stronger. One of those vials is enough to make your friend strong for a week," Virginia said looking at Ginny in triumph. Ginny simply smiled.

"I am quite aware of that. I do know about the ingredient, as I am the one who ordered it..." She said. Virginia glared at her, but Ginny just ignored her and continued to talk to Xavier, who was watching the events unfolding with amusement. "Five of the vials are for Hagrid to use for a month to convince the full-blooded giants. The other five are for my husband's instructor, Severus Snape. I believe you know him, Virginia... You tried to seduce him not that long ago and failed, if I remember correctly," Ginny said, her voice completely calm. Virginia clenched her fists and glared at Ginny, completely disregarding the other Elders.

"Who told you of that?" She asked, her teeth gritted. Ginny smiled briefly.

"I have my sources... As I was saying, the other five vials are for Severus to use in a potion. He was intending to surprise the Council with its presentation, so I do hope you will not ruin the surprise," she said.

"We will certainly be surprised, as we are not aware of the potion he will be presenting," Xavier said. Ginny bowed her head in acknowledgment once and smiled slightly.

"Thank you. I do hope you will not be offended, but if I do not return home to catch two people that are attempting to kill my husband and I, they may get away before the night is over," Ginny said looking at her pocket watch.

"We thank you too, Ginevra. We hope that your next visit may be for leisure so we may spend more time in your presence," Xavier said formally.

"I hope that too, my Lord. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your night and sleep well during the morrow's day," Ginny said. She bowed to Xavier and his wife, Agnes. Draco did the same before following her outside...

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The images stopped and Ginny rubbed her eyes. She shook her head and made her way back to her new room wearily. So intent on getting to her bed, Ginny barely noticed that the moon was going down. She put the bowl away then flopped onto her bed, fully clothed. Within minutes she was asleep.

A few hours later, Ginny woke up in shock.

In two years or less she was going to be married to Draco Malfoy!

Ginny didn't have enough time to wonder why or how this would happen as she fell asleep within seconds of waking up...

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(a/n: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!)

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2. Chapter Twp

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue!

(a/n: Thanks to all that reviewed! Sorry for not replying! I didn't know I even had reviews until five seconds ago!

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Two

Ginny climbed out of bed then brushed her hair to untangle to the knots from being in the Forest for most of the night. She was still aware that she was going to marry Draco, but didn't let herself dwell on the thought for too long.

Ginny suddenly remembered that her father had told her there was a gift in her trunk and rummaged through it to find it. A small gift was pulled out and unwrapped eagerly. She looked at the necklace in shock. She'd never seen anything like it before in her family! Hanging off of the silver chain was a small pendant and looking closer Ginny realised that on the pendant was her family crest!

Ginny put the necklace on then changed into her white clothes for Moody's lesson, taking a bag with extra clothes. She put her dagger in her boot then slipped her school robes on before entering the castle through the corridor.

She walked to the Great Hall and entered as quietly as possible, wanting to scare the shit out of Snape. Unfortunately, he wasn't in there, but Professor Dumbledore was and he was just as good to scare... Ginny walked over quietly, her footsteps silent, except to her own ears and perhaps Hagrid's. Moody watched her with his magic eye swivelled towards her but he kept his face forward. She saw the smirk on his face and winked. Creeping up behind Albus and went to clap her hands loudly.

"Hello, Ginevra," he said before she could do anything. Ginny pouted then sat down.

"Morning Professors," she said. Albus smiled at her, eyes twinkling.

"I'm sure you'll be able to scare someone else later," he said. "I have a weak heart and do not like surprises like that, unfortunately," he said. Ginny nodded and grinned knowing that, despite how old he was, Albus was as fit as a fiddle.

"You ready for your first lesson, Ginny?" Moody asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes... I would have thought you would have known that already," she said.

"I have been caught out too many times looking at ladies to know that I shouldn't do it when they can see. Besides, you're one of my students," Moody said gruffly.

"Of course," Ginny said smiling. Realising that Madam Pomfrey was at the table, Ginny looked at her. "Madam Pomfrey? I was wondering if will you have any anti-headache potions available for me for when school starts?" She asked. Poppy nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure there will be enough for a year's supply. I have been making them since we found out," she replied smiling at Ginny.

"Oh... Thank you," Ginny said wondering how long the teachers had known.

"They were made known of it as soon as you were. We needed to discuss how we were going to handle things, as we weren't sure whether you would have the Thirst or not," Dumbledore said to her quietly. Ginny nodded. As she finished her juice the bell rang, echoing through the loud and nearly empty castle. Ginny winced and listened to her heart beating instead. She had the feeling that she would get to know her heartbeat very well...

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Ginny followed Moody to the Room of Requirement and waited for instruction.

"Do the same exercises you read on the wall yesterday. Depending on how fast you progress, hopefully by next week, you can start doing extra work outs during the morning," Moody told her. Ginny nodded. She did the exercises and turned to Moody when she'd finished. He nodded. "In a few week's time you will be using those techniques against myself, so learn them well," he said.

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said. He passed a very large and heavy book to her.

"Read this during your study time. It describes different types of weapons and their uses. You will be tested on them next week. You need to know about this, Ginny; or else you will not know how to fight with them. It will not do if you go into battle holding your sword the wrong way," he said when she pulled a face. Ginny sighed and nodded.

"I know... I'm just finding it slightly difficult to be taking in all of this new information at one time... Over the school year we learn about one thing and stick with it for a few weeks or days, in the very least, then we go onto something else. With all of this I'm just being bombarded with information daily, hourly, even... I doubt I'll get much rest," she said sombrely. Then her mood changed completely and she smiled brightly. "But this complaining won't get my anywhere, so let's get on with it, shall we?" Ginny suggested. Moody nodded and his magical eye swivelled over her and down to her boot.

"Your dagger... It's bound already?" He asked. Ginny nodded and went to bend to take it out of her boot, but as soon as she moved her hand, the dagger moved by itself and rested in her outstretched palm. "It's sooner than I expected... Congratulations," Moody said with a smile. Suddenly there was a small pop and his magical eye fell out. "Goddamn this eye... Stupid idiot shouldn't have killed him... I would have liked to get my hands on the mongrel's neck," he grumbled.

"There is a spell you can use, if you like... It makes things stay in place until you decide to stop it and only you can take it off. You'll still be able to move your eye about, but it won't fall out," Ginny said. Moody raised an eyebrow at her sceptically.

"I don't think I've heard of it before... What's it called?" He asked.

"Corse," Ginny replied. "It is an old spell. I found it in a book in the library last year. Not in the Restricted Section, don't worry," she said smiling. Moody nodded.

"You're right... I haven't heard that spell in years," he replied. He looked away and did the spell. When Moody turned back, his eye didn't look like it was going to fall out at any random moment. "Thanks," he said then grabbed his wand. "I want to see how well you can block spells with your dagger. I'll only use harmless spells," he said. Ginny nodded and held her dagger in the wizard duelling position. Moody laughed. "You honestly think that anyone's going to take you seriously if you stand in the middle of the battlefield looking like that? Hold it like you're actually going to fight, not the pansy way you're taught nowadays," he growled. Ginny nodded and held her dagger in front of her, ready to fight.

He threw a spell at her, but her reflexes were slow and she fell to the ground, her legs wobbling.

"You'll get better with practise. Again," he said and threw another spell at her. Ginny blocked it, but before she could rejoice, another spell was coming for her. She blocked that too, ignoring that happiness that flowed through her at getting it right. There was no time for emotion on a battlefield, only knowledge, instinct and reflexes.

Moody continued to throw spells at Ginny and soon, she realised that her reflexes were faster than they were normally. Realising what this meant, Ginny stopped in shock just long enough for Moody to throw another spell at her. Seeing it come at her, Ginny moved out of the way so fast that she nearly banged into the wall on the other side of the room.

"What happened?" Moody asked. Ginny looked at him.

"My reflexes became that of a Vampire," she said.

"Next time, don't let it stop you. I could have said an Unforgivable and then you would be dead," Moody said then looked at the clock on the wall. "It's time for your next lesson," he said. Ginny nodded and went into a nearby change room to get into her normal clothes.

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Ginny arrived in Lupin's classroom and looked around for him.

"Miss Weasley," Lupin said from nearby. Ginny tried not to jump and turned to look at him.

"Professor," she said. Lupin walked over to his seat and Ginny followed.

"Before we begin, I would like to apologise for my behaviour during yesterday's lesson... I hope you don't hold it against me and can forgive me so we can be friends again," Lupin said smiling.

"Your apology is accepted, Professor. I apologise for my outburst. It was unnecessary," Ginny replied.

"No, it wasn't. I needed you do to that... Thank you," Remus said. Ginny nodded. "Now that the niceties are over, I suggest we make up for the time we have lost. Follow me," Lupin said and walked out of the room. Ginny followed him.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Ginny asked after a while. They walked out of the castle and along the Hogwarts grounds.

"No questions," Remus replied quietly and led her towards the Forbidden Forest. Instead of going in, as Ginny thought they would have, he walked along the edge before walking to the lake. "You see the squid?" Lupin asked. Ginny nodded and looked at the giant squid that was splashing the water. "That squid has lived for over one hundred years. It used to have a mate, did you know that?" Lupin asked.

"No, I didn't know," Ginny replied. Remus nodded.

"I didn't think so... The squid's mate was killed two decades ago. It happened the night Voldemort came to look for a job here... You see the squid's scar?" Lupin asked. Ginny looked briefly and nodded.

"He got that defending his mate. Even though he tried his hardest to save her, she still died and he was left alone..." Ginny doubted that they were talking about the squid anymore. Lupin sighed and Ginny simply waited, sensing he needed a few minutes alone. Unbidden, Lily took over.

"Remus... Don't mourn for me any longer. You need to move on. It's not fair to Nymphadora for you to be thinking back all the time," Lily/Ginny said. Lupin looked at her.

"I know it's not fair to her. That doesn't mean I can do anything about it. I love you both too much to let either of you go," Remus said quietly.

"You will have to let me go. I will no longer be here after this meeting... Nymphadora can help you ease the pain. Remus, you must do as I bid you, or else neither of us will be happy. You need to let me go," Lily/Ginny said. Ginny could feel Lily starting to fade away. "I forgive you, Remus," Lily whispered and Ginny fainted. Remus caught her and was about to take her to the hospital wing when Ginny woke up again.

"It's ok, Professor. I'm fine," Ginny said. Lupin put her down and Ginny sank to the ground. "She's gone... Really gone," Ginny whispered. "It's funny. I can remember all of this time I've been possessed... That never happened with Tom," she said with a frown. Lupin sat beside her.

"That's because of the different beings that took you over. You-Know-Who is evil and he didn't want to be found out, so he changed part of your mind so you wouldn't remember. Lily, on the other hand... She was pure and didn't like to hurt people without valid reason, so she let you remember what was happening to you," Lupin explained. Ginny simply nodded.

"I think it's time for recess," Ginny said and a second later the bell rang loudly. She sighed and stood up cautiously so she wouldn't get too dizzy. "Need a hand?" She asked grinning.

"I doubt you could lift me," Lupin replied. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"You obviously haven't read up on Vampires then..." She said and held out her hand for him. Lupin took it and Ginny lifted him with so much strength that Remus almost flew over her head. "Sorry... Haven't controlled my strength properly," Ginny said sheepishly when he was on the ground again.

"I'll say..." Lupin replied with a smile and they walked back up to the castle.

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"Miss Weasley. Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked as soon as she walked into the Great Hall.

"I'm fine, thank you, Professor. Why do you ask?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"You will learn of it in my lesson today," he replied realising that the other professors were staring at them. Ginny nodded and sat beside him then started to eat.

Unbeknownst to her, Ginny's appearance changed as she thought of her brothers. Her face took on more distinct features of her brothers' faces than her own. Ron's nose, Bill's hair, Charlie's high cheekbones, Percy's eyes, which were slightly more rounded and darker than her own, and Fred and George's lips, forever smiling.

"Whoa... Who're you changing in to Gin?" Tonks asked grinning at her appreciatively. Ginny looked at her in surprise, then looked at her reflection in her spoon. Seeing her brothers, she dropped the spoon and ran from the room. "Was it something I said?" Tonks asked everyone.

"Surely you didn't miss the fact that she had part of her brothers in her then?" Dumbledore asked Tonks. "They haven't supported her and on seeing them in her own face, it shocked her. She's going to have a very hard time dealing with the loss of those closest to her," Albus said, looking to where Ginny had left.

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Ginny ran to her room, her face returning to normal quickly. She fell onto her bed sobbing. After allowing herself a few moments of self-wallowing Ginny sat up, determination in her eyes. If they wouldn't support her, then... Then she'd just make sure that she could show them how good and happy she was going to be being a Vampiress.

Checking her watch, Ginny decided there was enough time to continue reading the book that Moody had given her before her lesson with Firenze and Trewlaney...

Bronze Age weapons include slender spearheads, swords and knives.

A hand-held crossbow, also known as an arbalest, was used for war and hunting during the Middle Ages, and was especially popular during the 13th century. After that time it was replaced by the longbow.

A spear is a shaft that is usually made out of wood and has a sharp point. In prehistoric times, spears were used both as missiles and hand weapons. Pikes and lances were developed from the spear.

A pike was often carried by foot soldiers. It was a wooden shaft, like the spear, but unlike the spear, the tip had a hook attached to it.

The lance was used as a Calvary weapon until the early 20th century and before that was used for knights to compete in jousting events.

A bell rang and Ginny jumped slightly, before remembering that she had to go to lesson and rushed to the Divination classroom.

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"I'm sorry. I was reading and I didn't think I was going to be so late," Ginny puffed as she arrived in the classroom.

"It is all right, Miss Weasley! I Saw that you were going to be late, so I made use of the opportunity and readied the tea beforehand," Sibyl said smiling at her. Ginny smiled back weakly, wondering where Firenze was. "Firenze has other duties today and will return to teach you once he has finished for the rest of the lesson," Trewlaney said held out a cup for her.

"Thank you, Professor," she said and took the offered cup of tea. She sipped it slowly, but still managed to finish before Trewlaney did. Ginny looked at the bottom of her cup and was surprised to find that she knew what the tealeaves meant, even though she hadn't looked at the book yet. She put the cup down before reading anything properly. Sibyl smiled at her knowingly.

"Your aura has cleared now. You can read it," she stated more than asked. Ginny nodded. "Good. Read mine first. It is always polite to read the other person's first, unless of course, you are alone," Sybil said smiling. Ginny took her cup and looked at the black tea leaves.

"Your tea leaves say that you will have another two promising students in your subject. One of them is myself, the other is... I'm sorry, it seems to be saying that the other is a dragon," Ginny said, frowning at her. Sibyl smiled and took the cup from her. She looked at the leaves and nodded.

"It does say 'dragon'... Very good, Miss Weasley. Someone's name could be translated into 'dragon'. Now who do you think that might be?" Sibyl asked smiling.

"Draco Malfoy," Ginny said and sighed. She wasn't even Seeing and he still wouldn't leave her alone!

"Very good... Firenze will be back in a moment. Let me read yours," Sibyl said and took Ginny's cup. "Interesting... You will find love in a place least expected and you will die and be reborn within the year," Sibyl said. Ginny looked at her in surprise. "You may read it for yourself," she said and handed Ginny the cup. Ginny looked in it and saw indeed, that she was going to die and be reborn. "Be warned, Miss Weasley. These are merely interpretations. The way the leaves See may be different from our view. It may not mean that you will physically die, only that your old self will die and your new self will be born. Understand?" Sibyl asked.

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said. Hearing music coming from the bottom of the tower, she looked around. "Firenze will be up in a few seconds," she said. Soon enough, the door opened and Firenze walked in.

"Hello, Sibyl. Hello, Ginevra. I trust your lesson has been prosperous?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you, Firenze," Ginny said smiling at him.

You have learnt to read the leaves, he stated. Ginny nodded.

"Keep practising so you don't lose the technique, Miss Weasley. I hope the rest of your lesson will be as educational as this has," she said smiling.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said and watched as Sibyl walked away, a new respect growing in her for the woman. Firenze looked at her.

"Did you bring your bowl?" He asked. Ginny shook her head.

"No, I forgot it. Sorry," she replied.

"That is all right, Ginevra. You will not need it today anyway. Follow me," Firenze said and walked out of the room. Ginny grabbed her things and followed him. They walked to the Room of Requirement. The ceiling had disappeared. "Lay on the floor. I will teach you how to read the stars," Firenze said. Ginny quickly did as he instructed.

Over the next thirty minutes, Ginny was shown where the stars were positioned and how they could be used to determine to an extent, what may happen.

"Read this book thoroughly," Firenze said, passing a large book to her. "You must realise Ginevra, that although the stars are very good at determining what may happen, it may not always be true, as some of the stars die before they can be read properly," Firenze explained.

"Yes, Firenze. Thank you," she said and left to go to the History of Magic classroom.

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"Hello Professor Binns," Ginny said seeing the ghost sitting in a nearby chair.

"Hello, Miss Weasley. How are you today?" He asked smiling.

"I am well, thank you. Yourself?" Ginny asked, wondering briefly if ghosts could be offended at such a question when they were... well, dead.

"I am as well as is to be expected. Some ghosts may be offended, but I am not one of them, if I know the question is not meant in jest or to taunt," Professor Binns said.

"How did you hear my thoughts?" Ginny asked in surprise. He smiled at her and shook his head.

"Any ghost may see into a mortal's mind, no matter whether they have a natural block or a permanent shield, as you do. It is a very rare occasion when my fellow ghosts may not read other's minds. This can be happen due to shock, as the mind shuts down, or due to a lot of practise. If you want to learn how to do the latter, I suggest you borrow the book Compos Mentis from the Restricted Section in the library," Binns said.

"Thank you, Professor Binns," Ginny said. He merely nodded and opened his book.

"Now, what do you remember from yesterday's lesson?" Binns asked and began to quiz her for the entire hour. After that had finished he asked questions from the previous six years of her schooling, just to test her memory. Ginny got every single question right...

"Very good, Miss Weasley. You may read Compos Mentis for homework. Every lesson before we begin I will try to read your mind. Until it is impossible for me to read your thoughts, you will work on how to block myself and others out, as well as any other homework I may give you," Binns said. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, Professor. See you next Saturday," she said and left.

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"Miss Weasley. You're two minutes late," Professor McGonagall admonished. Ginny nodded, trying to regain her breath.

"I apologise, Professor McGonagall. I was, however, on the other side of Hogwarts and I ran all the way here," she puffed.

"Oh, leave her alone, Minnie! You weren't even here yesterday!" Tonks said staring at the older woman. Minerva looked over her glasses at Tonks sternly.

"My name is not Minnie, it is Minerva. I would appreciate that you refer to me by my given name, Nymphadora," she said. Tonks rolled her eyes.

"Fine, Minerva. As long as you don't call me Nymphadora," she said in distaste. Professor McGonagall nodded then turned to Ginny who had absent-mindedly changed her appearance.

"Miss Weasley. Please refrain in using your abilities so much! You will become ill if you use them constantly," she said.

"Sorry, Professor," Ginny said and returned to her original appearance. She tried hard not to laugh at Tonks, who was currently changing her appearance to that of McGonagall's and was mimicking her. "Professor? How do I change into an animal? Apparently, as a Vampiress, I might be able to change my shape without the need of my Animagus licence," Ginny said to distract McGonagall.

"Really? Well, it is much like changing your human appearance, I would say. Except, in the case of this, you are not merely changing the shape of yourself, you are also changing your entire body from the human skeletal structure to the skeletal structure of the animal you choose," McGonagall said. Tonks had stopped mimicking and was listening intently.

"Does that mean Tonks can do it too?" Ginny asked knowing what she was thinking.

"It is extremely difficult, but she may achieve it, if she is prepared to work hard," McGonagall said looking over her shoulder to the other woman.

"Really? That would be so great!" Tonks said excitedly.

"I'm sure... Now, Miss Weasley. You must control what you are doing now... If people see you change your shape spontaneously, it will be hard for you to explain and in a matter of hours the entire school will know," McGonagall said. Ginny nodded and waited instruction. "First, breathe in. Control your breathing. Breathe in and count to five, then let it out and count to five. Repeat this until you are no longer concentrating on anything but your breathing," she said. "Now, just like you had to in order to change your appearance, think of keeping it as your natural look."

After a few seconds, Ginny felt something change and looked at Professor McGonagall who nodded smiling.

"Very good, Miss Weasley. Don't worry, you will be able to change your look whenever you want, only now it won't happen without your knowledge," Minerva said.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said.

"Would you like to attempt changing part of your body into that of an animal today?" Minerva asked.

"Yes!" Tonks said. "Oh, sorry, you meant Ginny..." She said grinning.

"Yes, please," Ginny said shaking her head with a grin at Tonks.

"We will attempt it in the Room of Requirement so there will be easy access to medical supplies if necessary," McGonagall said and led them to the Room of Requirement. "First, you need to clear your mind of all thoughts," McGonagall instructed.

Ginny sat down and crossed her legs then gave a brief nod before doing as she said. She closed her eyes and waited for further instruction. Noises of rustling fabric beside her indicated that Tonks was sitting too.

"Now, once you have cleared them, think of an animal. It is best to start with something small. But not too small that no one can find you," McGonagall said with a smile. "Please also make sure that you aren't choosing an animal that will change too much of your own anatomy... That will be too difficult to attempt if you do not know the animal's anatomy properly," McGonagall said.

Ginny thought of the book that Tonks had given her and an image of a bat's anatomy flashed into her mind. She thought of the bat's skeletal structure and concentrated on changing her own appearance. After a while of concentrating, Ginny heard a small gasp but she ignored it and kept concentrating. She could feel her skeletal structure change and it felt like her head was shrinking.

When Ginny's concentration broke she opened her eyes, but found that she couldn't see. Well, at least not very well. Her vision was fuzzy, almost as if she was starting to go blind. She opened her mouth to ask what was happening, but all that came out was a series of clicks and a low-pitched whistle. The whistle seemed to return to her and she knew that McGonagall was on the ground in front of her. Ginny wondered for a moment why McGonagall was on the floor, and then she realised that she had wings.

She 'looked' at her wings via the use of echolocation and gave a bat-like grin. She flapped her wings and flew up into the air. It was amazing! She felt... free. The thought came to her and Ginny almost stopped in shock. Her lack of concentration caused Ginny to plummet back to the ground. Something thankfully caught her and she knew that it had to be Tonks, as Minerva was out cold.

"I'll gather that you read the book then?" Tonks asked. Her voice seemed so much louder... Ginny winced as Tonks' voice vibrated in her large ears. "Sorry," Tonks whispered. "You better change back. I can't believe that Minnie fainted!" Tonks whispered sounding amused. Tonks put Ginny on the floor gently so she could change back.

Ginny concentrated on her human form and started to change back. Her fingers grew longer and her arms seemed to grow back. Her head returned to its normal size and her vision started to clear. Her legs returned to normal and all of her body parts returned. With a sigh of relief, Ginny quickly felt over her body to make sure that everything was in the right places.

"You're fine. You did it," Tonks said from where McGonagall was. Ginny looked at them and watched as Tonks attempted to wake Minerva up. After trying to revive her with her wand, Tonks sighed slightly. "Gotta do it the Muggle way," she muttered and slapped McGonagall's face gently, then waved a foul smelling salt under her nose. McGonagall sat up and pushed the smelling salts away before putting her head on her knees and taking in deep breaths.

"Are you all right, Professor?" Ginny asked softly. Minerva looked at Ginny, her pale face still in shock. She nodded briefly then put her head on her knees again.

"You may go," she said quietly. Ginny nodded, grabbed her bag then left quickly.

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Ginny wasn't sure if it was a good thing that she kept getting kicked out of her classes early... At least this time she had time to think over that thought. She walked to her room and sat on her bed to think.

Ginny had no idea why she hadn't realised that she didn't felt free before turning into a bat. She had a lot of freedom at home. Her parents trusted her to make her own mistakes and learn from them... She had some freedom at school, however it was slightly limited due to the fact that she had to stay within the school's grounds. But as Hogwarts occupied hundreds of hectares of land it wasn't that limited... Ginny couldn't think of anything other than the Order in which she didn't have her own freedom...

With a sigh she shook her head and walked over to the anatomy book on her table and turned to the wolf section. After looking over the anatomy of the wolf, Ginny went outside. As she walked towards the Forbidden Forest, she began to change her body. Like in her vision, her shoulders broadened and fur began to grow on her body. Her face grew longer and a snout appeared. Her legs and arms shortened and paws replaced her hands and feet. Soon a wolf entered the Forbidden Forest.

Ginny silently went into the clearing, making her paws so silent that not even the other animals could hear. Soon, another wolf joined her in the clearing and Lupin howled at her to go back. Ginny snarled at him, making it clear that she wasn't going to.

"Fine... I'll stay with you. You could use the company," Lupin barked at her.

"How are you a wolf? Why not the werewolf?" Ginny asked in reply.

"All of the Marauder's took the Animagus potion, not just my friends. I choose to be a wolf so I know that deep down I can control myself while being a werewolf," Lupin replied. Ginny nodded briefly then went out of the clearing. Again, she felt free and had no idea why...

Lupin growled for her to stop and Ginny looked back at him.

"There's another one here," Lupin said sniffing the air. Ginny sniffed too and realised that she could smell Dumbledore! She didn't know that he was an Animagus!

Dumbledore walked over to them. His white fur, although making him an easy target for predators, showed how majestic he really was and the respect he commanded. Lupin gave a small whimper and put his two front legs forward, resting his head on them, making a bow to Albus. Dumbledore looked at Ginny who did the same thing. Albus nudged Lupin and yipped at him. Without another word, Lupin leapt up and left quickly. Albus looked at Ginny and motioned for him to follow her. She followed him to a clearing and watched as he began to change back to his human form. She knew why McGonagall fainted! It wasn't pretty, and a bat must have been even worse! With a slight shudder, Ginny changed back to her human form and looked at Albus.

"Miss Weasley... I am sorry to stop you from exploring your new talents, but we must leave now. I have organised a meeting with the Council Elder Xavier Torleni and he is expecting us," Albus said. "You have been given the rest of the night off by your teachers, as this meeting will take a while," he explained.

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said and followed him out of the Forbidden Forest.

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"I think it would be faster and show more respect if we flew there. Simply dropping in via Apparation for the first meeting is considered rude," Albus said. Ginny nodded and waited for him to go towards the Quidditch Pitch, but when he didn't and began to change into a bird, she gave a small sigh and began to change into the only bird that she knew the anatomy of: a phoenix. She hadn't read up on the owl's anatomy yet as that was shown in the section after phoenixes.

Ginny's body began to change and her mouth grew into a large beak. Her arms extended and feathers protruded from them. Ginny's feet shortened and talons grew. Her spine increased as a tail grew and soon enough, a red phoenix was standing next to the eagle form of Albus.

"Interesting choice..." Albus said in an amused tone. Ginny didn't reply and instead flew up into the air. Albus flew up beside her and led her towards the edge of the Hogwarts grounds.

Albus kept flying and it was soon obvious as to why he'd chosen a large bird. The barrier around Hogwarts hit hard and only because of their powerful wings could they push through. With a small shake, Albus soared up into the sky above the clouds, so Muggles wouldn't see them. Ginny followed him and they continued to fly.

After what seemed like hours, Albus began to fly down out of the clouds. With a relieved sigh, Ginny followed and they landed in front of a large mansion with wooden doors. Ginny recognised the doors as the same ones from her vision. She briefly hoped that she wouldn't meet Virginia Weasley before following Albus inside.

As she entered the room, Ginny remembered that Vampires were supposed to be nocturnal beings. If that was true, then how was Elder Xavier up? She wondered. Albus stopped in front of a long table and Ginny saw that a man was sitting there. She recognised him immediately as Xavier as he looked exactly the same as he did in her vision!

Albus bowed and Xavier chuckled to himself.

"Albus, my good friend! I have told you before not to bow before me... It makes me feel old," Xavier said smiling. Albus looked at Xavier with an amused smile.

"And I have told you before that as old as I am, I will continue to bow until I reach your age. Then I doubt I would be able to move," Albus said grinning. Xavier laughed again and walked down from the table to shake Albus' hand. He noticed Ginny behind him and looked down at her. She smiled slightly and curtsied.

"Hello Ginevra... Albus has told me about you. Do you know who I am?" Xavier asked. If he wasn't who he was, Ginny would have scowled at being talked to as if she was a child.

"Yes, my Lord Xavier, I know who you are," Ginny said. Xavier looked at her again then with a brief nod led them into a hallway. It was only as they moved into the hallway that Ginny realised that the entire mansion was dark and lit by candles.

"If we keep up the pretence that it is night, then some of the elder Vampires, like myself, can still move during the day," Xavier said almost as if he'd read her thoughts. He smiled at her knowingly.

You can read my thoughts? She thought in shock. No one had been able to read her thoughts since... Well, since Tom. Xavier watched as thoughts of Tom ran through her head and Ginny bristled with emotion. Not self-pity, nor sadness, not even hate. Pure emotion flowed through Ginny and lightning seemed to crackle in her hair.

Interesting... He thought with a small smile. Albus watched Ginny too and nodded to Xavier.

She flew in the form of a phoenix all the way here from Hogwarts... She's a very interesting woman, Albus said. Xavier nodded and looked back at Ginny.

"Come, we must do this before the others return," Xavier announced. Ginny looked at him and the emotion died down quickly. Her face calmed and the lightning in her hair faded away as if it had never been there to start with.

"What are we going to do exactly, my Lord Xavier?" She asked warily as he led them into a room.

"It is just a simple test to see if you are at the correct stage of your changing process," Xavier explained. Ginny nodded and she looked at the large stage in the middle of the room. Above it was something that looked a lot like a glass room. The doors closed behind them and Ginny started slightly. Candles flickered, giving an eerier feel to the room. "If you will please stand on the stage, then we can begin," Xavier said. Ginny walked up onto the stage and waited. "Albus, if you will..." Xavier said then moved away from the stage. Albus waved his wand and the glass above Ginny began to descend. She looked at them in confusion and with some fear.

"Don't worry. You will be fine," Dumbledore said smiling.

"It is simply a holographic room. It will allow us to test and observe your different skills without you having to see us," Xavier said kindly. Ginny nodded and the glass touched the stage.

The two men disappeared as the glass went black. Words began to form on the glass and Ginny read them.

First test: Memory.

Pictures of various people appeared on the glass, one after the other quickly. Then it stopped and all 20 of the pictures showed up, smaller than they were before and in a different order.

Put them in the right order.

Ginny began to put them in the order that she'd seen them and finished quickly.

Second test: Strength.

A small weight appeared beside Ginny and the glass told her to lift it. Unlike other weights, this one didn't say how much it weighed. Despite the size of the weight, it actually weighed three hundred pounds. Ginny took it by the handle and pulled it up with ease. She put it down and it disappeared.

Third test: Reflexes.

Ginny waited warily for something to happen. All of a sudden someone appeared in the glass and went to hit her. Ginny ducked quickly and another person appeared. The person shot an arrow at her, but Ginny caught it and threw it at the other person with such speed that she could have been using a bow. A third person appeared and tried to kick out at her as the first one tried to punch her. Ginny moved out of the way, and the two people kicked and punched each other instead. As sudden as they had all appeared the three people left.

Ginny waited for the next test to appear.

Fourth test: Hearing.

A loud bell chime sounded and Ginny winced slightly.

Did you hear that? Ginny nodded to the glass' question. A lower chime sounded and they kept going lower until Ginny could no longer hear anything.

Fifth test: Changing.

The glass told Ginny to change into a bat. Ginny did so and waited. As the letters changed, Ginny returned to her human form and read the words. Now she had to change into a phoenix. After a few seconds, Ginny was a red phoenix. The words changed again and Ginny changed into a wolf after changing back to her normal self.

Now change into a phoenix while in your wolf form. The glass instructed. The wolf gave a small shake and Ginny concentrated then began to change. After a longer time, the red phoenix was standing there. Ginny returned to her body, pale and weakened. It had taken a lot out of her to change from the wolf's skeletal structure to the phoenix's, let alone maintain it.

Final test: Etiquette.

A table appeared and a Council Elder appeared that Ginny didn't recognise. She curtsied to the Elder and waited for the woman to sit before she did. Food appeared all of which that Ginny was allergic to. With an apologetic smile she looked to the Elder.

"I apologise to you, Council Elder. I am not able eat this food, as I am allergic to it," Ginny said formally. "I thank you for your hospitality and apologise for any inconvenience I may have caused," she said. The Elder smiled and gave a slow nod. Other foods appeared and Ginny smiled. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner. I am honoured to be dining with you," Ginny said. Even though she was starving, she didn't touch her food, as it was customary for the Elders and hosts to start eating before the guests. The lady smiled again and then she disappeared into thin air. The table disappeared and Ginny stood.

The glass returned to its normal clear colour and started to ascend. Ginny could see Xavier and Dumbledore standing there. She couldn't tell if they were happy, shocked or upset as neither of their faces showed a thing.

"You may come down now, Ginevra," Xavier instructed. Ginny walked down the steps and looked at them.

"May I inquire as to my results?" She asked politely. Dumbledore smiled at her encouragingly. Xavier nodded briefly in a different direction and the Council Elder that had appeared in the final test walked out. She smiled and her appearance changed. Ginny realised that the Elder was Agnes, Xavier's wife.

"You performed all of the tests exceptionally well for someone of your standard. In fact, we expect someone with much more experience than yourself to do as well as you did. Congratulations," Agnes said kindly.

"I thank you, Agnes," Ginny said smiling at the older woman.

"You were right about the mind block, Albus. But what of her ability to See?" Xavier asked.

"She can See through the use of a bowl and water, and also through her dreams at the moment. I believe that just today Ginny learnt how to read tea leaves, am I correct?" Albus asked looking at her. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

"We would like to see you See with a bowl if you do not mind, Ginevra," Agnes said. Ginny nodded. A bowl and water appeared and Ginny looked into the bowl...

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Ginny looked around the Great Hall. Ron glared at her from the other end of the Gryffindor table and she glared back before leaving. She walked to a tapestry and entered the corridor, then went down to her room. Putting on her robes, Ginny kept walking through her room before coming out in front of the Forbidden Forest. She put the hood up on her robes then entered the Forbidden Forest. She sat in the clearing and closed her eyes. Soon, she could feel someone sit beside her and smile.

"Told you you'd be back," she said softly. Draco scowled but soon relented, as she still hadn't opened her eyes.

"I'm just curious, that's all," he said. She smirked then opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I'm sure you are... Follow me," Ginny said and walked out of the clearing. Draco sighed and got up then followed her.

"Where are you taking me, Weasley?" He asked after a few minutes. Ginny held up a hand for silence and he rolled his eyes at her.

"Shut up, unless of course you want to have an arrow through you," she hissed quietly. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"There's no one around," he said shaking his head. Suddenly an arrow came piercing through the air. As quick as a flash, Ginny grabbed the arrow mere inches before it hit Draco. He went pale and decided to shut up. Ginny grabbed his robes and threw him up in to the trees.

"Stay there until I come back," she commanded and went in the direction of the arrow. "Bane! You can't outrun me! I'll find you! Face me!" Ginny's voice carried through the forest.

"You do not belong in the Forest! Neither of you do! Leave the Forest or else I will kill both of you!" Bane called back.

"That will mean war, Bane! You do not want to be the cause of a war against your species from both my species and his! The Vampires and Veelas will put away their differences to exterminate your species if you kill us, Bane! You know this as well as I do! The stars have been telling of it for months! Or have you stopped concerning yourself with the heavens?" Ginny called out.

"Fine," Bane said coming out in front of her. Ginny looked at him warily. "Both of you leave and do not come this far into the Forest again. I will not kill you if you stay on the outskirts of the Forest," Bane said. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"I should not be restricted to a certain part of the Forest, Bane. I need materials that are in various parts of the Forest. If I do not obtain them, then I may not finish my job," Ginny said. Bane regarded her briefly.

"Yes, I have heard of your job... A compromise for both of us then: you may go into any part of the Forest as long as one of my species is with you," Bane said.

"Does Firenze count as one of your species? It wouldn't put out any of your herd, if he was with me," Ginny added before Bane could refuse. The centaur thought about it for a second.

"I see your point. That is fine. Just do not let Firenze anywhere near us. He already knows the consequences... Do we have a deal then?" Bane asked Ginny. She nodded.

"I agree to your terms and will not enter the deeper parts of the Forest without Firenze, or if he is unavailable, then one of your herd," Ginny said. Bane shook her head.

"Very good. I will not kill you in the shallow parts of the Forest. If you are in the deeper part of the Forest without Firenze, I will kill you. However, if Firenze is unavailable then one of my own herd will accommodate your needs," Bane said. Ginny nodded.

"I will leave the Forest once I have Draco with me," Ginny said and with a small bow, walked away from the centaur. "Oh, before I go Bane. Here is your arrow," Ginny said and threw the arrow to him softly. Bane caught it and with a small bow of respect, he galloped away.

Ginny walked deeper into the Forest and quickly found where she had thrown Draco.

"I hope you're still up there, Draco!" Ginny called.

"Of course I'm still bloody here! Do you honestly think I could have climbed down? I'm practically at the bloody top!" Draco's voice filtered down from the trees. Ginny tried not to laugh and levitated him down gently.

"Was it a nice view?" She asked smiling. Draco glowered at her.

"Take me back to Hogwarts, Weasley," he demanded. She smirked.

"As you wish... You do realise that I just saved your life?" Ginny asked as she led him through the trees.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked. Ginny smirked to herself before looking back at him.

"I saved your life. You would have been killed by that arrow had I not stopped it," she said. Draco glared at her.

"Fine, I'll give you money when we get back and then we'll be even," he said. Ginny shook her head sadly.

"You think that your life is only worth money? That is as sad as it is pitiful, Draco... I will think of a way you can repay me later," Ginny said then continued to walk.

"I didn't give you permission to use my first name, Weasley!" Draco called after her.

"I don't need permission from you, Draco! Now hurry up, I don't want to have to save your life twice in one day!" Ginny called back. Draco looked around nervously then hurried after her.

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Ginny stopped looking at the bowl and looked around. Agnes, Xavier and Albus all smiled at her.

"You did well, Ginevra. Come with me a moment... We will have some tea," Agnes said and led Ginny from the room. The doors closed behind them and Ginny was led to a smaller room. Agnes poured tea and offered sugar.

"One, please Agnes," Ginny said politely. Agnes nodded and put a spoon of sugar in the teacup.

"You do realise that your ability to See is extremely advanced, Ginevra?" Agnes asked as she started her tea. Ginny shook her head and then took a sip of her own tea.

"No, actually, I didn't know that. In what way is it advanced?" Ginny asked.

"Most people can only See in a few snippets. They might See an arrow and that boy, Draco, but they may not know whether he was hit by it or not. Very few can actually See in a continuous wave as you did... May I ask what you did to See that vision?" Agnes asked.

"That time I didn't really do anything, but before when I've Seen, I willed the bowl to show me what was going to happen at a certain time. Yesterday was the first time I Saw, to be honest," Ginny said. Had Agnes been any less of a person than she was, she would have spit out her tea in shock.

"Really?" She asked raising an eyebrow. "That's very interesting..." Agnes murmured.

"I apologise for interrupting your conversation, but Ginevra and I must leave, or else we will miss the arrival of the other students," Albus said bowing to Agnes. She smiled at him.

"It is all right, Albus. I would just ask you for one more thing," she said.

"Of course, my Lady," Albus said.

"Thank you. I would wish that Ginevra reads my tea leaves," Agnes said smiling at Ginny. Ginny took the offered teacup and looked at the leaves on the bottom. With a small frown, she turned the cup around and looked up at Agnes.

"The leaves seem to be saying that either you are pregnant, or that someone close to you is," Ginny said. Agnes smiled and nodded.

"I thought so... Thank you, Ginevra. You may take leave of us now," Agnes said. Ginny stood and curtsied to both Agnes and Xavier before going outside with Albus. He took her hand and they Apparated to Hogsmeade.

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"You know of the tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack, I presume?" Albus asked Ginny. She nodded. "Good, then go there and make your way to the school," he said. "I will be there in time for the arrival of the other students," Albus said.

"Yes, sir..." Ginny said and went down to the Shrieking Shack. She pulled her hood up and ducked beneath the wire before walking in to the wooden shack. She made her way down the long tunnel to Hogwarts and came out at the Whomping Willow. Seeing all of the dust and dirt that was covering her clothes and body, Ginny decided to have a shower before the others arrived and she walked down to her room.

She turned the shower on and cleaned herself quickly, the sound of the water becoming too much after a while. After drying herself, Ginny changed into her school clothes and robes before checking the time. It was just after six o'clock. Everyone would arrive at eight thirty so Ginny had two hours left on her own. Deciding to see what she would have missed out on in Snape's lesson; she went down to the dungeons. It was also a good excuse to piss Snape off... Ginny thought with a grin.

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"Professor Snape?" Ginny called as she knocked on his office door. Snape opened it looking pissed off. That's one of my objectives done...

"What do you want, Miss Weasley?" Snape growled.

"I was just wondering if you would mind telling me what I would have missed out on during my lesson..." Ginny said smiling at him. Snape scowled and let her into the office. "Thank you, sir. I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" She asked seeing the books on his table.

"Do not worry yourself over my business, Miss Weasley. Today you would have been taught how to keep a straight face. I know it is hard for people of your... gender to refrain from being all giggly," he began to say.

"I beg to differ, sir. I dislike the other girls due to that exact quality. I think it isn't appropriate for a woman to be 'giggly', as you so eloquently put it, around other people. It shows disrespect to a person if they are trying to talk to you and all you can do is giggle," Ginny said. Snape gave a curt nod.

"I would presume then, that you do not act as others of your gender do," he said.

"Not very often. After my first year, people... excluded me. No one wants to be friends with someone who caused people to be Petrified, whether it was under their control or not," Ginny said. Snape nodded.

"Very well then... I can see from your appearance that you do not overly use make up, which is a compliment," Snape added quickly. Ginny nodded.

"I do not think it necessary to make myself look like a clown by over doing something that I don't really need anyway. I do not mean that I am vain," Ginny said catching a few of his thoughts. "I simply mean that I am happy with my natural look and don't need make up to make myself feel happy, as so many others do," Ginny finished.

"Good... In next week's lesson you will be learning how to read other's emotions as well as how to control your own emotions," Snape said looking down at a nearby parchment. Ginny nodded. "I trust that you will be able to manage your time effectively, Miss Weasley. I do not wish for you to fall behind in class just because of your extracurricular subjects, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir. I understand. Thank you for your time. I will see you at the Sorting Feast," Ginny said and left Snape's office.

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Ginny walked down to Hagrid's hut and looking at her watch, she saw that it was seven o'clock. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Who is it?" Hagrid called out as he opened the door. "Oh. Hi Ginny. Come in. I just made some rock cakes. Do yer want some?" He asked. Ginny walked in to the hut after him and sat down at the table.

"No, thank you, Hagrid. I wouldn't want to spoil my appetite for the Sorting Feast," Ginny said with a grin.

"How did yer meeting go then?" He asked as he sat on his lounge.

"Apparently I did better than someone of my standard should have. I'm not sure if that means something good or bad though," Ginny said smiling. "What were we going to be studying in today's lesson?" She asked.

"I did have the unicorns ready for yer ter see," Hagrid said.

"Really? Oh, I'm sorry I missed them! Can we do that next week instead?" Ginny asked. Hagrid nodded.

"O' course. They're looking forward ter meeting yer," Hagrid said smiling.

At seven thirty, Ginny said goodbye to Hagrid and left his hut. She walked slowly in the moonlight, wondering at how much she could see with such a minimum amount of light.

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Ginny walked down to the hospital wing to see Madam Pomfrey about the anti-headache potions.

"Ah, Miss Weasley. I was just about to go and find you. I have the potions ready for you. I usually don't suggest people to carry a potion on them, but in your case, I think it's necessary," she said kindly.

"Thank you for making these for me, Madam Pomfrey. It must have taken a lot out of your personal time. I'm sorry if it did," Ginny said. Madam Pomfrey shook her head and smiled at her.

"No, it didn't take much out of my personal time, let me assure you. Besides, it's my job to provide medicine to students, and you are a student," Madam Pomfrey said smiling. "You look quite pale... Did your meeting with the Elder tire you?" Madam Pomfrey asked putting a hand on Ginny's forehead.

"Slightly... I just overdid myself, that's all," she said with a smile. Madam Pomfrey nodded and took a bar of chocolate out of her cabinet.

"Eat some of that, then have a small rest before dinner," Madam Pomfrey said. "You can keep the rest of the bar. I have the feeling you may need it," she said kindly and then shooed her out of the hospital wing.

Ginny bit off some chocolate then went down to her room. She set an alarm for 15 minutes then fell asleep at exactly seven forty-five.

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Ginny hurried to her room quickly and shut the door behind her. She flopped onto her bed and stared up at the star-covered ceiling. Someone knocked at the front door and she opened it reluctantly, not really in the mood for talking.

"Hi, Ginny. I was just wondering if I could talk to you," Hermione said smiling cheerfully.

"If you must... I'm not really in the mood for talking," she began to say, but Hermione simply pushed into the room and sat down at the table.

"That's ok, you can just listen," she said smiling still. With a small sigh, Ginny sat opposite Hermione and waited. "I've come to talk about you and Malfoy..."

"What about us?" Ginny asked.

"Are the rumours true then? Are you going out with him?" Hermione asked. Ginny gave a shrug.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Draco that, not me," she said.

"How can you not know if you're dating someone?" Hermione asked with a frown. Ginny gave another sigh and wished that Harry and her brother would stop whispering their questions to Hermione. It was bad enough that they were using Hermione to get her to talk, but it was even worse that they couldn't even get enough nerve to ask her themselves! They obviously thought that she was stupid if she couldn't hear them whispering!

"Quite easily actually..." Ginny said and began to pace.

She could hear the Invisibility Cloak rustling and knew that she was close to them. When she had them cornered, she grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and pulled it off of them.

"Sit down," she snarled. Ron and Harry quickly sat down. "You guys are really thick to think that I can't hear you! Even without my bloody hearing I could have heard you whispering! 'Ask her what she's doing with Malfoy, Mione!''Mione, ask if she's dating the ferret!' You're both idiots and gutless! Ask me yourself or get the hell out of my room!" Ginny said angrily. Hermione looked from Ginny to the two boys then stood up.

"I'm sorry, Ginny... Should I leave you to talk with them, or did you want me to stay?" Hermione asked. Ginny looked at Hermione then sighed.

"You can leave," Ginny said. "Don't move!" She yelled at the boys and pointed her wand at them. "Don't even think of it!" She snarled at them. Hermione left quickly...

"Ginny, we were just beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep," Ron said.

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Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep... Ginny hit her alarm and sat up. She dragged herself into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. Looking down at the water-filled basin, images began to appear. Watching closely, Ginny realised that it was her brother and Malfoy. They were duelling, both looking as angry as the other.

A drop of water from the tap destroyed the image and another one appeared... Ginny had a blindfold around her eyes, but she wasn't scared. In fact, she looked happy... She laughed and tried to take the blindfold off, but two pale hands stopped her and a mouth appeared beside her ear before another drop of water destroyed that image too... Ginny turned the tap tighter and dried her face.

She started her exercises and in twenty minutes, she had finished. She walked to the Great Hall.

"Ah, there you are, Miss Weasley..." Dumbledore said when he saw her walking to the Great Hall. "I think it would be best if you go down to the train station. It will look suspicious to the other students as to why you are already here. Try to blend in with the others if you can," Dumbledore said. Ginny nodded. "You will have to get there quickly. So go as a bat or wolf if you like," he said smiling at her.

"Yes, sir," Ginny said and left. Once outside of the castle, she started to run down in the direction of the train station. As Ginny ran, she turned into a wolf and soon she was running past some of the earlier carriages. Some of the students called out in surprise at seeing a wolf but then they had passed each other so quickly that the students weren't sure if they'd actually seen one or not. Ginny leapt into bushes nearby and turned into her normal self quickly before any other students could come. Seeing that no one was about, she walked down to Luna who was humming to herself while reading The Quibbler upside down.

"Hello, Ginny... I'd say congratulations, but I'm sure you don't want everyone to know," she said in a dreamy voice.

"I'd say thanks but as you said, I don't want everyone to know," Ginny replied grinning, puffing slightly from both the running and the sudden change.

"There you are, Ginny! We didn't see you on the train!" Hermione said waving at her. Ron looked at Ginny both sulkily and in anger, a feat only Ron could pull off.

"Sorry, Hermione. I was with Lu..." She began to say but Luna gave her a small nudge. "I just wanted some time to be alone," Ginny said smiling at Hermione.

"That's all right... If I was with your brother for the entire summer, I'd want a break too!" Hermione said laughing. Ginny smiled and looked at Ron in surprise. He didn't tell them about me... He's embarrassed... She thought to herself. With a slight shake of her head, Ginny took Hermione and Luna's hands before going up to the carriages. Luna patted one of the Thestrals, who snorted in appreciation. Ginny looked at the Thestrals and smiled when she realised that she could read its thoughts too.

Did you teach the young one to fly? She asked politely. The Thestral neighed happily in response.

"Can we get going already, or did you want to suck someone's blood before we get up to the school?" Ron hissed in her ear. Ginny turned around and slapped Ron so hard that his jaw broke.

"Ginny! What was that for?" Hermione asked. "I think you broke his jaw!" She said in shock. Ron held his jaw in pain and glared at her.

"The reason I did it is for my brother to tell you. I'm going up to the school in a different carriage," Ginny said calmly. You may leave now. I apologise for delaying you, Ginny said to the Thestral. The Thestral neighed again then sped off.

"Did everyone leave the little Weaselette alone?" Draco Malfoy asked in a sad sing song voice. Ginny turned to him and smiled.

"I wish that would happen... Now, take the hint and leave me alone, Malfoy," Ginny said and walked away. Draco watched in shock as she walked away from him. Remembering what his mother had told him, he smirked and climbed into his carriage. This year was going to be fun. Very fun indeed...

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Ginny walked into the Great Hall and sat as far away from Hermione and Harry as possible. By their looks and thoughts, she could tell that Ron had told them. The Hat was brought out and the first years were led in between the tables. McGonagall placed the Hat on a stool and the Hat sung of each of the founders and how they all wanted House unity. Ginny barely listened to it, as she was still angry after her brother's comment.

After the Hat's song, each first year as Sorted into their respective House. Hermione and Draco were named Head Girl and Boy, which didn't come as a big surprise to any one.

As the night before, the exercises that Ginny had done earlier had increased her hunger and she ate two main meals and three desserts, as well as a plate of fruit.

"That's all going to go to your thighs, you know," Lavender Brown commented as Ginny started her third bowl of dessert. Parvati Patil nodded in agreement.

"Thank you so much for telling me that, Lavender. I've always wanted to know that food can increase the size of my thighs..." Ginny drawled. Lavender raised an eyebrow at her and sniffed.

"I was just warning you..." She said. Ginny laughed quietly.

"Of course you were, Lavender. You only have my well being at heart, don't you?" Ginny asked and glared at the girl.

"Well! All I did was try to help!" Lavender said and moved further down the table with Patil.

"Thanks Ginny. They were starting to bug me," Colin said grinning at her. "Oh, Parvati! Can you imagine how many calories this one crumb of bread has?" He mimicked. Ginny laughed.

"Why are you talking to her, Colin?" Harry asked suddenly. Colin frowned at Harry.

"What do you mean by that? Ginny's my friend and I think I am allowed to talk to her," Colin said.

"Yes, Harry. What exactly do you mean by that?" Ginny asked glaring at him.

"Nothing," Harry muttered and pushed his bowl away.

"Dinner has finished! Prefects, will you please lead your House to your respective dormitories? Everyone have a good night's rest and tomorrow classes will start!" Dumbledore called out. Harry and Hermione quickly left the Great Hall. Colin went to follow after them, wondering what was going on.

"Aren't you coming, Ginny?" He asked when she didn't get up. Ginny shook her head.

"No, I've got to speak with Al... Professor Dumbledore," Ginny replied. Colin nodded and left the Great Hall. Ginny walked up to the teacher's table and Albus looked down at her.

"I'm disappointed with you, Ginevra," he stated. She nodded briefly.

"I'm not sorry about it. He was being a prick and I don't have to apologise for breaking his jaw. I had every right to hit him for the comment he made and he said it right in front of everyone too!" Ginny said shaking her head. "Stupid idiot," she muttered.

"As much as you think your brother may have deserved it, that still does not give you the right to go around hitting people especially with your extra strength... You could have done worse damage than just a broken jaw," Albus said sternly.

"Yes, Professor," Ginny said sullenly.

"Of interest, what did Ron actually say?" Albus asked her.

"I was just asking the Thestral if they'd taught their young one to fly yet while Luna was patting it and out of nowhere, Ron said 'can we get out of here, or did you want to suck someone's blood before we get up to the school?' I just resented it that's all. He hasn't shown any support for me at all and I just thought he might have been over it by now... Stupid git," she muttered. Albus nodded.

"Very well... I will not take points from your House and as you acted in self-defence you will not receive detention. However, if you do not control your temper and fists next time, you will lose 150 House points and receive a month's detention. Is that understood, Miss Weasley?" Albus asked her sternly.

"Yes, Professor. I understand," Ginny said.

"Good... One more thing before you go. Has Lily really left, or is it just a ruse for Remus' sake?" Albus asked her.

"Lily has really gone, sir. She didn't want Remus to suffer because he knew that she was nearby, so she left..." Ginny replied.

"All right... You may go to bed now. You look tired," he said smiling. Ginny nodded briefly and left the Great Hall. She stopped at a nearby tapestry, flicked her wand to the right and said 'open to me' then walked down in to the corridor and walked down to her room to go to sleep.

Albus paced his office, frowning before walking down to the hospital wing to pay Ron Weasley a visit...

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(a/n: All information on the weapons and animals is from the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2004... I don't own it, don't sue me! 'Compos Mentis' is Latin for 'of sound mind

Another long chapter... It wasn't as long as the first one though. This one's only 14 chapters long... I hope you enjoyed it!)

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3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue!

(a/n: A big thank you to every person that reviewed! Hugs to you all! :0) If I haven't replied to your review, I apologise and if you tell me then I'll do it straight away!

Keep reviewing and I'll keep updating!

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Three

Ginny woke up early the next day. She remembered that it was a Monday and that everyone else was back at school. Sighing, Ginny reluctantly got out of bed to go have a shower.

Coming back from the bathroom, Ginny changed into her school uniform and put her school robes on. Looking at her clock, Ginny saw that it was six thirty, far too early for the Great Hall to be open, or for anyone else to be up. Taking her bowl, she went to the lake and filled it before walking into the Forbidden Forest.

Ginny sat down in the clearing and looked down into the bowl.

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Ginny laughed watching as Draco called butterflies down to them. A swarm of them came down, enticed by his Veela call. The butterflies flew around them, their soft wings barely making any sound. A butterfly landed on her nose and she smiled at Draco. He cupped the butterfly in his hand gently then released his hold on them, kissing Ginny as the butterflies flew away.

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Ginny shook her head. Why was he always there? She wanted to See something where Draco Malfoy wasn't involved! The water rippled and she looked into the black depths of the water again...

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Ginny looked at the elder man before her and snarled at him.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked her, sounding scared.

"That is of no business of yours, Alexander! What I do on my own time is my own business!"

"But I was sworn to protect you!" Alexander protested.

"You're doing a pretty poor job of it! Last week alone I was attacked three times, and you weren't there once! If you took your pledge seriously then I wouldn't have this scar!" Ginny hissed at him and revealed a very large, long red welt on her chest.

"But... But you're supposed to heal faster than mortals!" Alexander stammered. Ginny glared at him.

"That is the reason I am still alive! If I didn't then I wouldn't be standing here in front of you! The cut that caused that scar went from my neck to my hip! You are lucky that I convinced them to keep you alive! You are revoked of your pledge, Alexander Tobias Therode!" Ginny said. Alexander fell to his knees sobbing as pain filled his body. Pain filled Ginny but she didn't even blink an eyelid. "You are revoked of your pledge!" Ginny yelled and the pain increased in both of them. Alexander went unconscious...

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Ginny's body shook as the pain filled her body too. She shuddered involuntarily and stood up on shaking legs. She managed to get out of the Forest and tipped the water on a tree. Looking at her watch, Ginny decided that food would make her stop shaking. She went to the Great Hall, the tables already starting to fill. Ginny started eating breakfast and was relieved when her hands stopped shaking.

Halfway through her breakfast, Harry, Hermione and Ron walked in. Ron looked both angry and scared as he walked over to his sister. Ginny stood up to meet him.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said those things to you," Ron mumbled. Ginny looked at him briefly.

"You don't mean one word of that, Ron... You're only doing this so Dumbledore won't give you detention," Ginny hissed at him and grabbing her bag, she stalked over to the teacher's table. "Next time you decide to make someone do something Albus, make sure they at least sound like they mean it!" She hissed at him then walked out of the Great Hall. A few people watched after her wondering what was going on and what Ginny had said that had made Dumbledore look so... guilty. Then, deciding that their stomachs took first priority they turned back to their food.

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Ginny went to her room, pissed off that Albus had thought that she was too weak to handle things on her own. She could have dealt with Ron's lack of support easily, but the small amount of forced support hurt her more than she would let on. Seeing that there was still half an hour before her first lesson, Ginny went to her bathroom and turned the tap on after plugging up the basin.

Taking a controlled breath, she thought of Dumbledore and Ron's conversation and looked into the water.

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Dumbledore entered the hospital wing, looking slightly angry. Madam Pomfrey saw him coming and went out to meet him, wondering why he was here.

"Albus? Did you need some more of the potion already?" She asked. Albus shook his head smiling at the nurse.

"No, thank you, Poppy. I just need to speak with young Mr Weasley here... In private, if you don't mind," he added when she didn't seem to want to leave. Poppy nodded and briskly walked away. Albus walked over to Ron's bed looking at him sternly. "Hello, Mr Weasley. How does your jaw feel?" Albus asked. Ron looked at him.

"It hurts like hell, actually," Ron muttered.

"Good," Albus said. Ron looked at him in surprise.

"Pardon, sir?" Albus just looked at Ron over his spectacles.

"You heard what I said, Mr Weasley. How dare you insult your sister in such a way! If she had been anyone else I seriously doubt that you would have done the same thing!" Albus said almost shouting in his anger. "I'm quite glad that she hit you. Maybe it knocked some sense into your thickheaded skull! You do not know what it's like for her to be this way! You're not aware of the hurt that she's feeling because of your lack of support, are you? All because she's changing into something that she has no control over! You are a selfish... boy, Ronald Weasley."

Ron just stared at Albus as if he had grown an extra two heads.

"If you do not apologise to her I will give you three month's detention with Professor Snape," Albus said and left the hospital wing abruptly.

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Ginny watched in shock as the image faded. She shook her head slightly, amazed that the Headmaster had said that to her brother! Sure, he deserved it but it was still shocking to see an adult so angry over something, especially Albus, who usually had so much control!

The bell went jerking Ginny from her thoughts and she quickly went through the corridor down to the tapestry across from the Transfiguration classroom. She sat down in her seat and waited for the other students to arrive. McGonagall walked in and looked at Ginny.

"Good morning, Ginevra. You caused quite a stir last night, so I heard," she said. Ginny nodded briefly.

"Yes, Professor... I apologise if it kept you up longer than was necessary, but not for the actual event," Ginny said.

"No apology is needed... At all," Minerva replied and for a moment she looked both angry and disappointed as she thought of what Ron had said. Shaking her head she turned back to her desk and sat down to wait for everyone.

Soon enough all of the class arrived, a few of them staring at Ginny in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked as she entered the classroom and saw her.

"This is the first lesson on my timetable, so I would presume that I have this lesson first," Ginny drawled in reply. Hermione just stared at her before she was pulled to the furthest seat away from Ginny by Harry and Ron.

"Miss Granger! I would appreciate it if you would stop being so rude to another student just because you believe them to be in the wrong class! That is not the way a Head Girl should behave," Professor McGonagall said sternly. Everyone stared at Hermione's favourite teacher in shock.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Hermione stammered. Draco Malfoy sniggered at her face before putting on an angelic face and putting his hand up.

"What is it, Mr Malfoy?" McGonagall asked him sounding tired.

"Professor, if another student were to treat someone in the same way they would get detention, would they not? I don't think it's fair to choose favourites," he said. McGonagall smiled at him.

"Of course, Mr Malfoy... You and Miss Granger are to receive detention. Tonight at eight thirty," she said.

"Pardon?" Draco asked her ins hock.

"It is not acceptable for a student to tell a teacher how to teach, Mr Malfoy... As you said, I should not choose favourites," she said and turned to the blackboard. "Open Transfiguration and other figurations book to page 20," she instructed and everyone did so quickly. "Today we will be learning how to do the incantation Arborcretum. Now, does anyone know what this means? Without looking at your books, students," she said as people went to look. Not surprising anyone, Hermione raised her hand immediately. Ginny put her hand up and McGonagall looked slightly relieved. "Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"The incantation Arborcretum means 'tree growth' in Latin, so naturally, it means to change something into a tree. However, as the incantation does not say what kind of tree, the tree would take on the qualities of the object. A quill, for example, would change into a thin tree with longer leaves than a tree made from a piece of furniture," Ginny answered. McGonagall nodded impressed.

"Very good, Miss Weasley. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now everyone watch closely as I do the incantation as it takes a lot of practise to make sure the wrist movement is correct," McGonagall said and everyone formed around her in a semi circle.

She placed a long black quill in front of them and stood back, motioning for everyone else to go further back as well.

"After I have done the spell, you will take a turn one at a time... I do not wish for my classroom to grow into a forest due to the lack of respect of students," McGonagall said. Everyone nodded knowing that if they didn't do as she said they would get detention too. "Now you flick your wrist to the left and do a sharp incline at the same time while saying the incantation," McGonagall explained. "Arborcretum!" She said and flicked her wand to the left while inclining it at the same time.

A tree began to grow, the long black leaves extending and growing almost as tall as a person. The thin tree swayed slightly due to an open window and the black leaves blew on people's faces, the softness tickling them.

"Miss Weasley, shall I presume you know how to change the tree back into a quill?" McGonagall asked.

She's never asked me to do anything like that before... Ginny heard Hermione think.

"Yes, Professor, I know how to change it back," Ginny said. McGonagall stood back and waited for Ginny to do the incantation.

"Arborintereo!" Ginny said and flicked her wand to the right declining swiftly. The tree disappeared quickly and the quill was in its place.

"Very good, Miss Weasley! Twenty points to Gryffindor!" McGonagall exclaimed.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said and moved to the back of the circle so others could try to make the quill into a tree.

For the rest of the lesson the students continued to attempt the incantation. Even Hermione couldn't do it on the first try, which riled her further as Ginny had done both the growing and dying part on her first tries. Out of the entire two Houses, only six people managed to get the incantation right on their first try; Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

Ginny left the lesson quickly, not wanting to be questioned by her brother and his friends over her lessons... It was something that she had no explanation over. She would speak to Dumbledore during recess...

Ginny walked up to the Divination Tower and sat down on one of the armchairs, thankful that no one else had arrived yet. Seeing the crystal ball on the table she glanced at it briefly before the images captured her attention.

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Ginny glared at the people who were supposed to be her friends and shook her head as she heard their thoughts.

"I thought we were friends! It looks like I was wrong!" She snarled and pushed past them to leave the Gryffindor Tower.

"Ginny! Wait up!" Colin called behind her. She turned around mainly so he wouldn't increase her heacache further by yelling and saw that Luna and Neville were with him. They caught up after a while, her speed having increased as she was leaving. "Sorry about that... I was just in shock..." Colin said smiling.

"So what's it like?" Neville asked.

"Surprisingly lonely..." Ginny replied with a sigh then looked at Luna. "I'm fine, Luna... Just a bit upset, that's all. Don't worry about me! I'm not going to try and off myself... Wouldn't bloody work anyway. Stupid healing power," she muttered grinning at them.

"Is it true about not being able to see your reflection?" Colin whispered. Ginny shrugged.

"I've got no idea. I've been able to see myself, but others might not... Yes, you can try," Ginny said reluctantly and Colin grinned as he made a spare quill into a mirror. Ginny looked into it, ignoring the images that tried to get her attention and just looked at her own reflection. Colin looked into the mirror and frowned slightly. "Don't sound so disappointed that you can see me, Colin..." Ginny said grinning at him.

"How'd you know? Wait, don't worry," Colin said shaking his head. Luna laughed at him smiling. "So, can I take a photograph of you in your Vampiress form?" Colin whispered excitedly.

"What do you mean?"

"You mean you don't know? Oh, it happened before. You started to get lightning in your hair and you glowed red for a bit too. Your front teeth extended a bit and your nails grew longer. It was really cool," Colin said grinning.

"Kind of scary, but it was pretty cool," Neville added smiling.

"So can I take a photo of you then?" Colin asked.

"I guess you can..." Ginny said and shook her head slightly. "This has been a lousy day," Ginny said and sighed softly. "Well, sorry for yelling at you... I've got to go study, ok?" Ginny said and hugged her friends before going to a nearby tapestry.

She made her way down to her room and started to study. Hearing a noise coming from her cupboard, Ginny was up in half a second, her dagger and wand drawn.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" She hissed seeing him. Draco pushed his way into the room smirking.

"I could ask you the same thing, Weasley. You're not supposed to go wandering Hogwarts at this time of night!" He said his Head Boy badge shining in the candlelight. Ginny laughed at him making him falter for a moment. "What is so funny, Weasley?" He hissed at her.

"I'm not wandering anywhere! This is my room! Geez Malfoy... I would have thought that you could see that this is not a place to wander into..." Ginny said indicating the bed, fireplace, desk and other student-like furniture. "Now if you wouldn't mind leaving, I have to study," she said.

"Miss Weasley! Are you all right?" Albus' voice came from her door. With a silent thought, Ginny made her wand open the door, not taking her eyes from Draco.

"I'm fine, Professor. Just caught an intruder, that's all," Ginny said smirking at Draco. Albus walked in and regarded the two people in front of him smiling broadly.

"Well, as I can see you have the situation under control... You know how to change the password?" He asked. Ginny nodded. "Very well. I will take care of Mr Malfoy..." Albus said and Draco walked over to him reluctantly. "By the way Ginevra, I apologise again for not telling you about your Advancement," he said. Ginny lowered her wand and dagger and nodded.

"It's fine, Albus... I should have realised when I saw Neville's timetable yesterday. We're doing Care of Magical Creatures together. When will my next meeting be?" She asked allowing her mind to unblock for a moment for Albus to realise that she meant with Xavier Torleni.

"This Friday after dinner," Albus replied then led Draco out. Ginny changed the password and went back to her studying.

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"Miss Weasley," Firenze said and Ginny looked up at him quickly. He smiled at her before indicating for her to follow him.

We are in the Room of Requirement today. Do not worry, I made sure that no other students made it into the classroom while you were Seeing. I am aware of how that can be very stressful on the mind to try and allow both a vision and the noise of others... Firenze said. Ginny nodded smiling.

Thank you, Firenze. I appreciate your understanding, she replied.

I hope you have been reading the book I gave to you yesterday... It may be necessary for today's lesson. You do not need it however, so do not panic, he added. Ginny gave a small sigh of relief.

Yes, I have been reading it. It's very interesting... Ginny said thinking of all of the information on stars and their positions. Firenze smiled and opened the door for Ginny. She went in after thanking him and the class went silence as Firenze walked in.

"Put your wands away please... Lie on one chair each and look at the ceiling," he instructed. Everyone did so quickly, Harry and Ron making sure to get as far away from Ginny as possible. Firenze looked from the two boys to Ginny and saw their fear and her hurt and anger. "On second thoughts, I think I shall have to assign you seats so you don't talk," Firenze said looking to Lavender and Parvati who were whispering to each other.

No, Firenze. Please don't do this. I do not wish for them to be forced to be near me... None of us could handle that, Ginny said. Firenze looked at her for a moment then split Lavender and Parvati up before changing the ceiling. Only Firenze noticed Ginny's eyes tearing up as he taught for the hour.

Stay after class, please. We need to talk. Firenze said. Ginny nodded briefly, brushing her tears away before focusing her attention on the star filled ceiling again.

"Someone tell me what this constellation is," Firenze said and pointed to a cluster of stars.

"It's Draco," Ginny said automatically. A few people laughed.

"Please, do not laugh!" Firenze said and everyone shut up quickly. "You are correct, Ginevra. This constellation is indeed called 'Draco'. Can you tell me why it is called this?" He asked her.

You're trying to distract me, aren't you, Firenze? He simply smiled at her and waited. Ginny pulled out her wand and pointed it to the stars that were Draco, tracing the snake-like pattern.

"Draco means Dragon and as the stars resemble a dragon slightly, it's aptly named," Ginny said with a slight shrug. Firenze nodded.

"Very good, Ginevra. Ten points to Gryffindor," he said. "Now, what is the brightest star in the constellation Draco?" Firenze asked the class.

"The brightest star in its constellation is called Etamin and is also known as Gamma Draconis," Ginny said.

"Good work. Twenty points to Gryffindor," Firenze said. "Now, may someone else tell me what constellation passes through the North Pole?"

"Ursa Minor," Draco answered.

"Very good, Draco... Ten points to Slytherin," Firenze said. "Do you know anything of the Gum Nebula, Draco?" He asked.

"Yes," Draco replied reluctantly.

"Then you may tell us how wizards created the portal and made it invisible to Muggles," Firenze said. With a small sigh, Draco did as he was asked.

"The wizards creates the portal in the 10th century in an attempt to communicate with the Gods. All they did however was make a portal from one side of the earth to the other. Realising their mistake, the wizards made the portal invisible with a net sown of Advanced Magic. Muggles couldn't see it until an Australian astronomer, called Colin S. Gum discovered it on wide-angle photographs in 1952. The Gum Nebula does glow slightly due to the magnitude of the magic in the net, though the Muggles believe it to be because of radiation from stars or due to a supernova in the constellation Vela, which the Gum Nebula covers. It also covers the constellation Puppis..." Draco finished.

"Excellent work, Draco. Twenty points to Slytherin," Firenze said smiling at him. The bell for recess went and everyone filed out, eager for food. Ginny sat up on her chair and looked at Firenze.

You can't let them ignore you forever, Ginevra, Firenze said in her mind. She stood up and shook her head sadly.

It's not under my control, Firenze... What they choose to do or think is via their own will. I just don't want to risk any kind of relationship I have left with my brother just because he was forced to be with me... It won't work. Ginny replied. Firenze sighed and took her head in his hands smiling at her.

I understand, Ginevra... I just hope they realise what they're doing is wrong before it's too late. The stars have been telling of their betrayal for the past few days... I will show you... Firenze said and pointed to one of the constellations, Virgo. The Virgo constellation is representative of you, and this one above it, Boötes, represents the two boys, The two constellations have been moving apart slowly for a while, ever since you found out actually... If they continue to move then Draco will be hit. Do you understand what this means, Ginevra? Firenze asked. Ginny nodded.

Yes... If Ron, Harry and I continue to avoid each other then Draco will be the one that suffers... Correct? She asked. Firenze nodded.

Very good... Now you should go if you want to talk to Albus, Firenze said and Ginny grabbed her bag then left quickly.

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Ginny headed to the Great Hall quickly and saw Albus sitting at the teacher's table. She walked over to him.

"Professor, I need to speak with you regarding my timetable. It appears that I have been Advanced without my knowledge..." She said quietly. Ginny grinned when she heard Albus curse in his mind.

"I do apologise, Ginevra. With all of the recent events, I forgot to inform you of your Advancement... Are you going well though?" He asked. Ginny nodded with a small shrug.

"As well as I can at the moment... I've only had two subjects though, so it may be a different answer by the end of the day," she replied grinning. Albus chuckled to himself and Ginny went to the Gryffindor table to eat.

"Hey, Gin! I heard that you were Advanced! Congratulations!" Colin said grinning at her. She smiled at him.

"Thanks Colin... It's a nice response from 'What's she doing here?', that's all I'm going to say," Ginny said with a small laugh. She heard a spell being whispered quietly and ducked, pulling Colin down with her. "Are you ok?" She asked him. Colin nodded speechless.

"What happened?" Colin asked as they sat up properly.

"Ron's trying to kill me," Ginny said with a small shrug. Colin's jaw dropped. Ginny stood up and walked over to Ron. She pulled him outside by his ear.

"Are you fucking stupid? Why would you do that, and in front of everyone too!" Ginny exclaimed, not letting go of his ear. Ron whimpered in pain. "Oh, stop being such a baby! Did you learn nothing after last night, Ronald? I can not believe you just tried to curse me in front of the entire school! I should break your jaw again for that!" She said furiously.

Anger, pain, disappointment and sadness filled her body and Ginny's hair began to crackle with lightning again. Ron stared at her in shock.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't hear you? You were two seats away from me, for the Gods sakes! Next time you try to curse me, make sure you do it properly!" Ginny hissed at him and making her bag fly to her, walked away.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Albus yelled from inside the Great Hall. A few people screamed in shock and hid under the table at hearing Albus Dumbledore yell at a student like that.

Leave him, Albus! It's not your situation to deal with! Ginny yelled at him.

Fine, it is your decision. But he did manage to curse Lavender Brown, so he will be punished accordingly. Albus replied.

Ron walked into the Great Hall, his ear burning in pain. Albus looked down at him in disappointment and barely concealed anger.

"You will receive a week's detention for cursing a student and I will be owling your parents," Dumbledore said. Most of the Gryffindors winced, knowing how angry Molly would be at him.

Lavender walked up to Ron, her canine teeth still growing at an alarming rate. She slapped him hard and stalked out of the Great Hall to go down to the hospital wing, Parvati helping her.

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Ginny walked into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and started to read the Vampire book.

Vampires and unicorns have always been attracted to each other. As unicorns used to be pets for the Royal Vampires and were always treated with the respect they deserve, the animals have in kind, treated the Vampires with the respect they were shown.

Although it is rare, a unicorn may allow a Vampire to hunt with them as the speeds they can run with are equalised.

An even more rare occurrence is a unicorn letting a Vampire ride them. Any Vampire or Vampiress that is allowed to ride on a unicorn is marked immediately. They are also assigned someone to protect them, for it is said that the Vampire or Vampiress who rides the unicorn will lead the Vampires to victory in the Great War.

The unicorn's horn has magical properties and can induce change in people...

The bell rang loudly and Ginny winced, thanking the Gods that she had anti-headache potions.

"Oh, shut up, Lupin. There is no such curse as Animus ligo! You're just taking Latin words and putting them together randomly to try and explain something that you should have dealt with month's ago!" Moody said to Lupin as they walked into the classroom. "Miss Weasley... You have your dagger, I see," Moody said grinning. (Soul bind.)

"Yes. My brother's still not happy with me and I wanted to be able to defend myself... I presume you saw the event at lunch?" Ginny asked looking up from her book. Moody's face turned into a scowl and he glowered.

"Tried to curse someone while their back was turned... That's low," he muttered.

"I broke his jaw last night and he's scared of what I can do to him so he's trying to get me while I can't get to him, or so he thinks..." Ginny said with a grin.

"They're coming," Ginny and Moody said at the same time, one hearing the other students and the other seeing them.

"You're both scary when you do that," Lupin announced grinning. "I don't go around saying I can smell everyone, do I?" He asked. Both Ginny and Moody were saved from answering as the other students filed into the classroom. Once everyone was seated, Moody looked around and glared briefly at Ron before making sure everyone was behaving.

"Today you will be learning the etiquette of fighting and cursing!" Moody bellowed. "As I saw today, it is not beyond some students to curse someone while their back is turned!" Moody said glaring at Ron with both of his eyes. A few people sniggered. "You will be going first, Mr Weasley!" Moody said and pulled him out of his seat before putting him on a platform that Lupin had conjured. "Miss Weasley... You will be fighting him," Alastar said and Ginny walked out to the stage with a sigh.

Everyone crowded around the platform eagerly. No siblings had fought in Defence Against the Dark Arts since their first year, which had been pretty boring as it was Parvati Patil against her Slytherin sister and neither had really wanted to fight back then... Anyway, the events between the Weasley siblings lately had been nasty and this fight wasn't going to be any different!

"Try to keep control and don't use your dagger unless it is absolutely necessary, understood?" Moody whispered to her before she could get on the stage. Ginny nodded briefly and walked opposite Ron. "Before you start, there are some rules. The first most important rule is that you must never curse or hex someone if their back is turned! Is that understood, Ron?" Moody hissed at him. Ron nodded glaring at his sister. "Secondly, do not cause more damage than needed. If you break someone's wrist when all that could have taken them down was a simple kick, then you're in the wrong... Once you lose your wand you may fight using whatever bodily means available. If someone gets too rough then you can use other weapons such as knives, daggers, et cetera... Now, on three you may fight... One, two, three!" Moody called.

Ron glared at Ginny and threw his wand to the side, pulling up his sleeves. Ginny put her wand in her robes and looked at Moody, not wanting to hit her brother in cold blood. However, before Alastar could make any decision, Ron threw a punch at Ginny. She ducked it easily and kicked his leg, taking him down in one go. Ron hit the platform with a crash and the other students tried not to be disappointed at the lack of action.

Ron got up again and charged at his sister. She sidestepped him, tripping him at the same time and Ron rolled on the platform, getting on his feet quickly and turning on Ginny again. He went to kick her but she bent back and flipped over, kicking his jaw at the same time.

A few of the girls went green as Ron spat out blood. He ignored them and got ready to punch her again. Ginny barely dodged his punch as his anger increased his speed and she was refusing to use her vampire speed. Ron punched again and his fist made contact with Ginny's mouth. Glaring at him, Ginny grabbed his fist as he went to hit her again and twisted it around, flipping her brother onto his back. She stepped on his neck so he couldn't get up.

"Let me up," he hissed at her. Ginny glared down at him and shook her head. Ron grabbed her leg and made it go up and off of his throat before he twisted and stood up again.

"Ron! Leave her! Can't you see that she's getting worked up! She's going to break your jaw again," Hermione hissed at him from the sidelines but Ron didn't move. "Professor, can't you stop them?" Hermione asked Moody urgently.

"I would, but I can't get up there unless it's an emergency. There's a barrier on the platform," Moody replied. "We just have to wait it out until one resigns or if one of them is really hurt," Moody said with a shrug. Hermione sighed and watched as Ron took another swing at Ginny.

Ginny hit his arm away and punched him in the stomach, making Ron double over in pain. He glared up at her, his eyes watering slightly.

"That the best you got?" He hissed at her.

"Ron, shut up. I'm only doing this in self-defence. I don't want to fight you... Not in this way, it's too public. That's the main reason why you're not dead," Ginny said to him quietly. "You want to fight me properly then we can do it in our own time and without so many people watching," she told him. "Can you at least agree to that?" Ginny asked. Ron looked around at the eager students then nodded as his stomach filled with pain. "Good... You can win this one," Ginny said.

Ron looked at his sister and saw her sad face. He realised that she was doing less than her best and was still beating him... He's seen her do more in the backyard! Heck, she'd even gone against Fred and George and she'd still beaten them. Now she was hardly doing anything and he was almost in tears with the pain. He stood up with some small difficulty and kicked Ginny to the floor. She didn't even defend herself against him... A few of the students booed when they walked off the platform.

"Oh, shut up. You'll get your turn," Moody muttered under his breath. Ginny grinned at him and he rolled his good eye. "Very good, Mr and Miss Weasley. Next time use your wands and don't throw them away!"

"Yes, sir," they replied automatically.

"Tonight at eight thirty in the Room of Requirement," Ginny said to her brother quietly. Ron shook his head.

"It has to be nine o'clock. Hermione's got detention at eight thirty," Ron said. Ginny nodded and they shook on it then watched as other students duelled.

Draco Malfoy smirked when he heard the deal they'd made and saw them shake on it. Now that fight would be interesting to see, to say the least!

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"Hey, Ginny!" Neville called out as he saw her heading out of the room. "You've got Care of Magical Creatures now, don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do. You do too, huh?" Ginny asked. Neville nodded and showed her his timetable. "Ok... Did you want to go down there together then?" She asked him. He nodded quickly seeing that Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini were nearby.

"Where did you learn to fight like that, Ginny? It wasn't in the DA, was it?" Neville asked as they were walking. Ginny shook her head.

"I learnt how to fight from different people," Ginny replied vaguely.

"Ok, then... Could you... Could you teach me?" Neville asked hopefully. Ginny smiled at him.

"Sure... I'll have to see when I've got time. Later though, we're here now," she said as they reached Hagrid's hut.

"'Ello ev'ryone! Glad to see you all 'ere for another year..." Hagrid said beaming at them. "I've got a special treat for yer all today. Follo' me!" He called and headed into the Forbidden Forest. Ginny followed close next to Hagrid and whispered questions.

"How's your brother?" She asked. Hagrid nodded. "Where's Olympe?" Ginny asked.

"Looking after Grawp for a while," Hagrid replied extremely quietly for a person his size.

"Are we going to see the unicorns?" Ginny asked. Hagrid just winked and she grinned happily.

Soon enough they all reached a clearing and the girls in the class sighed. Ginny rolled her eyes at them and shook her head slightly.

"If yer all very quiet then yer may be able ter pat 'em," Hagrid instructed quietly. Hearing a thought, Ginny's arm shot out and she stopped Blaise Zabini from moving further.

"You move any further and they'll run, Zabini," she said quietly. Zabini glared at her before giving a small nod and moving back a bit.

One of the unicorns neighed loudly and Hagrid looked at Ginny in surprise.

"They'll let yer pat them, Ginny," he said. Ginny nodded and put her bag on the ground before walking over to the unicorns. She stood in front of the unicorn that was obviously the leader and curtsied to her.

Welcome, daughter of our Masters... The unicorn replied nudging Ginny with its silver horn. She smiled at the unicorn and rubbed her face softly.

I thank you for your kind welcome, daughter of our Masters friends, Ginny replied. The unicorn bowed her head, her horn touching Ginny's feet. A soft white light emitted from the horn and Ginny began to change. She was blissfully unaware of her class mates screams as her body began to change. Ginny's shoulders broadened and her face began to grow longer and she could feel her skull pushing out of her head as she grew a horn.

As Ginny turned into a unicorn, Draco Malfoy stared as she changed with such grace that even Narcissa lacked. He was in shock that she was able to change into a magical animal, but not so shocked as to start screaming like those other idiots. They were lucky that Hagrid had enough sense to make a silencing charm, even though he wasn't supposed to do magic. Draco looked at Hagrid, surprised that he didn't have a wand. Hagrid looked at him for a moment.

"Half-giants have magic too, young Mister Malfoy... Keep watching. She's beautiful, isn't she?" Hagrid asked looking at the unicorn that was Ginny. Draco could only nod before looking back to the unicorn. Unlike the other pure white unicorns, Ginny's flank and mane shimmered red as the sunlight caught her form.

Ginny neighed softly to the leader and touched her horn down to the ground.

Very good, daughter... You may hunt with us, Evita said.

I thank you for this honour, Lady Evita.

You are very welcome, daughter... Now follow, Evita said and touched her horn to Ginny's then galloped away. As she followed the herd, Ginny barely heard Hagrid curse behind them.

"Malfoy, yer can take the class back so I can go catch her..." Hagrid said. He closed his eyes and then opening them quickly, he started running through the Forest quietly. Malfoy watched after the half-giant, shocked that he could run so quietly then turned to everyone smirking.

"You heard him... I'm in charge. Now we're waiting here unless of course, you want to try to get back through the Forbidden Forest alone," Draco said. A few of the students looked around nervously and sat down to wait reluctantly. It was the best decision that Malfoy could have made as the herd of centaurs was passing by.

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"Ginny," Hagrid called softly trying not to startle the unicorns again. It was the third time he'd caught up with them and he was starting to get tired. It was like they were waiting for him to catch up just so they could run off again, laughing at him the whole time.

Hearing her name, Ginny looked up, having eaten her fill of food. She saw Hagrid's sigh of relief and saw the sweat that covered his shirt.

"Come on, Ginny. We've got ter get back, or else we'll both get into trouble... Yer've had yer fun and yer hunt... Come on," he whispered. Ginny gave a horse-like sigh and looked to Evita.

I apologise, Lady Evita. I must leave with the Large Man now, Ginny said reluctantly. Evita nodded and rubbed Ginny's cheek with her own.

It was good to hunt with you, daughter. We must do so again sometime soon, Evita said. Ginny nodded and touched her horn to Evita's before saying farewell to the rest of the herd and galloping out of the clearing.

"Finally. Yer a hard lot ter catch up ter," Hagrid grumbled.

Ginny neighed, laughing at him then galloped back to the clearing where the rest of the class was waiting. Hagrid ran after her, arriving moments after Ginny did. Ginny neighed loudly to Hagrid and the class looked at him expectantly.

"She says that she'll let yer pat her. One at a time, though..." Hagrid said and rested against a tree to catch his breath.

One by one the girls in the class touched Ginny's body. Whenever someone went to touch her horn though, she neighed and bucked slightly, making it clear that she didn't want anyone to touch her horn. After the girls had finished Ginny went and nudged Neville then Dean, indicating that the boys could too. They grinned broadly and touched her soft face and neck. When Neville looked at her mane in wonder, she nudged him slightly with her head, then neighed to Hagrid.

"Yer can have one... One only," Hagrid translated.

"Thank you, Ginny," Neville whispered and carefully pulled a long white-red strand from Ginny's mane. Gregory and Vincent patted Ginny in awe, amazed that they'd let them touch her, as well as the fact that she actually was a unicorn. Blaise touched her curiously and smiled when she butted him slightly to pat her properly. Draco Malfoy, the last person left just stood there and smirked at Ginny.

"Why would I want to touch her? It's still a Weasley underneath all that..." He sneered. Insulted, Ginny reared up on her hind legs and neighed loudly. Her mane started to crackle with lightning and her horn began to glow a faint red. Hagrid quickly ran in front of Malfoy before she could pierce him with her horn.

"Yer a bloody idiot, Malfoy! She coulda killed yer! Yer just don't insult a unicorn! Ruddy idiot!" He snarled at Draco who had gone pale. "If she'd pierced yer, no amount o' magic coulda healed yer, just be wary of that next time... If there is a next time now... Yer coulda just ruined the entire experience fer ev'ryone because o' that statement!" Hagrid said angrily. Ginny neighed loudly and her horn stopped glowing. "Now do yer still want ter pat her? She'll let yer, just so yer know she is a unicorn," Hagrid said. With a pale face, Malfoy reached out to Ginny almost unwillingly. She butted his hand with the side of her head and neighed softly. Draco patted her with slightly more confidence and some colour returned to his face. When he had finished patting her, Ginny moved back and touched her horn to the ground. She began to change back into her human self. Now knowing not to look, the girls turned around so they wouldn't have to see her transform.

"Oh, Gods... That killed my legs," Ginny said softly as she fell to the ground. Everyone looked to see Ginny lying on the ground, looking completely exhausted, but happy at the same time.

"Are yer a'right?" Hagrid asked looking down at her. Ginny looked up at him, her eyes wide and shining happily.

"That was freaking fantastic! Can I do it again?" She asked grinning. "Well, maybe later. I'm exhausted... I doubt I can even get up," Ginny said with a small grin. She attempted to lift herself up and laughed softly, sounding remarkably like the unicorn's had when they were laughing. "It's ok. I can just sit here for the rest of the day. It's not like I want to go to lunch anyway... Oh, what's he doing here?" Ginny said softly with a sigh. Turning, Hagrid saw that Albus Dumbledore had walked into the clearing.

"Hagrid... If you wouldn't mind taking the rest of the class back to the school, I will help Miss Weasley back. How very kind of you to offer to carry Miss Weasley's school bag, Mr Malfoy. You may stay with myself and Miss Weasley if you do not want to be seen carrying another's school bag," Albus offered when he scowled. Draco nodded briefly.

"Come on, ev'ryone. Ye've got ter go ter yer lunch," Hagrid called and led them out of the Forbidden Forest.

"I swear... If you hit me into any trees, I have full right to hurt you, Albus!" Ginny called quietly. Albus laughed.

"I have no intention of hitting you into any trees, Miss Weasley," he said and levitated her with his wand.

"I'm sure you'd ruddy like to though," she muttered. Albus just shook his head at her.

"Coming, Mr Malfoy?" He asked looking at Draco. Draco nodded curtly before grabbing Ginny's bag and following them out of the Forest.

"Professor Dumbledore? When can I get my strength back? I'm planning to kick Ronnie-kins arse tonight... I can't do that if I don't have any strength," Ginny complained. Draco stared at her in shock wondering why she was discussing a duel with the Headmaster! She'd get expelled for sure!

"You should get everything back to normal by the time we leave the Forest... If that had been done to anyone else they wouldn't be talking right now..."

"I'm only just doing that myself," Ginny muttered. "Oh, and don't worry, Professor... I won't make Ronnie-kins bleed too much on your floor!" There were a few seconds of silence then she started talking again, almost as if in response to a question or statement. "I don't have enough strength to talk that way, and he's just confused... It was Ron's bloody fault! He tried to kill me in a lesson! In front of everyone again... That boy really just does not learn... In all of the meanings... He's a dumb idiot. Oh, I'm allowed to say that about my own brother, Professor!" Ginny said. "We're almost there," Ginny called out.

"You should really learn to be more understanding of your brother, Miss Weasley," Albus said. Ginny laughed.

"Yeah, right. I will when he will... He's a selfish boy, if I remember you correctly, hey Albus?" She mocked.

"Ginevra Weasley! You shouldn't pry like that!"

"I didn't pry! I'm not a snoop, thank you very much! I just Saw you both, that's all! I told you he doesn't learn... Give him a million month's detentions and he'll still be a sour boy who doesn't want to admit that I'm... growing up," she finished.

"I doubt that, Miss Weasley. He does love you and I'm sure he'll come around eventually..." Albus said.

"Of course he will! I have no doubt about it! I mean Ron's shown me a whole lot of support for someone who loves me, hasn't he, Professor?" Ginny asked scathingly. "Why wouldn't he come around eventually?" She sneered. They came out of the Forbidden Forest and Ginny winced slightly at the sudden burst of sunlight.

Gods, that sun hurts! She thought in pain. I'll be fine, Albus... She said to his unasked question. He just raised an eyebrow at her.

"I should be able to walk now... Thanks for the talk, Professor. And before anyone sees us together, Malfoy... Thanks for carrying my bag," Ginny said and she took her bag from him. Draco gave a curt nod then walked up to the school.

"Miss Weasley... A word before you go, please. Just for a moment," Albus said. Ginny turned around and walked over to where he was and looked at him.

It's about me turning into a unicorn, isn't it? She asked. Albus smiled at her and nodded.

How exactly did it happen? Did you do it? He asked. Ginny shook her head.

No. Evita changed me into a unicorn. But she invited me back so I could go hunting with the herd again.

All right. Thank you. You can go to lunch now, Albus said. Ginny nodded and went up to the castle quickly. She saw Malfoy watching from the doorway and shook her head briefly before going to the Hogwarts entrance.

"Waiting for me, Malfoy?" She asked sweetly. He scowled at her.

"In your dreams, Weasley," Draco sneered. She just laughed and walked past him and down to the Great Hall for lunch.

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Ginny walked in to the Great Hall and looked around. Everyone was looking at her in shock.

Did she still have a horn on her head, or something?

"Hey, Ginny. Is it true you really turned into a unicorn?" Lavender asked wishing that she'd chosen to do Care of Magical Creatures this year. Everyone waited for her response, almost falling off the benches in effort to hear if the rumour was true or not.

"Yes, I did... Not intentionally though. I'm surprised that you don't believe an entire class, especially when they were all saying the same thing!" Ginny said. Lavender shrugged slightly.

"I've heard an entire House say the same thing before and it turned out to be wrong... I just wanted to get it from the horse's mouth this time... Well in this case, the unicorn's mouth, " Lavender said with a grin.

"All right. Well, I hope you enjoy gossiping to the rest of the school at my expense," Ginny said and went to sit next to Neville and Colin.

"I can't believe you let me have an entire strand of hair! That could be used for so many plants! Did you know if you squeeze if hard enough juice comes out of a unicorn's hair?" Neville asked them. "It can be drunk... Actually, I think it's used in one of the rarer alcoholic drinks... Well, I'm not using it for that though," Neville added when Ginny grinned at him. "I'm using it as a fertiliser for one of my plants. It's the Fritillary species. It's really rare and the bulb's poisonous so I need to use extra thick dragon hide gloves when handling it," Neville said proudly.

"That's great. Does the hair increase the impact of the fertiliser? Or is the juice of the hair the fertiliser alone?" Ginny asked. Surprised that someone was actually taking an interest in his love of gardening, Neville answered full heartedly.

"The juice can be used alone, but it's really strong, so I'm going to dilute it with some of Professor Sprout's fertiliser as well. I don't want to risk killing the flower. Are you all right, Ginny?" Neville asked suddenly seeing that there were tears falling down her face. She looked at him and smiled.

"I'm fine, Neville..." She said quietly. The Fritillary flower was his mother's favourite flower. She wiped her tears away and took a deep breath then drank some pumpkin juice.

"Ok, then. Do you mind if I halve this with Professor Sprout?" He asked looking down at the long hair again.

"No, I don't mind at all," Ginny replied smiling. "As I'm not a pure white unicorn, you might have to check the hair with Professor Sprout and Dumbledore before you actually use it, ok Neville?" Ginny asked. Neville nodded. "Dumbledore will be at the Greenhouses when you have Herbology," Ginny said after a few minutes of silence.

"Ok... Did he tell you when he was bringing you back?" Neville asked.

"Something like that," Ginny said briefly. "Hello, Ron. What would you like?" Ginny asked him coolly.

"Actually, it's me that wants to talk..." Hermione said with an apologetic smile. "Is it true about you turning into a unicorn?" She asked sounding excited. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, it's true. Yes, I already know about that too," Ginny said before Hermione could ask anything. "I'll tell you tonight after I've duelled with Ron, ok?" She said.

"Thanks," Hermione said grinning and pulled Ron and Harry away so they would stop staring and glaring at Ginny.

"What was that all about?" Colin asked.

"They just wanted to ask me something," Ginny replied.

"Ok... Guess what?"

"What?" Ginny asked grinning at Colin's infectious grin.

"Mum and Dad bought me a new camera. Not a new, new one because then it won't work here, but one that can still be powered by magic... I've been trying it out on almost literally everything since I got it last month," Colin said grinning. "I was thinking I could get a photo of everyone together just to see how it works," Colin said.

"Well, don't forget your hero, Harry Potter, Creevey. His head might deflate if you don't include him," Draco Malfoy drawled behind them. Ginny, Colin and Neville turned to him. He smirked at them.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ginny asked.

"You dropped your quill. I know you can't afford another one, so I thought I should be the gentleman and return it to you," Draco said holding a quill out to her.

"Thanks, Malfoy... If that was meant to insult me, it didn't work," Ginny said as she took the quill from him. Malfoy just smirked and left to the Slytherin Table. "All right, who knows some spells to check this quill? For all I know that could have been Ron trying to kill me again," Ginny said grinning.

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The bell went loudly and Ginny rolled her eyes trying to stop her head from ringing too before she got up and left the Great Hall with her friends.

"I've got Runes now... I'll see you at dinner Colin, and I'll see you in Potions Neville," Ginny said and hugged them before going down to the Runes classroom.

By going through her corridor in the walls, Ginny made it to the classroom before everyone else. Judging by the lack of footsteps she knew that no one would be there for another three to five minutes, so Ginny continued to read her book.

Some Vampires have the ability to heal others. If the wound was caused by the Vampire in question, then any Vampire may heal the wound if they want to. However, if the wound was caused through other means, usually only a very experienced Vampire can heal the wound.

Ginny heard footsteps and put her book away. Soon enough, a large group of people walked in.

"Hi, Ginny! I didn't know you were in this class," Hermione exclaimed then sat beside her. "I'm sorry about the boys... They're just scared because they don't... understand," Hermione whispered.

"You weren't happy with me this morning during Transfiguration," Ginny whispered back. Hermione had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I know... I'm really sorry about that. It's just that I'm usually the star pupil and it was just a shock to be upstaged for once. I didn't mean any offence by it, honestly," Hermione whispered.

"No offence was or is taken and I accept your apology," Ginny replied smiling at her.

"Friends?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded and shook her hand.

"Of course. And don't worry, I won't make you choose between me and Ron," Ginny said as a silent flash of fear ran through Hermione's mind. She gave her a look of relief and they both fell silent as Professor Yepir walked into the classroom.

"Good afternoon students. As I am taking attendance please open your books to page 15," she said smiling at everyone. Professor Yepir started to call the roll and everyone opened his or her books. Hermione paled and tapped Ginny on the shoulder urgently.

"Which book did you bring?" She whispered.

"Runes and rune casting. Why?" Ginny whispered back. She heard Hermione curse in her mind and stifled a grin.

"I brought The Origins of Runes... Which book do we need?" Hermione paled further.

"I don't know..." Ginny replied. By the looks of everyone else in the class, they weren't sure either. A few people had opened both of their books to page 15. With a sigh, Ginny raised her hand. "Professor Yepir?"

"Yes, Miss Weasley?" Yepir said as she looked up from the class attendance parchment.

"Which book would you like us to use? Rune casting or Origins?" Ginny asked. Yepir frowned and looked down at her booklist nearby.

"For today we are using Runes and their Meanings... Who doesn't have their book?" She asked when a collective groan went around the room. Every student raised his or her hand. "All right, go get them. Be quick and if you're not back in ten minutes then I will send Dumbledore himself to find you," Yepir warned. Everyone rushed out of the room quickly. A few people laughed once they were away from the classroom, confiding in the others that they had brought their book, they just wanted to get out of being stuck with the teacher.

"Come on, Ginny. If we get to my room quickly we can still get to the Gryffindor Tower before the ten minutes is up!" Hermione said urgently.

"Hermione! Calm down! You go get your book. I'll get mine and I'll meet you in the Runes classroom before the ten minutes is over, ok?" Ginny said trying to calm Hermione.

"All right... I can not believe I didn't bring the book! I should have used another shrinking charm so I could get all of my books in," Hermione muttered.

"You could just use an enlargement charm to make your bag bigger," Ginny suggested. Hermione looked surprised.

"I didn't even think of that... Thanks Ginny! I'll see you in ten minutes," she said and rushed into the Head Boy and Girl dormitories.

Ginny shook her head for a moment then went to a nearby tapestry. She said the password and ran with Vampire speed to the end of the corridor. When she came to a dead end she cursed and ran the other way in the right direction to her room... Thanking the Gods for her extra speed, Ginny ran in and grabbed her Runes book, before running back out of her room and to the Runes classroom.

"There you are, Ginny... Come on! There's only four minutes left," Hermione said. Ginny saw her frown and caught one of her thoughts... The Gryffindor Tower isn't in the direction that Ginny came from...

With only half a minute left, the last person strolled in, looking completely calm. Draco smirked at everyone as he passed them to go to his seat.

Knowing that Draco was one of the people who already had the correct Runes book, Ginny did not want to think about what he had been doing for the last ten minutes!

"Today's lesson will be fairly uneventful for most of you as you will be reading..."

How could reading be uneventful? Ginny heard Hermione think in shock. She hid a laugh and Hermione looked at her for a moment.

"Now, may someone tell me the meaning of the rune 'Hagalaz'?" Yepir asked looking around the room. Hermione and Ginny raised their hands. "Miss Weasley," Yepir said.

"Hagalaz means hail. It is used to create the wrath of nature, uncontrollable forces, especially the weather. However, it can also lead to completion and inner harmony if used correctly. The Hagalaz Merkstave causes natural disasters, catastrophes, a loss of power, pain and suffering and sickness," Ginny said.

"And what about Hagalaz Reversed?" Yepir asked.

"Hagalaz can not be reversed, however it may lie in opposition to another rune," Ginny said. Yepir nodded.

"Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor," she said. "Now, Miss Granger... Tell me the meaning of the rune 'Fehu'," Yepir said. Hermione lowered her hand with a small smile.

"Fehu means domestic cattle or wealth. It can be possessions won or earned, earned income or luck... It creates a financial strength in the present or near future and is a sign of hope and success. It gives energy, foresight, fertility, and may be used for either creation or destruction. If the Fehu is reversed or Merkstave then it means a loss of personal property, loss of esteem or a loss in something that a person put a lot into. It also means greed, cowardice and stupidity," Hermione finished. Behind her, Draco laughed to himself.

"Is there something you'd like to add, Mr Malfoy?" Professor Yepir asked sternly.

"Yes, actually, Professor. Granger missed out on about five to ten other meanings. If Fehu is reversed it also means burnout, atrophy, and discord. As well as dullness, poverty, slavery and bondage..." Draco said emphasising the last two words. "I guess Granger didn't want everyone to know her dirty little secret," he said smirking at her.

"You filthy bastard!" Hermione yelled and slapped him.

"Miss Granger! No swearing or hitting in my classroom! Mr Malfoy, keep your thoughts about someone's personal life to yourself. Do both of you understand?" Yepir asked. They both nodded. "Twenty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin," she said.

Ginny winced slightly as everyone around her burst out with complaints and cries of injustice. Rubbing her temples she pulled a cylinder from her pocket and drank the contents after checking that it was the right potion. She must remember to thank Madam Pomfrey for the anti headache potions again...

"Professor Yepir? I believe it is against the school rules for students to drink potions unless they have signed permission from their parents and the Headmaster," Draco stated. "I don't believe that Miss Weasley has either of them and I just saw her drinking a potion," he said smugly. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For your information, Mr Malfoy, I have signed permission from my parents and Dumbledore so kindly shut your trap!" Ginny retorted angrily. Silence echoed through the room at her outburst. Ginny was most surprised, not knowing why she was suddenly angry and in a bad mood.

"Ah, Professor Yepir... Not having any trouble, are you?" Dumbledore asked kindly when he saw the distressed teacher.

"No, Headmaster... Did you want something?" She asked. He smiled at her.

"Yes, actually. I need to speak with Miss Ginevra Weasley, if you please," he said.

"By all means!" Yepir said and shooed Ginny out of the room quickly.

"Yes, Professor?" Ginny asked quite harshly. Dumbledore looked down at her with a small frown.

"Are you feeling well, Ginevra?" He asked.

"I... I don't know," Ginny said as her sudden bad mood faltered.

"May I check your pupils for a second?" Ginny nodded and looked up slightly. "Lumos," Albus said and shone the lit wand in one of her eyes, then the other. "Nox. I will be right back. I just need to get someone to carry your things," Albus said. Ginny noticed vaguely that he was shielding his mind and wondered why. "Professor Yepir? Miss Weasley needs to be taken to the hospital wing immediately," Albus said.

"Is there something wrong with her?" Yepir asked.

"That is what I am going to find out. Now if I may also get another student to come with us down to the hospital wing... Mr Malfoy, would you be as so kind as to carry Ginevra's books and bag for her?" Albus asked. Even though she couldn't see him, Ginny was positive that Albus was smiling his head off and Draco was scowling. They walked out of the classroom, proving her thoughts.

"Honestly, sir! Weasley's walking around... She's got two legs and arms, why can't she carry her own stuff?" Draco complained.

"Because I just lost my eyesight..." Ginny said as she grabbed the nearby windowsill in an effort not to fall and so she could feel her way around Hogwarts if the need be. "Professor... What's wrong with me?" Ginny asked. "I can still hear you, you know! Stop smiling, for the Gods sakes and tell me what the hell is wrong with me!" Ginny said desperately. "I'm not changing form, am I?"

"No, Miss Weasley, you are not... Have you been drinking any concoctions today?" Albus asked.

"I had the headache potion that Madam Pomfrey made me about three seconds ago... Bloody noisy idiots," Ginny muttered. "Is it possible to hear someone's muscles moving, Professor?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"It could be possible... Why do you ask?" He asked curiously.

"Because I'm sure Malfoy's jaw just dropped," she replied grinning. "Can I go to the hospital wing now? My hands are starting to hurt..." Ginny said as her hands began to feel like they were getting sunburnt. She pulled away from the sunlit windowsill and put her hands out. "Ok, I know I may look like an idiot, but I can't bloody see so give me some goddamn help instead of laughing, Malfoy!" Ginny said making his jaw drop again. She felt an arm go around hers and someone started guiding her down to the hospital wing. Hearing Dumbledore humming to himself in front of them, Ginny knew it was Malfoy who was helping her. "Thanks, Malfoy," she said.

"You're welcome," he replied automatically.

"I would say sorry for getting you out of class if I wasn't so sure that you're happy about it," Ginny said with a grin. Draco didn't reply.

"Madam Pomfrey... May I ask what ingredients you used in the headache potion?" Dumbledore asked when they arrived in the hospital wing.

"The ones it had in the book... Why?" Poppy replied uncertainly.

"Because Miss Weasley has currently gone blind," Dumbledore said sounding far too cheerful in Ginny's opinion.

"Which book did you use?" Ginny asked her urgently.

"Medical remedies for the modern day witch and wizard," Poppy replied.

"The potion on page 329?" There was no answer so Ginny presumed that the nurse had nodded. "I'll take that as a yes... I'm allergic to boomslang skin and that's one of the key ingredients, if I remember correctly... Yes, boomslang skin, clover leaves, daisy petals and thyme... Put 50 grams of boomslang skin in a cauldron of boiling water, add the daisy petals and stir to the right thrice then to the left twice... Why is everyone staring at me like that?" Ginny asked when there was complete silence. She could feel that everyone was looking at her in shock.

"You have a very good memory, Miss Weasley. You read that word for word... Have you made this potion before?" Albus asked.

"No, I don't have the right type of cauldron to make it in. Mine's pewter, the one needed is sterling silver... I glanced at it last year when I was looking for the spell for the swamp... I already told you that Fred and George threatened me if I didn't find it for them, didn't I?"

"No, Miss Weasley, you didn't," Albus said sounding amused.

"Well, that's all right because they didn't... Would whoever that is moving please stop? The movement's making my ears hurt," she complained. Albus gave a low chuckle.

"I was just curious to see if you could see or not, as you have impeccable judgement. You always looked right at the person you wanted to..." He said grinning.

"Well, that's really nice and all, but I'd like to see again, so could I get an anti allergic potion for boomslang skin so I can go back to my lesson?" Ginny asked as she sat on one of the hospital beds. "Third medicine cabinet, second shelf from the top and it's about the fifth or sixth cylinder. Should have a pink liquid in it," Ginny said. "Stop staring at me, Malfoy... I've had detention in here before, and I've got a good memory, so of course I'm going to know where it is," she said with a grin. "That's the one there," Ginny called out as Madam Pomfrey's hand went to the next cylinder.

"Thank you..." Poppy said in awe and amazement. Ginny smirked and held out a cup that she conjured. Poppy poured the liquid in it and she sniffed it slightly before nodding. "Gods, I am good," Ginny said and drank it with a grin.

"Lie down. It might take a few minutes before the potion kicks in and then a few more before your vision clears completely," Poppy instructed. Ginny smirked inwardly then fell back onto the pillows.

"You had something to ask me before, Albus?" Ginny asked. Albus nodded and instructed Draco and Poppy to leave. He closed the curtains around them then looked at her.

"You gave Neville a strand of your own unicorn hair, am I correct?" Ginny nodded.

"Is there something wrong with it? Can't he use it?" She asked quickly thinking that she could get a hair from Evita if she asked nicely enough...

"Oh, no... There's nothing wrong with it at all. It is quite the opposite, actually. It's difficult to explain... If you will allow me to pour you a glass of water, I will show you in a better way," Albus said. Ginny nodded and he filled a glass with water. Albus tapped it with his wand then handed it to her and Ginny looked into the glass.

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A young unicorn bowed its head to the ground and Albus bowed. He stroked the unicorn softly marvelling at its beauty. Evita neighed and nudged him with her head.

If you promise to protect us and our home then you may take one of my mane hairs, young friend. Evita said. Knowing the consequences of breaking a promise to a mythical creature, Albus nodded.

I promise to protect you, the unicorns, and your home in exchange for a single hair from your mane, Albus said. Evita nodded and touched her horn to his forehead.

You are now sworn... Goodbye, young friend, Evita said and galloped away, a single strand of pure white hair falling into Albus' hands.

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Albus mixed a small part of the hair in a potion and waited patiently. Suddenly a large-sized white cloud appeared above the cauldron and Albus grinned. Judging by the size of the cloud, he could determine how much magic was in the hair and thus in the unicorn itself.

Using a spell, Albus found out that the hair was 75 per cent magic. That was the highest recorded! Anything over 60 per cent was bordering on a miracle. 75 meant that Evita was an extremely powerful unicorn and would most likely lead the herd once the current leader died... After checking another three times, Albus wrote down 75 per cent as that was what had come back each time. It wasn't unusual for him to be checking it as sometimes it took a few minutes for the potion to actually absorb all of the hair's magic.

It probably had something to do from her direct bloodline from the Vampire's unicorns, Albus mused. He put the unicorn hair in his pocket and cleaned up the mess he had made...

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"That was a hair from a pure unicorn... This is yours," Albus said and tapped the glass with his wand again.

Ginny looked into the glass and waited as the image cleared up properly.

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"Ah, there you are Albus... Neville has a unicorn hair. A very interesting one, in my own opinion. Even simply by looking at it I know it's power," Professor Sprout whispered. Albus nodded and went over to Neville.

"Hello, Neville. Apparently, you have a unicorn that I need to test?" Albus asked.

Neville nodded and reached into his robe pocket. He pulled out a small leather case and opened it to reveal a long white-red unicorn hair.

"Would you like to watch? It is yours after all," Albus said smiling.

"Yes please, Professor," Neville said and followed Professor Sprout and Dumbledore out of the Greenhouse. In mere minutes, Albus had a cauldron brewing and instructed Neville to cut a small part of the unicorn hair off.

"Thank you, Neville... Just put it in the cauldron and then we will have to wait a few minutes," Albus said. Neville put the hair in the cauldron. After a few seconds a large cloud white-red in colour appeared above the cauldron.

"Wow... Was it supposed to be that quick, sir? I thought you said a few minutes," Neville said looking from Albus to the cloud and back again.

"Yes, I did say that... I think you should go back inside the Greenhouse, Mr Longbottom... It may not be safe, after all... Professor, I think you should go with him," Albus said. Professor Sprout nodded and ushered Neville into the Greenhouse again.

With a small frown, Albus measured the cloud just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks. When the result came back he stared at the cloud in shock. 97 per cent! Just to be sure, Albus checked another three times. The first check came back at 97 per cent, the second at 98 and the third at 99.

Albus was reluctant to check another time, in fear of what it would read. 100 per cent meant something far too much for him to handle at the moment...

With a sigh he decided to check one last time...

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The images faded and Ginny looked at Dumbledore.

"I don't think I really want to know, but what did the next one read?" She asked. Dumbledore looked at her for a moment then sighed to himself.

"It was over 100 per cent. I checked another ten times because there has been no known history of the results being that high. I only stopped once it came back with the same result for another three times..." Albus said.

"That does not answer my question, Albus," Ginny said glaring.

"The result was 124 per cent all together," he said quietly.

"What does that mean? That I'm supposed to lead the herd now?" She asked. Albus shook his head.

"No, it means something bigger than that..." He said. Looking at his watch he shook his head. "I apologise for keeping you for this long. It is almost time for your next lesson. I will get Poppy to send you a new batch of anti headache potions, without the boomslang skin," Albus said with a smile. Ginny glared at him.

"You're not going to get away with not answering my last question, Albus," Ginny hissed at him. Albus simply smiled at her then opened the curtains. Draco and Poppy were standing there trying to make it look as if they hadn't been listening.

"I believe that Mr Malfoy just offered to escort you back to the Runes classroom, Miss Weasley. Make sure that you get your homework from your teacher, both of you," he added. Both Ginny and Draco nodded then left the hospital wing.

"You look as though you want to ask me a question..." Ginny said after a few minutes. Draco just raised an eyebrow at her and didn't reply for a while.

"Do you know why Dumbledore keeps... putting us together? He made me take your bag, he made me bring you here and now he's telling me I've got to escort you back... He says it in such a way that I can't even refuse without sounding like a complete... idiot," Draco said. Ginny smirked slightly and looked at him.

"It was your own choice on that last one, Malfoy... You didn't have to stay in the hospital wing," she said. Draco looked at her in surprise then his cold features returned and they didn't talk for the rest of the way to the Runes classroom.

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"It's good to see that you're ok, Ginny... I got your homework for you. You too, Malfoy," Hermione said seeing them walking back.

"Thanks," Ginny said and took the parchment from her. Draco took his without a word then left.

"You're welcome!" Hermione called after him. "Rude git..." She muttered. Ginny grinned.

"Come on, Hermione... If we go now we can talk before Ron and Harry get to the Potions classroom," she said and walked with Hermione down to the dungeons for their Potions lesson. "What's on your mind?" Ginny asked seeing Hermione's troubled look.

"Are you telepathic?" Hermione asked. Ginny just grinned at her. "Thought so... You heard me in the Runes lesson about the books," she said.

"How could books be uneventful?" Ginny said grinning still. Hermione laughed lightly.

"I know... I'm a nerd. Happy?"

"I want that in writing," Ginny said laughing.

"Everyone would... So, Ginny... Where is your room? I don't mean to pry, it's just that I didn't see you come into the Common Room this morning and you came from the opposite direction of the Gryffindor Tower when you got your Runes book," Hermione said.

"Well spotted... It's kind of hard to explain where my room is... I can just show if you like," Ginny suggested.

"Ok... I can spare a few minutes before I have to study and then go to detention," Hermione said smiling at her.

They walked into the Potions classroom and Ginny looked at Hermione.

"You should sit away from me... I doubt that Ron and Harry would understand," Ginny said. Hermione nodded in relief and regret then sat near the front of the classroom. Ginny put her things further back and sat down.

As they were the first two people there, they decided to get their things ready before Professor Snape could come in and tell them off for not doing anything. Just as they both finished getting out the last of their books, Professor Snape walked in.

"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley and Miss Granger," he said reluctantly when he saw that they were ready.

"Afternoon, Professor," they answered.

"Miss Weasley... If you are tempted to fight with your brother yet again, as much I would enjoy witnessing the event, I must insist that you take it outside of my dungeons, is that understood?" Snape asked. Ginny smirked and nodded.

"Yes, sir," she replied trying to keep the amusement out of her voice. Snape nodded and started writing on the blackboard behind him. Hermione just looked at them for a moment before shaknig her head slightly.

You have to tell me about that tonight too. She said in her mind clearly. Ginny nodded and started to copy what Snape was writing.

Ron and Harry walked in and sat next to Hermione. She looked at Ginny apologetically who just shrugged and waited for Neville to arrive. Neville came in a few seconds after Harry and Ron and sat next to Ginny happily.

The rest of the class walked in over the next few minutes and quickly sat down before getting their things out. Once everyone was in, Snape indicated to the board behind him.

"Someone tell me what this potion is called and the main purpose," Snape said. Hermione raised her hand and he looked over her eagerly raised hand, seeing Ginny's hand at the back. "Miss Weasley. Hopefully you are smarter than your brother. Prove it, if you can," he sneered. Ginny just smirked and answered his question without hesitation.

"The potion is called Argumentum and, as its name indicates, is used to give a person proof or evidence about a particular event that may have happened. Would you like me to give you an example, sir?" Ginny asked. Snape indicated for her to continue. "For example, if I told everyone that a tree made from gold was growing right now in the Forbidden Forest, they'd want proof of that, naturally... So if I made this potion and spilt it near the base of the Forbidden Forest, I would have to follow the way the potion flowed into the Forest and I would find where the tree grew," Ginny said. Snape nodded.

"Very good for your first attempt at an Advanced question, Miss Weasley. As the school rules indicate I have to give or take a minimum of three points for something done right or wrong respectively... Therefore, three points are awarded to Gryffindor," Snape said reluctantly. The Gryffindors' stared at him in shock.

"I understand, Professor... Now can we make the potion? I doubt anyone would believe me that you just gave Gryffindor three points," Ginny drawled. Snape simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," he said sounding slightly happy.

You're welcome, sir. Ginny said letting her guard down briefly. He looked at her in shock then glared.

Leave your guard up all of the time, Miss Weasley! He snarled in her mind. She gave a brief nod to let him know she'd heard and understood then raised her hand.

"You will work in pairs... What is it, Miss Weasley?" He asked.

"I don't believe I heard you tell us to start getting ingredients, sir," she said and indicated to the ingredient table behind him. Snape turned glaring and saw Theodore Nott standing there, hands filled with ingredients.

"What are you doing, Ginny?" Neville asked quietly as he trembled beside her. She smiled at him and placed a hand on his arm to relax the poor boy.

"Just think of the hair I gave you for a moment, Neville. You need to calm yourself down," she said softly. He nodded and did as she said.

"Mr Nott! I did not ask you to get the ingredients. Go back to your seat! Three points taken from Slytherin," Snape said reluctantly. Ginny tried not to smirk. Neville almost fell off of his stool in shock. Once Nott was seated, Snape instructed that everyone could get their ingredients. Ginny went up to get the ingredients for herself and Neville. A few of the Gryffindors congratulated her for getting Slytherin points taken off, while the Slytherins sneered at her for getting ten points from Gryffindor.

"Actually, it's only seven. I was awarded three. Ten take three equals seven. But I'm sure you all knew that," Ginny whispered to them then went back to her seat leaving them glaring after her.

"Do you know how to do this potion, Ginny? I'm not very good at Potions," Neville said miserably.

"Neville, just cheer up for a second. Now, do you help your grandmother with the cooking?" Ginny asked.

"She lets me help about four times every time I'm there during the holidays. We cook things for... Mum and Dad when we go to visit them," Neville whispered sounding both happy and sad.

"As my Mum always says, if you can cook, you can make a potion. It's the same basic concept, you're just not going to eat the end result," Ginny whispered to him with a wink. She started cutting up the lacewing flies. "Now, you know how to dice meat?" Neville nodded. "Then you can dice up those stems, ok? They won't bite you, so don't be afraid," she said encouragingly.

Seeing that they were talking, Snape had come over discreetly. Hearing what they were saying, he left them to it. He didn't want another Potions laboratory ruined because of Longbottom's clumsiness...

"I've finished the stems, Ginny," Neville whispered. She looked at them and smiled.

"Very good. Put the stems in the boiling water and stir it three times to the right, then two to the left," she said. Neville did so and waited for further instruction. "Now add in those lacewing flies and give it a half stir to the right," Ginny said. Neville did that. "Ok, what colour's the potion?" She asked him. Neville looked down into the cauldron.

"It's a dark blue colour," he replied.

"Ok, and how's the texture of it? Is it thick, lumpy or thin?" Ginny asked.

"It's like a kind of paste. Like liver pate," Neville said remembering the awful taste of the stuff his grandmother tried to make him eat as a child. Ginny grinned slightly.

"Ok, put in those moth's wings. Don't stir it yet," she said. Neville nodded and put the brown wings in the cauldron. "Wait another five seconds, then stir once left and once right," Ginny said and they counted to five quietly. "Yep, now," she said and Neville stirred once to the left, then once to the right. "You're doing great..." She whispered encouragingly. He smiled gratefully. "Now what colour is it?" Ginny asked.

"It's gone to a light blue... No wait, it's turning clear now," Neville replied. Ginny nodded and pointed to the last ingredient.

"Put the rose thorns in then stir around right twice, then left twice," she instructed.

Neville put the thorns in, being careful not to prick his finger. He did that once and the entire cauldron melted... Once the thorns were in, he stirred the mixture around to the right twice, then around to the left twice. The potion reminded him of making chocolate cake with his grandmother... He was always having to stir while she read out what to do, watching to make sure he didn't get too much of one ingredient or not enough of another. He didn't mind it though. It was better that someone else read, in case he said the wrong thing and made everything worse.

"Ok, now bottle it..." Ginny said. Neville did so and passed her the clear cylinder. She smiled at him "Your grandmother would be very proud of you, Neville. You did the potion right," Ginny said. He grinned happily.

"Really?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

"It says it has to be clear with a hint of blue, and that's exactly what you've got. Congratulations," she said. Writing his name on a label, she put it on the cylinder and used a small spell to make sure that no one could replace the name with another.

"Wow... That's the first time I've ever done a potion right..." Neville said in awe. Ginny smiled at him.

"You did great, Neville. You should owl your grandmother when the lesson's over," Ginny said. He nodded grinning.

"She's going to be so happy," Neville said. Ginny took two cylinders to the front with their names on them and gave them to Snape. He looked at the potion and surprise filled his face for a moment.

Neville did all the work... I know, don't leave your mind open... Your shock's leaving yours open, sir, Ginny said gently. He went to glare at her but she was already sitting at her seat.

The bell sounded loudly and everyone packed up quickly. Neville rushed out of the room to go to the Owlery. Amazingly, he didn't hurt himself or anyone else in the process of running out of the dungeons.

Ginny grinned after him and left the dungeon after everyone else. Hermione was waiting for her outside.

"Hi Ginny. Did you still want to show me your room?" She asked. Ginny nodded and led her to a tapestry. Saying the password, she led Hermione down the corridor to her room.

"So how'd you get rid of Ron and Harry?" Ginny asked her with a grin.

"I just told them I was going to the library. They, of course, just muttered about me working too much and left as fast as they could before I decided that they should join me..." Hermione said with a sarcastic grin.

Ginny laughed quietly and led Hermione through her wardrobe and in to her room. She showed Hermione her bedroom, lounge room and other small rooms that were part of her quarters.

"What do you think?" Ginny asked.

"It's great... Really large. Hell, it's larger than the Head Boy and Girl's rooms!" Hermione said with a laugh. "How did you find this place?" Hermione asked.

"Found my way in on Saturday morning," Ginny said in half-truth. She didn't think that Hermione would understand about Lily...

"All right then... Your room is really nice..." Hermione said and saw a clock on the wall. "Gods! It's five-thirty! I better go do some studying before I go to detention. Oh, and Ginny? Can you not hurt Ron too much tonight? It's just that I'm the one who has to hear about it and I really don't have time for his whinging this year," Hermione said with a sigh.

"I won't make any promises. Ronnie-kins tends to get rough if things don't go his way," Ginny drawled. Hermione nodded and left Ginny's room.

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Ginny read over the homework she'd been given from her lessons and did it quickly as it was mostly revision. She read her 'extra curricular' books for a while before looking at the time. Seeing that it was only seven o'clock, she filled her bowl up with water and sat at her table to See.

Remembering last time she'd Seen something without Malfoy in it and the pain it had caused her, Ginny reluctantly thought of Draco and waited for the images...

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Ginny smirked as Draco closed his eyes and tried to entice her with his Veela powers.

"I'm sure you've already tried that on me today, Malfoy! Be inventive! Use your brain! Try something I'm not expecting, or even better, something I'm not immune to, you idiot!" Ginny called then turned on her heel and left.

Draco opened his eyes and glared at her. With a smirk he ran after her and pulled her around to face him. He kissed her hungrily then pulled away after a few seconds, smirking when she whimpered in protest. He walked away leaving Ginny standing there in a daze.

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that! Ginny thought to herself and shook her head for a moment before leaving too.

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Ginny tried not to gag. Ok... Something with Malfoy that didn't involve anything to do with him kissing her or sex-related topics... Almost expecting nothing to come up, Ginny looked into the bowl again and her eyes pulled to the new images forming.

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Ginny threw a snowball at Draco laughing loudly when it hit him in the head.

"Come on, Malfoy! I'm sure you could do better than that! You're supposed to be a Seeker!" She called to him. He muttered under his breath and she laughed. "Don't think I didn't hear that! Come on, man! Throw something!" She yelled.

Draco smirked and touched his wand to his hand. It turned into something crossed between a shovel and an ice-cream scooper. Putting his new hand in the snow, he began to quickly throw perfect snowballs in every direction.

"You cheater!" Ginny yelled. She had to use her vampire speed to dodge the snowballs. Eventually, she ended up directly in front of Malfoy. "Cheater, Liar! You promised me fairness! You promised me the world! Cheater, Liar! Stamped on your head forever! Look in the mirror and see your shame! Cheater, Liar! Cheater, Liar!" Ginny yelled the old rhyme that young witches made up about their cheating boyfriends. She stopped when she saw words forming on Malfoy's head. "By the Gods... I don't think that's good," Ginny whispered in shock. Draco looked at her pale face.

"What?" He asked going cold, but not from the freezing weather. Ginny swore quietly under her breath when she read what was written on his forehead.

"Cheater. Liar," she read quietly. "I think I better take you to Dumbledore..." Ginny said and grabbed his hand. "Put your hood on first," she instructed. Confused, Draco did as she said and let her lead him up to Albus' office.

"Come in, Miss Weasley," Albus said before she could knock. Ginny opened the door and took Draco inside.

"Sir, I don't know what happened. We were just mucking around and I sang that old rhyme 'Cheater, Liar', then... Then, I guess something made my words into a spell because the words are stamped on his bloody head!" Ginny said almost going hysterical. Draco ripped his hood off and changed his hand into a mirror.

"What the hell happened?" He asked in shock. Albus tried not to laugh at them.

"Do not worry... It comes off in a few hours. However as it is Miss Weasley's magic we are talking abut, it should be gone in a few days... Use a Glamour until it comes off," Albus said and shooed them from his office. Once the door closed Albus started laughing heartily. "Cheater, Liar... Great rhyme that one..." Albus said to himself and started humming the tune to himself.

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Ginny stopped the images and shook her head slightly. She hadn't heard 'Cheater, Liar' in years! Seeing the time, Ginny got up and did her eight o'clock exercises.

Studying her anatomy book some more, Ginny went down to the Great Hall at eight thirty for dinner. She pitied poor Hermione having to do detention during dinner.

"Ron. Make sure you get some food for Hermione, ok? You don't want to get into trouble sneaking to the kitchens later on," Ginny told him quietly. Ron nodded briefly.

"We're still fighting, aren't we?" He asked sounding confused.

"Oh, no... We never were. I've only been doing everything in self-defence. I can't change what I am, Ronald... If it takes a physical fight for you to realise that, then so be it..." Ginny said and sat next to Colin and Neville.

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Ginny waited for Ron outside the Great Hall after dinner. When he saw her, Ron went over to Ginny reluctantly. Harry stayed a fair distance away just watching in case someone did something.

"You said nine o'clock would be ok... It's... nine-fifteen. Oh," Ron said and Ginny shook her head.

"You said you wanted Hermione to be there. Can we go get her now, or did you want everything to be postponed until tomorrow?" Ginny taunted. Ron glared at her.

"We'll get her now," Ron said.

"There is no need to go and get me," Hermione said from behind them irritably. "I do not want to have any part of this stupid fight. I'm going to bed. I will see the both of you in the morning," Hermione said and pushed past them to go to her room.

"Well, then... Do you want to have your arse kicked too, Harry? I would be quite happy to oblige... After I'm through with Ronnie-kins here, you can be next," Ginny sneered at him.

Harry went pale and got angry at her words, but didn't say anything. Muttering an excuse, he left them standing in the corridor alone.

"You ready, Ron?" Ginny asked with a sigh. She really didn't want to fight him. He was bringing this on himself...

"I'm ready," Ron snarled at her. They went to the Room of Requirement and opened the black and red door...

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Ginny put her hair into a bun and she looked at the room. There was an assortment of things to help a person dodge or hide from spells... She looked at Ron.

"Physical or magical?" She asked twirling her wand in her fingers.

Remembering the pain Ginny had caused him during the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson that day, Ron chose magical.

"Fine. That means wands only. No physical afterwards, understood?" Ginny said. Ron nodded.

"Fine... Get yourself ready then," he said looking at her. Ginny smirked.

"Oh, but dear brother... I am ready," she said and gripped her wand slightly tighter. "Best out of three," she said. Ron nodded. "On three..."

"One... Two... Three..." They said at the same time.

"Expelliarmus!" Ron yelled. Ginny dodged it and threw the same spell back at him. Ron barely dodged the spell and ran behind a nearby bin.

"Amoveo!" Ginny yelled at the bin moved out of her way. "Vulnus Magis!" She yelled. Wounds started appearing on Ron's body and he cried out in pain. "Come on, Ron! You're the one who wanted this fight! Now, fight!" Ginny snarled at him. (Move.) (Wound more.)

Ron stood up ignoring the pain and pointed his wand at her. Ginny smirked when she saw the way he was holding his wand. The pansy way that the students were taught to hold it, according to Moody... She thought with a grin.

"Praemo premo!" She said and Ron fell to the ground. She put a foot on his neck so he couldn't get up. (Strike down.)

"Why don't you just suck my blood, lamia?" Ron hissed at her. Ginny grinned at the word. (Witch or Vampire.)

"I don't have the Thirst, Ron... Therefore, I can not suck your blood. I would most likely throw up if I even bit your neck... Now, do you understand that?" Ron nodded. "Good. You also understand that I am a Vampiress through no control or will of my own?" Ginny asked. He nodded once more. "You're also aware that I just won this fight?"

"Yes... I know that," Ron said through gritted teeth. "Now, let me up," he said.

"Not yet, dear brother... I just want to make sure that you're not going to hold this whole Vampire thing against me. I only found out an hour before all of you did. It's not like I've known about it for years and haven't told you, or something!" Ginny said. Ron's eyes softened briefly.

"We... We all thought that you'd just kept it a secret for all of this time," Ron said softly. Ginny took her foot off of Ron's throat and sat beside him.

"No... Mum, Dad and Dumbledore told me before you. I guess they wanted to see my reaction," Ginny said with a shrug.

"It's not just that..." Ron said reluctantly. "Since you found out, you've been... different," he said. Ginny laughed.

"That's got to be expected, Ron! I'm changing in to a Vampire! Of course I'm going to be different!"

"I know that... I mean, it's just... Before all this started, I could pretend that... That your first year didn't happen and that you still needed me. I wanted it to be that you were dependent on me. I'm your older brother; I should be there to look after you. Since I hadn't been there for you in your first year, I guess I thought I could just be there for you now... But, since you're turning in to a Vampire, or a Vampiress, whatever you want to call it, you don't need me anymore... I don't want to lose you again like I did in your first year, Ginny. That scared me like I've never been scared before... I've been trying to keep you closer to me," Ron said.

"By pushing me away every time I try to get near? By glaring at me any time I even glance in your direction? You've been trying to keep me closer by staying as far away from me as possible? I seriously doubt you were trying to keep me closer b y doing any of those things, Ronald!" Ginny said angrily. Ron grinned at her sheepishly.

"You know what I'm like, Gin... I push everyone away when I want them to be closer... I'm just a sad stupid boy who needs reassurance from those he loves all the time," Ron said and nudged her slightly. He put an arm around her and hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry about everything, Gin... I really am," he said quietly. Ginny just nodded briefly. "So are we brother and sister again?" Ron asked.

"No... We never stopped being brother and sister, Ron. You can't stop the genetics that say we have the same parents..." Ginny said with a grin. "We're friends again though," she said. Ron laughed and messed up her hair. "Oh, bugger off... Now, I hope you can tell Harry that I'm not going to suck his blood! His thoughts are driving my bloody crazy!" Ginny said with a laugh.

"You can read minds?" Ron said in shock. Ginny sighed to herself.

"You should really read up on Vampires, Ron... It might help you understand what I'm going through. It would also help with what you can not do or think near me... Come on. You better go back before Harry thinks I've drained you dry," Ginny said with a smirk. Ron nodded and got off the floor. He helped Ginny up and they left the Room of Requirement.

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Draco watched as they walked into the Room of Requirement. He waited impatiently until they walked back out. He stared at them in shock. There was no blood, nothing was broken and there were no bruises. Not one!

He'd waited for half an hour in a corridor behind a bloody statue for nothing

"All right... I've got to go to the bathroom. I'll be in there later, ok?" Ron nodded yawning widely. "You have a good sleep, Ron. See you tomorrow, ok?" Ginny said.

"Yeah. See you, Gin," Ron yawned and climbed into the portrait. Ginny shook her head and checked her watch. It was just after ten o'clock. She grinned and walked down the corridor.

In the opposite direction from the girl's bathroom, Draco noted vaguely.

"All right... Come out... For the Gods sakes! I can hear you walking!" Ginny said and looked directly at Draco.

She knew it was him, but she didn't want him to know that she knew... It would be interesting to see what he did. He could pretend to be patrolling and give her detention for wandering the corridors. He could try to make a run for it, or he could just ignore her all together. There weren't very many options for him...

Draco considered his options. Coming to a decision, he threw off his Invisibility Cloak and sneered at her.

"Looks like I caught a Weasel out of bed," he said.

"Uh huh... Anything else to say? It's late and I don't really want to stand out here all night," Ginny drawled and looked at her watch impatiently.

"You will serve detention tomorrow at eight thirty in the dungeons with Professor Snape. Thirty points from Gryffindor," Draco said sounding extremely happy with himself.

"You really enjoyed that didn't you, Malfoy? That's really pathetic..." Ginny said and without another word she walked down the corridor again. Once she was out of his sight, she went to a tapestry and opened the door to her corridor.

Ginny went to her room and looked at her watch. It was now ten thirty. She'd barely have enough time to See anything before having to go to sleep... With a shrug Ginny changed into her pyjamas and filled her bowl with water. She sat on her bed and looked into the water.

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Ginny screamed in pain as she kept pushing. She started swearing at her husband.

"You fucking bastard! If you ever do this to me again, I will kill you personally!" Ginny yelled. "Screw it! I'm going to kill you now!" Draco moved out of her reach with a smirk. The doctor glared at him.

"Will someone get him out of here? Mrs Malfoy, push!" The doctor yelled. Ginny kept pushing their baby out of her body. She stopped briefly to try and gain some more strength. With one deep breath she pushed their baby out and fell backwards with a sigh of relief.

"I'm still going to kill you, Malfoy!" The doctors left to clean their child and closed the door behind them, just in case something did happen...

You're a Malfoy too! Draco called in his mind. Ginny glared at him then yawned slightly, tired after just having given birth.

"You need some strength... You better bite me," he said completely serious. Ginny nodded weakly and pulled him over to her. Her fangs extended and she bit into his neck. Blood filled her mouth and she licked at the puncture eagerly. Shivers travelled down her spine in pleasure as she swallowed her husband's blood. She began to feel rejuvenated and more awake. After a few minutes, she pulled away reluctantly and licked the blood from her lips.

"Thank you," she said smiling at him.

"You're welcome, Ginevra," he whispered and kissed her, licking the rest of the blood from her lips.

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Ginny stopped Seeing in shock. She pushed the bowl away, not even caring when it clattered on her floor. She ran to her bathroom and threw up. Washing her face she stared at her reflection for a brief moment before making a spontaneous decision. She needed to get away. She had to leave. Now.

Ginny changed her clothes in mere seconds and in a few minutes, she was walking out of her room and towards the Forbidden Forest. Ginny changed into a phoenix and flew out of the Hogwarts boundary.

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Flying aimlessly for about an hour, Ginny looked around and realised that she recognised where she was. With a very un-phoenix-like sigh she decided to keep going, too tired to turn around now.

Ginny landed in front of the large mansion, not knowing if they'd even remember her, let alone let her in. She changed back to her human self, thankful she'd had enough sense to get out of her pyjamas before leaving her room...

She knocked on the large doors and waited nervously. Soon enough, someone who looked like a butler opened the door.

"May I help you, child?" He asked as if he would like to anything but help. Ginny swallowed nervously.

"I... I'd like to see Agnes and Xavier Torleni, please," she said. The butler's eyes widened for a moment then he bowed low and let her inside the mansion.

"Wait here... I will return shortly," the man said and left quickly. In a few seconds, the man had returned with Agnes and Xavier. She curtsied to them and the butler left them. The two Elders led Ginny to a more private room and looked at Ginny in concern, wondering if she was all right.

"I'm fine... I really don't know how I ended up here," Ginny said. "I apologise for intruding on you like this, but I just needed to get away from everything," Ginny said quietly.

"So you decided to fly half-way across Europe?" Xavier asked in shock. Ginny gave a small shrug.

"I wasn't aware that your mansion was situated half-way across Europe... I can just leave if I'm in your way," she said and stood up to leave. Agnes indicated for her to sit down again.

"That is nonsense, Ginevra... Please, I just think that my husband is in shock. It has been a while since anything has shocked Xavier. Perhaps we should just watch for a moment and be amused by his complete lack of control," Agnes said and smirked at her husband. She turned back to Ginny, looking concerned. "Now... Ginevra. What is wrong? I haven't seen anyone look so distressed in quite some time," Agnes said. Ginny hung her head for a moment then looked at the Elder with an apologetic smile.

"I must apologise for this... I have intruded on your time without any real consideration. And over something as stupid as a vision..." Ginny said and shook her head slightly.

"Oh... Now I see what is troubling Xavier... Perhaps we should let him be. He's Seen all of this before," Agnes said and led Ginny to another room. Xavier shook himself from his trance-like state and followed them.

"I apologise for being so inconsiderate and scaring you, Ginevra," he said.

"Your apology is accepted, my Lord," Ginny replied. Xavier nodded and sat beside his wife. She smiled briefly and took his hand in her own.

"Would you care to explain what made you so distressed?" Agnes asked kindly, Ginny gave a brief nod. She didn't really know these people, but she knew that they were trustworthy...

"I was Looking in my bowl and I saw myself in labour... I was pregnant to a man I despise. Our families have hated each other for centuries and here I was pregnant to him! That can't happen... I mean it's different when I See myself married to him... But pregnant is just a whole different thing to handle..." Ginny said and shook her head again.

"How exactly is it different?" Agnes asked curiously.

"Well, if I See myself married to Draco then I can convince myself that it was a forced arrangement, or that one of us is under the Imperious Curse, or such... But pregnant? I can't handle Seeing that," Ginny said and tried to control her breathing. She didn't want to start hyperventilating in front of them...

"When you were pregnant did you seem happy?" Xavier asked.

"I was in pain... But I think that was more a physical pain due to actually having the baby than an emotional pain," Ginny replied. "Why?" She asked curiously.

"If your future self isn't in any emotional pain, then don't you believe that it could be possible for yourself and this young man, Draconius to be together happily?"

"I doubt my family would accept that we could be happy together. Besides, it's not like I actually want to be with him! He gave me detention, for the Gods sakes! It's bad enough being with him at school thatn having to think that I'm going to be married to him in two years and pregnant in the Gods know how long!" Ginny said and sighed. "This sounds so trivial and childish when I say it out loud..." She said and shook her head. Agnes smiled.

"Everything sounds childish and trivial when said out loud, my daughter... In our own minds we experience the emotion behind something... However, whenever we attempt to explain it, we can't do it with the emotion that we felt inside ourself so it is perfectly natural that things sound childish when said out loud," Agnes said smiling. Ginny nodded.

"Did you see anything else?" Xavier asked. Ginny looked away for a moment.

"After I'd given birth I... I drank Draco's blood..." She said quietly. Agnes and Xavier exchanged a meaningful look. "Is that bad? Does this mean that I'll have the Thirst?" Ginny asked. Agnes shook her head.

"Not at all... Most Vampiress' drink from their husbands. Most Vampires drink from their wives too... It is quite a common occurrence. In fact, it is the main reason that most couples get married nowadays... It is very intimate when you share blood with another person and once you do you will see what I mean," Agnes said. Ginny just nodded briefly.

"If you are to return to Hogwarts before the sun returns then you should leave soon," Xavier announced.

"Of course. I apologise again for intruding on you like this," Ginny said.

"It is fine, my daughter," Agnes said kindly.

"I thank you for your kindness and hospitality, but I must now leave," Ginny said formally and curtsied to them both.

"We thank you for your visit and give you your leave," Agnes replied.

"May your night be well spent and your day be well slept," Ginny said with a smile. Agnes laughed quietly and led Ginny to the front door while Xavier took his leave from them.

"By the by... When in our presence you do not always have to curtsy. You may bow instead, if that is more comfortable for you," Agnes said. Ginny nodded in relief. "Remember daughter, that not all of your visions will be out of your control. You may change them slightly, but the end result must occur... Do you understand?" Agnes asked.

"Yes, my Lady. I understand..." Ginny replied. "May I ask you a question?"Agnes nodded and waited for her to continue. "Is it right for my skin to feel like it's burning when I'm in the sun? I thought that I wasn't supposed to feel anything when I go in the sun this early in my transformation... But I can barely walk outside anymore it hurts that much..." Ginny said. Agnes' smile faltered for a second then she looked at Ginny, smiling still as if nothing had happened.

"It is quite unusual for it to occur this early, but do not fret, my daughter... Just try to keep in the shadows while you walk. If you must, use magic to help you keep in the shadows..." Agnes replied.

"Thank you for your advice, my Lady," Ginny said and bowed. Agnes smiled and kissed Ginny's wrists softly.

"You are welcome... Have a good sleep, my daughter," Agnes said.

"Thank you, my Lady. Enjoy what is left of your night," Ginny said as she bowed. She turned in to a phoenix then swiftly flew into the air. Agnes watched Ginny fly away and shook her head in amazement.

Others that had been Vampires for centuries lacked the grace in which Ginevra had when transforming... Ginevra's etiquette was impeccable and her power was greater than both Agnes' and Xavier's put together! It was amazing to watch her progress unfold...

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Ginny flew for the entire night back to Hogwarts. It allowed her some time to think over the nights events, as well as her vision.

Landing in front of her rooms, Ginny shook her head slightly then decided to just forget about it until the morning.

She changed into her pyjamas and fell asleep quickly, not even stirring when a school owl hooted right above her room as it flew from Dumbledore's office in the direction that she had just come from...

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(a/n: thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!)

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4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue!

(a/n: A big thank you to every person that reviewed! Hugs to you all! :0) If I haven't replied to your review, I apologise and if you tell me then I'll do it straight away!

Keep reviewing and I'll keep updating!

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Four

Ginny woke up in the morning feeling completely exhausted from the night before. Not only had the fighting taken its toll on her, but also the amount of energy she had used in transforming twice and flying across Europe had drained her of all the energy she may have originally had.

She managed to drag herself into the shower in an attempt to refresh and wake herself up. She decided that she would tell everyone about her being a Vampire during breakfast. That would give everyone the day to calm down and hopefully stop avoiding her or glaring in her direction...

After getting out, drying herself and getting changed, Ginny came to the conclusion that the shower hadn't worked and promptly fell asleep on her bed again.

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Ginny woke up some time later and looked at her clock. Seeing that it was nearly quarter past nine she yelled and grabbed her things quickly before running down to the Transfiguration classroom. She ran inside and stopped at McGonagall's desk.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor... I overslept," Ginny said with an apologetic smile. McGonagall looked at her sternly.

"Not using an alarm is not a suitable excuse, Miss Weasley. Detention tonight at eight thirty," McGonagall said.

"I'm already serving detention at that time..." Ginny said. McGonagall sighed and looked in a book covered in dragon skin that had 'Detentions' labelled on the front in gold lettering. Ginny wondered why the school would use such an expensive book for detentions!

"So you are... With Mr Malfoy, I see... What were you doing out of bed at ten thirty?" McGonagall asked her.

"If you wouldn't mind, Professor, I would just like a time for my detention so you can continue to teach. I would not like to disrupt the class further with my personal life," Ginny said smiling at Minerva. With a curt nod, she looked down at the book again.

"Ten points from Gryffindor and you have detention at nine o'clock," she said and Ginny nodded.

"Thank you, Professor," she said and sat down. Slightly shocked at being thanked for a detention, Minerva had to allow a few seconds to compose herself before continuing to teach.

"Look who's the teacher's pet..." A voice hissed in Ginny's ear.

"Yet you're the one that got turned into an animal by a teacher..." Ginny replied smirking.

"She's got you there," Blaise said and laughed at Draco quietly. Draco scowled at him then turned his attention back to McGonagall.

"... As you saw yesterday, if an incantation is not clearly defined then it will take on the qualities of the object being transformed. Now, who can tell me how to transform a quill into a proper tree?" McGonagall asked. Ginny raised her hand. "Miss Weasley."

"By saying Arborcretum stipes and using the same movements as with Arborcretum, then the quill will turn into a proper tree," Ginny replied. McGonagall nodded. (Tree growth tree-trunk.)

"Excellent. Fifteen points to Gryffindor," she said.

"Teacher's pet," Draco hissed in Ginny's ear.

"Ferret," she replied smirking.

"Everyone stand around in a semi circle again and I will show you how to make a tree, as well as return it to its original form," McGonagall said and everyone formed a semi circle as they had the day before and watched. A black quill was placed in front of them and McGonagall pointed her wand at it. "Arborcretum stipes!" She yelled and moved her wand to the left inclining quickly.

The quill began to quiver slightly, but nothing else happened. Suddenly leaves and branches burst out of the top of the quill and it extended, looking more like a tree than it had the day before. A few people yelled when the branches popped out and most of the class was standing back away from the quill. The feather disappeared and a tree trunk appeared. When it had finished a medium sized tree was standing in the classroom.

With a thought and by moving her wand to the right declining swiftly, McGonagall made the tree return to its original form and the black quill was sitting in front of them all.

"Now, who can tell me what spell I used to change the tree back into a quill?" She asked the class. Surprising everyone, Neville and Ron raised their hands. Ginny tried not to laugh, knowing that they had both thought the exact same thing. "Mr Longbottom?"

"Did you use Arborintereo stipes?" He asked hesitantly, remembering the spell from yesterday.

"Indeed I did, Mr Longbottom. Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor," McGonagall said smiling at him. "Once again, you will all attempt to do the spell both creating and returning the tree one at a time," she said. Everyone stood in a line and began. Most of the class could get the tree to grow but the tree trunk still looked more like the quill than an actual tree. A few people got it right on their first time, including Neville and Hermione.

Ginny pointed her wand at the quill and moved it to the left, inclining while saying the incantation. As the tree grew, other quills in the classroom began to grow and in seconds flat the entire Transfiguration classroom had become a forest.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Ginny muttered quietly.

"Miss Weasley! Follow me outside immediately!" McGonagall said. A chorus of 'ooh's' was heard throughout the classroom and Ginny followed Minerva outside. "What just happened?" She asked Ginny.

"I have no idea... As the entire class is listening, I suggest that we should discuss this tonight during my detention," Ginny said. McGonagall nodded briefly.

"Of course... I will get Albus to attend," she said and they went back into the classroom. "Everyone make your way back to your seats!" McGonagall yelled when she saw over half of the class standing at the doors in an attempt to listen in on their conversation. "Miss Weasley, if you will please return the trees to their original forms, I would appreciate it," Minerva said quietly.

Ginny nodded and moved her wand to the right while declining. She thought the reverse incantation and in seconds quills replaced the trees. Ginny sat in her seat again and listened to McGonagall.

"Teacher's pet," Draco hissed in her ear again.

"Bite me," she retorted smirking at the irony.

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"Come on, Ginny... We've got to get to Divination. Do you know if we're in the Room of Requirement or the classroom?" Ron asked. Ginny shrugged slightly.

"No idea, actually. We should go to the classroom... If we're not in there, then you two can waste time dawdling to the right room and if we are then you don't get detention for being late," Ginny said with a grin.

"Firenze wouldn't give us detention," Harry said confidently. She smirked at him.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ginny replied and they went up to the Divination Tower quickly.

Ginny on an armchair and watched as the rest of the students filed in. Soon after everyone had sat down, Firenze came into the room and looked around smiling at everyone.

"I apologise for the confusion. We are in the Room of Requirement again today, as we are for the rest of the week," he announced. With a small groan everyone grabbed their things and went back downstairs.

"You two go ahead, I need to talk with Firenze for a moment," Ginny said to Ron and Harry. They nodded and left quickly. Ginny walked over to Firenze and he smiled at her.

Well done, Ginevra. The constellations are moving closer... Congratulations for fixing the problem, Firenze said. Ginny nodded briefly, knowing that he wasn't telling her something. Draco is moving closer to Virgo at an alarming rate. Just to warn you. Etamin is beginning to glow red though, so be wary around Draco. He may be a danger if you're not careful... Firenze said. Ginny nodded. Firenze smiled at her and took her head in his hands. The vision is for the future, it means nothing until it happens... Worry about now, not then... Firenze said. Ginny smiled slightly.

"What's going on here?" Ron's voice came from the doorway. He was looking at Ginny and Firenze with a frown on his face. Ginny sighed softly.

"Nothing is going on, Ronald. We were just talking," Ginny said. Ron nodded not looking convinced. "You forgot your book..." Ginny said and passed it to him. "I thank you for letting me talk to you and for your guidance, Firenze. I will see you in the Room of Requirement," she said with a small bow. Ginny followed Ron out of the room and looked at him. "Ron, look at me." Ron looked at his sister reluctantly. "There is nothing going on with myself and Firenze, understood? He is a centaur, I am a Vampiress... Nothing could go on between us. He was helping me with a problem I had, that is all. Is that understood? Or do I need to beat you up again for it to sink in?" Ginny asked with a smirk.

"No... What problem did you have? I could have helped..." Ron said quietly.

"No, you couldn't have. This problem is something that not even you would understand, Ron... It's not because you're not a Vampire, it's because you don't have the necessary experience in Divination to help me, ok?" Ginny said and smiled at Ron. He nodded.

"I'll say... I doubt I'll even pass this year," he grumbled. Ginny laughed and hugged him before they entered the Room of Requirement. Once everyone was lying back on a chair Firenze walked in and the ceiling changed to represent the solar system again.

"Can anyone see a difference in these stars compared to the ones from yesterday?" Firenze asked the class. Without even having to study the sky, Ginny already knew.

Draco was starting to glow red and was weaving his way past Boötes to get to Virgo... Boötes and Virgo were closer together. Boötes was trying to protect Virgo from the oncoming Draco constellation.

Something that Firenze hadn't mentioned however, was that Virgo was trying to get past Boötes to get to Draco... Ginny realised as she looked at the sky closer.

"Anyone at all?" Firenze called out when no one had replied.

"Draco's glowing red," Ginevra said quietly.

"Anything else?" Firenze asked smiling at her knowingly.

I know you can see it, Ginevra. Tell the class what I didn't tell you... Firenze said with a smile.

"Boötes and Virgo are closer together. Draco's moved closer to those two constellations... Virgo and Draco seem to be trying to get closer to each other," Ginny said a small hitch in her voice.

A few people looked up at where she was talking about, but most of them couldn't see it. All they could see was a bunch of stars hanging in the sky.

Draco stared at Ginny, one of the very few who had actually understood her meaning.

"What do you think you're playing at, Weasley?" He asked quietly. Ginny looked down from the ceiling and looked at Draco, whose bed-chair was near her own.

"I am not playing at anything, Malfoy... If you will look at the ceiling, you will see that what I just said is indeed true..." Ginny replied and he looked at the ceiling reluctantly. As comprehension filled his face Ginny looked over at Firenze. He was smiling broadly at both of them and she glared at him.

Do not be angry at me, Ginevra... It was you that saw the ceiling that way, Firenze said and smiled at her again. Ginny looked away from him sadly and shook her head.

I know you're right, Firenze... Why do I have to see things like that though? Why couldn't I just see that Draco was getting closer? Why did I have to see Virgo trying to get to Draco? She asked. Firenze sighed slightly.

It was necessary for you to see it, so you did. Firenze said then looked at the class, most of who were still trying to see what Ginny was talking about.

"Everyone lie back down, please," Firenze instructed softly and they all did as he said. Neither Firenze nor Ginny missed the look that Draco gave Ginny before he looked back up.

Ginny listened absent-mindedly as Firenze showed the class what she had said. She briefly thought of her vision before shaking her head and returning her attention to the ceiling.

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During recess a single owl came into the Great Hall, a red envelope in its talons. Recognising the owl as Errol, Ron paled in fear. Errol landed on Ron's toast proudly and stuck a leg out. Ron grabbed the Howler and ran from the Great Hall as fast as possible. Errol just started eating the toast, ignoring the laughs from the surrounding students.

Hermione walked in the Great Hall with a frown. Ron had been running like the Hounds of Hell were after him! She shook her head and looked around for Ginny.

"Ginny! There you are... Did you still want to talk?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded and left with Hermione after grabbing some food.

Ginny smirked when she heard her mother's voice yelling at Ron for his stupidity in trying to curse her...

They went to Ginny's room and sat on the lounge.

"So what did you want to know to start off with?" Ginny asked.

"Does your telepathy work all on every person?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, and yes, Ron does like you... He just doesn't think that you like him enough for him to ask you out," Ginny said hearing her thoughts. Hermione blushed brightly.

"Why did you have to leave Runes yesterday?" Hermione asked.

"There were two reasons. The first is that Albus needed to talk to me about the unicorn hair I gave to Neville. The second is that I had an anti-headache potion during the class, as Malfoy so clearly pointed out. Madam Pomfrey made the potion with boomslang skin in it and as I'm allergic to that particular ingredient, I went blind," Ginny said with a small shrug. Hermione stared at her briefly.

"How can you go blind from an allergic reaction? Aren't you supposed to just go red and swell up?" She asked.

"As a Vampire, my blood reacts differently to certain things," Ginny said.

"What about you turning into a unicorn? According to Neville you were the only one allowed to pat the unicorns," Hermione said. Ginny nodded.

"They recognised that I was a Vampiress. As the unicorns were once pets to Vampires, they respected the people I represent and allowed me to touch them... Yes, I went hunting with them, and yes, I do know that the Vampire who rides on a unicorn is supposed to lead the Vampires into war..." Ginny said. "And no, I haven't been for a ride on a unicorn lately..." Hermione grinned.

"Looks like you've got your telepathy under control," she said with a laugh. "What happened last night with Ron? He didn't say much this morning," Hermione said.

"I beat him at the fight, we talked about everything. He was being a jerk because he thought that I hadn't told him about any of this. None of my brother's knew that I only found out about this a few minutes before them..." Ginny said. "They thought I had been keeping secrets from them and didn't like that so they decided to freeze me out of their life," she said with a small grin as she read Hermione's thought.

"They shouldn't try to freeze fire," Hermione said and laughed. Then she stopped and looked at Ginny seriously. "What's going on with you and Snape?"

"Nothing's going on... Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Ginny muttered to herself. "We just respect each other, that's all. He doesn't want to show anyone that he is scared and impressed by me, so he tries to be as mean as possible. When we are alone, he is still mean, but it's more of a playful mean than anything else," Ginny said.

"How?" Hermione asked confused.

"You saw yesterday before class that he didn't tell either of us off, even though he would have last year... He knew of my fight with Ron, from the other teachers. Instead of not speaking to me, and allowing me to fight Ron, which would have given him a reason to take off House points, he told me not to fight Ron in his class... If I did have to fight Ron, he told me to take it outside so he wouldn't have to give me detention," Ginny said.

"So the only reason he did that was because he respects you?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Well, that and he didn't want to be the one who had to clean the mess..." Ginny said smirking. Hermione nodded briefly.

"All right, then. Ron asked me for a book on Vampires this morning... Was that really him or someone else?" She asked.

"No, that would have been Ron. I told him to read up on Vampires so he knows what I can or can not do, and what he can or can not do..." Ginny said and sighed. "We better get going now. The bell's going to go in about five seconds," Ginny said. Five seconds later the bell rang loudly.

"I didn't read anything about you having a built-in clock..." Hermione said.

"I don't... I just heard the clock ticking," Ginny replied with a shrug. She grabbed her books and bag then they left to go to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

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Ginny sat at a desk and got her things out. Soon after, Moody and Lupin arrived in the room.

"What will be learning today, Professor?" Hermione asked them smiling.

"You will see when everyone else arrives," Moody replied tersely. Lupin shook his head at Moody. "Don't shake your head at me, boy..." Moody snarled. Ginny laughed at them. "What is so funny, Miss Weasley?" Moody growled.

"You just called him 'boy'! He's five years younger than you are! That doesn't classify as a boy," Ginny said laughing still.

"How do you know how old I am?" Lupin asked. Ginny just winked at him and didn't reply. Students came into the room and sat at their seats, almost oblivious to the emotions that filled the room from the four people.

"Hey, Ginny," Neville said and sat next to her grinning. "Did you think about you teaching me how to fight?" He asked quietly. Ginny nodded briefly.

"Yes... I will be able to teach you every day at eight o'clock," Ginny replied. In making it at the same time as her exercises, she was doing two things at once: teaching Neville and still doing her exercises.

"Thanks, Ginny," Neville said grinning broadly. "My gran was really happy with me when I told her about the potion. She sent me another plant," Neville said happily.

"Congratulations," Ginny whispered and smiled at him.

"Today everyone will be learning how to cast the Contego spell," Moody barked at everyone. He conjured a stage. "Stand around here so you can see what it does!" He said. Everyone did as he said quickly, not wanting to get on the wrong side of Mad-Eye-Moody this morning. (Shield or defend.)

"Now, I will send the Impetus curse at Moody. Does anyone know what this means?" Lupin asked.

"Attack," Ginny and Draco said at the same time. Lupin grinned at them.

"Very good. Ten points to Gryffindor and Slytherin..."

"Now watch..." Moody growled eager to fight someone. Lupin turned to Moody with a small grin and pointed his wand at his colleague.

"Impetus!" He yelled and a yellow beam of light shot at Moody.

"Contego!" Moody said and a barrier made from blue light formed around his body. The yellow beam hit the barrier and soaked into it. The yellow beam swirled around in the barrier and after a few seconds, it shot out back at Lupin.

"Desino!" Lupin said and the yellow beam stopped before dissolving into thin air. (Stop.)

Moody took the barrier away and turned to the class.

"Two volunteers to attempt the spell!" He said.

"I challenge Weaselette," Draco's voice called out. Ginny turned to stare at him.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked. He smirked at her.

"Scared?" He mocked. With a sigh she shook her head.

"I accept your challenge," she said and they walked onto the stage.

"What's going on?" Ginny heard people whisper, wondering why Malfoy had challenged Ginny during class.

"All right... Only use the spells you are required to!" Lupin said. Moody and Ginny saw Draco's look, and both knew that he was not going to do as he was supposed to.

Only use your dagger as a last resort, Moody warned her. Ginny didn't say anything. She didn't want to tell him that she didn't bring it...

Suddenly, Ginny felt something almost moulding near her ankle. Without having to look down, she knew that had dagger had appeared in her boot. Without dwelling on the reason as to why or how it had appeared, Ginny looked at Lupin.

"Who is going to do the barrier and who is sending the attack?" She asked.

"You will defend, Draco will attack," Lupin said still oblivious to the look on Draco's face. Draco grinned evilly and waited. "On three... One, two, three!" Lupin called.

"Impetus!" Draco yelled. A green beam shot from his wand.

"Contego!" Ginny said and a blood-red barrier appeared around her body. The green beam entered the barrier then shot out almost immediately.

Lupin and Moody looked at each other briefly then turned their attention back to the two students.

As the green beam shot at Malfoy with alarming speeds, he yelled, 'Contego' and a dark green barrier formed around his body.

"Casso!" Draco yelled and a beam of light flew at Ginny's covered form. (Destroy or make void.)

"You're only supposed to do the spell you're learning!" Lupin yelled. Both students ignored him. The light hit Ginny's barrier and it dissolved.

"Vulnero!" Draco yelled and another beam shot at Ginny. (Wound.)

"Contego!" She yelled and the barrier appeared instantly. The beam entered her blood-red barrier, but a split second before it went back out, Ginny yelled, 'Casso!' and both beams shot out at Draco.

As the first beam hit his barrier and it dissolved, the second beam hit Draco and his skin began to split open.

"Eww! He's bleeding everywhere!" Lavender screeched and moved as far away from the stage as possible. Everyone took her lead and moved away from the stage, looking green.

Ginny looked at Draco, wondering why he had done this. She couldn't remember doing anything to make him be so hostile to her. Not even the fact that she was a Weasley could count for this hostility! She walked over to him, taking her barrier down. He glared at her and attempted to heal the wounds that covered his body.

"That won't work, Malfoy," Ginny said hearing the spell he was using. He ignored her until he saw that she was right.

"Sano worked all the other times," Malfoy said glaring at her. "What did you do? Why isn't it working?" He hissed at her. (To heal.)

"I did nothing... You are the one that tried to hurt me," she said softly. He looked at her glaring still. "Why did you do it, Malfoy?" Ginny asked him. He didn't say anything. "I'll heal the wounds if you tell me why you did it," Ginny said attempting to compromise with him. Draco just glared at her again then tried to get past her. She stopped him and took his arm. "Sano," she said and the wounds on his body healed immediately.

They walked off the stage and Lupin glared at Draco.

"Ten points from Slytherin! I said to only do the spell we said!" Lupin said angrily. Draco didn't reply he just went back to his seat and watched as the other students did the spell.

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"Ginny! Are you all right?" Neville asked after the lesson. Ginny nodded and they continued to walk to Hagrid's hut.

"I'm fine, Neville... Why?" She asked looking at him. He shrugged.

"Just wondering... I've never seen anyone challenge someone during class!" He said. "What happened after you fought? No one saw anything. Lavender was going green too much for anyone to see past her," Neville said with a grin.

"Nothing really happened... I just healed his wounds and we got off the stage," Ginny said with a shrug.

"Why did you heal his wounds?" Neville asked in shock.

"If you fought Harry, then you'd heal him after you fought..." Ginny replied.

"But that's because I'm friends with Harry... This is Malfoy we're talking about!" Neville replied still in shock.

"Just because you're not friends with someone it doesn't mean that you shouldn't still do the right thing, Neville," Ginny said and they didn't talk for the rest of the way down to Hagrid's hut.

Once everyone was there, Hagrid looked around smiling broadly.

"Afternoon ev'ryone... Today yer will be reading information on unicorns, so get yer books out," he said.

"Can't we go and see them again?" Dean asked. Hagrid shook his head.

"No, yer can't. The unicorn's are too far into the Forest. It's dangerous to let yer any further than where we were yesterday," Hagrid replied. "Open yer books to page 35," he said. With a small groan everyone did as he said. "Read the information... Later I will be testing yer all to make sure yer know it," he said smiling briefly.

Ginny opened her book and looked at the page for about 5 minutes, all of the information going into her memory.

"Once yer have finished, you can rest for a while," Hagrid announced. Ginny smiled at him then rested her head on her desk.

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"Run! Gods damn you, Draco! For once in your life do as I say! Run!" Ginny yelled. Draco looked from her to the manticore nearby then ran reluctantly. With a relieved sigh, Ginny turned to the manticore glaring.

"You wish to fight me, small one?" The manticore said and laughed evilly. "Once you are dead, then your love will be next," he crooned. His scorpion tail whipped around to the front and Ginny barely dodged it.

Ginny put her wand away knowing that it would be useless and pulled out her dagger instead.

"You mean to kill me with that puny thing?" The manticore said laughing at Ginny.

With a snarl, Ginny leapt forward and made a deep cut in the manticore's lion body. The manticore scratched her face as he leapt backwards in pain, its scorpion tail slashing at Ginny. She moved out of its way quickly and made her way behind the manticore. She moved forward quietly as the manticore tried to turn to look for her. Dodging his tail, Ginny jumped forward and slashed at the joint between the lion's back and the beginning of the tail. The manticore screamed in pain as its tail fell off. Ginny watched as green blood poured out from the wound. The manticore stared at Ginny as its human head went pale.

"I apologise to you, my Queen. I did not know it was you who I fought! Please, forgive me and let me become your faithful servant!" The manticore said and dropped to the ground in a bow. Ginny stood up properly and looked at the dying manticore before her.

"I accept your apology... You are forgiven, Leo-Bestia-Famulus. Once you are healed, you will be sworn to protect me and my loved ones, even if this action causes your death, is that understood?" Ginny asked. The manticore nodded its head. (Lion-beast-servant

"That is understood, my Queen..." He said still bowing.

Ginny carefully picked up the tail of the manticore and rejoined it to the back of him. She held her hand over the split and closed her eyes. Blood began moving back into the manticore and the split flesh started to repair itself. The scorpion tail joined on with the lion body and when Ginny opened her eyes, all that was left was a red scar showing that he had been healed, and was now her servant. The wound on Leo's shoulder had healed itself too.

"You are sworn to protect myself, and those I love, Leo-Bestia-Famulus. Now, follow me. I need to find my fiancee," Ginny said and turned around to go find Draco. She saw him standing there staring at her in shock. He bowed deeply and dropped to his knees. With a smile, Ginny shook her head. "Draconius, stand..." She instructed. Draco stood up staring at her still in shock. "You never have to bow to me, love," she whispered and kissed him softly.

"My Queen... I apologise for interrupting, but it is vital that we leave. A herd of centaurs will be coming by soon," Leo-Bestia-Famulus said. Ginny nodded her head and got on the back of the beast. Draco got up behind her and Leo leapt away quickly arrows following them.

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"Ginny, are you all right?" Neville asked her urgently, shaking her awake. Ginny sat up her face pale and her eyes wide. "Ginny! You're bleeding everywhere!" Neville said and touched her face briefly, pulling away with blood covered fingers. "It looks like you've been mauled by an animal! Are you all right?" He asked again.

"I'm fine, Neville. Calm yourself," Ginny said. Everyone was staring at her. Blood kept pouring from her face. Soon enough the wound had healed itself and she cleaned the dry blood with a spell.

"Per'aps yer should go ter the hospital wing, Gin," Hagrid said coming over to her. Ginny shook her head.

"I'm fine, Hagrid. Just a... dream, that's all," she said with a small smile. The students continued to stare at her as Hagrid turned away, satisfied that she was all right. "Is there something on my face?" She asked when they didn't stop staring.

"No... It's just that... That was a lot of blood, Ginny... It just appeared. What the hell did you dream about?" Neville asked in shock. Ginny shrugged slightly.

"Nothing much. It's over, I'm fine, so can we get on with the lesson, please?" Ginny asked looking at Hagrid. He nodded his head and cleared his throat noisily.

"Now, which of yer has finished reading yer book?" Hagrid asked them. Most of the students stopped staring at Ginny and turned to face their teacher. "Well? Who's finished?" He asked. Ginny raised her hand slightly. "Very good, Ginny. Anyone else?" No one said or did anything. "Good... Then continue reading, the lot of yer!" He said gruffly and everyone did as he said reluctantly.

"Teacher's pet," Draco's voice hissed in Ginny's ear. She rolled her eyes slightly.

Maybe I shouldn't save his life... She thought to herself with a grin then continued to read the rest of the book, not daring to fall asleep in class again.

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Ginny went to the Great Hall alone after class, not wanting to be continuously questioned by the other students. She sat quietly avoiding other people's glances and questioning looks as best as possible. She could hear questions burning in their minds but didn't want to deal with them today. Noticing this, Hermione, Ron and Harry left her alone too.

"Miss Weasley. Come with me, if you please... I need to talk to you in private," Albus said. Ginny sighed and grabbed her bag then followed him outside.

"I am fine, Albus. You know that, right?" Ginny asked once they had left the Great Hall.

"Yes, I know that, Miss Weasley... This is about the... trip you took last night," Albus said. "Now, please... Go to my office. I will be there momentarily," he said and Ginny went to the gargoyle statue alone.

Saying the password, she stood on the top stair and waited patiently as it lifted her to Albus' office. She went inside and sat down on a chair. The Hat was sitting on a nearby bookcase looking as old and ragged as it had when she had first put it on. Deciding to say hello to the Hat, she took it from the shelf and put it on.

Hello, my dear, The Hat whispered in her ear. I see that you have discovered your true self... Are you enjoying yourself? He asked softly.

As much as I can... Ginny replied. The Hat laughed softly.

What would you like to See? The Hat asked quietly.

What do you mean? Ginny asked.

I can help you See as well as water or reflections can, if that is what you wish to be done... The Hat replied. I will show you... The Hat said and an image appeared in Ginny's mind.

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Draco and Ron glared at each other, wands drawn. Ginny stood on the sidelines looking worried.

"Please, don't do this! Ron, Draco, see reason, will you?" She yelled to them. Ron glared at her.

"He deserves it! Haven't you heard what he was saying about you? Do you know what the entire school is saying?" Ron hissed.

"So what? That's their problem and mine. It is not your situation to deal with!" Ginny yelled angrily.

"That's not the point!" Ron yelled back and glared at Malfoy again.

"Draco! Please! You don't have to do this!" Ginny yelled.

"He has no right to hit you..." Draco growled and glared at Ron again.

"Blaise, can't you do anything?" Ginny asked Blaise. He shook his head.

"As much as I don't want this fight to happen, I'm not that stupid to try and get between your brother and Draco. They'll tear me to pieces," Blaise said apologetically. Ginny nodded and removed her robes to reveal her white fighting outfit.

"Hold these. I'll be right back... I just need to knock some sense into these two boys," she growled and looked at Draco and Ron. They were duelling, both looking as angry as the other.

Ginny stepped in closer careful to avoid the spells they were throwing.

"Ginny! Get out of the way!" Ron yelled.

"Move out of the way, Ginevra!" Draco yelled.

Ginny stepped in between them and looked at both of them.

"I will not move. I will not allow you to fight the fights that I should be fighting... If you wish to fight me, then I am ready... Bring it on," Ginny said and looked at them.

"I'm not going to fight you! That's not fair!" Ron said. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"I will not use any of the extra powers I have been given... I think that is a fair fight, Ronald. Now make up your minds. Either stop this nonsense and fight me on your own, or I will kick you both so hard that you'll be put into last week," Ginny snarled at them.

"I refuse to fight you," Draco said and put his wand away. Ginny looked at Ron expectantly. He glared at Draco over Ginny's shoulder.

"This isn't over, Malfoy," he snarled.

"Oh, yes it is!" Ginny said getting angry at her brother's stupidity. "Listen to me, Ronald!" She all but yelled. "I will fight my own fights! I don't need you to do that for me! I am not eleven any more!" She yelled and her entire body glowed red as her hair began to crackle with anger. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" She yelled.

"Yes," Ron muttered. Ginny calmed down in half a second and looked at her brother sadly.

"No, you don't, Ronald... Let me fight my own fights. I can handle it. If I get myself into trouble, at least allow me the chance to get myself out of trouble," she said softly then, grabbing her robes from Blaise, she left.

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Albus pulled the Hat off of Ginny's head and looked down at her.

"I apologise for interrupting, but we need to discuss this as soon as possible before your next lesson resumes," Albus said. Ginny nodded and grinned apologetically.

"Sorry... That Hat was Showing me something," she said. The Headmaster nodded.

"That is all right... Now, would you like to tell me of the vision you had last night that caused you to fly half-way across Europe?" Dumbledore asked.

"I didn't know it was half-way across Europe! How come I keep on getting into trouble for that?" Ginny muttered shaking her head.

"All right, then, Miss Weasley... Please, calm yourself down and just tell me your vision," Albus said.

"It was nothing, Albus. I just freaked out a bit, that's all... I flew aimlessly and then I recognised where I was going, so I just continued to go there," Ginny said with a shrug. Albus looked at her over his half-moon spectacles briefly.

"You still haven't answered my question, Miss Weasley," he said. Ginny glared at him.

"And you have not answered my question from yesterday! Do not throw stones in a glass house Albus, for you run the risk of getting cut," she hissed and left his office abruptly.

Albus sighed and shook his head before replacing the Hat on the bookcase.

Ginny walked to her room, bristling with anger. She paced for about five minutes flat, muttering to herself. Hearing the bell ring loudly, she grabbed her things and headed to the Runes classroom.

Drinking one of the anti headache potions, Ginny rested her head on her desk after getting her things out. Ignoring the warning bells from what had happened in the last lesson, she closed her eyes and was soon Seeing.

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Draco ran past Ginny, his wand drawn.

"Run, Ginny!" He yelled over his shoulder.

People in masks threw curses at him and Ginny recognised them as Death Eaters. Glaring, she turned into a large wolf and growled at the Death Eaters. A few tried to run from her, but they soon stopped dead in their tracks, literally... She snarled at the others threateningly and they blanched in fear.

"Use your wands, you idiots!" She heard a voice yell. Turning on the man as she gracefully dodged spells, she growled at him. The man smirked at her, holding Draco in front of him. "Do you want to risk hurting your love?" The man sneered. Ginny howled loudly and the man faltered for a moment as he raised his hands to cover his ears. Draco kicked backwards and the man fell over. Jumping in front of Draco, Ginny glared down at the man beneath her, putting one large paw on his neck.

"Ginny!" A voice called to her. "Calm down, Ginny!"

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"Ginny! Calm down, Ginny!" A voice called. Ginny opened her eyes and found that she could only see in black and white. She tried to speak but her voice came out in short howls and yaps. Thinking that she was still in her vision, she snarled in warning to everyone.

Unbeknownst to her, Ginny had changed into a wolf during her sleep.

Ginny looked for the person who was calling to her and still half in her vision, instead of seeing students huddled in a corner, she saw the Death Eaters...

"Ginny... Calm down," Hermione said softly. Ginny snarled at her. Still not properly awake, Ginny moved over to Draco, her large body protecting his. She would kill every and each person in this room if they even moved near Draco...

"What are you doing, Weasley? Get away from me!" He hissed at her.

"She thinks she's dreaming, Malfoy! Help her see that she's awake, for the Gods sakes!" Hermione said to him softly. Ginny growled at Hermione, ready to kill her if she hurt Draco.

"Weasley," Draco said quietly. "Weasley," he repeated when she didn't do anything. Ginny still didn't move. "Ginevra..." He said. She looked at him. "You're awake," he said. Ginny stared at him and growled questioningly. "You're already awake. I'm fine... You're scaring the shit out of everyone, so that's an added bonus," he said smirking over her at everyone in the corner.

Ginny looked at everyone and saw the students, white in fear. With a small whimper she leapt out of the room and ran down the corridor, changing as she ran. As her four feet were replaced with two again, she stumbled, rolled on the ground then stood and kept running.

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"This is going to be an interesting year," Yepir muttered to herself then went to the front of the class. "Someone go get Miss Weasley and bring her back," she said. Surprisingly, Malfoy volunteered to do so. He left the classroom in the direction Ginny had gone, running faster than any mortal should have been able to run. Eventually finding Ginny at the end of a corridor he slowed down and went over to her.

"What do you want, Malfoy? Here to mock me, yet again?" She asked so quietly that he had to strain to hear her.

"No... Yepir wants you back in class," he said not even puffing from the long run.

"What if I don't want to go back? I can't handle everyone staring..." She confessed. "Oh, this has been a really crap day..." Ginny muttered and shook her head. "Tell Yepir that I'm going to Dumbledore. I'll be back before the end of lesson," she said.

Malfoy glared at her for making him feel like a mere... messenger. Draco stood in the corridor, glaring at Ginny, who just smirked at him and walked away. He glared for a moment longer, then smirked and closed his eyes. When nothing happened and Ginny continued to walk away, Draco opened his eyes and glared at her retreating back. He concentrated again, but Ginny still continued to walk away. From nearby classrooms, people began to walk out and over to Draco. He took no notice of them, still glaring at Ginny.

"Move!" He hissed at a nearby girl, who simply ignored him and tried to grab his robes. He pushed her away, then, before anyone else could touch him, closed his eyes. Everyone stopped looking at Draco, then looked to each other in confusion. Not knowing why they were out there, they simply walked back to their classrooms again. Draco glared after them, then looked around for Ginny. He shook his head with a scowl, then left to the Runes classroom.

Around the corner, Ginny shook her head. She'd Seen that happen... Slightly shaken at the preciseness of her vision, she shook her head and continued to walk to Dumbledore's office.

"Albus, are you in?" Ginny asked as she knocked on his door. Not hearing an answer, she opened the door slightly and looked inside. No one was there, but a nearby cupboard was glowing brightly. Curiosity overtaking her, she walked in and looked in the cupboard.

A bowl was sitting there, wispy water filling it. Ginny looked down at the water and saw an image of herself in her first year show up. Visibly shaking she willed the image to change and watched as it moved to her as she had been a few days ago.

"Miss Weasley," Albus said from behind her. She jumped and turned around. "Are you all right?" He asked smiling kindly. Ginny began to nod then shook her head and burst into tears.

"I would have killed them all... What's wrong with me, Albus? Why do I keep Seeing things when I'm awake?" She asked sobbing. Albus looked at her.

"Sit down, Miss Weasley. Maybe you should explain this to me," he said. Sniffing, Ginny sat on a chair and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"I got to Runes early, so I put my head on the desk to rest until everyone arrived... I was tired from last night, as you probably know," she said with a small grin. "I had a vision... I had changed into a wolf and was protecting Draco from a group of Death Eaters. I woke up when Hermione called my name and I thought I was still in the vision," Ginny said.

"Why did you think that?" Albus asked her.

"I had changed into a wolf while I was sleeping... It was kind of the same thing in Care of Magical Creatures... I was fighting a manticore and it scratched me. I woke up when Neville shook me. I was bleeding from my face where Leo scratched me," Ginny said. Albus looked at her sternly.

"Why did you not tell me of this before?" He asked. Ginny shrugged.

"I did say I was fine... The scar healed and everyone stopped staring after a few minutes," she replied nonchalantly. "That's not the problem anyway. The problem is that I am going through my visions in this world as if they are real! What can be done for this?" Ginny asked. "I can't go around changing in the middle of class and try to attack students just because of Malfoy!" She said angrily.

"Indeed," Dumbledore said calmly. Without any explanation, he closed the drapes causing the room to be darkened. The candles lit themselves emitting a soft glow. A noise came from the fireplace and someone stepped out.

"My Lord," Ginny said bowing, recognising Xavier as he brushed off his dark cloak.

"Ginevra. A pleasure to see you again," he said smiling at her.

"The pleasure is all mine, my Lord," Ginny replied and looked at him. Xavier smiled then looked to Albus a frown on his face.

"Your letter sounded urgent. What would you like to talk with me about?" He asked. Albus looked at Ginevra for a moment.

"I would like to talk to you about Ginevra, actually... I will discuss my news after she has told you hers. You can determine the seriousness of the situation once she has finished. Do not be long, Miss Weasley, you still have to attend your class," Albus reminded her gently. Ginny nodded.

"In my Care of Magical Creatures class today I had a vision that I was fighting a manticore. He scratched my face and when I woke up my face was scratched... I had another vision in Runes. I was protecting Draco in my wolf form from a group of Death Eaters and when I woke up I was still a wolf... Thinking I was still in my vision, I would have killed the other students if they went anywhere near Draco," Ginny said quietly. Xavier nodded briefly.

"Perhaps you should show me... I think I would understand all of this better if I were part of it," he said.

Ginny took Xavier's hand in her own, briefly wondering how she knew what to do. She closed her eyes and Xavier did so too. Muttering a spell beneath her breath, Ginny and Xavier began spinning. Remembering the feeling from using a Portkey, Ginny felt slightly sick. When she opened her eyes, they were in her vision from Care of Magical Creatures...

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"Run! Gods damn you, Draco! For once in your life do as I say! Run!" Ginny yelled. Draco looked from her to the manticore nearby then ran reluctantly. With a relieved sigh, Ginny turned to the manticore glaring.

Ginny saw that Draco was hiding in nearby bushes, watching them intently. He looked like he was regretting his decision to leave...

"You wish to fight me, small one?" The manticore said and laughed evilly. "Once you are dead, then your love will be next," he crooned. His scorpion tail whipped around to the front and Ginny barely dodged it.

Ginny put her wand away knowing that it would be useless and pulled out her dagger instead.

Draco moved out of the bushes slightly when she put her wand away, but didn't move forward.

"You mean to kill me with that puny thing?" The manticore said laughing at Ginny.

With a snarl, Ginny leapt forward and made a deep cut in the manticore's lion body. The manticore scratched her face as he leapt backwards in pain, its scorpion tail slashing at Ginny. She moved out of its way quickly and made her way behind the manticore. She moved forward quietly as the manticore tried to turn to look for her. Dodging his tail, Ginny jumped forward and slashed at the joint between the lion's back and the beginning of the tail. The manticore screamed in pain as its tail fell off. Ginny watched as green blood poured out from the wound. The manticore stared at Ginny as its human head went pale.

Shock freezing him to the spot, Draco stared at Ginny and the manticore.

"Your dagger should not have done that much damage," Xavier said. "Did you use a spell?" He asked. Ginny shook her head.

"Not that I know of..." She replied.

"I apologise to you, my Queen. I did not know it was you who I fought! Please, forgive me and let me become your faithful servant!" The manticore said and dropped to the ground in a bow. Ginny stood up properly and looked at the dying manticore before her.

"Why is he calling me 'Queen'?" Ginny asked looking from Xavier's pale face back to the manticore.

"By then, you may be an Elder Highness... Or it could be something else," Xavier said more to himself than in reply to Ginny's question.

"I accept your apology... You are forgiven, Leo-Bestia-Famulus. Once you are healed, you will be sworn to protect me and my loved ones, even if this action causes your death, is that understood?" Ginny asked. The manticore nodded its head. (Lion-beast-servant

"That is understood, my Queen..." He said still bowing.

Ginny carefully picked up the tail of the manticore and rejoined it to the back of him. She held her hand over the split and closed her eyes. Blood began moving back into the manticore and the split flesh started to repair itself. The scorpion tail joined on with the lion body and when Ginny opened her eyes, all that was left was a red scar showing that he had been healed, and was now her servant. The wound on Leo's shoulder had healed itself too.

By now, Xavier was staring at both Ginny's in shock.

"Do you have any idea how you did that?" He asked her sounding urgent.

"No... I'm sorry," Ginny said feeling scared suddenly.

"You are sworn to protect myself, and those I love, Leo-Bestia-Famulus. Now, follow me. I need to find my fiancee," Ginny said and turned around to go find Draco. She saw him standing there staring at her in shock. He bowed deeply and dropped to his knees. With a smile, Ginny shook her head. "Draconius, stand..." She instructed. Draco stood up staring at her still. "You never have to bow to me, love," she whispered and kissed him softly.

"We need to leave as soon it is done, or else you may See more than is necessary," Xavier said.

"It should be done in about ten seconds..." Ginny said and indicated to the manticore who was clearing his throat to capture Ginny and Draco's attention.

"My Queen... I apologise for interrupting, but it is vital that we leave. A herd of centaurs will be coming by soon," Leo-Bestia-Famulus said. Ginny nodded her head and got on the back of the beast. Draco got up behind her and Leo leapt away quickly arrows following them.

Xavier grabbed Ginny's hand and they closed their eyes, the world spinning as Ginny said the spell.

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"Did that help?" Ginny asked Xavier once they were back in Albus' office.

"Not really... I believe it created more questions than answers. Perhaps the next one will be better at explaining what is causing this to happen," Xavier said.

"I have told Professor Yepir that you won't be returning to her lesson for today... You will see her at 5 o'clock to catch up with work that you missed out on," Dumbledore said before they could leave again.

"Thank you, Albus..." Ginny said and taking Xavier's hand again she said the spell and they started spinning again.

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"This one doesn't go for as long as the other one..." Ginny said.

Draco ran past Ginny, his wand drawn.

"Run, Ginny!" He yelled over his shoulder.

People in masks threw curses at him and Ginny recognised them as Death Eaters. Glaring, she turned into a large wolf and growled at the Death Eaters. A few tried to run from her, but they soon stopped dead in their tracks, literally... She snarled at the others threateningly and they blanched in fear.

Ginny looked at Xavier, but he didn't say anything. He was watching the events intently, almost waiting for something...

"Use your wands, you idiots!" She heard a voice yell. Turning on the man as she gracefully dodged spells, she growled at him. The man smirked at her, holding Draco in front of him. "Do you want to risk hurting your love?" The man sneered. Ginny howled loudly and the man faltered for a moment as he raised his hands to cover his ears. Draco kicked backwards and the man fell over. Jumping in front of Draco, Ginny glared down at the man beneath her, putting one large paw on his neck.

The vision ended and they spun away again.

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They landed in Albus' office once more and Xavier looked at Ginny with interest.

"I will need to test you again when we next meet," Xavier said. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, my Lord..."

"You should go to your next lesson now," Dumbledore said and handed Ginny her bag.

"How did you get my bag?" She asked. He smiled at her.

"Why, when I went to see Professor Yepir, of course," he said. Ginny raised an eyebrow slightly, then turned to Xavier and bowed.

"I must take my leave of you now, my Lord," she said.

"That is fine, my daughter," he said smiling and Ginny turned to Albus.

"Thank you, Headmaster. I bid you farewell," she said with a mocking bow. He chuckled.

"Yes, yes... You may leave now, Ginevra," he said and Ginny left quickly.

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Ginny walked to the dungeons quietly. Not sure if there was already a class inside, she knocked briefly. Not hearing an answer, she entered the room and sat down at the back of the classroom. Getting her things out, Ginny opted to read her book rather than risk sleeping yet again.

Vampires are easily insulted. When insulted, a Vampire will most likely lose control over their emotions and opt to use the most dangerous weapon in their power to hurt the person who insulted them. This is the main reason as to why no one ever challenges a Vampire to a duel when they know who or what they are...

The Thirst among Vampires is quite uncommon, contrary to popular Muggle and wizard belief. Although some Vampires and Vampiress' may drink the blood of their spouse, it is uncommon that they would do so to another person. By drinking the blood of a spouse, a Vampire or Vampiress may feel rejuvenated and refreshed. They may also get extra energy. In rarer cases, the Vampire or Vampiress may also feel sexually aroused. Actually, it may not be rare, as most Vampires don't share that kind of information with a historian...

Ginny shook her head at the book then closed it, hearing footsteps coming. Snape walked into the room and looked at her.

"Miss Weasley... Shouldn't you still be in your other class?" He asked looking at a clock on the wall.

"I almost attacked the students so I decided to leave... I had a meeting with Lord Torleni and it took up what was left of the rest of the lesson," Ginny said vaguely.

"And how, may I ask, did you 'almost attack the students'?" Snape drawled.

"I turned into a wolf," Ginny replied tersely. Snape looked at her an eyebrow raised, until he saw that she was serious. He nodded curtly then turned to the blackboard. Ginny put her book away, hearing more footsteps.

A few minutes later, the students started to file in. Most of the students from the Runes class avoided Ginny. Even Hermione didn't try to talk to her. She just stared for a brief moment then got her things out before she could get into trouble by Snape. Draco barely looked at Ginny as he passed her to get to his seat.

"Hey, Ginny," Neville said brightly. "What's with all of the tension in this room? Did someone get into a fight and I missed it?" He asked quietly with a grin.

"No... I almost hurt the other students in my Runes class, so everyone's kind of avoiding me," Ginny said with a sigh and put her head on her hands. "Stupid bloody dream..." She muttered quietly.

"How did you almost hurt everyone?" Neville asked in shock.

"Mr Longbottom! I would stop talking to Miss Weasley and turn my attention to the front, if I were you," Snape drawled.

Neville trembled slightly and nodded before looking to the front of the dungeon. Ginny gave Snape a grateful smile. He barely nodded in response, then started to teach.

"Once you have your results from yesterday's potion, you will make the Sopor potion. Can anyone tell me the purpose of this potion?" He asked softly looking around the class. Hermione and Ginny raised their hands. "Miss Weasley," Snape said. Hermione put her hand down looking disappointed.

"Sopor means 'deep sleep', so it would mean that the potion is for either insomniacs or Madam Pomfrey who constantly insists that her patients get rest," Ginny replied. Most of the class hid their smiles and laughs behind hands so they wouldn't get into trouble.

"Three points to Gryffindor," Snape said reluctantly. "Now, may someone else besides Miss Weasley or Miss Granger give me the main ingredient for this potion?" All of the Slytherins raised their hands. Hermione was restraining herself visibly, not wanting to raise her hand and lose House points. Snape smirked at everyone. "Just as I thought... There are only two people with brains in Gryffindor... Miss Weasley and Miss Granger are the only two in Gryffindor who can answer my question?" Snape sneered looking at them. Neville raised his hand bravely. "What is it, Longbottom?" Snape drawled. Neville took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

"The main ingredient is a Fritillary bulb. It needs to be made into a powder before it can be used however, as the bulb is poisonous," Neville said. Snape stared at him in shock. Then he glared at Ginny.

"You told him, Miss Weasley?" He asked and walked over to them. Ginny moved backwards out of her seat to show that she wasn't hiding any bits of parchment.

"I said nothing! I haven't said anything since I answered your question!" Ginny said getting angry. Snape glared at her outburst, but Ginny refused to relent. "I will not back down, Professor... I have done nothing wrong. Neville knew that information by himself! His mother's favourite plant is the Fritillary, so it is almost a given that he would know everything about it possible!" Ginny said. "Jeez, this has been a fucking crap day! I refuse to take this shit. I'm leaving," Ginny said and grabbed her things then left the room. Everyone stared after her in shock, Snape included.

"How did she know that it was my Mum's favourite flower?" Neville asked quietly. Snape looked at Neville and saw the shock and tears in the boy's eyes.

"Ten points to Gryffindor," he said so quietly that Neville barely heard him. "All of you get your results from yesterday's potion while I attempt to find Miss Weasley," Snape instructed. He left the room, smirking broadly when he heard Hermione's shout of disbelief at Neville's score. It was higher than her own...

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Ginny ran, using her vampire speed to get out of the Hogwarts castle as soon as possible. Once outside she kept running into the Forbidden Forest, almost certain that no student would follow her there. She walked into a clearing and sat down, leaning against a tree to try and calm herself down.

Snape moved along the corridors looking for Ginny, even though he was certain that she would have left the castle as soon as she could. Considering her abilities, this meant that she could be anywhere by now... With a sigh he closed his eyes and searched. Feeling a powerful mind block in the Forbidden Forest, he followed the pull and went outside. He continued to follow the powerful pull of the mind block and eventually ended up in the clearing in the Forbidden Forest that Ginny was sitting in, bristling with anger.

Snape stared at her in shock. Ginny's entire body was glowing red and she was crackling with anger, literally. Small bits of lightning crackled around her, getting larger as her anger increased. Wondering whether to interrupt her during such an angry phase, Snape looked around in a gesture of helplessness.

"I would not disrupt her while she was like this, Severus," a voice said nearby. Firenze came out of the clearing's shadows and looked at the Potions Master.

Snape looked at Firenze. He hadn't really liked the centaur and didn't know whether to trust him or not.

"If you try to touch her now, you will be wounded terribly. Not even one of the Forest would touch her while she was in this state, would you?" Firenze called and indicated to the herd of centaurs who were now standing around the clearing.

"No, we would dare not. That power is too dangerous for us to handle... Now come out and fight, Firenze!" Snape heard Bane call to him.

"You would touch me while she is in my care?" Firenze called back.

"Come into the Forest again and you will be killed on the spot!" Bane called and the herd left quickly.

"What do you mean, while she is in your care?" Snape asked.

"I am her teacher, therefore she is under my care... Though you may not see it, Ginevra and I are talking at this very moment. She hears your thoughts as well, though you do not allow her to talk thus. You see it as a sign of weakness, so she does not let herself to so in your presence. She values your opinion strongly, as I am sure you have heard before," Firenze said.

Snape just looked at him then to Ginny. The glow around her body was dimming and the lightning had become much smaller.

"She will wake in a few seconds. Do not punish her too strongly, for I may not be able to help her next time... The emotion she has will be catastrophic once unleashed, be wary Severus," Firenze said then left the clearing quickly so old his herd would not see.

Ginny opened her eyes and saw Snape standing there looking shocked.

"Hello, Professor. Sorry for leaving your lesson..." She said quietly.

That is all right, Miss Weasley. We should return to see if the dungeon is still there... Snape replied and he helped Ginny up from the floor.

"Are you all right, Professor?" Ginny asked shocked that he was using the mind link. Snape nodded.

"I am fine, Miss Weasley. Five points from Gryffindor for leaving my class without permission," he said. Ginny nodded.

"Understood... Why would the dungeon be destroyed? They wouldn't start the potion without you there, would they?" She asked. Snape gave a brief harsh laugh.

"The potion you and Longbottom made yesterday rivalled even Miss Granger's. It was correct, right down to the colour it was supposed to be. You both scored higher than her... I would not like to be Mr Longbottom at this moment, not anyone else in the dungeon. Miss Granger was letting out some steam as I was leaving," Snape said grinning. He looked immensely happy to have caused Hermione such... devastation at not being the top of the class.

They arrived in the dungeons in silence. Ginny had winced further up the corridor, but didn't show the pain that the noise caused her. Snape could barely hear shouts, but in Ginny's ears it was ringing loudly and she could hear every word that was coming out of the student's mouths.

"SILENCE!" Snape yelled. Everyone shut up immediately and put their wands away quickly. "Who started this?" He asked quietly and looked around the room. A few people looked guilty but most of the just stared straight ahead, determined not to answer. "Well? Who started this?" He asked.

You could use a spell to find out... Ginny suggested silently.

And what spell may that be, Miss Weasley? Snape asked.

Expiscor. Ginny replied. He nodded impressed. (Find out or discover.)

"All of you stand up," Snape instructed and the students did so warily. "Expiscor!" He said and a wave washed over the students. "Who started this?" He asked.

"Hermione Granger and Pansy Parkinson, sir," the students replied in unison.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for not only withholding information, but also for starting this commotion!" Snape said angrily. Ginny sat down.

"What about Weasley, sir?" Draco asked.

"Unless Mr Weasley did something wrong, I do not see it fit for you to judge my actions, Mr Malfoy," Snape replied coldly.

"I meant Miss Weasley, Professor," Draco replied sounding just as cold.

"She has already had House points deducted, Mr Malfoy. Now stop trying to undermine my authority and sit down in your seat!" Snape said his voice continuing to raise. Draco sat down and everyone looked from Snape to Ginny then back again in shock.

Ever since Ginny Weasley had Advanced into their year, the teachers had been acting strangely. Even going against their favourite students!

"Now, has everyone received their result?" Snape asked. Looking around the room, he saw that Neville had a black eye. "Mr Longbottom. Who hit you?" Snape asked him. Neville fidgeted in his seat nervously, his eyes shooting to Hermione then to Pansy. "Come to the front, Mr Longbottom," Snape instructed and the trembling boy did so. "Was it Miss Granger or Miss Parkinson who hit you?" He asked quietly.

"It was Hermione... Pansy stood up for me. That's how everything started," Neville said softly.

"Very well... Get Miss Weasley to heal your eye," Snape said. Neville nodded and went to his seat before he could deduct House points.

"Let me see it," Ginny said and turned Neville's face to her own. "I can not believe she hit you over something as petty as a potions result," Ginny muttered shaking her head. "Sano," she said and the bruise faded from Neville's eye, the pain subsiding too. (Heal.)

"Thanks, Ginny," Neville said in relief and they turned back to the front.

"Everyone get your ingredients," Snape instructed and every second person in the room went to the ingredient table.

"Ginny, do you want to work together?" Hermione asked her brightly. Ginny stared at her in anger. The entire room went quiet, watching them.

"After what you did to Neville? You're lucky I'm even talking to you, Granger," Ginny spat at her. She gathered her ingredients and left, Hermione staring after her in shock.

"You didn't have to do that, Ginny," Neville said quietly. Ginny began cutting up some ingredients fiercely.

"I know that, Neville... She shouldn't have done that to you to start with," Ginny said shaking her head. "Oh, shit," Ginny said as she sliced her hand.

"Do you want me to fix it?" Neville asked her getting his wand out.

"No, thanks. I already did it," Ginny said and showed him her healed hand. "Is the cauldron boiling?" She asked. Neville nodded. "Well, you can put the Fritillary powder in," Ginny said. Neville nodded and did as she said.

They continued to work in the same way as they had the day before and had soon finished the potion. Ginny labelled it and went to the front. Giving the potion to Severus he checked it and nodded.

"Very good," he said quietly. Ginny just gave a brief nod and returned to her seat. She and Neville packed up then waited patiently for the few seconds until the bell rang. "Before anyone goes. Miss Granger, you have detention tonight at eight thirty," Snape said and the bell rang loudly. Everyone left quickly, a few people glaring at Hermione.

"I need to see Professor Yepir. Go to the Common Room and I'll be there at six o'clock to get you, ok? We can study in my room before I teach you how to fight, is that ok with you, Nev?" Ginny asked. Neville smiled brightly and nodded.

"That'd be great, Gin. Have fun with Professor Yepir," he said with a small laugh and left with Seamus and Dean to go to the Gryffindor Tower.

Ginny went down to the Runes classroom and waited for Professor Yepir to show. About five minutes after Ginny had arrived, Professor Yepir walked into the room looking flushed, annoyed and quite cranky.

"Miss Weasley... I forgot that you were coming this afternoon..." She said and sighed. "Read from page 35 to page 40 in Runes and Their Meanings. Do the exercise on page 41 and then read the introduction in Runes and rune casting. Once you have finished that attempt to use the Kenaz rune and see if it works. Got that?" Yepir asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, I got it... Is that all?" She asked.

"Yes.. If you finish that and still have time left over, then you may read chapter one in Runes and rune casting," Yepir said.

"Thank you, Professor. Sorry to take up your time... And I'm sorry about before, I didn't mean for that to happen," Ginny said. Yepir waved off her apology.

"The amount of times I've nearly done that myself... Don't worry about it. No harm, no foul," she said with a grin. Ginny nodded and left the Runes classroom.

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Ginny walked to the Gryffindor Tower and went in through the portrait. Before she walked in the Common Room, certain thoughts and voices drifted into her mind and she stopped in shock.

"Ginny's a Vampire for the Gods sakes!" She heard Hermione say. There were collective gasps all around.

A few thoughts showed Ginny that some people had known something was going on and her being a Vampire explained a lot of things. The other thoughts were shocked and horrified that she was a Vampire.

She walked into the Common Room and most of the students moved back away from her. Unbeknownst to her, Ginny's fangs started to grow, her body began to glow red and lightning began to crackle in her hair.

"Well... Does anyone have anything to say?" She snarled. Hermione tried to sneak up to the girl's dormitories, but Ginny was beside her in half a second and had grabbed her arm fiercely. "Where do you think you're going? How dare you tell everyone?"

"They have a right to know, Ginny," Hermione said sounding a lot braver than she felt.

"Yes, from me! You had no right to tell them something that I could have done on my own! I would have told them this morning if not for the fact that I slept in!"

Hermione didn't say anything, but her thoughts gave her away immediately. "You don't believe me, Granger?" Ginny snarled.

"I would be quite glad to go back in time and show you my thoughts!" She hissed. Hermione blanched in fear as Ginny's nails started to pierce her skin.

"Ginny, you're hurting me," she said in a strangled whisper.

"And what you just did to me meant nothing at all? You have no idea what it's like to feel pain from people that are supposed to be your friends," Ginny hissed and let her go. Hermione sank down the wall and attempted to heal the wounds on her arm.

Ginny looked around the Common Room and glared at the people who were supposed to be her friends. She shook her head as she heard their thoughts.

"I thought we were friends! It looks like I was wrong!" She snarled and pushed past them to leave the Gryffindor Tower.

"Ginny! Wait up!" Colin called behind her. She turned around mainly so he wouldn't increase her headache further by yelling. She saw that Luna and Neville were with him. They caught up after a while, her speed having increased as she was leaving. "Sorry about that... I was just in shock..." Colin said smiling.

Ginny tried not to shake her head when she realised that she'd Seen this the day before...

"So what's it like?" Neville asked.

"Surprisingly lonely..." Ginny replied with a sigh then looked at Luna. "I'm fine, Luna... Just a bit upset, that's all. Don't worry about me! I'm not going to try and off myself... Wouldn't bloody work anyway. Stupid healing power," she muttered grinning at them.

"Is it true about not being able to see your reflection?" Colin whispered. Ginny shrugged.

"I've got no idea. I've been able to see myself, but others might not... Yes, you can try," Ginny said reluctantly and Colin grinned as he made a spare quill into a mirror. Ginny looked into it, ignoring the images that tried to get her attention and just looked at her own reflection. Colin looked into the mirror and frowned slightly. "Don't sound so disappointed that you can see me, Colin..." Ginny said grinning at him.

"How'd you know? Wait, don't worry," Colin said shaking his head. Luna laughed at him smiling. "So, can I take a photograph of you in your Vampiress form?" Colin whispered excitedly.

"What do you mean?"

"You mean you don't know? Oh, it happened before. You started to get lightning in your hair and you glowed red for a bit too. Your front teeth extended a bit and your nails grew longer. It was really cool," Colin said grinning.

"Kind of scary, but it was pretty cool," Neville added smiling.

"So can I take a photo of you then?" Colin asked.

"I guess you can..." Ginny said and shook her head slightly. "I'm going to have to postpone today's training, is that all right, Neville?" Ginny asked him.

"It's fine... I would too," Neville said with a grin.

Ginny smiled slightly as she thought of how she had changed her vision, even if slightly.

"This has been a lousy day," Ginny said and sighed softly. "I'm sorry for yelling at you... I've got to go study before my two detentions, ok?" Ginny said and hugged her friends before going to a nearby tapestry.

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She made her way down to her room and started to study. Hearing a noise coming from her cupboard, Ginny was up in half a second, her dagger and wand drawn.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" She hissed seeing him. Draco pushed his way into the room smirking.

"I could ask you the same thing, Weasley. You're not supposed to go wandering Hogwarts at night!" He said his Head Boy badge shining in the candlelight. Ginny laughed at him making him falter for a moment. "What is so funny, Weasley?" He hissed at her.

"I'm not wandering anywhere! This is my room! Jeez, Malfoy... I would have thought that you could see that this is not a place to wander into..." Ginny said indicating the bed, fireplace, desk and other student-like furniture. "Now if you wouldn't mind leaving, I have to study," she said.

"Miss Weasley! Are you all right?" Albus' voice came from her door. With a silent thought, Ginny made her wand open the door, not taking her eyes from Draco.

"I'm fine, Professor. Just caught an intruder, that's all," Ginny said smirking at Draco. Albus walked in and regarded the two people in front of him smiling broadly.

"Well, as I can see you have the situation under control... You know how to change the password?" He asked. Ginny nodded. "Very well. I will take care of Mr Malfoy..." Albus said and Draco walked over to him reluctantly. "By the way Ginevra, I apologise again for not telling you about your Advancement," he said. Ginny lowered her wand and dagger and nodded.

"It's fine, Albus... I should have realised when I saw Neville's timetable yesterday. We're doing Care of Magical Creatures together. When will my next meeting be?" She asked allowing her mind to unblock for a moment for Albus to realise that she meant with Xavier Torleni.

"This Friday after dinner," Albus replied then led Draco out.

Ginny went to her corridor and changed the password to the doors to 'Lamia', putting some extra security spells on them. Then she went back to her room to continue studying. She managed to finish her Runes homework when the school bell struck eight o'clock.

Sighing, Ginny reluctantly did her exercises. She was thankful that Neville had agreed to postpone his 'training' until tomorrow. She finished her exercises and made her way down to the dungeons for her first detention.

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"Miss Weasley... Mr Malfoy will be here to supervise your detention momentarily," Snape said.

Ginny nodded. It was customary for the Head Boy and Girl to supervise the detention's they gave out.

"You don't look too well. Has something happened?" Snape asked observing her pale and still angry face.

"Oh, Hermione just spilled to the entire Common Room what I am... Without my permission or my knowledge, in fact... She's still pissed about the scores being higher than hers. If she thinks that those nail marks are going to heal with her magic, she's very wrong," Ginny muttered to herself. Snape looked at her and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Nail marks?" He asked. Ginny held up a hand and her fingernails extended.

"They accidentally pierced her skin..." She said with an evil smirk. Snape gave an involuntary shiver and the dungeon door opened. Draco strolled in, stopping short when he saw Snape's paler-than-usual face.

"Are you all right, Professor?" He asked frowning. Snape looked at Ginny who was sitting there looking bored.

"Fine..." Snape said and swooped out of the room, taking Draco with him. "Do not make her angry, Draco... Your life will be over as soon as you insult her. Be wary for once in you life," Snape hissed at him. Ginny shook her head.

"You could have just said all of that here, sir. I can hear you either way!" Ginny called to him. Draco watched as Snape paled and practically ran out of the dungeons.

With a frown he walked into the Potions lab and looked at Ginny. She had begun filing her nails. Something that usually looked so innocent or done in vain all of a sudden looked quite dangerous...

"What the hell did you do to Snape?" He asked.

"I did nothing to him... It's Hermione that I did something to. Though she deserved it, jealous cow," Ginny muttered. Draco's jaw dropped.

"Did you just call Granger a 'jealous cow'?" He asked in shock.

"Well, if those words came out of my mouth, it's most likely that I said them," Ginny drawled. She looked at him. "Can we get this detention over and done with? I've got twenty minutes before my next one, and Granger better not see me in the hallway, or else there'll be a very big blood mess," Ginny snarled.

"What the hell did she do?" Draco asked.

"Even though it's none of your business, she told everyone in the Gryffindor Common Room some personal business of mine that I would have done told them myself this morning had I not overslept," Ginny replied.

"Right... Well, you can clean the cauldrons on that table," Draco said. "No magic."

Ginny nodded and took her robe off. Looking at the table, she saw that there were at least ten cauldrons to clean in the eighteen minutes left... She sighed and started cleaning the cauldrons. Halfway through her fifth cauldron she stopped and grinned, hearing Snape talking to the entire Slytherin Common Room. She shook her head at his words then continued to clean.

"Weasley?" Draco said after five minutes. Ginny looked at him briefly, indicating that she was listening, then turned back to the cauldron. "About before in Defence Against the Dark Arts... I apologise for hurting you. I usually don't take to hurting women, no matter what their... station," Draco said, trying not to insult her.

"I wasn't hurt, so you're forgiven," Ginny said. "You ever challenge me during class again then I'll make sure that your wounds won't heal..." Ginny snarled. Draco visibly paled and nodded. "Eighth cauldron done... Three left," she muttered to herself. "Do you want to check them? There's about ten minutes left until my next detention," Ginny said.

Draco nodded and moved towards the cauldrons, avoiding Ginny as much as possible.

"You don't have to take Snape seriously, you know... I wouldn't really kill you. Well, I might if you insulted me really bad, but I'm sure you're too much of a gentleman to do that," she said with a smirk.

"I'm not worried about you killing me," he said frowning at her. Ginny just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sure you're not..." She could tell by his thoughts that he wasn't, but it was too good an opportunity to miss.

"I'm not," Draco replied.

Ginny laughed and shook her head then turned back to clean the last two cauldrons. With a minute left to spare, Ginny finally finished the last cauldron.

Snape walked in cautiously, looking around to see if Ginny had hurt Draco. Seeing that they were both alive and unhurt, he walked in with more confidence.

"If you've finished, you can go..." Snape said seeing the clean cauldrons. Ginny grabbed her robes and bag then walked over to Snape.

"Thank you for warning the Slytherins... I wouldn't want any of your House to be killed for being careless around me," she said with an evil smirk then left. Draco looked at Snape questioningly as he left the dungeons.

"Weasley!" He called. Ginny stopped to look at him and glanced down at her watch.

"I'm late for my next detention, so could you make this quick?" She asked.

"What are you?" He asked her. "How can you scare Snape of all people with a few words?" Draco asked. Ginny smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She said teasingly. "I've got to go... By the way, Malfoy... If you ever come into my room again Dumbledore won't be there to save you," she hissed and rushed off to the Transfiguration classroom.

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"Sorry for being late, Professor... I got held up in my last detention," Ginny said. McGonagall nodded.

"That's understandable... Thank you for your apology, Miss Weasley. I heard of the events in your Care of Magical Creatures and Runes class. Sit in front of me and I will show you how to control it," Minerva said authoritatively. Ginny sat in front of her and waited.

"Is it the same as me changing my physical appearance?" She asked.

"It's slightly different," Minerva said absent-mindedly. "Look up for a moment," she said and Ginny did so. "Have you changed your eye colour at any time today?"

"No. I went blind yesterday due to an allergic reaction though," Ginny said. Minerva sighed in relief. "Why, what's wrong?" Ginny asked frowning.

"Oh, your eyes are just a different brown than they usually are. They've got a red tinge to them, see?" Minerva asked pulling a mirror seemingly out of thin air. Ginny looked at her face and saw that her eyes were a lighter brown than usual and wisps of red were moving inside the iris. Images on the mirror's reflective surface pulled at Ginny and before she knew it, she was watching another vision.

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Ginny looked at Draco smiling. He was lying on the bed beside her. She fingered the small puncture wounds on his neck and shoulder lightly. Draco woke up and looked at her.

"I'm sorry for waking you up... Is your neck all right?" She asked him softly.

"Well, you might have to bite it again to see for yourself," Draco replied smirking. Ginny laughed and kissed him.

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Ginny pulled her eyes away from the images quickly. McGonagall frowned at her and looked in the mirror, then to Ginny's pale face.

"Are you all right, Miss Weasley?" She asked sounding worried.

"Fine... So how do I keep from changing?" Ginny asked to change the subject.

"Sit down again and I will show you," Minerva said and Ginny sat down, not even realising that she had stood up. "Close your eyes and I will perform the spell for you," Minerva instructed. Ginny closed her eyes and emptied her mind of all thoughts. She heard McGonagall whisper 'Absconditus' and as with before, Ginny felt something change. (Hidden, concealed.)

"Thank you, Professor. What punishment am I to receive for my detention?" Ginny asked after opening her eyes.

"You're welcome... Your detention is to rest and make sure that you don't change while you are Seeing. I will watch to make sure that nothing happens," McGonagall said. Ginny frowned but didn't object and she rested her head on the table...

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Tears streaming down her face, Ginny ran into the Forbidden Forest, changing into a wolf as she did so. She howled in grief and anguish loudly then leapt deeper into the Forest than she'd ever gone before. She heard Grawp and Hagrid somewhere further back in the Forest. She kept running and howled again.

Coming to a clearing she turned back to her normal self and sat in the clearing. Her body glowed red, her emotions causing the glow to become even darker. The glow became a blood-red colour as lightning flowed around her body. Lightning cracked and became larger with each tear that fell from Ginny's eyes.

The glow became so dark that Ginny couldn't be seen and a large wave emitted from her. The red wave flew through the Forbidden Forest, lightning crashing all around.

Everyone in both the Forest and Hogwarts stopped as the wave passed through them. Almost as if pulled by an unseen hand, they all walked to the clearing, human, animal and beast alike.

Ginny cried out her pain and tears as lightning continued to flash around her. Thunder crashed and rolled around. Everyone flinched when they saw that the thunder was coming from Ginny somehow.

"Ginevra!" A voice called out. Ginny looked up through her tears and saw Draco standing in front of her. "Ginevra! Why are you doing this!" He called. Ginny hissed at him and scratched his face with her long nails.

"Ginevra! It was not your love!" Leo-Bestia-Famulus called. "I swear it on the word that binds me to you!" Leo called out. Ginny hissed at him, her fangs extending. She looked at the hundreds of people in front of her and yelled a spell loudly.

"What the fuck is she doing to me!" Lavender screamed, her voice going hysterical. Lightning started to wrap around Lavender's body and she was lifted into the clearing. Ginny yelled another spell and another seventh year was lifted into the clearing by the lightning.

"You wish to break me?" Ginny hissed quietly and even through the lightning and thunder, everyone could hear her clearly. "You wish to break that which is not yours to break!" She yelled at them and the lightning tightened around their bodies. "You think that I would not know? I would not find out who did this? Your knowledge is so limited if you thought I would not see that it was not my own! You will be punished!" Ginny yelled at them and the lightning tightened further. Lavender and the boy started gasping for breath as the lightning continued to get tighter.

"Can't you do something, Albus?" Minerva asked not too keen to see students killed in front of her. Albus shook his head.

"No... She is too powerful. Besides, Vampire magic is far older than anything we know. If I try to stop it then we will all die. Even if I try to intervene then the result will be catastrophic..."

"You chose to insult me and you will now pay!" Ginny yelled at Lavender and the boy. The lightning tightened once more and then they dropped to the ground, shivering and red marks covering their bodies.

The pull on everyone faded immediately and the red wave flowed back from Hogwarts and into Ginny's body with enormous force. Ginny fell to the ground, Draco and Leo beside her in an instant.

"I take back that what I have caused to my own, three-fold," Ginny whispered and touched Draco's face. A red glow surrounded them and the cut on Draco's face disappeared. On Ginny's face, even more cuts appeared, larger and deeper than the ones that had been on Draco. Ginny's eyes closed and her mind went black...

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Ginny stopped Looking and rushed outside then threw up violently. She sank to her knees and rocked slightly. She barely noticed as McGonagall cleaned the mess around her. McGonagall levitated her back into the classroom, making sure that the students who were returning from dinner didn't see Ginny.

"Oh, Gods..." Ginny muttered and threw up again. Minerva cleaned up the mess again and looked at Ginny, who was pale and shaking.

"Have you eaten anything besides your lunch today?" McGonagall asked. Ginny shook her head.

"I missed breakfast and I haven't had dinner yet," Ginny replied softly, her body still shaking. McGonagall nodded and some sandwiches appeared on a plate.

"Eat those... I will be back in a few minutes with Albus," she said softly and left quickly in her cat form. Ginny looked at the sandwiches on the plate and took half of one reluctantly, her hands still shaking.

"Professor? I need to talk with you about the homework you set," a voice called out and there was a knock on the door. Draco Malfoy walked in to the room and saw Ginny sitting there shaking. "What's wrong with you, Weasley?" He asked seeing how pale she was.

She was still shaking and her eyes were sunken like she'd seen too much horror. He didn't know how she could look like this when not even an hour ago she'd been fine...

"Weasley?" Draco moved closer slowly, trying not to frighten her further. "Are you ok?" He asked. Ginny didn't reply, she just continued to shake. She bit into the sandwich and chewed slightly. It seemed like she hadn't even heard him... "Weasley? What's wrong?" Draco asked moving closer still. "Ginevra?" He said. She looked at him, her eyes wide and haunted. "Are you all right?" He asked her. Ginny tried to back away from him, looking positively terrified. "Ginevra... What happened? Where's McGonagall?" Draco asked softly.

She looked like a frightened and trapped animal. Beautiful and scared at the same time...

"She left... Get Albus," Ginny replied in a whisper.

"What happened to you?" Draco asked moving closer still. Ginny swallowed and looked away from him. "Ginevra... What happened?" He asked quietly. Ginny shook her head and started shaking again. She grabbed onto his robes and sobbed into them. He could feel her mouth moving, but couldn't hear the muffled words she was saying.

"How could I love you so much to hurt those around me?" Ginny was saying. "How?" She said and cried into his robes.

Shocked, Draco just patted her back, not knowing what the hell to do with the hysterical girl.

Albus and McGonagall walked into the room to see a wide-eyed Draco holding a sobbing Ginny.

"I told you it must have been bad. She threw up twice. Has she eaten anything?" McGonagall asked Draco.

"She had half of one sandwich that I've seen," Draco replied. "What happened to her?" He asked.

"Don't worry yourself over it, Mr Malfoy... She will be fine after some rest. If you will please get Professor Snape, we would appreciate it," Albus said and took Ginny in his arms. "We will be in my office," he said and then left with McGonagall. Draco shook his head, Ginny's haunted look still playing on his mind. He went down to the dungeons and found Snape easily.

"Dumbledore needs to see you in his office," Draco said still shaken at what had happened.

"What's wrong with you?" Snape asked frowning.

"I don't know... I went to see McGonagall and Ginevra Weasley was in there. She was pale and shaking... I didn't know what to do..." Draco said shaking his head.

"All right... Do you know what was wrong with her then?" Snape asked. Draco shook his head. Suddenly, the fireplace beside them flared into life.

"Severus! I need your help here, straight away! Bring the Sopor potion immediately! Mr Malfoy, go back to your dormitory!" Albus said urgently. Snape jumped up and grabbed the potion the Ginny and Neville had made, then turned to Draco.

"What the hell happened that has got Albus this worried?" He asked him. "Oh, don't worry... Get to your dorm," Snape said and ran from the dungeons quickly.

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Albus set Ginny on a bed that Minerva conjured and he took Ginny's hand in his own. Muttering a spell, his body began to spin and he landed in Ginny's vision alone.

Although she was surprised to see Albus vanish so suddenly, Minerva didn't do anything and just cleaned Ginny's face and held her hand to try and stop her shaking.

Albus appeared a few minutes later, pale and shaking. He looked down at Ginny with a look of shock and wonder on his face, then he turned to the fireplace and threw some powder in it.

"Severus! I need your help here, straight away! Bring the Sopor potion immediately! Mr Malfoy, go back to your dormitory!" Albus said urgently and then disconnected the fireplace. He looked at Minerva and took her hand from Ginny's. "She will be all right, Minerva... You should go and get some rest now," Albus said. With a sad look at Ginny McGonagall nodded and left the office.

As the stairs came back up, Severus knocked on the door and came in. He saw Ginny on the bed pale and shaking. Albus didn't look his best either...

"What happened?" Snape asked in shock, looking from Albus to Ginny and back again.

"Something beyond any of our comprehension... The potion, please Severus," he said quietly. Severus passed him the potion and Albus read the names on it. "Are you positive it will work?" He asked. Severus nodded.

"Yes... They are working well together and the potions are turning out to be almost as good as they if they were professionally made," Severus replied. Albus looked at the potion and satisfied that it was all right, he opened Ginny's mouth and poured four drops of the potion in.

Ginny opened her eyes for a second and looked around. Her eyes closed again then she fell into a deep sleep.

"Are you sure four drops was necessary, Headmaster?" Severus asked.

"With the amount of power Ginevra has, if I only used the required two drops then it would not work. Her blood would simply change the potion and make it flow into her bloodstream. By using four then I am assured it will work..." Albus said. Snape nodded briefly.

"What do you mean by 'the amount of power she has'?" He asked. Albus smiled.

"We are so limited in our knowledge that we can not understand what she is going through. Not even you, or myself. I doubt if even Voldemort could understand her..." Albus said with a small sigh. He turned to Fawkes and looked at the large bird. "You will look after her, I trust?" He asked. Fawkes let out a song, indicating that he would. "Come, Severus... I think we need to have another teacher meeting about Miss Weasley," Albus said and led him from the office.

Fawkes flew over to Ginny and a single tear dropped onto the shaking girl's forehead. As it melted in, Ginny smiled and stopped shaking. Fawkes nudged her slightly and curled himself beside her to sleep.

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(a/n: Another chapter finished! Yay! 21 pages long!

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5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I still disclaim all Harry Potter things!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Five

Ginny woke up and for a moment she had no idea where she was. Seeing that the past Headmaster portraits were around her, and that Fawkes was beside her, Ginny realised that the room was Dumbledore's office. The events from the night before flooded back into her mind and she had to stop herself from being sick again.

Come, little Mistress... A voice said in her mind. Ginny looked around for a moment then Fawkes nudged her hand with his beak.

Was that you, Fawkes? She asked in surprise.

Of course... Do you see anyone else in the room? Fawkes asked sounding amused.

No. I apologise. I should have realised that you would have this ability... Ginny said sounding apologetic.

Yes, you should have. Now, follow me, little Mistress. You will have to become one like myself, Fawkes said. Ginny changed into a phoenix without a second thought and even though he didn't show or say anything, Fawkes was impressed. Now, put your wing across mine and we will leave. Ginny put a wing on Fawkes' wing then they disappeared into thin air.

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Where are we, Fawkes? Ginny asked not recognising their surroundings. They were inside and there were candles lit, but as they had not seen anything of the outside, Ginny couldn't determine how far from Hogwarts Fawkes had taken her.

Hush, little Mistress... You will see soon enough, Fawkes said to her quietly.

"There you are Fawkes. I see you brought her with you," a voice said from nearby. "Follow me, please," the voice said. Ginny frowned when she realised that she didn't recognise the voice. Fawkes flew in the direction of the voice and Ginny followed him reluctantly. When they entered a room with sufficient light, Ginny looked at the person who had led them there and recognised him as Maverick, her ancestor!

"Ah, Fawkes... Thank you for bringing her to me... You are such a wonderful phoenix," a female voice said silkily. Ginny recognised that voice!

It was my pleasure, Virginia... Fawkes said sounding hopelessly in love. Ginny shook her head and changed into her human form. She wanted to see first-hand if her relative was the 'most beautiful woman in the world'...

Ginny looked at the red-headed, silver-eyed lady before her. She was beautiful, Ginny wouldn't deny that... But Virginia's beauty was a cold one that any man would try to melt, even though they all knew it was fruitless to try and do so.

"Good morning, my Lady Virginia," Ginny said politely and bowed low to her.

"The same to you, my daughter," Virginia said. "There is no need to bow to me, my daughter..." Virginia said silkily. "Please, look at me," she said.

Hearing her ancestor's thoughts, Ginny was very reluctant to do as she said. Virginia was going to try and seduce her already! She hadn't even done anything and she was considered a threat!

Ginny looked at Virginia who smiled evilly, and in a split second she was smiling again as if she was the most innocent woman on earth.

"Thank you, my daughter... I do apologise for bringing you to meet me under these circumstances, but Xavier was most... persistent that I did not meet you yet. That, of course, sparked my curiosity... If a Council Elder would not allow another Elder to see you, then... He must feel threatened, do you not think so?" Virginia asked smiling at Ginny the entire time.

"I do not know... I sincerely doubt that my Lord Xavier feels threatened," Ginny replied coolly. She really did not like this woman.

Virginia laughed; a high tinkling sound that managed to hurt Ginny's ears rather than sooth it as it had many others.

"Do you not think he could feel threatened by me, my daughter? Is not my beauty a threat to him?" Virginia asked and looked at Ginny seriously.

"I do not think that my Lord Xavier would feel threatened by such a trivial outer quality, when you could not possibly match his inner qualities, for all the beauty you possess..." Ginny replied coldly. Virginia's face went pale then red quickly. She glared at Ginny, who just acted as if she did not see her. "If you do not mind, I would wish to return to Hogwarts," Ginny said and bowed to Virginia again.

"Yes, of course... One thing, before you go, my daughter," Virginia said. "May I look into your eyes? They are such beautiful eyes, I could not resist asking this boon of you," she said acting as angelic as possible. Careful to guard her disgusted thoughts, Ginny nodded.

"Of course, my Lady Virginia..." Ginny said and looked her relative in the eyes. A bright glimmer passed through Virginia's eyes and she smiled, her fangs showing in clear view.

"Now, sit beside me," she demanded.

"I must decline, my Lady Virginia. You only asked the one boon of me, and as I have done as you requested, I would like to return to Hogwarts," Ginny said. Virginia paled and looked at Ginny in shock and fear. "Are you all right, my Lady Virginia?" Ginny asked her, sounding like she couldn't care less.

"VIRGINIA WEASLEY!" A voice boomed from outside the doors. Ginny smirked inwardly when she recognised it as Xavier's voice. The doors burst open and Xavier walked in, looking extremely angry. When he saw that Ginny was in the room, he turned on Virginia angrily. "You dared to defy my orders?" He asked in a dangerous tone.

"I just had to see her, my Lord... I wanted to see what you were keeping from me," Virginia said, slightly scared.

"My Lord? I apologise for interrupting so rudely, but I must return with Fawkes to Hogwarts... I can not afford to miss my schooling," Ginny interrupted and bowed to him.

She attempted to seduce me with her Veela side. I am immune to it, however, as are you, I see... Ginny said to Xavier quietly. Xavier looked at her in shock then nodded.

"Of course, my daughter... Take Miss Weasley back to the school, Fawkes. Right now," Xavier said. In fear, Fawkes laid a wing on Ginny and they disappeared.

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"There you are... What happened?" Dumbledore asked. Ginny looked to Fawkes angrily.

"Your beloved phoenix decided to take me to meet Virginia Weasley," Ginny said. "It is lucky that I am immune to Veela powers, or else I wouldn't have returned... Fawkes, however, is not immune. Get Oscar to give him a spell bag," Ginny said in an authoritative tone. Dumbledore nodded, not really surprised at her change from a schoolgirl to a leader.

"Of course, Ginevra... Now, before you leave my office, I would like to discuss the event that happened during your Transfiguration lesson yesterday," Albus said. "Apparently, you turned every quill in the room into a tree with one incantation... Is that correct?" Ginny nodded.

"Yes, Professor. That's correct... I don't know how I did it," she said before he could ask. Albus smiled knowingly.

"Very well... I believe that you just have too much power at your disposal. You are putting most of your power into simple incantations that you could do whether you used the correct wrist movements or not..."

"I'll try to control how much energy I use. Is that a suitable answer for your problem?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, thank you, Ginevra. As it is only six o'clock, I would suggest that you go get some more sleep. Try to get up with your alarm this time," Albus said smiling gently. Ginny rolled her eyes then left his office. Albus turned to Fawkes angrily. He took him by the tail and they disappeared to Mr. Ollivander's shop.

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Ginny found that she was hungry from the lack of food yesterday and made her way down to the fruit portrait. She tickled the pear and walked in.

"Miss Ginny!" Dobby called out and rushed over to her. "What can Dobby get for Miss Ginny?"

"Just some food, please Dobby. I missed out on dinner last night," she said and yawned, her fangs showing. Dobby whimpered and backed away from her quickly.

"Miss Ginny must leave now... Before the others see! Leave Miss Ginny!" He said and pushed her out of the kitchen. Making sure none of the other house-elves had seen her he quickly went out after her.

"What's going on Dobby?" Ginny asked when they were outside. "Did I say something to offend you?" She asked. Dobby shook his head, his ears trembling.

"No, Miss Ginny did not... Miss Ginny is a Vampiress... House-elves can not serve Miss Ginny's kind. It is against house-elf laws," Dobby said and with one more frightened glance at Ginny, he rushed back into the kitchen.

Ginny shook her head, so shocked that she was speechless. She went to her room and opened her Vampire book, skipping straight to the part with house-elves. It was surprisingly short.

Vampires and house-elves have always had a bad relationship... Both species are immortal and neither forgets...

The first Vampires treated the house-elves with such disrespect that it is forbidden for house-elves to serve them.

After the House-Elf Uprise in 1802, no house-elf has served a Vampire.

If a house-elf does serve a Vampire, it is considered treason and the house-elf is then put to death.

If a Vampire is seen helping, conversing or having anything to do with a house-elf, then that Vampire may be put on trial. If a Vampire does not know of the laws until after they talk with a house-elf, then there is no trial needed and the Vampire is only sent a reminder notice...

An owl tapped at Ginny's window. She opened it and let the owl fly inside. It dropped a letter on her desk then flew away immediately. Ginny opened the letter and read it, grinning.

Miss Ginevra Weasley,

You are not to converse, help or do anything with house-elves. This is simply a reminder. If you do it again, then you will be put on trial.

The Vampire Council.

Ginny shook her head and looked back at the book, but there was no other information on house-elves and Vampires.

Making a decision, Ginny reorganised her rooms quickly, due to her vampire strength. She looked around her old bedroom, satisfied, then took the creases out of her clothes and looked at the time. It was almost seven o'clock... Deciding to take a walk, Ginny left her room and walked to the swamp the twins had made.

Looking at the small boat that was still being used she smiled and shook her head. Ginny said a quietly muttered spell and the swamp parted, revealing a trapdoor. She went down into the trapdoor and walked along the dark corridor beneath Hogwarts.

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Ginny reached the end of the corridor and opened the trapdoor above her. She climbed out of the hole and brushed the dirt from her robes.

"Who's there?" Fred and George called out and they both came out, wands drawn. Seeing Ginny standing there, they both grinned and put their wands away.

"Ginevra, dearest sister of ours!" George said and gave her a hug.

"Well, only sister, but you get our meaning!" Fred said with a wink and hugged her too. Ginny smiled and shook her head at them.

"So, what's wrong? You said you wouldn't use the tunnel unless it was an emergency," George said and kicked the trapdoor shut. They led her to their lab where Ginny just looked at them for a moment.

"You're not angry with me about being a Vampiress?" She asked and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Of course not! Ronnie-kins told us that you were told about it an hour before we were..." Fred said.

"We didn't really care to start off with, but it did help us come to terms with everything," George said shrugging.

"So, is anything wrong, or you just wanted to come see your favourite brothers?" Fred asked Ginny, grinning at her.

"I think I just needed to see some friendly faces... I had a really bad day yesterday," Ginny said and shook her head.

"Tell us about it..." Fred and George said and sat her down on a chair, both of them sitting on a table in front of her. With a sigh, Ginny told her brothers the events of the day before, visions included. When she finished telling them what Hermione had done to Neville they stopped her in shock and anger.

"Hermione really did that?" George asked.

"She hit Neville? Just because..." Fred continued.

"Of a stupid score for Potions?" They finished in unison.

"Yes... That wasn't the least of it though..." Ginny said and told them how Hermione had told everyone in the Common Room about her being a Vampire. When she'd finished, both boys looked speechless. "Are you okay?" She asked them worried.

"We're fine..." George said.

"But Granger won't be..." Fred said acidly and the twins shared an evil look before going over to a different table filled with open boxes.

"Ton Tongue?" George muttered.

"Not enough... Melting Malts?" Fred suggested. George shook his head.

"Too good for what she did... How about this one then?" He asked and grinned at his twin.

"Oh, she'd flip..." Fred said grinning back. Ginny wanted to know what they were talking about, but both of them had natural mind blocks and not even she could hear their thoughts.

"Let's do it," they said and grabbed a nearby owl. Tying the small box on its leg, they wrote a tag reading 'Hermione Granger, Head Girl' and watched as it flew away.

"Now, tell us about this vision," Fred said as he and George sat back on the table.

Ginny told them in a strangled whisper of her last vision and refused to look at them until she'd finished.

"Well... The way we see it," George said.

"If Lavender and that boy did something that bad as to make you do it to them, then..."

"They deserved it... You've never punished someone if they didn't deserve it," George said and Fred nodded in agreement. "Which reminds us..."

"How is Ronnie-kins jaw?" Fred asked grinning.

"Sore probably," Ginny replied. "I better get going... It's almost eight. I can't be late again, McGonagall will kill me," she said. "Oh, wait... It's Wednesday. Charms up first," she said but didn't sound too annoyed. Fred and George's faces lit up as they led her back to the room with the trapdoor.

"Say hello to the old boy for us!" George said hugging his sister tightly.

"Yeah... We loved that little guy..." Fred said wiping an imaginary tear from his eye. He grinned at Ginny then hugged her tightly. "Oh, before you go, Ginevra..."

"We love you!" They called out in unison grinning broadly. Ginny smiled at them.

"I love you too..." She said and hugged them once more before climbing down the trapdoor.

"Take a Blood Pop!" George called and flew one to her. She laughed and shook her head before walking back up to Hogwarts in a much happier mood than she'd been in for days.

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Ginny opened the trapdoor and made the swamp part before climbing out. Brushing herself off, she moved out of the way before the swamp would return to its former glory and made her way down to her room to get her bag.

Checking her hair in the mirror, images pulled at Ginny's eyes and she relented with a small sigh, recognising Fred and George in the vision.

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Ginny looked at her brothers sternly.

"I love you, but if you embarrass me in here, I will be forced to hurt you. Is that understood?" She asked. Fred and George grinned but answered her seriously.

"We understand. Don't worry Ginevra! We wouldn't dare to embarrass you in front of an Elder..." They said together.

"Yeah, he'd probably kill us if we did anyway!" Fred said.

"Lighten up, dearest sister of ours! We won't be that bad," George said. Ginny smiled at them then knocked on the doors loudly. The wooden doors opened and the butler bowed as he ushered them inside.

"Miss Ginevra Weasley. Welcome... Are these two with you?" The butler asked, looking at Fred and George.

"Yes, they are my brothers, Fred and George Weasley. My Lord Xavier is expecting us, thank you, Miles," Ginny said. The butler bowed again and left. Xavier returned with Miles almost instantly.

"My Lord," Ginny said bowing.

"Ginevra. A pleasure to see you again," Xavier said smiling.

"Allow me to introduce my brothers, Fred and George Weasley," Ginny said. Xavier looked at the two boys standing behind Ginny and smiled at them warmly.

"A pleasure to meet you both. Please, follow me to more private quarters," Xavier said and led them to a room. Agnes was sitting on a chair and rose when they entered the room.

"My Lady Agnes," Ginny said bowing to her. Agnes smiled and hugged Ginny affectionately.

"My daughter... It seems too long since I have seen you," she said smiling.

"It has barely been three days!" Ginny said.

"Oh, I know that. Still... Who are your friends, Ginevra?" Agnes asked seeing the two boys behind her.

"Two of my brothers, my Lady. Fred is the one on the left, George is on the right," Ginny said smiling at them.

"Very well... If you wouldn't mind, could you please close the doors? It is quite draughty," Agnes said. With a bow, Fred and George quickly did as she said. "Thank you... Please, come closer so I may see you properly," Agnes said smiling at them. "I won't hurt you," she said laughing lightly. Both boys faltered for a moment, then walked to her.

"Good afternoon, my Lady," Fred said bowing to her. George did the same and they waited.

"You taught them well in such a short amount of time, Ginevra. I am most impressed... Come boys, join us in some tea," Agnes said and led them to a table.

All three of the men waited for Agnes and Ginny to be seated before taking their own seats, Fred and George waiting until after Xavier had sat. They drank their tea respectively, not overly talking and answering when they were spoken to. Ginny smiled at them, proud that they'd had enough sense to respect the two Elders and actually do as she'd instructed them.

"Now that the formalities are over, I will allow my husband to talk with the boys," Agnes said. "You did an excellent job, Ginevra. I am very proud of you," she said smiling at her.

"I thank you, Agnes... I was wary to bring them. If they had met Virginia, I don't think this evening would have gone quite as well," Ginny said shaking her head.

"You don't trust in them?" Agnes asked.

"Oh, I trust them... I am just not sure if they are immune to her as I am. If not, then I wouldn't trust them around her," Ginny said and looked at her brothers.

"... We own a joke shop on Diagon Alley, called Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Fred said proudly.

"Oh, I am sorry I haven't heard of it. I am quite fond of jokes," Xavier said grinning. "I have not been into the wizarding community during the day since 1563. I must admit that I have not been out during the night too often either..." He said with a shake of his head.

"We doubt that you're missing out on much..." George said with a shrug.

"A few wars, people getting killed..." Fred said shrugging also.

"People living, falling in love..." George said looking over at Ginny with a knowing grin.

"Same old, same old," Fred said grinning. Xavier laughed.

"Yes, it does sound the same... I say, do you house illegal ingredients for your pranks?" He asked. Fred and George looked at each other, then to Xavier, then back to each other again. Coming to a decision, they answered him.

"Yes... Only because the Minister of Magic won't allow them to be bought. People grow them in their backyard unknowingly, but it can't be bought in the public market! Most of them can be used to help sick people too..." They said in unison.

"There is no need to justify yourselves. Everyone has an illegal ingredient at least once in his or her life... Vampires are no different, except for the simple fact that we go through more lifetimes, so it's more than likely we have illegal ingredients more than once," Xavier said with a wink. Fred and George grinned at him.

"So you're not going to turn us in, then?" They asked. Xavier laughed softly.

"Not at all... We would not like the Ministry to be here as much as you don't want them to be. You are not the only ones who house illegal ingredients for potions," Xavier said. "There are some in this room, in fact... Would you like to try to find them?" Xavier asked and looked at Agnes and Ginny. "You may join in the hunt too, if you wish, Ginevra," he said.

"Thank you, Xavier," she said and joined her brothers in the hunt around the room. After about ten minutes when none of them could find a thing that even looked remotely illegal, magic or otherwise, they looked at Xavier.

"You are very close, but if you would wish for me to show you where they are instead of you looking for any longer, I will," Xavier said.

"Yes, please," Fred and George said, eager to know. Xavier looked at Ginny.

"Yes, please, my Lord Xavier," she said with a smile.

Videor!" Xavier said and the room shimmered for a moment before it filled with shelves, boxes and other assortments. All were full of illegal ingredients, plants and materials. Fred and George's eyes widened with shocked joy as they looked around. (Appear.)

"Where did you get this?" Fred asked looking at a Shrake's spiny skin.

"We've been trying to get one of those for months!" George exclaimed looking at the filled box.

"No one ever seems to have them though..." Fred said shaking his head.

"You may take one, two if you wish," Xavier said. The twins stared at him in shock.

"Really? You'll let us just take one?" They asked. Xavier nodded, amused at them.

"Of course... You have shown me a great deal of respect and have been wonderful guests to entertain. I wish I could give you more to show you our hospitality..." Xavier said but they both stopped him by giving him a huge hug.

"You don't need to give us anything! We're the guests, we should be giving you something, for the Gods sakes!" Fred and George said happily. Agnes laughed to herself at her husband's slightly shocked and amused face.

"You're welcome... Now come, I will teach the three of you how to perform this spell..." Xavier said smiling at them.

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Ginny wrenched her eyes away from the vision, hearing that someone was knocking at her door.

"Miss Weasley!" Albus called. Ginny opened the door after checking the time. It was half past eight already! "Hello! Sorry for getting you up, Ginevra... May I come in?" He asked her. Ginny nodded.

"Of course, I apologise," she said and let him inside.

"You may know what I am here to discuss," he said. Ginny shook her head.

"No, sir, I don't actually," she said. Albus looked at her.

"Miss Granger has been the victim of an unfortunate event and is currently in the hospital wing. She is, as far as I can tell, only able to speak Latin. Do you know what may have been the cause of this?"

"Oh, I know what was the cause... But that does not mean I know of the remedy," Ginny said. "Who knows how my brothers minds work?" She asked.

"You mean to tell me that Ron did this?" Albus asked. Ginny gave a short laugh.

"He couldn't do this overnight... It was Fred and George. I told them what she did to me and they decided to punish her... As you said, I am not allowed to hurt anyone unless I wish to risk expulsion. No, I did not make Fred and George do it! How could I? They have the same mind block as I do... They don't like people who gossip about their friends behind their backs, Granger is no exception to that," Ginny said.

"Very well, Miss Weasley. Calm down, then you may escort me to the hospital wing, as you know Latin," Albus said. "You can translate for Hermione until you find a remedy," he said. Ginny glared at him then grabbed her bag and robes and followed him down to the hospital wing reluctantly.

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When Hermione saw Ginny following Ginny, she started shouting in Latin glaring at the younger girl.

"Non vos! Vos did is!" She yelled at Ginny. (Not you! You did this!)

"Haud, meus frater did is," Ginny said. (No, my brothers caused this.)

"Vestri frater?" Hermione asked her in shock. (Your brothers?)

"Etiam. Sino suum ira... You better watch what you say, Granger... Every pureborn and even most of the half-bloods are taught Latin from birth," Ginny said angrily and turned to leave. (Yes. Suffer their wrath.)

"Quo vadis?" Hermione asked sounding scared. (Where are you going?)

"A vos," Ginny said. (Away from you.)

"Subsisto!" Hermione said desperately. "Commodo?" (Stay! Please?)

"Ego mos subsisto," Ginny replied with a sigh. (I will stay.)

"Gratias ago vos!" Hermione said happily. (Thank you!)

"You were a real bitch to do that, Granger..." Ginny said.

"Ego teneo..." Hermione replied sadly. (I know...)

"Did vos reputo procul totus?" (Did you think at all?)

"Forsit non. I'm rumex," she said briefly and started to cry. (Probably not. I'm sorry.)

"Stop your tears! They will solve nothing!" Ginny hissed at her and Hermione stopped crying to look at her. "I'll take the spell off," Ginny said reluctantly.

"Quanti?" She asked. (At what price?)

"You apologise to Neville and stop telling people my information... Agnosco?" She asked. Hermione nodded. (Understood?)

"Ego congruo... Ego agnosco," Granger said and shook Ginny's hand. (Suitable or agreeable... I understand.)

Ginny took the spell off of her reluctantly. Hermione started speaking English and sighed in relief.

"Thank you so much, Ginny!" She said happily.

"You're welcome... If you do anything like that ever again, whether it's hitting someone, or talking about them behind their back, then it will be worse than a simple language difficulty," Ginny snarled at her, then left to the Great Hall.

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Ginny walked into the Great Hall and the entire Gryffindor table went silent as she walked over and sat down.

"Hey, Ginny! How are you? Have you seen Hermione? You look angry... What's wrong?" Ron asked her.

"Hermione is in the hospital wing. She is the reason I'm angry and if you don't know why by now, then ask all of the people that are currently avoiding me," she said hissing at the surrounding pale Gryffindors.

"Ginny! There you are!" Colin said, coming over with Neville.

"Haven't you eaten anything yet?" Neville asked looking at his watch. Grabbing some toast and an apple, Ginny stood up.

"I'm leaving, ok, Ron? I'll see you in Charms," she said and left with Neville and Colin. "That was annoying..." Ginny said shaking her head. "Looks like I'll be eating in my rooms from now on... I can't even get food from the house-elves now," she muttered.

"Why not?" Neville asked her frowning.

"They don't serve my kind. There was an uprise or something... I'm going to do some research on it at lunch to see if I can find a loophole or something," Ginny said.

"You could just ask Hermione... She knows everything about house-elves," Colin chimed in.

"I'd rather not talk to her right now... I'm still slightly angry about what she did last night," Ginny said.

"You could tell everyone about my secret, if that would make you feel better," Neville said quietly. Ginny looked at him and shook her head, smiling.

"As nice a offer as that is, it wouldn't make me feel any better... It's your information to tell, and if I told then I'd be a hypocrite. Thank you for the lovely offer though, Neville," Ginny said and hugged him. Neville grinned happily.

"What secret?" Colin asked looking at them suspiciously.

"Nothing," Neville muttered.

"So when did you want me to have that photo taken, Colin?" Ginny asked smiling at him.

"Today at recess, if you want... That would be the best time," Colin said.

"All right then... We're taking it inside, I presume?" She asked. Colin nodded.

"Yes... I think I know a good place," he thought out loud. A bell rang startling him and he looked at his timetable. "I've got Potions! Oh, sorry guys! I'm on the wrong bloody side of the castle!" Colin yelled over his shoulder as he ran the opposite way. Neville shook his head and grinned at Ginny.

"Thanks for changing the subject, Ginny," he said.

"No worries," she said with a wink. "Let's go learn, shall we?" She asked and they went into the Charms classroom. They sat down next each other and waited for the other students to come into the class.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley, Mr Longbottom... A lovely day, is it not?" Professor Flitwick asked when he saw them sitting there, things already out.

"Good morning, Professor. Fred and George say hello and that they miss your teaching," Ginny said smiling at him.

"Oh, those two! How are they nowadays?" Flitwick asked happily.

"They're good... Business is booming. Apparently in more ways than one," Ginny said grinning. Flitwick laughed brightly.

"I shouldn't expect any less! I will call in on them on the next Hogsmeade weekend," he said and went to his tall desk.

The students eventually turned up and after they'd sat down, Flitwick took the attendance. The fact that most of the Gryffindors tried to stay away from Ginny didn't escape his notice...

"Ah, Seamus... I do hope that you've stopped attempting to make water into rum," he asked looking at the boy. Seamus went a bright shade of red, enhancing the fact that his eyebrows had blown off, yet again. "Obviously not... Where is Mr Malfoy? Does anyone know?" Flitwick asked, looking around the classroom. Blaise, Pansy, Gregory and Vincent all shrugged in response. "Will someone please volunteer to go find him?" Flitwick asked. "Miss Weasley, you can go," he said, thinking that he was helping her escape from the other Gryffindors stares. Ginny paled slightly.

"I don't know the password to the Slytherin Common Room, sir," she said thankful that she'd thought of an excuse.

"Mr Zabini, you go with her, please," Flitwick said.

"But... Yes, sir," Blaise said through gritted teeth. With reluctance, both Blaise and Ginny left the classroom. "Don't know why he's sending us to find him... If he wants to sleep in and miss out on class it's his own fucking fault!" Blaise muttered. Ginny grinned at him.

"I know... We shouldn't have to pay for other's mistakes," she said. Blaise looked at her in surprise then glared.

"Don't talk to me, Gryffindor," he hissed.

"Lovely conversation skills you have there, Blaise! I've never heard that one before..." Ginny drawled and rolled her eyes. Blaise just looked at Ginny in shock. "What are you staring at?" Ginny asked.

"A Weasley with a backbone," Blaise replied. Ginny laughed.

"You don't remember Fred and George then, do you?" She asked him, shaking her head. "They've got more backbone than a dragon!" Ginny said grinning.

"How could anyone forget those two? They're the gods damn reason I have to travel in a leaky boat every day to get to Arithmacy!" Blaise said shaking his head. Ginny smirked at him.

"What are you doing, Zabini?" A voice hissed from further up in the hallway. Ginny looked and could see blonde hair. Draco... "Conversing with a Gryffindor? And with a Weasley, no less," Draco sneered. "Leave us," he said. With an almost apologetic look at Ginny, Blaise left quickly.

"Morsus mihi," Ginny drawled at Draco. He came out and looked at her, smirking. (Bite me.)

"But, it should be the other way around, shouldn't it? I mean... If my little spies are correct, then... You're a Vampiress," Draco said. Ginny just looked at him, determined not to back down.

"Really? Well, I doubt that you're paying your little spies enough... Paying people to give you the wrong information, Malfoy? I pity you," she said and left him standing there.

"Come back here, Weasley!" Draco yelled at her. "I could just check, you know! Vampires are immune to my kind, we both know that!" He called after her. Ginny turned around and jumped at him, landing directly in front of Draco.

"You dare to threaten me?" She hissed.

"Of course not... I am not as naive or thick headed as your brother..." Draco said smirking triumphantly. "May I suggest that you find a way to control your emotions, Vampire?" He sneered and walked past her. Ginny glared at him, then caught up to him quickly smirking triumphantly.

"Thank you for helping me last night, Draco," she said. Draco looked at her angrily.

"I did not help you because I wanted to, Weasley," he hissed.

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that," Ginny said with a smirk then entered the Charms classroom.

"Ah, glad to see that you found him, Miss Weasley. Next time try to stay with Mr Zabini," Flitwick said. Ginny just nodded and sat at her seat. "Mr Malfoy... Care to discuss as to why you were so late that I had to send another student after you?" Flitwick asked sternly, his small frame against Draco's tall one making the scene before the other students comical.

"I slept in. I apologise for being late," Draco said. Flitwick looked at him, determining whether he was telling the truth or not.

"That is fine, Mr Malfoy. Next time I will not accept such an excuse. Ten points from Slytherin for being late," Flitwick said and with a curt nod, Draco sat at his desk. "Today we will be learning the Volaticus spell. Who can tell me what this means?"

"It means 'winged' or 'flighty'," Draco drawled. A few people looked at him in shock as Draco Malfoy never answered a question unless forced to by a teacher.

"Very good. Ten points to Slytherin," Professor Flitwick said happily. "Now, everyone... Flick your wand to the right and say the incantation on your feather," he said and feathers appeared in front of everyone.

Ginny did the spell and her feather shot up into the air. It flew around the room with a small flick of her wrist and tickled Flitwick then flew around again.

"Excellent work, Miss Weasley! Fifteen points to Gryffindor!" Flitwick said. From the other side of the room, Draco glared at her. She just smiled and her feather went in front of him. He stared at it for a moment, allowing Ginny to whisper a spell under her breath.

"Speculum," she said quietly. (Mirror.)

Ginny smirked and stuck her tongue out. The feather in front of Draco poked its tongue out at him. A few people nearby hid their sniggers behind their hands and watched eagerly. Draco smirked at her. She waved, the feather moving in the same way. Draco's feather shot up from the table and flew around the room to stop in front of her.

"Lamia, stop this nonsense," the feather hissed quietly. (Witch or Vampire.)

"Morsus mihi," Ginny's feather replied and they smirked at each other. (Bite me.)

"Very good work, Miss Weasley and Mr Malfoy! Everyone, see how they have done it!" Flitwick said and everyone looked at them. Ginny and Draco's feathers went lifeless and flew back to their respective owners quickly.

"Hey, Ginny. Can you show me how to do that?" Neville asked. Ginny nodded and smiled at him.

"Sure. Let me see how you're doing it..." Ginny said turning to him. "Wait. Sorry... Has Hermione apologised to you?" She asked Neville. He looked at her for a moment.

"I was wondering why she apologised. She kept looking over her shoulder for the three seconds it took for her to mumble sorry then run away. How did you threaten her?" Neville asked grinning.

"Tell you later... Now, show me," Ginny said smirking.

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"Come on, Ginny! We've got to get to Potions! Everyone's already left," Neville said and they ran down the hallway. Ginny stopped and grabbed Neville's hand.

"Hold on tight, and whatever you do, do not let go," she said. Neville paled and gripped Ginny's hand tightly. Ginny lifted him off the floor and ran with extra fast speed. Ginny stopped as soon as she saw the other students causing Neville to almost fall over. She grinned and dislodged her hand from his. "Come on. You don't want to be late, now do you?" Ginny said and they entered the Potions dungeons with the rest of the class.

"What... How?" Neville said then shook his head.

"I'll tell you later, ok?" Ginny asked. Neville just nodded and looked to the front.

"Once you have received your results from yesterday's potions, open your books to page 35. Now!" Snape said. Everyone went to the front quickly. When he was sure no one would see, Draco reached out and grabbed Ginny's arm. She looked at him.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly.

"Meet me in the library at lunch time," he said. Ginny didn't reply and just moved closer to the front. She would have to think about why his hand print felt like it was burning into her arm later...

"Miss Weasley and Mr Longbottom," Snape called. They went forward. "Your potion was the best in the entire class. 99 per cent," he said. Neville could have been knocked over by a feather in was in that much shock. "Move along now," Snape instructed. Ginny smirked at him, knowing from his guarded thoughts that he'd actually graded them down. She moved Neville along and they went back to their seats.

"Can you believe that? Ninety-nine per cent!" Neville said in shock. "He said highest in the class... Remind me not to go anywhere near Hermione today," he said glancing over at her. Hermione was pale and tried not to look in their direction. "Wow... She's really scared. You have to tell me what the hell you did!" Neville said with a grin. Ginny shook her head and opened her book to page 35, Neville following suit, glad that she hadn't forgotten.

"I hope that none of you are experiencing memory failures, because I am almost positive that I said open you books to page 35!" Snape called out when everyone was seated. The class quickly did as he said before he would have a change of heart and take House points off. "Write from page 35 to page 40. I want to see it done before any of you leave!" Snape said. A few people muttered to themselves, but started quickly.

Ginny looked at her book and seeing the minute writing, knew that no one would be leaving before recess was over. With an inward sigh, she began to write. About five minutes later, she felt something brushing her thigh and looked down. An origami crane was nudging her leg. Indiscreetly, she opened the piece of paper and read it.

Weasel,

Come to the library alone at lunch time... Don't bring your boyfriends, understood?

I want this to be a private talk.

Malfoy.

"Miss Weasley. Perhaps you could share with the class what is so important that it could not wait until after the lesson has finished?" Snape drawled beside her.

Mutandis, Ginny thought, smiling at Snape all the while. The words changed on the piece of paper quickly. (Alter to fit a new set of circumstances.)

"Why, of course, sir! I was just reading a note from Professor Dumbledore. He requires that I meet him at lunch. I understand that if this is to happen, then I should get on with my work, don't you agree, sir?" Ginny asked still smiling sweetly. Snape glared at her.

"Let me see that," he hissed and grabbing her arm, wrenched it up before taking the paper from her.

"It would do you good not to manhandle me again, Severus. Next time I will not allow it and the results will definitely not be in your favour," Ginny hissed at him quietly so no one would hear. Snape looked at her for a moment, wrestling with his fear. He looked down at the paper, and seeing that it was as she had said glared at her for a moment.

"Agreed, Miss Weasley. Now get on with your work," he said and gave the paper back to her. Ginny sat down and did her work. Draco looked at her in surprise, shocked that Snape hadn't even taken points for reading notes in class, then continued to do his work too.

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"I can't believe I just had to work through most of recess!" Ginny said shaking her head.

"I know... Totally sucks. It was good that McGonagall came and told Snape off though. That was hilarious!" Neville said laughing to himself.

"Well, I think it was slightly obvious when half of the seventh year didn't turn up to eat," Ginny said with a smirk.

"We better get something before you have to go meet Colin," Neville said and they went into the Great Hall. After taking some food, they left with Colin. He led them outside to an older part of the castle. Opening a hidden door, Colin brushed away the cobwebs and they went inside. Ginny and Neville sat on the windowsill warily.

"All right... Finish your food while I see the best way this will work," Colin said authoritatively and started to organise his camera. Ginny finished her food and watched as Colin set up a black sheet nearby.

"Do you need any help, Colin?" She asked. Colin looked at her for a moment.

"I doubt you could lift that box. It's almost one hundred kilo's!" He said. Ginny smirked and shook her head.

"Before you make any assumptions, I think it would be best if you learn what I can or can not do for yourself," she said and lifted the box he'd indicated to with ease. "Where do you want it?" She asked. Colin tried not to stare at her in shock, then told her. Ginny put the box where he'd said and went over to him. "You ready now?" She asked.

"Yes, I think so," he said and looked around then nodded. "Yes, I'm ready. Now, can you stand on the box? I need to get a few shots to see whether the lighting will work," Colin said. Ginny stood on the box. For the next few minutes, various lights controlled by magic were shone on her until Colin found one that he was happy with. "Now, do that Vampiress thing that you did yesterday," Colin said with a grin.

Sighing softly, Ginny made her teeth extend, her nails grew longer and her hair began to crack with lightning. Suddenly hearing something, she leapt off the box and grabbed the person. Neville and Colin stared as she ripped the Invisibility Cloak off the intruder.

"Malfoy... Quis es vos effectus?" She snarled at him, her nails grazing his throat. (What are you doing?)

"Just wanted to see..." He whispered to her, struggling for breath. Ginny didn't let go of her hold and glared at him.

"What did he say?" Colin asked. Neville looked from Draco to Ginny then to Colin.

"I think we should do this another time, Colin..." Neville said and they left, both boys giving Malfoy a pitying look.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She hissed once they were gone.

"Need... to... breathe..." He managed to say softly. Ginny let go of him abruptly and Draco dropped to the floor, clutching his throat.

"Now, tell me what you were doing before I really hurt you," Ginny said quietly in a dangerous tone that Snape would have killed for.

"I wanted to see where you were going... Catching three Gryffindors in an out of bounds area... Would have been a loss of major House points for you, then Creevey brings out his freaking camera... Knew I couldn't take any points off then... He's got special permission from Dumbledore to go around photographing various parts of the castle, people and out of bounds areas included..." Draco breathed out, sounding annoyed that Colin had been given that much leeway just because of a Muggle camera.

"That still doesn't explain what you were doing in here, Malfoy," Ginny said glaring down at him.

"I wanted to see if my spies were telling the truth... Those Gryffindors were scared beyond reckoning when they told me about it... It took me five calming spells on each of them to actually get it out of them," Draco said shaking his head. "I can see why... Scared the hell out of me, that's for sure," he said and looked her over. Ginny glared at him and kicked him slightly harder than necessary.

"Do not look at me like I was one of your whores, Malfoy!" She snarled.

"You wish, Weasley!" He retorted sneering at her. Ginny glared and her nails began to grow at an alarming pace as she stalked over to him. Draco paled and tried to back away from her.

"You dare to insult me, again? Twice in one day will not be tolerated, Malfoy..." She hissed and slashed her nails at him. Cuts appeared on Draco's face and blood started to seep out of the five marks. "You are lucky I have learnt to control my power, else you would be dead," Ginny hissed and left.

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"Miss Weasley... Come with me straight away," Dumbledore said sternly, coming up behind her just as the bell rang. "Hagrid has already been told of your absence. Follow me," he added. Neville and Colin looked at her in pity then ran off quickly. Ginny looked at Dumbledore briefly.

"This is about Malfoy, I presume?" She drawled. Albus nodded not looking his usual happy self. Ginny followed him to the hospital wing for the second time that day.

"I don't care if you don't think it will help! Put it on and stop the bleeding, for the Gods sakes!" Draco yelled.

"Mr Malfoy..." Albus said and opened the curtains.

Madam Pomfrey was standing beside a bed occupied by Draco Malfoy. His face was covered in blood and the cuts that Ginny had caused were still repelling all of the healing spells that Madam Pomfrey had used, which were more than many witches or wizards know in a lifetime.

"Heal the cuts before he bleeds to death, Ginevra," Albus said. Draco paled when he said this.

"Te nequam meretrix! Heal me!" He all but yelled. Ginny glared at him evilly. Albus coughed and quickly intervened before Ginny could hurt Draco further. (You worthless whore.)

"Mr Malfoy. I suggest that you refrain in calling Miss Weasley such names as she is the only one who possesses the ability to heal you," Albus said quietly, trying his hardest not to cuff the stupid boy over the head.

"Leave us for a moment..." Ginny demanded. Poppy left quickly but Albus just looked at Ginny. "I will not hurt him, unless he provokes me... Is that good enough for you, Albus?" She asked.

With a nod Albus stepped back and the curtains were drawn around them. Ginny looked at Draco.

"Once you apologise I will heal you. You have to mean it, Malfoy, or else I will not be able to heal you. That is the condition of hurting for my kind... If the person does not mean their apology, then no one will be able to heal them," Ginny said looking Draco in the eye. She really had no idea if it was true, but it seemed like common sense.

"I... I will not apologise unless one is given in return. Your kind and my own are not allowed to hurt each other, according to the treaty signed by both of our leaders," Draco said sounding smug. Ginny just smirked at him.

"Oh, I am sure that the treaty does say something like that..." She said off-handedly. "But neither yourself, nor I are full fledged beings. Therefore, the impact of the treaty does not affect us. So apologise Malfoy, or you'll end up bleeding to death!" Ginny snarled at him. "Do you want to know what it feels like to have every last drop of blood in your body draining from you? Because if you do not apologise sincerely, then you will feel exactly that," she whispered in his ear. Draco paled again. Ginny hid a smirk and pulled back the curtains then started to walk to the door.

"Weasley! Wait!" Draco called. Ginny turned to face him, but he didn't say anything.

"If you'll hurry up, I do have a lesson to get to," she drawled, looking at her watch. Draco motioned her back over to the bed and she walked to him reluctantly.

"I... I'm sorry for saying those things about you and looking at you the way I did," he said. Ginny just looked at him.

"It's funny how a threat of death will make people's attitudes change..." She said almost to herself. With a lazy flick of her wrist, the cuts on Draco's face healed and the blood disappeared. "Now, if you do not mind, I have a lesson to attend," Ginny said then stalked out of the room.

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Ginny rushed out of the building and down to Hagrid's hut.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor," she said smiling at Hagrid. He just nodded and indicated for her to sit down.

"As I was saying... Today's lesson will be cut in ter two parts... First, yer will all finish reading the information on unicorns, then we will go to see them... You will only be allowed ter see them after yer've finished reading, so hurry up and start," Hagrid said. Everyone did so quickly, eager to see the beautiful animals again, Slytherins included. "Ginny, come up 'ere," Hagrid said quietly. Ginny got up and went over to Hagrid. He took her by the arm and led her to a more private dwelling, where the other students wouldn't hear her.

"What's wrong, Hagrid?" She asked quietly.

"When we go ter see the unicorns, yer not allowed ter go near them... I'm sorry, Ginny, I really am. It's jus' that Albus tol' me that yer weren't allowed, because if the same thing happens... It's jus' not good for ev'ryone else to have to wait," Hagrid said. Ginny smiled at him and patted his arm.

"It's all right, Hagrid... I won't go near the unicorns, ok?" She said. Hagrid nodded and hugged her tightly. Ginny winced, hoping that the crack she'd heard wasn't one of her ribs. "Ok, Hagrid... I can't breathe," she said after a while. Hagrid put her down and smiled at her apologetically.

"Sorry..." He said and they went back to the class. "Mr Malfoy... Good to see that yer back."

Malfoy just glared at Ginny and Hagrid before going back to his book.

"Has any of yer finished now?" Hagrid asked. Half of the class raised their hands. "How long do the rest of yer got then?" He asked. Two to four paragraphs were the main reply and Hagrid encouraged them to keep reading. In twenty minutes, everyone had finished reading and Hagrid led them into the Forbidden Forest.

"I can't wait until we see the unicorns again! They were so beautiful!" Neville said excitedly. Ginny just nodded, frowning slightly.

"I'll be back in a minute, ok?" She said. Not waiting for Neville to reply, Ginny went further up to see Hagrid. "Do you hear that, Hagrid?" She asked him.

"Ev'ryone stop for a moment," Hagrid said and everyone did so quickly, but impatiently. "What can yer hear?" He asked Ginny quietly so no one else could hear.

"It sounds like... a Lethifold," Ginny said in confusion. She'd never heard, nor seen one before, but the gliding sound was the only thing it could be. "Get everyone into a clearing, now!" She hissed.

"Ev'ryone follow me," Hagrid called and he quickly led them into a nearby clearing.

Grabbing her wand, Ginny went in the direction of the gliding sound, which was coming towards the noises of her other classmates at an alarming rate.

Lethifolds were supposed to be found only in tropical climates, but the Forbidden Forest had a range of climates and Ginny was almost positive there were rainforest trees further along the path.

A cracking noise was heard beneath Ginny's foot and she cursed the twig silently as the gliding started to come towards her quickly. A black shadow came out from the nearby trees.

Ginny tried to think of something happy, but her mind failed her. Then a picture of herself in two years with Malfoy flashed up. With a sigh, she thought it was better than nothing and cast the patronus spell.

"Expecto patronum!" She yelled, her wand pointing at the black cloak-like shadow. A bright white light burst from the tip of her wand and five animal figures attacked the Lethifold eagerly. The Lethifold was destroyed in a few seconds.

Ginny stared at her Patronus in wonder. She'd never heard of a person having more than one animal for a Patronus before. Almost as if they'd heard her thoughts, the five animals turned to look at her.

A unicorn, a bat, a dragon, a wolf and a manticore... All were silver and glowing.

They surrounded her, nudging and comforting her. Ginevra smiled as she relaxed and then almost as if in a dream, she mounted the unicorn, the bat, dragon, wolf and manticore following them protectively as the unicorn headed to the clearing.

When the students saw them, they stared for a moment. They looked at Ginevra as if she was a queen. The pure blood and half-blood wizards fell to their knees, the other students following suit quickly. It didn't look like the Ginny they all knew. The person on the unicorn before them looked far more majestic, powerful, and knowing... It was almost as scary as it was amazing.

Hagrid stared at Ginevra then walked over to her in shock. Ginevra dismounted the unicorn gracefully and smiled at him.

"Are they all yer Patronus?" He asked looking at the five beasts surrounding Ginevra's form protectively.

"Yes, they're mine..." Ginevra replied, her voice soft and musical.

"Right. All of yer stay here... I've got ter get Albus," Hagrid said and left the clearing immediately.

"Please, get up," Ginevra said to the students. Slowly and reluctantly, they all stood, still staring at her in wonder. "You may ask one question of me each. Neville, you may begin," she said smiling at him brightly.

"Who are you, really?" He asked, his voice a whisper.

"I am Ginevra Molly Weasley, daughter of the four great bloodlines; Torleni, Weasley, Prewett and Malfoy. I am the future wife of Draconius Lucius Malfoy and the world's greatest treasure," she said. A few people stared at her in shock when she mentioned Draco's name and the fact that she was going to be married to him.

"All right... What are you?" Blaise asked looking from his friend to Ginevra. Ginevra looked calm, but Draco was pale in shock.

"I am human. My blood is that of my ancestors and my knowledge is that of the world. I am a Vampiress and the future Council Highness. I am love and life," she said.

"What do we need to do?" Pansy asked. Ginevra turned her face to the older girl and smiled.

"Needs are not necessary, my friend. What you want to do in regards to me is of your own choice... I will warn you now and only once; do not attempt to harm or insult me," Ginevra said.

"What about the other students?" Dean asked staring at her.

"They will be told on our arrival at the Great Hall," Ginevra replied.

"Why do you have five Patronus'?" Seamus asked.

"I have five to represent myself as a person. The bat indicates my Vampire blood. The unicorn shows my power and beauty. The wolf my strength; the dragon my love... The manticore shows my servant and protector, Leo-Bestia-Famulus," Ginevra replied. The dragon went closer to her and whispered something supposedly incoherent in her ear. Ginevra nodded, smiling at the dragon lovingly. "We have time for one more question only... Draconius," she said looking at him.

Draco looked at Ginevra, considering his question. She smiled at him knowingly.

"What gives you the idea that I would willingly marry you?" He asked in shock. Ginevra laughed lightly, sounding unnervingly musical in doing so.

"The idea simply came from the knowledge... After all, it is you who proposed to me, therefore, I think it most acceptable that you would be willing to marry me," she replied smiling.

"I wouldn't marry you if my life depended on it, Weasley!" Draco hissed at her. Ginevra just smiled at him then turned around. Three people walked in the clearing. Two were Albus and Hagrid, but the third was unknown to everyone but Ginny. She smiled at Xavier and bowed slightly.

"Albus, my Lord Xavier... A pleasure. Come, my lovely ones," Ginevra said looking at her Patronus'. The five animals made an almost purring sound then followed her out of the clearing, the students standing there, still in shock.

"You wouldn't marry her? Didn't you just see who she was? Who she is? Fuck, Malfoy... If you don't, I sure as hell will!" Blaise said shaking his head at him and trying to look out the clearing at Ginny again.

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Ginevra looked at the two men before her, smiling. She called her unicorn back from Xavier's side silently. The unicorn padded over then nudged her softly. Ginny look down at it, smiling lovingly.

"Yes, the five are my own Patronus'," Ginevra said. "And yes, I did ride the unicorn, as my Patronus tells you," she said looking to Xavier.

"You know what this means then, Ginevra?" Xavier asked. She nodded smiling still.

"Of course, my Lord... I am not as naive as I look," Ginevra said with a light laugh. "Come, my dears... You must return," she said turning to the five glowing beasts.

One by one, the animals reluctantly returned to Ginny's wand. When the last beast had disappeared Ginny slumped to the ground.

"Well, that was fun..." Ginny said looking around for a moment. "There was a Lethifold, that's why I did the Patronus," Ginny said when she heard Albus' questioning thoughts. "My Lord?" She said looking at Xavier.

"Yes, Ginevra?" He asked smiling at her.

"When we meet on Friday could I bring someone to meet you?" She asked. "Well, they're actually two people... But they're so close they might as well be counted as one," Ginny said with a grin. Getting her meaning, Albus went over to her quickly.

"Are you sure that is wise, Ginevra?" He asked quietly. She smiled at him.

"It is an insult to speak softly when an Elder is nearby, Albus... Surely you already knew that though?" She asked.

"Of course... I was just wondering whether you think it wise to invite them..." Albus said in a clearer tone.

"That is my decision to make, Albus," Xavier said suddenly. Albus bowed.

"Of course," he said apologetically.

"You may invite these two that are one," Xavier said smiling at Ginny.

"Thank you, my Lord. I suggest that you return before the shadow spell wears off, my Lord," Ginny said. She got up then bowed to Xavier.

"Thank you for your suggestion, my daughter... I will bid farewell of you now," Xavier said and brought Ginny's wrist to his lips. She smiled and bowed once more.

Albus instructed Ginny to return to her class and tell them that there was to be a meeting in the Great Hall immediately. Xavier shook Albus' hand then they left together.

Ginny walked back into the clearing smiling. A few people looked at her, unsure of what to do around her now.

"There's no need to treat me any differently," Ginny said grinning at them.

"But... You're... You're practically a Goddess, Gin! How can we not treat you differently?" Neville stammered in shock.

"She is not a Goddess," Draco hissed at Neville. Unexpectedly, Neville didn't back down. He glared at Draco.

"You saw who she was! You know the legend! You tell me to my face that she's not as close to a Goddess as any one of us will ever be!" Neville said. Ginny shook her head.

"Gentlemen... There is no need to fight over who or what I am. Now, please, calm yourselves so we may return to the school. I am sure that Parvati is almost bursting with the need to tell Lavender everything you just witnessed," Ginny said looking at Parvati with a small smile.

"What? I have to tell her! We're the school informants!" Parvati said looking both happy and annoyed at being referred to in such a way.

"All right. Come on, the lot of yer," Hagrid said and led them out of the Forbidden Forest.

They walked to the Great Hall quickly, led by Patil. Everyone in the group kept looking at Ginny then away whenever she caught them staring. A few corridors away from the Great Hall, Patil started running in her eagerness to get there first and spread the news.

"Neville, would you calm yourself down? You don't have to do anything, all right?" She said seriously. Neville nodded.

"I know I don't have to do anything, but I want to help you," Neville said. Ginny smiled and shook her head slightly.

"And I appreciate that, I really do, Neville... But let me ask you one thing; what do you think you could you help me with? I don't mean to sound rude, or anything," she added quickly. "But, honestly, Neville... There's only one thing I can think of that you could help me with," she said grinning at him.

"What?" Neville asked.

"You could help me by being my friend... Trusting me, supporting me, but most of all, I need you to believe in me. I seriously doubt that anyone will want to be my friend after all this. And I sincerely doubt that anyone will believe me after I start going out with Malfoy... Can't wait for that to happen," she said sarcastically. Neville laughed then looked at her.

"Of course I'll be your friend, Ginny... Can I ask you something?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

By his thoughts, she already knew what he was going to ask, but decided it would be best for him to say it first...

"If you're really going to start dating Malfoy and marry him sometime in the future, why don't you sound happy about it?" Neville asked. She grinned slightly.

"Oh, I'll sound a lot happier when the time comes, but for now I'm just going to whinge and complain about it. I think it's the best solution for all parties involved, my brother included... And speaking of my brother, here he comes," Ginny said grinning as she saw Ron approaching. When she saw the red-purple colour of his face Ginny sighed slightly. "You know what I said about you being my friend and all that, Neville?" She asked quickly. Neville nodded. "Well, I think now would be the time for you to run for your life. Ron's probably going to try and hex me and it's not going to be very pretty," Ginny said. Neville shook his head.

"I'm not going to leave you now, Ginny..." Neville said in determination. He got his wand out and stood in front of Ginny as Ron came steadily closer.

"I think the Weasel King's about to pop a vein," Theodore Nott said jeeringly as Ron passed him. Without warning, Ron turned and punched Theodore out cold then kept walking towards Ginny.

"Hmm... This is going to be worse than I thought," Ginny said with a small shake of her head. "Neville, I suggest that you move out of my way. Right now," Ginny said in a commanding tone. Neville turned and saw Ginny start to take on her Vampiress form. He wisely moved out of her way.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley! How dare you tell everyone! Do you have any idea what you've done to yourself?" Ron yelled at her. Ginny smirked and looked at her brother. Theodore groaned and got off the floor looking very angry at Ron.

"Do you have any idea what you've done to yourself by hitting Theodore? He did nothing to you and you take it upon yourself to hit him! You should be ashamed of yourself, Ronald!" Ginny yelled.

By then all of the school was outside of the Great Hall watching the display before them with interest.

"Don't talk to me about shame, lamia!" Ron yelled. "You just bloody announced to the entire school that you're going to marry the Great Ferret!" Ron yelled, his face turning from red to purple in quick consecutive motions. "Do you have any idea what shame you brought to the family on saying that, Ginevra?" He yelled, moving closer to Ginny.

"You touch me and you won't live to regret it, Ronald," she hissed. Ron stopped moving but didn't stop yelling.

"Mum and Dad are going to die when they hear what you've done! Look at yourself! You're becoming a monster!" Ron yelled. Ginny looked down at her brother sadly.

"You think I am a monster? Who was it that froze me out for six months after my first year, when I needed them the most? Who was it that didn't speak to me after I found out about this? Who was it that thought about killing me every fucking night for three weeks?" Ginny asked her voice raising. "And you think I'm the monster? Look at yourself in the bloody mirror," she hissed then retreated back to her normal form.

"You thought about killing her? Your own sister?" Hermione asked looking at Ron.

"It's not like I actually did it!" Ron protested. Everyone started talking immediately.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore bellowed. Everyone shut up quickly and looked at him. "Please go into the Great Hall so we may discuss the current events. I expect everyone to be there," Albus said quietly and everyone went into the Great Hall.

Before Ginny could go in, Albus pulled her aside.

"I am sorry about this, Ginevra... But the students need to be told. It is becoming too much of a risk to leave them in the dark about what is happening. Would you like to tell them, or would you like me to?" Albus asked.

"You can, if you like... I don't really care... I just like the idea of getting out of a lesson," Ginny said with a grin. Albus smiled briefly then they went into the Great Hall.

Every single student was inside. Ginny had never seen the Great Hall so full at a time that wasn't the Sorting Feast! Even with dinner, some students didn't arrive until later, and by then most of the people had already left...

Ginny sat next to Neville and vaguely listened as Albus made a lovely speech of how every person was an individual. Then he told everyone that Ginny was a Vampiress. He told them of the encounter in the Forest, omitting the fact that she said she was going to marry Draco Malfoy. He also told them that she wouldn't be drinking their blood and the students relaxed considerably.

Ginny wondered briefly how he knew all that she'd said in the Forbidden Forest, then she remembered the knowing look on Albus' face and realised that he must have Seen it...

"You are to treat Miss Weasley no different. Excepting on the condition that you do not insult nor provoke her in any way whatsoever. I have warned you and now there is no excuse for you not to know... I hope you have all understood what I have said! If you wish to alert your parents, I understand. However, you are in no danger of being hurt by Miss Weasley, so it is hardly necessary..." Dumbledore said. "You may all have an early lunch! I apologise to both students and the professors for taking away your lesson before lunch," Albus said.

Cheers went all around the Great Hall and everyone started eating happily. Looking around, Ginny saw that no one really cared what she was as long as she didn't hurt them. They all accepted Lupin being a werewolf and to them a Vampire was nothing compared to that!

"Hey, Ginny! Can you show us your fangs?" Dean asked, Seamus agreeing eagerly.

"Sorry, but I'd rather just eat my lunch," Ginny replied, tired. Whatever had happened in the Forbidden Forest had drained her energy and she felt really lethargic.

"Are you all right, Ginny?" Neville asked. Ginny nodded with a slight yawn.

"Yeah, I'm fine... I'm just going to rest for a bit. Wake me up in ten minutes, ok? I've got to go to the library," Ginny said with a yawn and rested her head on the table.

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"Ginevra!" Draco yelled desperately.

Ginny just watched his face as she fell from her broom. Without really thinking, she began to change her body into a bat. She finished changing in a few seconds, barely hearing her broom crash and splinter on the ground below her. She flew in the direction of the Owlery quickly, wanting to get out of the sun before it hurt her eyes any further.

As she landed, she turned back into her human form and sank to the floor in shock. She felt her body to make sure she wasn't hurt then just continued to sit there. Millions of 'what ifs' ran through her mind and she shook her head violently to rid herself of those thoughts.

Draco flew in the window and landed beside her, still dressed in his Quidditch uniform.

"Ginevra? Are you all right?" He asked softly. Ginny just looked at him for a moment before answering.

"I'm alive, that is enough at the moment... Did the game end already?" She asked. Draco shook his head.

"Hooch put it on hold for everyone to find you. No one really saw you turn into a bat. All of the spectators just thought that you managed to find a way to disappear out of thin air. Weasel and I were the only ones who saw you change," Draco said.

"All right... Help me up, carus," she said. Draco just looked at her for a moment before walking over. (Dear or beloved.)

"So you know of it too?" He asked as he helped her up. Ginny nodded softly.

"Ginny! Are you in there?" Ron called out as he opened the door. "What the fuck is going on?" He asked, seeing Ginny in the arms of his enemy. It looked like they were about to, or had just, the gods forbid, kiss... He grabbed Ginny and roughly pulled her away from Draco. "You leave her alone," Ron hissed at Draco. Ginny pulled her arm away from Ron.

"I have told you not to touch me, Ronald! Do not make me do something drastic," Ginny hissed at him. Ron paled in fear.

"I'm sorry, Ginny! It's just that... I saw you two... And it looked like... Well, it looked like..." He said stammering.

"Spit it out, Ronald before I punch it out of you," Ginny snarled. Ron paled even further.

"It looked like you were kissing him!" He yelled. Ginny just looked at her brother for a moment.

"Your point being? Who cares if I kiss him?" She asked. Ron's face turned red rapidly and his eyes started to bulge.

"There you are, Ginny! Come on! We've got a game to finish!" Harry's voice called from the bottom of the stairs of the Owlery. "Is Ron up there?" He called.

"Yes, he is. We're coming down now! Where's my broom?" Ginny called as she walked down the stairs. "Ron, don't make me come up there and get you!" She yelled. Ron rushed downstairs quickly.

"Your broom's currently all over the Quidditch Pitch in a million pieces," Harry said with an apologetic grin. "You're going to have to ride a Cleansweep 60... Sorry Ginny," he said. Ginny sighed.

"Oh well... Come on," she said and they went back to the Quidditch Pitch.

Draco landed a few metres away and Ginny glanced at him for a moment before turning back to Madam Hooch.

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"Ginny," Neville whispered shaking her. "Come on, wake up... It's been fifteen minutes," Neville said shaking her again. Ginny opened her eyes reluctantly.

"All right... I'm awake... You want to come to the library with me?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"No, I can't. I promised Colin I'd let him photograph me," Neville said with a small blush. Ginny grinned at him.

"All right then. I'll see you after lunch, ok?" Neville nodded and they went their separate ways.

Ginny walked in to the library and found a book on house-elves. Sitting at a table she started to read about the House-Elf Uprise in 1802. Not even a sentence into the first paragraph, someone came up to Ginny.

"What would you like, Malfoy?" She asked not looking away from the book.

"I would like to talk with you... In private, if you don't mind," he added uncertainly. Ginny looked around the almost-empty library then at him. "Come on, Weasley... Humour me," Draco said with a smirk.

"You want me to humour you, Malfoy? All right... Fine. I'll humour you. You've got ten minutes, then I'm leaving. Understood?" Ginny said. Draco nodded. She shut her book then followed him out of the library.

Draco checked that a nearby room was empty, then opened the door for her. Raising an eyebrow, Ginny went inside, Draco following. He silenced the room and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked. Draco looked at her.

"Your brother and Potter always seem to find me. If they see I'm in here with you then they'll get the wrong idea and you'll probably get into trouble or something," Draco said with a shrug.

"I think that's the nicest thing you've done in the five years I've known you, Draco Malfoy," Ginny said smirking. Draco looked surprised, but then sat on the table opposite her and didn't reply to her statement.

"I was just wondering... How do you know that you're going to marry me? Is there any way that you could be wrong?" He asked sounding slightly desperate.

"I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or not..." Ginny said raising an eyebrow at him. "I know it because I've Seen it, and no there is no way that it could be wrong. I've Seen it far too many times for it not to be right," she said. "Did you want to ask me about something else? You wanted to talk to me this morning..."

"Oh, no... I found out what I wanted to know already concerning that... The whole school found out actually," he said with a smirk. Ginny grinned.

"All right... Any more questions, or is that it?" She asked.

"What did you say last night? When you were crying... I thought I heard you say something but I didn't get all of it... What did you say?" Draco asked looking at her.

"Nothing of importance... I was just... thinking out loud, that's all," Ginny said with a smile. "Of interest, what did you hear me say?" She asked.

"I heard you say 'How could I... much... hurt... me'," Draco quoted. "How could you what?" He asked looking at her.

"Nothing..." Ginny said and got off the table. "I've answered your questions... Please let me go now," she said looking at him. Draco walked over to her.

"Why were you sick last night? What happened? One minute you were happy, confident and scaring the hell out of Snape, the next you were pale, shaking and sick. What happened?" Draco asked cornering her against the wall. Ginny looked at him for a moment before replying.

"It was something that I don't want to relive. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to leave," she said her voice quiet. He reluctantly moved back and opened the door for her. Ginny left quickly, Draco watching after her.

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Deciding that she didn't want to go back to the library, Ginny went to find Hermione instead. It would be a lot quicker to just ask her, no matter how angry she was about the day before.

Ginny found Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room, studying her Runes book.

"Hi Hermione," Ginny said. "Is this seat taken?" She asked. Hermione looked at her warily. "You did as I asked, so you're forgiven. I'm not playing any tricks on you, honest... I just need to ask you a question about house-elves," Ginny said.

"Oh, all right then... No, the seat's not taken," Hermione said smiling as Ginny sat down. "So, what do you need to know?" She asked.

"What do you know about the House-Elf Uprise in 1802?" Ginny asked.

"You mean how and why it started, what happened, that kind of thing?" Ginny nodded. "Well, it started because the Vampires were treating the house-elves cruelly..."

"I know that... How were they treating them cruelly?" Ginny asked.

"I read one account of a house-elf being made to capture and kill Muggles. The house-elf was then forced to drain their blood, and bury the Muggles. There was another account of a house-elf having to lick his Master's feet... Actually, I don't think that had anything to do with Vampires..." Hermione said with a frown. "No, it doesn't. Sorry. I always seem to get sidetracked when I'm talking about this," Hermione said grinning.

"It's all right... Go on," Ginny said.

"The other account was pretty vague on the details. Apparently, one of the Vampires threatened to drink a house-elf's blood if the other house-elves didn't comply with her demands," Hermione said shaking her head.

"Her?" Ginny questioned. Hermione nodded. "What year did that happen?" Ginny asked.

"I think it was about 1725... Somewhere around there... I know it was in the 1720's though, because I was almost positive I saw the name Weasley in the account," Hermione said. "I hope that helps... You know how it ended, I presume?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, I do... Thanks for helping me, Hermione," Ginny said and left the Gryffindor Common Room.

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Ginny finished her Runes homework, thankful that the lesson had been cancelled then got her things for Defence Against the Dark Arts ready. A few minutes later, the bell went and Ginny went down the corridor, stopping at a door that was close to the classroom.

Ginny walked in to the room, surprised to see Professor Moody and Lupin already there.

"Afternoon, Miss Weasley," Lupin said smiling at her.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Ginny replied. "Professor Moody? Would you mind meeting me in the Room of Requirement at eight o'clock tonight?" She asked. Moody nodded. "Thank you," Ginny said and sat at her desk then began to read her Vampire book.

Some Vampires can read emotions through a touch of skin. It is an extremely rare ability, however and has not been recorded since Count Vladimir II died in 1732.

When a Vampire or a Vampiress falls in love, it is forever, and can often have dangerous consequences. If the Vampire falls in love with a person, then they will do anything to protect them, even against a loved family member.

Often, the spouse of a Vampire will offer to have their blood drunk. If they, in turn, drink the Vampire's blood, then they will become immortal. Most mortal-Vampire couples choose this method rather than reincarnation as a way of staying together for the rest of their prolonged lives.

A Vampire will know who their love is simply through a touch of their skin. If their love touches, for instance, their arm, then the Vampire's arm will have a burning and tingling sensation...

Ginny remembered how her arm had felt earlier that day when Malfoy had grabbed her arm and rubbed it subconsciously.

"Are you all right, Miss Weasley?" Moody asked, his magical eye on her.

"Yes, I'm fine..." Ginny replied and put her book away as students started to enter the classroom.

"Today you will be learning some basic healing spells," Lupin announced. A few people looked at him, confused. "It is not enough that you learn how to fight or defend yourself, for that will not always work. In battle you will be hurt, that is a guarantee, so you need to learn how to heal yourself before you can continue on fighting or defending," Lupin said.

"Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss," Moody said more to himself than the class.

"I didn't know you've read The Count of Monte Cristo, sir," Hermione said in surprise. Moody glared at her with both of his eyes.

"There a lot of things you don't know, Miss Granger, so keep your mouth shut!" He said angrily. Hermione paled and nodded her head.

"Right... The first healing spell is not a powerful one and should only be used for minor cuts. Most of you should know it already," Lupin said. "It is the spell sano... Point your wand at the wound, then say 'sano', and it will be healed. Does anyone have a wound?" Lupin asked looking around the class. A few people raised their hands and one boy was called to the front. "Now, where is the wound?" Lupin asked a boy. He went a bright red. (Heal.)

"Doesn't matter..." He mumbled and sat back down again.

"Ok, if you have a wound that everyone can see, then you can come out here," Lupin said grinning. Two people raised their hands. "Neville, you can come out here," Lupin said. "Where's the wound?" He asked.

"It's on my arm," Neville said and rolled up his sleeve. A small cut was there, the result of a biting plant.

"Now, watch carefully," Lupin said. He pointed his wand directly at the cut and said the spell. In a few seconds the wound had disappeared. "The longer it takes for a wound to heal either means the extremity of it, or how long it has been there. The few seconds it took for Neville's wound to heal means that it has been there for about a day or two, is that correct?" Lupin asked. Neville nodded.

"Yes... I got it yesterday," Neville said and sat down next to Ginny again after thanking Lupin.

"If you have a cold, then a different spell is used," Lupin said. Someone near the back of the classroom blew their nose as if in agreement. "Who was that? Pansy, please come out to the front," he said. Pansy went out to the front looking annoyed that she'd had to leave her seat and tissue box. "How long have you had this cold?" Lupin asked.

"A few days," she said with a shrug.

"All right... I can tell that this type of cold is a head cold, so if you will please close your eyes, Pansy..." Lupin said. Pansy eyed him warily, then closed her eyes. "Salveo," Lupin said and a white light covered Pansy's face. "You may open your eyes now. How do you feel?" Lupin asked her. (To be well or be in good health.)

"I feel better... Thanks," Pansy said reluctantly and went back to her seat.

"You're welcome. Has anyone got a broken bone?" Lupin asked. No one raised their hand. "Well, that's lucky, because I never was good at doing this spell anyway... As with the other two spells, you need to point your wand directly at the thing that is broken. This spell is called 'restituo' and should only be used by experienced healers. Unless of course you are in battle, then you can use it. But be warned, you must make sure you set the broken bone properly or else you'll just put yourself in more pain than you were originally in..." (Restore or repair.)

"Why can only experienced healers use it?" Dean asked.

"If the spell is used by someone who is not an experienced healer, then the spell will only last for a few hours. The maximum amount of time that the spell will retain the broken bone is for ten hours, then the spell will wear off and the bone will break again," Lupin explained.

Moving back to his desk, he took out a branch the same size as his arm. He snapped it in half with a crack and set it on his desk.

"Point your wand directly at the break. You may need two people if it's your own bone. Someone will need to hold your broken limb straight to ensure that the bone is going to set correctly. It won't do you any good if your arm's set upside down," Lupin said with a grin. "Now, once you're certain that the bone is straight, say the incantation, restituo," he said. A thin wisp of white light flew out of his wand and wrapped around the two pieces of wood, binding them together. "Now, as you can see, this spell will set the bones, but only for a set amount of time until it is possible for you to get to a proper healer..." Lupin said.

"Can we try it now?" Seamus asked eagerly. Lupin raised an eyebrow at him.

"I hardly think it appropriate for you to go around breaking each other's arms, Seamus," he said.

"Oh, I know that... Can we try it on the branch?" Seamus asked.

"Very well... Single file everyone," Lupin said and everyone rushed to make a line in front of his desk. Not surprising anyone, Hermione was at the front of the line. Lupin took his spell away, making the branch break again.

"Restituo!" Hermione said, pointing her wand at the two pieces of wood. The branch binded together and she grinned smugly. However, as soon as Hermione went to walk away the branch broke in half again. A few people sniggered as her face fell, Slytherins and Gryffindors alike.

"I don't expect many of you to get it right the first time anyway," Lupin said. "Next person, please," he said.

Twelve people attempted the spell before it got to Ginny. Out of the twelve, only two people had managed to get the branch to be binded, but it always fell apart. Some of the people hadn't even managed to get a wisp out of their wand...

"Ginny, your turn," Lupin said. Ginny stepped up to the table and pointed her wand down at the branch. "Wait," he went to say, but Ginny had already said the spell...

"Restituo!" A red-silver wisp flew out of her wand and wrapped itself around the branch. One branch turned around slightly and the wisp disappeared as the two pieces of wood melded together.

"The branch wasn't correctly aligned," Lupin said in shock. "But... You just... The entire thing turned," Lupin said going green as he imagined a bone doing that.

"All right... I'll take over. I think you need to sit down," Moody said looking at Lupin's green face. Remus simply nodded and sat down on Moody's chair. "Who's next?" Moody asked as he tried to break the branch.

Moody tried to break the branch with both magic and his own bare hands, which should have been easy, given the thickness of the branch, but it didn't break. He used a stronger spell, but instead of breaking the branch, he managed to break Lupin's table in half.

"Do you have another branch somewhere?" Moody asked Lupin.

"No. Just use the desk," Lupin said still feeling sick.

"All right..." Moody said and shook his head slightly. The rest of the students attempted to meld the desk together, but only one person came close, Draco Malfoy. His wispy light managed to hold the desk together for about two minutes before it fell apart again.

The bell rang and Ginny was asked to stay behind for a moment.

"Ginny... Do you have any idea what you just did?" Lupin asked.

"I... did the spell..." Ginny said uncertainly. Lupin shook his head.

"That's just it! Not even an experienced healer could do what you just did! You turned the entire bone, branch, whatever you want to refer to it as! It's almost medically and magically impossible for a healer to do what you just did!" Remus said. Ginny looked at him, then at the branch that still hadn't broken after thirty minutes.

"Oh... Is that a good thing?" She asked.

"Well, yes... I think... Yes, it's good," Lupin said adamantly.

"I'll take your word on it, Remus... I need to get to Astronomy, so I'll just fix your desk then go," Ginny said. With a sigh, Moody got up to hold the two pieces of the desk again. "Oh, don't worry. I want to see if I can do it without it being together," Ginny said. She pointed her wand at the desk and took a deep breath. "Restituo!" She said and the desk righted itself, then melded together as her red-white wisp melted into the desk.

"That's impossible," Lupin breathed in shock.

"Well, not impossible... Improbable for any other people perhaps, but definitely not impossible," Ginny said with a grin then left the room.

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"Malfoy, what are you doing here? Waiting for me again? And you decided to keep some company too," Ginny said with a smirk, seeing the group of Slytherins standing near the door. They'd seen what Ginny had done to the desk, she'd made sure of that.

"We wanted to talk to you," Pansy announced and nudged Draco forward.

"Then I am sure you can do it later, I have a lesson to attend," Ginny said and headed to the Astronomy Tower.

"Weasley! Wait!" Draco called going after her, the rest of the Slytherins in tow. Ginny stopped and turned to face them, a broad smirk on her face.

"What is it, Malfoy?" She drawled.

"We just wanted to give you a proposition," Draco said, standing taller. Ginny just looked up at him.

"Fine... I will be in the library at five o'clock. I will take you all to somewhere private, if that is what you need, and you will have half an hour to tell me your proposition. For now, let me get to lesson," Ginny said and walked to the Astronomy Tower.

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"Welcome to your first Astronomy lesson," Professor Rion said smiling around the room. "For the first few weeks we will be learning about cosmology and cosmogony," she announced, only to met by blank stares from over half the class.

"What's that?" Dean questioned. Professor Rion looked down at him.

"Obviously, you didn't do any studying in the holidays..." Olivia Rion said.

"I read some," Dean mumbled.

"The explanation for those two words is in the first paragraph, Mr Thomas," Olivia said with a glare.

"Smart one, dumb one," someone muttered at Dean who went a bright red.

"Enough," Professor Rion said sternly and everyone went quiet. "Cosmology is the study of theories about the universe as a whole, including the universe's origin, evolution, large-scale structure, and future of the universe. Cosmogony is the more specific study of the origin of the universe and of astronomical systems," Professor Rion said. "Open your book, The Magical World and the Cosmos, to page 10," she instructed. "Read the first two chapters. If you finish that by the end of the lesson, then complete the first three exercises on page 40," Professor Rion said and everyone started to read.

In about twenty minutes, Ginny had finished reading and the exercises. She sat idly, wondering whether to ask Rion what she could do or not. With a small sigh, she got up and went over to Professor Rion's desk.

"Professor?" Ginny asked when she didn't look up. Olivia looked up reluctantly.

"What is it, Miss Weasley?" She asked irritably.

"I've finished. What do I have to do now?" Ginny asked. Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"You have finished reading and the exercises?" She questioned in disbelief.

"Yes..." Ginny said not happy that she didn't believe her.

"What is the second chapter about?" Olivia asked, wanting to prove that she was right and that Ginny hadn't really finished.

"You're testing me?" Ginny asked. Olivia just smirked and raised an eyebrow at her. "Fine... The second chapter is about how the wizards have helped Muggles by increasing their knowledge of the universe through appearing to them as various gods or visions. Ergo the Helpful was also attributed to making sudden winds appear in some Muggle scientist homes and rearranging the papers so it showed what they were trying to find. For example, in 1917 when the famous Muggle, Albert Einstein made a model of the universe based on his new theory of general relativity, Ergo the Helpful actually convinced Einstein that time was a fourth dimension and showed him that gravitation was equivalent to a curvature of the resulting four-dimensional space-time... Need I go on?" Ginny asked. Professor Rion was staring at Ginny in shock, as were most of the students.

"She just said that all word for word!" Hermione whispered loudly to Harry and Ron. A few other students turned to the next chapter and found where Ginny had quoted from, and saw that she had indeed, said that word for word.

"What would you like me to do now?" Ginny asked.

"Now, you can read the next three chapters and finish the rest of the exercises..." Rion said. "Oh, and Miss Weasley? Ten points from Gryffindor. You will be serving detention tonight at eight thirty," she said smiling at Ginny evilly.

"I beg your pardon?" Ginny said in shock. "You are giving me detention and taking points off because I have finished the work that you set? Or was it because you were wrong?" Ginny asked her. Olivia stood up to her full height and glared at Ginny.

"You will not speak to me thus!" Olivia said angrily.

"I want an explanation! You can't give me detention because I've finished! If you did do that then Hermione would be getting detention every fucking day!" Ginny said. Then she heard her Professor's thoughts and stared at her in unabashed anger. "You're giving me detention because I'm a Vampire?" Ginny stated in shock and anger.

"I don't have to justify myself to you, lamia!" Professor Rion hissed.

"Wow... Another one who knows Latin! I've never heard that one before... First my brothers, then my teachers! Will this ever fucking end?" Ginny said, more to herself than the teacher.

"Miss Weasley! Sit down, right now! You are to serve detention tonight and you will be losing an extra thirty points for your back chatting!" Professor Rion said. Ginny turned to her and smiled frostily.

"Why, of course, Professor Rion... I deserve to lose forty House points for finishing my work!" Ginny said and grabbed her books then left the classroom. Neville stood up and glared at his teacher.

"Well, if that's the way you acted to Ginny, then I suppose you're going to take House points from me because I'm gay, right?" Neville asked then left the room.

A few others followed him, while others stayed out of pure shock. In five minutes, not one student was left in the Astronomy Tower.

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"Ginny! Wait up!" Neville called. Ginny turned and waited for him, then saw that practically all of the Astronomy class was following him. Well, actually, all of the Astronomy class was following him, Slytherins included.

"Did she kick everyone out, or all you all out here of your own accord?" Ginny asked them.

"Own accord," Neville said looking at everyone with a huge grin on his face.

"What she did was low, even for us," Pansy said with a smirk. A few people laughed.

"I heard what you said, Neville... You didn't have to, you know," Ginny said. Neville nodded going red.

"I know... She really pissed me off though... Kind of just slipped out," he said with a shrug. Ginny laughed and hugged him.

"So, we've all got about half an hour before end of class. I'm too pissed to do any homework, so I'm going for a fly... Care to join me?" Ginny asked everyone.

The Slytherins looked at Draco, who just shrugged.

"Why not? We get out of class and we'll kick the Gryffindors arses in a game of Quidditch," he said with a smirk. An argument broke out and they all headed down to the Quidditch Pitch to prove that each side was right.

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"Choose your players!" Ginny called out. Immediately, seven people from Slytherin stepped out.

"Before we do anything... How are we actually meant to play? We don't have any of the equipment," Seamus said. Ginny smirked at him.

"Ever heard of a little thing called magic? Get four round rocks, and four sticks. I'll take care of the rest... Slytherin, I trust that you can organise the brooms for everyone?" Ginny asked looking at them. Draco gave a minute nod and Crabbe and Goyle headed over to the Slytherin Quidditch room.

"I got the rocks and sticks, Ginny," Seamus said. He set them in front of her.

"Everyone stand back," Ginny instructed. "First, tie down those two black rocks. They'll be the Bludgers," she said.

Hermione stepped forward and made the two rocks tie down to the ground. Ginny pointed her wand at the four rocks and sticks, then silently hoped the spell would work.

"Mutatio!" She said. The rocks began to grow larger and rounder, as the four sticks became more club-like. Soon, one Quaffle, two Bludgers and a Snitch were sitting beside four Beater's clubs. (Change, alteration, transformation.)

Gregory and Vincent came back with fifteen brooms.

"Thank you, boys..." Ginny said, smiling at them. "Gryffindors! Have you chosen the players yet, or not?" By their looks, Ginny could tell that they hadn't. "Fine. Seamus, Dean and myself will be Chasers. Ron, you're the Keeper. You two can be Beaters," Ginny said to two boys who looked like the Gryffindor version of Crabbe and Goyle.

"I'm James, that's Terry," James said.

"Thanks. You up to being Beaters?" Ginny asked. Both Terry and James nodded, then grabbed their clubs.

"What about the Seeker?" Dean asked with a frown.

"Harry is Seeker, as per usual," Ginny said with a grin. Harry gave her a boyish grin and took a broom from Crabbe and Goyle. "Neville you can be the commentator if you please," she said. Neville nodded, looking nervous. "You'll do fine," she said with a wink.

"Yes, Malfoy. Don't worry about the precious brooms. We won't destroy them," Ginny said. "As you see most weekends, we do know how to fly..." She drawled. "Pansy, you can be the referee. If you want to, of course," Ginny said smiling. Pansy just nodded and took a broom.

"I'd say I want a nice clean game, but I'm sure you're all still mad with what's-her-face, so let it all out," Pansy said with a grin. Ginny took her broom then they all flew in to the air.

Pansy pointed her wand down at the four balls and with a spell they flew in to the air and the game began.

"Padma Patil has caught the Quaffle. Now Dean's got it from her!" Neville said.

His voice was fairly quiet, but as the game continued, Neville's enthusiasm increased, as did the volume of his voice.

Ginny could see that Harry and Draco were searching for the Snitch almost intensely as if it were a real game. In fact, both 'teams' were treating it as if it was a proper game...

Dean threw the Quaffle to Ginny, jerking her out of her thoughts and she raced towards their goal. Manoeuvring around the Slytherin Keeper, Ginny managed to score a goal.

"Thirty to Slytherin! Twenty to Gryffindor! A Bludger almost hit Ginny! Be careful!" Neville yelled.

James hit the Bludger away from Ginny and towards one of the Slytherin Chasers, just as Seamus scored another goal.

"Thirty all! Foul to Gryffindor for cruelty! You said it didn't have to be a clean game, Parkinson!" Neville called.

"I'm the referee! I have the right to change my mind!" Pansy called back, grinning.

"STUDENTS!" Albus yelled. "Get down here, right now!" He yelled. They all flew down reluctantly. "What is going on here? First, you all leave your lesson and now you're out here playing Quidditch? Whose idea was it?"

"It was my right to leave the classroom and my idea to play a game of Quidditch, as the entire class followed me," Ginny said before any one could say anything.

"Your right, Miss Weasley? Why is that?" Albus asked.

"Discrimination, detention and a loss of House points simply because I am a Vampire," Ginny said. "Apparently, Professor Rion doesn't like things that are different, if I remember her thoughts correctly..." Ginny mused.

"So you leave the class, due to the fact that you thought you were being discriminated against?" Albus asked.

"But she was, sir!" A few people called out, others agreeing with them.

"Silence!" Albus said and they all shut up. "Slytherins... May one or two of you please verify this? Tell me what happened. In your own words," Albus said, looking at them. Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward.

"Well, Weasley just asked Rion what she was supposed to do, because she'd finished the work already. Rion didn't believe her because she had finished fairly quickly..." Crabbe said. Goyle nodded.

"Then, Rion tested Weasley. She got it right, even said some of it word for word... Rion got angry, then told Weasley what to do," Goyle said.

"Then she took off House points and gave Weasley detention," Pansy added. The Slytherins nodded. "We all thought that was bad, but didn't say anything, because of the House rivalry..." Pansy said.

"Then what happened?" Albus asked. Theodore Nott stepped forward.

"Then, Weasley must have heard something, because she asked Rion if she was taking points off because she was a Vampire. Rion got pissed, excuse my language, sir, and said that she didn't have to justify herself to a lamia. Weasley got sarcastic... What did you say, exactly?" Theodore asked Ginny.

"Another one that knows Latin. I've never heard that one before... Something to that effect," Ginny answered with a shrug.

"I see... Then what happened?" Albus asked looking at the Slytherins still.

"Then Rion took off thirty more House points because Weasley 'back chatted'," Theodore said.

"That's when I left the classroom," Ginny said.

"Then Neville stood up and said that if Rion did that to Ginny, then she'd take points off from him because he was gay and left the room too... We all followed them out in agreement, and of our own free will," Blaise said looking at Albus. Dumbledore nodded.

"Very well... I will have a talk to Miss Rion. If anything else like this does happen, please come to me first..." Albus said. "What's the score?" He asked, smiling at them with a bright twinkle in his eye.

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"Thanks for the game, Slytherins," Ginny said with a smirk as she handed the brooms back to Crabbe and Goyle. "And thanks for telling Dumbledore the truth, too... If I didn't know better, I would say it was nice of you," she said winking.

"Yeah, well we decided that we didn't want a teacher who thought that Vampires were bad... Imagine what she'd do to us! Not one person in our House doesn't have at least some type of being's blood in them. Rion would have a bloody field day with us! Besides, we dislike detention and loss of House points as much as the next student," Pansy said with a grin.

"Yeah... I'm sure Goyle has got some troll blood in him," Crabbe said with a smirk at his friend.

"Well, your mother is a troll," Goyle retorted. Crabbe just laughed.

"Fine, I'll tell her that you said that..." He said. Goyle blanched with fear.

"Oh, come on! You know I was only joking..." Gregory muttered.

"All right, boys... Enough of the fighting. Your mummies and daddies wouldn't be very happy with you! Imagine what they'll say when I tell them that their prized heirs have been fighting!" Pansy said and dragged them away laughing evilly. Ginny shook her head with a grin.

"We've got to go study now, Ginny... You know how Hermione gets if she doesn't get us into her daily doses of torture," Ron said with a wink. "Good game," he said.

"Yeah, you too... Go on, have a lovely torture session," Ginny said waving him off. Neville came up beside Ginny and grinned at her.

"That was fun. Thanks for letting me commentate, Ginny," he said and hugged her. She smiled.

"No problem. You did great!" Ginny said. "So I'll meet you in the Gryffindor Common Room at eight?" Ginny asked. Neville nodded.

"All right. Thanks again for teaching me, Ginny..." Neville said smiling.

"That's all right... You better go to the Common Room now. I've got to go to the library," Ginny said. Neville nodded and caught up with Seamus and Dean.

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Ginny went down to the library and started to study. Not long after, the same group of Slytherins that had waited for her after Defence Against the Dark Arts, came up to her. Draco sat beside her.

"I trust that you have not forgotten our meeting?" He said quietly. Ginny stopped writing and turned to him.

"I am here, am I not?" She asked with a smirk. "You want to go somewhere private, I presume?" Ginny asked them.

"That would be preferred. Even if we go to the Room of Requirement, I am sure that your brother and Potter will find out," Draco said. Ginny just smirked and put her bag on her shoulder.

"Most likely... But I know of a place that not even they can find us. Follow me," Ginny said and left the library. The Slytherins followed her out, shocked when she stopped at a tapestry in an abandoned corridor.

"What joke are you playing on us, Weasley? That's a plain old tapestry," Pansy said and crossed her arms, insulted. Ginny smiled at her.

"Pansy, my dear! I am quite aware that none of you are fools, so do be patient..." Ginny said, then opened the door behind the tapestry with a word. "You will have to jump, there are no stairs installed yet. Should really get that done," Ginny said to herself shaking her head, then she jumped into the corridor. "Would you hurry up before someone comes around and sees you all standing there?" Ginny's voice called up to them.

She lit her wand, even though it wasn't necessary for her and waited patiently. One by one, the Slytherins dropped down into the corridor.

"Thank the Gods you decided before your half hour was up..." Ginny drawled then led them down the corridor. The door closed after them and Pansy jumped. "Calm yourself, Pansy. There's nothing down here that could hurt you. Well, excepting myself and maybe Draco, but I have no reason to hurt you, now do I?" Ginny asked smirking back at her. Pansy shook her head.

They eventually came to the door in Ginny's wardrobe and she walked through the empty closet and into a changed room.

"You changed it around," Draco stated. The small circular room was no longer filled with a bed or a book-filled desk. Instead, there was a table with chairs in the middle of the room.

"Well, I didn't think it acceptable for people to be walking into my bedroom and through closet..." Ginny said with a shrug.

"How do you know what it looked like to start with?" Pansy asked looking at Draco.

"He thought I was wandering around at night and followed me down here," Ginny said. "Now, I'll give you half an hour, so please, sit down so we can get this done," she said. "What's this proposition you have for me?" Ginny asked once the other seven students were seated.

The people seated before her were Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode. It was funny that these famed seven Slytherins wanted something from Ginny, a Gryffindor and a Weasley...

"I'll take it that you're wondering where we are?" Ginny asked.

"Slightly curious, which is understandable, I hope," Draco said. Ginny grinned.

"Of course. Curiosity is a natural thing," she said. "We are in the oldest part of Hogwarts. Apparently, the founders used to occupy this part of the castle... But that theory hasn't been verified, so it could just be a myth," Ginny said. "I'll take it that you've all discussed what your proposal is already?" She asked looking around the table. They nodded. "Very well... Would any of you like a drink?" Ginny asked.

"No, thank you..." Draco said. Crabbe and Goyle looked slightly disappointed, but didn't say anything.

"Fine. Now, may you please start talking or should I just read your minds to get the information?" Ginny asked with an annoyed sigh. She heard Pansy kick Draco under the table and grinned.

"We wanted to discuss the... extremity of your power as a Vampire," Draco announced. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"And?" She said, knowing that there was something else.

"And how we could use it to our advantage..." Draco added reluctantly. "We also wanted to discuss the laws of our own kinds... As Pansy said today, not one person in our House does not have some type of being blood in them, and we just wanted to make sure that we are all aware of who is what..." Draco said.

"That is understandable... Please, continue," Ginny said and waited.

"The seven of us represent one particular being. I am, as you already know, a Veela. Gregory, not surprisingly, has troll blood. Vincent is part giant. Theodore has elf blood, while Blaise has centaur descendants. Pansy has merpeople ancestors and Millicent has werewolf ones," Draco said, going through each person in turn.

"Interesting combinations... I take it that I am the only Vampire in the school then?" Ginny asked. Draco looked at her for a moment then nodded.

"Well, the only known one at the moment. We haven't heard of a Vampire being here since before my great-grandfather's time," Draco said, the others nodding their agreement.

"Very well... What would you like to discuss now?" Ginny asked.

"Just how powerful are you?" Pansy asked looking at Ginny.

"I'm more advanced than I am supposed to be. That's all I know at the moment. I'm being re-tested on Friday... Oh, shit!" Ginny cursed. The Slytherins looked at her with amused wariness. "It's nothing. I just realised that I've got to take my brothers to meet someone..." Ginny muttered.

"Pardon?" Pansy asked in confusion. Ginny sighed.

"You all know what Seeing is, right?" She asked. They all nodded. "Well, two of mine combined with each other and I realised that I am meant to take Fred and George to meet my... mentor," Ginny said.

"In what way and how much do you See?" Blaise asked.

"I See through dreams, water and through reflections. I usually See in full blocks. For example, if I look into my bowl, then I will See one particular vision until I will it to change," Ginny said.

"You will it to change?" Blaise asked. Ginny nodded.

"Of course. If I don't want to See something, then I just will it to change and it does..." Ginny said with a shrug.

"Do you mind if I try?" Blaise asked, indicating to her bowl that was on the shelf.

"Go ahead. Bathroom's on the door to your left," Ginny said.

"Thank you," he said and with a slight bow, he took the bowl and headed to the bathroom. Ginny looked around the table and waited for someone else to speak again.

"We know that you can read minds and that you have the ability to retain information, but what else can you do?" Millicent asked.

"I feel like you're all trying to get this information so you can use it against me..." Ginny said. "But, I can tell by your thoughts that you haven't even thought of this, so I will continue to tell you..." She said grinning slightly. "I have strength, speed, hearing, sight. I can change my form, as some of you saw during Runes and Care of Magical Creatures," she added with a small grin. "If you'll excuse me a moment..." Ginny said and went into the bathroom. With a quick glance at each other, the Slytherins followed.

Blaise was sitting on the floor, looking pale and slightly sickened. Ginny was holding him, caressing his face and whispering in his ear. He looked at Ginny, his eyes still unfocused.

"Angelus of diligo..." He whispered. (Angel of love.)

"Haud... It is all right, carus. Just try to breathe..." She whispered in his ear. Blaise looked like he was hanging off her every word as if his life depended on it. (No.) (Dear or beloved.)

"What did you See?" Pansy asked worried for him. She'd never seen the dark boy so pale before!

"I Saw... The Forbidden Forest. Ginevra... Red wave... Manticore... Draco... Lightning..." Blaise whispered as he shuddered. Ginny looked at him for a moment.

"I will take it away, if you wish," she said seriously. Blaise shook his head.

"No. I will keep it... It was my own fault and I take full responsibility for it," he said, still looking pale and sick.

"What exactly did you See? That made no sense to us," Theodore said confused.

"If you will leave us for a moment, I wish to speak to Blaise in private," Ginny said and pushed them out of the room. Draco stayed, looking between Blaise and Ginny.

"He Saw whatever made you like you were last night, didn't he?" He asked. Ginny just looked at him, then pushed Draco out of the bathroom too.

"Are you positive you don't want it taken, Blaise?" She asked.

"I am positive... Do you know why you did that, Ginevra?" Blaise asked her. Ginny shook her head.

"No, I don't know why I did that to them. I was really angry and hurt though, so they must have done something to make me that way. I usually don't get that angry without a reason," she said. "Should I just let everyone in? They're standing at the door anyway..." Ginny said and opened the door. Pansy almost fell into the bathroom. She straightened herself and had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. "Don't bother apologising, Pansy. Your half an hour is over. We will finish discussing everything tomorrow," Ginny said.

"We'll meet you in the library again at the same time," Draco said. Ginny nodded.

"Very well... Go through the corridor and out of the third tapestry on your right. You will come out near the statue of the one-eyed witch. You can find your way from there, I presume?" She asked. The Slytherins nodded.

"Thank you, Ginevra," Blaise said as he walked out of the bathroom.

"You're welcome, carus. Before you go Blaise... You should tell him what you really feel. It will help both of you," she said smiling at him. Blaise looked shocked for a moment, then he nodded and followed his Housemates through Ginny's empty wardrobe. (Dear or beloved.)

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Ginny finished studying at seven thirty and decided to go to the Gryffindor Common Room. She walked in and saw Neville sitting at a table with Dean, Seamus, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hey, Neville. Ready to go?" Ginny asked him. Neville looked up gratefully.

"He hasn't finished his Herbology homework yet," Hermione interjected.

"When's it due?" Ginny asked him.

"Friday," Neville mumbled.

"Then you've got loads of time. We need to start this today, or else I'm not going to be able to help you," Ginny said. Neville nodded and got up, ignoring Hermione's look. "Harry, you've hardly started the essay for Potions!" Ginny said shaking her head. Harry went red and tried to pull the parchment out of Hermione's reach, but she was too quick for him. Harry glared at Ginny but she just smiled and left with Neville.

"Thanks for getting me out of there, Ginny... I thought she'd never let me leave," Neville said. Ginny grinned at him.

"Oh, she would have eventually... Just as soon as every piece of homework for the next three months was finished," she said laughing.

"Were you telling the truth before? When you said that you couldn't help me if we didn't do it today?" Neville asked her.

"It was a half lie... If we didn't start this today then I would end up making excuses not to do it and Hermione would keep you to do homework, so then we'd both ignore the entire thing and then we would never get around to it," Ginny said with a shrug. They arrived at the Room of Requirement and went inside.

Professor Moody was inside already, as Ginny had asked him. Neville looked at Ginny.

"What's he doing here?" He asked in surprise.

"Well, I don't have all of the necessary skills to teach you everything. I can teach you about a quarter of what Moody can. So I thought it would be best if he taught both of us. Professor, I hope you don't mind," Ginny said looking at Moody.

"It's fine. He could do with the help," Moody said gruffly. "You know what to do, Ginevra," he said. Ginny nodded and gave him a mocking bow before starting her exercises.

She finished them quickly and watched as Moody instructed Neville how to punch and kick properly.

"No, don't lean back so far on one foot. You'll fall over if you try to lean back any more," Moody said when Neville was almost horizontal. Neville fell over then stood up, slightly embarrassed. "Ginny, show him how to kick. Get the cut out of the guy with the wand," Moody said.

Ginny nodded. She went over to the said cut out and stood a few paces back, then kicked the cut out's head off.

"See, she didn't lean back so far and she made enough damage to give this guy one hell of a headache," Moody said and fixed the head. "You need to keep your back fairly straight too. Unless you're going to try and kick someone while you're ducking, of course," Moody said. Neville nodded. "Now, you try to kick this guy," Moody said. Neville waited until he'd moved back then kicked the cut out in the stomach. "That was good for a first attempt... I saw you dancing at the Yule Ball last year. Do you still remember the moves?" Alastar asked.

"Some of them," Neville said blushing brightly.

"Do you remember the girl's part as well?" Moody asked. Neville nodded, going brighter still. "You know how the guy had to grab the woman by one leg and spin her for a half turn?"

"Yeah, that killed my leg for the rest of the week," Ginny grumbled under her breath.

"Well, the woman had to kick her leg up so the guy could grab it. You obviously remember how to do the kick, Ginevra?" Moody asked. Ginny rolled her eyes then did a high kick to the side. "That's it... Can you do that, Neville?" Neville nodded and kicked in the same way Ginny had. "Very good. If you like, you could think of fighting as a dance. Someone goes to hit you, you step back three. To the left one, punch with the left... Try it. I'll go slower for you, all right?" Moody said. Neville nodded. "Fists up, always. They protect your face and give you a better opportunity to hit someone," Moody instructed. Neville put his fists up quickly. "Good, now be prepared. Always stay vigilant and try to look around. Most people willing to fight will make sure that there is another two or three to help them, so you have to keep a look out for those people too," Moody said. Neville nodded.

Without warning, Alastar went to hit Neville, but slowly. Neville moved back three steps, then moved to the left. Moody went to hit with his left fist, but Neville's connected with his stomach before he could do anything.

"Good. Again three more times, then we will try a different sequence," Moody said. "Ginny, you go against Lupin, when he gets here," he said. Just as he finished saying that, Remus opened the door and walked inside. "Finally... Remus, you're against Ginny. First fight sequence," he said. Lupin nodded and took his robe off. "Ready?" Moody asked Neville who nodded.

"Afternoon, Ginevra... Ready?" Lupin asked. Ginny nodded. Together, Moody and Lupin went to hit Neville and Ginny, both students stepping back three paces, then one to the left and hitting their respective teachers with their left fists.

"Again," Moody said and they continued this routine for another three times. "Now, the second sequence is one side step to the right, punch to the left with your right fist, then back two steps, and kick with your right foot. Try it without us first, then we will do it together," Alastar said. Neville did as he instructed, going slowly to make sure he didn't fall over. "Do it slightly faster now," Moody said and he did so, not doing anything wrong. "Ginny, let me see you do it now," Alastar said. Ginny did the sequence slightly faster, having seen Neville do it. "Good. Remus, go up a notch with her. She's got the speed and the memory to do it fast enough," Alastar said. Lupin nodded.

"Ready?" Both Moody and Lupin asked. Neville and Ginny nodded, and again, both instructors went to hit their students. Ginny and Neville did the sequence, kicking Alastar and Remus lightly.

By nine o'clock, Ginny and Neville had gone through three different fighting sequences and had perfected them to the extent that they could fight each other using different techniques, yet still know how to block or attack.

"All right. Do some cool downs then go get some dinner," Moody said once the clock struck. They did as he said then left the Room of Requirement.

"You did really good in there, Neville," Ginny said grinning at him. Neville went a shade of red.

"Thanks, Gin... You did too," he said.

"Hello, Ginevra," a voice said nearby. Neville yelped and jumped slightly then turned holding his heart to keep it in his chest. Ginny turned to look at Pansy and gave her a smile.

"Hello, Pansy. Going to the Great Hall?" Ginny asked her. Pansy shook her head.

"No, unfortunately... I've only just managed to drag Crabbe and Goyle out of there, I don't want to let them risk temptation," she said with a grin. Neville looked between the two women warily. "Oh, do stop staring, Longbottom! It's not a very becoming look for you," Pansy drawled.

"Please, Pansy? Just ten more minutes?" Goyle begged, looking towards the wooden doors of the Great Hall. Pansy shook her head.

"I said no, so it means no. Understood?" She said. Goyle sighed and nodded.

"All right... You win this time," Goyle said. Pansy smirked in triumph.

"Well, I must go now. Farewell, Ginevra," she said with a wink then pulled Crabbe and Goyle away, both still muttering and complaining about the lack of food.

"What was all that about?" Neville asked looking at Ginny. "Since when have you been on a first name basis with Parkinson? Or any Slytherin, for that matter?" Neville asked. Ginny smirked at him.

"Oh, do listen to yourself, Neville! This from the man who is completely in love with a certain nameless Slytherin? Oh, you're just wishing that you could be on a 'first name basis' with her so you could get closer to him, aren't you?" Ginny teased. Neville went a bright red and clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Be quiet, Ginny! Someone could hear you!" He hissed quietly. Ginny smiled then took his hand off of her mouth.

"It's all right, Neville. Calm down. No one knows anything. Your secret is safe with me," Ginny said and hugged him before they walked into the Great Hall.

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Nothing very eventful had happened at dinner, but after the exercise that she'd had, Ginny was surprised that she'd managed to stay awake long enough to eat even one plate of food!

After the initial elation of fighting and training for an hour wore off, both Neville and Ginny had been yawning widely by ten o'clock. Ginny had been the first to excuse herself and dragged her weary body out of the Great Hall and down to her room.

Almost forgetting that she'd changed the bedroom around, Ginny nearly went to sleep on the table that was occupying the room. She walked into her proper room and fell asleep instantly, not even bothering to attempt to See.

Ginny woke up in the middle of the night and started walking, almost as if in a dream. She walked down her corridor and to the end door. She climbed out and found that she was in the dungeons. Not knowing why, but still curious, Ginny let her feet continue to guide her. She ended up in front of a dragon statue.

"Putus cruor," Ginny said clearly. (Pure blood.)

The dragon statue turned, going down into the ground. She walked down the revealed staircase and into the room. She looked around and saw a desk, fireplace, window, bookcase, a bed with Draco Malfoy in it, a bedside table.

A bed with Draco Malfoy in it! Not good, Ginny thought to herself. She walked over to his bed quietly. Looking down at his pale form, she smiled. He looked so innocent...

Draco woke up and looked around quickly. He saw Ginny standing there, smiling. He fell back onto his bed and shock.

"What are you doing here, Weasley? How'd you get in?" He asked. Ginny didn't reply, she just smiled at him, and Draco thought that he was just dreaming.

Ginny smiled, too shocked to say anything. This was from one of her visions! In one of the first few she'd had, she'd taken Draco's moneybag... He'd told her not to take his things then she said he'd also said that he'd never marry her if his life depended on it. And Draco had said exactly that today!

Draco watched Ginny as she continued to smile at him, not moving, hardly even breathing... After a while, Draco's eyes began to droop and he fell asleep, briefly wondering how he could fall asleep if he was already dreaming.

Ginny stopped smiling and left the room quickly and quietly. Once outside, she shook her head and tried to control her breathing then she went to a tapestry and down into her corridor quickly.

Walking into her new bedroom, Ginny crawled back under the covers and tried to fall asleep, unsuccessfully. She remembered that she was supposed to be taking her brothers to see Lord Xavier in less than two days time and made a large note to remind herself. Finding that she still couldn't sleep, Ginny filled her bowl with water and looked into it.

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Blaise looked from Ginny to Pansy, then grabbed both of their hands. Ginny and Pansy held hands, then the three of them looked down at the puddle of water on the floor. Images swirled at them as they all focused on one thing, then Draco and Ginny appeared.

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He looked at Ginny, smiling broadly. He took her hand then went on one knee beside her.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" He asked. Ginny smiled and nodded, hugging him tightly.

"Of course I will, Draco! I love you," she whispered then kissed him. Draco held onto her and kissed her back.

"I love you too, Ginny," he whispered in her ear as he slipped a ring on her finger.

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Ginny pulled away from the images and they stopped. She looked at Pansy and Blaise, who were both extremely pale.

"I did tell you," Ginny said to the two Slytherins.

"We know, Ginevra..." Blaise said reluctantly.

"We just didn't think it would be that serious," Pansy added. Blaise nodded in agreement.

"Everyone thought that it was just a bet or something to get at Potter, but this..." Blaise said shaking his head. "This is beyond what any of us had imagined," he said quietly.

"You think I was happy about this? You think I wanted to marry him? I'm supposed to hate him. My entire family is supposed to hate him. We've hated each other for centuries! I couldn't just let that go in one night," Ginny said.

"And now?" Pansy asked, looking at her. Ginny sighed.

"Now, I don't know... I'm friends with my brother's 'enemy', as he likes to say, and I still haven't told my parents. Dad's going to curse me when he finds out... And if he doesn't, then I'm sure someone in my family would do the honours... So, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go dig my grave," Ginny said and stood up. Pansy grinned and pulled her back down to the floor.

"He won't curse you. He might curse at you, but I seriously doubt that your father would curse you... You're his only daughter, not to mention the fact that you're a Vampiress and would get really annoyed at the fact that someone is trying to kill you," Pansy said grinning. "Besides, if anyone in your family tries to curse you, then we'll be there to curse them right back, won't we, Blaise?" Pansy asked him sweetly.

"Of course we'll be there... Not to mention Neville, Creevey and Lovegood, along with most of the Slytherin House, all of the teaching staff and then some," Blaise added with a wink and grin. Ginny laughed and shook her head.

"All right... Fine! You win, as always, Pansy. Now both of you go to your boyfriends so I can go to bed and have a restless sleepless night," Ginny said and stood up. She helped the two Slytherins up and Pansy hugged her.

"Sleep well, my friend," she said. Blaise hugged Ginny too and gave her a kiss on one cheek, then the other.

"That one was from Neville. He said not to worry about anything and to try and get a good night's sleep, ok?" Blaise asked. Ginny nodded. "Now, I have to say this one thing; Draco's a lucky man to have you, and if I didn't have Neville, then I would definitely fight Draco for you," Blaise said with a wink. Ginny laughed softly and hugged him again.

"I know you would, Blaise... Give Neville a hug and kiss for me, ok?" She asked. Blaise nodded.

"Always," he said with a wink then left with Pansy.

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Ginny stopped Seeing, then yawned widely.

Not wanting to look at the time, she just put the bowl on her bedside table then rolled back under her quilts properly. Ginny was asleep again within minutes.

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6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Six

Ginny woke up to the sound of knocking on her door. She shook her head for a second, then made sure she looked presentable before opening the door to reveal Albus standing there.

"I apologise for waking you at this time, Ginevra, but I need to show you something, for both of our sakes. I will allow you five minutes before we are to leave," Albus said. Ginny nodded and let him in.

She went to her room and changed quickly, knowing that Albus wouldn't look this... desperate unless it was something urgent. She highly doubted he would be up and ready to leave at five o'clock in the morning unless it was serioius.

"All right, Albus. Where are we going?" Ginny asked as she followed him outside. Albus stopped after a few seconds, then shook his head and continued walking again, not answering Ginny. "Albus! Stop walking right now!" Ginny commanded. Albus stopped and looked at her. "Now, where are we going? Are we going anywhere specific, or are you going to continue to lead me around in circles until lessons start?" Ginny asked angrily. Albus looked at her intensely then sighed.

"Thank you for that response, Miss Weasley. Now, if you will please follow me into the Forest, then you should be able to see why I was stalling..." Albus said then went into the Forbidden Forest. Ginny followed him reluctantly.

After less than ten minutes, they came across the unicorns. Ginny was surprised at this - the unicorns rarely left the deeper part of the Forest. Ginny looked at Albus, who appeared both relieved and sad.

"Well, that much is right..." He muttered to himself. "Miss Weasley, would you oblige me by conjuring your Patronus, please?" He asked, peering at her from under heavy gray eyebrows. Ginny frowned for a moment, then took her wand from her pocket.

"Expecto patronum," she said, not even bothering to think of something happy. Five beasts flew out of her wand and looked at Ginny inquiringly.

Evita neighed and walked over to Ginny's unicorn. The other four beasts moved back in respect and all assembled watched patiently. Evita butted Ginny's unicorn softly, then neighed again. Evita touched her horn to the unicorn's flank and neighed when her horn didn't go through. The mist around Ginny's unicorn enveloped Evita's horn and Evita pulled back. She looked from the other unicorns to Ginny and Albus, then back to Ginny's unicorn. Neighing once again, Evita touched her horn to the ground, bowing before Ginny's unicorn. The other unicorns did the same. Ginny's unicorn neighed loudly and Evita looked up at her, slowly taking her horn from the ground.

Albus walked over to Evita and rubbed her face tenderly, then looked to Ginny's unicorn and bowed in respect. Then to Ginny's surprise, he started neighing to her unicorn. Ginny shook her head for a moment. It was far too early to deal with another mystery! Every other student in Hogwarts was sound asleep and here she was in the Forbidden Forest trying to deal with the fact that the unicorn's herd leader was bowing to her Patronus!

The dragon Patronus went over to Ginny and head butted her gently. She looked at it and the dragon blew 'fire' into her face. Ginny yawned and slumped to the ground.

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Draco looked at Ginny and with a smirk he began to change. He changed into a dragon and blew a small puff of fire at her before flying up into the sky. Ginny shook her head at him, then changed into a winged horse and flew to join him.

Draco gazed at her then flapped his wings once before flying over the treetops. Ginny followed, keeping up with him easily despite their difference in size. Draco landed after half an hour and changed back into his human form. Ginny went down to the ground and followed in suit.

"Why are we here? Where is here?" Ginny asked looking around. Draco smirked at her.

"You'll see in a minute. Someone I know is very interested in meeting you," he said then led her to a nearby cottage.

"Who is this someone?" Ginny asked him. Draco just smirked and knocked on the wooden door. The door opened but no one was there. Far from being spooked, Ginny knew that it was controlled by magic and followed Draco inside.

"My Lord. I have brought her," Draco announced, blocking Ginny's view with his body.

"Very good, Draconius. Please enter," a voice replied. Draco moved into the room and Ginny followed him inside.

Sitting on a throne-like chair was a handsome man. His long blonde hair flowed past his knees despite his intricate braids. His blue-silver eyes were enticing and his pale skin seemed to shine in the warm firelight.

"Hello, Ginevra. Do you know who I am?" The man asked smiling at her gently. Ginny bowed to the man before answering.

"I do know who you are, my Lord Garion. I did not expect to meet you, and I apologise sincerly for my lack of manners," Ginny replied. Garion laughed softly and looked at Draco, then at Ginny again.

"Very good... Very, very good. You bow and show respect, even though I am the leader of your enemy?"

"Of course, my Lord Garion. I would not allow myself to be disrespectful towards you. I am your guest, which could turn hostile if I do not give the proper curtisies towards you. Besides, you are my lover's mentor. I would not insult one who means so much to the one I love," Ginny replied. Garion nodded his head in agreement.

"Excellent, Ginevra. Now, would you oblige me by answering some questions I have for you?" Garion asked.

"Of course, my Lord Garion," Ginny answered.

"I thank you. Draconius, seat your lady, then leave us," Garion instructed.

Draco bowed and led Ginny to a seat. He held her hand as she sat down, then kissed it. With another bow he left the room, closing the door.

"Now, Ginevra, if you will allow me to do one single spell to see if you under any enchantments before I begin my questioning?" Garion asked.

"I allow you to perform the spell," Ginny replied.

"Promptu," Garion said holding his palm towards Ginny's face. A white mist flowed around her for a moment, then flew back to his hand. (To make clear or reveal.)

"May I ask what the result was?" Ginny asked. Garion nodded.

"You have not been put under any enchantments. The spell I just used also allows me to discover whether Draconius has put you under a Veelan spell, as well as to find out if you have been spelled to comply with another's wishes," Garion said. Ginny smiled briefly. "You think this to be amusing, Ginevra?" Garion questioned.

"Slightly, my Lord. Nothing about you, of course... I am immune to Veelan charms, so it would be unneccesary for Draconius to attempt to seduce me in that particular way," Ginny replied. Garion looked at her for a moment.

"May I see if this is true for myself?" Garion asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, I allow you to see if I am indeed immune to Veelan charms," she said.

"Thank you. If you will please, look into my eyes," Garion said. Ginny looked into the Veelan Lord's eyes and watched as a glint travelled across gaze. She felt nothing happen, as usual. "Stand up," Garion commanded.

"I hope you will not be offended, but I prefer to sit. It was a long journey for me and I am tired," Ginny replied. Garion nodded.

"Very well. Thank you for letting me see for myself. Now, I will begin my questioning," Garion said. "You Draconius's lover of your own accord?" Garion asked her.

"Yes, I am," Ginny said.

"You are part of the Vampire Elder Council, I believe?" Garion questioned. Ginny regarded him for a second before replying.

"Yes, I am. I will not divulge their secrets, so I will answer no further questions about the Council or other Vampires unless I believe it to be safe to do so," Ginny said.

"Understandable. Virginia Weasley is part of the Elder Council?" Garion asked. Judging by the sound of disgust in his voice, Ginny decided that Garion liked Virginia even less than she did.

"Yes, she is," Ginny said, her voice not withholding her emotion.

"You dislike her too?" Garion asked, relatively surprised.

"I am not a particular fan of my relative... You sound even less enamoured with her than I am," Ginny stated. Garion nodded, hate burning in his expressive eyes for a moment before he answered.

"I trust you have heard of some of Virginia's... events?" Garion asked. When Ginny nodded, he continued. "You have heard of her seducing the leader of an army, then killing him?" Ginny nodded again, more wary this time. "The leader of that army was my father... Virginia decided to seduce my father and kill him, even though the war had nothing to do with her. The war was against the Quintapeds on the Isle of Drear; they had been killing off our kind for ages and she thwarted our revenge. McCliverts were reknowned Veelas. After the McCliverts changed the McBoon family into Quintapeds, the McBoons have been killing off Veelas..." Garion said and shook his head sadly. "Virginia killed my father to protect the Quintapeds, the Gods know why, then she forced the wizard Ministry make the Isle of Drear Unplottable. We can't avenge our deaths, nor try to restore the McBoons. The Ministry tried, but they were using the wrong spells and thus, the Quintapeds avioded them as much as possiible," Garion said.

"If the McBoons have been killing your own kind, then why would you try to restore them?" Ginny asked confused.

"The McBoons are also Veelas. The McCliverts were under the Imperius curse when they made the McBoons into the Quintapeds. The McBoons know that, but unfortunately, the Veela side of our kind attracts them and they are urged to devour us. It is through no fault of their own, so we forgive them for it, but we need to find out who put the McCliverts under the Imperius spell and the McBoons know that," Garion said.

"How do you know that the McBoons know if you can't get anywhere near them?" Ginny asked.

"When our kind is young, the Veela side is not present. The McBoons will not devour children, nor will any Quintaped. It is against their morals, as unbelievable as that may seem... A few of our children volunteered to go when they were old enough to understand what it meant. Children, as you know, are immune to any Unplottable charms..." Garion said. Ginny nodded in agreement. "Five children went, armed with wands. The youngest was nine when he went, the eldest was almost eleven. Draconius was one of the children and the first to volunteer. He was also the youngest, but even then he was a leader. He led the other four children onto and off of the Isle, completely unharmed," Garion said, pride in his voice.

"How did they get there in the first place?" Ginny asked. Garion smiled.

"The parents of the five youngesters Apparated to the top of Scotland, then gave them a magic boat that was able to respond only to the children's voices," Garion said.

"How did Draco communicate with the Quintapeds?" Ginny asked.

"The historians think that Quintapeds are unable to speak; however, the Quintapeds just didn't want to talk to them, so they pretended they couldn't. It is common knowledge amongst Veelas that the Quintapeds can talk," Garion said with a slight shrug. "Now, if I may continue my questioning? I apologise that we seem to have been sidetracked," Garion said.

"That is all right, my Lord Garion. It is understandable," Ginny replied.

"Of course," Garion said with a smile then continued to question Ginny.

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For the first time, the image changed without Ginny willing it to happen...

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Ginny stared at Draco in shock then slapped him hard.

"How dare you!" She hissed. Draco held his face in shock and didn't reply. "I should kill you for doing that, Malfoy! Do you have any idea what you've done? Any idea whatsoever?!" She yelled then hit him again, her nails scratching into his face. Ginny stalked away, bristling with anger.

"I did it to help you! Both of us!" Draco called after her. "Just come back, Weasley!" He called. Ginny turned and leapt at him, her fangs and nails extending. She landed directly in front of him, her nails on one side of his neck and her teeth on the other. "Don't do it, Weasley... You don't have the Thirst, remember?" Draco said sounding scared.

Ginny lowered her teeth to Draco's neck and heard her fangs pierce his skin. Draco's crimson blood poured into her mouth and she swallowed, trying to determine the taste. Deciding it wasn't as bad as she first thought, Ginny began to lick, encouraging the liquid to continue to flow. She didn't notice that Draco had taken them out of the corridor until she pulled away from his neck. Her eyes were bright and her face was flushed.

"I thought you didn't have the Thirst?" Draco asked as he held his hand to his neck to try and stop the bleeding.

"I don't. Only with you," Ginny replied, then kissed him hungrily. Draco's arms wrapped around her body and Ginny ran her hands through his hair, finding his neck once more.

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Ginny woke up and looked around. She saw her dragon sitting beside her, nuzzling her with its snout.

"Hello, my love... Where are we?" She asked him quietly when she didn't recognise their surroundings. The dragon rose to his full height and roared loudly. Albus came into room quickly, his face pale.

"Oh, you're all right... I thought I told you to let her sleep, did I not?" Albus asked, turning to the dragon.

"I woke on my own accord, Albus!" Ginny said angrily. "Leave Mathius be!"

"Mathius?" Albus asked. Ginny shrugged.

"I can't really call him 'it' or 'dragon' all of the time, now can I?" Ginny stated. Ginny decided to call the bat Macen; the manticore, Manx; the wolf, Meriam; and the unicorn, Majolica. Mathius agreed, blowing a ring of smoke at her. Ginny laughed softly then turned to Albus. "Where am I?" She asked.

"I brought you to the Room of Requirement, in accordance with your Patronus' wishes," Albus said. "Yes, yes. I know," Albus said when Mathius roared again. "I'm going to leave you with them all for half an hour. It is half past seven," Albus said then left the Room through a door that hadn't been there a moment ago.

Ginny turned to her Patronus' and waited for an explanation. When none was given, she sighed.

"Would one of you please tell me what is going on?" She asked. Mathius walked towards her awkwardly on his small feet, then wrapped his tail around her body and lifted her onto his back.

Mathius blew white fire and Ginny looked at it. A vision pulled her and with a sigh, she looked at the fire properly.

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Ginny cowered on the ground helplessly and fumbled to make her Patronus appear. Quickly, her five animals crowded around her and blocked off the Dementors.

Voices rang in Ginny's head and images floated in front of her as she slumped further to the ground, trying to block them out.

Merium howled loudly and the Dementors left, unable to get past them. One by one, Ginny's Patronus' turned to her and lifted her unconscious body from the ground.

Majolica put Ginny on her back tenderly, then Mathius put the unicorn on his back carefully. Macen flew up onto Mathius and landed on his ear. With a howl, Meriam climbed onto Manx's back who then climbed onto Mathius, careful not to sting him.

Mathius flapped his large wings and they flew up into the night sky. Mathius flew faster and harder than he'd ever done before and refused to stop, even when it felt like his wings would drop off. He landed in front of a mansion and roared loudly. Someone ran outside and saw Mathius standing there.

"What the hell?" Draco swore. Meriam growled warningly. "Sorry... Where's Ginny?" Draco asked. Mathius gave a pitying mewl and lowered Majolica from his back. "What happened to her?" Draco asked.

Manx took Ginny from Majolica's back wordlessly then, without warning, both Majolica and Manx stabbed Draco with their horn and tail respectively. Draco's eyes closed and in a few seconds, they reopened and the two beasts withdrew from his chest.

"Where were the Dementors? Where was Ginny?" Draco asked urgently. Meriam growled and jumped on Draco, so her front paws were on his shoulders. Meriam looked at Draco then turned to look at Ginny. "Right... Do you want to go back into her, or stay with her?" Draco asked as he picked Ginny up carefully. Macen squeaked at Draco indignantly and flew inside. "Shouldn't have even asked," Draco muttered shaking his head. Ginny's Patronus' were more protective of her than a mother hen.

He went inside, the other beasts following him. Amazingly, Mathius was able to fit in through the mansion door by simply shrinking himself.

"Greber!" Draco called. A house-elf appeared before him and bowed. "Bring warm water, a cloth and some blankets," Draco instructed. Greber bowed and left quickly. He came back with everything Draco had asked for then bowed and left, refusing to even look at Ginny.

Ginny tossed and turned for the rest of the night and there was nothing her Patronuses nor Draco could do. They watched and waited as she tried in vain to rid her brain of past horrors. Just as the sun began to rise, Ginny woke up, pale and sweating. She saw Draco asleep on her and smiled briefly. Macen flew over to her and landed on her shoulder.

"You're all here?" Ginny asked as she looked around. "I'm sorry for worrying you all. Return now and get some rest. Thank you," Ginny whispered to her Patronuses. They disappeared one by one into her and as Mathius disappeared, Draco woke up.

"Carus! Quam es vos?" Draco asked urgently and kissed her. Ginny pulled away and smiled at him. (Dear or beloved.) (How are you?)

"Ego sum melior. Gratias ago vos, carus," Ginny whispered and kissed him. (I am better.) (Thank you, dear or beloved.)

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The images stopped and Ginny looked down at Mathius.

"Why are you showing me this?" She asked.

It is necessary for you to know, Mathius replied. Manx whipped his tail impatiently and Mathius lowered Ginny from his back. Manx put Ginny onto his back and Ginny watched as more visions pulled at her.

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Virginia smiled cruelly at the house-elf before her.

Ginny knew that this must have happened centuries ago as the poor house-elf was marked with Virginia's crest.

"Please, Mistress Virginia! Bolly will do as Mistress Virginia wishes! Will Mistress Virginia let go of Netar now?" Bolly asked timidly. Virginia bared her fangs as she smiled at the cowering house-elf before her.

"I do not believe that you will do as I asked... I will hold Netar until you comply with my wishes. Now, go do your job!" Virginia snarled. Bolly bowed and left the room quickly. Virginia laughed cruelly. "Stupid little house-elf... Now, Netar... You will not leave this room, unless I order you to. Is that understood, you pathetic creature?" Virginia asked and kicked at the house-elf near her.

"Yes, Mistress Virginia! Netar will not leave this room!" Netar said cowering.

"Good..." Virginia said smiling evilly and left the room.

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Macen landed on Ginny's shoulder and yet another vision pulled at her.

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Ginny ran away from everyone quickly. Ignoring the Muggles that were nearby, she began to change. A bird flew in her place and Ginny flew up to the nearest tall building. She perched herself on the roof and sighed a very un-birdlike sigh. She carefully changed back into her human self and sat on the roof, watching everything below her.

"Ginevra Weasley! Get back down there! You gave those poor Muggles a fright!" Molly said Apparating next to her.

"Mum, I just need to be alone. Is that too much to ask? I'll meet you all at home," Ginny said then stood up and stepped off the roof. Molly gasped and watched as her only daughter began to change form, hoping she wouldn't hit the ground. Ginny turned into a different bird and flew away again. Molly Apparated back to her family, who had all seen what Ginny had done.

"She'll meet us at home," Molly said and they left, only after Modifying the Muggles' memories.

Ginny flew over the clouds, trying to keep out of her family's sight more than the unaware Muggles below. Again, she felt completely free as she had changed form, yet when she was with her family, she had felt restricted and suffocated. Ginny had no idea why, but she knew that she had to get away as soon as possible. She needed to think...

Ginny landed soon after entering the wizarding world. She didn't care where she was, as long as it wasn't anywhere near people that she knew. She changed form and saw that she had landed in Knockturn Alley.

Ginny put the hood up on her cloak and began to walk aimlessly, thinking about everything that had happened throughout the day. Unknowingly to Ginny, people began to crowd around her silently. They followed her as she walked through Knockturn Alley. When Ginny heard the hundreds of feet following her, she stopped and turned to see hundreds of dirty, foul smelling people behind her. Everyone stopped quickly and watched her. Surprisingly, Ginny didn't feel afraid. These people were in Knockturn Alley because they too, felt that they didn't fit in their own places.

"Would you like something?" Ginny asked them politely. One toothless woman stepped forward and smiled at Ginny.

"Miss, medics won't see us. I've had a broken arm for nearly two months... Can you fix it, Miss?" The woman asked and smiled at her.

"Do all of you need medical attention?" Ginny asked. Most of them nodded. "All right. Can someone lead me to a place where I can heal you properly?" Ginny asked.

The toothless woman grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her to a nearby building. Ginny opened the door and they all filed in. More people had joined the already large group. Ginny looked at everyone.

"All right... People with broken bones, stand behind this woman," Ginny instructed. Less than half of the group moved behind the woman. "What's wrong with you?' Ginny asked one man.

"I can' see outta me left eye, Miss," he said.

"All right. Any problems with eyes, mouths, etc, stand behind this man," Ginny said. A smaller group went behind the man. "What's wrong with the rest of you?" Ginny asked when half of the people were just standing there.

"We just wanna watch," they all replied.

"All right..." Ginny said. She shook her head and went over to the first line. She began to heal the people with broken bones. The toothless woman stayed beside Ginny, watching. "Why did you decide that I could heal you all?" Ginny asked her, absently examining a little boy. The woman shrugged.

"We know good people when we see them. You're a good 'un, Miss. Besides, we felt... drawn to you. We all just felt that you could help us," the woman replied. The boy who was getting his leg fixed nodded in agreement.

"That's right, Miss... You're nice, but also like us," the boy said then scampered off quickly.

"All right. I can handle that..." Ginny said and continued to heal the people. "All of you stay once I've healed you. You might as well get clean and have some food put into you," Ginny announced once she had finished the first line of people.

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Meriam walked over to Ginny, but no vision appeared thankfully. Meriam rubbed her cheek against Ginny's leg and howled softly. Majolica trotted over and touched her horn to Ginny's forehead.

The man returns now. We must leave now. Come back later tonight and we will finish, Meriam and Majolica said simultaneously. Ginny nodded and the five beasts disappeared.

A door opened and Albus appeared.

"Are you finished now?" He asked. Ginny nodded. "Good. Breakfast is ready in the Great Hall. The other students are already in there," Albus said, then left. Ginny sighed and followed him out to the Great Hall.

Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table and started eating her breakfast eagerly.

"She's going to become so fat eating like that," Lavender whispered to Parvati, staring as Ginny ate bacon and eggs. Ginny stopped eating and looked at Lavender. She took a drink of pumpkin juice, then walked over to Lavender, who had gone pale.

"You know what, Lavender? You're the type of girl that makes others become anorexic and bulimic. You're the type of person who encourages people to have eating disorders so they can look perfect in your own little world. Who gives a flying fuck if I become larger? It's better than being like you, you sick excuse for a human being," Ginny said and with that, she grabbed a piece of cake and smeared it on Lavender's face then stalked out of the Great Hall.

For the first time, Ginny wanted the future to hurry up. She would have gladly ripped Lavender into tiny pieces with her own hands!

If Ginny was happy with her own body, then why should others comment on it?! Lavender was the person who had encouraged poor Eloise to try and hex off her pimples! She was on the thin side, to add insult to injury!

'Nothing on the outside mattered, for the Gods sakes! Why is it so hard for people to understand that?!' Ginny thought angrily then slammed her fist in to a wall. A large hole appeared when she pulled away. Blood covered her knuckles and bits of brick were lodged in her hand. The wall repaired itself and Ginny walked away, ignoring the pain that seared through her hand.

"Ginny?" Neville called nervously. Ginny turned around and faced her friend.

"Yes, Neville?" She asked, still angry about the incident with Lavender. Stupid cow...

"I wanted to tell you that it was very brave what you said back there," Neville stammered, eyeing the wall nervously.

"I'm not going to hit you, Neville, so calm down," Ginny said. Neville nodded and relaxed. Ginny healed her hand easily then looked at him. "And... thanks... Want to come to Charms with me?" Ginny asked him. Neville nodded and fell into step beside her. "Is that all you wanted to say?" Ginny asked Neville. He shook his head slightly.

"No... I was going to ask how you threatened Hermione yesterday," Neville said. Ginny grinned.

"Oh, I just said that if I found out she'd ever done it again then she'd be hurt with worse than a language spell," Ginny replied. Neville looked at her in confusion. "Fred and George sent a spell that made her only able to speak Latin. I was quite disappointed that Dumbledore found out. It would have been funny to see what would have happened," Ginny said with a laugh. Neville grinned.

"Want to know something weird?" Neville asked Ginny. She nodded. "I bumped into... Blaise this morning and he didn't do anything. He helped me off the floor and that was it," Neville whispered quietly.

"That's good, I think..." Ginny said with a frown.

"Yeah, I didn't know what to think either. I just mumbled thanks then left as quick as I could without tripping over," Neville said with a faint blush.

They walked into the Charms classroom and then after Ginny had taken her things out, she looked at Neville.

"Did he say anything to you?" She asked. Neville shrugged, blushing again.

"I don't know. I was so nervous I didn't really hear anything," he said. Ginny thought for a second then grabbed Neville's hand.

"Think of it really well... I'll see for myself," Ginny said. Neville nodded and thought. Murmuring a spell, Ginny and Neville disappeared.

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Neville walked along the corridor, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. His robe was half open as he hadn't had time to do it up completely that morning.

Neville looked at Ginny in shock and surprise.

"How did you do this? That's me," he said watching as his past self walked along the corridor. He winced. "Look out," he called out, but to no avail.

Neville smacked into what he first thought was a door. He fell to the floor with a thud.

"Gods, that hurt," he muttered.

"Here, let me help you," a voice said.

Neville went pale then bright red as he realised whom the voice belonged to. He looked up to see a very hot looking Blaise standing over him, offering his hand to him. Neville took it and stood up, still bright red.

"You should look up when you walk," Blaise said with a smirk. Neville nodded, his face going an even brighter shade of red, something that Ginny hadn't thought possible.

"Thanks," Neville murmured and then left quickly.

"Oh, Gods... Could I have been any more idiotic? Why didn't I just knock myself out to save from embarrassment?" Neville groaned and shook his head. Ginny took his arm and they disappeared again.

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"Ah, Miss Weasley, Mr Longbottom. I didn't see you there," Flitwick said when he turned around to see Ginny and Neville sitting on their seats.

"That's all right, Professor. I was just tying my shoelace up," Ginny said with a smile.

"Are you all right, Mr Longbottom? You look quite pale," Flitwick noticed. Neville just groaned softly and smacked his head on the table. "Is he all right?" Flitwick asked Ginny in shock.

"Uh, yes sir... He's just a bit nervous about Potions," Ginny said brightly. "Everyone's coming, Neville. Sit up and don't look at the Slytherins, understood?" She said quietly in Neville's ear. Neville nodded and sat up properly. He rubbed his forehead and made a mental note not to hit his head on any more wooden tables. Ginny grabbed Neville's hand comfortingly. "It's all right, Nev. Concentrate on class, ok?" She said quietly. He nodded again.

Students started to file in and Neville, determined not to look at the Slytherins, stared down at the seat in front of him. A person with black hair sat in front of him and Neville started for a moment, knowing that Harry never sat in front of him. Then he saw that the person had dark skin.

"Please tell me that's Dean Thomas in front of me," Neville moaned quietly to Ginny.

Ginny stared at Blaise, wondering what the hell he was doing sitting on the Gryffindor side of the classroom. Then Draco sat next to Blaise and Neville almost fainted.

"I didn't think it was... What are they doing over this side?" He asked quietly.

"No idea... Hey, Blaise? Are you sure you're sitting in the right seat?" Ginny asked him. Blaise turned around and smirked at her. Neville stared at him.

"I'm sure, Ginevra... You didn't hear Dumbledore after your little episode with Lavender, did you? He said that we were to promote House unity more, so Draco and I decided to sit on the Gryffindor side for the rest of the year..." Blaise said grinning. Neville's head dropped to the table.

"You're being mean, Blaise," Ginny muttered so quietly that only he could hear. Blaise just smirked at her.

"You were the one that told me to tell him," he replied in the same tone. "How about I sit up next to you two? I'm sure there's enough room for all of us. I can just sit on one of your laps," Blaise said with a smirk. Neville's head shot up and he ran out of the classroom.

"Blaise, you're such a jerk... He was all ready to go off and knock himself out with what happened this morning. You just really want him out of your head, don't you?" Ginny asked shaking her head then left after Neville. Blaise left too. Having no idea what had just happened, Flitwick sent Draco after them.

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"Neville! Stop running, would you? If you don't stop, I'm going to bloody hurt you! It's too early in the morning to be running after you!" Ginny called.

Neville stopped reluctantly and turned. When he saw that Blaise was following Ginny, he turned and ran as fast as he could.

"For the Gods sakes!" Ginny muttered and ran after Neville faster.

Blaise ran faster, his body starting to change as he did so. Soon a centaur was running through the halls after a Vampire and a runaway student. With a sigh, a Veelan was running after those three too.

Ginny caught up with Neville easily and she pulled him outside to the room that Colin had taken them. She returned to her normal form and looked at Neville, shaking her head.

"I told you not to run, Neville! You should have stayed in class! Flitwick's sent Malfoy after us and we're all going to be in trouble," Ginny said shaking her head.

"I... I'm not going... back to class. Ever," Neville stammered. "Can you... believe it? I have to sit... near him for... for the rest of the year?" Neville stammered again then sank to the floor in shock. Ginny sighed and sat beside him.

"Come on, Neville... It's not that bad," Ginny said comfortingly. Neville nodded.

"I know, that's exactly it," he said with a sigh.

They heard hooves outside and looked at each other. Then the door opened and they saw Blaise standing there. Well, it looked like Blaise, but it was a centaur version of him. Neville stared at him.

"Blaise?" he asked. The centaur nodded and walked over to him.

"Come with me. We need to talk," Blaise said and offered Neville his hand again. Neville took it in a daze and followed Blaise outside. "We won't be long," Blaise said to another person. Draco nodded and let them leave. He went into the room and saw Ginny sitting on the floor.

"You all right?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Poor Neville. Blaise was really torturing him by sitting there," Ginny said shaking her head.

"We better wait until they get back. Flitwick won't think it very good if only we go back then Blaise and Longbottom get back to class afterwards..." Draco said. Ginny shrugged.

"I don't really care. I just want to see Brown as little as possible," Ginny said. Draco nodded.

"Saw what happened at the Great Hall... What exactly did she do or say to make you do that?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"She said how fat I'm going to get by eating food... And she does it in such a way that you feel guilty eating anything. It pisses me off so much. I just lost control, I guess. You know, she's the one who convinced Eloise to hex off her pimples. She kept saying to Parvati that no guy would date a girl who had acne whenever Eloise was near. Eloise got worried about it, of course, because she really liked some guy in Ravenclaw. Then Lavender just happened to tell Parvati a spell that was supposed to remove acne. Eloise went off and did it, then almost lost her nose in the process. The acne was still there and all she got was a crooked nose. Gods, I would have started slapping the hell out of Lavender, but I couldn't. Eloise told me not too, for starters, and it was none of my business either..." Ginny said shaking her head.

"So what happened with the Ravenclaw guy?" Draco asked. Ginny laughed softly.

"He ended up dating Eloise. They're still going out, I think... She was really happy about it because he said that he didn't care about pimples. He had them too and he shouldn't judge people because of the way they look, or something like that," Ginny said. "Did you really mean what you said yesterday?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"What did I say?" Draco asked frowning.

"You called me a worthless whore," Ginny said quietly. Draco looked at her for a moment, but didn't reply. "Right... I'm going to go find Blaise and Neville," she said and got up.

"I didn't mean to say it, Weasley," Draco said quietly as she was about to go out the door.

"I'm sure you didn't, Malfoy... But you did say it," Ginny said then slipped outside. She saw Blaise and Neville not too far off, kissing. "Hey, lovebirds!" She called. Blaise and Neville looked at her. "Flitwick's going to send someone else out if we don't get back soon," Ginny said.

Blaise nodded and took Neville's hand as they walked over. Neville was almost bursting with happiness and still seemed to be in shock. As they walked back, Blaise turned back into his human self, never letting go of Neville.

"Good to see you two finally together... Now, can we get back to class before Flitwick sends the search party?" Ginny asked. Blaise and Neville grinned at her and nodded.

"What about Draco?" Blaise asked looking into the room. Draco was sitting there, still in shock.

"A calming spell should do the trick," Ginny said. Blaise nodded and performed a calming spell on his friend. Draco relaxed and stopped looking so shocked. He stood up and glared at them.

"Thought you said you weren't going to be long," Draco sneered at Blaise.

"Plans change," Blaise drawled then left the room with Neville.

"Weasley?" Draco questioned. Ginny didn't look at him. "Ginevra please, look at me," he said quietly. Ginny looked at him and waited. "I said that in the heat of the moment. I didn't mean any offence, and I meant it when I apologised for it yesterday," Draco said reluctantly. Ginny nodded.

"I'm sure you did," she said and then left. Draco followed her out of the room and they all made their way back to the Charms classroom.

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"There you all are! What took you so long?" Flitwick asked as they entered the classroom.

"Sorry, sir. It took longer than we thought to find Neville. He's a fast runner," Ginny said with an apologetic grin. The two Slytherins nodded in agreement.

"Very well... Go back to your seats and catch up on what you've missed out on," Flitwick instructed.

Ginny and Neville sat in their seats, and Blaise and Draco sat in front of them.

"May someone please tell me what a charm originally was?" Flitwick asked.

"The term 'charm' originally meant the chanting of a verse to keep away bad influences," Ginny said immediately.

"Very good, Miss Weasley! Ten points to Gryffindor," Flitwick said happily. "Now, although charms were originally meant to be a verse to keep away bad spirits, charms are now amulets and other objects. The charm you will be learning today is how to make an amulet out of nothing," Flitwick said. "In front of each of you should be a piece of string. If you do not have one, then please tell me and I will give you one," Flitwick said.

Everyone looked down on their desks and found a large loop of string, big enough to be a necklace.

"The charm is Lamnia. What does this mean?" Flitwick asked.

"It means a sheet of metal," Hermione said before anyone else could say anything.

"Very good, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor," Flitwick said. "Now, watch carefully. This spell can be dangerous if you do not do it properly." Flitwick said. "You have to point your wand at a clear space, such as this one on the floor. There is nothing there, see?" Flitwick said and indicated to the empty space. "Now move your wand around clockwise once and say the incantation, Lamnia," he said, and a small sheet of metal appeared in the empty space. "Be careful not to point it at anyone or anything, or you will all be in severe trouble," Flitwick finished, completely serious. "Once you have made your metal, put your hand up and I will check it for you," Flitwick said. "Clear the space in front of you, then do the spell carefully," he said, stressing the word 'carefully'.

Ginny moved her books out of the way and stood up so she could point her wand at the desk properly. Neville followed suit, not wanting to get into severe trouble.

Ginny pointed her wand at her desk, then moved it around clockwise and said the incantation. A sheet of metal appeared in front of her and she moved it out of Neville's way then put her hand up. She watched as Neville did the incantation and a sheet of metal appeared in front of him too. Neville sat down and poked the metal to make sure it was really there before putting his hand up too. Flitwick levitated himself over to them and checked the metal with his wand.

"Very good, Miss Weasley. The metal is extremely strong. I doubt that even a giant could break it," he said with a smile. "Mr. Longbottom, your metal is very good. Congratulations," Flitwick said smiling at Neville. "Twenty points to Gryffindor," he said. Neville beamed happily.

"We've finished too, Professor," Draco announced. Flitwick levitated down to them and tested their metal too.

"Very good work, boys. Twenty points to Slytherin and another ten for promoting House unity," Flitwick said to them smiling. Draco and Blaise nodded and Flitwick levitated over to Hermione.

"You got ten points for promoting House unity? Just because you're sitting on the wrong side of the room?" Lavender asked in shocked amazement. "You're probably just thinking of ways to torture us while the teacher's not looking," she said and glared at them.

"Oh, get over yourself Lavender. No one would waste their time in trying to torture you," Ginny hissed at her. Lavender stared at her in shock.

"So you're defending Slytherins now? First you get all angry at me just because I'm talking to my friend and now you're putting your nose in business where it's not wanted!" Lavender said.

"I think that talking to your friend about me is my business, Brown! And just because I want you to shut up doesn't mean I'm putting my nose in your business! Now shove off and try to do your piece of metal, yet again," Ginny hissed at Lavender. Blaise, Draco and Neville stared at Ginny in shock. "Oh, stop thinking that," she said glaring at the three boys.

"Is there a problem here?" Flitwick asked, levitating over. Lavender glared at Ginny but didn't say anything.

"There's no problem, Professor. I was just telling the two boys why my piece of metal has a red tinge to it instead of the silver one that their piece of metal has," Ginny said smiling at Flitwick sweetly.

"Very well... Would you mind telling me exactly how you did that, Miss Weasley?" Flitwick asked, looking down at her metal properly.

"Of course, Professor... My magic just gives off a red tinge to it. It's nothing I can really control, but I think that it makes it all the more unique," Ginny said smiling at the Professor again.

"Yes, it is unique... May I talk to you after class, please?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, Professor Flitwick," she said.

"Thank you... Now, has everyone got a piece of metal?" He asked. Everyone answered in the affirmative. "Very good. Now, if you want a round amulet, say the incantation Rotoudus," Flitwick said. "If you want it to be square shaped, then say the incantation Quadratus," he said. "If you want it in the shape of a cone, then say Tubineus," Flitwick said. "Try it now. Just point your wand at the metal and say the word for the shape you want," Flitwick instructed. Students began to say the spell and shapes formed in their piece of metal.

"Professor? Could I use the incantation Formo instead?" Ginny asked. Flitwick looked at her for a moment then nodded. "Thank you." (To shape, form, or fashion.)

"What are you going to make your amulet into?" Neville asked. Ginny shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Let's see..." She said with a grin. Ginny pointed her wand at the piece of metal and said, "Formo." Her wand shot out a small red-white light, almost like a Muggle laser and a picture began to form in the metal. When Ginny realised that it was going to take a long time, she made her wand stay in mid air so it could continue. "Remaneo," she whispered, then let go of her wand. It stayed in mid air and the light continued to come out of the tip and etch itself into the metal. (Stay, or continue.)

"Miss Weasley, what are you making there?" Flitwick asked, levitating over to her.

"I'm not sure, Professor. My wand's doing it on its own," Ginny said with a shrug. Flitwick looked from Ginny to her wand. In a few moments, the wand stopped moving and Ginny, Neville and Flitwick looked down at the piece of metal.

"Do you know what it is, Miss Weasley?" Flitwick asked. Ginny had seen the picture and went pale. "Miss Weasley? Are you all right?" Flitwick asked, seeing her pale face. She looked up at him and managed a smile.

"I'm fine, Professor. It's a dragon pendant," Ginny said and pulled the dragon out of the metal. It was the same dragon pendant that Draco had to protect himself against Virginia's Veela charms!

"It's very detailed," Flitwick said impressed. Ginny just nodded. The bell rang loudly and everyone left quickly. Ginny went over to Professor Flitwick and waited. "Ah, Miss Weasley. I was just wondering if you could cast a spell for me? I would like to see your red magic for myself, if you don't mind," Flitwick said smiling at her brightly.

"Of course, Professor," Ginny said. "What spell would you like me to do?" She asked. Flitwick thought for a moment.

"Just Lumos will do for now," he said. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, Professor. Lumos," she said and a red-white light appeared at the tip of her wand.

"Interesting... Very interesting... Thank you, Miss Weasley. You should go to your next lesson now," Flitwick said.

"Nox. Could I have a note please? I doubt Professor Snape will take my word on it," Ginny said smiling. Flitwick nodded and wrote a note out for Ginny. "Thank you," she said and left quickly, pocketing her dragon pendant.

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Not bothering to run, Ginny simply walked down to the dungeons and entered the Potions classroom.

"Miss Weasley. Glad you could join us," Snape drawled.

"Why Professor, I didn't know you cared so much," Ginny said smiling at him sweetly. She passed him the note from Flitwick then sat down on her seat. Snape glared after her.

"You want to be smart, Miss Weasley? Then tell us what potion we will be making today. The ingredients are on the board," Snape said, looking at her with a broad smirk. Ginny barely glanced at the board before answering him.

"Judging that the main ingredient is witch hazel, I would normally presume that we would be making a potion to do with cosmetics, probably a face cream, as that is the most standard seventh year potion... However, due to the fact that dried catnip leaves are also an ingredient and they produce mild hallucinations, as well as yew berry seeds, which can cause instant death, I would have to presume that the potion we are making is extremely dangerous and is to be used against enemies. All of which means that the potion we are going to make is the Mors potion," Ginny said confidently.

Looking around properly, Ginny saw that Snape was staring at her in shock, as was the rest of the class. Snape snapped out of his shock-filled state and his emotionless mask returned.

"Correct, Miss Weasley. Five points to Gryffindor," Snape said. "As Miss Weasley just said, the main ingredient is witch hazel. When cut properly, the leaves and wood can produce extracts useful in making cosmetics. However, as there are catnip leaves and yew berry seeds in the potion as well, this means that the potion is extremely dangerous, as both of these ingredients are poisonous. The yew berries are fine to eat by themselves, and yew bark is often used in both Muggle and wizard medicines, as well as to make archery bows and arrows. But the berry seeds and leaves of the yew tree contain alkaloids that have caused many Muggle animals to die suddenly. Once consumed, the leaves and berry will cause the heart to stop and there are no symptoms to be seen," Snape said. "Everyone put on your gloves when handling these ingredients, as it would not do for a student to die due to ignorance and irresponsiblity. Is that understood?" He asked, surveying the room. The students nodded, most of them pale. "Well... Put your gloves on, you imbeciles!" Snape said and everyone did so quickly.

"You can't use those gloves, Ron. They've got holes in them," Hermione whispered to him.

"Is there a problem here, Miss Granger?" Snape asked looking down at her.

"No, Professor... I was just telling Ron that he can't use the gloves he brought because they have holes in them," Hermione said quietly. Snape smirked and looked at Ron, who was glaring at Hermione.

"Let me see your gloves, Mr Weasley," Snape said. Ron reluctantly showed Snape his gloves, going bright red when Snape tsked at him. "You will have to sit this out, Mr Weasley. You will not be able to make any other potions with these gloves. You will receive zero until you can come up with better gloves. Let's hope that your sister has better gloves than you... It would be a shame for both Weasley's to fail my subject," Snape drawled.

"Actually Professor, I happened to bring two pairs and they are both in immaculate condition," Ginny said. Snape frowned and walked back to her seat.

"Show me," he said. Ginny brought two pairs of gloves from her bag and showed them to him. "Mr Weasley. Take a pair of gloves from your sister. Next time, be better prepared," Snape snarled at him.

Ron nodded and took a pair of gloves from Ginny then returned to his seat quickly. Only Neville noticed that Ginny was missing two quills...

"Everyone collect the ingredients, then start. You have forty minutes to complete the potion," Snape said. Everyone rushed to the front quickly and grabbed everything. Ginny waited patiently for everyone to finish pushing and shoving then took the ingredients once there was enough room for her to get in between the other students. Ginny eventually got back to her seat and then started to instruct Neville what to do.

"Got your gloves on?" Ginny asked him. Neville nodded and showed her his extra thick dragon hide gloves. "Ok, then put in the dried catnip leaves and stir to the left three times," she said. Neville did as she said and they continued to work that way for the rest of the class...

With only a few minutes to spare before the bell went, they had finished their potion. Ginny labelled their phials and took them up to Professor Snape.

"You are to stay behind, Miss Weasley," Snape said.

Ginny nodded and went back to her seat. As Ginny and Neville finished packing up their belongings, the bell rang loudly. A large bang was heard and Seamus and Dean started swearing loudly.

"Mr. Finnigan and Mr. Thomas! Stop your cursing and come to the front," Snape yelled. Both boys did as he said reluctantly. "What happened?" Snape asked them.

"Well Seamus was putting in the witch hazel while I was stirring the cauldron, then the bell went and he jumped. He put all of the witch hazel in instead of only half and the potion blew up," Dean said.

"Clean up your mess and both of you have detention tonight at eight thirty so you can redo the potion. Twenty points from Gryffindor," Snape said. Both boys nodded and went back to their seats reluctantly, muttering under their breath. "I want you all to do an essay on witch hazel. It is to be 12 inches long. Include the magical properties and uses of the plant and any other information that you can find that you may think to be necessary in the essay," Snape said. "Now get out of here. I don't want to have to put up with you any longer than I have to," Snape growled and the rest of the class left quickly. Ginny walked over to Snape.

"Yes, Professor?" Ginny asked. Snape glared at her. He waited until Dean and Seamus had left the room to start speaking.

"I am quite aware that you are smart, Miss Weasley. There is no need for you to flounce it at the rest of the class though," Snape said.

"I beg your pardon, sir?" Ginny asked.

"You describing the potion, Miss Weasley. You only had to say what the potion was, not go over the top and be smart about it," Snape said. Ginny stared at him.

"You are lecturing me for answering a question that you asked me, Professor?" Ginny asked.

"No, I am telling you not to upstage the rest of the class. It doesn't look good for everyone else when you know more than I do," Snape said lightly, trying not to offend Ginny.

"Don't tell me that you didn't know all of what I said, Professor?" Ginny asked smirking at him.

"Of course I knew it... Well, not the part about dried catnip leaves producing mild hallucinations, but everything else is common knowledge to me," Snape said.

"Sure it is... You want to know how I know so much about plants?" Ginny asked him smirking. Snape glared at her.

"I would advise you in refraining from going into my mind, Miss Weasley. There are things that I would not wish you to see, and I doubt that you yourself would want to see them," Snape said quietly.

"I understand that, Professor. I have not gone in to your mind, I could just tell from your interest that you wanted to know," Ginny explained.

"Very well... How do you know so much about plants?" Snape asked her.

"I'd tell you, but witches never reveals their secrets," Ginny said with a smirk then left his dungeon to the Great Hall.

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"Hey Ginny. Thanks for your gloves. When did you get a second pair?" Ron asked giving back the gloves to her. Ginny grinned and undid the spell. "I was wearing quills?" Ron asked in shock.

"They were probably better than my gloves and you're not going to fail, so get over it," Ginny said with a shrug, then proceeded to sit between Colin and Neville.

"Hi Ginny... How was Potions?" Colin asked.

"Same old, same old," Ginny replied. "How were your lessons?" She asked him.

"It was all right, besides the fact that I had Potions up first. Then I had Herbology, so I guess it was okay," Colin said with a shrug. "We're learning about the properties of yew trees in Herbology," Colin said and got into a conversation with Neville about yew trees.

Ginny looked around the Great Hall as she ate her recess. Lavender was glaring at her and was as far away from Ginny as possible, not that Ginny was complaining... Harry, Ron and Hermione were all whispering to each other, but Ginny couldn't be bothered trying to listen in on to what they were saying.

It was bad enough that people were projecting thoughts left, right, and centre without her trying to actually hear them properly! Taking a vial out of her robe, she poured it into her mouth and swallowed gratefully, thanking the gods and Madam Pomfrey as her headache faded away.

"I'm going to go get my books. So I'll see you in Care of Magical Creatures, ok, Neville?" She asked. Neville nodded.

"Ok, see you Ginny," Neville said and Ginny left the Great Hall.

Someone followed her out, but she just assumed that someone had decided to leave early too. However, as the footsteps continued to follow her, Ginny turned around and faced the person.

"Blaise," Ginny stated. Blaise smirked at her and gave a mocking bow.

"The one and only..." He said with a wink.

"What do you want?" Ginny asked.

"Just to talk with you," Blaise said. Ginny sighed and nodded.

"All right. Come to my room with me," she said and opened the nearby tapestry silently.

They walked along the underground corridor quietly and Ginny opened her door to her room. They walked in through her wardrobe and she indicated for Blaise to sit down. Ginny got her Care of Magical Creatures book and her Runes books then sat opposite Blaise.

"All right, spill," Ginny said.

"I wanted to talk to you about Neville," Blaise said.

"What about him? You want to See something," Ginny stated. Blaise blushed lightly and nodded.

"I can never get the courage to actually See anything, but you could," he said quickly.

"A Slytherin not doing something he wants? Well, that's a first," Ginny said grinning at him. "Fill up the bowl and bring it back to me. Half a year should be enough," Ginny said.

Blaise nodded and took the bowl from the shelf. When he'd gone into the bathroom, Ginny walked back through her wardrobe.

"You can come out now, Neville," she said. Neville came into the light and looked at her shyly.

"I'm sorry... I just saw him come down here and I wanted to know what he was doing," Neville said quietly. "I didn't mean to interrupt you two," he said. Ginny smiled at her friend.

"It's all right, Neville. Come inside, I'll show you my room," Ginny said. Neville nodded and followed Ginny inside. He looked at everything in shock and amazement.

"This is great, Ginny!" He said. Blaise came out of the bathroom. When he saw Neville, he dropped the bowl in shock. Both boys blushed and Ginny stopped the bowl from hitting the floor. She spilled some of the water onto the table and sat down.

"All right. Both of you sit down. Since you followed Blaise, you can See this too, Neville. Hold each other's hands, then take mine," Ginny instructed. Neville took Blaise's hand shyly then grabbed Ginny's. Blaise took Ginny's free hand and they looked in to the water.

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Blaise looked at Neville for a moment. He kissed him softly and whispered in his ear, causing Neville to blush brightly.

"Come on, lovebirds! We want to get there before it ends!" Ginny called up the stairs.

"All right, Goddess Ginevra! Keep your hair on!" Blaise called back. He took Neville's hand and they left the room. They walked down the stairs to see Draco and Ginny sitting on one of the lounges, hand in hand.

"Well, finally! I was about to send a search party for you," Ginny drawled. She smirked at Blaise and Neville. "What did you say to the poor boy? He hasn't stopped blushing since you came downstairs," Ginny said looking at Neville.

"Calm down, love," Blaise whispered in Neville's ear.

"All right, enough whispering. Do we need to split you two up or can you behave?" Ginny asked, looking mainly at Blaise.

"Me, not behave? You wound me," he said mockingly.

"Yeah, I'm sure... Come on, Pansy's already left with Vincent and Gregory; we're going to be the last ones there," Ginny said and took Draco's hand to get him off the lounge. "I wish you'd stop staring, Draco. It's making me uncomfortable," Ginny said, frowning at him.

"Can't help it. You sure you're not part Veela yourself?" Draco asked with his trademark smirk.

"If I'm part Veela, then you're part troll. Come on!" Ginny said and pulled Draco outside. Blaise and Neville followed them outside, Blaise still whispering in Neville's ear.

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"What was that?" Neville asked in shock. Blaise and Ginny looked at him.

"It was a vision. It's what was supposed to happen when you looked into the crystal ball during Divination," Ginny said smirking at him. Neville sighed.

"I never was any good at Divination," he said. Ginny laughed.

"Just because you don't See through the crystal ball, or by reading the tea leaves, that doesn't mean that you aren't good at Divination, Neville! You should try floating forked witch hazel branches in water. I think you'd be better at water divining than crystallomancy," Ginny said decisively.

"Mine are mainly palmistry and tarot. I'm still working on the water divining," Blaise said smirking.

"I haven't tried those two yet. Can you show me?" Ginny asked him, grinning.

"Well, I don't carry a pack of cards with me, so it'll have to be palmistry for now," Blaise said. Ginny nodded. Blaise took Neville's left hand and traced along one of the lines on his hand. Neville shivered and watched intently as Blaise traced the lines along his palm sensually.

"Oh, bad thoughts! Both of you! Reign yourselves in a bit! I do not want to know any of that!" Ginny interrupted, wincing. Blaise started laughing and Ginny hit him. "Stop that! You're evil, Blaise! Stop it!" Ginny said and shook her head to rid her mind of the images. "Oh, not you too! Neville, you're supposed to be my friend! Bad, bad, bad images!" Ginny muttered, hitting both of them. "I swear, if it wasn't time to go, I'd kick you both in the head," Ginny said and the bell rang loudly. Ginny grabbed her bag. "You can let yourselves out. Don't go anywhere near my bed or I have the right to kill you both," she said as she departed through the wardrobe.

Blaise and Neville followed her, Blaise sending 'bad' images to her for the entire time. By the time they all came out of a tapestry near the entrance of the castle, Ginny's face was bright red and flushed.

"One day I'm going to dismember you, Blaise Zabini," Ginny muttered to him. Blaise smirked and leant towards her.

"You wouldn't hurt me while Neville's around," he whispered.

"Oh yeah?" Ginny muttered back. "You're not the only one who's been thinking about that, you know. I'm going to dismember you both," Ginny said. Blaise laughed softly then went to join his Slytherin friends. Neville looked at Ginny.

"Sorry... I couldn't help it," Neville said. Ginny smirked at him and put an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm sure you couldn't. Come on, let's go see what animals we've got in store for us today," Ginny said and they went outside and down to Hagrid's hut.

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"Right... Mornin' to all o' yer," Hagrid said smiling at everyone. "Now, since yer didn't get ter see the unicorns yesterday, yer can all see 'em today. Follow me..." Hagrid said and led them all in to the Forbidden Forest.

Soon enough, they came across the unicorn herd in a clearing. Evita trotted over to Hagrid and neighed to him, sounding worried.

"Are ye kiddin' me? How'd it get 'ere? There's never been one of 'em here before," Hagrid said. Evita neighed again then looked to Ginny. "What? No way. I won' let her... She'll get killed," Hagrid muttered.

"Professor? What's going on?" Dean asked Hagrid. Hagrid turned around, almost surprised to see everyone there. He shook his large head.

"We've gotta leave. There's a nundu in the Forest," Hagrid said. The students who knew what that was paled in shock.

"What's the quickest way out of the Forest?" Theodore asked urgently. His urgency caught on and all of the students started to panic.

"All of yer calm down!" Hagrid bellowed and they all shut up quickly. "I'll take yer all outta the Forest, jus' calm down... Ginny, come 'ere," Hagrid said. Ginny went over to him and looked at him expectantly. "The nundu wants to see you," he said quietly. Ginny frowned then sighed.

"Why is it always me?" She muttered. "Where is the nundu then?" She asked him. Hagrid looked down at her in shock.

"Yer not going to it, Ginny. Not even I would try to see a nundu!" He said, his voice getting higher.

"I'm not you and besides, I have to know how it got from east Africa to here," Ginny said with a shrug. "I'll be fine, Hagrid. Just say I left when you were taking everyone back or something..." She said and left the safety of the clearing.

"Ginny! Get back here!" She heard Hagrid calling.

Knowing that he wouldn't dare to try and find her while there was a nundu around, Ginny just ignored him and started to walk deeper into the Forbidden Forest. After a while, the forest vines became too thick and Ginny had to change. She morphed in to a small bird then flew above the treetops. Flying aimlessly, she felt a pull towards the back part of the Forest and flew down there. She changed to her normal form as she landed in a clearing.

A growl came from behind her and Ginny turned around to face the nundu. The giant leopard was described as the most dangerous beast in the world. With breath that caused disease virulent enough to eliminate entire villages and having never been stopped by fewer than a hundred skilled wizards working together, it wasn't surprising...

Ginny just hoped that the nundu wasn't going to try and attack her.

The nundu walked towards her, its power and grace showing with every step it took towards her. Even though it was dangerous, Ginny had to admire the beast for its beauty. The spots that covered its sleek smooth fur seemed to be darker than black against its golden fur. It moved smoothly toward her and Ginny wondered if she was going crazy, to willingly meet a nundu.

If you wouldn't mind putting a spell on my mouth, I will then talk to you properly, the nundu said in her mind. Ginny bowed to the leopard and put a spell around its mouth to stop the disease filled breath from coming towards her.

"Thank you, daughter. It was brave and foolish of you to meet me without bringing any protection," the nundu said.

"You're welcome. Yes, I am aware of my foolishness and bravery, but I do not regret it," Ginny said. The nundu regarded her for a moment then nodded.

"Very well... Before we do anything I require some proof that you are who I requested to meet," the nundu said.

"Will my dagger do?" Ginny asked. The nundu nodded. Ginny held out her hand and the dagger appeared in her hand. She showed the nundu her dagger and he looked impressed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, daughter of the four great bloodlines; future wife of Draconius Malfoy and the world's greatest tresure," the nundu said and bowed to her deeply.

"The pleasure is all mine. I apologise. I do not know who to address you as," Ginny said returning the nundu's bow.

"I am Magnus Cauda-cattus, which means large tail of a cat," Magnus said and swished his tail proudly.

"It is a very large tail, Magnus Cauda-cattus. You must be proud," Ginny said smiling. Magnus gave a small shake.

"Pride is a waste of emotion on such a trivial thing as a tail, though I do feel some pity when I see others of my kind with such small tails," Magnus said.

"As you should," Ginny said. Magnus shook himself again.

"If you were to climb on to my back I would like to show you something, Ginevra Molly Weasley," Magnus said.

"If you will promise not to let me get hurt then I will gladly climb onto your back, Magnus Cauda-cattus," Ginny said.

"Of course, Ginevra Molly Weasley. I will protect you and not allow you to come to any harm while you are in my care. On the honour of my family and my tail," Magnus said and bowed again.

"Very well, Magnus Cauda-cattus," Ginny said and climbed on to the nundu's back gracefully.

"You may want to hold on to my fur, Ginevra Molly Weasley," Magnus said.

Ginny held on to his fur tightly and Magnus leapt out of the clearing. Almost as if he knew every part of the Forest like he knew every spot on his body, Magnus dodged every branch and root sticking up from the ground. He seemed to fly past the trees and Ginny soon lost herself in the joy of riding such a wonderfully smooth and powerful beast.

Too soon for Ginny, Magnus stopped in a larger clearing that was full of animals and beasts of every kind.

"I bring to you, Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Magnus roared loudly and noises erupted all around that Ginny assumed to be cheering. At least, it didn't sound like the noises were meant to sound dangerous or frightening... The noises came to a halt when Magnus roared again. "Ginevra Molly Weasley will now address you before she is to be crowned," Magnus said. Ginny looked at him in surprise.

She had to make a speech? She was getting crowned? Ginny didn't know what one to be more worried about. She hated giving speeches...

"You may speak in your own tongue, Ginevra Molly Weasley. Some of the elves have made the clearing able to change your words to each language," Magnus said. Ginny nodded and stepped forward, praying to the Gods that she could get some kind of understanding of what to say...

"Thank you for your introduction, Magnus Caudua-cattus. May your newborn be large and his tail long," Ginevra said. Magnus bowed, thanking her for her blessing. "You all come from near and far places to witness an event that not even the stars have spoken of in fear of it not occurring..." Ginevra announced. The animals roared in response. "The heavens above witness as do all of you here in this clearing, that I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, daughter of the four great bloodlines; future wife of Draconius Malfoy and the world's greatest treasure, am to be crowned as your Queen!" Cheers erupted again. "All of those present in the clearing, those that are representing other beings and those not able to be present will recognise me as their Queen!" Ginevra called. Every animal, beast and being went wild, stamping and cheering loudly. Birds flew from the treetops in respect for their Queen and burst out in joyful songs.

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The Care of Magical Creatures class watched as birds of every kind flew from a certain back part of the Forbidden Forest and burst out into song. A feeling of peace washed over each person and they continued to wait for Ginny to return.

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"Ginevra Molly Weasley. Every being and creature will from now will recognise you as their Queen. We will follow you anywhere and we all promise to protect you even if it means our deaths," Magnus said to her and roared loudly, the other creatures joining in.

The wind blew around her and Ginny felt something inside her awaken. Knowledge and power filled her body as the wind continued to blow around her body, enveloping her in warmth and coldness at the same time. She saw the wind take on a red glow and smiled peacefully.

Suddenly, the all of the noise and wind stopped and an arrow landed at Ginevra's feet.

"We refuse to recognise that human as our Queen," Bane said glaring at Ginevra with unsuppressed hate.

"You dare to refuse our Queen her right?" Magnus roared and went to leap at the centaur herd. Ginevra put a hand on him to stop him.

"No, Magnus. It is all right," Ginevra said softly. Magnus backed down reluctantly. Ginevra looked to the centaurs. "I acknowledge your refusal. However, I know that before the next four seasons end you will change your mind willingly. In this knowledge, I release you from here unharmed," Ginevra said. She threw up a hand and a barrier formed around the centaurs. "Leave now under my protection, centaurs," Ginevra said and the centaurs left quickly.

"Do you think it wise to do that, my Queen?" Magnus asked. Ginevra smiled at the nundu.

"I am as wise as I am foolish, my dear nundu. It was the right thing to do for I do not wish to cause war with the centaurs. They are to be respected, not fought," Ginevra said.

"Yes, my Queen," Magnus replied and bowed. Ginevra turned to the gathered creatures.

"My friends and followers, I bid you farewell now. You may return to your homes," Ginevra called out. The animals left quickly while some disappeared and others stayed.

"Are you well, my Queen?" Magnus asked. Ginny smiled at the nundu.

"Yes Magnus Cauda-cattus, I am well. I must return to my school now. Would you please oblige me in taking me back?" Ginny asked him. Magnus bowed to her.

"It would be a pleasure, my Queen," Magnus said and allowed Ginny to mount his back. She held on to his fur and Magnus leapt out of the clearing.

Ginny watched with glee as colours and trees seemed to fly past them. She felt the wind blowing around her, welcoming her. Nymphs whispered beside her and Ginny nodded, listening to their message.

Again the ride seemed too short as Magnus stopped outside of the Forbidden Forest near Hagrid's hut.

Students screamed and backed away from the nundu in fear. Magnus rolled his eyes and Ginny tried not to laugh.

"I thank you, my dear Magnus Cauda-cattus. You should return now before any wizards try to hurt you," Ginny said. Magnus rubbed his face against her hand then leapt in to the Forest again.

"Ginny! Are yer all right?" Hagrid asked coming over as soon as the nundu had gone. Ginny smiled at Hagrid.

"Of course I'm all right. Nundu's are very faithful creatures. Magnus wouldn't hurt me, especially not now," she said, smiling secretively. Hagrid frowned down at her.

"What are yer talkin' about, Ginny?" He asked. Ginny touched Hagrid's arm and he looked down at her in shock and surprise. "Yer mean yer the one? By the Gods," Hagrid said and paled dramatically. He swayed dangerously and the students moved out of his way in fear of being flattened by the half-giant.

"Be still, my friend. Please, continue with the lesson before it is time for us to go," Ginny said. Hagrid stopped swaying and went to bow to her but Ginny shook her head. "There is no need to bow to me, Hagrid," she said. With a quick nod Hagrid indicated for everyone to sit down and read their books.

"Ginny, yer coming with me ter see Albus," Hagrid said. "I can' believe it... In me own class," he muttered and led Ginny up to the castle, leaving the other students bewildered.

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Hagrid knocked on Albus' door loudly, almost putting a dent in the wooden door.

"Yes, Hagrid?" Albus asked and opened the door. Hagrid walked in with Ginny following close behind. Albus smiled at Ginny. "That is a nice dress, Miss Weasley," Albus said.

Ginny just nodded, thinking that Albus was seeing things. She was wearing her school uniform, not a dress! He'd probably consumed too much sugar from all those lemon drops.

"Sir... Professor... She is... It's her..." Hagrid said, still in shock. Albus looked over his half moon spectacles at Hagrid.

"Who is what exactly, Rubeus?" He asked. Hagrid pointed to Ginny unable to form any words, let alone a coherent sentence. "Ginevra, perhaps you could translate what Hagrid means," Albus said smiling.

"I'm the new Queen," Ginny said quietly. Albus's smiled faded and he paled.

"What?!" He exclaimed in shock. "Why didn't they tell me?" Albus muttered and went over to the window. He pushed it open with such force that the glass panes cracked. He yelled a word out the window so loudly that Ginny couldn't even interpret what he said.

With a gush of wind hundreds of tiny fairies appeared at the window. They squeaked to Albus quickly, interrupting each other and rushing over their 'words'. Albus looked from one fairy to Ginny, then back again and squeaked something in response. The fairy gave a high pitched sound giving the impression that she was insulted. Albus returned an apologetic sound and with another gush of wind the fairies disappeared from the window.

Albus repaired the window then sat back on his seat. He looked at Ginny.

"Well... It seems that you have been crowned," he said, smiling at her.

Ginny nodded briefly, not knowing what to say.

"Congratulations, Ginevra. I am sure you will respect your new power properly. Well, excepting that particular incident that you Saw a few night's ago..." Albus said with a smile. "You should go to your next class. I need to speak with Hagrid," Albus said. Ginny nodded and left Albus' office.

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"Are you okay, Ginny?" Neville asked as soon as he saw her.

"I'm fine, Neville. You haven't transferred into Runes, have you?" Ginny asked him. Neville shook his head.

"No. I just wanted to make sure you were ok... What happened back there? Where'd you go? And how did your clothes change?" Neville asked. Ginny frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked and looked down at what should have been her school uniform. She was wearing a dress that was covered in spots, feathers, scales and fur. It seemed like every animal in the world had contributed in the making of her dress...

It was only then that Ginny felt a new weight on her head. With a wince she felt her head and pulled off a crown made from tree twigs. Like her dress, the crown seemed to have one branch from every kind of tree in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds.

"Oh Gods... I don't even want to think about my hair," Ginny murmured. Neville heard her and grinned.

"You look like you own the Forbidden Forest. It's cool," he said comfortingly. Blaise came up behind him and Neville jumped until he saw who it was.

"What's cool?" Blaise asked looking over Ginny with a smirk.

"The way Ginny looks. It's wild," Neville said, grinning.

"Definitely wild," Blaise said with a wink. "Oh, don't look at me like that, you wild Goddess!" Blaise said and winked at Ginny again.

"Oh, go away you two. It's bad enough I have to go through classes looking like this without you two having to make me feel like a complete idiot," Ginny said, then entered into the Runes classroom.

"Come on, Neville. Let's leave little miss wild Goddess to brood over the way she looks. I'll be back before Yepir gets here, don't worry... You've got Herbology, right?" Blaise asked Neville as they left.

Ginny sighed and shook her head. She took out her books and quills and waited for the few seconds it took for the rest of her classmates to enter the classroom. They were still wary about her turning into a wolf, so when they came in and saw Ginny looking the way she was everyone tried to get as far away from her as possible.

"Hi, Ginny... Uh, nice dress," Hermione said, looking her up and down. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"It was given to me and so was the crown, so don't say one thing about them," Ginny warned. Hermione nodded and sat next to her grinning broadly. "Oh, if you're going to be like that I'm just going to do a Glamour, for the Gods sakes!" Ginny muttered at Hermione and cast a Glamour on herself so it looked like she was wearing her proper school uniform.

Blaise walked in to the classroom and sat down just as Professor Yepir walked in.

"Due to the fact that you all missed out on yesterday's lesson, you will all have to work extra hard today to make up for it. But..." Yepir added when everyone groaned. "But as this is your last lesson for the week, I know that none of you will do the homework I set tonight. In light of that revelation, we will take a trip in to the Forbidden Forest and I will show you some of the Runes that have been put on the trees in there," Yepir said. Everyone packed up their things quickly and followed her outside.

"I wonder if we really have to go into the Forbidden Forest," Hermione said chewing her lip nervously.

"Well, I'm sure if Professor Yepir said we're going in there, then we're going in there," Ginny said raising an eyebrow at her. Hermione just looked apprehensive and didn't reply.

"Is the little girl scared of a few trees?" Draco taunted her quietly. Hermione glared at him.

"I'm not scared of the trees, you dummy," Hermione said. "There's things in there that not even Hagrid would go near, so I'm just worried about how far we're going in," she said then shook her head. "I don't know why I'm even explaining myself to you," she muttered then walked faster to get away from him.

Yepir led them into the Forbidden Forest and along an almost unseen path, winding through and past the large trees.

As Ginny had entered the Forest, the Glamour she had cast disappeared and she was walking around in her 'Queen attire'. Animals followed their progress through the Forest; Ginny could not only hear them walking or flying, but she could also feel and sense them there. It was an odd feeling, yet it seemed so natural at the same time...

"Now, what rune does this tree have carved into it?" Professor Yepir asked stopping at a large yew tree.

"Eihwaz is carved in to it," Ginny said automatically. Professor Yepir turned to look at Ginny, smiling. When she saw what Ginny was wearing she stopped smiling in shock.

"That is correct. I don't believe that... outfit is in accordance with the school rules, Miss Weasley," she said, mildly shocked at Ginny's garb. Ginny sighed.

"I am aware of that, Professor Yepir. However, as the Forbidden Forest is a forbidden part of the school, I doubt it that this part of the lesson can be in accordance with the school rules. Besides, my Glamour doesn't work in here. The Forest won't allow anyone to have concealing charms due to the Forest Act in 1780," Ginny said. "And besides those facts, I don't think the trees and animals would appreciate it if I didn't acknowledge their gift to me," she said with a shrug.

Professor Yepir looked at Ginny with an eyebrow raised in disbelief, until low growls came from either side of the path. She looked into the trees properly and saw hundreds of eyes watching her; watching Ginny; watching them all.

"Right... Let's continue now, shall we?" Yepir asked and led them down a different path. "What rune does this tree have?"

"Is that Algiz?" Hermione asked looking from the elm tree to her runes book.

"It's Algiz reversed... Not good," Ginny muttered and backed up the path a bit.

"Miss Weasley, what is wrong with you?" Yepir asked seeing that her student was trying to back away and how pale her face was. Ginny stared at the elk tree for a moment longer before answering.

"It's Algiz reversed and that means it's warning of hidden danger. Can we go back the same way we came, please?" Ginny asked trying to keep the hysteria out of her voice. Yepir shook her head, remembering the hundreds of animals eyes and their growls.

"No, we'll continue this way. These runes were carved long ago, there is no danger," Yepir said.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Ginny muttered. She followed her class reluctantly, watching on either side of the path for any sign of danger.

A low growl filtered in through the trees and seemed to surround them all. Ginny paled in fear; she knew what that sound was! A Yeti was just ahead and Yepir was leading them straight to it!

"Professor! That's a Yeti!" She called. Yepir turned around, a mocking smile on her face.

"Miss Weasley, Yeti's are native to Tibet. How in the gods names could it end up in England?" Yepir asked her.

"How about you ask the Gods damned Yeti that's standing behind you?" Blaise muttered, moving further back down the path.

The Yeti roared loudly and moved forward, each footstep crashing the trees around them. Yepir turned and stared at the Yeti, rooted to the spot in shock. Students began to run back down the same way they had come and Ginny ran to where Yepir was standing.

"Come on!" Ginny yelled at her when the Professor still didn't move. "Move, damn you!" Yepir moved slightly and the Yeti continued to move forward. It was almost on them... Ginny stood in front of Yepir and pulled out her wand.

"Ignis!" She said, but nothing happened. (Fire.)

The Yeti roared and moved to pick Ginny up. Ginny threw her arms up and fire erupted around herself and Yepir.

"I command you to leave!" Ginevra yelled. The Yeti stared at the fire then at Ginevra. With a scared whimper, the Yeti left as fast as it could. "Always bloody happens to me..." Ginny muttered and the fire died down. She turned in time to see Yepir faint. Ginny caught her and carried her back down the path. "Told her not to go down there, but no... Told her there was a Yeti, but does she believe me? Of course not... I'm just an ignorant little witch who doesn't know when to shut up," Ginny muttered.

"Are you all right, Ginny? I thought you'd left with the rest of us," Hermione said when she saw Ginny enter the clearing. "What happened to Professor Yepir?"

"I'm fine. No, I didn't leave with the rest of you and Yepir fainted. Come on, let's get out of here before another Yeti decides to join the party," Ginny said and led the class out of the Forbidden Forest, still carrying her Professor.

"How did you stop the Yeti, Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Yeti's are afraid of fire so it left soon after I made a ring of fire. Mind you, I would have liked to know how the hell it got here," Ginny said shaking her head. "Can someone wake Yepir up? I'm going to go swim in the lake for a few hours," she said and walked straight in to the lake, fully clothed. Everyone stared at her in shock.

Ginny dived down into the water and saw the squid not too far away. She swam over to him and gave the best bow she could while under water.

New Queen... I am honoured for your visit, the squid said returning her bow. There was a splash behind Ginny. Then another two came and finally two more splashes. Ginny turned around and saw the other students swimming in the lake too. Hermione duck dived and swam over to her. She waved grinning then kicked her way to the top. Pansy swam over, her hands becoming webbed and gills appearing on either side of her neck. Then Ginny noticed that Pansy had a mermaid tail too. She smirked at Pansy who grinned.

"Hello Ginevra..." Pansy said, her voice coming out all watery and bubbly. Pansy winked at Ginny then swam over to the squid, stroking his tentacles fondly. "Hello, my friend. Care for a game?" She asked.

I must decline, Water Pansy... I have to go hunting for food soon and I would not wish to drain my energy, the giant squid replied. Pansy nodded and gave a bow before surfacing, her gills and webbed fingers and tail disappearing. Ginny waved goodbye to the squid then surfaced too, her breath finally running out.

"Oh, Hermione..." Ginny called. Hermione looked at her and was splashed with water. She spluttered then splashed Ginny back.

"What a childish game," Parvati said in distaste from the edge of the water. Smirking, Ginny waded over to Parvati and splashed her fiercely. "Ginny! You wet my hair!" Patil cried and kicked water at her, but Ginny moved out of the water's way easily. Parvati's sister rolled her eyes at her.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Parvati... Splash me properly!" Ginny called.

"You're such a baby, Parvati..." Padma said in disgust then splashed her sister.

Still angry about her hair, Parvati waded in to the water and splashed Ginny and Padma, who just splashed her back, making Parvati squeal loudly and keep splashing them. Ginny ducked under the water and Parvati splashed Blaise and Pansy instead. They both advanced on her and splashed water at her until someone grabbed their legs and pulled them beneath the water. As Ginny surfaced, Hermione splashed her, laughing. Ginny smirked evilly and started splashing Draco Malfoy.

"Who did that?" He growled turning around to face them. Ginny pointed at Hermione, laughing when she paled. Draco glared at Hermione and splashed her fiercely.

"Hey Ginny!" Dean called from deeper in the water. Ginny turned to face him and was pulled under the water by Seamus. He grinned at her under the water then kicked over to Dean silently and pulled him beneath the surface too.

"Students!" Yepir called from the shore. "Get out of the water right now!" She yelled. One by one, the students reluctantly got out of the water and dried themselves off with simple spells. "You could have been killed! It's almost time for the squid to go hunting," she said.

"The giant squid doesn't eat humans," Pansy said rolling her eyes. "It eats crustaceans, just like other squids do," she said. Yepir glared at her.

"That's not the point, Miss Parkinson. The giant squid is considered as food for other underwater animals, and those animals would have no trouble in eating you," Yepir said. Pansy just smirked knowing that no animals would eat her, in fear of getting on the bad side of the merpeople.

"Professor? Next time we go into the Forbidden Forest, may we please listen to what Ginevra says? I'd rather not run into a Yeti again," Blaise said, making his request sound so nice that Yepir couldn't get offended.

"There may not be a next time, Mr. Zabini," Yepir answered, leading everyone back to the Runes classroom. Just as soon as Yepir had finished setting their homework, the bell rang for lunch.

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Ginny went to her room and got changed into her school clothes, putting her Queen clothes in the wardrobe.

"Ginny, do you mind if we take that photo of you now?" Colin asked as she came into the Great Hall. Ginny sighed then took a few sandwiches and some fruit before following him outside with Neville.

"How long will it take for you to set up?" Ginny asked Colin. Colin turned to look at everything and began to tick off his fingers.

"I got the right lighting yesterday, so that's taken care of. The box is in the right place, so all I need to do is adjust my camera properly," Colin said then turned to see Ginny and Neville fighting. It was so well choreographed that he would have thought that they had been practising for weeks on end if not for the fact that they hadn't been at school for that long and Neville hadn't seen Ginny during the holidays.

Quickly adjusting his camera, Colin took some shots, the polaroids coming out quickly as he took the photos faster as Ginny and Neville continued to fight faster. Soon, most of the floor was covered in photographs and the fight ended when Ginny's foot connected lightly with Neville's chest in a back kick.

"That was amazing! How did you learn to do all that?" Colin asked in shock.

"Here and there... So are we going to get this photo done or have you used the entire film on us fighting?" Ginny asked seeing the ground.

"It's everlasting film, so you don't have to worry about that," Colin said grinning. "Get on the box and go into your Vampiress mode," he said with a wink.

"Ah, shut it Creevey before I go into my Vampiress mode on you," Ginny growled but stood on the box and bared her fangs at him. Colin took a photo then frowned.

"There's something in the background..." He said looking at the picture properly. Ginny turned around and looked around.

"Who's there?" Ginny asked. She hadn't heard anything and she couldn't hear anyone's mind. "Are you a ghost?" Ginny asked frowning. Laughter filled the room and Peeves appeared. "Oh, Peeves! Why can't you go annoy some first years or something?" Ginny growled at him.

"Annoying Vampires is much more fun!" Peeves said and laughed again. "Oh, Ginny, Ginny you're such a ninny! Every lesson is an adventure for the ninny! Oh, Ginny, Ginny! Ninny, ninny!" Peeves sang laughing.

"Neville and Colin. Wait outside," Ginny demanded and they left quickly, Colin adjusting his camera properly. "You're going to regret doing this, Peeves. That is your first and last warning," Ginny said in a tone that made Peeves stop for a moment.

"Ninny Ginny! Vampire Ginny is a ninny!" Peeves sang again, taunting her. Ginny smirked and her Vampiress form disappeared. "Ginny is a ninny!" Peeves called watching in glee as she got off the box and walked towards him.

Ginny muttered a spell and a bubble covered her mouth then she began to change. As she walked to Peeves dangerously, her body changing into that of a nundu. Grace, elegance, power and respect seemed to ooze from every leopard spot on her body as she continued to walk towards Peeves, who had gone pale and stopped singing in fear. Ginny leapt up and caught Peeves in her large paws. Her mouth changed back to her human one and she spoke to Peeves angrily.

"Say you're sorry..." Peeves shook his head adamantly. "Say it, Peeves or I'll make it so that you'll never be able to sing again," Ginny growled at him. Peeves blanched as much as he could.

"All right! I'm sorry!" Peeves said quickly.

"For what?" Ginny growled at him.

"I'm sorry for taunting you and making up that song about you," Peeves whimpered. Ginny smirked and changed back to her human body before letting go of Peeves.

"Good. Remember that next time you go to make fun of anyone... I'll get the Bloody Baron on you if you ever do that to me again, Peeves," Ginny said, then left the room, smirking to herself.

"That... that was... Unbelievable!" Colin said in shock staring at her. Ginny grinned and picked up the photographs he'd taken. She looked at them one by one then gave them back to him.

"I want that one enlarged and doubled. The twins would love a photo of that," Ginny said indicating to the photo where Peeves was saying sorry and whimpering. "Gods, that was fun. Nundu's are so... smooth. It's an incredible feeling, honestly," Ginny said grinning. She rolled her shoulders once then looked back in to the room. "Ok, Peeves is gone. Let's get this photo done," she said and went back inside, Colin and Neville following. "You two can come in too," Ginny called back over her shoulder. Blaise and Draco took the Invisibility Cloak off and followed them inside. "You could have just asked instead of sneaking around after us, you know," Ginny said with a raised eyebrow. Blaise shrugged.

"You probably would have said no," he said. Ginny smirked.

"And get my arse kicked by Neville? I don't think so..." She said. Neville grinned and blushed.

"How long were you two standing there?" Colin asked Blaise and Draco.

"Since you got here. Nice fighting techniques, by the way," Draco said looking at Ginny. She shrugged.

"Wasn't my best. Neville would have got me down in the first five kicks if he'd used one of the openings. You're bloody noisy when you're trying to be quiet," Ginny said glaring at Blaise and Draco, who just smirked at her in return.

"Sorry to interrupt and all, but I want this photo to be taken and developed before Christmas, Yule and the New Year is over," Colin said, not at all shy of the two Slytherins.

"All right. Still in my Vampiress form or you want an animal? I'm in a morphing mood now..." Ginny said with a smirk.

"Go wild," Colin said with a wink back. He opened the window for more room and air then watched Ginny, his camera almost glued to his eye.

Ginny laughed and changed her body immediately into a wolf. Once Colin had taken enough photos, Ginny gave her body a shake and turned in to a phoenix, brilliant and beautiful.

"Can you sing and everything?" Colin asked.

Ginny sung a sad song, making the four boys feel so emotional that Draco nearly shed a tear. Notes of loss, despair and pure sadness flowed into her song. Anguish weaved between her words and Neville started to cry silently, reminded of his parents. With a sad look at her friend, Ginny flew over the short distance to him. She shed a single large tear from each eye and they dropped onto Neville. Instead of disappearing, the two drops stayed on his skin and he looked up at Ginny in shocked surprise.

"Who are they for?" He asked. Ginny's wings covered him and an image of his parents appeared in his mind. "Thank you," Neville whispered and made the teardrops go into two magically conjured cylinders. Ginny smiled at him then sung another song.

Happiness and laughter streamed themselves into her song, soon to be joined by peace and love. The emotions twirled around the four boys, attatching to each of them. Colin laughed as laughter clung to him and Blaise smiled as happiness entwined itself with him. Peace filled Neville's mind and he thanked Ginny silently. Love flowed around Draco, almost teasing him before holding on to him. Waves of love flowed into Draco and Ginny sung that note for the longest time before letting go of it.

Draco reached out as the feeling of love left him then realised what he was doing and returned his hand to his side quickly.

The feelings ebbed away slowly, a small remainder left in three of the boys, longing left in the fourth.

Ginny changed back into her normal self and dropped to the floor, tears flowing from her eyes. She was pale, but it seemed to be a side effect of changing too much in such a short time rather than anything horrendous.

Ginevra seemed to float up into the air before them and she looked at each of them in turn.

"Leave," she demanded, the tears still flowing. Neville moved towards her and kissed her hand.

"Thank you, Ginevra," he whispered quietly.

"Be at peace, my friend..." Ginevra replied softly. Neville nodded and left.

"Ginevra... Whatever you did, thanks," Blaise said and winked at her. "Hey, Neville! Wait up!" He called and rushed out the door after him. Ginevra smiled after them then looked at Colin, who was still rapidly taking photos.

"You're sure I have to leave, Gin?" He asked looking over his camera at her. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Leave... Make sure that you laugh. It is the most infectious cure known to mortals," Ginevra said. Colin laughed and took one more photo before leaving.

Draco just stared at Ginny, the longing of love still well in his mind.

"Draconius. Leave me be. I do not wish to see that which I yearn for until I can have it," Ginevra said, her anguish and pain filling her face. Draco just continued to stare at her, not moving. "LEAVE!" Ginevra commanded and Draco was moved out of the room by an unseen hand.

The door slammed after him, locking itself. The windows blackened and Ginny dropped to the floor...

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginny only got up when the bell for lunch rang. She wiped away the tears that had continued to fall and cleaned her face with magic, then straightened and dusted off her school robes. She left the room and made her way back to the Hogwarts entrance.

Slipping behind a tapestry, Ginny got her books for Defence Against the Dark Arts and Astronomy from her room then ran to Moody and Lupin's classroom. Due to her speed, she made it there with everyone else. She refused to look at Neville, Blaise and Draco as they entered the classroom. Ginny sat down at the back of the class but didn't deter Neville from sitting next to her. She just hoped they were going to do practical work so she didn't have to endure all of the questions that she knew Neville was going to ask. It seemed that luck was on her side...

"Today you will all be learning how to fight unarmed. Oh, stop paling at that Brown! You're not really going to hit each other. It's to be choreographed and if anyone is hit properly then you will receive detention," Moody said.

"The hitter or the person being hit?" Seamus asked, grinning like a wild Irishman. Moody glared at him with both of his eyes and Seamus sank in his seat slightly.

"Professor? I'm a girl. I'm not going to be fighting with anyone and I don't want to learn this," Lavender whined. Moody was about to say something but shockingly, Pansy got in before he did.

"No one gives a shit if you're a girl, child or animal. If you don't know how to fight in the real world, Brown, then you might as well just hand over your life on a fucking platter to every male that thinks you're easy prey," Pansy snarled. "You don't know how to fight, you're going to die at an early age," she snarled at Lavender who had gone pale. Then Lavender glared at Pansy.

"I wasn't talking to you, Parkinson," she sneered.

"Pansy is correct Lavender, so don't think that you're being smart. Not exactly the words I would have used, but she is still right," Lupin said.

"The exact words I would have used," Moody growled. "Like Parkinson said, if you don't know how to fight in the real world then you might as well give your life to the Death Eaters on a platter, because that's all you're going to do anyway," Moody growled. "Now, do you have any more complaints, Brown?" He snarled at her. Lavender shook her head adamantly. "All of you get over by the stage immediately," Moody said and everyone rushed to the front. "Now, Remus is going to try and hit me. I will block it. This is a basic blocking technique only. It's called a block, for those that didn't get it the first time," Moody drawled. Lupin got up on the stage and waited. "Ready," Moody said with a nod.

Lupin went to hit Moody, but he blocked the punch by using the side of his arm to hit Lupin's fist away.

"Get a partner then do that block. Slowly. I don't want to see the lot of you with black eyes," Moody growled. Everyone got into pairs, Ginny and Neville together.

"Actually in light of promoting House unity, pair with a person from your opposite House," Lupin said. Moody smirked when nearly everyone complained.

Blaise and Neville went together immediately and nearly everyone found partners. Ginny noticed the evil smirk on Pansy's face when she headed over to Lavender Brown and grinned to herself. She couldn't wait to see that fight!

"Mr. Malfoy. You can be paired with Miss Weasley," Lupin said when he saw that neither of them had a partner.

Ginny turned to face Draco, but knew she wouldn't be able to block without looking at him and so she decided to get it over and done with and looked up at him. Draco was staring at her, lust in his eyes. Ginny gave a small gasp when she saw love in his eyes too and ran from the room.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?" Ron yelled and punched Draco in the nose.

"Mr. Weasley!" Lupin said as Ron continued to hit Draco. Ginny heard Moody growl a stunning spell and then there was a thud as her brother fell to the floor.

Ginny ran faster, becoming nothing more than a gust of wind through the hallways. As she burst through the Hogwarts entrance, Ginny changed in to a bird and flew up into the sky. She landed on the Owlery roof and tried to calm her breathing down.

It wasn't good that Malfoy already felt that for her. Even if he didn't know he did, or he denied it, it still meant that the future of them being together was more than a possibility, it meant that it was already happening. She couldn't handle with that now. Hate and anger was easily dealt with, but love? That was harder to accept.

Ginny shook her head and sighed. She'd have to deal with it sooner or later... Later was preferable, but sooner was probably better, she thought and flew down to the Hogwarts entrance again.

She went back to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom quickly and saw Moody restraining Ron while Lupin was trying to heal Draco's face. He had a black eye, a blood lip and his robes were torn. Ginny walked in to the classroom and calmed Ron down with a spell, then went over to Lupin.

"I apologise for leaving. Let me fix him. It was my fault that he got hurt," Ginny said. Lupin nodded.

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Do not leave the classroom without due reason," he said. Ginny just nodded and started to heal Draco.

"Sorry about Ron," she said quietly. Draco glared at her and Ginny almost sighed in relief that she didn't have to deal with lust and love. She finished healing him then went back to Ron and Moody. "May I speak to my brother for a minute?" Ginny asked Moody. Alastar let go of Ron and nodded when he didn't try to get up and hit Draco again.

"Why'd you have to calm me, Ginny? I want to hit him for making you leave," Ron whined quietly. Ginny glared at her brother.

"No one made me leave, Ronald. I left of my own accord. Malfoy didn't say anything to me, he didn't even touch me, all right? I left because I wanted to, is that understood?" Ginny asked him quietly. Ron nodded reluctantly.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" He asked frowning. "They're red not brown," he said and tilted her head back to see properly. Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled it away from her face. Ron's face filled with pain as his wrist twisted slightly.

"Please, do not touch me," Ginny said, then went over to where the rest of the class was standing.

"Now that everything is sorted out, get back into your pairs and do the block we showed you!" Moody said. Everyone rushed to do as he said quickly. Ginny went over to Draco but Moody stopped her. "You can go with Blaise. Neville, you're with Draco," Moody said. Neville's face fell considerably but he didn't say anything and went over to Draco.

"I'll go with Weaslette," Draco said. Moody looked at him, then Ginny who nodded.

"Fine... Neville, go back with Blaise," Moody said and shaking his head, went over to stop Lavender's screaming. Pansy had her in a headlock...

"You want to hit or block?" Ginny asked when neither of them said anything for a while.

"Block," Draco said. Ginny nodded and punched at Draco. He barely had time to block it before her fist hit his face. "Careful, Weasley," he growled. Ginny just smirked at him.

"You said you wanted to block, Malfoy," Ginny replied.

Draco glared at her then punched at her. Ginny blocked it easily then went to hit him again. He blocked her arm and they started to go into a different fight. Instead of just punching and blocking, as they were supposed to, Ginny and Draco started to kick as well. Draco slapped her foot away as she went to kick his chest, but Ginny feinted and kicked his upper thigh.

"Not so close to that part of the body, Weaselette. I do plan on having a family," Draco said with a small sneer. Ginny remembered the vision of her pregnant and nodded in agreement.

"Well, so do I, so you can't get me in the stomach," Ginny replied as she went to punch him in the chest. Draco blocked it and kicked the side of her leg.

"You realise that if you are going to marry me like you said that said family will be ours?" Draco answered.

"No shit," Ginny replied and kicked his shin.

"You're not shocked at that?" Draco asked as he went to punch her.

"Well, when people get married, they usually do have a family, Malfoy," Ginny replied and hit away his punch before punching him and stopping mere millimetres before she made contact with his nose. "I win," she said with a grin and stood properly. "Good fighting techniques," Ginny said. Malfoy nodded.

"I know," he replied with a smirk.

"You really are conceited, you know that?" Ginny asked him. Draco just smirked at her again.

"Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy. I would like to think that you two are not talking of personal business when you should be watching for the next technique," Lupin called out. Ginny turned to him and smiled sweetly.

"Of course not, Professor. I have no personal business that can be talked of. It is quite unbelievable that Malfoy and I would talk of anything like that, especially as I have no interest in his personal business..." Ginny said.

"Quit with the smart talk and watch the front," Moody growled. Ginny just smiled at him and watched almost mockingly as Moody and Lupin showed everyone how to block a kick.

Both Professors were unaware of the fight that Ginny and Draco had done, due to the fact that Lavender had continued to scream even after Pansy had let go of her, and Moody kept both eyes on them after he'd calmed her down.

"Now, attempt that block. But softly! Is that understood Vincent and Gregory? You too, James and Terry," Lupin said with a pointed look at the four boys who had paired with each other. They nodded and started to do the technique easily.

"I'll kick this time," Draco said. Ginny looked at him with a smirk.

The taste of blood filled her mouth and her body savoured the taste, even as her mind repulsed at it. Two small puncture wounds appeared and blood poured from them, much like wine does from a cask. Blood swirled in her mouth and she swallowed gratefully, her body rejuvenating and refreshing itself.

"By the Gods names! What was that?" She whispered to herself. "Moody!" Ginny called. Alastar walked over to her, frowning, his magical eye on her. "You saw that?" Ginny asked.

"More than saw it... Practically felt it. You better go see McGonagall. Draco, you can fight with me until Ginevra returns," Alastar said and Ginny left the room quickly.

She ran to the Transfiguration classroom and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, Ginny looked inside. There was no one there... Seeing a portrait hanging on the wall, Ginny went over to it. She coughed slightly and the woman woke up abruptly.

"Excuse me? Do you know where Professor McGonagall is please?" She asked politely. The woman in the portrait looked down at her for a moment.

"Friend or foe?" The woman asked.

"Student," Ginny replied. The woman nodded.

"Minerva has gone to the Room of Requirement with her sixth year class to show them how to change furniture into animals," the woman replied.

"Thank you," Ginny said then left to the Room of Requirement quickly.

She saw the door there, but when she opened it she was met with an empty room. Ginny muttered about stupid doors then tried to 'require' Professor McGonagall. She opened the door and was, again met with an empty room.

"Oh, come on, you stupid bloody door! Let me in!" Ginny said in a frustrated tone and the door opened.

"Miss Weasley? How did you open the door?" Professor McGonagall asked as she saw who was in the doorway. Ginny shook herself out her state of shock then went into the room cautiously, almost not believing it was real.

"I don't know how the door opened, Professor. May I please speak to you in private?" Ginny asked. McGonagall nodded curtly and made a room appear nearby. She led Ginny in there and sat her down.

"What is so urgent that you needed to interrupt me in the middle of a class, Miss Weasley?" Minerva asked.

"I just had another vision. Kind of... It was weird... I was awake, for starters. I could taste it in my mouth like I had just drunk it right then," Ginny said shaking her head.

"Miss Weasley, if you are going to explain something, I would appreciate it if you explained it in a way that I would understand what you were talking about," Miverva said.

"Sorry, Professor... I was awake, as I said. I could taste blood in my mouth. It was weird... I could taste it as if I had just bled someone right then," Ginny said. "Are you all right, Professor?" Ginny asked, seeing that McGonagall had gone slightly green.

"Fine, Miss Weasley," McGonagall replied. "So what would you like me to do about it?" She asked.

"Can't you make it stop, like you did with the dreams?" Ginny asked. Minerva shook her head apologetically.

"I am sorry, Miss Weasley. I can't stop it. The spell I used to stop the dreams affecting you is a completely different one from the one that would be needed to stop that happening. There is no spell I know of to stop it and if there was, I would think that there would be dangerous side effects, especially since it would have to block off part of your brain to stop sending those messages to your mind or mouth, depending. There is nothing I can do, I really am sorry," McGonagall said. Ginny just nodded briefly.

"That is all right, Professor. Thank you for your time and I apologise for interrupting your lesson," Ginny said and left. Colin waved at her as she left the Room of Requirement.

Ginny made her way back down to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and went inside. Moody surprisingly, looked grateful that she'd returned. He took her aside and looked over her with his magical eye.

"Is it fixed, Ginevra?" He asked.

"No, she can't do anything about it without damaging my brain," Ginny said.

"All right then... No point mulling over it. For the last twenty minutes of the lesson, Draco can show you what you missed out on and you two can practice over it," Moody said and Ginny went over to where Draco was standing.

"So what did I miss out on?" Ginny asked him.

"Upper cut, side kick, and back kick. But from your fighting display today, you already know it," Draco said with a smirk. Ginny shrugged.

"Doesn't mean I can't do it again. Come on, Malfoy, fists up," she said with a smirk. Draco sighed and put his fists up to protect his face. Ginny did an upper cut and connected with his stomach lightly. Draco rolled his eyes at her. "What's wrong with you?" Ginny asked as she did a side kick and hit his hip softly.

"All this pretend fighting is rubbish. If you don't hit properly then you won't bloody learn what it really feels like," he muttered.

"Well, what do you propose we do, Malfoy?" Ginny asked with a smirk.

"Fight," he replied simply and went to kick her harder.

Ginny blocked it then punched Draco in the stomach. He breathed in sharply as her fist hit harder than he expected. He kicked her leg and Ginny went to punch him in the nose but Draco blocked it.

Lost in their own world, neither Ginny nor Draco really heard Lupin telling them to stop fighting.

Ginny did an upper cut and her fist connected with Draco's jaw. He winced as pain seared through him and Draco kicked Ginny's upper chest. She made Draco fall to the floor by kicking his legs from the ground.

"Both of you outside! Now!" Lupin said and gave both Ginny and Draco a push towards the door. They walked outside and Lupin shut the door before turning to glare at them. "You are not supposed to be fighting! This class is to show you how to defend yourself, not to fight each other!" Lupin said. "What do you have to say for yourselves?" He yelled, looking at each of them in turn.

Ginny glared at him angrily.

"We were defending ourselves! We just fought properly instead of the weak and soft way we had to do it. If we were out there now and that happened, no attacker is going to just think, 'Oh, they don't know how to fight against someone who fights hard, so I'm going to be as soft as fucking possible!' No one who has any real interest in attacking someone will fight soft, they will fight as hard as they possibly can in order to get what they want," Ginny said, glaring at Lupin.

The bell rang loudly and Ginny heard Lupin sigh softly.

"Get your things and go to your next lesson," he muttered and they both went into the classroom.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Ginny!" Neville called as they headed to the Astronomy Tower. She waited for him to catch up. "I heard in Herbology that Rion got fired. Can you believe it?" Neville asked sounding both shocked and amazed at the same time.

"I doubt she'd get fired over what happened," Ginny replied frowning.

"Well, Professor Sprout said that it was a shame about Rion, or something to that effect," Neville said with a shrug.

"Then she might have been fired... We'll see in a few seconds I guess," Ginny said smirking.

"Do you think if she was then we'd get to play Quidditch again?" Neville asked as they entered the Astronomy classroom.

"I don't think so," Ginny replied softly seeing that Professor Rion was sitting at her desk, writing on a parchment. Rion looked up and saw Ginny and Neville standing there.

"Good afternoon. Please, sit down," Rion said.

Ginny and Neville sat down reluctantly. The rest of the class filed in and sat down, everyone seeming disappointed that Rion was there. Ginny could tell from the overwhelming thoughts that they had all wanted to play and watch another game of Quidditch.

"Before we begin the lesson, I would like to apologise for my behaviour yesterday. It was not my intention to be discriminative towards anyone," Rion said. A few people looked at Ginny, who was trying to determine whether Rion was genuine or not.

"May I please talk to you outside, Professor?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Rion looked surprised then nodded and went outside with Ginny, closing the door behind them. Ginny was quite aware that nearly all of the class was on the other side of the door, trying to hear what she said.

"What would you like to talk about, Miss Weasley?" Rion asked when she didn't say anything for a few moments.

"I would like to talk about the sincerity of your apology..." Ginny said smiling at her. Olivia held back a glare then smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Go on," she said.

"I don't believe that you meant one word of what you said back there... You looked sincere, I'll give you that, but the tone and words you used... That spoiled it all," Ginny said with a shake of her head in disappointment.

"I beg your pardon?" Rion asked in shock.

"In layment's terms, I don't accept your apology because you didn't mean it. You're only apologising so you won't be fired," Ginny said simply with a shrug.

Rion gaped at her. Her sweet smiling facade fell away and she glared at Ginny angrily.

"You will accept my apology, even if I have to make you," Olivia hissed and went to slap Ginny. Ginny blocked her hand from connecting with her face and twisted it slightly.

"Do not try to hit me!" Ginny hissed angrily. The door swung open and everyone saw Ginny blocking Olivia's hand and twisting it.

"On that note, I don't think any of us accept your apology, Rion," Pansy said with a sneer. She left, Crabbe and Goyle following. The rest of the class nodded in agreement and left too. Ginny let go of Rion and watched her for a moment before getting her bag and leaving with everyone else.

"Get back here!" Rion yelled. "You're all going to receive detention!" Rion yelled but they didn't stop.

"Who gives a shit?" A voice called out in reply.

"One hundred points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin if you don't get back here!" Rion yelled, her voice raising to an even higher note. All of the students stopped and turned angrily.

"Are you threatening us, Professor?" Ginny asked, advancing on her. Rion stood up taller and tried to be intimidating, but failed miserably when her fear was in plain sight.

"You will all attend your lesson or else I will take off one hundred points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin," she said with a small stutter in her voice.

"Go ahead then," Draco said stepping out. A few people looked at him like he was nuts. "If you take the points off, then Granger and I will just give them back," he said, shining his trademark smirk at Rion.

"You don't have a reason to give the points! You can't just randomly give points!" Rion said, slightly hysterical.

"Oh, but we do have reason to give points..." Draco replied with another smirk.

"No, you don't! There's nothing that you can give points for!" Rion yelled.

"Actually, there is," Hermione said, stepping out beside Draco. "Fifty points awarded to Gryffindor for Ginny defending herself against a teacher," Hermione said bravely.

"Fifty points to Slytherin for Pansy standing up for what and who she believes in," Draco said, actually smiling at Pansy, then turning his attention back to Rion. "We can think of a number of things to give more House points. So, by all means, take off that lousy hundred points," Draco said then left.

Pansy stuck her finger up at Rion then left too, the rest of the class following. Ginny went up to the front of the procession where Draco, Pansy and Hermione were walking.

"Thanks..." Ginny said to the three of them. The two Slytherins only smirked in response and Hermione hugged her.

"I nearly couldn't think of anything to say," she admitted with a grin.

"That's comforting..." Ginny said sarcastically.

"Hermione! I can't believe you just did that!" Ron said, staring at her in shock. Hermione rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Well I did it, so believe it," she said with a grin.

"I better go see Dumbledore before Rion tells him what happened and completely twists everything around," Ginny said and they all stopped. The Gryffindors and Slytherins parted for Ginny to get through.

"We'll wait at the Quidditch Pitch for you," Draco said with a smirk. Yet another argument was ensued over who would win this game as they left.

Ginny shook her head at them then made her way up to Albus' office. She knocked on the door and waited for Albus to let her enter. Ginny walked inside when he had done so and sat down.

"What is the problem, Miss Weasley?" Albus asked looking over his half moon spectacles at her.

"Rion did it again..." Ginny said. Albus looked slightly shocked.

"Really? In what way this time?" He asked.

"She gave an apology that she didn't mean, then when I confronted her about it she tried to hit me," Ginny said. "The rest of the class left and she threatened to take off one hundred points from both Slytherin and Gryffindor if they didn't go back. Draco and Hermione awarded Gryffindor and Slytherin fifty points and in no certain terms told her to shove her threat where the sun doesn't shine," Ginny said with an inward smirk.

"Well, that is most interesting... Thank you for coming to me this time, Miss Weasley. Where, may I ask, is the rest of your Astronomy class?" Albus asked.

"The Quidditch Pitch, of course," Ginny said smirking at him.

"Of course... Why wouldn't they be there?" Albus muttered to himself. "Very well, Miss Weasley. You can go to the Quidditch Pitch and join the rest of your classmates. I will be down there before you finish so I can talk to you all," Albus said. Ginny nodded then made her way down to the Quidditch Pitch quickly.

"Would you all shut up? She'll be here soon enough," she heard Blaise say. The Gryffindors glared at him.

"You're not all fighting over me now, are you?" Ginny asked as she came into their view. Blaise rolled his eyes at the Gryffindors.

"They kept thinking you'd been killed or some rubbish by Dumbledore," he said. Seamus glared at Blaise.

"That's not what we said! We said that she was probably going to be a while with Dumbledore!" He said.

"All right, boys! 'She' is here, you know! Now can we start the game before Dumbledore gets here?" Ginny said. "Where are the brooms? And I see that no one has bothered to do the Quidditch balls," she said looking around. "You know, you can do things without me having to tell you," Ginny said when everyone mumbled an excuse.

"We don't need to do the balls again. Those ones you made yesterday are still the same," Pansy announced and took out a small green velvet bag from her pocket.

She tipped the bag upside down and four miniature sized balls dropped onto the ground, the two jet black Bludgers struggling to be free of the holding spell.

"All right. Thanks Pansy. Terry and James, you can help Vincent and Gregory get the brooms, I presume?" She asked. The four boys nodded and went off to the Slytherin Quidditch room.

"Crabbe and Goyle can carry the brooms on their own, you know," Blaise said coming up beside her.

"I am quite aware of that, thank you Blaise. I'm promoting House unity," Ginny said with a smirk. Blaise pulled a face at her. "You're promoting too, you know," she said with a smirk at him. Blaise looked over at Neville.

"Fine... You win," Blaise said and grinned.

"I always do," Ginny replied. "Gryffindor, please don't tell me that you haven't picked your team, yet again?" Ginny asked when she heard Seamus and Dean arguing.

"We're going with the same team as yesterday," Seamus said.

"Then why were you arguing with Dean?" Ginny asked crossing her arms.

"He started it!" Seamus protested and glared at Dean.

"I don't care who started it! Why were you fighting?" Ginny asked them glaring.

"It was over who was going to ask you to the next Hogsmeade weekend," Neville said when both boys blushed and didn't answer. Ginny raised an eyebrow at the two boys then shook her head.

"You can argue over it all you want later," Ginny said. "Besides, who said I was even going?" She asked with a smirk.

She left them standing there, still bright red and went over to Vincent, Gregory, James and Terry. They were all talking away in quiet tones, almost as if they didn't want anyone to see them conversing with each other.

"Would you mind giving out the brooms, please? I want to actually start this game and it seems like no one else is very interested in playing..." Ginny said looking at the two groups.

Seamus and Dean were arguing again, while Ron was shouting at them not to go anywhere near his sister. Hermione and Harry were trying to hold him back and calm him down, which without magic was a completely fruitless action. Neville and Blaise kept looking at each other. Pansy was trying to unshrink the balls and continued to miss.

Ginny took some brooms from Vincent then went over to Pansy.

"If you put a circle around the balls, you can just unshrink that instead of trying to aim for the balls. They're too small to hit," Ginny said. Pansy nodded. She made a circle with her wand around the balls, then unshrunk the circle. The balls became larger and she sighed in relief.

"Thanks Ginevra," she said with a grin and took a broom from her. "Everyone get a broom or you won't be playing!" Pansy yelled at the two Houses. Everyone grumbled at her, but took a broom anyway.

"You four still got the bats I made you?" Ginny asked the four Beaters. They all nodded. "Good, now let's play," Ginny said and flew into the sky, everyone following suit.

Albus walked down to the Quidditch Pitch and watched from the hidden stands as the two Houses played each other fiercely. He listened as Neville commentated, not missing one detail, he noticed.

"A Bludger almost got Ginny, but Terry hit it away thankfully! Ron caught the Quaffle thrown by Blaise and he's thrown it to Dean. Dean throws it to Seamus. Pansy calls a foul on Gregory for grabbing James' broom! Stop being a bad sport!" Neville called. "There's a flash of gold! Harry and Draco race towards the Snitch, well I'm not sure if it can qualify as a Snitch... It's a Glitch now," Neville said and a few of the spectators laughed. "All right, stop bugging me Hermione," Neville said when she told him to keep commentating. "You'd make a great McGonagall, you know," he said with a laugh then turned back to the game. " Harry and Draco are still trying to get to the Glitch. They're only a few metres away! They're neck and neck! Draco's getting further ahead! No, Harry's caught up!" Neville said. "Now Draco's ahead again! He reaches for the Glitch! Draco has caught the Glitch! Slytherin has won, 210 to 65!" Neville yelled. The Slytherins cheered loudly.

"You can come out now, Albus," Ginny said flying over to him. Albus started, having not noticed her smiled and walked out on to the Quidditch Pitch.

"Congratulations, Slytherin. A very close match," Albus said smiling at them cheerily. "I apologise for interrupting your celebration, but I need to speak with you about your Astronomy lesson," he said. "Please, sit down so I can see you better. My old body is shrinking and you all seem so tall," Albus said with a wink. Everyone sat on the Pitch before him.

"Is Rion going to be fired?" Pansy asked him. Dumbledore held a hand up to still her questions.

"I will answer questions when I have finished, Miss Parkinson," he said. Pansy just nodded curtly. "I have spoken to Professor Rion. She has admitted to being discriminative, as well as attempting to hit Miss Weasley. The choice of what happens to her is up to you, as it affects you the most. She can either be put under probation for two weeks and all of you will keep a close watch on her, or..." He added before any one could speak. "Or, Rion can be fired and you will get another teacher," Dumbledore said.

"Who will be the other teacher?" Blaise asked suspiciously.

"Until I am able to find someone more equipped to teach you properly, I will be taking over your Astronomy class," Albus said. "I will let you speak together for five minutes so you can decide what you want to do," he said and moved away from the group, conveniently humming to himself.

"I say we keep her for two weeks and make her leave," Blaise said with an evil gleam in his eye. The Slytherins and a few Gryffindors looked extremely happy with that idea.

"I think we should just let her get fired. It will be on her permanent record, because resumes require the reason why a witch or wizard was fired," Hermione said. "It would mean that she would never be able to get a job in any wizarding school," she added when a few of the Gryffindors looked blank.

"What do you want to do, Ginevra? It was because of you that we get this choice," Pansy said looking at her.

"I think that we should make her life hell for two weeks but make her get fired instead of making her quit. Witches that quit never get asked questions. Making her get fired will be on her record, as Hermione said. It's going to require a lot of planning, but I'm sure that we can do it. A few harsh words in front of teachers and she'll be gone by the next staff meeting," Ginny said. Hermione frowned.

"The next staff meeting isn't for another month," she said.

"Oh, I can take care of that... An extra spurt of power in a lesson and they'll be begging to have a meeting," Ginny said smirking. She looked at a few of the Slytherins in surprise. "I'm not sure whether I should take that comment as an insult or compliment..." She said with a raised eyebrow. The people obviously knew who they were and what they had thought because they all smirked at her.

"Compliment, of course. It's not often we think that of a person who isn't in our House," Padma replied and the others nodded, agreeing. Ginny just grinned and shook her head.

"Choose, people. My option, or one of the other two?" Ginny asked.

"Yours," held the majority of replies.

"Headmaster? We've come to a decision," Ginny called and Albus walked over.

"I hoped you would choose the right decision, but by the looks on your faces," he said, seeing the evil gleam in more than just the Slytherins eyes. "I doubt that you did," Albus added and he couldn't help but keep the smile on his face.

"We've decided to keep Rion for two weeks on probation," Ginny announced.

"I figured as much. Please do not cause her too much mental trauma... The bill we received for Professor Umbridge only last month was staggering. Luckily I was able to make the Ministry pay for it, as they did employ her, not I," Albus added with a wink.

"You shouldn't confide in us, Headmaster... We might begin to think better of you," Blaise drawled with a smirk at the old man. Albus just chuckled and left them. The bell rang loudly and the two Houses looked at each other.

"We should arrange a time so we can discuss what we're going to do to her," Ginny said. "Ten o'clock tonight, if we don't get into trouble by the Head Boy and Girl, that is," she added smirking at Draco and Hermione.

"I'll be fine with it," Hermione said.

"Fine," Draco said.

"Well, now that all of that is sorted out, I suggest we go back to our old selves before the rest of the school thinks we've been brainwashed or some such bollocks," Ginny said, laughing as she left. Neville caught up with her quickly.

"What did they think about you?" he asked, burning with curiosity.

"They just thought that I should have been in Slytherin," Ginny said grinning.

"Wow..." Neville said, impressed.

"Yeah, wow... I'll get you at seven thirty again, ok?" Ginny asked. Neville nodded. "Don't forget to finish your Herbology homework for Professor Granger," she added with a wink. Neville laughed and watched as she went through the door behind a tapestry. "All right. You could have just asked you know!" Ginny called. She lit her wand so he could see her. "Get your stuff and come back. Any longer than ten minutes and I'll just close the door, understood?" She asked. Neville nodded, said thanks and ran off to get his homework.

In less than three minutes Neville had returned with his homework and bag. Ginny grinned and helped him into the corridor. Just as she was about to shut the door, she heard her name being called out and she popped her head out of the corridor.

"What's wrong, Pansy?" Ginny asked seeing Pansy in the hallway.

"We have a meeting, remember?" She drawled, smirking.

"Just come down when you're all here. I'll leave the door open and a few of the torches lit for you. Close the door behind you," Ginny said and went back into the corridor.

She led Neville down the corridor, lighting some of the the wall torches along the way. She heard seven sets of footsteps following them and left the wardrobe door open too.

"Sit down. I'm going to get my stuff," Ginny said.

Neville nodded and set his bag on the table. Ginny went into her bedroom and grabbed her book bag then came back into the table room, just as the seven Slytherins walked in. Neville gave a yelp when he saw them then calmed when Ginny put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Neville... They won't hurt you while I'm around," Ginny said with a smirk.

"Or while Blaise is around," Pansy said, smirking back at her. "You're off limits, even to us," she said, looking at Blaise then at Neville. She didn't seem too surprised by the fact that Blaise had told them all to leave Neville alone...

"Ok, who's trying to get into my head?" Theodore asked from the back of the group. "It's not Ginevra, that much I know... Which one of you slime sucking idiots is in here? Don't make me hurt you!" Theodore warned.

Obviously the person didn't take his threat seriously, as soon a small thundercloud formed over Vincent's head and rain started pouring on to him.

"Weather elf... Impressive, but can you stop getting my floor wet?" Ginny growled at Theodore. He smirked almost sheepishly then the cloud disappeared.

"What was that?" Neville asked in shock.

"Magic," everyone replied at once.

"That was freaky... I don't care what you all say, but all of you saying that at the same time was just freaky," Neville said staring at them. "Two people, even three, talking at the same time I can handle, but eight? That's a whole other Quidditch game!" He said shaking his head.

"You saw Blaise turn into a centaur, and you didn't seem too freaked about that," Ginny said. Neville shrugged.

"I saw you turn into a unicorn. A centaur doesn't surprise me in the least... So what exactly are you all?" He asked looking at the seven Slytherins.

"Representatives of different beings," Millicent said. "I'm part werewolf," she said smiling.

"Troll blood," Gregory said.

"Part giant," Vincent said.

"Elf blood," Theodore said smiling like Millicent.

"Centaur, as you know," Blaise said with a wink.

"I already know Malfoy is Veela... So what about you?" Neville asked, looking at Pansy.

"Merpeople," she said with a shrug.

"Really? Have you ever seen a hippocampus?" Neville asked sounding excited. "Or a Plimpy?" He asked. "I found out how to get rid of those, you know," he said proudly when she muttered things under her breath about 'stupid two-legged fish'. She looked up in interest when he said the last sentence.

"Really? How?" Pansy asked.

"Streeler poison mixed with Alihotsy leaves. The poison can either stun or kill them, depending on how much of a pest they really are," Neville said.

"They're pests, but I think the merpeople have fun tying their legs together and watching them float away. I'll talk to them about it next time I see them... Thanks Neville," Pansy said. Neville nodded.

"All right, are we going to get this meeting started or can I finish my homework?" Ginny asked not looking up from the Potions essay she was writing.

"Meeting?" Neville questioned, but the Slytherins seemed to know what she was talking about and seated themselves around the table.

"Sorry, Ginevra. You realise that the Potions essay isn't due until Monday?" Pansy asked seeing what she was writing.

"Oh, I am quite aware of that. I have extra lessons on Saturday and Sunday, so I'm not going to have much time to write it before Monday," Ginny replied. She looked up and saw Neville just standing there. "Sit down Neville. I'll show you how to do water divining," she said and indicated to the seat on her right. Neville sat down beside her and Ginny moved her homework out of the way. "Blaise, would you mind filling my bowl please?" Ginny asked. Blaise gave a bow then grabbed her bowl and headed to the bathroom. "Everyone else, play nicely. I'm going to put my things away so they don't get wet," Ginny said with a smirk then grabbed her things and headed to her room. Draco followed her quietly. "What do you want, Malfoy?" Ginny asked looking at him.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Draco asked curiously.

"From different people," Ginny replied vaguely. "Why do you want to know?" She asked.

"Curious, that's all..." He said. Ginny just nodded.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to get changed... Please leave," she said.

Draco gave a nod then closed the door as he left her room. Ginny locked it silently then changed into comfortable clothes quickly. Opening her wardrobe, she took some small twigs from the Queen dress then Ginny unlocked the door and saw Draco waiting there.

"I'm going to start thinking that you care for me if you continue to wait for me, Draco," Ginny said with a smirk. Draco frowned when she used his first name, but didn't say anything about it.

"Before in that room... How did you get me to leave? I didn't move one foot willingly," he said. Ginny just looked at him for a moment.

"Stronger will power. I wanted you to leave more than you wanted to stay, so you left when I told you too," Ginny said. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Then you must have wanted me to leave a lot," he murmured then went back into the table room. Blaise was sitting beside Neville talking to him in quiet tones.

"Out of my seat," Ginny growled at Blaise. He smirked at her and put his feet up on the table as he leant back in her chair.

"What are you going to do about it?" He asked cheekily.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Draco muttered to Blaise. Blaise just continued to sit there and smirk at Ginny cheekily.

"Off!" Ginny said and with a flick of her wrist, Blaise fell out of the chair. "Thank you... Very kind of you to keep my seat warm for me, Blaise," she said smirking at him. Blaise just grumbled and sat in his seat.

"How are we going to do this without the witch hazel?" Neville asked looking at the water filled bowl.

"We aren't going to do it without any. I've got some," Ginny said and produced the small twigs of witch hazel that she'd taken from her dress. "Drop them into the bowl and then see if you can interpret what it means," she said and handed the twigs to him. Neville nodded and dropped the witch hazel twigs in the bowl. They didn't even cause a small splash...

Neville looked into the bowl and watched as the ripples flowed around the twigs, the small twigs moving around in the water. He looked closer and saw that the twigs seemed to be pointing towards someone and the ripples increased.

"Pansy's cold is going to come back. The spell Lupin used wasn't strong enough," Neville said.

He didn't recognise his voice. It sounded older than his own one! Neville stopped in shock.

"What was that?" He asked looking around. The Slytherins didn't seem to know as they looked as surprised as he was. Neville looked at Ginny who didn't seem too surprised.

"You were blessed by earth nymphs as a child and you're finally getting their knowledge... Welcome to the club," Ginny said with a wink.

"Earth nymphs? Club?" Neville asked. Ginny shrugged.

"The nymphs told me today who you were. They wanted you to know... And the club... Well, why not? If I have to meet with them, you can too. You're one of us now, my little nymph," she said laughing softly. The Slytherins looked from Ginny to Draco.

"Might as well... It'll help all of our species or beings," Draco said shrugging.

"It sounds weird hearing Malfoy talking about helping people," Pansy said smirking at Ginny.

"I've heard worse, but that comes close to the top," Ginny said with a laugh.

"If we're going to be here every day at five, what are we actually going to do? We might as well organise what we're going to do... And why are there thirteen chairs? There's only nine of us," Theodore said looking at the extra chairs around the table.

"I just waved my wand... Magic did the rest," Ginny said with a shrug. She looked around for a moment with a frown then went to her front door, hearing someone knocking. She opened the door and saw Fred and George standing there grinning at her.

"Ginevra!" They said and hugged her tightly. They walked in without waiting for her to invite them and went to the table room. "Lots of Slytherins... Should we be worried?" Fred and George asked looking back at her.

"I never make bad decisions, remember?" Ginny said with a smirk. "Sit down... Next time you come, at least wait until I invite you inside. It's bad manners to just walk into someone's house, or room without being invited," Ginny said, glaring at them. They just smiled mischievously. "Why are you here, by the way?" Ginny asked.

"Dumbledore told us that you need to teach us something," George said.

"And for us to come as soon as we could," Fred added. George nodded.

"So what do we need to learn?"

"We just got out of school..." Fred said in a whiny tone. Ginny sat in her seat and looked at everyone before her.

"We're only missing two people..." She said in surprise. "What's your star sign?" Ginny asked Pansy.

"Libra. Why?" Pansy asked.

"I just thought of something. Thirteen chairs, twelve signs in the zodiac. Two for Gemini because of the twins... We're a zodiac club," Ginny said with a smirk. "Well, that's if I'm right... Anyone here have the same star sign?" She asked looking at everyone.

"I'm a Leo," Neville said.

"Sagittarius," Blaise said.

"Vincent and I are Taurus and Aries respectively," Gregory said.

"Theodore?" Ginny asked when he didn't say anything.

"Virgo..." He muttered blushing brightly at the meaning.

"Capricorn," Millicent said.

"Well, I'm a Scorpion. So you're either Cancer, Pisces or Aquarius," Ginny said looking at Draco. "Judging by your personality, I'm guessing you're an Aquarius," she said. Draco just nodded.

"So we're missing Cancer and Pisces. Anyone know people under those signs?" Pansy asked.

"Luna's Pisces. She always tells me whenever I see her," Neville said with a grin.

"I think Colin's Cancer... June 25th," Ginny said then nodded. "Well, that's the zodiac... Did Albus tell you what I was supposed to teach you?" She asked Fred and George. They stopped talking to Theodore then looked at their sister.

"He didn't say much..." Fred said.

"Only that you were taking us somewhere," George added.

"On Friday night to meet someone," Fred finished.

"Oh, you're going to meet Lord Xavier. He's my mentor, I guess you could say," Ginny said. Fred and George nodded impressed.

"So he's a full Vampire?" George asked.

"Do you think he likes Blood Pops?" Fred asked.

"Yes, he's a proper Vampire and I have no idea if he likes Blood Pops... I need to teach you the manners you need to use when addressing and meeting with a Lord and Lady. You're also going to meet Lord Xavier's wife, Agnes..." Ginny said. Fred and George grinned.

"What's she look like?" They asked.

"Typical males, aren't they?" Pansy asked, smirking at the twins.

"I wouldn't expect anything else from them," Ginny answered.

"What is this club we're hearing about?' George asked after asking Theodore another question.

"Zodiac-being club," Ginny replied with a grin.

"Interesting... Do we need to be beings as such?" Fred asked.

"Or can we just be part of the zodiac to join?" George finished.

"Well, we decided that you two are Gemini, obviously... So you're halfway in. Blaise, you want to test them? Water's taken, and so is the reflections and card and palm reading. Can you think of anything else?" Ginny asked. Blaise smirked.

"Of course... Crystallomancy," he said. "Got a ball anywhere?" Blaise asked looking around. Ginny shook her head.

"I was going to buy one next Hogsmeade weekend," she replied.

"What about the paperweight we bought you?" George asked sounding offended.

"It's made from crystal and it's almost round..." Fred said.

"Just slightly flatter and smaller. Oval, I think," George said. Fred nodded agreeing with his twin.

"Oval sounds about right," he said. They both looked at Ginny.

"So where is it?" They asked her. Ginny rolled her head at their antics and flicked her hand. The paperweight flew over to them, lightly hitting the two boys in the process. "Be nice, Ginevra... Or we won't join your club," they warned. Ginny smirked at them.

"That will be your loss then. Look into the crystal and tell us what you see," Ginny said. Fred and George stuck their tongues out at her then looked into the clear paperweight.

"Ginevra's crying... She's running through the Forbidden Forest... By the Gods! What's happening to her?" They muttered and looked at the crystal closer. "It's just like you said," they said quietly and continued to watch. "Red wave... Manticore... Lightning..." The twins stopped Looking and looked up at Ginny in shock. "She must have done something really bad... Do you know what it is yet?" They asked. Ginny shook her head. Only Blaise knew what they were talking about, and everyone else looked confused.

"No, I don't know. I'm not sure if I want to know. I'll probably end up killing her before any of that happens," Ginny said with a sigh. "I've got tomorrow afternoon off. You two can come back then and I'll teach you. Or did you want me to go there?" Ginny asked. Fred and George looked at each other for a moment.

"You can come to us. We've got a few orders to finish by tomorrow night and if we don't get them done then we might as well say goodbye to our business," they said together. Ginny nodded.

"Dumbledore isn't going to let you off the school grounds," Pansy said.

"Oh, I technically don't leave school grounds... I go under them. Anyway, my room isn't technically on school grounds, it's inside the walls and comes out at a tower, but that means nothing," Ginny said, smirking.

"True," Pansy said, looking around.

"All right. So does anyone want to say anything or can we just do nothing for the rest of today and get organised next week?" Ginny asked looking at everyone.

"We're not 'beings' so are we still allowed?" Fred and George asked after a moment of silence.

"You are beings, you just don't know it..." Ginny said with a smirk. They looked at her in shocked surprise.

"We are? Since when?" They asked, still in tune with each other, even past their shock.

"Since birth," Ginny replied. "You were blessed by pixies at birth, why else would Mum call you two the pixie twins?" She asked raising an eyebrow at them.

"We were blessed by pixies?" They said in shock still.

"Mum told me about it after you two made the swamp... She just raved on about how she should have declined the pixies wishes," Ginny said. Fred and George stood up as one and shook their heads.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Ginevra... We've got to talk to our mother," they said and left quickly.

"Any other questions?" Ginny asked smirking broadly.

"What are we going to do about Rion?" Pansy asked.

"We'll discuss that later tonight with the rest of the students," Ginny said. "All right, I've got a question," she said grinning. "How in the Gods names can so many people be so bloody quiet? I haven't heard half of you speak since you got here," Ginny said looking at the Slytherins.

"Didn't seem necessary to say anything," Theodore said with a shrug. Silence fell again and Ginny shook her head at their silent stubbornness.

"Ginevra?" A deep voice asked suddenly. Ginny looked up at Gregory questioningly. "Can... Could you turn into a unicorn again?" Gregory asked hopefully.

"All right. We'll have to go into the bigger room though," Ginny said and led them to a larger room.

"Why can't we meet in here?" Millicent asked looking around at the beautiful room.

"Didn't think of it. I'll reorganise everything on the weekend, if I've got time," Ginny said with a shrug. "Stand back, I'm not sure how much room I need when I'm a unicorn," she said. Everyone moved back and Ginny took in a deep breath.

She thought of purity, beauty, and elegance and began to change her body. An image of the unicorn's physical body filled her mind and her body began to accommodate itself to that shape. She changed revelling in the freedom she felt while doing so.

A unicorn was standing before everyone in mere seconds and Gregory moved forward. He bowed respectively and waited for Ginny to bow back.

Ginny regarded the large man in front of her and she found that she could sense the troll blood flowing through him. She bowed to him and let him come forward and pat her.

"Thank you," Gregory said with another bow when he stopped patting Ginny.

She bowed back then trotted over to Pansy and Millicent, careful not to touch them with her horn. They patted her for a while until Ginny began to feel slightly weakened and changed back. She'd done five or more changes over the course of the day and her strength was drained considerably.

"Sorry to cut your fun short," Ginny said with a grin at the two girls. "Blaise, how about you entertain everyone for a while? I'm going to go try and get my strength back," she said and walked out of the room, her body expressing its pain clearly.

"How exactly are you going to get your strength back?" Draco asked, following her. Ginny smirked at him.

"You'll see," was all she said. Ginny took her bowl from the shelf and filled it with clean water, putting the forked witch hazel twigs aside for Neville.

"You're going to See and that will give you your strength back?" Draco asked.

"It should... Depending on what I See, of course," Ginny replied and sat down. "You're welcome to join me, if you wish," she said looking at him.

"I can't. I don't know how to See," Draco said, sounding slightly embarrassed.

"You don't have to know. Take my hand and you will See what I do," Ginny replied.

Not really having any other choice, as well as his curiosity, Draco sat beside her and took Ginny's hand. Ginny stared at their clapsed hands for a moment, trying to ignore the tingling sensation that was searing through her, and then she turned her attention to the bowl.

"Anything particular you wanted to See?" She asked.

"Not really... Amuse me," he said. Ginny smirked at him.

"Yesterday you want me to humour you, today you want me to amuse you... All right, I'll do it, but whatever appears is your own fault," Ginny warned him and looked into the bowl.

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Ginny smirked at Draco and watched as he attempted to change his body shape.

"How do you manage to do this daily?" He grumbled as still nothing happened. Ginny laughed lightly and walked over to him. She sat beside him and took his hand in her own.

"I just don't dwell on it... You're thinking too much, Draco. Close your eyes," she instructed. With an elaborated sigh, Draco shut his eyes. "Imagine the animal in your head and then simply imagine you becoming the animal," she said softly. When she saw the first telltale signs of him changing, Ginny let go of his hand and watched as he continued to change into an animal.

Draco's body shrunk considerably and fur began to grow on his back. His hands and feet turned into paws and his eyes turned a pink colour. Soon a silver ferret was in Draco's place.

Ginny burst out laughing when she saw what Draco had become. The little ferret ran over to her and curled around her legs. She leant down and picked up the ferret.

"I think you're a lot cuter this way... Maybe I should make you stay this way," she mused. The ferret squealed in alarm and jumped out of her hands, running away as fast as his little legs would carry him. "I was joking, Draco! Come back before someone sees you," Ginny called. Then she heard a distinct thought in her head that could only be Draco. "You're a perverted ferret, you know that Draco? Stop trying to look up my skirt and come back here or else I won't let you change back," Ginny said. Draco came back reluctantly and looked up at Ginny. "Stop looking up my skirt!" She said angrily.

The ferret gave a smirk and with a triumphant smirk Ginny waved her wand, thinking a spell. With a small bang, Draco was in the ferret's place and still looking up Ginny's skirt.

"I could kill you for doing that, you know. The Gods know my brothers will," Ginny said, smirking down at him. Draco gave a small shrug.

"I can charm my way out of it," he said and pulled her down beside him.

"Not with Bill. He's already got a Veela, and if you got all Veelan on him then Fleur will dismember and castrate you," Ginny said, laughing. Draco raised an eyebrow with a shrug and rolled on top of her.

"Then I'll have to make sure you don't tell them," he said huskily.

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"Stop!" Draco practically yelled. "Stop it right there! I don't want to see any more," he said desperately.

"I did say it would be your own fault. I channelled that through you. I didn't will to See that, you did," Ginny said. Draco stared at her like she was crazy then got up abruptly causing the chair to fall over. He stalked out of the room and wardrobe. Ginny listened as he opened the closest door and slammed it behind him.

"What's going on? Who was screaming?" Blaise asked coming in the room. Ginny just looked at him for a moment, and to the others behind him.

"Draco didn't like a vision he Saw," Ginny said simply.

"He can't See," Pansy said with a frown.

"Not on his own," Ginny replied. "All right... I think the meeting's over. There won't be one tomorrow due to the twins, so I'll see you in class, over the weekened and on Monday," Ginny said with a smirk.

"All right. We get the hint, Ginevra. We're leaving," Pansy said smirking. Ginny rolled her eyes then watched as they left. Neville stayed, glancing from the work he had to do then to where Blaise had just gone.

"You don't have to stay, you know. I'll get you at seven thirty," Ginny said. Neville grinned at her, grabbed his things then ran after Blaise with a quick goodbye over his shoulder. Ginny shook her head and put the bowl away, suddenly not caring about her lack of strength. It would return soon enough...

She continued to do the Potions essay then finished her other homework and decided to read some of her extracurricular books. Ginny started reading Compos Mentis, the book Binns had recommended to improve her mental blocks.

In order to block others from the inner reachings of your mind, first you must yourself know the inner reachings of your mind.

The inner mind holds information that most people, especially Muggles, are ignorant to. As children, we discover and learn things at a tremendous rate. However, as the child's mind is far more delicate and fragile than that of an experience-filled adult, the child will often 'forget' things that seem to be of no importance. These things are not forgotten, but only hidden in the inner mind.

Close your eyes and make your mind blank. Don't think of anything at all. If you do have a thought, recognise the thought and let it go. Once you have no coherent thoughts in your mind, search back through your memories. Go back to your very first memory as a child. Concentrate on that memory. Now, try to imagine yourself even younger. Try to imagine yourself as a baby, even. Think of pictures you may have of yourself and imagine the time when they were taken. It may not work on your first attempt, so do not be worried if you do not achieve the desired results.

Ginny looked at the clock and judged that she would have enough time. It was only six thirty, after all...

She thought back to her first memory as a young child...

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Ginny ran after her brothers eagerly, her pigtails flying behind her.

"Wait for me!" She called, her young voice ringing out to them. Fred and George stopped and waited, smiling at her. Ron stopped and put his arms on his hips.

"We don't want you to come with us! You're a girl," he said in the most hurtful way his five-year-old mind could make up. Ginny looked at him, her eyes filling with tears. She tried not to cry, knowing that Ron wouldn't like her even more if she did.

"Well, we want her to come..." George said, defending his baby sister immediately.

"Yeah, someone has to be the princess," Fred said.

"You could be the princess if you don't want to Ginny to come," George said, his six-year-old face turning into a cheeky smile as he looked at his younger brother. Ron shook his head.

"I don't want to be the pwincess! I want to be the dwagon!" Ginny protested quickly. "Like Chawlie is!" She added.

"Charlie's not a dragon, Ginny," Fred said hugging her. Ginny looked sad.

"He's not? But... He said... I want Chawlie to be a dwagon! I like dwagons..." She said and her bottom lip trembled as tears filled her eyes again.

"Why do you like dragons so much?" George asked frowning. Ginny didn't reply, tears falling from her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Ginny... It's all right. We want you to come play with us," Fred said. "You still want to play?" He asked. Ginny nodded and sniffed, wiping away her tears. "That's good."

"Come on, we'll let you be the dragon," George said with a boyish wink and took her hand. "Come on Princess Ron!" George called. Ron glared at his sister then followed, not wanting to be left out of their games.

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Ginny shook her head for a moment. She remembered that. She'd grazed her knee playing that day. She had bawled her eyes out too, until Fred and George 'attacked' the grass for hurting her and made her happy again...

With a smile, Ginny tried to think back further. She remembered a photo of herself at age two with Ron, sitting on their mother's lap, Molly laughing at something.

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Molly adjusted her two babies on her lap, trying to make sure that they were both comfortable.

"Can you take the photo now, Arthur love?" She asked. Arthur smiled at her over the camera then nodded.

"You look beautiful, Mollywobbles," he said winking at his wife. Molly laughed and Arthur took the photo.

"I don't look beautiful, Arthur! I'm covered in baby sick and food. I really wish that Ginny would eat her food instead of throw it... I'm going to kill whoever told her to throw meatballs," Molly said shaking her head. Arthur smiled and sat beside his wife, taking their daughter from her.

"You're not really going to kill me, are you mum?" Charlie asked, sounding scared. "I was just showing Ginny how to play Quidditch..." He said quietly, his eyes tearing up.

"No, Charlie! I was just joking. I'm sorry... Come here," Molly said and Charlie walked over to her, sniffing. He climbed onto his mother's lap beside a snoring Ron and cried into her filthy blouse.

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Ginny shook her head grinning. Well, it had worked at least... Weighing up the options to see if she could go back further, a look at the clock decided for her. It was quarter past seven already! Ginny got off the chair stiffly and stretched her back for a moment before putting her things away and heading out the corridor to the closest tapestry to the Gryffindor Tower.

Ginny opened the door and gave a small yelp when two people fell onto her.

"What the hell?" One of them yelled. Ginny recognised the voice and tried not to laugh.

"Sorry Dean... I didn't mean to scare you. Let me help you and your... girlfriend out," Ginny said and lit her wand. She helped the two Gryffindor's out of the corridor then closed the door, leaving them both slightly stunned and confused.

Maybe the shock would stop them from snogging behind tapestries! Ginny thought with a small laugh as she walked back down the corridor to another door. She cast a spell to make sure no one was behind the tapestry then climbed out and walked down to the Gryffindor Tower.

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"Hey Neville. I see that you've finished your Herbology homework," Ginny said with a grin. Neville nodded. "Ready to go then?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied and left with her, stuffing his things into his bag.

They made their way to the Room of Requirement quickly and went inside the door, Moody and Lupin already waiting there.

"Neville, you'll be working with Remus. Ginny, you're working with me. We're progressing into hand to hand combat," Moody said. Ginny nodded and just did her stretches. "Start your stretches Neville," Moody said when Neville just stood there. Ginny finished her stretches quickly and waited for instruction. "Dagger out and hold it like I showed you," Moody said.

Ginny reached into her boot and pulled out her dagger. She held it like he said and Moody nodded.

"Good... Now I will send you a slow spell so you have time to deflect it, understood?" Moody asked.

"Understood," Ginny replied.

"Diuturnus!" Moody said and a slow white light flew out of his wand. "When it comes close enough, flick the end of your dagger at it and it should deflect the spell," Alastar said as the light continued to fly towards Ginny at a slow pace. (Lasting a long time.)

When the light was close enough, Ginny flicked her dagger at it and the spell flew away at a fast speed. By the look on Moody's face, Ginny didn't think that was supposed to happen. The spell bounced around on the walls, Lupin and Neville barely missing it themselves before it returned to Moody's wand.

"Maybe I shouldn't try it with a faster spell," Ginny said, but Moody shook his head.

"Wizards aren't just going to use slower spells because they know that you're a Vampiress, Ginevra. In fact, they'll most likely use faster spells to try and attack you. I will use a faster spell, but I'll put up a barrier so it doesn't get those two," Moody said and a barrier appeared between them.

"Thanks," Lupin said and blocked another punch from Neville.

"Celer!" Moody said and a fast beam of light shot out from the tip of his wand. Ginny blocked it and the beam flew straight at the barrier. The barrier broke in half and the light continued to fly everywhere. (Quick or fast.)

"Maybe I should just do other things with my dagger first," Ginny suggested as the light flew over her head.

"Agreed," Moody muttered and tried to make the light go back into his wand.

"Do you want me to try?" Ginny asked after he'd tried again for the fifth time.

"I doubt you could get it, Ginevra," he said. With a shake of her head, Ginny stood up. Sensing her movement, the light sped towards her.

"Stop!" She commanded and the light stopped in mid air. Moody stared from her to the light then back again.

"How did you do that?" He asked. Lupin and Neville were staring too.

"Will power... Return," she said to the light and it flew back into Moody's wand obediently. "Can everyone stop telling me what I can and can't do? It's getting really annoying," Ginny said with a sigh.

"What do you mean 'will power'?" Moody asked frowning.

"This is the last time I want to explain this..." Ginny muttered to herself and shook her head again. "I wanted the light to stop. I wanted it to stop a lot more than the light wanted to move, so the light obeyed. Easy..." She explained with a shrug.

"The light wanted to move? It's a spell! It doesn't want anything," Moody said, still in shock. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You know, for such an experienced Auror, I'm surprised you already didn't know this... Orbis," Ginny said and a small ball flew out of her wand. "I want to send the orb to Neville. Since I created the sphere, it has to obey that first order. However, as soon as it leaves the vicinity of me, it may find that it doesn't want to go to Neville. It may want to go to say... Lupin," Ginny said and the orb flew towards Neville, then swerved to Remus. "If I let the orb just float around for a while, it could end up somewhere else completely." (Circle or orb.)

"But if you made it do something why isn't it doing it?" Neville asked. Ginny grinned.

"At the moment, I don't care if it goes to you or to anyone else in the room, so the orb can go anywhere in the room. If the orb wants to go to the roof more than I want it to go to you, then it will go to the roof. If I put enough will power into making it go to you, then it will," Ginny said and the ball flew straight down from the roof and into Neville's hands.

"If that's so, then why doesn't every spell we do just go anywhere except the original target then?" Remus asked.

"When you do spells, you focus on the spell reaching a certain target, or acheiving a certain goal, so you're putting will power into it. Since the spell you do is made for that use, it always obeys as its purpose is to do that. If you do a spell that's a bit more relaxed and has no purpose besides enjoyment, and you don't put enough will power into making it do exactly what you want it to do, then the spell will go a bit... wonky," Ginny said.

"This just doesn't make any sense," Moody muttered in disbelief. Ginny smirked at him.

"It doesn't have to make sense. Just accept that it's the truth. I'm sure something has happened to you before to make it known that what I am saying is true," Ginny said. Moody shook his head. "So you're saying that you've never done a spell and something happened to it?" She asked.

"I did once," Remus announced. "As a teenager, I was being smart and flying the broom with magic... I tried to make it turn left, but the broom kept turning to the right. Made me stop being such a smart alec about my magic though," he said with a boyish grin.

"Anyone mind if we continue fighting?" Ginny asked as her dagger pulsed slightly as if to remind her it was still there.

"Right. We'll fight dagger to dagger instead," Moody said. Ginny nodded and Moody took a dagger out of his boot too. "Slow first, it wouldn't be good if you go to the Great Hall all cut up," he said. "Now, if someone is trying to get you in an above stabbing motion, the best thing is try and move out of their way and stab them in the side instead..." Moody instructed.

They went through various techniques to defend, protect and attack, eventually speeding up towards the end of the session. Once they finished Moody looked at Ginny, impressed.

"Very good work, Ginevra. I know that you'll be able to defend yourself if you're ever attacked. Tomorrow we'll have to do more work on your dagger and magic techniques," Moody said.

"I won't make tomorrow's session. I'm meeting Lord Xavier," Ginny said. Moody nodded.

"All right. We'll see you tomorrow then, Nevile," Moody said. Neville nodded in agreement, still trying to catch his breath from the last detailed and intricate fight sequence he had done against Lupin.

"Come on, Neville. I'll help you to the Great Hall," Ginny said with a smirk and held out her hand for him. Neville took it and Ginny led him outside. "You want a spell? You're sweating like there's no tomorrow," she said with a grin. Neville nodded and Ginny did the spell on him silently. "Come on, you look like you need a barrel of pumpkin juice," she said, laughing softly.

"Funny," Neville muttered and walked with Ginny to the Great Hall.

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"Ginevra, I suggest you keep your brother under control. He put Draco in the hospital wing for no reason at all," Pansy said, glaring at Ron. Ginny frowned.

"He did what?" Ginny seethed. "You're sure it was for no reason?" She asked.

"It was the usual taunting, nothing over the top... They've exchanged worse before. There was no reason for him to go off at Draco," Pansy said and glared at Ron again. Ginny nodded.

"Thanks... I'll go take care of my brother," Ginny muttered and walked over to where Ron was sitting. "I need to speak with you. Right now, Ron," Ginny added when he just took another bite of his chicken leg. Ron sighed, wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and followed Ginny outside reluctantly.

"What is it?" He asked. Ginny turned on him.

"What is this I hear about you putting Malfoy in the hospital wing?" She asked angrily.

"He insulted out family and I took care of it. Why do you care what I do to the Great Ferret anyway?" He asked, frowning at her. Ginny sighed.

"I care because you put another student in the hospital wing over a verbal assault! You could have just thrown a few words back and left it at that, Ronald!" Ginny said. Ron shook his head.

"I won't take it this year, Ginny. I won't just go along with his insults and make it seem like I can live with that. I can't handle him putting us down all the time. He thinks he's so great just because he's getting an inheritance..." Ron said angrily. Ginny slapped Ron hard. "What did you hit me for?"

"To snap you out of it, for the Gods sakes! You're acting like an insolent little boy! Stop being such a prat! You take all of his insults to heart as if he actually means something to you! If I find out that you've put anyone in the hospital wing, whether it be Draco or anyone else, I will make sure you live to regret it! Is that understood, Ronald?" Ginny asked angrily. Ron just stared at her in shock.

"You ungrateful little witch! I did what I did because of you!" He snarled.

"What?" Ginny asked in shock. "Tell me what the hell he said!" She demanded.

"No. You can live with the knowledge that I stood up for your honour and the reward you give me is a slap across the face," Ron snarled then pushed past her. Ginny fell to the ground with a small thump. She got up and ran after her brother, putting him up to the wall by his neck.

"Tell me," she hissed. Ron went red as air refused to go into his body. "Tell me!" Ginny demanded. Ron struggled for air and Ginny released her grip reluctantly. "Tell me, or I will force it out of you, Ronald," she threatened.

"All right! Just let go..." Ron said, his hands trying to release her grip. Ginny let go of him and he sank to the ground, clutching his throat. "By the Gods! That really hurt me," he said in a raspy voice, rubbing his throat.

"Well, stop being such a prat. Tell me what he said," Ginny said.

"All right. I said I would and I will," Ron said glaring at her. "Malfoy said that you were a Muggle loving witch who shouldn't be let out in wizarding public," he said. "Then he said that you couldn't afford to be out in public anyway," Ron said and rubbed his throat again. Ginny looked down at her brother for a moment then shook her head in amazement.

"You're a terrible liar, Ronald. You always have been," Ginny said in a pitying tone. Ron frowned and looked at her.

"What do you mean? You think I'm lying?" He asked. Ginny looked at him pointedly and Ron went red quickly under her scrutinising look.

"I know you're lying. You know you're lying. Don't think me such an emotional fool that I would believe every thing you said just because it is about me. Are you going to tell me the truth or do I have to read your mind to get it?" Ginny asked. Ron glared.

"Don't you dare go into my head, Ginny!" He snarled.

"Then tell me the truth," Ginny replied easily. Ron sighed, knowing that he had no other options left but to do exactly that.

"It wasn't anything much... He just said that I was a Weasel King and couldn't afford a crown or some rubbish. I just snapped. I didn't mean for him to be put in the hospital wing," Ron said quickly. Ginny just shook her head at him and sighed, rubbing her temples wearily.

"Fine... I don't take back what I said earlier. If I find out that you've put another student in the hospital, Slytherin or otherwise, I will personally make sure you live to regret it, Ronald," Ginny snarled then went into the Great Hall to eat.

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Ginny left the Great Hall as soon as she'd finished her dinner, not wanting anyone else to follow. She had judged correctly, as everyone was too busy stuffing their faces to notice her absence.

Ginny entered the Room of Requirement and conjured her Patronus. Immediately, her five animals appeared before her. Meriam walked over to Ginny and licked her hand softly.

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Ginny watched as the full moon made its way across the sky, as silent as always. It never made a sound as it moved through the world, through time, yet it had such an affect on people that they never questioned it. Why was she any different? Simply because she could make sounds, everyone thought that gave them the right to question her.

Ginny sighed once more and looked down at the Hogwarts ground beneath her. She saw a figure dancing on the ground and as the moon touched the creature, she saw that it was a Mooncalf. Intrigued, Ginny stepped off of the roof and flew down to the ground silently as an owl. The shy creature hadn't noticed her and Ginny watched the Mooncalf dancing. Curiosity taking over, Ginny began to change her shape to that of a Mooncalf.

Her body began to become smoother and turned pale grey. Her eyes rounded out and bulged on the top of her head. Her arms changed into four long spindly legs and Ginny's hands and feet became four large flat feet.

She stood up on her hind legs, as the Mooncalf before her was and walked over to the silent creature. The Mooncalf saw her coming over and stopped in shock. The creature awkwardly bowed to her.

Hello, New Queen. Would you care for this dance to honour Lady of the Night? The Mooncalf asked in her mind, then looked up to the full moon.

I would be honoured, Ginny replied and bowed back to the Mooncalf. Almost as if she already knew what to do, Ginny began to dance with the Mooncalf.

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Ginny looked down at the wolf and scratched Meriam behind her ears for a moment before Majolica came over and held her horn to Ginny's forehead.

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Draco looked at Ginny in shock.

"What are you doing?" He asked. Ginny turned to see him standing in the doorway. Immediately, her Patronus disappeared.

"It's none of your business what I do or don't do, Malfoy," Ginny said. Draco walked in to the room.

"Oh, but it is, Miss Weasley... You're out of bed and it's past ten thirty. That means detention," Draco said. Ginny shrugged.

"Fine. Give me detention and let me leave," Ginny said uninterested.

"What if I'm in a cheerful mood and don't want to give you detention?" Draco asked, smirking at her.

"Then don't. One way or the other, I don't really care Malfoy... Make up your mind so I can leave," Ginny drawled, glaring at him. Draco smirked and decided to play with her some more.

"What if I want you to give me something in return for not giving you detention?" Draco asked as he walked over to her.

"My dear Mr. Malfoy, are you blackmailing me?" Ginny asked him smirking. Draco continued to advance on her.

"You can call it blackmail, but I call it getting something we both want," he said looking down at her. Ginny smiled up at him.

"Now, what would that be exactly, Malfoy?" She asked sweetly. Draco lowered his lips to hers. Ginny punched Draco before he could do anything and pushed him down to the ground. "You try that again and I'll kill you myself, Malfoy," Ginny snarled then left the room.

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"Well, that one looks like fun," Ginny said with a smirk. Her Patronus looked at her enquiringly and she shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she muttered. Looking at the time she cursed softly. "Time for you all to go back. I've got to meet with the others now," Ginny said and they all disappeared with a small flick of her wand.

Ginny opened the door and saw small collective groups of students coming towards the Room of Requirement to discuss their plan against Rion.

Soon enough, all of the students from the Astronomy class were inside the Room of Requirement. Ginny also saw others who weren't part of the class and asked them what they were doing there.

"Well, we've got Rion for Astronomy too. Except we're in the sixth year class. Once we heard what she did to you, we wanted to help," one girl said, the others agreeing.

"All right. None of you have told anyone else about this, have you?" Ginny asked looking at them. They shook their heads adamantly. "Good. Make sure you keep it that way," Ginny said. She noticed Luna nearby and walked over to her. "Hi Luna... What are you doing here?" She asked. Luna smiled at her dreamily.

"History takes place. I have to be there when it happens," she replied in a soft voice. Ginny frowned but didn't contradict her. "Do not worry over me, Ginevra... I am fine," Luna said and smiled again. "I will be there on Monday with Colin," she added. Ginny nodded.

"All right then," Ginny went over to the Slytherins, seeing that they too had brought some extra people. "Pansy? What's with all of the extra people?" She asked.

"We brought all of the really cunning people from our House. Besides, when we saw all the other Gryffindors we didn't want to be outnumbered. House rivalry and all that," Pansy said with a smirk. Ginny sighed softly, looking around at the two large groups of people.

"All right. Let's get this organised, shall we?" Ginny said and went up onto a stage that appeared. "Attention!" Ginny called and amazingly, they all quietened. "You're all here to make sure that we get Rion fired... We can't let her quit, we have to get her fired," Ginny said. People were already thinking of the things they could do to her, Gryffindors too. "Split into groups of five and write down ideas. As we're trying to promote House unity, please get into groups with people of the opposite House! Oh, stop your whinging!" Ginny said when a collective groan rolled through the room. "We'll go through the ideas once we're finished and see what one's are the best," Ginny said and parchment and quills appeared in front of everyone. Ginny walked off the stage and over to Pansy, Neville, Blaise and Theodore.

"We were saving a spot for you," Neville said grinning.

"Thank you very much, Neville," Ginny said grinning back at him. "So what do you want to do?" She asked looking at the other four. "I could just bare my fangs at her every time she comes near. She'd flip," Ginny said, smirking.

"We could taunt her before a teacher comes around the corner. She'd go nuts and either start cursing or try to hit people again and then the teacher would see," Neville said. Blaise looked at him in surprise.

"That sounds so evil..." He said and Neville blushed wildly. Ginny winced.

"Gods, would you two calm down a bit? Seriously, if everyone could read your thoughts then the entire school would be horny," she said and shook her head again. Blaise smirked.

"I didn't know that we could make you horny too... Oh, this is going to be fun," Blaise said with a smirk and then Ginny put her head in her hands, wishing that she couldn't hear and see what Blaise was thinking about. Pansy smacked Blaise on the head.

"Stop it, you evil little bastard," Pansy growled. Blaise smirked at her.

"I'm no more a bastard than you are, Miss Parkinson," he sneered and continued thinking.

"We could be really uncontrollable in class. Another teacher would be bound to notice that," Theodore interrupted.

"Oh, you just spoilt the entire setting! Now I've got to start all over again!" Blaise grumbled.

"I hate to do this to you Blaise, but you're bringing it on yourself..." Ginny said with a sigh. She looked at him then put her hand up. "Stop," she commanded. The thoughts stopped coming to her and Blaise stared at her in shock and amazement.

"What the hell did you do? You did that today too when I was sitting in your seat!" He said. Ginny just smirked at him.

"Can we get on with this? Everyone's given ideas except you," Pansy said poking Blaise in the shoulder.

"Fine. I say we put her on a spit and roast her," Blaise said off handedly. Pansy glowered at him.

"A real idea, Blaise," she said.

"I was serious," Blaise replied grinning. Theodore rolled his eyes and sighed softly.

"What did Pansy say?" Ginny asked him.

"Spit and roast her," Theodore replied smirking. Ginny laughed softly and hit both Pansy and Blaise with a calming spell.

"Come on. Ideas people. We can't get her fired if we don't think of anything..." Ginny said. Blaise sighed.

"Fine... I'll just start to turn into a centaur. If she doesn't like things as you said then she'd either try to take off House points or detention. Retaliate against that and she'll get into trouble again," he said with a shrug.

"Ginny! What do we do now? We can't think of anything else!" A different group called out.

"Put it in a box!" Ginny called back and a large box appeared in front of them.

They put their parchment in the slot then watched as the box floated over to different people when they had finished too.

"All right, I think we're done," Ginny said. "Pitiful as well as childish, but it'll have to do," she said with a smirk.

"Childish? I disagree, my dearest Ginevra... I am anything but childish," Blaise said in a mocking tone. Ginny rolled her eyes and put their parchment in the box.

"Everyone done?" She asked and the box floated over to the last group.

They put their parchment in it and the box floated back up to Ginny. She took the parchments out and looked at some of them.

"All right... How many of you wrote to spit and roast her?" She called out shaking her head when more than three groups put up their hands. "How in the Gods names is that going to get her fired?"

"Well, it'd burn her at least," someone called out.

"Oh, shut up Seamus!" Ginny said. Seamus just laughed. "Ok, we've got 'taunting before a teacher comes around', 'being disruptive in class', 'being loud in class so other teachers hear and complain', 'not doing any work in class'... Is that your writing Hermione?" Ginny asked looking at the parchment closer. "It is..." Nearly everyone looked at Hermione in shock and she blushed brightly. "There's also changing scores after assignments and for Harry to stop writing on the parchment..." Ginny said smirking over at Harry and Hermione. "Another is to 'make the writing on the board to change around to make up nonsense words so then Rion would get angry'. That's a good one," Ginny said impressed.

"I did that!" A girl near the back called out and a few people laughed. Ginny raised her eyebrow at the girl who quickly sat down.

"Good for you... 'Always bring in the wrong text books so we miss out on half of the lesson and say we got lost coming back. That would be suspicious if we did it too many times, so we'll have to organise when we do it," Ginny said. "Another one is to wet her from head to toe. What would that achieve besides get her wet?" Ginny muttered and shook her head. "We should make her into a thing. Oh, I like that one... Ron knows the spell to do fangs, as you all saw with Lavender," Ginny said smirking. Ron went red quickly. "'Put a Boggart in her desk drawer'. Does anyone know where to find a Boggart?" Ginny asked looking around.

"I think Lupin's going to show some of the third years a Boggart on Monday morning to wake them up a bit," one of the seventh years said at the back. Ginny nodded.

"All right, I can take care of that," she said. "I'll need a small distraction on Monday to get it. Who wants to take care of that?" Ginny asked, looking around.

"I'll do it," a voice near the front piped up. Ginny looked down at Neville.

"All right. How? You need to get both Lupin and Moody to stay behind," Ginny said. Neville nodded.

"I just got a new plant from my grandmother. I can discuss it with them," Neville said with a slight smirk.

"Have fun," Ginny said winking at him. "Ok, the last idea is to put a Niffler in her room. It's been done, but I'm sure that it can be done again," she said with a shrug. "We could just make multiple Niffler's and put them all in her room... She wouldn't know what one to get out," Ginny said. A few people laughed. "All right, let's all leave before we get caught," Ginny said.

Someone near the back opened the door and with a small shriek, slammed it shut again. Ginny frowned and went to the back, pushing past the crowds of people.

"What is it?" Ginny asked the girl. She was Gryffindor, but none of the brave qualities were coming through at that moment. "What's wrong?" Ginny asked giving the girl a small shake.

"Snape's out there... He's waiting for us," the girl said trembling.

"All right. I'll take care of it. Everyone get an Invisibility Cloak," Ginny said and Invisibility Cloaks appeared next to each person. "They will only last until you get to your Common Room, so don't think that you can reuse them," Ginny said and a lot of people groaned in disappointment. "Let me go out, then when I've distracted him, all of you get out, understood?" Ginny asked and the people that she could see nodded. "Everyone got their Cloaks on?" Ginny asked and everyone replied 'yes'. Ginny took a deep breath then opened the door to reveal Professor Snape standing there, smirking evilly. "Hello, Professor," Ginny said and moved away from the door. Snape turned to her, glaring and smirking at the same time.

"Miss Weasley... Nice to know that you can abide by the school rules... This is the second time you've been caught out of bed after hours. This means a detention. A third time will ensure a letter to your parents and a possible suspension," Snape drawled. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, Professor. I understand. It's not your night to patrol, is it?" Ginny asked.

"That is none of your business, Miss Weasley... Now, where are all of the others? I saw more than just yourself in that room, Miss Weasley," Snape said and turned around to see a blank wall.

"I apologise, sir. I wanted to have someone to talk to and the Room just gave me a lot more people than necessary," Ginny said with a small smile. Snape turned to her and glared again.

"You expect me to believe that, Miss Weasley?" He asked.

"You can believe what you like. I wanted to talk to someone about Draco Malfoy. It is kind of my fault that he is in the hospital wing, you see... Ron just doesn't seem to think before he acts. I've told him before to ignore everything, but he just doesn't listen to me. Never has really..." Ginny said with a shake of her head.

"What do you mean it is your fault, Miss Weasley?" Snape asked faltering for a moment. "The witnesses said that Mr. Malfoy provoked Mr. Weasley," he said with a slight frown.

"Oh, I am aware of that. It's just that I heard Ron's thoughts in the holidays about him not taking any of Draco's bullshit and it didn't really register with me until after I heard that Draco was in the hospital wing and I had a little talk with Ron. Any little thing that Draco says this year, Ron's not going to let it be and he's going to try and get revenge or in a fist fight. He's going to get himself expelled because of this and there's nothing I can do about it," Ginny said. Snape looked down at her.

"That still does not explain how it is your fault, Miss Weasley," he said eventually. Ginny gave a small sigh.

"I heard his thoughts and I didn't stop him from doing it. That means I was partly responsible for Draco being put in the hospital wing," Ginny said. Snape nodded.

"Well, what would you like me to do about it, Miss Weasley? You weren't there, and you said yourself that you didn't actually understand what your brother meant until after it happened. I can't give you detention, or take off House points, and I doubt that you would want that to happen anyway. You have done nothing wrong, so you can let go of your guilt," Snape said. Ginny nodded.

"Do you think I could go see him?" She asked suddenly. "My brother would try to rip my throat out if he finds out I've gone to see him and since he's in bed, then he can't possibly find out if I go now," Ginny said in a rushed tone.

"I doubt Mr. Weasley would really try to rip out your throat, Miss Weasley." Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yet he really tried to curse me just because I'm a Vampiress," she drawled. Snape gave a curt nod.

"Very well. I will take you there. You can find your own way out, I trust. Ten minutes only and do not speak to anyone of this or Madam Pomfrey will have my head on a platter," Snape said with a slight grin.

"Why, Professor... I do believe that you just smiled," Ginny said, smirking at him. Snape scowled.

"Do you want to go there or not, Miss Weasley?" He growled.

Ginny hid a smile and indicated for him to lead the way. Snape stalked down the hallways, somehow managing to be silent, Ginny following him.

"Ten minutes only, Miss Weasley. You have detention on Monday night for being out of bed after hours," Snape said, aware that she was meeting with Xavier the next day.

"Thank you, Professor Snape," Ginny said quietly and went into the hospital wing silently.

She waited until she could hear Snape's almost silent feet leave before going over to the bed where Draco's hair was shining in the moonlight. Ginny removed her school robe and looked down at Draco. The bruise that her brother caused must have been large, as there were still hints of it around Draco's eye. She touched his face lightly and he stirred beneath her touch.

Draco woke up and stared at her. Ginny was almost glowing in the moolight and she looked so angelic that Draco thought he was dreaming again. She smiled at him and just hoped that he wouldn't see her school robe on the nearby chair. As his eyes never left her face, Ginny felt that it was safe to leave it there. She smiled for the next ten minutes, Draco eventually falling asleep. Almost as if she was in a dream, Ginny placed a light kiss on his cheek then grabbed her robe and left silently, even to her own ears.

She quietly made her way to a nearby tapestry and walked to her room, yawning widely. She was exhausted! Not to mention the fact that her mouth hurt from smiling so much...

Deciding that she'd Seen enough for one day, Ginny barely managed to change into her pyjamas. She crawled into bed and fell asleep quickly, her fingers clutching the dragon pendant beside her family crest around her neck.

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(a/n: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!)

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7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Seven

Friday, Sept. 6

Ginny woke up and got out of bed reluctantly. Her head felt fuzzy, her throat seemed smaller, and her nose was blocked.

"This is not the time to be sick," Ginny muttered to herself as she changed into her school clothes. She dragged herself to the Great Hall, still tired from the day before.

"Hi, Ginny! Whoa... You don't look so good," Neville said and put a hand on her forehead, frowning. "You're burning up." Ginny just looked at him, too tired to make a smart remark. "Come on. I'll help you get better," he said, still far too chirpy for this time of the morning.

"Why are you so happy? How are you able to be this happy this early in the morning?" Ginny grumbled as she watched Neville pile her plate with sausages, toast, eggs, and bacon. Neville just smiled and poured Ginny a large glass of orange juice.

"Drink up. You'll feel better," he cajoled. Ginny eyed the grease-filled plate and her stomach turned.

"Gods," she muttered and ran out of the Great Hall quickly. She barely managed to make it to the bathroom before throwing up. "This is not going to be a good day," she muttered to herself. Lavender came out of a nearby stall and screeched loudly. "And there's my proof," Ginny said, even quieter than before.

"What in the Gods' names is wrong with you? You can't just go throwing up every where! That is so unhygenic," Lavender said, screwing up her face. Ginny didn't bother with a response.

"Scourigfy," she said and the mess cleaned up quickly. With a disgusted face, Lavender cleaned her hands and left the bathroom. Neville appeared in the doorway and looked down at Ginny on the bathroom tiles.

"Are you all right?" He asked, noting her pale skin.

"I'm contemplating my death, if you don't mind... Leave me be," Ginny muttered. Neville shoook his head and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her.

"Come on. I'll get you to your room," he said as struggled to lift her off the floor.

"What's wrong with Ginevra?" Pansy asked Neville, seeing them in the bathroom.

"She's sick," Neville replied.

"I am here, you know..." Ginny muttered. Pansy felt her forehead and with a curt nod, told Neville to stay put. In seconds flat, she had returned with the Slytherin group.

"You could just do the spell that Lupin taught us," Theodore mentioned as everyone crowded around Ginny.

"Thanks Theodore. Don't know why I didn't think of it myself," Pansy muttered. She pointed her wand at Ginny, who shook her head.

"It's all right, Pansy. I'll do it myself, if you don't mind..." Pansy nodded and Ginny held her hand over her face, closing her eyes tightly. "Salveo," she said and a red mist covered her face. Ginny felt her windpipe and nose clear and the fuzziness in her head left quickly.

"You just did that without a wand," Vincent said in shock. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Obviously... Wands just direct magic in a particular direction, that's all," she said.

"But how can it work without your wand core?" Millicent asked.

"The wand core has nothing to do with the magic. It just lessens the amount of magic you send out so you don't end up killing someone with a simple stunning spell," Ginny said with a shrug. "Now, who's hungry?" She asked, smirking at them. The Slytherins left, shaking their heads. Neville looked at Ginny.

"Are you sure you're ok, Gin?" He asked. Ginny nodded.

"I'm fine now, Neville. Thanks for helping me," she said and hugged him.

"You're welcome," he replied, then led her back to the Great Hall.

"Ginny!" A seventh year called out. Ginny went over to the girl and looked at her. "I was wrong last night. Lupin's planning to show the Boggart to the third years today," the girl whispered.

"All right. Thanks," Ginny said and returned to Neville. "You're going to have to distract Moody and Lupin now Neville," Ginny told him quietly. He just nodded and handed her a piece of toast.

"Eat, or you'll get sick again," he said. Ginny reluctantly took the toast and ate it slowly. Neville went over to the teacher's table and started to talk to Moody and Lupin.

"Hey, Colin? Want to go for a walk with me?" Ginny asked. Colin nodded and finished eating his bacon before following her outside.

"So, where are we going?" He asked.

"To the Defence Against the Dark Arts office to borrow a Boggart," Ginny said. Colin looked excited.

"Really? I haven't seen a Boggart yet!" He said and they set off at a quicker pace. They reached the office in a few minutes and Colin went to open the door in his excitement.

"No!" Ginny said and pulled his hand away from the door. He looked at her in surprise. "Moody's paranoid enough to spell the door with every spell he knows. So unless you'd like to be fried, I suggest you let me handle this..." Ginny stated with a half smile. Colin nodded and stepped away from the door warily. "No pictures. I don't want any evidence of this, or else everyone could get into a lot of trouble," she said. Colin sighed and let go of his camera. "Thanks. You better not watch. It's not going to be pretty," Ginny said and began to change.

Colin looked away as her eyes began to bulge and turned into a different colour. Ginny changed into a cockroach and scuttled under the crack of the door. Going over to Lupin's desk she changed back, grateful to rid herself of the disgusting insect. Luckily, no alarms went off; Ginny lit her wand to emit a soft glow. She opened the desk drawer and was surprised to see nothing there.

"Damn... Maybe it's in Moody's drawer," Ginny mused out loud.

"What exactly are you looking for?" A soft voice asked from inside the drawer. Ginny looked and frowned again. There was nothing there. "I cannot appear to those who have no fear, Queen. And as I thought it would be insulting to attempt to frighten you, I decided to just stay as my true form," the voice said.

"No offence, but what are you?" Ginny asked. A mist floated out of the drawer and stopped in front of her.

"A Boggart, Queen," the mist 'said'.

"Oh... That form would be very good for sneaking around unawares, I should think," Ginny said, trying to make conversation. The Boggart-mist smiled.

"Thank you. You are one of the very first and very few who has seen a Boggart's true form, but your response has been most pleasing, Queen," the Boggart replied.

"You're welcome?" Ginny said, unsure of what to say. The Boggart laughed and gave the impression of shaking it's head. "I came in here to get a Boggart... you, so you could do something for me," Ginny said, remembering why she had gone into the room.

"My name is Bexley. I would be most honoured to serve my Queen. What do you request of me?"

"Ginny! They're coming," Colin's voice whispered at the door urgently. Ginny cursed softly.

"Go before they see you, Colin!" Ginny called. She heard his footsteps going away and looked around in helplessness. "I'm going to be killed if they find me in here..." She muttered.

"I may be of assistance," Bexley said. Ginny looked at him. "Put your wand hand out and all will be well, my Queen," he said.

Not left with much choice, and the two Professors' footsteps getting closer, Ginny put out her right hand. Bexley floated through it and Ginny began to change. Her form changed from solid to liquid to vapour in seconds flat. Soon, Ginny was no longer Ginny and Bexley was floating under the door with her somehow inside of him. Neither of the professors noticed as the mist floated along the wall and thus, Bexley wasn't forced to become their greatest fears.

"What happened?" Ginny asked Bexley.

"Quiet, my Queen," Bexley whispered softly. He continued to float along the wall, as mist, but invisible to the students. Bexley floated into an empty room and with a small shake, he began to change. Ginny began to form out of the mist and she turned from a vapour to a liquid and finally back to her solid form.

"Gods, that was weird," Ginny said as she made sure that she could walk properly.

"I apologise for that, my Queen, but it was necessary for you," Bexley said.

"I understand. Thank you, Bexley," Ginny said with a slight bow.

"You are welcome, my Queen. In what manner do you need my assistance, my Queen?" Bexley asked.

"First, you can call me Ginevra, not 'Queen'. It becomes irritating after a while," Ginny said with a grin. "Secondly, I would like your help in scaring a rather discriminative professor," she said.

"Has this professor been discriminative towards you?" Bexley asked in a tone that made Ginny thank the Gods that she wasn't Rion. She gave a brief nod. "I will take great pleasure in assisting you," Bexley said with a bow. He got into Ginny's bag and they left quickly, before the bell could ring.

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Deciding that it wouldn't be good if Rion came in while Ginny was in her desk, she opened her bag and Bexley slipped onto the floor, making his way to Rion's desk.

"Miss Weasley, is your enthusiasm for my lesson so great that you have arrived ten minutes early?" Rion asked, coming into the room behind her. Ginny sat down and started to take her things out.

"Of course, Professor. I enjoy your lessons. They are... refreshing," Ginny said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Just stay out of trouble, lamia and nothing will have to be refreshed," Rion hissed in warning. Ginny just smiled at her and didn't reply. With a small frown, Rion looked around her desk and chair before sitting down, almost expecting to see glue or pins on her seat.

Everyone filed into the Astronomy Room, already having heard from Neville that Colin had left on Ginny's command. By the looks on their faces, they obviously thought that nothing was going to happen. However, when everyone saw Ginny they all either smirked or grinned, depending on their House.

"What happened?" Neville asked quietly.

"Tell you later," Ginny said and he nodded.

"Once I have taken attendance, all of you will open your books to page 20. Is that understood?" Rion asked, looking over the class.

"Which book is it, Professor?" Hermione asked timidly.

"The same Astronomy book we have been attempting to get through for the entire week, Miss Granger," Rion drawled.

"Oh... I brought the wrong one," Hermione said and went red. Harry and Ron glared at her.

"You told us it was this book though, Mione!" They grumbled loudly. Most of Gryffindor agreed with them loudly and as the noise got louder, Hermione went brighter.

"I'm not a psychic! How was I supposed to know?" Hermione practically yelled.

"Be quiet! All of you!" Rion yelled.

"Is there a problem, Professor? We could hear your class all the way down the corridor," said Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher. She was obviously annoyed at the disruption. "If you can not keep your class silent, I will have to request for your room to be silenced with spells," she said.

"It already is, Professor," Hermione interjected quickly. "According to Hogwarts: A History, every classroom has been silenced," she said and smiled at her. Professor Vector just looked at her over her glasses and gave a curt nod.

"Very well. Keep tighter reins on your students, Professor," she said warningly to Rion and left. Rion looked at her class angrily.

"Keep silent or else I will be forced to deduct House points," she said. "Now, I will take attendance..." Rion looked down at the list. "Bulstrode, Millicent," Rion said. Millicent didn't say a word, even though she was sitting in the classroom. Rion looked up and saw Millicent at the back. "Miss Bulstrode... I called your name for attendance. Now, are you present or not?" Rion asked. Still, Millicent didn't say anything. "Fine, I see that you are here. Present," Rion said and angrily ticked Millicent's name. "Crabbe, Vincent," she called. Like Millicent, Vincent didn't say a thing. "Mr. Crabbe! I see you there! Do not tell me that you wish to lose House points for not answering during attendance?" Rion called.

"We hardly think that is fair, Professor. First you tell us to be silent or else we'll lose House points, and now that we're silent you still want to deduct House points!" Pansy said incredulous. Rion looked at her, then around the room. Every student was going to be silent until she told them otherwise, that she could tell from a glance. Thinking that it was better that they were actually following her orders, Rion just gave a curt nod.

"Fine. You may answer attendance. Otherwise, be silent," Rion said.

"Yes, Professor. We'll answer attendance," Pansy said - but Rion missed the evil gleam in her eyes.

"Uh... Thank you. Finnigan, Seamus," she said.

"Here!" Dean called with a slight grin.

"Granger, Hermione," Rion called.

"Here!" Ginny called and half of the class tried not to laugh too loudly.

"Longbottom, Neville," Rion said.

"Present," Blaise called out.

"Malfoy, Draco," Rion called and Theodore answered for him, while Gregory answered for Nott. Parvati answered for Pansy Parkinson and Padma looked slightly impressed at her sister's initiative.

"Let's all swap seats," Dean whispered quietly.

The nearby students heard and nodded, then silently got up and changed their seats. Other students saw what they were doing and changed too. Half of the Slytherin class was soon sitting in the Gryffindor section and Rion hadn't noticed a thing. Ginny mused that it was the quietest she'd ever seen the two Houses move.

"Potter, Harry," Rion called, still unaware of her student's actions.

"Here," Draco drawled and Ginny had to put her head in her hands to stop from laughing.

"Thomas, Dean," Rion said.

"Here," Ron said, grinning.

Rion eventually finished the attendance roll with not one person having answered their own name and she was still none the wiser. However, when she looked up and saw that the class had rearranged themselves Rion stared in shock.

"What are you all doing?" She asked.

"We're promoting inter-House unity, Professor... Are you proud of us?" Hermione asked, sickeningly sweet. A few people hid their laughs while others weren't sure if she was serious and tried not to gag.

"Yes, proud..." Rion said with a shake of her head.

"What are we supposed to do about our books?" Harry asked suddenly. Rion looked confused. "We brought the wrong one..." Harry explained slowly, as if to a child.

"Quickly, go retrieve the right books. Come back immediately," Rion said.

"They'll need a pass so they don't get into trouble," Ginny said before anyone could leave. Everyone, knowing that the passes were in Rion's drawer, waited patiently and eagerly.

"Yes, of course," Rion said and opened her drawer. Bexley flew out looking uncannily like Ginny in her Vampiress form. Rion went pale in fear and stared at the new Ginny.

"Hello, Professor. Is there a problem?" Bexley asked smiling, his fangs coming into full view.

"You can't be real... You're sitting over there," Rion said pointing in the general direction of where Ginny was sitting, but unable to look there. She started to shake in fear and the real Ginny walked over.

"Are you all right, Professor?" She asked, sounding worried.

"You can't see it?" Rion asked in fear.

"See what?" Ginny asked, looking around. Her eyes slid over Bexley easily.

"See you! You're standing there!" Rion said, her voice going hysterical. Bexley gave a small growl and she fainted clean out. Ginny smirked at Bexley.

"Thank you, my dear Bexley. Would you like to return to the classroom or stay with me?" Ginny asked. Bexley smiled then turned to the rest of the class. "They can't see you, so there's no reason for you to have to try and scare them," Ginny said and everyone quickly diverted their gaze from Ginny's double.

"I understand your reason for not wanting them to be scared, so I will not do so. You were all very cunning. I applaud you," Bexley said with a bow, then he turned into mist and floated back over to Ginny. "I will be honoured to stay with you, my Queen," Bexley said and floated into Ginny. The rest of the students stared at Ginny for a moment.

"Oh, come on... Just go get your books. Get a pass and scram!" Ginny said and passes flew to each person who had brought the wrong book. They all left quickly. "Hey Blaise? How quick can you change?" Ginny asked with a smirk. Blaise smirked back and walked over to her, changing in two seconds. "And back?" Ginny asked, and in another two seconds he was his normal self. "Excellent. You can do the honours of waking her up,' she said, grinning wickedly.

"I think I get your meaning... The smelling salt, if you please," Blaise answered with an evil smirk as he turned back into a centaur.

Ginny handed him a vial and he put it under Rion's nose ungracefully. Rion woke up and groggily stared at the centaur before her. She let out an ear piercing scream and in that time Blaise had turned back.

"Professor? What's wrong?" Blaise asked, sounding concerned. Rion stared at him and saw that he wasn't a centaur. She shook her head for a second and sat up slowly.

"Nothing... There's nothing wrong..." She said and looked around quickly for the Boggart. Not seeing anything, she sighed in relief and went over to her desk. "Where is the rest of the class?" She asked, now noticing that most of them were gone.

"You gave them passes to get their books, then you fainted for some reason," Ginny replied. "We didn't see anything, you just fainted straight out. Are you sure you're all right, Professor?" Ginny asked, peering at the professor closely.

"I am fine, Miss Weasley. I... appreciate your concern," Rion said; her attention was pulled to a different part of the room quite suddenly. Draco Malfoy was looking at her, his Veelan side coming out. Every person in the room, bar Ginny, was openly staring at him in desire. As the other students came in the room, they stopped and stared at Draco too.

"Draconius? You should let them go before someone tries to kiss you again," Ginny said in a bored tone. Looking at Ginny for a moment, Draco stopped and the desire left everyone's eyes quickly.

"I hate it when you do that, Draco!" Pansy muttered at him.

"Professor? Are you all right?" Neville asked, waving a hand in front of Rion's face.

Rion stopped looking at Draco then looked at Neville. He smiled brightly and plants began to grow around him. Rion stared at him then backed away quickly. None of the other students seemed to notice anything, though they were all burning with curiosity as to how Neville was able to do that.

"What are you?" Rion whispered in shock. Neville frowned and the plants disappeared immediately.

"Pardon, Professor?" He asked in confusion. Rion looked from him to all of the other students, who were all looking at her concerned.

"Are you sure you're all right? You don't look too well," Pansy said and placed a webbed hand on Rion's forehead. Rion screeched and moved further back.

"What is going on here?" Professor Vector asked as she entered the classroom.

"We don't know what's wrong with her, Professor. She just fainted and I think she's taken a knock to the head or something. She seems to be seeing things," Ginny said, looking at Rion in concern. "Neville asked her if she was all right and then she asked him what he was, which doesn't really make sense, and Pansy put a hand on her forehead to see if she had a temperature then Rion screamed and moved away from everyone..." Ginny said with a shrug.

Professor Vector looked at the students. They did seem to look concerned for Rion. With a small sigh, she walked over to Rion and looked at her. Ginny silently thought a spell and horns hovered over Vector's head so it looked like they were actually on her head.

"Olivia? Are you all right?" Vector asked. Rion looked up at Vector, staring at the two horns that were on top of her head. She let out a scream and tried to back away from her quickly.

"What are you?" She said, continuing to stare at her and those awful horns that were growing out of her skull.

"What do you mean by that?" Vector asked in confusion. She looked in the mirror behind the door, but she looked exactly the same. As she looked back at Rion, the horns floated back up onto her head and Rion screamed loudly. The horns disappeared and Ginny walked over.

"You see, Professor? There has to be something wrong with her," Ginny said, shaking her head. She smiled at Rion, baring her fangs slightly.

"Lamia! Leave me alone!" Rion yelled. Ginny moved closer to Rion and sighed.

"I am not a Vampiress, Professor. I am your student," Ginny said slowly, her fangs no longer visible. Rion had her eyes closed and was muttering to herself.

"I think I should take her down to the hospital wing. You all stay here and do your assigned work. Miss Granger and Miss Weasley, I trust you can organise everything," Vector stated and left the classroom, guiding a babbling Rion with her.

The door closed after them and Ginny cracked up laughing. The rest of the class was soon laughing with her and Blaise made his way past the laughing students to get to Ginny.

"Did you think of the horns all by yourself?" Blaise asked her. She nodded, tears streaming down her face from laughing so much. "You sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin?" He asked, smirking at her.

"I'm not sure about that, but I did get Draco to grin," Ginny said and looked over at him. The grin stayed on Draco's face for a moment before he smirked instead.

"Draco?" Pansy crooned sweetly. He looked at her and Pansy hit his shoulder. "I told you not to do that Veelan thing when I'm nearby! You're bloody annoying when you do that!" She growled and hit him again. Ginny laughed at them then smirked at Blaise.

"I'm not sure whether they're acting like a married couple or not..." She said with a raised eyebrow.

"Jealous?" Blaise asked with a smirk.

"Not at all," Ginny said, smirking back at him. Blaise winked at her and went over to stop Pansy from hitting Draco.

"Ginny? Do you think we should do as Professor Vector said?" Hermione asked. Ginny gave a slight shrug.

"I don't know. Are the rooms really silenced or did you make that up?" Ginny asked. Hermione went a light shade of red.

"Made it up..." She muttered.

"All right. We'll allow everyone a few minutes to calm down, then we should because the Gods know that Vector will return to see if we're actually working or not," Ginny said with a smirk. "All right, everyone! Get a hold of yourselves!" Ginny called.

Slowly the students stopped laughing then sat in their seats, not bothering to go back to the original Slytherin-Gryffindor sides.

"We're going to do what Professor Vector said and teach you, so you might as well listen so we don't get into trouble..." Ginny said with a smirk. "I take it that you have all read the first chapter, after that brilliant display of genius by Dean on the first day," she said and Dean went red. Everyone voiced their agreement on having read the first chapter. "All right. Who didn't understand any of it?" Ginny asked. Surprising everyone Hermione tentatively raised her hand.

"I still don't understand the Babylonian astronomy," she said quietly.

"Yeah, how did they just suddenly get the arithmetic equation to work out when the Moon and Sun would be for every day of the year?" Theodore asked with a frown.

"Well, get the book open and we'll read it all together... One of us should understand it," Ginny said with a grin.

As Ginny finished explaining the way of Babylonian astronomy, Professor Vector entered the classroom. Seeing that the students were actually working without any fighting or complaints, she stopped in surprise and shock.

"You're actually working?" She asked, then shook her head. "Never mind... How is everything going?" She asked. Ginny gave a small shrug.

"We just finished working out how the Babylonian astronomy worked... Don't you have a class already, Professor?" Ginny asked, frowning. Vector paled slightly.

"Oh, dear... The classroom's going to be ruined," Vector said and left quickly. Ginny shook her head and they continued to work.

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"Miss Weasley? A moment, if you please," Albus said as she was about to enter Charms.

"Do you have my timetable known off by heart or something, Headmaster?" Ginny asked with a grin.

"It is my business to know where my students are, Miss Weasley. Now, please follow me. Professor Flitwick has already been told of your absence," Albus said and led Ginny to a private room. "Professor Vector has told me of Rion's... current condition. I don't want to know what you did to her, as I am not sure that I can handle it. However, I do suggest that you return the Boggart to Lupin... The third years were very disappointed, to say the least, when they found that they weren't going to see a Boggart," Albus said with a small smile.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Professor. Bexley doesn't wish to return there, as he knows he will be... killed, for want of a better word," Ginny said.

"Who is Bexley?" Albus asked frowning.

"Bexley is the Boggart, Professor. I would let you see him, but then he would be forced to show your fear and you would probably kill him too," Ginny said. Albus regarded the young woman before him and nodded.

"Very well then. I will find another Boggart for Lupin to use," Albus said. "You may return to your lesson, Miss Weasely," he said. Ginny nodded, then went to the Charms classroom.

"Miss Weasley... Please take your seat," Flitwick said as she entered the classroom.

Ginny nodded and sat next to Neville. She noticed that the students had changed seats and were now sitting amongst each other. The fact that Lavender was pissed off with her and the sudden rearrangement of the class didn't escape her notice either. Parvati was no longer just sitting next to Lavender, but sitting next to her twin sister as well.

"Now, we will be finishing the amulets you started yesterday. I do hope that you all brought them," Flitwick said, looking around the room. A few people looked guilty and he sighed slightly. "Those that did not bring your amulet, please go and get them. Quickly," he added and about ten people left the classroom. Flitwick floated around the class to check that people had indeed brought their amulets. He stopped at Ginny when he didn't see anything. "Miss Weasley? Where is your amulet?" He asked kindly. Ginny showed him her necklace.

"I didn't want to lose it, so I put it around my neck," she answered at his questioning look.

"Excellent idea, Miss Weasley!" Flitwick said, smiling at her broadly. Lavender snorted loudly, but Flitiwck hadn't heard, already floating to the other side of the room.

"Do you have a problem, Brown?" Ginny asked, glaring at her.

"No," Lavender said, holding back her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Parvati asked Lavender in confusion. "It's a good idea. I did it too," she said and showed Lavender her bracelet with the charm hanging from it. Lavender looked at her friend in surprise.

"It's funny because it's her... There's never been a reason to laugh before," she said. Parvati just looked at Lavender for a moment.

"There's always been a reason, Lavender," Parvati said. "I see that your reasons were different from mine," Parvati said and shook her head in shame.

"What are you going on about Parvati?" Lavender asked, confused.

"You just said there's never been a reason before to laugh at something, but there always has been. If you think there hasn't then that means that you've just laughed at people for no reason, is that right?" Parvati asked her.

"Of course I have! You can not be telling me that every person you've laughed at has been because of something stupid they did? You've never laughed at someone for the way they looked or talked?" Lavender asked, incredulous. Parvati shook her head at Lavender.

"Yes, I am telling you that Lavender. I can't believe that you've just laughed at people because of the way they are. That's really low!" Parvati said, then joined her sister, away from Parvati.

Flitwick hadn't noticed a thing that happened, or at least he pretended he hadn't. The people that had left returned and sat in their seats.

"Miss Patil and Miss Patil! I am very proud that you are both promoting House unity, as are the rest of your two Houses. You are all setting great examples for the younger students!" Flitwick said happily. "Fifty points to both Gryffindor and Slytherin," he said, smiling at everyone. "Now, will everyone repeat the following incantation after me; tutis," Flitwick said and flicked his wand at his own amulet. A small white ball floated down to his amulet and covered it. (Protected or safe.)

Everyone repeated the incantation without their wands and when he was satisfied, they performed the spell on their amulets too. Ginny watched as some people flicked their wand but nothing happened. With a small sigh, she flicked her own wand and said the incantation. A large red ball covered her amulet, then other red balls started to cover some amulets in the room.

The group of Slytherins and Neville watched as their own amulets were covered with a red ball, then they all looked at Ginny from where they were sitting.

"Miss Weasley, may you please inform me of what you just did?" Flitwick asked, having seen the nine red balls float over the amulets.

"No, I can not as I did not do anything willingly. My magic did it," Ginny said.

She was quite aware when Lavender rolled her eyes in disbelief and restrained from throwing a curse at her. Bexley on the other hand, floated out of her and made his way beneath the table to Lavender. A few of the students from the Astronomy class watched indiscreetly.

Lavender screamed loudly as bugs, rodents and other insects covered her feet. She jumped up onto her chair still screaming, staring down at the creatures. Some of them flew up to her while others climbed up her chair and onto her feet again. Lavender kept screaming even as Flitwick floated over.

"Bexley! RETURN!" Ginny called loudly. Lavender was too distressed to hear her, but Flitwick did and he watched as all of the creatures made their way back to Ginny. "I didn't give you permission to do that, Bexley..." She said quietly. Flitwick and the other students watched as Bexley became a mist and gave an apologetic bow.

"I apologise, my Queen. I do not like those that insult and provoke others due to their ways... Besides, she made my Queen angry," Bexley said. Ginny shook her head.

"That is not the point, Bexley. I will deal with Brown on my own. I thank you for your concern," she said. "Now return," she commanded and reluctantly, Bexley went into her.

"Miss Weasley? What was that?" Flitwick asked floating over to her.

"Bexley is a Boggart under my protection at the moment, Professor. He did that on his own and I take no responsibility for his actions," Ginny replied and smiled at him innocently.

Lavender was still screaming loudly and Ginny sighed. Her head seemed to be thumping with every scream she let loose.

"Lavender! Silence!" Ginny said and Lavender stopped screaming immediately. Ginny slumped down in her seat and rubbed her temples wearily. "May we please continue?" She asked Flitwick. He nodded, making a mental note not to anger Miss Weasley in the future. Ginny shook her head with a grin and swallowed an anti-headache potion.

"Miss Brown. May you please sit down in your seat instead of standing on it? You have no reason to stand on it unless you are as short as I am," Flitwick said, grinning gaily. Lavender sat in her seat with a nod. "Now, please repeat after me... Coloro," he said. (To colour.)

The lesson went by with no further incidents and by the time the bell rang for recess, everyone had coloured their amulets and made it so they would be protected and conjured a chain to make it into a necklace, bracelet or anklet.

"I am very proud of you all! You have just completed your first assignment!" Flitwick said happily and awarded both Houses twenty points before dismissing them for recess. "Miss Weasley, may I talk with you before you leave?" Flitwick asked. Ginny nodded for Neville to leave then went down to Flitwick.

"Yes, Professor?" She asked.

"Do you mind if I see this Boggart... Bexley, for myself?" He asked, smiling at her.

Bexley floated out of Ginny's body and over to Flitwick.

"I apologise, Master of Charms... I can not show you what you want. If you have no idea of your fear, then neither do I," Bexley said. Flitwick nodded looking slightly disappointed.

"Very well... Thank you," he said. "May you please refrain in disrupting my class in the future? However much she may have deserved it, it is not your place to do anything without Ginevra's permission," Flitwick said. Bexley gave a bow then floated back into Ginny's body.

"Thank you, Professor. I will see you later," Ginny said and departed for the Great Hall.

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"Hey Ginny!" Colin said, grinning at her as she entered the Great Hall. "I heard that Rion was sent to the hospital wing... How did you get out of their office?" He asked quietly. Neville nodded, waiting for her response.

"I turned into a Boggart with the help of Bexley," Ginny replied quietly.

"Who's Bexley?" Colin asked curiously.

"Ginny's Boggart," Neville said, grinning.

"Speaking of turning into things... What did you do Neville? There were plants everywhere," Ginny said in awe. Neville went red.

"I owled gran last night and she told me what you told me... Her great-grandfather was part-nymph and they blessed me at birth for all the things he did for them," Neville said. "Gran told me that I made half of her plants grow when I was four but until I bounced out the window I hadn't shown any other magical abilities besides what the nymphs had given me," he said quietly. "I tried it then and believe me, I was just as surprised as the rest of you," Neville said, shaking his head.

"Congratulations," Ginny said and hugged him.

"Should I be jealous?" Blaise asked behind them. Ginny laughed softly and winked at him.

"Always... You want to sit down?" She asked, moving across for him. Blaise raised an eyebrow at him.

"A Slytherin sitting at the Gryffindor table? It's unheard of! And I'm just the person to do it," he said with a wink and sat beside her. The entire Hall went silent as they realised what had just happened.

"Get off our table!" Lavender hissed at him. Blaise just looked at her.

"Now I doubt that is the way to promote House unity, Brown," He sneered at her. "Besides, you should know that I was invited to sit down as you were so obviously listening to our conversation!" He said and Lavender went red.

"You should be applauded for promoting House unity, Mr. Zabini! Fifteen points for Slytherin," Dumbledore announced as the students still sat there in shock.

"Ginevra? Want to sit with us?" Pansy asked her suddenly. Ginny nodded and went over to the Slytherin table.

"Thanks for the invite... Trying to get more points, huh?" Ginny asked her as she sat between Pansy and Draco.

"Of course. Besides, if you're really going to marry Mr. Malfoy, Prince of Ice, then you should at least get to know him," Pansy said with a wink. Draco scowled at her but Pansy just ignored him easily.

"I'm surprised that the entire school still isn't talking... Even Brown's quiet! I think this is the longest she's been quiet so far," Ginny said, shaking her head. "Luna!" Ginny called and Luna walked over dreamily. "What's the record for Lavender not talking?" She asked. Luna smiled and looked over to Lavender who was still speechless.

"Three minutes at the moment. She is going to beat it by five seconds," Luna said, then sat beside Pansy, undeterred by the Slytherins stares. "The merpeople are always good to my father. Thank you for your hospitality," Luna said dreamily. Pansy just gave her a curt nod. "I do remember seeing you there one time... I think it was in our third year during the Christmas holidays. Do you remember, Water Pansy?" Luna asked, smiling at her.

"Of course I remember! You kept saying that something bad was going to happen to my kind. Then that bloody shark came after you left," Pansy muttered.

"I am sorry... I did try to convince the shark not to do anything, but it had been cut off from others of it kind and was bordering on starvation so it wouldn't listen to me," Luna said. Pansy just nodded.

"I know. We managed to stun it with some Lobalugs and we fed it after it promised not to harm us again. Thanks for the warning though," Pansy said. Luna just smiled and stood up.

"You are welcome. I do not like to see friends hurt," Luna said and went back to her table.

"I completely disagree. I mean Puddlemere United is all right, but it's the Tornadoes who have been winning every game this season," Vincent said to Gregory.

"Who cares if they've won every game so far? For the past five years they've only won ten games out of the fifty that's been played. United has won thirty and they've beaten the Tornadoes every time they've played against them," Gregory said.

Ginny shook her head at the similarities between their arguments and Ron and Seamus'. Although it was over different teams (Cannons and Ireland), the defensive arguments were almost identical!

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Pansy asked her, seeing that Ginny hadn't put anything on her plate.

"Yeah... Kind of forgot there was food," Ginny said, grinning, and started to take some food. "No one's going to try and poison me are they? I'll be very pissed off if you do," she said and Pansy laughed.

"Oh, please! The only person we'd poison is probably Brown... But then, I think that is in agreement with the rest of the school too," she said with a wink.

"You wouldn't poison anyone else? I'm almost disappointed," Ginny said shaking her head as she smirked at them.

"You-Know-Who is our first, then it's Brown... For some of us Potter's in the list, but he's just too easy to hex to bother with poisoning," Pansy said smirking. Ginny grinned.

"I'll say... I just say Bat Bogey Hex and he runs. But then, so does Draco," she said. Pansy smirked and the entire table went quiet as Draco stopped eating.

"Is no one else bothered by this?! Can't you see that she's going against our House by sitting over there?! She's with Slytherins, for the Gods sakes!" Lavender said, breaking her record of silence by five seconds exactly. Yet again, the entire Great Hall went quiet and watched Ginny eagerly.

"I'll be right back," Ginny said to the Slytherins and stood up. She walked over to Lavender calmly, smirking evilly. "I'd like to talk with you, Brown..." She said. "Outside," Ginny added.

Lavender stood up immediately, though not through any will of her own and followed Ginny outside. Most of the Great Hall followed them, wanting to see this for themselves.

"I am quite aware of your... dislike of me, yet that is no reason to put others down just because they choose to speak to me, or because I am sitting with them," Ginny said. Lavender didn't say a word. "I would usually not resort to violence, but you have been warned by not only myself, but also the teachers... And ignoring all of them is not wise when dealing with one such as myself..." Ginny said.

"What are you going to do about it, Weasley? It's against school rules to duel in the corridors," Lavender sneered. Ginny smirked at her.

"Oh, I won't be doing anything to do with magic, Brown... Would you like to give the rest of the school a... demonstration of what we learnt in Defence Against the Dark Arts?" Ginny asked, seeing the Professor's standing by and Lavender nodded, her nose flaring as she thought of the possibility of hurting Ginny in front of everyone. "Good..." Ginny said and slapped Lavender.

Ginny's hand imprints seemed to glow red on Lavender's skin as she paled. Then her face grew red and the handprints seemed to disappear. Lavender yelled loudly and went to hit Ginny, who blocked her fist easily and went to kick Lavender. She blocked Ginny's foot and kicked back at her. Ginny went to punch Lavender, then as if she changed her mind mid-kick, she let her foot drop and Lavender punched her in the stomach with a left hook. It was weak compared to what Ginny was used to, so she was able to ignore the pain and she went to hit Lavender again. Lavender flinched but Ginny's fist never connected. Instead, Ginny brought up her foot and kicked Lavender lightly in the chest. As Lavender had flinched, the small kick caused her to fall over.

"That's not fair!" Lavender screeched and she got up and charged at Ginny. Ginny moved out of her way but Lavender didn't seem to be able to stop. She charged into the wall with a loud crash.

"Miss Weasley... This physical violence is not necessary for you to solve things," McGonagall's voice called out and she made her way past the students to Ginny.

"Of course not, Professor. There was no real violence used... We were just showing everyone how well we have been taught in attacking and defending ourselves, weren't we, Lavender?" Ginny asked. Lavender gave a small nod and tentatively touched her mouth, pulling away with blood on her fingers. She stared at it for a moment before fainting. McGonagall sighed and shook her head.

"May someone please take Miss Brown to the hospital wing? Thank you for offering, Miss Patil," she said when Parvati stepped forward reluctantly. "You are just trying to cause more paperwork for me, aren't you Miss Weasley?" McGonagall asked, turning to her. Ginny shook her head.

"Not at all, Professor... I apologise if I have caused you more," she said, then went back into the Great Hall and sat at the Slytherin table again.

"Thank you... Now, where were we? I believe that I said something about a Bat Bogey Hex and Draco running," Ginny said with a smirk and the Slytherins stared at her, shocked that she would willingly bring it up!

"Shut it, Weasley," Draco growled and Ginny started laughing at him.

"That's the best you can come up with? I've heard five-year-olds with better comebacks than that, Draco!" She said, laughing again. Draco glared at her.

"I want to talk to you. Outside," he said angrily. Shaking her head, Ginny grabbed her bag and went with him outside.

"What is it, Draco?" Ginny drawled. He glared at her again.

"Would you stop doing that?" He growled.

"Doing what?" She asked. Draco sighed slightly and ran his hands through his hair.

"Stop calling me by my first name! You don't know me and I don't want you calling me by my name. Especially not Draconius," he said glaring.

"Oh, please! You're upset because I called you by your given name? That's pathetic, Draconius," Ginny said, saying his name mockingly.

Draco closed his eyes and tried to entice her with his Veelan powers. Ginny smirked knowing it wouldn't work.

"I'm sure you've already tried that on me today, Malfoy! Be inventive! Use your brain! Try something I'm not expecting, or even better, something I'm not immune to, you idiot!" Ginny called, then turned on her heel and left.

Draco opened his eyes and glared at her. With a smirk he ran after her and pulled her around to face him. He kissed her hungrily then pulled away after a few seconds, smirking when she whimpered in protest. He walked away, leaving Ginny standing there in a daze.

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that! Ginny thought to herself and shook her head for a moment before leaving too. I should have though... That happened was one of my visions... Ginny thought and shook her head again. She wouldn't let him do that to her again!

Ginny made her way to the Divination Tower and climbed up the ladder to the classroom. She sat on one of the armchairs and rested her head on the table.

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"Draco! Where are you?" Ginny hissed quietly, looking around the dark room. She couldn't see him anywhere, and so went to the next room. Again, not able to find him, Ginny continued to look. She came to the last room and opened the door.

Draco was sitting at Virginia's feet being fed grapes lazily. He was wearing a loincloth and staring at Virginia in desire. She fed him another grape. Virginia smiled at him, then looked at Ginny and smirked evilly.

"Hello, my daughter. Draco, say hello to Ginevra," Virginia cooed at him.

"Hello Ginevra," Draco said in an emotionless tone, his eyes still focused on Virginia and the bunch of grapes.

"Good afternoon, Virginia. I have come on request from Xavier. He wishes to see you. Right now," Ginny said. Virginia looked disappointed for a second.

"You do not say hello to your friend?" She asked, stroking Draco's cheek softly.

"That boy is no more my friend than I am his," Ginny replied emotionlessly. "What you do to him is of no concern to me. However, if you do not wish to get on the bad side of the Veelas, then I suggest you return him before his Lord realises that he is gone... Xavier awaits your presence," Ginny said, then left the room. With an irritated sigh, Virginia got off the cushions and went over to Bart.

"You will look after the boy. Make sure that little bitch doesn't try to get him... Is that understood, my precious Bart?" Virginia cooed at him. Bart nodded, his face filled with longing and desire. "Good. I will return soon, my little pet," Virginia said to Draco lovingly then left the room, closing and locking the door behind her. She failed to notice the mist above the door. The mist floated down and Ginny turned back into herself.

"Bexley, I need your assistance. Would you be so kind?" Ginny asked.

Bexley floated out of her and smirked, then bowed and floated into the room. In a few seconds, Bart was opening the door and running down the hallway, not noticing Ginny standing in the shadows for his fear. Ginny walked over to the door and saw worms crawling along the floor.

"He's scared of worms?" Ginny asked then shook her head.

She shut the door behind her then walked over to Draco. Bexley floated under the door again and kept watch outside.

"Come on, Draco. We need to leave before she gets back," Ginny said quietly, tugging on his hand.

"Where is my Mistress? You are not my Mistress," Draco stated, staring at her emotionlessly. Ginny looked at him in shock.

"You can not really be under her spell... Come on, snap out of it Draco!" Ginny whispered and tried to get him up again.

"Where is my Mistress?" Draco repeated. Ginny shook her head trying not to cry.

"I can not mean this little to you. Will you please get up so we can go?" She said, pulling on his hand again. Draco still didn't move, he only looked at her, his eyes void of emotion. "Draco! Get up!" She said and Draco stood unwillingly.

"Where is my Mistress?" He asked again.

"She is not your Mistress! She's put you under a spell! You have to fight it! Fight it, damn you!" Ginny said, now getting angry as well as desperate.

"Ginevra! She is returning!" Bexley said urgently from outside.

"My Mistress is returning?" Draco asked.

Ginny didn't know whether to slap him out of it or not. Making a split decision, she removed her necklace and slipped it over Draco's head. As the dragon pendant touched his bare chest, Draco stopped looking so void and stared at Ginny.

"Ginevra? Where am I? What am I wearing?" Draco asked in shock, seeing the lack of clothes on his body.

"Quiet, carus. Virginia is returning and if we don't get out of here she'll catch us and turn you back into her little pet," Ginny said in disgust. (Dear or beloved.)

Bexley floated under the door and floated over Ginny and Draco quickly. They turned into mist and Bexley floated up to the roof just as the door opened. Virginia and Bart stood there, Bart looking scared and Virginia looking angry, to say the least.

"WHERE IS HE??" She yelled. "Find him or else you will live to regret it!" She yelled and hit Bart hard. "Find the little bitch too... She's probably got him hiding somewhere," Virginia snarled. Bart nodded and left quickly. "Worms..." She muttered and shook her head. She shut her eyes in annoyance and rubbed her temples.

Bexley floated out of the room as fast as possible. When he came to a room that was open and empty, he turned them back and Ginny shut the door and locked the door quickly.

"Bexley, keep watch please. I don't want Bart coming in here while I'm trying to fix Draco," Ginny said. With a bow, Bexley floated outside again. Ginny turned to Draco and took the necklace off of him carefully. His face went blank again.

"Where is my Mistress?" He asked. Ginny replaced the necklace and Draco scowled. "I'm going to kill that woman myself for doing this to me..." He growled.

"Do you know how to reverse it?" Ginny asked. Draco's face fell for a moment. "Is there any way to reverse it?" Ginny asked, looking at him.

"She has to do it willingly..." Draco said reluctantly. "I could just keep this on..." He said, gesturing to the necklace. Ginny shook her head.

"Believe me, you're going to keep it on, but not for this reason... We better go see Xavier. He'll know what to do," she said. "Bexley," Ginny called quietly. The Boggart floated back into the room. "We need to go see Xavier," she said. Bexley nodded and floated over them...

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Ginny woke up abruptly hearing people coming up the tower.

She glared at nothing particular. How dare Virginia try to take Draco from her! She clenched her fists in anger, her nails piercing her skin and leaving crescent marks in her palm. Blood seeped from the four small wounds but they healed quickly, only Ginny's anger remaining.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Blaise asked as he came into the room with Neville.

"Not really... Kind of pissed off," Ginny muttered in reply.

"What for?" Neville asked in surprise.

"Bad dream," Ginny replied vaguely. Blaise and Neville nodded, understanding.

Draco walked in the room and smirked at Ginny, but she was still too riled to do anything. Almost disappointed, Draco sat next to Blaise and they all waited for Firenze in silence.

"Good morning students..." Professor Trewlaney said, smiling at them all. "If you will please grab a cup each, we will begin the lesson," she said.

"Uh, Professor? Where is Firenze?" Parvati asked tentatively.

"Firenze has made a compromise with myself and Dumbledore... I will teach you for Friday's lesson and Firenze will teach you for the other lessons of the week," Trewlaney explained. "Now, please take a tea cup each," she said and everyone did so reluctantly.

"Why are you sitting with them?" Ron hissed at Ginny when she was close to him. Ginny just raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"If you don't know, then maybe you'll see why in your cup," she drawled and carried the four cups back to the table. She gave one to each of the three boys and kept the last one for herself. Blaise poured the tea, Neville fearing to do it himself without knocking something over.

"You should really get your confidence up a bit, Neville," Blaise said as he passed him a full cup. Neville just nodded, his eyes downcast.

"Sorry," he muttered and started to drink his tea. He was lucky that there was a cooling charm on it, or else he would have burnt his tongue. Blaise passed Ginny and Draco their cups and watched as they started drinking before sipping at his own tea.

"Right, who wants to begin the translation?" Blaise asked, smirking at the other three. With a small sigh, Ginny took his cup from him. She looked at the black tea leaves and went red quickly. "What does it say?" Ginny beckoned him closer and dropped her voice to a whisper so the other students wouldn't hear.

"You've found your match... Both spiritually and... er... physically," Ginny said quietly. Blaise nodded and smirked at Neville who was just staring at them in shock.

"How do you know to read the leaves? Can you read mine?" Neville asked and passed Ginny his tea cup.

"Same as Blaise's, but there's something else here..." Ginny said with a frown, and turned the cup slightly. "What?" She muttered to herself and turned the cup around. She continued to move the cup for a few moments, the frown never leaving her face. "Ok, this doesn't make any sense... It says that you're changing into a nymph, I think... Professor Trewlaney?" Ginny called and Neville paled as Sibyl walked over.

He didn't want his death foretold in front of the entire class! It was embarrassing enough to see it happen to others in his House, let alone himself!

"Can you please tell me if I'm correct with what this means on the left?" Ginny asked and passed her the cup. Trewlaney looked down into the cup, her eyes widening in shock and she looked up at Neville, beaming broadly.

"Congratulations, boy! It is about time some of you returned to the old ways... They have been gone far too long, but now they return with more force and power imaginable! Congratulations, my dear boy! Your great-grandfather is proud of you," Trewlaney said and cupped Neville's face for a moment then went over to a different table. Neville stared after her in shock then grabbed his teacup and looked at the slime on the bottom of it.

"How do you get all of that from this?" He muttered and shook his head. "How does she know about my great-grandfather?" Neville asked, looking from the cup to Trewlaney to Ginny.

"She's a seer?" Ginny said with a slight smirk. "Uh, I think we better swap seats Neville. My brother is about to find out something that he's definitely not going to like and you're going to be in danger if you sit there," she muttered, then quickly changed seats with Neville. As she expected, Ron soon let out a loud cry of disbelief and anger and charged over to them, wand drawn.

"Ginny! Get away from here right now!" Ron practically yelled, his face turning red.

"Away from where exactly, dear brother?" Ginny asked smoothly. Ron's eyes bulged and his face began to go purple.

"Get away from them! You can't do this!" Ron yelled drawing his wand and pointing it at her. If Ginny had been sitting in her original seat, then Ron wouldn't have been able to point it at her properly and his wand would have inevitably pointed at Neville.

"I am only doing my work, Ronald. If you have a problem with this then take it up with Professor Trewlaney," Ginny said, still undeterred by her brother's face and anger.

"You can't sit here! I refuse it!" Ron yelled. The entire class watched as Ginny flexed her wand hand dangerously. She stood up and looked at her brother, who had quickly gone pale.

"Of course I will do everything you tell me to do; is that what you expect, Ronald?" Ginny asked softly.

"I'm your brother! I'm only looking after your well being!" Ron cried, still in denial and shock.

"And as you don't give a shit about me, then it's only my well-being you're looking out for, isn't it!? It couldn't possibly be the fact that you despise Draco and don't want me to shame the family! It would never be the fact that you don't want to be associated with someone who has the ability to fall in love with someone for who they are, not what they represent! You don't want me to sit here because it really shows what you can never have with Hermione if you don't take your wand out of your arse!" Ginny said. She said all of this quietly, but the affect was as if she'd yelled it at the top of her lungs.

Ron just stared at her, his face changing from white to red then to purple.

"I apologise for interrupting your lesson, Professor. May we please continue?" Ginny asked and sat down on her seat elegantly. Trewlaney smiled and nodded.

"Of course, Ginevra. Ronald, I suggest that you return to your seat," Sibyl said and gently led the shocked Ron away from them.

"'Take your wand out of your arse?'" Blaise quoted, looking at Ginny.

Neville burst out laughing at both his face and the under-used saying. Ginny smiled and shook her head when she heard Dean and Seamus laughing in the back of the class. Parvati giggled and Lavender glared at her friend, but that didn't stop Parvati one bit. Shocking everyone, Blaise started cracking up too and Ginny had to laugh at his face. Ron went red as everyone in the class except Lavender laughed. Even Harry and Draco were chuckling. Ron wasn't too sure if anyone really knew what they were laughing at, but that didn't stop anyone from continuing to laugh.

"Students, please calm yourselves. We still have a lesson to finish," Trewlaney called.

The tears on her face from laughing made them not take her too seriously, but soon most of them had stopped laughing and the rest of the class quietened after a few moments.

"Thank you... Now once you have finished reading your tea leaves, I would like you to look into the crystal ball in front of you," Trewlaney said.

"Do you want me to try and read your tea leaves, Ginny?" Neville asked.

"No, thank you. I still have to read Draco's," Ginny said, smiling at Neville. Draco glared at her for calling him by his first name yet again, then passed her the cup, looking bored. Ginny looked into it and read the tea leaves for almost as long as she had Neville's, but she didn't say a word.

"Miss Weasley? Have you finished reading the tea leaves yet?" Trewlaney asked, walking over to them. Ginny shook her head, but it seemed to be more to the teacup than in response to Sibyl's question. With a slight frown, Sibyl looked over Ginny's shoulder and at the teacup. "Oh..." She murmured.

"What do you mean by that?" Draco asked, frowning at her.

"Ginevra will tell you herself, Draconius," Sibyl said with a smile. "Now, will one of you be so kind as to read Ginevra's tea leaves so we can continue with the lesson?" Sibyl asked and handed Draco Ginny's cup.

Draco went to glare at her, but Trewlaney had already moved on. With an irritated sigh, Draco looked into the teacup and began to flip through his book. Stopping at a page, he looked into the cup then shook his head and kept flipping. Eventually finding the right meaning, he stared at the book then at the teacup.

"You're going to die," he said, looking at Ginny in shock.

"Oh, I know," she said with a smile.

"What? How can you know you're going to die?" He asked in shock.

"Well, it does happen to everyone, so it's kind of obvious that it will happen to me too... I'm not immortal," Ginny said with a disappointed sigh.

"But it says you're going to die within the year..." Draco said, looking from the tea leaves to the book and then at Ginny again.

"Oh, well," she said and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, well?" Draco repeated in shock. "Oh, well?"

"Have you suddenly become a parrot, Draco, or are you just doing that to annoy me?" Ginny drawled. Draco just opened his mouth and closed it again, then repeated this action a few times more. "And now you're a fish... Can't wait to see how you're going to do the ferret," she said and smirked at him.

"I'm not a ferret," he growled.

"You keep telling yourself that," Ginny said and turned her attention to Trewlaney.

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"So what did the leaves in my cup say?" Draco asked Ginny as they walked to Transfiguration with Blaise and Neville.

"It said three things. The first wasn't all that important, but Trewlaney said I'd tell you later, so I left it... You're going to be staying here for the Christmas holidays instead of returning to the Manor," Ginny said. Draco looked slightly surprised, but just nodded and indicated for her to continue. "The second one said that you'd kiss me again before the end of the week," she said quietly.

"And the third?" Draco asked when she didn't continue. Ginny didn't say anything for a moment.

"You will See what made me sick the other night... You're going to See it before the end of the week," she said, even quieter than before. "I will help you See it, apparently," she added before he could ask how.

"Come on you two! We want to get inside the classroom before the lesson ends!" Blaise called from up ahead. Ginny walked over to them quickly and went inside the Transfiguration classroom with them, Draco entering after a while.

Ginny sat next to Neville and looked ahead, not saying anything, not even taking out her books.

"You ok, Ginny?" Neville asked her. She nodded mutely and just continued to stare ahead.

She didn't want to show Draco what she'd Seen... It was bad enough her having to remember it, but knowing that she'd helped Draco See it too... She didn't want it to happen one little bit.

"I'm not sure I want to know what happened," Pansy said, seeing Ginny's face.

She waved a hand in front of her face, but Ginny didn't seem to see it. With a sigh, Pansy sat next to Ginny and took her hand in her own. Ginny looked at her for a moment.

"I would tell you to be a good little Gryffindor and smile, but I doubt you're going to do that," Pansy drawled. Ginny just nodded. "Can you at least speak?" Pansy asked.

Neville wrapped an arm around Ginny to comfort her and she sighed reluctantly.

"I don't want to do it... He's going to See what the twins, Blaise and I Saw and I don't want him to," Ginny said quietly. Pansy looked from her to Draco then gave her a rare smile.

"He wants to See it though... Draco Malfoy always gets what he wants. Well, that's what he likes to think anyway," Pansy said with a wink. Ginny smiled briefly before sighing again.

McGonagall walked in the classroom and sat at her desk, looking at her students. Seeing that they had swapped seats to mix with each other, she hid a small smile and walked up and down the rows, ticking off each student on the attendance roll.

"Mr. Longbottom and Miss Parkinson... Please keep your arms and hands to yourself. I'm sure Miss Weasley doesn't appreciate you touching her so," McGonagall said when she saw that Neville was hugging Ginny and Pansy was holding her hand. Ginny shook her head.

"I do appreciate it actually, Professor... We will manage to untangle ourselves before you start teaching, don't worry," Ginny said with a small smile. McGonagall nodded then continued down the row, muttering to herself about mind readers.

"For today's lesson, I will be showing you how to change large furniture into animals. I know that you have already learnt how to change smaller things into animals, but this is very different. You require more energy and power put into your spell to completely change the piece of furniture into an animal. For example, if you turn a desk into a large animal like a sow," she said, changing her desk into a pig. "You need to make sure you do everything correctly, or else your sow may be running around with table legs," she said indicating to the bottom of the pig, who had indeed the four table legs.

She changed it back into her desk and told the class to gather around. Everyone did so quickly and eagerly. Minerva pointed her wand at her desk again.

"Vicissitudo bestia!" She said clearly and the desk changed into a lion. "Now who can tell me what the incantation means?" She asked and over half of the class put their hands up. "Mr. Nott." (Change or alteration.) (Animal or beast.)

"It means 'change animal'," Theodore replied. McGonagall nodded.

"Very good. Ten points to Slytherin," she said. "Now, watch the wrist movement carefully. I don't want you to do the wrong movement and end up changing the furniture into something else," McGonagall said sternly. Everyone gave her their full attention and watched as Minerva did a circle to the right, then a semi circle to the left and tapped the desk. "Vicissitudo bestia!" She said and her desk changed into a horse. It neighed for a moment and shook it's mane before being changed back again.

"How do you change it into different animals?" Dean asked, raising his hand.

"Wait until I have called on you before you ask a question, Mr. Thomas," McGonagall reprimanded lightly. "By thinking of the animal in your mind then the furniture will take on that form," she replied.

"You mean we have to say that bloody long word, make sure we get the wrist movement correct and think of an animal too? Bloody hell," Seamus muttered and shook his head.

"Mr Finnigan! Do not use that language in my classroom," Minerva said angrily. Seamus went red and nodded.

"Sorry, Professor," he said quietly.

"Line up in single file so you can attempt the spell," McGonagall said and placed a chair in front of them, not trusting them enough to let them attempt the spell on her desk.

Most of the Gryffindor students were reluctant to be first, not wanting to embarrass themselves by doing the spell wrong. Even Hermione was reluctant to line up. With a shake of her head, Ginny started the line, Neville, Blaise, Pansy and the other Slytherins lining up behind her. Gryffindors lined up behind those nine, the rest of the Slytherins behind them.

"Vicissitudo bestia!" Ginny said, doing the complicated wrist movement with ease.

The chair turned into a giraffe and the tall animal's neck seemed to extend forever. It spread its long legs and bent its head down to Ginny awkwardly then nuzzled her with its mouth lovingly. It licked her with its long tongue and Ginny laughed softly. The honey brown colour of the giraffe showed that it was a younger giraffe. Ginny touched its horns lightly and rubbed the giraffe's face softly. It licked her again before McGonagall interrupted.

"Miss Weasley... Can you please return the animal back into the chair now?" She asked, shocked at Ginny's ability. She hadn't expected anyone to achieve this spell on the first try! Not even she had during her school years at Hogwarts!

"My apologies, Professor," Ginny said and touching the giraffe one more time, she changed it back reluctantly. She went to her seat and sat down, cleaning her face as she did so. Neville stopped staring after her and took a deep breath, pointing his wand at the chair.

"Vicissitudo bestia!" He said clearly and did the wrist movement carefully. The chair turned into a toad, the pattern on the chair's cushion on it's skin. Trevor croaked from Neville's desk loudly, startling McGonagall.

"Mr. Longbottom! I thought we had an agreement about that... toad!" She said, trying to keep her heart in her chest.

"I didn't bring him, Professor. I left him in my room, just like you asked!" Neville protested. Ginny stroked Trevor's back for a moment then looked up at McGonagall and Neville.

"Trevor followed Neville here. He didn't know why Neville was leaving him alone all the time," Ginny said with a shrug.

"How do you know that, Miss Weasley?" McGonagall asked in disbelief.

"She doesn't! She's making it up," Lavender muttered.

"I suggest you stop talking Brown, before I make it no longer an ability for you," Ginny warned. "Or do we need to do another demonstration?" She asked smirking evilly. Lavender shook her head quickly. "Good... I know because that's what Trevor said," Ginny said with a shrug.

"But..." Lavender went to say then shut her mouth quickly as Ginny shot a warning look at her.

"How do you know what the toad said?" McGonagall asked. Ginny sighed slightly.

"Magic, Professor," she said simply and waved her wand. Trevor croaked again, but this time it translated into human speech.

"Why you leave me?" Trevor's croaky voice asked looking at Neville.

"Oh... Well... That makes sense," Minerva said reluctantly. Trevor croaked again but Ginny quickly removed the spell so no one could hear his comment.

"You're a sarcastic little toad, aren't you?" She muttered to Trevor. He just croaked again and Ginny stroked his back.

Neville turned the toad back into a chair and went over to his seat. He sat next to them and Ginny let Trevor go so he could hop over to Neville. Neville stroked him.

"Sorry, Trevor," he said quietly. Trevor croaked back at him and Neville kept stroking him. Lavender was about to laugh, but glares from both Parvati and Ginny made her stop.

Blaise stopped looking at Neville and looked at the chair in front of him. He said the incantation and did the wrist movements. The chair turned into a fire salamander. Blaise looked at it for a moment in shock. He hadn't even thought of an animal! With a small shake of his head he changed the fire salamander back and sat in his seat.

Pansy changed the chair into a Ramora then quickly changed it back, not wanting to see the sea creature without any water. Gregory turned the chair into an ox and Vincent changed it to a bull. Theodore changed it into a tropical bird. Millicent changed the chair into a large silver-backed gorilla and then it was Draco's turn.

Ginny watched him with interest, wondering what animal he'd change the chair into.

For a moment Draco did nothing, he just stared at the chair. Then, as if coming to a decision, he said the incantation and moved his wand with the correct wrist movements. The chair started to shrink. Feathers covered it and soon a pure white owl was in front of him. The owl flew up around the room then landed in front of Draco again and he changed it back effortlessly.

"For such a hard spell, I'm shocked that everyone's got it right so far," Ginny heard Seamus mutter to Dean. Dean just nodded and watched as Hermione attempted the spell. The chair didn't change at all, and Ginny knew it was because Hermione had pronounced the spell wrong.

From then on, not one student managed to change the chair completely into an animal. A few of the pure-bloods managed to change it halfway through, and most of the half-blood students at least managed to pronounce the word right and also get it halfway.

Ginny wasn't a bloodist, but she could tell that all of the Muggleborn students were having trouble. It wasn't their fault they hadn't learnt Latin, as the other students had, but she did admit that it was slightly funny watching them try over and over again to pronounce 'vicissitudo'.

"Very good students... I expect you all to try the spell again until you are sure you can do it properly," McGonagall said as the bell rang loudly. "I would like to see the first nine students that attempted the spell," she said.

The seven Slytherins and two Gryffindors stayed behind and waited for McGonagall to start talking. She looked at them sternly.

"How did you do the spell? It is almost an impossibility to do that spell on the first try... Have you been reading ahead?" She asked, wanting that to be their answer rather than anything else. She didn't think she could handle anything but that answer before lunch and more caffeine. It was far too long between each dose of caffeine in her opinion.

"Yes, Professor... We've all been practising together. We're trying to promote House unity as much as we possibly can, as you probably saw during recess today," Ginny said and McGonagall nodded. "So we've been going through all of our classes and practising the spells," Ginny said and smiled at her innocently. McGonagall looked to the others, who just nodded in agreement.

"Very well... You may go to lunch now," she said and they left quickly.

"Now that little ability is courtesy of Fred and George... We must remember to thank them on Monday," Ginny said with a smirk when they were out of ear shot of any other students or teachers. Pansy laughed and they went to the Great Hall.

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Ginny sat at the Slytherin table with Pansy again, if only to annoy Ron. She was still upset with him about Divination... Neville and Colin sat with her this time and soon enough, Luna came over again. The older Slytherins didn't seem to have a problem with any of them sitting there, but some of the younger ones did and unfortunately for them, they didn't keep quiet about it.

"Why are there Gryffindors at our table? And a Ravenclaw too?" A fifth year asked, saying the rival Houses as if they were swear words. The older ones tried to shut him up, but to no avail. "It's bad enough we have to share the school with them! Why do we have to share our table with them too?" The fifth year said grumpily. Ginny looked at the boy for a moment and the older Slytherins went quiet.

"Now, we have two options here... One is that you apologise to my friends and I for your words, or," Ginny said, emphasising the word when he went to give her a smart remark. "Or, I can beat the apology out of you," she growled.

"You wouldn't do that, you're a bloody Gryffindor!" The boy retorted. Ginny gave a harsh laugh and the boy looked at the other Slytherins. They seemed to be taking her seriously.

"So shall I take it that you've chosen option two?" Ginny drawled. The fifth year shook his head quickly.

"Sorry about that comment," he mumbled and ate the rest of his lunch in silence.

"Where's that kid been for the last week?" Ginny asked, shaking her head.

"Not listening, as usual," Pansy said, glaring at the young boy. "His mouth's going to get him into big trouble one day," she muttered.

"Maybe I should introduce him to Ronald then..." Ginny said, smirking. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"His mouth will get him killed one day," she said and shook her head. Ginny laughed and continued to eat her lunch.

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"See you at dinner, Colin!" Ginny and Neville called as they headed to Care of Magical Creatures with some of the Gryffindors and most of the Slytherins.

Ginny noticed that James, Terry, Vincent and Gregory were talking to each other, but no longer in quiet tones. Seamus was arguing with Theodore over Quidditch teams and Neville and Blaise were holding hands. She grinned at them and indicated to Pansy who smirked at the two boys.

"'Ello ev'ryone. Good ter see yer all talkin' with each other finally," Hagrid said, beaming at the group of students. "Come on. We're going in the Forbidden Forest again. We're going ter try and see something else since the unicorns have gone further in again," he said and led them to the Forest. "Ginevra, yer can be up the front with me," Hagrid said and Ginny walked faster to catch up with him. "'Eard about the yeti. Yer all right?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Do you know how it got there?" She asked. Hagrid shook his head.

"I have an idea, but I'm not too sure 'bout it," he said. "Can yer hear anything?" He asked. Ginny shook her head.

"Can't hear anything dangerous around... Though I think this is near to where that Jobberknoll died. Can I go look?" Ginny asked him. Hagrid looked at her for a moment then nodded.

"We'll be ov'r there, in that clearing... Don't be too long," he said.

With a nod, Ginny went off to the right while the rest of the class followed Hagrid to the left. It didn't take Ginny too long to find the Jobberknoll. The bright blue speckled feathers of the small bird were an instant give away in the brown and green surroundings. Collecting the dead bird with her wand, Ginny placed a spell around it then put it in her bag safely and headed to the clearing.

"The animals we're going ter see are a surprise, so will yer all stop asking!?" Hagrid muttered as the third person asked him. He saw Ginny and sighed gratefully. "Good, you're back... Come on, ev'ryone," Hagrid said and led them out of the clearing.

"You mean we were just waiting for you?" Draco asked Ginny, eyebrow raised. "What's so special about you that we had to wait?" He asked. Ginny grinned.

"I'm beautiful?" She suggested with a laugh and went to the front again. "So what are we going to see, Hagrid?" Ginny asked and Hagrid scowled at her. She just smiled and laughed again.

In a few minutes, they stopped in another clearing and Ginny saw exactly what animals they were going to see. A herd of gryphons were standing around, eating the raw meat that Hagrid had put around for them.

"Now, all of yer be quiet and don't go any further into the clearing. Is that understood?" Hagrid asked. Everyone, even Draco, nodded and didn't make any attempts to go any further. Except Ginny of course...

The gryphons practically lured her out of their hiding spot by magic of some kind, though they didn't seem to acknowledge her presence until the head gryphon walked over to her.

Hagrid stopped hissing at her to come back and watched silently, praying to the Gods that she really was the Queen so she wouldn't get hurt.

The gryphon looked at Ginny, seeming to examine her. She didn't move and hardly breathed as the gryphon came closer to her, its lion tail whipping from side to side almost playfully.

"What's happening? We need to get her out of there," Neville said, staring at his best friend in shock. Hagrid held him back, making sure he wouldn't do anything foolish.

"She'll be fine," he muttered to Neville quietly. Draco didn't hear him and pushed past into the clearing.

The gryphon stopped looking at Ginny and let out a loud cry as Draco breached the barrier.

"No!" Ginevra called before the gryphon could do anything. "Please, he doesn't understand... He is my own," Ginevra explained and the gryphon backed away from Draco, going over to the others. Ginny clutched Draco's hand and led him towards the gryphons.

"What are you doing? We have to get out of here," Draco muttered in her ear. Ginny shook her head.

"They won't do anything. I am their Queen after all, and since you are mine, they would not risk hurting us," Ginny replied softly. "Besides, they're only aggressive if you try to steal their food, lie in their presence or insult them. Oh, and if you try to hurt them," she said. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Anything else?" He asked sarcastically.

"I don't think so..." Ginny said with a grin. They stopped in front of the gryphons and waited. The gryphon leader bowed to Ginny, then bowed to Draco, and they both bowed back.

"Why are we doing this?" Draco muttered to Ginny as he bowed.

"You're the one that came into the clearing," Ginny replied and smiled at the gryphon sweetly. "I thank you for letting me see you while you are eating," she said. The gryphon looked down at her.

You are welcome, Queen Ginevra. What is your own's name? We must honour you both, the leader said.

"I apologise fully... Draconius, this is... Your name eludes me, leader," Ginny said politely.

Queen Ginevra, King Draconius. I am Fligard. If I may introduce you to my own, Fligard said and called over another gryphon. This gryphon was slightly larger than Fligard and looked, if it was possible, more feminine. Dulor, these two are Queen Ginevra and her King Draconius... Queen and King, this is my own Dulor, Fligard said proudly and nuzzled his mate. Dulor bowed to them respectively.

Welcome, Queen and King Ginevra, Dulor said then with an apology, she returned to her food. Ginny frowned for a moment then looked from Dulor to Fligard.

"You are a newly made father?" She questioned. Fligard looked surprised for a moment then nodded.

Indeed, Queen Ginevra... Our young are in our nest nearby, Fligard said, sounding proud.

"May they be as strong as their father, and as beautiful as their mother," Ginny said and bowed.

Thank you for your blessing, Queen Ginevra. Your own is very quiet... Is he well? Fligard asked, looking at Draco.

"He is fine, just in shock I think," Ginny said in an apologetic tone. She nudged Draco slightly and he snapped out of his shocked state. He smiled at the gryphon charmingly.

"I apologise for my lack of response. I was just in shock, as my own says," Draco said smoothly. Fligard nodded then looked over to where the rest of the class was standing.

Would you like to invite in your subjects? We will not harm them, Fligard promised. Ginny nodded.

"Thank you, Fligard. If you will just excuse us, we will invite them inside the clearing," Ginny said with a bow. Draco bowed too then they walked over to the other students.

"Are yer two all right?" Hagrid asked. "Fligard usually don't like it when people go in the clearing with out permission," he said with a frown.

"Which is understandable... He's invited all of you into the clearing. Don't insult them, don't try to steal their food, don't lie in their presence and sure as hell do not try to hurt them. Understood?" Ginny asked, looking at the students. They all nodded and quietly followed Ginny and Draco into the clearing. "They will talk to you telepathically, so don't be surprised," Ginny said as they approached Fligard.

Do you all come willingly? Fligard asked and most of the students nodded in response, while others said 'yes' out loud. Very well. You may all look at my herd, but do not anger them, or else you will be hurt... Fligard said and some wandered off to look at the other gryphons, while others stayed nearby Ginny nervously.

"If you do not wish to stay here, then go out again. But stay close to the clearing," Ginny said to the ones who were trembling.

Two girls and three boys nodded then left the clearing, staying where they had before.

"If you'll excuse me for a moment," Ginny said with a bow to Fligard and went over to where Dean was with Draco following.

That was when she realised that she hadn't let go of Draco's hand. She decided not to bring it to his attention...

"Dean, I do hope that you're not going to take your wand out..." Ginny said. Dean looked at her in shock then left his wand in his robe pocket and took his hand out quickly. "Good, because they will think that you're a threat if you do take your wand out, and as Fligard said you will be hurt if you anger them," Ginny said. Dean nodded.

"Sorry," he muttered then continued to look at the gryphon before him.

"How'd you know that he was going to take his wand out?" Draco asked as they returned to where Fligard and Hagrid were talking.

"I saw him reach into his robe. He was thinking it too," Ginny replied with a shrug.

Thank you, Queen Ginevra... If your subject had removed his magic stick then it would have caused big trouble. Hilat is not particularly friendly... Fligard said, sounding disappointed at his herd member.

"You are welcome, Fligard," Ginny replied. "Hagrid, I believe that we should leave soon. The centaurs will most likely be by soon, and those five students are prone to wandering," Ginny said, looking to where the students had been. "I apologise for leaving so soon, Fligard, but I fear for the safety of my subjects," Ginny said and bowed to him, Draco following suit.

Fligard bowed in response and Ginny quickly left the clearing with Draco. Hagrid continued to talk to Fligard, no longer worried for Ginny's safety.

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"Where are we going, Weasley?" Draco asked as she hid them behind a tree for the second time.

"Quiet... The centaurs are nearby and they will not allow it that I have brought you. If they find the others before us, I don't know if I'll be able to help them," Ginny said quietly.

A rustle came from a nearby bush and a Jarvey ran out. Ginny caught it carefully and it went to bite her, but she held it around the neck as she'd been taught to by her brothers.

"Let me go, you ugly wench!" The Jarvey yelled and cursed some more. Ginny glared at the Jarvey.

"You would do well to be polite to me, Jarvey," she said and the Jarvey stopped cursing immediately.

"I apologise, my Queen... Those others weren't with you, were they?" The Jarvey asked nervously.

"Yes, they are... Where are they?" Ginny asked. The Jarvey seemed to pale. "Take me to them," she demanded and placed the Jarvey back on the ground.

It scampered away and Ginny and Draco had to run to follow it. The Jarvey twisted around trees, ran through clearings and went under bushes, but Ginny and Draco didn't lose it once thankfully. When the Jarvey stopped at where he'd left the students, they heard a loud scream nearby and ran in the direction of it.

Ginny and Draco entered the clearing and saw the centaurs holding the five students at arrow point. Ginny let go of Draco's hand and pushed him out of the clearing after telling him to get Hagrid.

"Leave them! They under my protection!" Ginny commanded, stalking over to them.

She made her way into the centre where the other students were. She waved her hand and they all slumped to the ground, their eyes closing.

"We will discuss this away from the others. They are innocents and are of no use to you," Ginevra said. Bane gave a nod and the centaurs left, taking Ginny with them.

Draco ran back to the clearing as fast as he could without hurting himself. When Hagrid saw that Draco had returned alone, he excused himself from Fligard and rushed over.

"Where is she?" Hagrid asked.

Draco ran back out and beckoned for him to follow, worried too much to actually reply. Hagrid ran after him quickly. Neville and Blaise ran after them, Neville moving the plants out of the way to clear a path for them. When they arrived to see the five students asleep on the ground, Draco ran back out quickly. Blaise shut his eyes for a second, then with a growl he ran after Draco and started to change into a centaur. Neville and Hagrid stayed to wake the students up.

Ginny went with the centaurs willingly as they led her deeper into the Forest. Bane nudged her with his arrow when she stopped for a moment and Ginny glared at him.

"I didn't think you would want to step on that. You would injure your hooves," Ginny said, indicating in front of her.

Bane looked over her shoulder and saw a Knarl toddling past. With a curt apologetic nod they waited until the spiky creature had passed before continuing. They walked for another few minutes and soon the centaurs stopped.

"Is this where we are to discuss everything?" Ginny asked, looking around. Bane shook his head and indicated for her to be silent. Ginny stayed quiet. The centaurs were looking around them cautiously. Hearing rustles and growls from all around, Bane held up his bow and aimed it into the trees.

"Show yourself!" He yelled. Suddenly, creatures from all around piled in from the surrounding trees and went over to Ginny immediately. They formed a protective guard around her and glared at the centaurs, despite the size difference of the smaller animals to the large beasts.

"I have had no hand in this, Bane... You know this to be true because I have come this far with you willingly. Why would I try to stop it now?" Ginny said as Bane glared at her.

"I know this, that is correct. But your own has done this and I will not allow him to get you away from us," he said, pointing his arrow at her. Ginny glared at Bane angrily.

"I have done all of this willingly, yet you still try to threaten me!? Are you that naive, Bane? You may not wish for me to be your Queen, but we both know I have more power than you, and to threaten me in such a way will mean that you will then suffer my wrath!" Ginevra yelled, her hair crackling. Draco burst in through the trees and the creatures around Ginny left quickly.

"You are the one who sent the animals to us?" Bane asked, now pointing his bow at Draco.

"Yes, I am," Draco replied. "Where's Ginevra?" He asked, not seeing her past the other centaurs.

"Why did you send the creatures?" Bane asked, his bow still on Draco.

"To protect my own, of course," Draco replied. Bane glared at Draco then pushed him over to Ginny with his arrow.

Then Blaise walked in through the trees. He looked from Draco and Ginny to the other centaurs and shook his head with an elaborated sigh.

"Bane, I do believe we had an agreement..." Blaise drawled, walking over to the older centaur.

"You know these two?" Bane asked, looking at Draco and Ginny in disgust.

"Of course. They are both very dear friends of mine," Blaise said. "I went out of the clearing for a moment and when I came back, Ginevra was gone and my other five friends were asleep. I asked Draconius to help me find Ginevra, as he is her own..." Blaise said. Bane glared at Blaise for a moment before relenting.

"Very well... I will release them. Next time, keep your friends closer to your side," Bane sneered. Ginny and Draco walked over to Blaise, and just before they left, Ginny turned back to Bane.

"After the protection I gave you, this is the way you choose to repay my kindness? I will not forget it, Bane," she said in a dangerously cold tone, then left with Blaise and Draco quickly.

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When they returned to the gryphon-filled clearing, Hagrid was just managing to wake up the sleeping students; he and Neville carried them back. The five students looked around warily, then seeing that they were safe, relaxed.

"The five of yer will be getting detention and loose ten House points each for diobeyin' me. Yer coulda been killed!" Hagrid said angrily and they flushed in shame. "What the hell where yer thinking, goin' off like that? If Ginevra hadn't gone to get the lot of yer, yer woulda been killed by the centaurs! Yer bloody idiots, the five of yer," he muttered shaking his head. "Because of these five, yer not coming back in the Forest for a week," Hagrid announced and a collective groan went through the students. They muttered to themselves angrily and glared at the five students who went even brighter.

"Really? You're going to ruin the class for the rest of us just because of their stupidity?" Draco asked in anger.

"Well... Fine, the lot of yer aren't allowed in my lesson for all of next week," Hagrid said to the two girls and three boys. They looked disappointed, then brightened at missing a lesson, until Hagrid continued. "Yer'll be serving detention for the entire week," he added.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Neville asked, seeing that she'd been frowning at one of the students for a while.

"I've Seen him before..." Ginny muttered and nudged Blaise.

She indicated to the brunette boy and Blaise looked at him. Seeing who he was, he went to go over there and kill him. Ginny grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"Don't... He hasn't done anything yet... If you do something to him now, then it may cause it to happen sooner or not at all," she said. Blaise glared at the boy then turned to Ginny.

"It shouldn't have to happen... I can make sure it doesn't," he said seriously. Ginny shook her head.

"If not with him, then it will be someone else. Besides, I'm almost positive that whatever they do to make me that angry, Lavender would have thought of," she said quietly.

"Then I'll make sure she doesn't either," Blaise said. Ginny laughed softly and shook her head.

"Do not worry yourself over it, Blaise... As you Saw, I can take care of myself," she said smiling at him. Blaise nodded reluctantly and gave her a quick hug then left her with Draco.

"It's that vision, isn't it?" He asked. Ginny just nodded in reply.

"All right! We're going now," Hagrid called and the students walked over to him. They followed him out of the clearing and out of the Forbidden Forest, talking to each other animatedly.

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Ginny quickly went down to her rooms and changed out her school uniform before going to the swamp. As the last boatful of students left, Ginny watched as Filch glared down at her.

"I s'pose you wanna go over too, then?" He asked. He saw her red hair and glared at her angrily. "It was your brothers who did this," he growled.

"Yes, they did and they still aren't apologising for it," Ginny said and glared back at the old caretaker. "I don't want to go over, I was waiting for someone but they mustn't have had Arithmancy, so there is no need for you to wait here, Filch," Ginny said.

"I don't take orders from students, missy," Filch said. Mrs. Norris came around the corner, and seeing Ginny she bounded over happily, rubbing herself against Ginny's legs. "Mrs. Norris! Get away from her! It was her brothers that did this!" Filch said, shocked at his cat's unusual behaviour. Mrs. Norris glared at him and hissed softly. Ginny scratched Mrs. Norris behind the ears. "Don't you touch her! You've put a spell on her, you have!" Filch cried and tried to get out of the boat and to his Mrs. Norris. Ginny ignored him, barely watching as he fell into the swamp and started to flail desperately.

"I am sorry about Petrifying you... I didn't do it willingly," Ginny said to Mrs. Norris apologetically. She just purred in forgivement then looked to the swamp and meowed a question.

With a sigh, Ginny flicked her hand lazily. Filch quite literally flew out of the swamp and landed at her feet. With another flick of Ginny's hand, he was clean again (in fact, cleaner than he had been originally). Mrs. Norris meowed at him and rubbed her cheek against his. He huddled her to him protectively and whispered in her ear.

"It's all right, my Mrs. Norris," he said quietly and stroked her. Mrs. Norris mewed and looked at Ginny. With a small cough, Filch stood up and looked at Ginny. "Uh... Thank you for saving me, Miss," he said reluctantly. Ginny nodded.

"You're welcome, Argus..." Ginny said. Filch just nodded and with a meow, Mrs. Norris jumped out of his arms and headed down the corridor. She looked back at Filch inquiringly.

"Go on... I'll meet you there," Filch said and she ran off quickly. "If you'll excuse me, Miss... Students are messing up my corridors," Filch said and went in a different direction, eager to ward off the students who he was sure were going to try and run...

When he was out of sight, Ginny looked at her watch then, shaking her head she thought the spell and the swamp parted. She went down into the trapdoor, shutting it after her and heading down the corridor.

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"You're late," Fred said when she arrived. George nodded in agreement.

"We've been closed since five..." He said.

"It's twenty past five! We could have had an extra..." Fred said with a glare.

"Twenty minutes of opening time!" George finished, glaring at her too.

"We've had to turn away customers!" Fred said. George started laughing and Fred joined in quickly; their serious faces seeming to break open to let out their true nature.

"I think that's your new personal best..." Ginny drawled. "An entire minute without even cracking a smile. I'm sure Mum would be so proud," she said. Fred and George just laughed harder and Ginny sighed, closing the trapdoor. "Come on, if we don't get this done by the time we have to leave... Then you'll probably be decapitated for being rude," she said and that made the twins go quiet. They looked at her serious face for a moment, trying to determine whether she was telling the truth or not.

"Are you serious?" George asked eventually.

"Or are you pulling our legs?" Fred asked. Ginny smirked.

"That's for me to know and you to worry about," she replied. "Now, can we please get this started before we have to leave?" Ginny asked. Fred and George saluted her and sat down together. Ginny looked at them, one eyebrow raised and they grinned back.

"All right... We're listening... Begin," they said together.

Ginny nodded and started to teach them the basic etiquette when meeting an Elder. They both listened as she went on and on, storing the information away. They were certainly too young to die; especially via decapitation! Needless to say, Fred and George were rather fond of their heads where they were...

As Ginny finally finished teaching them the etiquette, she made them show her to see if they had listened... Fred and George bowed to each other mockingly and George started talking in a high pitched voice.

"Good evening, gentleman. Pull out my seat!" George said, "imitating" Agnes.

"Of course, my lady!" Fred said, pulling out a seat. As George went to sit down, Fred pulled the seat out further and George fell to the floor with a thud. He got up, rubbing his sore backside and as he went to hit his twin, Ginny stunned them both. She levitated them to their lounge and they fell onto it, bouncing slightly.

"You can not possibly be this stupid! I am trying to teach this for your own well-being!" Ginny said, incredulous and paced the room quickly.

Fred and George looked at each other in shock. Ginny only paced if she was very nervous and worried; it was a common joke amongst the family.

"We're not stupid, Ginevra..." Fred said quietly.

"Ron is, but not us," George added with a grin. Ginny stopped pacing and looked at them both. She sighed elaborately and rubbed her temples. Taking a vial from her pocket, she swallowed the potion and nodded reluctantly.

"All right... I am teaching this to you so you don't offend anyone. Believe me, when you insult one of my kind, we get very pissed and let me assure you that whoever you insult will not take it lightly. They will fight back with the worst weapon in their possession, and let it hope for your sakes that it's only a wand," Ginny said.

"An Unforgivable, or a fist fight? We'll take the fist fight," Fred and George said in unison. Ginny shook her head, getting very angry at their carelessness.

"No, you would not!" Ginny said and with that she lifted them off the floor, while they were still sitting on the lounge. "You are stupid to think that this is the largest weight I've lifted... If you two are rag dolls to me, when I'm not even a proper Vampiress, imagine what you'll be like to full Vampires! You're feathers, nothing less!" Ginny snarled at them. Now pale in fear, Fred and George nodded quickly.

"All right! Just put us down," they said. Ginny put the lounge down and looked at them.

"We were just joking around before, Ginevra..." George said.

"An entire half hour with us just sitting still and listening..." Fred said.

"Another record," George interrupted. Fred nodded at his twin, then continued.

"That should show that we are serious about this," He finished. Ginny nodded.

"Very well... I am sorry about that. I'm just nervous about you meeting them... They're very important people, not only to the Council, but also to me," Ginny said.

"You only met them both a few days ago!" George said in shock.

"It hasn't even been a week!" Fred added, his twin nodding in agreement.

"I liked you both the moment I met you and I hadn't known you that long," Ginny said. Fred and George frowned.

"But we're your brothers, you have to like us," they said.

"Not necessarily... I have to love you, but that doesn't mean I have to like you," Ginny said, a smirk mirroring Draco's upon her beautiful face.

"That's true, I guess..." Fred said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I mean look at Percy," George said and laughed.

"World's biggest prat right there," Fred added.

"Can we finish now?" Ginny asked, sighing loudly.

"You mean we have to be quiet for even longer?" They said in shock, then sighed. "Fine... We'll be right back..." They said then left the room. Ginny shook her head and listened as they rushed off into their makeshift kitchen. They returned carrying what looked like normal food, but Ginny knew them too well to actually eat anything.

"Sure you won't have anything?" George asked, grinning at her. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"I am not an idiot, do not treat me like one," she drawled. Fred just laughed and continued to eat.

"So you going to keep teaching, or can we just stuff our faces for the rest of the night?" George asked.

"I'd like to go with the second option, personally," Fred said, laughing again.

"Don't eat too much, or else you'll be sick," Ginny said reluctantly then continued to teach them. She taught them how to address the Elders and how not to speak to them.

"What do you mean we can't call them prats? What if they are?" George asked, Fred's mouth too full of food for him to say anything. He managed to nod in agreement though. Ginny sighed.

"Is it really necessary for me to show you why you can't insult them, again?" Ginny asked, sighing. "How much have you two eaten? That plate should have been empty by now," she said looking from the plate to them. Fred swallowed his mouth full and sighed in relief.

"Finally! It took you long enough to realise!" He said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, my stomach was starting to hurt," George said and they both nodded their heads.

"So what is it? A refilling plate of food?" Ginny asked.

"Everlasting food... At least, that's what we're hoping for... We're still waiting for last month's plate to finish, so we're hoping it doesn't run out," they said together.

"Nice..." Ginny said. "Anything special about the plate or is it the food you've spelled?" She asked. Fred and George grinned happily, seeing that her interest was real. Due to Molly's influence, most of their siblings didn't risk taking much interest in their work.

"It's actually the plate that we've spelled. Doesn't look any different from any other plate, but as soon as you put food on it, it just... reproduces it sort of," Fred and George said. With a shrug at the last part, they just shook their heads and continued talking. "The food doesn't get stale and it won't go off; it stays exactly the same as when you put it on the plate..." They finished.

"That's great," Ginny said enthusiastically. "You could feed an entire army with those things," she said grinning. Fred and George's faces darkened slightly.

"We sure as hell won't be selling it to the Ministry... Or any of the Death Eaters. Both sides can starve for all we care," they muttered.

"Why not to the Ministry?" Ginny asked them.

She could tell that they had already learnt as much as she could tell them, she just hoped it was enough!

"Fudge is a complete prat for starters... Secondly, we don't want to help anyone in his army because that means they believe in his cause," Fred and George grounded out angrily.

"What if someone thinks that Fudge is a better leader than Voldemort?" Ginny asked. They stared at her when she said You-Know-Who's name, and then stared some more.

"Well... They have a right to think that... We agree that anyone is better than You-Know-Who, even Fudge, but that's only by about one millimetre because he's good. You-Know-Who is evil and evilness is not good," Fred said, then started laughing. George shook his head at his twin.

"He's his own audience you know... I'm the funny one, he's the weird one," George said then laughed too. With a sigh, Ginny checked her watch. It was almost seven o'clock!

"All right. Calm down, both of you," Ginny demanded and they shut up quickly." Thank you... Know, firstly I want to know why you're not willing to call Voldemort by that name," she said.

"We don't like saying his name. It represents the complete idiot he is and besides, it scares off our customers," they replied.

"Right... Call him Tom then. It shows that you don't think him worthy of the whole 'Lord' bullshit, and it pisses him off no end when someone calls him by his filthy Muggle name," Ginny drawled. The twins didn't have to ask how she knew. "Secondly, I want you to show me all I taught you properly. I don't want you two to embarrass me, or yourselves in front of Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Ginny said. Fred and George groaned.

"Can't believe this..." Fred muttered.

"Not even in school..." George continued.

"And we still have tests!" They finished grumbling in unison but they still got up, however reluctantly, and showed Ginny all of what they had learnt.

As soon as they had finished, they both flopped to the lounge with sighs. Ginny grinned at them and hugged them tightly.

"Excellent work, boys. I'm proud of you," she said, smiling at them. George smirked at Fred as they hugged her back and started tickling her. "Oh, don't! You're both mean! Stop it! This isn't fair!" She said between laughs.

"You torture us..." George said.

"We torture you..." Fred added.

"Fair enough for us," they said and continued to tickle her.

With a growl, Ginny pushed them both off of her and tickled them back. Soon tears were running down their faces and they were sobbing for her to stop.

"See... Not nice, is it?" She asked, eventually relenting. With sighs, Fred and George sat up frowning.

"Fine, we get your point... Forge, I suggest that we go get changed so we can meet Lord Agnes and Lady Xavier," Fred said, grinning at his twin.

"I agree, Gred... Let's adjourn, shall we?" He said and offered his twin his arm. They skipped off to their 'room' to change, Ginny shaking her head after them. Ginny waited for them to get back, but after ten minutes she was getting impatient and eager to return to the school so she could get some dinner.

"I'm going now!" Ginny called.

"Keep your hair on, Ginevra! We're almost done!" They called back.

"If you're not out here in three minutes..." Ginny threatened, then the door swung open to reveal Fred and George buttoning up their shirts.

"Do you know how much you sound like Mum?" Fred asked.

"It's scary, really," George said, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm leaving now... I want to get back in time for dinner," Ginny said. Fred and George nodded then led her back to the trapdoor. She got into the corridor and was surprised when they jumped in after her. "What are you doing?" She asked them.

"Well, how else do you think we're going with you tonight? Besides, we never say no to free food," they said and Ginny could see them grinning broadly.

"All right," Ginny said with a sigh and the three of them headed down the tunnel to Hogwarts.

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Ginny led her brothers to the Great Hall as other students were making their way there too. Fred and George saw changes in the students almost immediately, seeing that there was more inter-House reaction. When they entered the Great Hall, they were both shocked, seeing that there were Slytherins sitting at the Gryffindor table and vica versa. With a shrug to each other they followed Ginny over to the Gryffindor table.

They noticed Ron and Lavender glaring at Ginny, but didn't say anything. With quick and silent communication, they came to a decision and went over to Ron, grinning at him.

"Hey Ronnie-kins! How's our smallest tallest brother going?" They asked, clapping him on the back. Ron glared at them too and they frowned at him. "What's up with all the glaring?" They asked shaking their heads.

"Didn't Miss-I'm-going-to-betray-my-House-and-family tell you what happened in Divination?" Ron muttered, glaring over at Ginny again.

"Not that we know of... How about you tell us?" Fred and George asked, sitting on either side of him. Ron began talking, glaring over at Ginny every so often. Ginny just ignored him easily, eating her food and talking with Blaise, Neville and Colin instead.

"I was talking to Fligard before," Neville said. Ginny nodded, indicating she was listening to him. "He was telling me that you were a Queen... Is that why you were wearing that dress and crown before when you came out of the Forest?" Ginny nodded. "Fligard also said that you were Queen of everything... Including plants and animals and humans. Is that true?" Neville asked, looking at her in interest. Blaise and Colin watched her too.

"I think so... They had every kind of animal and plant in the clearing, as well as representatives for others... Come to think of it, I was the only human there... Hmmm... Looks like humans have no say in the matter," Ginny said and smirked at them. Blaise smirked shaking his head at her.

"None at all? So you're just our Queen and we have to like it or lump it?" Colin asked in shock.

"Pretty much... Is there something wrong with me being Queen?" Ginny asked, looking at Colin.

"No... But you're not even out of your teen years... How are you going to handle being Queen of the world, for the Gods sakes!?" Colin asked.

"I'm not taking over the world, Colin... Just... looking after it," Ginny replied.

"Well, at least it's not Ronnie-kins... He couldn't even take care of a Puffskein," Fred and George said, sitting beside from her. Ginny smirked at them broadly.

"Yes, and the fact that you used Bob for Bludger practise has nothing to do with it?" She asked and they just grinned.

"What if someone tried to hurt you? If you're Queen of the Gods damned world... If someone tried to hurt you, then you could like turn the entire world against that person..." Colin said with a shudder. "I'd really hate to be that person!"

"How exactly would I turn the entire world against them? I don't have control over anything, Colin..." Ginny drawled.

"You have some power over them though," Blaise said. "If your willpower is strong enough, I'm sure you could make the entire world go against them," he said. Ginny sighed and shook her head.

"Gods, this is so damned frustrating! I'm going to go outside and find somewhere to wallow in self pity..." Ginny muttered then left the Great Hall. Fred and George watched her go, frowns on their faces. Then with a glance at each other, they followed her out. "What do you want?" Ginny asked with a sigh, hearing her brothers footsteps following her. Only they could possibly walk to make the two sets of feet sound like one.

"We want to know what's wrong," George said.

"And what this Queen business is about," Fred added. Ginny sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it... Please... I don't know enough about it anyway, and I... I just... I can't handle all of this! I'm supposed to be a Queen for the Gods sakes, over a world that's sure as hell going to turn it's back on me at the first chance! Then I'm supposed to be the Gods dammed world's treasure or some such bull... Ever since I found out about being a Vampiress... I've become more kinds of different things than I've even heard about! I don't want to be anything! Why can't I just be myself and let that be that?!" Ginny asked, more to herself than to the twins. They looked at each other then at Ginny. Fred and George wrapped their arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"Well, we can't answer that question, Ginevra..." Fred said.

"But maybe Lord Xavier or Lady Agnes can..." George finished.

"So no more wallowing in self pity... It doesn't help anything," Fred said, George nodding in agreement.

"All it does is give you a headache, and you don't want that to happen," he said, his tone completely serious. Ginevra looked at them then snorted in laughter then burst out laughing happily. She hugged her brothers tightly.

"All right... I get the hint... Come on, let's go," she sighed and they went back to the Great Hall, arm in arm. "Professor, we're ready to leave now," Ginny said quietly to Albus. He nodded then handed her a parchment.

"These are the instructions for you all to get there... I regret that I will not be able to go with you," Albus said. "But I do trust that you will all be able to get there safely and on your own," he said, looking at them sternly. Ginny just smiled at him innocently.

"Of course, sir. I wouldn't let anything happen to Fred and George, and I am sure that they will not let anything happen to me," she said. Albus nodded and with a small sigh, he watched them leave the Great Hall.

"I see you're putting our techniques to use..." Fred said, smirking at her.

"Innocence always works best for you... Have you tried blackmailing yet?" George asked, wrapping an arm around his sister. Ginny smirked then feigned innocence again.

"Are you suggesting that I would resort to blackmail, George?" She asked in 'shock'. George laughed.

"Excellent work, my dear Ginevra... We have created a lovely little monster, don't you agree Forge?" Fred asked George.

"Definitely... Lovely monster she has turned out to be!" George said and laughed evilly.

"You two stop right there!" A loud voice screeched behind them. They turned to see Argus Filch coming over. "You practically destroyed my corridor!" Filch said angrily.

"No we didn't! We just redecorated it..." Fred and George protested quickly.

"I think you should let me take care of this," Ginny said.

Fred and George looked at her to decline her offer, then they both moved out of her way and watched as she walked over to Filch.

"Good evening, Argus... Where is Mrs. Norris?" Ginny asked him kindly. Filch looked from her to the two twins, torn between his anger at them and his debt to her for saving him from the swamp.

"She's gone to another corridor..." Argus replied reluctantly.

"That's a disappointment... I was wondering if you were still upset with my brothers? I mean, they didn't mean to make the swamp so large... They were just trying to get away from Umbridge," Ginny said, smiling at him sweetly.

"That's not the point! They put that entire thing in my hallway! I have to take time out of my day to ferry people across in that boat!" Filch argued.

"So if they reduced it to make it smaller for students to pass by the corridor, then you wouldn't be upset with them anymore?" Ginny asked pointedly. Filch looked from Ginny to the twins and back again.

"I'd consider not being mad..." He said reluctantly. Ginny nodded.

"Very well... Fred, George. The reduction spell on your swamp, if you please," Ginny instructed. "You may watch if you like, Argus," Ginny said and led the three of them down the hallway and in a few minutes they had arrived at the swamp. Ginny nodded at Fred and George, both of whom gave an elaborate sigh.

They said the spell and the swamp began to reduce in size. Soon, all that was left of it was a small island-like swamp in the middle of the corridor. It was conveniently covering the trapdoor to their shop.

"There you are Argus... Now, if you wouldn't mind thanking my brothers, we have to get going," Ginny said. Argus nodded reluctantly and sighed.

"Thanks," he mumbled and went off to find Mrs. Norris.

"Not even a proper 'thank you'! Rude of him, that was!" George said, Fred nodding in agreement.

"Especially after we just made our handiwork smaller! Almost takes the entire glory out of it," Fred said sighing. Ginny rolled her eyes at them and looked at the parchment Albus had given her.

"We have to go back to your shop," she said and said the spell. The island moved to one side of the corridor and they went into the trapdoor quickly.

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"What do we have to do now?" Fred and George asked when they arrived in the shop.

"You've got to Apparate me out of here, which might be kind of hard considering you two don't know where the hell we're going..." Ginny muttered angrily. "Nice one for the instructions, Albus!" She muttered again.

"So how are we going to get there then?" The twins asked. Ginny sighed and a mist floated out of Ginny.

"I may be of some assistance, my Queen," Bexley said with a bow.

"What did I say about the whole 'Queen' business, Bexley?" Ginevra drawled. Bexley bowed again.

"I apologise, Ginevra... As I said, I may be of some assistance. If you will think of where you need to go, I will be able to relay the information to your brothers," Bexley said. Ginny gave a nod and Bexley floated back into her. The twins looked at Ginny in shock.

"What was that?" They asked. Ginny smirked.

"Bexley... He's a Boggart," she said, then thought of the mansion and her flight in going there. Bexley floated out of Ginny after a few moments, then over to the twins.

"Do not be frightened... I will not hurt you, and you will only feel a tingling sensation for a moment," Bexley said then he floated into them. Fred and George looked at each other and grinned at the tingling that they could feel. In a few seconds, Bexley floated out again and went back over to Ginny.

"I thank you for your assistance, Bexley. Return before you get too weary," she said soothingly. Bexley gave another bow and floated into Ginny gratefully. "Ready, boys?" Ginny asked the twins.

"Yes... We know where to go now," they said, grinning. Ginny nodded and took their hands. She had the sensation of being squeezed through an unbearably small tube. Her lungs couldn't take in any air... Her throat seemed so much smaller. Then just when she felt she couldn't take anymore, they arrived in front of the mansion.

"You all right, Ginevra?" George asked.

"Yes... I'm fine... Just need to get my breath back," she said with a smile, then looked at her brothers sternly. "I love you, but if you embarrass me in here, I will be forced to hurt you. Is that understood?" She asked. Fred and George grinned but answered her seriously.

"We understand. Don't worry, dearest Ginevra! We wouldn't dare to embarrass you in front of an Elder..." They said in unison.

"Yeah, he'd probably kill us if we did anyway!" Fred said.

"Lighten up, dearest sister of ours! We won't be that bad," George said. Ginny smiled at them then knocked on the doors loudly. The wooden doors opened and the butler bowed as he ushered them inside.

"Miss Ginevra Weasley. Welcome... Are these two with you?" The butler asked, looking at Fred and George.

"Yes, they are my brothers, Fred and George Weasley. My Lord Xavier is expecting us, thank you, Miles," Ginny said, remembering the man's name from her vision.

The butler bowed again and left. Xavier returned with Miles almost instantly.

"My Lord Xavier," Ginny said bowing.

"Ginevra. A pleasure to see you again," Xavier said, smiling.

"Allow me to introduce my brothers, Fred and George Weasley," Ginny said. Xavier looked at the two boys standing behind Ginny and smiled at them warmly.

"A pleasure to meet you both. Please, follow me to more private quarters," Xavier said and led them to a room. Agnes was sitting on a chair and rose when they entered the room.

"My Lady Agnes," Ginny said, bowing to her. Agnes smiled and hugged Ginny affectionately.

"My daughter... It seems too long since I have seen you," she said, smiling.

"It has barely been three days!" Ginny said.

"Oh, I know that. Still... Who are your friends, Ginevra?" Agnes asked, seeing the two boys behind her.

"Two of my brothers, my Lady. Fred is the one on the left, George is on the right," Ginny said, smiling at them.

"Very well... If you wouldn't mind, could you please close the doors? It is quite drafty," Agnes said. With a bow, Fred and George quickly did as she said. "Thank you... Please, come closer so I may see you properly," Agnes said, smiling at them. "I won't hurt you," she said, laughing lightly. Both boys faltered for a moment, then walked to her.

"Good afternoon, my Lady," Fred said, bowing to her. George did the same and they waited.

"You taught them well in such a short amount of time, Ginevra. I am most impressed... Come boys, join us in some tea," Agnes said and led them to a table. Ginny let out a small breath of relief. She just hoped that the twins would keep to their promise of being good...

All three of the men waited for Agnes and Ginny to be seated before taking their own seats, Fred and George waiting until after Xavier had sat. They drank their tea respectively, not overly talking and answering when they were spoken to. Ginny smiled at them, proud that they'd had enough sense to respect the two Elders and actually do as she'd instructed them.

"Now that the formalities are over, I will allow my husband to talk with the boys," Agnes said. "You did an excellent job, Ginevra. I am very proud of you," she said smiling at her.

"I thank you, Agnes... I was wary to bring them. If they had met Virginia, I don't think this evening would have gone quite as well," Ginny said shaking her head.

"You don't trust in them?" Agnes asked.

"Oh, I trust them... I am just not sure if they are immune to her as I am. If not, then I wouldn't trust them around her," Ginny said and looked at her brothers.

"... We own a joke shop on Diagon Alley, called Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Fred said, proudly.

"Oh, I am sorry I haven't heard of it. I am quite fond of jokes," Xavier said, grinning. "I have not been into the wizarding community during the day since 1563. I must admit that I have not been out during the night too often either..." He said with a shake of his head.

"We doubt that you're missing out on much..." George said with a shrug.

"A few wars, people getting killed..." Fred said, shrugging also.

"People living, falling in love..." George said, looking over at Ginny with a knowing grin.

"Same old, same old," Fred said, grinning. Xavier laughed.

"Yes, it does sound the same... I say, do you house illegal ingredients for your pranks?" He asked. Fred and George looked at each other, then to Xavier, then back to each other again. Coming to a decision, they answered him.

"Yes... Only because the Minister of Magic won't allow them to be bought. People grow them in their backyard unknowingly, but it can't be bought in the public market! Most of them can be used to help sick people too..." They said in unison.

"There is no need to justify yourselves. Everyone has an illegal ingredient at least once in his or her life... Vampires are no different, except for the simple fact that we go through more lifetimes, so it's more than likely we have illegal ingredients more than once," Xavier said with a wink. Fred and George grinned at him.

"So you're not going to turn us in, then?" They asked. Xavier laughed softly.

"Not at all... We would not like the Ministry to be here as much as you don't want them to be. You are not the only ones who house illegal ingredients for potions," Xavier said. "There are some in this room, in fact... Would you like to try to find them?" Xavier asked and looked at Agnes and Ginny. "You may join in the hunt too, if you wish, Ginevra," he said.

"Thank you, Lord Xavier," she said and joined her brothers in the hunt around the room. After about ten minutes when none of them could find a thing that even looked remotely illegal, magic or otherwise, they looked at Xavier.

"You are very close, but if you would wish for me to show you where they are instead of you looking for any longer, I will," Xavier said.

"Yes, please," Fred and George said, eager to know. Xavier looked at Ginny.

"Yes, please, my Lord Xavier," she said with a smile.

"Videor!" Xavier said and the room shimmered for a moment before it filled with shelves, boxes and other assortments. All were full of illegal ingredients, plants and materials. Fred and George's eyes widened with shocked joy as they looked around. (Appear.)

"Where did you get this?" Fred asked, looking at a Shrake's spiny skin.

"We've been trying to get one of those for months!" George exclaimed looking at the filled box.

"No one ever seems to have them though..." Fred said, shaking his head.

"You may take one; two if you wish," Xavier said.

"Really? You'll let us just take one?" The twins asked, staring at him in shock. Xavier nodded, amused at them.

"Of course... You have shown me a great deal of respect and have been wonderful guests to entertain. I wish I could give you more to show you our hospitality..." Xavier said, but they both stopped him by giving him a huge hug.

"You don't need to give us anything! We're the guests, we should be giving you something, for the Gods sakes!" Fred and George said happily. Agnes laughed to herself at her husband's slightly shocked and amused face.

"You're welcome... Now come, I will teach the three of you how to perform this spell. It will hide your ingredients from Ministry officials. In fact, they could walk on top of the ingredients and they would not notice a thing. If you use the correct wrist movement it will also ensure that your ingredients are kept in their proper form, whether someone steps on them unknowingly or not," Xavier said, smiling at them.

"There is no need to boast about it, Xavier," Agnes reprimanded him in amusement. Xavier smiled at his wife then turned back to the three young adults.

"Now, you must perform the wrist movement correctly, or else you may do a different spell that will be of no use to you..." They nodded and watched him intently. "Move your wand or hand, depending on what you use, to the right for a half turn, then back to the left sharply to your original position. Then you say the incantation, abeo... You know what this means, I presume?" Xavier asked, looking at the three before him. Fred and George nodded, trying their best not to look offended. (Vanish or disappear.)

"Yes, Lord Xavier. We have all been taught Latin from birth, as is customary with ones with our blood," Ginny replied. Xavier nodded.

"Excellent... And the pixie blood in the twins is customary too?" He asked. Fred and George looked surprised, so he continued. "I am able to smell the different types of blood. You both have the pixie smell on you, while Ginevra has another kind entirely. But, I digress. Please, attempt the spell for me," Xavier said, quickly changing the topic when the twins looked at Ginevra in interest.

"Of course, Lord Xavier," the twins said with a bow, then pointed their wands at the Shrake skin. "Abeo!" They said together and the Shrake's skin disappeared from sight. Tentatively, they both stepped out and were relieved when they didn't step on anything.

"Good... Now attempt the reversal, which you just heard me say beforehand. There is no particular wrist movement needed, so you may just say the incantation," Xavier said.

Fred and George nodded, then said the spell and the Shrake skin appeared, whole and undamaged.

"Very good work, boys... Ginevra, it is your turn," Xavier said turning to her. Ginevra gave a small bow and stood before the Shrake skin.

"Abeo!" She said clearly and the spiny skin disappeared into thin air. Xavier nodded and Ginny said the reversal, the Shrake skin reappearing. Fred and George took hold of it quickly, careful not to pierce their hands.

"Very good, Ginevra... If you do not mind, I will take this opportunity to test Ginevra's abilities again," Xavier said.

"We will join you," Agnes said and followed Xavier and Ginny into an adjoining room with the twins behind her. The twins just stared at the huge stage and the glass box above it in awe and shock, amazed that something so big could fit in a room that seemed to be so small on an outward appearance.

"Now, Ginevra... I trust that you have not taken any potions to enhance your abilities," Xavier said formally, trying not to laugh at the thought. She was already powerful and the potion would be going to waste...

"I have not, my Lord," Ginny replied, smiling back at him, having heard his thoughts. Xavier nodded and helped her onto the stage gracefully. "Thank you, my Lord," Ginny said, then gave a small nod when she was directly underneath the glass room.

Xavier waved his hand almost lazily and the glass started to descend. Fred and George looked at one each other then to Ginny, hoping that she would be all right. The glass stopped as it covered Ginny completely and as it went black, Fred George, Agnes and Xavier disappeared from view.

Fred and George watched as their sister waited, wondering why she wasn't reacting to the faces they were pulling.

"Is that a one-sided glass?" They asked eventually. Agnes nodded.

"Yes, it is..." She replied.

Xavier looked away from Ginevra and went over to a nearby box. He held up what looked to be small pieces of parchment to the light and read each one, going deeper into the box. Worried at how long her husband was taking, Agnes walked over to him. Seeing how far he had gone into the parchments, Agnes laid a hand on his arm softly.

"Are you sure about this, Xavier? This far down at her level..." Agnes said and shook her head.

"I'm sure, Agnes. She just performed that spell without a wand, and the amount of power she has in the Forbidden Forest... It's unbelievable," Xavier said, shaking his head in amazement. Agnes nodded.

"That power in the Forest is in the future, Xavier... She may not be that advanced for another year or so... It is in the late future, isn't it?" She asked when Xavier didn't reply. Xavier just looked away for a moment and held another parchment to the light.

"Excuse me? Is this going to start or is it broken?" Ginny's voice called through the glass box.

"As I said, Agnes... It's unbelievable," Xavier said when Agnes looked at Ginny through the glass. It was supposed to be impossible for any sound to get through that magically enforced glass! Agnes nodded.

"I am sorry I questioned you," Agnes said, then went over to where the twins were, trying not to look as though they had been listening.

"Excuse us for a moment, Lady Agnes," they said then bowed to her before going over to Xavier. "Lord Xavier?" They questioned. He looked up at them. "When exactly is it going to happen? You know, don't you?" Fred and George asked.

"Yes, I am aware of when it will happen. I Saw it many, many years ago... It was even more extensive than what Ginevra herself Saw, and I will not relay the information which has eluded you in your own Seeing. It was not necessary for you to See any more, nor was it necessary for Ginevra to do so either... I will not tell you of the date, as I told Albus I would not tell him, when he asked me of the same thing," Xavier replied. "There it is," he muttered and held the oldest looking parchment onto the glass. The parchment disappeared and the three of them returned to Agnes to watch Ginny.

Finally! Ginny thought as words scrawled onto the glass. She'd been waiting for five whole minutes for it to start!

First test: Memory.

Pictures of Vampires and Vampiresses appeared quickly, their birth and rebirth details underneath them. In a few minutes, the images stopped, having shown well over one hundred people.

On request by the glass, Ginny began to align the details with the relevant person. In about ten minutes, she had finished and quickly checked the last few to make sure they were right.

Second test...

Ginny frowned as it didn't say anything about the actual test she was to receive.

You have two choices. You must stop one of two natural disasters from occurring. You can either stop an avalanche from happening, or stop a flood. Before you decide, you must know all of the details...

The avalanche will cause all of your friends and loved ones to die... Every person you have ever met and befriended is gathering in the one place and the avalanche will kill them all if it is not stopped.

The flood, on the other hand, will kill one hundred strangers. You know not one of these people. They do not know each other and are only in the same place due to coincidence. If the flood is not stopped, then they too will all die.

There is no possibility of being able to stop both, so please do not say this as your answer.

You will be allowed a few minutes to come to a decision...

Fred and George watched as the final words scrawled onto the glass. They both paled, as did Ginny. They looked from her to the words, then back to Ginny as the words disappeared.

"They are both naturally caused, not through any other means?" Ginny asked slowly.

Yes, they are both naturally caused... The glass replied. Ginny nodded reluctantly then took a deep breath.

"Very well... My decision is... neither. I choose to stop neither natural disaster, as there is an order in the universe. By stopping one, I will have stopped the order and something worse will happen to make up for my interfering..." Ginny said. She felt absolutely horrid and awful saying it, but it was true. By changing one part of the world, it affected another part in an even worse way.

That is your final decision? Even if it kills all those you love? The glass asked. If words could look surprised, the glass certainly achieved it.

Ginny gave a determined nod, which was far different from how she felt. If it asked her again, she would have broken into tears and saved the ones she loved, no matter the consequence, she was sure of it.

"That is my final decision," she said, her voice showing none of the pain she felt at making such a decision.

Very well... Third test: Kindred. This test will entail two parts. Show respect for all that enter...

Ginny nodded to show she understood and waited.

Third test: part one. Beasts.

A unicorn trotted into the area through the glass. It nuzzled Ginny affectionately and bowed to her. She bowed back, acknowledging the unicorn's respect for her. As the unicorn trotted away, another beast came in.

The manticore walked over to Ginny and looked at her for a moment, its scorpion tail whipping behind it. After another moment, the manticore bowed to Ginevra, who bowed back respectfully.

One by one, animal and beast came into the small glass room and bowed to Ginny respectfully. The final creature regarded her for a long time, and did not bow. Ginny looked at the centaur and after a moment, she bowed to him instead. The centaur bowed back then left the glass room, his hooves making music as he did so.

Third test: part two. Beings.

Ginny watched as a Vampire came into the glass room. Recognising the Vampire's rank from his clothes, she bowed to him. The Vampire inclined his head then returned her bow and left.

Another succession of people came and went. Some wizards, Muggles, Vampires, hags, banshees... Every type of being possible came into the room and either bowed to Ginevra, or waited for her to bow to them. Ginny almost made the mistake of not bowing to a Muggle King, and apologised profusely when she realised her mistake. The King didn't seem too perturbed, thinking that it was his looks that had caused her to refrain from bowing for so long...

The test eventually finished and Ginny was immensely glad she didn't have to bow to someone every few minutes. Her back was already sore just from that!

As Ginny stretched her back, wincing slightly, a small winged horse trotted out. She could tell by its light gold colour and silvery-white mane and tail that the winged horse was an Abraxan. She could tell that the winged horse was young, because even though it was the same size as a regular horse, the Abraxan's were famed for their giant size and one this size was hardly large for an adult horse.

"Hello... Are you supposed to be here?" Ginny asked the horse, rubbing her face affectionately. The horse neighed softly and blew into Ginny's face. She felt her back become better and it seemed that every ache and pain in her body just melted away. "Thank you, my lovely Volatil Equus," Ginny said softly. The winged horse neighed again then trotted back out of the room.

Fourth test: Power. You must perform the following two tasks without a wand. Please keep your non-wand hand on the pole provided at all times.

A small pole with a metal ball on top of it appeared in front of Ginny and she placed her left hand on it then waited.

Fourth test: part one.

A Kappa came out of the glass and went over to Ginny, eager to feed on her blood. Ginny looked down at the little demon, pondering whether to use magic on it. The small creature was hardly a threat to use her magic on it...

"I think it's fairly rude of you not to bow to someone before you try to devour them..." Ginny said as soon as the Kappa was close enough. The Kappa looked at her in shock. "As you are a Japanese demon, I am sure that your mother has told you of the etiquette before you eat. You bow your head to thank your Gods for the dinner you are about to eat," Ginny said, as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The Kappa considered this for a moment before accepting it and bowing its head. The water in the hollow of its head drained out and the Kappa was deprived of its strength. It disappeared into thin air.

Fourth test: part two.

A Chimaera came into the room, the small goat hooves clipping on the wooden stage. Its dragon tail swung back and forth and the Chimaera's lion head roared when it saw Ginny there. She looked at it for a moment, trying to ignore her fear. The Chimaera roared again and walked over to her, licking its lips hungrily.

"Stop!" Ginny said, her voice fierce. The Chimaera continued to walk to her. Ginny winced slightly and put her hand out. A barrier formed around her body and the pole. The Chimaera tried in vain to get through the barrier and roared loudly when it found that it couldn't.

The Chimaera disappeared and Ginny waited until words appeared to take down the barrier, just in case. The pole disappeared and writing formed on the glass.

Fifth test: Changing. Change into three animals that you have not as such turned into yet. They may be magical or Muggle animals. You must turn into them one after the other, without returning to your original form. Please indicate the three that you have chosen in the right order...

Ginny thought for a moment. She couldn't do a phoenix, wolf, unicorn, nundu or bat...

"I will be changing into a manticore, a moke, and an Erumpent. In that order," Ginny said.

Very well... You will be tested to see if each animal is as it should be. Begin.

Ginny took in a deep breath for a moment, then began to change. Her body extended, her spine grew longer. She could feel the poison in her newly acquired scorpion tail. Her body became softer and golden-red fur grew from it as it changed into a lion's body. Her head stayed the same, her hair almost becoming a mane in its own way. She flexed her paws for a moment, surprised that it had actually worked.

A wizard with his wand drawn entered the room cautiously. With a wince he pointed his wand at her and said a spell. It rebounded off of Ginny and he sighed in relief. Ginny roared and leapt at him, her scorpion tail going over her shoulder to rest on the wizard's shoulder. She crooned softly as she bared her teeth and the wizard paled in fear. He sceamed loudly and fainted. Ginny's tail was a millimetre from the man's neck when the glass scrawled writing.

Stop... Leave the wizard and continue your test. The glass wrote. The man disappeared quickly.

Ginny gave an inhuman sigh and began to change. Her body shrank quickly and her paws changed into small reptilian feet. Her body changed colour as rapidly as she shrank, going from golden-red to a silver-green colour. However, in the candlelight, her skin shimmered red instead.

A large animal came out and Ginny shrank quickly. The animal went past, having not noticed her. When the animal had left, Ginny returned to her original Moke size. She looked at the glass for a moment, wondering if there was another test for herself in this form.

Continue your test...

Ginny thought of the Erumpent, the large African rhinoceros-looking animal and her reptile skin changed into a tough grey leather as she grew. A horn pierced through her skull and Ginny could feel the deadly liquid in it. She finished changing and looked at herself in the glass. Her body was grey and her small tail swished.

Suddenly, a large metal box came out of the glass and she was instructed to pierce it. Ginny pierced through the metal easily and the tip of her horn seemed to retract. The deadly liquid flowed out slowly and she pulled away. The box exploded loudly and for a moment, she was sure she heard Fred and George asking if they could get some.

A nervous witch came out of the glass and threw a curse at Ginny. It rebounded off of Ginny and the witch went back into the glass quickly before Ginny could charge at her.

Return to your original form. The glass instructed.

Ginny turned back to her human form and sat down on the chair provided gratefully. After a few minutes, she was able to stand properly, although her face was still slightly pale.

Final test: Mind.

Ginny frowned slightly at the title of the test, but continued to read the writing.

Your mind will be tested for any negativity or evil. Please sit on the chair provided and relax. A chair appeared behind Ginny and she sat down reluctantly. The glass closed in around her and a small orb of light flew into her forehead. Suddenly, images of Ginny's life began to appear on the glass. It seemed to go by in fast forward, starting with Ginny's earliest memory and going forward from there.

At age four, Ginny ran behind her brothers, calling for them to wait. Fred and George stopped and Ron scowled at her. Girl... Princess... Dwagon... Charlie...

Ginny at six, holding Arthur's hand as she went to the Ministry with him. He showed her all of the fascinating Muggle things and Ginny burnt herself with a match. She cried and Arthur healed her then showed her how to use the crayons...

Ginny played with the boys as they fought with each other and Molly yelled at them for fighting in front of her and on her birthday too. She had just turned seven... Ginny watched as Fred and George sang 'happy birthday' to her loudly and tricking Ron into opening a small jar. Spiders leapt out of it and Ron screamed loudly. Ginny giggled at her brother and cut her chocolate cake. Fred and George started a food fight. Ginny missed Charlie and Bill terribly...

Ginny shopping in Diagon Alley with her mother a few months later. She wanted to go and look at the pretty dress in the window, but Molly shook her head saying they couldn't go into that shop. It was too expensive. They went to the second-hand witch shop and found another dress. It wasn't as expensive, but Ginny liked it just as much. That memory was when Ginny realised that money wasn't a big thing to make someone happy.

Ginny at age eight on Platform 9 and 3/4. She watched as Charlie, Bill and Percy all got on board the train and tried not to cry as they all waved at her from the window. Fred and George called out for them to send something for them and hugged Ginny tightly as she cried. Molly and Arthur waved goodbye then led their other four children back to the Muggle world and home to the Burrow.

Ginny played Quidditch with all of her brothers when they came home for Christmas. It was the best Christmas ever! Her new Cleansweep Sixty seemed to fly even faster as she guided it around their paddock, looking for the golf ball that Arthur had spelled for them to make it a 'Snitch'. She caught it and laughed happily when everyone cheered for her, hugging her tightly. Charlie said that she was even better than him and she almost bursted with happiness.

Nine-year-old Ginny yelling at Fred and George for leaving her. She'd already lost three brothers to Hogwarts, she didn't want to lose them too! She yelled at them then ran up to her room, sobbing. She hid under her bed with her teddy bear and fell asleep. Ginny woke up when she heard her name being called loudly. She crawled out from underneath her bed and went out of her room. She tugged on Fred's shirt, still clutching her teddy bear. Eleven-year-old Fred sighed in relief when he saw that she was all right and called out for everyone else. Molly told Ginny off for hiding and Ginny started crying again until Fred and George offered to play Quidditch with her.

Ginny was ten and watched as Ron went onto the train with Harry. She looked from him to her mother and whispered if that was 'him', but Molly quieted her quickly. Another boy boarded the train with blonde hair, but her view of him was cut off by Fred and George who hugged her tightly. Lee Jordan grinned at them and whispered about a giant tarantula, then went on the train with a wink. Fred and George said goodbye to her and kissed her then went onto the train again. Ginny watched as Ron waved out the window as the train started off and she ran after him, waving happily, seeing the dark-haired boy in the window too. The blonde boy was in the window behind him, not looking very happy. She wondered why and waved to him too.

Ginny wandered Diagon Alley with her father, wondering where Harry had gotten to. He hadn't come out at the fireplace and no one knew where he was... They found him with Hermione and Ron and she smiled at him shyly. They went into Flourish and Blotts where the blonde boy was with his father... Ginny was surprised when her dad and his dad seemed to know each other. Then the blonde boy insulted Harry and she got angry at him. Arthur and the boy's father glared at each other, then the man grabbed her books, sneering. He practically threw them back in her cauldron and she hoped that the action hadn't dented her first cauldron. The boy and his father left and Ginny heard Harry say that he was Draco Malfoy...

Ginny asked her mother about Draco Malfoy and his father, but she just got angry and said in clipped tones not to go anywhere near them... They weren't nice people and Ginny was too nice to be seen with them. Ginny nodded solemnly and said that she wouldn't go near them while she was good. Molly smiled at her and gave her a hug, saying that Ginny would always be good, it was in her nature.

Ginny waved to her parents eagerly as the train started to leave Platform 9 and 3/4. They waved back and Ginny watched as they disappeared. She hadn't seen Harry or Ron on the train yet, but she was sure that they wouldn't go the entire trip without seeing her and how she was! She made friends with an odd girl, Luna Lovegood. She saw a boy with a camera, clicking at everything in sight. He even took a few pictures of her, introducing himself as Colin Creevey. Then a boy with a toad came into the room, asking if she was related to Ron and Fred and George. When she answered yes, they got into a big conversation about Harry Potter, Colin listening to them in fascination...

Ginny watched as Hagrid called all of the first years and she smiled at him, liking the large man immediately. He took them over to the castle in the magically led boats and Ginny was amazed at the size of the school. It never seemed to be that big when she had seen it in the pictures!

Ginny sat on the stool nervously and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. She hadn't seen Ron or Harry for the entire trip and was worried about them, and also disappointed. The Sorting Hat whispered in her ear, asking if she'd like to be a Slytherin... She would be a very good Slytherin, it told her. Her entire family had been in Gryffindor for ever and she didn't want to let them down. Fred and George would make her happy in Gryffindor, she knew it. The Sorting Hat yelled out Gryffindor and the twins clapped loudly as she went to sit down smiling happily. She saw Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table and for a moment, she wanted to change her mind... Fred and George hugged her tightly, congratulating her and asked if she'd seen Harry or Ron... Colin sat next to her and Neville came over grinning. He hugged her too and congratulated her happily.

Ginny went with the other first years to the Gryffindor Tower. Not one person had seen Harry or Ron, but the rumours that were going around! She had a feeling that the rumours were the truth, because she knew about the car... Who in her family didn't? Besides, she'd watched Arthur as he'd built and tinkered with the Muggle car and she'd seen the twins flying home with Ron and Harry... Harry and Ron weren't in the Common Room, neither was Hermione either... Ginny said goodnight to the twins and Colin and Neville, then went up to her room. She got her books out and saw a small green diary in it. Thinking that it was a present, she opened to the first blank page and wrote the date and 'dear diary'. She was shocked when the ink disappeared into the page... Then writing appeared, asking who she was...

Ginny wrote in the diary, her eyes sunken and dark. She watched Harry, giving Tom information on the dark-haired boy. Tom had said he would help her make him like her. He helped her write the valentine but after the humiliation of Harry not liking it and the awful boy Malfoy teasing her about it, she didn't try to do anything else to get Harry's attention.

Ginny went to the girl's bathroom and did as Tom told her. She hissed in the way he'd said, but it didn't work. She asked him about it, but something happened. Suddenly, she didn't seem to be in her own body. She watched as she opened the Chamber and her mind forgot everything about the night's events the next day.

Feathers started appearing on her clothes and then Mrs. Norris got Petrified... She had a bad feeling that she'd done it due to the lack of memory from that night, but couldn't tell anyone about it because no one was there... Fred and George were playing pranks on everyone too much to see that she wasn't well. Percy was too worried about his results and girlfriend to notice anything really wrong with Ginny. Ron was busy with Harry all the time. She was afraid of what else Tom would make her do. People started getting Petrified and she got scared. She went to the bathroom and threw the diary away. Not really hearing Myrtle's shriek, she ran as fast as she could back to her room.

Ginny saw Harry with the diary and she got scared again. She trashed his room trying to find it and when she did, she ran away as fast as she could, demanding to know what Tom had told him. Tom didn't reply, instead she had that floaty feeling again and didn't remember anything. She woke up in the Chamber when Tom came out of the diary.

He looked like Harry so much that she wanted to trust him. She really wanted to trust him, but she couldn't... Tom had made her do things and Ginny didn't like it. She didn't want to trust him... He told her to trust him and she inevitably did... She couldn't help herself. He'd been so nice to her, he'd comforted her when she'd cried over Harry. He told her he loved her and he'd be back for her, even though he might look a bit different. He promised her, and Tom never broke his promises... She loved Tom so much...

"STOP IT!" Ginny yelled and the orb flew out of her mind quickly. The glass shattered around her, piercing and cutting her soft skin. Suddenly all of the glass flew out of Ginny's body and her cuts and scratches healed. She glowed red and Agnes and Xavier looked at each other, worried. Fred and George ran up onto the stage quickly, trying to get to Ginny. They wrapped their arms around their sister ignoring the burning that seared through their arms when they did so.

"We're so sorry..." They whispered in her ear. Ginny just continued to sob and the red glow faded, as did the pain from the twins. Fred and George lifted Ginny out of the chair and down the stage carefully. "We're going to take her back. We hope you don't mind," they said as they bowed to Agnes and Xavier. They nodded and bowed back.

"We will see you soon, daughter. As much as you may not want it, we must finish the test," Agnes said softly, then laid her hand on Ginny's forehead, who was too emotional to make a response. Agnes' hand glowed for a moment and Ginny went limp in her brothers arms.

"It is just to make her night dreamless..." Xavier said when worry flitted across the twins faces. "Thank you for your company," he said, bowing to them.

"Thank you for your hospitality," they said, returning his bow. They left the room with the two Elders, who led them to Miles. Miles looked down at Ginny then to the two Elders in shock.

"Did you just... You..." He stammered slightly. Xavier looked at him sternly for a moment and Miles shut up quickly. He bowed then led the twins to the front door. He watched as they Disapparated then went to find Xavier and Agnes.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Fred and George put Ginny down, wondering whether they should take her back to Hogwarts or not. Deciding to just let her stay with them, they sent an owl to Dumbledore and watched as their sister slept.

They had no idea that they'd been so... unapproachable for her during her first year. She'd wanted them to make her feel welcome and they'd ignored her for the entire time. Guilt wrestling with them, they talked about it silently.

In a few minutes, there was a knock at their door and Albus called for them to open the door. They opened it, with their wands drawn, just in case. Albus looked at them, then followed them into the shop.

"What happened to Ginevra?" He asked immediately.

"We saw it on the other side of the glass... She was getting tested and it was a memory one," Fred and George said. Albus nodded. "She got up to during her first year with Tom and then she just yelled for it to stop... The orb flew out of her and the glass shattered around her. Then it all flew back out again and she started to glow... After that we said goodbye and brought her back. Lady Agnes did something that Lord Xavier said was to give Ginny a dreamless sleep," they finished. Albus nodded.

"Very well... I better go see them... I trust that you can look after Ginevra tonight. Bring her back to Hogwarts tomorrow morning," Albus instructed. Fred and George nodded then watched as Albus left their shop and Disapparated with a small pop.

Fred looked at George who gave a small shrug then closed and locked the door. They sat next to Ginny again and talked throughout the night, watching her sleep.

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(a/n: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!)

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8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Eight

Saturday, Sept. 7.

Ginny woke up and started slightly, not knowing where she was. She looked around and saw the familiar surroundings of her room, then sighed in relief and collapsed back onto her bed, grateful it was a Saturday.

She kicked her feet a bit, frowning as she felt something amiss. Pulling off her blankets, she looked down at her feet. She was still wearing her shoes! Come to think of it, she wasn't in her pyjamas either... Her going-out robe was still on, as were her nice clothes. Ginny got out of the bed and tried to remember what happened the night before...

She remembered going to the mansion with her brothers... Then she remembered learning a new spell and going in the next room to be tested... As all of the night's events filled her mind, Ginny sat on her bed in shock.

It was then that she realised that she didn't remember coming back to Hogwarts. To be honest, she didn't really remember leaving the mansion either...

"Ginevra!" She heard her brothers' voices calling, and then they hammered on her door. She went over to it irritably and opened it, frowning at them. "Thank the Gods!" Fred and George said and enveloped her in a huge hug.

"Good morning to you too... What's wrong?" Ginny asked when they eventually put her down.

"We thought we'd lost you! We took you to our shop last night after the testing and when we woke up this morning, you were gone!" They said sounding extremely worried. Their tone made Ginny's irritable mood dissipate quickly. "What happened?" They asked.

"I have no idea... I don't even remember how I got here," she said with a shrug.

"What about the Boggart... Bexley?" The twins asked. Bexley flew out of Ginny and looked at them.

"Do you know what happened?" Ginny asked him. Bexley nodded, but didn't say anything. "Well? How did I get here?" She prompted. Bexley sighed softly and floated over to Ginny. He whispered in her ear and she went a light shade of red. "Oh... Thank you, Bexley," Ginny said. With a bow, he flew back into Ginny.

"What was all of that about?" Fred asked, George nodding in agreement.

"I sleep walked, that's all," Ginny replied.

"You never sleep walk though..." George said in surprise.

"Well, I do now," Ginny said, her tone indicating that she didn't want to discuss it anymore.

"All right then... Next time you have the urge to sleep walk, at least tell us so we don't get so worried," George said, hugging her tightly. Ginny nodded.

"I'll try to remember next time," she said with a small grin. Fred hugged her to then went with George to the door.

"Before we go... We just wanted to say we're sorry about not being there for you in your first year," they said, sounding sad and forlorn. Ginny hugged them.

"It's all right... What was done is done. We can't change the past, no matter how much we'd like to..." The twins still didn't seem very happy and Ginny sighed. "I forgive you both," she said. They gave her small smiles then left, happier than they had been.

Ginny shut the door and groaned. She'd walked in her sleep just to see Draco Malfoy... She was surprised that she felt disappointed that she didn't remember it. Ginny shook her head and went to have a shower to relax.

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Ginny stepped out of the shower and dried her body off, refusing to look at the images that were trying to get her attention in her mirror. She just wanted one day where she didn't have to See anything!

Through no will of her own, Ginny's eyes looked up at the mirror and she was lost in a vision immediately.

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Virginia looked at the woman before her, a disgusted sneer on her beautiful face.

"Why, you're nothing but a fraud... You couldn't truly See if a vision was right in front of your face!" She said, sounding both disgusted and astounded.

"The Inner Eye does not See on will! If I can not See something for you, then it is meant to be that way!" Trewlaney replied, getting angry. "Now, if you have nothing else you require of me, I suggest that you leave!"

"I met your grandmother, you know, Sybil... She would be disappointed with you," Virginia said shaking her head.

"You know nothing of what my grandmother would think of me, whether you have met her or not!" Sybil protested. "Now leave!" She yelled.

"Of course. Once you have returned my Galleons, I will be glad to leave," Virginia drawled.

"My services are non-refundable," Sybil said coldly. Suddenly, her head dropped forward and she started to cough raggedly.

"Do not think that your pathetic act is going to fool me," Virginia said angrily. Sybil looked up, her eyes pure white.

"She is soon here... She will destroy you..." Her voice rasped.

Virginia looked interested and slightly scared at the same time.

"The girl to look out for is even more beautiful than yourself... Even without your enticement powers, she will have followers... They will be truer than your own and will willingly die for her... Riding forth on a unicorn, she will destroy you..." Sybil rasped.

Her head snapped up again and she looked disorientated for a moment then glared at Virginia.

"My services are non-refundable, so leave," she said. Without a word, Virginia stood and left.

At 12 Grimmauld Place, a new name was being threaded into the tapestry: Ginevra Molly Weasley.

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"Oh shit..." Ginny groaned in annoyance. She had the urge to just crawl back to bed and not get out for the next twenty years! She reluctantly got changed into her fighting outfit, thinking about everything that she was supposed to be.

She was Queen, the world's greatest treasure, and now she was supposed to destroy her ancestor! Well, if Virginia did everything that Ginny had Seen her do, the last part wouldn't be a problem... She thought with a sarcastic grin.

Ginny put her robe on then left her room and arrived at the Room of Requirement for her lesson with Moody. She went into the room and looked around. Moody was in the corner, putting a crossbow together.

"Ginevra... Do your exercises then sit down," he instructed.

Ginny nodded and took off her school robe then did her exercises quickly. She sat down in front of Moody, wondering what was going on.

"Do you know what this is?" He asked, showing her the hand-held crossbow.

"It's a hand-held crossbow, also known as an arbalest," Ginny said. Moody nodded.

"Good... Have you ever used a crossbow before?" He asked.

"Not yet," Ginny said grinning.

"And you won't for until a few more lessons... How about a bow and arrow?" Moody asked.

"I used to steal Ron's play Muggle one as a child, but I wasn't very good," she replied grinning sheepishly.

"All right... You will begin learning on a bow and arrow," Moody said. Ginny nodded. "Get the bow and quiver of arrows, then I will show you how to use them," Moody instructed as he conjured a target. Ginny went over to the wall, taking the equipment off it. "Hold it with the string facing you," he said.

Ginny tried not to roll her eyes. So she'd never used a real bow before, but that didn't mean she was completely idiotic to not know what way the bow had to be!

"Put your left hand up a bit... It needs to be in the middle of the bow," Moody instructed. "That's better... Now get an arrow with your right hand. Put the string in the notch on the arrow, and place the tip just over your left hand. Now, pull back and release," Moody said simply.

Ginny did as he said and let go of the arrow. It flung forward, barely landing more than one metre away from her. Somehow, she didn't think that was supposed to happen...

"I forgot to add that you need to aim. Hold your left arm straighter and pull back so your right arm is completely bent. That's right... Now try," he said.

For one of the first times in her life, Ginny cursed her breasts. Her left one kept getting in the way and she couldn't hold her arm straight enough! Moody saw her predicament and smirked.

"Amazon women used to cut off their left breast so they could shoot arrows properly..." He said. Ginny glared at him.

"I may not be able to shoot this properly, but you're close enough to get stabbed by it Moody, so watch yourself," Ginny snarled. Moody just laughed harshly.

"You want to fight me, then you can do it in your own time," he said. "Now shoot the blasted arrow."

Ginny glared at him again then shot the arrow, remembering what he had said. It went straighter and further this time, actually piercing the target board. It wasn't on the main target, but it could be improved with practice.

"Good... It's time for your next lesson. Shrink the bow and arrows and take them with you. Practice as often as you can," Moody said. "And don't forget your exercises," he said sternly. Ginny just looked at him pointedly.

"Of course not... Thank you for teaching me today, Professor. I will see you tomorrow," Ginny said, then shrinking the equipment, she put on her robes and went to the Defence Against the Dark Arts room.

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Ginny knocked on the door and waited until Lupin called for her to enter to do so.

She walked into the room and sat down in front of Remus, wondering why he looked so stern and angry at her. She'd changed into her normal clothes and was barely a minute late, so she didn't think he had a reason to look angry with her. Then she remembered Bexley and winced inwardly.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley... I trust that you are well?" Lupin asked.

"I am fine, thank you sir... And yourself?" Ginny asked.

"Angry, as you can probably tell. What reason did you have to steal the Boggart?" He asked, glaring at her.

"Uh, no particular reason... I didn't want the Boggart to die just because it scared a few third years," Ginny said shrugging.

"Don't think I'm going to believe that..." He said indignantly. Bexley flew out of Ginny and looked at Remus.

"I apologise for leaving your drawer, Mr. Lupin. I did not want to be killed, and I begged Ginevra to spare my life... If I had known that my actions were going to get her into trouble, I would have gladly died..." Bexley said.

"Oh, don't say that! I mean it, don't ever say that!" Ginny protested, angry that he would 'die' for her and they didn't even know each other properly.

"I apologise Ginevra," Bexley said with a bow.

"What are you?" Lupin asked, looking at the mist-like being in front of him. Bexley sighed.

"Oh dear... I think this is going to have to be explained the hard way," he said sadly and began to change. A full moon appeared in front of Lupin and he paled drastically. He fumbled for his wand and pointed it at the Boggart. As he went to say the incantation 'Riddikulus', Ginny went between him and the mist.

"Please, sir... Put your wand away..." She said softly, convincing him to lower his wand. "Thank you," she said with a sigh of relief.

Bexley floated back into her quickly and Ginny sat down again. She looked at Lupin's pale face and grinned suddenly.

"At least you can believe me now," she said. Lupin looked at her, then shook his head for a moment before returning to his desk. He pulled out a scroll and passed it to Ginny.

"This is a list of books that you will need to study for this subject... Most of them are from the Restricted Section, but you have unlimited access to those books, so it should not pose a problem for you. If Madam Pince has a problem with it, then I have signed the bottom of the parchment," Lupin instructed. Ginny nodded.

"Thank you, Professor," she said.

"You're welcome, Miss Weasley," he replied. "I apologise for my anger before," he said reluctantly, but Ginny waved it off.

"No need to apologise. You're human, you have every right to get angry," she said then smiled at him. "What wonderful lessons are you going to teach me today?" Ginny asked.

Lupin gave a grin then went over to a stand nearby and took off two thick coats. He gave one to Ginny, who put it on, then followed him outside. Lupin led Ginny out to the furthest gate of Hogwarts and they passed through the barrier with no great difficulty.

"Do you know how to Apparate?" Lupin asked Ginny.

"Not yet, sir... My Apparation tests start next month," she replied. "But I have Apparated with Fred and George before."

"That will do. Please, take my arm," he said.

Ginny held on to Lupin's arm and they Apparated. Air seemed to disappear and Ginny's lungs weren't able to take in any oxygen. She tried to quench her fear and concentrate on her heartbeat, as her breaths were no longer available to calm her. Ginny's lungs felt that they were about to pop and with that, they arrived at their destination.

The first thing Ginny noticed was the freezing, bitter wind. It seemed to be intent on blowing her away, or at the very least, freezing her to the spot. Clutching the thick cloak around her, Ginny looked around the frozen land and wondered where on Earth they were. Seeing her confused look, Lupin smiled.

"We are in Antarctica," he said.

Ginny stared at him in shock, her facial muscles too frozen to yell at him. Lupin performed a warming charm on Ginny's coat and she relaxed into the warmth before sending him a glare that Death itself would have been proud of.

"How dare you drag me out to this frozen wasteland without even telling me! For the Gods sakes, Lupin! I would have thought you would have more sense than that! How in the Gods names did you even know how to get to this Gods forsaken place?!" Ginny yelled.

"Ginevra, I would suggest that you keep your voice down, unless you would like to cause an avalanche."

The thought of an avalanche, after yesterday's tests made Ginny go quiet quickly. She just nodded and had to be content with glaring at him instead.

"As you will soon see, this place is not a wasteland, nor is it Gods forsaken... I will presently tell you exactly how I knew to get here," Lupin said, then started to walk away. The wind blew his coat every which way and Ginny was reluctant to follow him, in case they got lost. "I know where we are going, Ginevra. Please, follow me," Lupin said and started to walk away again.

Ginny considered staying where she was, but getting lost in the middle of a frozen and foreign land was not going to get her anywhere, especially as she didn't have the ability to Apparate yet. With a sigh, she followed Lupin, the wind guiding her along.

When Lupin stopped at an iceberg, Ginny looked to him for an explanation. Lupin didn't notice her, taking his wand out of his robe and tapping the iceberg in a particular way that Ginny would never know. The iceberg started to rumble and without warning, a hole formed in front of them, creating a portal-like door. Lupin smiled at Ginny, then indicated for her to enter the iceberg first. Wary, but eager to get out of the cold, Ginny complied and walked down into the ice, Lupin following.

Ginny was shocked to find that as she went deeper into the iceberg, it actually got warmer. When she entered a large lair-like room, Ginny saw that there was furniture and other homely items strewn about the place.

"Where on Earth did that door lead?" She asked incredulously.

"Into the iceberg," Lupin replied with a simple shrug. "The walls are protected so the iceberg doesn't melt with the heat, and the heat is actually contained within here, not going elsewhere within the iceberg," he said, pride seeping into his voice. Ginny looked at him as his final words sunk in.

"You mean there's more places like this in this iceberg?" She asked. Lupin nodded.

"Of course... Why wouldn't there be?" He asked.

"I... don't know..." Ginny said, then shook her head for a moment. "So how did you know how to get here?" She asked.

Lupin indicated to the seat nearby and she sat down, watching him expectantly. He cleared his throat for a second and looked away. When he looked back to Ginny, his eyes were wide and he looked frightened. It was only then that Ginny noticed he had a large mental block on his mind. She frowned inwardly as Lupin usually didn't have a mental block that big when with her. She could usually read him as she did a book!

"When I was younger, before this... curse," he said in disgust, referring to his werewolf side. "My parents used to go travelling everywhere. Africa, India, America, Australia. You name it, they went there... My parents rarely took me with them, so whenever they did I made myself relive it for weeks afterwards, just so I wouldn't forget it when I grew older. My parents brought me here about twice before I was bitten and I loved it both times. I made some great friends here and I found out about magic here too, so this place is very special to me..." Lupin trailed off. With a sudden snap back to reality, he stood up then helped Ginny up. "I will show you around. You may need this place one day, and it will do no good to you if you do not know where to go," he said.

Ginny wondered how she would need it, but gave a nod and followed him out of a door that she hadn't seen before. Lupin showed Ginny around the entire honeycomb iceberg. There seemed to be rooms overflowing from the icy building, but the rooms didn't affect anything on the outside world, unlike much Muggle houses and buildings.

They passed a kitchen, more than one bathroom, and Ginny was almost positive that she saw a miniature hospital at one point... Soon, a small alarm went off inside Lupin's robes and he sighed, searching his many pockets. He eventually pulled out a small waistcoat watch and shook his head, then smiled at Ginny.

"Time's up, I'm afraid... We have to return to Hogwarts so you can finish your lessons for today," he said, then took her arm. "Ready?"

"Yes," Ginny said through gritted teeth. The Apparation back didn't seem as bad and Ginny breathed easier through the short trip.

"There you are... It wasn't so bad, now was it?" Lupin asked smiling.

"No, it was interesting... Thank you, Professor," Ginny said giving him back the thick winter coat. She walked into the Hogwarts grounds quickly and sped off as a wolf so she could get some recess into her stomach before her next lesson.

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Ginny's friends watched as she ate even more food than usual and at ten times the speed.

"Would you calm down? You're going to give yourself a heart attack if you keep eating like that without so much as taking a breath," Pansy said, then lowered Ginny's fork slowly. Ginny finished her mouthful and grinned at her.

"Sorry... Been walking and training since I got up... All that work makes me slightly hungry," she said looking at the half-finished third plate of food.

"Why do you have to do so much work? You're not that dumb to need all the extra classes to catch up to our year..." Blaise said with a wink so she wouldn't get offended.

"This work's not for school..." Ginny said vaguely. The others nodded in understanding. Suddenly, Blaise glared over at the Gryffindor table.

Ginny turned to see Lavender sitting on his lap, whispering in his ear. The seventh year from her vision grinned, blushing brightly as he nodded eagerly. Lavender grinned and then got off of his lap daintily, making sure she rubbed up against him along the way. The poor boy blushed even brighter, positively staring as Lavender left the Great Hall, winking at him 'discreetly'.

"Can I at least find out the little prick's name?" Blaise asked Ginny quietly.

Ginny considered it for a moment then gave a brief nod. Blaise got up and went over to the boy, who still hadn't recovered from the episode with Lavender. Ginny decided to tune out, but when she heard the name 'Tom' she paled and looked over to Blaise and... Tom.

"Excuse me for a moment..." Ginny said, then left the Great Hall quickly, avoiding her friend's questions and worried looks. She ran.

Blaise walked back over to the Slytherin table and sat down. Neville waited expectantly, knowing that whatever Blaise had found out made Ginny look like she was back in her first year. The realisation hit him like a Bludger.

"His name's Tom, isn't it?" He asked. Colin and Luna went pale too.

When Blaise gave a surprised nod, Neville got up and ran out of the Great Hall as fast as he could, almost knocking over other students along the way. Neville ran, barely hearing the others following him. When he burst out of the castle, he yelled something loudly in a language that not even he recognised.

Wind whipped around him, trees started to grow and shrink around him, and even the grass seemed to react to whatever he had said. Almost as if he'd expected this, Neville gave a quick bow to the earth and ran back inside.

Pansy panted as she ran along, not used to such strenuous activity with two legs. She'd seen the look of horror on Ginny's face, then on Neville's and knew it had something to do with the name 'Tom'. Pansy had a fair idea and if she was right, then... Well, Lucius Malfoy had better wish that he was dead, because Azkaban was going to look like a picnic when she was through with him!

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Ginny ran through the building, not caring where she was going, or where she would end up. She just wanted to get away from that name. Fast...

She was stupid to have thought that he didn't affect her anymore. She feared him more and more every day. Her fear had once been a seed, and now... Now, it was growing and branching through every part of her body, so that she couldn't even hear his Muggle name without being frightened half to death that he was coming back for her. She loved Tom... He would come back for her... He promised... He always kept his promises... Always...

Ginny ran faster. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

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Neville's speed picked up and it was only as he left half of the others in his wake that they noticed the path he'd been creating. Flowers and small plants followed Neville's path, though they weren't happy nice flowers that one would give to a friend or lover. Each grotesque flower was jet black and the vines were blood red... Neville was scared and worried.

The dying flowers spurring on more adrenalin, the others picked up their speed again, following the flowers that seemed to get even darker and uglier with each bend they turned.

Pansy and the other four came to a short stop when they saw Neville standing at a black door where the Room of Requirement was. Luna and Colin walked over to Neville, who was staring at the door, his shoulders heaving with each sob that he breathed. Draco looked upset and Pansy was shocked that he had even allowed that much emotion to filter through his mask.

"She won't let us in," Neville said, looking at them. Colin was shocked at the scared, almost wild look in his friend's face.

"She will eventually," Luna said confidently. "Pansy will help with a spell," she said, her dreamy voice having a definite edge to it. Pansy looked confused, but as Luna's eyes continued to pierce into her mind, she paled.

"I couldn't! Do you know the dangers of that spell? Professionals haven't even mastered that spell properly! It takes years upon years to even understand what half of the spell means! I haven't looked at it for so long anyway! I've probably forgotten half of it!" Pansy protested. Luna just smiled and nodded.

"I did not say that you will help right at this instant, Water Pansy..." She said, her voice dreamy once more.

Pansy breathed a sigh of relief, leaving the others wondering. Colin banged on the door, but it didn't open. He called out for Ginny, but there was no answer. Neville sighed.

"She won't let us in," he repeated sombrely. "I tried all of that before you arrived," he added.

The flowers around him were now withering and dying at a rapid pace. He flicked at a few of them, wondering if flowers had souls and could go into the Otherworld after they died. He wondered if they could be scared of death... The thought sparked something in him and he grinned suddenly, the flowers bursting into life again.

"Bexley!" He called loudly.

Draco's face lit up with hope and he began calling out for him too. Soon all ten of them were calling for the Boggart. A mist floated out from the door and Ginny appeared in front of them, her eyes sunken and hollow. She looked like she was dying!

"If you would all stop thinking about Ginevra dying as your worst fear, then I would gladly return to my true form," Bexley announced. With relief, they all stopped thinking about it, except Colin, Neville, Blaise and Draco. "Please, I urge you to refrain in those thoughts... I can not concentrate properly while you are thinking like that," he pleaded. Reluctantly, the four stopped that train of thought and Bexley sighed as he returned to his mist form.

"What's wrong with Ginevra?" Draco demanded instantly.

"I apologise, but I do not know... She will not allow even myself to see," Bexley said, sounding quite upset about it. "She's in that small dark room and will not come out until she's ready to," he said looking back to the door. "I must make sure that she will not harm herself... If you will excuse me," Bexley said and floated through the door again.

"That's it," Pansy growled. She grabbed Neville and pulled him along to an empty classroom. "What in the Gods names happened to her?!" She asked.

"We only know small bits and pieces..." Neville said reluctantly, Colin and Luna nodding in turn.

"Not even you know more about what happened to her?" Pansy asked sneeringly at Luna.

"She would not allow me to know any more than she told us and I can not See into the past, I'm afraid. My Sight only allow me to see the present and future. It takes a very skilled witch to See the past too," Luna said with a small shrug. She knew that Pansy was just worried about Ginny and so did not get offended by her tone.

"I think that Ron and Harry know more about it than we do though," Colin said sounding almost nervous. Pansy's eyes narrowed and she left the room. Draco paced angrily, his hurt showing with each step that he took.

"You had better tell us what you know," Blaise suggested and sat on a table in front of them. Neville looked to Colin and Luna. Colin looked scared, even Luna's face had lost the full dream-like state of it, to be replaced by something fearful.

"We can't... Ginny made us promise by a Blood Oath and an Unbreakable Vow. If we break it then we all die, Ginny included," Neville said eventually. Shocked silence fell over the room and even Draco stopped pacing in shock.

"You promised on a Blood Oath and an Unbreakable Vow?" Blaise asked the three of them in shock. The two of those spells on their own was powerful and unnerving, but together... Together was dangerous and so much more that he didn't even want to think about. Blaise shook his head.

They nodded, almost surprised at their reactions.

"Why wouldn't we? We knew that whatever Ginny was going to tell us was important for our friendship and we trust her with our lives... Besides, no one would think that we knew anything about it, or if they did they wouldn't believe a thing we said. We're no one, remember?" Colin said.

Draco started pacing again and the room fell to silence, his footsteps echoing against the stone walls.

In a few minutes, Pansy had returned, Ron and Harry with her. She'd obviously used an immobilisation spell on them, as they didn't try to move.

"What do you want with us?" Ron asked glaring at them.

"We want to know what happened to Ginevra... And you are going to tell us," Pansy said glaring at them.

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Ginny took comfort in the darkness around her. She didn't have to look around and see anyone staring at her, cringing away from her, glaring at her. Ginny hugged her knees tightly, trying all the while to stop thinking about her first year.

Ginny watched happily as Tom came out of the diary. She was about to meet the one person who understood her and loved her for who she was. He loved her enough to help her out with Harry. And by the Gods, did Tom look a lot like Harry!

She saw him and fell in love with him immediately. He charmed his way into her life, making her want to tell all of the information about Harry to him. He told her he loved her. She followed his instructions to get to the Chamber and watched as he came out of the diary to open the Secret Chamber for her.

"No. No! NO!" Ginny yelled and blocked her eyes, shutting her eyes tightly. She didn't want to see this ever again! The memory continued, oblivious to her protests.

She'd been scared when she saw Harry with the diary. And jealous. How dare he talk to her Tom?! She stole the diary back, wanting to know how much he'd told Harry. How much Tom hadn't told her.

Ginny was stupid to think that he didn't affect her. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Tom affected every part of her. Gods, how she missed him! She wanted Tom back!

Bexley floated out of Ginny, though she seemed unaware of it. When he returned seconds, minutes, hours later, he looked at her for a moment before plunging headfirst into her mind.

Ginny fought him. She didn't want anyone to know about this. They didn't have to know. Once they knew, then they would all hate her for sure... She'd only just got friends who she could trust...

After a few minutes, Bexley flew out of Ginny in shock. He changed his form into that of a human and pulled Ginny off the ground, looking into her eyes.

"Fight him, Ginevra!" He growled, pleaded and begged all at the same time.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, shocked enough out of her present state of mind to think coherently again.

"The memories from last night triggered something that he left in you. You need to fight it," Bexley said.

"Tom left something in me?" She asked, then the shock began to wear off, anger replacing it quickly. "I'll kill that lying, two-faced bastard with my bare hands!"

"I'm sure you will, but in the meantime you still need to fight him," Bexley said then placed her on the ground. "Breathe as you do when you need to change your form," he instructed.

Ginny closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

"Good. Now, imagine your mind as a colour. Red will do," he said smiling at the obvious choice. "Got that? Good work. Now, imagine that Tom is in your mind but as a different colour... Blue or black so you can spot him easily," Bexley said. Ginny gave the smallest of nods and he continued. "Now, imagine that colour changing. Instead of being Blue or black, the red is starting to seep into it. The red is covering all of the other colour, making it fade away."

Ginny tried to do as Bexley said, but the colour was intent on fighting back, not willing to leave her mind.

She loved Tom. Tom would return for her. Tom promised. He never broke his promises.

"I can't do this, Bexley! He's stronger than I am!" Ginny said sobbing as the black colour began to spread into the rest of her mind.

"Fight him, Ginevra..." A voice said beside her.

If Ginny had control over her eyes, she would have opened them. She was positive that was Malfoy's voice!

"Fight him," Draco said in her ear.

Ginny clutched onto his robes and imagined as hard as she could that the black was fading and being replaced by red. She heard voices of encouragement all around her, then another voice interrupted. Ginny knew who it was, but she could only think of 'evil' to describe it, not his name.

"Go back to your slimy little body you half-Muggle wimp of a bastard!" Pansy hissed at the voice. It hissed back at her, but Pansy continued to taunt it instead, still giving Ginny encouragement at the same time.

Ginny kept thinking of the red taking over until all of the black had disappeared, then made sure that everything else was the right colour too before allowing herself to open her eyes, that were now in her control again. She looked around the light room and saw her friends beside her, looking worried to say the least. Ginny realised that she was clutching onto Draco's robes with a white-knuckled death grip and slowly pried her fingers away.

"I... I'm sorry," Ginny said quietly as their worried thoughts flooded her mind. Surprisingly as he was often blocked, Draco's mind was the loudest. Ginny looked at him for a second and then looked away quickly. Pansy walked over and wrapped her arms around Ginny tightly.

"You should have told us, Ginevra," she said quietly.

"I didn't want to lose you all so soon," Ginny replied then burst into tears. Pansy soothed Ginny and watched as the others looked on in concern.

"Ginevra... Stop crying for a moment," Pansy said softly. "Look at me," she instructed. Ginny reluctantly raised her head and looked at Pansy. "We are your friends. Though that may seem little to you, for us it means so much more. We Slytherins are very loyal and for all of us to be friends with you means that we will do anything for you; to protect you. Look at all of us. We are completely serious," Pansy said, indicating to the others standing around them. Ginny looked through blurred eyes and smiled softly as she realised that what Pansy was saying was right.

"You should already know, but that goes for us too," Neville said for himself, Colin and Luna, who both nodded in agreement.

"Thank you..." Ginny said softly. Luna walked over, her face no longer dreamy. In fact she looked sad.

"I need to speak with Ginevra for a moment," Luna said and instantly a barrier came up around two of them, as was the requirement. Luna looked at Ginny, her eyes sadder than Ginny had ever seen them before. Without a word, Luna rested her hand on Ginny's forehead and closed her eyes. As images played in front of her eyes, Ginny reluctantly followed suit.

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Ginny searched everywhere, unable to find her friend. She called out for her in a loud tone, no longer restraining her voice to whispers. She didn't hear a worded response, but in fact she heard the reply in her mind. Ginny ran, following the instructions of her friend.

Ginny pushed open the large door and her senses were immediately overloaded with a disgusting foul stench.

"Pansy! Are you in here?" Ginny called, trying to block her nose.

The reply was in the affirmative and Ginny lit her wand softly. Big mistake... Dead bodies littered the floor and by the smell of them, they seemed to be weeks, even months old.

"Where are you Pansy?" Ginny asked softly, trying not to breathe in the stench.

She began to move slowly across the floor as per Pansy's instructions. Ginny arrived at the spot and saw a beaten and bruised body lying in front of her. If not for the sigh of relief that sounded in her mind, Ginny would not have recognised the person.

"Pansy?" She said quietly. Tears fell from the broken face and Ginny dropped beside her friend. "Do you think you can Apparate with me?" Ginny asked; the answer in the affirmative.

She took Pansy's bony hand and held her as close as she could without fear of breaking or hurting her more. With a small breath to calm her racked and shocked nerves, Ginny Apparated to Antarctica.

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"Why the fuck did you have to show me that!?" Ginny shouted as soon as it had finished. "This is the exact reason I do not want to do this! I don't to want to have to See that! Gods... I don't want to be responsible to know that! Any of it!" Ginny yelled. "Why did you have to show me that Luna?" Ginny cried, her emotions still everywhere. "Why?!"

"It was necessary for you to See it. If it had not been through me, then you would have been forced again to See. You should not try to stop Seeing. If you stop then you will not have the means to stop events that could have been prevented," Luna said softly.

"Does that mean I can go dismember that bitch Brown by any chance?" Blaise queried 'innocently'.

"No. That event has been told for years. For you to try and stop it now will cause something even worse. Do not try to stop her, or the consequences will be even worse than what you have already Seen," Luna said.

"Brown is part of it?" Draco asked, a steel edge to his voice. Ginny looked up at him in fear, hoping that he wouldn't go and do something rash.

"Until you know what 'it' is you can not even try to think to stop it Draconius," Luna said. "And even though you will See it, we both know that you will not stop it," she added. Draco glared at her.

"Why not?" He asked angrily. Luna just smiled and looked to Ginny, the barrier disappearing.

"You should leave for your next lesson now, Ginevra... I took the liberty in telling Firenze and Trewlaney for you earlier today," Luna said. Ginny frowned for a moment then looked from her to the others and nodded.

"Thanks for helping me," she said quietly then left, listening as the others started quizzing Luna immediately.

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As it was already past halfway through the lesson with Professor Binns, Ginny decided to skip it and just went down to her room instead.

After reading for ten minutes, Ginny looked around at all of the reflective surfaces around her. With the vision that she'd just Seen still in her mind, Ginny muttered a spell and sheets immediately began to cover each and every one of the reflective surfaces.

She didn't want to See anything for as long as possible, never mind that she was supposed to show Draco The Vision before the weekend ended...

She looked at her watch and sighed, seeing that she was late for her lesson with McGonagall and Tonks. Shaking her head, Ginny grabbed her books and headed to the Transfiguration classroom, rubbing at her red eyes. After casting a Glamour on her face to conceal her eyes, Ginny entered the Transfiguration classroom and saw McGonagall and Tonks waiting for her impatiently.

"There you are, Miss Weasely! We have been waiting for you for five minutes. What do you have to say for yourself?" McGonagall asked sternly.

"I have nothing to say for myself, Professor. I was late and I can not change that without the help of a Time Turner," Ginny said simply. McGonagall glared at her, not impressed by Ginny's retort.

"All right... You were late, let's get over it. Now can we start the lesson? I want to try and change into an animal again," Tonks said, noticing the shimmer on Ginny's face, hence knowing that she'd cast a Glamour.

McGonagall glared at Tonks, who just smiled innocently as if she'd had nothing to do with taking the attention away from Ginny.

"Very well..." McGonagall said crisply, knowing that it would not be good to start yelling at another teacher for a complete lack of regard to the rules of the school, especially in front of a student. "You are not going to change into an animal today. Instead you will be changing your features with the help of... Tonks," McGonagall said crisply. "I have business to attend to, but I will be back by the end of the lesson to see your progress."

"Yes Professor. I look forward to seeing you at the end of the lesson," Ginny said with a smile. Minerva just nodded and left quickly, shutting the door with slightly more force than necessary.

"Right... Glamour off, right now!" Tonks said. Ginny gave a small pout then took the spell off. "Wow... What the hell happened to you?" Tonks asked in shock.

Ginny frowned, wondering what Tonks was going on about. Tonks grabbed a quill and did a basic transfiguration.

"Be quick, I never was good with those spells," she said, handing Ginny the mirror.

Ginny looked into the mirror and saw her red puffy eyes from crying. It wasn't until she actually looked at her eyes properly that she noticed anything different to cause Tonks' odd behaviour. Her pupils had changed colour... Instead of the normal black colour of her pupils, they were now a very dark red colour. If Tonks hadn't pointed it out, Ginny may not have noticed, they were that close to black. Her eyes still had the red wisps in them too, which Ginny thought would have gone by now as the danger of being allergic was long gone. She made a mental note to go and ask Dumbledore about it during lunch. The mirror changed back into a quill and she handed it back to Tonks.

"I don't know what happened to them," Ginny said with a small shrug, realising that Tonks was waiting for an answer.

"All right... I hope you've been practising how to change your features," she said with a small grin.

"Uh... Not really. I've been busy and I haven't had much time to practise. Sorry," Ginny said quickly. Tonks just waved off her apology, still grinning.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll find time to practise over some period of your life," she said laughing. "All right. Change your left eye, then your right and then we can get onto changing other body parts," Tonks instructed.

Ginny did as she was told and in a few moments her eyes had changed from brown to blue.

"Very nice... Now try to change your hair. Go blonde..." Tonks said, daring her to do it.

Ginny smirked and concentrated for a moment, her hair changing blonde and going into curls. Tonks whistled, grinning brightly.

"Well, that look is enough to make any guy drop to his knees drooling over you," Tonks said with a wink. Ginny just batted her eyelashes prettily.

"Personally, I think blonde and green eyes look just as good," she said after a moment's consideration and her eyes changed. "Well, it doesn't have to be curls or blonde," Ginny said and her hair grew past her backside and changed between a very dark brown and black colour.

"Very good. Now go back to your normal self and I'll explain how you change your other body parts," Tonks said.

Ginny nodded and was back to her normal form in a minute or two. She sat on a chair in front of Tonks, waiting patiently.

"Right... Do you know anything about the human anatomy?" Tonks asked. Ginny shook her head, hoping that she didn't have to. "Well, neither do I, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem... According to the "officials" it's better to know about the human skeletal structure so you don't mix up and get a left rib taken out instead of the right when you're changing into a male," Tonks said with a shrug.

"Wait a minute... I have to change into a guy?! Why?" Ginny asked, not too thrilled about the prospect.

"Well, it helps if you're trying to get away from people. If they're looking for a woman, and you're suddenly a man, they won't suspect a thing," Tonks said as she changed her body to look like a man. "You don't have to change all of your body, just as long as everything private stays private, you should be fine," Tonks said with a wink. "Although, there are some benefits in having all of the male body parts," she said obviously reminiscing a past memory.

Ginny winced at the images that were being presented in her mind. She shook her head and blocked the images quickly.

"Uh... Sorry about that," Tonks said with a grin as she realised that Ginny could see what she was thinking. She flushed brightly and turned her mind to safer topics of discussion. "When you try to change your body shape to something bigger or shorter than your own skeleton, you have to imagine your bones either growing or shrinking. If you don't do this, then the entire process will be for nothing because you'll just have extra skin flapping off you without any skeletal structure to keep it in place or any real use... Speaking of men," Tonks said with a wink and laugh. Ginny smiled back and Tonks gave her the go ahead to attempt lengthening her arm.

Ginny concentrated and thought about the bones in her right arm growing longer, her skin and nervous system growing with the bones. She felt a pull in her right arm but refused to look until the process had finished. Once the pulling feeling had stopped Ginny tentatively opened her eyes, almost expecting nothing to have happened. She saw that her arm was longer than her left one and tried not to get too excited too soon. She tried to flex her hand and it thankfully moved. Ginny kept experimenting with her hand, waving it and moving one finger at a time, almost oblivious to the proud look on Tonks' face.

"You can try changing you left arm now," Tonks said smiling at Ginny.

With a nod, Ginny concentrated and felt her left arm growing. She rushed the process, her eagerness getting her ahead of herself. When Ginny looked at her left arm, she saw that it had grown longer, but was more floppy than her right. She tried to move her hand but it refused to budge and she sighed in disappointment.

"I tried to rush it," Ginny said in an upset tone. Tonks just nodded.

"Put it back and try again at a pace that you can actually handle," she said sympathetically, knowing exactly how it felt.

Ginny nodded and concentrated, her arm returning to its normal state. Within another ten minutes Ginny had lengthened her left arm to the same length as her right.

"Excellent. Now try your feet. Always do your feet first. You don't want to get longer legs and suddenly lose the capacity to stand properly. Believe me, the taller you are, the more it hurts when you hit the ground," Tonks said grinning. "Oh, and take your shoes and socks off first. Feet really hurt when they're pushed into tight spaces," she said with a frown.

"You've done that before?" Ginny asked with a grin. Tonks shook her head.

"No. I was forced into high heels," she said laughing. "Bad experience all around. My feet were not made to go in pointed high heels that no normal foot should be able to fit into to start with!" Tonks said grinning broadly. Ginny shook her head with a grin and concentrated on making her feet larger. After testing them, she changed her facial features, just for the fun of it, before she began to grow taller via her legs.

"Your body will have to become slightly larger to, so it's in proper proportion to you legs and arms now," Tonks said after Ginny's legs had grown.

"All right..." Ginny said and after a few minutes, her body was proportional to the rest of her. "So, how do I look?" Ginny asked grinning as she gave a twirl.

"Very good. I wonder if you could fool people though. Some people can just see straight through it. Something with recognising the soul instead of the person, or something like that," Tonks said shaking her head. Almost as if on cue, the door opened and McGonagall walked into her classroom.

"Tonks... Where is Ginevra?" She asked looking around the room. "And who is this?" She asked looking at Ginny quizzically. "I trust you to teach Ginevra and you've let her wander off somewhere and let another person in here! This behaviour is most unprofessional!" McGonagall said. Ginny shook her head for a moment.

"Professor. I am right here... Tonks has been teaching me, that's why I look like this," Ginny said as she began to change her body back to normal.

McGonagall watched in shock as the person in front of her changed into Ginny. As she looked like she was about to faint, Ginny conjured a chair for McGonagall and convinced her to sit down.

"I believe an apology is necessary," Ginny prompted, noticing that Tonks looked hurt. McGonagall gave a brief nod and looked at Tonks.

"I am sorry for accusing you like that... My business didn't go very well and, well... I took it out on you. I apologise," McGonagall said, sounding both annoyed and upset.

"Apology accepted. I think Minerva has seen your progress. You can go now, Ginny," Tonks said.

"Thanks Tonks," Ginny said grinning as she grabbed her bag and left. She knew she was going to have some fun with the results of that lesson!

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Ginny cast a Glamour on her eyes so no one would freak out then went to the Great Hall to find Dumbledore. She saw him sitting at the teacher's table and went over to ask what was wrong with her eyes. Ron and Harry, both of whom looked extremely angry with her for some reason, stopped her from doing this.

"We need to talk to you outside," Ron said angrily and pulled Ginny out of the Great Hall roughly. Ginny wrenched her arm away and slapped him across the face.

"Do not touch me! I swear, if you weren't my brother, you would be unconscious right now!" Ginny said angrily. Ron stared at her for a second, clutching his stinging face.

"I swear that if you weren't my sister you would be in St. Mungo's! Parkinson and your Slytherin buddies just forced us to tell them about what happened in your first year!" Ron said angrily.

"Well, that's not my fault, now is it?!" Ginny said. Ron's thoughts came at her angry and loud.

It is your fault! You didn't stop even try to stop Voldemort! Ginny stared at her brother in shock.

"Very well... If that's what you think then..." Ginny shook her head sadly, refusing to cry yet again.

Swiftly, she pierced Ron's chest with extended fingernails. She didn't say anything, Ginny only stared at her brother. Ron stared at his pierced chest in shock, then at her before the images overloaded him and he fainted.

"What the hell did you do to him?!" Harry yelled as Ron slumped to the floor.

"I showed him all of my first year..." Ginny explained then went into the Great Hall, leaving Ron shaking and unconscious and Harry trying to levitate him to the hospital wing. "You might want to go take Ron to the hospital wing, Hermione," Ginny said to her.

With a nod, frown and confused look, Hermione grabbed her bag and headed outside quickly. Ginny went to the teacher's table again and waited until Albus acknowledged her presence before speaking.

"Miss Weasley, is there something I can help you with?" He asked smiling at her kindly.

"I was just wondering how, when and why my eyes became like this?" Ginny asked, the Glamour disappearing. Dumbledore paled and his face filled with shock, but in the next second he was smiling again, making Ginny wonder if she'd just imagined it.

"I think that had best be explained in private. I will explain it to you during our lesson, if you do not mind," he said. Ginny nodded. "Put the Glamour back on and go eat your lunch... Do not worry about it for now," Albus said, dismissing her.

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Ginny made her way down to the dungeons with no real enthusiasm. All her eagerness to learn and show her brothers that she could be happy had somehow left her, leaving her drained and lethargic. Dismissing it to having to work for seven days straight, Ginny entered the Potions classroom.

"Miss Weasley... How very nice of you to actually turn up," Snape said, having heard about Ginny missing class and arriving late from the other teachers.

"Now, now... Don't be mean or else you won't get your present," Ginny said with a mischievous grin.

Snape gave a small frown, wondering what on earth she was talking about. Ginny brought the Jobberknoll out of her bag and presented it to him.

"You're low on Jobberknoll feathers," she said with a shrug.

"But these are fresh... How did you get this? Are you playing a prank on me, Miss Weasley?" He asked sternly.

"Of course... I would only ever give you a gift to piss you off, wouldn't I, Severus?" Ginny drawled. Snape stared at her in shock for a moment, then glared at her.

"Do not use that language while you are in my classroom," he said. Ginny laughed harshly.

"Language can reflect the truth. Besides, I've used far worse than 'piss' while in your classroom Severus..."

"Are you all right?" Snape asked, frowning. Ginevra was rarely this easy to provoke.

"I'm just tired from having to work all day, every day. And I'm kind of hungry, but I'm sure I can wait until dinner," Ginny said. Her stomach growled, protesting to that comment. Suddenly realising the feeling of unusual emptiness in her stomach, Ginny swore loudly. "Uh... Can I go to the bathroom?" She asked, her face flushing.

Snape nodded, having come to the same conclusion as Ginny had. Not wanting to give Snape a reason to change his mind, Ginny ran to the closest bathroom, all the while cursing her hormones and the fact that she was a woman. The trip to the bathroom only proved her theory correct and needless to say that she was not a very happy person when she returned to the dungeons.

Quite aware of how women were at that time of the month, Snape warily proceeded to teach Ginny on how to keep a straight face when speaking to someone that you either didn't like, or were going to kill.

It was good in one sense that her monthly menstruation had started when he was teaching that, Snape mused to himself, smirking inwardly.

Ginny dragged herself out of the dungeons, her weariness finally catching up with her. She was grateful that Snape hadn't provoked her during the lesson. Not even Ron was that dumb to provoke her while she had her periods! Although Ginny was positive that he could disprove that theory in seconds...

She made her way to the Room of Requirement and waited for Albus to arrive. She was slightly shocked that he hadn't arrived yet, as he always seemed to be there before her...

"Miss Weasley. I do apologise for my tardiness," Albus said as he entered the room.

"That's all right, Headmaster... What's wrong with my eyes?" Ginny asked, straight to the point. She was too tired to beat around the bush with all of the trivial hello's and how are you's...

"There is nothing wrong with them, per say... Your progress is just going a lot faster than it should," Albus said.

"What on Earth does that mean? Is it good? Bad? Tell me something without your cryptic bloody answers!" Ginny cried. Albus just smiled, infuriating her further. He took of his glasses and proceeded to clean them calmly.

"I have been told of your situation, and so I will not take offence to that comment, Miss Weasley," Albus said. He finished cleaning his glasses and put them on, looking at her.

"Snape told you?!" Ginny asked in shock.

"Not necessarily... I figured it out myself when he failed to say exactly what was wrong with you," Albus replied with a small smile. "It is good that you are not using spells to prevent menstruating. It interferes too much with the natural... flow, if you will excuse the pun, of the human body," he said with a smile.

"There's spells to stop menstruation?" Ginny asked in shock. Then she realised whom she was talking to and what she was discussing and shook her head.

"Of course... What are you being taught?" Albus asked with a smile as he shook his head. "Never mind that... I think we should cancel today's lesson for you to recuperate and catch up on some sleep. I understand that last night must have been quite taxing for you," he said sympathetically.

"I'll be fine. I don't want to miss out on Hagrid's lesson again," Ginny said.

"That is understandable, but you must get some rest, so you can sleep through this lesson and if you feel well enough, you may attend Hagrid's lesson," Albus said, guiding her out of the room. "Oh, Miss Weasley? Next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. I suggest that you take the two days off and have some fun and a rest," Albus said with a smile.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Ginny said smiling gently.

As Ginny made her way to her room she yawned, getting tired with each step. If she'd had any thoughts besides sleep, she might have realised that only spells made someone this relaxed and tired...

Ignoring the sheets covering most of her furniture, Ginny crawled into bed and conjured a hot water bottle. She was still muttering about the stupidity of menstruation and why men didn't have to go through the same thing when she fell asleep.

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Ginny knelt before the seated woman, desperately wanting to glare at her, but refraining, knowing her status within the magical community.

"My dearest daughter... What a pleasure it is to see you again. I apologise for not coming to greet you personally last night, but your messenger arrived only moments before you did yourself and I barely had enough time to organise sleeping quarters for you," the woman said smiling at her.

"I accept your apology, and I thank you for your hospitality," Ginny replied frostily.

"Is there something wrong, my daughter?" The woman asked. Ginny didn't know whether to tell her or not, but in the end she gave a small sigh and relented into telling her.

"Last night after I'd received your guest room, some men came in offering their... services to me. They said they had been sent by you," Ginny said, looking to the woman for her reaction.

"Yes, that is correct. I thought that you would be lonely, and I do not like my guests to be lonely whilst they are in my house," the woman replied.

"Then you did not realise that I am engaged to be married and have been for over three months now?" Ginny asked.

"I did not think that would matter. What Draconius does not know will not hurt him, now will it?" The woman said, her voice not telling of the expression that was on her face.

"It does matter if Draconius knows of my adultery or not, my lady. And if I had then I would have told him, as I would have been the one to commit the crime," Ginny said.

"I hardly think adultery and crime are necessary terms for something that happens before marriage, my daughter," the woman replied.

"They may not be necessary terms to yourself, my lady, but in my opinion I think they are," Ginny replied. "I apologise for my complaints, my lady. I know you are a busy woman and I will not impinge on your hospitality any further. Thank you for your hospitality," Ginny said with a bow.

"You are very welcome, my daughter. You will be welcome in this house always," the woman said smiling.

With another bow of respect, Ginny Disapparated.

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Ginny woke up, angry that she couldn't even escape Seeing in her dreams. After her initial anger had faded, Ginny looked for the source that had woken her up.

She looked at her watch then got out of bed, feeling surprisingly refreshed. With a small shrug, Ginny straightened her clothes with a spell and headed out her front door to go to Hagrid's hut.

"'Ello Ginnee..." Olympe said, smiling at Ginny.

"Good afternoon, Madam Maxime. How are you?" Ginny asked politely.

"Veree well, thank you Ginnee. 'Agrid is in ve Forbidden Forest," Olympe said and led Ginny along a concealed path. They ended up in a clearing and Hagrid smiled at them as they came in.

"'Ello Ginny," he said in a whisper, beckoning her over. Ginny walked over and looked at what he was indicating to.

"Is that an Erkling?" Ginny asked, staring at the elfish creature. The pointed face was a dead give away, but Ginny just wanted to be sure...

Erklings had entranced her with their high-pitched cackle at a younger age, though she never remembered what happened when she'd gone with them. Ginny thought she remembered lights, music, dancing and laughter, but there was no proof to that part of her memory. She'd woken up in St. Mungo's a day or two later, with Molly and Arthur anxiously hovering nearby.

As the memory resurfaced from the depths of her mind, Ginny shook her head in amazement. She'd forgotten all about that happening!

"Yeah, that's an Erkling," Hagrid said proudly. "It asked Olympe personally to see yer. She made it promise it wouldn't hurt yer, so yer can go talk to it now," Hagrid said smiling at Olympe. "If it tries anythin', we'll be 'ere watching," he said.

Ginny nodded and walked out of the clearing. At the sound of footsteps, the Erkling looked up. Seeing Ginny it gave a high-pitched cackle and wandered over to her. Offering her its long bony hand, the Erkling smiled and Ginny's memory flashed in her mind.

The Erkling was no taller than she was. It smiled and offered her its hand. Ginny took it and wandered down into the forest, leaving her blanket at one of the trees so she wouldn't forget it on her way out. The Erkling gave another laugh and skipped merrily into a clearing, Ginny following happily.

"Thank you Relo," Ginny said smiling at the Erkling. She took his hand and Relo laughed.

"You remembered! We thought you'd forgotten about us... You never came back to visit us," Relo said sadly.

"I wasn't allowed anywhere near the forest after that. Mum had someone follow me around until she was sure I wouldn't go into the forest," Ginny said, some anger popping up at that memory. Relo nodded.

"We thought so... We got something for you," Relo said grinning. He let go of her hand then scrounged around the forest floor, muttering to himself. "We know it's around here... We left it right here," Relo muttered, scratching his head. Then he laughed and grabbed something, putting it behind his back so she couldn't see then turned back to Ginny. "You have to guess or we won't give it to you!" Relo said smiling.

"A hat?" Ginny guessed, having no idea what he was hiding. Relo laughed again and shook his head.

"No! We saved your blanket!" Relo said, producing Ginny's blue baby blanket with a large smile. "We knew you were worried about it, so we saved it so it wouldn't get bad!" Relo said smiling still.

"Thank you Relo. That was very kind of you," Ginny said genuinely.

She took the slightly frayed and dirty blanket from him, amazed that it still looked the same as when she had left it at the edge of the forest. Not a thread was out of place, nor was there a stain on it that hadn't been there before!

"We told you that you would be a Queen, didn't we!?" Relo asked smugly. Ginny gave a small laugh, remembering that he had told her exactly that.

"You definitely did... Thank you for the warning," she said.

"Warning? No, it was not that! We told you so you could get ready! We did not want you to just... find out," Relo said. "You did forget, didn't you? We thought you had remembered!" Relo said and started to cry in a loud-pitched tone.

"I did remember, Relo... I just remembered about it too late," Ginny said trying to comfort the elf-like creature. "Don't cry, Relo. Now that I know what I am, you can help me, ok?" Ginny said. Relo stopped crying and looked at her hopefully.

"Not 'what'! 'Who'! You are not a what Queen, you are a who Queen!" Relo said adamantly. "We will help you!" He added before she could change her mind.

"Thank you, Relo," she said with a smile.

"You are welcome... Can we live with you?" Relo asked smiling.

"You're not going to try and eat anyone, are you?" Ginny asked suspiciously. Relo shook his head adamantly.

"We would never eat them! Not after our grandfather was killed by that awful fat boy with a cauldron! Evil little fat boy used a cauldron to kill our grandfather! That evil fat boy was famous for it too! Stupid fat boy," Relo growled, no longer smiling and happy.

"All right... If you don't eat children, what do you eat now?" Ginny asked Relo.

"We eat little birds and fishes! We will find our own food. We just need somewhere to stay so those big centaurs don't try to hunt us again!" Relo said with a whimper. "Centaurs don't like the clearings, so we live near them to be safe," he said. Then he smiled at Ginny. "But we don't need to now," he said happily.

"Do you know why the centaurs don't like the clearings?" Ginny asked curiously. Relo shook his head.

"No... We have our thoughts though," Relo said.

"Perhaps you could share them with me later," Ginny said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind if I go now," Ginny said as she heard Hagrid shifting restlessly behind them. "I still have to finish my lesson," she explained.

"We will go with you!" Relo said in excitement. Ginny looked at Hagrid for confirmation.

"What did he say?" Hagrid asked, looking confused.

Ginny looked from the Erkling to Hagrid and back again in confusion, wondering why Hagrid couldn't understand Relo, who was speaking close-to-perfect English for a being of his nature.

"It is your ability as Queen, Ginevra," Bexley whispered softly, recognising her confusion.

"Oh... Uh, can Relo come with us? He's staying with me from now on," Ginny explained.

Hagrid looked at the creature for a moment, then gave a nod. Relo laughed happily and jumped up onto Ginny's shoulder. As he was fairly small for an Erkling, he was able to sit on her shoulder without causing any discomfort.

"Yer not going ter try an' pick up a stray manticore any time soon, are yer?" He asked with a hint of a smile. Ginny just grinned and didn't reply. "Yer not, are yer?" Hagrid asked, more serious now.

"If you can keep a dragon, I should be able to keep a manticore," Ginny said.

"Knew I shouldna told yer 'bout that..." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"It's all right, Professor... Where's Olympe gone?" Ginny asked him.

"She's gone to check up on Grawp," Hagrid replied.

"Oh, all right... So what are we going to see today?" Ginny asked.

"We're not going ter see anythin'. The unicorns want ter see yer alone fer some reason. They're a little further in ter the Forest. Third clearing apparently... No others allowed, including yer new Erkling an' Boggart," Hagrid said.

"Ginevra has a Boggart? Can we see it?" Relo asked excitedly. Bexley flew out of Ginny and over to Hagrid. Relo followed eager to see the Boggart. "Can you change into lots of things?" Relo asked grinning in an evil but surprisingly child-like-happy way.

"Bye Ginny," Hagrid said. Relo waved and Bexley bowed as Ginny went further down the path.

Ginny wandered down the path at a leisurely pace. Her stomach was beginning to get cramps and she really didn't feel like changing into anything, even if it meant getting to see the unicorns sooner.

Evita neighed when she saw Ginny walk into the clearing and trotted over to her, resting her horn to the ground. Ginny bowed in return, trying to ignore her cramps.

Hello, my daughter... I have an offer for you... Evita said. Ginny nodded for her to continue. I would wish that you would ride on me... The tone of her 'voice' implicated that she also knew what this meant for Ginny.

I accept your offer with great honour, Lady Evita, Ginny said with another bow. She was extremely honoured, and didn't want to seem negative, but this meant yet another thing that she would have to deal with...

Ginny sat on Evita hoping that this month's menstruation wouldn't be too heavy... She was glad that her first day wasn't the heaviest. That usually happened on the second and third day. Well, it had before she'd turned into a Vampiress... Shaking her head, Ginny turned her thoughts back to Evita.

Do not fear, my daughter... It is a natural process for one of your kind, and it will not bother me if something happens... Evita said, hearing Ginny's thoughts.

Thank you, Lady Evita, Ginny said, relaxing slightly.

Evita gave Ginny permission to hold onto her mane, then she galloped away at an amazing speed, the rest of the herd following. Evita galloped through the Forest even faster than the nundu had, and Ginny had to hold on for dear life as the unicorn's speeds increased even more. Stopping gently in a clearing, Evita waited as Ginny dismounted, shaken. However, Ginny wasn't that shaken to not notice the sounds around the clearing.

Do you know who is outside of the clearing, Lady Evita? Ginny asked. Evita just gave a smile and with a bow of her horn, she retreated from the clearing.

Ginny spun around as the sounds came from behind her. She looked at the person who had entered the clearing in shock. Alexander Tobias Therode was standing in front of her!

"My Queen," he said with a bow.

Ginny returned his bow, still in shock. Alexander walked over to her, smiling. He lifted his hand, with his palm facing her. As Ginny did the same action, a bright white-red light formed between their palms and Alexander went to the ground, kneeling before her. Ginny noticed that a symbol was glowing on his forehead in the same coloured light and wondered what it was.

"I, Alexander Tobias Therode, have been assigned to protect you, my Queen. I pledge that I will protect you and those around you with all of the power in my possession, or my life if I have to," Alexander said.

"I accept your pledge, Alexander Tobias Therode," Ginny said, wondering if that was all she had to say. As Alexander stood up again and didn't seem too fazed, she guessed that was sufficient...

"Is there anything my Queen wishes me to do for her?" Alexander asked.

"Firstly, my name is Ginevra, not my Queen," Ginny said. Alexander nodded his head in recognition, so Ginny continued. "Secondly, can I ask what that symbol on your forehead means?" Ginny asked curiously.

"The symbol means that I am a Protector, and I must protect you with my life, if the need arises. If I do not fulfil my job while in your service, then I can be stripped of all of my power and my memory will be erased. If the case is serious, then I can also be put to death," Alexander said.

"You can be stripped of your power?" Ginny asked with a shudder.

Stripping someone's power was almost as bad as taking away their soul. Shuddering again, she ignored the thought that reminded her of the vision she'd had featuring Alexander...

"Yes. It is uncommon, as all of the Protectors will protect their assigned with their lives. It is rare that a Protector should not fulfil his or her duty," Alexander said. Ginny just nodded, her mind intent on throwing her vision at her...

My daughter? It is time for you to return. Protector Alexander, you will not accompany Ginevra. You will watch over her from the boundaries of the Forest until the threat against Ginevra becomes more apparent.

"Threat? What threat?" Ginny asked, frowning.

There is no time, my daughter. Please, we must hurry if you are to return in time for your next lesson. I was given strict instructions by Hagrid... Evita said sounding worried. With a sigh, Ginny mounted Evita again and they sped off quickly.

What threat exactly? Ginny asked as they practically flew through the Forest.

We are not sure yet, my daughter. The threat is still hidden, even to those that are skilled in reading the future. The threat will not show until you are first hurt by it, Evita said, sounding both apprehensive and sad at the thought.

Do you know how long that will be? Ginny asked. Evita chose not to reply.

"There yer are Ginny! We've been waiting fer yer," Hagrid said. Ginny got off of Evita and gave a bow. Evita just nodded in recognition, then galloped away quickly.

"Sorry I'm late... I just got assigned my Protector," Ginny said.

Bexley floated into her and Relo jumped onto her shoulder, cackling happily.

"I know," Hagrid said as he led them out of the Forbidden Forest again.

"How do you know? Why does everyone know everything that's going to happen to me before I do?" Ginny complained.

"Yer not the only one who can See, Ginny," Hagrid said. "And if yer hadn't been silly enough to cover up yer mirrors and the like, then yer would have known," Hagrid admonished.

"Ok, just how did you know that?"

"I apologise, Ginevra... I did not know you wanted that fact to be kept from others," Bexley said from inside her. Ginny sighed and shook her head.

"It is fine, Bexley..." Ginny said.

"I'd invite yer in fer some tea, but I know Relo wants ter go see yer place," Hagrid said with a smile at the Erkling. "Bexley translated fer us," he explained at Ginny's confused look.

"All right... Thank you Hagrid," Ginny said then went over to her rooms.

She wrapped her robes around her tighter as the cool air seeped into her skin. It was going to rain soon, she could practically feel it.

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At eight o'clock Ginny began her exercises. She found that it wasn't the same as actually having someone there to exercise and fight with you, but she did the exercises nonetheless.

Ginny finished her last exercise and did some cool downs before calling for Relo, who had run off as soon as they'd arrived in her rooms. In seconds, Relo had returned, puffing slightly.

"You called us?" Relo asked smiling happily.

"Yes... I'm just going to dinner now, ok? Are you sure you don't want me to bring you something?" Ginny asked. Relo shook his head.

"No, we will be all right. We is going hunting for birds and fishes now," Relo said smiling. He waved and left quickly, scurrying away. Ginny gave her head a small shake then headed to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Hello Ginevra. You look happy," Pansy noted dryly.

"Uh... Thanks? Should I be unhappy about anything?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"Oh, ignore her. She's just being a sour snake," Millicent said smirking at Pansy.

"Shut up, Millicent," Pansy growled. "You're just jealous because you don't have a love life to fuck up..." Pansy said.

"You have a love life?" Millicent asked, feigning surprise. She was rewarded with a punch on the arm. "Ohhh... That really hurt me," she sneered. Pansy rolled her eyes.

"Drama queen," she muttered.

"So how did you fuck up your love life then?" Ginny asked casually.

"I can't choose between them," Pansy said, looking over to Vincent and Gregory.

"Who says you have to?" Ginny asked. Pansy looked at Ginny in surprise.

"Well... No one really... I kind of feel bad that I'm sleeping with both of them though," she said looking slightly guilty.

"You have a conscious? I've got to owl the Daily Prophet straight away!" Millicent announced laughing. Pansy glared at her. "Wait, are you sleeping with them at the same time?" Millicent asked, grinning evilly.

"No! They're not like that," Pansy said, regret sounding in her voice.

"Have you asked them if they're 'like that'? Or are you just assuming?" Ginny asked.

"Uh... Assuming," Pansy said, wondering where this was leading to.

"Then ask them. Go talk to them at the same time and tell them what you've been doing. If you love them both as much as they love you, then I'm sure you could come to some sort of agreement," Ginny said with a shrug.

"I don't love them!" Pansy said.

"I think someone's in denial!" Millicent crowed, absolutely loving the fact that she could screw with Pansy's mind.

"Would you shut up?!" Pansy growled as people turned to look at Millicent. "Fine, I'll do what you said... I just hope they don't hate me for it," she murmured with a sigh. Getting up, she went over to Crabbe and Goyle and whispered in their ears. They nodded and followed her outside surprisingly tamely, considering the way they usually argued to stay with their plates of food.

"Do you think she'd let me watch? I want to see what happens," Millicent said laughing.

"You can be such a mean person Millicent," Ginny said shaking her head. "Although it would be interesting to see how it ends up..." She said with a grin. Millicent just laughed. "So what are you going to do about Theodore?" Ginny asked. Millicent stopped laughing immediately and stared at her in shock.

"What... How... What do you mean?" She asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"Exactly what you're in denial about," Ginny said with a smirk.

"Now, now ladies... No one's allowed to be in denial without me knowing about it," Blaise said silkily as he sidled up to them. Looking at them intensely, he tried to judge exactly who was in denial. Turning to Millicent he put an arm around her shoulders. "Now, why don't you tell your Uncle Blaise what you're in denial about?"

"I'm not in denial!" Millicent protested.

"Please! The mere fact that you are in denial about being in denial shows me that you're in denial!" Blaise said smirking at her. "Now, tell me what you're in denial about..." He said. Millicent shook her head then indicated to Ginny.

"How do you know that Ginevra's not the one in denial?" She asked pointedly.

"Because Ginevra is the one who said that you were in denial... Anyway, she's in denial about something, but as I already know what that's about, then I need to know what you're in denial about," Blaise said with a grin.

"Oh, bugger off already! I'm not in denial about anything, so let it be!" Millicent said, getting up and leaving.

"You certainly know how to clear the room," Ginny drawled, smirking at Blaise.

"I try..." He replied with a grin.

"Why don't you tell your Aunty Ginevra what she's in denial about?" Ginny said mocking him.

"I couldn't do that! Then you would protest about being in denial too and leave," Blaise said, feigning a pout. "And since Neville's playing in the Greenhouses I need someone to talk to," he said with a wink.

"Why is he in the Greenhouses?" Ginny asked.

"He's testing your unicorn hair on some of his plants," Blaise said with a shrug. "He wouldn't let me watch. Says I get him all nervous... I think he's said the same thing about Snape though, which I think is something to worry about," Blaise said with a wink. Ginny shook her head.

"I'm sure it is... Now tell me what I'm supposed to be in denial about," she said.

"Damn, thought you'd forgotten about that," Blaise muttered.

He sighed and raked a hand through his hair, as if considering not telling her. He leant towards her and in a single whispered word, Blaise caused Ginny to go pale then red in anger.

"Seeing."

"Are you all right?" Draco asked suddenly, looking at her from the other side of the table. He hadn't looked up from his food after Ginny had sat down, but now he was looking at her with something that could have been concern on his face.

"Fine," Ginny replied. "I've suddenly lost my appetite," she said, pushing her plate of food away.

"See, I told you that you would leave," Blaise muttered.

"It's not because of that, Blaise... I'm just not feeling well," Ginny said.

It wasn't a complete lie... Her stomach cramps had now spread through to her back and now her lower body was hurting like she'd been cursed with the Cruciatus Curse!

Blaise just nodded and watched as she left, then turned to see Draco narrow his eyes at him. With a small sigh, he listened as Draco angrily started questioning him.

"What did you say to her?"

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Ginny curled up in her bed with a hot water bottle, muttering about how Blaise was wrong and she wasn't in denial. Realising how much she sounded like Pansy and Millicent when they were in denial, Ginny sighed and knew that she probably was in denial...

"Ginevra?" Ginny heard a voice call.

It sounded strangely like Draco's voice, but he didn't know what her password was, so how could he be in her rooms? Putting it to being half-asleep, Ginny ignored the voice and closed her eyes again.

"Ginevra? Are you decent?" Draco asked from the other side of her bedroom door.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked groggily as she got out of bed reluctantly.

"I just wanted to see if you were all right..." He said uncertainly.

"No, you just wanted to see if you could make me show you The Vision," Ginny said, one eyebrow raised.

"Well... That too," he added with a shrug. Ginny shook her head and went to close her door, then stopped.

"How do you know the password to my rooms?" She asked.

"You like Latin far too much, and you've got a ironic sense of humour. Kind of makes sense that the password would be lamia," Draco replied.

"Leave my room before I set my Erkling on you," Ginny said seriously.

"You don't have an Erkling," he said, then seeing her serious face, added, "Do you?"

"Can we play with him? We think he looks like fun!" Relo said from behind him, cackling in a high pitched tone.

"No, Relo. You can't play with Draco. It's his bed time," Ginny said with a smirk.

Draco stared at the Erkling in shock, then at Ginny.

"Yeah. Bed time... See you tomorrow then," Draco said and left the room quickly. Relo pouted and went to cry, but Ginny offered for him to go hunting and he left happily.

Unable to go back to sleep, Ginny looked at her Vampire book for a while. She stopped at a particular passage in shock. After re-reading it, Ginny read it again three more times before cursing loudly.

As with everything, there is a good side and a bad side to a Vampiress menstruation.

The bad side is that during the menstruation period, the Vampiress will become more irritable, prone to anger and the more common reason, is that they will have the need for blood. If left for too long, the need becomes almost overpowering, making the Vampiress powerless in their lust for the Thirst.

To stop this, most Vampiresses choose to lock themselves away so as not to risk not only themselves, but also others. If married, or with another, a Vampiress will often drink from their spouse during their menstruation cycle, as a long Feed will quench the Thirst for the menstrual period.

The good side however, is that once a Vampiress Feeds, then the usual cramps and other menstruation-associated ailments will lessen considerably.

Ginny sighed in frustration. This was not going to be a good week! With a small groan, she got up and started to close and lock all of her windows and doors.

Shouting a spell at her wardrobe, all of the corridor doors closed abruptly and locked themselves. The wardrobe door shut and locked itself on the outside, therefore not allowing Ginny to leave her rooms.

With the sudden wind from all of the doors closing, the sheets on Ginny's furniture and reflective surfaces flew off, disappearing into thin air as they left the solid surfaces.

Ginny went over to her bed, conjured a hot water bottle and then lay down for a very long sleep...

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Sunday, Sept. 8

"Ginevra! You left us all alone..." Relo whined, waking Ginny up. She looked at him sleepily, then in confusion as his words sunk in.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You locked us out of your rooms and left us alone last night! You didn't even talk to us when we called your name!" Relo said, his bottom lip trembling. Ginny realised that Relo meant that she'd been sleepwalking again and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Relo... I didn't mean to lock you out... I wasn't leaving you on purpose, I was just sleepwalking. I've been doing that lately. You should really leave my rooms now. I might get the Thirst and I don't want to hurt you," Ginny said.

She felt something stirring in the back of her mind and tried to hold it off. Almost as if sensing it, Relo's eyes filled with a mix of fear and surprise and he left her room quickly.

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"Ginevra! Are you in there?" A voice called from one of the other rooms.

Ginny woke up groggily. As the person opened the wardrobe and walked in the room, Ginny could only smell blood. The sound of pumping blood filled her ears, inviting her to taste it. Blood coursed through her own veins and Ginny listened as their two hearts pumped the delicious liquid around two different bodies.

"There you are, Ginevra! Why haven't you come to breakfast? I wanted to tell you about Greg and Vince..." Pansy said, stopping at Ginny's doorway. "Are you all right? You look like shit," Pansy muttered, walking over.

"No!" Ginny yelled loudly.

Pansy stopped in shock. The taste of blood filled Ginny's mouth again and she fought to keep control of her actions.

"Go away. Right now," Ginny said tensely, but Pansy didn't move. "I mean it, Pansy... Don't stay here... Leave," Ginny said and Pansy finally left the room, the taste of blood leaving with her.

With a shudder, Ginny flicked her hand and her door shut, locking too. Ginny crawled back under her blanket and clutched the water bottle to her weary body. In mere minutes, Ginny could hear a door in the corridor open and more than one set of feet were coming towards her.

"Ginevra! I don't care what you said, I'm coming in with the rest of us, so you better be bloody decent!" Pansy called.

Ginny could practically taste their blood in her mouth as eight other people walked into the room. She held the covers down over her head tightly and tried to stop herself from jumping up and drinking each and every one of them.

"I mean it, Pansy! Go away! I don't want to hurt you!" Ginny called, her voice muffled underneath the thick blanket.

She could hear their blood pumping through their veins, as loudly as drums beating in her ears. She held the covers tighter as need and the Thirst washed over her. In vain, Ginny tried to block her ears.

"What do you mean, hurt me?" Pansy asked, coming closer to Ginny's bed. The blood pumped faster and louder and it became too much for Ginny. She jumped out of bed and grabbed Pansy by the throat.

"I told you to leave!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. Her fangs bared and with a cry of pain, Ginny made them retract back into her mouth. She flung open her front door and ran into the Forbidden Forest with a loud cry, changing into a wolf as she did so.

"I think I know what's wrong with her," Blaise announced from Ginny's study room. The others went into the room and saw him looking at Ginny's Vampire book.

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"I'll do it," Pansy announced after reading the small passage.

"But you can't go into the Forest. I'll do it," Blaise said. Pansy glared at him.

"I'm the one that made her go there, I should be the one to get her..." She retorted.

"I doubt that either of you will be able to now," Luna said and indicated to where Draco had been standing only moments before. They looked out the front door and saw a wisp of blonde hair entering the Forest.

"She's going to kill us if he gets hurt," Neville said and sighed shaking his head.

Draco walked into the Forest, Ginny's robes folded over his arm. He couldn't believe he was actually going ahead with this! It was something noble and brave; something he would have expected from a Gryffindor, not from a Slytherin, especially a Malfoy Slytherin!

He sighed reluctantly and walked deeper into the Forbidden Forest, making sure to keep to the clearings.

"Ginevra!" He called softly. He heard a howl and went in the direction of it. "Ginevra! Are you here?" He called, feeling slightly foolish.

There was another howl nearby and when Draco entered a clearing, he saw a reddish wolf sitting there, howling at nothing in particular. He walked over to the wolf and crouched beside her.

"Ginevra, you need to change back... Come on, change back to your human self," he cajoled unsuccessfully. Ginny just looked at him with big brown eyes and mewled pitifully. "I can see I'm going to have to do this the hard way..." Draco muttered and pulled out a small knife from his robe pocket. He made a small incision in his forearm and they both watched as the crimson blood flowed down his arm and onto the ground. "You're not just going to let this all go to waste, are you?" Draco asked as Ginny gave another mewl, staring at his arm.

Suddenly, Ginny leapt on him, changing back in record time and began drinking from his wrist hungrily. She licked and sucked at his flowing blood eagerly, eventually getting her fill. When she pulled away, Ginny healed the wound and wiped the excess blood from her lips.

"Why did you do that, Draco? I didn't want to do it..." Ginny muttered. She put the offered robe on, realising that she was still in her pyjamas.

"Sometimes need overtakes want, Ginevra... Let's go back before the centaurs find out we're here," Draco said and stood up, offering her his hand. Ginny stood up and they went to leave the clearing, but were stopped. Alexander stood there, glaring at Draco full heartedly.

"What did you do to her?" He hissed at Draco.

"Who in the Gods names are you?" Draco sneered at him. Alexander glared at him and put his hand up angrily. A red ball started to form, and realising what he was about to Draco, Ginny stood in front of him.

"Leave him alone, Alexander! He is my own, and I would not be very happy if you hurt him," Ginny said. With a curt nod, Alexander closed his hand, the ball disappearing.

"I apologise for the misunderstanding," Alexander said with an extremely small bow to Draco. "I did not know that Ginevra had already found her own," he explained coldly.

"Apology accepted," Ginny said for Draco, pulling him away quickly. "You should leave now. The centaurs are coming," Ginny said to her Protector.

With a low bow, Alexander changed into a bird and flew away quickly. Ginny pulled Draco out of the Forbidden Forest in record time, the centaurs hooting one arrow at their feet in warning.

"Aren't you supposed to be their Queen or something?" Draco asked.

"They won't accept me as their Queen yet," Ginny said with a small shrug as she pulled the arrow out of the ground. "Bane," Ginny muttered, recognising the feathers on the end of the arrow.

"Is that why they kidnapped you yesterday?" Draco asked as they headed back to Ginny's rooms.

"No, I think that was more of a challenge. They wanted to talk with me, but you stopped it... I don't think I thanked you for that," Ginny said with a smile. Draco shook his head.

"No, you didn't..."

"Then thank you for attempting to save me," Ginny said with a smirk.

"Attempting?" Draco repeated in shock.

"Well, you tried to, but in the end got captured yourself, so you didn't really save me... Blaise was the one who got the centaurs to let us go," Ginny said.

She was trying so hard not to laugh at Draco's expression and felt bad for teasing him so, but it was too good an opportunity to miss!

"So what would you have done if I had saved you?" He asked smirking at her.

Draco Malfoy was flirting with her... Ginny was surprised to find that she didn't really mind.

"I would have repaid the debt," she said, flirting too.

They were going to be married eventually, why wouldn't she flirt with him now?

"Oh, really? I think you should show me exactly how you would have repaid the debt, just so I can make sure that it's good enough for Blaise's high expectations," Draco said stopping to face her.

"I think you're just working up an excuse to kiss me again," Ginny said grinning.

"Maybe I am," he said, kissing her.

Ginny had expected him to deny it and glare at her for suggesting such a thing, but this?! A small voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she didn't want this to happen again.

Ginny tried to remember exactly why she had promised that she wouldn't let him do it again, then as the answer didn't come to mind (or seem very relevant), she just kissed him back.

"By the Gods!" They heard a voice scream. Pulling apart quickly, Ginny and Draco saw Lavender running up to the school grounds.

"We should go up there before the entire school finds out," Draco suggested.

"By the time we actually do get up there, the entire school would have already been told. Brown's got gossipers at every corner in every hallway..." Ginny said shaking her head.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Draco asked smirking at her.

"Where in the Gods names have you two been? What's this I hear about you kissing?" Blaise asked smirking at them.

"Brown really works fast..." Draco drawled, lazily smirking at Blaise.

"No, we heard her yelling from Ginny's rooms... You better go to your lessons Ginny, or else you'll be late," Blaise reminded her. "Pansy's been waiting very impatiently to tell you about what happened last night with her boyfriends," he said with a smirk. Ginny grinned.

"I'm sure she'll be very happy that you spoiled her story," Ginny said as they went back to her rooms. "Have you seen Relo? I made him leave my room this morning and I don't know if he's all right," she said, only just realising it.

"I'll take it that Relo is your Erkling? He's in your rooms talking with Theodore. Relo said he got in through the other doors before you locked them, according to Theodore. When I left they were talking about an evil fat boy with a cauldron..." Blaise said with a shrug, indicating that he had no idea what they were talking about.

"Relo's grandfather was killed by Bruno Schmidt when he was hit over the head with Schmidt's father's collapsible cauldron... Haven't you read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them yet?" Ginny asked with a smirk.

"Of course I have. I just don't remember every entry in that blasted book," Blaise growled.

"Ginevra! We were worried about you!" Relo cried and ran over to her, hugging her legs tightly. "Is Ginevra all right now?" Relo asked sniffing loudly.

"I'm fine, thank you Relo... Sorry about before, is your throat all right?" Ginny asked Pansy.

"It's all right... Is it really true that you two were caught kissing by Lavender? She's been screaming to the Otherworld about it," Pansy said smirking at them.

"Where's Pansy and who let Skeeter in?" Ginny said smirking.

"Funny, Ginevra..." Pansy drawled.

"What happened in the Forest?" Neville asked looking at them. Then he saw the small wound on Draco's wrist and shook his head. "Don't worry," he said with a grin.

"Hope none of you mind, but I would really like to get changed... So would you all kindly remove yourself from my bedroom?" Ginny said grinning at them.

They all left quickly, letting Ginny change into her fighting outfit.

"You're not all going to take me to the Room for Requirement, are you?" Ginny asked when she saw that they were all waiting in the meeting room for her.

"No... The spell Pansy used to get past your locks and wards only let us get in. We can't get back out unless you take the wards off," Theodore said.

"Should I even ask what spell you used to get past them?" Ginny asked smirking at Pansy.

"You can ask, but that doesn't mean you'll get an answer," Pansy replied.

Ginny just laughed and took the wards off, then left with them down the corridor.

"The next door on you right is closest to the library," Ginny called out, knowing that they had some essays due.

"Hey Ginny. Do you know where Luna's gone?" Colin asked, coming up beside her.

"No, actually I don't. Do you want me to check for you?" Ginny asked. Colin nodded and Ginny stopped walking to concentrate. "She's heading to the Owlery," Ginny said. "The door after this one will take you closest to it."

"Thanks," Colin said.

"We'll see you at recess, Ginevra," Pansy called out as she left with Theodore, Millicent, Gregory and Vincent.

"All right! Bye," Ginny called back.

"Ginny? Which door is closest to Gryffindor?" Neville asked.

"It's a few doors down. Colin, this door on your left is to the Owlery," Ginny called.

Colin said good bye and left through the door. With a smirk, Blaise started to whisper in Neville's ear quietly. A very Slytherin-like grin formed on Neville's face and they both started to send messages to Ginny.

"Not again... Why are you teasing me?" Ginny asked them as the first lot of images and thoughts started to appear in her mind.

"We're not doing anything," Blaise said innocently.

"What are you going on about?" Draco asked, looking between the three of them.

"They keep teasing me," Ginny pouted. Blaise laughed at her expression.

"How do they tease you?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Uh... They purposely send me specific thoughts and images," Ginny said vaguely.

Confusion filled Draco's face, then as he realised what Ginny meant, he glared at Blaise and Neville.

"You're... sending her... Blaise, you're a sick person..." Draco said shaking his head.

"You can argue about it later," Ginny interrupted as Blaise was about to answer back. "I've only got a few minutes to get to my first lesson. Moody's going to put me on a spit and roast me if I'm late," she said with a smirk. "The door on your right Neville," Ginny called out.

"Thanks Ginny!" Neville called as he climbed out of the door. "See you later, Blaise," he said with a grin, closing the door.

Ginny picked up the pace, hurrying along the corridor. She really wouldn't put it past Moody to spit and roast her... As she climbed out of the door, she headed around the corner to the Room of Requirement. Ron was waiting there, looking extremely angry.

"Hello Ron," Ginny said, wondering why he looked so angry.

"Did you kiss Malfoy?" Ron asked, glaring at her.

"What?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"What don't you understand?! I asked you if you kissed Malfoy!" Ron yelled at her.

"Permissum suus vado!" Draco yelled, pulling his wand out and pointing it at Ron. (Leave her alone!)

"Operor non dico mihi quis efficio!" Ron hissed. He turned on Ginny and asked her again. "Did you?" He asked, glaring. (Do not tell me what to do!)

"Yes, I did," Ginny replied. "Why is it any of your business?" Ginny started to ask, but Ron had stalked over to her.

Without a word he slapped Ginny across the face. Not really expecting this, Ginny fell to the ground. Draco grabbed Ron's hand to stop him doing it again.

"Don't touch her," he hissed. "Es vos totus vox, Ginevra?" Draco asked, helping her up. (Are you all right, Ginevra?)

Ron grabbed Draco's shoulder, pulled him around and punched him squarely on the nose.

"Ron! Leave him alone! He had nothing to do with it!" Ginny yelled, pulling Ron away from Draco. Ron pulled away from her roughly.

"Don't touch me! Vos meretrix! How dare you do this?! Do you have any idea what Mum and Dad are going to say? Do you know what the entire school is saying about you?" (You whore!)

"Do not call me a whore!" Ginny yelled, slapping Ron hard. He glared at her but didn't do anything. "None of this is your problem to deal with, Ronald," Ginny said, going over to Draco.

She healed his nose and helped him sit up. When Draco could stand properly, he glared at Ron and threw a hex at him.

Ron dodged it and pulled his own wand out. Ron pushed Ginny to the sidelines and she watched as one of her visions played out in front of her.

Draco and Ron glared at each other, wands drawn. Ginny and Blaise stood on the side, worried.

"Please, don't do this! Ron, Draco, see reason, will you?" She yelled to them. Ron glared at her.

"He deserves it! Do you know what the entire school is saying?" Ron hissed.

"That's their problem and mine. It is not your problem to deal with!" Ginny repeated, yelling angrily.

"That's not the point!" Ron yelled back and glared at Malfoy again.

"Draco, please! You don't have to do this!" Ginny said.

"He has no right to hit you just because we kissed," Draco growled and glared at Ron again.

"Blaise, can't you do something?" Ginny asked Blaise. He shook his head.

"As much as I don't want this fight to happen, I'm not that stupid to try and get between your brother and Draco. They'll tear me to pieces," Blaise said apologetically. Ginny nodded and took her robes off determination filling her face.

"I understand... Can you hold these for me? I'll be right back... I just need to knock some sense into these two boys," she growled and looked at Draco and Ron. They were duelling, both looking as angry as the other.

Ginny stepped in closer, careful to avoid the spells they were throwing.

"Ginny! Get out of the way!" Ron yelled.

"Move out of the way, Ginevra!" Draco yelled.

Ginny stepped in between them and looked at both of them.

"I will not move. I will not allow you to fight the fights that I should be fighting... If you wish to fight me, then I am ready... Bring it on," Ginny said and looked at them.

"I'm not going to fight you! That's not fair!" Ron said. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"I will not use any of the extra powers I have been given... I think that is a fair fight, Ronald. Now make up your minds. Either stop this nonsense and fight me on your own, or I will kick you both so hard that you'll be put into last week," Ginny snarled at them.

"I refuse to fight you," Draco said and put his wand away.

Ginny looked at Ron expectantly. He glared at Draco over Ginny's shoulder.

"This isn't over, Malfoy," he snarled.

"Oh, yes it is!" Ginny said getting angry at her brother's stupidity. "Listen to me, Ronald! I will fight my own fights! I don't need you to do that for me! I am not eleven any more!" She yelled and her entire body glowed red as her hair began to crackle with anger. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" She yelled.

"Yes," Ron muttered. Ginny calmed down in half a second and looked at her brother sadly.

"No, you don't understand, Ronald... Let me fight my own fights. I can handle it. If I get myself into trouble, at least allow me the chance to get myself out of trouble," she said softly then, grabbing her robes from Blaise, she went into the Room of Requirement.

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"Sorry for being late, Professor... I had to deal with a fight in the corridor," Ginny said. Moody just nodded.

"Exercises, then bow and arrow," he said curtly.

Ginny nodded then did as he said. As she was doing the exercises, Moody set up the target for her. After setting up the bow and arrow, Ginny waited until Moody gave a nod to shoot the arrow at the target. The arrow hit the board and Moody shook his head.

"Again. Keep shooting arrows until you hit the bullseye," he said and flicked his wand, making the arrow return to Ginny's quiver. "Give me the quiver," he instructed. Handing it to him, Moody cast a spell on it. "I will return in half an hour. There is a spell on the arrows so they will return to the quiver each time they hit the board. If one hits the bullseye, it won't return," Moody said.

"Thank you, Moody," Ginny said. He just nodded then left the room.

Ginny put another arrow on the bow and aimed at the target again. She let loose and the arrow flew through the air. It returned to the quiver immediately and Ginny repeated the process.

After about ten minutes, Ginny was finally onto the actual target. As she got closer to the bullseye, Ginny was surprised in another fifteen minutes that the arrow she'd just shot hadn't returned to the quiver. Walking over to the target, Ginny saw that the arrow was on the red part of the target. Grinning, she went back to her original spot and kept shooting the arrows. A few of them returned but Ginny didn't really care, she was just happy she'd hit it once! Continuing to shoot the arrows, Ginny was relieved and pleased when none of them returned to the quiver.

She relaxed her weary arms for a moment then frowned as an all too familiar weight returned to her quiver. Checking to make sure that the arrows were still on the target, Ginny reached behind her back and pulled out one of the new arrows. It looked to be the same, except it was slightly longer. Not so much that it would make a difference in her shooting or aim, but just so that it could fly to hit a target further away.

With a reluctant sigh, Ginny moved to the next marked line that hadn't been there moments ago, and put the notch of the arrow onto the string of the bow. Pulling back and aiming, Ginny let it fly. It completely missed the target. Realising that she wasn't standing correctly, Ginny readjusted her stance and repeated again. This time it actually hit the target board, but not the target itself. Sighing, Ginny continued to practise.

"Ginevra... I see that you have progressed," Moody said as he entered the room and saw the target full of arrows. "Could you get those three boys to leave? They're attracting too much attention and making an awful lot of noise for two boys," Moody said.

"Didn't you just say there were three..." Ginny began to ask then shook her head and went over to the door.

She opened it and saw Draco, Blaise and Ron standing out there. Blaise was keeping them apart with a spell, but that didn't stop Draco and Ron from quarrelling with each other.

"Thank the Gods! This spell's beginning to wear thin," Blaise muttered quietly. At Blaise's comment, both Draco and Ron looked to the door to see Ginny standing there.

"Ginny!" Ron said.

"Ginevra," Draco began.

"Shut up!" Ginny said pointing her bow and arrow at them.

They shut up, but didn't seem to take her too seriously with such a primitive weapon. She let two arrows fly at them. Both of them missed, but it made the two boys more attentive and wary.

"The next two won't miss," she growled.

Well, they probably would have, but Ginny didn't want them to know that!

"Blaise, please tell me why you're all still waiting out here," Ginny said.

"Well, I'm just waiting for Draco. He's not leaving without saying something to you, and Ronnie-kins won't leave until he leaves," Blaise said, giving her the basics of the situation.

"Fine... Draco, I will talk with you later. Ron you can leave now and Blaise, please make sure they leave each other in one piece," Ginny said.

Blaise nodded and Bexley flew out of Ginny to help him. Shaking her head, Ginny went back into the Room of Requirement and apologised to Moody.

"As long as you got them away, it's fine," he said gruffly. "You better go get changed now. Remus will be expecting you," Moody said.

"Thank you," Ginny said then went into the side room.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Walking to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Ginny hoped that Bexley was all right. He still hadn't returned to her, and she was starting to worry. Entering the classroom, Ginny saw Lupin talking to Bexley and sighed in relief.

"There you are, Bexley! I worried about you," Ginny said.

"I apologise, Ginevra. It was not my intention to scare you... All three boys are still in one piece, and your brother is now with Harry and Hermione," Bexley reported.

"Thank you, Bexley," Ginny said.

"You are welcome, Ginevra. If I may return?" He asked.

Ginny nodded and he flew back into her body, not liking being out in the daylight for so long.

"Follow me please," Lupin said and Ginny followed him out of the room, wondering what this lesson would be about.

Remus stopped in front of the Room of Requirement and a silver-metallic door appeared. Ginny watched as different colours swirled around the door, shimmering in the non-existent light. She realised that the door had no handle and wondered how they were supposed to get in.

"This test may be hard for you to do, but it is necessary. Wait five seconds, then follow me in," he said and walked through the door.

Ginny stared. People weren't supposed to walk through doors. Ghosts and sometimes beings, sure, but people?

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Ginny walked towards the door. Bracing herself for the solid impact, she was surprised when it didn't come. Bumping into Remus, Ginny opened her eyes and saw Remus looking down at her.

"You thought that the door was solid, didn't you?" Remus asked grinning.

"Yes..." Ginny said and looked around the room. "What is this room?" She asked. It looked empty, but she could hear hundreds of footsteps walking around them. Remus looked out at the dark around them for a moment before replying.

"There are people walking around us, and even through us right now... Every person in this room is someone you would know. They could be your best friend, or someone you saw across the street. The difference between them and these people is that these people are not going to talk to you. To these people, you are invisible. They don't see you, they don't know you, and they can't hear you. You have to walk from one end of the room to the other and back here before the test is completed. It sounds easy, but believe me, it's not," Remus said, memories haunting his face. "Also, they will be saying the most hurtful things about you to one another..." He said. "I will be back when you're done. Just don't curse me, all right?" He said.

Ginny gave a small nod, not really looking forward to this. Remus put a hand on her shoulder and tried to look encouraging.

"I will hold your bag for you... Good luck Ginevra," he said then left with her bag.

As his form passed through the door, the lights came on and Ginny could see the people. It was not hundreds of people, it looked more like thousands! She took a deep breath then started to walk.

"Ginny is such a slut! I saw her with Draco Malfoy the other day and just this morning I saw her with Blaise Zabini! She's getting on really well with those Slytherins, don't you think?" Hermione asked Harry.

Ginny watched as Harry agreed with her, saying how disgusting it was. Shaking her head, Ginny kept walking. It hadn't happened, therefore it couldn't affect her.

"She should have been the seventh son. I never wanted a daughter," Arthur Weasley said.

Ginny didn't want to admit that hurt. It probably wasn't true, but to hear someone that sounded and looked exactly like her father saying it...

"Why couldn't Ginny be more ladylike!? She's always playing rough with her brothers. It makes me look like a bad mother! The things people say in public when she's walking around cursing like a trooper and hexing her brothers..." Molly complained to her childhood friend, shaking her head.

Ginny winced then shook her head. She didn't swear like a "trooper" and never hexed her brothers in public! Putting the insult behind her, she kept walking.

"I don't even know her, but she's a complete tart! I mean, the way she was staring at me on the Knight Bus! It was repulsive!" One boy complained.

Ginny flushed at that. She hadn't thought he'd noticed... She had just been looking. It was normal for a fourteen-year-old to look at someone who looked fairly decent...

"I know! You saw the way she was staring at me and in front of my parents too!" Another boy agreed.

Ok, now that one wasn't fair! She'd been five and the boy was about seven. He'd been allowed to play with his parent's wands and Ginny had watched as he made little streamers come out of them. She'd pestered her parents for their wands for over a year before and they hadn't let her use them, saying she was too young. Therefore, she'd been watching the magic, not the boy and she was only five! She definitely couldn't have been a 'tart' that young!

Glaring, Ginny continued to walk, annoyed that they couldn't see her so she could give them the finger.

"I can't believe Ginevra's a Vampiress! It's bad enough that she's part of the human race and in the magical community, but to become part of our species..." Agnes said shaking her head.

"I know what you mean... As if she's a threat to me!" Virginia said with a scornful laugh. "That little witch couldn't even bring herself to bite someone, let alone kill them!" She said.

Ginny bristled with anger at Virginia's words. Everyone else she knew were fake, but Virginia sounded the same. She meant those words... Ignoring both of the Elders, she continued to walk, wondering who would be next.

"Ginny is not my friend! As if I would like her after what happened in the Chamber! She's the one who set the Basilisk on me!" Colin said. Neville nodded in agreement.

"She hasn't even apologised to you about it either!" Neville said in disgust.

"She's a poor excuse for a friend," Luna said shaking her head.

Ginny winced as her latest fears were brought out into the open. Repeating 'it's not really them' in her mind, she continued to walk across the room.

"She's probably going to drink our blood while we're sleeping," Ron said to his older brothers, all of whom nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we can't even muck around now. What if we cut ourselves? She'll latch onto us like a leech," Fred said. George only nodded with the rest of his brothers.

Ginny sighed in relief and walked faster. Fred and George didn't ever not talk in turns or unison!

"Did you see Ginny this morning? She's getting so fat! She won't be able to fit through the Great Hall entrance soon!" Lavender gossiped to Parvati, both of them giggling loudly.

The comment didn't really hurt Ginny, but again, it sounded so like Lavender that she stopped walking and glared at her.

"She'll take up at least half of the Gryffindor table just sitting down!" Lavender said, giggling again.

Taking deep breaths, Ginny tried to remind herself that it was not really Lavender. It didn't work. She hexed Lavender, but the spell went straight through her and absorbed into the wall.

"There won't even be enough food for her! Not even if she ate everything at the Sorting Feast!" Lavender crowed.

Ginny glared at her again, really annoyed with the people not being able to see her. Realising how fruitless her actions were while in this room, she continued walking to the other side of the room.

"Ginevra's such a bitch! She'll go out with anything that moves! I'm going to try and hook up with her tonight," Dean said to his friend. Seamus just laughed.

"You can't, mate! I've got her all booked up for tonight," he said laughing again.

Ginny shook her head. Not only would that never happen, it was really wrong to hear them discussing it! She kept walking, seeing people she'd seen on the street, just as Lupin had said. They were discussing her family loudly and how loud and poor they all were.

"Can't even get a decent job!"

"They probably had to whore out the girl to get money to feed them!" One of them said laughing cruelly. They all laughed, the sound ringing in Ginny's ears.

Ginny walked faster, her cheeks burning.

"She's one of the worst students I've ever had the displeasure of teaching! Even worse than Longbottom!" Snape sneered. McGonagall nodded sympathetically.

"She can't even transform a match into a needle! And that's basic third year magic!" She said in disgust.

"You think that's bad? She couldn't fly a broom to save her life!" Madam Hooch said with a disgusted snort.

Ginny shook her head at the pathetic form of insults her 'teachers' were making. She'd heard worse from Malfoy, for the Gods sakes!

"She thinks she's so smart just because she can use magic without a wand! She's probably never had a boyfriend in her life and that's why she spends so much time working on stupid insignificant stuff like that! Even Hermione's had a boyfriend!" Some random person called out.

Ginny huffed slightly... She had been out with Dean and Michael, so there! And who cares if she'd spent most of her time going through her family's books during the holidays... That shouldn't be anyone else's problem!

Her face grim, Ginny kept walking, determined to finish this stupid test.

"Not only can she not deflect a spell, she can't even shoot an arrow properly!" Moody said in disgust.

"Ginevra doesn't even control her emotions long enough so I can actually teach her!" Lupin said shaking his head.

Ginny ignored them and kept walking. She'd managed to shoot arrows properly today and she'd gone to Lupin's lesson without any events both yesterday and today!

"She can't even control her strength! Look what she did to my neck!" Pansy said, showing the group her bruised neck. Gregory and Vincent looked ready to find Ginny and murder her.

"She shouldn't even be allowed at the school! If she can't control herself properly then there'll be broken bones left right and centre!" Theodore complained.

"I should have just let the centaur's take her and get her away from everyone," Blaise said.

"She's probably put a spell on Draco to make him like her," Millicent muttered, the others agreeing straight away.

"That's bloody ridiculous! Why would I stoop that low?" Ginny said angrily.

None of them replied, they just continued to mutter and complain about her. With an angry growl, Ginny kept walking. She hadn't seen Draco yet, but she had the awful feeling that his comment would be the worst out of them all...

"Ginevra is stupid. Even as a youngling she was stupid. She didn't listen to her parents. Ginevra followed me into the forest," Relo said.

"She's stupid enough to think that I am scared of being killed. She's so stupid that she offered to take me into her care!" Bexley said laughing.

Ginny shook her head. She had no idea that the room would make them as part of it! She kept walking, wondering with a laugh if Ron's Puffskein, Bob was going to say anything hateful about her...

Ginevra is not worthy to be our Chosen... She is not pure. She nurses a hate so large that she could not quench it, even if the person who caused it died. Evita said. We will revoke our offer tomorrow... She said, the other unicorn's agreeing.

"Ok, this is getting stupid. Are you going to do all of the creatures from the Forbidden Forest? They've all seen me and I do have another lesson to get to you know!" Ginny called out shaking her head.

There was no answer, but to Ginny it seemed like some of the animals and people disappeared.

"She was so easy to control. She liked having someone else in control of her... She really thought that she was in love with me!" Voldemort said laughing with his followers. The Death Eaters laughed too, then Lucius spoke up.

"Her family is easy prey too. Just a simple few words and they'll react with boring prediction! Even my son has the little weasel eating out of his hand, don't you Draco?" Lucius asked evilly.

"Of course, father. She's too easy. One word from me and she'll do anything I tell her to do... May I ask my Lord why he thinks he needs her? She's so ugly and after one shag she'll probably get so knocked up that there'll be hundreds of your babies everywhere! Her mother can't keep her legs crossed, so she won't either. Like mother, like daughter," he sneered in disgust.

"Of course! That is precisely why I need her... I can groom all of our children to create an army," Voldemort said.

"You fucking bastard!" Ginny yelled. "Evil fucking son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill you with my own hands!" Ginny yelled storming up to them.

She tried to strangle, punch and hit Voldemort but her fists flew straight through him. With a small sob, Ginny stopped her pointless attack. With a very deep breath to calm her anger Ginny kept walking. She was slightly surprised when she reached a wall.

Turning around, she saw that more people had appeared. Ginny started to run past them. She just wanted to get out of this room. She wanted to be in a place where no one was going to judge her and treat her like she was a leper. She didn't want to see this room ever again!

She ran faster, then stopped abruptly when she heard sand crunch beneath her feet. Looking around properly, Ginny saw that all of the people had gone, as had the room. She was now standing on a beach. Waves lapped at the sand and the sun was beginning to rise.

A door opened nearby and Remus' head poked into the room. He looked around with the same confusion that Ginny felt. He walked over to Ginny and touched her shoulder, making her turn to him.

"How did you change the room?" He asked, sounding slightly afraid.

"I didn't mean to, Professor... How did you know it had changed?" Ginny asked.

"The door changed," Remus said, indicating to the door that was now pale yellow. "You should finish the test now," he said, leaving the room.

Ginny watched as people appeared around her. Feeling strangely calm and reassured, she walked the last few metres to the door, ignoring the comments about her.

"Ginevra's so poor she can't even afford new clothes!" Blaise sneered.

"Ginny's not my sister..." Charlie said in disgust.

"I wouldn't touch Ginevra with a ten-foot wand," Neville said.

"She's definitely not my friend!" Pansy said glaring.

"I wouldn't even interview her!" Rita Skeeter said shuddering.

"Any chance that could be true?" Ginny muttered with a grin.

"I would never fall in love with Ginevra! She's a disgrace to the wizarding community!" Draco announced.

"Her entire family is a disgrace," Lucius said, seconding his son's opinion.

"Ok, that argument is getting really old..." Ginny said shaking her head.

"The only thing Ginny's good for is to give me an army..." Voldemort somehow managed to say this as if he was whispering in her ear.

"You sick, disgusting, foul, evil creature... The only thing you're good for is dying," Ginny retorted. She reached the door and walked through quickly before anyone else could say anything about her.

"Excellent work, Ginevra," Remus said with a gentle smile as he handed her a large portion of chocolate.

She ate it gratefully, only just realising how tired she felt. With a small nod she watched as the door disappeared.

"I don't have to do that again, do I?" She asked. Remus shook his head.

"Never again if you don't want to," he said with another smile.

Ginny relaxed considerably.

"There was one good thing about that," Ginny said suddenly.

"And what might that be?" Remus asked.

"Rita Skeeter said she wouldn't interview me," Ginny said with a laugh that was half-forced and half-genuine.

"That's always good news," Remus said grinning. "May I ask what I said to you?" He asked.

"You said that I didn't control my emotions long enough for you to teach me... Nothing that's going to hurt me," she said with a slight shrug.

"Very well... Thank you Ginevra. You should go to recess now," he said.

Ginny nodded then grabbed her bag and left eagerly. Stopping at the end of the hallway, she turned back, realising that she hadn't said good bye to Remus. Lupin wasn't there, but the silver door was shimmering brightly.

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As Ginny reached the Great Hall she took a small breath. She knew that the people in the room weren't real, but it was going to be hard to face them without being reminded of what they'd said about her...

"Are you coming in, Ginevra?" Pansy asked coming up behind her. Ginny relaxed when nothing hateful was said, and that Pansy could actually see her.

"Of course," Ginny replied with a smile.

"Well, come on then! You're not the only one who wants food!" Millicent growled behind them.

Ginny laughed and went inside with them. She sat with Colin and Neville, relaxing when no comments were being said about her. She hugged Neville quickly just to make sure that he was there and her arms wouldn't go through him.

"I missed you too, Ginny, but it really hasn't been that long!" He said hugging her back.

Ginny just smiled and ate her recess. Looking around, she noticed that Ron was looking at her with a confused expression on his face.

"I'll be back in a minute," Ginny said to Neville and Colin who both looked at her in concern for a moment. "I'm just going to talk to Ron, that's all," she said. They nodded, but both watched as she walked over to her brother.

"What do you want?" He asked, stabbing a sausage with slightly more force than necessary.

"I just wanted to see if you were ok," Ginny said sitting next to him. "Did you want to talk about something?" She asked quietly. Ron turned to her, looking both angry and amazed.

"Why didn't you just get someone to take the memories away?" He asked suddenly.

His face and thoughts showed Ginny that he really hadn't wanted to ask that. Ginny motioned for him to follow her and they went somewhere more private to talk.

"So, why didn't you?" He repeated when they'd sat down.

"And lose an entire year of my life, Ron? Besides, no one offered to take them away. There must be a reason for that," Ginny said with a small shrug.

"But... All of those things... He made you do it all... Aren't you still angry?" Ron asked.

"Of course I am. I can't not be angry about it. The thing is, I am as angry with myself as I am with Voldemort for making me do it," she said, saying Voldemort's name in a quieter tone so no one would start screaming. As it was, Ron paled and visibly flinched.

"Don't say that name," he muttered.

Ginny didn't think that she could say 'Tom' in reference to Voldemort so soon after what had happened to her yesterday.

"Anyway, why are you angry at yourself? You didn't do anything!" Ron protested.

"Exactly! I didn't do anything to stop... Riddle," she said, coming to a compromise for both of them. "I threw away the diary, but as soon as I saw someone else with it, I did everything I could to get it back into my possession. It wasn't something I did to be noble or to save someone. I did it because I was jealous that Riddle was talking to someone else," Ginny said.

Ron stared at her in shock. Ginny resisted the urge to see if she'd grown another head and just waited for him to talk.

"You were jealous?! But... Why?" Ron asked, still shocked.

"At the time I was certain that Riddle was the only one who understood me. I didn't have any friends. I didn't have you, or Fred and George. Not even Percy was talking to me due to the Penelope thing. Riddle had told me that I was his secret and after so long of talking to him I couldn't go to any of the teachers, especially not Dumbledore. I couldn't go to Mum and Dad because they wouldn't have believed me..."

"They would... Well, they might have," Ron finished lamely as he actually considered it.

"They would not have believed me, Ron. They would have thought that I was just making stuff up to get attention. Besides, they were too busy worrying about you and Fred and George to even give me another thought..." Ginny said with a shrug.

"But what about Charlie or Bill? They would have done something," Ron said. Ginny gave a small laugh.

"You don't think I tried to write to them? Every time I went to write something I couldn't think of what to say. 'Dear Charlie. Roosters have been dying and I've found feathers on my clothes. I think a book is making me kill the roosters...' That sounds really convincing! 'Dear Bill. People are being Petrified around the school and I can't remember what happened last night! I was writing in my diary and then I remember waking up in bed this morning...' That's a convincing story for them to send me to St. Mungo's, don't you think?" Ginny asked sarcastically.

"Fine... What about me?" Ron asked.

"Oh, please! You were always with Harry and Hermione at some point in my school year! I tried to tell you more than just that one time the morning he kidnapped me, but you were always with them! You were never there for me, Ronald," Ginny said. "You said it yourself that you weren't there for me during my first year. You weren't there for my second year, or my third year, or my fourth. Not even last year as a fifth year were you there for me. It's only now, when you feel threatened of losing me, that you're trying to be there for me," Ginny said.

"I know... Don't know what you've got 'til you've lost it, hey?" He said with a small grin.

"Something like that," Ginny said in reply. "Now, can we be friends again? I'll take the memory away if you want," she offered.

Ron nodded quickly and Ginny pointed her wand at him, muttering something quietly. After trying to think of Ginny's first year, he sighed in relief and thanked her.

"You're welcome Ronald," Ginny said reluctantly. "I don't want to say this after just having got on your good side again... But I have to... If you hurt me again I'm not going to be the make amends, is that understood?" She asked.

"Understood... I'm sorry Ginny," Ron said, grinning sheepishly. "Why did you kiss Malfoy?" He asked, his grin turning into a frown.

"No reason you'd understand," Ginny said smirking at him.

"Come on, Ginny! At least tell me why!" Ron whined.

She shook his head at him then went back to the Great Hall. Ron frowned after her, then continued to ask persistently until she threatened to hex him silent.

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"I'll see you all at lunch, ok?" Ginny said, hugging them all before she started to head for the Divination Tower.

"Ginevra, wait!" Draco called, catching up to her. "You said you would let me talk to you," he said.

"Then talk," Ginny said with a slight grin.

"About this morning in the Forest..." He began to say then trailed off as he saw some first years staring at them.

Draco glared at them, but they seemed more interested in Ginny than in him.

"Can we see your fangs?" One of the braver ones asked.

"If I say yes then will you leave us alone?" Ginny asked smirking at them.

The four of them nodded quickly in agreement. Ginny bared her fangs and they left quickly, talking about 'how cool it would be to be able to extend your teeth and scare your sisters with them'... Ginny shook her head.

"Can we talk somewhere more private?" He suggested. Ginny nodded.

"We'll go to my rooms. I need to get my bowl anyway," she said, leading him over to a tapestry.

They stepped down into the corridor and Ginny led him along the dark passageway, lighting a few of the torches for Draco's benefit.

"What about this morning?" Ginny prompted as they walked.

"Oh... I just wanted to point out to you that I don't usually do that," Draco said.

"That as in helping me, or that as in kissing me?" Ginny asked.

"Both," Draco said after a moment.

"All right. Why did you think you needed to point it out to me?" She asked, looking at him.

"I don't want you to get some stupid idea in your head about me being a saint or something..." Draco said.

"No chance of that happening, Draco," Ginny said smirking. "Don't worry, I'm not exactly going to spread it around the school if you do help me. And I'm not going to think that you helping me now is a sign of pre-marital over-protectiveness. Don't worry your pretty little head about it," Ginny drawled.

"Pretty?" Draco spluttered as he realised what she'd said.

"Sorry, is cute a better word?" She asked cheekily.

"No, it is not," Draco said glaring at her.

"Oh, is wittle Draconius upset that Ginevwa's teasing him?" She mocked him.

"Shut up, Weasley," Draco said angrily. Ginny was quiet for a few moments and Draco thought himself triumphant when she started speaking again.

"So if you didn't mean to help me this morning in the Forbidden Forest, why did you help me this morning before my lesson? Not that I couldn't have taken care of Ronald myself," Ginny added.

"I don't like people who hit women," Draco said. He felt anger boil his blood again as he thought of Ron hitting Ginevra and clenched his fists tightly.

"He didn't mean it really... He was just upset," Ginny said with a shrug. A part of her wondered why she was defending Ron for hitting her.

"Yeah, so now any time he's upset he'll have the right to hit you?" Draco said the sentence without really thinking.

"Of course not! Do you really think I'm that stupid to let him hit me again?" Ginny asked shaking her head at him.

"No, but that doesn't mean your brother won't try to do it again," Draco muttered. "Why didn't that guy in the Forbidden Forest help you? He's supposed to be your Protector, isn't he?" He asked.

"I don't think Alexander is allowed out of the Forest yet," Ginny said with a shrug.

She went into her room and grabbed her bowl, then came back into the corridor.

"I'm going to be late if we don't get there soon. Can we hurry this up a bit?" Ginny asked in a tone that implied a dare. Draco smirked then indicated for her to go.

"Wouldn't want you to cry... You better have a head start," he drawled.

"That's a lame excuse, Draco. I am not going to have a head start! Now, get ready," Ginny said grinning at him as she began to take on her Vampiress form.

"Can't believe I'm going to do this," Draco muttered as he got ready beside Ginevra.

"Ready... Set... Go," they said together then sped off.

Ginny ran along the corridor quickly watching as the torches were extinguished with their speed. Soon they were running in complete darkness and she laughed wildly as she sped up further.

"I hope you can see in the dark, Draco! Wouldn't want you to cry..." She taunted laughing.

"Of course I can see in the dark! I'm a Veelan, aren't I?" Draco's taut reply came from slightly behind her.

Draco was glad she'd refused his offer of a head start! If she had, then he still would have been near the start of the bloody corridor! He ran faster to get beside her then Ginevra made her speed even faster still. With a small growl, he increased his own speed again.

"Keep up, Draconius! Almost there!" Ginevra said, laughing and taunting him again.

With a smirk, Draco sped up for one final time, overtaking Ginny. He abruptly stopped at the brick wall and realised he'd won. His triumph was short lived, as Ginny ran into him. Windmilling his arms, Draco fell backwards onto the ground, Ginny falling on him.

"Now I think that was a bit extreme just to get on top of me, Ginevra," he drawled, seeing her blush in the darkness. "I won, you know... That means I get a prize," he said smirking broadly.

Ginny didn't seem to be thinking straight. She wanted to ask what prize he wanted, but instead she managed to get out 'yeah?' as that single word was the most coherent word her mind could come up with.

"Yeah," Draco replied then for the second time that day, he kissed her.

"Thought you said you didn't do that?" Ginny muttered as they pulled away.

"Well, I could stop if you like..." Draco said, smirking at her.

"No," Ginevra said far too quickly. "I wasn't complaining," she said, aware of his arrogant smirk. "Stop smirking, you conceited prat," she grumbled as she reluctantly got off his very comfortable lap.

"You wound me, Ginevra..." Draco drawled, still smirking at her.

"I've got to get to my lesson," Ginny said lamely.

"Well, that was the point of coming down here, wasn't it?" Draco asked smirking at her.

"No, I just wanted to kiss you again," Ginny said cheekily, grinning as she got out of the corridor.

Draco stood up and looked at her from inside the corridor.

"You did?" He asked in slight confusion.

Ginny just smirked and closed the door on him. She laughed softly as she climbed up the ladder to the Divination classroom.

It was odd that only days before she'd been horrified at Seeing herself kissing Draco, and now in less than a day, she'd managed to kiss him twice!

"Ah, Miss Weasley... No need for apologies," Sibyl said before Ginny could say anything. "Sit down while I get the tea for you," she said smiling at Ginny.

"Thank you, Sibyl," Ginny said as Trewlaney passed her a cup of tea.

"You're welcome... For you at this particular time of the month your Inner Eye's senses will increase and you be able to See far more than you have before," Sibyl said smiling broadly. It took Ginny a moment to realise what Sibyl was actually referring to.

"Does everyone know? Am I just walking around with 'I'm menstruating' written on my forehead or something?!" Ginny asked, shaking her head in annoyance.

"No, of course you're not. I was in Albus' office when Severus talked to him via the fireplace network, that's all," Sibyl said smiling at Ginny.

"Oh..." Ginny didn't know whether to be relieved or not.

"Drink your tea before it gets cold," Sibyl prompted gently. "Read your own teacup first..." Sibyl said.

With a nod Ginny sipped at her tea. She finished it in a few minutes and looked at the tealeaves carefully. Ginny almost dropped the cup in shock halfway through reading. Frowning, she read the rest then set the cup down, really wanting to hurl it at one of the brick walls.

"Are you all right, dear?" Sibyl asked.

"Not really," Ginny muttered.

"Would you like to tell me what your teacup says?" Sibyl asked.

"I would like to say 'not really' again, but I know it's rude..." Ginny added before Sibyl could say anything. "I have to erase the school's memory of Draco and I kissing this morning. 'Not one person can remember about it, especially not yourself and Draco'," Ginny quoted the tealeaves.

"Well, that doesn't seem to be fair, now does it?" Sibyl asked. "Is there a reason for it?"

"Our relationship is moving too fast apparently," Ginny said looking at the teacup.

She had a large urge to hex the stupid cup and smash it into millions of tiny porcelain pieces. Trewlaney picked up the cup and looked in it. She nodded, then set it down, away from Ginny's reach.

"Very well... How do you propose to achieve that then? I sincerely doubt there's a spell to erase everyone's memory at the same time..." Trewlaney said.

"Oh, there is a spell like that, but it's in a Restricted book..." Ginny said with a shrug. "I better go to the library at lunch time," she said with a small sigh.

"Good morning," Firenze said coming in through the door. "I apologise... Was I interrupting?" He asked, seeing the surprised expression on Trewlaney's face and the annoyed and angry one on Ginny's face.

"No, not at all... I was just about to ask Ginevra to pack her things for you, but you arrived earlier than I expected," Trewlaney said. Firenze nodded.

"I'm ready to go," Ginny said to Firenze. "Thank you, Professor Trewlaney," Ginny said.

"You're welcome, Ginevra... I am truly sorry that you are forced to do this," she said, sounding genuine.

"So am I, Professor," Ginny said leaving with Firenze.

"Should I ask what you have to do, or will I find out when it happens?" Firenze asked gently. Ginny sighed and shook her head slightly.

"I have to erase the school's memory about Draco and I kissing," Ginny said.

"Oh... Do you have to erase your own as well?" Firenze asked. He already knew the answer by the look on her face, but still wanted to be sure.

"Yes. I wouldn't not want to anyway... I don't think I could handle it if no one else knew about it and I was the only one who remembered," Ginny said quietly.

"Did you bring your bowl?" Firenze asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, I brought it," Ginny said.

Firenze just nodded and led Ginny outside. They walked past students relaxing on the grounds. Students were reading on the benches, while others were looking up at the dark clouds, wishing it would snow instead of rain. Leaves crunched beneath Ginny's boots and she pulled her robe around her tighter as the wind picked up. She filled her bowl with water from the lake then followed Firenze quickly.

"You should be quick. The rain might not hold off for long," Firenze said, ushering her into the Forest.

Ginny walked into the clearing and sat down.

She reluctantly looked at her bowl. Nothing appeared at first, then images appeared, capturing Ginny's attention.

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Draco watched Ginny as she read the Restricted book. She was frowning as she wrote down the spell. Carefully folding the parchment, she put it in her pocket then went up to Madam Pince.

"Thank you, Madam Pince," she said.

The librarian nodded then waved her wand. The book flew back to the Restricted Section, organising itself in the proper order.

"You should leave quickly... Filch wasn't told of your being out of bed, so if he catches you then you will get into trouble," Pince warned. Ginny nodded.

"Thanks for staying up late for me," Ginny whispered, then slipped out of the library.

Draco followed Ginny out of the library. Seeing a clock, he was surprised at the time. It was almost twelve o'clock!

Expecting Ginny to go into a tapestry, he was surprised when she walked past all of the nearby tapestries and headed to the Hogwarts entrance.

Touching her wand to a nearby door, Ginny whispered a spell that Draco couldn't hear, and the door opened. She slipped outside, Draco following quickly.

Rain poured around them and Draco watched as Ginny pulled the parchment out of her pocket. He saw that her face was wet, and had a feeling that it wasn't rain that was causing it.

"Please don't watch this, Draco," she said softly.

Her voice was quiet, but it seemed to cut through the rain and fill his ears. Taking off his Cloak he looked at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, walking over to her.

"You won't want to know..." Ginny said, putting the parchment in her pocket. Draco smirked.

"I sincerely doubt that, Ginevra," he said. Ginny stepped away from him, tears running down her face freely.

"Don't make this harder for me, Draco. Please, just leave," she begged. Draco shook his head.

"Not yet. I haven't had a good night kiss," he said smirking at her.

Ginny paled and shook her head as she moved back further still. Staring at him, she began to recite the spell.

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The vision stopped and Ginny shook her head slightly. She looked into the bowl again and watched as her reflection faded out of sight.

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Fred and George watched as the Patil twins walked away, as if it was the first time they'd seen them. Considering the fact that the two girls were three years younger than them and not friends with Ron, Harry or Hermione, it probably was.

"Are you two all right?" Ginny asked waving a hand in front of their faces.

"Fine... Who are those two?" Fred and George asked.

"The one in the green robes is Padma Patil. The one in red is Parvati Patil," Ginny replied.

"They seem familiar..." Fred said.

"Have we met them before?" George asked.

"You might have, but I doubt it... They're coming to tonight, so you can meet them then," Ginny said.

"Why them?" They asked in shock.

"The Patil twins are also Gemini. The sign of Gemini is twins, right?"

Fred and George nodded, wondering where this was going.

"Well, the twins shared a soul, but they had their own souls... You and Fred share the soul of one twin. Padma and Parvati share the soul of the other twin. Since the twins shared the soul, you four are all integrated... Does that make any sense?" Ginny asked with a grin.

"In a weird way, it does..." The twins replied shaking their heads.

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Ginny shook her head. Fred and George and the Patil twins?! In a weird way, what she had said did make sense...

She would have to talk to Parvati and Padma and invite them for Monday's meeting...

Checking her watch, Ginny stood up and emptied the water on a tree then headed out of the Forbidden Forest.

"Did you See anything of interest?" Firenze asked her.

"Yes..." Ginny replied vaguely.

Firenze looked up at the sky. Thunder rolled in the dark clouds and a flash of lightning appeared in the distance. A few girls screamed and ran inside. Ginny shook her head.

"It's not going to rain until tonight," Firenze said.

"I know..." Ginny said then walked inside slowly for her next lesson.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginny walked into the History of Magic classroom and sat down to wait for Binns. After a few minutes, Ginny pulled out her Vampire book and turned to where the bookmark was.

When a Vampiress takes care of a being, whether it be mortal, human, beast or animal, that particular being will become fiercely loyal to the Vampiress.

An example of this is the Vampiress Elder Anne. When she healed a wounded Pogrebin, even after it tried to attack her, the Pogrebin was loyal to Anne for the rest of its life. The Pogrebin was a very attentive lookout and often saved Anne's life. Even after repaying its debt towards Anne, the Pogrebin refused to leave her.

Other examples include Vampire Elder Xavier and Vampiress Elder Agnes, both of whom worked together to save Norwegian Ridgeback from a Great White Shark that it had been trying to carry off in the early 1700's. The dragon became very loyal to the two Elders, and in turn, taught its children and grandchildren to respect the two Elders and anyone else within the favour of the Elders.

"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley," Binns said as he floated through the wall. "I apologise for being late, but Peeves has been being quite reckless lately and the ghosts were required to meet with the Bloody Baron," he explained.

"That's fine, Professor. I was able to catch up on some reading," Ginny said with a grin.

Binns just nodded and sat at his desk.

"What do you know of the House-Elf Uprise?" Binns asked Ginny.

"The House-Elf Uprise started in 1802 due to the Vampire's mistreating the house-elves," Ginny said. Binns nodded.

"You've tried to get something from a house-elf and were refused, I presume?" He asked looking at her over his spectacles.

"Breakfast from the kitchens," Ginny said.

Binns nodded. He had often seen Fred and George in the kitchens while they were at Hogwarts, so Ginny knowing where the kitchen was wasn't a big surprise.

"Is there any way around the house-elf laws?" Ginny asked.

"It's not only house-elf laws that prevent you from being served, it is also the law of your own kind, Miss Weasley... There is a book about the Uprise and treaty and laws that were made at the end of it if you would like to read it," Binns said. "The bookshelf closest to the door on the third shelf. It's a blue book with the title 'House-Elf Uprise' on it... I didn't make up the title," he added when Ginny raised an eyebrow at the title.

She grinned and found the book he said. Taking it to her table, she began to read the book.

This book contains information about the House-Elf Uprise in 1802. There are accounts from house-elves that show exactly why they agreed on an uprise.

There are also accounts from both the leader of the Vampire's and the leader of the house-elves during the Uprise, and at the treaty. The laws that were agreed upon are listed at the end of the book, but it is recommended that you read the entire book instead of just skipping to the end.

There are four reasons for this... The first reason for this recommendation is that we have spent a lot of time in making this book accurate and want you to read it. The second reason is that both sides of the uprise want you to read the information so you don't make the same mistakes. The third reason is so you can actually get your money's worth and not spend... however much this book is going to cost just to read the last chapter! The final reason, and probably most important, is that I took a bloody long time in writing this book so therefore, you have to read all of it!

Ginny grinned and shook her head. Binns took the opportunity to get her attention again.

"Miss Weasley? I suggest that you go read that somewhere more comfortable than in this room," he said kindly.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said as she stood up.

"Don't forget to continue reading Compos Mentis. It is for your own protection," Binns warned. "Oh, and one more thing. I wouldn't normally suggest this, mind you... I think you should change the cover of the book and do not lend the book to Miss Granger. The house-elves are quite upset with her and if she finds this book, then they fear that she will start up her S.P.E.W campaign again," Binns said with a small frown that could have been a smile.

"Yes sir... She isn't doing Care of Magical Creatures, so I can change it to something about Flobberworms. I doubt that she'll want to read that," Ginny said grinning.

"That will be fine," he said. "Just do not forget to return it to me and not Hagrid," he said, dismissing her.

"I won't forget, sir," Ginny said as she left the classroom.

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Going over to one of the tapestries, Ginny went down to her room. As she got closer to her room, Ginny heard noises from inside. Frowning, she opened the door cautiously and walked in, her dagger in her hand.

"Someone's coming, be quiet," Colin whispered.

Shaking her head, Ginny let the dagger return to her boot and walked over to the meeting room.

"She's not supposed to be here yet," Pansy whispered back.

"It might be Draco," Gregory said.

"It's Ginevra," Luna said.

"I can hear you, so you can all stop whispering now," Ginny said as she walked into the room. "What's going on?" She asked looking at the others.

"I wanted to talk to you, and everyone ended up following me," Pansy said glaring at the others.

"What do you want to talk about?" Ginny asked, wondering what could be so interesting to have grabbed everyone's attention.

"She wanted to talk about us," Vincent said smirking at Gregory.

"And you all want to know about that?" Ginny asked looking at the others.

"I just wanted to hear some good gossip," Millicent said smirking.

"So where's Blaise and Draco?" Ginny asked as she sat down on the lounge.

"No idea... They left after breakfast and we haven't seen them all day," Theodore said with a shrug.

"Well, I've got to read this book, so can we talk about it tonight after dinner?" Ginny asked Pansy.

"Sleep over!" Luna said laughing happily.

"I don't do sleep over's..." Pansy drawled.

"Yeah, for her it should be a bloody talk over," Millicent grumbled.

"Well, you can still come over tonight. You don't have to crash here if you don't want," Ginny said grinning at them.

"Can we all come over?" Neville asked.

"Why not? I haven't had a sleep over in ages," Ginny said.

"We're not going to have to play something stupid like Truth or Dare, are we?" Pansy drawled. She threw the popcorn back at Millicent.

"You don't have to. I want to get as much juice out of all of you as I can!" Millicent said laughing.

"Shouldn't you be talking to Lavender and Parvati about that?" Pansy drawled.

Ginny shook her head as she listened to the two of them bicker. She opened her book and started reading. Stopping at a paragraph in shock, Ginny re-read it a few times to make sure that what she was reading was right.

Mistress locked me in a room. My brother, Bolly tried to help me get out, but Mistress wouldn't let me go until Bolly had finished his job. Mistress didn't let me out of the room for six weeks and I couldn't do anything.

Underneath the account was a note by the author.

Bolly, Netar's brother, had the job of bringing Muggles to their Mistress' house so that she could drink them. Even though Bolly did as he was asked that night, their Mistress still would not let Netar leave the room.

"Are you all right?" Colin asked, seeing that Ginny had gone a pale shade of green.

"Yeah..." Ginny muttered, putting the book down.

Manx, her Patronus manticore had shown her that in a vision! The "Mistress" was Virginia!

"I better get going... You can see yourselves out, I presume?" Ginny said with a grin. "McGonagall wasn't happy that I was late yesterday and that was only by a few minutes. I'm going to see if I can get there early and frown when she's late," Ginny said smirking.

"Evil much?" Pansy asked smirking at her.

"Me? Evil? Never..." Ginny said, laughing evilly as she left.

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Ginny arrived in the Transfiguration classroom and saw that McGonagall was already there. Slightly annoyed, Ginny wondered whether McGonagall ever left the classroom.

"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley. Nice to see you early for once," Minerva said.

Thankfully for Gryffindor House, Ginny didn't have the chance to reply. Tonks burst through the door dramatically, her neon green hair setting off her bright baby blue eyes. She brushed the long bangs out of her eyes with shimmering turquoise fingernails.

"Hey, we're all here!" She said grinning.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, Nymphadora," McGonagall drawled with a sniff.

Tonks ignored both the insult and the use of her first name.

"Oh, you're welcome! Are you doing the lesson today, or am I? I have some... business to take care of in Remus' office," Tonks said with a wink at Ginny.

"We're both doing the lesson today," McGonagall said sternly.

Tonks' face fell considerably and her hair began to go a light brown shade. Her eyes and nails dimmed and McGonagall sighed.

"Fine! Just leave if you're going to act childish," McGonagall said.

"Always works! See you!" Tonks said grinning. Her appearance returned to its former glory and she winked at Ginny before leaving quickly.

"Very well, now that she's sorted, I think we can organise our lesson," McGonagall said smiling at Ginny.

"Yes, Professor," Ginny replied. She was slightly wary of McGonagall's sudden change in attitude.

"How long do you usually stay in a transformation?" Minerva asked.

"Not that long... I stayed in phoenix form for an hour, I think, but other than that I usually stay in the form for a few minutes only," Ginny said.

"How would you like to go around the castle for a while? It may be necessary for you in future years to stay in one form for a prolonged period of time. You won't be able to do that if you are not used to the strain and draining it involves," McGonagall said. "Cat form should do. I suggest that you do not go in a form similar to Mrs. Norris," she said, rubbing one of her ears subconsciously.

"Thank you for the advice, Professor," Ginny said with a smirk.

She started to change her body and closed her eyes as the ground rushed up to meet her. Landing on four paws with a loud 'meow', Ginny stopped for a moment to get used to the new body. Although this feline was obviously not the same beast, Ginny could feel the same gracefulness she had felt with the nundu. Stretching out one paw, she admired her rust-red colour before a noise nearby made her ears twitch. Looking in the direction, Ginny saw the McGonagall was beside her in cat form as well.

"If you are finished admiring yourself... Hurry up, we will not have much time," McGonagall meowed at Ginny. With an apologetic sound, Ginny followed Minerva out of the classroom.

Minerva obviously knew her way around the castle at such a low view. After a while Ginny was completely lost, whereas McGonagall was making her way around like she knew it as she knew the back of her wand.

Sniffing, Ginny realised that she recognised the smell. Draco! With an excited meow, Ginny bounded forward, ignoring Minerva's calls. She wound her way around his feet, purring happily. Two hands picked her up and looked at her for a moment.

"Ginevra?" He asked, sounding shocked.

Ginny meowed happily and purred, rubbing against his hands. There was a hiss from Draco's feet and she looked down. Minerva was hissing at her, and was not happy. Ginny meowed and went to jump out of Draco's hands.

"I'll put you down, just a second," he said, putting her on the ground.

Minerva hissed at Ginny again and swiped at her with a paw. Ginny meowed softly in apology then with one more rub against Draco's ankles, she followed Minerva down the corridor.

"That was different..." Blaise said. Draco just nodded.

"You're not supposed to make yourself seen!" Minerva hissed at Ginny once they were back inside the Transfiguration classroom.

"You didn't tell me that," Ginny said softly. Minerva faltered, then hissed again.

"You should still have more common sense than that!" Minerva said. "Now change back," she instructed.

Ginny changed back into her human form, reluctant to lose the grace she had felt.

"What if it had been an enemy? You would have walked straight into them!" Minerva admonished.

"I knew who it was... I recognised his smell," she finished, knowing how lame she sounded.

"You recognised his smell..." Minerva repeated.

Ginny couldn't tell if she was saying it in disbelief or worry.

"Yes... Is that normal?" Ginny asked.

"It may be," McGonagall replied vaguely. "You should go to lunch now," she said, dismissing Ginny.

Ginny left the lesson, wondering why McGonagall was letting her leave five minutes early.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Hey Ginny! I thought you didn't finish until lunch actually started..." Colin said.

"McGonagall let me out early," Ginny replied with a shrug.

"A short announcement before lunch is served..." Dumbledore said, standing up at the teacher's table. "Firstly, there are Quidditch tryouts next weekend."

People started to talk excitedly. Dumbledore looked at them until they were quiet again before he continued to speak.

"Silence until I have finished, if you please... Secondly, next weekend is also a Hogsmeade weekend for third years and above," he announced. "So no one misses out, if you wish to participate in both events next weekend, then there will be afternoon carriages for those teams that finish their tryouts at lunchtime. Those that have their tryouts after lunch can use the same carriages to return to Hogwarts. But for now, enjoy the feast," Dumbledore said, sitting down again.

"That's great... I wonder when our tryouts are," Colin said, subconsciously touching his camera.

"Hi Ginny!" Ron called from down the table.

She waved at him then turned back to Colin and Neville. Ron frowned and called out to her again.

"What do you want, Ron?" Ginny asked finally going over to her brother.

"I just wanted to say hi," he said.

"You already said that," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, I wanted to see how you were too," Ron said, ignoring Hermione.

"You could have walked down to me, Ron," Ginny said raising an eyebrow at him.

"I know, but I'm too lazy for that," he said with a boyish grin.

"I'm sure you are... I'm fine, thanks for asking. Is there anything else you wanted?" Ginny asked.

"What Quidditch position are you trying out for?" Ron asked.

"Mr. Weasley... I suggest that you either move over or let Miss Weasley return to her seat. I am sure you would not wish for your sister to faint from hunger now, would you?" Snape drawled behind them.

"No," Ron said reluctantly.

As Ron didn't move or say anything else to her, Ginny went back to her seat between Neville and Colin. Snape watched after her, then continued to go up to the teacher's table.

"What was all that about?" Neville asked.

"He's annoyed that I'm getting so much attention from other people and he's not," Ginny said with a shrug.

"What did he want?" Colin asked.

"At first he just wanted to say hello. Then he wanted to ask how I was and then he wanted to ask what position I'll be going for," Ginny said.

"So what position are you going for?" Colin asked.

"I don't know if I'm going to tryout yet..."

"Why not?" Colin and Neville asked in shock.

"I have the tendency to get insulted easily while I'm on the Quidditch Pitch; I have more power and speed than everyone else; and I am a danger to the other players..." Ginny said simply.

"Surely you're not that much of a danger that you can't play Quidditch!" Colin protested.

"I could be... I haven't been on a broom since before I found out," Ginny said with a shrug.

"That was almost a month ago!" Colin said in shock.

"So? Contrary to popular Weasley belief, my entire life does not revolve around Quidditch," she said with a grin.

"It will when the season's started," Neville said grinning at her.

"I didn't say it wouldn't then..." She replied smirking.

"Are you going to the Quidditch..." Neville began to ask, but was cut off.

"Ginny? Can I talk to you for a moment?" Seamus asked looking at her.

"Neville was speaking before you were, Seamus," Ginny said with a glare at him.

"Sorry... Go ahead Nev," he said with a grin.

"It's fine. I can talk to you when you get back," Neville said to Ginny.

"I won't be that long," Seamus added quickly.

Ginny nodded and followed him out of the Great Hall.

"WouldyougotoHogsmeadewithme?" Seamus asked quickly, his Irish accent becoming so thick that Ginny was only barely able to decipher his words.

"You just asked me to Hogsmeade, right?" Ginny asked to confirm. Seamus nodded, going red.

"Yeah. I was wondering if you would go to Hogsmeade with me?" He said at a slower pace, not as nervous this time.

"I can't accept your offer, Seamus. I don't even know if I'll be going yet," Ginny tried to explain.

"Oh, that's fine. I was just wondering," he said smiling at her.

"Thanks for asking," she said as they went back into the Great Hall.

"It's all right. Good luck with the tryouts," Seamus said as he went back to his seat.

Ginny sat down and turned to Neville again.

"Sorry, you were saying?" She asked.

"Ginny?" Dean asked from beside her. "Could I talk to you for a moment?" He asked.

"All right... I'll be right back," Ginny said to Neville, who just grinned and waved her off.

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" Dean asked as soon as they were out of the Great Hall.

"No, I'm sorry Dean. I don't even know if I'll be going yet," Ginny said. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" She asked.

"Uh... Well... We're not official yet," he stammered.

"So does the official part come before or after the tapestry?" Ginny asked.

Dean just went back inside quickly and chose not to reply.

"Did they both ask you to Hogsmeade?" Colin asked.

"Yes... I'm starting to think of writing, 'no' on my forehead, just so I don't have to get up again," Ginny joked.

"Funny..." Neville said. He blushed as Blaise caught his eye and Ginny nudged Neville lightly.

"Did you ask Blaise to come by tonight?" She asked him.

"Ask me where?" Blaise said behind them. He sat beside Neville and looked at Ginny curiously. "What's happening tonight and why haven't I been invited yet?" he asked, smirking at them.

"I'm having a kind of sleep over tonight. Only for our group though," Ginny said in a quiet tone.

"Really? That's going to be interesting..." Blaise said. "So, were you going to ask me?" He asked Neville.

"I was going to later," Neville said quietly.

"Are you embarrassed about us?" Blaise asked Neville softly.

"No! I just wasn't sure if you wanted everyone knowing..." Neville said, his face bright red.

"And what gave you that idea?" Blaise asked as he began kissing Neville.

"Uh..." Neville murmured, unable to respond.

"That is disgusting! What are you doing?!" Lavender screeched at the two boys.

"What did it look like we were doing, Brown?" Blaise sneered at her. "A first year would know what we were doing!" He said when she didn't respond. He called over a younger looking child from further down the table. "You a first year? Did you see what we were doing?" Blaise asked. The boy nodded bravely on both counts. "Good. Tell Miss Brown what my boyfriend and I were doing," Blaise said.

"They were just kissing," the boy said to Lavender, slightly confused by her reaction.

"Thanks kid... Here, have a Sickle," Blaise said, giving the young boy a silver Sickle.

The boy stared at the Sickle, then at Blaise. He ran off before Blaise could change his mind.

"Hope that answers your question..." Blaise drawled at Lavender.

Ginny tried not to laugh at Lavender's expression. She had gone a very bright shade that, until then, Ginny had thought only Ron could achieve. Lavender was glaring at Blaise and one of her veins seemed to pulse at her temple.

"Do you think she's going to explode?" Colin whispered to Ginny, who barely refrained herself from laughing.

Colin started taking photos of Lavender. The bright flash snapped her out of her state, and she returned to her normal colour, much to Colin's disappointment.

"Stupid flash... Can't get the right lighting without it, and I can't get the right picture with it..." Colin grumbled.

Ginny looked around the Great Hall and saw Tom sitting further down the table. He looked bored and didn't realise that Lavender was trying to get his attention by mouthing silent words.

"I'll be right back," Ginny said. "Sorry Luna. I'll be back in a minute," she said as she passed Luna in the small aisle between the tables.

"That's fine, Ginevra," Luna said and sat by Colin.

Ginny walked over to Tom, whom Lavender was trying to mouth words to unsuccessfully. Ginny forced herself to smile at the seventh year.

"Hi... I'm Ginny," she introduced herself.

"I know who you are... I'm Thomas; Tom," he said. "Thanks for getting me out of the Forbidden Forest before..." Tom said. "We didn't mean to wander off. We just wanted to look around the clearing," Tom said.

"It's all right... Mind if I sit down?" Ginny asked.

Tom moved over a bit for her and she sat down, continuing to talk to him.

"What is she doing?" Blaise asked Neville.

"No idea..." Neville said with a shrug. "Do you know what she's doing, Luna?" He asked.

"Well, it can be one of three things. Firstly, she doesn't want to be afraid anymore and she's facing her fears. Secondly, she's trying to take control of her future by befriending one of the people who will affect it so much. Or lastly she's just talking to him," Luna said. "I think it's the first two options, but that's just my opinion," she said with a eerie smile.

"I'm sorry about the five of you getting into trouble with Hagrid... Is the detention bad?" Ginny asked Tom.

"It's surprisingly all right. We don't have to serve detention with Filch, which is really good," Tom said with a grin. "Dumbledore offered to take our detention... He's an odd character, don't you think?" He asked quietly.

"Slightly odd... But then, all genius' are odd characters," Ginny said with a laugh.

She saw that Lavender had given up trying to 'talk' to Tom and instead was now glaring at him. Parvati looked extremely bored and annoyed by Lavender, Ginny noted.

"I've got to talk to someone else, but I'll talk to you tomorrow at lunch, ok?" Ginny asked.

"Look forward to it," Tom said smiling.

"Parvati? Can I talk to you in private for a minute?" Ginny asked her.

"Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of me too," Lavender said glaring at Ginny.

"It's all right Lavender. I won't be long," Parvati said, getting up and following Ginny out of the Great Hall.

"I'm having a sleep over tonight and I wanted to invite you and your sister..." Ginny said.

"Oh, that's... nice of you. I understand why you'd want to invite Padma, but why me?" Parvati asked, frowning.

"I just want to get to know you better while you're not around Lavender. No offence," Ginny added quickly.

"Believe me, none is taken..." Parvati said, glancing back to the Great Hall.

"Would you like to come over tonight then?" Ginny asked smiling at her.

"I... I want to, but if Lavender finds out... She's going to hate me for it," Parvati said shaking her head.

"You don't have to feel pressured to come. It's all right. I understand," Ginny said smiling at her. "If you change your mind, then just find Neville or Colin later tonight," she said. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Lavender about this," Ginny said. Parvati nodded. "You better go back in before Lavender thinks that I've sucked you dry," Ginny said with a wink.

Parvati laughed, then clamped her hand over her mouth, as if she had betrayed Lavender. She looked at the ground, then sighed and went back into the Great Hall.

Ginny followed her in then went over to Padma and sat beside her.

"Hi Padma. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ginny asked.

"Sure," Padma said, following Ginny to a quieter corner of the Slytherin table.

"I'm having a sleep over tonight. Did you want to come?" Ginny asked her.

"Who else is going to be there?" Padma asked.

"Pansy, Gregory, Vincent, Blaise, Neville, Theodore, Millicent, Colin, and Luna," Ginny said. "I'm going to ask Draco next."

"I saw you with Parvati. Is she going?" Padma asked, looking over at her sister.

"She wants to, but she said no in case Lavender finds out. I left the invitation open for her," Ginny said.

"All right. I'll come... How do I get into the Gryffindor Tower?" Padma asked.

"My room's not in there, so you won't have to. Just go with the rest of them. They know how to get in. I'll tell you how to get to my rooms when you're in there... Less ears then," Ginny said. Padma nodded.

"Ok. I'll talk Parvati into it... Never liked Lavender," Padma muttered. Ginny smirked.

"Ok, see you later," Ginny said.

She walked down the Slytherin table to where Draco was sitting.

"Hello Draco. Can we talk for a minute?" Ginny asked. Draco looked at her for a second then nodded and followed her out of the Great Hall.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I'm having a sleep over tonight. Did you want to come? The rest of the group's coming too," she added before he could misinterpret what the sleep over actually was.

"Where are we all going to sleep? Your room's not big enough for all eleven of us," he drawled smirking at her.

"Actually, it's twelve of us... It may be thirteen though. We're all going to sleep in one of my extra rooms, not my room... You see, there's this little thing called magic and it can make a room seem bigger than it really is," Ginny said slowly, smirking triumphantly.

"Fine... I'll go to your sleep over thing. As long as I get a good night kiss," Draco said softly, smirking at her.

"Now that depends on how good you are at the sleep over thing," she mocked grinning.

"Agreed," he said, holding out a hand. Ginny shook it and tingles ran up her arm.

"Agreed..." She said, then went back into the Great Hall to eat the rest of her lunch in what little time she had left.

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"See you all at dinner," Ginny called as she headed down to the dungeons.

"Miss Weasley... Our lesson is at the Quidditch Pitch today, not in the dungeons," Snape said behind her.

"Ok... Can I ask why?" Ginny asked.

"As you probably know, I accidentally heard your conversation with your brother. Albus heard what you said about not going for the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts and asked myself and Madam Hooch to instruct you on a broom again. I am already aware that you know how to fly, as shown by your spectac... your performance last season," Snape said.

Ginny grinned, knowing he was going to say 'spectacular performance'... Well, she had learnt from Charlie.

"But if you are to keep your emotions under control while you are trying to maintain a normal speed while flying, then you need to relearn. Is that understood?" He asked.

"Yes, sir... Thank you," Ginny said.

Snape just nodded and didn't say another thing until they were at the Quidditch Pitch.

"Madam Hooch," he said in recognition.

"Professor Snape," she replied curtly. "Miss Weasley, if you will please find a broom, we can begin. I would appreciate that we finish this before the rain starts to come down," Hooch said.

Ginny went over to the broom cupboard and brought her Comet 180 out.

"Sturdy broom, slightly old and frayed, but it will have to do for now," Hooch observed. Ginny nodded and mounted the broomstick. "You may want to remove your robe before we begin, Miss Weasley," she said.

With a quick grin, Ginny took her robe off, the cool wind biting at her previously warm clothes. Doing a small spell, Ginny relaxed as the wind seemed to go around her rather than through her.

She rose up into the air and watched as both Hooch and Snape flew up to her, Snape with the Quaffle under his arm.

"As you are a Chaser for your team, Madam Hooch will jostle you for a while and try to get the Quaffle from you. I will make sure that you don't overreact or use your powers when things get rough," Snape said.

"All right," Ginny said.

Severus threw the Quaffle to her. Almost as soon as she'd caught the Quaffle, Madam Hooch came barrelling into Ginny's side. With a small grunt of pain, Ginny barely managed to keep hold of the Quaffle.

She was shocked that this thin, wiry woman had so much strength! But then, knowing her own form was fairly small and thin too, Ginny realised that the opposition probably thought the same thing about her.

Hooch tried to wrestle the Quaffle from her and Ginny held it tighter beneath her arm. As Hooch tried to get it with more force, Ginny applied more force to the Quaffle in an attempt to keep it. More force was supplied by Hooch, in turn making Ginny hold the Quaffle tighter again. After Hooch tried one more time, there was a loud bang and Ginny felt a very large stinging sensation in her arm. Looking at where the Quaffle had original been, Ginny was shocked to see only strips and pieces of scarlet leather on her arm.

"What!? I... The Quaffle... How? What happened?" Ginny asked in shock.

That ball was supposed to be magically reinforced against bursting! Daisy Pennifold had not only bewitched the Quaffle so that it didn't plummet to the ground, but she had also made that it wouldn't burst if it had hit the ground, due to there being sharp rocks around some Quidditch playing areas.

"Do not worry, Miss Weasley. That was not the real Quaffle. It's just a duplicate," Hooch said.

"You could have told me that before..." Ginny muttered. Hooch looked at her sternly for a moment before continuing.

"Although, the spells were the same, so next time don't use as much pressure when holding the ball. When someone fights you with the same amount of aggressiveness that I did, then you can let it go. Firstly, it won't make people suspicious that you've got more strength than them. Secondly, it may surprise the opponent enough for them to loosen their grip on the Quaffle," Hooch said.

"Yes, Madam Hooch," Ginny said.

"Your emotions allowed your mind shield to come down momentarily. I doubt that anyone's going to try and get into your mind during a Quidditch match, but as lots of parents come to watch the games, you may want to be careful. I am not the only one skilled in Occulmency," Snape drawled.

"Yes, sir," Ginny said.

Balancing on her broom carefully, Ginny flicked her wand at the shreds of leather. They all rearranged themselves and soon a Quaffle was floating down to the ground. Without a word, she flew upwards, going vertical before spinning her broom downwards and shooting past the two adults. Spiralling as she plummeted downwards, Ginny caught the Quaffle and pulled up from the ground grinning triumphantly.

"Miss Weasley!" Snape yelled.

She flew up to him meekly and waited for a reprimand.

"Next time you do that, don't fly so close to Severus. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack," Hooch said, her hawk eyes twinkling as she shook with suppressed laughter.

"Don't do that when it's not necessary for you to do so. Showing off is not an agreeable trait for anyone, Miss Weasley," Snape said. Although his tone was considerably light, his words made Ginny feel ashamed and she nodded briefly.

"Sorry, sir," she said. Snape nodded then took the Quaffle from her.

"Again," he said, handing the Quaffle to Hooch this time. "Remember. Don't use as much force. You don't want to knock out someone's teeth... As entertaining as that might be," he said smirking.

"Don't give her ideas, Severus," Hooch warned.

"Of course not, Rolanda," Snape drawled frostily.

Ginny shook her head at them, then went to take the Quaffle from Hooch, whose hand instinctively closed around the leather ball.

Ginny contemplated tickling Hooch, but didn't think that the action would be appreciated. Wondering if the move was illegal or not in an actual Quidditch game, Ginny put it in the back of her mind as she fought to take hold of the Quaffle.

"Not so much force, Miss Weasley," Snape's voice cut through the wind and she glared.

Still trying to take the Quaffle without as much force, Ginny barely managed to move back from Hooch's fist. Hooch pulled her fist back, grinning at Ginny.

"No contact, no foul," Hooch said.

Ginny just nodded and kept trying to get the Quaffle from Hooch's single-handed death grip. She went to pull back from the Quaffle, but Hooch only gripped the ball tighter.

"For the Gods sakes! How am I supposed to get the bloody Quaffle from her? She's probably got it stuck to her hand or something!" Ginny muttered after another five minutes of unsuccessfully trying to get the ball back from Hooch.

"Nonsense, Miss Weasley. It is against the rules to start with and secondly, I would never stoop that low to glue the Quaffle to my hand," Hooch said with a sniff. "There is a simple manoeuvre for releasing the Quaffle from someone. All you need to do is take their middle finger and pull it away from the object. Then the rest of the person's fingers will follow..." Hooch said.

She threw the Quaffle to Snape in order to demonstrate. He held the Quaffle with a reluctant sigh and Hooch flew over to him. Grabbing his middle finger, she lifted it enough to pull the two side fingers up and loosen the ball from his grip. Once that was done, she snatched the Quaffle with lightning speed from him and turned to Ginny.

"That's all there is to it," she said simply. "It also works well against people trying to attack you or grab you," she added.

"Of course... Just that and concentrating on flying at high speeds while dodging Bludgers... Sounds as easy as learning the alphabet," Ginny drawled.

"Well, you did learn the alphabet, therefore you can learn this," Rolanda retorted grinning at her. "We won't need you anymore, Severus. As you said, no one is going to try and read her mind during a Quidditch match," she said to Snape in a dismissive tone.

"Do not think that you are going to dismiss me that easily," Snape drawled at her.

"I won't have to think it if you just leave," Hooch growled.

"Madam Hooch? I think I have to go now anyway. I need to get to my next lesson," Ginny interrupted.

"Fine, Miss Weasley," Hooch said.

"Thank you for your assistance, Madam Hooch," Snape said frostily.

"You're welcome," Hooch replied, her tone matching Severus'.

Ginny flew down to the Quidditch Pitch and put her Comet 180 back in the broom cupboard. Looking around, she found that her robe had blown down the Quidditch Pitch. Too tired and getting colder with every minute, Ginny didn't want to walk down there and get it. Taking her wand out of her pocket, she pointed it down at the billowing material.

"Accio robe!" She called, taking the warming spell off of her body at the same time.

Her robe flew towards her quickly. Ginny caught her robe and put it on, shivering as the robe now chilled her body instead of warm it, as it had done before. Rubbing her arms, Ginny grabbed her bag and headed back to the castle quickly.

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Ginny entered the Room of Requirement and saw Dumbledore waiting for her.

He smiled at her as he indicated for her to sit down.

"I think that you should get warm before we are to leave," he said kindly. "Where we are going does not require flying, nor Apparation, so there is no need for you to worry about getting a chill," Albus said smiling.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Ginny asked curiously.

"As the glass was broken during your test, the rest of it will have to be completed at the Headquarters," he said. "We will get there via the Floo Network," Albus said, answering Ginny's next question.

A fireplace appeared behind him and he threw some Floo Powder into the flames. Indicating for Ginny to go first, he looked at her.

"You remember what to say, I presume?" He asked.

"I remember," Ginny said with a nod and stepped into the green flames. "12 Grimmauld Place, Order of the Phoenix Headquarters," she said clearly.

Dumbledore's smiling face disappeared and Ginny stepped out of the fireplace at 12 Grimmauld Place.

Glancing around, Ginny saw the tapestry and went over to it. She prodded her own name before tracing along the lines of her ancestry. She saw Draco's name at the other end of the tapestry, showing just how distantly related they actually were. Looking up, Ginny saw Virginia's name and scowled. Then she saw something that shocked her. Ginny went closer to the two names, just to be certain they were really who she thought they were.

"Ah, Miss Weasley. I see you have taken an interest in the tapestry," Albus said from behind her.

"Why didn't you tell me I'm related to Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes?!" Ginny demanded, pointing to the two names on the tapestry.

"After you announced it in the Forbidden Forest, I thought it would have been obvious to you," Albus said with a shrug.

Ginny looked at him blankly, trying to recall exactly when she had said anything about being related to Xavier and Agnes.

"Daughter of the four great bloodlines; Torleni, Weasley, Prewett and Malfoy..." She muttered, Albus nodding in agreement.

"Exactly. Now we must hurry if you are to finish the test in time for your next lesson," he said, quickly ushering her along the hallway.

Coming to the meeting room, Ginny could see that the drapes were shut firmly and the candles were lit, emitting a soft glow. Guiding Ginny inside, Dumbledore shut the door so no outside light could filter through.

"Thank you, my friend," Xavier said, coming out from the shadows.

"You are always welcome, my Lord," Albus replied.

"My Lord," Ginny said with a bow.

"Hello, my daughter. I understand that you only just realised of your relation to me?" Xavier said smiling at her. "Did you think that we called everyone upon meeting 'daughter'?" He asked, still smiling.

"I was not aware that you only reserved the title for those related to you, my Lord," Ginny confirmed.

"That is understandable... I see that you did not bring your brothers to meet me. Are all of your siblings the same as they are?" Xavier asked.

"No, my Lord. Fred and George are definitely unique in the aspect of their joy in life. My mother is grateful that my siblings are not like the twins," Ginny said with a smile. Xavier nodded in understanding.

"We should begin now. If you will please sit in the chair," Xavier said, indicating to the chair that had appeared beside him.

The blue light floated above the chair and Ginny eyed it nervously before sitting down.

"Try to relax... The memories may become too much, but you must try to hold on this time," Xavier said kindly.

Ginny nodded. Albus waved his wand and glass surrounded her. Ginny shut her eyes tightly as the ball of light flew into her forehead.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In fast forward, her memories from age four to ten flew past her mind. The orb seemed to find the last memory she had shown them instinctively and then came to a slow stop, continuing in the normal flow.

Ginny watched as Harry and Ron searched through the library over Christmas. She knew what they were looking for, but she couldn't tell them what she knew. She didn't want to tell them what she knew. Telling would betray Tom. She couldn't do that to him. Not when she loved him so much...

She wrote to Tom over Christmas, upset that she hadn't even been spared a single thought other than to say 'Merry Christmas' and 'Mum always sends you better jumpers'. Tom comforted Ginny and encouraged her to go down to the Chamber. He would spend Christmas with her. Ginny made up a lame excuse about meeting Colin. Neither of the boys even looked up from their game of wizard's chess. They hadn't even realised that she had spoken, let alone the fact that Colin had returned home for the Christmas holiday.

Ginny went down to the girl's bathroom and Tom helped her open the Chamber. She was more aware when he took her over now and in her own time, she was practising the hissed words he used to open the Chamber. She wanted to see if she could get in on her own...

Ginny spent New Year's Eve with Colin, Luna and Neville. She wanted to confide in them about Tom, but she knew that she couldn't do that. Tom was her secret, and they might not like her if she voiced her opinions about who she thought was really Petrifying the people. So she just smiled, watched as the twins let off some fire crackers in the Common Room, then said 'Happy New Year' and went to bed.

Ginny's grades dropped considerably. All she did was think about Tom. She wrote to him for most of her day, even writing to him during class if she thought she could get away with it. The teachers didn't seem to mind, as they all thought she was just taking notes on what they had said. Tom helped her with work if it was necessary. He had a brilliant mind and already knew more about magic than she could ever hope to know. So it began that he began teaching her. Every day, Ginny would go down to the Chamber and Tom would teach her about his kind of magic. He always seemed to make it interesting and fun, not like the boring teachers who always seemed to make the magic so mundane and full of rules and responsibilities. Ginny loved the way Tom taught her; she loved Tom.

Hermione was Petrified and this made Ginny further excluded from Ron and Harry than ever before. They spent all of their time in the library or in the hospital wing, looking after Hermione as they never would have done for her. Ginny cried to Tom about the unfairness of it all and as always, he comforted her with his charming words of reassurance and love.

Ginny was scared. Tom was no longer loving and calm. He wanted more information about Harry. He always wanted more... Ginny knew now that he had only been using her. When she confronted him about it, he'd only replied with 'you will only ever be used. No one will want you if you don't have a use for them'. His words had broken her and brought her to tears. Tom never lied, and now was no different.

She tried to talk to Ron and Harry at breakfast. They looked mildly interested but she couldn't tell them where so many people would hear. Percy walked over and glared at her, thinking she was going to tell them about Penelope. She ran from the Great Hall, thinking that she could talk to them at lunchtime.

Ginny didn't even attempt to talk to Tom, but he still managed to take her over, writing the blood-stained message to the Professor's before going down into the Chamber. He opened the Chamber and went back into the diary to recuperate, leaving Ginny cold and alone with the Basilisk.

She shivered, knowing that she wouldn't be found. No one knew where the Chamber was. She didn't know how to get out of the Chamber. Harry and Ron were still busy trying to help Hermione. They didn't have time to worry about her... It was her own fault. She hadn't told them about Tom. She shouldn't have worried about if other people heard. She should have just told them. Then she might not have been in this mess. She'd probably be expelled and disowned from her family, but wasn't that better than dying? Ginny shuddered at both the thought of being disowned and not being able to use magic. Maybe dying was better after all... No one would have to know what she had done and her family wouldn't be ashamed of her.

Ginny was starving. She hadn't eaten at breakfast. She hadn't eaten much during dinner the night before either... In fact, she didn't remember eating a lot over the past three days. After a while, she began to feel dizzy and light-headed. She watched as Tom started to climb out of the diary and her mind filled with darkness as she fainted.

Ginny woke up and saw Harry. She thought it was Tom and stared, her eyes brimming with grateful tears when she saw that it was Harry. Stammering an explanation, she cried about not being allowed to attend Hogwarts and just generally babbled in her confused state of mind. Harry pulled her along the Chamber and she grew quiet again. She saw that he was carrying the diary that had a gaping hole in it and a sword. She wanted to know where he'd found that, but didn't dare ask.

She saw Ron and went to him, tears flowing again. Professor Lockhart no longer looked like the handsome wizard he'd once been. In fact, he was rather repulsive. Harry made her hold Lockhart's hand. They flew out of the Chamber with the help of Fawkes and went along the corridors to Dumbledore's office. The next few hours were a blur; her mother crying, Harry's explanation and something about chocolate blending together to become nothing more than an incomprehensive memory that seemed like it should have been a dream.

Ginny was told off constantly for three week's on end for trusting something that she couldn't see where it's brain was kept. She wasn't allowed to leave the Burrow. Any time she walked into a room, the conversation died instantly. Ginny decided to stay in her room. Her brothers practically ignored her, excepting the occasional glares from Ron and the sympathetic looks from the twins. Bill and Charlie weren't home enough to do anything much, but Ginny still felt like they hated her and they stayed away from the Burrow because she was there. If she had the chance to go back into the Chamber, she would have gladly found some way to die, now that she knew what it was going to be like once she'd been rescued.

She went to do tests with Dumbledore every week. She never got the results, and never knew if she was contaminated or if Voldemort still lingered within her mind. After doing the tests, they returned to the Burrow and Ginny was confined to her room until Dumbledore had left. Even then, she didn't dare come out of her room. She hated seeing the worried and scared looks on her parent's faces. She hated that she scared them. Every night was spent thinking of how she could rid them of their fears, and crying when she couldn't go through with it.

Ginny's acceptance letter to Hogwarts came via owl. It had the same words as the year before, except that she was now in her second year. She went to Diagon Alley with everyone. She kept her head down and blushed when Harry spoke, whether the comment was directed at her or not. Ginny didn't really look where she was going, she just followed her family around.

The threat of her having Voldemort in her was long gone, but that didn't give them all reason to talk to her constantly or look at her. Fred and George were Ginny's only siblings who had accepted the news happily and had immediately gone to her, comforting her with their presence. They'd joked with her and talked with her about the shop they wanted to open. She didn't feel completely back to normal, but being with Fred and George helped her a lot.

Ginny went onto Platform 9 and 3/4 and said goodbye to her parents before boarding the train. She followed Ron and his friends to an empty compartment, sitting with them, but with no real great enthusiasm. She liked Harry, but as he didn't pay attention to her, there was really no point sitting with people who made you feel invisible... A professor was sleeping in their compartment. Well it seemed that he was asleep, but Ginny didn't buy it. She didn't say anything though, just in case she was wrong...

The train stopped and they all looked around. The window started to freeze and the air became chilly. The compartment door unlocked and a Dementor floated in. Tom's voice, words and images filled her head. She began to tremble, then rock and then she started shaking, but her terror barely got more than a glance as Harry fainted. The professor-who-wasn't-asleep said a spell and the Dementor left. He gave her a small piece of chocolate and handed Harry a larger portion when he woke up.

Ginny watched as they left in the carriages then went over to the transport provided for the second-years. She went with Colin and Luna to the Sorting Feast, but she didn't talk to them much. She knew that they were scared of her. They didn't say as much, but from their faces and sidelong glances, she knew that they hated her for what she'd done the year before. Ginny had no idea that Dumbledore hadn't told any of the Petrified people who had Petrified them. She knew that Hermione knew and that was enough to make her edgy.

Ginny was in her dorm room. The other girls didn't hear the whispered silencing spell, and Ginny cried herself to sleep.

Ginny made it through her second year without much incident. Without much of anything really... She didn't talk to Neville, Colin or Luna much, but they were always there for her, no matter what. Ron, Harry and Hermione were off on another adventure without her and Ginny was alone.

Ginny thought that her third year would be much the same as the year before. She heard rumours being whispered on the train about a tournament of some kind. Malfoy was being awfully smug about something he knew that no one else did. She hated it when he was smug. The look didn't suit him at all...

Dumbledore announced the Triwizard Tournament and Ginny looked at the Goblet of Fire he'd presented. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students came and she shook her head at Ron's obvious infatuation with Fleur. Ginny heard Fred and George talking about an ageing potion so they could get past the restriction line that Dumbledore had put on the Goblet. Mad-Eye Moody looked at Ginny and she shivered as a feeling of unease swept through her.

Ginny watched, slightly crestfallen, as Harry showed more and more interest in Cho Chang. She knew that she could never compete and win against someone like that. She reluctantly gave up on Harry and started to become less timid and... embarrassing around him.

She studied constantly, getting approving looks from Hermione and shocked ones from her brother. Hermione confided in her about Viktor Rum and Ginny talked in small parts with her about Harry.

She was shocked when Neville asked her to the Yule Ball and accepted, even though she knew that he'd asked Hermione first. She was just happy to go out for a night. Her mother was thrilled for her, sending her a dress that she'd sewn herself. Ginny had real fun for the first time since going to Hogwarts. Hermione went with Krum, but looked at Ron for most of the time. Ginny watched Harry during the Yule Ball and saw that he'd gone with Parvati Patil. They both looked utterly bored and she contemplated asking him to dance when he left abruptly with Ron. Neville asked her to dance and she was pleasantly surprised at his gracefulness on the dance floor.

Neville confided in her about his sexual preferences, red in embarrassment. She congratulated him and gave him a genuine smile. He'd been shocked, wondering why she wasn't running for the hills or screaming at the top of her lungs. Ginny had explained to him that Neville had been one of the very few who had stuck around with her after her first year. She was happy that he had and would never tell of his secret.

In the Room of Requirement that night, Ginny talked with Luna, Neville and Colin at length. She'd made them take a Blood Oath and an Unbreakable Vow. She wanted to be sure that no one else would find out. They'd all promised and did the spells. After their amazing show of faith and trust in her, Ginny broke down and told them about her first year. Not all of it, but enough for them to know the basics of what she'd felt and what she'd done. They hadn't hated her, as she had first thought, but they were wary for a day. As her entire family had been wary of her for weeks, months even, the one day of her friends' wariness had seemed like a minute. A very long minute, but a minute nonetheless.

Ginny watched as Harry did the tasks. She worried about him during the tasks, but afterwards, she acted as she didn't care. No one seemed to notice her worry, nor her indifference except for Neville, Colin and Luna. Harry only had eyes for Cho, while Ron and Hermione had started to realise their feelings for each other. When they weren't looking at each other, they were looking at Harry and trying to help him constantly.

Mad-Eye Moody still scared her whenever she saw him. She kept feeling like something was wrong and felt sick so often that she went to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey could never seem to find the source of her illness and after the third time, it was dismissed as lies or "emotional times" for her.

Ginny didn't go back, not even when she was physically sick. Instead, she went to Snape and asked to make potions for herself. He'd scorned her, assuming that she was just as bad at Potions as her brother. After he'd reviewed her scores for Potions, Snape had realised his error, then agreed reluctantly. Ginny learnt how to make potions in the same methodical way that she had been teaching Neville lately and so, her Potions score had risen considerably, with much reluctance from Snape to admit so.

Wandering around the stands, Ginny saw Moody making his way away from the hedge. She looked around to see if someone else had seen, but no one had. Ginny returned to the stands and watched as the four contestants went into the large maze and began to wait impatiently.

After half an hour of sitting around and being bored, Fleur seemed to erupt out from the ground. She was covered in dirt with twigs and leaves in her hair, yet most of the males watching still swooned at the sight of her and ran to be of her assistance. Krum was the next to come out. The hedge literally threw him out and Ginny shivered at the white colour of his eyes, knowing he'd been hexed.

Ginny waited for Harry or Cedric to return. Cedric's father continued to call out that his son was winning and Potter would soon come out of the hedge too. Ginny shivered as another feeling of unease flew through her. Harry came out of the hedge, a limp body at his side, the cup in his other hand. Ginny watched in shock as some people began cheering. She seemed to be the only one noticing Harry's sick pale face and the fact that the limp body wasn't moving. The cheers died down and people ran down to the ground, Cedric's father yelling for his son loudly.

Ginny watched as Moody pulled Harry away, talking about going to his office. No one noticed, so Ginny tugged on Dumbledore's robes. He turned to her in irritation. Ginny flinched then took a deep breath and said 'Harry', pointing to where Moody had taken him. Dumbledore nodded, looking to where she was indicating, then left, a stern and angry look on his face.

Ginny sat in her room at the Burrow watching as her brothers played Quidditch outside. She wanted to go out and play with them, but as Harry was there, there weren't enough players for her to join in. Turning away from the window, she went downstairs to help Molly with dinner.

She watched as Hermione arrived and Ron went red when she talked about her summer visit to Viktor Krum's house. Ginny laughed to herself as his face went a different colour as Hermione continued to rattle on, then left to help her mother with lunch.

Ginny trailed along the others in Diagon Alley. Draco Malfoy was up ahead, looking bored. When he saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, he sneered and sauntered over to them. He didn't notice Ginny. She slipped away, her invisibility providing more than adequate cover, and went to the pet shop. She stayed in there until her brother came in, asking where she'd been and what a prat Malfoy was.

Ginny started dating Dean Thomas. She had some fun, and he made her laugh. They kissed sometimes but it wasn't that thrilling. In fact, she thought that all of the girls in her dorm were just liars who were trying to make kissing seem more than it really was for their own benefit...

They'd broken up and she'd started dating Michael Corner. They broke up soon after dating and when Ginny had seen him kissing Cho Chang in the hallway she'd felt anger at the too-pretty-for-her-own-good girl. First she'd taken Harry from her and now Michael! The fact that Ginny and Michael had broken up didn't matter...

Neville, Colin and Luna were there, as always. They listened as she grumbled about tests and exams and complained about their own unfair teachers and lessons. Neville's interest in Herbology was... blossoming and his grade in Potions seemed to be even worse. Luna's father interviewed Harry Potter and Colin was as interested in photography as ever, and just as keen to take a picture of anything and everything, mobile or immobile. Umbridge terrorised classes and students alike, Neville's fear of Snape being replaced by the large scary woman instead.

Harry, Ron and Hermione started the Dumbledore's Army, the name supplied by Ginny. They taught others weekly and Ginny, Luna, Neville and Colin progressed quickly in Defence Against the Dark Arts. So quickly in fact, that Ginny actually convinced Harry to let them go to the Ministry of Magic with the other three. Ginny's memory of the Department of Mysteries Battle was so clear that it could have been yesterday. She remembered everything from Neville protecting her and trying to hex Bellatrix; her evil laughter to Harry's distressed cry and the brains in the glass attacking her brother...

Ginny cried softly as Harry related what had happened. She hadn't known Sirius that well, but she did like him. Thoughts raced through her mind about the Veil he'd fallen behind. What if it hadn't killed Sirius? What if the Veil was just a doorway to another city? What if Sirius was on the other side of the world, alive but unable to communicate to them? What if it was a portal? What if it just made Sirius invisible and no one able to hear him? What if...

Ginny got the acceptance letter for Hogwarts and looked forward to the outing to Diagon Alley. Hermione arrived and again, the small amount of attention Ginny had previously received from Ron was diverted completely to his beloved... Ginny wasn't jealous, just mindful that Ron could be so easily distracted when in the presence of one Hermione Granger.

She walked over to the edge of the Burrow's forest, but didn't go in. Her mother's warnings at an early age made Ginny not actually go in the forest, but that didn't stop her curiosity... She wondered what it was like in the forest. A memory (or was it a dream?) of colourful dancing lights played in her mind for a second. Ginny shook her head then walked back up to the house...

They all left for 12 Grimmauld Place and Ginny got bored quickly. Her Dungbomb supply had run out and Bill and Charlie weren't due for ages. Fred and George were in their room, small explosions coming from the interior. After Molly complained about the noise attracting Muggle attention, they stopped their experiments reluctantly then started to give out the Extendable Ears instead.

Ginny glared at Harry, reminding him cruelly that she too had been possessed by Voldemort, a fact that he had conveniently forgotten. She suddenly didn't care about The-Boy-Who-Lived anymore. If he couldn't remember something that had changed her life so dramatically and suddenly, then he wasn't worth her time...

Ginny boarded the Hogwarts express and looked around for Neville, Luna and Colin. She wandered the train, looking in each compartment to see if they were in there. When she eventually found them, Ginny saw that Neville was absent. Luna told her that he'd gone to look for her and Ginny felt wanted...

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"I think that is enough. The last year is recent enough that it is not necessary for us to check it," Xavier said kindly, smiling at her.

"There is one more thing I want to show you," Ginny said shaking her head.

She closed her eyes and focused on the day before, with Voldemort and the Room of Requirement. There was silence once the memory had finished and Ginny opened her eyes to see Dumbledore taking the glass room away with a flick of his wand.

"If I had all of those tests with you, Professor, how did that happen? I thought you said I was cleared of anything," Ginny said. Albus nodded.

"Indeed, the tests showed that you were... We had no reason to doubt them, so we did not think of it. I will look on it once we return. You should say goodbye now if you are to return to Hogwarts in time for your next lesson," he said.

"Yes, Professor. Thank you for your time, my Lord Xavier. I hope that I did not inconvenience you on Friday night, or with today's lesson... I apologise about breaking your glass examination room," Ginny said.

"It is quite all right, my daughter. You did not inconvenience myself, nor Agnes, so there is no need to apologise. As for the glass, it is being repaired and so, again there is no need to apologise," Xavier said.

Ginny nodded then with a bow, she followed Albus out of the room, making sure no light fell on Xavier.

Albus and Ginny Flooed back to Hogwarts and after a brief goodbye, Ginny ran down to Hagrid's hut for her lesson.

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"Sorry I'm late," Ginny said as she arrived at the half-giant's hut.

"It's all right, Ginny. Did yer bring yer lil' friend?" Hagrid asked, referring to Relo. Ginny shook her head.

"No. I can go get him if you want," Ginny offered.

"It's fine. I was going ter tell him to leave anyway. Where we're going would have been dangerous for the lil' fella," he said then entered the Forbidden Forest.

After about ten minutes of walking, Hagrid turned off the 'path' and entered a large clearing where Olympe's carriage was waiting for them. Hagrid waited for Ginny to climb inside before following after her. Once he was seated and buckled in he looked at Ginny.

"Now yer have ter make sure that yer don't tell no one about this... I could get in ter a lot o' trouble if any one finds out where we're going," Hagrid said seriously.

Ginny nodded, wondering where on Earth he was taking her... The twelve winged palominos rose off the ground with ease, despite the crowded and tree-surrounded area around them.

As Hagrid didn't disclose any information as to where they were going, Ginny settled for looking out of the window for most of the ride. She didn't recognise any of the land from so high up and after a while started to get dizzy from looking down constantly. Looking over at Hagrid, Ginny saw that he was asleep and decided to rest her eyes too.

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Tears streaming down her face, Ginny ran into the Forbidden Forest, changing into a wolf as she did so. She howled in grief and anguish loudly then leapt deeper into the Forest than she'd ever gone before. She heard Grawp and Hagrid somewhere further back in the Forest. She kept running and howled again.

Coming to a clearing she turned back to her normal self and sat in the clearing. Her body glowed red, her emotions causing the glow to become even darker. The glow became a blood-red colour as lightning flowed around her body. Lightning cracked and became larger with each tear that fell from Ginny's eyes.

The glow became so dark that Ginny couldn't be seen and a large wave emitted from her. The red wave flew through the Forbidden Forest, lightning crashing all around.

Everyone in both the Forest and Hogwarts stopped as the wave passed through them. Almost as if pulled by an unseen hand, they all walked to the clearing, human, animal and beast alike.

Ginny cried out her pain and tears as lightning continued to flash around her. Thunder crashed and rolled around. Everyone flinched when they saw that the thunder was coming from Ginny somehow.

"Ginevra!" A voice called out. Ginny looked up through her tears and saw Draco standing in front of her. "Ginevra! Why are you doing this?!" He called. Ginny hissed at him and scratched his face with her long nails.

"Ginevra! It was not your love!" Leo-Bestia-Famulus called. "I swear it on the word that binds me to you!" Leo called out. Ginny hissed at him, her fangs extending. She looked at the hundreds of people in front of her and yelled a spell loudly.

"What the fuck is she doing to me?!" Lavender screamed, her voice going hysterical. Lightning started to wrap around Lavender's body and she was lifted into the clearing.

Ginny yelled another spell and her brother, Ron was lifted into the clearing by the lightning.

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Ginny woke momentarily, her shock resounding through her mind and body. Ron?

Sleep took her over again, the vision continuing in front of reluctant eyes...

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"You wish to break me?" Ginny hissed quietly and even through the lightning and thunder, everyone could hear her clearly. "You wish to break that which is not yours to break?!" She yelled at them and the lightning tightened around their bodies. "You think that I would not know? I would not find out who did this? Your knowledge is so limited if you thought I would not see that it was not my own! You will be punished!" Ginny yelled at them and the lightning tightened further.

Lavender and Ron started gasping for breath as the lightning continued to get tighter.

"Te nequam meretrix!" Ron yelled through his erratic gasps for breath. "Put us down, you fucking bitch!" Ron yelled at Ginny. (You worthless whore!)

"You chose this path, Ronald..." Ginevra whispered softly, the lightning getting tighter still.

"Can't you do something, Albus?" Minerva asked not too keen to see students killed in front of her. Albus shook his head.

"No... She is too powerful. Besides, Vampire magic is far older than anything we know. If I try to stop it then we will all die. Even if I try to intervene then the result will be catastrophic..."

"You chose to insult me and you will now pay!" Ginny yelled at Lavender and her brother.

The lightning tightened once more and then they dropped to the ground, shivering and red marks covering their bodies.

The pull on everyone faded immediately and the red wave flowed back from Hogwarts and into Ginny's body with enormous force. Ginny fell to the ground, Draco and Leo beside her in an instant.

"I take back that what I have caused to my own, three-fold," Ginny whispered and touched Draco's face.

A red glow surrounded them and the cut on Draco's face disappeared. On Ginny's face, even more cuts appeared, larger and deeper than the ones that had been on Draco. Ginny's eyes closed and her mind went black...

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"Wake up... We're almost there," Hagrid said, shaking her lightly.

Ginny woke up abruptly, shocked. Her mind felt numb from what she'd just Seen. Hagrid's kind face peered at her, concern becoming evident as he saw her pale face.

"Are yer all right, Gin?" he asked softly. He took her belt off and indicated to the window. "Try ter get some fresh air. Yer look sick," Hagrid said.

Ginny didn't reply. The numbness that her mind felt was now spreading through to her body and she was incapable of making any coherent sound...

"Ginevra," Hagrid said.

Ginny looked at him, her eyes wide. She could only see Ron. His face as he called her a worthless whore. The tone of his voice as he yelled it. Ginny knew that he'd meant it.

It was different from when Draco had said it. He hadn't meant it and he had apologised genuinely. Ron had meant what he'd said; every single word of it...

She'd made friends with Tom, and in doing so, she had changed the future. Her brother was now her enemy...

Ginny backed away from Hagrid as he moved closer towards her. She moved back further, even as he went to reach out for her. Ginny fell through the carriage's large window.

She heard Hagrid call out for her, but she was too numb to say anything, let alone cry out as her body plummeted towards the earth.

The palominos went to turn, but with a single coherent thought, Ginny told them not to. Bexley seconded her and the winged horses were still again. Ginny went numb.

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Hagrid stared as Ginny fell towards the ground.

Why wasn't she changing? Apparating even? Why wasn't she doing something to save herself? An awful thought flew through his mind that she didn't want to save herself, but he pushed it away abruptly and called out to her again.

He tried to get the winged palominos to change direction, but they didn't seem to move at his command. He tried again.

Ginny listened as Hagrid called to her again. She was completely numb. She couldn't move. Her mind and body were so numb that she couldn't even think about changing. Ginny watched as the sky seemed to get further away from her. She wondered if it would still hurt when she hit the earth when she was so numb.

"My Queen! You have to change!" Bexley called from inside her.

Ginny knew that he was right, but she still couldn't stop thinking about what she'd Seen. Ron's face and words made her numb. She couldn't even feel the wind as she plummeted downwards.

"I apologise, my Queen, but I have to do this to protect you!" Bexley said urgently.

Ginny felt her body beginning to change. She became smaller. Her mouth changed into a beak and feathers replaced her hair. She waited for the change to complete, feeling like she was watching everything happen, not that it was actually happening to her.

Ginny flapped her owl wings to stay in the air. With a loud cry of anguish and despair, she flew away quickly. Bexley watched as Ginevra flew away then floated up to where Hagrid was still attempting to get the palominos to go lower.

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Ginny flew. She knew where she wanted to go, but she had no idea where she was at the moment. She flew down to a lone tree nearby and hooted mournfully, her brother's face still in her mind.

Almost as if in response, the tree's leaves moved towards her. As the wind floated through the leaves, Ginny was shocked that she could hear a voice. The tree was talking to her!

You are not far from where you want to go... Keep flying with the same speed and in the same direction you were originally flying and you will get there within an hour... The tree said.

With a grateful hoot, Ginny flew into the air and continued to fly, going by the tree's directions.

Though she was shocked that a tree was talking to her, let alone that she was going by its instructions, Ginny's mind was still preoccupied with The Vision. She flew even faster, wanting to get there faster.

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"We've got ter go find her," Hagrid said as soon as Bexley had finished.

"No, we can't... She knows where she's going. If we go find her now, she won't be able to talk about it. She needs to speak with them, Rubeus," Bexley said.

Hagrid nodded with a sigh. He ran a hand through his hair and without a word being said, the palominos turned around to return to Hogwarts.

"Albus is going ter kill me when he finds out," Hagrid said, shaking his head.

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Ginny landed on the windowsill and began to tap, her wings too weary to fly any further. The window opened and Ginny literally fell into the warm room. Her body went into shock and Ginny returned to her human form.

"Fred!" George called out urgently. "We need to close the shop!"

Without a spoken word to his brother, Fred ushered the last few customers out of the shop, closing and locking the door behind them. He walked into the room with a warm cloth. George gently lifted Ginny onto the couch and began to dab her cold face with the warm cloth.

"Did she say anything?" Fred asked.

"Not a thing," George replied as he cleaned Ginny's face with the cloth.

"Do you think we should get someone?" Fred asked.

"She'll come around soon enough. If not, then we'll get Albus," George said.

"Don't want to worry Mum," Fred said, seeing his brother's point.

"Exactly... Do you think we should..." George began to ask, looking at Fred.

"We might have to if she doesn't wake up soon," Fred answered.

They watched as Ginny's face grew paler and she tossed and turned. A few times she looked angry, and at other times so sad that Fred and George's hearts almost broke. After half an hour, Fred turned to George.

"We better do it now. She doesn't look like she's going to wake," he said.

George nodded and took one of Ginny and Fred's hands in his own. Fred took Ginny's other hand and the twins closed their eyes.

Had anyone looked in the back room of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes at that moment, they would have seen something that seemed to be impossible, even among the wizarding community. Fred and George seemed to be talking in another language, and for those who had never seen pixies before, would have thought that the two shop owners were simply going crazy. To those who had seen pixies however, knew that the twins were actually speaking in the high-pitched jabbering language that only pixies knew.

As Fred and George finished their 'jabbering', a small electric blue pixie appeared in front of them. The pixie bowed then as they started jabbering again, he looked to Ginevra on their couch. When the pixie realised who the girl was, he spoke to them in excited high-pitched tones.

Fred and George nodded then with another bow, the pixie placed a small blue hand on Ginny's forehead. He indicated to their crystal ball and a white light covered his hand. Clutching the light tightly in his hand, he flew over to the crystal ball. The light transferred to the crystal ball and with a few more gibberish sounds, the pixie told them how to do it for themselves next time. He bowed to them and said good bye, before doing the same to Ginevra and disappearing into thin air again.

Fred and George let go of Ginny's hands, then went over to their crystal ball. As they watched The Vision, Fred and George bristled with shame, anger and sadness at the fact that it was now Ron instead of that other boy. Once they had stopped Seeing, George and Fred turned around to see that Ginny was now awake. She was taken aback at the look of pure hatred on their face. She blinked and they were back to their normal faces, worry on their faces instead.

"How do you feel, Ginevra?" George asked softly as they walked over to her.

"The flight must have been tiring for you," Fred added.

Ginny just looked down at their old brown and orange couch. She picked at it sadly and the twins sat on either side of her. With a body-heaving sob, Ginny collapsed into their comforting open arms and cried.

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The carriage landed in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid looked out of the window for a moment before reluctantly opening the door and getting out of the carriage. He sighed reluctantly. Albus was going to have his head on a platter for this...

Bexley flew into Hagrid to get away from the sun. He knew that Hagrid was blaming himself and Bexley was aware that Ginevra would not be happy if she knew that Hagrid was going to lose his job, or head, because of her.

Ginevra still wasn't happy about the fact that people were willing to die for her... Hagrid was one of those people and by the half-giant's thoughts, it seemed that it was going to happen to her sooner rather than later.

Risking his intense dislike for the sun, Bexley flew out of Hagrid and headed to the only people he knew could help.

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"You can stay here for the night," George said.

"We'll look after you," Fred said.

Ginny's tears had dried up a while ago, but she still hadn't let go of her brothers.

"I'll be all right..." Ginny said quietly. "I just wanted to see that someone in the family still loved me," she said softly. "I can't stay. I'm having a sleep over tonight. If I cancel it, then they'll all get suspicious and worry about me again. I don't want to cause any trouble for anyone," she said, tears threatening to fall again.

"You're having a sleep over?" Fred asked.

"And we weren't invited?" George added, feigning hurt and shock.

"I was going to invite you but I didn't get to owl you," Ginny said, a small smile on her face.

"Well, thanks for the invitation," George said grinning.

"We'll be there at seven for dinner," Fred said grinning too.

"Actually, we better take you back now," they said together. "People are probably getting worried," they said. With a small look at the other, Fred and George lifted Ginny off the couch together. She laughed as they put her back down, hugging her tightly.

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"You mean he just let her fall?" Draco asked angrily. Blaise put a hand on his friend's shoulder in an attempt to calm him.

"No! Rubeus can not do magic like you, remember? The only thing he could do was try and turn the palominos around, but Ginevra and I told them not to, so they obeyed us," Bexley said.

"Why did you tell them not to?" Pansy asked.

"Ginevra did not want to explain herself to Hagrid at that moment. She wanted to get away as fast as possible, but the shock prevented her from doing so. I changed her into an owl and she flew away to her brother's shop straight away. We need to make sure that Albus does not harm Hagrid or fire him," Bexley said urgently.

"Why? This place would be better off without that stupid oaf," Draco said.

"Just because you were stupid enough to not listen when he was telling you all something important doesn't mean that Hagrid is stupid or an oaf!" Colin said, glaring at him. Luna took his hand in her own and he relaxed slightly.

"We know that you're worried for Ginny, but we all are, Draco. She would hate it if anything happened to Hagrid because of her," Neville said quietly. "Where's Hagrid now?" he asked Bexley. "I'm going with you," he said.

"He's in Albus' office," Bexley replied.

Neville nodded then left quickly. Colin and Luna followed him quickly. The Slytherins stayed for a moment, looking from Blaise to Draco then to Pansy.

"They were right," Pansy said quietly. "As much as I don't like Hagrid, I know that Ginny would hate us if we stayed here and didn't do anything for him. Besides, his lessons aren't that bad..." She said.

Draco pushed Blaise's hand off of his shoulder angrily, then walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Theodore asked.

"To stop that stupid oaf from getting fired," Draco replied then left. The others quickly followed after him.

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Fred and George walked along the corridor, holding Ginny's hands protectively and to comfort her. They opened the trapdoor and looked around to make sure that the coast was clear before they climbed out.

Ginny hugged them tightly, grateful for everything they'd done for her.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Sorry for making you close early," Ginny said.

"Oh, it's all right... We've been thinking about closing early so we can work on more products anyway," they said and hugged her again.

"We'll help you go find Hagrid so you can apologise for scaring the poor guy," Fred said, George nodding in agreement.

"There you are, Ginevra," Padma said, breathless. Parvati was beside her, looking just as puffed.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked immediately.

"Neville said that Bexley said Albus might fire or hurt Hagrid because you fell out of the carriage," Parvati said urgently.

"What?!" Ginny said angrily. She began to walk to Dumbledore's office. "Sorry... Did you want to go back and open the shop again?" Ginny asked her brothers. Fred and George shook their heads, looking just as angry as she felt.

"We want to see this for ourselves," George said.

"He can't fire Hagrid," Fred muttered as they all went to Albus' office.

Padma and Parvati looked at each other for a moment, then ran after the three siblings quickly.

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Neville, Luna, Colin and Bexley arrived at the griffin statue just as Draco and the other Slytherins caught up with them.

"What took you so long? You should have already been up there by now," Draco growled.

"We asked Padma and Parvati to go look for Ginny," Neville replied.

"Does anyone know the password?" Millicent drawled. No one said anything. "Well, this is really smart, now isn't it? We come here to bloody help and we're stuck out here while he's already in there..." She said.

"Very smart of you..." Ginny drawled from behind them. They turned to see her there, smirking at them. Fred, George, Padma and Parvati were by her side. Bexley flew to Ginny happily.

"My Queen... Ginevra! I thought you'd still be there... We were worried about you," Bexley said.

"I know... Sorry for taking so long, I had to do something. You should return now; thank you for being out in the sun for me, Bexley," she said. Bexley bowed and flew into her body gratefully. "Blood Pops," Ginny said.

Everyone looked at her for a moment, wondering why she'd said the name of a sweet for no reason. Grating sounded behind them and the griffin statue began to rise, the staircase being revealed.

"That man has an ironic sense of humour," Fred and George said shaking their heads.

"Well, at least it wasn't Ginevra is a Vampiress..." Ginny drawled with a smirk as she began to climb the staircase. Everyone followed her quickly and they waited impatiently as Ginny knocked on the door loudly.

"Come in," Albus called.

They all walked in to Dumbledore's office, the fifteen of them with Hagrid and the Headmaster making the large room seem very small in seconds.

"Hello... I assume there is a reason that you all had to come here at the same time. You can't all possibly have detention, now can you?" Albus asked smiling at you.

"No, we don't have detention... At least, not yet," Ginny said. "We wanted to make sure you wouldn't fire Hagrid just because I fell out of the carriage," she stated bluntly.

Albus began to laugh heartily, tears falling from his eyes in his amusement. No one else could see what was so funny, so they waited for him to stop laughing, trying not to feel nervous at his eccentric behaviour.

"Yer didn't have to come, yer know," Hagrid said to Ginny and the others quietly. "I deserve to be fired fer that... I should have tried ter do something ter help yer," he said.

"That's a load of nonsense Hagrid. You couldn't do anything because Bexley and I made sure the palominos wouldn't turn around! I didn't want to have to explain anything at that moment," Ginny said.

Albus finished laughing and wiped his tears, cleaning his fogged glasses with a small cloth.

"I apologise for my outburst... I just think that it is quite funny that you would all think that I would fire Hagrid. I do however, understand that it was inappropriate that Hagrid took you outside of the Hogwarts boundaries without even so much as telling me. Next time you wish to take Ginevra somewhere, tell me first please Hagrid," Dumbledore said.

"Yes, sir," Hagrid said, looking down.

"My friend... I am not going to fire you. Ginevra is unharmed and she doesn't appear to be any worse for the wear," Albus said looking at Ginny. "Her brothers have taken good care of her, and I am sure that Miss Weasley would not appreciate it if I fired you for something that you did not cause," Albus said, his gaze returning to Hagrid.

Ginny nodded, agreeing with the older wizard. Hagrid began to sob.

"Therefore, this will only be a warning. Make sure that Ginevra does not go near windows whilst you are in midair. More importantly, you should tell me where you are going, so if something unfortunate does happen, I at least know where to find you, or where you will be close to," Albus said.

"Yes, sir," Hagrid said. He was crying openly now and he noisily blew his nose into a giant red-polka-dot handkerchief.

Draco flinched at the loud noise and looked disgusted that Hagrid was blowing his nose in front of so many people.

"Now, were you all here to make sure that Hagrid would not get fired?" Albus asked, looking at the Slytherins.

"Yes, sir, we were," Blaise said as Draco didn't seem to want to answer.

"That was kind o' yer..." Hagrid said. "I didn't think that yer would want me ter stay, 'specially after the incident with Buckbeak... But it were kind of yer to stick up fer me," he said and hugged all of them in one shot.

For someone so large, the hug Hagrid gave them was surprisingly gentle and they all still managed to breath and keep their bones intact. Hagrid put them all back down and wiped his tears away.

"I am sure that you will all want to get cleaned up before dinner, so I think that it would be best if you go do that now," Dumbledore said. "You two are staying for dinner, I presume?" he asked Fred and George.

"If you don't mind," Fred and George said grinning.

"Of course not... Would you mind staying please, Ginevra?" Albus asked.

"We'll wait for you downstairs," Neville said.

Ginny nodded and watched as they all left. When the door closed behind them, Ginny turned back to Albus, who was looking at her over his glasses with an indescribable expression on his face.

"Do you feel up to telling me what happened to make you fall out of the carriage, Miss Weasley?" he asked her.

"Not really... But that doesn't mean you can't see for yourself," she said, putting her wand to her temple.

She pulled the wand away, a red-white wisp following it. With a nod of understanding, Dumbledore opened the cupboard in which his Pensieve was standing. Ginny placed the tip of her wand to the water in the bowl. She watched as the red wisp floated and swirled in the water, looking out of place amongst the other silver-white wisps.

"Thank you, Miss Weasley. You should not keep your friends waiting any longer," Albus said.

"Yes Professor," Ginny said then went downstairs to see everyone standing there.

"You better tell us what happened," Millicent said.

"I'll tell you all tonight," Ginny said with a nod.

"Good... I've got to go to the library, so I'll see you later," Pansy said. Blaise stopped her, staring in shock.

"Are you feeling all right? You never go in the library..." he said.

Pansy scowled at him. "Shut up, Zabini! I've got stuff to do, that's all..." Pansy said.

"I will help you," Luna announced and left with her. Blaise looked after them shaking his head.

"Well, since Pansy's gone we'll be in the kitchens," Gregory said smirking. Vincent smirked and they left quickly in case Pansy decided to come back.

"I'm going with them... Someone's got to make sure they don't over indulge," Millicent said rolling her eyes as she took off after the two boys.

"I've got to go develop some photos, so I'll see you all at dinner or at the sleep over," Colin said as he left.

"Well... That's nearly everyone gone... What are you going to do Theodore?" Ginny asked him.

"I was going to go to the hospital wing..." Theodore muttered quietly.

"Aren't you feeling well?" she asked.

"Oh, no... I'm fine," he said quickly. Theodore blushed brightly as he continued. "I help Pomfrey in the hospital wing. I'm studying to be a Healer," he said.

"Good on you," Ginny said grinning at him. "You better go then, if Pomfrey's waiting for you," she said. Theodore nodded then rushed off.

"He's going to be a Healer? How did we not know?" Blaise asked Draco, shaking his head.

"Well, I doubt that you would have welcomed him with open arms if he came out and said that he was studying to be a person who helps others..." Ginny drawled.

"That's not true... Well... I... We might have," Blaise said. Ginny just looked at him pointedly.

"I need to go to the Greenhouses. Want to come with me?" Neville asked Blaise.

"Thought you didn't like me watching you work," Blaise asked with a smirk.

"I'll just have to find out for myself," Neville said grinning at him. They walked away, hand in hand.

"Do you need help setting up for tonight?" Draco asked Ginny.

"I think I'll be able to handle setting up on my own," Ginny said grinning at him.

"All right then... See you at dinner," Draco said and sauntered down to the dungeons.

"I better go find Lavender before she thinks that I've drowned in the shower," Parvati said with a grin. "I'll try to get there tonight," she promised then left too.

"I should make sure that Lavender doesn't hurt her... That stupid little wench sure can get nasty when something doesn't go her way..." Padma said, going after her twin.

Fred and George watched as the Patil twins left, as if it was the first time they'd really seen them. Considering the fact that the two girls were three years younger than them and not friends with Ron, Harry or Hermione, it probably was.

"Are you two all right?" Ginny asked waving a hand in front of their faces.

"Fine... Who are those two?" Fred and George asked.

"The one in the green robes is Padma Patil. The one in red is Parvati Patil," Ginny replied.

"They seem familiar..." Fred said.

"Have we met them before?" George asked.

"You might have, but I doubt it... They're coming to tonight, so you can meet them then," Ginny said.

"Why them?" They asked in shock.

"The Patil twins are also of the zodiac sign, Gemini. The sign of Gemini is twins, right?" Ginny tried not to laugh as she began to quote her vision.

Fred and George nodded, wondering where this was going.

"Well, the twins shared a soul, but they had their own souls... You and Fred share the soul of one twin. Padma and Parvati share the soul of the other twin. Since the twins shared the soul, you four are all integrated... Does that make any sense?" Ginny asked with a grin.

"In a weird way, it does..." The twins replied shaking their heads. "We'll help you set up," the twins said and followed Ginny to a nearby tapestry.

Ginny stopped and didn't open the door, looking around as she frowned.

"What is it?" Fred and George asked.

Ginny shook her head then walked further down the corridor. Fred and George followed Ginny outside, wrapping their robes around them tighter as the cold wind flew into them. They frowned as Ginny went towards Hagrid's hut, but continued to follow nonetheless.

"What do you mean Malfoy and his cronies stuck up for you?!" Ron yelled. "They're evil and they probably just want to get closer to you so you can persuade the giants to fight for You-Know-Who!" he yelled.

"Now, wait jus' a minute!" Hagrid said, his voice bellowing over Ron's own voice. "No one 'cept the three of yer know about that! Unless yer've been stupid enough to go and tell them, then they should no' know of that!" Hagrid said.

"Ron, calm down would you? Can't you see that things are changing? The Sorting Hat said that we need to..." Hermione began to reason, but Ron cut her off.

"That fucking Hat knows shit-all! It's a piece of fucking material! What the fuck would that bloody Hat know about the outside world?! Nothing!" Ron yelled.

"Mate, sit down," Harry said softly.

"Don't you tell me to sit down! You're the one who's always suspicious of them! And now, when this is right in your face, you're all calm about it and doing fuck all!" Ron yelled at Harry.

Ginny shook her head. She went over to the hut's front door and opened it.

Ron turned in shock, then he glared, seeing who it was.

"What do you want?" he sneered at her.

"Peace and quiet," Ginny replied simply then pointed her wand at Ron. "Silencio!" she said.

"Ginny! You didn't have to do that!" Hermione reprimanded her.

"Yes, she did... He was being a prat," Fred and George said shaking their head at their younger brother.

Ron stared at them in shock, not believing that they were taking Ginny's side over his.

"Just because someone that wasn't you helped Hagrid, Ron, it does not mean that they are trying to use him!" Ginny said angrily. "Now stop your pathetic screaming! You sound like a girl," Ginny sneered at him. "I told you only this morning that I would not be the one to make amends next time you hurt me, Ronald... How quickly you forget," she said in a sad tone then left the hut, leaving Hermione to try and get Ron's voice back.

"What happened this morning?" Fred and George asked her.

"Ron and Draco duelled after Ron hit me and made Draco's nose bleed," Ginny said with a shrug.

"He hit you?! Ronald Bilius Weasley hit you?" They asked in shock.

"It's not the first time he's done it..." Ginny said. "I will deal with Ron if he tries to do it again, all right? Don't do something stupid, ok? He is still your brother," Ginny said.

"Not for very much longer, if he keeps hitting and upsetting you," the twins muttered under their breath.

"Don't disown him because of me! Please, don't do that," Ginny begged them.

"Fine... If you don't disown him, then neither will we, deal?" The twins replied after a moment's consideration.

"Deal..." Ginny said confidently.

She just wished that she felt as confident that it wouldn't actually end up happening...

"I'll let you two into my room. You can move the furniture in the meeting room so there are mattresses in there instead. I've got to go to the library for a while," Ginny said.

Fred and George nodded then followed Ginny around the outer wall of Hogwarts to her front door. Once they were inside Ginny went to the library.

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Ginny walked into the library, but she couldn't see Luna or Pansy anywhere. With a grateful sigh, she headed over to the desk where Madam Pince was sitting.

"Hello Madam Pince," Ginny said.

"Hello Ginevra... Would you like some assistance?" Pince asked.

"I need to look at a book from the Restricted Section, but I don't want the other students to find out," Ginny explained quietly. Madam Pince nodded in understanding.

"That's fine... First, I will need to know what book you need to use, then we will see if I can organise a time for you to read it without others being here," Pince said kindly.

"Thank you," Ginny said in some surprise.

She had expected Pince to be the stereotypical librarian with an attitude that would scare Voldemort himself if he'd even so much as looked at the Restricted Section without permission! Although, the way that Madam Pince was fond of all knowledge and books, she probably could have scared Voldemort...

"If you will just excuse me for a moment, I need to attend to the person waiting behind you," Pince said with an apologetic smile.

Ginny nodded and moved out of the way for the younger student. She tried to think of the title of the Restricted book and after a few minutes of going through her memory, Ginny finally remembered what it was called. She waited patiently as Pince finished with the other student.

"Thank you for waiting... Do you know the title of the book?" Madam Pince asked.

"Mundus Magus," Ginny said. (World magic.)

Pince took out a scroll nearby and pointed her wand at it. She said the title that Ginny had given her then nodded when it appeared on the scroll.

"You are allowed to use that book. When do you need to read the book? Is it urgent?" Pince asked.

"I would prefer to read it tonight, if you don't mind..." Ginny said.

"The library closes at ten fifteen. That gives me fifteen minutes to get the stragglers out. Another fifteen to organise the shelves and then about ten to find the book you want. Can you find a way of getting here by eleven o'clock?" Pince asked looking at Ginny.

"That's great. Thank you, Madam Pince," Ginny said then left again.

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Ginny quickly made her way down the corridor, hoping that the twins hadn't done any pranks to her room. She arrived and was grateful that there were at least no smell-produced pranks. Walking to the meeting room, Ginny was almost surprised to see that the twins hadn't done any pranks. There was a large mattress in the room, covering the entire floor. She wondered where the table was, then realised that she hadn't seen the twins either...

"Be nice and take your shoes off before entering the room," George's voice said from above her.

Ginny looked up and saw her table and chairs floating above the mattress, Fred and George perched ontop. The table was suspended by invisible wire, a newly invented product by the twins, but made up by Ginny, as was the swamp...

"Very nice... Why do I need to take my shoes off?" Ginny asked as she removed the said shoes.

"Well, for one, it's disrespectful to walk inside with shoes on. Secondly," the twins said as she walked onto the mattress and swayed before falling over. "We weren't sure if you had shoes with heels. We didn't want you to pierce the lovely water bed!" they said laughing at Ginny's expression. "You better not change it to a normal mattress! It took a lot of hard work for us to do that!" Fred and George said seriously.

Ginny sat up on the swaying bed and thought about it.

"All right. It can stay," Ginny relented when they both looked at her with small pouts.

"Thank you, dearest Ginevra... To show our appreciation, we will allow you to kindly get us down from here," they said with awkward bows. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Trust you two to make something completely genius then spoil the entire thing by getting yourselves stuck on a table in mid air," she said as she levitated them down. They stood up awkwardly and bowed again.

"Only we could achieve it," George said with a wink.

"Though Ron might have done something worse..." Fred conceded.

"Like not even get stuck on a table," George added.

"Yeah, he'd probably just get stuck in mid air," Fred said, laughing.

"All right, I think that's enough Ron jokes for now..." Ginny drawled. "Do you two want to do the bed linen as well? You can choose the colours..." she added when they just frowned at her.

"Why do I get the feeling we're being used?" George asked Fred, who nodded in agreement.

"Not child labour though. Brother labour..." Fred added grinning.

"We can pick all of the colours? And you won't change them?" they asked Ginny in unison.

"As long as it's not something disgusting like puce or vomit coloured, then fine... I'll even put up with hot pink if you want to colour the beds that way," she said reluctantly.

"We wouldn't do that to you! We don't like hot pink as much as you don't! Baby pink we can make you suffer with though," they said grinning mischievously. "Now scoot so we can get our brilliant minds working," they said, ushering Ginny out of the room. The door closed with a small thud and Ginny shook her head at them.

Relo came running up to Ginny and pulled on her robe in excitement.

"We heard that you is having a party! Can we come?" Relo asked grinning.

"I guess you can come, Relo... Won't you be upset if you don't have anyone to talk to though?" Ginny asked. Relo shook his head adamantly.

"We won't be upset. We have Bexley to translate... Is the elf-boy coming?" Relo asked happily.

"Theodore?" Ginny asked. Relo nodded quickly. "Yes, he's coming," she said. Relo grinned broadly and clapped his hands eagerly. "Do you want to go for a hunt before everyone arrives?" Ginny asked.

"We will go when you is having your dinner," Relo said. "We will be back and full by the time everyone else comes," he said smiling at her happily. "Is the pixie twins coming too? We saw them making the water-like-bed," he said grinning.

"Yes, they're coming too... I've got to study now, but I'll talk to you later, all right?" Ginny asked.

Relo nodded and went off happily. Shaking her head for a moment, Ginny went to her study room and read some of her Vampire book before reading the weapons book from Moody.

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At around eight o'clock, Ginny heard some noises from the corridor. She knew that it wasn't the twins, as they were still locked up inside the meeting room. The sounds were too large to be Relo's, so she went out to see who was there.

Ginny had her dagger drawn, just in case it was someone she didn't know. She couldn't hear anything from the person's mind, so she took the light off of her wand and waited until the person was past her to step out into the corridor and grab them from behind, putting the dagger to the person's neck.

"Who are you?" she hissed.

"Is that you, Ginny?" Neville asked. He didn't sound scared, only slightly confused. She let go of him abruptly and he turned around to face her.

"I am so sorry, Neville. I don't know what came over me..." Ginny said shaking her head. "You don't usually have a mind block, so I had no idea that it was you," she said apologetically.

"You mean it's working?" Neville asked in excitement, the incident already forgotten.

"What do you mean by that?" Ginny asked with a frown.

"I've been trying to put up a mind block for ages. Since... Bellatrix," he snarled.

"Oh... Well, it's working," Ginny said in an attempt to make him smile again. Neville gave her a grin, then they went down the corridor to her rooms.

Fred and George poked their heads out of the room when they heard Ginny close the wardrobe door. They grinned at Neville and said a quick hello before going back into the room.

"What are they up to?" Neville asked with a frown.

"I'm letting them decorate the linen..." Ginny said shaking her head. "So did you come here to practise fighting, or just to talk?" Ginny asked.

"Practise... We didn't get to practise together yesterday and it didn't really seem the same on my own," Neville said.

"I know... It felt odd doing them on my own after training with you," Ginny admitted. "We should practise together on the weekends too. If you want to," she added.

"Thanks... I was going to suggest it too," Neville said as he grinned and began the exercises.

They both finished the exercises easily, then began to fight.

Neville punched at Ginny's face. She blocked it and did a high kick to his chest. Neville hit her foot away then moved quickly to avoid her incoming fist.

Ginny heard someone open the cupboard door, but as she heard Pansy's mind she didn't worry and continued to fight with Neville.

Neville ducked below Ginny's arm and spun on the ball of his foot with one leg extended to trip her over. Ginny jumped up to avoid his leg then went to kick at him. Neville jumped backwards and up, punching at her face. Ginny didn't have time to react and his fist connected lightly.

"Nice shot... You win," Ginny said grinning at him. Neville looked at her for a moment.

"You didn't let me win?" he asked uncertainly. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why would I bother fighting you if I'm just going to let you win, Neville? You won that all on your own. Congratulations, you deserved it," Ginny said grinning at him. "If you don't believe me, then ask Pansy..." she said, turning to the surprised Slytherin.

"Where on Earth did you two learn to fight like that?" Pansy asked in shock. "That was incredible!" she said.

"Thank you... We're still learning, so don't start thinking that we're professionals," Ginny said with a grin.

"Still, that was excellent. Do you think I could learn to fight like that?" Pansy asked.

"I'll have to ask, but I don't really see a problem with it..." Ginny replied with a shrug.

"Thanks... I came here to tell you about Greg and Vince, but I can wait for tonight if you want," Pansy offered.

"It's all right, you can tell me now... I'm sure that Neville won't mind hearing about it," Ginny said grinning at them.

"Go ahead," Neville said with a shrug. He and Ginny began to fight again and Pansy watched as she talked to them.

"I talked to them, like you suggested and I told them what I'd been doing. They said they already knew and were waiting for me to tell them," Pansy said.

"That was nice of them..." Ginny said as she blocked Neville's fist and went to kick at him.

"Then they told me that they'd been cheating on me with each other anyway," Pansy said.

Ginny stopped fighting to look at Pansy and Neville's fist hit her cheek again, though it was harder this time.

"All right... I think we should finish up now. Dinner's almost ready and I am almost positive that Millicent wanted to hear what happened between the three of you anyway," Ginny said.

"Fine," Pansy said with a sigh.

Ginny knocked on the meeting-cum-bedroom door and the twins looked out, making sure to block any view of the interior of the room.

"We're going to dinner now... You two coming or do you just want to get food from the kitchens later for us?" Ginny asked them.

"We'll finish up here then come to dinner," the twins said in unison then shut the door again.

"I hear that you've invited the Patil twins?" Pansy commented.

"Who told you?" Ginny asked as she started to walk down the corridor.

"Padma told me... There was no one around, don't worry," Pansy added.

"I won't... So what's wrong with inviting them?" Ginny asked.

"Do you think it's such a good idea to invite Parvati? She'll probably tell Brown everything that happens," Pansy said.

"No, she won't," Neville said suddenly. "Haven't you seen how annoyed and disgusted she's been by Lavender lately? She doesn't even sit with her anymore during Charms and at lunch and recess she looks completely bored," he said. "Besides, I'm sure that Ginny's got a good reason for inviting her," Neville said smiling at her.

"I'll tell everyone my reason for inviting them tonight... It's easier to tell you all together," Ginny said.

She opened a nearby door and they climbed out, walking down the empty side corridor to the Great Hall. Pansy went over and sat between Greg and Vince, who wrapped their arms around her grinning happily. Neville looked from Blaise to Ginny, then back again.

"You don't need my permission to sit with Blaise, Neville," Ginny said shaking her head.

"I know... It's just... I feel like I'm leaving you every time I see him," Neville admitted.

"It's fine, Neville," Ginny said and gave him a small push in the direction of the Slytherin table. She went over to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Colin and Luna.

"Hi Ginny," Colin said brightly. "I developed the larger prints of the photos you wanted. I'll give them to you later," he said grinning.

"Is the one of Peeves there?" Ginny asked. Colin nodded, smirking.

"I made loads of that one... They should be ready to frame in a day or two..." He said.

"What do you mean 'frame'? Why are you going to frame it?" Ginny asked him, frowning.

"You'll see in time..." Colin said vaguely, a mischievous grin on his face. "The twins are here," he said indicating over to the Great Hall doors.

Ginny looked over to the entrance to see Fred and George simply standing there. They were looking at the Gryffindor Table and as they didn't seem to see Ginny, she assumed that it wasn't her they were looking for...

Suddenly, Fred stopped looking and nudged George, indicating with a minute nod further down the table. Ginny watched as their eyes grew cold and the same intense look of hatred they'd had at the shop returned. She shivered before looking down the table to see where their hatred was directed. They were looking at Ron. Ginny's eyes widened in shock as the twins began to walk in determination down to their youngest brother. She quickly got out of her seat and stood in their way to stop them.

"Don't do it," Ginny said. Fred and George just looked at her. "Whatever you're going to do, please don't do it," she begged them quietly. "If you do something now, then it will just give him all the more reason to do it later..." Ginny said trying to reason with them.

"Fine, Ginevra... We did promise you that we wouldn't hurt him after all... We were just going to give him a Ton-Tongue Toffee anyway," George and Fred said together.

"Yeah, right, and I'm going to be able to stop Seeing for a week," Ginny drawled sarcastically.

"Well, it was worth a try..." Fred said to George with a shrug. George nodded.

"Maybe next time we should just use an Invisibility spell so she doesn't see us," George commented. They sat down next to Ginny and ate dinner, talking of other ways to get past her.

"I am here you know! Stop talking about me, Gods damn it!" Ginny growled at them.

"Just stirring your cauldron, Ginevra..." they said winking at her in perfect unison. As they had stopped talking, Lavender's voice was now carrying down the Gryffindor table.

"I don't know why she's being such a bitch to me! All I'm trying to do is help her," Lavender sobbed to Ron, sniffing theatrically. Ron glared down at Ginny then looked back to Lavender.

"All right, now that is too much... Not even an Exploding Candy?" Fred and George asked Ginny.

"No," Ginny said reluctantly.

She watched in disgust as Ron comforted Lavender, telling her that he would talk to Ginny as soon as he possibly could. Ginny also saw that Hermione was staring at them, disgust, anger and sadness on her face.

With a loud commotion, Hermione got up and ran from the Great Hall. Ron looked after her in confusion before Lavender literally got his attention by pulling his face to her own. Harry shook his head, then left to find Hermione.

Ginny went down the table and sat next to Parvati. Lavender didn't notice that Ginny was there for a full five minutes until she heard Parvati laughing at Fred and George's antics. Lavender marched over to them, glaring.

"What are you doing here? Why are you sitting next to my friend?!" Lavender hissed at Ginny.

"You're doing a pretty poor job of being her friend!" Ginny retorted angrily.

"Don't talk to me like that! You don't even have real friends!" Lavender sneered at her.

In thirty seconds flat all of Ginny's friends were behind her and the fifteen of them glared at Lavender, Parvati included.

"It is you who have no real friends, Lavender," Luna said seriously. "You trick others into being your friend, but in the end you will be alone and no one will care," she said softly.

"You think that you can make predictions you stupid cow? Well, here's one for you... Loony Lovegood's father dies in a terrible accident involving some of those beasts he's always going on about!" Lavender hissed at her.

A loud slap echoed through the Great Hall and Lavender stared at Parvati in shock. Parvati glared at Lavender, trying to ignore the stinging sensation in her hand and hoping that it hurt Lavender more.

"Don't talk about her father like that! You are a poor excuse for a friend, Lavender! You haven't spoken to me for three days! You're only doing something now because you're afraid that you will end up alone! Well, I'm not putting up with you anymore! You can take back your stupid magazines and make up from my room after dinner! I am not going to let you bully other people around just because they're friends with me!" Parvati yelled at her, then left the Great Hall.

Padma ran after her sister, smirking broadly. Ginny gave Lavender a pitying look then left the Great Hall with the others.

"You see what she's done now, Ron? She's gone and stolen my best friend from me," Lavender sobbed to Ron.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you two give Ron an Exploding Candy... Do you think you could go back in and give Lavender one instead?" Ginny asked them. Fred and George smirked then went to turn around. "Maybe not now though. Do it in the morning. Or Valentine's Day," Ginny said smirking.

"Now that would be an excellent Valentine's Day gag," George said to Fred who nodded in agreement.

"That with the Melting Malts and a few Ton-Tongue Toffees and we could sell it as a gift basket," Fred added.

"Are you two sure you were supposed to be in Gryffindor?" Millicent asked them, one eyebrow raised. The twins just laughed evilly and winked.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked Draco. He looked angry and hadn't said a single word to her.

"He'll be fine once Lavender's six feet under and pushing up witch's hazel," Blaise commented. "He was the one who heard what Lavender said to you... Never seen the man move so fast! Draco was the one who got us over there, though Luna got Colin and your brothers," Blaise said.

"Are we going in the right direction?" Gregory asked looking around.

"Did anyone see what way they went when they came out?" Vincent asked.

"They're around the corner," Ginny said when the others didn't reply.

"Second door on the left," Luna added after a few seconds.

They went around the corner and to the second door on the left, as per their instructions. Ginny opened the door and saw Padma sitting next to Parvati, her arm around her twin comfortingly.

When the door opened, Parvati looked up, mascara running down her face. She gave a small smile when she saw who it was, wiping the black liquid away with her sleeve.

"Sorry about that..." Parvati said softly. "I just hate it when people are teased or bullied for sticking up for others," she said angrily. "I can handle it when Lavender teases me, but other people... Rubs my robe the wrong way," she said with another small smile.

"Thank you for sticking up for me," Luna said, smiling at the older girl.

"You're welcome," Parvati replied. She rubbed at the running mascara, only succeeding in making it worse.

"I'm sure that mother told you not to wear water-based mascara," Padma drawled. She said a simple spell and the mascara disappeared.

"You don't need it anyway," George said, going red as he realised what he'd said.

"I think someone's got an admirer..." Millicent said, laughing as George went brighter.

"Speaking of admirers..." Ginny said and went to look over to Theodore, but Millicent clamped a hand over Ginny's mouth, thus refraining her to move her head too.

Parvati watched in amazement as everyone started nagging Millicent about who she liked. She was positive that only a few weeks ago that they'd all hated each other and now ... now they were acting as if they had been friends for their entire lives... It was definitely odd to watch.

"I'll say," Padma agreed. Parvati looked at her sister in shock.

"Did you just? I thought that it had gone..." Parvati said, her tears now forgotten.

"It was just lying dormant. The link between you can not exist if you are not willing to acknowledge each other," Luna said smiling at them.

"You've got a link too?" Fred asked suddenly. George looked at them with renewed interest.

"What do you mean by a link?" Pansy asked, leaving Millicent in peace for a moment.

"They can talk telepathically," Ginny said simply. "It's the main reason that I can't hear them," she said.

"Oh, is that all? I thought you meant... something else," Pansy said vaguely, then turned back to Millicent. "So who do you like?" she asked, smirking at her.

"Oh leave her, would you? She's too stubborn to give you the satisfaction of an answer," Ginny said with a smirk. Millicent nodded in agreement.

"Very stubborn," she added for emphasis.

"Well, as dinner is now over, you can all come and see our masterpiece," Fred and George announced.

"Masterpiece? I didn't think that decorating bed linen could be categorised as something artistic..." Ginny drawled smirking at them. George and Fred just grinned at her.

"You'll agree that it's a masterpiece when you see it," was all they said.

Intrigued, everyone followed them down to Ginny's room quickly.

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Fred and George waited until everyone was inside Ginny's room and for Parvati and Padma to stop looking around in wonder. With a minute nod, they both opened the door at the same time and stepped aside so they could look inside.

Ginny took her shoes off and walked into the room, shocked. It was a masterpiece! They'd not only decorated the bed linen in green, silver and red, but the walls and even the table and chairs were decorated in the three colours! As Ginny looked closer at the bed, she saw that each person had their name inscribed into the quilting. The names shimmered between silver and gold as she moved her head.

Ginny bobbed up and down as the others made their way into the room unsteadily. Pansy was delighted at the sea-like motion of the bed and moved so everyone else fell over.

"Don't be such a cow, Pansy! I only just finished eating!" Millicent growled.

"Don't ruin the masterpiece," Fred and George said instantly, conjuring up a bucket for her, just in case.

Millicent threw the bucket at them. The twins hit it easily, showing their skills of four years as Quidditch Beaters. Ginny transfigured the bucket into a balloon before it hit the bed and hit it into the air as it fell towards her.

"I love this game," Colin said as he hit the balloon too.

"What game?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"It's a Muggle game... You can't let the balloon hit the ground, or else you get out," Colin said simply as he hit the balloon up again.

"Muggle's have absolutely no creativity," Draco drawled as he watched the nearby balloon float to the quilt. Almost as if on instinct, he kicked the balloon up into the air lightly.

"And of course, that's why you're playing the game..." Greg drawled.

"I was not!" Draco retorted quickly.

"Yes, you were," Vincent said frowning. The balloon floated down to him and he hit it up into the air.

"No, I was not!" Draco said adamantly.

"Now, now, boys... No fighting. If Draco doesn't want to play the game, then he doesn't have to play," Ginny said, hitting the balloon over to Pansy. She instinctively hit it away from her face with her wand and the balloon turned into a feather.

"Now that's an interesting development to the game..." Neville noted as the feather floated towards him.

He hexed it with his wand and the feather turned into a piece of string. George grinned and changed the string into a piece of small parchment. Not wanting to be outdone by his twin, Fred turned the parchment into a rubber ball. They all watched as the ball dropped towards the bed quickly.

With surprisingly fast reflexes, Parvati changed the ball into a small origami crane. Padma smirked and changed it into an origami dragon. The dragon spread its wings and soared around the room, landing on Fred's head.

"Hold still... I'll change it!" George said, pointing his wand at his brother. Fred paled slightly.

"I don't think so!" Fred said.

Ginny smirked and pointed her wand at him. With a silent spell, the origami dragon changed into a miniature dragon and it breathed a puff of smoke onto Fred's head before flying up into the rafters.

"That wasn't very nice! What if you'd got me?!" Fred complained.

"The trust you have in me is astounding," Ginny drawled, smirking at him.

"I feel like we should have popcorn..." Colin said to Neville grinning.

"There's some in the third room on your right. It's in the cupboard," Ginny said.

"I was only kidding... But since you're offering," Colin said laughing as he crawled off the bed and headed to the miniature kitchen.

Colin returned with a large bowl of popcorn and sat down next to Ginny. Neville and Luna took a handful each and they all watched the others.

"Anyone up for a game of Truth or Dare?" Millicent asked smirking at them.

"No," Pansy said immediately.

Millicent glared at her then took some popcorn out of the bowl and began to throw it at Pansy's face. Pansy glared at her and started to hex the popcorn missiles with amazing accuracy.

"How are you hitting them so well? The popcorn's so small," Colin said picking up one of the hexed popcorn pieces.

"Secret," Pansy replied with a wink. Colin rolled his eyes and threw a piece at her.

"You look tired," Theodore commented, seeing Ginny's paler-than-usual face.

"It's just stressful working for seven days straight," Ginny said with a small sigh.

"You mean you don't even get one day free?" Theodore asked in shock. "That's not going to be good for your health," he said shaking his head.

"I've got next weekend free for the Hogsmeade trip. I should be fine..." Ginny said with a shrug.

"So if you end up in the hospital wing within a month due to stress and lack of sleep, can we say 'told you so'?" Millicent asked sourly, smirking at Ginny.

"If you want to," Ginny said grinning at her.

"Who are you going to Hogsmeade with?" Parvati asked Ginny.

"No one yet. Both Seamus and Dean asked me, but I said no to them. I don't think Dean's girlfriend would like it if I went with him. I was thinking about just going on my own..." Ginny said with a shrug.

"Why don't you go with Draco?" Pansy asked smirking at them.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Luna said suddenly. "Voldemort's got people on the lookout for him and after what happened yesterday..." she said, shaking her head.

There was silence for a few minutes as everyone took time to understand the threat and truth that Luna had just said.

"Are you going to keep the dragon like that or make it back into origami?" Colin asked looking up to the miniature red Norwegian Ridgeback, breaking the silence with safer topics of discussion.

"Don't destroy it," Draco said before Ginny could reply. "You can't give it the chance at life then take it away so soon," he said quietly.

"I was going to ask the dragon... I'm sure it should have some choice in the matter," Ginny said.

She gave a small whistle and the dragon flew down to her immediately. With a few growls and lizard-like hisses, Ginny had her answer. With another whistle to the dragon, Ginny watched as she flew up to the rafters again.

"What did it say?" Pansy asked.

"She wants to stay alive... Didn't you hear it?" Colin asked, frowning at her. "She was speaking perfect English..."

"She?" Fred and George asked in shock.

"Lyra is going to stay like she is now. Colin, she was speaking English only to your ears. Draco might have understood her..." Ginny added, looking over to him. Draco just shrugged in response, eating more of the popcorn. "I understood her because of the whole Queen thing, but other than that Lyra was just speaking in her dragon language, not in English..." Ginny said.

"Then how did I understand her?" Colin asked looking up at the dragon in wonder.

"Your mother," Luna said suddenly. "Your father is a milkman... What about your mother?" She asked.

"She was a witch... At least, that's what we were told," Colin said with a shrug.

"Haven't you ever checked in the school records?" Ginny asked him.

She looked at the time and saw that it was quarter to ten. If she left now, that would give her enough time to get to the library and look at the school records as an excuse before getting the Restricted book from Madam Pince.

"No... I didn't think of looking there," Colin replied.

"I'll go look for you now," Ginny offered.

"No, it's all right... You don't have to," Colin began, but Ginny was already standing up.

"I want to... I'm curious," she said with a grin. "What was your mother's name?" Ginny asked.

"Dad only ever called her Harmony. He never mentioned a last name," Colin said with a shrug. "Dad said that she had me at twenty-two... I was born in 1986, take away twenty-two, so she would have been born in 1964. Then add another twelve years to get accepted into Hogwarts... She would have been here in 1976," Colin said with a nod to confirm his mathematical calculations.

"All right. Relo!" Ginny called. The Erkling arrived in a few seconds, grinning happily.

"You called us, Ginevra?" He asked.

"Yes... Did you want to go in and play with the others now? Theodore's in there," she said. In a flash Relo was inside the room, talking to Theodore excitedly. "Bexley, if you will please stay in the room with them," Ginny said quietly. Bexley floated out of her and bowed before going into the room.

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Ginny left her room, taking a parchment and quill with her, putting the items into her pocket discreetly. She ran to the library quickly and entered quietly.

The library was practically deserted. All of ten people were in the library, all of them attempting to finish essays that should have been finished days ago.

Ginny made her way down to the very back of the library where the school records were kept, then pulled out the record book and accompanying photo album for 1976. She sat at a nearby table then flipped to the beginning of the book.

She looked down the list of names and found three people with the name 'Harmony'. Ginny wrote down the three names then turned to the photo album so she could see if there was any resemblance between the women and Colin or his younger brother Dennis.

Looking at Harmony Resler's photograph, Ginny shook her head, dismissing the woman immediately. The woman had black hair and all of the facial features were wrong. In a note beneath the photo, Ginny saw that she'd married Terry Jackson but had no children. Hoping that all of the photo's had these kind of notes, she turned to the next Harmony.

Harmony Barnathen wasn't the right woman either. It wasn't just the fact that she had the wrong facial features, but also the note beneath her photo saying that she had never married or had children.

With a small sigh, Ginny turned to the last possibility. With an annoyed frown Ginny saw that the last woman had also never married or had children. She got the record book and photo album for 1975, just in case Colin's mother had gone to Hogwarts at age eleven.

Looking down the records, Ginny saw that only one person had the name Harmony. She opened the photo album to the woman and looked at the photograph. The woman wasn't Colin's mother, that Ginny could see straight away. The likeness between this Harmony and Dean Thomas was amazing. The note said that she'd married a Muggle by the name of Christopher Thomas and had gone to live with him in the Muggle world, giving birth to one Dean Thomas...

"Would you like some help?" Madam Pince asked. She'd seen Ginny frowning at the record books for a good ten minutes and had decided it was time to check what was wrong for herself.

"I'm looking for a woman by the name of Harmony. She's Colin Creevey and Dennis Creevey's mother," Ginny added.

"All right. Come with me and I'll show you how to search for her in an easier way," Madam Pince said, going over to the front desk, Ginny following quickly.

Madam Pince gave her wand a small flick and the books that Ginny had been looking at returned to the shelves in the proper order. She handed Ginny a small piece of parchment.

"Write 'Harmony' and 'Colin Creevey' on the parchment," Pince instructed.

Ginny did this then handed the parchment back to her. Pince opened a small drawer beneath the desk and put the parchment in it before closing it again. She stood back and Ginny could see a faint white-gold glow emitting from the drawer. When it had disappeared, Pince opened the drawer and took the parchment out. She handed it to Ginny, pleased that the drawer had worked.

"There's two books that involve those words, and one photo album. The details are on the parchment... Do you want any help finding them?" Pince asked.

"No, this will be enough. Thank you Madam Pince," Ginny said genuinely.

Pince beamed happily and Ginny went to the school record section again. Suddenly a loud bell began ringing and Ginny turned to see Madam Pince's face get angry and stern. Pince pointed her wand at the Restricted Section and all of the doors slammed shut, locking and barricading themselves quickly.

"That better not be Peeves again," Ginny heard Madam Pince mutter as she stalked over to the Restricted Section.

Ginny watched in some amazement as Pince walked down the aisles of the Restricted Section. She pointed her wand in a particular direction and glared at the air.

"Take the spell off right now!" Madam Pince said angrily. "If you don't then I will be forced to curse you," she threatened, still glaring at the same spot.

A loud sigh came from the air and a person materialised quite literally out of thin air. Pince grabbed the young boy by the ear and dragged him out of the Restricted Section.

"You're going straight to the Headmaster! This is the second time I've caught you in here this term!" She said angrily.

Pince pointed her wand at the boy and an invisible rope went around him so he couldn't leave the library. Pince went over to her fireplace and threw some Floo powder in.

"Albus Dumbledore!" She called. Albus' head appeared in the fireplace. "Sorry if I woke you, Headmaster," she began.

"It's quite all right, Elizabeth... I see that young Mr. Jeremy Barlon is tied up again... He was caught in the Restricted Section again, I presume?" Albus asked.

"Yes, he was. And in the same part of the Restricted Section as well," Pince said.

"Very well... Thank you for getting me this time, Elizabeth. I am sure that Jeremy is relieved that you did not decide to punish him yourself this time," Albus said looking at Jeremy sternly. The boy went bright red and looked down at his shoes. "Come through the fireplace, Jeremy so we can deal with your punishment," he said. Jeremy walked through the fireplace reluctantly. "Thank you Elizabeth. It is nearly half past. Filch has been extremely determined to catch people out past curfew this week, perhaps you should close early," Albus suggested.

"Yes, Headmaster. Good night," Pince said.

"Good night, Elizabeth," Albus said and his head disappeared from the green flames.

Ginny stopped watching and turned to the books again. She looked at the parchment and took the photo album off of the shelf, even though it didn't seem that it was going to be relevant, as the album was from 1758.

She turned to the page that the name Harmony was on and stared in shock. It seemed that a more feminine version of Colin was looking back up at her, smiling and waving at the camera. Ginny looked down at the note, hoping that it only said 'grandmother to Colin Creevey', or 'the mother of Harmony'.

Harmony Cooper. Born in 1746- present. At her birth, Harmony was given the gift of immortality from the dragons. She is the mother of Colin and Dennis Creevey, both of whom are attending Hogwarts...

Ginny stared in shock at the birth year... That meant that she was over 240 years old! Shaking her head, Ginny took the book to Madam Pince who borrowed it for her, giving her the mandatory warning of making sure that the book was not damaged and to not fold the edges of the pages over.

"If you'll wait over there, I'll make sure the library is empty so you can start the other book," Madam Pince said then briskly walked down to the study areas.

In a few seconds, one couple left the library quickly, the girl giggling and blushing brightly. Others left the library reluctantly, their hands covered with spilt ink from a rush of trying to finish their essays before the library closed.

Once everyone had gone, Madam Pince returned to her desk then led Ginny over to the Restricted Section. Once Madam Pince had opened the doors, she directed Ginny down the aisles to where the book was.

"Mundus Magus," she said, pulling the book from the shelf and handing it to Ginny. "If I recall correctly, that particular book has the ability to scream at you. A silencing spell should do for now," Pince said, tapping the book with her wand.

"Thank you," Ginny said, going to one of the study tables and opening the book.

Madam Pince set about doing her end-of-the-day tasks, knowing how students disliked being watched while reading from the Restricted Section.

Ginny found the spell and began to write it down carefully, just in case she would need it again. As she wrote, she thought of Draco. She didn't want to have to do erase everyone's memory...

Draco watched Ginny as she read the Restricted book. She was frowning as she wrote down the spell.

Carefully folding the parchment, Ginny put it in her pocket then went up to Madam Pince to return the book.

"Thank you, Madam Pince," she said.

The librarian nodded then waved her wand. The book flew back to the Restricted Section, organising itself in the proper order.

"You should leave quickly... Filch wasn't told of your being out of bed, so if he catches you then you will get into trouble," Pince warned. Ginny nodded.

"Thanks for staying up late for me," Ginny whispered, then slipped out of the library.

Draco followed Ginny out of the library. Seeing a clock, he was surprised at the time. It was almost twelve o'clock!

Ginny listened as Draco tried to keep his footsteps silent, but with not much success. She walked past the tapestries and as she headed to the Hogwarts entrance, she heard thunder rolling in the clouds and rain began to fall heavily.

Touching her wand to a nearby door, Ginny whispered a spell that Draco couldn't hear, and the door opened. She slipped outside, Draco following quickly.

Rain poured around them and Draco watched as Ginny pulled the parchment out of her pocket. He saw that her face was wet, and had a feeling that it wasn't rain that was causing it.

Ginny felt tears running down her face as she thought of what she was about to do. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want him to watch her do this...

"Please don't watch this, Draco," she said softly.

Her voice was quiet, but it seemed to cut through the rain and fill his ears. Taking off his Invisibility Cloak he looked at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, walking over to her.

"You won't want to know..." Ginny said, putting the parchment in her pocket. Draco smirked.

"I sincerely doubt that, Ginevra," he said. Ginny stepped away from him, tears running down her face freely.

"Don't make this harder for me, Draco. Please, just leave," she begged. Draco shook his head.

"Not yet. I haven't had a good night kiss," he said smirking at her.

Ginny paled and shook her head as she moved back further still. Staring at him, she began to recite the spell. Draco watched as she grew pale with each word she said.

"Those who know, now forget... Make the past not happen yet... The memory of the kiss caught in a net... Those who knew, now forgot..." Ginny said clearly through the rain.

Suddenly, hundreds of small red lights flew out of Ginny. One flew directly at Draco but he was too stunned to even dodge the little red light as it entered his forehead.

Ginny watched as he fell to the ground and the other lights flew through walls into the Hogwarts castle. A few flew in other directions, presumably to others in her family that Ron had told. One red light remained. It bobbed in front of Ginny almost playfully, but didn't do anything.

After a few minutes, the other lights flew back and bobbed in front of Ginny too, waiting for instruction.

"The task is completed, memories wiped clean... Go to the earth, make sure to be unseen. Before you go, wipe the memory of your Queen," Ginny said. The lights flew down into the ground and seemed to disappear into the earth.

The single light that had been waiting in front of Ginny flew into her forehead. As her memory disappeared, Ginny fell to the ground, Draco's lifeless form in front of her.

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As a cool wind played with Ginny, she woke up and saw that the moon was starting to set. Looking around, she saw Malfoy nearby and wondered why she was outside. She remembered leaving the sleep over, but she had no idea why she had left or how she'd gotten outside...

"Hey, Malfoy!" Ginny called, going over to him. Malfoy stirred in his sleep and with a nudge of her foot, Ginny successfully woke him up. "How drunk did you get last night? Why are we outside?" She asked.

"Go away, Weasley... What do you mean we're outside?" Draco muttered as her words registered. He opened his eyes wearily and saw the light sky. "What am I doing here?" He muttered, sitting up.

"Oh, come on... Let's get inside before we freeze to death," Ginny muttered then began to walk to her room. Draco followed, glaring at her.

"What did you do to me? How did we end up outside for the Gods sakes?" Draco asked her angrily.

"I have no idea why or how I ended out here, let alone how you got here... You were probably stalking me, you slimy git," Ginny retorted. She was cold, tired and had no memory about most of yesterday... It was like Riddle was back again. She shuddered at the thought, then walked to her rooms at a faster pace.

"Would you wait, Weasley?!" Draco called as he increased his speed to catch up with her.

Ginny just kept going at the same speed and ended up at her rooms in a few seconds. She went inside to see everyone asleep on the water bed mattress. At some point they must have changed into their pyjamas, as she could see that Pansy was in a nightgown and Luna was wearing her usual pyjama shirt and shorts.

"Nice of them to notice that we were gone," Ginny muttered.

"They did notice you were gone, Ginevra... Luna told them not to worry about you. She said that you would be all right, that is why we did not go to find you," Relo said with a sob. "We missed you!" He said and hugged her legs, crying.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Relo... Do you know why I went outside to start with? Or why I left the party?" Ginny asked. Relo nodded his head, wiping away his tears.

"You went to find Colin's mother after you made Lyra and he understood her... We don't know why you were outside though," he said.

"I remember that, but I still don't know why I was outside," Ginny muttered.

"You can't forget about me... Why in the Gods names was I out there?!" Draco asked glaring at her.

"You went to find Ginevra," Relo said with a confused look on his face. "We is tired... Can we sleep now? We didn't want to go to sleep until we had seen that you had come back..." Relo said, yawning widely.

"Yes, you can go to sleep now, Relo... I'm tired too," Ginny said with a yawn. Relo went into the room and as soon as he was on the bed, he fell asleep, snoring gently. "I'm sure you can find somewhere to sleep in there, Malfoy," Ginny drawled, indicating to where Relo had just entered.

"Of course I can," Draco retorted, glaring at her.

Ginny just rolled her eyes then went to her room. She changed into her pyjamas and crawled into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

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(a/n: Thanks for being patient (well, some of you were... ;) lol) and waiting for this chapter. I apologise again for not getting it out sooner, but I have been very busy lately! (Apologies!)

If you want any information on where I got ideas, or my information, then just ask and I will be glad to give it to you!

Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed it!)

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9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter, don’t sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Nine

Sometime between Sunday, Sept. 8 and Monday, Sept. 9

Ginny woke up feeling disorientated. She looked over at her door and saw Malfoy standing there. He looked paler than usual and she knew immediately that he'd Seen The Vision.

"He will pay for hurting you," Draco said quietly. He left abruptly, leaving Ginny confused as to how he'd actually come to See The Vision. Pondering this, she fell asleep.

Bexley watched as she slept and shook his head as he remembered what had happened mere minutes before that she had forgotten so quickly.

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Flashback

Bexley woke up as Ginevra made a sudden movement. With a sigh he realised that she was sleepwalking again and was slightly thankful that Draco was nearby so she wouldn't have to traipse all over the cold castle again. He watched as Ginevra smiled at Draco, who had woken up as soon as she appeared in the doorway.

Bexley looked down, wondering why no one else had woken up from the waterbed's movement. Ginevra was somehow floating above the waterbed! Shaking his head, Bexley watched as Ginevra continued to smile at Draco until he fell asleep. The Boggart waited for Ginevra to return to her warm bed, but was surprised when she moved closer to Draco and gently rested a hand on his forehead.

"Awaken the ability the Dragon has forgotten... Make him See," Ginevra whispered softly.

A red light covered Draco's forehead and he began to frown as he Saw Ginevra running through the Forbidden Forest in her wolf form...

Ginevra turned around and made her way back to her bed silently, again without disturbing the water-bed. As she climbed into her bed she fell asleep promptly and in a few minutes, Draco appeared in her doorway, waking Ginevra up.

End flashback

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Monday, Sept. 9

Ginny woke up yawning widely. She stretched lazily then looked at her clock. Seeing that it was only six thirty she groaned, but still got out of bed. She made her way to the bathroom and had a quick shower.

Once she had finished Ginny got changed and went to the meeting room to see if anyone else was up. Millicent smirked at Ginny and Luna gave a small wave, smiling happily.

"Why are you two up so early?" Ginny asked softly. It was then that she noticed the popcorn in Millicent's hand and the popcorn surrounding Pansy.

"We've been trying to get it in her mouth to wake her up," Millicent said smirking evilly.

"Why do you want to wake her up?" Ginny asked.

"I want to remind her of the things she did and confessed to last night," she replied with an evil laugh.

"So you managed to get her to play Truth and Dare, huh?" Ginny said smirking.

"Millicent got everyone to play..." Luna said with a smile. "I can show you if you like," she offered, holding out her hand.

"I don't want to wake everyone up by walking over to you, Luna," Ginny said.

"You could just levitate yourself over," Millicent said with a shrug as she tried to throw more popcorn at Pansy. Ginny used her wand to float herself over then landed very gently beside them. She took Luna's hand and closed her eyes as images played in her mind.

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Millicent looked at everyone, smirking broadly.

"Anyone up for Truth or dare then? Ginevra should be back by the time anything really bad comes out," she added once everyone shook his or her heads.

"I'll play," Luna said smiling. She decided that she wouldn't tell Millicent that Ginny wouldn't be back for hours; Luna didn't want to spoil her fun.

"Oh, all right..." Colin said after a few nudges from Luna. "I'll play if Neville does," he said with a grin.

"That's not very Gryffindor-like," Blaise said with a smirk. "But I completely agree... I'll play if you do," he said with a wink at Neville. Neville went red and nodded reluctantly.

"We'll play," Padma and Parvati said grinning at them. Fred and George looked at each other with a grin.

"We're in!" They said eagerly.

"All right... What about the rest of you?" Millicent asked the other five.

"It's a stupid game," Pansy drawled. Gregory looked disappointed and Vincent gave a small cough.

"I'll play," he muttered. Pansy and Gregory looked at him in surprise.

"Me too," Gregory said with an apologetic smile at Pansy.

"If Draco doesn't play, then I'm not going to either," Pansy said crossing her arms. She did not want to play!

"Well then, I guess you had better get your jaw ready... I'm playing," Draco said smirking at her evilly.

"Jerk," Pansy muttered with a huff.

"So who wants to go first?" Millicent asked grinning at them.

"I will," Luna said. Millicent nodded gratefully.

"Truth or dare?" Millicent asked her.

"Truth," Luna said. The Slytherin girl thought for a moment then smirked at her.

"Do you like Colin more than a friend?" Millicent asked.

"Yes," Luna said simply. Colin grinned at her and she gave his hand a squeeze. "Pansy, truth or dare?" Luna asked her. Pansy glared at Draco for getting her into this stupid game, then sighed reluctantly.

"Dare," she said.

"I dare you to go to the Great Hall in your pyjamas tommorow morning," Luna said grinning.

"That is not going to happen! I have a reputation to uphold, I'll have you know!" Pansy said. Millicent snorted loudly and Pansy glared at her.

"Well, if you do not do it, then I will have to give you the punishment, as per the wizarding rules of Truth or dare," Luna said with a simple shrug. Pansy paled and shook her head.

"You are not going anywhere near my hair, thank you very much! I'll do your stupid dare," Pansy muttered. She glared at Millicent, who was now laughing loudly. "Millicent, truth or dare?" She asked smirking at her.

Millicent stopped laughing and thought about it. If she chose dare, then Pansy would make her do something embarrassing, but if she chose truth...

"Dare," Millicent said. Pansy's face turned evil and Millicent surppressed a shudder.

"I dare you to snog Theodore," Pansy said smirking at her. Millicent and Theodore both went bright red. "Do you accept the dare, or do I have to punish you?" Pansy asked sounding positively evil.

"I... accept," Millicent said quietly, her face burning.

"Well then, go ahead..." Pansy said sitting back and smirking at her.

"You didn't say when I had to," Millicent retorted. "As long as I do before the end of the night, then you can't punish me," she said quickly. As Millicent wasn't looking at him, she didn't notice that Theodore looked slightly disappointed.

"Oh, just go ahead and kiss him now," Blaise said grinning at her, having seen Theodore's look.

He gave Millicent a slight push in Theodore's direction and she fell towards him. Theodore caught her and Millicent blushed.

"Well, go on then," Pansy said.

Millicent went to glare at her but the look Theodore gave her stopped her. He was smiling at her lovingly... She'd never seen him look at her that way before! With a smirk, Pansy gave Millicent's behind a small kick, forcing Millicent's face to go even closer to Theodore. Even though she would have normally yelled at Pansy for doing that, at this moment Millicent was glad because she doubted that she would have had the courage to actually kiss him without help. She kissed him, watching him for a reaction. Theodore's eyes closed and he kissed her back. Even at their awkward angle, Theodore managed to put his arms around Millicent and pull her closer.

"Finally!" Pansy sighed shaking her head. "I've been waiting for them two to get together for years!" She muttered. "All right, Millicent... Time to break it up! You've been snogging for ages," Pansy muttered, kicking at Millicent with her foot.

"Fine..." Millicent said reluctantly. Theodore was grinning broadly and didn't protest when she took his hand in her own. "Fred or George, whichever one you are," she said pointing at Fred.

"Fred," he supplied with a grin.

"Truth or dare?" Millicent asked, knowing that she probably would never get them right.

"Truth," Fred said after a moment's consideration.

"Were you supposed to be in Slytherin? You're both too evil not to be," Millicent said with a smirk.

"Yeah, we were... The Hat decided to put us in Gryffindor when he realised that we'd both gone up to the stool at the same time, instead of me first, then George," Fred said grinning.

"You both went up there? How did the Hat manage to fit on your heads?" Parvati asked in confusion.

"It didn't," George said with a grin.

"Right... Draco," Fred said smirking at him. "You know the drill: truth or dare?" He asked with a wink.

"Dare," Draco drawled. He didn't like the way Fred and George smirked evilly at each other before looking at him...

"I dare you to curse Ron tomorrow morning before breakfast," Fred said. At Draco's confused look, Fred just gave a smirk. "We have our reasons... You also have to use a very specific curse... Ever heard of the Stultus Curse?"

"The foolish curse?" Draco asked with a frown. Fred and George nodded.

"That's it... Do that on him," they said venomously.

"What did he do to you that made you want to curse him? He's your brother..." Parvati said.

"Exactly. We promised Ginevra that we wouldn't hurt the... our little brother, but others can," Fred and George said with a decisive nod. "And it wasn't something that Ron did to us, rather something he will do in the future to someone we love..." they said vaguely. Blaise and Neville looked at them with frowns on their faces.

"What do you mean? Isn't it supposed to be that kid, Tom?" Blaise asked, Neville nodding in agreement. Draco watched them, his anger growing.

"We Saw it again this afternoon... It had changed from that boy to Ron. Unfortunately we promised Ginevra that we wouldn't kill or hurt him, but we did manage to get a deal out of her. If she disowns Ron, then we can too," they said with grins.

"We'll be right back... Ginevra's bowl is on the mantelpiece there, can you pass it to us?" Blaise said pulling Neville to his feet.

George passed the bowl to them and everyone watched as the two boys walked out of the room, muttering to each other in soft tones.

In about ten minutes, they returned looking angry, disgusted and quite sick at what they had Seen. Everyone waited for them to speak, but they didn't seem very willing to talk about it. Blaise and Neville sat down. Seeing how upset Neville was, Blaise pulled him into a hug to comfort him.

"I can't believe it was him... I've known him for years, but... Never have I seen Ron act like that..." Neville said shuddering as he shook his head in disgust.

"I'm going to do more than a fucking foolish spell on him," Draco muttered.

"You can't. Ginevra doesn't want us to do anything to him in case it gives Ron reason to do that later... We only know that you can because you can make him insult you and retaliate with that or something... Don't hurt him without Ginevra's permission, or else she'll never forgive you..." Fred and George said.

"Just like Dad in that respect..." George said to his twin.

"And Mum... They know how to hold a grudge and enforce it," Fred said with a shudder.

"Talking of Ginevra... She should have been back by now..." Draco muttered looking at the clock on the wall.

"She's only been gone for... an hour... Wow, how did that happen?" Colin asked shaking his head.

"We'll go find her," Fred and George said. Draco shook his head.

"It's all right... You two stay. I'll go," he said.

"If you're sure..." The twins said. Draco nodded. He grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and left the water bed awkwardly, listening as the others continued the game.

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Luna's memory stopped and Ginny looked around to see that others were awake around her. Blaise and Neville were awake, as was Fred, George and Theodore. Millicent and Theodore kept looking at each other every so often and Ginny smirked at them. Colin woke up and rubbed his eyes blearily.

"What's the time?" He asked with a yawn.

"About seven o'clock," Ginny replied.

"So where did you end up last night, Ginevra?" Fred and George asked.

"I went to the library, then I woke up outside this morning..." Ginny said shaking her head.

"Outside?" Fred and George repeated in surprise. "Did you sleepwalk again?" They asked grinning at her.

"I must have... I don't remember anything after me leaving the library," Ginny said with a shrug.

"Why can't we curse him?" Blaise asked suddenly.

"You can't curse Ron, because if you do, then that will give him a reason to do what ever he's going to do later," Ginny said, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"You never said anything about not cursing Lavender though," Parvati said suddenly. "Sorry... I didn't want to interrupt you and Luna earlier so I just stayed here," she said with a shrug.

"That's right... You never said anything about Brown," Blaise said with a nod. Ginny sighed and didn't reply.

"If we can't curse her, can I at least stab her with my wand?" Neville asked. Ginny and the others looked at him in surprise. "What? I have a sudden urge to stab that little bitch... If I can't hex Ron, then I'll have to settle with her," he said venomously. The others' surprise didn't fade anytime soon after he'd finished speaking...

"Never heard you sound so evil before," Blaise whispered in Neville's ear huskily. Neville grinned and blushed slightly.

"No, you can not stab her with your wand. You can not curse her. You can, however, test some of Fred and George's products on Lavender, by all means... I mean, I don't control what she eats or drinks, now do I?" Ginny asked smirking.

"Excellent! Bugger the Valentine's basket, we're going for a secret admirer... She'll scoff them in seconds," Fred and George said laughing evilly. "We'll be back in time for breakfast," they said with smirks as they left the room, still clad in their pyjamas.

"Where are they going?" Pansy asked drowsily, the motion of the bed waking her up.

"They're going to get a basket ready for Lavender sent by a secret admirer," Ginny said laughing.

"Sounds like fun... So, are we staying here for breakfast?" Pansy asked hopefully.

"You're not getting out of the dare that easily, Pansy," Padma drawled smirking at her.

"I don't want to go to the Great Hall in my pyjamas..." Pansy said with a huff.

"I'll go with you," Ginny said with a grin.

"You'll willingly go to the Great Hall in your pyjamas? In front of everyone?" Millicent asked in shock. Parvati nodded in agreement, too shocked to say the words.

"Why not? There's nothing wrong with my pyjamas and they're comfortable," Ginny said with a shrug.

"So what exactly do you wear to bed?" Blaise asked smirking at her. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him then hit him with a pillow.

"Don't be perverted, you're scaring the children," Ginny drawled rolling her eyes at him. Blaise just laughed and pulled Neville closer to him.

"How long do you think it'll take Fred and George to get everything ready?" Pansy asked after a few minutes.

"What are those two getting ready?" Gregory asked curiously.

"A basket for Lavender," Blaise said smirking at him.

"Would you all shut it? I am trying to sleep!" Draco grumbled as he rolled over and put his pillow over his head.

"Who cares if you're trying to sleep? We're awake, so you can be awake too," Ginny said glaring at his back.

"Shove off, Weasley... And stop glaring at me," Draco added.

"How did he know she was glaring at him?" Parvati whispered to her sister. Padma shrugged, just as amazed.

"Don't tell me to shove off in my own room, Malfoy! Go sleep in your own room if we're bothering you," Ginny retorted angrily. Draco just gave a huff and sat up slightly, glaring at her.

"You're all up? Except for Crabbe, of course... How on Earth did he manage to sleep through all of your noise?" Draco muttered, kicking Vincent with his foot slightly.

"Don't kick Vincent just because he's asleep," Ginny said angrily.

"Oh, so you agree with me then? If you're awake, it doesn't mean I have to be?" Draco said smirking at her.

"Oh, shut up and go to sleep if that's what you want to do," Ginny replied glaring at him.

"I don't want to anymore... I'm awake now," Draco retorted smirking at her in triumph.

"Would you two stop arguing so much before breakfast?" Pansy asked glaring at them.

"What's wrong?" Vincent asked, having just woken up due to the noise and seen Pansy's look.

"Nothing's wrong... Draco and Ginevra are just arguing, as usual," Gregory said with a smirk.

A noise from the rafters made them all look up and Lyra soared down to them. She blew a ring of smoke at Ginny, then one at Draco and with a flap of her leathery wings, the two rings of smoke connected with each other.

"She's telling them to shut up and make peace," Colin said with a smirk. Draco just rolled his eyes and flopped back onto the mattress.

"That reminds me... I found the book with your mother in it. I'm not sure if you're going to like what it says though," Ginny said as she went out of the room to get the photo album.

Colin looked at Luna to see if she could shed any light on what that meant exactly, but she was just smiling and holding his hand comfortingly.

There was movement beneath one of the blankets near Theodore, making them look over to it. Muffled high pitched noises came from it and the blankets were tangled up further as the creature tried to untangle itself.

"Hold on a minute, Relo... I'll get you out," Theodore said and the movement's stopped. He untangled the blankets and Relo jumped out eagerly, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you elf-boy! That beastly entrapment wasn't nice!" Relo said glaring at the blanket.

"Found it. Pince will be glad I had enough sense to put this under my robe before I went outside..." Ginny said smiling.

"Why exactly won't I like this?" Colin asked as she handed the photo album to him.

"The date," Luna said. Colin looked at her in surprise, as she hadn't even looked at the book yet, but then he looked at the year on the side of the album.

"1758? Did you get the wrong book or something, Gin?" Colin asked with a grin.

"Turn to page 152," Ginny replied in a flat tone. Colin's grin faded as he saw her face and he quickly opened the album.

"This can't be right..." Colin muttered frowning. "How... Why didn't he tell us?" He looked down at the page angrily, his mother's face smiling and waving back at him. Colin shut the album with an angry thud and threw it a few metres away from him, scowling at the fallen book.

The corner of the album hit the water bed and a hissing sound was heard. Water began to spurt out of the hole, drenching everyone in the room. Ginny quickly grabbed the album and slid it out of the room so it wouldn't get wet.

Relo began to laugh as water covered his bright blue body and Lyra roared from up in the rafters as she got wet too. Parvati laughed as Padma got drenched by a particularly large amount of water. Neville and Blaise just smirked at everyone. Millicent and Theodore were too busy kissing to realise that they were getting wet. Pansy grinned as the room began to fill with water and started to change her body, splashing everyone with more water at every chance she had. Luna was just sitting in the water calmly, smiling at everyone broadly. Colin started taking pictures, refusing to even look at the album. Gregory and Vincent helped Pansy splash everyone with their wands and when Ginny was completely drenched after one shot, she glared at them and began to fight back. Surprising both of them, Draco was by her side in an instant, blasting both of the boys and Pansy with water jets from his wand.

"Does anyone know how to fix this?!" Padma yelled over everyone's laughter. After a few more minutes everyone stopped mucking around and looked at the small incision in the mattress that was causing the problem.

"I think the main problem is that we're sinking into the floor," Ginny noted, seeing that the door was slightly further up than the bed.

"How high did the twins make this mattress?" Parvati asked as they began to sink into the floor quickly.

Suddenly, small red balls appeared in front of Parvati, Padma, Colin and Luna. Before anyone could do anything, the red balls hit certain parts of the four. A red ball hit Parvati's bracelet, Padma's anklet, Colin's watch and Luna's toe-ring.

Relo yelped and held onto Ginny tightly. Lyra flew down onto Colin's shoulder quickly.

"Uhh... What was that?" Padma asked after a while.

No one had the chance to reply as a red light surrounded everyone's amulets and they disappeared. In seconds, they appeared on the other side of the room, no longer sinking into the floor. Everyone looked at Ginny in expectance.

"I think I know what it was, but I didn't do the spell so it couldn't have been..." Ginny muttered more to herself than anyone else.

"What do you think it was?" Pansy asked after returning to her human form.

"Tutis," Ginny said. "Flitwick taught us the incantation and my magic protected all of your amulets, not just my own, remember?" She asked. They nodded in surprise. "The same thing just happened but I didn't do anything... My magic just took it upon itself to do it itself and get us all out of there," Ginny said frowning.

"You think that your magic can do that?" Parvati asked in shock.

"Why not? If wizards can do wandless magic, why can't magic do the same thing without a wizard or witch?" Ginny asked with a shrug.

"I see your point," Padma said smirking.

"So does this mean I can't go to breakfast in my pyjamas now?" Pansy asked looking down at her wet clothes to hide her smirk. Luna shook her head with a wistful smile.

"My friend, do not think that I forget warming and drying spells so easily," she said, casting the two spells on Pansy. In a second, Pansy's clothes were dry and she was warm again. Everyone followed suit and were soon warm and dry again.

"Darn it..." Pansy muttered. Ginny laughed at her expression.

"Come on, Pansy... Don't be such a scaredy cat!" She said mockingly.

"I'm not scared... I just don't want to humiliate myself in front of everyone at this ruddy school," Pansy said scowling.

"Humiliate yourself? Now how could you do that when you look like that?" Gregory asked smirking at her.

"On second thoughts, maybe we shouldn't let you go to the Great Hall in that," Vincent said seriously to Greg, who nodded. Pansy flushed slightly.

"Gods... I woke up for this?" Draco muttered and rolled his eyes.

"Shove off Draco," Pansy said glaring at him. Draco just smirked at her then sauntered over to a table and sat down.

"The table is used for eating from, not for sitting on Malfoy," Ginny scolded. When Draco didn't move or reply, Ginny pointed her wand at him and before he could do anything, the table beneath him disappeared. Draco fell to the ground with a loud thump and got up glaring at Ginny as he rubbed his sore backside.

"All right! I'll go in my pyjamas too... Would you stop hassling me about it?" Millicent growled at Pansy who just smirked at her gratefully.

"I will go too," Luna announced with a smile.

"You are?" Colin asked her in shock.

"Of course," she said smiling at him.

"Well, we're not going to let you four go and make us look like the odd ones out," Parvati and Padma said.

"Let me get this straight... All of you girls are going to the Great Hall in your pyjamas?" Blaise asked.

"Yes," Ginny replied with a smirk.

"Right, well I'm in then," Blaise said smirking at them.

"What?! You're going to the Great Hall in your pyjamas? In front of the entire school?" Draco asked in shock.

"Why not? I don't want the girls to get all of the attention," Blaise said still smirking broadly.

"We'll do it too," Gregory said for himself and Vincent.

"I'm not sure I should let you," Pansy said with a wink at them. Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'll do it too," Neville said grinning.

"Me too," Colin said happily.

"All right... I'll do it! If only to save my ribs," Theodore muttered as Millicent had proceeded to nudge him with her elbow.

"You're all wrapped around their little fingers, you know that?" Draco asked the other guys in disbelief.

"I know it all right," Blaise whispered in Neville's ear who went red.

"Who cares if they are or not? If they want to go to the Great Hall in their pyjamas with the rest of us, that's their own choice... It's not like we ganged up on them to do it," Ginny said shaking her head at him.

"I never said you did, Weasley," Draco sneered at her.

"Just shut up and go in your pyjamas too!" Pansy said shaking her head at Draco. "We all know that you want to go in your pyjamas so stop complaining about it," she drawled. Draco shook his head but didn't say anything.

"We should go in our being forms next Monday," Blaise said suddenly.

"Could you imagine Rion's face if you did that? It would be hilarious!" Colin said laughing at the thought.

"What do you mean if you did that? You're going as your being too," Ginny said smirking at him.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a being Ginny," Colin said as if he was stating the obvious.

"Yes, you are," Luna said suddenly. "No one here is not a being," she said with an eerie smile.

"We're not anything," Padma said indicating to her twin, who nodded in agreement. Luna just smiled at them.

"You are the same as Fred and George," she said.

"So what am I then?" Colin asked Luna.

"A dragon," Luna said simply.

"What? How? I can't be a dragon!" Colin said in shock.

"Sorry for interrupting, but my stomach is protesting about the lack of food so can we hurry this up please?" Millicent asked, her stomach rumbling in agreement.

"Well, we wouldn't want to upset your stomach, now would we?" Pansy drawled.

"You should change into your pyjamas now," Luna said to Ginny.

"All right... I'll be back in a minute and then we can go," Ginny said and went down to her bedroom. In a few minutes, she returned wearing her pyjamas.

"Can we go now?" Vincent asked when Ginny arrived.

"Yes, come on," Ginny said and led them down the corridor.

She stopped a corridor or two away from the Great Hall and they all climbed out from behind the tapestry when the coast was clear. They walked past other students, all of whom did a double take when they saw what they were wearing. Wolf whistles accompanied them all into the Great Hall and they all sat at the Slytherin table, almost daring anyone to say anything about what they were wearing. Soon enough, most of the people stopped whispering, but that didn't stop the students from looking and appreciating them in their nightwear.

Fred and George came into the Great Hall grinning. When they saw what the others were wearing they looked at each other, their grins growing larger.

"To think of all of the times that we got dressed especially for breakfast," George said shaking his head.

"When we could have just arrived in our pyjamas," Fred said also shaking his head.

As one they both took off their outer robes to show that they were wearing pyjamas underneath. They sat next to Padma and Parvati and started to eat oblivious to people's stares and whispers.

"Our owls will be in shortly," Fred and George said quietly to Ginny.

She smirked and finished her food quickly. As Ginny pushed her knife and fork away four owls flew into the Great Hall, carrying a large basket hamper between them. Everyone looked up in interest to see who would receive the package.

Lavender squealed happily as the package was dropped in front of her. Lots of people rolled their eyes in irritation and a few turned away in disappointment. Lavender picked up the card on the basket and read it out loud enough for everyone to hear, whether they wanted to or not.

"To my dearest Lavender... I hope you enjoy these gifts as much as I did picking them for you! From your secret admirer! Ohh, I wonder who it is!" Lavender said looking around the Great Hall grinning broadly.

She turned back to the package and opened the lid of the basket quickly and noisily, making sure to get everyone's attention. She pulled out a package of chocolates and placed them in front of her with extravagance so that no one would miss what she'd received. Lavender then took a tin of wrapped sweets from the basket and finally pulled out a box of what looked like Fizzing Whizzbees. Lavender placed all three items next to one another then looked around the Great Hall to see who her secret admirer could be.

"You better eat them before someone else does!" An anonymous person called out who sounded suspiciously like Fred.

Lavender looked in the direction of the voice but didn't see Fred and George who were laughing their heads off. Ginny had quickly put a spell on them to make them look like any other Slytherin, as well as a silencing spell, when she saw that Lavender was looking around the Great Hall.

With a small shrug to herself, Lavender opened the box of "Fizzing Whizzbees" and popped one in her mouth. The sweet as finished quickly and she put more in her mouth. Lavender didn't notice that wings had started to sprout from the top of her head. In fact, Lavender didn't notice anything until she started flying out of her seat. Fred and George were now back to normal and laughed uncontrollably as Lavender flew around the Great Hall, screaming loudly.

"I don't think you need to do that spell on Ronnie-kins anymore, Draco... Looks like he's already an idiot on his own," Fred and George commented glaring over at their brother, who was bright red and storming over to them.

"What did you do to Lavender?" Ron yelled at Ginny.

"I didn't do one single thing to your precious Lavender..." Ginny drawled.

"You did something! Why else would she be flying?" Ron yelled, his face turning red then purple.

"I didn't do anything to her," Ginny repeated.

Ron raised his hand to hit her but it was stopped from making any contact by Fred and George, who had both stopped laughing and were looking even more serious than Percy could.

"You will not hit our sister... In fact, if you ever hit any woman so long as you live, you will pay for it," Fred and George said venomously and they pointed their wands at him.

A bright crimson light hit Ron and he slumped in their arms. George and Fred dragged Ron back to his seat and dropped him unceremoniously onto it. Lavender had continued to scream loudly as she flew around.

"Would you mind looking after that terrible noise, Forge? My ears are starting to thump," George asked Fred.

"Of course, Gred... My head feels the same," Fred said with a small bow. Pointing his wand upwards, he muttered, "Silencio," and the screams suddenly stopped.

The occasional whoosh could be heard as Lavender flew past people, but no one did anything to help her down as they were just grateful that she had stopped screaming.

"Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley... Would you mind coming up here, please?" Dumbledore asked them looking at them over his glasses. Fred and George linked arms then skipped up to the teacher's table.

"You called?" They asked grinning at him.

"Indeed... I would appreciate it if you would let Lavender down from the roof. She is causing the ceiling to get angry..." He added looking up at the now stormy sky. Thunder rolled in agreement and the twins sighed reluctantly.

"Since you asked so nicely..." They said and with a single spell, Lavender was dumped next to Ron.

She fainted but no one seemed very eager to help her. The storm clouds left the ceiling and the sun shone brightly onto the four House tables.

"Can we finish our breakfast now?" Fred and George asked Albus, who nodded.

"Before you go, may you please send your sister and Mr. Malfoy up here?" He asked.

"Don't finish our schooling..." George muttered.

"And we become owls!" Fred muttered shaking his head. They went down to the Slytherin table and told Ginny and Draco to go see Albus.

Ginny and Draco walked up to the teacher's table, wondering what was going on. If they were going to get into trouble for wearing their pyjamas, surely Albus would want to see all of them?

"Lord Xavier has requested to see both of you tomorrow night. I just thought it best to warn you beforehand as he did not seem very happy when he asked to meet you both," Albus said quietly.

"You mean that Lord Xavier's angry with us?" Ginny asked frowning. Albus gave a brief nod. "Why? We haven't done anything..." She said in confusion.

"Xavier did not tell me why he wanted to see you. Return to your breakfast and do not worry about it," Albus said kindly.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have an Vampire Elder angry with you," Ginny muttered then went back to the table, frowning. "I'm going to go get ready for class, all right? I'll see you in Transfiguration," she said then left the Great Hall.

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Ginny thought of anything that she could have done wrong as she walked back to her room. After a good five minutes, she still had no idea what she had done wrong, nor what Draco had to do with it.

Frowning, Ginny sat on her bed trying to come up with an answer or a clue to what she could have done. As she thought over everything she had done while in Xavier's presence her mind came to a blank as to what she had done wrong.

Shaking her head, Ginny changed into her school clothes and brought her knees up to her chest. Her eyes closed unwillingly and a vision played in her mind.

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Ginny took off her shirt and turned her head to look at her back properly in the mirror. The zodiac sign of Scorpio was tattooed on her shoulder blade. Further down on the small of her back, a scorpion was resting, its tail curled.

The door opened and Ginny looked up to see Draco standing there. He leant against the door frame and smirked at her.

"I must say, that outfit suits you..." He drawled looking her up and down.

"I don't remember you knocking, Draco," Ginny drawled, glaring at him.

"That's because I didn't," Draco said as he pushed off the door frame and walked over to her. "Turn around for a moment," he said. "I just want to see something," Draco said when she looked at him suspiciously.

Ginny reluctantly turned around and she watched in the mirror as Draco's hands travelled along her neck, his fingers gently touching the zodiac sign on her shoulder blade. She shivered as his fingers trailed down her spine to the scorpion. As Draco's fingers came closer to the scorpion Ginny felt something move around her waist and stop on her belly. She looked down and saw the scorpion curled around her belly button.

"How did it get there?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"It moved," Draco replied simply. "I think they can move on their own. I didn't even touch it and it was if it sensed me and moved away quickly," he said. "My one is on my upper arm at the moment," Draco said.

He pulled up the sleeve of his shirt to show Ginny an ice-blue dragon. Instead of breathing fire, this dragon was instead blowing water out of its mouth. Draco then moved the collar of his shirt to show his zodiac sign just above his collarbone.

"Ginevra? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!" Parvati said at the door, turning around quickly.

"There was nothing to interrupt Parvati... I was just showing Ginevra two zodiac tattoos I recently acquired and she did likewise," Draco said smoothly. "You can turn around," he said a smirk forming on his lips.

Parvati turned around slowly, her face bright red.

"You've got the zodiac tattoos too?" She asked as Draco's words sunk into her mind properly. "My second one doesn't seem finished, but the Gemini zodiac one is done..." Parvati said with a frown. She went to lift her skirt then quickly let it drop back down, going red.

"Would you mind getting the others, please Draco? We need to see if it happened to all of us," Ginevra said quickly covering up for Parvati. Draco nodded then left quickly, closing the door after him.

"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?" Parvati asked looking at her, still red.

"No, it was just as Draco said," Ginevra said with a small smile. "Now, where is your tattoo?" She asked.

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Ginny's eyes opened and she frowned again. Well that didn't help her at all! She gave a start of surprise at the time and grabbed her bag before rushing down the corridor.

Ginny arrived in the Transfiguration classroom a minute before the bell sounded. She sat in between Neville and Blaise and waited for McGonagall to give them instructions.

"For today's lesson you will all be instructed on the benefits and downfalls of being an Animagus," McGonagall said.

Excited and confused whispers echoed through the room and Minerva cleared her throat to get their attention again.

"Thank you... You will all be learning this due to the fact that the Ministry encourages people to go through them to become an Animagus instead of using... other means," McGonagall said. "Yes Mr. Finnigan?" Seamus put his hand down.

"When will we be able to register to become an Animagus?" He asked eagerly.

"At the end of this term you will be allowed to put your name down on the Ministry list. If you are chosen then you may continue with the registration and at the end of the third term, then you can become an Animagus," McGonagall said.

"What do you mean chosen?!"

"That's a load of crap!"

"THAT IS ENOUGH! You will not use that language in my classroom!" McGonagall yelled glaring at them. She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I knew I shouldn't have told them this early in the morning," Minerva muttered to herself. "By chosen I mean that the Ministry has introduced a law which lets them refuse the privilege of becoming an Animagus to who ever they wish..." She explained.

"Well, there goes any chance for our House," Pansy muttered out loud. McGonagall heard her but didn't reprimand her, her thoughts actually thinking along the same lines.

"Professor? Since the Ministry is being so kind as to let us do this through the school... If they're just going to choose who ever they want, won't this just increase the sale of Animagus Potion on the black market instead of diminish it, as I'm sure they're trying to do?" Ginny asked sarcasm dripping from every word.

"What's wrong with the Ministry doing this through the school?" Hermione asked Ginny frowning.

"Who ever they choose for the Animagus ability, then they're going to use that against the person to make them fight Voldemort..." Ginny said. People paled, a few stared at her in shock and one person actually fainted.

"Miss Weasley, you should know better than to use You-Know-Who's name whilst in a classroom with children," McGonagall reprimanded lightly.

"We're not children!" Dean protested angrily.

"Then stop acting it! Fear of a name increases fear of the object! Honestly, the lot of you going wimp at the word Voldemort shows that you're children! How on Earth are you lot going to be able to fight the arsehole if you can't even say his name!?" Draco growled at them. "And to think that your House is prided on bravery!" He scoffed.

"Mr. Malfoy... That will be enough," McGonagall scolded lightly. "I will have to take 3 points from Slytherin for you use of a curseword even after I had just told the rest of the class off," she said even though she didn't want to, actually agreeing with the use of the word in reference to Voldemort. Draco just gave her a curt nod.

"You're not going to dock points for slandering our House, Professor?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Not when he's right, she's not!" Neville muttered shaking his head at the rest of his Housemates.

"You agree with him?" Dean asked glaring at Neville.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!" Neville said angrily. "He's right! If you can't handle even hearing the name 'Voldemort' then how do you expect to fight against him?!" He asked shaking his head.

"Enough! I already have a headache and I do not wish your bickering to increase it further..." McGonagall sighed shaking her head.

Dean refrained from one last retort and with one more glare at Neville, turned back to face the front.

"Thank you... Now, the first benefit of being an Animagus is that you are able to hide as any animal in the Muggle animal kingdom. This makes it harder for predators and people that are after you to actually find you," McGonagall said. "What is it, Miss Perks?" She asked with an irritated sigh.

"Why can't we hide as a magical animal?" Sally-Anne Perks asked.

"It is not very wise to hide as a magical animal whilst in the Muggle world, Miss Perks. That, and it is very rare when for a wizard to be able to change into a magical animal," McGonagall said. "Now are there any more questions, or may I continue with the class?" She asked. No one raised their hand, so she continued to talk to the students.

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The students left the Transfiguration classroom once the bell rang and it didn't escape Ginny's notice all of the glares that Neville was receiving from their fellow House mates. She glared at the other Gryffindor students who backed off quickly, then turned to Neville.

"I think you should stay with me tonight, Nev. They're not happy about that and I know them well enough to know that they're going to hold it against you. You should stay with me until they cool off," Ginny said quietly. Neville shook his head adamantly.

"I'll be fine... They won't do anything too bad," he said. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him then shook her head in disbelief.

"Fine. But if they try to do one thing to you, I want you to come straight to my rooms, understood?" Ginny asked. Neville nodded rolling his eyes.

"All right... Can we hurry it up? I would like to get there before the lesson ends..."

"Since when have you been this eager to get to Divination?" Ginny asked. Neville just shook his head and they hurried to the Divination Tower.

"Honestly! You two just want me to go into being mode so I can keep up with you, don't you?" Blaise muttered as he caught up with them.

"Sorry, Blaise..." Ginny said with an apologetic grin.

"It's all right," he said with a wink.

Draco rolled his eyes at them then pushed past them into the room. Blaise sat next to him, Ginny and Neville sitting with them too. Though Blaise and Ginny talked, Neville didn't say a thing; in fact he didn't even look at Blaise for the entire time they waited for Firenze to arrive.

Blaise took hold of Neville's hand, but soon let go when Neville didn't even respond to his touch. He looked at Neville for a moment and when he didn't look back at him, Blaise's face filled with sadness for a split second before a blank mask replaced his normally cheerful face.

"Good morning class... If you will all follow me we will start our lesson in the Room of Requirement," Firenze said then left the room, the students following obediently.

"What's wrong with you Neville?" Ginny whispered as they left too.

"Nothing," Neville said shaking his head.

"If nothing's wrong with you then I'm Umbridge's number one fan," Ginny retorted glaring at him. "What's wrong? Why aren't you talking to Blaise?" She asked.

"Why would I talk to Zabini?" Neville asked in a louder tone. "I'll talk to you later, Ginny... Just not now, all right?"

"All right, but you better have a bloody good explanation," Ginny muttered. Neville just nodded and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

Firenze opened the door for the Room of Requirement and they all filed inside quickly.

"As our lessons have been reduced by one day, we must now finish last week's lesson today. This means that you will have to work harder during the week so we do not fall behind," Firenze said. "I apologise for putting so much strain on you so soon, but I am afraid it can not be helped... Now, if you will all lie on a chair we can begin," Firenze said.

Once everyone was lying on a chair Firenze looked around the room. The ceiling changed to show the solar system and everyone focused their attention on the stars above them.

"Now you must all remember this: not one star can only mean one thing... In one instance a star can be a protector and yet, in others, the star can be the destroyer. In life there is a balance between good and evil and so, the stars must too have this balance," Firenze said.

"What if there is no good or evil? Why is it all so black and white? Why can't there be a grey area?" Ginny asked.

"Very interesting question..." Firenze said. The star-filled ceiling disappeared as Firenze thought deeply about her question. "There is a grey area, as you put it... However, both black and white invade that area so often that the grey is often simply a mix between good and evil, not a lack of good or evil," Firenze said.

"How so?" Ginny asked. Most of the other students were confused by Firenze's response, but still listened, feeling that something important was being said.

"I will give you an example so that you shall all understand... If you had the choice to help someone do something good, say help an injured foal, and you did help them, then you would be in the white area. If you adamantly refused to help, then you would be in the black area... Is this making sense so far?" Firenze asked.

They all nodded so he continued.

"If you were indecisive for a prolonged period of time then you would think that you were in the grey area... However you are not. If your indecisiveness caused the injured foal to become worse, that would make you partially in the black area. However, if by being indecisive you let the foal heal naturally, then you would be in the white area. Or you would be in the white area at least partially, for being indecisive is not good nor bad, unless the outcome is good or bad," Firenze said.

"What if you were only indecisive for a short period of time? What would that do?" Harry asked.

"There is no such thing as a short period of time... No matter how you look at time, it is never short. Any hesitation, even a small one, can affect the outcome considerably," Firenze said. "Any action can change an outcome."

"Any action? How can our actions affect a bigger outcome? We're just..." Dean began to say.

"Children?" Ginny finished raising her eyebrow at him. Dean went red but he didn't say anything to correct her.

"Even children's actions can affect larger outcomes, you should all know that. Now, if we can continue with the lesson," Firenze said and everyone looked up at the star-filled ceiling again. "As a star may have more than one meaning, what does it mean if the constellation Draco was glowing red while it was trying to get to Virgo?" Firenze asked.

"It could mean that Draco is a danger to Virgo," Ginny answered when no one else said anything.

"Correct... Five points to Gryffindor," Firenze said with an incline of his head. "Now, Draco has stopped trying to get to Virgo, but it is still glowing red. What can this mean?" Firenze asked.

Ginny frowned and looked up at the ceiling properly. Indeed, Etamin was still glowing red. That must mean that Draco was never a danger to Virgo... It meant... Ginny paled as the realisation hit her hard.

Are you serious, Firenze? Does this mean what I think it means? Ginny asked.

Tell everyone what you think it means... Firenze instructed softly.

"It means... It means that Draco was not a danger to Virgo. Draco was... is in danger," Ginny said quietly.

"That is correct, Ginevra. Ten points to Gryffindor," Firenze said. "As the bell will sound soon, I would like you all to read pages 20 to 30 in your Divination books about the solar system for homework," the centaur said. The bell rang loudly. "Draco, stay behind please. The rest of you may leave," Firenze said.

Everyone packed up and left quickly. Ginny packed up slowly, wondering whether she should wait.

"Go on, Ginevra... I will wait for him," Blaise said quietly. Ginny nodded then left with Neville.

"What's wrong with you Neville? Why were you acting like that to Blaise?" Ginny hissed at him when they were alone. "You really hurt him by doing that..." She said frowning at him.

"I... I didn't mean to hurt him," Neville said quietly, looking down at his feet. "I heard Dean talking to Seamus before... They're going to try to do something to hurt me... I don't want Blaise to get hurt because of me," Neville said softly.

"I don't think you have to worry about Dean and Seamus hurting him, Neville... You did that well enough on your own," Ginny said shaking her head at him. "I want you to go back to the Room of Requirement and talk to Blaise... Sort everything out with him, all right?" Ginny said wrapping an arm around Neville. He gave a nod. "And tell him that he's not allowed to hex Dean or Seamus, ok?" She said with a grin. Neville nodded and wiped his eyes with a sniff.

"All right... See you later, Gin," he said then left quickly.

Ginny shook her head then went down to the Great Hall. Parvati and Padma waved her over at the Gryffindor table and she sat next to them.

"Hey Ginny," Parvati said grinning at her. Lavender threw them a dirty look but Ginny ignored her.

"Hi Parvati... You're already reading the work Firenze set?" Ginny asked in surprise.

"It's really interesting," Parvati replied with a shrug.

"I know it is... I just didn't think you would be so keen to do your homework in the Great Hall," Ginny said with a shrug. "There's more comfortable places to work, that's all," she said grinning.

"Parvati knows that too... She's just sticking it up Lavender because Brown always said it was undignified to work while other people can see you. She just didn't want to look like Granger," Padma said in disgust.

"Where is Hermione?" Colin asked as he sat next to them. "She's always here with Ron and Harry," he said looking around.

He saw Ron halfway down the table sitting with Lavender in his lap. Harry was sitting near them looking positively ill and embarrassed.

"Gods, no wonder she's not here!" Colin said shaking his head in disgust.

"Is that Lavender in Ron's lap?" Ginny asked feeling her stomach lurch.

"That is disgusting! I thought she didn't want to look undignified?" Padma asked her twin in shock.

"She's obviously gotten over that phase..." Parvati said going green.

Blaise walked in the Great Hall with Draco and walked over to the Gryffindor table immediately.

"Hello Ginevra," Blaise said smirking at her.

"Blaise... You're looking happier. Did you and Neville have a good talk?" Ginny asked.

"What do you mean? I haven't seen him since he left Divination," Blaise said frowning at her. Ginny paled and quickly scanned the Gryffindor table.

"Fuck!" She cursed loudly. A few people looked over at her but Ginny didn't bother saying anything else. She ran out of the Great Hall quickly, Blaise following.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked as they were running to the Gryffindor Tower.

"He was supposed to go back to you and talk. Dean and Seamus were planning on hurting him and Neville didn't want you to get hurt because of him," Ginny explained. "Mimbletonia!" She said quickly.

The Fat Lady portrait flung open and Ginny ran upstairs to the boys dormitory. She opened the door to an empty room and cursed again, running back downstairs. Thinking quickly, Ginny put her wand to Blaise's amulet.

"Invenio amor!" Ginny said urgently. (Find love.)

Blaise was literally pulled out of the room and Ginny ran after him. They stopped at the Room of Requirement. The door was black and Blaise stared at it for a moment before something in him snapped.

"How the fuck are we supposed to get in?" Blaise asked. "They're probably hurting him in there and we're fucking stuck out here!" He yelled thumping the door with his fist. "Open the fucking door!" Blaise yelled. He began to thump the door loudly, his fist becoming raw as it connected with solid wood.

"Blaise move behind me. Right now," Ginny demanded. Blaise quickly did so, staring as Ginny's body began to pulsate and emit a red colour. "Please let this work," Ginny whispered and closed her eyes.

The red colour flew in and out of her body at a tremendous speed and with one quick movement it all sucked back into her then after half a second, flew straight back out at the door. As the red wave hit, the black door turned into a pile of splinters and flew into the room. Ginny fell to the ground.

Blaise looked from her to the black room, wondering what he should do first- help Ginevra and risk them getting away or hurting Neville further, or help Neville and risk something bad happening to Ginevra?

"What the fuck?" Blaise heard Dean's voice say in shock.

The decision was made for him... Ginevra's amulet glowed red and a barrier formed around her. Neville screamed out in pain and Blaise glared then stepped over Ginevra into the Room of Requirement...

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Ginny woke up and her eyes were overwhelmed with white. White came at her from every direction and she groaned softly. She tried to sit up but her body refused to move.

"Ginevra, you're awake..." A worried voice said in relief.

"Where am I?" She muttered closing her eyes.

"You're in the hospital wing, dear... You, Mr. Longbottom should be in your own bed resting," Madam Pomfrey's voice said sternly.

Ginny slowly opened her eyes again to see Neville and Blaise beside her bed, Madam Pomfrey frowning at them.

"I just wanted to make sure that she was all right," Neville said quietly. Blaise took his hand in his own. Poppy's face softened and she smiled at him kindly.

"I know you did, dear. You need to rest so your injuries can heal, and I am sure that Miss Weasley is tired from her ordeal as well..." Poppy said looking down at Ginny.

"It's all right, Madam Pomfrey... I am sure that Blaise will make sure Neville goes back to his bed once they're certain I am well," Ginny said. "Do I need to have any medicine?" She asked.

"I'm afraid all I can give you is a replenishing potion. The spell you used depleted your magic and made you very weak," Poppy said. She handed Ginny a goblet filled with the potion. "It will make you drowsy, so it would be best for you to take it once you have finished showing them that you are well," Poppy said with a small smile.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny said placing the goblet on the table beside her.

"I will leave them in your care, Theodore... Make sure that Miss Weasley drinks her potion," Poppy said placing a hand on Theodore's shoulder. He nodded and she left.

"Hi Theodore... How are you?" Ginny asked grinning at him.

"Fine. You should get some rest," Theodore said.

"I know... You assured that I'm all right now Neville?" Ginny asked with a small grin.

"Yes. Don't worry about Madam Pomfrey... She was just annoyed with the others," Neville said with a grin.

"How so?" Ginny asked with a frown of confusion.

"We got to the Room of Requirement after you passed out because of the amulets. Pansy... Well, actually, all of us were slightly mad at Dean and Seamus and I guess the spells got out of hand," Theodore began with a shrug.

"Theodore was the one who suggested that we take them to the hospital wing before anyone came or we got into trouble for manslaughter... Not that we cared," Blaise muttered under his breath with a snarl.

"Madam Pomfrey was just upset that they made her work harder. They all put about five to ten spells on them each and all of those combined spells on both of them makes it harder to remove them without causing some damage," Neville said with a shrug.

"If they live then we can get them properly later," Ginny said shrugging slightly.

"That's what Draco said," Blaise said with a wink. Ginny rolled her eyes at him.

"How did you open the door? Everyone's been very vague about it," Theodore said curiously.

"I just used some of my Vampiress magic on it... Although the door opened fairly easily... I think it wanted to be opened as much as I wanted to open it," Ginny said.

"Sorry for making you do that," Neville said quietly.

"You didn't make me do anything, Neville... What did they do to you?" She asked him softly. Neville looked away for a moment and he took a deep breath.

"I'll tell you later, all right?" He said. Ginny nodded.

"All right... Go back to bed now," she said with a smile.

Neville nodded and gave her a brief hug before letting Blaise take him back to his bed. As they left Ginny could see Dean and Seamus on beds across the room. She scowled at them but before she could do anything, Theodore stepped in front of her, blocking her view and aim.

"You should drink this now..." He said.

Ginny sighed and took the goblet from him then drank all of the potion quickly. The goblet dropped from her fingers as sleep took over and Ginny fell into darkness.

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Ginny stood beside Colin ready to fight if anything should happen...

She had warned him! Why did he not listen?

Colin looked at the boy in front him, growing angrier with every second that passed.

"I told you to give me my camera back!" He snarled at him.

"What are you going to do about it, Creevey? You going to dob me in like the little telltale you are?" Dean sneered at him.

A sigh from Ginny grabbed his attention and Dean turned to her quickly. When he saw that she was backing away Dean grinned broadly, thinking that he was triumphant.

"You should return his camera before something happens to you," Ginny warned him.

"As if Creevey could hurt me! I was in the DA too, you know!" Dean said glaring at her.

Ginny just shook her head at him and moved back further.

"You can't do anything, Creevey! Your only friend is leaving you, you little piece of shit!" Dean said with a laugh.

"Only for her own protection," Colin said.

The change in his voice caught Dean's attention and he turned to see Colin already over halfway through changing his form. Scales seemed to push out from underneath Colin's skin and an angry red dragon turned to Dean.

Compared to other 'normal' dragons, Colin was fairly small in size, but that didn't make him look any less impressive or seem any less dangerous...

"Give me back my camera!" Colin snarled in a very angry and raspy voice.

Dean stared at Colin but in his shock he didn't let go of the camera. Colin moved closer to Dean angrily. Ginny discreetly whispered a spell then continued to watch.

"Give. It. Back!" He yelled and fire seemed to pour out from his mouth.

Dean fell to the ground, the trees around him falling to the ground as ash, while others were burning and on fire.

Ginny let out a small sigh of relief as no scars or burns appeared on Dean's skin. She silently thanked her vision for giving her the idea to put a fire resistant spell on him. This way, no one would know it was Colin who did anything and he wouldn't get into trouble.

Stepping forward, Ginny placed a hand on Colin's tail gently. He turned around awkwardly.

"You should turn back now. Someone will be here soon. The fires won't go unseen," she said reasonably.

In a few minutes, Colin had returned to his normal form. He went red when he realised that his clothes had torn when he'd changed. Ginny turned around and floated his robe over to him without a word.

"All right, you can turn back now," he said quietly.

She turned to face him again with a grin. He looked at Ginny suspiciously.

"What are you so happy about?" Colin asked frowning at her.

"Two things... One, you just turned into a dragon, for the Gods sakes! The second reason is something you'll be more happy about though," Ginny said still grinning.

Colin raised an eyebrow at her and waited for her to continue.

"Voila!" Ginny said and produced his camera from behind her back. "I made sure that you wouldn't torch it along with Dean," she said with a wink. Colin grinned happily and took his camera from her, hugging Ginny tightly.

"Thank you," he said genuinely.

"No problem... Hello Hagrid," Ginny said turning to look at the half-giant. Colin was shocked to see Hagrid there; he hadn't even heard him!

"Ginevra... Do I even wan' ter know wha' happen'd 'ere?" He asked with a sigh.

"It was my fault. Dean stole my camera from me and I kind of got angry at him..." Colin began. "I turned into a dragon," he said shaking his head in disbelief.

Hagrid stared at him in shock, then in joy.

"Really? Now tha' woulda been som'thin' ter see!" He said grinning.

"I guess," Colin said with a shrug.

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"No... Don't! Leave him alone!" Neville's cries woke Ginny up and she looked over to his bed.

Neville's face was pale and he looked in complete anguish and despair. Ginny looked around for Madam Pomfrey to help him but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Leave Blaise! Take me!" Neville screamed loudly, thrashing in his bed. The blanket was thrown to the floor and soon afterwards the sheet followed suit. "LEAVE HIM!" Neville yelled and after he thrashed some more he went limp and completely still in his bed.

The hospital wing door opened and Poppy rushed in with Dumbledore and Minerva behind her. They stopped at Neville's bed and Poppy looked at Albus in disbelief.

"I don't understand it... He was screaming for them to 'leave him alone' for a good ten minutes! Nothing I had could calm him down, not even the Sedative Potion!" She said in shock.

Poppy looked at Neville again then gave a start of surprise and moved back from the bed slightly. She looked at Minerva for an explanation but she looked as amazed as Poppy felt.

"What's happening to him?" Poppy asked Dumbledore anxiously.

"I am not too sure, Poppy... Minerva, would you mind getting Pomona, please?" Albus asked.

Ginny got out of bed and walked over to Neville's bed, trying to ignore how weak her body felt and the strain it took to simply walk those few metres.

"Miss Weasley! You should not be out of bed!" Poppy admonished.

"I'm not going to twiddle my thumbs in bed while something's happening to my best friend!" Ginny said adamantly.

Poppy looked slightly shocked but moved back to let Ginny pass. Despite her determination it took Ginny a while to move next to Neville's bed and see what had shocked them. Vines and plants were covering Neville's body and cocooning him protectively.

"You're worried about this?" Ginny asked Albus.

"You know what it is?" Albus asked raising his eyebrow slightly.

"Neville is just healing... He's changing into a full blooded nymph. I think that whole ordeal sent him into overdrive to become whole again," Ginny mused softly.

Albus regarded her for a moment then nodded.

"Very well..." He began to say then Professor Sprout burst through the doors with McGonagall at her heels.

"What's happened? Is Neville... Is he all right?" She asked looking from Albus to Poppy worriedly.

"He is fine, Pomona. Apparently, he his simply using these plants to heal," Albus said.

Pomona Sprout looked at the bluish and purplish flowers spiked together on the plants that were continuing to cover Neville's body and gave a nod.

"Of course he is... What else would the self-heal plant be used for?" She asked as if stating the obvious. "I'm surprised you didn't know what it was, Poppy," Pomona said.

"Yes... Well, they started growing after I'd arrived here with Albus and Minerva. I didn't have time to assess the plants," Poppy said defensively.

"Now that's all been sorted out, I am sure that you would all to get back to your classes," Albus said.

"Of course," Minerva said then left the hospital wing quickly. Pomona nodded then followed her out.

"You should return to your bed. You need to rest to get your strength back," Albus said to Ginny, smiling at her kindly.

Ginny nodded then let Madam Pomfrey walk her back over to the bed.

"Professor? Can you tell Blaise what's happening to Neville?" Ginny asked Albus.

"Of course," Albus said still smiling.

Poppy gave Ginny a replenishing potion then closed the curtains around the bed and Albus's smile faded. He sighed softly.

"Can you get Mr. Zabini for me, please Poppy? He will be in lesson with Remus and Alastar," Albus said.

Poppy looked at her patients for a moment, then nodded and left. Soon enough Blaise burst through the doors of the hospital wing. He walked over to Neville's bed and slumped onto a seat, seemingly oblivious to Albus' presence.

"Mr. Zabini..." He said softly. Blaise looked up wearily.

"Honestly! You could have let me finish talking, Mr. Zabini! If I could have finished you would have known that Mr. Longbottom is simply healing himself!" Poppy said crossly as she arrived in the hospital wing, puffing.

"Poppy... Would you mind getting some tea, please? I'm sure Mr. Zabini could use something warm right now," Albus said smiling at Poppy. She looked shocked and slightly annoyed at her rant being interrupted, but nodded.

"Of course," Poppy said then went over to her office. Albus locked the door after her then turned to Blaise.

"We do not have much time, Blaise, so I will be quick... What did Seamus and Dean do to Neville that caused him to go this far into shock? Aparently Neville was screaming for them to 'leave him alone' before this happened. I presume you are 'him'?" Albus asked.

Blaise nodded briefly. He looked over to Dean and Seamus' beds glaring full heartedly.

"They were threatening to torture and kill me in front of Neville. When he protested, they said that they would torture and kill him in front of me instead... He must have agreed to that option because he was under the Cruciatus Curse when Ginevra blew open the door," Blaise said quietly.

"How do you know what they threatened to do to Neville if you weren't there?" Albus asked after a moment of silence.

"We... persuaded Dean and Seamus to tell us," Blaise said. "The Room of Requirement helped us too. Any time they lied, the walls would close around them," he said.

"By 'we' I presume you mean yourself and the others in your... group?" Albus asked trying to find the right words.

"Besides Ginevra, yes. Fred and George were really pissed off. They put about ten different spells on each of them before the others could even start..." Blaise said.

"And yourself? Did you use any spells on them?" Albus asked looking at Blaise over his glasses.

"No, sir. I used a different method of hurting them," Blaise said without any regret in his voice at all. "Those scars on them that Pomfrey couldn't get off? They're my handiwork..." He said glaring at the two boys again.

A rattle caught Albus' attention and he quietly unlocked the office door. The door opened and Poppy walked in with a pot of tea and three mugs.

"Thank you, Poppy... Mr. Longbottom should be out of his cocoon within five days at the latest. I won't take up any more of your time, Mr. Zabini... Can you please get Miss Weasley's work for her? I will organise to get Mr. Longbottom's work for him," Albus said.

"Yes, Professor," Blaise said. He took this as his dismissal then left the hospital wing with one more look at Neville.

"After the time I took to make the tea, he's not even going to have any?" Poppy muttered in disbelief.

"Then I guess I will have to have his share..." Dumbledore said happily and poured the tea.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginny woke up and Madam Pomfrey immediately came over to her.

"Good afternoon, Miss Weasley... The replenishing potions should have worked by now so you should have enough energy to get up and walk around. But before you do that, you should have something to eat. You missed out on lunch," she said offering a tray of sandwiches to her.

"Thank you," Ginny said.

Poppy just nodded and went to check on the other patients. Ginny ate the sandwiches, thankful that she didn't feel as tired as before.

She looked over to Neville's bed and saw that the plant cocoon had completely covered him and the blue-purple flowers were blossoming around him. Looking closer, Ginny saw that some of the flowers at his feet had turned black. The flowers had withered and died...

"He's all right... Apparently all of the flowers are supposed to do that before he finishes healing," Poppy said, seeing where Ginny had been looking.

Ginny nodded. "Thank you for the sandwiches, Madam Pomfrey... Do you know what lesson I have?" Ginny asked, not able to see the clock through Poppy.

"It is quarter past three, so I believe that you would have Potions," Poppy said.

"Is it all right for me to leave, then?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, you can leave now... You know where your robe is, as always?" Poppy asked. Ginny nodded with a grin. "Good. I will close the curtains for you," Pomfrey said shutting the curtains with a flick of her wand.

Ginny stood on the cool floor and opened the small cupboard beside the bed, taking out her robe, jumper and socks and shoes. She changed into them quickly then took her wand out of the drawer and grabbed her bag. She left the hospital wing after thanking Madam Pomfrey for her medical assistance.

Ginny hurried down to the dungeons and entered the classroom. Snape indicated for her to sit down at her seat without stopping his lecture to the rest of the class.

Ginny sat next to Pansy and Blaise and copied their notes into her book.

"Today's meeting is cancelled," Ginny whispered when Snape turned to the board. "Can you tell the others please?" Pansy and Blaise gave minute nods then began to tell the others in their group.

"Now get into pairs and start your work. Miss Weasley, come here," Snape said.

Pansy and Blaise moved out of her way and Ginny walked up to his desk.

"Are you all right?" He asked quietly.

"Yes, Professor... Neville won't be in class for this week and I hope to the Gods that Dean and Seamus aren't either," Ginny muttered.

"And why may that be?" Snape asked.

"I'm sure you don't want two students murdered in your classroom, sir..." Ginny drawled.

"Speaking of murdering students... Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown! You are to detach yourselves from each other's faces immediately! Unless there is a spell that is keeping you like that then there is no reason for you two to be upsetting the rest of the class with your disgusting display!" Snape bellowed at them.

Ron and Lavender stopped kissing, Lavender muttering something along the lines of 'he's just jealous because he can't get any...'. Snape glared at them.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor for that comment, Miss Brown," Snape drawled. "Now get back to work!"

"Told you so," Lavender muttered to Ron with a grin.

Severus glared at them again, but seemed to be having little affect on Lavender's theatrically muttered comments.

"May I be of assistance?" Ginny asked quietly.

Severus looked at her with an intrigued look on his face. Bexley floated out in front of Ginny so no other students could see and grinned at Severus. After a small nod of approval from Severus, Bexley curled around Ginny and seemed to slither down to the ground as a snake would from a tree.

"It is good to see that you are well, Miss Weasley... You will be working with Mr. Malfoy as everyone else seems to already be in pairs," Snape drawled.

Ginny smirked at him then went to the back of the classroom to where Draco was sitting. He glared at her, but she didn't bother saying anything, too eager to watch Bexley's display. Draco looked to where she was watching and saw Bexley slithering along the floor.

"Is it for Brown or your prick of a brother?" Draco whispered glaring at the two people he'd mentioned.

"That's for Bexley to decide..." Ginny replied quietly with a shrug.

She watched Bexley slither across the floor, changing his shape as he did so. No one noticed, or at least, they didn't say anything if they did. Ginny saw Hermione's eyes flicker to the snake-like mist on the ground and was afraid that she would say something, but then Hermione looked back to her potion, a small grin on her lips.

Suddenly the snake broke in two and a spider was scuttling beside the snake, growing larger as it moved. So intent on each other or their potion (Ginny wasn't sure which one) neither Ron nor Lavender saw the two animals move beneath their table. The two animals moved up onto their legs and nothing happened for a moment. Ron was the first to react.

"SPIDER! GET IT OFF OF ME!" He yelled loudly. Lavender screamed and pushed her chair away from Ron, then she saw the snake.

"SNAKE!" She screamed and began to try to hit it off of her.

Harry went to move forward to get the snake off of Lavender, but Hermione held him back. He looked at her in surprise and she shook her head minutely. With a small nod, Harry sat down the looked at Lavender.

"What are you two going on about? I can't see a thing... Sure you don't need glasses?" Harry asked shaking his head at them, then turned back to the potion.

"If you're seeing things, I think you should book yourselves into St. Mungo's," Hermione drawled then, like her potion partner, turned back to the potion too.

"What is going on here?" Snape drawled walking over to the two screaming and hysterical students.

"There's a snake on me! And a spider on Ron!" Lavender screamed.

"There is nothing on either on you, Miss Brown... All I see is two students who are disrupting my class," Snape sneered.

"Professor? Can you please get them to be quiet? I am trying to concentrate on my potion. I don't want their hallucinations to cause me to fail," Pansy drawled, smiling at Snape sweetly.

"Indeed not... Silencio," Snape said and Lavender and Ron immediately went quiet. "Take yourselves to the hospital wing and give Madam Pomfrey this note. If you do not go straight to the hospital wing, I will know of it, is that understood?" Severus asked glaring at them.

Lavender and Ron nodded then with an angry glare at Snape, Lavender snatched the note away from him and left the dungeon with Ron, who was still trying to hit the spider off of him.

"Thank you for that Miss Weasley. Now, I hope this distraction has not caused any of you to fail your potion..." Snape drawled then swept around the room looking at everyone's potions. "Oh, and Miss Granger and Mr. Potter... Three points each for your performance," Snape said smirking at them.

Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped then they grinned at each other and continued to work.

"Bexley," Ginny called softly. In a few seconds, Bexley floated into the room and back over to Ginny.

"It is done, Ginevra... They are both in the hospital wing. On opposite sides of the room in fact," he said with a smirk.

"You're tired, Bexley. Return now," Ginny said kindly. Bexley gave a grateful bow then floated inside of her.

"How do you know he's tired?" Draco asked after a moment.

"He was paler than usual, and I would love to see you split into two then be put back together and not be tired," Ginny drawled at Draco. "And why do you..." Ginny began to ask.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked when she didn't finish talking and had gone pale.

"I'm going to kill that little bitch!" Ginny yelled suddenly.

"Miss Weasley! What is wrong?" Snape asked, immediately striding over to them.

"Lavender is going to try to hurt Neville while he's Changing..." Ginny said still slightly shocked.

"She's going to what?" Blaise asked, his face hardening.

"That cow is going to have to get through us before she does anything to Neville," Parvati said angrily.

"All of you calm down," Snape said looking at the ten of them in turn. "Unless you can actually prove that Miss Brown is going to do anything to Neville, you can not do anything to her, no matter how much she may deserve it," Severus said calmly. "That, and you still have to finish your potions. I doubt Miss Brown will be awake anytime soon if Madam Pomfrey followed my instructions," he said smirking broadly.

"Your instructions, Professor?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Not that it is any of your business, Miss Granger, but I told Madam Pomfrey to give them two doses of a medium strength sleeping potion so they won't wake up until an hour before dinner," Snape drawled. "Now if you all would get on with your potions, you might not have to stay here after class," he said looking at them all sternly.

"Hold this. I'll be back in a minute," Ginny told Draco.

He glared and reluctantly took the ingredients she had been holding then watched as she walked up to Snape's desk.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?" Snape asked.

"You wanted proof," Ginny said and put her hand out. Warily, Snape took her hand and Ginny pointed her wand at him, muttering a spell.

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Snape looked around then to Ginny.

"Where are we?" He asked. Ginny put a finger to her lips.

We are in what I Heard. This is Lavender's mind. She pointed outwards and Snape looked.

"Drink this right now," Madam Pomfrey said, giving Ron a goblet full of something that didn't smell nice at all.

"What is that?" A voice asked in disgust.

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, but then Severus realised that they were seeing what Lavender was seeing, and therefore speaking what she was saying... Ginevra grinned and nodded to confirm.

"It is a potion for your hallucinations," Madam Pomfrey said. "Drink yours," Poppy said handing a goblet to her.

Lavender looked down into the goblet and her stomach turned as the potion moved inside of the goblet. The disgusting smell drifted upwards and she winced. Looking away, she saw plants covering a bed nearby.

"What is that? It isn't very healthy to keep plants overgrown like that, you know," Lavender said frowning at Poppy.

"Do not tell me how to do my job, Miss Brown," Poppy said icily. "Mr. Longbottom is in there undergoing treatment," she said. Poppy took the goblet from Lavender and poured it into Lavender's mouth quickly. Poppy held Lavender's mouth closed until she saw the potion go down her throat.

Lavender glared at the old woman then looked over to the plants as her eyes began to close. Neville was the easiest way to get to Ginny without putting herself in danger. Fires happen all the time and one more wouldn't cause suspicion, especially in the hospital wing. Accidents happen and the plants around Neville looked like they would burn easily...

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Ginny and Severus appeared back in the classroom and saw everyone looking at them.

"Where did you go?" Hermione asked, the first to recover from her shock. "How did you disappear like that?"

"Magic," Ginny replied with a shrug. "So is that enough proof, Professor?" She asked Severus.

He composed himself then looked at her and gave a very solemn nod.

"Quite enough, Miss Weasley... Finish your potion and I will discuss it with you after class," Severus said.

Ginny gave a nod, then went back to where Draco was sitting.

"What did you just do?" Draco asked as she sat down.

"It's none of your business, Malfoy," Ginevra replied.

"Yes it is... Neville is dating my best friend. What happens to Blaise affects me and this is happening to Blaise too, not just yourself, Weasley," Draco said. Ginny sighed and nodded.

"You're right... I apologise. I showed Severus proof of Lavender's intentions with a spell that allowed him to see my memory," Ginny replied.

"Does that spell work on everyone?" Draco asked.

"Yes, but it takes a lot of energy for the first time because you need to concentrate for the entire time you are doing the spell. As you do it more often, then it becomes easier to concentrate and you don't need quite as much effort for it," Ginny said. "Did you put in the powdered bezeor yet?"

"Yes... Teach me the spell," Draco said quietly.

"Is that a request or a demand, Malfoy?" Ginny asked raising her eyebrow at him. She turned away at his scathing look and stirred the potion then put in some mint leaves.

"Why are you putting in that?" Draco hissed. "The potion doesn't need it," he said.

"Do you really think I would screw up a potion that I am being graded on, Malfoy?" Ginny asked shaking her head. "It just gives the potion a different smell. Instead of smelling like sewer water, the potion takes on the quality of the mint leaves and so, makes it smell better," Ginny said.

"Is there a problem here?" Snape asked sweeping over to them.

"Weasley just added mint leaves to the potion, sir... I want no part of her grading if it's affected the potion," Draco said immediately. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Is that all? I thought we had an agreement, Miss Weasley?" Snape asked turning to her. Ginny sighed.

"It doesn't do anything to the potion! I went through this with you last year and you know it does nothing to the potion! No matter how many times I prove myself, you still don't trust me over something so small as what a potion tastes like?" Ginny muttered shaking her head.

"It is not a question of trust, Miss Weasley... I made it quite clear to you last year that you should not change the potion whilst in front of other students. It intimidates them and they have a tendency to overreact at something that they do not know of," Snape said.

"It's Malfoy though, sir! I thought he would have had slightly more brains than that... He's just a textbook, isn't he?" Ginny asked shaking her head in disappointment.

"Whether he is a textbook or not, you still made an agreement," Snape said reluctantly.

"Yes, sir..." Ginny muttered. "So what is it to be? Detention or a letter home to my parents?" She asked sarcastically.

"Neither, Miss Weasley," Snape said. "Both of you can stay behind to receive your punishment," he said.

Draco went to protest but the bell rang and Snape went to the front of the class.

"Bottle your potions and pack your things up right now," he said.

Everyone quickly did as he said and in less than five minutes, they had all left. Ginny walked over to Snape's desk.

"Your punishment, Miss Weasley is to teach Mr. Malfoy how not to be a textbook..." Snape drawled.

"What do you mean by 'textbook'?" Draco asked.

"Textbook is the name for someone who just reads what it is in front of them and doesn't try to change anything. They only ever do what the textbook says and never uses their own initiative," Snape drawled.

"And you think I am a textbook then?" Draco asked Snape in shock.

"Weasley just added mint leaves to the potion, sir... Does that ring any bells?" Snape drawled at Draco.

"I can't teach Malfoy, for the Gods sakes!" Ginny said.

"I see that you're using that word again, Ginevra," Snape drawled.

Ginevra sighed with a glare then rephrased her words.

"Fine... What can I teach him that you aren't able to?" Ginny asked.

"It is not that I am not able to teach Draco, it is just that he will not listen to me and I have neither the time nor the patience to attempt to," Snape said.

"All right! I will do it for one week... By then I will be able to know if he's any good or if he's just a textbook," Ginny said.

"Agreed," Snape said. "You can discuss with Ginevra later as to where the most suitable place is to begin learning," Snape said to Draco. "Ginevra, stay behind for a moment; Draco, you can leave now," Severus said.

"I get no say in this at all?" Draco asked in shock.

"No, you do not get a say in this. You were the one who caused a scene in front of the class when Ginevra knows what she is doing," Severus said. "Now go," he said.

With a scowl, Draco left the dungeon. Severus turned to Ginny and sighed.

"Why must you make my job harder than it already is, Ginevra?" He asked.

"Sorry, sir... It's just... I forgot myself, that's all," Ginny said looking down.

"About Miss Brown... I suggest that you take care of her in a different way rather than violence," Severus said.

Ginny looked up at him curiously.

"If Mr. Longbottom is not in the hospital wing, then she can not try to hurt him," Severus said.

"Just how do you propose that I get Neville out of there with Pomfrey on watch every hour of the day?" Ginny asked.

"Ask Albus to look after Mr. Longbottom in your own rooms... That way Mr. Zabini can stay with you and they are not taking up space in Madam Pomfrey's hospital wing..." Severus suggested with a sly smirk at her.

"All right... Thank you Severus," Ginny said. He just gave a curt nod and watched as she left the classroom.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginny left the dungeons and went straight to the gryffin statue.

"Blood Pops," she said clearly.

The statue rose up and Ginny stepped onto the first stair, waiting patiently as the staircase brought her closer to Dumbledore's office. She knocked on his door and waited for a response.

"Come in," Albus' voice said.

Ginny walked inside and sat down on the indicated chair. Albus looked at her over his glasses.

"Are you all right, Miss Weasley? You look... very determined," Albus said with a smile.

"I am fine, thank you, Professor..."

"Very well. Now, what may I help you with?" He asked.

"I would like Neville to stay in my rooms... It would mean that he doesn't take up so much of Madam Pomfrey's space or time and it would also give Blaise a place to stay to look after Neville without fear of him waking up when he's not nearby," Ginny said.

"Indeed, it would... I will talk to Madam Pomfrey and if she agrees, then we will organise for Mr. Longbottom to be moved to your quarters tomorrow morning," Albus said.

"Can Neville please be moved tonight? It's just... I think that if Neville is in the hospital wing overnight, then Blaise will find away to get in and see him and it wouldn't be good for Madam Pomfrey's other patients to be disturbed at such a late hour," Ginny said quickly.

"All right, Miss Weasley... I will not ask what is bothering you as to ask this, as I doubt that you would tell me," Albus said, Ginny replying with a nod. "If you will accompany me to the hospital wing, then we can move Mr. Longbottom straight away," Albus said.

"Thank you, sir," Ginny said gratefully.

Albus just nodded then rose from his chair and left, Ginny following him quickly. They walked to the hospital wing in silence and went inside in the same manner. Albus went over to Poppy's office and knocked on her door lightly. Poppy opened the door and moved across for Albus and Ginny to enter.

"Thank you Poppy... I have come with Miss Weasley regarding Mr. Longbottom," Albus said.

"What about Mr. Longbottom?" Poppy asked after a moment. Albus looked at Ginny to explain.

"I would like him to be in my rooms while this is happening to him please," Ginny said. "It would give you more space in the hospital wing, and considering what is happening this weekend, I am sure you will need it," she added.

"What is happening this weekend?" Poppy questioned.

"Quidditch tryouts," Ginny said.

"Yes, I probably will... Is that all you would like to say, or is there more?" Pomfrey asked.

"Well, as I am sure you know, Blaise and Neville are dating one another... If Neville is here overnight, then Blaise will find a way to get to him and that will disturb your other patients," Ginny said, finishing her argument.

"You think that Mr. Zabini will try to get past my wards?" Poppy asked raising an eyebrow at Ginny.

"No, I do not think Blaise will try... I know he will get in," Ginevra replied.

"Really now? Well, then I think it would be best if you took Mr. Longbottom to your rooms," Poppy said briskly as if the entire thing was her idea to start off with.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny said. Poppy just gave her a nod in response.

"Do you think that you will need help taking him there?" Madam Pomfrey asked Albus.

"I think we can handle it, thank you Poppy," Albus said.

He stood up and went over to Neville's bed, Ginevra following him behind quickly.

"Would you like to do the honours while I inform Mr. Zabini of what is happening?" Albus asked her quietly.

"Yes, please Professor..." Ginevra replied quietly.

Albus nodded then left the hospital wing. Ginny waited until she knew that he was further up the corridor, then went over to Lavender's bed, her eyes full of hate.

"You wish to hurt those who have done nothing to you, and so you shall pay for it..." Ginevra hissed and put a hand over Lavender's forehead. "Malus somnio," she said. (Bad dream.)

A red glow hovered between the hand and forehead then it was seemingly pulled into Lavender's mind. Ginevra quickly moved over to Neville's bed and Madam Pomfrey came out of her office.

"Are you sure you will be fine, dear?" Poppy asked smiling at Ginevra.

"I am sure, thank you," she replied, no trace of the previous hatred on her face. "Wingardium Leviosa," Ginny said softly.

Silently and effortlessly, Neville's cocoon rose into the air and out of the open hospital door. Ginevra followed the large plant-covered cocoon and opened one of the doors behind a tapestry, gently floating it through the door. Not bothering to light any torches, Ginevra made her way down the corridor behind Neville's cocoon. The wardrobe door opened and explanded so that Neville could fit through it with ease. Walking into her rooms, Ginevra didn't even look in the direction of her own bedroom, instead taking Neville the opposite way and down the corridor into one of the many spare bedrooms. She gently levitated the cocoon onto the bed then conjured up another bed next to it.

"Miss Weasley?" Albus' voice called from her front door.

Ginevra ran to the door and opened it for Albus and Blaise.

"You made it here all right?" Albus asked.

"Of course I did, Albus!" Ginevra said with a glare.

"No offence was intended, Miss Weasley... Are we able to see Mr. Longbottom?" Albus asked.

Ginevra nodded and led them down to where she had placed Neville.

"I will leave you two here with Mr. Longbottom... I have some business to attend to," Albus said. "Miss Weasley, Mr. Zabini," Albus said with a slight bow, then left, closing the front door after him.

"The other bed is for you to sleep on... I know that you won't want to leave Neville alone," Ginevra said.

"Thank you, Ginevra," Blaise said and hugged her tightly.

"I know you'd do the same for me," Ginevra replied smiling at him. "Do you want me to go to the Slytherin Common Room and get you clothes?" She asked.

"No, it's all right... I shouldn't let you into the snake pit..." Blaise said with a reluctant smirk, looking between Ginevra and Neville's cocooned body.

"Blaise, look at me. I will go there and get your things for you. I can take care of myself, is that understood?" Ginevra said sharply. Blaise sighed and nodded.

"Fine... The password is putus creuntus," Blaise said.

"Pure blood... Very fitting," Ginevra said smirking at him.

"Pansy can help you pick out my clothes... She knows my wardrobe better than I do, I think," Blaise said shaking his head with a rueful smirk.

"All right... See you in three hours then," Ginevra said then left with a light laugh.

Blaise turned to Neville and looked at the black flowers on his feet. Five days was going to seem like a lifetime...

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginevra made her way to the dungeons quickly. She stopped at the portrait of Salazar.

"Thou name and password," Salazar demanded.

"My name is Ginevra... The password is putus creuntus," she said clearly.

"Thou title is not included in thy name, Ginevra?" Salazar asked raising his eyebrow at her. Ginny tried not to sigh then gave a small bow.

"Of course, Salazar, I apologise... I am Ginevra Molly Weasley, daughter of the four great bloodlines; Torleni, Weasley, Prewett and Malfoy. I am the future wife of Draconius Lucius Malfoy and the world's greatest treasure," Ginevra said.

"Thou art the daughter of the four bloodlines?" Salazar asked in shock. "And the world's greatest treasure?"

"Yes Lord, I am... Is there a problem with this?" Ginevra asked.

"Not at all! It is a great honour to meet thee, Ginevra Molly Weasley... The envy I hold for thy future husband is great," Salazar said with a low bow. "Draconius is to be honoured with such a blessing as thee," Salazar said.

"I do not think he sees it that way, Lord... Nor do I, for the fear of my family's hatred," Ginevra said reluctantly.

"And he? Draconius does not see thou as an honour due to what fear?" Salazar asked.

"I am not sure, Lord... Perhaps it is fear of who he will be while he is in my company," Ginevra suggested.

"Perhaps... It may be that he fears who will know who he becomes whilst in thou company," Salazar added. "Let me apologise fully, Ginevra Molly Weasley... Thou hast given the password and still I refuse thou entry... Thou will be welcome any time you choose, whether thou hast the password or not," Salazar said. "Thou title will be all that is necessary," he added with a bow, then swung open for Ginevra to enter.

"Thank you, Lord... It is much appreciated," Ginny said as she climbed into the hole.

"Thou art welcome, Ginevra Molly Weasley," Salazar's voice responded from the other side of the portrait.

As Ginny walked down to the Slytherin Common Room, she heard Salazar muttering something about a portrait in Draconius' room and talking sense into the thick headed boy...

Muttering a small spell, Ginevra pointed her wand at the trim of her robes. The trim changed from red to black and Ginevra felt better than she would have; walking into the Slytherin Common Room with Gryffindor colours on... Not that her House deserved her loyalty, she thought savagely, Neville coming to mind...

As Ginevra entered the Slytherin Common Room, all of the noises faded as all eyes fell upon her. Ginevra almost cursed herself... Her hair! She'd been worried about her robes while her hair was simply screaming 'I'm a Gryffindor'!

She looked around the Common Room, not noticing many differences between this one and the Gryffindor Common Room. Despite the green, grey and black colours, the atmosphere seemed to be very relaxed and welcoming, though the 'welcoming' part of that wasn't directed to her at the moment... She gave a small sigh and her hair changed colour and size as her head moved. By the time she'd looked once around the Common Room, Ginevra had short black hair.

"Ginevra? Is that you?" Pansy asked in shock.

Ginny gave a small grin and walked over to where Pansy, Gregory and Vincent were sitting together with their arms wrapped around each other.

"Hello Pansy... Do you mind if I sit down?" Ginevra asked.

"No... How did you get in here?" Pansy asked, shocked to see her.

Noise began again and the Gryffindor was momentarily forgotten.

"Blaise gave me the password... He wants me to get clothes for this week for him. Neville's staying in my rooms now. I don't want him in the hospital wing while Dean, Seamus, Ron and Lavender are all there. They are just about as trustworthy as Acromantulas," Ginevra said shaking her head.

"Good idea... So Blaise wants to stay by Neville then?" Pansy asked.

"I figured he'd want to, so I conjured up a bed for him next to Neville's," Ginevra replied with a nod.

Pansy, Gregory and Vincent looked at each other, then turned to Ginevra.

"We want to stay with you too," Pansy said.

"Pansy! Have you heard about the Gryffindor? Apparently there's one in here," Millicent said coming over with Theodore.

"Now don't you two look like a lovely couple?" Ginevra drawled smirking at them.

"Ginevra? You're the Gryffindor? Damn it... I was looking for some fun," Millicent grumbled. "Learn the difference between an actual Gryffindor and a Slytherin-Gryffindor next time, you bloody idiot!" She yelled at the fifth year.

It was the same boy who had complained about Ginevra, Neville and Luna sitting at their table. As Ginny looked at him, the boy went bright red and left quickly.

"You can change back, you know," Theodore said, referring to Ginevra's hair.

"This is more fun," Ginevra replied with a shrug. "So, can you help me get Blaise's clothes then?" She asked Pansy.

"If we can stay with you too, then yes," Pansy replied.

"You're staying with Ginevra?" Padma asked, coming over. Pansy looked at Ginevra for confirmation.

"All right, you can stay over... Let me guess, you want to stay over too?" Ginevra asked smirking at them.

"It's scary how well she does that," Theodore commented raising an eyebrow at the others.

"What, smirk or read minds?" Padma asked smirking at him.

"Both," Millicent and Theodore said in unison.

"Oh, look! You're even talking at the same time... How cute," Ginevra said in a sickeningly sweet voice, making the couple blush and grin.

"Ginevra?" A surprised voice said from behind them.

"Draconius," Ginevra stated as she turned around.

"I... What did you do to your hair? I mean... What are you doing here, Weasley?" Draco sneered, realising where he was.

"Magic happened to my hair," Ginevra said smirking. "What does it look like I'm doing here, Draconius?" Ginevra asked raising an eyebrow at him.

"Ginevra?" Pansy said trying to get her attention. "We've come to a decision... We'll all stay with you," she said, the others nodding in agreement. Draco's jaw dropped.

"You're what?" He asked in shock.

"They are staying with me until Neville gets better," Ginevra said slowly, as if explaining to a child. Draco glared at her.

"I wasn't talking to you, Weasley..." He sneered.

"Oh, would you stop calling Ginevra by her last name? It's pissing me off!" Pansy muttered shaking her head at her friend as she pushed past him. "Come on, Ginevra. Blaise's room is this way," she said.

"Why are you going to Blaise's room?" Draco demanded.

"Blaise is staying with me. I offered to get clothes for him so he doesn't have to leave Neville, all right?" Ginevra said, then followed Pansy down a corridor. Everyone quickly followed, their rooms situated down the same way.

"We'll get our stuff then we'll wait out in the Common Room for you, all right Ginevra?" Padma asked.

"Thank you," Ginevra replied with a grin.

"Well, hurry up then... If we're going to Ginevra's then you might as well get out of my way so I can pack my things too," Draco drawled.

"Who said you're coming, Draconius?" Ginevra asked smirking at him.

Draco was going to retort with an angry response, then saw her smirk and realised she was teasing him.

"Like Pansy said... If you're going to marry me, you might as well get to know me," Draco said with a wink, then pushed past the others to go to his room.

"Never seen him so... flirtatious," Pansy commented in surprise, then pulled Ginevra into Blaise's room. "Isn't it great?"

Ginny looked around and could only agree. It looked like they were in a forest. The walls were trees and the carpet was velvety green grass. His king size bed had a large green canopy on it and the sheets looked like pure green silk. The ceiling was an exact replica of the night sky and for a moment, Ginevra forgot that she was inside a building.

"Come on, Ginevra... Clothes are in here," Pansy said, opening one of the tree trunks. It led into a room just as big as the bedroom and Ginevra was amazed at the amount of clothes Blaise had.

"By the Gods! Does he wear all of these?" Ginny asked in shock.

"Not at the same time, of course, but otherwise, then I would think that he does... A few items of clothing he doesn't wear, but on a whole, this is a very largely used wardrobe," Pansy said grinning.

"No wonder he thought I'd need your help... I wouldn't know where to start!" Ginny said with a rueful grin.

"Of course you wouldn't! Not even Blaise knows where to start..." Pansy said laughing. "Right, now down to business. He wore this last week, so that's no good," Pansy muttered, pushing away a green turtleneck.

Ginny suggested a few things, but in the end she just let Pansy take care of things as she seemed to know exactly what she was doing...

"I'm going to see the others, all right Pansy?" Ginevra called down to the back of the wardrobe.

"All right!" Pansy called back and Ginny left the large overwhelming rooms, making her way down the corridor to see the others packing, or in Millicent and Theodore's case, kissing.

"You two finished packing already?" Ginevra drawled smirking as they pulled apart quickly.

"Ginevra... Wait until you and Draco get together! I'm going to knock on your window every time you two go to kiss," Millicent grumbled, throwing a pillow at Ginny. She caught it and threw it back at Millicent, who moved in time for the pillow to hit Theodore instead.

"That's against the rules!" Theodore protested and was met with blank looks. "You know the rules, surely? No pillow fights are allowed unless you're in lingerie!" Theodore said laughing as they hit him with pillows.

"I'm sure I heard the words 'pillow fight' and 'lingerie' in the same sentence... Who are we talking about?" Gregory asked smirking as he entered Millicent's room. "Darn and I thought that Pansy was going to be in here," he muttered winking at Theodore.

"You said my name?" Pansy asked entering the room.

"I heard pillow fight and lingerie in the same sentence, so I thought you might be here," Gregory said smirking as he kissed her. Pansy pulled away and hit him on the shoulder.

"Don't be mean or I won't wear it..." She said smirking evilly.

"Won't wear what?" Vincent asked as he came into the room. Ginevra shook her head then left the room, walking further down the corridor.

"Ginevra," Padma called as she passed. Ginny stopped and went in to her. "I was wondering if I could invite Parvati over too. She's been worried about Neville, and I don't trust her room mates... They were talking about her while I was in the library for lunch," Padma said sounding worried. "I'm not scared for her, because she can take care of herself, but the odds of three against one and while she's asleep... It's just not right..." She said shaking her head.

"I understand... Yeah, you can invite her... Would you be able to get Colin and Luna too please?" Ginevra asked.

"Ok, I'll try to find them," Padma said.

"Thanks Padma... Do you want me to get Fred and George to stay over too? They'll be worried about... Neville too," Ginny said with a smirk.

"It's all right... I'm sure they're busy," Padma said as her face flushed a light shade of red.

"I don't think they'd mind... They finish work at five thirty on weekdays, and like they always say, they never turn down free food," Ginevra said laughing.

"Well, all right... They're your brothers and I am sure that they're worried about Neville," Padma said her face flushing further still.

"Do you know where Draco's room is? I want to scare him," Ginny said smirking evilly.

"It's right at the end of the corridor," Padma said grinning.

Ginevra left and walked down the corridor quietly so as not to alert Draco to her presence. She opened the door and let out a shocked yell then slammed the door shut. The others came out of their rooms quickly, worried that something had happened to Ginevra.

"By the Gods, Ginevra! You could have knocked!" Draco yelled at her through the door.

"He wasn't... Was he?" Padma asked between unsuppressed laughs.

"Bugger off Padma," Ginny muttered, her face completely red.

"You caught him getting changed, didn't you?" Pansy asked grinning at Ginny's embarrassed face.

"Oh bugger off, the lot of you," Ginny said glaring at them through her embarrassment.

"It's all right, Ginevra... Be thankful it was you and not us!" Millicent said laughing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco drawled as he opened his door, glaring at Millicent.

"Well, I wouldn't want Ginevra to be jealous because I saw you getting changed! The Gods know what that woman would do to me!" Millicent said raising an eyebrow at Draco and Ginny.

"Yeah, well you're about to see what this woman will do to you if you don't shut your mouth right now," Ginny muttered.

Millicent just laughed and went to finish packing. Smirking at Ginevra, the others went too so it was only her and Draco left in the corridor.

"I suppose you haven't seen a man's body before," Draco drawled smirking at Ginevra.

"When I do I'll be sure to let you know," Ginevra replied then left, smirking in triumph.

"Little wench," Draco muttered shaking his head.

"I heard that Draconius!" Ginevra called from Millicent's room.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's true," Draco called back smirking.

Ginevra appeared in front of him, the movement of the tapestry on the wall the only thing to show that she had moved rather than Apparated.

"Don't push me, Draconius," she hissed at him.

"Or what?" Draco teased.

"Or I tell everyone what you're thinking about me right now," Ginevra said smirking at him. "And I am sure you wouldn't want that to happen, now would you?" She asked taunting him.

"Wench," Draco breathed.

He looked at Ginevra's teasing eyes and watched as they began to shine red brightly. Almost as if her eyes were pulling him in, Draco kissed her. A memory of a different kiss flooded his mind and he began to wonder where it had come from when Ginevra kissed him back.

"Aww... Look at the little lovebirds!" Pansy cooed sarcastically.

Draco and Ginny pulled away from each other to see Pansy smirking at them broadly.

"Come on, lovelies... Blaise is probably worried sick," she said.

Ginevra passed by Pansy, a small flush spreading along her cheeks. Draco just smirked at Pansy and followed her out, his belongings in his pocket.

Ginevra had contained herself and had stopped blushing by the time she'd walked into the Slytherin Common Room. A brunette boy in one of the corners grinned to his friends then walked over to her.

"Hey... What's your name?" He asked silkily, smirking at her.

"My name is none of your business and I'm taken," Ginevra drawled, patting the boy on his head with a smile.

"Is he bothering you?" Draco asked coming up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"M... Malfoy? Sorry! I didn't know you were with him!" The boy stammered then went back over to his friends quickly.

Padma and Millicent laughed as Ginevra blushed, her hair returning to its natural colour as she did so.

"Smooth one, Draco... Now move your arses out of my way, I want to go see if Neville's all right," Pansy said, pushing them both lightly.

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Blaise looked at them all as they crowded into the room.

"You all helped pick out my clothes?" He asked in shock, raising an eyebrow at them.

"No... They're staying too. Separate rooms people! I do not want any of you fucking in my rooms!"

"Well, there goes your plans Draco," Pansy drawled, smirking at him. Then before either Draco or Ginevra could do anything, she quickly went further down the corridor in search for a room.

"Your clothes are in here... You can blame Pansy if you don't like them," Ginevra said with a smirk handing him a miniature bag. "I've got to go to the Owlery... Come with me, Padma?" She asked.

"All right..." She said then followed Ginevra out through the corridor once she'd put her bags in an empty room. "Didn't we just go past the door for the Owlery?" Padma asked after a while.

"Yes... By Owlery I meant going to Fred and George's shop. By coming with me you can get your sister, Luna and Colin before anything happens to Parvati," Ginevra said reasonably.

"Why didn't you just say that then?" Padma asked.

"Because Draco wants to talk to me, and I don't want to talk to him," Ginevra replied with a shrug.

"Why not?"

"No real reason at the moment... I'm just not in the mood for the questions I know he's going to ask," she replied.

"Like what?" Padma asked curiously.

"I'll tell you later... This is your stop. Glare at Lavender for me," Ginevra said smirking.

"If she's done anything to Parvati I'll do more than glare at her," Padma muttered as she climbed out of the door.

Ginevra shook her head and continued down the corridor. She climbed out of a door and left the tapestry, trying to keep her school skirt on properly.

"Caught you!" Filch said proudly, grabbing Ginevra's robes in his fist. "Miss!" He said in shock.

"If you would be so kind as to let go of me Argus..." Ginevra said and he quickly let go.

"But... Miss... What..." Filch stammered, still in shock.

Draco came out from behind the tapestry smirking broadly.

"Thought you could outrun me, did you?" He said to Ginevra, completely oblivious to Filch.

"M... Miss? M... Malfoy?" Filch stammered, going pale.

"Gods, Draco... You think that you could have waited for Argus to leave? He's going to have a heart attack!" Ginevra said shaking her head.

"I'm sure you have to have a heart for that to happen," Ginevra head Draco mutter under his breath. She shook her head and ignored him.

"Argus, look at me," she said and the caretaker looked at her. "Go to your room, have a cup of tea and calm down, all right? Mrs. Norris will be waiting for you..." She instructed quietly and guided him away.

"How do you know what Mrs. Norris is going to do?" Draco asked frowning at her.

"Because I'm going to tell her... Next time I'm not getting out in such a public corridor when you're following me..." Ginny muttered shaking her head.

She walked to an empty room, Draco following behind her.

"I wouldn't watch this if I were you, Draco," Ginevra warned him.

Draco ignored her and watched as she began to change. Her body began to shrink and fur began to sprout from different places. Ginevra's eyes changed shape as her ears grew longer. With a loud meow, she landed on four paws as a tabby cat.

After curling herself around Draco's legs twice, Ginevra ran out of the room and followed her nose in the direction of Mrs. Norris. Running past and around students, she kept going, jumping on the moving staircase quickly. She landed on the barrister easily and sat there, waiting for the stairs to stop moving. Once it had stopped, she leapt off and continued running downstairs. Stopping in a corridor, Ginevra saw Mrs. Norris prowling further down and 'called' out to her.

"What are you doing here, youngling?" Mrs. Norris asked as she approached Ginevra.

"I came to tell you that Argus needs your company... He saw something that has sent him into shock," Ginevra replied.

"What can that be? Master Argus has not been shocked since your brothers created the swamp," Mrs. Norris said.

Ginevra showed Mrs. Norris what Filch had seen and his presumptions.

"Ah... That is understandable... I will go to him... Thank you for finding me, young queen," Mrs. Norris said with a bow then she left quickly.

Ginny made her way into an empty corridor nearby and changed back, feeling tired. She couldn't even get up! Moving in that strenuous way so soon after changing and with no real practise in cat form; the movements had worn her out.

"There you are, Ginevra... You keep trying to outrun me, don't you?" Draco asked smirking as he looked down at her on the ground.

"You keep trying to follow me... What do you want?" Ginevra asked.

"To talk to you... But as from that conversation in the corridor, I know you don't want to..." Draco said.

"Then why do you keep following me?" She asked.

"Well, someone's got to help Your Majesty off of the floor," he said with a smirk, offering a hand down to her.

Ginny looked at him, then took his offered hand. Electrical shocks ran up her arm, making her blood pump faster and it became harder to breathe properly.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Draco asked in concern. Her eyes had turned red again and again, he felt like he had to kiss her, or else he'd die of want....

Ginevra kissed him hungrily, wrapping her arms around him. Draco responded quickly, his arms snaking around her waist and pulling her closer to him. Ginevra felt her fangs starting to extend as Draco began to kiss her neck and she pushed him away.

"Ginevra..." Draco said, trying to pull her back to him.

She wanted to oblige him... She wanted to kiss him, bite him, Drink him... His blood pumped faster, tempting her, teasing her. Kiss, bite, Drink...

"No!" Ginny said, pushing the thoughts and Draco away from her. "I don't want to bite you Draco..."

"I don't mind..." Draco said moving towards her.

"Yes, you do! I don't want to Drink from you!" Ginevra said, then ducked under his arm and ran.

Ginevra ran quickly to the swamp island and moved it aside, jumping into the corridor and slamming the trapdoor after her. She ran all the way to Fred and George's shop, not stopping once.

By the time she arrived at their shop, Ginny had calmed down and she wasn't thinking of the blood she had just turned down. Ginevra opened the trapdoor and climbed out closing the trapdoor behind her. George popped his head into the room and grinned when he saw her.

"Hey, Ginevra... Long time no see!" He said with a wink. "Hey, Forge! Ginevra's here!" George yelled.

"Hey, Ginevra! Hurry up would you, Gred? This thing isn't going to make itself!" Fred yelled back.

George and Ginevra went down the corridor to the work room.

"Ginevra... What's up?" Fred asked grinning at her.

"I wanted to know if you two wanted to stay with me for a few nights... Neville's Changing into his nymph self and everyone's already invited themselves over to make sure that he's ok, so I thought I'd invite you both too," Ginevra said. "And by everyone, I mean everyone in our group, Parvati and Padma included..." She said smirking at them. "I hope Padma's going to be all right getting Parvati though," Ginny said more to herself than her brothers.

"What do you mean? What's wrong?" Fred and George asked instantly.

"Padma's worried about Parvati because Parvati's roommates were in the library at lunch discussing what to do to her... She knows that Parvati can take care of herself, but she doesn't like the odds of three against one..." Ginevra replied.

"We'll come with you now," the twins said instantly.

"What about your work?" Ginevra asked looking at the boiling potion inside the cauldron.

Fred and George doused the fire with their wands then made the potion disappear. They went down to their rooms wordlessly and began to pack their things. Ginny followed, watching them in amazement. She'd never seen them pack up so quickly! Not even when Molly threatened them did they pack this quickly! Sure, their clothes were all messy and just thrown into their bags, but the mere fact that they were doing it at this speed was shocking. In minutes they had finished and were standing in front of Ginevra, bags in their pockets.

"We need a holiday..." Fred and George said decisively.

"All right then... How long is this holiday going to be?" Ginevra asked as she led them back to the trapdoor.

"Until Neville gets better," they replied.

Ginevra opened the trapdoor for them and jumped in after Fred and George. They all walked down the corridor in silence and after a few minuts, Ginny frowned, looking ahead into the darkness.

"What is it?" George asked looking ahead too.

Ginevra glared and her Vampiress form appeared on her as she sprung forward, grabbing someone by the throat. Tingles ran up her arm, as if sensing who it was before her eyes could adjust to see the person. Ginevra let go when she saw who it was.

"What are you doing here, Draco?"

"We need to talk..." Draco demanded.

"How did you get in here?" Ginny asked.

"I managed to get to the trapdoor before the island went over it... I just took a bit longer to walk down here than you did. You can run really fast when you're distressed, Ginevra," Draco said.

"Distressed?" Fred said, narrowing his eyes at Draco.

"What did you do to Ginevra?" George asked advancing on him angrily.

"Leave him alone... It was me that did something, all right?" Ginevra said then kept walking.

Draco dodged the twins' glares and caught up with her quickly.

"So will you talk to me at least?" He asked.

"What do you call this?" Ginevra drawled at him.

"Will you talk to me about what happened then?" Draco rephrased his question, trying hard not to be annoyed at her.

"Would you two hurry up? I want to know if Parvati's all right," Ginevra yelled back at the twins.

They walked up to Ginevra and Draco quickly and clapped them both on the back.

"We're going to go ahead and find them, ok? Have a good talk..." The twins said with a smirk and then ran towards the Hogwarts trapdoor quickly.

"Traitors," Ginny muttered.

"Do you know that your eyes turn red when you want to kiss me?" Draco asked, ignoring her comment.

"Pardon?" Ginny asked in shock.

"In my room, your eyes turned red just before we kissed and it happened again then in the corridor," Draco replied.

That might explain why she wanted to Drink from Draco... She hadn't had enough time to think when they'd kissed in his room before Pansy interrupted them...

"Was it all of my eyes or just the irises?" Ginevra asked.

"I'm not sure... I wasn't really focusing on your eyes," Draco said smirking at her.

"Fine... Keep your eyes open this time," Ginevra said and before he could say anything, she was pressing her lips to his.

Fighting the urge to shut his eyes, Draco kept them open and stared into Ginevra's red ones. Her eyes drooped and he pulled her closer, determined not to let her go this time, even if it meant her drinking his blood.

Ginny closed her eyes when she knew that there'd been enough time for him to look. Part of her wanted to push him away before anything could happen, but another part encouraged her to kiss him... She gave in, not wanting to think about the look in his eyes... Want, lust and love lingered there and almost as if she was deciphering his eyes, Ginevra knew that he wanted her to Drink from him if it meant he could kiss her for a longer time. It was nice, in a disturbed and slightly twisted way...

The sound of blood pumping filled Ginevra's ears and she whimpered as it increased in both sound and speed. Longing filled her mind as she thought of the amount of blood flowing within Draco's veins. He was her own and by rights, the blood that ran through him belonged to her... His blood was hers!

Ginevra pushed Draco up against the wall and pulled away from Draco's lips, her fangs piercing into his neck. He cried out in pain and pleasure as she began to kiss, lick and suck his neck, blood seeping from the two small wounds.

"Gods, Ginevra... Don't stop..." Draco moaned.

It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before! What Ginevra was doing to him was filled with both desperation and passion. It felt so... wild and he had a sense of freedom that Draco had never thought was being suppressed. He felt his head loll back with pleasure as she bit into the other side of his neck; the original wounds already healed.

"Don't... stop," Draco murmured, trying to catch the breath he hadn't known he'd lost.

Ginevra pulled away from Draco and kissed him, the taste of blood filling his mouth. He had an overwhelming sense of wanting to bite her, to give her the same pleasure and freedom she'd given to him that his mouth had subconsciously moved to her neck. Ginevra pulled just out of his reach and he whimpered in protest. She smirked at him, the smeared blood on her lips making them seem impossibly red and her teeth blindingly white.

"Please, Ginevra," Draco begged trying to reach out to her.

If his father could see him now... Begging and being a drinking toy for a Weasley... Oh, who cared? His father wasn't here, Ginevra was and she was all that mattered to Draco...

Ginevra bit her wrist and offered it to Draco. He grabbed it and sucked greedily, staring at her the entire time. Licking the wounds he watched as Ginevra's red eyes glazed over and he was positive that she was feeling the same as he had. He was surprised to find that he didn't mind the taste of Ginevra's blood... It was like swallowing thick pumpkin juice, though with a different taste, of course... It tasted sweet, and as he licked from the two puncture wounds, Draco tried to determine exactly what it tasted like...

"Draco... Stop," Ginevra breathed.

He reluctantly pulled away to look at her. Ginevra smirked at the red blood on his lips and kissed him, tasting her own blood mixed with the blood that she'd just Drank from him.

"Gods, you taste so good," she murmured, trying to kiss every bit of the blood from his lips.

"You taste even better," Draco replied, his tongue licking hers.

"We should stop now..." Ginevra said quietly. "If we keep going I won't be able to stop..."

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Draco asked smirking as he kissed her neck.

"Yes... And no..." She replied with a small smirk. "Come on, everyone will be worrying about us," Ginevra said.

Draco kissed her lips one more time and they moved away from the wall. Part of it crumbled and fell to their feet. Ginny just looked at it in shock.

"If that's what happened to the wall, imagine what happened to your back," she said shaking her head. "Let me see your back," she said.

Draco smirked and turned around, taking off his tattered robes. He bit his lip as Ginevra pulled his shirt off and tried to restrain his urge to do the same to her...

"There's nothing there... But... How?" Ginevra asked in shock.

"Vampire's aren't the only ones who heal quickly, Ginevra..." Draco said smirking at her.

"You knew?" Ginevra asked, her eyes narrowing. "You knew and didn't tell me?"

"I didn't see the point, and it's not like you gave me a chance to say anything anyway... Besides, I got you to take off my shirt," Draco said, still smirking.

"And now you can put it on yourself," Ginevra said with a smirk as she left him standing there.

A red glow appeared on Draco's amulet and he looked down the corridor to see Ginevra's amulet glowing too.

"It's the twins. Hurry up!" Ginevra yelled, running down the corridor. Draco threw on his ruined shirt and ran after her.

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Fred and George went straight to the Gryffindor Tower and into the Common Room. When they saw what was happening, they both grew very angry.

"LET GO OF THEM!" Fred and George yelled in unison.

Frightened, the three girls let go of Parvati and Padma. However neither of them moved as they both had a Full-Body-Bind spell on them.

"Take the spells off right now!" Fred and George said glaring at them.

Quickly, the three girls took the spells off of Parvati and Padma, but before they could get away, a rope had surrounded the three of them.

"Let us go!" One of the braver girls cried.

"It's not us doing it... That's courtesy of a Boggart... If you hurt our friend, then we will not be happy," Fred and George said glaring at the three girls.

"You can't do anything to us! You probably don't even know them!" The girl bursted out angrily.

"They are our girlfriends and if you touch them again, you will pay," Fred and George threatened glaring at the three girls, who all paled dramatically.

Before anyone could say anything, a red ball floated over each of Fred and George's amulets. As the red balls floated into them, Parvati and Padma were pulled over to them and a red barrier flew up around them. A spell hit the barrier and flew out again quickly. The four of them looked to where it had come from.

"Well, well, well..." Lavender drawled, walking over to them.

"Is a hole in the ground. What the fuck do you want Brown?" Fred and George asked, moving Padma and Parvati behind them in case she tried anything or the barrier went down.

"I want your sister," Lavender said evilly.

"Sorry, she's straight... And even if she wasn't we doubt she'd date you," Fred and George said smirking at her.

"You idiots! I don't want her in that way! I want her so I can get revenge!"

"Revenge?" George asked.

"What do you want that for?" Fred asked frowning.

"She's taken away my only friend! And she's been a bitch to me ever since I was kind enough to point out that she was eating a lot of food!" Was the response.

"You think pointing that out is kind?" Fred asked in shock.

"Are you delusional?" George asked staring at her in shock.

"Shut up! The bitch will be coming soon and she will pay..." Lavender muttered looking at the entrance to the Common Room.

"You realise that she won't be able to know that we're in here with you while we're not hurt?" Fred and George said casually.

"Is that so?" Lavender asked smirking as she threw a spell at them.

It hit the barrier and flew straight back at her. Lavender quickly ducked down so she wouldn't get hit and a hole appeared in the wall behind her. She stood up and glared at them. Raising her wand, she began to say a spell, but something caught her attention before she finished saying anything.

"What is that?" Lavender asked looking at their robes. Fred and George looked at their chests and saw a red glow coming from their necklace amulets. They turned to see Padma and Parvati's bracelet and anklet glowing too.

"Casso!" Lavender yelled, a black beam of light bursting out of her wand. (Destroy or make void.)

It hit the barrier but instead of dissolving it, as it was supposed to, the barrier seemed to gain power from the spell. The black beam swirled within the red barrier and slowly began to change colour. In the end, there was only red, not one trace of black left in the barrier at all.

"Vulnero!" Lavender yelled and another black beam flew out from her wand.

Again, the same thing happened and once there was no more black inside of it, the barrier started to pulse and a black whirlpool started to form in the middle of it.

"My Lords! You have to direct the power!" Bexley called, still holding the three girls captive.

"Direct it?" George and Fred said looking at each other.

"Hands or wands?" Padma asked Bexley.

"Both!" He called back.

"Put your wand hands in the black hole," Parvati said to Fred and George quickly.

With a shrug to each other, Fred and George thrust their left and right hand into the black void, their wands in their hands, as instructed. An invisible force seemed to point the tips of their wands together and the black whirlpool began to focus itself at the connecting wands. As the wand tips connected, they recognised each other as brother wands with the same cores and began to fight each other, red electricity waves flowing around them.

Just as Fred and George were forced to pull away from each other, the black hole had completely focused and flew at Lavender. It hit her full force and blew her back into the wall behind her, making the hole that was already there even larger still.

Ginny and Draco ran into the Common Room just in time to see Lavender be thrown across the room, the barrier around both sets of twins disappear and one of three tied-up girls faint.

"Do I want to know what happened here?" Ginny asked looking around shaking her head.

"I think the question is, what happened to Draco's robes?" Padma drawled smirking at her.

"That's completely off-topic, Padma... Now, by the Gods tell me what happened!" Ginevra said sternly.

"All right! No need to get your Royal knickers in a twist, Ginevra!" Fred and George said grinning at her. "We'll tell you somewhere more private, if you don't mind," they said seriously.

"Fine... Padma, Parvati, come with me... You need to get settled into my rooms. You're sure not staying here," Ginevra said looking at the red and gold room in distaste. "Draco, can you help Fred and George please?" Ginevra asked.

"Of course, my Queen," he said with a smirk.

"Ah, bite me!" Ginevra said, a smirk playing on her lips.

Ginevra left with Padma and Parvati before he could reply. Fred and George walked over to Draco and smirking, wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Have a nice talk with our sister?" They asked smirking broadly.

"Excuse me? My King? My Lords?" Bexley called. "What would you like me to do with these three?"

Fred and George looked over to where Bexley was and walked over with Draco. They woke up the girl who had fainted then guided the three girls to the lounge.

"Do you promise not to hurt Padma or Parvati ever again?" Fred and George asked them seriously.

"We promise we won't hurt them!" The three girls said immediately.

"Would you swear on it? Make an Unbreakable Vow on it?" Fred and George asked looking completely serious.

The three girls paled and slowly nodded.

"Good... We're not going to make you do that, but we will put a different spell on you... If you ever hurt our girlfriends again without reason, or anyone else for that matter, we will know about it!" Fred and George said.

Before the girls could say anything, they pointed their wands at them and an orange mist surrounded their faces. The mist sunk into the three girls and Fred and George moved their wands away.

"Now, go to Dumbledore's office and bring him here immediately. Tell him what happened only after Lavender is in the hospital wing, or St. Mungo's," Fred and George added under their breath.

"We're sorry about Padma and Parvati..." One of the girls said, the other two nodding quickly in agreement.

"We're sure you are, but that doesn't make what you did any better," Fred and George replied sternly.

Sniffing, the three girls left the Common Room quickly.

"I shall make sure that Miss Lavender Brown does not leave before Albus Dumbledore arrives," Bexley announced, floating over to her.

"Thanks Bexley... We'll see you in Ginevra's rooms," Fred and George said.

"So... Padma and Parvati are your girlfriends, are they?" Draco asked smirking at them as they left with him.

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"I've never seen Fred and George look so angry before!" Ginevra said in shock after the Patil twins had Shown her what had happened. "They must really love you to be like that... They weren't even that angry with Ron when he was being an arsehole," she said shaking her head in amazement.

"What do you mean by 'when he was'? He's always been one and always will be," Padma drawled.

"Don't be mean to Ron, Padma... It's not his fault that he's scared," Parvati said. "He's Fred and George's brother after all, so how bad can he be?"

"Very, very bad... Actually, bad doesn't describe that little fuck... Percy's bad because he's an ambitious little prick, but Ron? He's almost as evil as Brown and that's saying something, the psychotic little bitch," Fred and George said venomously, as they came into the room.

Draco put his hands up immediately.

"I haven't said one word about the Weasel!" He said.

"Oh, I know... That's their own opinion... It has been since they Saw The Vision," Ginevra drawled glaring at Fred and George. "Try to be a little more compassionate, it might snap Ron out of it," she said.

"Yeah, just like adding sugar to a toffee cream might make the teeth-rotting ability less," George grumbled.

"Or like adding more fire powder to a cracker won't increase the firepower!" Fred added.

"And putting more pages in a book won't make it heavier," George said.

"Oh, Gods... They're going to be like this for hours on end now," Ginny muttered shaking her head.

"Well, I better take Parvati to our room now... Thanks for helping us Fred and George," Padma said smiling at them.

Fred and George turned to them grinning.

"No problem... You can show us where our room is," Fred and George said, leaving with them.

"I've never seen them shut up so quickly either!" Ginevra said, then shook her head with a grin when she heard them start up again.

Draco sat next to her and she looked at him for a moment.

"So, irises or pupils?" She asked with a hint of a smirk.

"I think it was your irises, but I should check again, just to be sure," Draco said leaning towards her.

"No... I don't want to bite you... again," Ginevra said.

"Ok, then don't," Draco said.

"I can't help it... When you do... that," she said with a shiver as he started kissing her neck. "I just want to Drink you dry," Ginevra murmured.

"Did it look like I really cared, Ginevra?" Draco drawled as he continued to kiss her.

"No, but I do..." Ginevra said pushing him away. "Please, Draco... Don't make me lose control over myself like that again," she said quietly.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, then kissed Ginevra's lips once.

"All right... Promise you'll tell me first when you've got it under control?" He asked with a smirk.

"Definitely," Ginevra replied with a grin. He got up to leave, but she grabbed his hand to stop him. "Thank you, Draco," she said quietly.

"You're always welcome, Ginevra," Draco said then left the room.

Bexley floated in as he left and looked at Ginevra for a moment before saying anything.

"Ginevra? Albus Dumbledore is with Lavender and the three girls in the hospital wing... Ronald woke up before Lavender did and he has been with Harry on the Quidditch pitch practising for all of this time," Bexley informed Ginevra.

"Thank you, Bexley... Do you know where Relo is?" Ginevra asked.

"I believe that he is with Theodore and Millicent at the moment, Ginevra," Bexley replied. "Do you mind if I return now?" He asked.

"Be my guest," Ginevra said.

With a bow Bexley floated into Ginevra's body and she left the room, going down the corridor to Millicent and Theodore's room. Opening the door she saw Relo talking rapidly to Theodore. Millicent looked amused, bordering on annoyed and Ginevra smirked broadly.

"I'm sure I said that you weren't allowed to fuck in my rooms," she said crossing her arms.

"Hey, just because we're in the same room it doesn't mean we're going to fuck each other!" Millicent protested.

"Sure, sure..." Ginevra drawled smirking.

"If you're worried about us, your worry scale should be going over the top with Pansy, Greg and Vincent all in the same room," Theodore drawled smirking back at Ginevra.

"It's fine... As long as none of you get pregnant and you're not forcing anyone then I guess it's ok..." Ginevra said reluctantly. "Come on Relo... Leave Theo in peace for a while," Ginevra said and Millicent gave her a grateful smile.

"But Ginevra! I is having fun with Theodore!" Relo protested.

"I'm sure you are, but I haven't seen you all day and I was in the hospital wing... Don't I get some of your attention?" Ginny asked, feigning hurt. Relo's eyes widened.

"Ginevra was in the hospital wing?" Relo asked and he ran over to her, hugging her legs tightly. "Is Ginevra all right now?" Relo asked, his eyes brimming with tears.

"I'm fine... But Neville isn't, that's why everyone's staying in my rooms," Ginny replied, leading Relo away from Millicent and Theodore's room. Relo didn't even hear when the door closed behind them.

"What happened to Neville?" Relo asked, his eyes widening further. Ginny wondered if they could go even larger than the saucer-like size they were at that moment.

"Some mean people hurt him and he's healing himself in a cocoon of the self-heal plant," Ginevra replied.

"Can I go see him?" Relo asked in a whisper.

"Of course," Ginevra said and led him down to where Neville and Blaise were staying.

She opened the door quietly and Relo tiptoed inside. He waved to Blaise on the other bed, then went over to the large plant cocoon. Relo tried to jump to see properly but then Ginevra lifted him onto her shoulder.

"That is supposed to be going that quickly?" Relo asked with a frown.

"Pardon?" Ginevra asked quietly in confusion.

Relo pointed to the black flowers which were now up to Neville's knees.

"I has seen other nymphs and after a few hours they is still only up to their ankles... Neville is up to his knees already... He is going to be out by lunch time on Wednesday earliest, dinner by the latest," Relo said with a decisive nod.

"What? Is it good that he's going this quick or what?" Blaise asked immediately.

"Good... A nymph is usually more powerful the quicker it goes," Relo said.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Pansy asked, arriving at the door looking worried. Everyone was behind her, the same expression on their faces.

"Neville should be out by Wednesday lunch time now... Apparently he's progressing faster than expected, but it's a good thing, so don't worry," Ginevra added and they all looked relieved.

"Well, I'm still staying until Saturday," Pansy said with a smirk then left with Crabbe and Goyle.

The others agreed with Pansy and all left before Ginevra could protest.

"Does Ginevra mind if I goes to have a sleep? I is tired from talking with the elf-boy for so long," Relo said with a smile.

"It's fine, Relo... You can go have a sleep," Ginevra said smiling at him.

Relo yawned and scampered off to Ginny's room.

"Do you have any dreamless potions, Ginevra?" Luna asked.

"Luna? When did you get in here?" Ginevra asked with a frown.

"I told you that I would be here on Monday with Colin, did I not?" Luna asked with a small smirk. Colin grinned at Ginny.

"Yeah, you did... I've got the potions in my room. Why do you need them?" Ginny asked.

"Can I take some photo's of Neville?" Colin asked before Luna could say anything.

"Ask Blaise, not me," Ginny said with a shrug.

"If you want..." Blaise said to Colin with a nod.

"Thanks!" Colin said with a grin.

"So what do you need the potions for?" Ginny asked Luna as she went to her room.

"The spell that you put on Lavender was not nice and it will make The Vision happen before its due time if you do not stop the bad dreams," Luna said.

"You expect me to just take the spell off of her after the way she's been acting?" Ginevra asked incredulous.

"No, I do not expect you to do that... It is within your right to defend your friend with the smallest amount of violence possible. It is within my right to make events of the future go according to Plan though..." Luna said reasonably.

"Fine..." Ginevra said with a sigh. "I don't know why you can't just get them from Madam Pomfrey..." Ginevra muttered. She quietly opened her door so as not to wake Relo then opened her trunk. Taking out the case of vials, she went back over to Luna, closing the door behind her.

"To attain a dreamless potion from Madam Pomfrey, you have to be able to prove that you have not been sleeping, have been having nightmares, or you have to have permission from Albus... As I have none of these, I can not just get the potions from Madam Pomfrey... You can get more though as you have permission," Luna said.

"All right... Can't you just let her have bad dreams for one more night?" Ginevra asked. Luna shook her head.

"You know the answer to that, so I will not respond... Thank you, Ginevra," Luna said with a smile and hugged her friend. "Hello, Draconius," Luna said as she left.

"Luna..." Draco said in response with a nod of his head.

"What are you doing here, Draconius?" Ginny asked, trying to hide the fact that she was happy to see him.

"I thought that you might be more willing to talk to me now," Draco said with a smirk.

"You're not going to relent until I agree, are you? Fine... We have to use your room though, because Relo's sleeping," Ginny said. Draco nodded and indicated for her to lead the way.

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Draco nodded and indicated for her to lead the way. With a smirk, Ginevra went down the corridor and opened the door.

"Ah, I trust that you are in better spirits now, my dear," a raspy voice said from a chair.

"Of course, Tom... Nothing a quick shag couldn't fix," Ginevra replied sarcastically.

"Excellent, I shall keep that in mind for the future," Voldemort rasped. "I am sure I forbade you use my Muggle father's name," he hissed.

"Oh yes, just as I am sure that I told you that I'm not going to marry you, you slimy git," Ginevra replied glaring at him.

Voldemort laughed, a deep death-ridden laugh. Ginevra wished that he would die mid-laugh.

"Such a fiery spirit! You will be fun to break..." Voldemort whispered, walking towards her. He grabbed her chin and made her look at him.

"Not as fun as it will be to break you, Riddle," Ginevra hissed then kicked him in the groin.

"You bitch!" He hissed as he fell to the ground. Lucius was by his side in an instant, helping him up then putting his wand to Ginevra's throat.

"Oh, please, go ahead! I would gladly do it myself if I had my own fucking wand!" Ginevra hissed at him.

Lucius looked at her, shocked. It was probably the first time someone had really wanted to be killed without being tortured to that point first!

"Lucius... Do not give my pet what she wishes by giving her death... That will come to her when she's old and grey, long after I have broken her spirit," Voldemort drawled.

"Not after I break your balls, you Muggle-born bastard!" Ginevra said to him angrily. Lucius pressed his wand to her throat and she moved her head forward so it dug into her neck. "Do it... I fucking dare you, you spineless piece of shit!" Ginevra hissed at him, glaring straight into his cold grey eyes.

"My Dark Lord has instructed me not to kill you," Lucius said, pulling back his wand under the angry gaze of his master.

"You are a spineless shit! And you know what? That woman you love, Virginia? She's married and is fucking every man on the planet, except you! She hates you and you can't even see that! You're a blind spineless piece of shit!" Ginevra said mockingly.

Lucius hated people who taunted him. He clutched his wand tightly.

"Crucio!" He yelled.

The beam hit Ginevra with such a force that she moved back a few steps. Her hands twitched but there was nothing else to show her pain and agony.

His spell faded and Ginevra smirked at him. She cupped her hands in front of her chest.

"Thank you, my dear Lucius... Crucio!" Ginevra said and a red beam shot out of her hands straight towards him.

Lucius fell to the ground, twitching and screaming his agony out loud for the world to her. Blood began to flow from his eyes as he tried to gouge the pain out of his head.

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Ginny threw up before she even woke up.

"Ginevra, what happened?" Draco's voice filtered to her.

Ginevra sat up slowly and tried not to throw up again. She cleaned the mess that she'd made and stood up shakily. Draco put an arm around her to help her stay upright, then opened her bedroom door.

"Come on, you're going to bed," Draco muttered then helped her walk into her room.

Ginevra couldn't get Lucius' screams out of her head. The way he screamed as he tried to gouge out his own eyes... She'd done that to him!

"You're shaking like a leaf... What happened? Did you See something?" Draco asked.

Pale and still shocked, Ginny managed a small nod.

"Give her this... She needs it almost as bad as Lavender does," Luna said from the doorway. She handed Draco a vial of dreamless sleep potion and looked down to Ginevra. "You will have enough reason to act that way when the time comes... Now you can't fathom it, even after all he's done to you, because you are still too pure," Luna said softly.

"What did Ginevra See?" Draco asked Luna as he gave the potion to Ginevra.

Ginevra shook her head at Luna and gladly drank all of the potion, not even minding the taste of it. Her head hit the pillow before she'd even thanked them and the bliss of darkness filled her mind.

"What happened to Ginevra?" Blaise asked from the doorway.

"She Saw something that made her ill," Draco said. "And Luna isn't telling me what it is," he added glowering at her.

"If you really want to know, then you can See it for yourself," Luna replied smiling at him.

"Draco can't See, everyone knows that," Blaise said but Luna shook her head.

"You Saw The Vision last night... That caused your Seer ability to awaken. You have to will to See it, just like Ginevra does," Luna instructed.

Draco nodded, then immediately went to the meeting room and grabbed Ginevra's bowl. He filled it with water and sat in front of it, willing to See what she had Seen.

Blaise and Luna watched as Draco paled. Frowning, Blaise walked over to him and Watched the vision over his shoulder. His dark face paled and he shuddered as it finished.

Draco didn't say anything, he just looked at the bowl of water in shock. Blaise put a hand on his shoulder and Draco shrugged it off, then went to leave. Luna put a hand on his arm and he glared at her. She just smiled at him, unphazed and handed him a bowl that she hadn't had in her hands before.

"I did not say that it would be good, nor did I say that you would agree with what you Saw..." Draco went to say something in response, but Luna continued, ignoring him. "If you do not practise, you will not be able to See what effects Ginevra so much each day. You are not Ginevra, and she is not you, but you will both See the same things and be affected in both similar and different ways. Talk with her of the visions, it will help both of you," Luna said.

Draco just grabbed the bowl from her and went to his room.

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Ginevra woke up and saw that she was in a forest. Or at least, it looked like a forest. It didn't smell like one though...

"Finally! You're awake... It took you long enough," Blaise said smirking at her.

"Where am I?" Ginny asked him as she sat up.

"You're in you rooms still, don't worry... I just got homesick and decorated this room the same as my one... Apparently that potion makes you snore because Relo was getting very annoyed at you," Blaise said with a smirk. "I didn't think Neville would mind if you snored," Blaise said, then looked over at his cocooned love and sighed.

"Oh... Thanks," Ginevra said haltingly. "Where is everyone?" She asked, not hearing anyone in the surrounding rooms.

"Dinner... Well, apart from Draco. He's still in his room sulking. I haven't seen him since he Saw that vision... I'm surprised you did that to Lucius and not to Voldemort," Blaise said.

Ginevra looked away from him and Blaise gave a small sigh.

"Sorry, Ginevra... I didn't mean to upset you..." He said hugging her tightly.

"I know... I'm starving! Are you coming to dinner?" Ginevra asked him. Blaise shook his head and looked over at Neville.

"No... I'm staying here," Blaise said.

"You're not going to help him by starving yourself, Blaise... When he comes out of that cocoon, he's going to be strong and very energetic. You don't want to be weak and lethargic for him, do you?" Ginevra asked. Blaise sighed and shook his head.

"I just don't want him to wake up and find that no one's here," Blaise said.

"He's not going to wake up until Wednesday, according to Relo, so I am sure that won't happen," Ginevra said. "Come on, you have to eat something at least!" Ginevra said.

"Fine... But as soon as I've finished eating, then I'm coming straight back here," Blaise said.

"Deal," Ginny said smiling at him.

"Can you get Draco to come to dinner too? He won't listen to me, but he might listen to you," Blaise said.

"All right," Ginevra said with a sigh. She was really hungry!

"Well, I'm off... See you in the Great Hall," Blaise said with a smirk and left before Ginevra could protest.

Ginny rolled her eyes then went down to Draco's room. She knocked this time and waited for a response.

"Draco," Ginevra called when nothing was said from inside the room. "Draco?"

Silence.

"Well, I'm coming in so you had better be decent this time!" Ginny said and opened the door a bit, just in case.

When nothing happened and no screaming ensued, Ginny opened the door with a frown, wondering why he wasn't saying something. She looked inside warily and saw Draco sitting at his desk, staring into a bowl filled with water. Ginny knew it wasn't her own as it was a different colour and wondered where he'd gotten it from. She walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"All you all right, Draco?" Ginevra asked.

Still silence.

"Draco? You can't sit here all night Seeing... You have to eat," Ginevra said, but he didn't move.

She hoped that he was Seeing, rather than something else. She couldn't smell blood and she could still hear his heart beating, so there shouldn't be anything wrong, but still...

"Look at me, Draco," Ginevra demanded.

Draco looked at her, his eyes focusing properly. He glared at her half-heartedly.

"What did you do that for? I was busy!" Draco growled at her.

"I am aware of that, Draco," Ginny said coldly. "Just because you are busy does not mean that you don't have time to eat... Now come on," Ginevra said glaring at him.

Draco sighed and rubbed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Fine..." He said with another sigh. "Look... Ginevra... I didn't mean to snap at you like that, all right?"

As Ginevra figured this was as close as she was going to get for an apology from him, she nodded.

"I know... Thank you, Draco... Ready for dinner? I think the twins are going to hold you to putting that spell on Ron now... It's going to be interesting to see if anything actually happens to the git," Ginevra drawled, her eyes dancing with laughter as she smirked at him.

"Well, as I am positive that a brain is required for the spell to take effect, I doubt anything will happen," Draco replied, smirking back at her.

Ginny's stomach rumbled and she grinned.

"Well, I agree with my stomach... Food and entertainment are required," Ginevra said as she left, Draco following quickly.

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"Glad you could join us!" Fred said sarcastically, though he grinned at them.

"Where have you two been?" Padma asked.

"We've been waiting for you for ages!" George said.

"Although not waiting as in waiting," Parvati said smirking at her sister.

"It's scary how long they practised that..." Millicent said raising her eyesbrow at Ginevra.

"Personally, I think the fact that Parvati is smirking is scarier... How long did it take for you to learn how to do it?" Ginevra asked her, smirking.

"One hour overall," Parvati drawled.

"And drawling? Very nice..." Ginny drawled. Pansy burst out laughing.

"You should see Draco's face!" She said between laughs.

"There is nothing wrong with my face, Pansy..." Draco drawled, glaring at her.

"Probably not, but you do look funny," Pansy said smirking at him.

"Oh, don't pick on him... He's going to do that spell on Ron," Ginevra said quietly as she sat down.

They all smirked at Draco, Slytherins, Gryffindors and Ravenclaw alike... It was disturbing, and Draco would be the first to admit it.

With a shake of his head, he strolled over to the Gryffindor table to where it seemed that Ron and Lavender were attempting to eat each other's faces... They looked to be succeeding so far, Draco noted with a disgusted shudder.

"Hey, Weasel!"

"Fuck off, Malfoy..." Ron muttered, still trying to devour Lavender's face.

Draco could only think of one retort to that and grudgingly said it, mentally kicking himself for even considering it...

"Your sister already helped me with that," Draco drawled, getting his wand ready in case Ron decided to use his fists straight away.

Ron pulled away from Lavender immediately and glared at Draco, his face turning as red as his hair.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Ron asked angrily, a vein at his temple throbbing, alternating with the one that was pulsing at his neck.

"You heard me, you stultus idiot," Draco said, incorporating the spell into his sentence. (Foolish.)

Ron jerked back as if hit by something then glared at Draco, who smirked and sauntered back to the Slytherin table, sitting next to Ginevra and looking back at Ron triumphantly.

"Nice retort," Ginevra said looking at Draco for a moment.

"It was the only thing I could think of," Draco said.

"Really, now?" Ginevra drawled smirking at him.

Draco realised what the other interpretation of his words meant and his cheeks went pink.

"Are you blushing?" Blaise asked Draco in shock.

Mid bite, Pansy looked up and her fork clattered to her plate, echoing her shocked silence.

"Well, I see that I finally got Pansy speechless," Draco drawled, his face turning pale again.

"Gods, I wasn't sure if it would work..." George muttered to Fred, who nodded.

"I know... It seems that the spell really diminishes what intelligence you had..." Fred replied in amazement.

Ginny followed their line of sight and saw Ron trying to get over the stool to get to Draco, yet managing to fail each and every time he attempted to lift his leg over the stool. Hermione was smothering laughs into her hands and even Harry looked amused at his friend's clumsiness. Lavender looked mortified and tried to help Ron over. They eventually got him over the stool but Ron fell over at once and couldn't get up again.

"I wonder how long until it wears off?" Fred asked George, who shrugged.

"We'll have to monitor him until it does," George replied.

"You may not know when it wears off though... I mean, he doesn't seem any different to me," Padma said smirking.

"Apart from the fact that he keeps falling over and being a klutz, which he can be even without the spell, the only thing that I can recognise that is different about Ron, is his eyes... They're glazed over and blurry..." Parvati added.

Fred and George looked closer at Ron and saw that Parvati was right.

"Genius! Pure and brilliant genius!" George said grinning at her.

"I agree with Padma... Apart from the eyes, he doesn't seem any different," Fred said grinning.

The Patil twins blushed and grinned at each other.

"What do you think would happen if we tied his shoelaces together?" Padma asked Fred smirking evilly.

"A witch after my own heart, you are!" Fred said grinning at her. Padma blushed brightly and Ginevra hid a smirk.

"Ginevra, I think your brother's coming to talk to you," Millicent indicating behind her. Ron was slowly making his way to the Slytherin table, glaring at either Ginny or Draco.

"I don't know... He might want to talk to Draco," Ginevra replied with a frown.

"I'm shaking in my robes," Draco drawled sarcastically.

"I think we might finish dinner by the time he gets here anyway," Pansy commented as Ron fell over yet again. Gregory and Vincent's faces fell.

"But Pansy... We haven't even got to our dessert yet!" Vincent complained, the only one out of the two who didn't have his mouth full.

"That's because you've eaten three plates of the main course! And have I said one word about it?" Pansy asked, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriends. Their faces fell further and they shook their heads reluctantly.

"Well, now that's sorted out, can we leave? I finished my dinner and I want to get back to Neville," Blaise said.

"I'm ready," Ginny said, grabbing a piece of cake and standing. Draco stood up beside her.

"We'll stay here," Fred and George said together.

"Three Galleons that he will fall over twice before they even get out of the door," George said to Fred, who smirked.

"Five that he'll fall over three times trying to run after them," Fred betted.

"You should all leave before he actually does make it up here," they said looking down to Ron, who fell over. "Not counted," they said to each other with a grin.

"All right... Come on people, you heard them," Draco drawled smirking at Fred and George.

The eight of them stood, Gregory and Vincent very reluctantly, and went to leave.

"Don't think I didn't see you two grab that cake," Pansy muttered glaring at them.

They both flushed guiltily but didn't do anything.

"Come on, Colin..." Ginevra said when she saw that he was still sitting down. He shook his head.

"I can't... Dennis and I are going to talk with our father about our... mother," he grounded out. "Besides, I want to get pictures of Ron falling on his backside," Colin said with a grin.

"All right... You coming, Luna?" Ginevra asked her.

"I am going with Colin," Luna announced. Colin looked at her in surprise, then smiled and took her hand in his.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Ginevra, would you hurry up?!" Theodore called. "Greg and Vince are annoying me," he muttered, glaring at the two pining boys nearby.

"I'm coming, hold on to your broomstick," Ginevra muttered going over to them.

"Ginny!" She heard Ron yell behind her. Thump.

"Once," the twins whispered grinning broadly.

Ginny kept walking and she heard Ron get up and try to call out to her again, the spell still affecting him. Thump.

"Twice," the twins whispered.

"Ginny! I want to talk to you!" Ron managed to call out.

With a sigh, Ginny stopped walking and turned around.

"Remove!" She said pointing her wand at him.

The spell that was on Ron dissolved and he stood up shakily, afraid that he wouldn't stay upright.

"Interference!" The twins called out angrily. "That's not fair, Ginevra! Now we have to do it on someone else to see how long it takes to wear off..." Fred and George muttered.

"We'll be in your rooms, Ginevra," Blaise called, leaving quickly.

The others left with him, except for Draco. He looked at Ginevra for a moment.

"I'll be fine," Ginevra said quietly, indicating for him to leave. With a curt nod, Draco left.

"Thanks Gin," Ron breathed smiling at her.

"Do not call me Gin... My name is Ginevra, or Ginny, but it is not Gin, Ronald... You have five minutes to talk to me," Ginevra said coldly then left the Great Hall, Ron having to run to catch up with her.

"Ginny, would you wait!" Ron panted, grabbing her arm.

Ginevra spun around and pulled his hand off of her arm, glaring at her brother.

"Do not touch me," she said, then turned around and continued to walk.

Ginny was shaken. As soon as his hand had connected with her arm, tingles of supressed hate, annoyance and fear had flowed through her. The tingles were the same as when Draco touched her arm, but it was all completely different... No hate or fear had been transported to her when Draco touched her...

Opening a nearby door, Ginny strode in, still trying to shake the disgusting feelings away.

"Ginny, I'm sorry... I just wanted to talk to you, that's all... And then that stupid arse went and put that spell on me," Ron said angrily.

"Do not talk about Draco like that," Ginevra said glaring at him.

"You're defending him? He put the spell on me and I didn't even provoke him into it!" Ron said incredulous.

"You were going to pull your wand on him, Ronald... Now, is this all you wanted to talk to me about, or can you address the real problem?" Ginevra drawled.

"I was only going to because of what he said about you!" Ron protested.

"I know exactly what Draco said about me, thank you Ronald... It's not like I couldn't hear you two talking," Ginevra pointed out with a small shake of her head. "Now, what did you want to talk about?" She asked again.

It seemed that Ron couldn't let go of it however, as he continued to talk.

"You know what he said and you're not angry about it?! I was defending your honour and you're still defending him?!" Ron cried incredulously.

"I have already said this, Ronald... I do not like to repeat myself," Ginevra said through a clenched jaw. "I will say it one more time and you had better listen! Yes, I know what he said, and no I am not angry about it. You were not defending my honour, thank you very much and I will continue to defend Draco when I think that he is in the right!" Ginevra said.

"How was I not defending your honour?" Ron asked angrily, his face turning red.

"You were defending your own reputation and trying to save face in front of Lavender... You don't want people knowing that Draco and I are together, even though everyone excepting yourself and Brown, do not care," Ginevra said glaring at him. "Now I will ask you one more time before I am leaving... What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to apologise for what I said at Hagrid's the other day..." Ron said through gritted teeth.

"Very well... When you can apologise with genuine sincerity then I will forgive you, Ronald... Mum always says, if you can't apologise properly then don't even bother trying," Ginevra quoted then left the room, closing the door behind her. "You can come out now," she said with a sigh.

Draco stepped out from behind a statue and looked at her.

"Fred, George, you too," Ginevra added and grumbling, the twins stepped out from behind a different statue. "What are you three doing here?" She asked looking at them.

"We wanted to put that spell on Ron again," George said.

"We also wanted to make sure that he didn't hit you again," Fred added hastily at Ginny's face, George quickly nodding in agreement.

"Your spell should stop him from doing that, I'm sure," Ginevra drawled looking at them.

"We just wanted to be sure of it," they said shrugging.

"And what's your reason for being here?" Ginny asked Draco.

"I wanted to make sure that you were all right," Draco said. "And I need to talk to you," he added.

"What's he doing here?" Ron said angrily from behind Ginny.

"Hello to you too, dear brother," Fred and George said sarcastically.

"What do you want?" Ron asked Draco, ignoring his brothers.

"Ronald... Why Draco is here is none of your business, now run along off to your girlfriend," Ginny drawled, pushing him down the corridor lightly.

Ron muttered obscenities under his breath as he left them.

"Well, we're off!" Fred and George said cheerfully, going after Ron quietly.

Ginevra and Draco went into the room and sat across from each other.

"All right... What do you want to talk about?" Ginevra asked with a sigh.

"I wanted to talk to you about The Vision," Draco said. "But before that, what did you say to Salazar? He was lecturing me for five minutes before I made some excuse to see if you were in the Common Room," Draco said.

"I didn't say much... He asked who I was, and when he said that he envied you and that you should be honoured, I told him that you didn't seem to see it like that," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"How do you know? What if I see it exactly like that?" Draco asked, closing in on her.

"If you saw marrying me as an honour then you wouldn't have asked me if I could be wrong," Ginny said.

"I only asked you that for your own protection, Ginevra... If anyone found out then your life could be in danger," Draco said quietly.

Ginevra surprised him by starting to laugh.

"What is so funny?" He asked frowning at her.

"You think that I would be in danger because we get married?" She asked laughing.

Draco looked at her indignantly, folding his arms.

"I didn't mean it like that, Draco... It's just..." Ginevra stopped laughing and calmed herself. "I am in danger whether I marry you or not," she said with a simple shrug.

"Because of Voldemort?" Draco asked.

"Well, yes, him... Personally, I'm more worried about what Lavender is going to do to me rather than Riddle... He'll probably just try and kill me, but Brown... She's going to try and break me," Ginevra said.

"Do you know what she does to make The Vision happen?" Draco asked.

"No... But it involves you, or else I wouldn't have hurt you," Ginevra said.

"Somehow, that's not comforting me," Draco drawled smirking at her.

"You're the one who wanted to talk about this, remember?" Ginevra pointed out.

"I know... Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?" Draco asked.

"All right," Ginny said and they went down to her rooms. "Comfortable now?" She asked with a smirk as he sat on the chair across from her.

"Yes..." Draco said then looked at her seriously. "So why do you think that Voldemort is going to try and kill you?"

"I know too much about him... It takes a lot to get my trust, as he found out during my first year. He told me everything about his childhood and how he hated the orphanage before I would even tell him who my crush was," Ginevra said smirking at him. "When he found out that it was Harry Potter who defeated him when he was older, well then he did anything and everything to gain my trust so I could get information for him... He'd been planning to kill me ever since his first words about himself had left the page, I guess... Riddle thinks that giving people information about him will ruin his image," Ginevra said with a smirk. "That and I am a danger to him because of everything I know about him," she added.

"Have you told Dumbledore anything about him?" Draco asked.

"He hasn't asked," Ginny said with a shrug.

"Do you trust me without knowing much about me?" Draco asked after a moment's silence.

"Yes," Ginevra replied simply.

"Ginevra! Forge is pulling my hair like a girl!" George called.

"Yet you're the one who's complaining about it like a girl!" Ginevra called back smirking.

George opened the door, Fred following him, smirking.

"Look! He's practically pulling it up by the roots!" George said, pouting.

"Can't you get someone else to deal with it? Curse him or something," Ginny said. "By the way... Where did you two get a body-swap potion?" She asked looking at them sternly.

"Oh... That's not fair," Fred muttered to George who nodded.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Fred is currently George and George is currently Fred," Ginny said with a shrug. Draco looked at them properly then nodded, seeing that they weren't themselves.

"How'd you know?" Fred and George asked.

"No idea... Different aura's?" Ginny supplied with a shrug.

"Ginevra! Have you seen... Oh, there you two are," Padma said grinning at Fred and George. "Why do you look different?" Padma asked Fred, cocking her head to the side. "Did you take Polyjuice potion to look like your own identical twin?" She asked him in disbelief.

"No, they used a body-swap potion, which they are about to tell me where from," Ginevra said sternly, glaring at her brothers. Fred and George flushed guiltily and looked away from their sister, Fred quickly turning his attention to Padma.

"So, you wanted us for something?" He asked hastily.

"Nothing important... Where did you get the potion from?" Padma asked him.

"Yes, do tell," Ginevra added, still glaring at them.

"Uh... Our supplier?" Fred and George suggested.

"Ginevra, I'm going to bed now, ok? Oh... Why is everyone in your room?" Blaise asked in confusion. Then he saw Fred and George. "Oh... Well I'll just leave you to dismember them, shall I? Body-swap potion, was it?" He asked the twins, who both nodded reluctantly. "Night, see you in the morning," Blaise said to Ginevra, Draco and Padma. "Enjoy the rest of your lives, and I'll get your graves done in the morning," he said to Fred and George, then left the room quickly, laughing to himself.

"You're a sick human being, Blaise!" Padma called after him.

"Do I have to hex the answer out of you?" Ginevra asked Fred and George, gripping her wand. "Or would you like me to beat it out of you?" Ginevra threatened sweetly.

"Fine! We'll tell!" Fred and George said, remembering how Ginevra had picked up their couch while they were on it. "We have a specific supplier in Knockturn Alley and when he told us that he had that potion in stock... Well, we paid a fair bit for it," Fred and George said.

"Who is your supplier?" Ginny asked curiously. She had a fair idea who it was, but she still wanted to be sure...

"Isaac," Draco said before George or Fred could reply.

The three Weasley's looked at him in surprise, then Fred and George nodded.

"How did you know?" They asked.

"Don't worry... Padma, you wanted the twins for something?" Ginevra prompted.

"Right... Well, it's actually about Ron," she said, leading the twins away from the room.

"Make sure the potion wears off before anyone else notices!" Ginny called after them, shaking her head. "So did you just will to See everything I've Seen, or are you Looking under your own will?" Ginevra asked Draco bluntly.

"Under my own at the beginning, then I willed to See everything you've Seen..." Draco admitted. "Some of it has already come true, hasn't it?" He asked.

"Yes..." Ginny replied with a nod.

"Thought so... Why did you choose to See so far into the future? Why not just a few months, or something?" Draco asked her in confusion.

"At that time I just wanted to See what I'd be like in two years..." Ginevra said with a shrug. "A few months is nothing really, anything could happen after that, so I guess it's just easier to look further ahead and see what happens after those few months have finished," Ginny said with a shrug.

"That makes sense, I guess. That butterfly vision, did you..." He began to say, then shook his head and stopped talking.

"What about it?" Ginevra asked, remembering the vision he was talking about.

"Do you know when that will happen?" Draco asked.

Ginny knew that he wasn't going to ask her that, and pondered whether she should bring it up or not.

"Probably during spring, I don't know to be honest... And, yes I think it looks like fun," she added, answering his unasked question with a smirk.

"Telepathic witch," Draco muttered.

"Thank you," Ginevra said smirking at him again.

"Come on everyone! Bed time!" Pansy called from her room.

"But it's only eleven o'clock!" George whined.

"Are you our mother?" Fred added smirking at Pansy.

Pansy narrowed her eyes at them, then grabbed them by their ears.

"Yes, now you children have to go to bed," Pansy said smirking.

"Oww! She may not be our mother," Fred said.

"But she's sure got her grip!" George completed with a frown.

"Good night everyone!" They called, then closed their bedroom door with a thud.

"Sweet dreams," Millicent called back sarcastically in a sickening sweet tone. Theodore laughed and called out good night before she shut the door.

In ten minutes, nearly all of the doors were shut and Ginevra tried to cover her laughs as Pansy walked down the corridor to make sure that they were all in, or getting ready for bed.

"Colin and Luna aren't back yet... Should I leave the front unlocked for them?" Pansy asked Ginevra, frowning back at their room.

"Yes, thanks Pansy..." Ginevra replied.

"You get to bed before I pull you down there by the ear too," Pansy warned Draco.

"All right, I'll go to bed," Draco said, closing the door in Pansy's face.

Ginny burst out laughing and Pansy opened the door, glaring at Draco.

"Oh, come on Pansy! You know I was joking," Draco tried to say, but she was too quick.

"Petrificus Totalus!" She said and Draco fell to the ground, frozen. "Good night, Ginevra... Moblicorpus," Pansy said then levitated Draco out of the room. "Show you who's joking next time," Pansy muttered, levitating him down the corridor.

She took the spell off Draco, then shut his door and went to her room, locking the door behind her in case he was angry at her. Ginny, who had stopped laughing by this time, looked out into the corridor. Draco opened his door calmly and walked over to Pansy, Gregory and Vincent's room.

"Pansy..." Draco crooned, his Veelan side coming out.

"No! Don't do that, Draco!" Pansy cried and Ginny could hear her trying to block her ears with some silencing spells.

"Come on, Pansy... Open the door," Draco cajoled. "You know you want to open the door for me," he said.

Ginny walked over to him and smirking, whispered Alohomora. The lock clicked, and the door swung open slowly.

"Thank you, Ginevra..." Draco said with a grin.

"How did you do that? Alohomora shouldn't be able to open my sp..." Pansy said, then her gaze was adverted to Draco, a lovesick expression forming on her face.

Draco seemed to be glowing and he was smiling at Pansy encouragingly. Ginny looked to Vincent and Gregory, wondering why they weren't doing anything to stop him, then saw the same expressions on their faces too.

"You realise that Pansy is going to be pissed off at you for doing this to her before she has to go to bed, Draconius," Ginevra said practically.

"She put a Full Body Bind on me," Draco retorted.

"And you sound exactly your age when you say that, don't you?" Ginevra said with a smirk then left the room, shaking her head.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginny put her pillow on her head and groaned for the fifth time that night. When the noises didn't stop, she reluctantly got out of her nice warm bed and went over to her door. Walking down the corridor, she thumped on the door loudly.

"By the Gods, would you learn how to do silencing spells properly? And if you can't do that, then bloody well keep your hands to yourself! All three of you!" Ginevra yelled. "This is the fifth time tonight!"

"Yeah, we're trying to get some sleep over here!" Millicent called.

"Don't even get me started on you two, Millicent!" Ginny yelled and Millicent shut her door abruptly, grinning broadly.

Pansy opened the door, covered in a sheet, smirking at Ginevra.

"Just because Draco's not giving you any doesn't mean that you should be jealous of me," Pansy said with a grin. "We did do silencing spells, thank you very much... They've worked for the past three years; it's not my fault that you have super sonic hearing," Pansy said smirking at her. "Do the spell yourself, then go get some sleep, all right? You don't look too good," she said worriedly.

"Thanks, Pansy..." Ginevra drawled sarcastically. "Fine, I'll do the spell," she muttered shaking her head.

"There's a good girl... Now do the spell and go put on some proper clothes before dear Draco decides to eat you," Pansy said smirking as she shut the door.

Ginny turned around and saw Draco staring at her. She cursed herself for not having enough sense to put a bathrobe on before walking out in her pyjamas. Well, what she called her pyjamas weren't 'pyjamas' per say, just a shirt that was three sizes too big for her and little else.

Blushing to her roots, Ginny quickly did the spell then made her way to her room, feeling Draco staring after her.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Tuesday, Sept. 10

Ginny got up a few minutes before her alarm sounded and groaned in annoyance. After the bad start to the night where no one in her rooms could seem to keep their hands to themselves, she'd spent the rest of it dreaming about catching Draco getting dressed, always half-naked... And her dreams had taken her to places that were nowhere near Draco's room. It was annoying and left her feeling very frustrated...

Remembering the embarrassing situation from the night before, Ginny pulled her bathrobe on and made her way along the corridors to the shower. Opening the door, Ginny had made her way to the shower before realising something was wrong. Steam was already rising from behind the shower screen.

Oh, Gods... I'll take one bet at who's in there, Ginny thought. After her night, it could only be him!

"Who's there?" Draco's voice called from the other side of the shower.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were in here!" Ginny said then went to leave.

"As long as you don't curse me, I think I'll be fine..." Draco drawled. "Isn't this like the Room of Requirement? Can't you just 'require' another shower or something?" Draco asked and Ginny wanted to smack herself on the forehead.

"Yes, it is," Ginny said trying to regain some of her emotions.

Another shower cubicle appeared and Ginny quickly went into it, blushing wildly.

Gods, why can't I just knock myself out to save from embarrassment? Ginny thought to herself, her words echoing Neville's ones eerily.

She showered quickly and dried herself with even more speed, eager to get out before Draco could. Getting dressed became a small problem when Ginny attempted to put her stockings on. She managed to get one leg in before attempting to hop into the other leg. She lost her balance and fell out of the cubicle. Seeing Draco standing in the bathroom just topped off her wonderful morning and the only thing she could be thankful was that she'd had enough sense to put her shirt and skirt on before she put on her stockings.

"Are you all right down there?" Draco asked smirking at her.

"Fine, just peachy," Ginny muttered sarcastically and tried to stand up, but failed as her stockings had twisted together.

Ripping the stupid stockings off in one motion she threw them in the cubicle, glaring at them.

"Was that really necessary?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow at the hated stockings.

"Yes, it was! Oh, this is a crap day already and it's not even eight o'clock!" Ginny muttered.

She stood up with as much dignity as she could, then went back into the cubicle, slamming the door shut.

Yes, I should have definitely just knocked myself out... Ginny muttered shaking her head.

"I'll wait for you, all right Ginevra? You might need help getting out of the bathroom," Draco said before she could protest, smirking broadly.

"Oh, bugger off," Ginny muttered half-heartedly.

"So, do you have any idea why Lord Xavier wants to see us tonight?" Draco asked conversationally.

"No, I don't know, and at the moment I don't particularly care!" Ginny added under her breath.

"I don't think your Lord would like hearing that," Draco said with a smirk.

"Draco, just leave!" Ginevra said angrily, quite fed up with everything already.

"No, I don't think I will... Your will power thing isn't going to work, Ginevra, so you might as well not waste your energy," Draco said, as if stating the obvious.

"I wouldn't bet on it... I really don't want you to be here," Ginevra replied cheerfully.

"Yet I really, really want to be here," Draco said.

Ginevra could tell by the closeness of his voice that he was standing right outside the shower. Ginny smirked evilly and thought of something.

"That's cheating, Ginevra!" Draco called as a wall pushed him right to the door.

"Maybe, but I feel better," Ginny said as she left the cubicle, her school uniform now on properly, sans stockings.

"You want to cheat, fine..." Draco muttered and the solid wall he was against turned clear and disappeared.

He stalked over to Ginevra angrily, and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You want me to get out, then tell it to my face," he said angrily.

"How about you just leave?!" Ginny said glaring at him.

"Wench," Draco muttered at her.

"Prick," Ginny muttered back.

They glared at each other for a moment, then suddenly were wrapped in each others arms, kissing hungrily.

Neither of them had the time nor the proper state of mind to wonder exactly how it happened.

Ginny kissed Draco hungrily, swearing at him under her breath.

"You are such a conceited jerk. I hate you," she breathed. He smirked, kissing her neck.

"Right back at you, bloodsucker," he sneered then kissed her again.

"Veelan," she retorted smirking, then ripped his shirt open.

Draco couldn't formulate a reply, his mind (and hands) too busy on removing her robes. He finally got the stupid concealing robes off her and groaned as her light hands made their way down his chest.

"Draco? Is Ginevra in there with you?" Pansy asked knocking on the door.

If Draco's mind hadn't been so fogged, he would have answered her with not so very polite words, but as it was he had trouble breathing, let alone speaking. Ginevra's mind, unfortunately for him, didn't seem to be so blocked, as she moved away from Draco quickly and buttoned her robes again.

"Yes... I'll be out in a minute," Ginevra called.

She gave Draco an apologetic grin then a solid barrier formed around him.

"Sorry about your shirt," Ginevra said giving Draco a light kiss before leaving the bathroom, firmly shutting the door behind her.

"Are you all right, Ginevra? You're all flushed... I wasn't... interrupting anything, was I?" Pansy asked, realisation dawning on her face. "Oh, Gods... I did, didn't I?" Pansy blushed lightly and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ginevra... I didn't even think of it, really!"

"It's fine, Pansy... After the night you had I'm surprised you can think," Ginevra said grinning mischievously.

"Is that a compliment?" Vincent asked smirking at Ginevra.

"Not at all," Ginevra drawled smirking back.

"Would you please hurry up!? I am starving and my stomach isn't happy about it!" Millicent called.

"She gets like that after a good romp, don't you Mill?" Gregory called laughing.

"Fuck off Gregory before I cut Pansy's play toy off and make you eat it!" Millicent growled, hitting him hard on the shoulder. Theodore just blushed slightly and didn't say anything.

"Are Luna and Colin back yet?" Ginevra asked looking around.

Pansy shrugged in response.

"Due to your lovely spell last night we didn't hear a thing, so they could be back already..." Pansy said grinning.

"We'll go check," Padma and Parvati said together.

"Try to get Fred and George up at the same, would you?" Ginevra called after them.

"We'll get them up all right," Padma muttered to her twin who laughed and blushed.

"I heard that Padma!" Ginevra called wincing. "I'll go see if Blaise is coming to breakfast," she said, heading down to Neville and Blaise's room.

"Just a minute," Blaise called softly when Ginevra knocked on the door.

He opened the door, pulling his shirt on at the same time.

"Morning Blaise... You coming to breakfast with us?" Ginevra asked him.

"Yeah... Just let me say bye to Neville," Blaise said as he buttoned up his robes.

Ginny watched as a sad expression formed on Blaise's features as he walked over to the cocoon. He lightly kissed the cocoon exactly where Neville's mouth would have been.

"I'll be back soon... Don't come out without me, love," Blaise whispered quietly.

Looking at the cocoon, Ginevra saw that the flowers had now withered and died up to Neville's waist, almost up to his belly button. She went beside Blaise and kissed Neville's 'forehead' then left with Blaise, after whispering that she'd see him before the day was out.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Colin and Luna weren't there," Padma and Parvati said. Fred and George followed them into the wardrobe reluctantly.

"Why don't you love us?" Fred and George complained, yawning widely as they rubbed their tired eyes.

"I do, but love has nothing to do with you getting out of bed for breakfast, now does it?" Ginevra said smirking at them.

"But why did you have to tempt us with a much better offer than breakfast, only to have them disappear before our very eyes?" Fred and George whinged, looking at Padma and Parvati.

"It's not our fault that you two wouldn't get out of bed without some tempting," Padma and Parvati said smirking at them broadly.

"Gods... It is too early in the morning to hear about my brothers love lives!" Ginevra muttered shaking her head as she left through the corridor quickly.

"Hey, we have to hear about yours!" George said indignantly, Fred echoing in agreement.

"Michael and Dean do not count as my love life,' Ginny said with a disgusted shudder.

"Who said we were talking about them?" Fred and George said smirking.

"Bite me," Ginevra drawled, climbing out of the corridor after checking that there was no one around.

"So, talking of love life's... Where is Draco?" George asked coming up beside Ginny.

"Yes, indeed... Where is Mr. Ice, Prince of Slytherin?" Fred said smirking as they linked their arms with Ginevra's own.

"Right behind you and if you two do not let go of Ginevra then I have every right to hex you," Draco drawled.

Fred and George just laughed, then with extravagant bows, offered Ginevra's hand to Draco, who took it without battering an eyelid and continued to walk down the hallway to the Great Hall.

Ginevra bristled at her brothers nerves and had half the mind to hex them herself, but decided not to as Draco's hand was far too comfortable to let go of at that moment...

"I apologise for my behaviour this morning," Draco said quietly.

"Why?" Ginevra asked in surprise. "You did nothing wrong," she said.

"No, but I could have... If Pansy did not interrupt, then things may have gotten out of hand and I doubt that you would have wanted your first time to be on the bathroom floor," Draco drawled, still so quiet that no one else could hear.

"I doubt we would have made it to the floor, Dracnoius," Ginevra drawled back, smirking at him.

He gave a serious nod, then smirked at her, the corners of his mouth turning into a smile.

"Gods, now he's smiling! I think we need to admit him into St. Mungo's," Millicent drawled smirking at Ginevra and Draco, who just glared at her.

"Nice one to spoil their little 'moment', Millicent! You just made everyone miss out on some full-on snogging!" Pansy said with a disappointed pout.

"Yet you're the one who interrupted their big 'moment' this morning and made them miss out on some very much needed shagging!" Millicent retorted laughing.

"What?!" Fred and George said in shock. "We agree... It's wrong to hear about your sibling's love lives..." They said, turning a pale shade of green.

"Shut up, you two..." Ginevra growled at them.

"Ginny!" A voice called from behind them.

Ginny stopped, mostly in shock as she was so used to being called 'Ginevra' this morning.

"What is it, Granger?" Draco drawled smirking at Hermione and Harry.

Harry glared at him, his hand in his robe pocket immediately.

"Draco, play nice..." Ginevra drawled then moved in front of him, blocking both of their aims.

"It's all right, Harry. I'll be fine," Hermione said smiling at Harry encouragingly.

"All right, Hermione," Harry said with a nod. He moved away a few metres, still not leaving her alone with them.

"Sorry... It's nothing personal. He's more worried about what Lavender and Ron are going to do, rather than any of you... Harry has hardly let me out of his sight since Sunday night..." Hermione said quietly.

"It's fine. No one is taking anything that Harry says personally," Ginevra said, nudging Draco to stop him from saying something sarcastic. "Did you need to talk to me in private, or is it all right if everyone hears it?" Ginevra asked.

"It's probably better if everyone hears it. Harry heard Ron talking to... Lavender last night. He's going to hex and curse you if you go in there with Draco and the others. Apparently, since Fred and George put that spell on him, he can't hit you, so he's going to curse you instead. He's going to try and do it while your back is turned, I think... He's too much of a wimp to challenge you," Hermione spat out in disgust.

"Thanks for telling me, Hermione... Make sure you're nowhere near Ron or Brown, ok?" Ginevra asked.

"Gladly," Hermione muttered then with a friendly grin, went into the Great Hall with Harry.

"Looks like Saint Potter has got himself a crush..." Draco drawled smirking after them.

"So now you care about Potter, do you?" Pansy asked smirking at him.

"I care about Potter as much as I care about Granger," Draco drawled in response.

"Can we get off the topic of Hermione and Harry, if you please?" Ginevra asked. "Well, since Ron's going to hit me from behind, I say that we give him a good target... Are any of you up for sitting at the Gryffindor table this early in the morning?" Ginevra asked them grinning.

"Not really," Fred and George said before anyone could interject.

"Fine... You can sit at the Ravenclaw table with Luna if she's in there... If not, then still sit there. Get as close to Ron as possible without being overwhelming," Ginevra said.

Fred and George gave her mock salutes, grinning at her.

"We'll sit with them," Pansy said for herself, Gregory and Vincent.

"All right... Draco, Blaise, you're sitting with me. Parvati, how would you like to sit next to Lavender for breakfast?" Ginevra asked her grinning.

"I would rather sit next to a Blast Ended Skrewt, thank you very much, but I'll still do it," Parvati said with a sigh.

"I'll sit with you," Padma said smiling at her sister, holding her hand comfortingly.

"We'll sit behind you," Millicent said for herself and Theodore.

"Not directly behind me, because I am going to duck when he tried to hex me... Make sure there's no one behind me, all right?" Ginevra asked them, Millicent and Theodore nodding in agreement. "Thanks... Ok, now we're going to be the last group in, so we might as well make an impression... Draco, if you will please grab me by the waist..." Ginevra said smirking as he did so quickly.

"Gladly, my Queen," he whispered in her ear.

"Blaise, who do you want to hold? Me or Draco?" She asked grinning at him.

"Always you, lovely," Blaise said with a wink, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Everyone ready?" Ginevra asked smirking back at them, being met with nods.

The Great Hall doors quite literally burst open and Ginevra and Draco strode in, arms around each others waist; Blaise's arm wrapped around Ginevra's shoulders casually. George and Parvati were next to Fred and Padma following the first couple. Pansy, Gregory and Vincent followed them, with Millicent and Theodore following them.

As one, they all left in different directions; George, Parvati, Fred and Padma off to the left side of the Gryffindor table, Pansy, Gregory and Vincent following; and Millicent and Theodore went to the Slytherin table, clearing a wide space from where Blaise, Draco and Ginevra were sitting at the Gryffindor table with Colin.

Fred and George seated their girlfriends, then sat close by at the Ravenclaw table with Luna. Gregory and Vincent pulled a chair out for Pansy, who gracefully sat down, before sitting on either side of her.

Everything went silent, and only Ron's pained breaths could be heard. Slowly, everything returned to normal, excepting Ron, who was turning red in disbelief and anger.

Draco, Ginevra and Blaise ignored him easily, even though his breathing seemed to get worse with each passing second.

"Hi Colin... How did everything go last night?" Ginevra asked him with a smile.

"Fine, until I met her," Colin replied, stabbing his sausage with slightly more force than was necessary.

"You didn't like her?" Ginevra asked.

Ron's breaths were now shorter in between and Lavender began hitting him on the back to try and get him to start breathing again.

"Oh, no... I liked her fine... When she was my mysterious dead mother," Colin added glaring at his sausage.

"Did you at least get to talk to her about everything?" Ginevra asked.

A large vein began to pulse at Ron's temple, his face turning a brighter shade of red still.

"Yes, I talked to her... As did Dennis. He doesn't have the same gene as I do; apparently it's only the eldest son who gets it... Lucky, lucky me," Colin drawled sarcastically.

"Did you only get back this morning?" Blaise asked him, steering the topic of conversation to a presumably safer area.

"No, we got back last night. Dennis decided to stay but I couldn't wait to get out of there," Colin said.

"Why didn't you come back to Ginevra's rooms then?" Draco asked, cutting up a piece of fruit calmly, ignoring Ron.

Due to the lack of oxygen to his body and brain, Ron had now turned purple, three veins now throbbing at his neck and head alternatively.

"Please, I barely made it out of Dumbledore's office... I wasn't up to facing all of your questions anyway, so Luna and I went to the Room of Requirement," Colin replied with a shrug.

"How nice," Ginevra said absent-mindedly, as Ron has the expression on his face that indicated he was concentrating on a spell. "Ready?" She muttered to Draco and Blaise.

"Ready for what?" Colin whispered, realising that something was going on.

"To duck," Ginevra said quietly with a small nod at Ron.

"Again?" Colin sighed softly shaking his head.

"He's attempting a thought spell," Ginevra muttered in surprise. "That can't be good... Especially if he's so sure that he can do it while in front of so many teachers," she murmured her thoughts.

"Do you think that he might try to do it under the table?" Colin asked suddenly. "I mean, if he's so sure that it will work, then he knows you'll have a difficult time proving that it was him who did it," he added with a frown.

"True... Perhaps it's time that we leave," Ginevra said standing up, Blaise, Draco and Colin standing beside her.

However, Ron's spell must have worked as a barrier formed around them. Black slowly drifted up to their eyesight and Ginevra looked at Ron and Lavender. The latter was looking triumphant, though Ron was looking devastated.

"Thank you for that, Ron-Ron," Lavender said clearly, smiling at him as if he'd done her the world's largest favour.

In a way, Ginevra thought, he had... Ron had done the spell, would be taking the blame, and now Lavender knew that my magic will protect me without me having to do anything...

"Miss Brown, Mr. Weasley and Miss Weasley, please follow me... You three can come as well, as it doesn't look like you will be getting out of there any time soon," McGonagall drawled looking at Blaise, Draco and Colin, then led the six out of the Great Hall swiftly.

As soon as they were out of the earshot and eyesight of the other students, Minerva looked at Ginevra and gave a nod. The barrier disappeared and with another nod, Minerva continued walking, taking them to her classroom.

"You three can stay or leave, take your pick," she said to the three boys.

"Staying," Colin said, Draco and Blaise nodding in agreement.

"Can we attend this meeting too, Professor?" Pansy asked from the door, everyone else behind her.

Minerva raised her eyebrows at the large group, then sighed and nodded, wishing this hadn't happened before she'd had her coffee...

Ginny conjured a cup of coffee out of this air then passed it to Minerva.

"Nothing's in it, I presume?" She asked raising her eyebrow at her.

"Besides coffee and hot water, nothing else is in it," Ginny replied. "It wouldn't do good for anyone if anything happened to you, now would it?" Ginevra asked with a small smirk.

"Indeed..." Minerva replied then sipped at the coffee.

She sat at her seat, finishing the coffee very quickly, needing the caffeine more than she'd thought.

"Very well... Mr. Weasley..." She said, then seeing that Fred and George were there, sighed and rephrased her statement. "Ronald... I hope that you have a very good explanation for what you just did back there," she said looking at him sternly.

"Uh... I... I didn't..." Ron stammered, going red under her scrutinising look.

"You didn't what, Ronald? You didn't mean to try and hex your sister under the table? You didn't want to try and hex her? You didn't think of the consequences?" Minerva asked, still looking at him sternly.

"I... I..." Ron stammered again.

"I am waiting, Ronald... Please explain why you just attempted to hex your sister, or else I will have to give you three month's detention with Professor Snape," Minerva said.

"Why should I be the one to put up with him? He is your student, Minerva," Snape drawled as he entered her classroom.

"I am well aware of that, thank you Severus... Are you here to see about your students or just to criticise my judgement?" Minerva asked glaring at him.

"My students mainly, but I will also criticise if I see fit to do so," Severus drawled in reply.

"Professors... If you will kindly desist in your verbal sparring, then perhaps I can explain everything?" Ginevra suggested. When they didn't say anything, just glared at her, Ginevra continued talking. "Your students are here of their own free will," Ginevra said to Severus, the Slytherins all nodding in agreement. "Luna is also here of her own free will, if Professor Flitwick is going to come into the classroom any time soon," Ginevra said with a smirk as Flitwick made his way into the Transfiguration classroom. "Ron tried to hex me because Lavender convinced him to, probably with the bribe of sexual acts, which I do not want to repeat in reference to my brother ever again," Ginevra said with a shudder.

"You... You bitch!" Lavender screeched.

She slapped Ginevra hard before anyone could do anything, the sound echoing off the stone walls. Ginevra just let her, knowing that it would most likely get Lavender a detention and anyway, it didn't hurt.

"You know what, Lavender? I've seen owls that could slap better than you," Ginevra drawled smirking at her.

"Girls!" Minerva said loudly, making both of them look at her. "I will not tolerate such violence in my classroom," Minerva said glaring at them.

"Of course, Professor... Do you mind if I put a barrier around Lavender? It is not that I think she will hurt me, it is just that she still has access to her wand and even then I doubt I could activate my barrier before anything hit me," Ginevra drawled with a smirk.

Lavender went red not only at the smoothly delivered insult, but also at the fact that Ginevra had said that she had to activate her barrier. It was not her magic that did it...

"I will take care of that," Severus drawled. With one flick of his wrist, every wand, barring Flitwick and McGonagall's, appeared in his waiting hand.

"Thank you... Professors, would you mind taking the students out of the room for a moment? I would like to talk to Ronald and Ginevra alone," Minerva said.

"Of course, of course," Flitwick said smiling. "Come along, everyone!" He said and ushered them out of the room quite quickly for someone so small. "Now, boys... How is your shop going?" Ginevra heard him ask Fred and George as Severus closed the door.

"Thank the Gods that I have some peace and quiet... Can't you two just stop this unneccessary fighting? You are causing me quite the headache, you know!" Minerva grumbled.

"Willingly, Professor... There would be no fighting if it were not for my brother's thick-headedness," Ginevra said.

"Ginevra! It is not in your favour to blame all of this on someone else... Even if you may think that it is true, it takes two for a fight to occur, remember that," Minerva warned with a glare.

"Of course, Professor... I apologise," Ginevra said with a small bow.

"Would you look at yourself?! You've turned into Hermione, for the Gods sakes! You're just agreeing with everything that she says so you won't get into trouble!" Ron exploded glaring at her.

"Not at all, Ronald... When Professor McGonagall says something that is unreasonable or something I disagree with, then I will not agree with her... I do not care to be in trouble, as I am sure that will involve a letter to Mum and Dad, but if I am to get detention then I will go, even if a little grudgingly... It does not bother me," Ginevra replied with a shrug.

"Malfoy's brainwashed you, hasn't he?" Ron asked, staring into Ginny's eyes as if to prove that his statement was true just through sight alone.

"That is nonsense, Ronald, and you know it! If anyone has been brainwashed here, it's you! Brown's just got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?" Ginny sneered at him.

"She does not!" Ron said hotly.

"Sedo!" Minerva said, her wand shooting out a small beam of light. It split into two, hitting both Weasley siblings head on. "Honestly! You two couldn't treat each other with even some respect if you'd been bound to do so by a Blood Oath!" She said incredulously. (To settle or calm.)

"That's not true, Professor... I do treat him with respect! I haven't cursed him to the Otherworld yet, have I?" Ginny said smirking at her brother. "Although, if I were to treat him with the same respect he has treated me, then he would be in the Otherworld," Ginevra said coldly. "Besides, it is not Ronald who I do not respect, although the respect I had for him lowered when he started going out with Brown... I do not respect Brown, nor do I respect Ronald while he is around her," Ginny stated matter-of-factly and Ron glared at her wohle heartedly.

"I do not care, Ginevra... Ronald, you are to go outside and send Miss Brown in," Minerva said.

Ron nodded, then went over to the door, just as the bell for lessons rang.

"Send everyone in actually," Minerva said.

Ron opened the door and nearly everyone fell in through the doorway.

"None of you thought that I have not spelled my classroom with silencing spells?" Minerva asked them exasperatedly.

"Of course we did!" Fred and George said indignantly.

"Extendable Ears, I presume?" Minerva drawled.

"Might be..." They muttered.

"Put them away... Unfortunately, I can not take them from you as you are not students here," she said with a sigh.

Fred and George quickly stuffed something into their pockets and tried not to look too happy about it.

"Now... As you are going to make others late for this lesson, I would like to inform you that you will all be required to come here at six thirty to serve detention. End of discussion," Minerva said glaring at them.

"Does that include us as well, Professor?" Pansy asked genuinely.

"Yes it does, Miss Parkinson... As you obviously had something to do with it, then you too will serve detention," Minerva said sternly, as if challenging her to say something about it. "All of you leave the classroom for a moment while I speak to Miss Weasley in private," she said.

Everyone left quickly, Ginny's friends shooting glares at Ron and Lavender. They closed the door and waited for Minerva and Ginny to finish talking so that they could go back inside for their Transfiguration lesson.

"Now, Ginevra... Firstly, I would like to say that I was quite proud when you did not hex your brother, or Miss Brown even after they tried to hex you and hit you," she said, giving Ginevra a nod. "However secondly, I would like to bring it to your attention that even though you may not approve of your brother's relationship with Miss Brown, that does not give you leave to judge him for it," Minerva said.

"I understand your view on that, Professor, but I must disagree with it as you do not understand what Lavender has been doing to Ron. She is simply using him to hurt me... She is succeeding so far, but even if she does completely succeed, that does not mean that she will win, for even without her suggestions and influence, Ron would still be like that to me... I do not judge him for his poor taste, or for the fact that he is listening to such influential ideas; I judge Ronald for the simple fact that I know what he would have done, even if Lavender was not there... He would have continued along this path and I doubt that I could have withstood him on his own," Ginevra said.

"How do you mean?" Minerva asked curiously. She could hear over half of her students waiting outside, talking loudly, but didn't do anything yet, wanting to hear what Ginevra was trying to say.

"How would you feel if your brother was attempting to hurt you just because of what you are, or who you are dating?" Ginevra asked McGonagall bluntly.

Minevra looked at Ginevra, her expression softening, then nodded for her to continue.

"Now put that in my perspective, where some of Ronald's actions are influenced by his girlfriend. I can blame Lavender for some of it and try to convince myself each time he does something that it is not his fault... It's not his fault; he didn't want to hit me, he didn't want to curse me... I can put some of it against Lavender. Now, if Lavender wasn't there, I would have no one else to blame. It is his fault; he does want to hit me, he does want to curse me... You must understand that I would rather put his faults against someone else rather than find out that my own brother hates me," Ginevra said, trying to hold back her unbidden tears.

"I understand, Ginevra... I have to let the class in now, but if you feel that you can not stay here, then you can leave," Minerva said to her kindly.

"Thank you, Professor... I will be fine," Ginevra replied, wiping her tears away.

She put a Glamour on her face as Minerva opened the door and let everyone into the classroom.

"Mr. and Mr. Weasley... I do hope that you will not distract my class while you are in here," Minerva asked, looking at them sternly.

"Of course not, Professor! We would never distract a class full of students who are so eager to learn what you have to teach!" Fred and George said indignantly, the very picture of innocence.

With an unbelieving nod from Minerva, Draco, Pansy, Millicent, Blaise, Theodore, Padma, Parvati, Fred, George, Gregory and Vincent quickly went over to Ginevra, eager to see if she was all right.

"Are you all right?" They asked, surrounding her protectively.

"I am fine..." Ginny said, not convincing them one bit.

"Liar... We heard you, Ginevra," Pansy said showing her the Extendable Ear that Fred and George had given her.

"Then you will know that I do not wish to talk of it in front of everyone," Ginevra said.

"Fine... You're talking to all of us at recess, understood?" Millicent said, leaving no room for argument.

"Understood... Now can we please sit down?" Ginny asked grinning at them.

They all nodded and went to their seats, Fred and George sitting next to Padma and Parvati, while Blaise and Draco sat on either side of Ginevra. Pansy sat with her boyfriends and Millicent and Theodore sat next to each other.

"Did Luna and Colin already go?" Ginevra asked Blaise and Draco quietly as McGonagall called out attendance.

"Yes, Severus and Flitwick left with them, telling them that they couldn't be late for lesson," Blaise replied.

"Are you all right, Draco?" Ginevra asked him worriedly, as he hadn't said a thing so far.

"Yes, I am all right," Draco replied.

"You look paler than usual," Pansy noted frowning at him.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital wing," Parvati suggested, but Draco shook his head.

"No... I am staying here. I'll just rest for a bit," Draco murmured as he put his head on the desk.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Ginevra asked the others frowning.

"I don't know... I haven't seen him like this before," Blaise said frowning. He put a hand on his friend's forehead then shook his head. "He doesn't have a fever..."

"Should we take him to the hospital wing anyway?" Padma asked Ginevra.

"Just let him rest until McGonagall notices something, then if he's not better we'll take him down there," Ginevra replied.

Gregory and Vincent nodded then silently swapped seats with Theodore and Millicent to provide adequate cover for Draco from McGonagall.

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Draco looked around for Ginevra, cursing when he couldn't see her anywhere. Clutching his amulet, he closed his eyes and said the spell, hoping it would work.

"Find her..." He murmured and had the feeling of being wrenched away from where he stood.

Draco opened his eyes and saw Ginevra on the edge of a cliff. He moved forward to grab her, but Ginevra turned and shook her head at him, making him stop. He weighed his options carefully. Stunning her was too risky as she could fall backwards, not forwards towards him... In fact, raising his wand to do any incantation or spell would most likely give Ginevra reason to jump... The Gods know that she already had the courage; stupid Gryffindor brave foolishness!

"Ginevra... Come here... Please don't do it," Draco begged, holding his hands out to her.

"I have nothing anymore, Draco... I have no power left, I have nothing! I don't even have you!" Ginevra said shaking as she sobbed her words. "I am tired of living. I am just tired of everything... Do not try to stop me," she said then turned around again.

Time seemed to slow down and everything happened in slow motion in front of Draco's eyes. Ginevra took a deep breath. He could hear her close her eyes and was still frozen to the spot as she began to fall off the cliff...

His voice yelled as Ginevra fell and Draco found himself running to the edge of the cliff trying desperately to grab her before she fell away from him forever. He reached out and his fingers grabbed her robes. Ginevra slipped from his weak grasp...

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"Ginevra!" Draco yelled as he woke up with a start.

"Will you keep it down?" Ginevra hissed at him, giving McGonagall an innocent smile as she frowned over at them. "Sorry Professor, I accidentally kicked Draco," she lied with another smile.

"Three points from Slytherin and Gryffindor for disturbing the class," McGonagall said.

"What's wrong?" Ginevra asked after McGonagall had turned to the blackboard again.

"I... You..." Draco said, then shook his head and sighed, running a hand through his hair wearily.

"You want to talk about it?" Ginevra asked, realising that he'd Seen something.

Draco gave her a small nod, still in shock.

"Excuse me, Professor? I apologise for interrupting your lecture on the dangers of being an Animagus, but I think that Draco is sick. He's got a fever and he looks paler than usual," Ginevra announced, looking at him in worry.

"Very well, Miss Weasley. Please take Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing, then return here straight away," McGonagall said.

"Yes, Professor," Ginevra said then helped Draco out of the classroom. "Come on... We've got about fifteen minutes to talk before I have to go back inside... Twenty if I can use the stairs as an excuse," Ginevra said with a grin.

"I might as well go to the hospital wing... I need to get some potions from Pomfrey," Draco said with a small shrug.

"All right... So what did you See?" Ginevra asked as they started to walk.

"I... I Saw you..." Draco began to say, but then stopped. He tried to form words, but nothing came out.

"You Saw me..." Ginevra prompted waiting for him to continue.

"You... I..." Draco tried to say again. "I can't tell you," he said finally, words forming properly now.

"Oh... All right then," Ginevra said.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't," Draco added.

"I said it's all right, Draco," Ginevra said with a grin. "So do you want me to give you a virus or do you just want a fever?" She asked him.

"What? Why?" Draco asked.

"McGonagall always checks with Madam Pomfrey to see if her students actually turn up when they say they're sick... As it is, I'm sure that she thinks we're snogging in the hallways and has sent someone else to find us," Ginevra said smirking.

"I'll take the fever, my Queen," Draco said with a smirk.

"Shut up, or else I'll put the Bat Bogey Hex on you," Ginevra warned, then pointed her wand at him.

Draco felt his body temperature rising quickly and his forehead began to burn. He fought the sense of nausea and leant against the wall weakly, trying to get some support from it.

"Come on, Draco... Arm around me," Ginevra said, putting an arm around his waist and propping him up.

Draco weakly put an arm around her and Ginevra practically carried Draco through the rest of the corridors to the hospital wing. She kicked the door open and dragged him in, calling for Madam Pomfrey.

"She's not here," a voice said from a nearby bed.

Ginevra glared at Seamus.

"What right do you have to talk to me?! After what you did to Neville, you should be lucky that I haven't slit your throat already," Ginevra hissed at him.

"I know... I... This might not mean much, but I didn't think things would get so out of hand and I... I'm sorry," Seamus said softly, looking genuine.

Ginevra put Draco on a bed and looked at Seamus sternly.

"You're a fucking shit, you know that Seamus?" He nodded. "Would you agree to being put under the Cruciatus Curse, just like you put Neville under it?" Ginevra asked.

Seamus paled, but nodded.

"Oh, you're awake..." Poppy said to Seamus as she entered the hospital wing. "Miss Weasley... What is wrong with Mr. Malfoy?" She asked looking at him in concern.

"He's got a fever and isn't feeling well," Ginevra replied.

"Right... I'll have him fixed up in a minute, but it's probably best to keep him here until lunch, just to be sure..." Poppy said, grabbing a potion from a nearby shelf and making Draco drink it. Grabbing another one, she went over to Seamus. "Drink this," she said.

"Aye, ma'am," he said softly and drank the potion quickly, his head falling onto the pillow as soon as he'd swallowed it.

"Thanks Madam Pomfrey... I have to get back to class now," Ginevra said then left the hospital wing, making her way to the Transfiguration classroom quickly.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Is Draco going to be all right?" Pansy asked as they left the classroom.

"He'll be fine... I just had to put a spell on him to make sure that Pomfrey wouldn't get suspicious. She said he'll be out by lunch... I'm surprised you two were so quiet in there," Ginevra said grinning at Fred and George.

"Well, it was interesting," Fred said.

"Besides, every time we went to do something..." George continued.

"McGonagall glared at us!" Fred finished.

"She's got eyes in the back of her head," they said together shaking their heads.

"Are you coming to Divination with us, or are you going back to the rooms to see Neville?" Ginevra asked them.

"We'll go back to your rooms... We're not too eager to see Trewlaney," George and Fred said with a shudder.

"We've got Firenze... You can go to see if Neville's all right, then meet us there later, ok?" Ginevra said, well aware of Blaise's emotions and relief when she said that.

"Righty-oh!" Fred and George said, then with salutes and bows, they went to a tapestry and down into the corridor.

"Come on, the quicker we get there, the quicker recess will come!" Vincent said, his stomach already grumbling.

"Yeah, making us miss out on dessert last night was just mean, Pans," Gregory said with a pout.

"Yet I let you have that cake you stole and didn't I let you go to the kitchens later?" Pansy asked raising her eyebrows at them.

"But that doesn't count!" Vincent whined.

"And we do not want to know why it doesn't count... I agree with Vincent, I think we should get to the Divination Tower quickly," Ginevra said with a wince.

"Agreed," Padma and Parvati seconded, their steps quickening.

Everyone hurried to the Divination Tower, managing to arrive before the other students.

"Well, this is fun..." Millicent drawled sarcastically, looking around the empty room.

"Who's up for a bet?" Padma asked smirking at them.

"What on?" Blaise asked curiously.

"I think that we're going to go to the Room of Requirement for this lesson," Padma said.

"And I think that Firenze will teach us here," Parvati said smirking at her twin.

"Any takers?" They asked, identical smirks on their faces.

"Five Galleons that we're here," Blaise said.

"Seven that we're in the Room of Requirement," Pansy said smirking.

"Three that we're here," Millicent said.

"Two on here," Theodore said with a nod.

"We'll bet ten together that we're in the Room of Requirement," Vincent said for himself and Gregory.

"Ginevra?" Parvati and Padma asked looking at her.

"I'm going for both here and in the Room of Requirement... Two Galleons and three Sickles," Ginevra said grinning.

"Can you do that? Can she do that?" Millicent and Pansy asked.

"Can who do what?" Fred and George asked as they came into the classroom. "Where is everyone?" They asked looking around.

"Yes I can do that, we're placing bets, and no idea," Ginevra said smirking.

"Bets, huh? Well, that's one thing we're good at!" Fred and George said, sitting next to their girlfriends. "What are the odds?" They asked.

"Ten Galleons that we're in here for the lesson, seventeen that we're in the Room of Requirement. Two Galleons and three Sickles that we're in both," Parvati said.

"Right... Thinking just like a Weasley, Ginevra," Fred and George said winking at her. "Fifteen Galleons and twenty three Sickles," Fred and George said, then dropped their voices to a quieter tone as people had started filing in. "That we're in both," they said grinning at them.

"Okay, that makes it eighteen Galleons for both, seventeen for Room of Requirement and ten for here," Padma said, finalising the deal.

"Good morning class..." Firenze said as he entered the room. "You will all be learning today's lesson outside, so if you will follow me..." Firenze said going back out the door.

"So what happens now?" Parvati asked in confusion.

"We all get to keep our money," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"Didn't think of that as an option..." Fred and George said to each other shaking their heads.

"What are you two doing here? You don't go to Hogwarts anymore! Why are you in class?" Ron hissed at them.

"We're here because of Neville and our girlfriends," Fred and George replied glaring at Ron. "Why we're in class... Well, we just want to make sure that our baby brother," they said, cooing the last two words. "Is getting the right education and not eating his girlfriend's face during lesson!" Fred and George said brightly, clapping Ron on the back so hard that he stumbled. "Now run off to your girlfriend, Ronnie-kins!" They said waving him off.

"Quickly, students," Firenze called from further up ahead.

"Seamus is awake," Ginevra said quietly as they all walked faster.

Blaise stopped dead in his tracks, paling even as he clenched his fists in anger.

"What?" He asked softly, yet dangerously, as a few of the other students took one glance at him and rushed ahead, adverting their gazes.

"Seamus is awake... I talked to him when I took Draco in. He agreed to be put under the same spell that he put Neville under," Ginevra continued. "His apology seemed genuine... He didn't want to do it, even his thoughts and feelings agreed with him on that," she said then looked at Blaise. "What should we do?" She asked.

"It's not up to me, Ginevra... We'll get Neville to decide when he wakes up tomorrow," Blaise said with a decisive nod.

"Very well... We'd better hurry up before Firenze gets angry," Ginevra said then they hurried to catch up with the rest of the class.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"What can you see?" Firenze asked them when they were all outside.

Most of the students looked to each other in confusion, wondering what exactly Firenze meant by his question.

"The Forbidden Forest," Parvati and Padma said.

"Good. What else?" Firenze asked, looking at them all.

"The castle," Lavender said quickly.

"The Quidditch Pitch," Ron said.

"The sky," Blaise said.

"The lake and giant squid," Pansy said with a sigh, wishing she was there instead of just looking at it.

"Grass and dirt," Gregory said looking down.

"The sun," Vincent said wincing as he looked directly at it.

"Good, good... Anything else?" Firenze asked smiling at everyone.

"Birds," Millicent said.

"Hagrid's hut," Harry said.

"The Owlery," Tom said.

"Anything else?" Firenze asked looking directly at Ginevra.

"Each other," she said quietly.

"Good... Now, who can tell me why this was the last answer?"

"Because you didn't ask for any more after Ginny answered?" Lavender asked, giggling.

"Not at all, Miss Brown... Besides the things on each other; clothes, bags, books, and the such, there is little else left for you to see. Now, why was this last?" Firenze asked looking at everyone.

"We see things before people," Ginevra said simply.

"That doesn't make sense... Of course we see things before people!" Sally-Anne said.

"It does make sense... You're just too dense and materialistic to see past it," Pansy retorted glaring at her.

"In your own ways, you are both right..." Firenze's voice cut in before they could continue arguing. "Miss Perks is correct in her confusion to think that we see things and material possessions before people. After all, the first thing you see in the morning is most likely something in your room, not another person, isn't that right?" Firenze asked, looking at Pansy.

"Well, it depends on the night before," Pansy muttered with a barely concealed smirk.

"Indeed," Firenze said raising his eyebrow at her and Pansy flushed slightly. "Most of the time, we wake up and see a thing before a person, so in that aspect you are correct, Miss Perks. However, Miss Parkinson can also be correct in saying that a person could be materialistic due to the fact that the first thing they see when surrounded by people is a thing," Firenze said.

"So what you're saying is that Ginny is perfect because she saw us before the things?" Lavender asked scornfully.

"Not at all... Miss Weasley was only the first to say that, it does not mean that she saw everyone rather than things, Miss Brown," Firenze replied, getting slightly annoyed at her. "If you look at each other now, what do you see?"

"Gryffindors and Slytherins?" Ron suggested.

"So you are all defined by your House?" Firenze asked him. "What else can you see?" He asked the class.

"Girls and boys," one girl said.

"Boyfriends and girlfriends," a boy said.

"Enemies," Lavender said.

"Friends," Fred and George said grinning at each other.

"Siblings," Padma and Parvati said.

"Individuals," Harry said.

"Very good narrowing down, all of you... Are you sure that you can not see anything else?" Firenze asked. "Mr. Zabini, Miss Weasley, can you see anything else?" He asked looking at them.

"Sons and daughters," Blaise said after a moment.

"Emotions wrapped up in flesh, blood and bones," Ginevra suggested.

"Nothing else?" Firenze asked looking at everyone. "I see people with different backgrounds, different pasts, different status' and different futures..." He said.

"Sorry sir, but what does this have to do with Divination?" Lavender asked frowning.

"I did not say that I would be teaching Divination today, Miss Brown... This lesson will help you learn your true nature and in turn, help you in becoming part of Divination," Firenze said.

"Becoming part of divination? What do you mean by that?" Harry asked frowning.

"If you wish to See visions and Read the teacups, then you must first become a part of the divination. You do not take something without giving in return, do you?" Firenze asked.

"I know people who do," Harry said, thinking of his cousin and family.

"And are they here?" Firenze asked.

"No, sir," Harry said shaking his head.

"Then they do not take part in that statement," Firenze said. "Now if I may continue with the lesson... All of you close your eyes," Firenze said.

A few people did so, then opened them immediately after to see if anyone else had closed their eyes too.

"All of you close your eyes now," Firenze repeated and the class quickly closed their eyes. "You two can close them too, if you wish to be in the class," Firenze said to Fred and George.

With mocking salutes, they closed their eyes grinning at Firenze's amused face.

"When I touch your shoulder, tell me what you hear... Only one answer, mind you..." He added with a smile. "You may repeat someone else's answer if that is truly all you can hear," Firenze said.

Ginevra breathed in and out in sync with her heartbeat so that the noise wouldn't block everything, then listened past the pulsing blood of the other students and really listened to everything around her. She was listening so intently that Ginevra didn't hear the other students answering as their shoulders were touched. A warm hand touched her shoulder, startling Ginevra out of her trance-like state. She opened her eyes and looked at Firenze.

"The trees are talking," Ginevra said, the words surprising her.

Firenze just smiled and nodded as if not expecting anything less, then continued on to the next student.

Ginevra watched as he continued walking around the rest of the students, their words still not registering, her shock still too sudden. With a small frown, Ginevra walked the small distance to the start of the Forest's tree line. She gently touched a tree trunk, putting her ear on the bark. Wind blew around her, welcoming the Queen and helping her to interpret the trees words.

Growth, life, wither, death, rebirth, war, love, hate, Time, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries, animals, large, small, wind, noise, cold, warm, beings, creatures, Neville, nymph, Gods, growth, life, wither, death, rebirth, war, love, hate, Time, seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, animals, large, small, wind, noise, cold, warm, beings, creatures, Neville, nymph, Gods... The words repeated themselves over and over, chanting and imprinting themselves in Ginevra's mind.

As she listened to the words, life around her seemed to multiply and grow at a tremendous rate. The grass grew taller; bugs and ants crawled around and on her. The sun moved across the sky and shadows changed shape as the days passed by quickly. Wind blew through her hair and she watched as trees in the Forbidden Forest swayed with the wind. Young trees sprouted from the ground, growing taller. Rain poured all around though not one drop fell on Ginevra. The rain stopped, the sky grew darker and snow began to fall. Smaller animals scurried away as the snow became heavier and filled the ground. The trees shivered in the cold and the snow became a blanket, covering everything around them.

"Ginevra," Firenze's calm soft voice called softly.

The world fell away and Ginevra blinked in the bright daylight, the snow and dark sky no longer there.

"It is time for you to return to the school, Ginevra," he said softly.

"Thank you, Firenze," Ginevra said with a smile and went over to her waiting friends.

"What did you hear?" Pansy asked them all as they walked back.

"The centaurs," Blaise replied.

"Lupin in his wolf form," Millicent said.

"The pixies," Fred, George, Padma and Parvati said together grinning.

"The elves in the Forbidden Forest," Theodore replied.

"Grawp, Hagrid and Madam Olympe," Vincent said.

"I could hear that troll that lives in the Forest," Gregory said with a shrug.

"What did you hear?" Ginevra asked Pansy.

"The merpeople, of course," Pansy said with a smirk. "What about you? You didn't say anything," Pansy said.

"I heard... The trees were talking," Ginevra said.

"Really? The trees are apparently really wise because they've lived for so long. I've never been able to hear them though... Did they tell you anything?" Theodore asked excitedly.

"They didn't tell me anything... But they showed me a lot," Ginevra replied.

"That's great! What did..." Theodore began to ask, but then the clock struck eleven and he paled. "Pomfrey's waiting for me! I'm supposed to be doing the recess block!" He said with a yelp.

"I'll come with you... Draco's in there with Seamus and Dean. I hate to see what he's done to them," Ginevra said.

"We'll come too," Millicent said darkly, the others nodding their agreement.

"Well, I should be able to take half of you..." Ginevra said, judging everyone's weight. "I have no idea how much I can lift, so this should be a good enough test," she said in response to their thoughts. "Gregory, Vincent, can you hold onto Pansy, Millicent and Theodore please?" She asked.

With nods, they did as she asked, Millicent and Pansy protesting immediately. Ginevra smirked and shook her head before grabbing Gregory and Vincent's arms, lifting them up with ease.

"Now there's just the problem of seeing where you're going," Padma drawled smirking at her.

"Not at all," Bexley said coming out of Ginevra. "I can see quite easily for her," he said with a shrug.

"You five coming or you want to go see Neville?" Ginevra asked her brothers, the Patil twins and Blaise.

"We'll walk there, thanks," Fred and George said.

"I'm going to see Neville," Blaise said.

"Can we please hurry it up? Pomfrey's going to be pissed off at me as it is!" Theodore said.

"Right... See you later," Ginevra said with a grin then she started to run, Bexley flying after her quickly.

"Left, Ginevra!" He yelled.

Fred and George shook their heads.

"And Mum thinks we're dangerous!" They said grinning.

"I'm sure you're not that bad..." Parvati said smirking at them.

"That's just because you haven't seen our bad side yet," they replied winking.

"Turn right," Bexley said in Ginevra's ear. "Two students to the left," he instructed.

Ginevra followed his instructions to the letter, making sure to turn right and not hit the two students. It was extremely odd running like this while carrying such a load and without being able to see. Ginevra found that she could hear things, even as Bexley told her of them. The two students had actually been behind a tapestry, snogging.

"Stop, Ginevra," Bexley said.

Ginevra stopped in front of the hospital wing quickly and gently put everyone down. Pansy, Theodore and Millicent all burst away from Gregory and Vincent, gasping for breath.

"You could have made sure that our lungs had room!" Pansy breathed, hitting them.

"Sorry Pansy. We didn't want to drop you," Vincent said.

"I'm late!" Theodore said rushing inside.

"You're welcome!" Ginevra called after him, sinking to the ground trying to catch her breath.

"Why are you always on the floor, Ginevra?" Draco asked crouching beside her.

"How did you get out here?" She asked him in surprise.

"I walked," he drawled smirking at her. "So why are you on the floor?"

"I ran carrying those five," Ginevra replied, waving in the general direction of Pansy, Gregory, Vincent and Millicent.

"Well then... That would explain it... Would you like me to help you into the hospital wing, my Queen?" Draco asked.

"In a moment... Just let me catch the rest of my breath," Ginevra replied. "Bexley... You can return now," she said.

"Thank you, Ginevra," Bexley said with a bow, floating back into her body.

"Whatever did you do to Finnigan and Thomas to get Pomfrey to throw you out here?" Pansy asked with a smirk as she walked over to them.

"Nothing much," Draco replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, right! And I'm going to go live with the Muggles!" Pansy said sarcastically.

"All I did was hex them into oblivion," Draco said smirking at her. "Come on... You can at least get a replenishing potion from Pomfrey," he said to Ginevra, picking her up bride-style.

"Should you be scared that he can do that so well?" Millicent asked raising an eyebrow.

"Until I learn how he knew how to do it so well I should be fine," Ginevra replied smirking at her. "You don't have to carry me you know, Draco... I can walk," she said grinning.

"What if I want to carry you?" He asked quietly so the others wouldn't hear.

"Then I guess I'd let you..." She replied with a smile.

"You should do this at dinner tonight. Ronnie-kins would probably pop a vein," Pansy drawled smirking.

"You can put her down now, Mr. Malfoy," Pomfrey said impatiently. "I don't know how you got through my wards, but you can go straight back out. I will not have you disturbing and hexing my patients," she said angrily.

"Of course not. I won't do anything while they're in your care," Draco said giving her a charming smile.

"You promise? Very well then... Theodore, look after the patients and make sure Mr. Malfoy does not go near Mr. Finnigan or Mr. Thomas," Poppy instructed, then left the hospital wing quickly.

"She must have a very important meeting to not see through that," Theodore mused shaking his head.

"Theodore, can I please have a replenishing potion?" Ginevra asked him.

"Wait, it's all right... Don't worry about it," Draco said suddenly.

"Why not?" Theodore and Ginevra asked at the same time.

"I think Finnigan's waking up," Draco said nodding over to Seamus' bed.

"Right... You could just tell me to go away you know," Theodore muttered as he went over to Seamus.

"Yeah, but we all know that if he did then you wouldn't," Millicent said smirking, following him over.

"You three go away too," Draco said.

"Since you're the Prince of Slytherin we just have to obey, is that right?" Pansy asked indignantly, her hands on her hips.

"No... You have to obey or I'll make you," Draco said with a smirk as he closed the curtains and put spells on them to keep them shut and silent.

"So why can't I get a replenishing potion?" Ginevra asked watching him with amusement.

"You don't need one when you've got this," Draco said showing her his hand, blood flowing from the palm.

"Why did you do that for?! A potion would have done just fine, Draco!" Ginevra protested.

"That's why you're eyes are red..." He drawled smirking at her. "They don't just go red when you want to kiss me... Both your irises and pupils go red when you want to Drink..." Draco said.

"I don't want to Drink," Ginevra protested weakly.

Draco's blood was calling her; it was igniting every one of her senses. She could her his blood cells rushing to fix the wound, smell every drop of blood that was in the small red pool on his hand; she could practically taste it... Her body tingled at the prospect of a Drink and she pulled him to her just as the first drop of blood fell from his open palm.

Ginevra lapped at the pool of blood on his hand eagerly. Her tongue travelled along the cut in his hand and she felt him shiver. Licking at more of the flowing blood, Ginevra whimpered in protest as the wound closed all too soon.

"Feel any better?" Draco asked smirking as he reclaimed his hand.

Ginevra responded by kissing him hungrily. She felt him smirking beneath her lips and pulled him closer by the rim of his robes. One of his hands snaked around her waist and the other cupped the back of her head.

"Gods..." Ginevra moaned.

Draco managed to get in front of her on the bed and they fumbled to remove their clothes quickly.

Madam Pomfrey opened the hospital wing door and saw that the closed curtains around Ginevra's bed were rattling. She looked for Theodore so she could tell him off, but as he was over at Dean and Seamus' beds, seemingly having not noticed what was happening, she strode over to the rattling bed.

"You two open the curtains, right now!" Poppy demanded when she found that she couldn't open them with magic.

Ginevra stopped Draco from taking her shirt off reluctantly and quickly rebuttoned it, putting her robes on with ease. Draco sighed and looked around for his shirt. It was in shreds beside the bed.

"What is it with you and ripping my shirts?" Draco muttered smirking at her.

"I don't think I did that this time, Draco," Ginevra drawled as she repaired it with her wand.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," he replied, putting his shirt and robes on quickly.

"Open. The. Curtains!" Poppy said angrily.

"Just open them before she rips them to shreds," Ginevra said shaking her head.

"As you wish, my Queen," Draco said smirking as he bowed to her.

He opened the curtains to reveal a very angry Madam Pomfrey.

"Good morning, Madam Pomfrey..." He said innocently.

"Don't you 'good morning' me, Mr. Malfoy! I saw the curtains and I know what you were doing!" She said glaring at him.

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey... That was my fault," Ginevra said blushing innocently.

"It was?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes... I didn't want to have a replenishing potion and as Seamus and Dean were waking up, Mr. Malfoy offered to convince me so I wouldn't take up Mr. Nott's time from his other patients," Ginevra said with a smile.

"Then why were the curtains closed?" Poppy asked her, still unconvinced.

"I kept kicking and it wouldn't have been very appropriate for Dean and Seamus to wake up and see my knickers, now would it?" Ginevra asked still smiling at her.

"Indeed not... Perhaps you should wear stockings then, Miss Weasley," Poppy drawled.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Ginevra said trying not to laugh at what had happened to her stockings that morning.

"Well then, how are the patients doing?" Madam Pomfrey asked, bustling over to Theodore.

Millicent, Pansy, Gregory and Vincent walked over to Ginevra in awe and amazement.

"How on earth did you manage that?" Pansy asked, her voice filled with awe. "We all know what was going on, but the way you pulled it off... You made me believe you!" She said in shock.

"And that is a hard feat to achieve," Millicent said seriously. "She is one of the most suspicious people in all of Slytherin!"

"Yes, well before I tell you, I think we should all get out of here before Madam Pomfrey decides to check the potion cabinet," Ginevra said quietly smirking at them. "Thank you for your help, Madam Pomfrey. We're going to the Great Hall for recess now," she called to her. "See you in lesson, Theodore," she added, quickly leaving after he gave them a nod of acknowledgement.

"When did you learn to do that? And how?" Pansy asked once they were a good way from the hospital wing.

"I already told you... Fred and George taught me. I learnt it when I was old enough to understand that Mum didn't like me playing rough games with the boys... How I learnt it was by watching Fred and George get out of nearly every thing they would have gotten into trouble for. When they saw that I was watching them, they taught me how to make my expressions as innocent or dangerous I wanted; smiles, smirks and glares included," Ginevra said smirking.

"Really? Are they still doing lessons?" Pansy asked grinning.

"Only for a very hefty fee," Fred and George said as they came up behind them, Padma and Parvati next to them.

"How did you come up behind us like that?!" Pansy asked after jumping at their sudden appearance.

"We walked quietly," they replied grinning; Ginevra snorting in disbelief. "Since you're our friends we can teach you all for just the small price of 2 Sickles per lesson," Fred and George said grinning at them.

"You don't really expect us to pay you?" Millicent asked in disbelief.

"Expect you to, no..." George said.

"Encourage it, yes," Fred said smirking.

"You can pay after the lessons are finished... Then you decide how much you pay as to how much you feel you've learnt," they said together.

"Deal," Pansy said immediately.

Ginevra shook her head, sighing.

"You don't even want to know how stern they are? Or the huge amounts of homework they set?" She asked.

"No... I want to learn how to get out of detentions when I don't do homework," Pansy said smirking.

"I'm up for it," Draco said to the Weasley twins.

"Excellent! Any more takers?" They asked eagerly.

"I'll do it," Millicent said with a sigh.

"Fine! We'll do it," Gregory and Vincent said as Pansy had quite literally poked them into submission.

Fred and George laughed evilly all the way to the Great Hall.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

The bell rang loudly, signally the end of recess and the start of another lesson.

Ginevra and Draco left the Great Hall with the others and were heading to Defence Against the Dark Arts when Dumbledore called them over.

"Ginevra, Draco... I would just like to remind you that you have a meeting with Lord Xavier tonight after your detention and dinner at nine o'clock," Albus said.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginevra replied.

"You're welcome... Enjoy your lesson," he said with a smile as they left.

"What did he mean by that?" Ginevra asked Draco who shrugged.

"No idea," he replied.

They went to the lesson quickly and arrived with the last few stragglers.

"Now that you are all here, you will be putting your fighting skills to the test. Both Muggle and wizard fighting is to be incorporated to show what you have learnt," Lupin announced. "Get into two teams, remembering House Unity," he added before they could move.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Moody growled and they all rushed to get into groups.

"Looks like three groups have formed..." Lupin drawled smiling at them. "Harry and Hermione, would you please go with Ginevra's group. Ron you can go with Lavender's group to even it out," he said.

Both parties did so quickly and gratefully. Draco glared at Harry and Hermione.

"Why can't they be in the other group?" He muttered.

"It's either them or Ronnie-kins, take your pick," Ginevra drawled smirking at him.

"Fred and George... Lovely to see you two again... Would you like to join Alastar and myself as judges?" Lupin invited.

"Gladly!" They said with grins, going over to them quickly.

Alastar waved his wand gruffly and the tables, stage and chairs all disappeared. A rough terrain appeared beneath them, consisting of mud, grass and what looked suspiciously like blood. The putrid smell of decaying bodies filled their nostrils and a few students gagged in disgust, holding their noses.

"Oh, stop your whining, all of you!" Mad-Eye Moody barked at them. "This is one of the easier terrains you will work with, for the Gods sakes! Unless you'd like the dead bodies to be littered around you?" He asked, but not one student replied.

"Excellent... Now, when I say three," Lupin began to say, but Moody cut him off.

"Don't be stupid, Lupin! In the real battlefield they're not going to wait! Start fighting!" He yelled at them.

The following forty minutes was complete chaos, even considering the fact that it wasn't a real war or battle...

Ginevra's group was the first to recover from Moody's shouted order and the other group barely had enough time to put up barriers from the curses being yelled. Lavender had a personal vendetta against Ginevra, shouting every curse and hex she knew at the red headed woman. Hermione took to cursing Ronald, who was unconscious within the first ten minutes of the fight, flocks of birds pecking at his face. Vincent and Gregory refused to stop blocking any curses thrown at Pansy until they were both put under Full Body Binds from her. Padma and Parvati were back to back in the middle of the fighting, right next to Draco and Ginevra. Blaise was fighting with no reserve, his hooves knocking opponents to the ground and his arrows flying in every direction, hitting every target he aimed at. Draco used his Veelan powers only once to make three people stop cursing Blaise's flanks, then got back to fighting with his wand and fists instead.

Millicent and Theodore were the healers, Millicent getting their injured even from the front line to bring them back to Theodore. She was only hexed once, and as the person who had done it fell to the ground by just one curse from Theodore, no one else attempted to hex Millicent again.

Ginevra was positive that Fred and George were just watching their girlfriends instead of the actual fight, but didn't really have time to tell them off for it as everyone seemed to hone in on them. She punched, kicked, threw curses and put up barriers as quick as the attacks were coming. Lavender's hexes were getting more dangerous with each second that passed and Ginevra could tell that her barrier would fade soon if it was hit by something stronger than Petrificus Totalus...

"Be right back," she yelled to Draco and the Patil twins, stepping out of the barrier.

"Ginevra! Get back here!" Draco yelled at her.

Ginevra ignored him then walked further away, drawing Lavender's wand away from them. Lavender face turned into an ugly sneer and she stalked Ginevra's every move.

"Come on, Brown... This is your big chance to bring me down!" Ginevra hissed at her. "I don't even have my wand," she added and Lavender's eyes lit up with greed and triumph.

"Vulnero!" Lavender yelled and Ginevra just grinned as a few wounds appeared on her body. (Wound.)

The spell seemed to just wound the person it was directed at, yet there was one small fault with it that not many people knew about. The spell actually sent out a beam that was able to meld in with everything around it. Yet, if it was seen at a particular angle, the background would seem distorted.

"Vulnus Magis!" Lavender yelled again. (Wound more.)

Ginevra's dagger appeared in her hand and the spell was deflected on the flat of the blade, going straight back at Lavender, who was wondering why Ginevra was holding a dagger like that and why she hadn't been wounded more...

Wounds began to appear on Lavender's body and she screamed out in pain as her skin started to welt, split and bleed.

"End of the game," Lupin's voice called and the classroom returned.

Everyone who had been hurt healed and Ron woke up. Lavender's cuts disappeared and she glared at Ginevra.

"Most of your fighting skills are good... Though I'm disappointed that some of you couldn't even handle a flock of birds," Alastar growled, looking at them with both of his eyes and Ron blushed brightly.

Once the birds had tired of Ron, they had spread out to attack the opposition until Lavender had put an immobilisation spell on them.

"Does anyone know what the moral of that exercise was?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah, get on the side who has the better fighters," one person muttered. He had been one of the ones who Draco had convinced to stop hexing Blaise.

"Never think like that!" Moody yelled, making everyone jump. "If you think like that then you are just weak! If you only ever go to the side with the better fighters then you are nothing and show that because you have no loyalty to who you are fighting with, as long as they win!" Moody yelled. "That is the worst attitude you can take onto a battlefield!" He snarled angrily. The pale boy nodded quickly.

"Yes, Professor," he said.

"The morale of that exercise was to show you that not everything can go according to plan. I heard you both make plans and strategies to defeat the other team, yet neither of your plans went accordingly... Why was that?" Lupin asked, redirecting the conversation.

"We respond to different things differently," Hermione said.

"Very good... Your use of your own powers was good as it demonstrates that not only wizards and witches fight in wars; it is also magical creatures and beings," Lupin said with a nod at Blaise and Draco.

"Some of you need to work on your punches and kicks more," Moody said gruffly as the bell went.

"That's your homework," Lupin said loudly as they left the classroom quickly.

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"'Ello to all of yer... Now, before we start yer lesson, I have ter tell yer that yer've got a big assignment ter do... The assignment is an essay on an animal or creature of yer own choice... Yer'll have to talk with me 'fore yer start though, cos yer aren't allowed to do the same as som'one else," Hagrid said. "Any questions?" He asked.

No one said anything, so he continued talking.

"Fer today's lesson we're goin' ter be in the Forest, so follow me," Hagrid said as soon as they had arrived and led them into the Forbidden Forest.

"What are we going to see, Professor?" Parvati asked Hagrid curiously.

"If yer lucky yer will be goin' ter see the Gytrash," Hagrid said quietly.

"The what?" Sally-Anne asked frowning.

"The Gytrash is a large spectral hound or horse that lives in forests. On rare occasions, the Gytrash can be seen as a horse with a large dog. It also haunts deserted roads to mislead or direct travellers, depending on their personality and attitude towards them," Ginevra drawled. "Surely you've read the first chapter of the Book of Monsters?" She asked.

"Yes, I have! I just don't remember all of it!" Sally-Anne said defensively.

"The word 'monster' is the wrong term for the Gytrash anyway... Just because something doesn't look human they immediately label it as a 'monster'," Pansy said.

"So why isn't the book called Lavender Brown then?" Fred snickered quietly to Padma who stiffled a laugh.

"Now, now... There's ter be no pokin' fun at other people while in my class," Hagrid said.

"Of course not, Professor," George said smirking as he nudged Fred, who nodded quickly in agreement.

"No poking fun at others, got it," he said giving him a mock salute.

"All of yer quieten down now," Hagrid said softly and the chatter died down immediately. "One at a time, look through those trees ter see the Gytrash," he instructed quietly. "Ginevra, yer to go last," he added.

"Yes, Professor," Ginevra said nodding to show that she understood why.

Ginevra knew that if she saw the Gytrash first, then it would most likely draw her out or only pay attention to her, making the rest of the lesson spoilt for the rest of the class.

In pairs, sometimes in three, the rest of the class looked through the trees to see the Gytrash. Eventually it was Blaise, Ginevra and Draco's turn and they went to the edge of the clearing quietly. Looking inside, they saw a black horse eating grass. Nearby was a large black dog sleeping on the ground. A dark grey mist outlined the two animals, enhancing the affect of their bright blue eyes.

"They're beautiful," Ginevra breathed quietly in appreciation.

At her voice, the dog woke up and snarled in their direction and the horse stopped eating, rising on its hindquarters, neighing loudly.

"I better go calm them down before they hurt the others," Ginevra muttered then stepped into the clearing before they could protest.

On seeing Ginevra, both animals quietened and stood perfectly still as she walked over to them. She rubbed the horse's nose tentatively and scratched the large dog behind the ears. Surprisingly, they were both solid.

"You're both beauties, aren't you?" She asked softly.

The dog gave a whimpered bark, while the horse neighed softly in agreement. Ginevra stopped patting them as a sound from Hagrid caught her attention. The dog licked her hand and the horse nudged her lightly and she looked back to them smiling.

"Are you named?" She asked them, resuming her activities.

Maden, the dog's voice said in her mind.

Ryder, the horse replied in the same manner.

"It is very nice to meet you Maden and Ryder... May I bring my own to meet you?" Ginevra asked.

If he can scratch behind the ears as good as you can, then you may, Maden said, his tongue lolling out as Ginevra scratched him again.

"Draconius," Ginevra called.

Blaise pushed Draco out into the clearing smirking as Draco glared back at him.

Draco walked over to Ginevra and the two animals. He bowed to Ginevra, then to the animals.

"Ryder, Maden, this is my own, Draconius Malfoy. Draco, Ryder is this beautiful horse and Maden is this beautiful dog," Ginevra announced.

Scratch now, talk later, Maden said, nudging Draco's hand with his nose then licking it.

Ginevra smirked at Draco, who looked perplexed before scratching Maden's ears tentatively.

Maden likes to be scratched hard, Draconius, Ryder informed him and Draco nodded, scratching the dog with more confidence now.

"Do you enjoy living in the Forest, Ryder?" Ginevra asked.

At times it is peaceful, yet at other times it is not peaceful enough, Ryder said with a shrug. I have not had a human ride me for so long, I fear I am becoming unfit, he said sighing.

"Would you like me to ride you?" Ginevra asked him.

It would be an honour, Ryder said neighing.

"Draco, I'm going to go for a ride on Ryder... I'll be back in a minute. Tell Hagrid not to worry," Ginevra said.

"Are you sure that is wise, my Queen?" Draco asked hesitantly.

I promise not to let you get hurt, Ryder added quickly.

"I'm sure, Draco," Ginevra responded firmly, climbing onto Ryder's back gracefully.

I can take you on my back with your own, if you would like, Maden said to Draco. We won't let you get hurt...

"Yes, I think that would be for the best," Draco said with a nod, climbing onto the large dog's back.

Before Ginevra or Draco could do anything, the two animals leapt out of the clearing, Hagrid running after them, yelling for Ginevra and Draco to come back.

"What's wrong Hagrid? They should be fine, they are with Ginevra after all," Pansy said with a small smirk to reassure him.

"Th' Gytrash aint th' ones I'm worried 'bout... Th' Gytrash are going ter try ter charm Draco and Ginevra... I'm not sure if even her magic can counter it," Hagrid said concerned. "Blaise and Pansy, yer ter take the class back ter me hut while I try ter find Ginevra and Draco. Is tha' understood?" He asked.

Blaise and Pansy nodded, concern for their friends also on their faces. With a reassuring nod, Hagrid ran out of the clearing quickly.

"Greg, Vince, you two go at the end and make sure that everyone follows us and doesn't wander," Blaise instructed.

Gregory and Vincent nodded quickly.

"Everyone get into pairs and follow Pansy and I... You don't want to wander in the Forest and get lost for all of eternity, do you?" Blaise asked when a few of them groaned in complaint. "Didn't think so... Now, follow us," he instructed and changed into a centaur as he led them down the concealed pathway back to Hogwarts.

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Hagrid followed the two beasts as quickly as he could, but the further he travelled, the less he saw of their path. Eventually it disappeared and Hagrid was forced to admit that he was lost.

"Gods darn it! Where are they?!" He muttered angrily.

Hearing a noise to his left, Hagrid quickly went in that direction.

Ginevra and Draco sat on the animals backs, holding on as they went faster.

We must hurry if we are to lose the other one, Maden's voice said suddenly.

That snapped Ginevra out of her dream-like state and she looked over at the dog travelling beside her.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a glare.

Do not worry, my Queen... It does not concern you, Ryder said with a worried glance at Maden.

"Do not call me that!" Ginevra said angrily and Ryder faltered before stopping completely.

Maden halted suddenly, Draco flying off of his back at the abrupt stop. Ginevra watched as Draco flew into the tree. He slammed into it and Ginevra heard a loud crunching sound. Draco didn't get up. Ginevra quickly climbed off of Ryder and went over to him.

"Draco?" She said softly, putting her fingers on his neck to feel for a pulse, listening intently.

A very faint pulse sounded, even for Ginevra's ears, and her breath stopped as the faint pulses slowed further. Draco whispered her name and she held him, kissing his lips to give him back his life, hoping that would help him...

It didn't help. There was nothing she could do but take revenge for her love's death. Ginevra turned on the Gytrash angrily, her eyes red...

Hagrid heard loud yelps and frantic neighs from a nearby clearing and ran in to see the Gytrash huddling in a corner, looking as scared as any animal he'd ever seen before. Ginevra was advancing on them, angry and red pulsed waves flowing in and out of her body. Hagrid saw that Draco was slumped against a nearby tree. It didn't look like he was moving either...

"You dare to hurt my love?" Ginevra hissed angrily. "Even after you promised that you would not let us get hurt?" She hissed again, the red waves moving in and out faster as her anger increased. "And you were going to take our power against our will?" Ginevra added, hearing Hagrid's thoughts.

A red glow from the tree caught Hagrid's attention, yet Ginevra seemed oblivious to it. The Gytrash were now screaming in their respective animal sounds as the red waves came closer to them, hitting them then withdrawing before returning to hit them again. The mist that had surrounded them had long disappeared and now their skin was beginning to burn with each red wave that hit them. Their screams turned to pained whimpers.

My Qu... Ginevra! We did not mean for your own to be hurt! And as for what we were going to do to you... We know of nothing else! We cannot change what we were Made for! We are the ones who lure witches and wizards and use their power against them! If we do not know of anything else then how can we be or do anything else?! Maden and Ryder protested.

The red waves stopped for a moment and Ginevra's eyes returned to their natural brown colour. She looked at the Gytrash, deeply considering their words. Movement from the tree caught her attention and she turned to see Draco opening his eyes with a pained groan.

"Draco!" She exclaimed and rushed over to him immediately. "Are you all right?" Ginevra asked in worry.

"I just got thrown from the back of a bloody dog, do you think I'm all right?" He muttered with a glare.

"Don't you two move!" Ginevra said angrily, glaring at the Gytrash as they tried to leave inconspicuously.

"Ginevra... Let me take 'im back ter Hogwarts and yer can deal with these two," Hagrid offered, moving forward.

"I can walk," Draco said angrily, yet he fell down as he tried to stand up.

"Be careful with him, please Hagrid," Ginevra said.

"O' course I'll be careful! Yer think I want yer to do that ter me?" He said indicating to the scared Gytrash.

With an easy yet gentle motion, Hagrid picked up Draco, who was still protesting, and carried him out of the clearing, and back to Hogwarts.

Ginevra turned to the Gytrash and walked over to them. Maden moved backwards, whimpering loudly and Ryder turned to his side in a fearful attempt to escape.

"Both of you stop acting like that," Ginevra demanded glaring at them, and the Gytrash did so immediately. "I will not hurt you for what you were going to do... I understand what you mean by saying that you cannot do anything but what you were Made for. Yet," she added when the Gytrash looked far too relieved for her liking. "Yet, I can still punish you for going back on your promise to not hurt myself and Draco. Even had Draco not fallen from your back, you still would have hurt us by attempting to use our powers against us," Ginevra said in a tone that left no room for argument.

We understand, Ginevra... The Gytrash said with a sigh, bowing their heads to accept their punishment.

"Look me in the eyes, Gytrash," she demanded steely, making both animals look up at her quickly. "My punishment is as follows... I am giving you knowledge. This will not only help you see that what you did was wrong, but also it will help you change what you are. If you can be nothing besides what you know, then I give you knowledge to become whatever you want to be," Ginevra said and two large red lights flew at the Gytrash.

The Gytrash crumpled to the floor, but by their breathing, Ginevra could tell that they were only sleeping and were not worried for them. She left the clearing and saw a lone centaur nearby. It was not Firenze, nor was it Bane.

"Hello, Ginevra Weasley, Queen of All... I am Ronan, a lowly centaur and your faithful follower," Ronan said bowing to her, his voice filled with awe.

"Hello, Ronan... I doubt very much that you are a lowly centaur... I do not believe there is such a thing," Ginevra replied with a smile. "You are not worried of what your herd will say when they find out you've been to see me?" She asked.

"My herd do not know of my seeing you, nor of my acknowledgement of you being Queen, Ginevra," Ronan replied, scuffing the ground with one hoof as he blushed.

"That is all very well, but what will you do if your herd is attacking me, Ronan?" Ginevra asked.

"I would assist you with discretion," Ronan said truthfully.

"Thank you for your truth... Do you think that what I did to the Gytrash was right? Or did I do them wrong?" Ginevra asked as she walked along the path to Hogwarts.

"I think that you were more than fair," Ronan said. "Perhaps you were too lenient on them," he added.

"Once I calmed down I realised that what had happened was an accident, and that the Gytrash was right... If they know nothing more than what they have always done, then they do not know that it was wrong," Ginevra said. "Was I too lenient in not giving them a harsher punishment?" She asked.

"Perhaps... What concerns me is the actual punishment you gave them... What would you do now if the Gytrash used the knowledge they give them to do more evil than good?" Ronan asked. "You could not blame it on them not knowing it was wrong, because then they would know that it was, yet they still chose to do it..."

"Exactly... They chose to do it, even though they knew it was wrong... By giving them knowledge, they then accept the responsibility of all their future actions, and hence they accept the consequences. Since they did not know that what they were doing was wrong, I could not punish them for it... Now, if they do it again, then I can punish them properly."

"That is... very wise reasoning, Ginevra," Ronan admitted after a moment's consideration.

"Thank you, Ronan... You should return now before your herd discover that you are gone," Ginevra said smiling at the young centaur. "Thank you for your company and viewpoints," she said bowing to him.

"It was my pleasure, Ginevra..." Ronan said with a bow, then he galloped away quickly.

Ginevra waited a moment, then let Bexley out. He floated out in front of her, worry on his face.

"I apologise for not coming out sooner, Ginevra... The Gytrash have restrictive powers for those against them," he said. "I think your punishment was adequate," he added.

"Thank you, Bexley... Are you still tired, or would you like to accompany me the rest of the way?" Ginevra asked him.

"It would be a pleasure to accompany you, Ginevra," Bexley said bowing again. "Would you like a calming spell? You were shocked very bad when Draco hit that tree," he said frowning.

"As long as Draco is alive and breathing, I will be fine," Ginevra said.

The statement was said with such determination that it shocked Ginevra further... Had her own life and well-being already come to depend on Draco's so much that she only lived for him?

"That is all well and good, Ginevra... But how are you?" Bexley asked her.

"Shocked," Ginevra replied.

"Would you like a calming spell then?" Bexley asked.

Ginevra shook her head to calm her nerves then gave him a reassuring smile.

"No, I'm all right now... How can you do a calming spell if you're a Boggart?" Ginevra asked curiously.

"By using your wand," Bexley replied simply. "We are nearly there... I fear that I cannot go with you any more... I am still quite tired from my recent activities and the light will not help in my recovery," he said apologetically.

"Very well then, Bexley... Thank you for your company," Ginevra said.

Bexley bowed and floated back into her. Ginevra waited until he was completely gone before going out into the sunlight and even then she hurried over to Hagrid's hut, her skin tingling and feeling hot. Over at the hut, Ginevra's friends were crowded around Hagrid and Draco in worry. Besides Parvati, Fred and George, not one of the Gryffindors were there.

"I am all right... I have already said that!" Draco muttered with a half-hearted glare. "Ginevra! Would you tell them that I am fine?" He asked shaking his head at their friends.

"You might be fine, but you're still going to the hospital wing to get checked with Madam Pomfrey..." Ginevra said adamantly.

"I do not need to see her! I only just got out of that infernal place!" Draco protested.

"Thanks, Hagrid... We'll take care of him from here," Ginevra said smirking at him.

"All right, Ginevra... Nex' time don't get on the Gytrash," Hagrid said before leaving.

Ginevra walked over to Draco and picked him up bride-style. The others crowded around them so they wouldn't be noticed by any wandering students.

"I'm not sure who we should worry about anymore... They can both do that so easily," Millicent muttered to Theodore shaking her head with a smirk.

"Shove off, Millicent!" Draco said angrily. "I can walk, you know," he said to Ginevra.

"I'm sure I've heard that before," Ginevra drawled smirking at him.

"You're lucky there's no Gryffindors around... They'd never let me live this down," Draco complained.

"We won't either," Blaise said smirking at him.

"It's your own fault for being stubborn and not going to the hospital wing when we said so!" Theodore said.

Draco muttered at them under his breath and Ginevra smirked.

"Do we have to go to the hospital wing?" Draco whispered in Ginerva's ear, his tone making it clear what he would rather do.

"Yes we do... And then I'm going to go eat lunch," Ginevra said smirking at him.

"I know what I'd like to eat..." Draco muttered. "Do you know how hard it is to be pressed up against you like this and not do something in front of everyone?" He whispered.

"I know that something's hard," Ginevra replied smirking at him.

"Would you two stop looking at each other like you're lovesick puppies? It's making me nauseous," Pansy commented.

"And the way you look at Greg and Vince is any different?" Ginevra asked smirking at her.

"Yes, it is... We got over the lovesick stage within a week... Since then it's been everything else," Pansy said winking at her boyfriends.

"Yet you only started going out with both of them this week?" Ginevra retorted.

"Not the point... I can look at one of them when the other isn't looking," Pansy said smirking.

"We're here, would you two stop discussing this now?" Blaise asked shaking his head.

He opened the door to the hospital wing and they all went in. Ginevra put Draco on a bed but before she could do anything, he had pulled her down to him for a kiss.

"Somehow, I doubt that he's not feeling well," Pansy drawled smirking at them.

"I've been saying that this entire time," Draco said as they pulled away.

"What's the problem here?" Poppy asked as she came out of her office. Seeing Draco, her eyes narrowed and with a flick of her wand, the curtains around Dean and Seamus closed firmly.

"Draco hurt himself during Care of Magical Creatures," Ginevra answered.

"And I am fine... I do not need to be here," Draco said, standing up. He swayed for a moment before falling back onto the bed. "All right, a replenishing potion then," he muttered.

"I will decide what you need, Mr. Malfoy," Poppy said with a frown as she waved her wand over him. "What animal attacked you?" She asked when nothing happened.

"An animal wasn't what hurt me... I was riding the Gytrash and it stopped... I flew into the tree and then... I don't know what happened then... Ginevra does though," Draco said looking at her.

"You were riding a Gytrash and survived?" Poppy asked in shock. "That's never been heard of! Are you positive it was the Gytrash?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm positive it was the Gytrash... What actually happened? All I remember is hitting the tree and then when I woke up you were... What were you doing to the Gytrash?" Draco asked.

"I... I'll tell you later," Ginevra muttered.

"I need to know what happened, Miss Weasley, so that I can heal him," Poppy said.

"You know what, Draco? You're right... You don't need to be here," Ginevra said and pointed her wand at him. "Sano," she said and a red mist covered all of Draco's body. (To heal.)

Draco stood up and walked to the door experimentally, smirking at Pomfrey.

"Thank you and good bye," Draco said smirking as he left the hospital wing with Ginevra, the others running after them quickly, ignoring Poppy's shouts of indignation.

"What just happened? What happened to Draco in the Forest?" Blaise asked Ginevra immediately.

"What did you do to the Gytrash?" Draco added.

"Come on, you guys... Leave Ginevra alone for a bit. Can't you see she's upset?" Fred and George said, standing on either side of their sister to block her from their questions.

Ginevra stopped and looked at Draco seriously.

"What just happened in the hospital wing was to avoid Pomfrey's awkward questions... Death is what happened to Draco in the Forbidden Forest, all right? He died in my fucking arms!" Ginevra said, her voice raising hysterically. "And what happened to the Gytrash?! I made sure that they wouldn't do the same thing again! Are you happy now? Does that answer your questions?!"

Bexley flew out of Ginevra quickly and took her wand, hitting her with a combined stunning and calming spell. Ginevra fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. They all stared at her unconscious body in shock.

"Gregory, Vincent, carry Ginevra to her rooms. Draco you go with them too," Pansy instructed, recovering from her shock the quickest. "Theodore, see if you can help Ginevra. Give her a dreamless potion... Blaise, you go with them to see to Neville. Millicent and I will get food from the kitchens with the twins for you all," Pansy said.

"Colin and I already have the food, thank you, Pansy," Luna said coming up to them. "We should take Ginevra back before any other students come wandering down the corridor," Luna said softly.

Bexley wearily floated back into Ginevra, her wand dropping to the floor. With a nod from Pansy, Gregory and Vincent lifted Ginevra and carried her to a nearby tapestry. Blaise opened the door for them, going inside quickly. Draco picked up Ginevra's wand, in a state of shock himself. Pansy looked at him in worry, nudging Theodore before following them. Millicent followed Pansy, as did Luna and the four twins. Theodore went over to Draco.

"You all right?" He asked.

Draco just nodded dumbly, looking at the wand in his hands.

"I just thought... If I had died do you think that Ginevra would have been the only one who cared? She would have been the only one to cry or turn up because I had died..." Draco said quietly. He shook his head, then went into the corridor without waiting for a response from Theodore.

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Ginevra woke up and anguish flowed through her mind. Draco! Scrambling out of her bed, she ran down to Draco's room, oblivious to the others who came out of their rooms to see who was making all of the noise.

"I think they need to be together for a while, Pansy... Let them be," Luna said quietly before she could follow Ginevra.

Pansy nodded and went back into her room. The others went back to their rooms slowly, wondering why they all felt so depressed...

"Draco?" Ginevra said softly.

He was lying on his bed, tears streaming down his face. Draco didn't move or even acknowledge Ginevra's presence. She walked over to his bed and sat next to him. Again, nothing happened.

"Draco? What's wrong? Why are you so upset?" She asked quietly, tears threatening to spill from her own eyes as his words flowed into her mind. "That's not true, Draco... Everyone in my rooms would be sad if you died. And more, besides! Your family would be upset... Snape and Dumbledore would be upset. I'm sure your Veelan mentors would be upset too," Ginevra said softly.

Draco turned his head and looked at her. Drawn to him and acting on a surprising urge to comfort Draco, Ginevra hugged him to her body tightly, whispering words of consolation in his ear. After a while, Ginevra stopped talking and Draco stopped crying.

"Thank you Ginevra," he said quietly.

"You're welcome..." Ginevra replied. "Do you think this is odd?" She asked.

"What? Me crying?" Draco asked in confusion.

"No... The fact that we haven't liked each other for years, and now... Now my happiness depends on you and your well-being. And that you've been crying," Ginevra added smirking at him. "Although, I could probably forgive you for it if..."

"If what?" Draco asked when she trailed off.

"If you kiss me again," she said grinning.

"You've got your Thirst under control?" Draco asked.

"No, but you need a stronger show of affection right now and if you do all of the kissing, then maybe it won't happen," Ginevra said with a shrug.

Draco smirked then kissed her passionately. Moving Ginevra onto his lap, he wound his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Despite her intentions, Ginevra kissed Draco back and she could feel the instinct to Drink him rising in the back of her throat. She pulled away quickly.

"We're going to ask Lord Xavier about that tonight," Draco grumbled.

"Glad to see your back to your normal self," Ginevra said smirking. "I'm hungry," she muttered.

"And you're back to your normal self too," Draco commented, raising an eyebrow at her.

"My stomach isn't the only one complaining, thank you very much!" Ginevra replied as Draco's stomach grumbled loudly. "One thing before we go out there, Draco," she said, her voice serious again. "If you die on me like that again, I am not going to be happy!" She added fiercely.

"If I die... again... I won't be happy either," Draco muttered.

"Shut up, Draco... I mean it! That was such a horrible thing to see and... I couldn't handle it if you died again," Ginevra added softly, a tear running down her cheek.

"Well, once I'm a full blooded Veelan, then I can promise I won't die intentionally... Does that make you feel any better?" He asked smirking at her.

"In a twisted way, it does... You up for lunch now? I'm starving!" Ginevra said grinning as she headed to the door. "We've only got about ten minutes before Runes starts, so you might want to clean your face too," she added smirking.

"Why don't you look in the mirror?!" Draco called as she left down the corridor laughing.

"They're back to normal, thank the Gods!" Pansy said to Blaise, who smirked and nodded.

"You're welcome," he said winking. "You going to tell Ginevra that lunch is in her kitchen, or do you want me to do it?" Blaise asked Pansy, who looked in the room to see Neville's cocoon before answering his question.

"I'll do it... You stay with Neville," she said with a smile, then went down to Ginevra's room. "Ginevra? We got lunch for you... It's in your kitchen," Pansy said through the door.

"Thank you, Pansy," Ginevra said opening her door with a new shirt on. "Have Fred and George touched any of it?" She asked warily as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Colin and Luna got the food, but I think Parvati and Padma went near the cream biscuits," Pansy said smirking.

"No, we didn't! Well, not at the same time," Padma and Parvati said smirking at each other.

"I don't care if you went at five minute intervals! I'm not going near those biscuits," Ginevra muttered.

"You're not even going to eat one? What if they're not Canary Creams and you just think that they are?" Parvati asked.

"I don't think that they are, I bloody well know it! I heard the spell you put on them, which I happened to give to Fred and George! And do I get the recognition for it? No... The swamp was my idea and spell! Again, no recognition! I would be rich if I even got 5 per cent of the money they bring in using my ideas!" Ginevra grumbled.

"You said you wouldn't tell!" Fred and George said as they came into the room. "Besides, not all of them are your ideas..." They added with a glare.

"I never said that they were all my ideas... Besides, I'm going to tell all of Hogwarts who really made the spells and jokes up if you try to hex my food again," Ginevra threatened. "And getting others to hex my food, or hexing others that are eating my food is out of the question too," she added.

"Fine! We won't do anything to your food again! Nor will we let anyone else do anything, or do it to someone who's eating your food..." They added at her stern look.

"Good... Now take the spell off the cream biscuits before I make you eat them," Ginevra growled.

George and Fred gave her salutes and obediently did so. Ginevra glared at them.

"The other spells too."

"Oh, you're no fun, Ginevra!" Fred grumbled.

"What my dearest brother means to say is that... you're fun, just not when it comes to playing with food," George commented quickly as he kicked Fred's shin, smiling at Ginevra innocently.

"Yeah, exactly..." Fred nodded quickly, seeing Ginevra giving him the look that Molly quite often used on them.

"You know, just shutting up and taking the spells off the food would probably be better," Parvati whispered to them.

"Excellent idea," George said and quickly took the spells off the food, then dragged his twin out of the kitchen before Ginevra could hex them.

"We better go check on them," Padma said, Parvati nodding her agreement before they both left quickly.

"Wow... That was impressive. You could scare Voldemort with a look like that!" Pansy said smirking at her.

"I plan to do more than scare that prick," Ginevra muttered, checking the sandwiches for spells before eating one.

"Which prick are we talking about?" Draco asked as he came into the kitchen. "There's far too many to know which one you're talking about," he said smirking. Pansy rolled her eyes at him.

"We're talking about The prick... And no, it's not Potter," she added.

"Oh, so you mean Ronnie-kins then?" Draco asked smirking.

"No, we were talking about Voldemort," Ginevra said, passing a sandwich to him. "You took your time in the shower, so you've got just enough time to eat that before we're all late for Runes," she drawled.

"I better go get everyone or we will be late," Pansy muttered, then went along the corridor banging on the doors loudly. "Stop your snogging and get your books ready for class!"

"Is Pansy the one who usually gets everyone ready?" Ginevra asked, watching as everyone came out of their rooms with bags almost immediately.

"Without Pansy, we'd always be late or just never turn up to class... Her theory is that if she has to go to class, then all of us do," Draco said smirking.

"It's a good theory and it works, so leave it alone!" Pansy called from her bedroom. "Gregory and Vincent, if I have to pull you out by the ears again, then by the Gods, I swear I will!"

"We're coming! Our ears only just recovered from last time!" Vincent grumbled.

"Then you should have stopped snogging without me and just come to class willingly," Pansy drawled smirking at them.

"We were more than willing to let you join in," Gregory said smirking at her.

"Would you three hurry up?" Ginevra called, waiting at the wardrobe for them.

"We're coming!" Pansy called back and dragged her boyfriends out of the room by their ears.

"Come on Pansy, let go!" Gregory and Vincent yelped as she pulled them down the corridor.

"Ok, we're ready now," Pansy announced, only letting go of their ears once they were inside the corridor.

"That's great, but now you're going to have to run," Ginevra said smirking as she bolted down the corridor, the others running behind her.

"I hate running," Pansy muttered then took off after them all.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Hurry up Pansy!" Ginevra called down into the corridor, all of them still waiting for her.

"For the Gods sakes! I'm not cut out for all of this running," Pansy muttered as she climbed out of the corridor wearily. "We better be Gods damned close to the Runes classroom, or else someone's going to be carrying me," she muttered.

"You're so skinny though," Parvati said.

"Just because I'm skinny it does not mean I'm fit!" Pansy grumbled as they made their way to the Runes classroom.

"Come on, Pans... We'll carry you," Gregory said, Vincent nodding in agreement.

"No way! You almost broke my ribs carrying me before!" Pansy protested.

"We won't carry you that way," Vincent said smirking.

"Then how..." She began to ask, but the answer was in front of her. Vincent and Gregory crossed their arms, grabbing onto each other's hands, creating a seat with their hands for her.

"You just sit on our hands and put your arms around our necks," Gregory said smirking at her.

"You promise not to drop me?" She asked suspiciously.

"Of course not!" They said.

With a warning glare, Pansy sat on their hands, wrapping her arms around their necks. She let out a small shriek as they lifted her from the ground, then relaxed and let them carry her up the rest of the stairs. The others followed them quickly.

"You're all late," Yepir said as they entered the classroom.

"And after all the time I took to get these two out of our room," Pansy said shaking her head as her boyfriends let her down gently.

"Three points from Slytherin for your tardiness. Try to be on time next lesson," Yepir said.

"I was late too, Professor," Parvati added.

"Me too," Ginevra added.

"Sorry, I didn't see you two in there... Three points from Gryffindor for tardiness," Yepir said. "Any Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs I missed out on?" She joked looking at all of them, just in case.

"No, Professor, just us," Ginevra replied as they all went to the empty seats left.

"Very well... Now, as I was saying, rune divination, also known as rune casting, is not a way to predict the future, as the name divination suggests. Rune divination gives a person a means of analysing the path that they are on and a likely outcome. If the person does not like the outcome, then they can always change the path they are on... This tells us what, Tom?" Yepir asked.

"It tells us that... the future isn't set?" He asked.

"Very good... 5 points to Gryffindor. Now, what besides divination have runes been used for in ancient times?" Yepir asked looking around the classroom.

"Magic and writing," Millicent said, getting an affirmative nod from Yepir.

"Correct. 5 points to Slytherin," she said. "Does anyone know what the word rune actually means?" Yepir asked.

"The word rune means mystery, secret or whisper," Ginevra replied.

"Very good... Now, we are going to do a pop quiz," Yepir said and most of the class groaned. "Stop your groaning... It's only ten questions!" She added but a few continued to complain. "However, this quiz is going to be different," Yepir added, now ignoring them. "For each answer that you get right, you will gain a point for your House... All of you get out a sheet of parchment and put your name at the top. Quickly now!" She added when a few went to their bags slowly. "I will mark the quiz once you have finished doing and I will announce which House won at the end of the lesson..."

Everyone quickly did as they were told, most of their thoughts full of worry and despair; the students wishing they had actually done some work the night before...

"The first question is to finish the following sentence: each rune has what meanings and properties associated with it?"

Ginevra finished writing her name and blocked everyone's thoughts from her mind.

Each rune has esoteric meanings and properties associated with it.

"Second question... Where did runic alphabets first appear?" Yepir asked.

In German tribes in central and eastern Europe.

"Third. What alphabets are rune symbols most likely acquired from?"

Greek, Etruscan and early Roman.

"Fourth question: why were runes made up of straight lines?" Yepir asked.

So that the characters were more suitable for cutting into wood or stone.

"When do the Muggles believe that the first runic inscriptions were made?"

The 3rd century AD... Though some of them think runes had been used for centuries beforehand, which is true.

"What is Gebo reversed?" Yepir asked and Ginevra smirked, knowing it was a trick question.

Gebo cannot be reversed, it can only lie in opposition... Gebo Merkstave, however, means greed, loneliness, dependence, over-sacrifice, obligation, toll, privation and bribery, Ginevra wrote quickly, so she wouldn't get confused if Yepir continued on without waiting.

"Seventh question... What does Vanaheim mean? You should all know this one," Yepir added under her breath, smirking.

By the happy and mischievous looks on the others faces, Ginevra knew that she was right, then turned back to her parchment to write the answer.

Vanaheim promotes growth. It also means erotic relationships, persons of the opposite sex, balancing influences, forces of continuity, structure and well being. It is a feeling rune associated with water.

"Question eight. Which rune means the deepest part of the shadow in the unconscious?"

Niflheim. Although, it literally means 'fog world'.

"The destructive male urge is which rune? Also give the direction," Yepir said and a few students went completely blank.

Austr, east.

"This last question is worth three points if you get it right..." Yepir said and a few more students started to get into a panic. "Aspects are determined in essentially three ways. Give the three ways," she said then watched the class.

One, the position a runelot falls in a casting. This can be face up or down, and also includes the second example, which is inside or outside of a certain field. The third way aspects are determined is by the angle at which one runelot is juxtaposed to another, Ginevra wrote, then checked her answers before waiting for the rest of the class to finish.

Hermione's head was practically on her parchment and Ginevra could barely see any spaces between her words or lines as she wrote her essay-long answer in miniscule writing.

"Please stop writing and hand up your quizzes," Yepir announced and Hermione paled dramatically, trying to finish off what she was writing quickly. "I said, stop writing... Now!" Yepir said angrily and all of the students who were still writing had their quill fly to the front of the classroom into her hand. "Thank you... Now, please hand up your quizzes," she said calmly and with pale looks, all of the parchments were handed up. "Now, you are to read the first two chapters in runes and runecasting... If I say your name, then come and see me immediately," Yepir said, then sat at her desk to start marking their pop quiz.

Ginevra got her book out without much enthusiasm, having already read the first three chapters of the book... With a sigh, she started to re-read, hoping Yepir would call her name out early on... Halfway through chapter two, Ginevra's name was called and she went up to Yepir's desk quickly.

"Ginevra... You scored full marks, congratulations," Yepir said.

Ginevra only nodded, sensing a 'but' or 'however' coming...

"However, as you have the ability to read minds, I will take two points off your total score. Does this seem fair to you?"

"Not really, but then I'm not the teacher, am I?" Ginevra asked.

"No, you are not... But you are the student, and I am the teacher, and I am asking for your opinion," Yepir said. "Why do you think it is unfair? You think it unfair for me to take two points from you for something that you cannot prove?"

"I do not think that is unfair... I would agree to it in a heart beat, however... You did not ask if I could prove that I had not read anyone's mind, and that, Professor Yepir, is unfair," Ginevra replied.

"If you have the means to prove it, then by all means, go ahead," Yepir said with a nod.

"Thank you, Professor... If I may have your hand?" Ginevra asked, then took Yepir's hand and with a silent spell, they disappeared into her memory.

Students stared in shock at the empty space before them, their books and reading immediately forgotten when neither Ginevra nor Yepir returned immediately. After a few minutes of staring at the same spot in shocked silence, Ginevra and Yepir appeared in the same position again.

"Well... Thank you for your proof, Miss Weasley... I will not be taking the two points from you," Yepir said trying to calm her shocked nerves. "Have you all finished reading already?" Yepir asked raising her eyebrow at the students, who were still staring at them with shocked expressions. As there was no answer, Yepir shook her head. "Finish reading everyone. You are not allowed to leave until you have finished reading the first two chapters," she said.

"I have finished reading them already... Can I go now?" Ginevra asked Yepir.

"Yes, you can go now. Your quiz, Miss Weasley," Yepir said handing the parchment to her.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginevra replied then left the classroom.

Seeing that there was still ten minutes left before Potions, Ginevra made her way down to her rooms to see Neville, as she had promised him. Ginevra opened his door and walked over to his bed. She saw that the flowers had now died up to his shoulders and sighed heavily.

Neville was her best friend and it wasn't the same without him around... She hadn't even done her exercises last night because he wasn't there to practise with her. She sat by his bed, wishing that she could hold his hand or at least hug him to get some comfort, but the flowers were still wrapped tightly.

"Ginevra? Is that you? Or is it Blaise?" Fred and George asked looking into the room. "Ginevra... Come on, lovely. You're going to be late if you don't leave soon," they said quietly, walking over to her.

"I know... I miss Neville," Ginevra said quietly, looking down at the flowers again.

Fred and George hugged her comfortingly and lifted her off the bed, carrying her out to her corridor easily.

"Come on... We'll go to class with you," they said smiling at her. "We'll make sure that you're not going to get all depressed and upset like you did last time," Fred and George said.

"All right... Just don't make Snape too angry, ok? You may be out of school, but he's still got to mark my work!" Ginerva said looking at them.

"You've got Potions? Oh... Fine, if he lets us in, then we'll stay with you," the twins said with a sigh.

"Surely you mean Parvati and Padma?" Ginevra teased as they went down the corridor.

"Well... We can stay with you for half of the lesson to make sure that you're ok and then sit with them for the other half," Fred and George said brightly.

"Good luck getting Snape to agree to that," Ginevra drawled smirking at them.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginevra walked in to the Potions classroom with Fred and George and saw that they weren't the only ones running late. The Runes class still weren't there, Hermione included. In fact, they were the first ones to arrive.

"I hope that you have completed your essay, Miss Weasley," Snape drawled.

"Of course," Ginevra said and handed the completed essay to him.

"Good, then perhaps you can tell me where the rest of your classmates are?" Snape asked.

"Well, I know where my Runes classmates are, but as to the rest of them..." Ginevra replied with a shrug. "Well, I could tell you actually, but I doubt you want to know what half of them are doing," she added smirking.

"Your Runes classmates are where exactly?"

"Still in Runes... We had a pop quiz and Professor Yepir is announcing which House won at the end of class... They're either still waiting for her to announce the winners, celebrating their victory or trying to kill the other House," Ginevra said with a shrug. "Have any of the House points gone up yet?" She asked.

"You expect me to tell you that while I am in the dungeons, and the House point board is in the Great Hall?" Snape drawled in response.

"I'm surprised that you don't have a mirror charmed to show you," Ginevra drawled back.

"Albus forbade myself and Minerva to have one," Snape said, his face turning a light shade of red.

"Well, that's understandable..." Ginevra said then went to her seat at the back, Fred and George following.

"What are you two doing here? Surely Miss Weasley is not in so much danger that she requires bodyguards, even in class?" Snape drawled.

"We're not Ginevra's bodyguards, you dolt! We're just staying with her to ensure her happiness while in class with our brother, the prat," Fred and George said.

Ginevra wanted to hit them over the head for calling Snape a dolt, but refrained just in case, by the slightest chance, he hadn't heard that particular part of their response.

"You are calling your own brother a prat?" Snape asked, a smirk forming on his disbelieving face.

"We said we wouldn't get Ginevra into trouble, and so we are refraining from calling him other words while in the presence of her Professor," George and Fred admitted. "Percy is a prat, but Ronald..." They said, shaking their heads, "Now he's something else all together," they muttered in distaste.

"Really? And why would that be exactly?" Snape asked, shocking Ginevra when he gave them a smile.

"He hit Ginevra and made her unhappy..." The twins snarled in response.

"He did what?" Severus asked in shock. "He hit a woman?" His jaw dropped when they nodded, affirming his statement.

"Your students are coming, Professor... Perhaps you should pick your jaw up off the floor before they notice," Ginevra drawled, warning him.

In seconds, he was recomposed in his cold manner, Fred and George were sitting beside Ginevra and the first group of students came into the dungeon. Ginevra knew exactly who had won as soon as the first person from her Runes class came in. Padma was smirking broadly, Parvati looking slightly crestfallen beside her, but still looking happy for her sister.

"One hundred and eighteen points!" Padma cried; the Slytherins yelling their enthusiasm and pride with her.

"A very good effort indeed. Now go to your seats so I can begin," Snape said, barely hiding the pride in his voice.

All smirking broadly, they went to their seats, Draco and Blaise sitting up the back with the three Weasley siblings.

The Gryffindors came into the classroom, their heads held up bravely, but Hermione's distraught expression was enough to show all of their pain at losing. Harry was by her side, looking upset too, though his thoughts showed that he was upset at Hermione's pain, rather than upset at losing.

Snape went around the room collecting everyone's essay's, tsking at the short amount of writing Ron and Lavender had done, and trying not to groan in annoyance as Hermione handed him yet another over-the-specified-amount essay...

"So how much did we actually get?" Ginevra asked Parvati who was sitting in front of her with Padma.

"We got one hundred and ten," Parvati replied, shaking her head. "Poor Hermione... She was ready to start crying."

"Eight points, huh? That's not bad," George said nodding.

"Not bad at all," Fred agreed. "Congratulations, Padma," he whispered with a wink.

"Mr. and Mr. Weasley... Do not interrupt my students, or else you will be thrown out of the classroom," Snape warned.

"Yes, sir!" They said, saluting him immediately.

"Everyone turn to page 39... Today you will be making the Risum potion. Who can tell me what it means?" He asked.

As shocked and distraught as she was, Hermione didn't actually raise her hand to answer his question. Ginevra raised her hand slowly, amazed that Hermione's hand didn't automatically spring up.

"Miss Weasley," Snape said.

"It means laugh," Ginevra supplied.

"Three points to Gryffindor," Snape said reluctantly. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown, if you do not desist immediately, I will give you three months of detention seven nights a week and send a letter home to your parents," Snape said sternly, glaring at them in disgust.

"Excuse us, Professor?" Fred and George called hesitantly, so as to not get Ginevra into trouble. "Perhaps we could help your problem?" They asked, mischievous grins forming on their faces.

"What do you propose?" Severus asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Permanent seating arrangements to... promote House unity," Fred and George replied.

"That's a load of... cripe and you know it!" Ron's outraged cry came, though he had enough sense not to swear in front of Snape.

"Mr. Weasley! Sit down this instant!" Snape bellowed and Ron fell back onto his chair. "I think it is an excellent idea. If you can organise it in less than ten minutes, then you can arrange it," Snape said. "I am positive that I said for you to open to page 39," Snape said glaring at most of the class, who quickly opened their Potions books. "You are to copy down the Risum potion to make sure that you know it before you even attempt to make it. I will not have you wasting my precious resources due to your naivety and clumsiness," he drawled sternly and everyone started writing, being sure to check their potion books carefully. "Mr. and Mr. Weasley, come to my desk," Snape said.

Fred and George quickly made their way to Snape's desk and waited for him to continue.

"Everyone is to be seated in groups of four. This allows two Slytherins and two Gryffindors to be together... Choose wisely and I would not suggest that you put your brother with Miss Brown, unless you want your parents involved... Or two murders on my hands," he added under his breath.

"We would provide the alibi if it did happen, Professor," Fred and George said together with evil looks. "Perhaps Ronald would be better with Sally-Anne as a partner," they said. "If Parvati and Padma agree, then perhaps they could pair with them too," the Weasley twins added.

Despite Severus' initial instructions, the three of them spent a good fifteen minutes discussing and working out the new seating arrangement that would take place in lesson the next day. By the time Fred, George and Severus finished all of the students had finished reading and copying the potion into their books and were waiting patiently, trying to hear their name in the discussion for an indication of whom they were going to be stuck with for the rest of the school year.

"Get into groups, collect your ingredients and start making the potion," Snape instructed.

One person from every group went up and collected the ingredients they needed, quickly returning to their seats. Ginevra put the ingredients on the table and pulled on her gloves before starting to measure the dark purple dragon's blood in a pure silver bowl.

"You two just going to sit there like you've been Petrified, or are you going to help?" Ginevra drawled smirking at Blaise and Draco.

"Right," Blaise said shaking his head as he started the fire beneath the cauldron.

Draco measured the dried Billywig stings and handed it to Ginevra who mixed it in with the dragon's blood, quickly putting the silver bowl on the desk. As the Billywig stings sunk beneath the surface of the thick blood, the liquid turned from dark purple to lilac. A small cloud of smoke rose from the bowl as the two ingredients fused together, causing a very minor, yet loud, explosion. Mixing these two specific ingredients caused the floating side effect of the Billywig sting to be cancelled. Although the main side effect had been cancelled, the dragon's blood actually increased the less-known side effects of the Billywig sting, happiness and giddiness.

"Have you put the grounded teeth in yet?" Ginevra asked Blaise.

"One minute... It's got to finish boiling first," Blaise muttered and the cauldron boiled over. He added the grounded teeth, thankful (yet slightly curious) that he didn't know what the teeth came from...

"Stir three times to the right and then once to the left," Draco read from the book.

"Do twice to the right and twice to the left," Ginevra said before he did anything.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked hesitantly. Ginevra glared at him, so he just shut up and did as she said.

"What does that do?" Blaise asked her.

"Instead of making it lumpy because of the teeth, stirring twice each way balances the potion and makes it easier for the dragon's blood to be mixed in," Ginevra replied. "See, Draco? That is the kind of question you should be asking, not 'are you sure?'," Ginevra said smirking.

"Yes, my Queen," Draco replied, smirking back at her.

"Shut up and stir this three times to the left and then three to the right," Ginevra said passing the silver bowl to him. "Move back quickly once you've stirred it though," she warned.

Draco nodded and did as she said, moving back as soon as he'd finished stirring. Not even half a second after he'd moved back, the dragon's blood, dried Billywig stings, and teeth finished fusing together and exploded loudly, making more than half of the class jump in shock.

"Miss Weasley... Would you care to explain what you just did to cause an explosion like that and most likely spoiling the rest of the ingredients for the others?" Snape asked sternly, swooping over to them immediately.

"The explosion wasn't that big!" Fred and George said, but quickly went quiet with warning glares from both Severus and Ginevra.

"I used a different stirring method to increase the fusion of the ingredients... Instead of the small cloud of smoke it was supposed to produce, like Harry and Hermione currently have," Ginevra said indicating over to the cloud hovering above Harry and Hermione's cauldron, "The ingredients fused faster, creating a relatively small explosion. That means that instructions four and five can be skipped and we can get out of here earlier," Ginevra said with a smile.

Snape looked into the cauldron and saw that it was now a dark lilac colour, as it was supposed to be by instruction number five. He moved back, in case the ingredients still had some fusing to do, and nodded briefly.

"Very well... Next time tell the class when you are going to make something explode, or better yet, put a silencing spell on your cauldron," Snape drawled, then continued to look over the other potions.

Smirking, Ginevra put a silencing spell on her cauldron and stirred the potion two more times before getting Blaise to add in the powdered Fritillary bulb carefully.

"Sprinkle it in... If you just dump it all in there, then the cauldron will most likely melt, if you're lucky," Ginevra said.

"What is the worst that can happen then?" He asked in shock.

"When I experimented with it in our backyard last year I ended up making a crater and going to St. Mungo's for a week," Ginevra said shrugging. "That was with a smaller amount of everything so I wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of this one!" She said grinning.

Blaise paled and made sure to sprinkle it very lightly. Fred and George looked at Ginevra in shock.

"You told Mum that an asteroid hit, for the Gods sakes! And we believed you!" They said still in shock.

"Well, then... If you two believed me I think I've finished my training," Ginevra said smirking at them. "There was nothing left of the cauldron and with the burns I got, the only thing plausible enough was something that you couldn't argue against... I mean, an asteroid hits me, there's a huge crater in our backyard, I'm practically dead and you didn't find me until dinner... The asteroid might have burned up by then, and even if you had looked, the rest of the cauldron would have looked like an asteroid," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"But... The first thing you said was an asteroid! You didn't change your story once! By the Gods, you didn't even blink when you lied to Mum straight-faced!" They said, grins forming. "We're so proud of you!" Fred and George exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you... Now, you should go spend some time with your girlfriends, I'll be fine," Ginevra said pushing them away and turning back to the cauldron.

"Well, it looks like we're not wanted," George said with a sigh.

"But Ginevra does have a point," Fred added and they went over to Parvati and Padma quickly.

"You lied to your own mother?" Draco asked in shock.

"Of course... She would have killed me if she'd found out what I was doing! It's not respectable for young ladies to be dabbling in things that have nothing to do with them..." Ginevra mimicked sarcastically.

"Your mother is like that?" Blaise asked, surprised.

"Not in every sense... Most of the time though. I wasn't allowed to play with the boys when I was younger, I had to learn all of the house-keeping duties... I can clean and cook to Mum's perfection, which is extremely hard to achieve, I might add... She has become more relaxed in the last few years because she knows that I am my own person and not just her little girl," Ginevra said shrugging. "But besides from the fact that Mum doesn't like me dabbling in potions, I'm not allowed to do magic outside of school and the things I did... Well, they weren't completely legal," Ginevra said, smirking at them.

"You did magic outside of school? How is that possible?" Draco asked.

"The Ministry of Magic has got those Underage Use of Magic letters set to automatically send out if a student uses magic... However if there are more people over the required age than there are underage wizards, then the letters just assume that it was the parent using the magic near the child and nothing is sent out," Ginevra said shrugging. "Mum, Dad, Charlie, Bill and Fleur and the twins were at home. Ron and Harry were there as well as me, so that's seven adults against three kids... Therefore, I was perfectly fine against those letters and Mum's wrath... Besides, if anyone had asked, then I could immediately say that I was doing it as self defence against the asteroid and they were lucky that I wasn't a corpse," Ginevra said smirking. "Stir the potion three half turns starting from left to right," she instructed Draco, who nodded and did so.

"So if we've got more adults in the house than kids, we can use magic any time we want?" Blaise asked in disbelief.

"Not at the same time, mind you... If you have three kids and five adults, then your power would overtake their power if they weren't using magic at that moment and then you're all in trouble... I had to watch Mum and Dad's routines for weeks before I could do anything. Before I did that though, I studied nearly every Ministry paper they had about Underage wizardry... That took two weeks all together. I convinced Mum and Dad that I wanted to go to the Ministry to see Percy and that I wanted to see around my Daddy's work place," Ginevra said batting her eyelashes innocently.

"You're evil, do you know that?" Blaise asked smirking at her. "You definitely got Sorted into the wrong House, love!"

"Thank you for that lovely and thoughtful comment, Blaise... I will remember it forever," Ginevra drawled sarcastically, smirking at him. "Stir this in twice clockwise and we can leave," Ginevra said handing a small thimble-like bowl to Draco.

He looked and saw a pinkish-red paste inside of it. The scent drifted upwards and he looked at Ginevra in amazement as he recognised the smell.

"Strawberries?" Draco asked.

"Yes... The strawberries minimise the taste of the dragon's blood, but they also make the potion thicker and not so watery," Ginevra explained to him.

Draco gave an understanding nod and stirred the paste into the cauldron as instructed. Ginevra handed the vials to Blaise, who bottled the potion and labelled them.

"Right, you want to tidy all this mess up while I give the potions to Snape?" Ginevra asked them.

"I'll take them," Draco offered with a smirk.

Ginevra rolled her eyes and gave the three vials to him before quickly cleaning up the bench and their tools.

"He could have just said that he doesn't like cleaning," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Draco doesn't like to admit his dislikes openly, especially when he's with the person he likes," Blaise said with a wink.

Ginevra just shook her head again and continued to clean. Draco returned just as they finished cleaning and helped them put back the extra ingredients.

"Can we go now?" Ginevra asked Snape.

"Yes, get out of here, by all means... At least some of us can," he muttered, then went to see if Ron and Lavender had finally stopped devouring each other...

Ginevra heard him bellowing at them all the way to her rooms.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"What are you going to do?" Draco asked Ginevra when Blaise went into his room to see Neville.

"I'm going to do my homework before we all have to go to detention... Then after detention with McGonagall, you've got your detention with me," Ginevra said smirking at him. "Then I've got do my exercises and after dinner we're going to see Lord Xavier... That sums it up, I think," she said with another smirk.

"I believe so..." Draco drawled. "Any time for us to talk in private?" He asked.

"What about?" Ginevra asked in surprise.

"About us," Draco replied.

"Well, I've got time now," she said, leading him down to her room.

Opening her door, Relo scampered out quickly.

"What's wrong Relo?" Ginevra asked seeing his distressed look.

"I just had bad dreams," Relo said with a sob. "I is just going to see Neville... He makes me feel better," Relo said wiping away his tears and going down to Neville and Blaise's room.

Ginny looked after him feeling helpless, then sighed and went into her room, Draco following.

"So what did you want to talk about exactly?" Ginevra asked him as they sat down.

"I wanted to talk about us... What we are to each other," Draco said. "I'm sure the girl is supposed to ask these questions..." He muttered shaking his head.

"It's fine... You just thought of it first," Ginevra said with a shrug. "We can be anything you want," Ginevra said. "If you want to be friends, I would agree and then make sure that you didn't even look at another woman..." She said with a smirk, yet completely serious tone. "If you want to start dating then I would agree whole heartedly and make sure to go to the Great Hall every morning hand in hand with you just to annoy Ronald," Ginevra said laughing. "If you want something more, then you're going to have to be specific and tell me what it is you want exactly," she said.

"How about option one and two together?" Draco asked smirking at her.

"I guess I can deal with that," Ginevra drawled. "Do you want to stay here with me or do your homework in your room?" She asked.

"You're really going to do your homework?" He asked.

"Yes... The faster I get it done, the more time I have for other things," Ginevra replied with a shrug. "I've been working that way since my second year so it's force of habit now, I guess," she said shrugging again.

"I'll stay here with you," Draco said putting his bag down.

Someone knocked on Ginevra's door and she turned to see Padma and Parvati there.

"Come in... What can I do for you?" Ginevra asked as they entered her room.

"We were just wondering... Have you started thinking about your Care of Magical Creatures assignment yet? We have no idea what to do ours on," they said frowning.

"I would have thought the answer to that would have been obvious," Ginevra said in surprise. "Pixies, of course."

"We thought of that," Padma said.

"But we can't both do it," Parvati finished.

"All right... How about we go to the meeting room first? There's more room to be comfortable and work," Ginevra said.

Once they were all seated, Draco sitting beside Ginevra and Parvati and Padma on either side of them, Ginevra continued her explanation.

"In a way you can both do it... You just need to ask Hagrid for a joint assignment... One of you will do the assignment on pixies, the other on imps, or fairies even. Then you compare the similarities and differences between the two creatures. Would you consider that?" Ginevra asked.

"It is an interesting concept... So many people, wizards as well as Muggles, confuse imps and pixies a lot," they replied.

"Do you want to work with us here?" Ginevra offered.

"All right... We'll go get our things," the twins said then left quickly, discussing their assignment.

"What creature are you going to do? Vampires?" Draco asked.

"No... Vampires are beings, not beasts or animals," Ginevra said. "I was thinking of doing my project on the Gytrash actually... I could make a good argument of the way they are feared because of the things they do, yet they don't know any better," Ginevra said.

"Will you tell me what you actually did to the Gytrash?" Draco asked.

"I gave the Gytrash knowledge so they wouldn't repeat the same mistake without being responsible for their actions..." Ginevra replied. "Do you think that was too nice? They did kill you after all," she said.

"Yes, they did... I think that you were just and fair... If I had really died and they had known it was wrong, then I would have come back from the dead to tell you to kill their miserable arses, but," he added when Ginevra looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "But, as they didn't know it was wrong and I lived, then I think it was right for you to do so," he said. "Did that sound all right? My opinion, funnily enough, is usually not asked for," he drawled smirking at her.

"It was fine, thank you Draco... Where are you up to with those questions for McGonagall? I am up to question three about the dangers of becoming one of the Muggle's endangered species," Ginevra said. "I can only think of one answer and that is you'll most likely get captured and put into one of their zoological parks and forced to mate with one of the other captured species... Not nice," she added with a shudder.

"What's not nice?" Pansy asked looking in the meeting room.

"Ginevra's answer to question three of McGonagall's Animagus questions," Draco replied.

"You're already up to question three?" Padma asked as she came in with Parvati, their arms full of homework and books.

"Well, I've been looking at it for a while... I can't seem to think of anything else," Ginevra said shaking her head.

"Wait for us, we'll be there in a minute," Pansy called, going to her room with Gregory and Vincent.

"What's going on?" Blaise asked seeing everyone inside.

"We're all studying together," Draco replied.

Blaise's jaw dropped and he walked over to Draco, putting a hand on his forehead.

"Well, you don't have a fever, so you can't be sick... You're really doing homework?" Blaise asked in shock.

"Yes... The quicker I do it, the more time I've got for other things," Draco said quoting Ginevra's earlier words.

"Understandable... Wait for me, ok? I'll get the others and we'll be back in a second," Blaise said leaving quickly.

In five minutes, they were all sitting around the table doing homework and trying to figure out more answers to the third question on McGonagall's Animagus questions. Fred and George joined in, thinking of some ridiculous, as well as some serious answers.

"What if you turned into an endangered animal near poachers? You'd be killed for your skin or something," they said. "You could turn into an endangered animal near someone who is allergic to the particular animal you just turned into... Then they'd start sneezing all over you... That's dangerous!" Fred and George said with straight faces.

"The likelihood of that actually happening is so rare not even Bagman would bet on it!" Theodore said shaking his head.

"I don't know..." Fred said darkly.

"He'll bet on anything and everything," George finished, sounding just as dark.

"What if you turn into an animal that someone's scared of? They might try to kill you... I mean, I'm sure that numbats are nice creatures, whatever in the Gods names they are," Parvati said squinting at the small list of endangered species on the parchment. "But I'm sure that if a person actually saw one up close, they would probably try to kill it, thinking it was a rat," Parvati said.

"That's a good one... So we've got three answers and the question is out of three, so what's next?" Ginevra asked grinning at them.

"Question four is, you have just turned into a spider inside of a Muggle supermarket. What are some of the dangers you will face in trying to get out safely?" Luna read off the parchment. "I've finished my work," she added before they could ask.

"Travelling down the bug spray section's probably not a good idea..." Fred and George drawled. "Or any place with people or heavy objects that can fall on you," they said.

"Going underneath the shelves would be better so you aren't seen and squished," Colin added. "Travelling on the roof would be good too, but it would take a while to get all the way up there," Colin said.

"All right, let me write all of this down," Ginevra muttered writing quickly...

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"We should pack up and get going now, or we'll be late for our detention," Ginevra said at quarter past six.

"I can't believe we actually finished two assignments in... two hours," Parvati said in amazement.

"I always found that it helped when I studied with others. That way I could suggest something and find out if they thought it was good or needed changing in some way," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"I'm amazed that Draco worked so much and contributed to the discussion!" Pansy said laughing.

"Do you know if we have to spend the entire time with Ronald and Lavender?" Blaise asked. "I don't think they'll survive it if we do," he muttered.

"McGonagall will separate us and give us each a different chore," Luna said.

They all finished putting their things away then left for the Transfiguration classroom. They arrived two minutes early to a very surprised McGonagall. Not one student had ever turned up early before, let alone fourteen students at one time!

"As you have arrived early, you will be allowed to leave earlier, depending on the amount of work you get done," she said trying to be reasonable. "Mr. and Mr. Weasley, you do not have to be here as I cannot punish you while you are not students," McGonagall said.

"We're staying," Fred and George said adamantly.

"Very well then... You two can help Miss and Miss Patil to clean the windows. No magic," McGonagall said, producing four buckets filled with soapy water and four sponges.

The four twins took them and went over to the furthest windows to start cleaning.

"Miss Parkinson, Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe. You will scrub every desk until the most recent spots of ink and pieces of chewing gum are gone, is that understood?" She asked, producing three more buckets for them.

"Yes, Professor, that's understood," Pansy said, going over to the last desk with her bucket.

"Mr. Creevey and Miss Lovegood you are to..." McGonagall went to say.

"Dust all of the cabinets, we know," Luna said with a dreamy smile.

McGonagall frowned at her for a moment, wondering whether it was possible to punish someone for already knowing their original punishment, then just shook her head and produced feather dusters for them.

"Mr. Nott and Miss Bullstrode, you are to mop the floors," she instructed, giving them two Muggle mops and another two buckets, before turning to Blaise and Draco. "You two are to file the pile of papers sitting on my desk," she said.

"Yes, Professor," Draco and Blaise said then went to her desk grudgingly.

"You, Miss Weasley, are to change into a cat and stay that way, confined only to this room, for the entire duration," McGonagall said.

Ginevra sighed... An entire hour of staying in one form and with nothing to do meant that she was going to be lethargic as well as cranky for Lord Xavier...

"Yes, Professor," Ginevra said then changed into a cat.

Ron and Lavender walked into the room and saw all of the others already there and working, sans Ginny.

"So Ginny's decided to skive off, has she?" Ron sneered.

"She should get an extra detention for that!" Lavender added.

Everyone glared at them, but they didn't do anything as McGonagall was still in the room. Blaise had a hard time convincing Draco to put his wand down though...

"Miss Weasley is already serving her detention, and it would not do you well to judge what I should or should not do... You two are to serve your detention with Filch. He is waiting for you at the entrance," she said stiffly.

"How come everyone else gets to work in here?" Lavender protested.

"You would have been working in here had you come on time, as the others did, Miss Brown," McGonagall replied glaring at her.

Ginevra hissed at them on the way out and barely had time to dodge Lavender's foot as she kicked at her angrily.

"Stupid cat," Lavender muttered then left before McGonagall could deduct House points.

"Give you a stupid cat you stupid..." Ginevra hissed after her.

"Ginevra! No swearing in my classroom!" Minerva said, cutting her off quickly.

Ginevra meowed a small apology, then walked around the room, feeling restless.

"Can't I even have a piece of string to play with? This is so boring," Ginevra whined.

"It may be boring, Ginevra, but you will have to put up with it," Minerva replied.

"So no string then?" Ginevra asked.

"No, no string," Minerva said firmly.

"How about mice then?" Ginevra asked.

"If you find one, then by all means... You are not to leave this room to pursue it though, is that understood?" Minerva asked Ginevra sternly.

"Fine..." Ginevra said then went over to the walls, pawing at any cracks she could see.

The fun of that wore out after ten minutes and Ginevra gracefully leapt up onto a cabinet that Colin had just finished dusting. She purred and did a few turns before deciding it was a good enough spot then curled up to sleep.

"Ginevra... I did not say that you could sleep either," Minerva's voice called.

Ginevra sighed and walked off the tall cabinet calmly, landing on all four paws.

"Is Ginevra allowed to help us, Professor? This chewing gum isn't coming off and she's got strong claws," Pansy said.

"Yes, let me help them! Please?" Ginevra asked.

"Very well... Just try not to get the chewing gum on your fur. It's extremely hard to remove once it's there," McGonagall warned her.

"Thank you!" Ginevra said and leapt over to where Pansy was scrubbing at a table.

She rubbed her cheek against Pansy's arm in thanks before letting her claws out and started to scratch at the chewing gum. As she scratched, Ginevra tried not to think of who's it had been... The chewing gum came off the table in a few minutes and Pansy scrubbed off the remaining parts.

"Using water to take chewing gum off a table probably isn't the best thing to do, you know," Ginevra commented.

"And why would that be, Miss Weasley?" Minerva asked.

"Well, saliva increases the size of chewing gum and makes it chewy... Water would most likely just increase the size of the chewing gum," Ginevra replied.

"Then what would you suggest?" Minerva asked walking over to her.

"There's something that Dad uses all the time... He said that the Muggles called it sandpaper. It's very rough so he has to use a piece of wood to fold it so he doesn't hurt his fingers when it goes down," Ginevra said with an un-catlike shrug.

"Yes, I know what sandpaper is... Very well then," Minerva said and the buckets and sponges disappeared. In their place was three pieces of sandpaper and wooden blocks the size of their palms. "Use those instead... It will create a lot of dust, so be careful," she said.

"How do we use them, Professor?" Pansy asked looking at the foreign and new small piece of rough paper.

McGonagall demonstrated how then left them to it, Ginevra following her now that she didn't have anything to do. She went over to where Blaise and Draco were filing and curled around their legs before going over to the twins who had nearly finished cleaning all of the windows.

Ginevra watched them work, her head cocked to the side in interest. Each window had four glass panels. Fred and George were cleaning two panels on one window, Padma and Parvati cleaning the other window in the same way. It saved time as then they didn't all spend a long time on just one window when they could do two in the same amount of time instead.

She carefully padded over the wet floor to where Theodore and Millicent were mopping the floor behind each table that Pansy, Gregory and Vincent sanded. They had already finished the other side of the classroom and once they had finished cleaning all of the dust created from the sanding then they would be finished.

Ginevra went over to Colin and Luna to see how far they had progressed and sneezed when some dust fell on her. She pawed at her nose, sneezing one more time before the dust disappeared.

"Sorry Ginevra..." Luna said kindly and patted her softly.

Ginevra purred happily, arching her back into Luna's hand encouragingly. Luna smiled then stopped patting her and continued to dust. Ginevra left in disappointment wondering where to go next. The door opened and she looked over to see Ron and Lavender trudge inside.

"Gods damn it! I just finished cleaning that!" Millicent yelled at them as they both trailed mud onto the clean floor.

"Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown. Stop walking right this instant," Minerva said and they both grudgingly did so.

Professor McGonagall walked over to them and with a quick spell their feet were now mud-free. She looked at the rest of the students who were just finishing the last of their assigned chores.

"Once you have all finished, you can leave," she announced and they all worked with extra fervour. "Miss Bullstrode and Mr. Nott you are to give your mops to Miss Brown and Mr. Weasley, who are going to clean up the mess they just created," Minerva said.

"That's not fair! We just finished our punishment with Filch!" Lavender protested.

"I am aware of that, Miss Brown... However, as Miss Bullstrode and Mr. Nott had just finished their punishment when you came in and defeated an hour of their hard work, then you should be the one to clean it up... You would demand the same if you had been in their position, would you not?" Minerva asked her sternly.

With a glare at Millicent, Lavender snatched the mop from her and cleaned the floor. Ron took the mop from Theodore, looking around the room.

"Where's Ginny? What was her punishment?" He asked.

"Her punishment is none of your business, Mr. Weasley... Have you all finished now?" Minerva asked looking around the room at the students.

They all nodded and their cleaning equipment disappeared immediately.

"You can go now," Minerva said kindly and they left.

Ginevra rubbed herself against Minerva's legs, then ran out of the room with her friends.

"Gods, I'm tired..." Padma muttered yawning.

"Same... At least we got out early though," Parvati said, Padma nodding in agreement.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Draco asked the cat who was padding alongside him.

She jumped up onto his shoulder nimbly and rubbed her face against his cheek, licking him lightly.

"We'll take that as a yes..." Pansy drawled smirking at her.

Ginevra jumped off of Draco's shoulder and ran ahead, turning into a side corridor. The others followed quickly, arriving just in time to see the cat eyes and ears disappear from Ginevra's face.

"Why didn't you wait? That would have been an excellent picture," Colin said with a grin.

"Sorry Colin... I'll wait for you next time," Ginevra said, closing her eyes tiredly.

"Do you want us carry you to your room?" Vincent asked.

"I'll just sleep here," Ginevra murmured, curling her weary body into a ball, changing back into a cat as she did so.

"I'll take her," Draco said shaking his head and went over to her.

Ginevra hissed and clawed at him as he tried to pick her up. He moved back quickly, narrowly missing her sharp claws.

"Let me try," Luna said, moving forward.

She crouched beside Ginevra quietly and began to pat her back. Ginevra purred in her sleep and Luna moved a small way away from Ginevra.

"Come on, kitten, this way," she cooed softly.

Ginevra padded after her slowly, still tired. Every few metres, Luna would stop and pat her again, then draw her further down the corridor, eventually arriving at a tapestry.

"Will you let me carry you? I'll pat you," Luna added.

Ginevra leapt into her open arms and snuggled into her warm body, purring as Luna resumed to pat her gently. She was asleep by the time they passed the next tapestry door.

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Ginevra woke up, yawning and stretching lazily as she got out of bed.

"Oh, good... You're back to normal," Luna said with a smile.

"What?" Ginevra asked in confusion, then she remembered her detention and what happened afterwards. "Oh, Gods... I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" She asked cringing.

"No, everyone's fine. Physically at least... Draconius took quite an emotional blow when you didn't let him pick you up," Luna said with a smile. "Funny isn't it?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. "A week ago he wouldn't have cared one bit if you hadn't let him pick you up. Now, however..." She trailed off then shook her head and smiled at her again. "It's ten to eight... You've got enough time to talk to Draco before you have to do your exercises," Luna said.

"Thank you, Luna..." Ginevra said, hugging her friend.

"You're welcome, Ginevra," Luna said then left to find Colin.

Ginevra changed into her fighting outfit then went down to Draco's room, stopping to say hello to everyone along the way. She knocked on his door quietly and waited for him to allow her entry.

"Pansy, if that's you again I am going to curse you," Draco muttered as he opened the door.

"That's a nice greeting, Draco," Ginevra drawled smirking at him.

"I thought it was Pansy again," he muttered, stepping back and allowing her to enter his room. "Are you all right now?" Draco asked as she sat down.

"I'm not tired anymore, if that's what you meant..." Ginevra asked grinning at him. "I'm sorry about trying to scratch you... You just scared me," Ginevra said.

"How?" Draco asked.

"You imagine trying to get to sleep and then opening your eyes to see two hands coming towards you," Ginevra drawled raising an eyebrow at him. "You scared me..." She said shaking her head.

"I apologise," Draco said. "What are you doing now? More homework?" Draco asked.

"No. I've got to do my exercises," Ginevra said. "It's not the same without someone else," she sighed thinking of Neville.

"I can join in, if you'd like," Draco offered.

"Thanks, Draco," Ginevra said smiling at him.

They went to one of empty rooms and Draco watched as Ginevra did her warm-up exercises, repeating the same actions. Pansy saw what they were doing and stopped in the doorway to watch.

"Do you want to join in too?" Ginevra offered.

"Thanks," Pansy said, then walked in and did the exercises too.

As she finished her exercises, Ginevra and Draco started fighting. Pansy watched them in amazement as Ginevra ducked Draco's oncoming fist and went to kick at his legs, Draco narrowly missing it by jumping into the air. He kicked at Ginevra mid-air and she grabbed his foot, making him land on the ground with a thump.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Colin said beside her, his camera clicking away at them. "Almost as good as Ginevra with Neville... They looked like they'd been fighting each other since birth," he added with a grin, taking a photo of Ginevra punching Draco in the stomach.

"Yeah, I'd hate to be fighting on the opposite side of them..." Pansy muttered, shaking her head.

"You going to join in Pansy?" Ginevra called as she floored Draco, using her knees to pin him to the ground.

"I don't think I should... Might spoil Draco's fun," Pansy drawled smirking at them.

"Me not breathing and getting my arse kicked is your idea of fun?" Draco panted from beneath Ginevra.

"Well, if that's the case, then I should definitely help her," Pansy said going over to them. "I still haven't got you back for going Veelan on me last night," she said smirking at him.

"Oh, shit..." Draco groaned.

Ginevra got up and stood beside Pansy. Draco quickly got off the floor and immediately put his fists up to defend himself. Pansy went to kick him in the stomach just as Ginevra went to hit his face. Draco barely managed to block them both before they launched another assault on him.

"This isn't fair, you know!" Draco said, ducking both of their fists.

"Nothing in this world is fair, Draco... You should know that by now," Pansy said smirking at him.

"That's not the point," Draco growled, kicking at her.

Pansy smirked at him and blocked his foot before punching him. Ginevra feigned a kick at Draco, then turned and punched Pansy instead.

"Now that's not fair!" Pansy cried as they both started kicking and punching at her.

"You'll live," Ginevra said with a smirk, her fist connecting with Pansy's arm.

"I might, but that doesn't mean I'll be happy about it," she grumbled. "The amount of bruises I'm going to get from this..." Pansy muttered as she blocked a punch from Draco.

"Are you coming to dinner?" Fred and George asked from the doorway.

"We'll be there in a minute," Ginevra called, pulling back from the other two.

Draco and Pansy stopped fighting, Pansy panting for breath as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Ginevra asked her in concern.

"I'll be fine, like you said," Pansy said with a smirk.

"If you're sure," Ginevra said and Pansy nodded. "All right then... I'm going to go get changed. I'll meet you at dinner," Ginevra said then left the room.

"That was amazing... I should learn how to fight," Colin said wistfully grinning at Pansy and Draco.

"No, you shouldn't," Pansy said wincing as she rubbed her shoulder again. She put her wand to it, muttering a spell and sighed as she flexed her shoulder, the pain now gone. "That's better..." She sighed gratefully.

"How much for a photo?" Draco asked looking at the strewn photographs on the floor.

"That all depends on how many you want," Colin said with a grin.

"Talk about it on the way, would you? I'm starving and I'm sure that Gregory and Vincent are going to eat themselves sick until Pansy arrives," Ginevra said pulling on a jumper and her robe.

"True... I'll just get my robe, then we can go," Pansy said, going down to her room.

They all left through the corridor quickly, Ginevra and Pansy talking about wand tactics, while Draco was talking with Colin about the photographs. They walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the Slytherin table, Pansy immediately stopping Gregory and Vincent from eating anymore.

"How many plates have they had?" She asked Blaise.

"Four each," Blaise replied smirking as he ate his sausages.

"Four each? Gods, you two are just begging to get sick, aren't you?" Pansy muttered. "Every time you eat more than three plates I'm the one who has to look after you when you're sick!" She said shaking her head. "And now you're on your fifth plate! Well, you're definitely not getting any dessert!" She said putting a spell on their plates.

"Oh, come on Pans! We haven't had four plates each in ages!" Vincent complained.

"I know that, Vincent... You shouldn't have had four plates tonight either," Pansy drawled coldly.

"We willingly ate our vegetables though," Gregory said.

"Corn, pumpkin, beans and carrots," Vincent said with a nod.

"And I had broccoli too," Gregory added.

Pansy raised an eyebrow at them, then looked to Blaise for confirmation.

"Half a plate worth," he confirmed nodding.

"What was on your other plates then?" Pansy asked, folding her arms.

"We've got to hurry, Draco... We're going to be late to meet Lord Xavier, and I do not want to be late when he's already angry," Ginevra muttered, finishing off her chicken and pumpkin before grabbing a piece of cake.

"All right... How are we getting there?" He asked eating his cheese-covered cauliflower.

"I've got no idea actually... I'll go ask Albus," Ginevra said standing as she finished her cake and walked over to the teacher's table.

"How can I help you, Miss Weasley?" Albus asked smiling at her.

"How will Draco and I be travelling to meet Lord Xavier?" Ginerva asked.

"Due to the very kind offer of Madam Maxime, you will be riding in her carriage," Albus said, giving the Beauxbaton Headmistress a grateful nod. "The palomino’s know where to go already... You will be travelling alone, so I trust that you will act responsibly," he added sternly.

"Of course, Professor... Thank you for the use of your carriage, Madam Maxime," Ginevra said with a bow.

"You are veree welcome, Ginevra," Olympe replied smiling at her.

"You and Draco should leave now if you are to arrive on time," Albus said. "The carriage is at the entrance," he added.

"Thank you Professor," Ginevra said then went back to the Slytherin table. "We've got to leave now," she said to Draco, who nodded and stood up beside her. "See you all later," Ginevra said leaving the Great Hall with Draco.

"So how are we getting there?" Draco asked as they hurried to the entrance.

"Madam Maxime's letting us use her carriage," Ginevra replied, opening the front doors to reveal the large blue carriage awaiting them.

They climbed inside and put on the satin seatbelts, holding on tightly as the carriage rose up into the night sky. The twelve palominos flew quickly, not slowing their speed until they were over halfway there. Ginevra looked at her watch and saw that it was five minutes to nine and tried not to fret about being late.

"Don't worry, Ginevra... The horses will get us there on time," Draco said. "I can take your mind off it if you want," he added with a suggestive smirk.

"By all means," Ginevra drawled.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, then went over to her, kissing her hotly. He struggled to take off her belt and pulled her to him when it was finally undone. Ginevra kissed him back and heard his pulse increase as blood pumped through him faster, simply encouraging her to Drink him. Her fangs grew longer as his tongue ran across her teeth and she shivered in his arms. Pulling away, her teeth sank into his neck and Draco groaned as she Drank from him eagerly. Ginevra licked at the flowing blood, sucking the wound slowly, tormenting him.

The winged horses neighed loudly and Ginevra pulled away from Draco quickly, crossing back to her seat and putting her belt on before the palominos could land. Draco frowned in disappointment.

"I'm going to make those ruddy horses go at a slower pace on the way back," he muttered.

Ginevra licked the access blood from her lips, smirking as Draco stared.

"You better hold on," she said and Draco held onto the belt tightly as the palominos started to descend.

The palominos landed in front of the mansion and the carriage door opened to reveal Miles.

"Miss Ginevra Weasley, welcome," Miles said, offering his hand to help her out of the carriage.

"Thank you, Miles," Ginevra said, stepping out of the carriage.

When she was on the ground, he bowed to her, then turned back to the carriage.

"Mr. Draconius Malfoy, welcome," he said.

Draco stepped out of the carriage, standing next to Ginevra.

"Thank you, Miles," Draco said returning his bow.

"Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes are waiting for you... If you will follow me," Miles said, leading them up to the mansion and inside quickly.

He led them through the foyer and down to Agnes and Xavier's private room, where Fred and George had first met them. Bowing them inside, Miles shut the door after they had entered.

"Ginevra, welcome," Agnes said smiling at her, kissing her wrists.

"Welcome," Xavier said, kissing her wrists too.

"Thank you, Lady Agnes and Lord Xavier," Ginevra said politely with a bow. "May I present my own, Draconius Malfoy," she introduced.

"Lady Agnes," Draco said kissing her hand with a bow. "Lord Xavier. It is a pleasure to meet you both," he said.

"Thank you, Draconius... Please, sit down," Agnes said, indicating to the chairs.

Ginevra and Draco sat down next to each other, facing the Lord and Lady. Ginevra took Draco's hand, the only indication of how nervous she was. Agnes smiled at them kindly as she poured the tea.

"Do you know why we requested to meet with you, Ginevra and Draconius?" Xavier asked as he sipped at his tea.

"No, we do not, my Lord Xavier," Ginevra replied, drinking the tea to calm herself down.

"You are positive you do not know?" Xavier asked.

"Yes, Lord Xavier, we are positive of this," Ginevra said with a small frown.

"Xavier, leave them for a moment... Draconius, do you have the ability to See?" Agnes asked him smiling.

"Yes, Lady Agnes. I acquired the ability not that long ago," Draco responded.

"Will you read my tea leaves for me, then?" Agnes asked smiling at him again.

"It would be an honour, Lady Agnes," Draco said, taking the offered cup from her. He looked at the tea leaves for a moment before looking back at her. "It says to let your own continue..." He said in surprise.

"May I see?" Xavier asked taking the offered cup then looking into it. "Indeed, it does... That is very odd," he stated. "Ginevra, will you read the rest of the teacups please?" Xavier asked and Ginevra took his teacup.

"Yes, my Lord," Ginevra said looking at the tea leaves. She frowned, looking back at Xavier. "It says for you not to tell us," Ginevra said.

"Very well... Draconius' cup?" He asked.

Draco handed his cup to her and Ginevra looked into it.

"Do not over react," she quoted looking up at him.

Draco gave a shrug, having no idea to the meaning either.

"My tea cup says... I have to erase everyone's memory about my relationship with Draco," Ginevra said. She found something familiar about it, but dismissed it as fear ran through her body. "Why do I have to do that? What's wrong about our relationship?" She asked.

"Calm down, Ginevra..." Xavier said soothingly. "The tea leaves only suggest a certain route to take... Although, these ones do seem rather persistent and straightforward," he added with a frown. "However, if you do want to do the spell again, then you can, by all means," Xavier finished.

"What do you mean, again?" Ginevra asked frowning.

Agnes glared at Xavier with a shake of her head. Xavier nodded, sighing as he held out a hand for Ginevra, who took it warily. They disappeared from the room and Agnes turned to Draco.

"When did you get the ability to See, exactly, Draconius?"

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Ginevra looked around and saw a large four poster bed in the room that Agnes and Xavier were sleeping peacefully on. A red ball of light flying towards the window caught Ginevra's attention and she frowned, recognising it as a result of her own magic.

The red ball flew into the room and straight at Xavier, who moved with lightning fast speed to get out of its way, taking Agnes with him. He grabbed a small net hanging from the bed's canopy and caught the red ball as it flew at him again.

"What is it this time, love?" Agnes asked with a yawn, looking at the red ball inside the spelled net.

"A spell to erase memories... It is very powerful and there is more than one," Xavier said, reading the colours of the net as they changed.

"Are they coming here?" Agnes asked, looking alert and awake now.

"No, they're being used on other people who have the same memory," Xavier read.

"Do you know who sent it?" She asked looking at the colours.

"Ginevra?" He said in shock. "What over?" He asked, shaking the ball in the net.

The colours changed colour again and he shook his head, then read the colours again.

"Her relationship with Draconius is progressing and she doesn't want anyone to know?" He asked.

The net changed colours again, looking fierce.

"She's erasing her own memory as well?"

The net responded with a lighter colour.

"Why?" Xavier asked, the net changing colour yet again. "All of this is over instructions from tea leaves?" He asked in disbelief, walking over to the fireplace. He threw in some Floo Powder and stuck his head in. "Albus Dumbledore!" He called angrily.

Albus's head appeared, looking tired but still smiling.

"Good night to you, Lord Xavier..." He said.

"Do not act harsh with Albus, Xavier," Agnes' voice said softly.

"Is something the matter, Xavier?" Albus asked, frowning.

"I want to see Ginevra and Draconius as soon as possible," Xavier said angrily.

Agnes shook her head and pulled her husband out of the fireplace, quickly putting her head in the green flames.

"Sorry about Xavier, Albus... He was woken up abruptly and you know how grumpy he can be... Can we please see Ginevra and Draconius on Tuesday night? Perhaps that will be sufficient time for my husband to calm himself down," Agnes said with a smile.

"Very well... Do I want to know what they have done to anger you so?" He asked.

"Probably not, Albus... Go back to bed, dear," Agnes said smiling as she turned the connection off. She turned to her husband with a glare. "You will not be rude to them, Xavier... They will not know of anything you are going to be so angry with them about," Agnes said. "The net changed colour," she added, going back to their bed.

"What question did I ask last?" Xavier asked with a yawn.

"You said 'all of this is over instructions from tea leaves?'..." Agnes responded, then they both looked to the net quickly.

Ginevra heard Xavier mutter a spell and they both appeared in front of Agnes and Draco again.

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"I am so sorry, Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes! I... I don't know what I was thinking," Ginevra said in shock. Had she really done that?!

"Your apology is not needed, Ginevra... You can not apologise for something that you do not remember," Xavier said.

"Besides, something good came of it," Agnes added giving her a smile. "It awoke the ability to See in Draconius," she said to Ginevra's confused look.

"How is that good?" Draco muttered, remembering his earlier vision of Ginevra jumping off the cliff.

"And your relationship still continued down the same path," Agnes continued, choosing to ignore Draco's comment.

"Why is the ability to See not good?" Xavier asked him.

"I can not say why in Ginevra's presence," Draco replied.

"Very well, we will go to the adjoining room," Xavier said with a nod, leading Draco there, shutting the door after them.

"I don't have to do what it says then?" Ginevra asked Agnes.

"You can choose not to... Whatever you choose, it would be best to discuss it with Draconius first, as he is ultimately involved," Agnes advised.

"Yes, Lady Agnes... I apologise for interrupting your sleep with my magic," Ginevra said, still shocked at what she had done.

"It is all right, Ginevra. As old as I am, I am quite used to being woken up at different times of the morning," Agnes said smiling at Ginevra comfortingly.

Draco and Xavier returned then. Draco was not looking too happy, Ginevra noted.

"I hope that helps you, Draconius," Xavier said.

"Yes, thank you, Lord Xavier," Draco said with a bow.

Agnes looked at Xavier curiously, but as he said nothing, she turned back to Ginevra.

"How are your lovely brothers?" She asked smiling.

"Fred and George are well and as mischievous as ever," Ginevra responded with a grin.

"Should I ask what they did?" Agnes asked raising her eyebrow in amusement.

"They made Lavender fly around the Great Hall and put a spell on my other brother Ron," Ginevra replied trying to hide her grin.

"You are happy that they cursed your brother?" Agnes asked.

"They did it so he wouldn't hit her," Draco said.

"Your own brother was going to hit you?" Xavier asked in shock.

"Yes... He has done so before as well," Ginevra said quietly.

"And you let him?" Agnes asked, as shocked as her husband.

"I did not expect him to hit me," Ginevra responded.

"What reason did he have to hit you?" Xavier asked.

"He found out that I kissed Draco," Ginevra admitted.

"Do you think that maybe the tea leaves are encouraging you to erase everyone's memories for your own protection then?" Agnes asked.

"I'm not sure, to be honest... I would like to think that they are, but as Lord Xavier said, they are very persistent in telling me to erase everyone's memories, and are quite blunt, which is unusual for tea leaves, as they are renown for giving people cryptic answers," Ginevra said with a sigh.

"Can something be directing what the tea leaves are meant to say?" Draco asked curiously.

"It is not an impossible feat to achieve..." Xavier said, carefully choosing his words. "Yet it does take a lot of skill, time and energy... That being said, do you know of anyone who would do that just to make you erase everyone's memories of you kissing your own?" Xavier asked Ginevra.

"I do not think that a person would see it that way, personally... Someone who wants to confuse me and mess with my mind would definitely use their time, skill and energy to do that to me," Ginevra said sighing.

"You know of someone then?" Agnes asked.

"Voldemort perhaps... It is too smart for Ron or Lavender to think of," Ginevra muttered.

She didn't say Virginia's name just in case they called for her, or if she turned out to be wrong. It would not be good for her to be accusing a Vampiress Elder of something that she didn't do...

"Dear me, is that the time?! You have lessons tomorrow and we have kept you here past 11 o'clock!" Agnes exclaimed. "I apologise for keeping you out this late, Ginevra and Draconius. I did not realise the time!" She said shaking her head.

"It is fine, thank you Agnes... We did not realise the time either, so it is not your fault," Ginevra said with a bow.

"We shall escort you to your carriage," Xavier said, taking his wife's arm and leading Ginevra and Draco outside.

"Thank you for inviting us, Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Ginevra said with a bow.

"You are welcome," Agnes said, kissing Ginevra's wrist, Xavier doing the same.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Draco said bowing to them.

"Likewise, Draconius... Before you leave Ginevra, do make sure to give as well as take... It would not be fair for you to have all of the fun," Agnes said with a smile, having noticed the wounds on Draco's neck earlier.

"Yes, Lady Agnes," Ginevra said grinning as Draco helped her into the carriage. "Enjoy the rest of your night," Ginevra called as Draco climbed in.

"You too, Ginevra," Agnes replied cheerfully.

Agnes and her husband watched as the palominos took off from the ground, the carriage speeding off into the night sky.

Ginevra undid her seatbelt and went over to Draco, who had been smirking the entire time.

"So, should I be fair and let you take?" She asked grinning at him.

"If you think its fair," Draco said, pulling her down to him.

"Nothing in the world is fair, Draconius," Ginevra purred, biting his neck.

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"We're going to land soon... We should really stop and get our belts on," Ginevra murmured as Draco licked the wounds on her wrist playfully.

"We should, shouldn't we?" He muttered not relenting.

The winged horses neighed loudly as if to confirm their comments and Ginevra pulled away reluctantly, putting a belt on.

"I think they went faster," Draco grumbled.

"Time always goes fast when you're having fun..." Ginevra drawled smirking at him.

"Well, then I'm surprised we're not in the future," Draco said raising an eyebrow at her.

Ginevra laughed at his pick up line then shook her head and held on as the carriage started to descend quickly.

When the carriage stopped moving and it felt like they were on solid land again, Draco and Ginevra took off their belts to start kissing again when the carriage door opened.

Albus smiled at them knowingly and hurried them out. They saw that Hagrid was also there and Ginevra got to say a quick goodnight to him before Hagrid climbed inside the carriage. The palominos flew over to the stables quickly, tired from their long journey.

"I apologise for getting you out of the warm carriage so quickly, but the matter is urgent... Draco, Lord Garion wants to see you immediately," Albus said. "Go via the Floo network in Snape's office," he said.

"Yes, Professor..." Draco said and he reluctantly let go of Ginevra.

"You should say goodnight to Draco now, Ginevra... He will not be back until the early hours of the morning," Albus said. "Go straight to your rooms when you have said goodnight... You still have class in the morning," he added.

"Yes, Professor. Thank you," Ginevra said then went to Draco.

"Does that mean I don't have class tomorrow?" Draco asked.

"You will be excused from Charms, that is all," Albus said.

Draco nodded and after saying goodnight to them both, Albus went up to the castle.

"Goodnight, Draco..." Ginevra said, kissing his lips lightly.

"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that... He said that you had to go to bed after you said goodnight to me," Draco said with a smirk.

"Well, as unbelievable as it may be, I'm not the only one who wants you at this moment, so you better go see Lord Garion," Ginevra said smirking as she pulled away from him.

"Fine... Goodnight kiss then," Draco said, pulling her back and kissing her hotly.

Ginevra practically purred in his arms and Draco was reluctant to stop. A cold breeze woke both of them out of their blissful trances and he sighed.

"See you in the morning then," he said smirking as he went up to the castle.

Ginevra sighed and went to her rooms. She changed into warm pyjamas quickly and sat at her desk, determined to stay awake by reading. Ginevra managed to read the first few words before her eyes closed and she promptly fell asleep.

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(a/n: If you want any information on lessons, people, creatures, etc. that I mention in this fic, most of it is real and I can give you the links if you want.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!)

10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter, don’t sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Ten

Wednesday, Sept. 11

Ginevra woke up with a start, an ache in her neck and a stiff body. With a small yawn she stretched lazily on her chair and looked around, wondering what the time was. Seeing that it was only three in the morning, Ginevra dragged herself to her bed and tried to get back to sleep. After a few minutes Ginevra sighed grumpily, then got out of her bed, walking down the corridor, listening to everything around her.

Relo was snoring softly in her room and Lyra was curled up at the end of Colin's bed. Pansy, Gregory and Vincent had thankfully decided to take a night off. Millicent and Theodore were finally asleep, as were the twins. Colin and Luna had gone to sleep as soon as they'd gotten in to bed.

Ginevra frowned hearing different breathing sounds. Blaise was still awake... She stopped at the doorway and saw him simply staring at Neville's cocoon.

"Lunch time is in less than nine hours," Blaise whispered, turning to look at her.

"I know, Blaise... You're not just going to sit there and watch him, are you?" Ginevra asked softly, walking over to him. "He'll be all right... Neville's stronger than you think," she said quietly, looking at her friend's cocoon.

The self-heal plant was blackened up to Neville's neck...

"I know how strong he is, Ginevra... He already told me about it, you know," Blaise said quietly. Ginevra nodded.

"I guess I should have expected that," she said with a smile. "He really loves you, you know," she said.

"Not as much as I love him," Blaise said, his lips quirking in to a smile as he looked at Neville's cocoon.

"You try to get some sleep, all right?" Ginevra said softly, hugging Blaise comfortingly.

"Who can sleep?" he asked with a small sad laugh before he lay back on the bed, facing the cocoon. "What if Relo's wrong? What if he comes out earlier and we're all asleep?" Blaise asked. "I can't leave him to wake up alone... If I'm not here when he gets out..." Blaise trailed off, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Blaise... I'm staying with you tomorrow. I'll stay with you from lunch onwards, though. I trust Relo's determining," she said with a smile. "Well, that and I doubt that Neville would torment any of us by getting out early," she added.

"I'll do the first two lessons... Snape wouldn't like it if I missed his lesson," Blaise said sighing.

"That works out well then... Draco can look after Neville for the first lesson and he can tell you if anything happens," Ginevra said with a smile.

"He's got the first lesson off?" Blaise asked in surprise.

"He had a meeting with Lord Garion after our meeting with Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Ginevra explained.

"Do you know what it was about? Lord Garion doesn't usually stay up so late, according to what Draco has said about him before," Blaise said frowning.

"No idea... Dumbledore just said that it was urgent," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"Look... I'll get some sleep if you go back to bed and get some sleep yourself, all right? You didn't get in past midnight and I doubt that three hours of sleep is very healthy for you," Blaise said looking at her, concern evident in his features.

"All right... I want to see you get to sleep first," Ginevra said smirking at him.

Blaise rolled his eyes at her then got under his covers reluctantly.

"Goodnight Neville... I'll see you in eight hours, fifty-six minutes and thirty seconds," Blaise whispered. "You watching me isn't going to make me get to sleep any faster, Ginevra," he murmured; sleep already taking its toll on him.

"It might not, but I can sure try," Ginevra said quietly with a grin.

By the time Ginevra had walked to the door, Blaise was fast asleep.

Walking down the corridor again, Ginevra went to the end room: Draco's room. She wasn't very surprised to see him on the bed and asleep already. Walking over to him quietly, Ginevra smiled seeing the moonlight illuminating his pale face. Her eyes clouded with anger as her gaze fell on his cheek. A handprint seemed to be etched in to his skin, the red mark of it causing the surrounding skin to look whiter.

"Who dared to hit my own?" Ginevra hissed, placing a cool hand on his cheek.

Her eyes closed and she was pulled in to a vision.

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"Draconius..." Lord Garion greeted him.

"My Lord Garion," Draco replied with a bow.

"You've been Drinking, Draconius!" Lord Garion stated glaring at him. "Do not even think of denying it," he hissed angrily.

"I would not dare, my Lord," Draco said with a bow.

Garion stood from his chair and appeared in front of Draco instantly, slapping him with a sharp hard hand, his white-blonde hair flying around him, indicating that he had moved, not Apparated.

"Have I taught you nothing? How dare you take up with a Vampiress!" he yelled angrily. "Who was it? Was it that whore Virginia?" Garion asked, spitting out the Vampiress' name.

"Never, my Lord! I would not lower my standards to Drink from her, no matter what she promised," Draco said angrily. "I was with my own, Ginevra," he added, seeing that Garion was becoming impatient.

"Your own... Ginevra Molly Weasley, am I correct?" Garion asked, his temper dying down surprisingly quickly. He returned to his chair and looked at Draco, waiting for his answer.

"Yes, my Lord, you are correct," Draco answered.

"I apologise for hitting you, Draconius," Garion said.

"Your apology is accepted, my Lord... I understand why you were angry," Draco replied with a bow.

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Ginevra pulled away from the vision, considering her options. She really shouldn't hurt Lord Garion when he had apologised and Draco had accepted his apology... But he had hit her own! Perhaps a warning would be sufficient...

With a determined nod of her head, Ginevra turned away from Draco and cupped her hands together, a bright red ball appearing within them. A soft red light illuminated the room.

"Give him a warning only... He is not to hurt my own again," Ginevra instructed softly and the ball sped through Draco's window quickly.

"Ginevra..." Draco murmured from his bed and Ginevra turned to smile at him, as she had for the past five nights...

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Ginevra woke up in her bed and groaned wearily, looking at the time. Seeing that it was seven thirty, she cursed loudly and jumped out of the bed, rushing to get ready.

"Ginevra, there's no need for you to do that," Pansy commented from her doorway, smirking at her.

"But I'm late for class," Ginevra said. "And so are you," she added.

Pansy shook her head with a laugh and held out a piece of parchment to her. Ginevra stopped and took the parchment from her.

To all in Ginevra's rooms,

Your teachers have been told that you are to be excused from today's lessons. This will only be allowed in the event that you stay within Ginevra's rooms and wait for Neville to Awaken.

Albus Dumbledore.

"He could have bloody well told me last night," Ginevra muttered. "I could have slept in," she groaned, flopping back onto her bed.

"He could have, but that wouldn't have been the Dumbledore way to do things, now would it?" Pansy asked smirking at Ginevra. "Blaise has been up since the owl came with the letter. He hasn't gone to sleep since. Neville's eyes are black now," she said with a sigh.

"I hope Neville's all right," Ginevra said quietly.

"He'll be fine, Ginevra... He's your friend after all," Pansy said winking at her.

"Oh, please! Being my friend doesn't do anything to a person, except put them in danger," Ginevra muttered.

"No self-loathing or self-pity is allowed today..." Pansy said in a matter of fact tone, putting a hand out for her. "Come on, the twins are getting Padma and Parvati up... Payback for yesterday," she said grinning.

Ginevra took her offered hand and stood up, smoothing down her clothes with a smirk.

"I'm not sure I want to see that," Ginevra said, her eyebrow raised.

Pansy laughed and dragged her down to the twins’ room just the same.

"I wouldn't open that door, Pansy... What they're doing should not be seen by the rest of us, especially me," Ginevra said with a wince.

"Fine..." Pansy muttered in disappointment, then banged her fist on the door. "Would you four hurry up? We want to have breakfast today!" she yelled.

"Pansy, stop yelling this early in the morning!" Draco groaned from his room, and then shut his door firmly to block out the noise. Pansy pulled a face at the closed door then continued to bang on the twins door.

Draco looked at his door for a moment with a sigh, remembering what Xavier had told him the night before.

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Flashback

Xavier took Draco in to the adjoining room and indicated for him to start talking.

"I... I Saw Ginevra on the edge of a cliff... She said that she didn't have anything or anyone left; not her powers; not even me. Then she jumped. I tried to grab her but I couldn't get a proper hold on her..." Draco said quietly, remembering the vision vividly.

"And? You are worried about this, why?" Xavier asked.

Draco looked at the Vampire Elder in shock, and then answered.

"I am worried about it because she's going to kill herself! Something obviously drove her to do that and if she said that she didn't have me, then maybe I was the cause of it... I don't want her to kill herself..." Draco said.

"Do not worry yourself over it, Draconius..." Xavier said soothingly. "I doubt that it will happen for a long time yet. It is not unusual for a Vampire to become depressed after living a long life over the centuries and seeing the same things happen over again with mankind," he said, his eyes darkening for a moment.

"But what about not having her powers? Is that usual?" Draco asked.

"It is a rare occurrence, but it can happen," Xavier said after a moment's thought. "The future is never certain, even if you have already Seen something. You are still able to change things that may happen, remember that Draconius... Think over the vision, perhaps you will think of something that you have not thought of that will save her," he said with a small smile before leading him back to where the two women were waiting.

End Flashback

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Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair wearily. He'd thought of little else since he'd Seen the bloody vision and he still couldn't think of something to help her!

He leaned back on his bed, trying to get back to sleep. Due to the spell that he had put on his door, he could no longer hear any noise from outside the room, but a delicious smell had wafted in underneath his door and Draco was suddenly feeling very hungry. With a sigh he put on a shirt and pair of pants before going down to the dining room.

"Why aren't you having breakfast in the Great Hall?" Draco asked everyone as he sat next to Ginevra.

"Since we get the day off to be here for Neville's Awakening, we're not allowed to leave Ginevra's rooms," Pansy replied absent-mindedly, watching every morsel of food that her boyfriends ate.

"Where's Blaise?" Draco asked looking around.

"He grabbed a piece of toast then went back to Neville," Ginevra said. "He's adamant that Neville's going to come out earlier than lunch time and won't leave his side," she said. "I should go sit in there with him," she added with a frown. "What if he's right and Neville gets out early?" Ginevra asked, doubt creeping in to her mind.

"Neville won't be out until after lunch time," Relo said from next to Theodore. "We has seen lots of nymphs Change before!" he added.

"Sorry, Relo... I trust you, I'm just nervous and worried," Ginevra said with a sigh.

"We understand, Ginevra," Relo said, smiling at her to offer some comfort.

"What are we all going to do for five and a half hours?" Millicent asked. "I can only snog Theodore for so long," she added smirking.

"Something that none of us wanted to know," Ginevra drawled. "I can hear what we're supposed to be learning in each class... We can do that so we don't fall behind," she suggested. "Then if we get bored or tired of it later on, we can all think of something else to do," she added shrugging.

Everyone reluctantly agreed and they all went to the meeting room.

"Don't talk for a moment... I need to Hear him properly," Ginevra said then closed her eyes and listened.

She listened past everyone's silent breaths, their heartbeats and blood flowing, past Neville's slowly dying cocoon, past the noise of hundreds of students, chatting, laughing, practising spells, working quietly, quills scratching parchment, teachers lecturing, yelling and teaching, and focused on Professor Flitwick's small voice.

"Today we will be learning about a very Advanced spell. It will allow you to literally see magic being performed..." Ginevra/Flitwick said.

"That's kind of weird," Pansy muttered to Millicent, who nodded in shocked agreement.

"The spell is Curo Magus," Ginevra/Flitwick said. "Mr. Weasley, can you tell me what this means?"

"To see magic," Fred and George said grinning at each other.

"Very good. Five points to Gryffindor," Ginevra/Flitwick said with a warm smile.

"Is she allowed to do that?" Parvati asked.

"Flitwick was asking Ronnie-kins so Ginevra wasn't technically asking us... At least, we don't think so," Fred and George said frowning.

"Does anyone know the wrist movement for this spell?" Ginevra/Flitwick continued on, oblivious to their conversation.

"I can just imagine Granger jumping out of her seat screaming, pick me, pick me!" Draco said with a smirk.

"Why are you thinking of Granger?" Pansy asked in disgust.

"Quiet down, all of you!" Ginevra/Flitwick said loudly causing them all to shut up fairly quickly. "Thank you... Now if we can please return to the lesson..." she/he said looking around the room. "The wrist movement is as follows... It is similar to the Wingardium Leviosa spell in the respect that you have to flick your wrist in the beginning. Wands out, everyone," Ginevra/Flitwick said sounding slightly annoyed. "I shouldn't have to tell you to get your wands out every lesson," they said under their breath. "Mr. Weasley! You will stop that foolishness this instant and get your wand out! Five points from Gryffindor for ignoring my instructions!" Ginevra/Flitwick yelled.

"Sorry..." Fred and George said, moving apart from their girlfriends and getting their wands out, still not sure if Ginevra was telling them off or not.

"Now that I have everyone's attention again, I suggest that you all listen very carefully as this is an important spell..." Ginevra/Flitwick said, calmer now. "As I was saying, you flick your wrist to the right, as you do with Wingardium Leviosa. However, instead of a swish at the end, you give your wrist a sharp flick to the left and a quick incline upwards," they instructed, demonstrating how to their students. "With each flick, you say one word of the spell... For example," they said, holding their wand properly. "Curo Magus!" They said and with the first word, flicked to the right, then to the left and upwards with the second part of the incantation. (To see magic.)

A red mist surrounded Ginevra, changing shades as it pulsed around her.

"Now, if someone will be so kind as to volunteer to do a spell at me," Ginevra/Flitwick said. "I don't think I've had so many volunteers in a long time!" They joked with a small laugh.

"I'll do it," Theodore volunteered.

"Yes, you can do it... You know the wounding spell, I presume?"

"Of course. Are you sure I can do that to you?" Theodore asked with a frown.

"Yes, I am sure. Please do the spell," Ginevra/Flitwick said.

"All right... Vulnero!" Theodore said and at first nothing happened. (Wound.)

The red mist around Ginevra stretched out and a white light appeared within it; the wounding spell that Theodore had sent to her was now visible to everyone.

"Desino!" Ginevra/Flitwick said and the spell disappeared. (Cease or stop.)

The mist surrounding her disappeared and she fell in to a chair with a small thud.

"Flitwick saw my magic there..." she muttered. "That was tiring," Ginevra said with a yawn. "Flitwick's mind is very... organised," she said grinning.

"His mind is organised?" George said in surprise.

"What do you mean by that?" Parvati asked.

"Easy... He's organised his mind so he doesn't have to deal with all of the usual everyday clutter. He has important thoughts at the front of his mind. Dangerous curses and hexes, as well as silencing, healing and protective charms right after that... He has a relatively large section of his mind for new charms that can help or hinder people... Some in there you two would love to get your hands on," Ginevra commented to her brothers, smirking at them.

"How much will it set us back?" they asked with a sigh.

"We'll discuss prices later... I'm sure you want to see what it does first," Ginevra said with a grin.

"Excellent... What do you need? A quill, Quaffle, broomstick, toffee?" they asked rummaging through their pockets for the various items.

"Actually, this spell needs a glass of water..." Ginevra said with a grin.

"Done and done," they said, producing it out of thin air with a flourish.

"Thank you..." Ginevra said, taking the glass from them.

She thought the spell and went to splash the water at her brothers, who automatically winced. When nothing came out, they looked at her with a frown.

"Is that all?" they asked, obviously disappointed.

"Not at all, dear brothers. Keep watching..." Ginevra said with a grin.

She turned the glass upside down, so the opening was facing towards the floor. As she turned it, colours swirled within the water and the glass switched around. What had been the solid bottom of the glass was now the opening, and the opening now was solid. Turning it one more time, both ends became solid and the now-coloured water was trapped, creating a lovely effect when the light shone on it.

"You're obviously going to have to ask him about it, but I'm sure if you name it after him, Flitwick will be happy," Ginevra said with a grin.

"How much for you to teach us the spell first?" Fred and George asked suspiciously.

"Well since it technically isn't mine, I will be fair and only ask for twenty Galleons," Ginevra said.

"Deal," they said immediately, holding out their hands to shake.

Taking their hands, Ginevra shook them firmly; all the while the others watched in shock.

"You're really going to give her twenty Galleons just for the spell?" Pansy asked them.

"Of course we are... We can make more than ten times that amount if we play our cards right," Fred and George said grinning broadly. "It's all just promotion, advertising, word of mouth and getting the right tricks... In this instance, for example, we go to Flitwick and offer to use his name, as Ginevra suggested. He agrees, we give him one hundred Galleons for his time then we get him to discuss the charm in his classes... That's the word of mouth aspect, and can you imagine all of these kiddies with their pocket money just bursting to find out what we're going to do to the spell? We get money; give Ginevra another thirty for being so kind; another fifty to Flitwick in case we need something from him later; and then some to various charities for good karma and because we're nice..."

Ginevra gave a small snort of disbelief, but they only grinned at her, knowing she was joking. Her brothers had both relentlessly given money from the results of their products to charities in both the wizarding and Muggle world, a fact that she was very proud of...

"Then we can use some more to bribe Mum in to making us dinner every night for the next three weeks until we make another one," Fred and George explained grinning.

"You know... That's actually quite smart," Draco said with a grin.

"Of course it is! We're geniuses... We just decided to be Sorted in to the wrong House and so we're fun-evil, not look-at-us-and-die evil!" they said laughing.

"Well, that's complete nonsense... You've looked at us hundreds of times and haven't died yet!" Theodore said.

"The emphasis, our dear boy, is on the yet part of that statement," they replied with a wink.

"All right, enough business talk, can we get started on our work now?" Ginevra asked impatiently.

Fred and George bowed out of her way to let her start teaching again. Ginevra rolled her eyes at them then looked at the others.

"Right... Get in to pairs and do the spell I showed you. Yes, Pansy you can team up with Gregory and Vincent," she added with a smirk before Pansy could say anything.

"Thank you, Professor Ginevra," Pansy said sweetly.

Ginevra poked her tongue out at her then turned to Draco.

"Since I've already done it, you can do the barrier now," she said grinning.

"Guess that's fair... Go easy on me, I'm still tired," he muttered.

With a nod, Ginevra sent a slow spell at Draco and he put up a dark green barrier around his body. The spells flew through the mist and it disappeared with a word.

"All right... Who didn't get it?" Ginevra asked looking at them. "Good... Now swap around and do it again. Draco, you can go with Pansy, Vincent or Gregory for this one... I need to see what Flitwick's got planned now..." Ginevra said.

Draco nodded and went over to the other three, quickly discussing who had to do what. After a few minutes, Ginevra was back in Flitwick's mind and they had finished doing the spells again.

"Now that you have all finished learning that spell, you will be doing work from your book for Charms... Miss Brown please take Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing," Flitwick/Ginevra said with an irritated sigh.

"I refuse to do this for Potions," Ginevra muttered shaking her head.

"Miss Weasley, please get out of my head and come see me after class," Flitwick/Ginevra said.

"Sorry, Professor... I'm not allowed to leave my rooms today because of Neville's Awakening," Ginevra replied.

"Very well, I will see you about it tomorrow instead," Flitwick/Ginevra said and the link was shut off.

"Well, that's going to be fun... He doesn't seem too happy that I can get in to his head like that," Ginevra said grinning.

"Well, it's too bad that he didn't say what work we had to do," Millicent said with a grin, going to leave.

"Flitwick may not have said it out loud, but as I said, his mind is organised... I know exactly what work we have to do, thank you, so get back here," Ginevra said and Millicent was pulled back in to the room by Pansy.

"If I have to work, then so do you," she said with a smirk.

"Fine... Spoilsport..." Millicent muttered.

"Heard that," Pansy said glaring at her.

"Good for you!" Millicent said sarcastically.

"No arguing, unless you want me to get Draco to take points off you," Ginevra said grinning at them.

"Draco wouldn't take points off us! We're in his House!" Millicent argued.

"I would not be too sure of that... If you start arguing any louder when I've had less than three hours sleep and when I have a headache, I will be very tempted to start taking points off..." Draco muttered.

"So what work do we have to do Ginevra?" Vincent asked as Gregory stood between the two girls.

"Pages thirty to fifty," Ginevra replied.

"Well, you can all get started... Wake me up when it's time for Neville to get out," Draco said with a large yawn, trudging back to his bedroom.

"Well, I'm going to do that work later..." Ginevra said, yawning too. "It's too early to be reading twenty pages about stuff that I already know," she said with a grin.

"You should go see if Blaise is all right... I don't think that he blinked once when I was there before and I stayed for about five minutes!" Pansy said shaking her head.

"All right... Trying to get rid of me, are you?" Ginevra asked with a smirk as she went down to Blaise and Neville's room.

Luna and Colin went in to the meeting room and shut the door firmly. Luna put a very strong silencing spell on the door then turned to everyone.

"We need to talk..." she said seriously.

Ginevra knocked on the door lightly, but Blaise didn't move a muscle to indicate that he had heard her. With a small sigh, she walked in and sat next to Blaise, holding his hand.

"Neville's going to be fine, you know..."

"I know that Ginevra... I can't help but be worried though. He's... different, you know? I've never felt this strongly about someone before and if... if something happens to him, I don't know what I would do. I wanted to kill them for hurting him! I wanted to just put my hands around their throats and watch the life leave their bodies..." he snarled angrily. "I was ready to fucking do it when everyone else came and then... I couldn't even get close enough to kill them," Blaise said, a hint of a smile gracing his lips. "I haven't known him that long, but I swear, if anyone does anything to hurt him again, I will kill them with my bare hands..."

"Well, once I'm through with them then you can do whatever you like... And then the others will resurrect them just to put them through even more," Ginevra said with a smirk.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded through the rooms as the meeting door slammed shut. Pansy began to storm up to Neville's room angrily, muttering incoherently.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Luna said, anger sounding in her voice.

A thud sounded as Pansy fell to the ground. Ginevra walked out to see Luna standing next to Pansy's immobile body, Luna looking angrier than Ginevra had ever seen her before. Ginevra frowned, noticing that something was different about her too, then Luna looked at her with a dreamy smile and everything was back to normal.

Luna helped Pansy to stand up and gave her a regretful smile.

"Sorry Pansy... You can not do it, you must understand that..." Luna said cryptically.

Pansy must have understood what she meant, as she gave a small nod then went back to the meeting room silently.

"Ginevra... Go back to Blaise," Luna said softly.

"What happened?" Blaise asked as Ginevra sat next to him again, still not looking away from Neville.

"I'm not too sure..." Ginevra said shaking her head.

"Okay, let me rephrase... What was that thud?" Blaise asked with a small smirk.

"Luna just did a Full Body Bind on Pansy... Then she undid it, said something that made no sense and Pansy went back in to the meeting room," Ginevra said shrugging.

"Huh... Any reason for her to do that?"

"Not that I know of, but then, this is Luna and I'm sure she has a reason for it... We just don't know it yet," she replied with a grin.

Blaise just gave a nod and huffed slightly, not looking away from Neville's cocoon.

"What time is it?" he asked after a moment.

"Almost ten thirty... Not long now," Ginevra said with a smile.

She hugged Blaise to offer him some comfort then gave his cheek a kiss.

"He'll be fine," she whispered then left, going down to the meeting room.

Ginevra knocked on the door before she opened the door partway and walked inside. She had the feeling of the conversation being stopped as soon as she walked in and a brief flash of memory of her family after her first year appeared in her mind. She forced a smile on her face and looked at them all.

"Sorry, was I interrupting?" Ginevra asked, making sure to keep her voice the same so they wouldn't suspect that she was hurt.

"We are not like them, Ginevra... You must put those months behind you," Luna said appearing beside her.

"I know Luna... I can't help it, I guess," she said with a small grin. "It was just a small flash of doubt and uncertainty, that's all. I know that you're not doing it on purpose," Ginevra said. "I'm going to see if Draco's all right, just wanted to let you know in case he's getting changed again," she said with a laugh as she walked down the corridor.

Luna watched as she left, Pansy walking over.

"What was that about, Lovegood?" Pansy asked stonily.

Luna shut the door and turned to them to give more explanations...

"Draco?" Ginevra said quietly, knocking on his door lightly.

"Come in," Draco called and she walked in to see him lying on his bed, staring out the window above the canopy.

"Aren't you tired? You've barely had three hours sleep," Ginevra said sitting beside him.

"I am sure I will live," he drawled with a smirk. "The thing is, I don't need much sleep any more... You know that Lord Garion wanted to see me last night?" Draco asked.

"Yes..." Ginevra said, not looking at him in case he knew what she'd sent to his Lord this morning...

"It was about me dying earlier that day... Apparently in order to make a halfling Full Blooded, they have to be killed and brought back to life as a Full Blood... Since I'd already died, I don't have to go through all of the formal initiations and ceremonies now, so that's one bonus of being killed," Draco said smirking.

"How can you be so calm about this? You died and now you're a Full Blooded Veelan... Wait, I can see why you're calm... You're just imagining what you can do with your new power, aren't you?" Ginevra asked, teasing him lightly.

"Of course I am... First Hogwarts, then the world!" Draco said, laughing.

"And I'll be by your side, won't I?" Ginevra asked, kissing him.

"If you think you can handle it," Draco replied.

"Carus, I was born to rule the world..." Ginevra drawled, running her tongue over her fangs. "Hmm... That's a little too close to the truth for me... Let's go to a different topic..." Ginevra began to say then stopped, clutching at her side. (Dear or beloved.)

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, sitting up immediately.

"It's Volatil Equus! She's hurt..." Ginevra said, quickly scrambling off the bed and running to her front door.

"Who and what is Volatil Equus?" Draco asked Bexley, who had remained behind.

"Volatil Equus is an Abraxan winged horse, and so, she is one of the creatures that Ginevra has to look after as Queen. I believe that it was an arrow to her side... Ginevra feels her pain but she herself, is not wounded, so there is no need for you to worry," Bexley explained.

"How can she get outside though? Dumbledore's got this place magicked up to the brim," Draco muttered.

"It is a different kind of magic from Ginevra's magic as Queen, so she will be allowed to leave in an emergency... Yes, this is an emergency," Bexley added before he could ask.

"All right... Does that mean I can go after her?" Draco asked.

"You could try, but I would not suggest it," Bexley drawled smirking at him.

Ginevra ran through the Forbidden Forest, her speed increasing with each stab of pain that pierced her side.

I'm coming Volatil Equus! She called in her mind as she ran even faster still.

Ginevra stopped in a clearing so fast that she almost fell over.

She dropped by the side of the young winged horse and stroked her wings softly.

My Queen... I am sorry, Volatil Equus said softly, a tear running down her cheek.

No, do not be sorry my lovely one... I will heal this for you, Ginevra said looking at the arrow protruding from her side.

I hope... She added silently, seeing how far the arrow was inside of her.

This may hurt a little, but I will try to make it as painless for you as possible, all right Volatil Equus? The small horse gave a small whimper but didn't stop her.

With a deep breath, Ginevra grabbed the arrow and pulled. Volatil Equus screamed in pain, her legs bucking as she attempted to get away from the pain. The arrow came free with a small pop and blood began to seep from the horse onto the ground. Ginevra quickly put her shaking hand over the horse and a red mist covered the wound, healing it before her eyes.

I am sorry for hurting you, Volatil Equus, Ginevra said kissing her on the nose softly.

Volatil Equus licked Ginevra lightly and rubbed her nose against her cheek.

You did not hurt me that much, my Queen Ginevra. Besides, it was necessary in order for me to heal... she replied and with a grateful neigh, she flew out of the clearing.

Ginevra stood up shakily and looked at the arrow in her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she thought of whom it could belong to... She put her hand over the arrow and shut her eyes.

"Show me who you belong to," Ginevra said.

A figure appeared in her mind and she gasped as she saw who the person was.

"Alexander?" she gasped as her Protector's face appeared in her mind.

Ginevra's eyes narrowed as anger flowed through her body at the blatant mistreatment of her creatures!

"Alexander Tobias Therode!" Ginevra yelled loudly, a wind blowing through the trees with such force that birds flew out of the treetops in fear.

"My Queen?" Alexander said, appearing behind her.

Ginevra turned to see Alexander kneeling on the ground before her. She threw the blood-covered arrow in front of him.

"Who does this belong to, Alexander?" Ginevra asked in a steely tone.

"It may be one of the centaurs' arrows, my Queen," Alexander said.

"Look at me, Alexander," Ginevra demanded.

He looked up at her and the symbol on his forehead turned red and his face began to burn.

"The truth, Alexander," Ginevra said icily. "Whom does the arrow belong to?"

"The arrow is mine, my Queen," Alexander said, his anger showing on his face.

"And the blood on it belongs to whom?" she asked, her tone still icy.

"The blood belongs to..." he went to lie, but the symbol went red again. "Volatil Equus, a young winged horse of the Abraxan breed," Alexander said, the words being forced from his mouth.

"Why did you shoot her?" Ginevra asked.

"I... I... I did not mean to shoot Volatil Equus, my Queen. We were playing with the Gytrash and... The arrow just shot from my bow. I didn't react quick enough to stop it and it is my fault that Volatil Equus was hurt," Alexander said, looking down once more.

"The arrow just shot from your bow?" Ginevra repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, my Queen... I did not pull the drawstring, I swear!" Alexander said, looking up at her again.

"Very well, Alexander... I believe you," Ginevra said, some of the coldness gone from her voice. "Why did you not heal her yourself?" she asked looking at him.

"I did not think of it... The only thing I could think of was getting a message to you," Alexander said shamefully.

"Yes, well next time, please send a... less painful message," Ginevra drawled.

"I apologise, my Queen! I did not realise that spell would..." he went to say then his symbol went red again.

"You knew that spell would cause me pain, yet you still used it... Why?"

"I... You... It... I knew you were with him and I did not want you to be," Alexander said finally, unable to lie.

"You wanted to hurt me because I was with my own?" Ginevra asked in disbelief.

"N... Yes!" Alexander hissed.

"Why?"

"He does not deserve you! I should be your own!" Alexander hissed, his anger now transforming his normally friendly looking face in to something hideous.

"Oh Gods..." Ginevra moaned shaking her head as she looked up to the sky in disbelief.

She took in a deep breath then turned her attention back to Alexander again.

"I am not your own and you are not my own. I refuse to listen to you while you tell me that Draconius is not deserving of me!" she said angrily. "You will find your own in time but it is not me, is that understood Alexander Tobias Therode?" Ginevra asked glaring at him.

"Yes, my Queen..." Alexander said forcefully.

"Good, now return to the unicorns. One moment," she said before he could leave. "Sedo!" she said and a red beam of light shot out at him. (To settle or calm.)

Alexander's tensed figure relaxed considerably and with a shallow bow, he left the clearing calmer than before.

Ginevra picked up the arrow as she shook her head again then hurried back through the Forest to her rooms.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Bexley asked as soon as she came in through the entrance.

Ginevra placed the bloodied arrow on her table and sat down wearily.

"I am fine, thank you Bexley... Just slightly tired and annoyed. Volatil Equus is fine too... Alexander however, is probably not," Ginevra said sighing.

"What is wrong with him?" Draco asked as he walked in to the room.

"Who is he?" Pansy asked as she slumped on to the lounge.

"Alexander is supposed to be my Protector... As I have been Chosen and have ridden a unicorn, I need to have a Protector, as people are going to try and kill me... There's also a threat to me that no one knows anything about," Ginevra added shaking her head.

"Good lot of protecting he does," Draco muttered angrily, having seen her vision.

Ginevra shot him a warning glare then turned back to Pansy.

"Alexander is just a normal person with powers to deal with a specific part of magic... I think he's a Hunter, as would indicate from his bow and arrow, but I could be wrong..." Ginevra said with a shrug. "Luna! Do you know anything about a supposed threat that's against me?" she called out.

Luna came in to the room and sat next to Pansy, who moved her legs with a sigh then placed them on Luna's lap with a smirk as she sat down.

"Yes, I know something of it... Not much though," Luna warned.

"That's more than I know, believe me..." Ginevra drawled.

"It is not going to be nice..." Luna warned again, putting her hand out for Ginevra to take.

"I'm sure I've seen worse," Ginevra said with a sigh, taking her hand.

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A monster appeared in front of her.

Red eyes glowed brightly. Angrily. Evilly.

Large thin snake-like arms stretched out towards her.

An odour drifted to her, oozing from the monster. The smell of pure evil...

A leering mouth appeared, evil words flowing out.

Evil words wrapped around her body, tightening.

Her breath caught in her throat as her lungs were squeezed by his touch.

The monster loomed over her and Ginevra let out a scream like no other as it moved towards her immobile body, threatening to devour her.

Her soul was torn to pieces as she broke down and was devoured.

Her body fell to the ground, lifeless.

The monster turned to a human and smirked at her, continuously changing shape as it laughed evilly over her broken and dead body.

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"Ginevra!"

She woke up to feel her face being hit lightly. She looked around to see everyone looking at her in concern.

"Thank the Gods... What in the Gods names did you show her?" Draco yelled at Luna.

"She only showed me what I asked her to, Draconius... Leave Luna be," Ginevra said quietly and he stopped yelling to look at her.

"You screamed like a banshee, Ginevra... What on Earth did you see?" Pansy asked looking at her in concern. "I'm sure even Blaise was tempted to come out and see what had happened," she said smirking.

"I saw a monster eat my soul... I died and then as it laughed, the monster turned in to everyone I've ever known..." Ginevra said with a shudder.

"Us included?" Millicent asked, obviously interested.

Ginevra nodded.

"How did I look as an evil being?" Parvati asked grinning.

"Evil pretty much sums it up," Ginevra drawled rolling her eyes.

"Well, at times like these there's only one thing we need," Padma said grinning.

"Minties?" Colin asked with a laugh.

"What are minties?" Vincent asked Gregory, who just shrugged, as confused as he was.

"Never mind..." Colin said sighing as he shook his head.

"What do we need then?" Theodore prompted Padma.

"Comfort food... Mainly chocolate and cookies," Parvati said for her twin with a grin.

"We'll get it," Fred and George said immediately.

"Oh no you will not!" Ginevra said glaring at them and they both sighed shaking their heads.

"No trust in us... None at all," they said to each other.

"I trust you... Just not around edible goods, non-edible goods, plants, ingredients, animated and non-animated objects, anything that has the first name 'Lavender' and the surname 'Brown', and in other times, people that are named 'Ronald Bilius Weasley'," Ginevra said grinning at them.

"Hmmm... That pretty much sums everything that we're banned from," Fred and George said sighing elaborately. "So you trust us with your life?" they asked grinning.

"Of course I do!" Ginevra said indignantly. "You should know that by now..." she said looking at them meaningfully.

"Why do I have the feeling that we missed out on something?" Pansy asked looking at them.

"It wasn't much... Ginevra just tried to kill herself at the end of her third year," they said with shrugs.

"Exactly how is that 'not much'?" Draco growled glaring at them.

"Please... Can we not make today about my stupid mistakes? We're supposed to be here for Neville, remember?" Ginevra said looking at them.

"Fine... Once you've told us about this, and then we've all talked about Ronnie-kins, which you promised to tell us yesterday," Millicent added, leaving no room for argument, "Then we will concentrate on waiting for Neville... Okay?"

Ginevra sighed, knowing that they wouldn't leave it alone until she'd told them.

"All right... We'll go to the meeting room... There's not enough chairs in here," Ginevra said then went to the meeting room reluctantly.

She hadn't told anyone about this... Not even her parents knew about this... The twins had only found out when Neville had run to them for help. She wasn't even sure if Colin and Luna knew about it. She might have told them, but the days after and the hours beforehand were just a blur, so she didn't remember...

Ginevra had even taken extra care to make sure that Xavier and Albus hadn't seen it during her memory test. She didn't want them to think that she would try to kill herself at the first challenge that crossed her path..

Once everyone was seated Ginevra sighed again and looked around the table, glaring at her brothers for getting her in to this.

"At the end of my third year, Voldemort returned, as you all know..." she said and they nodded. "Well... He always said that he would come back for me and when Harry said that He had returned, I got scared... My nightmares started again and I kept thinking that Voldemort was going to be waiting for me around every corner... I was extremely paranoid and jumped at the smallest things. I remember jumping at a leaf that flew across my path, I was so scared. I just expected to see Voldemort behind me everywhere I went..."

Ginevra took another breath and wrung her hands, not looking up from the table.

"I didn't go outside for days beforehand, telling everyone I was ill. My roommates must have believed me because they all left me alone... I was too afraid to sleep and stayed awake for most of the time. In the end I fell asleep and had a really horrible nightmare... I woke up with a knife in my hands. I had no idea how it got there because I knew that none of us had ever kept something like that in the room before... The nightmare scared me so much that I ended up slitting my wrist... I passed out when I saw the blood... No one found me until Neville was able to get past the wards later that day to get me for the train. He saw the blood stain on my sheets and managed to get past the spell I'd put on my bed. Then he found Fred and George... I made them swear that they wouldn't tell anyone and I wore long sleeved shirts until the scars faded..."

"What was the nightmare about?" Colin asked.

Ginevra shook her head and Fred and George frowned.

"She won't even tell us..." they said sighing. "Don't even think she's told Neville what it was about," they added, looking to her for confirmation.

"I haven't told anyone what it was about and I never will, is that understood?" Ginevra said icily, glaring at them.

"Fine!" they said putting their hands up in defeat.

"Now, what about you and Ronnie-kins?" Padma and Parvati asked.

"You heard that yesterday..." Ginevra groaned.

"You can say it again then," Millicent said cheerfully. "Why wouldn't you be able to withstand Ronnie on his own? Surely you're more powerful than him?" she asked.

"It has nothing to do with power, Millicent... You obviously don't have any siblings," Ginevra drawled.

"Nope, only child... Now talk," Millicent said smirking.

"Fine..." Ginevra said rolling her eyes. "I wouldn't have been able to taken him on his own because I don't want to accept the fact that he would rather kill me than have a sister who is a Vampiress," she said.

"You think he would really try to kill you?" Theodore asked.

"Of course... He's tried to before any of this and when this came up, it just resurrected his hate and anger... I wasn't joking when I said that he thought of ways to kill me for three weeks straight," she drawled.

"He's tried to kill you before?" Fred and George asked angrily. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because Ron and I were too young to know what he was doing... Just like Ron was too young to know what you two were doing by offering him an Unbreakable Vow," she said looking at them pointedly.

"That's something completely different!" they said indignantly.

"My arse still hurts from that," Fred added, muttering.

"You were there anyway, so I didn't think that I had to tell you..." she added.

"We've never seen Ron try to kill you!"

"Yes you have... I was five years old and Ron had gotten hold of Mum's wand... I think he was trying to say Abracadabra like the Muggles magicians do and he mispronounced it... I fell over when something hit my chest and woke up in St. Mungo's a few days later... You two were there, so you should know more about what happened," Ginevra said looking back to her brothers.

Fred and George looked at each other for a long time, trying to remember back to when they were eight...

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The twins walked over to their youngest brother with Ginevra. They grinned as he waved the wand like the Muggle magician they'd seen earlier that week.

"Ron! Mum's not going to be happy when she finds out that you've got her wand," the twins said, grinning to each other. "We'll go tell her that you've got it, all right?" they said then went to head up to the house.

"Avabra cadabra!" Ron said and they turned to see Ginevra fall to the ground.

Fred! Get mum! George's voice rang in Fred's mind urgently, who was already running up to the house quickly, screaming for their mother.

"Quickly! Ron was playing with your wand and we think he said an Unforgivable on Ginevra!" Fred was yelling as he ran ahead of his mother.

On hearing the word 'Unforgivable' Molly paled and rushed past her energetic son to her daughter.

"Give me the wand Ronald!" Molly yelled and the white-faced boy gave her the wand wordlessly. "Revoco!" Molly said. (To call back or recover.)

Ginevra's small chest swelled then deflated again. Watching anxiously, Molly paled even further.

"Revoco!" she repeated and again the same thing happened. "Fred, George, go get your father! Right now!" Molly yelled.

They both ran off quickly to the garage, listening as Ron started crying loudly.

"Revoco, revoco, revoco! Come on Ginevra..." Molly muttered as the twins returned with a pale Arthur. "We have to get her to St. Mungo's..." Molly said immediately. "Ronald! Stop crying!" she yelled, fed up with him.

Ron sniffed some more and looked at his sister.

"Is she going to be all right?" he asked timidly.

"We don't know yet..." Molly replied in clipped tones. "Fred and George, get Charlie to look after you all until we get back," she said as she Disapparated with Ginevra and Arthur.

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A few days later, Fred and George were allowed to visit Ginevra. They walked over to her bed cautiously and watched as she breathed heavily, her body covered with various healing spells.

"We will be outside for a moment, all right dears? Do not touch anything, is that understood?" Molly said in a warning tone.

"We won't touch anything Mum," they promised truthfully, not willing to risk their only sister's life for their curiosity.

"Good," Molly said seeing that they were telling the truth. "Yes doctor, we're coming," she said and left with Arthur.

"Ginevra... Please wake up... We miss you," Fred and George said sadly.

They both touched her hand and a red light covered their three clasped hands. Ginevra's eyes flew open and she looked at them in wonder and surprise, looking much older than her five years. She gave them a warm smile and was back to normal, leaving the twins to wonder if they had imagined it or not.

"Mum! Dad!" Ginevra called out loudly and Molly rushed back inside quickly, Arthur at her heels.

"Oh, Ginny! My Ginny! You're all right! Oh, don't do that again!" Molly said hugging and suffocating Ginevra.

Molly stopped hugging Ginevra then looked at the doctor sternly.

"I thought you said that she couldn't be woken up?" Molly asked glaring at him.

The twins flinched, knowing the tone that Molly was using on the doctor very well.

"Yes... Well... It wasn't expected... I... I will need to do more tests on her," the doctor stammered slightly.

"No... You will not be keeping my daughter here another moment!" Molly said and lifted Ginevra off the bed easily, carrying her to the door.

Fred and George took their father's hands and followed them out, uncharacteristically quiet.

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"Well, he didn't really kill you..." they said looking at Ginevra.

"Yes he did... Well, for a moment anyway... Until Mum did that spell on me," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"So what's it like to die?" they asked grinning.

"It's... unlike anything I've ever experienced... Draco, do you remember what it's like? It has been so long since then," Ginevra said looking to him.

"I was flying..." Draco began quietly. "It wasn't like flying on a broom, because it was even faster and there was nothing holding me up... There was light everywhere, but it wasn't blinding or hurtful; it was just there... I flew over a landscape that had magic flowing through it; inside of it; over it and under it... The magic was everywhere too... It was comforting, I guess," Draco said, speaking as if to only himself and not the others. "I stopped in mid air, not anywhere in particular, like those ignorant Muggles claim..." Draco muttered shaking his head. "After I stopped, I began to fall to the earth and I fell through a red mist before waking up again," he finished.

"The Otherworld..." Luna said smiling at him.

"Apart from the red mist... I think that was my magic," Ginevra said with a grin.

Draco looked at her, slightly surprised, then nodded vaguely before looking away again.

"So Ronnie has tried to kill you as a child, currently hates you and has tried to kill you again, as well as slapping you... And you still don't want to disown him?" Millicent asked in disbelief.

"No... Because I remember the times when he was nice to me, and a good brother... I can't forget every nice thing he has done for me just because of a lot of bad things he is doing... He's just scared of what he doesn't know. Ron's also scared that he's going to lose me so he's pushing me away in an effort to make me stay," Ginevra said.

"What? That makes no sense..." Colin said shaking his head.

"That's what I told him, but I don't think he sees it that way," Ginevra said with a grin. "Where's Lyra?" she asked looking around, realising that she hadn't seen the dragon in a while.

"She's with Neville, Blaise and Relo," Colin said grinning. "She said that Neville makes her feel happy," he added with a confused shrug.

"Relo said that too..." Ginevra said with a small frown. "All right... Is that enough explaining now?" she asked.

"It's enough," Draco said, giving everyone warning glares.

"Enough," Millicent said, unfazed by Draco's glares.

"All right... I'll be with Neville and the others... It's almost lunch time," Ginevra said as her stomach rumbled. "I missed out on recess," she muttered frowning as she went down to her kitchen.

"Blaise didn't eat either! Try to convince him to eat something," Draco called after her.

"All right!" Ginevra called back, putting some biscuits, cake and fruit on a plate before heading down to Neville's room.

Sitting beside Blaise, Ginevra handed him an apple and glared as he tried to refuse.

"Apples are good for you. Plus they make you feel full, so I won't have to sit here listening to your stomach grumbling at you," she said smirking.

"My stomach isn't grumbling at me..." Blaise went to protest, but at that moment his stomach rumbled loudly. "Fine," he muttered, taking a bite of the apple. "Happy?" he asked rolling his eyes.

"Yes... I would be much happier if you didn't talk with your mouth full of half-chewed apple," Ginevra drawled.

Blaise pulled a face at her, biting in to the apple again. He sighed softly, looking at Neville's cocoon.

"Not long now, Blaise..." Ginevra said hugging him.

"I know..." he said with another sigh. "This has sure taught me to be patient," he joked with a watery grin.

Ginevra just hugged him again and didn't say anything.

"Ginevra! It is happening now! Look!" Relo said excitedly as the last of the flowers and leaves died and turned black.

"Everyone get in here!" Ginevra yelled out the door.

In less than half a minute, everyone was crowded inside the room and watching Neville's cocoon eagerly and anxiously.

"Now, now!" Relo said quickly, pointing at the bottom of the cocoon.

A black mist began to cover the cocoon, travelling up it at a fast pace, reaching Neville's shoulders in almost five minutes. The mist then covered his head, turning from a cloud in to a bright black light. As they watched, the light grew brighter and exploded to fill all of Ginevra's rooms, spilling out of the corridor and the tapestries, out of the windows and under the cracks in the doors. The black light then disappeared and a loud CRACK was heard.

Neville's cocoon fell away from him, broken in two identical pieces. They looked at him intently, but Neville just lay there peacefully, a smile on his face.

He had changed slightly, yet in quite a noticeable way. His brown hair was now curling and a slightly fairer colour, as if he'd spent all of his time in the sun. His teeth had straightened and his lips were a darker shade of red. His skin was a bronze colour. Even his clothes had changed. In place of his school uniform, Neville was now wearing a light green tunic and a pair of brown pants. The one thing that hadn't changed was his nose. It still looked slightly crooked, giving him a mischievous look to his face.

"Boo!" Neville said, scaring them.

Ginevra jumped and would have cursed him for scaring her half to death, but he was awake, so she forgave him quickly, hugging him instead.

"I missed you Neville!" she said.

Neville grinned broadly, his teeth sparkling white.

"I know... It was hard hearing all of your thoughts and not being able to comfort you in any way..." he said sadly.

Ginevra pulled away and looked at him, noticing that his eyes were now a brighter shade of green. He grinned at her again and scratched his shoulder with a small yawn.

"Your thumb..." Ginevra stated, her eyes doubling back to look at it again.

Neville grinned and held out both of his hands for everyone to look at. His nails were perfectly rounded and sharper, and both of his thumbs had a green tinge to them.

"It indicates that I'm a Grower... I also help with Birth, Death and Rebirth now," he said proudly.

"What does that mean? You're going to go around delivering babies?" Vincent asked frowning.

Neville laughed as he shook his head, his curls flying around his head as music surrounded them with his laughter.

"No... Apparently, the nymphs have not had someone of my power for quite a while and I volunteered to help them with Birth, Death and Rebirth... It just means that whenever someone extremely magical or special is born or dies with even a gram of nymph blood in them, then I have to attend the occasion," he said with a shrug. "And since it's nearly mating season for the nymphs, I'll probably be gone some time next term," Neville said with a chuckle. "Only one or two days probably, since they all tend to have their babies within a matter of hours of each other," he added.

"It's good to see you're okay, Neville," Draco said grinning at him. "You can have Ginevra as a fighting partner again... My bruises are getting bruises," he said smirking.

"Well, when those bruises get bruises, then you can have Lupin and see how I felt last week," Neville replied smirking back at him.

"Neville... I trust you enjoyed your time," Luna said with a knowing smile.

"Of course I did, my Lady... Thank you for helping me," Neville said bowing his head to her.

They all looked at Luna for an explanation, but she didn't say anything, so Colin moved forward and grinned at Neville, holding his camera hopefully.

"Can I get two or three photos?" Colin asked eagerly.

"Turn the flash down and then you can... I haven't seen what I look like for days..." Neville said grinning.

Colin nodded eagerly and turned the flash down slightly then started to take photos of Neville, going over the 'two or three' promised photos in a matter of seconds.

"All right, Colin... I think his eyes are ruined enough now," Pansy drawled smirking at him.

"Two or three more and I'd agree," Colin said with a grin, stepping back.

Pansy walked over to Neville and hugged him, kissing his cheek.

"If you make Blaise miserable again, I'm going to be very pissed off... It's good to see you Neville," Pansy said grinning.

"I'll be pissed off too, don't worry," Neville said hugging her back.

"Good to see you're out again Neville," Vincent and Gregory said nodding their heads as they practically dragged Pansy out of the room.

"Thanks... Can you please silence your rooms again?" Neville called with a wince.

"I'll do it for you... They use weak spells," Ginevra muttered as she followed them, Draco going after her.

"Hey Neville... Nice to see that you're okay..." Parvati and Padma said smiling at him.

"So, what training did you have to do?" Fred and George asked grinning.

"Too much to go in to a lot of detail at the moment... It wore me out to be honest, and I'm kind of tired," Neville said with a yawn. "Heard that you got some new victims for your classes," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, but we're being nice and letting them pay afterwards..." Fred and George said winking at him.

"How very generous of you," Neville said smirking.

"We're always generous! We're nice in generous amounts and we're evil in generous amounts too," they said darkly.

"I understand completely... Hex him for me," Neville said.

Fred and George saluted him and gave bows.

"Your wish is our command," they said then left quickly, the Patil twins following to help... and to make sure that they didn't get in to trouble.

"Hi Neville... I know you're tired so I'll let you get some rest, ok? I'm glad you're out of that cocoon," Theodore said genuinely, shaking his hand.

"So am I..." Neville said grinning.

"We all missed you Neville," Millicent said giving him a hug before leaving with her boyfriend.

"Hello Neville! I misses you lots! But you made me happy and I gived you good thoughts!" Relo said happily.

"I know, Relo... Thank you very much... They helped me a lot. Thank you too Lyra and Bexley," Neville said looking at the three creatures.

Bexley bowed, Relo hugged Neville's legs and Lyra flew on to his shoulder, giving him a lick with her tongue before flying out of the room, the other two following her.

Colin stopped taking photos and Luna guided him outside, closing the door behind them.

Blaise looked at Neville shyly, not very confident now that he was awake. Neville pulled Blaise to him and kissed him, locking and silencing the door with a lazy wave of his hand.

"I thought... you were... tired?" Blaise asked between breaths, smirking at him.

"You honestly think I'm going to sleep when you're here? I know you've been waiting for me, love... I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long," Neville said kissing him again.

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Ginevra smirked at Draco and Pansy, watching them as they fought each other with ease. Colin was beside her, clicking away on his camera.

"Are you two just going to leave Ginevra out all night?" Colin asked with a grin as they both stopped fighting to look at him in surprise.

"Leave them alone, Colin... I'm sure I can have one night off..." Ginevra said shaking her head at him. "Continue fighting," she said with a wave.

"Of course, my Queen," Draco said mockingly with a bow.

"Morsus mihi," Ginevra said smirking at him. (Bite me.)

"Quippe," he replied in a drawl. (Certainly or of course.)

"Pugna!" Pansy hissed and kicked at his head. (Fight!)

Draco ducked quickly, laughing at her. He kicked at her chest. Pansy bent backwards so her hands were on the floor and her body was in an upside down 'u'. With a small smirk, she kicked up, her foot connecting with Draco's chin. With a move of ease, Pansy flipped back to an upright stand. She looked down at Draco, who was on the floor, rubbing his chin.

"Where'd you learn that?" he asked.

"From somersaulting in the water as a mermaid... It's far easier due to the lack of gravity and the tails are more flexible, but when you do something over and over enough, you can practically do it anywhere," Pansy replied with a grin.

"That was great... You used your upper arm muscles to flip backwards, didn't you?" Ginevra asked coming over to them.

"It was actually in the kick off the floor. The arms aren't really necessary," she said shrugging.

"So it was back like this..." Ginevra said putting her body in the same way. "Then a kick and small push..." she said, attempting to do it.

Pansy quickly grabbed Ginevra's legs and helped her through the flip.

"You're not supposed to do it without someone to help you on the first few tries..." she said grinning at her.

"It's time for dinner!" Luna called from further down the corridor.

"We're coming!" Colin called then went out, the others following quickly.

"Should we tell them that it's time for dinner?" Pansy asked Ginevra smirking at the door that had been shut for more than seven hours.

"I'm sure they'll come out when they're hungry," Ginevra said with a grin.

"I doubt Blaise is even still awake after the complete lack of sleep he's had these past few days..." Draco drawled.

The door opened and Neville walked out in a green bathrobe, shutting the door behind him softly.

"Oh, he's still awake. Thanks for getting him to sleep for a while at least though... I worried about him. He's lost some weight too," Neville said with a frown.

"Well now that you're awake you can get him to eat and sleep again properly," Theodore said grinning.

"I hope so... I'll just see if he's awake enough to come eat in the Great Hall," Neville said going back in to the room, shutting the door again.

A few seconds later, Neville popped his head out and gave them a guilty grin.

"Looks like I wore him out... I'll stay with him; I'm not up to having everyone in the Great Hall stare at me while I eat..."

"All right... We'll see you later, okay?" Ginevra said.

"Sounds great, lovely," Neville said with a wink.

Ginevra shook her head, laughing as he shut the door again. She led everyone down the corridor to a door near to the Great Hall. Ginevra tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge.

"What's wrong?" Millicent asked, walking over.

"The door isn't opening," Ginevra said with a grunt as she tried to open the door again.

"Can't you just use your magic on it?" Draco asked.

"I could, but it would take a lot out of me to cancel Albus' magic... That and it won't be good to rely on my magic for every little thing... I could end up exhausting it and losing all of my powers... What's wrong?" Ginevra asked, seeing Draco pale.

"Nothing... Just not very fond of having to stay here without any food," Draco drawled.

"Yeah, well I'm sure we can find some way of getting out... I'm going to see if I can find a corridor that's near Fred and George's tunnel," Ginevra said then ran off in one direction quickly.

She turned after about ten seconds, arriving at a dead end. Pointing her wand at the wall, Ginevra moved her head to the side and closed her eyes tightly.

"Diruo!" (To demolish, destroy or ruin.)

The wall exploded around her, small pieces of dirt and stone flying past her.

"Stop!" she said, seeing Albus' white magic attempting to cover the hole.

It stopped slowly and she ran back to the others quickly.

"You're going to have to run... We don't have much time before it closes up," she said, taking hold of Colin, Luna, Pansy, Gregory and Vincent.

"I'll take the others," Draco offered with a smirk, taking hold of the four twins, Millicent and Theodore. "You better hold on," he said and they gripped him tightly.

Ginevra nodded and ran in the direction of the newly created tunnel, Draco following her, keeping up easily. They stopped in front of the hole, letting the others through first. Draco and Ginny went after them, both literally hearing the hole close up behind them.

"So how are we getting back?" Draco asked quietly.

"I'll ask Albus to take the spell off..." Ginevra replied.

"What if he's not there?" Draco asked.

"Thanks for jinxing it..." Ginevra drawled smirking at him.

"You're welcome... I seem to remember this part of the wall," Draco whispered in her ear, seeing part of the crumbled wall that was the same size as his body.

"That's funny, I do too..." Ginevra said raising her eyebrow at him.

"Want to do it again?" he asked huskily.

"No... I don't want to hurt the wall again," she replied smirking.

"There's a lot of wall... I'm sure it'll be fine," he murmured.

"Would you two hurry up?" Fred and Padma called.

Ginevra laughed as Draco's face fell and she ran to catch up with the others.

"So what were you doing back there?" George and Parvati asked smirking at them.

"Talking," Ginevra replied. "I'll go up first... I'll be able to get Filch away fastest if he catches me," she said loud enough for everyone to hear. "And make sure that Draco doesn't follow me until he's gone please," she said shaking her head.

"I don't think I want to know..." Pansy said with a shudder.

"You're right, you don't," Draco said smirking at her.

"Okay, that is far too much information!" Fred and George said shaking their heads at him.

"All right, we're here... Everyone be quiet until I know that the coast is clear," Ginevra said in a hushed tone.

The others moved away from the trapdoor in case Filch was there and nodded to confirm that they would be silent. Ginevra opened the trapdoor and climbed out quickly. She looked around and listened carefully, but didn't see or hear anyone nearby.

"All right, you can come out now," Ginevra said and helped them out of the tunnel.

They all brushed themselves down then went to the Great Hall quickly, hungry after walking so much.

Ginevra sat with everyone at the Slytherin table, smirking as she saw Pansy put spells on her boyfriends’ plates. They started to complain, but went silent as she glared at them warningly.

Luna and Colin were talking too quietly for Ginevra to hear anything over the noises of the rest of the students, but she decided not to pry.

Millicent started talking with Pansy about a new article in The Quibbler and Luna joined in the talk. Soon enough, the three of them were talking about the latest discovery of the albino Niffler lair in Russia.

Fred and Padma were talking in quiet tones, looking over at Ron every so often, while George and Padma were looking at Lavender and talking in hushed tones. The four of them then started up another conversation about the Gryffindor couple, smirking evilly every so often. Ginerva just shook her head, hoping that whatever they did, it wouldn't get them in to too much trouble.

Theodore started to talk about the Quidditch tryouts with Draco and Colin.

"I'll be back in a minute... I've got to talk to Albus," Ginevra said then went up to the teachers’ table.

"Hello Ginevra... I did not expect to see you out of your rooms so soon," Albus said smiling at her.

"I figured as much when we found that your spells were still up," Ginevra said grinning at him.

"I apologise... I will take them down immediately," he said giving her a nod.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginevra said.

"Before you leave, Miss Weasley... Lord Garion was both very impressed and annoyed at what you did to him this morning," Albus said, an amused twinkle in his eye.

"He dared to hit my own," she said angrily. "Besides, it was only a warning..." she said with a shrug.

"That was only a 'warning'? Then I would hate to see what you would send as the actual spell," he said with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Ginevra asked in confusion.

"You sent a spell to Lord Garion that was much like a Howler, but a physical one... It hit him until he apologised for hitting Draco," Albus said, trying not to laugh again. "I do believe that he was knocked unconscious before his apology was genuine enough for the spell," he said, now laughing heartily.

"Oh... Maybe I should send an I'm sorry spell," Ginevra said with a smirk.

"I don't think that would be advisable, Miss Weasley... Garion now has his entire grounds set up to warn him in advance if one of your spells gets in," Albus said seriously. "On another matter, how is young Mr. Longbottom?"

"He's fine... He didn't want everyone to stare at him while he was eating dinner, so he decided to stay behind with Blaise... He's changed physically though and for some reason, I don't think he's going to be very clumsy anymore," she said with a smile.

Ginevra was one of very few that knew that Neville only pretended to be clumsy. Neville was clumsy around people that didn't know him; almost all of Hogwarts. He was a very different and more confident person when it was only himself with Professor Sprout, or Luna, Colin and Ginevra, as they practically knew him inside out. He had also begun to lose his facade around the Slytherins. Now that he was a Full Blooded Nymph, Neville would not be afraid to show the rest of the school and world how he really was.

"That is a very good thing... Are the physical changes enough that no one would be able to recognise him? His teachers will need to be informed if this is the case," Albus said with a smile.

"They'll recognise him after doing a double take," Ginevra said confidently. "His teeth have straightened and his hair is curly and a lighter shade of brown. He's also tanned and his eyes are a darker shade of green, but I doubt anyone but us will notice that," she said.

"Anything else?" Albus asked.

"His thumbs are green," Ginevra said. "Apart from that, I think that you'll have to see him for yourself to see any other changes," Ginevra said, smiling at his enthusiasm and excitement at Neville's transformation.

"Excellent, excellent! I had a hunch that Neville would be a Grower!" Albus said cheerfully, smiling broadly. "Now, I do believe that Professor Snape would like your attention," he said indicating down to Severus, who had been waiting patiently for a few minutes.

"Thank you Professor," Ginevra said and headed down to Professor Snape. "You wanted to talk to me?" she asked.

"Yes," Snape said with a curt nod. "I heard that Mr. Longbottom is now out of his cocoon..." he said.

"Yes, Neville's out of the cocoon... He's perfectly fine, just energetic, I believe," Ginevra said with a grin.

"Good... Do tell Blaise to start eating and sleeping again. I do not wish for him to fail," Snape said curtly.

"Yes Professor," Ginevra said with a grin. "Neville worried about him too... Apparently, Blaise has lost some weight since Neville went in the cocoon... I had better go finish my dinner... Excuse me, Professor," she said giving him a small bow.

"One moment, Miss Weasley... I would appreciate that you tell Mr. Longbottom to be careful in deciding how to punish Mr. Thomas and Mr. Finnigan. I would rather not waste time at the Ministry giving a statement on why two of our students were killed..." Snape drawled.

"Indeed..." Ginevra replied raising her eyebrow at him. "I am sure that Neville would not do that anyway... I'm sure he has better places to be than Azkaban," she said smirking as she went back to her seat.

"What was all of that about?" Draco asked as she sat beside him.

"Albus wanted to know about Neville... Severus wanted to make sure that Neville didn't go to Azkaban," she replied.

"Why would Neville go to Azkaban?" Millicent asked in surprise.

"He gets to decide on the punishment for Dean and Seamus," Ginevra said.

"Where are those little shits?" Gregory asked looking around the Great Hall, as he and Vincent cracked their knuckles.

"Most likely hiding away in the Gryffindor Tower, afraid to come out in fear of seeing one of us," Pansy said with a smirk, when she saw that they weren't there.

"I doubt that. Their Gryffindor stupidity would get in the way..." Draco drawled. "No offence to the Gryffindors present at this table," he added as Colin, Parvati and the three Weasley’s glared at him.

"Well someone's going to get a goodnight kick instead of a kiss," Fred and George said smirking at him.

"Thanks for the idea," Ginevra said grinning evilly.

Draco glowered at them.

"Yes... Thank you for the idea..." he growled.

"You're welcome!" they replied brightly.

"They're leaving," Parvati said quietly and everyone turned to see Ron and Lavender leaving the Gryffindor table.

The pair walked past without so much as a glance in their direction and Ginevra tried not to laugh at the snobbish expression on Lavender's face.

"Did you see the look on Brown's face?" Pansy said laughing as Millicent mimicked the expression almost perfectly.

"She was acting like she was wearing a one million Galleon dress at a children's party," Parvati said laughing.

"It's scary how you can do that Millicent," Ginevra said with a frown.

"I prefer to think of it as talented, if you do not mind!" Millicent replied with a sniff, still pretending to be Lavender.

"No... I think 'scary' sums it up," Colin said laughing as she glared at him. "Be nice or I won't do the present for you-know-who," he said with a wink.

The Great Hall filled with silence at his last few words.

"Oh, for the Gods sakes! I meant her boyfriend, not that You-Know-Who!" Colin called out, disgruntled.

Noise started again and Colin shook his head, muttering about 'nosy people who listen to wrong parts of conversations'...

"So what are you getting me?" Theodore asked grinning at Millicent, who was bright red and still glaring at Colin.

"I am going to dismember you..." she hissed angrily.

"Sounds great... Just let me move out of your reach..." Colin said, quickly moving next to Draco. "Lucky I got her to pay me first," Colin muttered to Draco with a wink.

"What's it for?" Ginevra asked Theodore. "Or at least, what do you think it's for?" she added with a grin.

"Well, my birthday is next week, so I'm hoping it's for that," Theodore said looking at Millicent for an indication of if he was right or not.

Millicent, still glaring at Colin, was now attempting to hex his food.

"Millicent don't play with food, dear... Especially when it doesn't belong to you and you're boyfriend's a healer," Ginevra said absent-mindedly.

Colin poked his tongue out at Millicent then smirked as she went red again. Millicent bent her spoon in half with one hand and his eyes widened in fear and excitement.

"Can you do that again? That was awesome!" Colin said holding his camera up.

"How about this... You pretend to be the spoon and I'll do it again," Millicent snarled.

"Lighten up! It's not like he knows what it is! And if you're that upset I'll just erase his memory," Colin said with a shrug.

"Or I could just spontaneously forget what you're talking about... I happen to like my memory the way it is!" Theodore said quickly.

"Fine... You're not to ask me one more thing about it, is that understood?" Millicent asked sternly glaring at him.

"Understood... Just as long as you remember that I am nothing like that spoon," Theodore said brightly smirking at her.

"So when is it your birthday?" Ginevra asked him curiously.

"It's on the sixteenth of September... This Monday coming up," Theodore said with a grin. "And, in case you're wondering what kind of birthday card to get me, I'm turning eighteen," he said with a wink.

"Who said I'm getting you anything?" Ginevra asked, feigning shock.

"Well if you don't give me a birthday present, then you won't get one from me... House rules," he stated matter-of-factly.

"But I'm not a Slytherin," Ginevra countered, smirking at him.

"Doesn't matter... All House rules," Theodore replied.

"You forced me in to it... I'll get you a present," she said with an elaborated sigh.

"Yay! More presents for me... Now, who else do you think I can convince to get me a present?" Theodore asked as he looked around the Great Hall with a smirk.

"How about the others?" Ginevra drawled raising an eyebrow at him.

"They're givens... They have to get me presents," he said waving her idea off. "Although, I should really make sure..." he mused rubbing his chin with a frown. "You all have to get me presents for me birthday on Monday or else!" Theodore said cheerfully smirking at them.

"Or else what?" Pansy asked glaring at him.

"Or else I won't heal you or buy you birthday presents on your birthday..." Theodore said evilly.

"He's got a good argument, Pans," Vincent said.

"I agree... If we don't get presents on our birthdays from you then we have every right to break your bones," Gregory said smirking at him.

"I will agree to that as long as you exclude me being in the hospital wing, a war or something of the sort is happening, I'm dead or really, really sick..." Theodore said.

Gregory and Vincent muttered incomprehensible words to each other, looking at Theodore a few times.

"Agreed," they said in unison, all three shaking hands.

"They do this every year..." Pansy muttered to Ginevra shaking her head. "You watch... When Theo's birthday comes, either Greg or Vince will be in the hospital and "completely forget" about his birthday," she said smirking.

"You sound so proud of them..." Ginevra drawled.

"Oh, I am... You should see what they do to Draco. They got him a stripper last year... Though I suppose there's no need for that again," she said smirking at her.

"And why is that exactly?" Ginevra asked sweetly, glaring at Pansy.

"Because if they even so much as think of getting him a stripper, you'll probably put them in the hospital wing. If they do get the stripper, then you'll put that poor girl in the hospital wing and then put Draco in St. Mungo's for looking at her," Pansy replied laughing evilly.

"How come everyone ends up in hospital? I am not jealous or insane enough to put four people in the hospital because of one event... Well... I wouldn't hurt the girl. She's just trying to make a living and they'd be the ones who hired her, so it's not her fault..." Ginevra said glaring at Pansy's boyfriends.

"Did we do something wrong?" Vincent asked Gregory quietly, uneasy at the looks Ginevra was giving them.

"I have no idea... You better not try and eat that third chicken leg, just in case..." Gregory muttered in response. "Just smile and push your plate away slowly so you don't get them suspicious..." he said, smiling at the two girls and pushing his own plate away.

Vincent pushed his plate away too, smiling at the girls. Needless to say, both boys were slightly confused when Ginevra and Pansy started laughing hysterically.

"Why do I have the feeling we missed out on something important?" Vincent asked with a sigh.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"We're back!" Pansy called through Blaise and Neville's door when they returned from dinner.

There was no answer, but no one had really expected one anyway and so, they all went their separate ways.

"What on earth were you and Pansy talking about at dinner? I don't think that I've ever seen her laugh so much," Draco said smirking at Ginevra.

"Birthdays and strippers..." she replied smirking as Draco's cheeks went a very light shade of pink.

"I did not ask them to do that!" he said quickly.

"I know..." Ginevra said patting his cheek. "Do you mind if we have a talk?" she asked.

"What about?" Draco asked warily.

"I need to talk about what Xavier and Agnes said..."

"All right then," he replied, obviously relieved.

Ginevra led him to her room and shut the door behind them. She waited until he was seated on her chair to sit across from him on the bed. She stood up again, then began to pace, talking at the same time.

"It's actually about the tea leaves... I had a cup of tea at dinner, and it said that I have to erase everyone's memories again... I know that Xavier and Agnes said that I didn't have to erase everyone's memories, but..." Ginevra said with a sigh, stopping her pacing.

"But?" Draco prompted, waiting.

Ginevra wrung her hands, then began to pace again.

"But I have this weird feeling... It's like I... I don't know... It's almost as if something inside me is telling me that I have to erase the memories, even though I know I don't have to... Am I making any sense?" she asked nervously with a sigh.

"Some..." Draco said with a small smirk.

"I keep thinking how things could be different if I did erase everyone's memories... Ron might not hate me, Lavender wouldn't be so jealous, and Alexander wouldn't do something stupid every time we're together... And our relationship continued on the same path before, so why wouldn't it now? I just know that this is going to eat at me until I do it," Ginevra finished talking with a sigh and looked to Draco again, no longer pacing.

"So you feel guilty for not doing something that a bunch of slime in the bottom of a cup is telling you to do, is that right?" Draco drawled smirking at her.

"Say something constructive about it Draco or I will punch you in the gut," Ginevra snarled.

"Resorting to violence won't solve anything Weasley," Draco drawled, raising an eyebrow as he smirked at her.

"Jerk," she said in a huff, realising that he was teasing her. "So what do you think? Am I being stupid or should I do it?"

"I don't think that you're stupid, Ginevra... But then I also think that you shouldn't do it... In the end it is just slime at the bottom of a cup. However..." he added when she went to say something. "However, if you think that it's the right thing to do, then you should do it..."

"But that's just it, Draco! I don't know if it's right or not... I don't know what anything is anymore..." Ginevra said sighing as she slumped on to her bed. "I want to go back to when I was a kid and my parents were telling me what was good and bad and what I can and can't do... Everything was so much easier then," she said with another sigh.

"It might have been easier, but then you would be caged for your entire life and not know anything for yourself," Draco said quietly, moving beside her and taking her hand in his own. "And besides, if you were still a child I couldn't very well kiss you, now could I?" he asked smirking as he kissed her lightly.

"I would hope that you wouldn't... That would be weird," Ginevra replied. "So should I do it or not?" she asked again.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do Ginevra... It is your own choice whether you do the spell or not. If you think that you will live with regret knowing that you didn't do it, then do the spell... But if you think that you will eventually regret doing the spell again, then don't..."

"You make it seem so simple... How am I supposed to know if I will regret something that I haven't done yet?"

"It's called Seeing, carus," Draco drawled. (Dear or beloved.)

"I can't depend on Seeing to solve all of my problems..."

"But you can depend on me to solve them?" he asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Damn you and your ability to twist my words," Ginevra muttered.

She took her bowl from her shelf and put it on her desk, filling it with water from her wand. Concentrating her mind on what she wanted to See, Ginevra looked in to the bowl.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked when he saw her frowning.

"Nothing happened..." Ginevra muttered.

"Are you concentrating properly?" Draco asked, but quickly shut up when she glared at him.

"Of course I am..."

Ginevra looked back to the bowl and concentrated again.

"Show me," she muttered fiercely.

A cloudy figure appeared that didn't even look like either of them, but Ginevra concentrated with all of her energy on that one image...

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"Just because you think that we went out some time last week, it does not mean that I will 'get back together' with you! You can not 'get back' with someone that you have never been with before!"

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Clouds covered the already cloudy images and nothing else appeared. The clouds disappeared and then it was just water inside of a wooden bowl.

"What did you See?" Draco asked.

"I have no idea... It didn't even look like a person, let alone either of us... And the voice didn't sound right either. It was all clouded, almost like not even the future knows what's going to happen," Ginevra muttered shaking her head.

"Are you going to go through with it then?" Draco asked.

"I know I will regret it if I don't do it.." Ginevra said, sighing as she looked over at him. "I will do it tomorrow night," she said decisively.

"We should tell Xavier and Agnes this time... I would rather not have him angry at me again," Draco said with a smirk.

Ginevra nodded then took out a piece of parchment, an inkbottle and a quill. She wrote a quick note explaining that she was going to do the spell again and when. After blowing on the wet ink to dry it quickly, Ginevra rolled the parchment up and tied it with a ribbon.

"Do you have anything that needs to be sent? I might as well send everything at once," Ginevra said grinning.

"No, but I'll go with you anyway," Draco said.

"All right... I'll see if the others need anything sent and you can get the thicker robes," she said quickly leaving the room before he could protest.

Ginevra knocked on Luna and Colin's door, waiting patiently for them to answer. In a matter of seconds the door was open and Luna looked at Ginevra.

"I think Colin has a letter for his father," she said with a knowing smile.

"Thanks, Luna. Nothing for you then?" Ginevra asked.

"I already sent Father a letter last night... Do you mind if I borrow your Vampire book, Ginevra?" Luna asked.

"Not at all... How long do you need it for?" Ginevra asked, slightly surprised.

"I need it for a few days actually... It has information about house-elves in it and I'm doing an assignment on them for Hagrid," Luna explained.

"That's all right... I have a book specifically on the House-Elf Uprise if you would like that too," Ginevra offered.

"Yes please, if you don't mind lending it to me," Luna said with a smile.

"It's perfectly fine... I know that you won't damage it," Ginevra said grinning.

"Here's my letter... Can you get one of the school owls to send it to Dad for me, please Ginevra?" Colin asked, handing her an envelope.

"Sure... See you tomorrow," she said as she headed to the next door.

Luna and Colin closed the door, Ginevra's magic blocking out their whispers.

Ginevra knocked and Millicent opened the door, moving out in to the corridor, and quickly shutting the door behind her.

"Hi Millicent... Do you and Theodore have any mail that needs to be owled out?" Ginevra asked, trying not to laugh at the half-naked Theodore that Millicent had unsuccessfully tried to hide.

"I don't think so..." Millicent said with a frown.

She opened the door a small way and talked through it.

"You got any mail to be owled?" she asked her boyfriend.

"Not that I know of," Theodore said cheerfully. "Good night Ginevra!" he called as Millicent slipped back inside.

"Good night Theodore! 'Night Millicent," Ginevra said with a smile as she went to the next door, knocking loudly.

Fred and Parvati opened the door, small explosions coming from the interior.

"Hi Ginevra!" Fred said grinning at her.

"Would you two hurry up? You've got the Alihotsy leaves!" George called.

"You're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?" Ginevra asked with a groan.

"Not at all!" Fred replied chirpily, then he saw the envelope and scroll in her hand. "You need any mail owled?" he called back inside.

"I've got a letter for Mother and Father," Padma called back and a letter floated to them. "Thanks Ginevra!"

"You're welcome!" Ginevra called back over another small explosion. "You should put those leaves in soon or else the potion's going to boil over and burn everything in the room... You have ten seconds left... Do not destroy anything that you can't repair!" she yelled as they ran inside again quickly.

Muttering and shaking her head, Ginevra went to the next room, knocking on the door. Gregory answered the door and looked at her quickly.

"Pansy where’s that letter for your parents? Ginevra's going to the Owlery," Gregory called.

"I've got a letter too Greg," Vincent said grumpily, handing him the two envelopes.

"Forgot about that one... Sorry," Gregory said with a guilty grin. "Thanks Ginevra," he said winking at her before shutting the door again.

"You're welcome..." Ginevra muttered, going to the last door and knocking lightly in case one of the boys was asleep.

Blaise answered the door, grinning brightly.

"Hi lovely! You're going to the Owlery obviously... I've got a letter for Mother dearest and Neville should have a letter for his gran but I don't think I've let him have enough time to write it..." Blaise said smirking.

"I do not hear any guilt in that statement whatsoever, Blaise," Neville said kissing him as he handed Ginevra the two envelopes. "And you did give me enough time when you slept for two hours this afternoon..." he added.

Blaise shrugged in response with another grin.

"Thanks for owling everything Ginevra," Neville said. "See you tomorrow, all right?"

"All right... You're welcome," Ginevra said. "By the way, Neville, Severus asked me to deliver a message for you..." she said. "He said for you to be careful in deciding your punishment for Dean and Seamus because he doesn't want to waste time at the Ministry making statements on why two students are dead..." she said smirking.

"Nice to know that he cares..." Blaise muttered rolling his eyes.

"He does... By saying that he doesn't want to waste his time at the Ministry means that he doesn't want me to go to Azkaban..." Neville said.

"It could just mean what he said though," Blaise replied.

"Good night boys," Ginevra said over them, shutting their door and going to the corridor entry.

"Took you long enough, Ginevra," Draco drawled smirking at her, leaning against the wardrobe, two robes over his arm.

"Next time you can interrupt everyone," Ginevra said sweetly, taking a robe from him and putting it on. "This isn't mine," she said with a frown.

"It was easier to just get them both from my room... Besides, I think it would be inappropriate for me to be going through your wardrobe at such an early stage in our relationship," Draco said smirking again.

Ginevra rolled her eyes and walked down the corridor, not waiting for him.

"We're going to have to hurry if we don't want to get caught by Argus... Should have done this earlier," she muttered, her footsteps quickening.

"This time I'll wait until the coast is clear to follow you out," Draco said.

"Please do. As unhygienic as the man is, I just can not hate him enough to let you give him a heart attack," Ginevra said with a grin.

"Why is that? Everyone in this school hates Filch."

"Yet I am not everyone, am I?" she teased smiling back at him.

Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Argus can not be that bad a man when he has a cat that absolutely adores him like Mrs. Norris does. Sometimes I feel guilty for having Petrified her and think that's why I like him; because I feel obliged to. But at other times I just think that he's just misunderstood and everyone's too hard on the poor man..."

Draco scoffed but didn't say anything as Ginevra narrowed her eyes at him warningly.

"He just wants to do his job and do it right. Then he has to deal with every kid in the school that hates him and who try to make his life miserable by ruining what he has already done," Ginevra said shaking her head. "We cleaned Professor McGonagall's classroom for just an hour and you saw how Millicent was when Ron and Lavender ruined it... Imagine having to deal with that, and more, every single day... Argus has to deal with hundreds of students ruining the corridors that he's just cleaned, not including all of the damage that Peeves does..."

"Well I can see your point... Now this gives me another reason to take House points off people," he said chuckling as Ginevra shook her head at him in disbelief.

She stopped in front of the next door and climbed out cautiously, looking around for the caretaker. Not seeing him or hearing anyone else, she called Draco out and they went up to the Owlery quickly and quietly.

"You can give these ones out because I don't know their owls," Ginevra said, handing the four envelopes to him.

Draco sighed and started going along the perches. Ginevra went over to the school owls and gave one Colin's letter and gave Neville's letter to the other. Then she went along the perches and found Parvati and Padma's owl, giving the envelope to him, watching as the owls flew out of the opening.

Ginevra rubbed her arms in the cool air, thankful that she had Draco's robe. It was definitely thick and it also had warming charms sewn in to the fabric.

"Are you warm enough?" Draco asked looking at her.

"I'm fine... I just want to get back before Argus comes up here on his rounds," Ginevra said.

"Filch has to come up here to check for students?" Draco asked in surprise.

He hadn't heard anything about it as Head Boy!

"Oh, no... He cleans out the Owlery every night, then he goes to check for students," she replied smirking.

"And Filch does this willingly?" Draco asked looking at the feathers and dried owl droppings around them.

"At the prefect meetings last year Argus said that he doesn't do it willingly, but I've heard him whistling while he's been sweeping up here before, so I think that he's just joking," Ginevra said with a small smile.

She looked around quickly and grabbed Draco's hand, pulling him to the very back of the Owlery where not even the moonlight could reach. When they were completely hidden, Draco went to question her, but Ginevra put a finger to her lips so he remained silent. They both watched the Owlery entry quietly.

Footsteps sounded and Filch appeared, a broom in his hand. He headed as far back as he could see and began to sweep steadily. After a few minutes, he started to whistle a tune in time with his sweeping. Mrs. Norris appeared soon after, padding over to her master silently and rubbing her cheek against his leg affectionately.

Ginevra silently took the outer robe off and quickly turned in to a cat. Mrs. Norris came over, as if stalking a mouse, so as not to make Filch suspicious and find them.

"Hello young queen," Mrs. Norris said quietly.

"Hello Mrs. Norris... Would you mind getting Argus to leave so that Draco and I may leave? We were just here to send a letter to my mentor," Ginevra explained softly.

"You were both here to send one letter? Perhaps my master's assumptions were correct after all," Mrs. Norris said smugly.

"We had more than one letter and Draco only came because I didn't know the others' owls," Ginevra said curtly.

"Of course... I will help you, young queen," Mrs. Norris said then went back to Filch.

Her back arched upwards and she let out a hiss, running to the door and looking back to her master.

"They're at it already, eh? Go on Mrs. Norris love, I'll catch you up," Argus said.

Mrs. Norris sprinted out the door. Argus sighed wearily and leant the broom against the doorframe before leaving quickly after her.

Ginevra turned back in to her human self and went over to Draco, still listening cautiously.

"We've got to hurry... I don't know how long she can hold him off for," she said quietly.

Draco nodded and they rushed downstairs silently, going through the first tapestry they came to, not seeing Argus once. They both stayed silent as they walked through the corridor to Ginevra's room.

"Can you tell me when you're going to do the spell? I want to be there..." Draco said.

"I don't want you to be there again... If you're there I might change my mind," Ginevra replied.

"I doubt you would... You're stubborn," he said smirking.

"I'm as stubborn as you are conceited," she taunted.

"Well then I suppose you're the most stubborn person in the world..." Draco said.

"Must be," Ginevra said as she opened the wardrobe door. "All right, who in the Gods names doesn't have the silencing spell on their room?" she yelled wincing.

"Gods, that is wrong... I completely sympathise," Draco muttered covering his soiled ears.

"You can hear it?" Ginevra asked in surprise.

Draco nodded, still wincing and looking disgusted.

"It's Millicent and Theodore..." he said going a light shade of green.

Ginevra shook her head and went to their room, reapplying the spell and sighing in relief as silence followed.

"I need a shower... I feel dirty," Draco muttered, brushing off his robes quickly.

"Thanks for coming to the Owlery with me, Draco," Ginevra said giving him back his robe.

"It was nothing," Draco said shrugging.

He sauntered over to Ginevra and kissed her soundly.

"Good night Draconius," she whispered and slipped away quickly.

"Good night Ginevra," Draco said with a sigh as he headed to his room.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Thursday, Sept. 12

Ginevra woke up, stretching lazily. Seeing the time and knowing that no one would be awake, she headed to the bathroom to have a shower.

After drying her body and getting changed into her school uniform, Ginevra left the bathroom to see that a few of them were awake.

Pansy waved to her with a yawn, resting her head against Vincent and Gregory tiredly. Theodore was awake and looking far too cheerful for Ginevra's likes. She shook her head as he started whistling and watched as Fred and George hit him, looking tired. Ginevra noticed that their hair was singed and shook her head.

"I don't even want to know why you're all so tired..." Ginevra muttered shaking her head. "And I already know why you're so happy Theodore! The next time you take off the silencing spell, put it back on!" she yelled as she went back to her room.

"Sorry!" Theodore called down to her cheekily.

Grabbing her bag, Ginevra looked around the room for Relo and Bexley. She grinned when she saw Relo's foot poking out from underneath her bed and heard him snoring softly.

"Good morning, Ginevra," Bexley said floating in to the room.

"Hello Bexley... Where were you?" Ginevra asked.

"I was talking with the others," Bexley said as he returned to her body.

Padma knocked on the door and looked at her.

"Do you mind if we borrow Bexley tonight, Ginevra?" Padma asked smirking evilly.

"As long as I don't get into trouble for whatever you're going to do, then yes..." Ginevra replied with a grin.

"Don't worry... We'll be as good as Galleons," she drawled winking as she left.

"Yeah, and I'm going to magically turn in to a pumpkin at the next full moon," Ginevra muttered shaking her head.

"Well thanks for telling me... At least I know how much time you have left as a witch," Draco drawled appearing at her door. "So, why are you turning in to a pumpkin?" he asked, smirking at her.

"Because the twins think that they're going to be as good as Galleons," she replied.

"Well, I can definitely see how that would make you turn in to a pumpkin... Perhaps there's a counter curse for it," Draco said softly, kissing her.

"That might do it," Ginevra said smiling at him.

"Gods... You're making lovey-dovey faces at each other... I feel nauseous," Pansy said, fanning herself as she fell back into Vincent's arms dramatically.

"Would you rather I made lovey-dovey faces with your boyfriends then?" Ginevra asked raising an eyebrow at her with a broad smirk.

"Look at them and you will die a very slow and painful death, my dear... Can you two hurry it up? The Great Hall will be open for breakfast soon," Pansy said, leaving with Gregory and Vincent.

"Hold on to your broomstick, we're coming," Draco muttered going after them with Ginevra.

"Is everyone up and ready to go, or are they going to miss breakfast?" Ginevra asked Pansy.

"They're all waiting in the corridor..." Pansy replied. "Well except for Luna, Colin, Blaise and Neville," she added as she went through the wardrobe.

"I should go see if they're getting ready," Ginevra said.

"Luna will get them, I'm sure. She always knows when someone's going to be late," Millicent muttered shaking her head.

"I guess you're right..." she said and they headed down along the corridor. "I thought I told you not to burn my room?" Ginevra glared at her brothers, who both blushed slightly.

"To be technical about it..." Fred began.

"You actually said for us not to destroy," George continued.

"Anything that we couldn't repair," the Patil twins finished with identical smirks.

"And your eyebrows don't count?" Ginevra asked raising her own eyebrow at them.

"They're not yours, now are they?" Fred and George countered matter-of-factly.

"True... But they were in my rooms," Ginevra replied.

"Hmm... I believe that Ginevra has us there, Fred," George said frowning at his twin.

"Indeed, I think she does..." Fred replied nodding his head.

"Congratulations," they said in unison, shaking her hands from either side of them.

"Would you guys hurry up? I'm starving!" Pansy groaned, almost on their heels.

"Gets like that after a good romp, doesn't she Vince?" Theodore said, mimicking his words from earlier in the week.

"You bet..." Vincent said nudging Gregory, both of them laughing as Theodore went red.

"Now, now... Don't be mean to the poor boy. He's going to be one of the few who have the ability to heal you properly and if you're not nice, I'm sure Theodore will take great pleasure in watching you cry from a stab wound," Pansy said, patting her boyfriends’ shoulders lightly.

"True... Sorry Theo," Gregory said winking at him.

"Sorry mate," Vincent said hitting him on the shoulder.

"You will be if that bruises," Theodore warned, rubbing his shoulder.

"Are you threatening to hex me?" Vincent asked smirking at him.

"No... I am," Millicent growled. "Stop your fooling around and move it! Or else Pansy and I will be forced to hex you in order to get to our food!"

"Agreed," Pansy said warningly when Vincent went to say something to Millicent.

The three boys quickly moved out of their way and everyone hurried to the open tapestry that the four twins, Ginevra and Draco were waiting in front of.

"Finally! I thought we were going to have to go back and get you..." Ginevra muttered, going through the doorway.

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"Ginevra is going to erase everyone's memories tonight..." Luna informed Blaise and Neville.

"That was why you hexed Pansy, wasn't it?" Blaise asked quietly. "You didn't want her to come in and tell Ginevra not to do it..."

"It was necessary to stop her... I could not allow her to ruin everything that has been Planned because of her anger and pain," Luna said. "There are two ways to stop it from happening however," she added before Blaise or Neville could say anything. "The first and easiest way is to have a net spelled to resist or hold harmful or suspicious charms..."

"But..." Blaise went to say but Luna shot him a glance and he shut up quickly.

"As you do not have one of these, you will have to use the second way. You will both have to become emotional. Not just a tear escaping emotional, I mean so emotional that you will not feel anything for hours afterwards. The easiest way to achieve that is to sexually climax at the same time as Ginevra's spell enters your mind," Luna said, not a hint of embarrassment in her voice or showing on her face.

"You know the time it will happen then?" Neville asked only slightly surprised.

Luna nodded the affirmative and smiled at him.

"Ginevra's spell will enter her rooms at eleven o'clock exactly," she informed them.

"Well, it looks like our night's planned," Neville said grinning at Blaise.

"Who said I wasn't going to do that with you anyway?" Blaise murmured in his ear.

Luna smiled at them, then shaking her head lightly, she went and opened their door. Colin grinned at her then looked into the room and saw Blaise and Neville kissing.

"All right you two... Not before breakfast," Colin said shaking his head at them.

Blaise and Neville pulled apart and followed them through the wardrobe and down the corridor.

"So how do you know all of that exactly?" Blaise asked Luna in interest.

"I See a lot more than other people do," Luna replied vaguely, shrugging delicately.

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"There you four are! Ginevra's been worried sick about you," Pansy said nodding her head at the redhead.

"I have not been worried sick," Ginevra muttered glaring at her. "I was just wondering when you'd turn up, that's all," she said smiling at them. "What took you so long?"

"We just lost track of the time and Luna and Colin were kind enough to get us," Neville said, a small blush forming on his face. "Why is everyone staring at us?" he asked, looking at more than half of the students who were staring at them intently.

"They're not staring at us, my little nymph..." Ginevra replied smirking at him. "They're staring at you, wondering who on Earth you are, and why they haven't seen you before and how could they have overlooked someone so handsome?" she said, mimicking their thoughts dramatically, laughing as Neville blushed again.

"Damn, and here I thought I was the handsome one," Draco drawled, seeing that most of the looks were directed at Neville. Giving an almost bored shrug, he went back to eating his breakfast.

"Don't worry, they'll stop staring soon enough," Parvati said smiling at Neville reassuringly.

"Maybe not Ronnie-kins and Brown though..." George added, glancing at his brother and his girlfriend.

"I think they're staring at Ginevra rather than Neville," Fred noted, squinting comically as he tried to determine exactly who they were looking at.

"They're alternating between them... Ron's staring at Neville in shock, then glaring at Ginevra..." Padma said.

"And Lavender's staring at Neville in surprise and lust, then she goes to glaring at Ginevra too," Parvati said with a nod.

"She's staring at my boyfriend with lust? Can I kill her now?" Blaise growled to Ginevra and Luna, both of whom shook their heads firmly.

"If she keeps looking at me like that I'm going to have to go take a shower... I feel dirty," Neville said shuddering.

"Well you better make it a quick one because it's time for Charms," Ginevra said hearing the school clock ticking in her mind loudly. The bell rang after her words, as if on cue and they stood to leave.

"I don't know if I should be scared that you can hear that well or not," Millicent commented as she walked past Ginevra.

"Scared, of course," Ginevra muttered smirking at her.

"See you at recess," Colin called as he left with Luna.

"See you later," Parvati called back, waving to them.

"Ginevra, we're going to have to get Bexley from you after classes today..." Padma said as they walked down to the Charms classroom.

"All right... Can I ask why?" Ginevra replied.

"Fred and George invited us to their shop tonight..." Parvati said smiling.

"We wouldn't want to risk destroying something of yours that we can't repair, after all," Fred and George said winking as they came up behind them.

"You don't have to leave you know..." Ginevra said frowning at them.

"Well the silencing spells are wearing off and we doubt you're going to want to put them back on in the early hours of the morning, now are you?" her brothers said grinning.

"I don't know whether to be sick or happy that you're serious enough about your relationship with them to be doing that already..." she muttered shaking her head.

"Well, we'll leave you to ponder over that during your lovely Charms lesson," Fred and George said giving her a brief hug before going to a side corridor and opening a tapestry, disappearing from sight as they spoke in hushed tones.

"What was all that about?" Pansy asked coming over to them. "Why aren't they coming to class?"

"I have no idea..." Ginevra replied shaking her head.

Ginevra sat next to Neville and watched as Blaise and Draco sat in front of them, while the other seven sat further down the rows next to them.

Pansy muttered something to Vincent and Gregory, and Ginevra looked to the classroom entrance. Seamus and Dean walked in, Dean favouring his right leg. Silence fell through their group as the eleven of them all glared at the two boys. Seamus went red and averted his gaze, but Dean pretended not to see them. Both of them decided to sit on the other side of the classroom.

Scars showed on their faces plainly and Ginevra could almost see the outline of Blaise's hooves on them. She shivered unwillingly and Neville looked at her for a moment, clasping her hand in his own. His green thumb glowed for a moment and a calm feeling flowed through her, relaxing Ginevra considerably.

"Remember that it is my decision. Calm down, lovely..." Neville said with a wink.

"Thank you Neville," Ginevra whispered.

Flitwick looked at the class and was about to start the attendance when Lavender called for him.

"Professor Flitwick?" Lavender called putting her hand up.

"Yes Miss Brown?" Flitwick asked kindly.

"I believe that some punishment is due for the people who so rudely skipped class yesterday," Lavender said looking at Ginevra pointedly.

"They were excused from class by Professor Dumbledore, Miss Brown... No punishment is needed for them," Flitwick said.

"But... They skipped all of their classes, not just this one!" Lavender said.

"Yes, and they were excused from those lessons as well... May I take attendance now, or is there something else you would like to say, Miss Brown?" Flitwick asked, slightly annoyed.

Lavender didn't say anything and Flitwick started taking attendance, not seeing Lavender glaring at Ginevra.

"Blaise Zabini," Flitwick finished.

"Present," Blaise said.

"It is excellent to see that everyone is here today," Flitwick said genuinely, smiling at the class. "I will be teaching you the Sleeping Charm... Does anyone know the incantation for this spell?" he asked looking at everyone.

Hermione's hand shot up in to the air. Neville and Ginevra put their hands up, as did Blaise and the Patil twins.

"Miss Patil," Flitwick said smiling at the twins.

"The incantation is dormio," Padma and Parvati answered in unison. (To sleep.)

"Excellent work, girls! Five points to Slytherin and Gryffindor," he said beaming. "Now, the counter-spell is the Awakening Charm... What is the incantation for this spell?" he asked looking around the room as the same and a few more hands went up. "Mr. Longbottom," Flitwick said smiling at him.

"Vigilo," Neville replied. (To be awake.)

"Very good! Five points awarded to Gryffindor. Now... Besides putting a person to sleep, how else does the Sleeping Charm affect the person it is put upon?" he asked watching with some disappointment as some hands went down.

Only Hermione and Ginevra had their hands up after a few seconds; Hermione was off her seat, stretching as far as she could in an effort to be noticed.

"Hermione, I'm sure that Professor Flitwick can see your arm waving about... I don't think there's a reason for you to be standing up to get his attention! He's not that short," Ginevra said grinning at him.

Flitwick gave a chuckle and Hermione sat in her seat, her hand still raised.

"I had hoped for a Slytherin to answer this question in order to even out the points awarded this lesson," Flitwick said with a sigh. "Are you all quite certain that you cannot answer the question?" he asked looking at the Slytherins around the room.

Rolling his eyes, Draco raised his hand. Flitwick beamed at him encouragingly and nodded for him to answer.

"The Sleeping Charm affects the dreams that a person has, depending on the person's soul. If a person's soul is bad then they will have nightmares, but if their soul is good then they will have pleasant dreams about things that make them happy... So watch out for Potter dreaming about fluffy bunny rabbits," Draco muttered the last part to Blaise, who smirked at him.

"Correct, Mr. Malfoy! Five points to Slytherin. Clear your tables, quickly please," Flitwick said.

Everyone did as he instructed. Flitwick then told them to move to one side of the room and flicked his wand. All of the tables on the opposite side of the room turned in to long beds.

"Now, I want you to all get into pairs and stand behind a bed. One person is to lie down on the bed, while the other is to perform the spell," Flitwick instructed.

"Can we be in a group of three, Professor?" Pansy asked, standing with Vincent and Gregory.

"I am sorry, Miss Parkinson, but one of you will have to go with Mr. Finnigan, as he does not have a partner," Flitwick said, motioning to Seamus, who had paled dramatically.

Seamus looked to Dean, who was partnered with Sally-Anne for help but the boy didn't even look in his direction.

"I'll go with him, Professor," Pansy said sweetly as she went over to Seamus, glaring at him with hate.

Seamus avoided her gaze, and looked anywhere but her.

"Now, who is with who here?" Flitwick asked as he floated over to Ginevra, Draco, Blaise and Neville.

"I'm with Draco," Ginevra said smiling as Neville and Blaise grinned at her gratefully.

"Very well... Go to a bed then," Flitwick said.

Ginevra went red as she heard Draco's thoughts and hit his shoulder.

"Don't think about me like that in class Draconius!" she hissed at him. "I'm putting that spell on you first," she said as they went to the last empty bed next to Blaise and Neville's.

Draco just smirked at her and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes.

"These beds are comfortable..." Ginevra heard Blaise mutter with a yawn. "Bugger the spell, I'll just fall asleep without it," he joked grinning at Neville.

"Settle down now class... Do the spell," Flitwick said and shouts of dormio went through the room.

"Why are they all shouting?" Draco muttered shaking his head at their stupidity.

"They yell because they think that will increase their chances of getting the spell to actually work," Ginevra replied with a smirk. "Now shut up and open your eyes so I can see if the spell works or not," she instructed.

Draco sighed and reluctantly did as he was told.

"Dormio," Ginevra muttered, watching as his eyes fluttered shut.

She looked at the rest of the class, seeing some people attempting the spell again. In less than five minutes, half of the class was asleep. Ginevra turned back to Draco, wondering if he was having a dream or a nightmare...

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Draco looked around at the complete nothingness that he was surrounded by, wondering the same thing as Ginevra was... Was this a nightmare or a dream?

Ginevra appeared by his side and she smiled at him.

"Is this a dream or a nightmare?" Draco asked her, seeing the knowing look on her face.

"It is both and it is neither... I am here, indicating that it is a dream," Ginevra said confidently. "Yet, the fact that we are surrounded by Nothing, that means it is also part nightmare," she said.

"So a nightmare is Nothing then?" he asked raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"When you wake up, then yes, a nightmare becomes Nothing; a mere memory of some unexplainable and forgotten fear. The Nothing is what comes before the nightmare actually begins... So though this is neither a dream nor a nightmare, it has the ability to be both. Perhaps you should return in a year's time and see what is here, that may be a better solution," Ginevra said with a smile.

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Ginevra watched as Dean thrashed on the bed wildly, one of the signs of having a nightmare. Then he started to scream: loudly. She winced and watched as Sally-Anne attempted to wake him up, without much success. His screams got louder and Ginevra's head started to throb.

Ron began to thrash too, and soon his own loud screams joined in with Dean's.

"For the Gods sakes! Would you wake them up so we don't get headaches from their screaming?!" she yelled over both Ron's and Dean's screams at Sally-Anne and Lavender.

"For once I agree with you, Weasley," Lavender muttered, glaring down at her boyfriend. "Vigilo," Lavender said and Ron's screams ceased immediately.

"The spell isn't working..." Sally-Anne said, attempting the spell yet again.

Ginevra muttered about stupid witches who can't even do the simplest charm, then stalked over to her. She pointed her wand at Dean.

"You should actually practise magic before attempting it, Perks... Vigilo!" Ginevra said, leaving with another mutter.

Dean's screams stopped as he woke up and looked around, his face pale.

"All right, class... Wake up your partners," Flitwick said, quite glad that someone had taken the initiative to stop Dean's screams while he was on the other side of the room. "Ask if they had a dream or nightmare and what it was about."

"Vigilo," Ginevra said.

Draco opened his eyes and he sat up, looking slightly confused and annoyed.

"Dream or nightmare and what was it about?" she asked.

"Both... Neither," Draco muttered, shaking his head. "It was about you so that's why it was a dream, but then we were surrounded by Nothing which means it was a nightmare too," he said.

Ginevra regarded him for a moment, then nodded and wrote down his answer.

"Miss Parkinson, I said for you to wake up your partner," Flitwick said, floating over, seeing that Seamus was still lying on the bed sleeping peacefully.

"I'm waiting for him to have a nightmare first," Pansy growled, glaring down at Seamus.

"Miss Parkinson. Wake your partner up or else I will have to fail you for this section of work," Flitwick said stonily.

"Vigilo," Pansy muttered and Seamus woke up.

He sat up looking slightly happy, but he still would not look at Pansy.

"Well? Was it a dream or nightmare? What was it about?" she asked the mandatory questions, glaring at him again.

"I had a dream..." Seamus said quietly, looking down at his feet as he swung his legs back and forth. "It was my eleventh birthday when I got the letter for Hogwarts..." he said.

Pansy rolled her eyes and wrote down his answers.

"Dream or nightmare? What was it about?" Neville asked Blaise.

"Dream and I don't think the class should know what I dreamt..." he said, pulling him close and whispering in his ear.

Neville went bright red as Blaise's words registered in his mind.

"I think you're right... I don't think it would have been appropriate for them to hear that," he said with a grin. "I guess dream and personal will just have to do for answers," he muttered, writing it on the parchment.

"Did you have a dream or a nightmare?" Sally-Anne asked Dean, who glared at her.

"I think that answer is obvious since you all heard my screams," he said angrily.

"Don't get all prissy with me! I'm only asking the questions that Professor Flitwick told us to ask! Now, what was your nightmare about?" she asked, quill poised.

"Hell... There was fire and all I could feel was pain," he answered quietly, shuddering at the memory.

"What did you dream about?" Parvati asked her sister with a knowing grin. "Or should I say, who?"

"Fred, who else? We were hexing Ronnie-kins in to oblivion... I wonder if Flitwick will let me go to sleep again? I want to know if he ended up begging for his miserable pathetic life or not," she snarled, glaring across the room at Ron.

"If you leave out why you want to go to sleep again, then he might," Parvati said smiling.

"Did you have a dream or a nightmare?" Hermione asked Harry, who looked confused after having woken up.

"I... I don't know... I dreamt that I was fighting Death Eaters, but when I got to Voldemort he told me that I wasn't the One he had to worry about," Harry said shaking his head. "Is that good or bad?"

"Was there anything else in it?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"I was wearing a ring on my wedding finger..." he said, rubbing the finger as if he could still see the ring on it. "It was a dream, not a nightmare," Harry said decisively. "I think..." he added with a frown.

"What did you dream about?" Millicent asked Theodore.

"I was Head Healer... We were happily married and we had two children... Twins," he said with a grin.

"Oh good... That means twice the labour pains," Millicent muttered. "And twice the amount of times I'll have to get up in the middle of the night when one is crying and wakes up the other one... The amount of diapers is doubled too..."

"Twice the love," Theodore said with a wink as he kissed her lightly.

"Once you have finished asking the questions, swap around so the person who just did the spell is now on the bed," Flitwick said.

"You know the questions," Vincent said to Gregory with a smirk.

"Dream... We were both married to Pansy by law and I think it was our honeymoon," Gregory said smirking broadly as the dream surfaced in his mind again.

"It's impossible for all three of us to marry by law though," Vincent said in surprise.

"Just telling you what I dreamt," Gregory said with a shrug.

"We both know it was a nightmare..." Lavender muttered glaring at Ron again. "What was it about?" she asked.

"Ginevra had spiders that could control people and she let them in to my room. They made me tap dance..." Ron replied with a shudder. "Then the spiders took me outside and made me lie down in a grave. They covered me and Ginevra only laughed evilly as she made them kill me..." he said paling considerably.

Ginevra and Draco swapped and she smirked up at him.

"Maybe I should get Ronald a man-eating spider for his birthday," she muttered and Draco chuckled softly. "Blaise was right, this bed is comfortable..." Ginevra said yawning slightly.

"You may all do the spell now," Flitwick said.

"Dormio," Draco said, watching as Ginevra's eyes closed.

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Ginevra looked around, but she was surrounded by Nothingness. She sighed.

"This is going to be like Draco's dream, isn't it?" she muttered.

"That all depends on what you would like me to do," Draco whispered in her ear huskily.

"I would like you to stop thinking about me like that when we're in class! I already told you not to!" Ginevra said with a half-hearted glare.

Draco laughed and kissed her as she went to talk again.

"You know you love the attention, carus..." he whispered. (Dear or beloved.)

"Morsus mihi," Ginevra drawled with a smile. "So this is a nightmare and a dream, right?" she asked, seeing the Nothingness that still surrounded them. (Bite me.)

Draco nodded. "It is a dream because I am here... If I was not here then I would be very annoyed," he drawled, smirking at her. "Yet because there is also Nothingness here that means that this is also a nightmare," Draco explained.

"So Nothing is a nightmare?" Ginevra asked.

"When you wake up, then yes, a nightmare becomes Nothing; a mere memory of some unexplainable and forgotten fear. The Nothing is what comes before the nightmare actually begins... So though this is neither a dream nor a nightmare, it has the ability to be both. Perhaps you should return in a year's time and see what is here, that may be a better solution," Draco said.

He kissed her again, smirking.

"This is supposed to be my dream and you still can't keep your bad thoughts or lips to yourself," Ginevra sighed shaking her head as she kissed him back.

"This is your dream so you're the one that doesn't want me to..." Draco replied, kissing her again.

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Draco looked around the room at the sleeping students. Lavender began to thrash wildly in her bed and just as her ear-piercing screams began to give everyone headaches, Weasley woke her up.

"Wake up your partners," Flitwick called. "Ask them the same questions," he instructed.

"Vigilo," Draco said watching Ginevra's eyes open.

She sat up and looked at him.

"You just can't keep your lips to yourself, can you?" Ginevra muttered shaking her head.

"I will assume that you had a dream and I was in it then?" Draco asked smirking at her.

"No... It was a dream and a nightmare... The same as you, except mine involved a lot more kissing than yours did..."

"How come you didn't kiss me?" Draco asked pouting slightly.

"Because I'm smart enough not to, even in your dream..." Ginevra replied with a smirk.

"Did you have a dream or nightmare and what was it about?" Seamus asked Pansy, still not looking at her.

"I had a dream and it was personal... That is all you need to know, Finnigan," she hissed.

Seamus nodded quickly and wrote down her answer.

"You're lucky that we decided Neville would be deciding your punishment, or you would still be in that bloody hospital wing," Pansy snarled at him.

"I know..." Seamus said quietly, tears springing to his eyes. "I didn't mean for it to get that far, you know... Dean..." he went to say, then his mouth shut quickly.

"He put a spell on you, didn't he?" Pansy asked.

Seamus looked at her and she saw the shame and regret in his eyes as a few tears escaped from his eyes. He nodded.

"Dream or nightmare, and what was it about?" Blaise asked Neville.

"Dream... I was with the nymphs again and you were with me this time... We were..." Neville went to say, then pulled him close and whispered the rest quietly.

"Really? Haven't done that before..." Blaise said smirking as his boyfriend blushed again.

"Not that I care, but did you have a dream or nightmare and what was it about?" Dean asked in a bored tone.

Sally-Anne glared at him and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm regretting taking you as a partner, Dean! The least you could do is act interested for goodness sakes!" she said indignantly.

"Fine... Don't get your knickers in a knot..." he muttered. "Dearest one of mine, did you have a dream or a nightmare? Please do tell me what it was about!" he said sarcastically. "Better?" Dean asked.

"You're a right prick, you know that Dean?" Sally-Anne said glaring at him.

"Just answer the question Perks," he drawled.

"I had a dream... I was lying in a field of flowers looking at the different shapes of the clouds," she said.

"That's it?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"Yes, that was it! Oh, just write down the answer and leave me alone," Sally-Anne said turning away from him in a huff.

"Who and what did you dream about?" Padma asked smirking at her twin.

"I dreamt about George and we were making new jokes for the shop while you were out with Fred hexing Ron into oblivion," Parvati said smiling. "He did beg in the end," she added.

"I knew he would! Stupid spineless git... It was because of the spiders, wasn't it?" Padma asked eagerly.

"I worry about you sometimes, sister dearest... Yes, it was because of the spiders," Parvati said when Padma just shrugged in response.

"There's no need for you to worry about me, dearest sister... Mother does that enough... Which reminds me. I should be getting a letter from her soon... I told her about the twins and us. She'll be ordering the wedding robes within the week," Padma drawled rolling her eyes.

"Mother wouldn't order them just because we've got boyfriends..." Parvati said, but Padma only looked at her pointedly.

"You remember when we went to the Yule Ball with Potter and Weasley? I still can not believe you dragged me into that, by the way," she said glaring at her. "I was teased for weeks on end..." Padma growled.

"I already apologised for that... And yes, I do remember what Mother was like... Perhaps we should go to Madam Malkin's on the weekend and cancel any order she's had from her," Parvati said shaking her head.

"I'll write to Father to see if he can make Mother see sense... I know that if he doesn't stop her, then we're going to be stuck with robes that have blow-up sleeves," Padma said in disgust and Parvati shuddered at the thought.

"Did you have a dream or nightmare and what was it about?" Harry asked Hermione as she woke up after his second attempt at the Awakening Charm.

"I don't know... I was in the wizarding world's largest library, but I couldn't find the book I wanted," Hermione said with a frown. "I just kept looking and looking... Then I found it... There was a wedding ring in front of the book and I couldn't take the book without taking the ring too..." she remembered, still frowning.

"Did you take the ring?" Harry asked.

"I think I did..." Hermione said, then she shook her head. "It was a dream about the wizarding world's largest library, just write that," she said.

Harry nodded and wrote her answer down, smiling.

"What was your dream about?" Theodore asked Millicent.

"How do you even know it was a dream?" she asked with a grin.

"You didn't thrash about in your bed and you didn't scream like a banshee, so I thought it would be safe to assume it was a dream," Theodore said.

"It was a dream. It was like yours, but from my perspective. We were married and had two kids. I was working on something that was titled 'Government' but it wasn't anything to do for the Ministry, so I have no idea what that was about," Millicent said with a shrug.

Theodore shrugged, not knowing either, then wrote down her answer.

"What was your dream about?" Gregory asked Vincent.

"Same as yours, except we were in the dining room instead... That sure put a new meaning to dessert," Vincent said smirking as he explained in quiet tones what he was talking about.

"That sure does... Reckon she'll try it?" Gregory asked looking over to their girlfriend.

"If we ask nicely and eat all of our vegetables, then she might," Vincent replied with another smirk.

"What was your nightmare about?" Ron asked Lavender.

"Ginevra turned me in to a monster and tortured me... Then she made me her slave for the rest of time," Lavender said with a horrified shudder.

"I would like all of your answers put in a neat pile on my desk as you leave in an orderly file," Flitwick instructed as the bell went for their next lesson.

"Do you think that the dreams were real?" Padma asked everyone as they left.

"It will be..." Blaise said smirking at Neville.

"Gods, I'm buying you both mind shields! Honestly, you just can't keep those thoughts to yourself, can you?" Ginevra muttered, blushing as their thoughts entered her unwillingly mind.

"I wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun..." Blaise said with a wink.

Ginevra shook her head and they walked down in to the dungeons silently.

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"You are all to be seated in you new seating arrangements, as you were supposed to be yesterday..." Snape drawled as he entered the classroom. "Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom, you are to be seated with Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini over there," Snape instructed, indicating to the empty table at the back of the classroom. "Miss and Miss Patil, you are to be seated with Miss Perks and Mr. Weasley," he said nodding to where the latter two were seated. "Miss Parkinson, Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe, you are to be seated with Mr. Finnigan as there were more Slytherins than Gryffindors, which is not very surprising," Snape drawled, smirking at the class. "Miss Bulstrode and Mr. Nott you are to be seated with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," he instructed.

They all went to their seats and waited for Snape to continue talking.

"As yesterday's lesson was a complete disaster, all of you will copy chapters three and four from your Potions books. There is to be no talking and I do not want to hear one single complaint, is that understood?" Snape asked glaring at everyone full-heartedly.

Not one of the students said a word and everyone turned to the third chapter and began to copy out the potions and information.

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The bell rang and everyone gratefully put their things away, leaving the Potions classroom as quickly and quietly as possible, only daring to complain once they were outside.

"Do we even want to know what happened yesterday?" Pansy asked smirking at Severus.

"I am shocked that you didn't hear the explosion," Snape drawled shaking his head. "The entire classroom was that colour," he growled, pointing to a new scorch mark on the ground. "Not even the house elves could get that out," he said angrily.

"An explosion, the entire classroom full of soot and scorch marks and not one person was in the hospital wing?" Ginevra asked in surprise.

"I realised what they were doing and managed to put a shield up to stop anyone from getting hurt... Unfortunately, the shield didn't stop my classroom from getting damaged," Severus replied. "However, everyone did have to leave so they could get changed into a clean uniform. Except for the two that caused it, of course," he said wryly, smirking.

"Who were they?" Millicent asked.

"Wait, I know this... Let me guess, it was Ronnie-kins and Lavender?" Ginevra asked him shaking her head.

Severus nodded, waiting for her response.

"I guess the twins were right then... Ronald really is an idiot," she said shaking her head.

"Can we go now? We're starving Pans!" Vincent complained.

"All right, we're going now... Honestly, it should be possible for you two to not think about food for longer than ten minutes!" Pansy muttered leaving the dungeons, everyone following her.

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Seeing Colin and Luna at the Ravenclaw table, Ginevra went over to them as the others went to the Slytherin table.

"Hi Colin... Hi Luna. What's wrong?" Ginevra asked seeing how pale Luna was.

"It is nothing. I am fine, thank you Ginevra," Luna said with a brief smile.

"Liar... What's wrong?" Ginevra repeated, sitting beside her.

"I have worn myself out, that is all... I am just tired," Luna said. "I have not been sleeping well lately and I think my body is finally telling me that it is time to have a rest," she said sighing.

"Do you want me to get you a sleeping potion?" Ginevra asked in concern.

"No, thank you. I will sleep well tonight," Luna said smiling.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I am sure, Ginevra... Eat your recess before it is time to go," she said passing her an apple.

"All right, I'll leave it for now... You know you can tell me if there's something wrong, right?" Ginevra asked.

Luna turned to her and gave her a genuine smile, hugging her.

"I know that Ginevra, just as you know that you can tell me if there is something wrong," she said. "Now eat..."

"Yes Mother," Ginevra drawled and took a bite of her apple.

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"See you two at lunch, okay?" Ginevra said to Luna and Colin.

"Okay... Bye!" Colin said leaving with Luna quickly.

Ginevra went over to the Slytherin table and left with the others. They went to Hagrid's hut quickly, all eager, but most never admitting, that they were eager to see what Hagrid had in for store for them this lesson.

"All right, all of yer settle down now..." Hagrid's voice boomed over the students chatter.

Silence fell surprisingly quickly and everyone waited expectantly for him to take them in to the Forbidden Forest.

"Now, since yer've mostly all been so good, Albus has agreed ter le' me take you ter see a very rare beast..." Hagrid announced, smiling broadly at them all; chatter starting up immediately. "This way!" he said, too excited himself to get them to quieten down again.

Instead of leading them in to the Forbidden Forest, as the students had expected, Hagrid led them along the tree line and stopped at the lake. Looking past him, they all saw the boats that they had used in their first year to arrive on the magical school's grounds.

"What are we going to see exactly, Hagrid?" Ginevra asked raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yer'll see soon enough... Come on, in ter the boats, all of yer. Yer migh' have ter get in ter pairs though. Yer've all grown since yer first year," Hagrid said with a laugh.

Ginevra climbed in to a boat with Pansy, both talking of what they could be going to see. Padma and Parvati went in one boat with Blaise and Neville in another, while Gregory and Vincent sat together. Millicent sat with Theodore and Draco was forced to choose between sitting in a boat with Sally-Anne or Hagrid. He sat with Hagrid grudgingly, not willing to sit next to Little-Miss-Far-Too-Cheerful-And-Nice. To him, she was just a misplaced Hufflepuff and he hated that House more than he disliked Hagrid...

Once all of the class was seated in the small boats, they started moving out to the middle of the lake.

"It migh' take a while ter get there, so yer might as well do something ter occupy yer time; homework an' the such," Hagrid added quickly.

Ginevra shook her head as he turned to the front, then reached in to her bag and took out her Vampire book.

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The following words can only be read by a Vampire, Vampiress or their own... This is per the agreement made by the Vampire Council Elders and myself. If you have a problem with it, then by all means, you can see them about it! Just inform your family first so they can organise the inevitable events that will follow your meeting!

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The Blooding Ceremony takes place over two nights... The first night involves the Changing. The following day is a time for the Vampire or Vampiress halfling in question to rest, relax and meditate, preparing themselves for the even longer night ahead. That night is the Naming.

The Changing Ceremony takes place with every Vampire and Vampiress in attendance. As the number has increased somewhat over the years, this Ceremony is more often than not, performed outside. A circle is drawn by the two Chosen Elders with magic. Once the halfling is inside, a fire is lit along the edge of the Circle, engulfing the three inside.

The fire dies down and we are able to see the three inside. The two Elders begin to Drink from the halfling and the drums start to beat. With each strong beat of the halfling's heart, the drum beats slowly and the fire can barely be seen. As the night progresses and the halfling becomes weaker with each passing minute, the drums beat louder and the fire seems to reach the skies above.

Suddenly the drums stop and the flames die. The moon shines on the halfling, illuminating their naked beauty to the heavens.

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I have to be naked? That is not happening! Ginevra thought to herself in shock. She shuddered, then after a moment, continued to read.

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The two Elders then offer their own blood to the halfling and the drums start up again. This time the drums beat in tune with the halfling's heartbeat, drumming faster and louder with each pulse.

(Note: The drums may have magical properties as everyone gets sexually aroused at this point. I, myself had to watch five separate Blooding Ceremonies in order to record the entire ceremony.)

Again the fire moves in time with the drums and it seems to completely consume the three within the Circle before they die completely, not even a trace of hot coals visible.

The two Elders carry the halfling to a room where they can prepare for the following night.

As I am not a Vampire, I was not allowed to attend the Naming Ceremony, but I was allowed to ask a few questions so as to better inform those with Vampiric blood or magic. The Naming Ceremony is again, performed by the two Chosen Elders, but this time it is in private. The halfling's True Name is revealed and they are added to the Vampire Tapestry.

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Ginevra winced at the author's note and gingerly put the book back in her bag with a small shudder.

"All right everyone... Quiet now," Hagrid called as the boats came to a stop in the middle of the lake.

Everyone waited, most of them expecting to see the merpeople rise out of the lake.

"What is that?" Tom asked pointing down at a dark shape in the lake.

"Don't point," Hagrid warned and Tom immediately put his hand down.

A hippocampus rose out from the lake and a girl squealed; in fright or delight, no one was very sure. Looking at the hippocampus, Ginevra saw that it was blue in colour with white hairs speckling it. She remembered reading about the "superb blue roan specimen" caught in 1949 and wondered if this was it.

"Is that a kelpie?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Of course not! A kelpie has bulrushes fer a mane... This hippocampus doesn't," Hagrid said. "And it’s got a fish tail fer its hindquarters... Haven't yer been readin' yer book?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes," she said with a blush.

Hagrid just looked at her for a moment, then turned back to the hippocampus that was waiting patiently.

"The hippocampus is a great creature... Yer book only has a short entry on it as they're really shy creatures. And since they're mainly found in the Mediterranean, the hippocampi were even harder to find. They live even longer than most wizards and the oldest one was found to be over four hundreds years old," Hagrid said proudly. "Cimroan here was found and caught by the merpeople in 1949. They were very kind to let us see him," he added giving Pansy a smile.

She gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement.

"Can we get in the lake?" Ginevra asked looking at the hippocampus longingly.

"Yer had better not... It's cold in there," Hagrid said with a frown.

Ginevra and Pansy both looked disappointed and sulked as Hagrid continued to talk about the hippocampus. Ginevra put her hand in the water, testing it experimentally. Pansy looked at her for a moment, a smirk forming on her face.

"Should we?" Ginevra asked quietly.

"Of course we should! How's the water?" Pansy asked softly, putting her own hand in the lake. "I've been in colder..." she muttered. "You can change in to an animal, right?" she asked Ginevra, who nodded. "Give yourself just a pair of gills and a tail then... You don't need to become an entire fish for it to work," she said softly, smiling at Hagrid innocently when he looked to them.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, then he looked back to the rest of the class, continuing to talk about the semi-transparent eggs that hippocampus lay.

"We'll probably need a diversion... Or a reason to get in to the lake," Ginevra muttered. "Would you like to go for an involuntary swim?" she asked Pansy with a smirk.

"I normally would, but Hagrid knows I'm a mermaid... And he knows that you already want to get in. So we'd have to get someone else to fall in," Pansy said softly.

"I can take care of that..." Ginevra said looking around.

Seeing that there was a boat with one person in it, she pointed her wand at Sally-Anne's boat.

"Cado," she said quietly. (To fall or topple.)

Sally-Anne gave a shriek as her boat capsized and she fell in to the lake with a splash. Others began to panic and some tried to reach out for her. Grinning, Ginevra and Pansy jumped in to the lake and swam over to her quickly. Ginevra turned the boat over as Pansy held Sally-Anne up above the water.

They both helped her back in to the boat and when they were sure that everyone was occupied with her, changed their forms. Pansy turned in to a mermaid and Ginevra's legs turned in to a fish tail as gills forced their way out of her neck. She breathed in relief and swam lazily to get used to her new body structure.

Water Pansy... New Queen... It is an honour and a pleasure to see you both, Cimroan said in their minds. I must return to the merpeople now. Would you like to accompany me? the hippocampus asked, his fish tail moving from side to side.

"We'd love to!" Pansy replied quickly.

"I'll tell Hagrid so he doesn't think we've been eaten," Ginevra said, going back up to the surface. "Hagrid... Cimroan invited Pansy and I to accompany him to the mermaids..." she informed him.

Hagrid glared at her.

"I said fer yer not to get in the water Ginevra!" he said angrily.

"I couldn't just see him and then leave without saying hello!" Ginevra retorted with an innocent pout and smile.

"All right... I want yer both ter come back in ten minutes!" Hagrid said forcefully. "And I'll have ter give you both detention fer disobeyin' me," he added, not sounding like he really wanted to.

"Great! Thanks Hagrid! We'll be back in ten minutes!" Ginevra said, duck-diving down to the hippocampus and Pansy. "He's given us ten minutes and detention," she told Pansy.

"It's worth it," Pansy said with a shrug.

We must hurry if you are to return in ten minutes, Cimroan said, swimming off with a speed that seemed far too fast for a creature of his size.

Pansy and Ginevra swam after him, quickly catching him up.

"Did you let yourself get captured?" Ginevra asked Cimroan.

The answer is both yes and no... I was not "captured", but I did allow the merpeople to take me with them. I had lost the rest of my school-herd during our migration and could not find them again. They have not been this way since they took me so I have been helping the merpeople in return for them letting me stay with them, Cimroan said. We are here... he said, indicating ahead of them.

Ginevra looked and almost stopped in shock at seeing the city before them. Buildings were designed out of rocks and boulders. Coral and seaweed houses, each as unique as Muggle houses, were strewn across the ocean floor. Mermaids swam about, talking with each other.

"Don't stare Ginevra; it is impolite," Pansy said as she swam past.

Ginerva quickly regained her composure and swam after them, looking at a few mermaids occasionally.

"What are the bands around their arms?" Ginevra asked Pansy quietly.

"They show what each merperson is within the community. The gold bands are the highest and it means that the person is either a Royal or an Elder. White means someone of importance in the community; Teachers, Musicians, Singers and Bards. Brown indicates that you are a student of one of those four studies. That's what the vertical lines on the brown bands mean. The purple lines are to show that you are a Singer; the white lines are for those studying to be Teachers; green lines are for Bards; and Musicians have orange lines... The blue bands indicate that you are a child and not yet of age," Pansy explained.

"What are the bands around their wrist then?" Ginevra asked.

"Those are to indicate that you are Bound to another merperson. The design on each band is unique and only those Bound to each other know what it means... The two that are Bound have the same design on their bands so they can be found quickly if there is an emergency," she explained.

I apologise to you both for interrupting, but you must leave now if you are to return before ten minutes are up, Cimroan said apologetically.

"Thank you very much for allowing us to accompany you Cimroan. I hope to see you again," Ginevra said bowing to him.

It would be a pleasure, Ginevra. If you ever have need of me, just call my name, Cimroan said returning her bow before turning to Pansy and bowing to her too. Goodbye Water Pansy. I am sorry that you could not stay longer...

"It's not your fault, Cimroan," Pansy said smiling. "It was good to see you again," she said fondly, bowing.

It was good to see you too... Farewell, Cimroan said then swam off quickly.

Ginevra and Pansy quickly swam up to the surface, discussing the merpeople animatedly.

"There yer are! Yer've been gone for fifteen minutes!" Hagrid admonished as soon as they surfaced.

"No we have not! We've only been gone for twelve minutes and we hauled tail to get back here!" Ginevra said angrily.

"Get in the boats so we can get back, would you?" Blaise called.

Ginevra rolled her eyes and climbed back in to the boat, the tail and gills disappearing. She helped Pansy in and the boats quickly turned to return to land again.

"Do you think I'll be able to go back there again?" Ginevra asked Pansy, as she did some heating, drying and warming spells on her clothes.

"You will if I have anything to say about it... I think the Royals will be annoyed they didn't get to meet their new Queen," Pansy said with a grin.

"I didn't get to ask you before... What colour is your band?" Ginevra asked.

"Gold," Pansy replied, smirking broadly.

"You're a Royal?" she asked in surprise.

"My Grandfather is a Royal and an Elder... He was a student under all four studies and he's now Teaching me," she said.

"Wow... What's he like?" Ginevra asked.

"He's one of the nicest, friendliest, sarcastic, stubborn and harsh people I know," Pansy replied.

"Sounds like you take after him," Ginevra joked smirking at her.

"Funny, Ginevra..." Pansy drawled rolling her eyes.

Ginevra yawned widely, massaging her tender neck.

"The gills do that to you," Pansy noted. "I'm surprised you're not complaining about your legs. They must be killing you," she said.

"They've gone numb so I probably won't feel anything until lunch time..." Ginevra said, yawning again. "I'm going to sleep, okay? Wake me when we get back," she said tiredly, curling on the seat.

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"Ginevra!" Pansy said for the third time, shaking her again.

Ginevra woke up and yawned, stretching lazily.

"We're back already?" she asked, feeling even more exhausted than before she had slept.

"All right all of yer get ou' carefully now!" Hagrid called.

They got out of the boats and walked up to the castle quickly.

"I lied... The numbness has worn off and now my legs are killing me," Ginevra groaned.

"Your legs are killing you? That's a new concept," Blaise said smirking at her.

"Don't tease her, Blaise. It really does hurt the first few times... After the third time you're body will be used to the transition and your legs won't kill you," Pansy said grinning.

"I will see you at lunch, all right?" Neville said, hugging Ginevra quickly before he headed over to the Greenhouses for Herbology.

"We better hurry or you can forget about your legs killing you... Yepir will do that good enough to all of us," Theodore said.

They hurried to the Runes classroom, arriving mere seconds before Yepir herself did.

"Put away your books. There is no need for them today. Put your wands away too," Yepir instructed as she came in to the room, carrying a large bag.

Everyone did so, curious as to what they were going to be learning.

"For the next few lessons you will be making equipment for Runes that you will be making. Today you will choose the material for the bag that will store the Runes and your white divining cloth," Yepir said, reaching in to the bag and pulling out various items that looked like cotton reels. "I have every colour imaginable, but if there is a colour that you feel drawn to that isn't here, tell me as I may have it elsewhere," she said. "Yes Miss Granger?"

"What do you mean by drawn to?" Hermione asked with a frown, putting her hand down.

"I mean that whatever colour, or even colours, catches your attention, then those are the ones that you should choose to make your Rune bag out of," Yepir explained.

With a wave of her wand, all of the small cotton reels extended and the people at the front of the classroom moved back to avoid being hit by the rolls of material.

"You will come up to the front in pairs to choose your materials. While the others are choosing, you may talk quietly amongst yourselves," Yepir said.

Ginevra looked at the colours carefully, almost immediately spotting a rich deep red material roll near the bottom of the pile. A maroon one caught her attention, this one near the middle.

"You know yours?" Blaise asked with a smile.

"That dark red one at the bottom and the maroon one in the middle there," Ginevra replied, pointing out the two material rolls.

"We're probably going to have to sew it ourselves, if those cotton reels and needles are anything to go by," Pansy said indicating to the overlooked reels on Professor Yepir's desk. "That pale green-blue material looks good... And with dark blue cotton it'd look really nice," she said.

"How am I supposed to sew it? I can't sew for a Knut..." Millicent moaned. "Damn my father for giving me his thick fingers," she muttered.

"You might be able to sew it with magic," Theodore said. "It might increase the magical properties of the Runes bag if you include your magic in it," he said soothingly.

"Good idea...Professor Yepir?" Millicent called. "Are we going to sew the bag together by hand or with magic?" she asked when Yepir looked up at her.

"You will sew it by magic, as I am sure that you all have more important things to do than to sew it by hand," she replied with a smile.

"Are we allowed to sew it by hand if we want to?" Ginevra and Padma asked at the same time.

"Yes, you can," Yepir said. "You two can come up now if you'd like," she added as the first two people sat down with their materials and cotton.

"All right..." they replied, going to the materials.

"I'll get yours too Parvati," Padma said.

"Thank you," Parvati said smiling at her twin.

Padma just gave her a grin, then cut four pieces of material out of the yellow roll, taking the white cotton back to their desk. Ginevra cut a piece out of the red roll and another out of the maroon roll, getting a long length of the black cotton before returning to her own desk; the next two people going up.

Ginevra threaded the needle carefully, putting the two pieces of material together before starting to sew her Rune bag. She was so involved in her task that she didn't hear Yepir addressing the class.

"If you would like to stay here during lunch to finish making your bag, then you may," Yepir said.

Draco looked at the rolls of material for a moment. Two rolls caught his attention; a turquoise and a bright blue roll. Looking at the cotton, he saw a green reel near the edge.

"Draco and Vincent, you may choose your rolls now," Yepir said.

Draco got his quickly sitting down with Vincent. He looked over to see what he had chosen, seeing a pale pink and a dark green piece with pale blue cotton. He looked over at Ginevra and doubled back in surprise. Looking at her sewing closely, he saw that Ginevra was actually sewing her magic in to it, not just sewing the two pieces together. He turned back to his own pieces and started to sew them carefully with his wand, also incorporating his magic in to it.

The bell rang loudly but most of the class didn't hear it. Those that did chose to ignore it and Yepir smiled at their enthusiasm for the project. After fifteen minutes, Yepir made her wand make a loud banging noise and everyone looked up quickly and sharply; some confused and scared at the sudden noise.

"Although I do appreciate your enthusiasm for your project, you will have to finish it in the next lesson. It is already fifteen minutes in to lunch and I am sure that you are all hungry," she announced with a smile.

"I'm surprised you two lasted so long without food," Millicent said smirking at Vincent and Gregory.

"Thanks for reminding them..." Pansy drawled, rolling her eyes as she watched her boyfriends pack their things with lightning fast speed.

Their enthusiasm for food caught on and soon everyone was rushing to get out of the door and down to the Great Hall.

"Miss Weasley! A moment if you please!" Yepir called as she headed for the door.

Ginevra sighed and turned around, going over to Yepir quickly, her stomach protesting along the way.

"In private, if you do not mind," she added, seeing Blaise and Draco at the door. She waited for them to leave before continuing. "Next week we will be collecting the wood for everyone's individual Runes and then we will be carving the Runic symbols in to them," Yepir said. "I would like you to stay away from the class until the others have finished carving their Runic symbols. We can organise another time for you to carve your Runes under my supervision..." she added. "I have taught this class a lot in the past and I know for a fact that there are at least five people who end up cutting themselves while they are carving. I hope you understand why I am asking you this, Ginevra," Yepir said.

"I understand... You can't risk putting the other students in danger in case they cut themselves then I bleed them dry, is that right?" Ginevra asked raising an eyebrow at her.

"For lack of any other better words, quite frankly the answer is yes," she replied truthfully.

"Thank you for being honest about it," Ginevra said genuinely. "What time do you suggest we meet so I can do my Runes?"

"Is Friday from three to five all right with you? I know you have a lot of homework and taking up your study time probably isn't good, but it is early in the year and your Professors have all agreed that you would be able to catch up on any work," Yepir said. "If it is the two hours then I will only take up two of your Friday's instead of four as I will with the other students," she added.

"That's fine... Thank you Professor Yepir," Ginevra said.

"You're welcome. Thank you for being so understanding... Now you had better go get some lunch in to your body or else Moody and Lupin will kill me when you faint in the middle of their class from lack of food," she replied smiling.

Ginevra nodded and left. She saw Draco waiting outside for her and cocked her head to the side for a second.

"Blaise paid you to stay behind, did he?" she teased smirking at him.

"Shut up and hurry up. My stomach is starting to complain," Draco muttered and they hurried down to the Great Hall.

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Luna walked up to the teachers’ table and smiled at Dumbledore, patiently waiting for him to finish his conversation with Flitwick.

"Hello Miss Lovegood... Is there something I can help you with?" he asked smiling at her kindly.

"Yes, actually Professor Dumbledore, there is... May we talk in your office? It is a private matter involving Ginevra," Luna said.

"Of course," Albus said, somewhat baffled; at the topic, or the privacy of the matter, not even Luna knew.

He led the way to the teacher's side door and they went to his office.

Ginevra and Draco walked in to the Great Hall and sat at the Slytherin table. She started to eat, looking around.

"Where's Luna?" Ginevra asked.

"I don't know..." Colin replied with a shrug.

"She was here a minute ago," Neville said frowning.

"How was Herbology? Did your thumb do anything?" Blaise asked Neville.

"It just started glowing green and all of the plants grew... Madam Sprout let us out early because the Devil's Snare was trying to kill the ear-muffs," Neville said shrugging. "I managed to get everything back to normal, but I was too late to save the pink ear-muffs and they're now lost to the Herbology class forever," he said with a dramatic sniff. "What about the rest of you? How was Runes?" Neville asked looking at them.

"It was very quiet... We're making bags to keep our Runes in," Pansy replied.

"Really? That does sound quiet," Neville said grinning.

"Did you get to choose the colours you wanted or were they mandatory?" Colin asked.

"We got to choose the colours," Ginevra replied.

"So are you going to try out for Quidditch this weekend?" Gregory asked Vincent.

"'Course I am," he replied, his mouth full.

Pansy winced and hit his shoulder.

"Don't talk with your mouth full! Honestly, sometimes I really wonder exactly what your mother taught you when you were younger," she drawled shaking her head.

"She gave up after the third lesson, didn't you know that?" Gregory said laughing.

"Unlike your mother who didn't even attempt to teach you anything after the first lesson!" Vincent growled glaring at him.

"No fighting at the table," Ginevra said quickly grinning when they both glared at her.

"I think you're right Pansy..." Millicent said smirking at the two boys.

"Shuddup," they muttered in response, going back to their food.

The bell rang a few minutes later and they left the Great Hall, going to the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom.

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When Pansy opened the classroom door she stopped in shock, everyone crashing behind her.

"What did you stop for?" Millicent grumbled at her, rubbing her sore forehead.

"Come in quickly now," Lupin said from inside the room.

They all filed in, immediately seeing what had caused Pansy to stop in shock. The classroom had apparently disappeared and there was a staircase in the middle of the classroom. The staircase opened up on to a landing that had various traps and household items strewn across it. The ground floor looked to be grass and dirt, traps also included. All of the walls were black and the candles were emitting a black-purple light that made every piece of white clothing stand out brightly.

"What's going on Professor?" Ginevra asked Alastar, looking around at everything in shock and amazement.

"Once everyone has arrived, then we will tell you," Moody replied gruffly.

In minutes all of the class was crowded inside, the rumour and truth having spread through the school quicker than anyone could say Quidditch.

"For today's lesson you will all be working in groups of four... The classroom is set on the outside and inside of a house. There are traps everywhere and you have to get past them. Do not worry if you do not pass today as it is very unlikely that any of you will," Lupin said with a kind smile. "If it helps, you can treat this as a game, but you have to take it very seriously as you can get hurt. You can not get killed as that would be too much paperwork for us, but you can still get hurt..." he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"All of you outside and get in to realistic groups of four," Moody said, looking at everyone with both of his eyes.

Everyone rushed outside quickly, Lupin and Moody following them.

Ginevra stood with Draco, Blaise and Neville. Theodore went with Millicent, Parvati and Padma. Pansy stood with Gregory and Vincent and after talking to them for a moment, she looked around, spotting the person she was looking for.

"Finnigan. Get in our group," she said.

Seamus looked at them nervously.

"Are... Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, now get over here," Pansy said with an impatient sigh.

Seamus hurried over to their group and he was not the only one wondering why Pansy had chosen him to go with them.

Ron stood with Hermione and Harry quickly. Lavender went over to them, but Sally-Anne was already standing there, talking animatedly with Ron. Disgruntled and more than slightly annoyed, Lavender went over to Dean's group, muttering things about her boyfriend.

"Now that you are all in your groups, Professor Moody will take the first group in and instruct them on what they have to do," Lupin said turning to Moody.

"Right. You lot, follow me," he said, pointing to Theodore's group.

The Patil twins looked at each other nervously before following Theodore, Millicent and Moody through the black door in to the black room. The door shut after them with a bang and after a few minutes, Moody came back out of the room, his eye looking through the back of his skull in to the room.

"Sorry I'm late! There was a first year flying accident," Poppy said puffing, her cheeks red from running.

"That's all right, Madam Pomfrey... The first group just went in," Remus said smiling at her reassuringly.

"If Pomfrey's here that means there are going to be a lot of accidents..." Blaise muttered to Draco, who nodded curtly.

"Also means that there's things that will cause the accidents that they can't fix..." he replied quietly. "Keep both your eyes open," Draco muttered.

"Same for you," Blaise said smirking at him.

"Think we'll be allowed to use our powers?" Ginevra muttered to them.

Blaise looked over to the two Professors’ with a frown.

"I don't know... We might be able to. It's supposed to be realistic..." he said shrugging.

"We'll ask Moody when it's our turn..." Neville said quietly. "Why do you think Pansy got Seamus in her group?"

"Let's just say that he's lucky Pomfrey's here," Blaise replied smirking.

Ginevra shook her head looking over at Pansy.

"I don't think her intention is to hurt him... She did agree to let Neville punish him, so she may have something else planned," Ginevra said shrugging when they just looked at her. "Just saying what I think..."

Suddenly a bright red light flashed from the door and they turned to see that the door had changed from black to a bright red colour. Moody was inside within half a second, Pomfrey following him just as quickly. Every student craned their necks to see inside of the room but all of them were unable to see anything, the black-purple light having turned off.

"Clear the way!" Moody yelled and they all formed a pathway quickly, eager to see what had happened.

Madam Pomfrey backed out of the room slowly, levitating Theodore out of the room gently. Millicent, Parvati and Padma were following her, Moody coming up the back, his magical eye looking every way possible in to the room for any lasting danger. As he went through the doorway, the now-black door shut abruptly behind them.

Students paled and went green as Theodore passed them and they were able to see what had happened to him. Lavender fainted in to Dean's arms dramatically.

"Move out of the way... Miss Brown stop with your hysterics!" Pomfrey said harshly.

Lavender stood up again, glaring at her full-heartedly. Pomfrey ignored her, gently putting Theodore on the ground and getting to work.

Millicent watched intensely, her face as white as a ghost. Ginevra and Pansy went over to her.

"What happened to him?" Pansy asked, having seen the cuts and blue tinge on Theodore's skin.

Millicent just shook her head, her eyes filling with tears as she watched Poppy do more spells on her boyfriend. Parvati hugged Millicent comfortingly, Padma resting a hand on her shoulder.

"You should get back to your groups now," Lupin said to Pansy and Ginevra quietly, guiding them away. "Miss Bulstrode, Theodore will be fine... His body isn't used to this much pain and he's just gone in to shock," he explained.

"Get the fuck away from me Lupin," she hissed, not looking away from Theodore. "If he doesn't wake up then by the Gods as my witnesses, neither will you," Millicent promised.

"Of course," Lupin said with a nod, going back over to Moody.

Neville went over to Poppy and Theodore, looking at them for a moment. He crouched beside them but before Poppy could say anything, Neville's hand was on Theodore's forehead.

"Reduco," Neville said, his entire hand glowing green. (To lead back, bring back or return.)

Theodore's forehead glowed green for a moment then it faded away and his eyes opened slowly.

"What did you just do?" Poppy asked Neville frowning at him.

"Theo!" Millicent said, practically pushing her out of the way to hug Theodore tightly. "Gods, I was so worried..." she muttered, kissing him. "Don't ever do that to me again!" she said.

"All right, you two... Cut it out now... The four of you can go to the hospital wing for shock treatment," Lupin said and Poppy nodded, leading Millicent, Theodore and the Patil twins away. "The next group will go in now... Unless, of course, you're all scared now," he said looking at the students.

"And if we are scared does that mean we don't have to do it?" Sally-Anne asked nervously.

"So much for Gryffindor bravery," Draco muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

His statement was replied with nervous laughter that went on for longer than it should have.

"Right... You're in now," Moody said pointing to Draco.

He nodded and followed Moody through the door. Ginevra muttered about loudmouths then followed, shaking her head. Neville and Blaise followed them quickly, Neville's thumb still glowing green as they entered the black-purple lit room. The door shut behind them loudly and Moody looked at them.

"There are two kinds of creatures in this room. The first kind is the kind that you know about. The second kind are ones that you should know about if you've read ahead, or even if you've read some other works. This kind is far more developed than the usual one-X rated creature in your Fantastic Beasts book... You will be up against four-X rated creatures in here... You are allowed to use your wands and any other powers that you have that you think may assist you. Just because this room is dark it does not mean that you can rely on the creatures being afraid of the light... There are also traps and spells that will deter you or confuse you. If you get trapped or hurt, just scream loudly and we will be here in an instant, as you saw with the last group... You are to work together as a group and not individually. You have one minute to discuss any type of attack methods you think you will need or use while in here. The light will disappear after that and you will begin. The purpose of this is for all of you to get up the staircase and in to the end room. Good luck," Moody said, then left the room, the door shutting behind him.

"Back to back and side to side so we cover all directions?" Blaise suggested.

"Sounds good. You can keep your wands lit if you want. But keep it to a minimum light because we don't want to attract attention," Ginevra said.

"Ginevra, you should be able to take on the animals because you're their Queen..." Neville said.

"Except for centaurs... But Blaise can take them," Ginevra added grinning at him.

"Sure I can..." he muttered.

"I'll take any plants, nymphs, pixies or elves we see," Neville finished.

"So that leaves the spells and traps to me," Draco said.

"Wait. Moody didn't say anything about Muggle animals, did he? So that means there could be Muggle traps too," Ginevra said then the light disappeared and they were plunged into darkness.

Blaise lit his wand to the lowest-level light and they stood around each other, each of them facing in the four directions.

"Where was the staircase when we first came in? To the left, right or straight ahead?" Draco asked quietly.

"It was straight ahead from the door and since I'm facing the door that means I have to go backwards," Neville replied.

"I'm going to the right then," Ginevra muttered, diverting her eyes to the right for a second to be sure.

"And I'm to the left..." Draco said.

"Everyone ready to move then?" Blaise whispered and they began to shuffle in the appropriate directions, looking around for anything.

"Something coming at me... Might be a Doxy... Anyone have Doxycide?" he muttered as the black, and therefore, seemingly invisible, Biting Fairy flew at him quickly.

"Just try to stun it," Ginevra hissed.

There was a small flash of light, a high-pitched sound and a tiny thud as the Doxy fell to the ground, stunned.

"Keep moving," Neville whispered, his voice being drowned out by a low growl.

"Yeti," Blaise and Ginevra muttered, recognising it from their Runes trip in to the Forbidden Forest.

"Which way's it coming from?" Draco whispered.

"Don't know yet... Use fire, but use it sparingly. We'll attract too much attention," Ginevra replied softly.

"It's me," Blaise said and shot a quick beam of fire at the yeti.

It whimpered and left quickly, the fire chasing it down the room.

They continued to move cautiously across the room, listening carefully for any noises other than their slow breaths and fast heartbeats. There was a loud snap and they all stopped quickly as Draco cursed.

"Gods..." Draco went to curse loudly, but Ginevra clamped her hand over his mouth, Neville quickly moving slightly so he could watch both of their directions.

"Shut up unless you want to be hurt. And I promise that it will be me doing the hurting, not the animals in this game," Ginevra hissed. "Now what happened?" she asked.

Draco clenched his jaw and pointed downwards. She followed his finger, looking down at his foot. A Muggle bear trap had been the loud snap and Draco's foot had been the thing to set it off...

"Probably broken bones or your entire foot is snapped in half. I won't be able to fix anything like that but I can do a numbing spell," Ginevra said quietly.

"Just take the fucking trap off," Draco hissed, his eyes now watering with pain.

"Can you hurry it up?" Blaise said, not looking away from his direction. "That trap going off has attracted attention," he muttered, seeing glowing eyes looking at him from in the darkness ahead.

"Torpeo," Ginevra said and a red light covered Draco's foot. (Numb.)

She managed to take the trap off quickly and pointed her wand at him again.

"Fascia," she said quietly and returned to her position quickly. (Bandage.)

A loud mournful cry echoed through the room, making them shiver. The cry sounded again and Neville frowned.

"That sounds like an Augurey," he said softly. "Since it's crying that means it is going to rain," he said and with another mournful cry from the bird, rain started to pour down on them.

Ginevra heard the flapping of wings and looked up quickly, trying to spot the green-black bird unsuccessfully.

"It's flying around now so we can make it leave with Draco's power or mine... Unless you think it can help us further along," she added.

"It might... Better leave it for now," Neville muttered.

"Was there a tree anywhere in the room before?" Blaise asked.

"No... Why?" Ginevra asked.

"Because we're about to hit something that's either a tree or a pole," Blaise muttered and they all stopped.

He raised his wand a bit higher, the light growing brighter a shade and he looked up at the tree.

"If there's now a tree here that mean the entire room could have changed," Blaise said shaking his head with a sigh.

"There's something in the tree," Draco said frowning.

A blue-black snake shot out from the tree, biting Blaise's outstretched hand. He shook it off with a small yelp, biting his lip to stop the noise and brought his hand to his body, seeing two puncture marks on it clearly. The snake hit the ground and died on impact.

"Gods damned thing bit me," he muttered angrily.

Ginevra picked up the dead snake and looked at it in the minimal amount of light.

"It's a Boomslang snake..." she muttered, seeing how large the eyes were in proportion to its head.

"That's not good," Neville said.

"Think you can hold out for a few minutes before we get out of here?" Ginevra muttered to Blaise, who gave a brief nod. "Then bandage it tightly and put a splint on it," she instructed.

Blaise nodded and pointed his wand at his arm, the bandage and splint appearing immediately.

"Something's coming from my direction... It's big and pissed off about something," Draco said suddenly.

"We'll keep moving past the tree," Neville said and they began to shuffle in Blaise's direction, their footsteps moving quicker as they heard the creature moving to them faster.

"Can you see what it is?" Blaise muttered to Draco as they continued walking.

"I think it's a Demiguise..." he said with a frown.

"Aren't they supposed to be peaceful?" Neville asked.

"Supposed to being the key words... Something or someone has made this one as angry as a dragon having its eggs stolen," Draco muttered.

"Well if anyone sees a baby Demiguise send it back to its mother," Ginevra muttered.

"Can you three shut up and hurry up? We've got to find that bloody staircase," Blaise hissed at them quietly.

"Fine... Keep a bloody good look out and I'll find the staircase... Blaise, give me your wand," Ginevra hissed back, taking the offered wand from him.

The light went out for a second and returned as Ginevra said 'Lumos' quietly, the light glowing red softly. She made it a shade brighter, looking around them quickly. Looking for a second time, she saw the large circular staircase about twenty metres away, accompanied by eight Dementors.

"I found it, but I sure hope that you three know how to do a Patronus," Ginevra said, returning Blaise's wand to him.

"I can do it but it isn't very big," Neville said softly.

"That's fine... As long as you can get it up and keep it there long enough to take down one Dementor," Ginevra replied. "It's in my direction so you're going to have to move this way now," she whispered and they began to shuffle along slowly.

After about five metres, all sounds from the other beings stopped and with another five, they all started to get a cold clammy feeling inside. Ginevra heard Neville give a small whimper beside her and reached for his hand, trying to block out the cold and dark memories and feelings that were crowding her own mind. Neville held her hand tightly. Blaise took in a sharp breath and Draco's face became haunted with past memories as they continued to walk towards the Dementors. Ginevra didn't even feel the tears that were running down her face, her hand now clutching Neville's as tight as he was holding hers.

"We... We're almost... there..." she stammered quietly, seeing the eight Dementors turn to them.

Cold wave after cold wave washed over them, all of them shivering and trembling but barely noticing it as they all tried to fight off the fears and memories that were trying to force themselves up to the surface of their minds. Nearly every happy thought seemed to disappear in to thin air as they came closer to the black robed creatures.

"Now..." Ginevra said quietly, her mind unable to produce any other words.

They all turned to face the eight Dementors.

"Expecto..." Blaise said, his entire body shaking with the inner cold.

"Expecto Pa..." Neville said, clutching Ginevra's hand in a death grip.

"Expec..." Draco tried to say.

Ginevra couldn't even attempt saying the spell out loud. She managed to lift her arm that felt ten times heavier and pointed it at the Dementors.

Expecto Patronum! she thought but only a small wisp came out of the wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" Draco said and a dragon flew out from his wand, immediately attacking one of the Dementors.

"Expecto Patronum!" Neville said, a large toad jumping out of his wand, hopping on to a Dementor quickly.

"Expecto Patronum!" Blaise said and a centaur galloped out, shooting a Dementor with an assault of arrows, kicking it with its hooves.

Ginevra watched it happen as if she wasn't in her own body. She could hear the others trying to talk to her but she found it beyond her capability to reply.

Echoes of past insults, memories and Tom played through her mind, Ginevra going deeper within her mind in an attempt to escape their words and her hurt.

Draco appeared in front of her and talked, seeming without any sound accompanying his lips movements.

"Her mind's probably frozen with all of her past memories... You have to do something," Neville said to Draco as he and Blaise fought with the Demiguise that had come up behind them.

"What am I supposed to do?" Draco muttered, tempted to just hex her out of her present state of mind. "Well even if this doesn't work, I still get something out of it," he muttered, kissing her.

Ginevra blinked as she realised that she was in her body again and the echoes had died down. She pulled away from Draco, still holding his hand and pointed her wand at the Dementors, glaring at them.

Expecto Patronum! she thought angrily, and this time her Patronus flew out of her wand, all five of the creatures attacking the remaining Dementors quickly and efficiently.

Ginevra turned and helped Blaise and Neville, sending a large calming spell at the Demiguise.

Once her Patronus had finished, the animals returned to her wand, knowing that their light would attract more animals now that the Dementors had gone.

"Sorry..." Ginevra said quietly to the others.

"Never mind that now... We've got to get up the staircase," Blaise said.

As he went up the staircase, Blaise took care not to touch the rail in case it had poison on it. As he reached the tenth step, he let out an ear-piercing scream, the poison in his body beginning to work. The others rushed up to him, their combined weight causing a hidden trap to work and for them all to get trapped in a Muggle net.

The door opened and the illusion disappeared, leaving them swinging next to the staircase in the net.

"Well this sucks..." Draco muttered.

Moody and Pomfrey were beside them in a second, the net disappearing. Pomfrey saw Blaise's hand bandaged and the sweat on his face.

"He's got a fever... I'm surprised he lasted so long with that poison in his system," she said, removing the bandage to look at his now-swollen hand.

With a few wisely chosen spells, the poison left Blaise's blood system, but Pomfrey wouldn't let him get up yet.

"The poison I just took out also removed some of your blood cells, so you will need a replenishing potion before you go anywhere... You will also need to sweat out that fever on your own. There's nothing I can do for that," she instructed, giving him a replenishing potion.

"Fine by me..." Blaise muttered, drinking the awful-smelling and awful-tasting concoction in one horrified gulp.

"So you got past the Dementor's then?" Moody asked looking at their pale faces.

They nodded wearily.

"We were just climbing the staircase when that net got us," Neville said.

"I screamed though," Blaise said looking down.

"And I'm the one that almost didn't get us past the Dementors, so we're even," Ginevra said smirking at him.

"All right... That's enough for now... You can all go out now and let the next group have their turn," Moody said, leading them out of the room.

"That bloody tree's not there," Draco said.

"Of course not... It is a room that gives different landscapes per group that enters it. You just saw the basic outlay in there, that's all," Moody said and he went silent as they left the room and joined the other classmates.

"Next group!" Moody called and Pansy's group followed him inside quickly.

"Next Monday's lesson will be the same as we're not going to finish it all today, so there is no need for you to turn up now that you've done it," Lupin informed them with a smile.

"Fine with me," Blaise muttered.

Moody came back out, the door shutting behind him firmly. They all waited and watched the door anxiously, hoping that they wouldn't get hurt. Within ten minutes, the door turned bright red and Moody and Pomfrey ran inside quickly. Pansy, Gregory, Vincent and Seamus came out, Vincent and Gregory sporting broken arms and Seamus with a black eye.

Pomfrey fixed their arms and tended to the bruising around Seamus' eye before turning back to watch the door.

"The first three groups may leave now as they have finished their assessments," Lupin announced as Moody went in to the room with Harry's group.

"Thank you Professor," Ginevra said and they rushed off, Pansy pulling Seamus along with them.

"So what happened to you? I don't remember seeing anything that could cause Seamus to get a black eye," Neville said.

"That was me so he could scream and we could get out," Vincent said.

"We'll talk in a more private setting if you do not mind," Pansy said. "Tell anyone about this place and what happened to you after the Room of Requirement will be a picnic, understood?" she threatened glaring at Seamus.

He nodded quickly.

"Understood..." he said, wondering why they were just standing around a tapestry.

Ginevra pulled the tapestry aside and opened a door in the wall, going down in to the tunnel. Pansy made Seamus go next, following after him. Everyone crowded in to the tunnel and started following Ginevra, who seemed to miss every rock, hole and branch that managed to find Seamus' feet. He tried to look around them, but couldn't see a thing for the lack of light and just decided to look ahead at Ginevra so he wouldn't get lost.

After a minute or two of walking, a door opened and they all walked inside a small room, Ginevra continuing to walk out and down a hallway with rooms on either side, the others all following her. Seamus stared in shock as the door opened revealing a large and beautiful meeting room inside. He followed Ginevra in awe, looking all around them.

"You can look later, Finnigan... Sit down and talk," Pansy said, pushing him to a seat.

"You're all back so soon? We weren't in there that long, were we?" George asked Fred with a frown.

"Not that I remember, brother dearest," he replied shaking his head.

"We're back early... Come in and sit down. Apparently, Mr. Finnigan has some information to tell us," Ginevra said, sitting down at her usual seat, Neville to one side and Draco on the other.

They all sat down and looked to Seamus expectantly.

"Start at when you woke up in the hospital wing," Pansy said.

Seamus nodded and swallowed briefly, trying not to sound nervous or scared.

"I woke up and talked with Ginny... Ginevra, sorry," he corrected himself quickly.

"You are to call her Ginny until you have earned her respect and she allowed you to call her Ginevra, is that understood Finnigan?" Pansy hissed, Ginevra smirking at her display of protectiveness.

"Sorry!" he squeaked. "I was in the hospital wing and talked with Ginny then Madam Pomfrey gave me a potion and I fell asleep again. When I woke up I heard Dean talking to Lavender. They didn't see me because I pretended to be asleep still and I heard her talking about getting revenge on Ginevra by hurting Neville and it was disappointing how he wasn't in the hospital wing anymore. Then Madam Pomfrey came and they both went back to their beds pretending to be asleep too..." Seamus said. "I eventually fell asleep again but they didn't get up again. When I woke up, pretending that I was asleep again, Dean was standing over me with his wand drawn. I must have made a movement as he put his hand over my mouth and said the silencing spell quietly and I fell asleep again..."

"Was that spell to make sure that you couldn't talk about what happened in the Room of Requirement or what he was talking about with Lavender?" Millicent asked.

"It was only for the Room of Requirement... Either he didn't know that I had heard, or he didn't think it was important enough to silence me about," Seamus said bitterly.

"And what exactly happened in the Room of Requirement, Seamus? You say that you didn't want to do it, yet you were there helping Dean hurt Neville. Why?" Ginevra asked coldly.

"I... I..." Seamus stammered, nervous under her gaze.

"Answer the question, Finnigan," Draco said coldly, glaring at him.

Seamus nodded and opened his mouth to talk, only succeeding in wasting oxygen.

"We do not have time for this, Seamus! Sedo!" Ginevra said, the calming spell shooting at him.

"S... Sorry..." he said. "I didn't want to do it, but Dean threatened me to help him. He blackmailed me; taunted me about being scared and he promised that we wouldn't get caught... He said that we weren't going to hurt him too bad, just teach him a lesson for siding with Slytherins, that's all he said," Seamus said, looking down in shame.

"You think that him threatening and blackmailing you is going to make us forgive you for what you did?" Fred and George asked glaring at him.

"You believed him when he said that you weren't going to hurt him?" Padma and Parvati asked in shock.

"No, I don't think you'll forgive me for that... At the time I thought I believed him... This is Dean we're talking about. He's never been anything but nice to Neville and I guess I didn't think him capable of doing something like that," Seamus said, his voice beginning to crack as he got teary.

"Appearances can be deceiving, Seamus and you had to learn that lesson the hard way..." Neville said. "Dean has never been nice to me. He always laughed at me behind me back and gossiped about my "fear" of Snape when he thought I couldn't hear... You did not think that I could hear him talking with the others in the Common Room after a particularly bad day in Potions?" Neville asked looking at Seamus.

"I... I didn't think about it like that..." Seamus stammered.

"Well, that's obvious," Theodore said glaring at him. "You're lucky I convinced them to get you two both to the hospital wing, or else you wouldn't be here talking to us," he said angrily.

"I know... Thank you," Seamus said quietly.

"Neville... I think it is time for you to decide how Seamus should be punished..." Ginevra said looking to her friend.

He nodded curtly, looking at Seamus for a moment.

"With the permission of Ginevra, the punishment that I choose to give to Seamus is for him to move in here and spend the rest of the year with us. He is to not go near Dean or Lavender at any time for the rest of the school year," Neville said finally, looking to Ginevra for her permission.

"My permission is given. Seamus Finnigan, do you agree to your punishment?" Ginevra asked, looking at him sternly.

"I agree," Seamus said.

"Good... Hold out your palm," Neville said and Seamus did as he was told.

Neville pressed his green thumb against Seamus' palm and their hands glowed green.

"It is just a spell to make sure that you stay true to the punishment that you agreed to... I will know if you do not do as you promised and any threat that Dean made to you will be three-fold," Neville said glaring at him.

"Now... Since there are about five minutes before the next class, we want you to answer us one last question," Parvati and Padma said together.

"All right," Seamus said warily.

"What did Dean blackmail you with that made you succumb to him?" Fred and George asked seriously, no hint of a smile on their sombre faces.

"He said that if I did not help him then he would kill me family and make it look like I'd done it..." he told them quietly, his tears falling to the ground.

A black flower sprung up from the moist stone and Seamus moved back in shock and surprise.

"How did that happen?" he asked in shock, looking at them all.

"A small side-benefit of my magic... I can pass a small part over to those that I feel may need it," Neville said. "I'll teach you how to use it after the last class... You're to stay with us and stay away from Dean, understood?" he said, the bell ringing after he'd finished talking, as if on cue.

"I understand," Seamus said and followed them out of the meeting room.

Neville stopped beside the black flower, touching it lightly and watching as it withered and turned to ash quickly, putting the flower out of its misery.

"Are you two coming to our Astronomy class?" Ginevra asked her brothers as they put on their black cloaks.

"We have a special present for your Professor," they said smiling evilly.

"I don't want to know," Ginevra muttered shaking her head. "Where'd Seamus go?" she asked looking around frowning.

"Would you all hurry up? We're already late!" Pansy called.

"Is Seamus out there with you?" Ginevra called back.

"No... Why, isn't he there?" Pansy asked coming out.

"Seamus!" Ginevra called and he came out of a side door, looking slightly guilty.

"I'm sorry... I thought I saw my trunk in here. Apparently, this is now my room," Seamus said, indicating to the door behind him.

"Fine... We're late... Hurry up," Ginevra said, ushering him and the twins in to the wardrobe corridor.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

They arrived at the Astronomy classroom a minute late exactly.

"You're late... Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin," Rion said as soon as they entered the classroom.

Refraining themselves from replying and losing more House points, they all sat down quietly. Seamus sat as far away from Dean as possible, in between Neville and Ginevra. Dean looked at him for a moment, then glared and returned his attention to Rion.

"Today's lesson you will be doing the work from chapters four to ten. There is to be no talking and I want you all to have finished at least chapter seven before you leave," Rion said looking at them all to make sure that they understood her.

Everyone started their work immediately, not wanting to stay behind with her any longer than necessary.

"Excuse me, Professor Rion," Professor Vector said coming in to the classroom. "Sorry to interrupt your students studying, but I need to talk with you for a moment," she said with a smile.

"All right... Continue working. I do not want to hear a word out of you!" she said with a glare, leaving with Vector.

"Seamus!" Dean hissed from over at his table. "Seamus! Why are you sitting over there?" he hissed quietly.

"Am I allowed to talk to him?" Seamus whispered to Neville.

"No... You are not supposed to be talking at all. So be quiet and do your work like Rion said for us to," Neville replied, not looking up from his textbook.

Seamus looked surprised for a moment, then looked back down at his textbook, continuing to work in silence.

"Seamus!" Dean hissed again, unaware of what Neville and Seamus had said to each other.

"Mr. Thomas... I believe that I said there was to be no talking while I was gone," Rion said coming back in to the classroom and glaring at him. "Ten points from Gryffindor for failing to follow simple instructions," she said stonily. "Now continue your work!"

Dean suppressed a glare then looked down at his book again, choosing to glare at Seamus instead.

The bell rang and most of the class let out a sigh of relief, having finished chapter seven already.

"I want to see your work as you leave," Rion called as they started to pack up.

She stood at the door and looked at each student's work as they left the room.

"Fine... Good..." she muttered without much enthusiasm as each student passed. "Stay behind, Mr. Thomas... You too, Miss Brown," Rion added. "You lot can go... You've finished your work," she said glaring at Ginevra and her friends.

Seamus hesitated for a second, then left quickly with Neville and the others, not looking back. The door shut behind him with a loud bang.

"You do it?" Pansy asked Vincent quietly.

"Do what?" Seamus asked frowning.

"Shut up until we're out of earshot," Pansy muttered, going around the corner, the others following quickly.

Pansy looked around for a moment, making sure there was no one around. Ginevra nodded to confirm and Vincent held out an Extendable Ear.

"I thought I told you to make her life as miserable as possible?" Rion questioned.

"We're trying for the Gods sakes! You think it's easy when she's always surrounded by those paranoid jerks?" Lavender muttered.

"Hey... Pansy's the only paranoid one! Well, and Draco at times," Millicent said smirking at him.

"Shut up," Pansy muttered, turning her attention back to the Ear.

"You have to stop her from getting me fired too... You shouldn't have done that to Longbottom, no matter how much he deserved it... She no longer trusts you," Rion said to Dean.

"I did shit all to that fucking pouf! It was bloody Seamus, the scared little shit! He stopped me from doing half of the stuff I was going to do! If he hadn't been there then it would have just looked like Longbottom died in the Forbidden Forest..." Dean snarled.

"No matter that. You should have stuck to what you were told to do. If you don't then the same thing will happen to you over and over," Rion said angrily.

"Hey! I am not doing this shit for you! I couldn't care less if you got fired! I wouldn't even give a shit if you up and died! I am doing this for me and me only! Got that?" Dean said glaring at her.

"Yet I am the one who is supplying you with the things you need, aren't I, Mr. Thomas?" Rion said icily. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor for not finishing your work. Get out of my sight," she said opening the door.

"They're coming this way," Seamus whispered urgently.

"No shit, Merlin," Padma drawled softly.

Ginevra turned and opened the tapestry at the end of the corridor, all of them silently slipping inside. Pansy put her hand over Seamus' mouth so he wouldn't say anything to get them caught and everyone went quiet.

"Stupid bitch," they heard Dean mutter angrily.

"Dean, just get over yourself already! At least you're not the one who has to date that stupid idiot!" Lavender muttered.

"True... But it is pissing Ginny off no end and you weren't in the hospital wing for two days straight and have scars that no fucking Medic can heal!" Dean snarled.

"Honestly! If you didn't look so cute when you get angry I would be kicking your miserable arse down the staircase," Lavender said, laughing at him.

They heard footsteps run past, Lavender still laughing at him.

"What? Wait up Lav!" Dean called, running after her, his footsteps fading with her laughter.

A loud scream sounded from the Astronomy classroom and Ginevra turned to her brothers, glaring.

"Looks like she got our present... Time to leave," they said, hurrying down the corridor.

"Walk quietly," Ginevra hissed softly.

Everyone followed Fred and George along the corridor, down the stairs and in to Ginevra's tunnel, hurrying to her rooms.

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"What present did you give her?" Ginevra asked as soon as they were inside.

"We left a cute little teddy bear on her desk... It's charmed to change in to different kinds of beings whenever she's alone. And whenever anyone else looks at it, it's just a cute little teddy bear," they said, smirking evilly. "We were going to get one for Umbridge that changes in to a centaur..."

"You two are positively evil, you know that?" Pansy asked, shaking her head at them as they bowed deeply.

"Are you all right after what you heard?" Millicent asked Neville as they went in to the meeting room.

"I'll live, I'm sure," he replied smiling.

"You can let go of the Ear now, Vincent," Fred and George said, seeing his hand still gripping the invisible ear.

He let go of it, the Ear disappearing in to thin air.

"You changed the potion again?" Ginevra asked her brothers exasperatedly.

"Only a bit!" they said quickly.

"If you change it again then you're going to cancel out all of the other ingredients, for the Gods sakes!" Ginevra said glaring at them.

"What are you talking about?" Blaise asked in confusion.

"I gave them the potion for the Ears. They were originally meant for listening to other's conversations. You leave one Ear in a room, hidden of course, and then you use the other one to listen with... Then they changed it to the Extendable Ears. And now they've changed it back to my original idea, adding the Invisible and Disappearing ingredients for a different potion all together! That's why you had the Alihosty leaves, isn't it?" she asked glaring at them full heartedly.

"Maybe..." they muttered. "Don't you lot have homework to do?" Fred and George asked, leaving the room quickly.

"Get back here!" Ginevra said, running after them.

"Are they always like this?" Seamus asked in surprise.

"You get used to it," Neville replied with a shrug.

"Hello Frederick, George... Ginevra," Luna said with a smile as they ran past her, Ginevra's wand now drawn.

"Hi Luna!" Fred and George called over their shoulders. "Hi Colin!"

Colin smirked and took a picture of them running from their sister then followed Luna in to the meeting room.

The room went still and Seamus could practically see the tension flowing through them all.

"Did I miss something important?" he asked Neville quietly.

"It is nothing for you to worry about," Neville replied.

Luna looked at Seamus, her head to one side, her bottle cap necklace swaying as she scrutinised him without reserve.

"Actually, it is," Luna said after a moment. "Ginevra... You need to let them go now!" she called out the door.

Fred and George were stuck back-to-back on the floor, both attempting to get up without much success.

"Oh, fine..." Ginevra muttered, releasing her brothers from the spell.

"Where'd you learn that spell?" the twins asked, getting up properly now.

"I'm not telling you... You'll just go change it and then go back to my original idea!" she said with a glare.

"We'll give you credit for it," the twins coaxed, grinning at her.

"I'll think about it," Ginevra said, going back in to the meeting room.

"We should go get everything ready now. We'll be back for you two later, all right?" Fred and George said, kissing Padma and Parvati.

"All right... See you later," they replied, Parvati blushing brightly.

"Now that you've finished your exercise, can we at least start our homework?" Millicent drawled smirking.

"It's somehow become impossible for you to start working without me?" Ginevra responded, one eyebrow raised.

"How about you all just shut up and get on with your homework?" Colin said cheekily grinning at them.

"Yes Professor..." Pansy drawled, sitting in her seat and getting her work out.

The others followed suit quickly and as she sat down, Ginevra looked around, frowning.

"Where's Seamus gone?" she asked.

"With Luna for a minute..." Colin said shrugging.

"All right... Then where's Draco?" she asked.

Blaise looked around in surprise.

"Where is he?" he muttered, quickly leaving the meeting room to find him.

They heard a thud and Ginevra went out to see Blaise standing over Draco, his wand drawn.

"What in the Gods names did you do to him?" she asked, quickly going over.

"Go back to the meeting room, Ginevra," Blaise said quietly.

"Why did you hex Draco?" Ginevra asked, glaring at him.

"Ginevra... Do as Blaise tells you..." Luna said coming up behind her.

Seamus came out, looked at Ginevra warily then quickly went in to the meeting room.

"What's going on? There's something you're not telling me and I want to know what it is!" Ginevra said glaring at Luna and Blaise. "Why did you hex Pansy yesterday? And why did you hex Draco?" she asked looking at them both.

"I hexed Pansy because of something she was going to do, and Blaise hexed Draco because of something that he was going to hear," Luna replied.

Ginevra glared again, then turned and took the spell off of Draco, helping him to stand up.

"Give the Ear to me, Draconius," Luna instructed softly.

He glared at her and stood up straighter, pushing Ginevra away gently.

"I don't have to give you anything Lovegood," he snarled. "Tell me what the fuck you were talking to Finnigan about!"

"I do not have to tell you anything Draconius," Luna said glaring at him, her blue eyes hard and stern. "Why do you think you need to know?"

"Because it's about me Gods damn it!" Draco said angrily.

"It involves you but what I was telling Seamus about has nothing to do with you, Draconius... And if you wanted to know about every little thing that involved you then you would demand to know what everyone whispers about you when you walk past," Luna said matter-of-factly.

"That's different!" Draco protested.

"How? Because you think you know what they're saying about you?" Luna questioned, looking at him pointedly.

"Would you all stop fighting? It's giving me a headache!" Pansy yelled from the meeting room, coming out to them.

"And would you hurry up so we can get our bloody work done!" Millicent added.

"Draco, Luna... You two probably won't talk to each other until Draco knows whatever it is that you've been telling everybody, right?" Pansy asked.

"Most likely," Luna said with a confirming nod.

"Fine... Any idea when you can tell him?" Pansy asked Luna.

"Next week sometime," she replied vaguely.

"All right... Then how about this... You stay away from Luna until whenever she gets you to talk, and you do the same, but with Draco... Sometimes it's better to avoid people until it's easier for them to talk on their own," Pansy said shrugging at Ginevra's look.

"Fine by me," Draco said glaring at Luna.

"Very well... I will do my homework in my room with Colin and I will eat at the Gryffindor table," Luna said smiling at Draco. "Talk to you next week," she said then went to her room, Colin coming out of the meeting room to follow her, waving goodbye to the others.

Ginevra frowned and shook her head.

"You know, I had a question too..." she muttered, going back to the meeting room with a sigh.

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"We've been working for an hour and a half straight... When are we going to get something to eat?" Gregory asked, his stomach rumbling in agreement.

"We didn't even get a snack when we came back," Vincent added when Pansy glared at them, his stomach rumbling too.

"Fine... You want a snack? Then you can eat celery and carrot sticks... Or an apple. Healthy food, not the junk that you consider to be edible," she said smirking at them.

"All right..." Gregory said with a sigh. going down to the kitchen, Vincent following.

"They must be really hungry to agree to that," Blaise said in surprise.

"I better go make sure that they aren't covering everything in sugar," Pansy muttered, quickly going after them.

"Do you want me to show you how to use your new powers now?" Neville asked Seamus.

"All right..." he said with a nod.

"Yes, you can watch," Neville said to Ginevra, who just grinned at him.

Fred and George came in to the meeting room.

"Back already?" Ginevra asked grinning at them.

"Obviously..." they drawled, smirking.

"We'll see you all tomorrow, ok?" Padma and Parvati said, quickly packing their things up.

"You're not staying for dinner?" Ginevra asked the four of them in surprise.

"We've got dinner set up for them already," Fred and George said.

"All right... See you tomorrow," Ginevra said, hugging the Patil twins.

"Bye everyone!" they called, going to leave.

"Do you have Bexley?" Luna asked.

"Yes," Bexley said flying out of Ginevra and in to Fred and George.

"Goodbye to you too..." Ginevra said feigning hurt.

"Goodbye Ginevra!" Bexley said, flying back out and bowing to her, then flying back in to them.

Ginevra watched as the four twins left quickly, going down the corridor to the entry to their own tunnel.

"I'm going to help Theo at the hospital wing, all right? See you at dinner," Millicent called, leaving with her boyfriend.

"Are you coming to watch?" Neville asked Blaise.

"Of course..." he said, then started whispering in Neville's ear, making Ginevra go red.

"Honestly, Blaise! Can you not say that where I can hear you?" she asked, wincing. "And don't think about it either... I do not need to be educated about that," Ginevra said glaring.

"All right... I'll stop," Blaise said with a disappointed sigh. "I'm only stopping so your boyfriend doesn't go Veelan on me and kill me in a jealous rage," he said smirking at Draco over her shoulder.

"I'd tell you to get fucked but I wouldn't want you to spoil Ginevra's innocent mind," Draco said smirking at him.

"I'd willingly agree but for the same reason," Blaise replied.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Ginevra said angrily, glaring at the both of them.

"We should leave them to it... It might get ugly," Neville said grinning as he led Seamus to one of the empty rooms.

"Why did you give me some of your power?" Seamus asked quietly when they were inside the room.

"For a few reasons... It can help you if you're in danger if you learn to use it properly. You need the power to keep up with the rest of us. By using my power it will help bring out your own powers, if you have them... I also gave it to you so you would have some idea of what we're going on about if we're talking about our own things... You can't be a part of this group if you're not a being," Neville said with a shrug. "Glad to see that you've finished arguing," he said looking over Seamus' shoulder.

"We haven't finished yet... We just decided to postpone it for a different time..." Blaise said smirking. "They only wanted to postpone because I was winning," he added winking at his boyfriend.

"You're the one that said we should postpone the arguments!" Draco said glaring at him, still heated up.

"And you're the one that just took the bait, Draco... Calm down will you?" Ginevra muttered shaking her head at him.

"Fine," Draco said with a sigh.

"You done now?" Neville asked smirking at them.

The three of them nodded and sat on a lounge that Ginevra conjured. She grinned as Draco put his arm around her and leant in to him.

"Thanks for making me feel lonely, lovely," Blaise said smirking.

Ginevra rolled her eyes and put her head on Draco's lap, her feet resting on Blaise's lap.

"Happy now?" she drawled.

"Yes... I can only feel happy when I have your feet on my lap," Blaise replied, an eyebrow raised at her.

"Either shut up and watch or bugger off if you're just going to talk," Neville said with a half-hearted glare at them. "Now, hold out your palm," Neville instructed Seamus.

Seamus held out his palm and tried not to say anything when Neville pulled a dagger out of his robe pocket.

"Calm down... It will only hurt for a second," Neville said kindly, holding his hand so he couldn't pull away.

He sliced along the heart line going across the middle of Seamus' palm. Seamus bit his lip as his skin curled slightly, the blood oozing out of the wound.

Ginevra sat up instantly, the smell of the blood attracting her attention. Her eyes went red as the smell and taste of blood filled her mouth.

Neville looked over at her for a moment then gave a nod to Blaise who held her tightly around the waist.

"Oh... You're mean to tease me like this Neville!" Ginevra cried, struggling lightly against Blaise's grip, not wanting to hurt him.

"It's only for a moment longer and then you can go Drink Draco dry, okay?" Neville said with a smile, as he cut his own palm along the same line. "Now hold your palm against mine... There is no need to look so worried," he said, smiling still.

Seamus gulped, nodded and pressed his hand against Neville's. A green light exploded around their hands and Seamus shuddered violently as his eyes were forced shut. Neville calmly closed his eyes.

After a few minutes of watching and still restraining Ginevra, Seamus and Neville pulled apart. Seamus looked dazed, but somehow wiser and looking at him closely, they noticed that his blue eyes had changed to green.

"Tha' was amazing," Seamus muttered, his Irish accent thick with awe.

"You understand now?" Neville asked him, seemingly unaffected by what had just happened.

Seamus nodded, still awed and shocked. He looked slightly intoxicated.

"Can you heal your hands now? Ginevra is getting really Thirsty," Draco muttered, holding Ginevra with all of his strength.

Neville gave a curt nod and in seconds, both of their hands were healed, the blood gone. Ginevra slumped against Blaise and Draco's arms with a sigh.

"You're a right prick to have done that without any warning Neville!" she muttered, her eyes still red with longing.

"I'm sure Draco will be more than obliging," Blaise said, having seen the look on Draco's face when her eyes turned red.

Ginevra smirked at Draco, then pulled him out of the room and down to her room. She'd barely closed the door before she kissed him hungrily.

"I swear, if you say you don't want me to, I'm going to find out what my own blood tastes like..." she muttered.

"If I did say no I doubt you'd listen," Draco replied, holding her up steadily.

He felt her smirk against his neck, kissing it once before letting her fangs pierce the skin. He gave a small cry and then she was licking the wounds, his blood flowing in to her open and eager mouth.

"Don't Drink too much or you won't have enough appetite for dinner!" Neville said, banging on the door.

"Don't care," Ginevra muttered, biting and Drinking from Draco again.

She bit her own wrist, offering it to Draco. He licked the two puncture wounds softly, smirking as she purred in his arms.

"Is she really drinking his blood?" Seamus asked, trying not to feel sickened at the thought.

"Yes... It's natural for Vampires to do so... We drink liquids other than blood to survive... They just drink blood. As you've never seen it being done before, to you that makes it wrong, barbaric and sick. To Vampires it’s necessary to survive, so they mostly think nothing of it. Ginevra however, probably won't Drink from anyone other than Draco, or us if the need arises," Neville said. "She doesn't like to hurt people when it isn't necessary to do so."

"What about what she does to Ron and Lavender?" Seamus pointed out.

Neville sighed and shook his head, putting a hand to Seamus' forehead. The Vision played in Seamus' mind and he paled as he Saw what was to happen. As it ended, Seamus fainted. Blaise caught him quickly and gently rested him on the ground.

"Are you sure about this Nev?" Blaise asked him softly.

"Yes, I am sure about it... I know what I Saw, Blaise," he replied.

"I don't doubt that, but honestly... Him?" Blaise said sighing heavily.

"You will be fine with it soon enough," Neville said smiling.

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked looking at his boyfriend suspiciously.

"I am not telling you a lot of things, Blaise... You will have to be more specific than that next time," he responded smirking, waking Seamus up with a muttered spell.

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"All right you two! Your time is officially up! You have to do your exercises now!" Neville called banging on the door.

"I didn't know our time had officially started," Ginevra muttered, opening the door, fully clothed to Seamus' surprise. "What? You think that just because we've been in there for half an hour that we fucked each other?" she asked him, seeing his surprised look.

"Not really..." Seamus muttered, going red.

Draco came out of the room, smirking broadly, his clothes and hair messier than Seamus had ever seen them before. Seamus was startled to see that his lips were crimson, as were Ginevra's.

"You drank her blood too?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course... It isn't fair if she doesn't share now, is it?" Draco asked smirking still.

Ginevra licked her lips slightly, most of the crimson colour disappeared, the rest staying, having stained her lips.

"Albus is going to be pissed... I still haven't told him about me Drinking," she muttered.

"No one cares except Albus, so can you hurry up and get ready for your exercises and training now?" Neville asked, smirking at her.

"Yes Professor," Ginevra said sarcastically, bowing to him.

"Good... Now get your arse in the training room," Neville said, pushing her down the corridor.

"You sure you want to fight me after I've been Drinking?" Ginevra asked when they were inside.

Draco, Blaise, Seamus and Pansy followed them inside quickly. Colin came out of his room and joined them, patiently waiting for them to start.

"Yes, I am sure... Now stop stalling and hurry up with your exercises," he said, already starting his.

Ginevra grinned at the subtly implied challenge, then did her exercises, warming up and stretching her body.

"Ready?" Neville asked impatiently.

Colin got his camera ready eagerly and Ginevra nodded, putting her fists up.

"Want to go all out?" he asked smirking at her.

"All right," Ginevra said grinning.

"Good," Neville said and kicked at her head.

Ginevra ducked, punching at his leg. Neville moved back a step and punched at her face, Ginevra barely managing to avoid his fist. Neville punched with his other fist, this time it connected with her nose, a crunch sounding.

Colin clicked away on his camera eagerly, taking photos of not only Ginevra and Neville, but also Draco and Pansy, who had also started fighting.

Her eyes watered but in a few seconds the pain subsided and her nose was back to normal. Ginevra glared at Neville, punching at him, feigning then kicking him in the chest so he fell back. Or was supposed to...

Neville flipped over, landing nimbly on his feet and kicked her shoulder, making her fall over.

"Stop holding back Ginevra," he said with a glare, holding out a hand for her.

"You're holding back too," she muttered, standing up on her own.

"Only because you are and I do not want to hurt you if you are not prepared and fighting to your full potential," he replied with a shrug.

"Fine... I'll go to my full potential... Sure you can handle it?" Ginevra said smirking at him.

"You will be lying on the ground when I am finished with you, lovely," Neville replied smirking.

Ginevra punched at him, moving forwards so that he had to move further back with each punch she threw at him. She cornered him and punched again, hitting nothing but air. Neville appeared behind her, kicking her behind so she moved forward a few steps. Ginevra turned sharply, kicking him in the chest hard. Neville just smirked and kicked at her. She grabbed his leg and made him fall on to his back. Neville made her flip over him with his foot and Ginevra landed on her feet, attempting to keep her balance.

Colin grinned as Blaise and Seamus finished doing the exercises and began fighting. He started taking photos of them quickly, noticing that Seamus and Blaise fought well together...

Ginevra glared at Neville, who just smirked and held his palm out, facing her. Without a word, whisper or even a blink, his hand glowed green and a beam shot out at her, Ginevra barely managing to move out of the way. The light hit the wall behind her that was immediately covered in various vines and plants.

Ginevra smirked and flicked her wrist a few times, two red lights shooting out at Neville. A barrier formed around him and the lights disappeared in to it. Another flick of her wrist and his barrier disappeared, a light hitting him directly in the chest. She frowned when nothing happened to him, but shot out another two more lights. Neville let them flow in to him and as he cupped his hands, Ginevra realised that she had made a mistake...

Five red lights drifted out of his skin and a light green mist covered them as they stopped within the confines of his cupped hands. With a smirk, he blew on each one softly. They grew larger and the green mist dissolved the red lights easily; too easily in Ginevra's opinion.

Ginevra just watched him curiously, knowing that he had put up an invisible barrier and so it would be futile for her to send more balls and just increase his power... Her dagger appeared in her hands. Ginevra barely had time to wonder how she could deflect them without having the lights fly around the room, when Neville shot the lights at her.

Her dagger pulsed red for a moment and a barrier formed around Ginevra, all five of the lights flying in to it. As they went through, the green lights disappeared and returned to their original red colour. All five halted then resumed their original missions and flew back at Neville quickly.

Ginevra followed the lights towards Neville and kicked at him as he attempted to dodge the lights. Neville managed to miss her foot but four of the lights entered him as a result. He stopped for a second, getting a fist in the cheek for it, and red light seemed to escape from every pore in his body. Ginevra moved back quickly, wondering what was happening. She called for the lights to return to her, but the light continued to pour from him.

"Get in there and stop them!" Ginevra commanded the remaining light and it flew in to Neville at top speed.

A second later, the red light was replaced with a soft green light and a calm feeling flowed through everyone in Ginevra's rooms. Draco and Pansy stopped their own fighting and looked over to them curiously. Blaise and Seamus stopped as well, looking over at them. The green light disappeared and Neville slumped to the ground with a sigh. The five lights flew out of him, small and apologetic. They stopped in front of Ginevra, bobbing up and down for a moment.

"You should be sorry! You could have killed him!" she snarled at them.

The four lights grew smaller quickly; the fifth one obviously agreeing with Ginevra as it stayed the same size and bobbed at them vigorously.

"Get back in and do not kill anyone without instruction!" Ginevra commanded and they all flew in to her body quickly. "Are you all right, Neville? I'm sorry about that... I did not mean for it to happen," she said apologetically, helping him up.

"It is fine, Ginevra... I have experienced worse and it was not that painful anyway. It just felt like my entire body had pins and needles," Neville replied, rubbing his arm for a moment.

"Are you sure?" Ginevra asked, concerned.

"Of course! If it hurt me then I would say so... We have time for another round if you are game," Neville said grinning.

"So soon? All right... You four can go back to your own fighting now," Ginevra said to the others.

"Of course, my Queen," Draco replied smirking at her.

"Should I even ask what that's about?" Seamus asked Blaise, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"It's Ginevra's information to tell, not mine," Blaise said with a shrug, punching at his face.

Seamus moved out of the way quickly but was hit by an upper punch with Blaise's other fist.

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"It is time for dinner," Luna announced from the doorway.

They stopped fighting and did some exercises that cooled their bodies slowly and didn't shock them because of the sudden change in temperature.

Colin flicked his wand and all of the photos that he had taken flew on to his hand. He clutched them, grinning broadly and quickly went to his room to put them away in a safe spot before going to meet the others at the wardrobe, sans camera and photographs.

Ginevra was talking with Draco and Neville while Blaise talked to Seamus and Luna. Pansy was down the corridor, banging on the door to get her boyfriends out of their room.

"Would you two hurry up? It's time for dinner!" she called.

In the whole of ten seconds, both Gregory and Vincent were out of the room. Pansy rolled her eyes at them.

"Sometimes I wonder if you'll ever answer if I call for help... I'm going to call out for dinner if I need you two to help me," she muttered shaking her head.

Pansy hurried to the others, all of them going down the corridor quickly, their stomachs rumbling loudly after all of the exercise. Gregory and Vincent caught up to her quickly.

"That's not fair, Pans... You know we'd be out even quicker if you called for help," Gregory said seriously.

"Although it depends what food there is for dinner..." Vincent said smirking, kissing her.

Ginevra opened the door and looked out quickly to make sure no one was around, then climbed out quickly.

"Jerk," Pansy muttered to Vincent.

He just laughed and put an arm around her waist, helping her out of the tapestry door. Gregory climbed out, helping Vincent out after him.

They all went to the Great Hall. Luna, Colin, Ginevra and Seamus went to the Gryffindor table and the other six joined Theodore at the Slytherin table.

Ginevra filled her plate and started eating her dinner, looking at the other students.

"Where's Millicent?" she asked Luna.

"It is a full moon tonight, Ginevra... She is part-werewolf remember," Luna said quietly. "You should eat now. I can hear your stomach complaining from here," she said smiling at her.

Ginevra grinned, rolled her eyes and ate her dinner, turning to Colin after a while.

"Did you see anything wrong when Neville and I were fighting?" she asked.

"There were a few openings that both of you missed, but other than that I don't remember seeing anything," Colin said.

"That's good... Are you all right about your mother now?" she asked quietly.

"Yes and no... I'm all right with it because she couldn't really stop giving birth to me. But I'm still annoyed that they didn't tell me sooner," he muttered.

"I know how you feel... Mum and Dad only told me about this two weeks ago..." Ginevra said with a shrug. "But they had their reasons not to tell me sooner, and they supported me so I forgave them pretty quickly," she said grinning.

"How could they not support you?" Colin asked in surprise.

"They could have done what the rest of my family did and not talk to me... It was like my first and second years all over again with my brothers," Ginevra said shaking her head.

Colin nodded, knowing what she meant by that.

"I'm surprised that they weren't more accepting of it and you..." he said.

Ginevra just shrugged in response and looked around. She saw Tom sitting across from her and waved to him, getting his attention.

"Hi Tom... Did we miss any announcements from Dumbledore?" she asked.

"Nothing much... Apparently three certain people were caught in the Forbidden Forest and he repeated the fact that a forest that has the word forbidden in it is actually forbidden," Tom said with a laugh.

"I'm surprised that they got Ronald away from Lavender long enough to get him to go to a forest that's crawling with Acromantula..." Ginevra drawled smirking.

Colin frowned for a moment.

"Where are they anyway?" he asked looking around.

"No idea... Ron's down there with Lavender," Ginevra said indicating a few seats down.

"They both look pissed off," Colin said, Tom nodding in agreement.

They all went quiet, trying to hear what they were arguing about.

"Why did you put her in the hospital wing? She was just talking to me, for the Gods sakes!" Ron said angrily, glaring at his girlfriend.

"You didn't even tell her that I was in your group, Ron! I'm your girlfriend, you're supposed to do things with me!" Lavender said glaring right back at him.

"It was just Defence Against the Dark Arts, Lavender! Sally-Anne just got to our group before you did! There was no need for you to hurt her just because you're jealous!" Ron said.

"Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown... Stop your bickering and follow me," McGonagall said sternly, coming up behind them.

Lavender crossed her arms in a huff, looked away from Ron and followed McGonagall out of the Great Hall.

"Don't do anything without me," Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione, quickly going after them.

"I think I'm proud of Ron..." Ginevra said in surprise.

Hermione turned and glared at her.

"How can you be proud of him? I know exactly how Lavender feels... Ron should have told Sally-Anne to go to a different group when he saw that Lavender was standing there!" Hermione said angrily.

"Yet you didn't say a thing to Ronald... Even though you think Lavender was right, your own jealousy prevented you from saying anything," Ginevra retorted glaring at her.

"I am not jealous of that little cow!" Hermione said, going red.

"You're not jealous but every time they're together, you keep staring at them... Every time you're near them you think of ways to make Ron yours. You should wake up and see what's right in front of you Granger!" she hissed.

"And what's right in front of me?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "A bitter future with no one and nothing but my books, like Trewlaney says?" she jeered.

"No, Granger... Potter is right in front of you, for the Gods sakes! And if you can't see that he's head over heels in love with you, then you fucking deserve your bitter and bleak future," Ginevra said angrily.

Hermione looked at Harry, who had gone bright red.

"I'll see you later, all right?" she muttered to Colin, Seamus and Luna, who all nodded.

Shaking her head, Ginevra left the Great Hall quickly. She went to the Hogwarts entrance and slipped out the side door quietly. She looked up at the full moon and heard a loud howl from the Forbidden Forest.

Ginevra sighed and turned in to an owl, flying up in to the night sky, the feeling of freedom enveloping her.

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Draco watched as Ginevra left the Great Hall. He turned to see Hermione and Harry talking animatedly, smirking at how blind the Mudblood was for someone who was supposed to be so smart...

"I'm going to go find her, all right?" Draco said to Blaise, standing up.

"Stay," Luna said appearing behind him.

She put a hand on his shoulder and he sat down unwillingly.

"You cannot go find Ginevra yet... She needs this time alone to think about everything," Luna said with a smile.

"You cannot keep me here, Lovegood," Draco growled, glaring at her.

He tried to stand up, but found that he couldn't.

"Take this spell off me!" he said angrily.

"I cannot... It is for you to undo yourself," Luna said with a smile before returning to her seat next to Colin and Seamus.

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"We're going back to the room, all right Draco?" Pansy said looking at her friend, trying to sound concerned and not laugh at his situation.

"Can you stand up yet?" Blaise asked.

Draco tried but failed, yet again. No spell he had done had allowed him to stand up.

"For the Gods sakes, Lovegood... If I say that I won't go find Ginevra will you let me off this bloody chair?" Draco muttered with a sigh.

"You can say it but that does not mean that you will mean it," she replied.

Draco refrained from glaring and hexing her. Instead he gave a sigh and looked at her seriously.

"Fine... I promise that I will not go find Ginevra tonight," he said.

"Very well. I will hold you to that promise, Draconius," Luna said sternly. "You can stand up now," she said smiling.

Draco stood up gratefully and they all returned to Ginevra's room, wondering where she was.

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Ginevra watched as the full moon slowly made its way across the sky, as silent as always. It never made a sound as it moved through the world, through time, yet it had such an affect on people that they never questioned it. Why was she any different? Simply because she could make sounds, everyone thought that gave them the right to question her. Ginevra sighed once more and looked down at the Hogwarts ground beneath her. She saw a figure dancing on the ground and as the moon touched the creature, she saw that it was a Mooncalf. Intrigued, Ginevra stepped off of the roof and flew down to the ground, silently as an owl. The shy creature hadn't noticed her and Ginevra watched the Mooncalf dancing. Curiosity taking over, Ginevra began to change her shape to that of a Mooncalf. Her body began to become smoother and turned pale grey. Her eyes rounded out and bulged on the top of her head. Her arms changed in to four long spindly legs and Ginevra's hands and feet became four large flat feet. She stood up on her hind legs, as the Mooncalf before her was and walked over to the silent creature. The Mooncalf saw her coming over and stopped in shock. The creature awkwardly bowed to her. Hello, New Queen. Would you care for this dance to honour the Lady of the Night? The Mooncalf asked in her mind, then looked up to the full moon. I would be honoured, Ginevra replied and bowed back to the Mooncalf. Almost as if she already knew what to do, Ginevra began to dance with the Mooncalf. They danced to honour the moon's presence, but it was nothing like human dancing. They did not touch each other at all and danced in circles around each other, some broad, others small. Beneath their large feet, the grass bent almost perfectly, creating what the Muggles called crop circles. After about half an hour, they both stopped and the Mooncalf bowed to Ginevra. It was a pleasure and an honour to dance with you, New Queen... It would please me if we did this again, he said in her mind and then dropped to all four legs and left quickly, his feet no longer making any imprints on the soft grass. Ginevra sighed and turned back to her human self, returning to her rooms quietly, knowing that it was almost eleven o'clock and the others would be asleep. She listened half-heartedly but couldn't hear the others at all. She closed her bedroom door firmly and sat on her bed with a weary sigh, wondering if she should do the spell or not. Sighing again, she stood up and after making sure that the door was shut, she began to say the spell. "Those who know, now forget... Make the past not happen yet... Their memories caught in a net... Those who knew, now forget..." she said clearly. A non-existent wind blew her door open and hundreds of red balls flew out of Ginevra. They left the room quickly, leaving her alone with a single red ball. It bobbed in front of her, its light coating the room in a soft red glow. After a few minutes, the lights flew back in to her room and waited in front of her for further instructions. "The task is completed, memories wiped clean... Go to the earth, make sure to be unseen. Before you go, wipe the memory of your Queen," Ginevra said. The light that had waited flew in to her forehead and as Ginevra fell to the ground, the lights all flew outside to join the lights that had gone underground after the first memory spell. Two lights remained behind, their glows dimming so they would not be noticed...

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A few hours later Ginevra stood up and left her room silently, sleepwalking. She walked down to Draco's room and opened his door. As she stopped next to his bed, Ginevra smiled at Draco's sleeping form. He woke up almost instantly and looked at her.

"I'm sorry, my love," she whispered so softly that not even he could hear her, and kissed him.

Draco stared at her in shock, yet he still managed to fall asleep after a few minutes. Ginevra left, a single tear falling from her eyes.

Ginevra slumped on to her bed with an exhausted sigh. She changed in to her pyjamas wearily, then crawled under the covers, her eyes closing immediately.

The two red balls appeared again, their lights brighter now. One entered Ginevra's mind and the other one flew down the hall to Draco's room. As they both finished the task assigned by their Queen, the two red balls left to join the others and Ginevra's bedroom door shut behind them firmly.

Luna heard Ginevra's door close and looked down to the two red balls in the spelled net next to her bed. She looked up at Colin seriously.

"We are to do nothing, do you understand Colin? If they find out before the due time, then it could mean the total disaster of everything that has been Planned so far... No meaningful looks, stares or suggestions, all right? Act as surprised as they do," Luna said.

"Of course... I won't do anything to hurt them, Luna," Colin said. "If it all becomes too much, I'll just take some photos like the good little camera boy I am," he said with a small laugh.

"Yes, you are good," she said smiling at him. "I have to get Albus to hurry... If we do not get Advanced soon, They will not be very happy," Luna said softly, shaking her head.

"They?" Colin asked intrigued.

"Just the proverbial they," Luna said with a smile. "You should go to sleep now, dear Colin," she whispered.

Luna kissed his forehead and watched as he fell asleep instantly. She sighed and looked in the mirror sadly.

"You almost gave it away again..." she murmured, shaking her head as she left the room silently.

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Xavier and Agnes waited for Ginevra's spell to reach them, the spelled net between them on the bed. Agnes sighed in annoyance as yet again, her husband looked towards the window.

"Xavier, love, calm down... You are making me nervous," Agnes said with a smile.

"I apologise, dear... Her powers have grown even over the last few days and I just worry that the net will not be able to hold the spell," Xavier confessed with a weary sigh, running his hand through his hair.

Agnes took his hand and caressed it lightly.

"That net has over one hundred protective spells on it... Do not worry about its ability to hold her spell, Xavier. It has reflected a spell from the Chief of Wizengamot after all," she said with a smile.

"I know, dear... But Ginevra is not the Chief of Wizengamot, now is she? She is much more..." he muttered softly.

"I am aware of what she is, love, but I also remember who she is, a fact that you seem to be forgetting... Ginevra is a sixteen-year-old girl who does not know the full extent of her powers. Even if she did know, I doubt with great extremity that she would allow the spell to hurt us, love," Agnes said calmly, in turn calming her tensed husband.

Xavier sighed again and kissed her lightly.

"Thank you, dear..." he said with a smile.

"You are most welcome, love... The spell is coming," she responded.

Xavier turned to see a bright red ball flying towards their window. He jumped up and caught the spell in the net. It struggled against the barrier and the net flew out of his hands, flying around the room before directing itself to Agnes.

"STOP!" Xavier bellowed loudly.

The net and ball stilled immediately. Agnes calmly grabbed the net and looked at it as Xavier calmed himself down.

"Xavier, this is different," Agnes said in shock, looking at the colours on the net.

"What? How?" he asked in surprise, looking at the net too.

It changed colours at his question and they both paled in shock.

"It has erased her memory of being a Vampiress... Gods, this is not good," Xavier muttered, running a hand through his hair wearily.

"Should we tell Albus?" Agnes asked.

Suddenly their fireplace lit up with green flames and Albus' head appeared, smiling at them. He noticed the net that Agnes was holding and their shocked looks.

"Oh good, so you do know about the spell then," he said in obvious relief.

"You knew of this?" Xavier asked in surprise.

Albus nodded, his amusement showing clearly.

"Yes, I have known of it since lunch time... It is sad to lose such power over a message from tea leaves," he said with a sad sigh.

A voice sounded from beside him and Albus turned his head to look at the person, giving them a brief nod.

"Of course, my Lady..." he said quietly. "I apologise," Albus said to Xavier and Agnes as he turned back to them. "My reason for calling so unexpectedly was to introduce you both to someone very important. She is the one who informed me about Ginevra's spell... With your permission, I will send her through to you now," he said.

Agnes and Xavier nodded, intrigued. Albus moved back and a figure jumped through the fireplaces, landing on their bedroom floor softly. The person bowed to them.

"Good evening Lady Agnes and Lord Xavier... I apologise for arriving on such short notice. Thank you Albus," she said turning back to the man in the fireplace.

"Of course, Lady... Good night Lord Xavier, Lady Agnes," he said with a bow and the flames disappeared.

The woman turned back to her two hosts and smiled at them.

"My name is Luna Lovegood, Head of the Seer Division for the Order of the Phoenix... You however, may know me better as Cassandra," Luna said smiling at them as her shape changed subtly, yet distinctly.

Her blonde hair changed into small curls and grew longer. Her eyes changed from blue to opalescent and became a few shades brighter. In seconds Luna had changed from pretty to breath-takingly beautiful. She had become Cassandra from Greek mythology; the beauty who had been given the gift of foresight by the infatuated god Apollo, only to turn him down and have him curse her so that no one would believe her.

Agnes and Xavier just stared at her, the shock of having someone who had met a god standing in front of them too much to handle.

Luna/Cassandra smiled at them, hearing their shocked and surprised thoughts clearly.

"I can give you the chance to ask your questions out loud, or I can just answer them if you would prefer that," she offered.

"You may just answer our questions... I think we are too shocked to ask them, Lady Cassandra," Agnes replied, the first to recover from her shock.

Luna/Cassandra nodded briefly smiling at her.

"Very well... I turned down Apollo's gift because of his gift... He gave me the gift of Sight and I Saw everything that had yet to happen. I Saw two different alternatives... The first was what would happen if I accepted Apollo's love. I Watched as I lived in luxury that even the rich can only dream of and I was forced to Watch as he grew out of love with me. After only ten thousand years, I Saw Apollo throw me back to the mortal world where I died shortly after, having lost his love and thus, any chance I had to survive in the mortal world... It was then that I Saw the Alternative..." Luna/Cassandra paused for a moment.

"Please, continue..." Agnes said, rapt by the tale she was telling.

"I Saw myself refuse him and I Watched as he cursed the gift he had given me. I Saw all of the hardships I would face. I Watched Troy fall to the Greeks and I could do nothing as my hometown was burnt to ashes over the love of a woman," Luna/Cassandra said, sadness filling her voice. "I watched as Ajax the Lesser dragged me from the sanctuary I had sought within Athena's temple and I became a spoil of their war, to become a slave and mistress to King Agamemnon. I Watched as Athena sought revenge for their lack of respect to her temple with the help of Poseidon and I Watched as he destroyed most of the Greeks ships. I watched as Agamemnon's wife and Queen, Clytemnestra, killed us both on our arrival to Mycenae..."

"If you Saw your own death then why did you turn down Apollo?" Xavier asked in surprise.

"After I Saw my death, I Saw my reincarnation, the one that stands before you now... I knew that if I accepted Apollo's love then this one would not be in existence. In Seeing her I also Saw her love, Apollo's own incarnate... He seems to have calmed and become less arrogant and conceited after all of these years thankfully," Luna/Cassandra said smiling. "Now I must ask for your attention again, as I talk to you of Ginevra and her future," she said apologetically.

"You know of her future? But... how? None of our Seers have been able to See one thing of her future since she decided to do the spell," Xavier said.

"I am aware of that, Lord Xavier... I am able to See her future, as Apollo's gift is still with me and the Gods know of Ginevra, even if the Fates of the Future do not," Luna/Cassandra said.

"Of course, Lady Cassandra... I apologise," Xavier said with a small bow.

"Your apology is accepted, Lord Xavier..."

Halfway across Europe, Ginny slept soundly through out the night, blissfully unaware of the discussions about her...

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(a/n: Please don't hate me! This is the first cliff-hanger I've done for this story (in my opinion) so you aren't allowed to complain that much! :-)

This chapter was sixty-seven pages long!

Thank you for reading!)

11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter, don’t sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Eleven

Friday, Sept. 13

She woke up with a wide yawn and stretch. Ginny felt like she'd been sleeping for years! She scratched her head for a moment, before getting her bathrobe and going down to the shower, barely registering her surroundings. It wasn't until she was in the shower that Ginny realised that she had no idea where she was.

"Lily? Where am I?" Ginny asked in confusion.

Don't worry; you're still at school, Lily informed her with a smile.

Inwardly she sighed at having to be back in the mortal realm.

You're just in an older part of Hogwarts. Albus gave you these rooms, don't you remember? she asked with a frown.

"No, why did he?" Ginny asked frowning as she tried to remember, only to come up with a blank space.

Never mind that now, dear. You should hurry if you're to get to breakfast, Lily said.

Ginny nodded and quickly finished her shower, getting changed in record time.

Where am I? Draco wondered as he woke up in an unfamiliar room.

He got up quickly and studied his surroundings, putting on the clothes that could only be owned by him, but they were draped over a chair he'd never seen before. Leaving the room, he looked around, trying to find something that he recognised. Hints of memories ran through his mind as he went to each room, knowing what they were with ease, but having no idea how he knew...

Ginevra quickly explored her rooms, amazed at how big everything seemed to be. She didn't open the doors in the long corridor, not just because she didn't have time, but also due to the fact that she seemed to know that there were people in them.

"Hello?" Draco called out tentatively, hearing a noise nearby, but he was still wary of an attack or an elaborate prank.

"Malfoy? What are you doing in my rooms?" Ginny asked in shock, glaring at him.

"I didn't come here willingly Weasley! You probably kidnapped me!" he said, just as angry and glaring back just as hard.

The others came out of their rooms, looking dazed and shocked.

"Where are we?" Pansy asked, then seeing Ginny, she sided with Draco, glaring at her. "What did you do to us, Weasley? Where on Earth are we?" she asked angrily.

"I didn't do anything to any of you Parkinson! You're in my rooms... Now get out!" Ginny said.

"If you didn't do anything to us then how are we here?" Millicent asked pointedly looking at her.

"How am I to know that? You all probably broke in to here to pull some prank on me and fell asleep!" Ginny said.

A loud bell sounded and Ginny cursed.

"Out! Get out right now or I'll go to the Headmaster!" she threatened. "I'm so late..." she muttered, running around and grabbing her things surprisingly fast, considering she didn't recognise her own room.

"Ginny, calm down... We're all running late and you rushing about like that is only going to get everyone agitated," Luna said softly, smiling at her calmly.

"I don't care, Luna.. They're not supposed to be in here and they're making me late! I won't even have time for breakfast," Ginny muttered, looking at her watch.

"Darn... I was looking forward to a big breakfast too," Vincent muttered to Gregory.

"Don't you two think about anything other than food?" Ginny muttered, the saying familiar somehow.

She frowned, then shook her head quickly, rushing about again.

"Out, all of you!" Ginny said, shooing them out of her front door. "And don't come back!" she muttered, slamming the door in their faces. "What's wrong with you Colin?" she asked turning to see a sad look on her friend's face.

"Nothing, Ginny..." he replied softly with a smile. "I think you shooed Luna out with them..." he said, quickly going past and out the front door, trying not to show her his tears.

Ginny looked after him for a moment, then shrugged and finished getting her school bag ready, shoving a spare quill in her robe pocket and rushing off to the Astronomy classroom.

"We'll just go back in and get our stuff. You should go ahead Draco, since you're the only one dressed properly. Make sure Rion won't get points off all of us," Pansy said, giving him a quick shove towards the Hogwarts entrance.

"Fine," Draco muttered, getting the feeling that they were trying to get rid of him.

Shaking his head, he quickly went up to the Astronomy classroom.

"Colin, don't look so upset. We all know that Ginevra doesn't mean what she's saying," Pansy said giving him a smile.

"I know..." he said with a sniff. "It's just she... She looks so dim, like all of her sparkle left with the spell she did," Colin said sadly. "It was never like that before," he muttered, shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of his sadness.

"We know..." Theodore said, patting him on the back comfortingly.

"We should get our things before Ginny decides to come back for something and finds us still waiting out here," Seamus said quietly.

Luna gave him a nod and smile, opening the door for them.

"Be quick, get only the things that are absolutely necessary. I will make sure that the doors stay locked until we return," she informed them.

They all nodded, rushing in quickly to get their school belongings and a few items of clothing.

"Lily... Do not be upset for her. She will survive through this, just as she has survived the past sixteen years of her life, and the years before those," Luna said quietly.

I know, Cassandra... I just hate to see her treat you all that way when you're the only real friends she's had. I would not like to be in Draco's shoes at this moment. She's royally annoyed with him for some reason, Lily said shaking her head.

"As is to be expected... Almost two weeks of her memory have been erased so she thinks like she did before she learnt of becoming a Vampiress, meaning that the Malfoy-Weasley feud has returned and she will be kind to Lavender, Dean and Rion. Ginevra will also think Ronald is still her loving and caring brother, thus she will return to following the Trio around again... It will be interesting to see how she goes with her detention tonight with Pansy and Hagrid," Luna mused with a smile.

It will be interesting, to say the least, especially as she doesn't remember why she has detention. I should go back to her now. She is about to see her brothers with their girlfriends. Lily said with a sigh, disappearing quickly.

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"Fred? George? What are you doing with Parvati and Padma?" Ginny asked in surprise, seeing them up ahead, their arms draped around the two girls waists.

Fred and George turned quickly, looking at each other guiltily before turning their attention to their sister.

"Are you all right, Ginevra? You don't look... well," they said looking at her with frowns.

Parvati nudged them discreetly and they nodded minutely, remembering what had happened.

"You're avoiding the question, aren't you?" Ginny asked rolling her eyes.

"Yes! That's exactly what we were doing..." they said grinning. "So we'll talk to you later about it. You're already late for lesson," Fred and George said, ushering their sister and girlfriends up the corridor to the Astronomy classroom.

When all three of them were out of sight, they turned to each other, shaking their heads.

She looks so... dull, Fred said silently.

I know. Do you think there's any way we can get her back again? George asked sadly.

There is a way, but you must talk with Luna of it... a female voice said softly.

Fred and George looked to each other in surprise, and then looked around for the source of the voice.

You cannot see me... I am Lily Potter, nee Evans... I am currently within your sister's body to protect her. I did leave a few days or weeks ago; it is hard to remember what mortal time is like when you cannot discern between night and day, or sleep and awake. Lily said with a smile.

You're Harry's mother? they asked.

Yes... But I am not just his mother, as everyone seems to believe...

We can help Ginevra? Fred and George asked, directing the conversation to the original topic.

Yes, you can help her... You have to talk with Luna about it though. Oh dear. Ginevra just saw Ronald and Lavender together... Lily said with a frown, disappearing.

"Should we go get her now or wait until recess?" Fred asked George quietly as they headed to a tapestry.

"We'll wait until recess... I'm not up to facing Snape this early in the morning when he doesn't remember who and what Ginevra was," George said, Fred nodding in agreement.

They went behind a tapestry and back down to Ginevra's room, wondering about Ginevra, Lily and how she knew that Luna could get their sister back...

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Ginny stopped in the Astronomy classroom, wondering why she had been put in a seventh year Advanced class. Looking around, she saw that Professor Rion still hadn't arrived in class then saw something else that stopped her in her tracks.

Is that Lavender with Ron? Ginny thought in surprise and shock.

"Hi Ron... Can I talk with you for a moment?" she asked going over to them.

"Busy," he muttered, kissing Lavender again.

"Please, Ron? Just for a second," Ginny said.

Lavender pulled away from Ron and smiled at him.

"Go on, Ron-Ron... I'm sure it can only be important," she said sweetly.

"All right," Ron said with a roll of his eyes, following Ginny out of the classroom.

"When did you start dating Lavender? How come you didn't tell me about it?" she asked quietly.

"You didn't tell me that you were Advanced," Ron pointed out.

"That's something completely different, Ron! Besides, I didn't even know until I got here," Ginny replied. "When did you start dating her?" she asked again.

"Last week," Ron said.

"Mr. and Miss Weasley... It is time for class, would you both please go inside now?" Rion asked, coming up behind them.

"Yes, Professor Rion... Sorry," Ginny said quickly, going in to the classroom with her brother.

"Be seated please," Rion said and the students went to their seats.

As Rion took the attendance roll, Ginny looked around, seeing that the Gryffindors were sitting with the Slytherins. She shook her head, wondering at how sane Dumbledore was to have seated them all together.

"Who has finished the homework I set in the last lesson?" Rion asked.

Hermione put her hand up immediately, as did a few other people in the classroom. Ginny quickly looked in her bag and found that she had finished the work. She put her hand up as well, wondering when she'd done homework she hadn't even known about...

"Excellent work, all of you. Ten points to both Gryffindor and Slytherin," Rion said smiling.

A knock sounded at the door and Rion opened it to reveal Firenze. She started for a moment, then forced a smile on her face, looking at the Divination teacher.

"May I help you with something?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"I apologise for interrupting, but I need you to look at a star for me... I do not believe I have seen it before," Firenze said smoothly, ignoring her fear.

"Very well..." Rion said, trying to refrain from being irritable to her colleague. "All of you do your work from chapters eleven to fifteen. Please do not talk while I am gone... I expect you to be up to at least chapter thirteen by the time I return," Rion said sternly.

Firenze gave Ginny a smile. She smiled back hesitantly. He frowned for a split second, then gave Rion a smile and led her to the Divination Tower.

"Seamus!" Dean hissed at him.

Ginny looked past Neville to Seamus, who didn't even acknowledge Dean. Neville gave her a nudge and smile, indicating to her book. Ginny gave him a silent nod and smile, then started her work.

"Seamus! Why aren't you talking to me?" Dean asked, sounding confused.

"Dean. You are talking again when Rion has said not to. Do you want to get more points taken from Gryffindor?" Neville asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Dean glared at him angrily.

"Fuck off Longbottom... I am talking to Seamus, not you. This has nothing to do with you," Dean snarled.

"Yet you are a part of my House, and so it has everything to do with me. Now be silent and return to your work," Neville said angrily, glaring at him.

Dean's quill jumped in to his hand and he looked at his book unwillingly.

"What just happened?" Ginny whispered to Neville in shock.

"There is no need to worry lovely..." Neville said with a reassuring smile.

The door opened and Rion walked in, seeming surprised that everyone was quietly working.

"Five points to Slytherin and Gryffindor. Continue your work," she instructed, sitting at her desk.

As the bell rang and they all packed up quickly, Rion stood at the door and checked their work, giving both Houses another five points for finishing off their work.

"That was nice of her, wasn't it?" Ginny asked Neville.

"Sure..." Neville muttered. "So, why were you late to class?" he asked with a grin.

"I overslept, and when I did wake up I found a whole lot of Slytherins in my room! And to top it all off, I missed breakfast," Ginny complained, rubbing her grumbling stomach.

"Well I sure hope the world doesn't end because you've missed one meal!"

"The most important meal of the day, mind you! My stomach isn't happy with me..." she grumbled, her stomach agreeing. "Do you have any idea as to why I have that room?" she asked Neville looking at him.

"Dumbledore gave it to you because of your nightmares," he said quietly, saying the only reason that would make sense to her.

"They're back again?" she muttered. "I don't think I had one last night, or else I would have been awake earlier... Or maybe I couldn't sleep because of the nightmares and then when I did fall asleep I didn't hear my alarm because I was so tired..." Ginny mused.

"Ow! Ron-Ron why did you do that for?" Lavender cried up ahead, clutching her arm tightly.

Blood seeped around her fingers, oozing along her skin.

"I'm sorry Lavender! I didn't even know I hit you!" Ron said frowning at her arm. "Let me fix it for you," he said, pulling his wand out.

"You're not going anywhere near my arm!" Lavender yelled, glaring at him.

Ginny's vision went crimson and she stared at the blood on Lavender's arm. She shook her head violently and the crimson faded away.

"I'll do it for you," Theodore said, touching his wand to Lavender's arm.

"Thanks," Lavender said with a suspicious frown.

"Nott... What are you doing?" Malfoy hissed at him.

"I healed her arm. I am helping Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing so healing a small wound should be within my capabilities, don't you think Malfoy?" Theodore asked coldly.

"Can you all start moving now? We're already late for class and if we don't get there, these two are going to sneak off to the kitchens," Pansy muttered to Blaise, looking at her boyfriends.

"Am I seeing things or are the Slytherins being nice?" Ginny asked Neville softly.

"You're definitely seeing things, Weasley. We don't want to be late because of a bunch of idiotic Gryffindors," Pansy said sneering at her.

"Would you all just shut up and move? I want to get to class before Flitwick decides to give us all detention," Theodore said, pushing past the Gryffindors with Millicent behind him.

The other Slytherins followed him quickly, Pansy talking with Gregory and Vincent in hushed tones.

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Ginny looked after them with a frown then, deciding that Nott was talking sense, she went down the corridor to the Charms classroom with Neville beside her.

"Wasn't that weird?" Ginny asked Neville.

He just nodded and didn't say anything, but Ginny noticed that he looked slightly sad.

"What's wrong?" she asked as they entered the classroom.

"Never mind..." Neville said giving her a smile.

"What happened to the classroom? Has it always been this way?" Ginny asked as she headed to the back tables, noticing that the Slytherins were spread out across the room, even in the Gryffindor side of the room!

"It's Dumbledore's idea to promote House unity more," Neville replied, sitting beside her.

"They're sitting in front of us?!" Ginny muttered, seeing that Draco and Blaise were in front of them.

A memory flashed in her mind of running after someone and a centaur appearing, but with a shake of her head it disappeared and Ginny frowned at the two boys in front of them.

"Are you all right? Why did you shake your head?" Neville asked in concern.

"Oh, it was nothing... Just seeing things," she said with a grin.

"That's one of the first signs of being crazy, you know," Draco drawled in front of them.

"Listening in on others conversations isn't polite, Malfoy," Ginny said with a glare.

"It's hard not to listen to you when you're right behind me and practically shouting Weasley," Draco said smirking.

"Sod off," Ginny muttered, still glaring at him.

"Now, now class! Your attention please!" Flitwick called, his small voice somehow still managing to be heard over everyone talking. "I will take attendance now, so please be quiet," he said, then started to call out the names.

"What did you see?" Neville whispered to Ginny urgently.

"I was running after someone and a centaur appeared, that's all..." Ginny said. "Why? What's wrong about that?" she asked, his sense of urgency catching.

"Nothing's wrong... I was just worried about you, that's all lovely," he said with a grin and wink.

"Oh... All right," Ginny said, not really convinced.

"Now, who can remember what spells we learnt yesterday?" Flitwick asked.

"The Awakening and Sleeping Charms," Ginny replied automatically, Hermione lowering her arm in disappointment.

"Correct, Miss Weasley!" Flitwick said smiling at her. "Five points to Gryffindor."

Ginny gave him a weak smile in return, wondering how on Earth she remembered spells from lessons she didn't even know she'd had!

"Teacher's pet," Draco hissed quietly, but still loud enough so that she would hear.

A memory jerked in Ginny's mind and she gave a grin.

"Yet you're the one that got turned into an animal by a teacher..." she replied.

Draco glared at her and they both missed Blaise and Neville glancing at each other in surprise.

"As you have been doing quite a lot of practical work for the past two weeks, for today's lesson we will be going through what spells and work you will need for the end of year examinations. So please be quiet and listen carefully. I do not want any of you to fail," Flitwick said seriously, smiling at the class before him.

Hermione sat up straighter in her chair, her quill inked and poised above the parchment immediately.

Almost as if taking cue from Hermione's eagerness, everyone else in the class readied their quills and waited for Flitwick to start talking.

"Excellent," he said with a smile, then began to lecture them on the various new and old Charms they would have to learn, remember and re-learn.

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The bell for recess sounded and Ginny rubbed her sore wrist with a wince.

"I don't think I've ever done that much writing in such a short amount of time before!" she muttered, flexing her wrist again.

"It has to be against some kind of safety regulations to make us write that much," Lavender said with a smile, coming up beside them.

Neville glared at her angrily. Ginny, not noticing her friend's behaviour, gave Lavender a smile.

"It probably is, but I doubt anyone would say anything about it... It is to help us graduate, after all," she replied.

"I guess..." Lavender said with a nonchalant shrug. "Do you mind if I sit with you at recess? Ron-Ron's going to be doing homework in the library with Harry and Hermione," she said.

Ginny gave her a pitying smile, knowing that they only ever did 'homework' in the library when they were doing research for one of their adventures.

"Yeah, that's fine," Ginny said, taking pity on the girl. "Why aren't you sitting with Parvati?" she asked curiously.

"Parvati's been spending more time with Padma since I started dating Ron-Ron," Lavender said truthfully, aware of the look Neville was giving her.

"Oh... Well, I'm starving, do you want to head there with us now?" Ginny asked.

"Great!" Lavender said grinning at her happily, and smirking in triumph at Neville when Ginny turned away for a moment.

"Fred, George! You didn't have to come to see me to recess, you know," Ginny said grinning at them.

"We didn't come to see you to recess," Fred said with a frown.

George nudged him hard.

"We wanted to go there ourselves, so we thought it'd be nice to walk with our baby sister," George said, both twins putting their arms around her.

Ginny laughed and hugged them.

"Well it's nice of you to think of me," she said.

"Yeah..." Fred and George muttered to each other

They accompanied their sister to the Great Hall, Lavender and Neville walking behind them, glaring at each other.

"We'll see you at lunch, all right? We need to talk to Luna for a second," they said hugging Ginny briefly before going over to the blonde girl.

Luna smiled at them, touched Colin's shoulder briefly then followed Fred and George out of the Great Hall wordlessly. Colin looked over to Ginny and did a double take when he saw that she was sitting next to Lavender. He looked over to Pansy, who gave a minute shrug, looking both sad and disgusted. Shaking his head, Colin got up and went down to Ginny, putting a grin on his face.

"Hi Ginny... How was Astronomy?" he asked, expecting a complaint about Rion.

"It was fine... Rion was nice enough not to give Ron and I detention when she saw us outside talking," Ginny said smiling.

Colin stared at her for a moment, a swift jab from Neville bringing him back to his senses.

"Right... Why were you outside talking?" Colin asked.

Ginny looked at Lavender for a moment, then smiled.

"I was wondering when he started dating Lavender..." she replied.

"You mean Ron-Ron didn't tell you that we were going out?" Lavender asked, sounding hurt.

"It's all right, Lavender! He was just upset with me because I didn't tell him that I was Advanced," Ginny said, attempting to comfort the girl.

Colin and Neville glanced at each other, both of them suddenly feeling nauseous. They heard Pansy mutter about feeling sick and knew that she had overheard them too.

"Oh, don't worry about me... I'll be all right Ginny," Lavender said with a few dramatic sniffles.

"If you're sure," Ginny said with a concerned frown.

Lavender nodded, standing up. "I'm just going to freshen up... I'll be back in a few minutes," she said with a cheerful smile, leaving the Great Hall quickly.

"If she's going to freshen up then I'm going to marry a Blast Ended Skrewt," Colin muttered to Neville sarcastically as he sat next to him.

Neville nodded briefly, looking at Ginny.

"You all right?" he asked her.

"Yeah... I just feel sorry for her, that's all. She has no idea that Ron isn't studying for homework," Ginny replied with a shake of her head as she grabbed some fruit.

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Lavender bypassed the bathroom, continuing on to a deserted hallway. Muttering a password, she slipped behind the tapestry, hurrying down the corridor to Ginny's room.

She was thankful that there was a torch already lit at the end of the corridor as it gave her enough light to make sure that she didn't stumble and give herself away.

"... so if we use her dagger to cut those ball things you found then she'll get her memory back?" Lavender heard Fred and George ask.

"As long as one piece enters Ginevra's mind, then yes," Luna replied. "But you can't touch the dagger!" she added as they went to get it.

"Why not?" they asked frowning at her.

"You are not able to pick the dagger up in your pixie form. It would be too heavy for you. Only Ginevra's own or a Full Blooded being can touch the dagger while her mind is like this," Luna explained.

"But Draco's just like Ginevra is," they said, sounding disappointed.

"Yes... But Neville is fine. He will be able to get the dagger without harming anyone," Luna said comfortingly.

"Why can't you get it?" George asked.

"Yeah, you're right here!" Fred added.

"I am not able to touch the dagger as my being form will go into despair. I will See everything that will happen to, with and surrounding the dagger, and hence, I will See everything that is going to happen to Ginevra. I will not be able to handle it and the dagger will be my end," Luna said sadly.

"Well... You're not going anywhere near that dagger," Fred and George said immediately, ushering her to the wardrobe door.

Lavender's eyes widened as she realised that they were about to catch her. Something grabbed her arm and when she was about to scream, a hand covered her mouth.

"Calm down, Lavender love,' Dean's voice whispered in her ear.

Material covered them both and they both pressed against the wall as the twins guided Luna past them and along the corridor.

When they were out of sight and earshot, Lavender let out a sigh of relief.

"Why didn't they see us?" she asked Dean.

"I borrowed Potter's Invisibility Cloak this morning... I had plans for it, and when I saw you coming down here I had intended on fulfilling those plans," he whispered huskily. "Then I realised that you were going to be caught and out of the goodness of my heart, I helped you," he said smirking at her in the torchlight.

"Goodness of your heart? My dear Dean, you're no more good than I am," Lavender muttered, kissing him.

"And just as heartless," he replied with another smirk.

"Of course... Still, I should repay you for helping me," Lavender said grinning at him as her hands went to open his robes.

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Fred and George helped Luna out of the corridor, feeling sick at the sounds they were being forced to hear.

"Honestly... You'd think they would have cast a silencing charm," Fred muttered.

"What's worse is that they're doing that in Ginevra's corridor... Remind me to go through the front door from now on," George replied.

Fred nodded in agreement, both of them going green as Lavender cried out. They practically jumped out of the corridor and slammed the door shut.

"Imagine what Ronnie-kins would say if he found out that his girlfriend was screwing Dean," Fred said smirking evilly.

"He would deny the entire thing on her behalf and accuse you of lying," Luna supplied for him. "Then he would make sure to stay with Lavender for longer, just to spite you," she finished.

"Damn... There goes our fun," George muttered, Fred sighing in disappointment.

"So you know when he'll stop dating Lavender?" he asked.

"Yes..." Luna said, her tone giving them enough reason to stop asking questions.

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"I'll see you at lunch, all right Colin? Say hi to Luna for me when you see her," Ginny said waving to him as she left with Neville to the Divination Tower.

"We've got Trewlaney now, don't we?" Ginny asked, shaking her head in confusion before starting to climb the ladder.

"Yes. So that means more tea cups," Neville grumbled, climbing up the ladder after Ginny.

A teacup with black tea leaves flashed in Ginny's mind and she stopped as images of teapots, messages and rain flew in front of her eyes.

"Ginevra? What's wrong?" Neville asked urgently.

"I'm sorry... I didn't want it to be like this," Ginevra muttered, her eyes closing and she fell off the ladder.

"Shit!" Neville cursed, reaching out to grab his falling friend.

As he grabbed her arm, Ginevra let out an ear-piercing scream, and Neville's thumb glowed a bright blinding green. Plants grew at a tremendous speed, catching Ginevra as she fell again when Neville put his hands up to his ears.

"Mr. Longbottom... Take Miss Weasley to the Room of Requirement. You will be excused from this class," Trewlaney called from the top of the ladder.

Neville nodded and jumped down on to the ground. He carefully picked Ginevra up, making sure that she didn't scream again and headed off to the Room of Requirement, the plants disappearing as he left.

As he passed Blaise and the others, Neville saw their eyes widen in shock. The Dream Team passed by, not noticing Neville at the centre of the surrounding Slytherins. Lavender came out a side corridor with Dean and they both ran to the Divination Tower, fixing their clothes.

"Finally got yourself a girl, eh Longbottom?" Draco sneered at him.

Blaise clenched his fist and he twitched angrily as he heard the insult to his boyfriend. Pansy grabbed his hand and soothed him quietly.

Neville just rolled his eyes, shook his head and went past Draco.

"Longbottom! I was talking to you!" Draco snarled at him.

"I am aware of that, Malfoy. But as you didn't say anything productive, I thought it best to just continue past," Neville replied, not even a hint of a stutter in his voice. "You should all get to class before Trewlaney gives you detention," he said, then continued down the corridor with Ginevra in his arms.

Draco glared after him angrily.

"Who does he think he is?" he muttered.

"It doesn't matter... He's right. Hurry up," Blaise said, hurrying Draco and the others down to the Divination Tower.

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Neville opened the door to the Room of Requirement and set Ginevra down on the bed gently. Looking around, Neville saw a glass room suspended above them. With a frown he walked underneath it and watched as the glass descended.

Writing formed on the clear glass and Neville tilted his head to the side, trying to read it properly.

Ginevra... the writing said and the room rose back up to the ceiling.

With a sigh, Neville picked Ginevra up again and as the bed disappeared, he put her underneath the glass room, moving back and watching as it lowered over her.

A bright blue orb flew into Ginevra's mind and her eyes shot open. Her forehead glowed red, then blue, the two colours alternating as her magic fought with the orb's magic. Neville watched with a frown, hoping he hadn't made a mistake by putting Ginevra in there. After a few more minutes of the two colours still flashing, Neville started to worry. He banged on the glass and called out to Ginevra. Maybe if he woke her up...

"Ginevra!" he yelled loudly, but she didn't do anything.

He called again and again, until his voice was hoarse, the two colours still fighting within her mind.

Frantic banging started on the door and with a quick and worried glance at Ginevra, Neville rushed over and opened it. Luna stood there, her breath coming out ragged, her eyes hollow and dark.

"She must not lose," she whispered, dragging herself into the room.

Putting a hand on the glass, Luna whispered under her breath.

"Cassandra, Goddess of the Future. Help me... Apollo. Please... Help us," she said desperately, aware of the dire consequences if Ginevra learnt of the truth too soon.

A blinding light burst from her hand and the glass around Ginevra shattered. The lights stopped their war and the orb flew at Luna, penetrating her mind.

Puffing from running after Luna, Colin appeared at the doorway just in time to see the orb fly into Luna's head.

"GET OUT OF HER!" he yelled angrily.

As he yelled, a beam shot from his mouth directly at her. It went inside of Luna's forehead, the orb immediately flying out of her and dissolving with a high-pitched wail.

The noise woke Ginny and she looked around in confusion.

"What happened?" she asked frowning.

"You fainted..." Neville said.

"I missed class?" Ginny asked sounding horrified at the prospect. "On my first day too..." she muttered.

Colin looked at Luna with a frown.

"Don't worry, Professor Trewlaney gave us the rest of the lesson off," Neville said reassuringly.

"She's not upset with me?" Ginny asked timidly.

"Not at all," Neville said smiling. "Perhaps you'd like to get off the floor now," he said, holding a hand out for her.

"Ahem," Luna said, discreetly pointing to her thumb when Neville looked at her.

"Have I missed a private joke?" Ginny asked, taking Neville's hand, not noticing that he'd offered her his other hand.

"Not yet," Colin said with a grin, covering for the glance that Luna and Neville had.

"Have you Advanced too?" Ginny asked, realising that Colin and Luna were a year below her now. "Don't you have a lesson to get to?"

"We don't have a lesson now," Colin said with a grin.

"Oh... This might sound really weird since I just fainted, but I'm really tired..." she said, a bed appearing beside her.

"That doesn't sound weird at all. You sleep and we'll wake you up for Transfiguration," Neville said, smiling fondly at her.

With a tired yawn, Ginny nodded and fell asleep on the bed. After they were sure she was asleep, Luna made a soundproof barrier appear between Ginevra and themselves.

"Why does she think this is her first day?" Colin asked immediately.

"Ginevra believes that this is her first day in her Advanced classes. Since she started Advanced lessons while she was a Vampiress, the red ball erased her memory of her in the lessons. She still remembers the important contexts of the classes, but not the actual classes themselves," Luna said.

"Why did she scream when I grabbed her arm before?" Neville asked.

"Your power sent a shock through her. It was trying to awaken her memories and forced her to feel great pain as she can not handle such pain or magic while like this," she said.

"What about before? She remembered Draco's comment about being a teacher's pet," Neville said.

There was another urgent knock at the door and Colin went over to it, opening it a crack to see who it was.

"Hurry up and move, Colin. We've only got a few minutes before Trewlaney will have to send someone after us," Millicent said, pushing past him, Pansy and Padma following her inside.

"How did you manage to get out?" Neville asked, slightly surprised.

"Us Slytherins are cunning folk," Pansy said with a wink.

"Trewlaney told us to create an excuse to come here... Fake period pains will always get the guys to clear the room," Millicent supplied for them, smirking broadly.

"I don't think I've seen Draco move so fast," Pansy said laughing.

"How did Ginevra remember about Draco's comment?" Neville asked again.

"It must have filtered through her subconscious," Luna mused.

"She's being nice to Rion... It's sickening," Padma said in disgust.

"It's even worse that she's being nice to Lavender... Now that I can not handle!" Pansy said with a shudder.

"Do not be tempted to do anything tonight, Pansy," Luna warned, resting a hand on her forehead.

As Pansy paled and started to shake, she pulled her hand away.

"Do you understand the consequences?" Luna asked seriously.

Too horrified to reply, Pansy gave a brief nod, falling less than gracefully onto the chair behind her.

"What did you just show her?" Millicent demanded.

"What will happen if Ginevra finds out the truth too soon," Luna said.

"Does that mean we can't help her then? What about what you told Fred and George?" Padma asked.

"Yes, we can still help Ginevra. However it has to be at a particular time," Luna said. "The earliest she can find out about being a Vampiress is tomorrow at midnight," she said.

"And the latest?" Pansy asked.

"Midnight on this upcoming Monday," Luna said.

"What will happen if we can't help her by then?" Millicent asked cautiously.

Silence sounded and Luna looked reluctant to say anything.

"The memories will return to her all at once and as she will have both this reality in her mind and her Vampiress reality, Ginevra will go insane within seconds of the memories returning," Luna said eventually.

"How do we help?" Padma asked immediately.

Luna gave a sigh and told them of what they would have to do. Once she had finished, she looked to Neville.

"I will do it," he said determinedly, nodding.

"Good. We'll create a diversion and you can go during lunch," Pansy said.

"There is no need for a diversion... But you can still do it during lunch," Luna said knowingly, smiling at Neville.

"All right," Neville said.

"You should return now. Professor Trewlaney will send someone out to look for you soon. Even the boys know that it does not take this long for period pains to be fixed by Madam Pomfrey," Luna said with a smile.

"Guess so..." Millicent said with a sigh. "We'll see you at lunch. See you in Transfiguration, Neville," she called, leaving with the other two girls.

"Ginevra's waking up," Colin said quickly, the barrier disappearing.

The three turned their attention to Ginevra, not noticing that the door stayed open for a second longer than it should have... They watched as Ginevra sat up.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Neville asked, seeing that her eyes were still shut.

"I am not Ginevra," she said with a smile. "I am Lily, Harry Potter's mother... We must be quick. I cannot talk for long while Ginevra is in this state. She will wake up once I am gone, so be wary of what you say once I leave," Lily/Ginny warned. "Please do not take any photographs, dear Colin," she added and he lowered his camera in disappointment.

"Why are you in Ginevra's body?" Neville asked with a frown.

"It benefited both of us..." Lily/Ginny replied with a shrug. "I apologise for my bluntness, but I do have something important to say and Ginevra is gradually waking up... You must return her memories to her as soon as possible. Her mind is already getting confused and I can not risk the event at the end of her third year to happen again," Lily/Ginny said. "If she does not wake from this soon, everything will be ruined. Not just what has been Planned, everything... Dumbledore warned me of her importance, but I did not know she would have this much power or effect on the world," she said, shaking her head.

"Do you know what it means then? Ginevra being the world's greatest treasure?" Colin asked.

"I do know of it, but Ginevra is about to wake and I will not be able to return for..." Lily/Ginny said, her words fading.

Ginny's eyes opened and she saw her friends gathered around her.

"Did I start snoring?" she asked with a grin.

"Louder than the Hogwarts Express," Neville said with a wink. "Come on, we've got Transfiguration in ten minutes. Might as well get there early," he said grinning to her, holding out the hand without the green thumb.

"Oh... All right. I'll see you two at lunch," Ginny said hugging Luna and Colin.

She grinned and left with Neville, the door closing after her.

Luna and Colin left soon after, going in the opposite direction. Neither noticed that the door was still there. A minute or two later, the door opened and Lavender walked out, the Invisibility Cloak folded and hidden in her robe pocket. She hurried back to the Divination Tower, a plan forming in her mind.

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Ginny and Neville waited outside of the Transfiguration classroom patiently.

"Do you think that Luna and Colin would be a good couple?" Ginny asked, grinning at Neville.

"They're already a couple... They told you about it yesterday, but you were too worried about being Advanced," he said, covering up quickly.

"Oh... Can you remind me to congratulate them then?" Ginny asked.

She kept getting this feeling that something was missing... It was driving her up the wall. The something was there, she knew it, but somehow, every time she tried to think of it, she went blank.

"Neville, can I ask you something? You promise not to laugh at me though?" she asked timidly.

"I promise," he said giving her a reassuring smile.

"I... I feel like something's missing... I keep thinking that there's something I'm forgetting. Something important. It's making me insane," she said with a small laugh. "Are you all right? You've gone pale," Ginny said in concern. "Oh! I'm sorry Neville... I didn't mean to make you think of your parents," she said, apologising quickly.

"It is all right..." he said, even though that wasn't what was wrong. "Well, you did ask me to remind you that you're going to meet with the twins this afternoon. You're talking with them about a new product. Turning origami animals into real-life miniature animals," he said.

A miniature dragon flashed in Ginny's mind, flying and roaring. She shook her head for a second, then gave Neville a bright smile, hoping he hadn't noticed...

"Great! Thanks Neville... It's definitely taken a load off my mind," she said grinning at him.

"Mr. Longbottom. Miss Weasley. Please, come inside. I wasn't aware that you were waiting out there," she said giving them a smile. "Why are you here earlier than the rest of your classmates?"

"Professor Trewlaney gave us the lesson off," Neville said. He was going to continue and explain that Ginevra had fainted, but McGonagall cut in with a sniff of disapproval.

"Yes... Well, not all of us can afford to just hand out free lessons to our students. Some of us actually have a desire to teach our students!" McGonagall said briskly.

"Of course, Professor," Neville said, grinning at Ginny.

The rest of the class filed in, sitting in their assigned seats reluctantly, neither House liking to be so close to the other.

"Welcome class... As I have been discussing the both the benefits and downfalls of being an Animagus, I would like to ask for a raise of hands. How many of you are still eager to become Animagi?" she asked.

A little over half of the class raised their hands tentatively.

"Do not look at your friends!" McGonagall snapped, seeing a few people looking at the others before raising their hands. "You can make the decision on your own. It is a privilege to become an Animagi, so do not make the decision lightly! And I would be extremely disappointed if any of you made the decision just because your friend did!" she said with a glare.

Hands were lowered and with a nod, McGonagall wrote down the number on a parchment.

"May I ask why no Slytherins raised their hands?" she questioned, looking at the green-clad students.

"As it was discussed, the Ministry is choosing the applicants for the Animagi. We do not want our names to be put on something that we don't even have a chance at getting," Pansy drawled.

Words flowed through Ginny's mind. It sounded familiar... She had a flash of Neville arguing and Dean glaring at him. Dean causing Neville pain... Hurt, pain, anger, hatred... Shaking her head abruptly, the images, words and feelings disappeared quickly, everyone none the wiser.

The door opened to the Transfiguration room and Lavender walked inside.

"Sorry I'm late Professor... I was kept back with Professor Trewlaney," she said apologetically.

"Very well... Sit down Miss Brown," McGonagall said, nodding her to the seat between Ron and Harry.

Seeming surprised, Lavender hurried to the seat and quickly got her things out.

"Turn to the chapter on animal transfiguration and begin reading..." McGonagall instructed everyone, going to her seat and stewing over what Trewlaney was doing to her classes and students...

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Ginny finished reading the chapter, wondering silently why everything seemed so familiar to her mind. Tentatively, she raised her hand to get McGonagall's attention.

"Yes, Miss Weasley?"

"I've finished reading the chapter..." Ginny said.

"Very good! Five points to Gryffindor," McGonagall said with a smile. "Continue reading..."

Ginny nodded and continued to read; oblivious to the look of surprise and jealousy that Hermione was giving her.

Lavender made sure that Ron was reading his book then pretended to read her own. When she was sure that no one was looking, she discreetly scribbled a note and slid it across to Harry.

I know someone who is being possessed by your mother.

Harry's eyes widened in surprise, shock and disbelief following soon after.

"What are you going on about?" Harry hissed softly.

"Exactly what it says... Meet me in the Room of Requirement after the study," Lavender whispered.

Taking the parchment back, she put it in her robe pocket, smiling innocently at McGonagall's look.

After a while of silent reading, the lunch bell rang and the class left quickly, McGonagall right behind them.

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Filch pushed past the students and walked into the Great Hall, muttering loudly about Peeves destroying another classroom.

"Another one, Headmaster! Peeve's has wrecked another classroom!" Filch said angrily.

Peeves blew a raspberry at him and quickly flew out of the Great Hall, hitting the students on the head on the way out.

"There you are! Have you seen my camera? I can't find it," Colin said, sounding desperate. "I've got to find it... My parents won't buy me another one if they find out that I've lost it... I don't know where I could have lost it... I've looked everywhere!" he moaned.

"Colin, calm down! We'll help you look for it," Ginny said, smiling at him reassuringly. "Have you looked in the Gryffindor Common Room?" she asked.

Colin went to nod, but Neville shook his head slightly and he remembered that Neville had to get Ginevra's dagger from her room.

"It wouldn't hurt to look in there again... I might have missed some place," Colin said, leading Ginevra away.

"I'll look in the Room of Requirement," Neville said, leaving before Ginevra could question him.

Going down a side corridor, he opened the door behind the tapestry and hurried down to Ginevra's room. Opening the door, he looked around for a moment, wondering where the dagger was. Holding out his hand, a bright green light surrounded it before flying out and stopping in front of Ginevra's room. Neville followed it as it went inside her room and darted into her wardrobe. Neville quickly opened. He went to push aside a brown dress, then felt a surge of power flow through him as he touched it.

This old thing cannot be her Queen dress! he thought in shock. Touching the fabric again, the feeling of power flowed through him again.

The green light pulsed, reminding him what he was there for and he crouched lower to look for the dagger. Spotting something shiny at the back of the wardrobe, Neville reached in and pulled Ginevra's dagger out in triumph.

"Got it," he said with a sigh of relief. The green light went back into him.

A camera flash startled him out his triumphant state. As he was frozen in shock, another two photographs were taken.

"Got you," Lavender sneered, running out of the room and down the corridor quickly.

Neville cursed loudly and ran after her quickly, holding the dagger carefully.

"Give Colin's camera back!" Neville yelled at her.

"Yeah right!" Lavender muttered. Whispering a spell, she ran faster still.

Neville ran as fast as he could, but it didn't seem to be enough. Lavender always seemed to be a few steps in front of him! He just couldn't seem to catch her!

Thankful that the spell worked, Lavender climbed out the nearest door and ran quickly, ignoring shouts from the nearby students and teachers.

Neville hurried out of the corridor and looked around for Lavender. Not seeing her anywhere, he grabbed a nearby student.

"Where did she go?" he snarled and the frightened child pointed down the corridor.

Neville ran quickly in the indicated direction, unsuccessfully trying to find Lavender among the other students.

"Neville!" Luna called, waving him over. "Perhaps you shouldn't walk around the corridor with that dagger in your hand," she said quietly.

Putting the dagger in his robe carefully, Neville looked at her.

"Have you seen Lavender?" he asked.

"She ran by a few minutes ago... I doubt you would catch her though. She used a delaying spell," Luna added as Neville went to run off again. "We should just get these things cut before she has a chance to develop the photos and show Ginevra," she said practically.

"What's the use of cutting them now? Ginevra can't be helped until tomorrow night!" Neville muttered.

"It needs to be done, Neville," Luna said, patting his arm reassuringly.

Neville sighed and nodded, following her along the corridors to the Room of Requirement. Once inside, Luna pulled a small net out of her pocket and put it on the table.

"You must be careful with these, Neville. They are very fragile, even though they may not look it," she said to him.

Neville nodded and gently opened the net, revealing the two red balls inside.

"Now, do you see that small white line in the centre of the ball?" Luna asked, indicating to it. "You need to cut the ball directly there... Wait!" she said as Neville went to cut the ball. "You should practice with some fake ones first..." she said, producing a few balls out of her pocket and placing them next to the others.

Neville nodded and started to cut into the first one...

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Lavender looked at the photographs, quite pleased with her handiwork. They weren't as good as Colin's photos, but they were still visible and that was good enough. Leaving the Room of Requirement, she stopped a passing Gryffindor first-year.

"You know Colin Creevey?" she asked and the boy nodded warily. "This is his camera. Go give it to him... And here's four Sickles to keep your mouth shut about where you got it from," she added, putting the money in his hand.

"Right," the boy said with a grin, hurrying down the corridor.

Lavender went the other way and down a few flights before going to a side corridor and opening the door behind the tapestry. She carefully went down the narrow stairs and through the corridor to Ginny's room. Not caring who was inside the rooms, Lavender walked in, the photos in her pocket and her hand on her wand.

"Lavender? How did you get here?" Ginny asked giving her a small, yet wary, smile.

"You told me the password yesterday," Lavender said, returning the smile and moving her hand away from her wand. "Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.

"Sure..." Ginny said, leading her to a small room nearby.

For some reason she didn't want Lavender to see the meeting room. It just didn't seem right for her to go in there...

"What's wrong? Have you and Ron broken up already?" Ginny asked.

"No, we're still fine," she replied.

Unfortunately, Lavender muttered silently in her mind.

"I was in your room earlier looking for a skirt that I'd thought I'd left here..." Lavender lied; it was easier than everyone made out to be... "I saw Neville go into your room so I followed him. He stole something from your wardrobe," she said.

"Neville? You're telling me that Neville stole something out of my wardrobe? Are you sure you had the right person?" Ginny asked in disbelief.

Lavender nodded and bit back her glare, instead looking down to her robe and pulling out the photographs. She passed them to Ginny, who took them with a frown. Lavender smirked as Ginny's face went pale and she shook her head.

"Neville wouldn't do something like this! He couldn't! He's my friend!" Ginny muttered, still disbelieving. She looked at both of the photos again. "He's supposed to be my friend..."

Lavender had left out the photo that showed Neville with the dagger. Despite it being her best photograph, she couldn't risk Ginny's memory to return...

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"Colin! I was asked to give this to you," a first year said, thrusting the camera at him.

Colin caught it as the boy scampered off and by the time Colin had looked up to ask about it, the boy had disappeared, the sound of coins jingling in his pocket the only proof he had that the boy was real...

Looking back at his camera, Colin checked it carefully for any scratches or anything missing. The lens was still there... The cover was fine... The flash wasn't broken... The film cover was open. The cover was open!

Cursing silently, he opened it tentatively to see the film all broken and cut. It was ruined! Everything he'd taken over the past few weeks was ruined! Once-in-a-lifetime pictures had been taken and now they were gone! The film was ruined, his pictures were ruined, and thirty Galleons had just been thrown away!

He started to get angry and felt scales burst out of his arm as he clutched his camera. He was going to dismember whoever had done this to his camera!

"Colin, dear... You're starting to blow smoke out of your nose. Do calm down a bit," Luna said with a smile, kissing his forehead softly.

With a sigh, the scales faded and the smoke evaporated. He looked at Luna, sadness in his eyes.

"I know... You will find out and have your vengeance in time," Luna soothed, kissing him again.

Colin returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her. He gave a small sob and shook his head, burying it into her shoulder and hair.

"Well I was going to give this to you for Christmas, but I suppose I can get you something else," Luna said, pulling away and smiling at him.

Colin wiped his tears away and looked at Luna quizzically, waiting for an explanation.

"Merry Christmas," Luna said, holding out a small box to him with a broad smile.

With a small frown, he opened the box and grinned at her, kissing her soundly.

"If that is going to be your response every time I buy you a roll of film, I might just have to get that for you for every occasion," she said laughing.

"Thank you Luna," Colin said genuinely.

He wasn't even going to ask how she knew about the film... It didn't matter.

The bell rang, echoing throughout the castle gloomily.

"You're welcome," she said smiling.

If he didn't want to know then she wouldn't tell him...

Red appeared in Luna's mind and she gasped involuntarily at the pain accompanying it.

"No! Not so soon... Not now..." Luna muttered, her face paling as she ran out of the room quickly.

With a frown, Colin ran after her quickly, tucking the box of film into his bag.

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Ginny politely asked Lavender to leave, practically having to push the older girl out of her room. She locked the wardrobe door behind her and went back to the room.

She grabbed the photos and took them into the larger meeting room. She shook her head, still in denial. Neville wouldn't do this to her! He was her friend...

Shaking her head again, she heard the bell ring for the next class. With a small curse, she wiped away her few tears and left the photos on the table, running to get her things for Care of Magical Creatures.

A bright red light flashed in the meeting room that Ginny could see, even when in her room. Frowning, she cautiously made her way down to the room, her wand raised the way that she had been taught...

Taught? she thought with a frown. No one had taught her anything about how to hold wands, had they?

She was getting so confused! She didn't know what was real anymore! She wasn't supposed to be Advanced! She was supposed to be in her own year with Colin and Luna... She was supposed to be Advanced with her real friends. She was supposed to like her brother's girlfriend, not hate her. Wasn't she?

Ginny shook her head to rid herself of her thoughts and looked into the meeting room. With a sigh of relief, she saw that nothing was there... Just the three photos that Lavender had given her. Three?! She'd only given her two!

A sudden headache came on as red lights flashed in Ginny's mind and she groaned at the intense pain. The lights subdued slowly and Ginny looked at the third photograph. It was Neville, holding ... something in triumph. It was something shiny and sharp, that she could tell. It seemed to be familiar to her, as if the memory was resting on the edge of her mind. She struggled to remember where she could have seen it before.

A word flashed in her mind: dagger... Images of blood sliding down a blade and writing appearing...

What were these thoughts?! Were they memories? Dreams? Fantasies being played out by an over-active imagination?

She didn't want it to be like this... This wasn't supposed to be happening! She was supposed to be ...

What?! She was supposed to be what? Happier? Angrier? Lonely? WHAT?! Ginny yelled at her mind.

With someone... was the faint reply.

Red lights flashed again, the colour and pain more intense than before. Gripping her head, she fell to the ground as images, words, spells and people flew through her unwilling mind.

Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. STOP IT!

Not obeying her silent screams, the red lights continued, as did the pain and the unwelcome thoughts.

Ginny... Lily's voice sounded in her mind softly.

A calm feeling flowed over Ginny, yet it did nothing to relieve the pain. In fact it only made it worse; images appearing of a green light surrounding her hand and soothing her anger...

Stop thinking... Detach yourself from the thoughts, Lily said, her voice still soft and distant.

I can't! It hurts! Stop it, Lily! Please! Ginny begged, her tears of pain falling freely down her face.

I cannot stop this pain. Only you can... Lily replied, sounding sad.

"That is not true, as such," Luna said, entering the room quietly.

Luna! What was she doing here? Did she know about Neville? Why was her head in so much pain? Everything hurt so much... Ginny's thoughts went in every direction, no logic to them at all.

With a sad smile, Luna pulled a small bag out of her pocket. She carefully tipped the contents on to her palm, half of a red ball and the other half green.

The green one had been changed when Neville's thumb touched it, and despite his concern, Luna assured him that it was meant to happen and the green ball would be needed sooner rather than later. She had made sure that his thumb didn't touch the other half though - that was the most vital power source...

Putting the red one back into the bag, Luna placed the green one on Ginevra's forehead, gently pushing it into her mind with her power. Slowly, Ginevra stopped clutching at her head and the tears stopped flowing.

Ginny took a deep breath as she flexed her fingers to ease the physical pain in them.

"What was that? What happened to me? How did you stop it? Oh, no! I'm late for class!" she said in shock, realising that the bell had rung seconds, minutes, hours beforehand.

"Go... All will be explained later," Luna said, handing Ginevra her bag and ushering her out of her front door quickly.

Thank you, Luna... The pain was excruciating for both of us, Lily said with an involuntary shudder.

"I felt it," Luna said with a nod.

"There... you... are... What... happened?" Colin asked, his breathing hard and short. "How'd you... run so... fast?" he asked between breaths as he attempted to stop his heart from hammering so much.

"Magic," Luna replied.

"Who's that?" Colin asked, realising that there was someone, or something, else in the room.

I am Lily Potter, nee Evans. Yes, I am Harry Potter's mother, she said before he could ask. I would like you to answer a question of mine... How can you see me?

"It's not seeing as in a physical, solid form but I can see that you're there... There are colours in the shape of a person, presumably you," Colin replied with a small shrug. "Why?"

It is just that no one has seen my physical form since I died. Not even Ginevra has seen me and I have possessed her!

"It was part of your mother's power," Luna supplied for Colin when he frowned.

"Just great... Another thing to be hassled by! Thanks a lot Mother!" he muttered under his breath.

You do not like your mother? Lily asked in shock. You are fortunate to even have a mother! There are others that do not have their mothers, like...

"Like Harry, I know..." Colin muttered.

Actually, I was going to refer to your partner... Lily said, giving a nod in Luna's direction. You are lucky to have a mother that is still alive and who loves you enough to transfer her powers to you. It is a difficult feat to do, one I only achieved through death, Lily said.

Colin looked at Luna, surprised that she hadn't said anything to him before. He hadn't even thought of what he'd been saying and doing around her. His open aggressiveness towards his mother, his distrust and dislike of her... She must have hurt so much on the inside, seeing how much he didn't like his mother when the mother that she loved and adored was dead... It had taken a spirit to make him realise that!

"There is nothing wrong with disliking your mother... You are just resentful to her. I understand that, Colin. There is no need to be upset with yourself," Luna said with a complacent smile.

Not consoled or convinced, Colin gave a brief nod.

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Ginny ran down to Hagrid's hut, wondering how she even knew how to get there. A small green light flashed and the memory of the pain she had just experienced surfaced. Better not to think about it, she decided with a nod.

She skidded to a halt, barely refraining from bumping into Hagrid.

"Sorry I'm late!" she said, giving him a quick grin and hoping that she wouldn't get detention...

"That's all righ'... Go sit down and catch up on what we've been doin'," Hagrid instructed.

Ginny nodded and looked at the students, wondering where to sit. There was no way she could go near Lavender. Dean was creepy. Neville had lied and stolen something from her... The only other Gryffindor that she knew was Sally-Anne. But that was way too much to ask... She was always smiling and cheerful. It made Ginny irritable and she often just wanted to rip that stupid smile off of her face.

Taking a deep breath, she went over to the empty seat beside Blaise. He looked like the friendliest Slytherin out of all of them. She steadied her nerves, praying that her Gryffindor courage wouldn't fail her...

"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked him quietly.

Surprised and shocked, Blaise wordlessly moved his things over, allowing her to sit down. He looked over at Neville, who looked slightly hurt that she wasn't sitting next to him, but only gave a shrug at Blaise's questioning look.

"What have I missed out on?" she asked Blaise quietly and he turned his attention back to her.

"We were just discussing the Runespoor," Blaise replied, still in shock.

"Now... Which one o' the heads is the most venomous?" Hagrid asked the class.

Ginny raised her hand timidly and Hagrid nodded at her to answer the question.

"The right head," she said.

"Very good... Five points to Gryffindor," Hagrid said with a smile.

They continued to talk about the Runespoor for the next ten minutes. Seeing their enthusiasm for the topic as the students argued over the Parselmouth's transcripts, Hagrid called for their attention.

"I have a surprise fer yer," he said with a big grin, then went into his hut.

A few minutes later, Fang shot out of the cabin, Hagrid following, muttering at the beast.

Hagrid looked to the students again and held up a limp black and orange snake with three heads.

"This Runespoor's bin dead for a while," he said, laying it down on the grass in front of them. "Who can tell me what's interestin' 'bout it?" he asked as they crowded around to look at the deceased magical animal.

"It's got all three heads," Seamus said in surprise.

"Another five points for Gryffindor," Hagrid said, smiling at him. "Why is this interestin'? A Slytherin this time," he said before anyone could say anything.

"The left and middle heads usually bite off the right head because it is always so critical about the things they do," Pansy said after no one else in her House offered to say something.

She wasn't going to hand over their House points to Gryffindors just because the rest of her House were too afraid to answer a question asked by Hagrid in front of Draco.

Draco glowered at her, but Pansy ignored him.

"Very good. Five points for Slytherin," Hagrid said with a nod.

After looking at the fangs in the Runespoor carefully and getting an assignment on the animal, the bell rang loudly.

"Right... That's all fer today. I want th' assignment on Tuesday," Hagrid said. "Ginny and Pansy, stay behind," he added as the rest of the class left. "Don't forget 'bout yer detention tonight," he reminded them.

Detention? When did she get detention? And what for? Ginny wondered in surprise.

A green light flashed in her mind and she quickly redirected her train of thought.

"What time is the detention?" she asked instead.

"Yer both ter have detention with Filch at eight... He's got yer both cleaning up a mess tha' Peeves made earlier. Meet him at his office," Hagrid said.

"All right," Pansy muttered, grabbing her bag and leaving.

"Thanks Hagrid," Ginny said with a smile, going down to her room quickly.

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Ginny started her assignment for Hagrid, eager to get it out of the way. After she'd finished about two paragraphs, there was a knock on her front door. Opening it, Ginny saw Neville standing there.

"Hi Ginevra... Can I come in?" he asked with a smile.

Ginny nodded and stepped back silently.

"You're doing your assignment already?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"I've been doing my homework as I get it since my second year, Neville... You know that," Ginny said with a frown.

"Yeah... Forgot, sorry," he said sheepishly with a grin.

"What did you come here to talk to about?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Why didn't you sit next to me in Hagrid's class?" Neville asked.

He sounded upset, but for a minute Ginny thought she heard a nervous hitch in his voice.

"Why didn't you just ask to come in my room? Why did you have to sneak in here and steal something of mine? Why did Lavender have to tell me that my best friend is stealing stuff from me?" Ginny asked, the words exploding from her mouth. She'd hoped to be subtler than that!

"I didn't think you'd let me in here... You threw the others out this morning," he muttered quietly.

"All of the Slytherins? Of course I threw them out! They were in my room and... that has nothing to do with this!" Ginny said shaking her head as another green light flashed in her mind.

"It was a spur of the moment thing anyway... I thought that Colin's camera might be in here and I didn't want to waste time going to the Gryffindor Common Room to ask your permission," Neville said, doing some quick thinking.

Looking slightly less angry, Ginny gave a very brief nod.

"But what did you take from my room then?" she asked frowning.

"I remembered that I'd lost something in your rooms and since I couldn't find it out there, I thought to look in here... I found it and Lavender took photos of me with Colin's camera... Why was she in here anyway? Did you tell her the password to your room?" Neville asked.

"She said that I told her yesterday and she was looking for a skirt that she'd left in my room," Ginny said.

It didn't seem to add up really... Both Neville and Lavender had lost things in her room and they were both looking for it at the same time? Who could she trust? Her best friend, or her brother's girlfriend? Lavender did steal Colin's camera... He was the only person in the school with a camera. Yet Neville had come in her room to look for the camera...

None of this was right. Everything was going wrong. She shouldn't have done it. It just made everything worse!

What shouldn't she have done? What had made everything worse? What was going on? Why was she remembering things that hadn't happened? Maybe she was going crazy!

The green and red lights fought for a moment, a headache suddenly materialising in her mind.

Neville watched as Ginny frowned, a silent and internal fight occurring inside her mind.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" he asked quietly, startling her out of her battle.

"Fine," she muttered with a small shiver. "I'm fine... I should finish this assignment before I go to Fred and George's... I'll see you later, all right?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"All right... If you're sure that you're okay?" Neville asked in concern.

"I said that I'm okay!"

"I'll see you at dinner then," he said. "Bye Ginevra," Neville said and left quickly.

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Neville hurried to the Room of Requirement and knocked on the green door rapidly. The door opened and he walked inside to see the others sitting there, parchments and books surrounding them.

"How is she?" Pansy asked, looking at him.

"She says that she's fine, but something's wrong. All I could saw were green and red lights... I think they're blocking the memories that are trying to resurface," Neville muttered, falling onto an armchair with a sigh. "Ginevra found out about me getting the dagger... Lavender must have showed the photographs to Ginevra during lunch," he said. "I told her that I had lost something in her rooms and found it just as Lavender took photos of me with Colin's camera. I have no idea if she believed me," he said shaking his head. "She sounds unsure about Lavender though, which is definitely a good thing..." Neville muttered.

There was another knock at the door and it opened automatically. Luna and Colin walked in, the door shutting after them. Colin was clutching his camera protectively, only letting go when the door had closed completely.

"You haven't let go of that since you got it back, have you?" Parvati asked grinning at him.

"Of course I have! Do you think I want that cow to get her hands on my camera again?" Colin snarled.

"She was just joking! There's no need for you to snap like that!" Padma said glaring at him.

Colin sighed and nodded.

"Sorry Parvati... I'm kind of protective about my camera... I have no idea how she got her hands on it. I wish I did," he muttered, shaking his head.

A hologram of Lavender appeared nearby and it showed her whispering two spells. The camera unclipped from Colin, replacing itself with another fake one that would disappear as soon as he took the cord off. The real camera floated to her and she smirked in triumph.

"I'm going to kill her," Colin muttered angrily as the hologram faded away. "I'm going to rip her fucking limbs off and kill the bitch!" he said and went to leave the Room.

Ropes surrounded him and he was immobilised within seconds. Even as his scales ripped the ropes, Colin was forced to stay there, more ropes instantly appearing as the others were cut away.

"Luna... Let me go," he hissed, fire coming out of his mouth.

"No, Colin. Calm down," Luna said calmly.

"Do not make me revoke your power!" Colin yelled angrily, the Room shaking as he came into Apollo's power.

A second later, the ropes fell to the ground and Colin was no longer becoming a dragon. In fact, Colin wasn't Colin either... Luna smiled and turned into Cassandra in the blink of an eye.

The others watched in amazement as Luna/Cassandra walked over to this newcomer as if she knew him.

The man that stood in front of them seemingly oozed sunshine. His body was golden and athletic. His hair was golden and very short. A lyre was by his side as well as a bow and arrow. Looking at him properly, they noticed that he wasn't wearing any clothing.

Parvati blushed brightly and looked away immediately. Padma and Millicent looked away after a moment, but Pansy just smirked and looked at him, unabashed.

"Apollo... It has been a long time," Luna/Cassandra said sweetly, still smiling at him.

"Cassandra... You look just as beautiful as you did they day we met," Colin/Apollo breathed, staring at her.

"And you are just as foolish as always," Luna/Cassandra said looking at him.

"Foolish? Do you remember exactly who you are talking to?" Colin/Apollo yelled, glaring at her.

"Of course I remember... You are the one who cursed me to live like this," Luna/Cassandra said.

"You are the one that chose this! It didn't have to be this way!" Colin/Apollo said angrily.

Looking at the two people before them, the others wondered if they should stay during a fight between a god and someone that refused his gift...

"You should go now. We will have this resolved by the next hour," Luna/Cassandra said to the others, as if realising that they were still in the Room of Requirement.

With nods, they packed up and left quickly. The door shut behind them quickly Pansy smirked and whispered in her boyfriends ears, dragging them away.

"Cassandra... What you Saw all of those years ago was not true. I could never tire of you so easily..." Colin/Apollo said, cupping her cheek in his hand.

Luna/Cassandra pulled away angrily.

"You say that now, but what of Creusa? What of her? And what of the child she bore you? You lost interest in her as soon as you discovered she was pregnant!"

Colin/Apollo went to open his mouth, but she kept talking.

"Do not say that you lost interest in her because she was not me, Apollo! You went after her less than fifty years after I had refused your gift! You did not even mourn me for the proper time! You just went after the next girl that caught your fancy!" Luna/Cassandra said angrily, glaring at him.

"Why would I mourn one who refused me everything?" Colin/Apollo hissed. "At least I mourned your death, not like the others that you stayed behind for! The ones that captured and raped you," he snarled.

"I did not stay for them, you idiot!" Luna/Cassandra yelled.

It was probably not a good thing to call a god an idiot, even if you had been dating his reincarnation for a year... Luckily, he was preoccupied with her reason for staying in Troy...

"Then whom did you stay for? You did not go with me so who did you stay for? Was it that prick Agamemnon?"

"Why would I stay for someone I had not even known until he kidnapped me?"

"Then why did you stay, if not for him?" Colin/Apollo asked.

"I stayed for this reincarnation... I stayed in that life for the love I would have in this one," Luna/Cassandra said. "I suggest you leave now. He can not handle this much power at once," she said in concern.

Even as she spoke, Apollo faded away from Colin's body. As the god disappeared and Colin's dragon-torn clothing returned, he fainted on the floor.

Sighing softly, Cassandra left Luna's body with a farewell. Luna went over to Colin and gently shook him awake, coaxing him to drink the potion that appeared in her hand. With a sigh, Colin smiled at her and fell into a dreamless sleep.

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Ginny hurried to the island and quickly looked around to make sure no one was nearby. Not seeing anyone, she moved the island aside and opened the trapdoor, going down the corridor.

As the trapdoor closed and the island covered it again, Ginny saw a sconce on the wall beside her. Lighting the torch with her wand, she looked down the corridor and carefully made her way along it.

Arriving at the twin's shop surprisingly fast and without having tripped over any of the protruding roots, Ginny knocked on the trapdoor. It opened and she gave a small hiss as light flooded her eyes.

"Hello Ginevra," Fred and George said brightly, pulling her out of the corridor and brushing her off quickly.

"Thanks," Ginny muttered.

"Follow us," they said, leading her to their workroom. "Ready to talk business?" they asked with grins, moving a few boxes off the couch.

Something fell off it and Ginny bent to pick it up for them. Frowning, she gingerly picked up the spiky Shrake skin. Green and red lights flashed in her mind again. Through the lights she saw two regal faces and wondered who they were before the images faded completely.

"Where... Where did you get this?" she asked, holding it out to them.

Fred and George's eyes widened and they snatched it from her, the spikes piercing their skin.

"Be careful!" Ginny said, hurrying to them.

She cautiously took the Shrake skin from them, the spikes coming out of their skin slowly. Setting the Shrake skin on their workbench, Ginny healed their wounds and made them sit down.

"Maybe we should talk business some other time when you're both not so accident prone," she joked, laughing.

"Thanks to you we'll be fine to talk business!" they said winking at her. "Don't think you're getting out of it that easy!"

"Oh well..." Ginny said, feigning disappointment. "So... What origami animals are you interested in selling?" she asked with a grin.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Lavender hurried to the seventh floor, puffing slightly. Making sure that no one was around, she walked past the Room of Requirement and opened the door as it appeared in front of her.

Going inside, she only had to wait for a few minutes before there was a knock on the door. Lavender opened it to reveal Harry. He looked distressed and slightly angry. Pushing his way in, Harry sat on the door and glared at her.

"Tell me everything you know," he demanded.

The door shut abruptly and with a sniff, Lavender sat across from him.

"That is not a very nice greeting for someone who is just trying to help you..." she said coolly.

"I don't care, Brown... Tell me what you know," he said angrily, glaring at her again.

"Fine! I will tell you... I will want something in return, you realise," she said piercingly. "If you do not agree to do something for me then I cannot tell you what I know, now can I?" Lavender said, smirking inwardly in triumph.

Harry glared at her, wishing not for the first time and probably not for the last, that looks could kill... He relented reluctantly with a sigh and nodded.

"Fine... I agree," he said clearly.

"Excellent," Lavender said.

Harry tried not to notice the evil tone she had in just that one word...

A screen appeared beside them and Lavender tapped it with her wand. Harry frowned at the screen, then at her.

"What is this? I thought you were going to tell me what you know!" he said indignantly, pulling out his wand.

"Oh, put it away, Potter! This is just a small device to transfer my memory onto the screen... A combination between a Pensieve and the Muggle movies," Lavender muttered and Harry grudgingly put his wand back in his pocket.

Closing her eyes, Lavender tapped her wand to her forehead and a dark grey wisp floated out of it on the tip of her wand. Touching her wand to the screen again, an image appeared, slightly fuzzy.

"Why does it look like that?" Harry demanded frowning.

"I was hiding under an Invisibility Cloak... You're lucky I was, or else I wouldn't have this to show you," Lavender said and pointed her wand at the screen.

The image started to move and sound filtered through the screen.

Harry recognised the voice as Colin Creevey's and watched as his face floated onto the screen...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Who's that?" Colin asked.

I am Lily Potter, nee Evans. Yes, I am Harry Potter's mother... I would like you to answer a question of mine... How can you see me? Lily/Ginny asked.

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Harry stared as who he thought was Ginny was answering questions as his mother... Was it true? Was his mother really possessing Ginny? Why hadn't she told him? Maybe it was all fake and Lavender was making everything up...

"This part isn't important," Lavender muttered, 'fast-forwarding' through his answer and a part of what Lily was saying.

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No one has seen my physical form since I died. Not even Ginevra has seen me and I have possessed her! Lily said.

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The images stopped and Lavender turned to look at Harry. He was staring at the screen in wonder, surprise, hurt and anger. He turned to her, a few unshed tears in his eyes and she tried not to roll her eyes at the over-emotional idiot.

"That was my mother..." he murmured. "I've got to go find Ginny... I've got to see my mother," he said, leaving before Lavender could stop him.

She sighed, then smirked evilly. She had a debt from Potter... Next, she would get a debt from the know-it-all. Grinning evilly, Lavender went to find Ron... If he wasn't obliging again then she would just go to Dean...

Ron was becoming far more tiresome and annoying than first predicted. He kept sneaking glances at Granger every time he thought she wasn't looking. In order to get a debt from him, she would probably have to use guilt. He would pay the biggest price of all...

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Pansy arrived at the Room of Requirement and knocked on the door. Seamus opened it and she hurried in. Blaise and Neville were already waiting inside, doing their exercises.

They'd all agreed to do their exercises at seven instead of eight, due to the detention she had.

Seamus finished off his exercises, then stood across from Blaise. With smirks they both started fighting each other, going through the routines that Neville had taught them.

Neville did a few more exercises with Pansy, neither of them talking. They both knew it was going to be different... They were supposed to be fighting Draco and Ginevra... Because of those stupid tealeaves they were now fighting each other and were forced to watch as their best friends glared at each other with hate...

Pansy finished the exercises quickly and kicked at Neville. Dropping to the floor, Neville kicked at her feet. Pansy jumped back and kicked at him in the same motion. In a flash, Neville disappeared and reappeared behind her. He tripped her over, watching as she fell. Grabbing her hand, Neville pulled her up before she could fall to the ground. Before she could respond, Neville kicked at her chest. Glaring, Pansy grabbed his foot and flipped him over. Landing on his feet nimbly, Neville smirked and feigned a kick, punching at her instead.

Blaise looked at Seamus, wondering for a moment if Neville had been right... Seamus learnt quickly, that was for sure. But he could he be a part of them? All of the zodiacs were taken up...

Seamus kicked Blaise in the chest, wondering what he was thinking about. With a growl, Blaise's attention returned to the present and he punched and kicked at Seamus. Grinning wildly, Seamus dodged both his fists and feet easily. He went to punch at him, but Blaise grabbed his fist and twisted it around, making Seamus turn with a small cry of pain.

"Never show an enemy your back," Blaise hissed, pushing him away abruptly.

Seamus glared, the pain in his wrist forgotten. He punched at Blaise again, feigning it and kicking him in the chest. Blaise grabbed his foot and slipped him onto his back.

"You're letting your emotions get away with you," Blaise commented, looking down at him.

"What would you know about it?" Seamus hissed at him.

Moving quickly, Seamus kicked Blaise's ankles in a move that should have brought him down, if not for the fact that he'd turned into a centaur.

"I told you... You're letting your emotions cloud your judgement," Blaise said. "If you'd kept your emotions under control then you would have seen that I had turned," he said. "Now, are you going to actually listen to what I'm saying? Or are you going to ignore it and get yourself killed in the first fight you get into?"

"Listen..." Seamus muttered and took Blaise's offered hand.

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Ginny looked at her watch with a small yawn. She'd been discussing the origami animals with Fred and George for nearly two hours! It was almost eight o'clock!

"I forgot about my detention!" she cursed, yelling goodbye to Fred and George as she ran down the corridor to the room with the trapdoor.

"Bye Ginevra!" they called after her, sighing to each other softly. "She has to remember soon... This is too much to handle," they muttered shaking their heads.

Ginny ran along the corridor. Realising halfway down that she'd forgotten the sconce, she wondered for a moment how she knew where to turn and where to jump over the tree roots... Shaking her head, she told herself to forget about it and continued to run along the corridor. If she was late for detention Filch would probably string her up to the roof by her thumbs!

Puffing, Ginny arrived in front of Filch's office and knocked quickly, trying to catch her breath. The door opened and Filch smiled down at her evilly. Mrs. Norris curled around her ankles, rubbing her face against her leg softly before returning to her master. Filch looked at Ginny strangely before shaking his head. He looked back at his desk and indicated his head towards the door. Pansy glared and went over beside Ginny, but not too close.

"Yer ter follow me... Yer cleaning up Peeves' mess," he said, leaving the room. Looking back, he grinned at them. "Yer both to carry the buckets and mops to the room," he said then went down the corridor.

Pansy rolled her eyes and followed him with a reluctant sigh, carrying the bucket and mop awkwardly. Ginny grabbed hers too then followed them quickly, glancing over at the Slytherin girl every so often. The only sounds were their shoes against the stones and Filch muttering to himself.

"What are you looking at, Weasley?" Pansy hissed with a glare.

"You... Why were you early?" she asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, I had to get Filch to sign something for me..." Pansy replied.

"Oh..." Ginny said, disappointed for some reason.

"Why do you care anyway? What business is it of yours if I'm early or late to detention?" Pansy hissed.

"I was just asking, Parkinson..." Ginny muttered.

"Quiet back there!" Filch said over his shoulder, returning to his mutterings.

They stopped in front of a room that had a magical rope across it. 'Do not enter' was written across the rope in big red letters. Grabbing the rope, Filch put it aside and opened the door. Turning back to his victims, he smiled evilly.

"Now don't yer go touchin' that rope. Only people without magic in them can touch it," he said with more than a hint of pride in his voice.

"Did you think of that idea?" Ginny asked smiling at him.

Not sure whether she was taunting him, Filch looked at her warily and gave a brief nod.

"That's a really good idea... It would definitely be a good way to make sure that pranksters can't get into valuable rooms or items," Ginny said, impressed by it.

Filch gave her a smile and Mrs. Norris rubbed against her leg again.

"Can we get in there to clean the mess up? Please?" Pansy added reluctantly. "I'd like to get this over and done with," she muttered.

Filch glared, but still walked into the room. The two girls followed him inside, not looking at each other. Pansy let the bucket and mop drop to the floor and grimaced at the mess.

"Yer to clean all of this without magic," he said, surveying the room in displeasure.

Peeves had gone all out this time. Bookcases were overturned, books were thrown everywhere, slime covered the walls... Desks and chairs were strewn across the room and an invisible whirlwind blew papers around the room, creating even more damage to the room.

"We'll need to stop that with magic though, sir," Ginny said to Filch, indicating to the whirlwind.

He looked around for a professor, then realised that she had been addressing him.

"Oh... Yeah. Yer can do that then," he said with a nod.

The whirlwind disappeared and the papers stopped moving around the room, floating down to the floor.

"I'll be back in an hour... If this isn't done then yer'll both be staying until it is," he said gleefully. "The rope's going up, so no trying to escape," he added, leaving the room.

Ginny put the mop and bucket down as the door closed firmly. With a sigh, she rolled up her sleeves and started to pick up the papers. Shuffling them into order, she put them on the teacher's desk, the only piece of furniture that hadn't been overturned. She picked up the chair and put it behind the desk.

Looking up, Ginny was surprised to see that Pansy was actually cleaning as well. She was picking up all of the student's desks and putting the chairs behind them properly.

After a few minutes of working and cleaning silently, Pansy called to Ginny.

"Weasley... Come help me pick up this bookcase so I can put the books away," she said, not looking at her.

"You could ask me a bit nicer than that, you know!" Ginny said glaring at her.

"I'm not here to be nice to you, Weasley... I'm here to do detention, that's all," Pansy muttered.

"That doesn't mean you can't treat me with a little more respect, Pansy!" Ginny replied.

"You don't get my respect without earning it, Ginevra," she said in a mocking tone.

Ginny shook her head as an image of Pansy being protective appeared... Was she protective over her? What was she being protective of? And why did Seamus look so scared? The green and red lights flashed, interrupted by a loud crash.

Pansy had tried to lift the bookcase on her own and it had fallen back onto the ground loudly. She cursed loudly, swearing at the bookcase in Mermish.

Ginny frowned, remembering something about mermaids... The green and red light flashed again, but she ignored them and quickly went down to where Pansy was. She didn't want her to be hurt just because they were both too proud and stubborn to be polite...

"You shouldn't try to do it on your own... All you had to do was say please and I would have helped, you know," Ginny said, grabbing one side of the bookcase.

"Yeah, well I don't like saying please," Pansy muttered, grabbing the other side.

They lifted the bookcase up to a standing position and carefully pigeon walked it to its place against the wall. Moving back cautiously to make sure that it would stay there, Pansy looked at Ginevra.

"Thanks," she said reluctantly.

Luna had told them not to act the same around Ginevra... They couldn't make her remember before the proper time, she'd said. But Pansy found that she missed the Gryffindor's company. Besides, she might have thanked her if they hadn't been friends before all of this... Maybe...

"You're welcome..." Ginny said, wondering what the other girl was thinking about to make her look so sad.

Deciding not to pry, she turned and started to collect the books. After another moment, Pansy sighed and joined her. They both picked up the books and put them on the shelves quickly. Finishing the job quickly, Ginny and Pansy looked at the slime on the wall. Grabbing the bucket and mop, Ginny started to scrub at the slime.

Pansy started on the other side of the window, eager to leave the room. She was sure to let something slip... She didn't want the consequence of that on her shoulders!

Ginny looked over at the Slytherin girl a few times, wondering why she'd gone so cold all of a sudden.

Just as she was about to ask her a question, the door opened and Filch walked in, Mrs. Norris at his heels.

"Not done yet, eh? Mrs. Norris here will keep watch on yer until I come back... I'll be back in a half hour," Filch said, leaving again after putting the rope back up.

Mrs. Norris meowed loudly, sounding confused. She rubbed against Ginny's legs and meowed at her again. Ginny frowned and looked down at the cat, crouching down to scratch her behind the ears.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Norris?" she murmured quietly.

A word sounded in Ginny's mind and she frowned, wondering why she'd thought of it...

Queen...

"Ginevra..." a voice said from the doorway.

Ginny looked up to see Luna literally walk through the rope as if the rope wasn't there... Or maybe it was Luna that wasn't there... How was she able to do that? Ginny wondered as Luna came closer, now solid. Ginny fainted...

Mrs. Norris gave a yelp and jumped away from Ginevra, still confused as to why she didn't remember her. Pansy looked at Ginny, to Mrs. Norris and then at Luna in shock.

"Is Ginevra all right?" Pansy asked, walking over to them. "How did you get past that rope?" she asked, looking at Luna.

"Ginevra will be fine when she wakes up again. How I got past the rope doesn't matter right now," Luna muttered, then looked to Mrs. Norris.

Holding out a hand to her, Mrs. Norris sniffed Luna suspiciously then relented and walked to her.

"You cannot tell her..." Luna whispered to the cat quietly.

Mrs. Norris sounded her disappointment and annoyance, but agreed all the same.

"There's a good girl," Luna said, smiling as she scratched Mrs. Norris.

"When will Ginevra wake up?" Pansy asked after a few minutes.

"She will wake up a few minutes before Filch comes back..." Luna said.

"Great. That means I'm going to have to finish cleaning all this up," Pansy muttered and turned back to the wall.

"I should leave now... I will see you tomorrow," Luna said.

"All right... Bye," Pansy said, not turning to look at her as she was too preoccupied with cleaning the slime off the wall.

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With a wince, Luna went through the rope again and stumbled to the Room of Requirement, holding her stomach in pain. Shutting the door behind her, Luna sat on a chair and removed her robes, lifting up her shirt. Blood seeped through two large red welts on her stomach. Looking in the mirror, she saw identical welts on her back.

You should not have done that, Luna... The pain it has caused you... Cassandra said, shaking her head.

"This is nothing compared to what I would have felt if she had found out from Mrs. Norris," Luna muttered, gingerly healing her back. "We both know that, Cassandra..."

Cassandra sighed, reluctantly nodding.

What of Apollo's reincarnation? Does he remember? Cassandra asked after a moment of silence.

Luna finished healing her stomach and sighed.

"He remembers everything, including our turning his down his gift... He is not happy about it at all and refuses to listen to anything I say," she murmured. "Not that I blame him... I should have told him about Apollo sooner... The potion helped him sleep easier though. He has not slept well since he found out about his mother," Luna said.

We should talk to him soon, or else he will have Apollo's behaviour, Cassandra said.

"Colin is not Apollo, Cassandra... He will not turn into him after one possession! Colin does not have the ability to be proud or vain," Luna protested.

If you believe it, then it will be... Rest now, I will wake you when they have finished dining, Cassandra said soothingly.

Luna yawned and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

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"Where is Ginny?" Harry demanded.

Neville looked at him with a small frown.

"What do you want with Ginevra?" he asked.

"It's none of your business, Longbottom!" Harry snarled. "Tell me where she is!" he said.

"She's got detention," Neville said with a shrug, returning to his dinner.

"Where?" Harry asked glaring at him.

"I don't know... Hagrid gave her the detention, not me. Go ask him," Neville said.

Lavender smirked and seeing that they were distracted, she looked to Ron. He was stuffing his face, as usual...

"Hermione... Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked sweetly.

Hermione looked at her suspiciously, but not wanting to be rude, she nodded.

"Don't you think it's great how well Ginny's doing in our year? In fact, Professor McGonagall and I were just talking about her and the amount of power she has... She's really proud of her, you know. Why, McGonagall might even forget all about you soon enough! Everyone is talking about how smart Ginny is, aren't they Won-Won?" she asked Ron sweetly.

Ron looked up at his name. Having no idea what they were talking about, he decided that it would probably be safer to nod. Nodding vigorously, he waited for Lavender to turn back to Hermione before he reached for another helping.

"Well, sorry if I don't believe you," Hermione said with an uncertain sniff, turning back to her food.

"You don't believe me? Well, I guess that's understandable..." Lavender said with a sad sob. "Ask Dean, he'll tell you..."

Hermione frowned, watching as Lavender turned back to Ron, ignoring her again. Looking to Dean, Hermione saw that he was eating his dinner calmly. He looked as though he hadn't heard a word of their conversation. What if Lavender was right? She had to find out...

"Put the wand away, Harry. I already told you where Ginevra is," Neville said, glaring at him.

"Mr. Potter! Explain this immediately!" McGonagall demanded, swooping down on them.

"I... uh..." Harry stammered, looking for an excuse. He put his wand in his pocket. "I was talking with Neville..."

"Then why is your wand out?" McGonagall asked sternly.

"I wanted to know about the counter hex for the Jelly legs curse," Neville said. "Sorry Professor, I didn't think to ask Harry about it when not so many people were around," he said, giving her an innocent smile.

McGonagall didn't look like she believed them, but gave a curt nod.

"Very well... Five points from Gryffindor. Take it outside next time," she warned and went back to the teachers’ table.

Harry looked at Neville for a minute.

"Go ask Hagrid where Ginevra had her detention, Harry. I told you that I don't know," Neville said and returned to his food again.

Harry gave a brief nod and went over to the teachers’ table reluctantly.

Draco watched as Saint Potter talked to Hagrid and wondered why Longbottom had stuck up for him...

"Where is Weaselette anyway?" he muttered, looking around.

"Not here, obviously if she has detention," Blaise drawled with a smirk.

"Shut up, Zabini... I've got to get back at her for that comment about being turned into a ferret," Draco muttered.

"Well you can't do it now, can you?"

Draco saw that Harry was talking to Filch and he remembered how the caretaker had complained about Peeves destroying another classroom during lunch. Smirking to himself, Draco left the Great Hall, knowing exactly where to find Ginevra and pay her back.

Blaise looked at Gregory and Vincent in concern.

"Ginevra's with Pansy in detention. Get to them before Draco does," he said.

The two boys nodded and left the Great Hall, going down a different route than Draco had.

Neville sat closer to Blaise and looked at him.

"Draco's gone to find Ginevra, hasn't he?" he asked.

Blaise nodded and Neville sighed.

"I had better go get Ginevra then," he muttered. "I'll come to you tonight," he said softly, leaving the Great Hall and turning into a nymph as he ran along the corridors.

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Ginny woke up, looking around quickly. Mrs. Norris was in the corner, pawing at a mouse hole and Pansy was just getting the last of the slime off the wall.

"What happened? Wasn't Luna here?"

"You fainted from getting too close to the slime... Lovegood wasn't here, you were probably hallucinating," Pansy said.

"Oh... Thanks for cleaning my part of the wall for me," Ginny said with a smile.

"I didn't do it for you... I did it so I could get out of this place and get something to eat," Pansy muttered, putting the mop back in the bucket and sitting on one of the chairs.

Ginny stood up, brushing her robes off. Looking around to see if there was anything else she could do, she sighed. Everything was clean... She sat down a few seats away from Pansy, aware of the cold glares she was sending at her.

A few minutes later, Filch came into the room, looking slightly disappointed at the fact that everything had been done.

"Yer can go now..." he muttered, taking the rope down.

Mrs. Norris stopped playing with the mouse hole and curled herself around Ginny's legs before hurrying over to Filch.

"Would you leave the room sometime this year? I have things to do," Pansy muttered, forced to wait behind Ginny.

"Sorry," Ginny murmured and hurried through the door, saying goodbye to Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Ginny and Pansy walked down the corridor in silence. Surprisingly, it was a comfortable silence, rather than the usual frosty silence that occurred between Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Ginny asked Pansy.

"Not yet... What's it to you?" Pansy asked, looking at her.

"Did you want to get something from the kitchens with me?"

"There's Pansy!" Gregory said in relief, hurrying over to her, Vincent beside him.

"What's wrong?" Pansy asked.

"Ginevra, there you are!" Neville said, running over to her. "Quick, we have to leave..."

"What? Why?" Ginny asked, frowning at him.

"Draco's coming," the three boys said in unison.

Ginny looked at Neville, Gregory and Vincent, wondering why they were all so insistent on making them leave.

"What's so bad about that? It's not like he's going to hurt me..." Ginny said frowning.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that... He seemed to take it as an insult that you had detention," Vincent muttered.

"Why? How?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Move out of the way," Draco snarled, moving Gregory and Vincent out of his way. "Move, Parkinson!" he hissed.

"Don't talk to her like that! She's not your property to boss around!" Ginny said angrily, moving so she that was in front of him.

Neville, Gregory and Vincent groaned, shaking their heads. They'd purposely come to stop this confrontation and then she just went ahead and made it happen anyway!

"I wasn't talking to you, Weaselette!" Draco said glaring at her.

"But you came here to talk to me, didn't you?" she asked smirking at him in triumph.

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is? Either you came here to talk to me, or you didn't come to talk to me... The fact of the matter is, that you still have no right to talk to Pansy like that!" Ginny said stubbornly.

"Leave it alone, would you?" Pansy muttered, moving beside her. "It's fine... Can you leave now?" she said, nudging Ginny to Neville.

"It's not fine! Apologise to her!" Ginny said, her stubbornness taking over her common sense.

"No. I don't take orders from commoners," he sneered at her.

"I'm not a commoner, you jerk! Now apologise!" she demanded.

"I've had quite enough of you, Weaselette," Draco drawled, turning away.

Before anyone had time to react, he had faced them again, his Veelan side revealed.

Ginny's eyes went blank and her mouth shut mid-protest. She started to walk over to Draco, briefly wondering why she wasn't yelling at him... She couldn't yell at someone who looked like that!

Draco smirked as he made Ginevra walk to him. She was like a moth coming to the flame... And just like the moth, she would burn once she was close enough.

"Oh, Gods... You owe me one, Ginevra," she muttered quietly.

Taking a deep breath, she moved in front of Ginevra, blocking out her view of Draco's hypnotic stare. Caught in the stare herself, Pansy moved to him...

Ginny came to herself, shaking her head. Neville grabbed her arm and pulled her away quickly. As Ginny looked back, she wondered why Gregory and Vincent looked so angry with Draco for kissing Pansy...

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Neville tickled the pear and ushered Ginevra into the kitchen, sighing to himself.

He wouldn't be surprised if Greg and Vince killed Draco for kissing their girlfriend... It was better than Draco kissing Ginevra though... That would have sparked too many memories. They were lucky that Luna had told them in time, or else they would be putting Ginevra right next to his parents in St. Mungo's...

"Dobby, get Ginevra something to eat please... She hasn't had any dinner," Neville said to the eager house-elf.

"Yes, Mr. Neville!" Dobby said and quickly scampered off.

"Hermione would have a heart attack if she heard you talking to Dobby like that," Ginny said grinning at him.

"Probably... But you need food, so I'm sure I'll be forgiven," Neville replied.

"Did I miss out on anything at dinner?" Ginny asked as Dobby came back with the food. "Thank you, Dobby."

"Miss Ginevra is welcome!" he piped then left again, pulling his socks up along the way.

Neville thought about everything that had happened at dinner and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Nothing important..." he said.

Ginny nodded and started eating her food eagerly. She hadn't realised how hungry she was! Finishing the food quickly, she looked at Neville.

"Are you doing anything tonight?" she asked with a grin.

"I'm meeting someone," he said vaguely, blushing.

"Really? Congratulations! Who is it? Do I know him? It is a him, isn't it?" Ginny asked in a lowered voice.

Neville nodded, still red.

"Yes... You might know him... I'm not going to tell you who it is because you wouldn't approve," he added.

"It's not like you're going to see Draco Malfoy or anything... You're not, are you?" Ginny asked quickly.

Neville shook his head.

"Okay... Let me guess who it is then," she said grinning.

"Do we have to do this, Ginevra?" Neville groaned.

"Yes, we do. Now... It's obviously a Slytherin. Not Malfoy, though. Who else is there? Nott... He wouldn't suit you. Crabbe and Goyle. Definitely not your type," she muttered. "Is the person still at Hogwarts or have they left? If you say that it's Marcus Flint I will hex you into next week," she said.

Neville shuddered and shook his head.

"I wouldn't go out with him if you paid me a million Galleons," he muttered. "Fine! He's still here..."

Ginny felt like she should know who it was already, but decided not to dwell on it...

"What year?" Ginny asked with a grin, enjoying the game.

"Seventh," he said reluctantly.

"Oh! I know who it is!" she said, grinning. "It's Blaise, isn't it?" Ginny asked eagerly.

Neville sighed and nodded.

"Why wouldn't I approve of him? He's the nicest one out of the whole Slytherin lot!" Ginny said with a grin. "So when do you have to meet him?" she asked.

"Ten thirty," Neville said.

"It's nearly ten o'clock... You should be getting ready, not sitting here with me!" she exclaimed.

"It's all right," he replied with amusement. "You should get back to your rooms now, though. Curfew's almost over."

Ginny gave a nod and they left the kitchens cautiously.

"Do you mind if I ask a favour from you?" Neville asked quietly as they headed down the corridor.

"No, I don't mind. What is it?" Ginny asked with a smile.

"Could you let Seamus stay in your rooms for tonight? Dean isn't happy with him and I don't want him to hurt Seamus in the middle of the night," Neville said in concern.

"That's fine..." Ginny said.

It sparked another image... Someone was being hurt... Ginny shook her head in confusion.

"I had hoped you would agree, so I let Seamus in already. Sorry to make this a last minute thing, but it was urgent," Neville said apologetically.

"It's all right, Neville," she said smiling at him. "You should go now. I don't want you to be late for your date."

"Thanks, Ginevra... I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast," Neville said, hugging her tightly and hurrying off.

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Ginny headed to an empty side corridor and slipped behind the tapestry, quickly going down to her rooms. Going inside, she saw Seamus sitting at the table, doing homework.

"Oh! I'm sorry... Did Neville see you? He said it would be okay for me to come down here..." Seamus babbled nervously.

"It's fine, Seamus... Calm down!" Ginny said smiling at him. "Neville already saw me and I agreed to let you stay for tonight. Hopefully you can get whatever's wrong sorted out with Dean before he does something he'll regret," she said.

"Not likely," Seamus muttered under his breath, but nodded in response. "Thank you for letting me stay," he said so she could hear.

"It's all right... I'm exhausted. I'll see you in the morning, Seamus," Ginny said with a yawn, heading down to her room.

She changed into her pyjamas and climbed into bed wearily. Too tired to think of the day's odd occurrences, Ginny mumbled a tired 'goodnight' to Lily and fell asleep.

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(a/n: I am really sorry for the long wait! Since this chapter's only one day, I will try to make the next one three days to make up for it!

This chapter is thirty-one pages long! (Bear in mind that it is only one day, unlike the other two-day chapters with sixty-plus pages!)

Thank you for reading!)

12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Saturday, Sept. 14

Ginny woke up early and groaned in disappointment. It was a Saturday, she was supposed to sleep in! Grumbling when sleep didn't come again, she got out of her bed and made her way down to the bathroom.

She showered quickly and changed into her casual clothing eagerly, remembering that there were Quidditch tryouts as well as it being a Hogsmeade weekend.

Rushing out of the room, she realised that Seamus had stayed the night. Wondering if he'd be able to get out of her rooms all right, she decided that she shouldn't disturb his sleep and hurried to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Finishing quickly, she nimbly avoided Lavender, still not sure why she had a deep feeling of dislike for the older girl. Looking at the noticeboard near the Great Hall entrance, she saw that the Gryffindor tryouts were first up.

Ginny hurried down to the Quidditch Pitch eagerly. She wanted to get warmed up before the tryouts actually started. Seeing other people on the pitch, she figured that others must have had the same idea and went into the Gryffindor room for her broom.

As she touched the handle of her Comet 180, Ginny saw an image of herself falling from the broom. Shaking her head, she told herself that she was being silly and left the room quickly.

Taking off her robe, she put it on the ground carefully then mounted the broom and rose up into the sky. The others she'd seen were already up in the air, flying around and doing different manoeuvres.

Doing a few moves of her own to get warm, Ginny stopped a few minutes later, seeing people coming towards the pitch. Flying down, she saw Neville, Colin and Seamus waving to her.

"Hi! Have you all come to cheer for me?" she asked with a grin.

"Of course! We wouldn't be anywhere else," Neville said grinning back at her.

"Sure you wouldn't," Ginny said laughing. "How was your date?" she asked quietly, not sure if the other two boys knew or not.

"It's all right, they know," Neville said. "The date was great," he said and Ginny smirked at the dreamy look on his face.

Her response was delayed by the appearance of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Following them were a large group of admiring fans, Quidditch players and hopefuls. Ginny said a quick goodbye and hurried over to the others eagerly.

"All right... Anyone who is not in Gryffindor go into the stands!" Harry called having learned from the previous year's tryouts. Some of the group left into the stands, giggling and grumbling. "If anyone's here that isn't going to take this seriously, join the rest of them in the stands," Harry said sternly. A few more people left. "Right. Since there are less than twenty of you I want all of you up in the air and around the pitch. I want to make sure if you can actually fly," he said, looking to the smaller first years nearby.

They all flew up into the air and flew around the pitch. There was a small pile up, a lot of giggling and a first year who ended up hitting his head when he fell off the broom in surprise.

Harry shouted at the gigglers, who went to the stands still giggling. The first year was declared to be all right and sat on the stands to cheer on for his Housemates.

"Right. The Chasers are going first. All Chasers in a group to my left," he said.

Ginny quickly joined the small group of Chasers. Harry looked at her for a moment, something different in his eyes. Before she could figure out what it was, someone nudged him and Harry gave a cough, looking down at the parchment in his hands.

All five of them did the tests he set them, dodging Bludgers, wrestling the Quaffle and scoring goals. The first one had an excellent throw, yet she couldn't get the Quaffle away from her opponent. Harry suggested that she try out for a Beater position instead.

The next two had their turns and did great jobs, making Ginny nervous. She got on her broom, calmed her nervous heartbeat by breathing steadily, then rose into the sky quickly.

Concentrating on the task, Ginny didn't have time to think about what she was actually doing, she just did it. She scored twenty goals, three better than the year before and flew as fast as she could, which was surprisingly fast, considering how old her broom was.

Ginny landed on the ground when the test stopped, hoping that she'd got on to the team.

"Are you all right? Do you feel well enough to fly?" Harry asked the last person, who had gone a shade of green that was quite similar to Ron's.

"I'll be fine," she said bravely, mounting her broom.

Ginny went over to Neville and Colin grinning. She hugged them when she was between them on the stands.

"Thanks for cheering me on," she said with another grin. "Do you think I did all right?" Ginny asked, nervous now.

"You were great! If Harry doesn't pick you then he's thicker than he looks!" Neville said grinning.

Ginny laughed, but she wasn't quite sure if he had been joking or not...

They watched as the Beaters went through their routine, a few of the Bludgers narrowly missing the spectators. The Keepers then prepared for their test, Ginny hurrying down to the pitch and grabbing her broom.

"You're last, Ginny," Harry said to her. "Yes, you can go up now, Dean," he said exasperatedly.

"Good luck, Ron!" Lavender called from the stands, her face red.

Dean flew up into the sky and over to the hoops, the Quaffle in his hands.

"I want you to throw it to each of the Chasers," Harry called up to him.

The three Chasers flew up into the sky at the different parts of the field that Harry had told them. Harry called out to Dean again and he threw it to the first Chaser. He caught it easily and tried to get it through the hoop. Dean stopped the Quaffle before it went in and threw it to the next Chaser, the process being repeated again. Dean threw the Quaffle towards Ginny, falling short by a metre. She shot forward, caught the Quaffle and threw it at the hoops. Dean hesitated for a second, then moved quickly to get to the Quaffle. Despite the fact that he was close enough to catch it, the red ball managed to get past him and go through the hoop. Dean glared at Ginny like it was her fault, then flew down to the pitch at Harry's bidding.

Ron flew up to the hoops, alternating between green and red as Lavender called out to him again. The process was repeated, Ron managing to stop the Quaffle all three times. Looking pale he landed on the ground weakly.

Harry announced the three Chasers; Demelza, Ginny and Derek. Ron was announced as Keeper and Terry and James were announced as the Beaters.

They set up a meeting time, then everyone went their separate ways. Ginny watched as Harry left with Ron and Hermione, Lavender looking upset. Then Lavender turned to see Ginny watching her and she smiled. Ginny couldn't help but think that the smile was fake and was surprised when Lavender ran up to her.

"Ginny! Congratulations on getting into the Chaser position," Lavender exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

Ginny stepped back and gave her a hesitant smile.

"Thanks, Lavender... Uh, I've got to go," she said, turning and hurrying away.

Neville and Colin came up behind her, scaring her.

"Congratulations, Ginevra," Neville said, wrapping an arm around her.

"Thanks," Ginny said with a grin. "You two going into Hogsmeade?" she asked as they arrived at her rooms.

"Yes. We were waiting for you," Colin replied.

"I'll be ready in a minute then," Ginny said, walking into her room and shutting the door. In a few minutes, she was changed into warmer clothes for Hogsmeade's cooler temperature. "I'm ready," she announced, grinning at them.

Neville grinned and put a scarf around her neck.

"Now you're ready..." he said with a nod.

"We'll have to hurry to get a carriage," Colin said, hurrying to the front door.

The three of them ran down to the carriages quickly, just missing the last carriage. Luna arrived a few seconds later, smiling at them.

"Congratulations, Ginevra," she said.

"Thanks," Ginny replied with a grin.

"We just missed the last carriage," Neville said to Luna, who shook her head.

"There will be another one arriving shortly. Draco took some convincing to leave early," she said in a soft tone so that Ginevra wouldn't hear.

"Shit. We have to deal with him now?" Colin muttered.

Any response was delayed by the last carriage pulling up, the Thestrals stopping a few metres away from Ginevra and the others.

Ginny grinned and went over to the Thestrals, patting them fondly. She frowned as an image appeared in her mind.

Ron hissing at her and Ginny slapping him, hearing a bone break...

As Ginny slumped to the ground, her hand got caught along the Thestral's wing, cutting it open. The Thestral neighed loudly as the carriage door opened.

Pansy bit back a curse when she saw who was standing there. She hurried out of the carriage, whispering furiously to Neville and Colin. They replied back in the same tones, and Colin turned to see that Luna wasn't standing next to him any longer. Frowning, he nudged Neville who looked around quickly. They saw Luna standing next to Ginny, who was trembling and holding her hand, her red blood staining the ground beneath her.

The other Slytherins' got out of the carriage and saw Neville and Colin running over to Ginny and Luna. Theodore hurried over to them, but Luna stopped him from healing Ginevra.

Draco got out of the carriage with a frown, wondering why all of the attention was with the Thestrals. He walked over to see Ginny sitting on the ground, pale and bleeding from a particularly long cut on her hand.

"Would you heal her so we can get inside? I thought you said you were all freezing cold," Draco said looking at them.

The Thestral bucked and they all moved back quickly. It dipped its head and nudged Ginny, who just looked at the animal numbly.

"I can't get to her with the Thestral so close. It's attracted to the blood and won't let anyone else near her while it thinks she's food," Theodore said in reply to Draco's question.

"For the Gods sakes... Why am I the one that has to do this?" Draco muttered with a sigh as he looked upwards.

He shut his eyes briefly and the Thestral moved its head away from Ginny reluctantly. Draco moved back a few steps as the Thestral gained control over itself once more. Just as he was about to use his Veelan power again, the Thestral head butted him and Draco fell to the ground. He cursed at the animal, muttering under his breath about the beasts.

The Thestral snorted, laughing at him, then returned his attention to Ginny and the cut on her hand. He licked her hand, neighing softly at her. As she felt a calm feeling flow through her, Ginny stopped trembling and relaxed. The Thestral stopped licking her hand and nudged it towards her. Ginny stared at her moist hand in surprise. The cut had disappeared! There was nothing left to show that she'd cut herself. Even the blood on the ground had disappeared too.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered to the Thestral, hugging it.

"Do you still want to go into Hogsmeade?" Neville asked as he helped her stand up.

"Yes. I'm not about to miss an afternoon out," Ginny said with a smile.

She went to leave, then stopped and turned, holding her hand out to Draco, who was still sitting on the ground. He looked at her for a moment, then grudgingly took her hand and stood up.

"Thanks for seeing if I was okay," she said, quickly taking her hand back and wondering what the tingles meant. They seemed familiar for some reason...

"You're welcome," Draco said, surprising everyone, including himself.

If the Weaselette thought that he'd just stopped to see if she was okay, then that was her fault. Draco wasn't about to go and tell her that he was a Veelan. He didn't want the little Weaselette to ruin this year for him by telling everyone what he was!

She gave a small nod, looking surprised and followed her friends into the carriage.

The Slytherins' moved back and watched as the Thestrals turned the carriage around quickly, hurrying along the path to Hogsmeade. Draco only lingered for a moment, before turning around in a huff and returning to the warmth of the castle.

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Ginny looked at Neville, Colin and Luna, wondering why they were all so quiet. She noticed that they kept glancing at each other every time they thought she wasn't looking. Was something wrong?

"What's going on?" she asked a few minutes later, sick of their game of back and forth. "Why do you keep looking at each other like that? Am I missing something?" Ginny asked frowning at them.

"We're here," Luna said and the carriage came to an abrupt stop.

Ginny was the first out of the carriage, wondering what they were keeping from her. Neville, Colin and Luna quickly caught up with her, talking about what to see first.

Neville looked at Ginevra, who still seemed upset with them. He sighed. He hated lying like this to her. Without her memory, she just wasn't the same person... And yet, he could tell that she kept having flashbacks of what had happened. They were increasing, as was the time it took for her to shake them out of her mind. He hoped that Luna was right and Ginevra would be fine once her memory had returned.

Ginny caught Neville looking at her, a sad expression on his face. He gave her a weak smile and Ginny took his hand in hers in an effort to comfort him. As their skin touched, tingles flew through Ginny's body and she abruptly let go of Neville as sad feelings washed over her.

The tingles were the same as the ones that Malfoy had given her... Yet they were completely different. The tingles felt more... Neville-ish and it matched the feelings his face showed.

What was going on? Surely it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. You couldn't feel another's emotions simply by touching them! Could you? Ginny wondered.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Neville asked, looking at her in concern.

Further ahead, Luna and Colin stopped at his words and turned to see Ginny looking at Neville with a frown.

Curious, Ginny stretched her hand to Neville's again. She touched him and felt confused, wonder and hope?

"What's she doing? And more importantly, is it supposed to happen?" Colin asked Luna quietly.

Luna looked at Ginevra and Neville for a moment, frowning. She hadn't Seen anything about this!

"Ginevra... Are you all right? What's wrong?" Neville asked, looking at her in confusion.

Ginny stopped looking at their hands and pulled away from Neville, looking at him with a frown.

"Why do you call me Ginevra?" she asked. "You've always called me Ginny before."

"It's more appropriate to call you by Ginevra... Ginny sounds kind of childish, and I know how much you hate being treated like a child," Neville replied.

"Are you two coming with us, or are we just going to stand out here and freeze for the next few hours?" Colin called.

"We're coming," Ginny called back, hurrying over to Colin and Luna with Neville beside her.

"Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks? It's too cold to do any shopping now," Colin muttered, rubbing his arms in the cold wind.

"Sounds good," Ginny said with a grin.

They hurried to the Three Broomsticks and found an empty booth near the back. Ginny was careful not to touch anyone, subconsciously aware that the tingles and feelings weren't limited to only a few people.

Ginny looked around and quickly turned her attention back to her Butterbeer on seeing Lavender with Ron a few booths away. Neville followed where her gaze had been and narrowed his eyes.

"We could hex them from here," he muttered to her with a grin.

"That would be mean, Neville!" Ginny said, feigning shock. "But I'm going to the bathroom so I won't be here to do a thing to stop you," she added with a grin, leaving the table with Luna.

Seconds after Ginevra and Luna had disappeared from his sight, Neville hexed Lavender and Ron with a smirk.

Ginny and Luna came back a few minutes later, Lavender and Ron arguing, boils all over their faces.

"Should I feel bad?" Ginny asked Luna, frowning.

"Not at all," Luna replied with a grin.

Ginny grinned back at her, her grin fading when Ron and Lavender stalked over to their booth.

"Why did you hex us, Longbottom?" Ron snarled at him.

"Don't deny it, we know you did it!" Lavender said glaring.

"Well, you shouldn't go around with your lips attached like that!" Ginny said with a disgusted look. "Honestly, you two should be in Madam Puddifoot's, not in here!"

"We're allowed to be wherever we want!" Ron said, glaring at her.

"If you don't like us being here then go somewhere else," Lavender said.

"You're right. I apologise for hexing you," Ginny replied, taking the spell off them and leaving the warm bar.

Colin, Luna and Neville hurried after her, wrapping their robes around them tighter in the cold breeze.

"What just happened?" Colin asked in shock. "Why did you apologise to them and tell them they were right?"

"Well, I'd say they're both still in there with their jaws on the ground. Another reason was that I can't be bothered spending my weekend off in there bickering. They're not worth my time," Ginny muttered. "The reason I apologised was so they'd get confused as to who actually did the spell. They'll most likely end up blaming me and I'll get the detention instead of Neville. He's got better things to do with his boyfriend, rather than waste his time cleaning cauldrons," Ginny said with a shrug.

"Thanks, Ginevra," Neville said, grinning at her.

"You're welcome. I'm off to find something for Fred and George in Zonko's. Do you want to come with me?"

"Considering it's either you, or Ron and Lavender, I think we'll go with the first option," Colin said with a wink.

"How very kind of you," Ginny drawled, heading over to Zonko's. Before they went inside, she did a spell on her hair, the owners of the shop knowing her family all too well.

They went inside, the shop owners smiling at them in welcome. Ginny hurried to the back shelves, hoping that her spell wouldn't fade off while she was in the shop. Looking at the items, she found some chicken wands.

Poorly made, the Illusion spell is weak at best and it showed at only five Knuts... Shaking her head, Ginny made a mental note to tell Fred and George.

Looking at the other items, she found that most of them were just replicas of Fred and George's products. A few were original ones, the stuffed Golden Goose was the only one worth mentioning... It told wizarding nursery rhymes and also served as a baby radio with the right spells. It looked to be simply a Muggle stuffed animal bewitched.

"Found anything?" Neville asked her quietly.

"Nothing interesting and a lot of replica's from Fred and George's shop," Ginny muttered, shaking her head.

"Want to go to the Hog's Head then? Zonko's is closing soon and I don't think Lavender and Ron have left the Three Broomsticks yet," Colin said.

"Good idea," Ginny said with a grin.

Luna bought a pair of earrings with miniscule carrots hanging off the end and they left.

They entered the Hog's Head quietly, nodded to the barman and sat down at a table.

"What'll yer have?" a long-bearded man asked gruffly.

"Four Butterbeers, please," Ginny said.

"Eight Sickles," he said, getting the drinks for them.

They paid and warily drank from the dirty glasses. They talked about random things, finishing more and more Butterbeers. Finally noticing the glasses surrounding them and then realising the time, they thanked the barman and hurried out of the Hog's Head down to where the last carriage was waiting.

"It's almost ten o'clock. If we don't get there quickly, we'll get detention for being out after curfew," Ginny said as she got into the carriage quickly.

The others hurried in after her and shut the door. Almost as if the Thestrals understood their urgency, they practically flew back to Hogwarts, arriving in less than twenty minutes.

They said goodnight, Ginny hurrying to her room with a yawn. Neville called out to remind her that Seamus was staying in her room, then watched as she waved goodbye again and went over to her room.

"All right, she's gone now... Where are the others?" he asked, looking to Luna and Colin.

"They'll be here in about ten minutes," Luna said, sitting on the cool grass, Colin beside her.

Sighing, Neville sat down too and made random pieces of grass grow, bored. Once small clumps were grown, he started another one, looking up and stopping when the others arrived.

"Sorry we're late. We had some difficulty in getting Draco to go on his rounds," Pansy muttered with a sigh. "He doesn't look well. At times I'm positive he remembers everything that's happened, and then at other times he doesn't have a clue! It's frustrating," she muttered.

"It's probably worse for them because they do remember some parts of what's happened. It's confusing Ginevra more than she's letting on, that's for sure," Neville said.

"Did you go to see her this morning?" Colin asked.

"We saw her flying as we went over to the carriages," Millicent said. "Ginevra did get the Chaser position, right?"

"Of course," Luna said with a smile.

"What are we supposed to do for the next hour until we can get her memory back?" Gregory asked.

Vincent smirked and looked at Pansy suggestively.

"You two can go snog without me... I'm waiting," she said, waving at them.

"Your loss!" Vincent said, pulling Gregory aside.

Pansy watched them, a glare on her face.

"You're not supposed to agree, damn it!" she said, going over to them.

"Where are the twins?" Blaise asked, looking around.

"We're here, keep your robes on," Parvati and Padma said, walking over with Fred and George.

"Damn, I was really hoping to get my robes off too," Blaise drawled, smirking at Neville, who went red.

"So how exactly are we supposed to get Ginevra and Draco here to get their memories back?" Fred and George asked.

"Seamus and Blaise have left notes for them," Luna said.

"That's it? You're going to lure them out of their nice warm rooms because of a note?" Theodore asked in shock.

"Considering the note doesn't tell them to leave the castle, it will work," she replied.

"They're not coming outside? Then why are we waiting here?" Pansy muttered, pulling away from Gregory and Vincent.

"I will only say this once, so listen carefully," Luna said. "They are being lured out of their rooms to go to a different room in the castle. When they see each other and leave, we will get them in different places and tell them to come outside in the pretence that Filch is coming," she said.

"And we're getting them at different places because..."

"Because they won't come out here if they know that the other one's coming too."

"How do we know where they're going to be?"

"The notes said for them to be in a particular room. Ginevra will hurt Draco and come out of the room in a particular direction. While Colin and I get her, Blaise and Pansy will be persuading Draco to leave the room too," Luna replied. "Don't do anything once they're out here. When they are, then I will be taking care of the rest, understood?"

They all nodded, going quiet when they heard steps nearing them. Seamus arrived, puffing slightly. He grinned apologetically.

"Sorry. It took longer to get here than I'd originally thought," he said.

"That is all right, Seamus. You stay here with the others while we go inside and get ready," Luna said.

"I'll tell him what's going on," Neville said with a grin.

"Back soon," Blaise said, kissing Neville and narrowing his eyes at Seamus before following Pansy, Luna and Colin up to the castle.

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Ginny looked at the note on her bed with a frown.

Ginny,

We need to talk. Meet me in the first years chamber on the first floor at midnight.

Ron.

She re-read it and wondered if she should go. Ron hadn't said anything about it. Maybe he was going to get her back for what had happened in the Three Broomsticks? Maybe he just wanted to talk, like the note said...

"What do you think, Lily? Do you think it's a trap?"

I am not sure. It will probably be best for you to check for yourself. If it is a trap, then I am sure that you will make the person not forget it with one of your Bat Bogey Hexes, Lily said fondly.

"I guess you're right... It's almost quarter to twelve. If I leave now, I'll get there right on time," she murmured, more to herself than Lily.

You should get a warm coat. It's not this warm in the rest of the castle, Lily said.

Nodding, Ginny grabbed her warmest robe and put it on, quickly buttoning it up. She headed out of her rooms and along the corridor quietly, mindful of the fact that Seamus was probably asleep.

Arriving at the chamber that McGonagall had led the first years to before the Sorting, Ginny opened the door and went in quietly. She lit her wand to the lowest setting and looked around the room in the dim light, wondering when Ron would arrive. She checked her watch and saw that it was five minutes to twelve.

That's odd... I don't remember walking that fast, Ginny thought to herself in surprise.

After a few minutes of waiting, Ginny became bored and restless. She walked around the small room, wondering at how much she had changed since her first year. This chamber had seemed huge when she was eleven! And now... Now, it was no bigger than any other room in the castle.

She stilled immediately as a movement on the floor caught her eye. Something moved towards her, looking exactly like a rippling black cape.

Her mind screamed 'Lethifold' at her, but her body froze. She quickly thought of the entry in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to do with Lethifolds and remembered that a Patronus could defeat one. As she had no real inkling towards dying by suffocation, Ginny quickly pointed her wand at the ever-approaching Lethifold, thought of a happy memory and said the spell.

"Expecto Patronum!"

In a split second, five silvery animals had shot out of her wand and devoured the Lethifold. Ginny stared at her Patronus in shock.

Before she had time to say or do anything, there was a movement at the door. Draco looked at Ginny in shock.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Ginny turned to see him standing in the doorway. Immediately, her Patronus disappeared.

"It's none of your business what I do or don't do, Malfoy," she said, turning to check if the animals were still there.

Disappointed, Ginny glared at Draco, who walked in to the room, smirking.

"Oh, but it is, Miss Weasley... You're out of bed and it's well past ten thirty. That means detention," he said.

"Fine. Give me detention and let me leave," Ginny said in a bored tone, shrugging.

"What if I'm in a cheerful mood and I don't want to give you detention?" Draco asked, smirking at her.

"Then don't. One way or the other, I don't really care... Make up your mind so I can leave," Ginny drawled, glaring at him. Draco smirked and decided to play with her some more.

"What if I want you to give me something in return for not giving you detention?" Draco asked as he walked over to her.

"My dear Mr. Malfoy, are you blackmailing me?" Ginny asked him, smirking. Draco continued to advance on her.

"You can call it blackmail, but I call it getting something we both want," he said looking down at her.

"Now, what would that be exactly, Malfoy?" she asked sweetly, smiling up at him.

Draco lowered his lips to hers. Ginny punched Draco before he could do anything and pushed him down to the ground.

"You try that again and I'll kill you myself, Malfoy," she snarled then left the room.

Ginny stopped around the corner and breathed deeply, wondering when she'd learnt to punch properly like that. When she was calm again, she went down the corridor quietly. Just as she approached a tapestry without any events, Ginny heard something and stilled immediately.

"Ginevra! Filch is coming. Quick, come outside," Colin's voice hissed.

Ginny looked over to where his voice was coming from and saw Colin and Luna near the entrance doors. She hurried over to them and followed them outside.

"Why do we have to go outside? I was right next to a tapestry," Ginny said.

"Filch was using the corridor to catch another student out of bed," Luna replied quietly. "We'll stay out here until it's safe to go back inside," she murmured.

"It's freezing out here," Ginny said, her teeth chattering.

Colin silently did a small warming spell on her, smiling.

"Thanks," she said, still feeling slightly cold.

They were silent for a moment, then Luna looked at Ginevra and saw that she was still shivering.

"Let's go for a walk. You can get your blood flowing faster then," she offered.

Ginny nodded, too cold to reply. They walked along the grass, Ginny not even noticing the different-sized clumps of grass they stepped on.

"How long will Filch be?" Ginny asked.

She desperately wanted to go back to her nice warm bed, but knew that she couldn't go through the front door without waking Seamus up. Just because she'd chosen to stay up late, it didn't mean that he had to be!

"A while yet, I'm afraid. Sit down for now. We'll sit on either side of you to keep you warm," Luna said smiling.

Ginny sat down gratefully, wondering if Colin had accidentally put a cooling spell on her instead. She would have asked, but it was impolite to imply such a thing. Luna and Colin sat next to her and Ginny felt her eyes drooping. She yawned slightly and leant her head against Colin's shoulder.

As Ginny fell asleep, Luna pulled out a small bag from her pocket and tipped the red half of the ball into her palm, shutting it tightly. The ball strained against her, attempting to get to Ginny.

Barely minutes later, Pansy and Blaise appeared, Draco floating between them, asleep.

"The spell got him harder than we'd expected," Pansy explained with a shrug.

Luna just nodded and instructed them to put Draco back to back with Ginevra. Once they were both sitting upright without the risk of falling over, Colin was able to stand up.

"She who has forgotten, now remember... Memories of your Queen, now return... He who has forgotten, now remember... Memories of your King, now return... All that was gone, be restored..." Luna said clearly, her hand resting above their heads.

She unclenched her hand and two smaller gold balls shot into Ginevra and Draco's foreheads. As she moved back, Luna refrained from blocking her ears as they both screamed out in pain.

"What do we do? How do we stop the pain?" Neville asked, moving forward immediately. The others came forward quickly, wanting to help their friends.

Luna's hand shot out and a barrier formed between them and Ginevra and Draco.

"Do nothing! They have to go through this, as unbearable as it may seem, it is necessary," she said.

Memories flew through their minds. Vampiress, Veelan, Forbidden Forest, classes, extra lessons, spells, Xavier, Agnes, Virginia, Bart, Maverick, Volatil Equus, Alexander, Lady Evita, Magnus Cauda-cattus, Queen, world's greatest treasure, Garion, Ron, Lavender, Bexley, Relo, Lyra... Memories continued to flow into them until every single one had been restored in their minds.

They stopped screaming at the same time, their bodies shivering in both the cold night and in pain. In unison, Ginevra and Draco both opened their eyes. As if they didn't notice the others around them, they turned to each other.

"I am sorry, carus," Ginevra whispered. (Dear or beloved)

"You worried me," Draco sighed.

"Sorry for all the trouble I have given you," Ginevra said, looking at the others.

"It's all right ... If you do it again, we won't be so ... She's fainted, hasn't she?" Pansy said, looking at Ginevra.

"Draco has too," Millicent muttered, shaking her head.

"It was the shock," Luna said.

"We should take them back now," Neville said, picking Ginevra up easily.

Blaise picked Draco up and they all hurried to Ginevra's rooms.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Sunday, Sept. 15

Ginevra woke up to find everyone asleep in her room. She sat up and looked at them all, a smile growing on her face.

Pansy was curled up between Vincent and Gregory, who were both snoring lightly. Fred, George, Parvati and Padma were all wrapped around one another, with Bexley sleeping beside them. Millicent and Theodore were leaning against each other, Relo asleep on Theodore's lap. Luna and Colin were sleeping soundly, holding hands. Lyra was asleep on Colin's shoulder, breathing small rings of smoke as she snored. Seamus was in between Blaise and Neville, a small smile on his face.

Wondering where Draco was, she looked around again, in case she'd missed him. Just when she was about to get up to go find him, Ginevra noticed that there were an extra pair of legs on her bed. She turned to see Draco beside her and looked at him for a moment, wondering at how different he looked while he was asleep compared to when he was awake...

With a sigh, she lay down again, facing him this time. Just as she fell asleep, Ginevra thought she felt his arm wrap around her.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"We shouldn't wake them. They need time to recover from everything's that happened," Pansy said.

"If we let them sleep then they won't get up until dinner!" Theodore replied.

"Stop your arguing, you're going to wake them up!" Millicent hissed.

"You didn't wake up until lunch time, so what's wrong if they sleep until dinner?" Fred and George asked Theodore, smirking at him.

Neville shook his head and looked at Luna, who was staring at Ginevra and Draco, not blinking.

"Are you all right, Luna?" he asked with a frown.

She broke her gaze from them and looked at him, smiling reassuringly.

"I am fine, thank you Neville," she said quietly. "We should leave them to rest... Bexley and Relo can tell us if they wake up," Luna said, leaving the room.

Colin followed her immediately, the others reluctantly leaving too. Looking at them one more time, Neville shut the door behind him, Bexley floating over to Ginevra and Draco.

"Is they okay?" Relo asked tentatively, lifting his hand as if to poke them.

"I am not sure, Relo. Perhaps we should just let them sleep," Bexley said, floating over to the chest of drawers.

They watched Draco and Ginevra sleep, tossing and turning, yet somehow managing to still hold on to each other.

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"Draco!" Ginevra yelled, hurrying to his side.

She stared at him, stared at the blood pooling around his body.

How could she have let this happen? How could she have let him go? She should have kept him with her! If she had then maybe he would still be all right... She should have ... she should have done something

Screaming in anger and torment, Ginevra's body began to change. Everyone surrounding her quickly moved back, afraid of what was happening to her.

Black and crimson red scales burst out of her skin, pure black leathery skin shot out from her back, forming into large bat-like wings. Ginevra let out a painful scream as a long scorpion tail burst from her spinal cord, another scream echoing it as a spiralled horn pushed out of her forehead. Hissing in more pain, Ginevra's fangs increased to the size that of a wolf. Her black clothes began to tear at themselves, leaving welts along her skin as the invisible hand continued to tear at her, long after her robes and clothes were in shreds. Her eyes burned red and the thing that was no longer Ginevra glared at the bloodied field.

"Ginevra!" a familiar voice called to her.

Looking down from her new height, 'Ginevra' saw Draco, standing and alive. She hissed at him, a string of fire flowing from her mouth. A barrier formed between the fire and Draco, pushing back at the fire.

"Ginevra, love. Come back now. You'll scare everyone," Draco said in a drawl.

Her nails grew into long sharp weapons and she glared down at him. She'd seen him die. This wasn't really Draco.

Draco sighed and looked at Ginevra once more. As he watched her, Draco turned Veelan, growing to be the same height as Ginevra was. He looked directly at her, small bird feathers on the sides of his eyes. His hair was long and impossibly bright, making him look even more handsome. He held out a hand, fire resting on his palm.

She stared at her lover in shock. He couldn't ... He wasn't ... She looked down and saw Draco's dead body, as she had left it.

Her body went into shock and as it wasn't able to handle both her new form and two Draco's, Ginevra returned to her human form. Draco returned to his too and looked at her, then at the body beside him.

"That isn't me, Ginevra," he said, seeing her staring down at his look alike.

"Prove it!" she hissed.

Draco opened his mouth to do exactly that, but before a word could be said, an arrow flew from out of nowhere and embedded itself in his chest. Draco looked down at the arrow head, his knees failing him and he crumpled to the ground.

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Ginevra woke up with an abrupt scream, sitting up quickly. She looked at Draco beside her and felt for a pulse. Sighing in relief, she settled back, noticing Bexley and Relo looking at her in concern.

"I'm all right. It was a bad dream... Just a bad dream," she murmured, trying to shake the dream from her mind. "What's the time?" Ginevra asked quietly.

"It is almost two thirty. You have been sleeping for twelve hours," Bexley informed her.

"Right... I'm going to get something to eat, okay? Can you look after Draco while I'm gone?" Ginevra asked.

"Of course," Bexley responded with a bow.

"Thank you," Ginevra said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and getting up with a small stretch.

"I misses you, Ginevra!" Relo said in a loud whisper, hugging her legs.

"I missed you too, Relo... Do you want to come get some food with me?" Ginevra asked, smiling down at him.

"Okay!" Relo said eagerly, quickly clamping his hands over his mouth and looking over to Draco's sleeping form to make sure that he hadn't awoken.

Ginevra opened the door and left the room, trying to get her ears to adjust to the impossibly loud sounds that were bombarding her.

"All I'm saying is that Ginevra will probably want to know about it... We're the only ones that remember! If she goes around like she normally would, then people will get scared! They're not used to seeing a Vampiress around," Pansy's voice said, floating through the doors of the meeting room.

"That is true... However, I am sure that Ginevra and Draco can decide for themselves what they are going to do with everyone's memories. They might not even want to stay like this," Luna replied.

"What do you mean by that? They're back to the way they're supposed to be! How could they not want to stay like this, with us?" Millicent asked.

"They have a choice that must be made by midnight tonight. If they do not want to stay with their memories, then they will be returned and they would have just thought that they had slept for the entire weekend... If they choose to keep their memories, then Ginevra and Draco will have to go through their relationship yet again, hopefully this time without any interruption from tea leaves," Luna said.

"You mean they don't remember anything about their relationship?" Parvati asked in surprise.

"They do remember small parts, but nothing so major that it will influence them this time round," Luna said.

"You could just ask Draco and I all of these questions. I am sure that Luna is getting tired having to answer everything for us," Ginevra said, walking into the meeting room. Relo followed her inside happily, waving to Theodore, but still staying beside Ginevra.

"You're awake!" Fred and George said with grins, getting up to hug her tightly. "We missed you."

"I missed you too. Sorry about the way I was yesterday and Friday," Ginevra said in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. We understand," they replied winking at her.

"How do you feel?" Theodore asked.

"I... I don't know yet. I'm still trying to get around the fact that I erased everyone's memories..." Ginevra replied.

"Where's Draco?" Gregory asked.

"He's still asleep. Bexley's watching him," Ginny replied.

Draco tossed in his sleep, Bexley watching him with a frown. Contemplating whether he should go get Ginevra and the others, Bexley went to float over to the door, stopping as Draco said Ginevra's name. Bexley quickly flew back over to him, looking down at him again. Draco tossed again, his dream pulling him with each turn he made.

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Draco hurried along the streets of Hogsmeade, looking at the shops surrounding, but not entering any of them. He sighed and looked at Leo-Bestia-Famulus beside him. Both annoyed and thankful for the invisibility spell, Draco looked forward again, seeing the odd looks he was getting.

"I don't know what to get her..." he muttered, as if to himself, but really talking to the manticore.

"What about jewellery?" Leo suggested.

"Maybe ..." Draco went to say something else, but stopped as a large jolt of pain shot through his body. "What is this pain?" he murmured, not realising that he'd dropped to his knees at the forceful feelings. "Ginevra's hurting ... By the Gods! This is it, isn't it?" he asked, looking at Leo.

Leo nodded, then hurried into a side alleyway and became visible. Draco mounted him quickly, then held on for dear life as Leo leapt from the alley, almost as high as the buildings, and hurried back to Hogwarts.

As Draco felt another jolt of pain go through him, he urged the manticore to go faster. Giving a small grunt, Leo put on an extra burst of speed, running faster still.

As they neared the Forbidden Forest, a large red wave seemed to pour out from the trees. Lightning cracked loudly through the Forest, bathing everything and everyone in light.

Leo and Draco were pulled into the Forest with the others. As everyone somehow managed to enter the clearing, Draco saw Ginevra sobbing in the centre. Thunder rolled, bursting out of her. More tears fell from her eyes and Draco clenched his fists, wanting to kill whoever had made his own cry.

"Ginevra!" he called, moving in front of her. She looked up at him. "Ginevra, why are you doing this?" Draco asked. Ginevra didn't reply, she just glared at him, hissed and scratched his face.

"Ginevra! It was not your love!" Leo-Bestia-Famulus called. "I swear it on the word that binds me to you!"

Ginevra hissed, her fangs extending. Draco looked at Leo, wondering what he knew... His attention quickly returned to Ginevra as she hissed a spell loudly.

"What the fuck is she doing to me?" Lavender screamed, her voice going hysterical.

Draco stared in shock and resounding anger as lightning wrapped around Lavender's body, lifting her into the air. Ginevra yelled another spell and Draco watched as Ron was lifted into the air too. Movement beside Draco made him quickly turn and he saw Dean uselessly trying to fight the lightning that was lifting him up too.

"You wish to break me?" Draco heard Ginevra ask quietly, and despite the thunder and lightning her voice was perfectly audible. "You wish to break that which is not yours to break?" Ginevra yelled at the three hanging in the air.

The lightning tightened around their bodies, almost cutting through their skin.

"You think that I would not know? I would not find out who did this? Your knowledge is so limited if you though I would not see that it was not my own! You will be punished!" Ginevra cried, the lightning tightening again.

Draco watched as they started to gasp for breath, holding in their screams of pain as the lightning bit into their skin.

"Put us down, you fucking bitch!" Dean yelled angrily, the lightning cutting him open.

"Te nequam meretrix!" Ron yelled. (You worthless whore!)

Draco snarled angrily, wishing that he could help Ginevra punish them...

"You chose this path, Ronald," Ginevra whispered.

Across the clearing, Draco saw that Minerva and Albus were whispering to each other, Albus shaking his head at a question Minerva was asking.

"You insulted me and now you will pay!" Ginevra yelled at Lavender and the two boys.

Draco watched the lightning tighten even more, burning their skin, blood and bones. They fell to the ground, shivering and covered in red marks.

The pull faded immediately and Draco barely realised that the red wave flew back from Hogwarts and the surrounding forest until it hit Ginevra full force. He cried out as she fell to the ground and hurried to her side, Leo beside him.

"I take back that what I have caused to my own three-fold," he heard Ginevra whisper.

A red glow surrounded them and Draco felt the cut on his face disappear. He watched in horror as even more cuts appeared on Ginevra's face, larger and deeper than his one. Her eyes closed and Draco held her close to his body.

"My King, you must let go of her now. She needs to be taken back to the castle to be healed," Leo said quietly.

"I'll carry her," Draco said defensively, lifting Ginevra up as he stood. He didn't let his mind linger on how limp she felt...

He passed Lavender, Ron and Dean and saw Madam Pomfrey beside them, muttering to herself.

"Draco! Is Ginevra all right?" Neville asked, rushing over with Blaise, Seamus and the others beside him.

"I... I don't know..." Draco said quietly.

"Mr. Malfoy... If you would please relinquish your hold on Ginevra, I will be able to take her to a place where she can be healed," a voice said behind him. Draco turned to face Xavier. "She needs more magic to be healed than anyone here can provide..."

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Draco woke up in a cold sweat. Bexley floated over to him in concern.

"Are you all right? Would you like me to call Ginevra?" Bexley asked.

"No! I am fine," Draco muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Leave me be," he said.

"If you are sure," Bexley said, and at Draco's nod, he floated through the closed door.

Draco sighed and got off the bed, putting on his shoes and robe. Muttering a spell, he put his hand to the wall. The wall became clear, a large hole appearing. Stepping through it, Draco found himself inside of a tunnel. Walking down it, he came to what looked like to be a dead end. About to leave, he noticed the hole in the wall and went through it. Finding himself in another tunnel, Draco sighed in annoyance.

Trying to find some way out, he headed down along the tunnel. After about ten minutes of walking, Draco arrived at a dead end. Seeing small pinpricks of light above him, he realised that it was a trapdoor and opened it. Glad to be anywhere but the musty tunnel, he hurried out and brushed off his clothes, breathing in the fresh air deeply.

Looking at his surroundings, he saw an orange and brown couch nearby.

Where was he?

Going through the doorway, he went down the small corridor and found himself in Fred and George's shop. Returning to the room with the trapdoor, Draco realised how tired he felt. Not feeling up to walking all the way back so soon, he sat on the couch and closed his eyes with a sigh.

Loud pitched chatterings made Draco open his eyes quickly. Seeing a small blue pixie in front of him, he frowned and shook his head. The pixie still stayed there.

"WhoIsYou?WhatIsYouDoingHere?FriendOrFoe?" the pixie chattered quickly.

"DracoMalfoy.Resting.Friend," Draco replied his questions briefly, knowing how pixies detested long winded answers.

"WhyYouResting?"

"Tired.LongNightAndLongWalk."

"MeSawQueenOfAllHereNotLongAgoWithPixieTwins!IHelpedThem," Sram said with pride, not realising who Draco was.

"WhatDidYouHelpThemWith?" Draco asked.

"QueenSad.PixieTwinsSad.SramHelpedThemKnowWhyQueenSad.SramAlsoGavePixieTwinsInstructionsAndHelpedBlessThemAtBirth," Sram said.

"WhatWasMakingGinevraSad?" Draco asked.

"VisionOfLightningAndForest," Sram said.

Draco shivered at the coincidence, remembering what he'd Seen.

"IsDracoMalfoyOkay?" Sram asked, flitting closer to him.

"IAmOkay.IShouldReturnNow," Draco replied, standing up.

"SramWillGoWithYou!SramNeedsToChatterWithPixieTwins," he said, flying over to rest on Draco's shoulder.

Not having much choice, Draco went into the tunnel again and walked along the uneven ground. Sram chattered joyfully, his body glowing blue. Distracted by Sram's talking, Draco walked past the entrance to Ginevra's tunnels and soon came to a part of the tunnel that was dented.

Draco stared at the large dent, knowing that there was something familiar about it. The memory returned of Ginevra kissing and biting him, pushing him up against the wall...

"DracoMalfoy!WhatIsWrongWithDracoMalfoy?" Sram asked loudly in his ear, after not hearing a response the first time.

The pixie's loud voice startled Draco out of his thoughts. He shook his head slightly.

"SorrySram.I'mFine," Draco replied. He hurried along the corridor, soon arriving at the trapdoor. Opening it cautiously, Draco looked out and was relieved when he didn't see anyone. Getting out of the tunnel, he went over to a tapestry and said the password.

"There you are, Draco! You could have left a bloody note to tell us that you'd gone!" Pansy said glaring at him.

"You sound just like our mother," Fred and George said, smirking at her.

"Sod off before I start on you two," Pansy said with a warning glare.

"You want me to leave a note because I left my room?" Draco asked her.

"Well, when you don't go through the bloody door, yes!"

"Pansy love, calm down," Vincent said, Gregory taking her hand.

"I am calm!" Pansy said through gritted teeth.

Everyone just looked at her, eyebrows raised. She glared at them all, then slumped visibly.

"Fine... I'll calm down then. Leave a bloody note next time!" Pansy said glaring at Draco.

"Yes, Mother," Draco drawled, smirking at her.

Pansy swore at him in Mermish, sticking her middle finger up at him.

"Love it when you talk dirty," Gregory muttered smirking at her.

"Take it to your room, would you?" Neville said with a grin, pushing Vincent, Gregory and Pansy towards their room.

"Get us for dinner!" Vincent called, shutting the door firmly.

"WhereIsPixieTwins?" Sram asked eagerly, jumping up and down on Draco's shoulder.

"Sram?IsThatYou?" Fred and George asked in surprise.

Sram gave a squeal and flew over to them, hugging their necks.

"What is that?" Colin asked curiously.

"Sram is a pixie..." Draco replied.

"He's a friend of our mentor," Fred and George added.

"WhatIsYouSaying?" Sram asked in confusion.

"SayingWhoYouAre," the twins replied.

"WhereIsYourOwns?" Sram asked, looking around curiously.

"Padma, Parvarti, this is Sram. SramThisIsPadmaAndParvarti," they introduced.

"PleasureToMeetYou," Padma and Parvati said carefully, still learning the pixies language.

"TheyKnowsPixie!PleasedToMeetsYou!" Sram said in excitement.

"TheyOnlyKnowSomePixie," Fred and George said, so that Sram wouldn't start talking quickly and confusing them.

Sram opened his mouth to jabber some more then stopped suddenly, staring at Ginevra.

"QueenOfAll!" he said, bowing down low to her.

"HelloSram.CallMeGinevra,Please," Ginevra replied, smiling at him.

"ButSramCanNotCallQueenOfAllByHerName!" Sram said in shock.

"WhyNot?YouCalledMeByMyName," Draco said.

"But..." Sram said with a frown, then looked at Draco closely. Realising who Draco was, Sram started cursing and bowing. "PleaseForgiveSram,King!"

"By the Gods... Sram,CalmDown! YouAreToCallUsByOurNames.JustLikeEveryoneElse,IsThatUnderstood?" she said.

"Y...Yes,Ginevra," Sram said with a bow.

"Good. Now what time is it? I'm starving," she muttered.

"Perhaps you should talk to Draco first, Ginevra... He has a right to know and decide too," Luna said with a smile.

Ginevra sighed and nodded.

"All right. That means you lot have to try and get Pansy, Gregory and Vincent out of their room," she said cheerfully, heading down to her room.

"Why are you all looking at me? I'm not getting them!" Colin said immediately, running to his room.

Draco shook his head, left Sram with the twins and headed down to Ginevra's room.

"So, what do I need to know?" Draco asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"We don't have to stay like this," Ginevra replied. "It can go back to the way it was yesterday and Friday, with neither of us remembering each other, or our friends."

"How long do we have to decide?" Draco asked.

"Tomorrow at midnight."

"We might have to see how we go tomorrow, then we can decide..."

Ginevra nodded and let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding.

"What do you remember about us?" she asked after a moment, looking at him intensely.

"I remembered a few things since I woke up... I remember what we did in the tunnel to your brother's shop," he said, Ginevra turning slightly red at that. "I remember a few other things that happened between us before the first time you erased our memories," he said, his fists clenching at the thought of Ron hitting Ginevra. "I Saw another version on The Vision. It's Dean as well as your brother now," Draco said.

"Not surprising, considering the fact that Fred and George heard Dean and Lavender screwing in ... my corridor! Gods... I'm going to block that up," Ginevra said, turning a sick shade of green.

"You're not angry about The Vision changing then?" Draco asked, slightly surprised.

"Oh, I am angry, don't worry about that! I am just wondering how many more times The Vision will change... The future can be changed by people's actions, words and different occurrences every day... I guess there's no real point in being angry about something that I know I ultimately can't change," Ginevra said with a sigh.

"True," Draco said with a brief nod.

"I apologise for interrupting, Ginevra, but I believe it may be necessary for you to return the memories to the rest of the castle, before it is too late for it to happen," Luna said, coming into her room.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"Would you like to go around tomorrow with Ginerva as you both are now and find out what would happen?" Luna asked with a smile. "Not only will people not believe that you two are together, or friends even, they will not remember Ginevra as a Vampiress, which I am sure will help in smoothing over a few bumps," she added grinning.

"You want Ginevra to threaten to Drink everyone dry?" Blaise drawled, raising an eyebrow. Neville leant his head on Blaise's shoulder, both of them looking at the three through the doorway.

"Sounds like fun," Neville said with a grin.

"You look really weird like that," Draco stated, frowning.

"It looks like you've got two heads!" Ginevra said, laughing.

Draco laughed too when both Blaise and Neville rolled their eyes and raised an eyebrow each at them.

As they laughed, their hands touched and they both quickly stopped, Ginevra blushing slightly.

"Hmmm... Looks like the sexual tension in the room just hit sky high," Blaise murmured to Neville.

"I didn't think you'd noticed," Neville said, kissing his cheek.

"How could I not? You're so ..."

"BLAISE ZABINI! Keep your thoughts to yourself! I seriously did not want to know about that!" Ginevra yelled, wincing.

"You're sick, you know that?" Draco muttered to Blaise, shaking his head.

"I seem to be hearing that a lot from you lately ... It's not my fault I think about him! Why don't you blame Neville? He's the cause of it all!" Blaise said, grinning at Ginevra.

"Oh, don't I just feel like the special one?" Neville said sarcastically, smirking at Ginevra and Blaise.

"We should really go before she hexes me and my filthy loving mind," Blaise said, kissing Neville again.

"I swear ... The only nymphs I know nymphomaniacs!" Ginerva muttered, shaking her head.

"I agree completely ... I seriously didn't know it was possible for three people to be in that position," Colin said, his face completely pale.

"Gods, why me?" Ginevra moaned as thoughts hit her mind. She tried blocking her ears and screwing her eyes shut tightly, but it didn't help at all.

"All right... I think it's time we left too," Luna said, smiling at Colin. "Don't forget the spell, Ginevra," she said, leaving the room with Colin and shutting the door behind her.

"Such filthy minds for such nice people," Ginevra muttered.

"Nice?" Draco scoffed.

"Yes, they're nice! They stuck by me and worried about me ... No matter how bloody dense or rude I was to them, they were still there for me. That gives me the right to call them nice," Ginevra said with a glare.

"And me? Because I wasn't 'there for you', what does that make me?" Draco asked, returning her glare.

"That makes you Draco Bloody Malfoy! I wouldn't expect anything less or more from you, you conceited prat!" Ginevra said angrily.

"You little wench!" Draco said heatedly.

"Spoilt brat!"

"Dumb hag!"

"Prick!"

"Bitch!"

"Jerk!"

Despite being able to go on for much longer, the insults stopped suddenly, their mouths occupied with another task.

Ginevra clutched at Draco, still muttering things about him between each kiss. He returned both favours with fervour, smirking as she almost purred in his arms. Breathing heavily, Ginevra moved away from Draco, staring at him.

"What ... Why ... How do you do that to me?" she asked, her eyes wide as she shook her head.

"I could ask the same of you," Draco replied with a smirk.

"I ... I should do the spell now," Ginevra said, looking away from him.

Draco just gave a nod and sat on her chair, watching her.

"I'm not leaving this time," he said at her look.

Ginevra's heart leapt and she gave a nod, wondering why those few words meant so much to her.

"Those who have forgotten, now remember... Memories of the world, now return... Memories taken, now return... All that was gone, be restored..." Ginevra said clearly.

As each word of the spell was said, hundreds of red balls slowly appeared in front of her, bouncing up and down. At the last word, they sped away quickly.

"What do you think everyone will remember? Will they remember us exactly the same?" Ginevra asked, sitting on her bed and looking over to Draco.

"I don't know. I suppose they'll believe whatever they want to believe..." Draco replied with a shrug.

"But what if they all believe something different? We'll have to keep up hundreds of different lies to keep everyone happy!" she muttered, falling back onto the mattress with a sigh. "And we'd have to try to remember what we told to whom and ... Gods, I just want to go to sleep and never wake up!"

Draco shook his head and walked over to her, sitting beside her curled up body.

"I think you're just starting to over analyse the entire situation. Luna probably has the answer to your questions, but I'd say she's comforting Colin at the moment," he said with a grin. "Poor guy, walking in on them like that," Draco said, chuckling softly.

"It's not funny," Ginevra admonished, not able to repress her own laugh. Her laughter ceased as she yawned widely. "You wouldn't think I'd be tired after sleeping for so long," she muttered. "I'm not even hungry now, and I was so looking forward to shepherd's pie," Ginevra said with a grin.

"Well, I'd better leave you to sleep then, shouldn't I?" Draco asked as he stood up and gave a slight bow to her. "Goodnight and welcome back, Queen of all," he said mockingly, winking at her as he went to the door.

"Draco?" she called before he left.

He turned to looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Would ... Would you mind staying with me tonight?" Ginevra asked, blushing as she looked away from him. "It's just ... This whole thing still seems a bit surreal and I don't want to wake up and find that it wasn't real... I don't want to be alone," she said quietly.

Draco nodded, understanding how she felt and walked back over to the bed. He was surprised that he didn't feel embarrassed or insulted at her request, but just took his shoes off and slipped into the bed with her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Thank you," Ginevra whispered, smiling into her pillow.

"You're welcome... Sleep now," Draco said.

Ginevra gave a small nod and a yawn, falling asleep soon enough.

Draco didn't fall to sleep for a long time. He stayed awake, watched her breathing, the steady rise and fall of her chest, and the way that her smile never left her face. Eventually, sleep overtook Draco and he fell asleep, his arm still around Ginevra tenderly.

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(a/n: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!)

13. Chapter Thirteen

(a/n: thanks to everyone for reviewing, I appreciate it!)

Chapter Thirteen

Monday, Sept. 16

Ginevra woke up, an unfamiliar weight on her body. She yawned slightly and rolled over to see Draco in the bed beside her, his arm around her. She smiled and got out of bed, careful not to wake him.

"I'm already awake," Draco muttered, yawning a bit as he sat up.

"I tried not to wake you," Ginevra said apologetically.

"You didn't. I woke up a few minutes before you. I don't need much sleep any more, remember?" he said with a smirk.

"All right, you Full Blooded Veelan," Ginevra replied, rolling her eyes.

"Since you're back to being a Vampiress, does it mean that jerk Alexander is back too?" Draco asked, spitting out the Protector's name.

"I would think so," Ginevra said, shrugging lightly. "I wonder how everyone in the Forest is doing. It feels like I haven't seen them for a lifetime," she said.

"You could go see them after classes today," Draco replied with a shrug.

"Would you come with me?" Ginevra asked.

"All right... I'd better leave before Pansy wakes up," Draco said smirking. "The Gods know she'll want the lovely details, then kill me for not giving her any," he said with a wink, leaving the room.

Ginevra just shook her head, knowing that Pansy was already awake and waiting in the corridor for them. She changed quickly and hurried out to see Pansy glaring at Draco angrily.

"Is what he saying true?" Pansy asked, not even turning to look at Ginevra.

"What, that Draco and I were in the same room for the entire night and nothing happened?" she replied, grinning.

"That's bloody impossible!" Pansy said in shock.

"Should I be insulted?" Draco mused, smirking at Ginevra.

"No idea... I'm going to head down to the Great Hall now, I'm really hungry," she muttered, rubbing her sore stomach.

"We're coming!" Gregory and Vincent called immediately, rushing out of their room while buttoning their shirts and trying to put their shoes on at the same time.

Pansy just rolled her eyes and shook her head as they fell over. Muttering, she helped them stand up.

"You two can help me get the others," Pansy said.

Gregory and Vincent sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"We're going to head to the Great Hall now, okay?" Ginevra said, going to the corridor with Draco.

"All right. See you there," Pansy said, guiding her boyfriends down the hallway to the twins' room.

Draco shook his head and opened the door for Ginevra. She grinned at him and hurried down the corridor.

"Don't even think about having tea this morning, Ginevra," Draco said with a smirk.

"Don't worry... I'm not going to erase everyone's memories again," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Well, just to be on the safe side, I'm not letting you near any tea," he answered.

"And if I sit at the Gryffindor table?" Ginevra asked, smirking at him as she left the corridor.

Draco followed her out, dusting off his robes before they headed down to the Great Hall.

"I'll have to tempt you to sit at my table then."

"Is that so?" she said, smirking at him again.

Draco took her hand, grazing it against his lips before turning it over and licking her wrist lightly. Ginevra shivered, her eyes turning red as she heard his blood pump faster.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Ron yelled loudly from down the corridor.

"Always on time to spoil the moment," Ginevra muttered.

Draco smirked down at her, releasing her hand as Ron charged at him.

"Let me handle this," she said, stepping between them before Draco could react.

Ron slammed into Ginevra with force, but she barely moved and he slumped down to the ground, holding his bleeding nose, not expecting the sudden impact. Ginevra calmly took the spell off her rock feet and looked down at Ron. She forced herself to look away from the blood pouring from his nose and used a small spell to stop the bleeding, for all of their sakes.

"You are going to listen to me, Ronald. Draco is not going to stay away from me just because you yell at him. I am not staying away from him just because you yell at me. Is that understood?" she asked, looking down at him.

"But ... he was ..."

"I am quite aware of what Draco was doing to me, Ronald. I was enjoying it too, until you showed up," she muttered.

"You... What?" Ron stammered, staring at her in disbelief.

"You know what I am... You probably knew that I was a Vampiress the last two days too, or didn't Lavender tell you?" Ginevra asked, looking over at Lavender with contempt.

"It was a test, I'm sure you know that by now," Lavender drawled, referring to her arm being cut. "And I didn't tell poor Ronnie anything about you. I assure you that he was just as ignorant as the rest of them," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You obviously don't have any self constraint, do you? My brother wasn't good enough for you, so you had to have Dean too, right?" Ginevra sneered.

"What?! You were with Dean? When?" Ron yelled at Lavender, glaring at her.

"That wasn't very fair of you, Ginny," Lavender drawled. "I'm not very good at Obliviate spells, but I suppose practise makes perfect..." she said, then turned to Ron, hitting him with said spell as he kept yelling at her, demanding answers.

Ginevra watched as her brother hit the ground with a small thump.

"She bothering you, Lav?" Dean asked, coming over once he was sure Ron was out cold.

"Stay out of it," Ginevra hissed at him.

Lavender gave a nod and he stepped back, glaring at Ginevra.

"Children! Why aren't you in the Great Hall?" McGonagall asked, hurrying over to them.

She stopped a few metres away, not only seeing who it was, but also feeling the tension pushing against her like a solid wall. McGonagall tried to get the suffocating feeling away by breathing deeply, but then it thankfully disappeared when both girls turned to her, cheerful smiles on their faces.

"We were just heading there now, Professor," Ginevra said sweetly. "Isn't that right, Lavender?"

"That's right, Professor," Lavender said with a nod, looking and sounding just as sweet and innocent as her nemesis.

"Very well," Minerva said stiffly, not believing either of them, not their words, nor their faces.

She watched the girls go to the Great Hall, frowning after them. They were complete opposites, as different as the two sides of a Galleon. The hate they had for each other, combined with magic, would have catastrophic results, that much was obvious, even at a glance.

Lavender reluctantly put one arm around Ron, Dean helping her take him to the Great Hall. She muttered obscenities under her breath the whole way, cursing the fact that McGonagall had arrived.

"We have to talk to Rion again," she muttered to Dean, who just nodded in agreement.

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Ginevra sat at the Gryffindor table, well away from Lavender, Ron and Dean. She watched them while she talked to Colin, Seamus and Neville every so often. She watched as Ron woke up, looking around in surprise. Lavender smiled at him, kissed his forehead and started to spin lies. Ron's face hardened, and Ginevra knew that Lavender had told him that she'd hexed him. Ginevra shook her head and looked away from her brother, his girlfriend and her lover.

"I'm going to head to class early, okay? I'll see you later," she said quietly, leaving the Great Hall.

The three boys glanced at each other for a moment, then watched her leave. Luna sat beside them, cheerfully taking a piece of toast and pouring some pumpkin juice into a glass.

"She'll be fine... Ginevra's just worried and upset that she's lost her brother to Lavender's lies and deception. She's upset that he'll believe the worst of her so easily and not even question something Lavender says, just because he thinks they're sleeping together," Luna said, taking a bite out of her toast.

"He thinks they're sleeping together? How could he not know?" Neville asked with a frown.

"Lavender slept with him once and now, she just recreates the memory in his mind, changing a few things each time," Luna said with a shrug.

"You make it sound so easy," Colin muttered.

"For her it is, because I am almost positive that she has no heart," Luna said, cocking her head to the side and grinning at her boyfriend.

"Where'd Ginevra go?" Blaise asked, sitting in between Neville and Seamus, putting his arms around their waists.

Seamus grinned foolishly, then continued to eat his breakfast, the tip of his ears the only sign that he felt like blushing.

"She went to Transfiguration early," Neville replied, leaning into him. "Told you so," he whispered with a smirk.

"We're heading up there now... I can only take so much of having to see Brown eat Ronnie-kins face, and once is far too much to witness their display," Padma said in disgust.

"Don't remind me..." Parvati said with a shudder.

"We might as well come too," Colin said, getting up with Luna.

Blaise muttered about bad timing, but stood with a sigh, helping Neville and Seamus up. He kissed them both, then put his arms around them again and they went to head out of the Great Hall, stares and stunned silence following them.

"That was definitely an interesting reaction," Blaise surmised with a smirk. "Now do you think it's because they're shocked or jealous?" he asked them with a grin.

"Probably jealousy," Parvati and Padma replied, grinning at the three boys.

"Do you have a class this way too?" Seamus asked Colin and Luna, frowning.

"Yes," Luna said, smiling at Colin and turning into the Transfiguration classroom with him.

The others frowned at each other, then hurried in after Luna and Colin quickly, wondering what was going on. They went to their seats, and watched Luna and Colin quietly.

Everyone became quiet as they arrived in the room to see two sixth years standing beside McGonagall. In a few minutes, the entire class was seated and waiting expectantly for McGonagall to tell them what was happening.

"Mr. Creevey and Miss Lovegood have been Advanced into all of your classes," Minerva said, her tone making sure there were no room for questions.

"Shouldn't Loon... I mean, shouldn't Luna be in a Ravenclaw class then?" Lavender whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Ginevra glared over at Lavender, wishing that looks could kill.

"That, Miss Brown, is up to the Headmaster. If you would like to raise that point with him, by all means, go ahead and do so. In your own time," McGonagall said with an icy glare. "You two may now go sit down," she said to Colin and Luna, smiling at them kindly.

Luna and Colin nodded to her, then went to their seats in front of Padma and Parvati. Ginevra looked at them, but Luna gave a small shake of her head and returned her attention to McGonagall.

"Today's class you will be reading the chapters on animals that Muggles are not used to seeing. It is a very useful chapter, so read it thoroughly," McGonagall said sternly, looking at all of them intensely.

There was a knock at the door, and McGonagall waved her wand, impatient at having her stare interrupted. The door opened immediately, Albus standing there with a bemused look on his face.

"Hello Minerva. Thank you for being so kind as to open the door for this old man," he said, winking at the class.

"You're welcome, Albus. What can I do for you?" Minerva asked.

"I need to speak with a few students, if you please," he said, walking in to the room.

"Very well... Who are they?" Minerva asked with a sigh.

She really should remember to have her coffee before class... A mug in between classes just wasn't good enough any more!

"Ginevra, Draco, Luna, Colin, Pansy..." Dumbledore began to say, then shook his head, sighing. "There's too many to say out loud... You all know who you are... Bring your bags and please follow me," he said, leaving the classroom.

All fourteen followed him outside, wondering what was so urgent that they had to be pulled out of class. After a few minutes of walking behind Albus around the castle and whispering to each other, Ginevra started to get impatient.

"Exactly where are we going, Albus?" Ginevra asked, frowning at him.

"Patience, Ginevra... We will arrive to our destination shortly," Albus said smiling at her with twinkling eyes.

"Doesn't answer the question," Ginevra muttered, crossing her arms.

Albus stopped in front of the Room of Requirement and smiled at them all, opening the blood red door.

"Inside, all of you. Hurry now," he said, ushered them inside quickly.

"Hello, Ginevra. Draconius, a pleasure meeting you again," Xavier said with a smile. "I do apologise for interrupting your classes, but I have been quite eager to meet the ones who will have such an effect on their lives," he said indicating to Draco and Ginevra.

"Lord Xavier, I beg your pardon, but I must leave you now. Students... Be on your best behaviour," Albus said, leaving the Room of Requirement quickly.

"Yes, Father! Would you like me to get the Prophet for you too?" Pansy muttered sarcastically.

"Oh, so The Daily Prophet is still running, is it?" Xavier asked curiously. "I must say I'm surprised at that, after all of the false allegations they made back in my day," he said, sounding surprised.

"Your day?" Colin asked, intrigued.

"Well I was twenty-five when I was Turned in 1563..."

"You definitely look good for your age," Pansy said with a smirk, making Gregory and Vincent glare.

"Thank you," Xavier said with a smile. "The allegations they made in the seventeenth century were mostly ridiculous, but I suppose that people needed something to believe during the plague and witch trials," he said, trailing off momentarily.

They all saw the horror in his eyes, and were glad that they had not lived during that time.

He coughed, quickly doing a small Glamour to hide his tears, before turning his gaze to them.

"How will we affect their lives in such a way that you needed to meet with us?" Blaise asked with a grin.

Xavier gave a slight nod, thanking him for changing the subject to its original topic.

"Some of the ways will seem small, but they will impact them nevertheless. Other ways are large and you will know of it immediately," Xavier said.

"Like what?" Gregory asked.

"I can show you, if you would like to See it," Xavier offered with a smile.

Curious, they all nodded, Ginevra and Draco included.

"Very well... Sit down and close your eyes," he instructed.

They did as he said, listening as he murmured a few words in Latin. Colours exploded into their minds and they began to See what Xavier was Showing them...

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All of the wars were in full scale. It seemed that every wizard or witch alive was fighting for one of the sides. In a war that had more than two sides, it was easy to forget who you were originally fighting and for what cause...

Ginevra looked at the battlefield feeling ashamed, disgusted and sad at the waste of lives. She closed the window abruptly, locking it before blacking the window with her wand. She turned to the others and sat next to her husband with a sigh.

"She got another one..." Seamus said as he entered the room, looking at a parchment. He sat between Neville and Blaise, wishing the parchment had been something positive for them.

"That's three in the last two months," Colin said, shaking his head.

"If we don't get something, she'll have all five within two months," Luna said, her eyes darkened from lack of sleep.

"We have to stop her. If we don't, we might as well kiss goodbye any chance we have of winning this war," Pansy said.

"We all know that, Pansy! We are trying, but we don't have all of the ingredients to make the amount of protection charms we need!" Millicent said with a sigh.

"Then we need to get them! Can't Isaac get anything?" Pansy asked Ginevra and Draco.

"He's already given us everything he has," Draco said shaking his head.

"What about you two?" Gregory asked Fred and George.

"We get everything through Isaac. He gets it through other people, so not even he knows where they are," they replied.

"Then who does Isaac get it from? Can't we ask them?" Vincent asked.

"Apparently, Isaac doesn't know..." Draco said.

"How can he not know who he gets his own supplies from?" Neville asked with a frown.

"He just places the order, send it via owl and by the next week they're in his shop," Ginevra replied.

"Can't we just follow the owl then?" Parvati and Padma asked.

"If you give me a specific description of the owl, I should be able to get a general direction in which it flies," Theodore offered.

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Xavier murmured again as the vision faded. He finished saying the spell and another vision appeared in their minds...

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Theodore stood in front of the iceberg, tapping on it with his wand. He hurried inside as the hole appeared, grateful to be out of the cold wind. He walked along passages with ease, knowing exactly where he was going. Stopping in one room, he looked at his wife with a smile. Theodore walked over to her quietly, kissing her head softly.

"You scared me, Theo!" she said with a yelp.

Theodore just grinned at her and winked.

"How is she?" Millicent asked quietly, a sad look on her face.

"I'm just going to check now. She's been doing really well, considering everything they did to her, but she's still not letting anyone inside her mind," Theodore said with a small shake of his head.

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Blaise smirked at Neville and Seamus. He watched them sleeping, their bodies entwined gracefully. With a sigh, he left the room quietly, walking down a long dimly lit corridor.

Opening a door to the side, he walked out to the garden, heading to the forest. Changing as he walked along, Blaise began to gallop quickly, trying to run away from his worries.

Neville and Seamus pulled clothes on quickly, hurrying out to the forest. They felt Blaise's pain and wanted to help him forget what was happening to their best friend...

Holding Seamus' hand, Neville closed his eyes momentarily, a path appearing before them. They ran along it, meeting up with Blaise quickly. He was slumped against a tree, weeping softly.

"Love... Don't cry," Seamus whispered, kneeling beside him. He took Blaise's face in his hands, kissing him softly. "She will be fine. Theodore is looking after her," he murmured, holding him tightly.

Without so much as a blink, vines lifted both of them to Neville's arms. Blaise gave a short laugh, kissing his neck.

"Lazy," he said.

"No, just worried for you, and wanting my two lovers to be closer to me," Neville replied, kissing both of them in turn.

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"Can't we do anything else?" Fred and George asked, feeling useless.

"Short of getting your Medi licences, not at the moment... These ingredients are greatly needed for her recovery. You're already helping her by getting these for us," a nurse replied.

Padma and Parvati led their husbands away, all four uncharacteristically silent.

"We could do it you know," George said to Fred.

"We could, if they would let us in without finishing school," Fred agreed.

Parvati looked at Padma, their surprised expressions reflected in the other's face.

"You two aren't seriously thinking about..." Parvati began.

"Getting your Medi licences, are you?" Padma finished.

"If it helps her, we want to do it," Fred and George said adamantly. "She saved our lives, now we want to save hers."

"We want to help too," Padma and Parvati said, their faces set in determination.

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Luna and Colin Apparated to the Ministry, going over to the telephone box and pressing in keys. After giving their names, the telephone box plunged into the ground, stopping at the Ministry entrance.

"Mr. and Mrs. Creevey! You didn't tell us that you were coming!" a witch at the front desk babbled nervously.

"We need an invitation now, do we?" Colin/Apollo asked.

"N-no... I... Minister..." the witch stammered.

"Calm down, Talia," Luna said with an amused smile.

The witch gave a nod, and took a few deep breaths.

"Please tell the Minister that we are here. We need to talk to him straight away, is that understood?" Luna said.

Talia nodded again, then hurried off quickly.

"Apollo, dearest... You must not do that to the poor mortals. It scares them," Cassandra said with a smile.

"You said nothing about it the other day," Apollo said and Cassandra's face went stern and hard, making her look scarier than a Basilisk.

"They deserved it. What they did to her was inexcusable, and they are lucky we had to stop from killing them," Cassandra snarled.

The witch returned with the Minister of Magic, who led them back to his office quickly.

"I was not aware that you were coming today, so we have limited time to talk. What would you like?"

"We know exactly how much time you have, Rufus..." Luna said. "That is why we came. Now, as to what we want..." she said, pulling out a parchment from her pocket. "You will sign this."

"What is it?" Rufus asked as he took the parchment, and started to read it.

"Merely a contract for your most trusted doctors to come with us and heal our very dear friend," Colin said.

"I see that you have everything worked out," Rufus said, noting the professionalism of the contract.

"Mrs. Nott drew it up for us as soon as we asked for it. We have thought of everything possible, Rufus. There are no loopholes this time, so you can sign it and we will be out of your hair," Luna said sternly, producing a quill for him.

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Draco looked at Ginevra in concern. She was still pale and shaking, even after all of this time.

"Ginevra? You need to calm down," he said softly.

"Who the hell can calm down after this has happened?" Vincent growled.

"We're going to find them and rip them to fucking pieces for doing this!" Gregory snarled.

Ginevra sank into the chair, staring at Pansy. Her body was cleaner now than it had been hours before, but that only meant her bruises and broken body showed more clearly...

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"Pansy!" Gregory and Vincent called as she fainted.

The connection broke and Xavier opened his eyes to see everyone crowded around Pansy, all of them looking shocked and pale.

"Why did you have to Show us that?" Ginevra said angrily.

"My apologies," Xavier said with a slight bow. "I have only just started to See properly in block amounts, and I am afraid that I do not have full control over it."

"It is quite all right, Lord Xavier. They will recover soon enough," Luna said with a comforting smile.

There was a knock at the door and Albus walked in, smiling. His smile faded as he saw Pansy lying there unconscious on the floor. He hurried over and looked to Xavier for an explanation.

"They Saw something before I had time to stop it," he said.

Albus gave a brief nod, then waved his wand over Pansy. She took a shuddering breath and sat up quickly.

"I think we should go to our next class," Luna said quietly.

Albus nodded and the door opened for them. They hurried out, Gregory and Vincent supporting Pansy, all three still looking pale and shocked.

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As they all arrived at the bottom of the Divination Tower, they heard voices floating down the trapdoor.

"I can't believe they let Loony into our class! She should at least be in the Ravenclaw class if she's been Advanced!" Lavender said with a sniff.

"How the hell did she get Advanced anyway? She's nothing special! She never beats anyone at tests or anything," Ron's voice followed.

"Colin's never done anything either! He barely passed last year," Dean muttered.

The voices faded and hooves were heard; Firenze had entered the classroom through his door...

"I'm going to kill them," Colin muttered, starting up the ladder quickly.

"Colin, you are over reacting," Luna said calmly, following him up. "We knew it was going to happen, so do not worry over it. I am fine," she said.

Colin muttered a few things, but his pace slowed down slightly.

"Fine... I won't kill them then. I'll just torture them slowly," he muttered angrily.

"I think that still counts as over reacting, Colin," Ginevra said as she started up the ladder too.

"Who said it was Colin?" Apollo answered with a smirk.

"Insulting a god's lover probably isn't one of the best things they've done," Padma said to Parvati, who just shook her head in agreement, smirking.

"Uh... Apollo? I think it would be best if you turned back into Colin some time soon... Most of the idiots up there aren't used to seeing a half-naked god," Millicent said with a smirk.

All of the girls immediately looked up to see that she was right. Colin/Apollo was wearing nothing but a pair of very short denim shorts. The Patil twins started giggling softly, Parvati going bright red. Pansy soon joined in, as did Millicent, Luna and Ginevra.

"Control yourselves, would you?" Draco said smirking at them.

"There you are... I hope you have a reason for your tardiness," Firenze said, opening the trapdoor.

The class inside gasped at the bright golden light that came into the room as the door opened. The light faded and Colin jumped up into the room. He glared at Lavender, Ron and Dean, all three shrinking back into their seats, more than uncomfortable at his look.

Luna entered the room, shook her head at the look Colin was giving them, then took his hand and led him to a nearby table. Ginevra followed them over, with Draco not far behind. Pansy, Gregory and Vincent went to the next table, while the Patil twins sat with Millicent and Theodore. Neville and Blaise sat with Pansy, Gregory and Vincent.

"You do have a reason for your tardiness, do you not?" Firenze asked with a smile.

"We were with Professor Dumbledore and Lord Xavier," Ginevra replied.

"Very well," Firenze said with a nod, turning to the fireplace.

"That's it? You're just going to believe them because she said they were there?" Lavender asked indignantly.

"Not at all, Miss Brown," Firenze said calmly, giving her a slightly annoyed look. "I was just about to confirm this with Albus Dumbledore myself," he said, throwing a small handful of Floo Powder into the fire.

The flames changed into a bright green colour, then Albus' head appeared in the fire.

"Hello Firenze. Is something the matter?" Albus asked.

"I would just like to confirm that Ginevra and her fellow class mates were in the Room of Requirement with you?" Firenze asked politely.

"Yes, they were. Miss Parkinson may need to go to the hospital wing if she is still feeling ill," Albus replied.

The entire class looked at Pansy, only just realising that she was pale and trembling slightly. She drew herself up and glared at them all.

"I'm fine," she muttered.

"Thank you," Firenze said and the flames returned to their normal colour. He turned back to the class, smiling at them gently. "Today's lesson was planned to be outside, but as it had been raining, I think it would be best if we were to stay inside today," he said. "You will be learning about water divination today. It is different to tea divination. Water divination is slightly easier to do than other kinds, as it is more connected to the body," Firenze explained.

"What do you mean by that?" Sally-Anne asked with a frown.

"Human bodies are mostly made up of water, so it makes sense that water would be attracted to the mind and body," Firenze replied. "There are other types of Divination, including crystal ball gazing, fire reading, palmistry, tarot, earth and wind reading, numerology, and dreaming."

"Dreaming is divination as well?" Harry asked, confused.

"Of course... It can be interpreted into the future, the past or the present. Deja vu is also a type of divination, although it usually means you have not recognised it until it was too late," Firenze said. "Please get out a parchment and quill. Write down everything you know about any type of divination, other than the ones you have already practised," he added quickly.

Hurrying to do as he had asked, the class was silent in a few seconds, the only sound their quills scratching on the parchment. In less than fifteen minutes, most of the class had finished writing all they knew about a different form of divination. Ginevra heard Ron mutter to Harry 'where was Hermione when you needed her?' and tried not to laugh.

She finished her own writing in a few minutes. Handing the parchment to Firenze, he looked at her for a moment.

Is Pansy all right? he asked in her mind.

I don't know... Gregory and Vincent will help her, I'm sure, Ginevra replied.

What did she See? Did you all See it? he asked.

We all Saw it. I will Show you after class, if you do not mind, Ginevra said, returning to her seat with his permission.

In another ten minutes, everyone had handed up their parchments. With an amused smile, Firenze started to read them out loud.

"Fire divination is when you set someone on fire and see what their ashes say. Thankfully, this is not correct, Mr. Thomas," Firenze said, and Dean paled.

Seamus rolled his eyes at his former-friend's answer, not believing how immature he was.

"Fire divination is actually a very complex process. It requires meditation, focus, determination, the ability to stay awake for a long period of time and most importantly, the ability not to set yourself on fire while in a trance," Firenze said.

He took out a few parchments that 'explained' fire divination, looking at a few class members with a raised eyebrow.

"Mirror divination can only be done while using a mirror with a blackened back. This makes it easier to See without confusing your own reflection with the divination taking place. Sometimes mirror divination can be achieved by simply unfocusing your eyes. Other times a trance must be performed beforehand in order to See properly. Some Muggles use candles in order to do this," Firenze read. "A very good explanation, Miss Lovegood," he said with a nod of his head.

Lavender rolled her eyes and mimicked him under her breath. Firenze didn't see her look, as he was removing other parchments explaining mirror divination. Colin and Apollo, on the other hand, saw her sarcastic look and glared at her angrily. Discreetly, Colin pulled out his wand and pointed it in Lavender's direction.

"Colin," Luna whispered in warning.

"But... She..."

"I know what she did. It does not make you any better by hexing her for it," Luna said.

Colin sighed and put his wand away again.

"Who said I was going to just hex her?" he muttered quietly.

"Tarot cards mostly only give a future that is possible to happen. They are not always correct, and they can often be misinterpreted. Nowadays, tarot cards are mostly used for self-exploration and personal growth," Firenze read. "That is correct, Mr. Finnigan," he said with an encouraging smile.

As Firenze started to read out about crystal divination, the bell rang for recess. Everyone hurried to leave, eager to get food. Gregory and Vincent waited patiently for Pansy to finish getting ready, not trying to rush to the Great Hall as they usually did. This worried Firenze further, and he waited as patiently as he could for Ginevra to Show him what had they Seen.

"I'll be down in a minute. I just need to see Firenze about something," Ginevra said to the others.

Blaise, Neville, Seamus and Draco stayed behind with her, wondering what was going on. Neville whispered quietly to Seamus, then to Blaise. Seamus went red, while Blaise just smirked at Neville and Seamus.

Draco rolled his eyes and moved away slightly as Neville started to kiss Seamus.

"Would you three stop that?" Ginevra yelled at them, wincing as their thoughts bombarded her one after the other. "I'm busy here!" she muttered, turning back to Firenze.

It is good to see so much love between them... Firenze said with a smile.

I wish I didn't have to see it all of the time though! Ginevra muttered, shielding her mind from them.

Firenze gave a sympathetic nod, then took her hands in his own.

Ready? he asked.

Ginevra nodded and closed her eyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Fifteen minutes later, Firenze finished Seeing what had shocked them all so much. He looked pale himself, and had to steady his breathing before he could say anything.

"I had not Seen it in that much detail. Have you Seen anything else in reference to it?" Firenze asked Ginevra.

"I think I have," Ginevra said, giving a slight cough to cover the hitch in her voice. "I found her... She was so ... broken," she said, trying not to cry.

Seamus, Neville and Blaise stopped kissing to look at her, sad looks on their faces. Draco stood beside her, his arm around her shoulder. He didn't know how to deal with a sobbing and hysterical girl now anymore than he did the first time Ginevra had been this way...

"Show me," Firenze said softly, taking her hands again.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Ginevra searched everywhere, unable to find her friend. She called out for her in a loud tone, no longer restraining her voice to whispers. She didn't hear a worded response, but in fact she heard the reply in her mind. Ginny ran, following the instructions of her friend.

Ginevra pushed open the large door and her senses were immediately overloaded with a disgusting foul stench.

"Pansy! Are you in here?" she called, trying to block her nose.

The reply was in the affirmative and Ginevra lit her wand softly. Big mistake... Dead bodies littered the floor and by the smell of them, they seemed to be weeks, even months old.

"Where are you Pansy?" Ginevra asked softly, trying not to breathe in the stench.

She began to move slowly across the floor as per Pansy's instructions. Ginevra arrived at the spot and saw a beaten and bruised body lying in front of her. If not for the sigh of relief that sounded in her mind, Ginevra would not have recognised the person.

"Pansy?" she said quietly. Tears fell from the broken face and Ginevra dropped beside her friend. "Do you think you can Apparate with me?" Ginevra asked; the answer in the affirmative.

She took Pansy's bony hand and held her as close as she could without fear of breaking or hurting her more. With a small breath to calm her racked and shocked nerves, Ginevra Apparated to Antarctica.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh..." was all Firenze could say.

"We can't stop this, can we?" Ginevra asked.

"I am afraid that it is not possible for this to be stopped without something worse happening to her instead," Firenze said, shaking his head sadly.

There was a noise behind her and Ginevra turned to see Pansy standing there.

"Show me what you just showed him," Pansy said, her pale face set in determination.

"Don't ask me to do that, Pansy," Ginevra pleaded.

"I'm not asking you to do it, Ginevra... I'm telling you," Pansy said, moving forward to her. "Show me."

"No," Ginevra said, shaking her head.

In less than a second, Pansy had her wand out and pointed at Ginevra's throat.

"Show me, or I will hex you," Pansy snarled.

"You wouldn't really..." Seamus began to ask.

Neville put a hand on his arm and Seamus looked at him, wondering why he'd stopped him from finishing asking his question. Neville shook his head slightly.

"We should go tell Gregory and Vincent that Pansy's okay... They'll be worried about her," Blaise said, leading his two lovers away quietly.

Draco looked at Pansy and Ginevra, wisely deciding to leave them. Firenze gave a nod and they both stepped back to watch the two girls.

"Show me!" Pansy said again, glaring.

Ginevra nodded briefly and Pansy put her wand in her robe. Taking her hands, Ginevra closed her eyes and Showed the Vision to her. Pansy opened her eyes when it finished and gave a curt nod.

"Well at least I know the spell will work," she muttered, rubbing her temples with a sigh.

"What spell?" Ginevra asked, curious.

"Never mind... We better get to the Great Hall," Pansy said, nodding to Firenze before leaving quickly.

Ginevra frowned after her, then said goodbye to Firenze and left with Draco.

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Draco sat at the Slytherin table, looking over to Pansy, worried for her. Gregory and Vincent weren't eating as much as they usually did, which worried him even further.

"Do you know what spell Pansy was talking about?" Ginevra asked as she sat beside him.

"No, but Luna probably knows," Draco replied with a shrug.

"Have you noticed that Blaise, Neville and Seamus are missing from the Great Hall?" Ginevra asked, smirking at him.

"I am trying to eat," Draco said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, I know," she replied with a grin. "See you in class," Ginevra said, going over to the Gryffindor table.

Tom saw her coming over and smiled, waving at her.

"Hi, Tom. How have you been?" Ginevra asked as she sat beside him.

"Good. The last few days have been a blur though," he replied shaking his head slightly.

"I think that's normal for everyone in the first few weeks," she said, trying not to feel guilty.

"Guess so. How about you? How are you?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, good. Slightly tired from lack of sleep, but I'll live," she said with a grin.

"Lack of sleep, already? It hasn't even been an entire month yet!" Tom said.

"I know... It's really annoying," Ginevra said with a grin. "I might go get something to eat now. I'll talk to you later, all right?"

"Okay," Tom said as she left quickly.

Ginevra sat between Colin and Parvati, looking over at Luna for a moment.

"Yes, I know... No, I'm not going to tell you," Luna said.

"Did we miss something?" Parvati asked Colin, frowning.

"Apparently so," Colin said with a shrug.

Ginevra sighed, then relented and ate her food. She went over to the Slytherin table again, sitting next to Padma.

"I said that I'm all right. It was just a shock, that is all. Now will you leave me alone and eat your food so you don't complain for the rest of the day?" Pansy muttered to her boyfriends.

"How are the twins?" Ginevra asked Padma, watching as Gregory and Vincent ate reluctantly.

"They're fine. We're working on a new product with them," Padma said with a smirk.

"Should I even ask?"

"Probably not," Padma said winking at her.

Ginevra rolled her eyes and groaned as the bell rang.

"Feels like we only just got here and now we have to go," Ginevra muttered, standing and leaving with the others.

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"You do realise that you don't have to be here for this class?" Lupin asked them. "You did the lesson last week," he said, indicating to the Room of Requirement.

"Forgot about that," Pansy muttered.

"Can I do it again?" Ginevra asked.

"You want to do that again? Willingly?" Blaise asked, looking at her in shock.

"I could do with the practise," Ginevra replied with a shrug.

"I'm going in too," Draco said.

"So am I," Neville said bravely.

"We might as well all go in then," Pansy said as Gregory, Vincent and Seamus agreed with them.

"Speak for yourself! I don't want to go back in there with poisonous snakes on the loose," Blaise muttered.

"Can we choose the landscape we want?" Seamus asked Moody. "Instead of beasts, can we be against something else?"

"What did you have in mind?" Moody asked.

"Death Eaters, what else?" Seamus asked with a smirk.

"There are more things that you will have to fight in this world other than Death Eaters," Moody said seriously. "You can all go in together after these three groups are done," he said with a nod.

The door flashed red and Lupin, Moody and Madam Pomfrey hurried inside quickly.

"You still don't want to come in, Blaise?" Neville asked, smirking at him.

"Fine, I'll go in," Blaise said.

The door opened again and a group of students walked out, pale and shocked. One had a twisted ankle, another had scratches all up her arm, and a third had a deep cut on his face.

"Now, it won't scar if you put this cream on it once a night," Pomfrey was instructing the boy, handing him a phial.

He took it, muttered something obscene, then left with the rest of his group.

Ginevra watched as another group walked in, looking nervous.

Ten minutes later, there was a loud scream and the door flashed red. Moody, Lupin and Pomfrey ran in quickly, carrying a student out. There was a bite mark on the girl's arm, and her face had turned pale green.

The next group went in, coming out again in less than five minutes, shaking all over.

Not looking very confident, the last group went inside. Almost twenty minutes later, the door flashed orange. Lupin looked at Moody for a moment, then they waited again. Another five minutes went by and the door flashed green. The door opened and the group walked out, mostly covered in scratches and bruises. Madam Pomfrey immediately set to work on them, healing them in less than ten minutes.

"Congratulations. You passed," Lupin said smiling at them.

"They passed? How?" Pansy asked in amazement.

"You didn't tell us that we had to come back too!" one girl complained to Moody.

"You thought that you wouldn't have to leave the house after finishing your mission?" Moody asked.

"Mission?" Colin echoed.

Remus turned at the sound of his voice, only just noticing that Colin and Luna were part of the group.

"Oh, yes... I had forgotten that you two were transferring into this year. Would you like to join the others now, or go in on your own?" Lupin asked.

"Together," Luna replied.

"Very well," Lupin said, guiding them into the Room. "As before, you need to get up the staircase and to the end room. From there, you will have a mission. Once the mission is completed, then you have to make your way back to the door. This room is now set with Death Eaters. You must remember that they do not work alone. Not only are Death Eaters usually in groups, they also have alliances with others, from Dementors to Basilisks," Lupin warned them.

"You do not have to be in a group this time, but if you do choose to split then you must be on your guard! Keep vigilant. Use whatever powers, weapons or skills you may have to defeat, injure or escape them. Understood?" Moody asked, looking at them with both of his eyes.

"Yes, Moody," they all replied.

"As before, you will have one minute to discuss any strategies before the light turns off," Lupin said and left with Moody.

"What did you do last time?" Pansy asked Ginevra and Draco.

"Stood in each direction and tried to get to the staircase," Ginevra replied.

"That won't work very well this time," Seamus muttered.

"If we walk forward in a line, then we'd be able to get almost anyone in front of us," Neville said.

"Death Eaters can Apparate though. If they see us coming, they'll just go behind us and then we're screwed," Parvati pointed out.

"Half of us could walk backwards and the other half could walk forwards," Colin suggested with a shrug.

"What about trees and other obstacles? They'd fall over," Blaise said.

"That's why we're facing forward, to warn them," Padma drawled.

"It could work, I guess," Millicent said, shrugging.

"Where's the staircase now?" Vincent asked, looking around.

"Can anyone see it?" Gregory asked and the lights went out.

"Typical," Theodore muttered.

Ginevra lit her wand softly, but Pansy put her hand over the tip quickly, taking away any light it provided.

"What did you do that for?" Ginevra hissed.

"You're not the only one with good eyesight. Most Death Eaters are trained to see long distances. Use cat eyes to look around if you have to, not light," Pansy replied softly.

"The staircase is in the back. Over to the right," Draco said.

"I'll face backwards," Colin said softly.

"So will I," Neville said.

"Draco and Ginevra will have to face forward as they have better eyesight," Pansy said.

"We'll face back too," Gregory said for himself and Vincent.

"I will too," Theodore said.

"Fine... Can we get started before we have to go to the next class?" Millicent mumbled.

They quickly organised themselves, walking forwards and backwards towards the staircase.

"Stop," Ginevra hissed, looking at the ground before them.

"Is that a mine?" Pansy asked softly.

"A mine! Are they fucking crazy?" Seamus asked, craning his neck to look.

"Well, they are Death Eaters," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Is it a mine field? Or just the one?" Luna asked, looking in front of them curiously.

"I hope it's just the one..." Ginevra muttered.

"It's a field," Millicent said, sniffing. "The mines are everywhere..." she said, sniffing again.

"We'll have to follow you around the field then. Unless you can wash them away with rain?" Ginevra asked Theodore.

"It might be possible. It depends on how deep they put them," Theodore said.

"Probably not too deep so they'd still explode with pressure," Draco replied.

"We can follow Millicent," Luna said, standing directly behind Millicent.

"I can fly over and attack any Death Eaters I see," Colin said.

"Okay, do that. We'll follow Millicent," Ginevra said, standing behind Luna.

Everyone stood in a straight line, too nervous to really notice when Colin changed into a dragon and flew into the sky.

Millicent started walking cautiously, sniffing every so often to determine where a mine was. Everyone followed, trying not to get too close in case they tripped and fell on a mine.

No one talked as they walked, but the pounding of their hearts was almost deafening for Ginevra. She could practically hear the beads of sweat falling down their faces as they walked along the earth.

Suddenly, Millicent stopped, frowning at the ground, sniffing again.

"That can't be right," she muttered.

"What's wrong?" Pansy hissed at her.

"There aren't any more mines. There's a line on either side, but in front I can't smell any," Millicent replied.

"Maybe that means that the field's finished," Pansy drawled.

Millicent glared back at her, then stepped forward cautiously. Breathing a sigh of relief when nothing happened, she moved forward more still, so the others could spread out. They did so, going back to their original plan, some facing forwards and others facing backwards.

Colin chose to continue in his dragon form and flew above them, watching for any activity.

They walked along again, whispering to each other when bumps and dips were occuring. Every so often, a Death Eater appeared. It was hexed within seconds and most were left on the ground, looking like slugs. Others were hexed so they thought backwards was forwards, and ended up hexing themselves.

After a few minutes, they heard Colin roar above them, swooping down and breathing fire on a large group of Death Eaters nearby.

Suddenly, the terrain disappeared, lights came back on and the door opened. Moody and Lupin walked over to them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your time is up. Your next lesson will start in a few minutes," Lupin said.

"Good work on getting this far," Moody said.

Colin landed beside them, turning back into his human self.

Everyone left, hurrying over to a tapestry. They went inside, then practically ran down the empty staircase. They managed to reach Hagrid's class with a minute to spare, all fourteen of them puffing from the sudden exercise.

"Fer today's class yer'll be doing work fer yer projects. If yer goin' in ter the Forest, make sure ter let me know first so yer can be assigned a partner," Hagrid said.

"We've got to leave school grounds for our project, Professor Hagrid," Parvati and Padma said, grinning at him.

"All right... Yer can go then," Hagrid said with a nod.

The Patil twins left quickly, heading over to Ginevra's rooms and to the tunnel through to Fred and George's shop.

"I'll be in the lake talking to the squid," Pansy said.

"I'm going into the Forest," Millicent said, Theodore agreeing with her.

"We'll be in there too," Gregory and Vincent said.

"So will I," Ginevra said.

"Does anyone else need ter go in ter the Forbidden Forest?" Hagrid asked.

Draco, Blaise, Neville and Seamus put up their hands, as did Luna and Colin.

"The both of yer have chosen topics fer yer projects?" Hagrid asked the latter two.

"Hippogriffs," Colin said.

"Jobberknoll," Luna replied.

"Yer sure 'bout that one, Luna?" Hagrid asked with a small frown.

"Yes. I'm sure it's really just whispering so low that no one can hear it," she said with a

grin.

"Right... All of yer know what to do if yer in danger?" he asked, everyone nodding. "Off yer go then," he said.

"What are you doing your project on?" Colin asked Ginevra curiously.

"The Gytrash. I didn't know you'd already chosen an animal, Draco," she said, looking to him.

"I was going to do a project on the yeti... If it's still here," he muttered.

"I'll go with you then. I've got to talk to it about our Runes lesson," Ginevra said.

"You're going to tell the yeti off? Is that a wise idea?" Blaise asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably not, but it shouldn't try to eat innocent people," Ginevra said grinning at him.

"You're not going to argue with her on this?" Millicent asked Draco in disbelief.

"She'll be fine... I'll be with her," Draco said, then went into the Forbidden Forest with Ginevra next to him.

Theodore shook his head then left with Millicent, both of them muttering.

When everyone had left to do their projects, Hagrid shook his head and headed into the Forbidden Forest to make sure that the students were safe.

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Ginevra and Draco walked along the path in relative silence, both of them listening out for any sign of the Gytrash.

"Are you really going to scold a yeti, Ginevra?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Why not?" Ginevra replied, walking into a clearing nearby.

Draco shook his head then hurried after her.

They walked into another clearing, this time finding the Gytrash asleep on the floor, Maden curled up next to Ryder. The dark grey mist that had originally surrounded the dog and horse was now a lighter grey, tinted with red. As Ginevra and Draco walked over to them, the two animals woke up, snarling. They stopped soon enough, recognising who had disturbed their peace.

Ginevra, Draconius... Ryder said, sounding nervous.

"Hello Ryder," Ginevra said to the horse in a reassuring voice. "Hello Maden. I see that you have both changed slightly... Is it for better or worse, I wonder?"

Better! Maden said quickly. We are not using our power to hurt mortals anymore... Muggle or wizard, he added.

"Can you prove that?" Draco asked sternly.

Not at this very moment, but you have our word that we have not hurt anyone! Ryder said.

"That doesn't mean much considering what happened last time you gave us your word," Draco drawled.

We are telling the truth! the Gytrash insisted immediately.

"Very well," Ginevra said, not very eager to fight about it.

Would you like something from us? Maden asked.

"Yes, actually. I would appreciate your assistance on a school project," Ginevra said, sitting in front of them.

You want to do a project on us? the Gytrash asked in disbelief.

"Yes... Is there a problem with this?" she asked with a slight frown.

Not at all! It is just ... we have never been the topic of a project before! We would be honoured, they said happily, bowing to her.

Hagrid grinned as he heard them, then continued on into the forest.

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Wolf-girl... What do you want from us? And why were you foolish enough to bring a mortal to the pack? the alpha male barked at her angrily.

"I am requesting your permission to do a project on the pack, Faolan. I was assigned a partner while in the Forest, and he also happens to be my own, if you don't mind," Millicent said, straining to be polite and not insult the wolf pack's leader.

You have my permission, wolf-girl... My apologies to both of you, Faolan added after a moment.

"Thank you very much. Your apology is accepted," Millicent said with a bow.

Theodore bowed too, hoping it was respectful enough for the pack leader. He didn't want to get Millicent into trouble by not being polite...

What is your name? What project are you doing? Faolan asked Theodore.

"My name is Theodore Nott. I am hoping to do my project on an Erkling, sir," Theodore replied.

They are odd creatures, Erklings. The pack saw one a few days ago with the Queen of All. It did not seem to want to harm her, which we find unusual, Faolan murmured.

"Relo met Ginevra as a child and knew who and what she was going to become," Theodore said. "He would never hurt Ginevra, and no longer has the taste for human children after his grandfather was killed by one..."

You spoke with the Erkling? You know the Queen of All? Faolan asked in surprise.

"Theodore has elf blood, so he can communicate with Relo. We both know Ginevra; we live with her," Millicent replied.

It would be an honour if we could meet her, wolf-girl and elf-boy... Faolan paused for a moment, his ears pricked up.

He howled in response to something too soft for human ears to hear, then turned his attention back to Millicent and Theodore.

I must leave now. You may return to do your project on the pack with the Queen of All... Faolan said, then leapt out of the clearing quickly.

"Yer should probably go ter the castle ter find th' Erklin' now," Hagrid said behind them.

"Good idea," Theodore muttered, leading Millicent out of the clearing before she could start yelling at Hagrid for scaring them.

Hagrid shook his head after them, then continued along to find his students...

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"I don't think it's here, Gregory," Vincent said with a frown.

"It has to be," Gregory muttered, looking up into the trees. "It's just hiding from us, that's all..."

"Maybe if it senses danger, then the Clabbert will glow scarlet and we can find it," Vincent suggested.

"Excellent idea," Gregory said, kissing him quickly. "Do you think Colin would help us? He's part Muggle after all..."

"I think I'm almost offended at that," Colin said with a grin as he walked into the clearing with Luna.

There was a soft scarlet light above them and Gregory hugged Colin quickly, before climbing up the tree.

"Thanks, Colin!" Gregory called as he stopped next to the mottled green Clabbert.

Its horns looked scarlet due to the pustule in the middle of it's forehead, which was still glowing scarlet. The Clabbert grinned at Gregory, razor sharp teeth practically glowing in the eerie light. The Clabbert's arms and legs hung down, making it look like an orang-utan.

"What does you want?" the Clabbert asked.

"Can I do a project on you?" Gregory asked, surprised that the Clabbert was able to talk.

"Why does you want to?"

"I think Clabberts are interesting," Gregory replied.

"Why does you think that?"

"Because of the way you turn scarlet when there's danger nearby. And because I want to know about the way you live. The textbooks didn't have much information about Clabberts, so I thought it best to find one and ask him or her myself," Gregory said.

"Does you think I am a boy or a girl?" the Clabbert asked with another toothy grin.

Gregory considered for a moment. There were no written differences between the male or female of this species, and this was the first Clabbert he'd ever met, so he had nothing to compare against...

"A girl?" he asked.

"Why does you think that?"

"Your skin is bright green. I think the males would be a darker green," Gregory said.

"You is right... I is Chi, what does you get called?" Chi asked, grinning at him.

"My name is Gregory. Nice to meet you Chi," he said.

"What's going on, Greg?" Vincent called up the tree.

Chi swung down to lower branches and peered at Vincent. Gregory quickly climbed down the tree and stood next to Vincent. Luna and Colin walked over and looked at the Clabbert in interest.

"Vince, this is Chi. Chi, this is Vincent. This is Luna and Colin," Gregory introduced.

"Chi? Does this means Clabberts talk, or you named it?" Vincent asked in a quiet tone.

"I does talk! I named myself!" Chi said, swinging on the tree's lowest branch and looking at them, her legs dangling.

"Wow! Can I take a picture of you, Chi?" Colin asked enthusiastically.

"Muggle is danger!" Chi said, quickly swinging over to Gregory and wrapping her arms around his neck so she hung down his back.

"Colin's all right, Chi. He's a friend," Gregory said.

"Muggle is friend?" Chi asked, frowning.

"This one is, yes," Gregory said with a nod.

"Can Chi bite Muggle to see?" Chi asked, dropping to the ground and crawling over to Colin awkwardly.

"Why do you need to bite me?" Colin asked suspiciously.

"To see if you tastes like danger," Chi replied simply.

"All right..." Colin said, offering her his left hand with a shake of his head.

Chi stood carefully and took his hand in hers before biting his fingers hard. Colin gritted his teeth and tried not to scream out in pain. Slowly, the scarlet colour faded from the pustule on Chi's forehead and she released Colin's fingers from her mouth. Colin cradled them to his chest, trying not to let his eyes water anymore than they already were.

"Chi is sorry for Colin's pain... Chi will help take pain away," Chi said, holding out her hands.

Wary, Colin gave her his hand again. Chi grinned happily, then took his hand and put it on her pustule. It started to glow a softer scarlet colour and Colin watched in surprise as the red marks disappeared and his pain subsided.

"Thank you..." Colin said.

"How did you do that?" Gregory asked.

"That was amazing," Vincent said with a grin.

"Chi just does it," she said with a shrug.

"We had better go find a Jobberknoll now," Luna said. "I will see you all later," she said with a smile.

"Thanks again, Chi. See you later!" Colin said, leaving with Luna.

"Have yer found a Jobberknkoll yet?" Hagrid asked as they left the clearing.

"Not yet. Do you have any idea of where on would be?" Luna asked with a smile.

"There was one over there a few weeks ago, Migh' still be there," Hagrid said, pointing to a different clearing.

"Thank you, Professor," Luna said. "Blaise, Neville and Seamus are in the clearing after that one," she said, indicating to the right direction.

Hagrid gave her a nod of thanks, then continued on.

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Blaise, Neville and Seamus stopped in the middle of the path, waiting for a centaur to pass. They couldn't go to the clearings, since the centaurs all avoided them. Soon enough, Bane arrived, his bow aimed at them. Seeing who it was, he lowered the bow to the ground and glared at Blaise angrily.

"What are you doing here, and with two mortals?" Bane hissed at Blaise. "You should not have brought them here!"

"I am here to ask your permission for something. I brought Neville and Seamus with me because I needed partners while in the Forest, and I wanted them to come with me," Blaise drawled, ignoring Bane's tone.

"What do you need permission for?" Bane asked curiously, choosing to ignore his rudeness.

"I want to do a project on the centaurs for my Care of Magical Creatures class," Blaise replied.

"A project? You just want our secrets told to everyone!" Bane hissed angrily, raising a hand to hit Blaise for his traitorous attitude.

"Leave him alone!" Seamus yelled, both himself and Neville standing in front of Blaise protectively.

Vines slithered onto the path at a rapid rate, twisting around Bane's hooves, stopping him from moving. Neville looked at Seamus in surprise.

"I didn't know you knew how to do that, Seamus," he said with a grin.

"Either did I," Seamus said in surprise.

"We should go... I'll do my project on something else," Blaise muttered.

"Firenze'll be more than happy ter help yer," Hagrid said quietly when the three of them walked down the path.

"All right. Thanks, Hagrid," Blaise said.

"Isn't that horklump over there, Nev?" Seamus said, indicating over to a large tree that had a pink mushroom-like thing with black bristles growing next to it.

Neville hurried over to it, looking at the animal-classified fungi.

"There's a jarvey a few metres tha' way," Hagrid said to Seamus, indicating the direction.

"Thanks. We'll be back in a minute, okay?" Seamus said to Neville, hurrying off with Blaise.

Hagrid stayed with Neville, not sure how long those plants would stay around Bane's legs.

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Ginevra and Draco went along the path, keeping an ear and eye out for any signs of the yeti. They'd had some help from a few creatures to get this far, as the yeti hadn't been on the same path as when they were in Runes. Now, there were no creatures around at all, which meant the yeti had scared them all off and was close by.

"You think if we started calling it, it'd come out?" Ginevra asked.

"We're just going to say 'here, yeti, yeti, yeti', are we?" Draco drawled, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I was actually going to suggest that you call it with your Veelan powers, but if you'd rather try calling it that way..." Ginevra said with a smirk, laughing at him.

Draco gave her a glare, then with a mere blink, his Veelan side was revealed.

"Yeti!" he called. "I need to speak with you," Draco called.

After he used more power and called a few more times, the yeti left the concealment of the trees and stood in front of them. Draco slowly released his hold on the yeti, who tried to leave quickly, but Ginevra stopped him, calling him with her own powers.

"Please stay," Ginevra said.

"We just want to talk to you," Draco said, his Veelan side returned.

They both kept the yeti in front of them and calm. As Draco explained why he wanted to talk to the yeti, both he and Ginevra noticed that the yeti was calming down, and they both slowly released their hold on him.

"Why do you want me to be in your project?" the yeti asked Draco, who looked to Ginevra for a translation, having heard nothing but a few growls.

"He wants to know why you want him to be in your project," Ginevra said.

"Because there's never been a yeti at Hogwarts before and I want my assignment to be original," Draco said.

"Fine. Just stay away with your fire sticks," the yeti responded.

"He said fine, as long as you don't come near him with fire sticks... I think he means your wand," Ginevra said. "Or matches, or actual sticks that are on fire," she added with a shrug.

"Thanks for that. Wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me," Draco drawled sarcastically.

"Glad to be of help!" Ginevra said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah... Can I set up a time and place to meet with you?" he asked, turning back to the yeti.

"Tomorrow afternoon at this time. We can meet here, King of All," the yeti replied.

Ginevra laughed softly at that, then looked at Draco, who had his eyebrow raised at her.

"Tomorrow afternoon, same place. He called you King of All," Ginevra said, laughing again.

Draco glared at her and grounded his teeth, then bowed to the yeti before leaving.

Ginevra gave her own bow, then hurried after Draco, still laughing at him.

"You're the Queen of All, what are you laughing at?" he muttered.

"Sod off," Ginevra muttered, no longer laughing, crossing her arms.

"Aw... Is the little Weaselette all upset about being called a Queen?" Draco taunted, smirking at her.

"I am not little! Don't call me Weaselette, or Queen either for that matter!" Ginevra said glaring at him.

Draco just smirked at her then they left to her rooms.

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"Ginevra! Draco! Are you two finished already?" Theodore asked as he and Millicent met up with them.

"We set up meetings with the animals for tomorrow during class," Draco said.

"We should probably get questions ready then," Ginevra mused.

"What about you?" Draco asked.

"I've finished meeting with Faolan, the wolf pack leader," Millicent added at Ginevra's look. "He wants to meet you before he will let me do my project," Millicent said to her.

"I guess I can meet him tomorrow before I go to meet the Gytrash," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"I'm just going to talk to Relo now," Theodore said as they entered Ginevra's rooms.

Relo came running out to meet them, immediately attaching himself to Ginevra's leg.

"We are glad to see you!" Relo said with a big smile, hugging her leg tightly.

"I'm glad to see you too, Relo," Ginevra replied smiling in return.

"Elf boy!" Relo exclaimed, hugging Theodore's leg too.

"Hi, Relo... Would you like to help me with a project?" Theodore asked him, grinning.

"Oh! You want fishies and birdies for it?" Relo asked.

"Uh... No. I wanted to do my project on you," he replied with another grin.

Relo's eyes widened and filled with tears. He sniffed happily and squeezed Theodore's leg tighter.

"Really?" he asked happily, now crying.

"Don't cry, Relo..." Theodore said, unsure what to do.

"I will be your project!" Relo said, pulling Theodore down his room to talk.

"That's the happiest I've seen Relo in a long time," Bexley commented as he floated out of Ginevra.

"I wonder how everyone else is going?" Ginevra pondered, going to the meeting room with Millicent and Draco to write out their questions.

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"Have you found one yet? We've been looking for ten minutes!" Gregory muttered.

"We looked for the Clabbert for longer!" Vincent muttered. "You just have to be quiet! It will appear sooner or later!"

"Later is more probable than sooner," Gregory muttered, sitting on a rock.

Sighing softly, he rested his head on his hand and looked around, watching his boyfriend search for a moke. It was going to be impossible. Silver-green lizards, Mokes were able to shrink at will and therefore, it was never going to show up while they were looking for it... He sighed again, then held his breath as he noticed something next to him.

"Vince," he whispered. "There's a freaking Moke next to me," Gregory said, staring at the lizard in shock.

"What?" Vincent said in surprise, hurrying over, being as quiet as he possibly could.

They both looked at the Moke, watching as it regarded them suspiciously.

Are you going to skin me? the Moke asked, blinking one eye.

"Oh, no! I just wanted to do a project on you!" Vincent said, trying to keep his voice quiet in case he scared the Moke away.

The Moke looked at Vincent again, blinking slowly. It stretched slightly on the sunny rock, then flicked its tongue out before replying.

Very well. You may take me with you, the Moke replied.

"Thanks... I'm Vincent," he said.

Micah, the Moke said.

"Nice to meet you," Vincent said. He held out a hand for Micah, who climbed on and up to Vincent's neck, wrapping his long tail around him carefully.

"Gregory! Where is you?" they heard Chi calling.

"I'm here, Chi!" Gregory called out.

In a few seconds, the Clabbert appeared in the tree-tops above them, an arrow flying past her. The arrow landed at Gregory's feet.

He growled angrily, then his body started to change. He started to grow taller and broadened out until he was almost four metres tall. A club appeared in his hands, the thicker end of it spiking into a mace-like tip. His hair shortened slightly, sticking up from his head, green and brown infusing into his usually brown hair.

Chi jumped from the tree onto Gregory's shoulder as another arrow whirled through the air.

"Leave her alone!" Gregory roared, smashing through the trees to where the armed centaurs were still firing arrows.

On seeing the large troll before them, most of the centaurs galloped off. A few of the more foolish ones stayed, attempting to pierce the troll with their arrows. The arrows did nothing to Gregory, except anger him further. Most of them were embedded into his club. A few managed to strike him, but immediately bounced off his thick skin. Seeing that they were doing nothing but anger the troll, the remaining centaurs left before it decided to eat them.

Gregory returned to his human form with a shudder, Chi still wrapped around his neck.

"We should get back now. Can you walk?" Vincent asked Gregory in concern.

Gregory just nodded, then they left quickly, the Clabbert and Moke with them.

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"Leggo of me, ye ugly brat!" the Jarvey yelled at Seamus.

Seamus just smirked at it and shook his head, almost in disappointment.

"I've heard worse from me mam," he muttered.

The Jarvey grinned, then started swearing at Seamus even more, saying some of the foulest things he'd ever heard.

"Me cousin's got worse language then you do, and she's only five!" Seamus said, sounding bored and not insulted at all.

This confused the Jarvey, who was used to being thrown after a few well chosen insults. He liked being thrown away, because then he could yell a few more insults before going underground to hunt for gnomes and voles again. Old ladies were usually the best ones to insult, but sometimes they got insulted before he even started swearing and just threw him away with more force than they should have in the first place.

"Yer boyfriend here's getting jealous!" the Jarvey said, knowing that should offend him.

"Oh, so you know about my boyfriend, do you?" Seamus asked cheerfully.

"Fer gods' sakes! Lemme go!" the Jarvey said, struggling again.

Seamus gripped the Jarvey around the neck and watched as he squirmed, unsuccessfully getting out of his grip.

"You finished yet?" Seamus asked with a yawn as the Jarvey stopped to take a breath.

"You really shouldn't tease him like that," Neville said from the edge of the clearing.

"I'm not teasing the Jarvey, I'm trying to talk to it," Seamus said.

"I didn't mean the Jarvey, love," Neville said, winking at him.

Blaise scowled at both of them, going a slight shade of red.

"Hurry up and get this over with, would you?" he muttered.

"I doubt it's going to cooperate anytime soon. I might as well choose another animals for me project," Seamus said, putting the Jarvey on the ground with a shrug.

"Ye want to do a project on me? Why the hell didn't ye say so?" the Jarvey said, scurrying up Seamus' pants and body, before resting on his shoulder. "Well, come on then! Yer slower than a bloody turtle!" he muttered.

"Uh... Okay," Seamus said, shaking his head in some surprise.

They left the clearing, Neville talking animatedly to Blaise about the Horklump.

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Luna looked at the small blue-speckled bird that was perched on the tree, her ear right next to its beak.

"I think I can hear something," she whispered to Colin, grinning.

"I think that's just the Jobberknoll breathing," he whispered in return.

Luna shook her head slightly, then returned her attention to the small bird, listening intently again.

Colin grinned and shook his head. Sitting on a nearby tree trunk, he watched as Luna tried to tickle the Jobberknoll into saying something.

After at least ten minutes of waiting, tickling, poking and stroking, Luna finally stopped, determined to think of something else for tomorrow's lesson.

"We better go to Hagrid's hut now so you can do your project on the Hippogriff," she said, leaving the clearing with him.

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Gregory and Vincent walked into Ginevra's rooms with Blaise, Seamus and Neville behind them. Coming out of the meeting room, Millicent, Ginevra and Draco stared as they walked past, the three animals on their shoulders.

"Have I started up an animal shelter and not realised it?" Ginevra whispered to Draco, a frown on her face.

"Not that I know of," Draco replied with a shrug.

"Okay. Just checking," Ginevra said, shaking her head before following the boys.

"Can Chi stay with us? She's not safe in the Forest. The centaurs are attacking her," Gregory said, anger filling his face as Chi whimpered and clung to him.

"They are? For what reason?" Ginevra asked Chi.

"I speaked with Gregory, Queen of All," Chi said, whimpering again.

"Call me Ginevra," she said, trying to soothe the Clabbert.

Chi just gave a nod, wrapping herself around Gregory's neck again.

"I'll deal with the centaurs later," Ginevra said with a sigh.

"Micah just wanted to come with me," Vincent said, shrugging slightly.

I was eager to meet the new Queen, Micah said respectfully, giving her an odd bow.

"Thank you, Micah. You can call me Ginevra too," she said.

Thank you, Ginevra, Micah said.

"Hello again, Jarvey," Ginevra said, smirking at the Jarvey wrapped around Seamus' neck.

"Queen... Ginevra," he said nervously.

"Are you going to be respectful while in my house?" Ginevra asked sternly.

"O' 'course! I'm not that bloody stupid!" the Jarvey said. "Sorry..." he muttered at her glare. "I will be respectful, Ginevra," the Jarvey said.

"What is your name?" Ginevra asked.

"Don't got one," the Jarvey said with a shrug. He scurried off Seamus and down to the floor, dodging Relo, who was running down the hallway quickly. "Be careful ye bloody dolt!" the Jarvey said. "Ye almost ran me over!"

"You dodged him pretty good," Seamus said with a grin. "Why not call yourself Dodger?"

"Dodger? Sounds good enough," the Jarvey said with a shrug, before chasing after Relo and biting at his heels.

"Ginevra!" Relo cried, running over to her.

Dodger stopped short, then scurried back to Seamus quickly before Ginevra could do anything to him.

"Dodger is not being respectful," Chi said, frowning at Gregory. "You should turn to a troll again and teach him lessons!"

"You turned into a troll?" Pansy said from the doorway, her hair dripping. "I leave you in the Forest not even for an hour and you go turning into a troll!" she muttered, glaring at him.

"The centaurs were trying to hurt Chi," Gregory said, coaxing Chi out from behind his back. "Pansy, this is Chi. Chi, this is my girlfriend, Pansy," he introduced.

"Oh... Hi Chi," Pansy said, going red slightly, embarrassed.

"Gregory is dating two peoples?" Chi asked, frowning at Pansy, then at Vincent.

"Yes. It's not that uncommon," Gregory said.

"I'll say! Can't even insult someone about it anymore!" Dodger complained, Seamus, Blaise and Neville smirking at him.

The bell rang loudly just as the Patil twins walked into the room.

"Did we miss something?" they asked in surprise, seeing all of the animals around.

Sram flew over to Ginevra, bowing to her before bowing to Draco and sitting on his shoulder.

"Great... All we need is Magnus Cauda-cattus, Lady Evita, Volatil, Fligard and Leo-Bestia-Famulus in here and we've practically got the whole wizarding animal kingdom," Ginevra muttered as Lyra flew overhead, landing on Colin's shoulder as he and Luna walked in.

"We're off to lunch!" Gregory and Vincent called, already going through the door.

Pansy pulled them back inside.

"I don't think Chi and the Moke would appreciate being scared by all of the students so soon," Pansy said.

My name is Micah, the Moke said with a smile. I appreciate your concern. I happen to agree with Pansy. It would be a much for us and the other students to see so many animals while they are trying to eat.

Chi gave a nod, then swung off Gregory and up to the beam above them.

"We stays here with them!" Relo said, nodding in agreement with himself.

"Are you sure that you want to stay here with Dodger?" Bexley asked, floating out of Ginevra.

"I'll be on me best behaviour!" Dodger said. "What the hell are ye anyways?" he asked, jumping up to Bexley.

"A Boggart," Bexley replied.

"So what's me worst fear?" Dodger asked, smirking at him.

Bexley sighed softly, then turned into a bird large enough to eat the Jarvey. Dodger yelped, then scurried behind Relo.

"All right... I believe ye," Dodger said as Bexley returned to his mist-form.

Vincent put Micah on the table carefully.

"Make sure you don't go shrinking where people could sit on you, okay Micah?" he warned.

I know. Thank you, Vincent, Micah said, smiling at being treated like he was still a child.

They closed the door on the animals, feeling guilty about leaving them behind. Hurrying to the Great Hall, Ginevra talked with Luna about the Jobberknoll.

"I gave a dead one to Snape a few days ago. He might let you look at it, if you think that'll help your assignment," Ginevra said to Luna.

"All right. I'll ask him later in class," Luna said with a smile.

Lunch went by without much incident. Ron, Lavender and Dean were at the other end of the Great Hall, so far away that not even they could be bothered trying to get at Ginevra and her friends.

They bell went far too soon for Gregory and Vincent's liking, but they hurried along with the others to Ginevra's room anyway and got their things ready.

"We'll see you in Potions, Neville. Have fun in Herbology!" Ginevra said, hugging him.

"You're acting like you're not going to see me for weeks on end," Neville drawled, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Hours are weeks without you!" Ginevra exclaimed, laughing at his expression.

"Shall we let her be crazy on her own, or join in?" Blaise asked Seamus, who smirked.

"Join in, of course!" he said, winking.

"Hours are years without you, love!" Blaise exclaimed, pulling Neville down to him and kissing him hard.

"Hours are centuries without you!" Seamus said, pulling Neville up to him and repeating Blaise's action.

"Well... Hours are definitely going suck if I have to be away from both of you," Neville said.

"We're going to Herbology too," Colin muttered to Luna, feeling left out.

"If you're done playing the tragic lovers, we want to get to class sometime soon!" Millicent said, making them aware that they were blocking the corridor.

Laughing, Ginevra pulled the three boys through the doorway and pushed them to start them walking. Draco took Ginevra's hand in his own, winking when she looked at him in surprise.

"Gods, they're holding hands now..." Pansy said, pretending to be sick.

Vincent and Gregory smirked at each other, grabbing her hands in their own.

Theodore grabbed Millicent's hand with a wink and Padma laughed softly.

"Now I feel lonely!" Padma exclaimed theatrically.

Parvati took her sister's hand with a laugh, then they hurried after the others. Colin grinned at Luna, then took her offered hand and ran after them too.

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"Today you will be finishing your Rune bags. Those of you who forgot to bring yours, please get a pass before you go get them," Yepir said.

A few people grabbed passes then left quickly to get their materials.

"Those of you who brought yours, please get started," she said, sitting down at her desk. "I will be marking papers, but if anyone has questions, then just ask me," Yepir said.

Ginevra took out her red and maroon pieces of cloth, then started to sew from where she had left off in the last lesson.

When the others had returned with their unfinished bags, Yepir got everyone's attention.

"If everyone finishes sewing with enough time left, we will go into the Forbidden Forest to choose the wood for your Runes," she said. "This does not mean that you should try to hurry up your sewing. The quality of your bag is just as important as the rest of the process, as it shows what kind of person you are," Yepir said seriously.

"Do you have a Rune bag, Professor?" Hermione asked, raising her hand slightly.

"Of course," Yepir said with a smile, opening a drawer in her desk.

She showed them all a navy bag with thin white stitches. On the bottom right corner was a Norse pattern, stitched in yellow cotton.

"I stitched the pattern by hand and I also made it into a drawstring bag, so I wouldn't lose any of the runes," Yepir said. "You can add your own pattern once you've made the actual runes," she said, encouraging them to continue sewing.

Everyone continued sewing, almost disappointed when they finished. One by one, everyone in the class finished sewing their bags. They finished so that there was still twenty minutes before the Potions class.

"I doubt there's enough time to get the Runes today. You can choose the type of wood you would like to use for your Runes, so that you know for tomorrow's lesson," Yepir said, books appearing on her desk with a flick of her wand.

The class rushed to grab a book, flipping through the pages to see information about runes and the types of runes that could be made. Sitting at her desk, Ginevra looked at the introduction of her book: Why is wood the medium of choice?

"A tree is the most perfect of spiritual beings, with its roots buried alive in Mother Earth and its limbs alive and growing in Father Sky.

According to the Song of the Sybil, when the earth was young, Odin and his two brothers found two trees: an ash tree and an elm, faint, feeble, with no fate assigned to them. Breath they had not, nor blood, nor senses, nor language possessed, nor life-hue. Odin gave them breath. Hoenir gave them senses (shape). Blood and life-hue was given by Lothur.

We are the forbears of the trees. One does not just carve runes, one recreates this ritual. By chanting the name of the the rune, one give the rune breath, the energy of its name. By carving it, one gives the rune senses (shape). By coloring the rune red (blood is optional), one gives it life's hue.

When you carve runes you create life."

Reading this alone helped Ginevra make her decision. She wanted her runes to be made from an ash tree. It was merely a coincidence that her wand was made from an elm tree. Wasn't it?

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Snape looked at the class sternly, his eyes falling on Ron, then on Lavender, who both went pale quickly.

"Today you will be making a Memory Potion. This means that you will be using Jobberknoll feathers, which also means that you will have to be extremely careful and not waste any of them. If you waste any of these feathers, I will personally put you in detention for a month, however horrendous it may be to myself," Snape muttered under his breath, Ginevra and Draco stifling their laughter.

Hermione's hand shot up quickly.

"What is it, Miss Granger?" Snape drawled, rolling his eyes.

"Are we making a potion to restore or erase memories, sir?" she asked, trying not to seem too excited.

"That will be up to you. There are not enough ingredients for the entire class to make the same one, so tell me which potion you will be making with your group before you retrieve the ingredients," Snape said. "Talk quietly! You two can go with Miss Brown and Mr. Thomas," Severus said to Luna and Colin, sounding apologetic.

"That's all right. Thank you, Professor," Luna said with a smile as she sat next to Lavender.

"Which potion's easier?" Neville asked Ginevra softly as the rest of the class started talking.

"They're pretty much at the same level. The memory restoration potion takes three days to complete, but the memory loss one takes a lot of work in a short amount of time," Ginevra replied.

"I can handle a lot of work, especially if it means I get out of here quicker," Blaise said, winking at Neville.

"That's not fair to me," Seamus hissed at them, trying to make it look like he was still talking with Pansy, Vincent and Gregory. "Why do I have to be here when you two are off by yourselves?" he asked with a sexy pout.

"They'll be busy helping prepare for this afternoon," Ginevra said quietly.

"This after... Oh," Seamus said, realising what she meant then nodded. "Fine then... Do what you want," he said with a bright grin, turning back to his group.

"Are you willing to work hard, Draco?" Blaise asked him, smirking.

"Yeah. If it gets me out early, then why not?" Draco replied.

"I'll go get the ingredients while you get the cauldron ready," Ginevra said, leaving the table.

"You have chosen your potion?" Snape asked.

"Memory loss potion, Professor," Ginevra replied.

"Very well. Get your ingredients," Severus said, putting a tally mark under 'memory loss' on the board.

Ginevra placed everything on a tray, then walked back to the table carefully. Putting on her gloves, she passed the Jobberknoll feathers to Neville.

"These go in first. They need to boil with the water in order for the potion to take full effect," she said.

Neville nodded, dropping the feathers into the cauldron.

"While that's boiling, we should prepare everything. Four newt eyes need to be stirred in with the robin egg," Ginevra said, passing the small tube of eyes and egg to Draco in a bowl.

He grimaced, but rolled his sleeves up all the same and cracked the egg into the bowl.

"Do I add the shell to it?" Draco asked, seeing it in the instructions.

"Yes. This potion we follow to the letter," Ginevra said. "I haven't had a chance to play with it yet," she said with a smirk.

"You couldn't get newt eyes?" Blaise taunted, smirking back at her.

"Oh, I got those fine. The Jobberknoll feathers on the other hand, are very hard to come by, even in Knockturn Alley," Ginevra replied with a shrug. "Neville, can you mix the extract of boomslang with the castor oil seeds. The seeds are very poisonous, so be careful and put on your gloves," Ginevra instructed.

Neville nodded and quickly put his gloves on before mixing the two ingredients.

"Blaise, put in the rosemary flowers, violet petals and rue petals," Ginevra instructed. "Stir three times to the right, then two to the left. Rue petals are the yellow ones," she added.

Blaise nodded then did as she said quickly.

"Neville, add those in when Blaise is finished," Draco said, reading from the book.

"Draco, stir the cauldron clockwise, then counter clockwise when Neville's done, then put your mixture in when the water's boiled," Ginevra said, finishing mixing her own ingredients - frankincence and lemon rind - into a paste.

"Those of you doing the memory loss potion will have enough time over to do an extra potion. Some of you will need this chance in order to get your grades to a satisfactory standard," Snape said, looking straight at Lavender, then to Ron.

Parvati and Padma glared at Ron.

"You better not muck up our grades, Weasley. We haven't worked this hard to fail just because of you," Padma hissed at him. "Oh, stop looking at me like that, Perks," she added, glaring at the younger girl.

Sally-Anne's eyes widened and she nodded, quickly returning to mixing the boomslang and castor oil seeds.

Parvati smirked at her twin, then continued mixing the rosemary flowers, and violet and rue petals together.

Draco stirred the potion, then waited for the water to boil. After a few minutes of waiting impatiently, the water boiled over the cauldron. Making the fire a little less hot, Draco watched as the water stopped bubbling, then added in the newt eyes that he'd mixed with the robin's egg and shell.

"Move back as soon as you've stirred that two times counter clockwise," Ginevra instructed.

Draco nodded, then stirred the potion as instructed, moving back quickly. With a small poof a cloud of smoke rose above the cauldron, before getting sucked back into the potion.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Neville asked with a frown, looking down into the cauldron.

Ginevra pulled him out of the way and another cloud rose out of the cauldron, getting sucked back in just as quickly.

"It does it one more time, so I wouldn't lean over the cauldron," she warned.

Blaise moved back and sat on his stool, reading the instructions.

Once more, a cloud of smoke rose out of the cauldron, but this time it wasn't pulled back in, instead, it just evaporated into thin air.

"Okay. Now we check to see what colour the potion is. It should be a light blue colour," Blaise read.

Grabbing a test tube with a pair of tongs, Draco dipped it into the cauldron.

"How light does it need to be? This is sky blue," he said. "Wait... It's changing," Draco said. "Okay, it's a lighter blue now," he said after a few seconds.

"You need to add in yours now, Ginevra. Then stir once to the left and twice to the right," Blaise instructed.

Ginevra did as he said, watching the potion carefully.

"What colour is it now?" Blaise asked.

Draco used another test tube to check, replying that it was a light green colour.

"Good. Leave it for five minutes and then we can hand it up," Blaise said with a nod.

"We should start to clean this up while we're waiting," Neville said.

Draco groaned in annoyance, but went quiet and started to clean when both Blaise and Neville looked at him with their eyebrows raised.

They finished cleaning within five minutes, then checked the potion once more before handing it up to Professor Snape.

"If you four want to do another potion, you may, however it is not necessary for your scores," Snape said.

"We'll leave, thanks anyway!" Ginevra said, hurrying to the table to pack her things.

Severus looked at the folded parchment Ginevra had placed on his desk. He sat down and read it discreetly as the four students passed by his table to leave, hiding the fact that he was reading the note to the rest of the class.

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Draco, Ginevra, Blaise and Neville hurried down to Ginevra's room.

"I hope Snape does what we asked," Neville said with a frown.

"Of course he will. He's a Slytherin, after all," Blaise said, winking at him.

"But he doesn't like surprises," Neville pointed out. "He might want to spoil the surprise or something."

"He shouldn't do that," Blaise said, not as confident now.

"Well, either way, we've barely got half an hour to get everything ready for Theodore's birthday party," Ginevra said. "Did you get everyone to sign his card yet?" she asked as they hurried down the corridor.

"Just you and Draco left now," Blaise said with a nod.

"Okay. We'll sign it when we get in," Draco said. "Did your brothers get started on the decorating?" he asked as Ginevra opened the door cautiously.

"Yes..." Ginevra said, sighing in relief. "You better not have done anything to the food!" she said, seeing Fred and George waiting for them.

"No trust in us at all, Forge!" George said, shaking his head.

"None at all, Gred! I'm so disappointed!" Fred said with a sigh.

"Very funny," Ginevra drawled.

Fred and George smirked, then gave her a low bow, winking as they straightened properly.

"We were able to get Oliver to look after the shop earlier than we thought, so we managed to get more done," they said, walking to the meeting room, the others behind them.

Ginevra rolled her eyes slightly as they did an exaggerated drum roll before opening the doors.

"This is great! Where'd you get that sign from?" Neville asked in shock, seeing the huge 'Happy 18th Birthday' sign hanging on the end wall.

"Muggle party store. We just did a few adjustments to it," the twins replied with winks.

Underneath the sign was a table filled with various food and drinks. Another table was piled with presents.

"By the way, Ginevra... You could have told us that you'd gone and got a whole heap of animals! We were about to start calling the Ministry Animal Protection Department!" Fred and George said.

"Not MAPD!" Colin drawled sarcastically. "I really hope that Brown gets what she bloody deserves. Oh, Dean! Luna's putting a curse on me! She looked at me twice without blinking! Dean, do this! Dean, do that! Stop looking at me like that! Why's Creevey glowing red and breathing flames?" Colin mimicked.

Luna shook her head slightly, then conjured up a pillow for him. Colin thanked her, then screamed his lungs out into it.

"I pity the pillow," Parvati and Padma drawled as they walked in.

"Next time, someone else has to go with them, or I will kill them," Colin snarled.

"Oh, pick me!" Millicent said with a grin. "I'll be your alibi if you want," she said winking at him.

"You're finished already? Does that mean Theodore will be here soon?" Ginevra asked.

"Relax! Theodore was chosen to clean everything, then Snape said he wanted to see him after class. Guess your note worked," Millicent replied.

"Did Pomfrey agree to give Theo the night off?" Draco asked.

Millicent nodded. "She told him to have the night off for working so hard in the last few weeks. She got him a present too," she said, going to her room and returning with a thin package.

Fred and George took it from her, floating it in turns to the top of presents.

"We'll finish decorating the room. Did you get the balloons?" Ginevra asked Fred and George.

"Yes ma'am! Don't worry... There's no exploding ones," they replied.

"Unfortunate that," Padma said to Fred, who nodded in agreement.

"Definitely," Fred said with a sigh.

Ginevra shook her head, then opened the packet of balloons. She started to blow up some, the others taking their own balloons and blowing them up.

"Can anyone tie these up?" Ginevra asked, holding the shimmering silver balloon tightly.

"We know the spell to do it," Fred and George volunteered.

In seconds, everyone was standing in front of them, offering their balloons.

"You don't mean that none of you can tie balloons?" they asked, incredulous.

Colin tried tying his green balloon. It slipped through his fingers, whizzing around the room loudly.

"Take that as a no and start tying!" Ginevra said.

Fred and George sighed, then started to tie the offered balloons.

In minutes, the room was filled with green and silver shimmering balloons.

"Where is everyone?" Theodore called as he walked into the rooms.

They all went quiet quickly, nudging Millicent.

"We're doing homework in the meeting room!" she called, trying to make sure she didn't start laughing

Theodore sighed in disappointment. It seemed that they'd really forgotten about his birthday this year. Not even Gregory and Vincent kept up the pretense this long! He dropped his bag off in his room, then trudged up to the meeting room with his homework in hand. Opening the door, Theodore dropped his stuff in shock, staring at the meeting room.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled, Draco included.

"Bloody hell," Theodore muttered, still shocked.

"Happy birthday!" Ginevra said, hugging him.

Millicent smirked at her boyfriend.

"Thought we forgot, did you?" she asked, kissing him.

"Happy birthday, mate," Gregory and Vincent said, clapping him on the back.

Once Theodore had gotten over his shock and everyone had finished saying 'happy birthday' to him, he looked around at all of the balloons, presents and food.

"Thanks," he said, trying not to get teary eyed.

"No problem! Do you want presents or cake first?" Fred and George asked, smirking at him.

"Well... I'll torture you all since you did that to me all day, and go with presents first," Theodore said, smirking when Gregory and Vincent groaned in annoyance. "How long have you been planning this?" he asked.

Parvati and Padma led him to a chair in the middle of the room and sat him on it.

"Since you mentioned it was your birthday," Ginevra replied, giving him her present.

Theodore grinned and opened the present eagerly. A Healer's guide to Herbology.

"If you don't like it, you can exchange it..." she said when he didn't say anything.

"What? Don't be stupid! I love it! Thanks," Theodore said, hugging her tightly.

Draco gave him a pair of Healer robes and was surprised when Theodore hugged him too.

"Okay... You can let go now," Draco said, patting his back after a few moments.

Blaise, Neville and Seamus had all pitched in to buy Theodore two pairs of Chaser gloves for the new Quidditch season.

Parvati and Padma bought him 'A Healer's guide to wandless spells: useful for battles, wars and backyards!', while Fred and George bought a gift 'to open later', according to their small card.

"Millicent will love it," they whispered with identical winks.

"Very. Bad. Images..." Ginevra groaned, shaking her head.

Draco kissed her forehead to comfort her, then went red. Malfoy's weren't supposed to be tender...

"Thanks, Draco," she said with a smile.

Luna and Colin had bought him an expensive wand belt, customising it to also fit other medical necessities, including bandages and a stethoscope.

Pansy, Gregory and Vincent had bought separate presents for him: a book about weather elves, a large block of health chocolate, and a quick-quill set from Flourish and Blotts for 'writing diagnoses'.

Millicent was red when she gave Theodore her present: a small book of vouchers. Theodore flipped through them, grinning and eventually turning red when the vouchers became more private.

"Can we see?" Fred and George teased, pretending to read over his shoulder.

Theodore's eyes went wide and he shut the vouchers, pushing the twins away. He pulled Millicent down onto his lap, kissing her before whispering in her ear.

Ginevra and Draco shut their eyes tightly, and she grabbed his hand in an attempt to take their minds off what Theodore was whispering.

Millicent was bright red by the time he finished whispering to her. She stood up, hoping she hadn't hurt his legs, but Theodore seemed fine and just grinned at her.

"Can we eat now?" Vincent whined.

"I don't think I have an appetite anymore," Ginevra muttered.

"More for us!" Gregory and Vincent said, grinning at her.

They went to Theodore, asking and begging for him to cut the cake.

"All right, I'll cut the damned cake!" Theodore relented, after being bugged by them for two minutes flat.

"Yay!" Gregory and Vincent said, Pansy shaking her head at them.

"Sometimes I swear you're both really five-year-olds just pretending to be seventeen," she drawled.

"Sometimes we would agree with you!" they replied, grabbing plates and eagerly standing next to Theodore.

"You can't cut it yet!" Ginevra, Fred and George exclaimed as Theodore grabbed the knife.

"Why?" Theodore asked with a frown, Gregory and Vincent agreeing.

"We have to sing happy birthday!" the twins said, as if it was obvious.

"Really?"

"Of course! Now sit down on your chair!" Fred and George said, pushing him into it.

They went over to the cake, placing two candles on it, on shaped as a one, the other as an eight. As the twins lit the candles, Ginevra dimmed the lights and started singing happy birthday, her brothers joining immediately.

A second later, Colin, Luna and Neville were singing. Seamus started singing, as did Parvati. Shrugging to himself, Blaise joined in too, Padma not too far behind. Eager to get to the actual cake, Vincent and Gregory sang, Pansy joining in. Grinning at hr boyfriend, Millicent started singing too. After a lot of nudging from Ginevra, Draco finally joined in.

In order to get everyone to sing together, Fred and George started up the song again, Theodore laughing as Gregory and Vincent almost started crying.

Eventually, the song finished, the candles were blown out and the cake was cut, much to Gregory and Vincent's relief.

"This present is from Madam Pomfrey," Fred and George said, giving the present to him, almost having forgot about it.

"Oh... I better thank it for her tomorrow," Theodore said, opening the package.

Millicent frowned as Theodore paled, staring at the parchment he'd pulled out.

"What's wrong?" she asked, going over to him. "Bloody hell!" Millicent exclaimed, reading it over his shoulder.

"What is it? Read it out to everyone!" Parvati and Padma said, wondering what it was.

"Dear Mr. Nott. You have been accepted into the St. Mungo's Healer training program, at the insistence of Madam Poppy Pomfrey. A test will be required in order for you to be successfully enrolled, however we are confident that you will pass. Madam Pomfrey has requested that the test be undertaken while you are still at Hogwarts, and we have agreed to this term. We look forward to seeing you in the future! Kindest regards, St. Mungo's Healers," Millicent read out, Theodore in too much shock to read it out loud.

"That's really good right? I heard that they rarely take healers straight out of school. Pomfrey must have passed with flying colours to have that much influence," Pansy said.

Theodore just stared at the parchment.

"It's the real thing, all right. That's their seal of approval, and I know Healer Wright's handwriting," Neville said, looking at the parchment over Theodore's shoulder.

"Congratulations!" Gregory said, hugging him.

"Thanks," Theodore said, staring at the parchment again. "I can't believe it... It's so hard to get in there," he muttered. "Some people have to wait months before they'll even have an interview with them!"

"Shows how good of a healer you are," Millicent said with a grin. "Pomfrey says that all the time!"

"I thought she was just being nice because I was a Slytherin," Theodore muttered, shaking his head.

"That's usually a reason for people not to be nice," Fred and George pointed out.

Ginevra glared at them, then started to tell them off, sounding a lot like Molly.

"I'm going to St. Mungo's on the next Hogsmeade break if you want to come with me," Neville said quietly to Theodore.

"Apparently they want to set up an interview with me," Theodore said, looking at the second piece of parchment.

"You can take us with you, Neville," Blaise said, Seamus nodding in agreement.

"We want to meet your folks," Seamus said grinning at him.

"Really?" Neville asked, seeming surprised.

"Of course," Blaise said, Seamus wrapping an arm around Neville's waist.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he whispered, kissing him tenderly.

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"I'm exhausted," Ginevra said with a yawn.

"Seems Fred and George got to sleeping before you did," Draco said, nodding over to the twins, who were sleeping underneath the table, snoring softly.

"Where'd all the animals go?" Ginevra wondered, not having heard anything for a while.

"Lyra's sleeping in Colin and Luna's room. Chi and Micah are sleeping in Pansy, Gregory and Vincent's room. Dodger managed to get into Seamus' room. The last I saw of him, he was attempting to climb the bed curtains," Bexley said with a slight smirk. "Relo is sleeping in your room because Theodore and Millicent will most likely want some privacy tonight," he added, grinning now. "Sram fell asleep when the twins did, but he's using the birthday sign as a hammock," Bexley said, nodding over to the sleeping pixie who was swinging softly in an invisible breeze.

"Right... Well, I'm going to drag myself to bed," Ginevra said with another yawn.

"I'll carry you," Draco offered.

"After the amount of Butterbeer you had, I'm surprised you can still stand," she muttered, but not complaining as he picked her up.

Snuggling into Draco's chest, Ginevra was lulled to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat, and was snoring softly by the time he made it to her room. Shaking his head at her, Draco stepped over a snoring Relo, and gently placed Ginevra on the desk chair as he pulled back her bed covers.

Over the night, clothing had been shed due to the rising body heat from the excessive Butterbeers consumed. Draco hadn't taken off much, due to being a Full Blooded Veelan. This meant that the heat and cold didn't affect him unless he wanted it to, or it was very extreme conditions.

Luckily for him, Ginevra had already taken off her robe, jumper, shoes and stockings. He could leave her as she was, or undress her... Shaking his head, Draco put her in the bed then put the covers over her tenderly. On an impulse, he kissed her forehead. He left before he would do anything else to her...

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Draco smirked at Ginevra, kissing her temple lightly.

"I love you, Ginevra," he whispered.

Ginevra rolled over to look at him, smiling genuinely.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing him before letting her lips kiss a trail across his jawbone, resting on his neck.

Draco moaned as her fangs pierced him, his own fangs pushing out. He licked her neck lightly before biting her too, Ginevra's moan the same lust-filled one as his had been.

They Drank from each other eagerly, then made love on the soft cushions surrounding them.

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Ginevra smiled in her sleep, as she rolled over and continued to dream, her sleep uninterrupted until the morning light broke through her window...

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(a/n: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!

In the Runes class, Ginevra reads the introduction - why is wood the medium of choice? This part was taken from: www (dot) sunnyway (dot) com / runes / runeset (dot) html

The present Millicent gives Theodore is a book of vouchers from her to him - eg. one back massage, and other cute stuff like that. She did it for him because she knew he'd like it and he's cute too!

Okay... Due to Real Life being hectic, I am now going to update with one day... This means that the timeline won't be continuing on this way (eg. Sept 15, 16, 17, 18...). It doesn't mean that I won't keep it in chronological order though! Days will be labelled appropriately, so read that carefully! I won't start jumping months or anything like that yet - I'll do a day or two at first, so you can see what that's like... I know some people won't be happy, but at least the chapters will be out a little quicker! Hopefully...

This might not start happening until a few more chapters are out though, so don't start worrying now!

Just a quick note to say that you are now up to date! This site now has the same amount of chapters as my fanfiction one does! This also means that you’ll have to wait as long as they do for the next chapter...

Now, for other news... I am starting up a world domination RPG / community on my Live Journal. If anyone is interested, the details to apply are on my fanfiction (dot) net profile (link is on my profile here).

I have written detailed descriptions of the characters in this story, if anyone wants to draw pictures of them... (HINT!) It will be posted in my forum in the topic 'The Vampiress and Veelan' ... Also on fanfiction (dot) net.

Thanks again for reading!)

14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter, don’t sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!

My apologies for the late chapter – I had a bad case of writer’s block.

There is smut near the end of the chapter.

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Fourteen

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Ginevra woke up from her dream, a smile on her face. She listened to Relo snoring for a moment then sat up and looked at Bexley, who was resting on her dressing table.

She changed into her uniform after showering and left her room to find Pansy standing in the corridor, looking like she had been awake all night.

"Hi Pansy. Sleep well?" Ginevra asked with a grin.

"Stop being so damned cheerful," Pansy muttered in return, yawning widely. "Greg and Vince snored all night and I couldn't get to sleep until I put silencing charms on them," she grumbled.

"You didn't take them off, did you?" Ginevra asked seeing Gregory and Vincent behind Pansy, stern looks on their faces.

Pansy turned to them, glaring, unfazed by their looks.

"Don't look at me like that! You two were snoring louder than the Hogwarts Express last night! Next time you're going to stay up so late, have anti-snoring potions before going to bed!" Pansy said, taking the spells off.

"But they taste disgusting," Gregory whined.

"Then don't stay up so late," Pansy said with a glare.

"What's going on?" Draco mumbled as he came out of his room, yawning widely.

"Gregory and Vincent kept Pansy up last night with their snoring," Ginevra replied, then left quickly, the memory of her dream making her feel embarrassed.

Draco looked after her with a smirk, her lust evident to his senses. He chuckled softly, then headed after her, leaving Pansy, Gregory and Vincent confused.

"Ginevra?" Draco leant against her doorframe, a smirk still playing on his face, and waited for her to turn around and acknowledge him.

"Yes?" she asked, going red and not looking at him, instead choosing to shove all of her books into her bag as if it was the most interesting chore in the world.

"Look at me," he said, going over to her.

Steadying her emotions, Ginevra looked at Draco, and immediately wished that she hadn't, details from her dream pushing into her mind.

"I can smell it, you know," he whispered in her ear.

"Smell what?" she stammered and wished that her blood wasn't pumping quite so fast.

"Your lust," Draco murmured, kissing her neck.

Ginevra's highly sensitive nerves practically exploded and she could do nothing but melt in Draco's arms.

Smirking against her skin, Draco wondered if he should admit that he knew exactly what she had dreamt about, then just decided to torment her some more, and bit at her neck, eliciting a deep moan from Ginevra.

"I'd tell you two to get a room, but you're already in one... Next time close the door," Millicent said, interrupting them with a smirk.

Ginevra glared at her through hazy senses, but Millicent just smirked at her again then shut the door.

Before Ginevra could think or say anything, Draco was kissing her fiercely. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she kissed him back hungrily. Ginevra moved her attention to his neck and licked his skin before biting him. She Drank, loving the way that he moaned in pleasure. Biting her own wrist, she offered it to Draco, who Drank from her eagerly, watching her intently. Dropping her wrist, Draco pulled Ginevra to him, his blood stained lips covering her own, their tongues waging war on each other.

"Both of you get out of this room right now!" Pansy said, opening the door and glaring at them. "You're going to miss out on breakfast if you stay here any longer."

Draco and Ginevra hissed at her, their eyes red, but Pansy was unfazed.

"You can make out tonight. You're both going to the Great Hall and eating breakfast, then you're going to class. I will drag you both there if you don't come of your own free will," Pansy said with another glare.

"Fine," Ginevra hissed then grabbed her bag and left.

Draco glared at Pansy, before going to get his own bag. Smirking, Pansy grabbed her own bag, then made sure everyone was in the corridor before heading to the Great Hall.

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"Sit down and get your wands out," McGonagall said, smiling at the class.

Curious, everyone did as she said. Ginevra wondered how much coffee McGonagall had consumed during breakfast to make her this cheerful at this time of the morning.

"You'll all be attempting to turn this parrot into a chair," McGonagall said, the parrot flying down from the rafters and onto the perch beside her. She turned it into a bright-coloured chair, then back into it's normal form.

Obviously a lot of coffee, Ginevra mused as the parrot started screeching loudly, and McGonagall seemed unfazed.

"Watch carefully as I demonstrate the wand movements. This spell is quite different from the other spell you learnt, so pay attention," McGonagall added.

Everyone craned their necks to see what she was doing, Hermione practically standing to get the best vantage point. Raising her eyebrows slightly at Hermione's desperation, Ginevra watched McGonagall calmly. McGonagall finished the complicated twirling motion, instructing everyone to follow her slower movements.

Draco yawned at it, having memorised the motion the first time she'd done it. McGonagall caught his yawn and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Mr. Malfoy, did you not get enough rest last night?" she asked, her voice cool.

"Oh, I had plenty of sleep, thank you Professor," Draco said, a slight smirk on his face.

"Then why are you yawning in my class?" she asked sternly.

"I think this is a waste of time. If they didn't get it the first time you did it, what makes you think that they will now on the third try?" Draco said.

"If you are so sure of your talents, then please, come to the front and show the class the spell," Minerva said, not liking to be told how to teach from a student.

Draco nodded, walking to the front and ignoring the looks he was getting. Ginevra smirked at him, knowing the extent of his power. They even excelled her own, not that he was egotistical enough to prove it. When she was a Full Blooded Vampiress, her power would match his... She couldn't wait.

Flicking through the motion easily, the parrot turned into a magnificent chair, delicate and intricate carings around the edge of the chair. The cushioning wasn't even as bright as McGonagall's had been - hers was a reflection of the parrot's feathers, while Draco's chair was green and grey, completely different to the red-orange colour of the parrot.

"You should really look into getting Advanced classes," Draco drawled, bored again, returning to his seat.

Slightly annoyed at being proven wrong, McGonagall just gave a nod. She went through the motions once more, then made all of the students line up and do the spell. Ginevra got it on her second try.

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"Today's class will be outside. Please, follow me," Firenze said, leaving the tower through the staircase.

Everyone grabbed their things, hurried down the trapdoor, and followed Firenze outside.

They stopped after a while, practically centred to the lake, forest and castle.

"Lie down. There is no need to worry about your clothes, the ground is not wet," Firenze added when Lavender looked to the ground, pouting.

The class did as he instructed, feeling slightly foolish and hoping that the other students wouldn't see them.

"Close your eyes and try not to think of anything. If you do think of anything, let it go. Your mind has to go blank. You can also do this by thinking of a colour. Black is preferrable," Firenze said, his soft voice flowing over them.

After a few minutes, Firenze instructed them all to even out their breathing. More minutes passed, and when he was satisfied that they were ready, he continued to talk.

"A light is in front of you. A small white light," he said quietly, watching them. "The light comes towards you and it changes colour," Firenze said, his eyes closed too.

Ginevra watched the light coming closer to her, changing to a blood-red colour.

"Now the shape changes. Watch the shape carefully, and when you are sure it is still, remember the image," he said, his voice still quiet. "Now open your eyes and sit up slowly. What did you see?" Firenze asked, indicating to Sally-Anne.

"A bright sun," she said, a smile on her face. "It warmed me inside out," Sally-Anne said, hugging herself.

Pansy stared at her, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. She muttered to herself, Ginevra and Draco stifling chuckles at her words.

Firenze turned to Pansy, a smile on his face.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"My grandfather," Pansy replied.

With a nod, Firenze continued through the rest of the class.

Hearing someone say 'a squirrel', Ginevra had to bite her tongue very hard in order to stop from laughing out loud. Blood seeped from the small wounds and her eyes started turning red. Draco smelt the blood and looked at her quickly.

"Take her to the hospital wing," Firenze said quietly.

Ginevra's senses tuned into everyone around her, the beating of their hearts and the rush of their blood becoming too much. She opened her mouth with a hiss and went to leap on the person who was emitting the most delicious scent of all: fear.

Draco grabbed Ginevra around the waist, ignoring her when she hissed at him angrily. He put her over his shoulder easily and ran to her rooms faster than the wind blew.

Ginevra scratched at Draco angrily. How dare he do this! She wanted blood, and she wanted it now.

Sensing how out of control Ginevra's Thirst was, the animals scattered out of Draco's way. Bexley flew out of Ginevra's body gratefully, a headache forming. He herded the others into the meeting room with Dodger's help, the door closing once they were all inside.

"Calm down," Draco soothed, locking them both in her room.

Ginevra hissed at him, her fangs extended, and her emotions in control.

"Blood," she growled, jumping on him and sinking her fangs into his neck.

Draco stumbled slightly, not expecting her full weight. He held her against his body, pleasure flowing through both of them as Ginevra Drank from him greedily.

"Ginevra," he said, starting to feel a strain on his energy. "You have to share with me."

Not stopping, Ginevra considered ignoring his suggestion for a moment. She eventually pulled away and bit her wrist, offering it to him. Thankful, Draco accepted her wrist and sucked eagerly.

Ginevra groaned as she felt her blood flowing into him, pleasure filling every part of her body. As Draco Drank more, she blanked out, her pleasure overloading her mind.

Draco pulled away when Ginevra went limp in his arms. In a second she was awake again, and eager for more blood.

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Neville walked into Ginevra's rooms cautiously. He'd seen the look on Ginevra's face, and had seen how worried Firenze was, despite hiding it very well. He almost expected to find every living thing in Ginevra's room drained of blood, and was extremely relieved when Blaise and Seamus found the animals in the meeting room.

"Ginevra?" Neville called. "Draco?"

Draco heard him calling, then muttered a curse, pulling away from Ginevra reluctantly.

"Stay," she moaned in his ear, her lips moving down to lick his neck.

"Just let me get rid of them," Draco said, pulling away again.

Neville jumped when Ginevra's door opened. He looked at Draco, who had his shirt off and bite marks along his neck and shoulder. Draco glared at him, and Neville didn't miss the gleam of blood on his lips.

"We'll be in the next class. Now leave," Draco hissed.

"Right," Neville said, hurrying to get Seamus and Blaise.

Draco barely closed the door when Ginevra pushed him against it, biting his shoulder.

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Lupin called out attendance, Moody searching the room. They both noticed when Draco didn't answer, then saw that Ginevra was absent too.

"She's probably off drinking his blood somewhere," Ron sneered.

"Your point?" Draco drawled as he walked into the classroom with Ginevra.

Their eyes were red, their skin paler than normal, showing the various marks on their neck and wrists. Both Ginevra and Draco's lips were as red as their eyes, a shade that no cosmetic product could achieve. Ginevra's eyes were glazed, her body still feeling the after affects of Drinking the sweet liquid that flowed through Draco's veins. She was content enough to ignore the sound of the blood pumping in the other students.

Ron paled and Lavender turned green when they realised that they really had been drinking blood.

"That's disgusting," Lavender said, her face turning a darker shade of green.

Ginevra seemed oblivious to her words, and sat at her seat. Draco sat beside her, a smirk on his face.

"You're both late," Lupin said to Draco and Ginevra, ignoring Lavender easily. "Do you have a valid reason?"

"We were getting Ginevra's urges under control so she wouldn't start Drinking from everyone else," Draco drawled.

Lupin looked at Moody for a moment, wondering if that was a good enough reason to refrain from giving them detention. Moody looked just as perplexed, so Lupin coughed slightly and just ticked the two students off the attendance scroll.

"I'll check with Dumbledore after class if your reason is valid," he said.

Draco just nodded, and again, Ginevra seemed oblivious to everything that was being said.

Pansy looked at Gregory and Vincent, concern showing through her eyes. Ginevra had never been like this after Drinking. She'd been quite the opposite in fact, full of energy and attentive.

"She's fine," Draco assured them quietly.

"You sure?" Seamus asked softly, looking at Ginevra.

She was staring at her quill as if she'd never seen it before in her life.

Draco chuckled softly when he saw her do this, then nodded at Seamus' question.

"Ginevra's just a little sensitive to everything. She Drank a lot of blood," he replied.

Colin glared at Lavender, seeing how she was listening in on their conversation. Lavender paled when she noticed his look, then quickly returned her attention to Lupin.

Millicent slipped Colin a note when Moody pretended that he wasn't looking.

'She could accidentally fall off a cliff.'

Colin stifled a laugh. Luna just shook her head at Millicent, who looked disappointed to say the least.

"You will do the Room of Requirement task again next week. You will continue to do the task each week until you have finished all of the scenario's available," Lupin said.

"That includes the one where dead bodies are in the room with you," Moody said, looking far too pleased in the opinion of some.

Ginevra raised her eyebrow at Draco, who just smirked in return.

"Professor Lupin? Just how many scenarios are there?" Seamus asked.

"At the moment, there are only fifteen. Death eaters, animals, Muggles, plants, and a combination of these," Lupin replied. "There are then variations of these, one of which includes dead bodies, as Professor Moody just pointed out," Lupin said with a nod. "The other three are landscape changes."

"For today's lesson you will be learning how to defend yourself against animals," Moody said, tapping his wand.

Screams erupted as various animals appeared throughout the classroom, Muggle and wizard alike. They were all under the three 'X' rating, meaning that any competent wizard could handle it, but the spiders and snakes had most of the Gryffindor's screaming and jumping onto tables and chairs.

Lupin and Moody watched their hysteria in some disbelief. Ron had paled and was sitting on his table, staring at the spider that was making its way up his chair leg. Lavender was screaming as a snake started to slither over to her. Harry and Hermione were trembling as various animals made their way past them, sniffing them curiously.

Pansy picked up a Streeler, careful not to touch the poisonous trail it left behind, then began to stroke the snail's shell, a smirk on her face as she watched everyone.

Vincent and Gregory conjured a large tank for the Shrake, carefully putting it inside. Blaise, Seamus and Neville picked up the baby sea serpent, who was just under ten metres long, putting it in with the Shrake. Luna caught the flopping Ramora, placing it in with the other two animals, after ensuring that the sea serpent wouldn't eat it.

A Red Cap cornered Sally-Anne, an evil smirk on its face. It could smell the blood from a small cut she had on her hand, and was eager to taste her. Sally-Anne screamed, then stunned it with her wand.

A Puffskein hopped around the room playfully, its tongue hanging out of its mouth and flying behind it. He happily searched the nearest person for boogers and was kicked away instantly. It whimpered, then hopped over to Draco, who calmed it with a few words.

Ginevra watched with curiosity as a Crup ran over to her, its forked tail wagging happily. The animal ran over to Hermione, growling ferociously, before returning to Ginevra, jumping up to stand against her chair. Ginevra picked the dog up and stroked it softly, amazed at how soft it was beneath her fingers. Smiling, she continued to hold the dog, oblivious to the chaos around her.

Shocked at how the students weren't handling the situation, Moody and Lupin began to go along the aisles, helping the students, or calming them down in Ron and Lavender's case.

The Puffskein was on Draco's desk, sleeping now, its tongue rolling out of its mouth and creating a wet patch on the table. Pansy was calming the sea serpent down, Luna crooning to the Shrake. Colin was taking photos of the Puffskein, laughing as it rolled over, its tongue hitting Draco.

Pixies flitted around Parvati and Padma, chattering loudly with them.

Gregory and Vincent were talking with Terry and James, all four of them holding gnomes calmly. The gnomes growled and tried to squirm out of their grasp, but the four of them ignored them easily, continuing on talking.

Moody and Lupin finally settled the class down, and had everyone sitting on their seats once more.

"One by one you will come to the front and confront the animals. You need to make sure that the animal does not scare you, nor move away," Lupin said.

"A spell will monitor your temperature and blood flow," Moody added.

At the word 'blood' Ginevra's eyes snapped to the front and she watched the first person - Hermione - go against a large tarantula.

Hermione could feel everyone watching her, and suddenly wished that she hadn't volunteered to go first. She was nervous, and she could see Ginny eyeing her as if she was her next meal. She hurried to keep the tarantula away with a spell, then went to her seat.

"Your heart beat increased due to your fear. You need to keep your emotions under control," Lupin said, calling up the next person.

Hermione just nodded, not wanting to admit that it was Ginny who had scared her, not the spider.

Ginevra smirked at Hermione, knowing that she had scared her. Ignoring the increasing pulse of the student at the front, Ginevra kept her attention on Hermione, sneering when she paled.

Not wanting to stop Ginevra, Draco watched them, a broad smirk on his face.

Throughout the lesson, Ginevra taunted Hermione, staring at her and licking her lips any time the older girl looked at her. Even when Ginevra was called to the front to confront the animals, it seemed as if she was still looking at Hermione's throat.

The students watched Ginevra curiously, wondering if she would use a spell on the animals as the other students had. A few watched her temperature and heart beat. Draco noted that her heart was beating quite slowly, but her pulse and her temperature remained constant.

The animals walked over to Ginevra calmly and she started to stroke them, crooning softly. An evil look came over her face as Ginevra smirked over at Hermione, the tarantula crawling onto her palm.

Ginevra stood and walked over to Hermione, ignoring the strangled gasp that pushed out of Ron's throat when she passed by him. Hermione pushed her chair as far away from her desk as possible. With another evil smirk, Ginevra sat on the desk and calmly swung her feet back and forth, still petting the spider in her hand.

Again, the animals made their way through the class, but this time they moved with stealth and grace. Most of the students were too stunned or scared to try and pick up their wands. The snake started to curl its way up Draco's chair and his leg. He let it continue all the way up so that it was curled around his arm, then began to hiss to it softly, stroking the leather-like scales.

With a bark, the Crup returned to Luna, who happily picked it up once more, crooning to it again.

Moody nodded to Lupin, who left the classroom with a few students, returning to get more. Soon, the only students left were Hermione, Ginevra and her friends.

"Right you lot, follow me," Moody barked angrily.

Calmly and without complaint, they followed him out of the room, the animals still with them. Hermione was pale and trembling, but the other students ignored her easily. Lupin led Hermione away to where the other students were so they could continue the lesson.

Moody led the other fourteen to the Room of Requirement, then told them to put the animals down. As they did so, the animals disappeared.

"We can't have you disrupting the class like this, Ginevra," Moody said with a glare.

"I just did as you asked," she replied with a smile that had her fangs showing.

"You purposely scared the other students!" Moody replied.

"They weren't all scared," Ginevra said, her indifference evident.

"How much blood did you give her?" Moody asked, turning to Draco.

"What was necessary to refrain from blood being shed," Draco replied with a smirk.

"It was obviously too much if she's acting like this," Moody hissed.

"Acting like what?" Ginevra asked, her voice cold and soft. She glared at Moody, anger filling her eyes.

"Go to the hospital wing now, Ginevra," Mad-Eye said, ignoring her question.

"No!" she said, her Vampiress form taking over.

With a sigh, Neville threw a punch at Ginevra.

She turned and grabbed his fist, bending it back and almost breaking his wrist. He snarled at her, wrenching his hand from her grip. Neville turned into his nymph self and started fighting with Ginevra.

As his thumbs glowed a bright green, plant tattoos covered Neville's now-bare chest. When Ginevra punched his chest, the plant tattoos creeped onto her fist. In minutes, the plant tattoos were replaced with real plants and Ginevra was bound up. Power flickered in Ginevra's eyes, the plants dropping to the floor.

As Ginevra threw another punch, Blaise stopped it, snarling at her. His hooves blocked a kick, then he tried to corner her. Ginevra smirked and with a move that became a blur, she moved around Blaise, hitting Neville.

Seamus growled low in his throat and plants surrounded Neville in an instant, protecting him. Ginevra turned on Seamus, hitting him. He moved out of the way, then retaliated with his own punches. The plants around Neville withered and he started fighting Ginevra too. Ginevra hit Seamus in the stomach, then turned to Neville, kicking at his chest.

As Neville hit Ginevra, Draco's Veelan side took over and with a snarl, he hit Neville, intent on defending Ginevra.

Gregory and Vincent tried to stop the fight, and ended up fighting against Ginevra, who had hit and kicked them too. Pansy glared at Ginevra, then joined in the fight too.

Colin debated whether he should take pictures, turn into a dragon or Apollo. He started snapping pictures, staying out of the fight.

"This is going to be an interesting ending," Luna / Cassandra murmured, conjuring popcorn.

Parvati and Padma nodded in agreement, taking handfuls of popcorn themselves. Millicent and Theodore hovered on the edge of the fight, making sure that no one got hurt so much that they couldn't heal them.

On hearing Cassandra's voice, Apollo took Colin over and headed over to her.

"I want to get photos, damn it," Colin growled, fighting against the change.

"Let him take photos, love," Luna / Cassandra said absent-mindedly, watching the fight.

With a pout that made him look even sexier, Apollo let Colin resume control. Smirking, Colin grabbed his camera and headed back over to the fight.

Moody was torn between his love of fighting and his duty as a teacher. He knew that he should probably try and break the fight up, then give them all detention, but he also realised that Ginevra probably needed to get it out of her system. If she didn't fight now, then she'd be picking fights with the other students who weren't able to defend themselves against her. He sighed, then watched the fight intently, picking on points that would need work.

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"I'll presume you're all worn out now?" Moody asked as the fight finished.

They all returned to their human forms, too weary to reply. Bruises, cuts, scratches and broken bones were quickly healed by Theodore.

"Your next lesson starts in a few minutes. All of you will return here on Saturday, is that understood?" Moody asked, glaring at them.

"Yes sir," Ginevra said, then left with the others.

"Feeling better now?" Neville asked Ginevra with a grin, his arm around her shoulder.

"Yes. Sorry about that," she replied, sounding embarrassed.

"Nothing to be sorry about," Neville said cheerfully. "You've been itching for a fight all day, and you had to get it out of your system."

"True," Ginevra admitted.

"The look on Granger's face was priceless!" Pansy said, laughing.

"We better hurry. You've got to talk with Faolan too," Millicent said to Ginevra.

As they left the castle, they ran down to Hagrid's hut, arriving just before he started to call attendance.

"Yer all know what yer doing. If yer going into the Forest, take someone with yer," Hagrid instructed.

Padma and Parvati left to go to Fred and George's shop. Gregory, Vincent and Theodore went to Ginevra's room, Seamus not far behind them. Pansy went over to the lake, diving in and flicking her tail as she swam over to the squid. Colin went behind Hagrid's hut, where the Hippogriff was tied. Blaise went back to the castle to talk with Firenze.

"We're an odd number now," Luna pointed out.

"One of yer can come with me," Hagrid said.

"I will," Neville volunteered.

Millicent and Luna nodded their thanks, then they headed into the Forbidden Forest with Ginevra and Draco.

"We can go talk to Faolan first," Luna said with a smile.

With a nod, Millicent led them down a path and they went deeper into the forest.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, a low growl came from the side clearing, and hundreds of yellow eyes appeared, watching them. Not surprised, Millicent growled back, her eyes turning a yellow colour. Moments later, a wolf stepped out onto the path. Millicent bowed to him. Without a sound, the wolf turned and led them into the clearing.

It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Ginevra and King Draco, Faolan said with a bow.

The wolves behind him bowed too. Ginevra and Draco bowed in return, then sat in front of the pack leader.

It is a pleasure to meet you too, Faolan. Please, call me Ginevra, she said.

Call me Draco, he added.

As you wish, Faolan replied. You may introduce your friend, Faolan said to Millicent.

"Faolan, this is Luna Lovegood. Luna, this is the wolf pack, and their leader Faolan," Millicent introduced.

Lovely to meet you all, Luna said with a curtsy.

Faolan sniffed at Luna, then leapt back, a growl stopping in his throat.

I did not know that you were one of them. We have not seen one of your kind here for a long time, Lady, Faolan said, sounding apologetic.

It is quite all right, Faolan, Luna / Cassandra said, an amused smile on her face.

Ginevra and Millicent looked to Luna for an explanation, but she just smiled and didn't say anything.

Ginevra, Draco. I admit that you are not what we expected, Faolan admitted. But I can sense your power, and I wish you all the luck.

Thank you, Faolan, Ginevra and Draco replied, bowing to him.

You may do your project now, wolf-girl, Faolan said, turning to Millicent.

Though she was surprised that Faolan didn't want to talk to Ginevra and Draco further, Millicent bowed and thanked Faolan profusely.

"I will stay with Millicent, you two go meet the yeti and the Gytrash," Luna said with a smile.

Ginevra nodded, then left the clearing with Draco.

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"That was odd," Draco muttered when they were out of earshot.

"Definitely," Ginevra agreed with a nod. "It was like he just wanted to see that we were real or something," she said.

"I wonder what he expected," he mused with a smirk.

"Probably someone older," Ginevra said.

"Do you want to meet the yeti first, or the Gytrash?" Draco asked.

"Might as well talk to the yeti," she replied.

"Right," Draco said, then turned onto a different path.

They headed through the forest, keeping to the clearings as best as they could, hearing centaurs moving between the trees.

They heard the yeti growling long before they reached him. As the distance between Ginevra, Draco, and the yeti closed, the growls became louder.

Ginevra frowned as she listened closely to the sounds.

"It's like he's in pain, not trying to scare something away," she muttered, hurrying her pace.

Draco hurried after Ginevra. They both came to a hard stop when they saw the yeti on the ground, blood staining its white fur, an arrow deep in his chest.

Ginevra groaned, recognising the arrow tip.

"Alexander, I swear you're going to have to learn what's okay to shoot and what isn't," she said, turning around to see her Protector in the trees, watching her with a sheepish grin.

"I did not mean ... "

"Save it," Draco growled, pushing into him as he went over to the yeti.

He changed into his Veelan form, crooning to the wounded creature.

"I need your help, Ginevra," he called.

Alexander glared at Draco, even as Ginevra walked over to Draco, her Vampiress form already helping to soothe the yeti. He watched as Ginevra moved over to the yeti, completely fearless. Her body glowed red and his breath caught at how beautiful she was. Then Draco moved to block Alexander's view. He growled deep in his throat at the intrusion, then slipped away quietly, knowing full well he couldn't challenge Draco while he was in his Veelan form.

Ginevra pulled the arrow free, healing the wound. A bare patch of skin would forever show that the yeti had been hit by an arrow and survived. He wouldn't allow them to clean the blood from his fur, as yeti's had to bathe in hot springs located within the Tibetan mountains.

Thank you, the yeti said, then looked for the one who had shot him. If I see him, he will not survive, he growled.

Fine by me, Draco replied, ignoring the scathing look he was getting from Ginevra.

Grateful that they had saved his life, the yeti gave Draco all of the information he needed for his project, as well as answering the questions Ginevra had for him.

She found out that when a new Queen or King is announced, all animals have the ability to travel to see him or her for a month afterwards. It not only explained the increase of magical creatures, but also why Ginevra was suddenly the most popular witch in the animal kingdom.

As he said goodbye, the yeti gave them the honour of knowing his true name, Kilaa. Draco and Ginevra thanked him, then left after they watched the yeti disappear back to the Tibetan mountains.

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"Where did your Protector go? Why didn't he stay and face the consequences of what he'd done?" Draco growled as they walked along the path to where the Gytrash was.

"He probably went off to the unicorns. I don't know why he left. Maybe he didn't want to get killed by a yeti?" Ginevra suggested with a shrug.

Draco muttered something incoherant, then continued to mutter about the not-so-protective Protector until they reached the Gytrash.

Ginevra! Ryder and Maden said, hurrying over to her eagerly. Draco, they said, just as eager to see him as they were Ginevra.

"Hello Ryder and Maden. How are you both today?" Ginevra asked, patting them.

Well, thank you Queen Ginevra, the Gytrash replied. We are very eager to be in your project.

"That is definitely good," she replied. She officially gave up trying to get the 'Queen' away from her name. It didn't work when she asked them not to call her 'Queen', and she supposed 'Queen Ginevra' was better than nothing.

Draco sat down and watched as Ginevra started talking with the Gytrash about her assignment, asking all of the necessary questions in order for her to complete it. His mind wandered back to Alexander, and he gritted his teeth in anger at the Protector. He was obviously useless at protecting Ginevra, and had no sense of responsibility! He began muttering about him yet again, stopping when he realised that the Gytrash and Ginevra were looking at him strangely.

"Never mind," Draco said, going slightly red in embarrassment.

Ginevra just grinned at him, then turned back to the Gytrash, getting their attention once more.

"Thank you very much. I appreciate your help," Ginevra said, smiling at them.

It was our pleasure, Queen Ginevra, Ryder and Maden said, bowing deeply to her. We hope that whatever troubles you, King Draco, will be no more.

"So do I," Draco grounded out, bowing in return to the Gytrash.

They left the clearing quickly, listening out for any centaurs.

"That wasn't nice, Draco," Ginevra said with a raised eyebrow.

"I never said I was nice," Draco replied, smirking at her.

Ginevra rolled her eyes at him, then left the forest.

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"Have you seen Pansy?" Ginevra asked Gregory and Vincent at lunch.

They barely remembered to swallow their food before answering.

"Not since she went in the lake," Vincent said, shaking his head.

"She's got family down there, nothing to worry about. I hope," Gregory added with a frown.

"That's what I'm worried about. I might go for a swim," Ginevra said, leaving the Great Hall.

After grabbing an apple each, Gregory and Vincent followed her. That shocked a few people into silence, and they wondered what was so important that had Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe leaving the Great Hall in the middle of a meal. The others packed up their lunch and practically ran after Gregory, Vincent, and Ginevra.

Ginevra almost started running in her worried state. It wasn't like Pansy to be late for lunch, especially when Gregory and Vincent had the opportunity to get there early. It really wasn't like Pansy to be late for anything...

As soon as the lake came into view, Ginevra did start running. She dived into the water, then did a bubble spell on her head before she started kicking over to the squid.

Hello, Queen Ginevra. I hope you are well, the squid said, bowing to her.

I am slightly worried for my friend, Water Pansy, Ginevra replied, using the name the squid had given Pansy.

I have not seen her since she left to see her family. Water Pansy chose to do a project on me, the squid said, obviously happy about it.

I am sure she will say nothing but the very best about you. Water Pansy is very fond of you, Ginevra replied. Do you know why she went to see her family?

I did not ask. But her gold band was glowing, if that is any help, the squid replied, now sounding concerned.

Thank you very much. I hope you have a nice day, Ginevra said, bowing to the squid, then returning to the surface.

"Is she all right?" Gregory and Vincent asked immediately, going to help Ginevra out of the water.

"I don't know. She left the squid to go to her family. Her band was glowing apparently. Do you know what that means?" Ginevra asked them.

"The only thing we've heard Pansy say about her band is that it means she's a Royal, and that it's an emergency if it glows," Vincent said, worry shadowing his features.

"We should go out there," Gregory said, looking to the lake as if Pansy might pop up at any moment.

"If you two want to go, then we all will," Luna said.

"There's a problem with that," Parvati said.

"If you say that your hair will get wet, I swear I'll throw you into the lake," Padma drawled at her twin.

Parvati just raised her eyebrow at Padma, then continued.

"We have no way of getting there, and not only that, we may not be allowed to see her until whatever is happening with her family is over," she said.

"I'll fly us all there," Colin offered. "One of the times I'm thankful to be a dragon," he muttered, grinning.

"We should be able to get in as King and Queen," Draco said to Ginevra.

"You might not be able to, and if even you two do, that doesn't mean the rest of us can," Blaise pointed out.

"We're wasting time by doing this, we'll work it out when we get there," Millicent said.

"How close can you fly to the water?" Ginevra asked Colin. "I need to be able to see where I'm going."

"You're going to try and find the hippocampus, aren't you?" Draco asked.

"Don't fly too close to the hippocampus, I don't think it would be too happy to see a dragon," Neville said.

"We'll be fine," Ginevra said, nodding to Colin.

Colin gave his camera to Luna, kissed her cheek, then moved away from everyone and started to Change. In seconds, a golden dragon stood where Colin had been.

Too worried to appreciate Colin's new look, they all hurried to climb onto his back. With a little effort, Colin rose into the air and flew over the lake. At Ginevra's word, Colin got closer to the water, turning when necessary.

"Stop!" Ginevra yelled.

Colin quickly slowed and stopped with a degree of difficulty, then hovered for a moment, wondering what was going to happen.

Ginevra looked down at the water, frowning. It was all so different from up here! Deciding to take her chances, she stood unsteadily and jumped into the water, her legs turning into a fish tail, and gills pushing out of her neck. In a second, Draco was beside her, kicking his legs under the water.

As a Full Blooded Veelan, he didn't need to change into a fish. His power made him immortal, and breathing under water was no longer a difficulty.

Draco looked at Ginevra as she swam around in circles a few times, trying to ascertain where they were.

Recognising a few things to her left, Ginevra's shoulders slumped in relief. She quickly began to swim that way, Draco following her.

Overhead, the others were looking at the water, trying to figure out which way Ginevra and Draco had gone.

"I can't smell a thing. The salt is too overpowering," Millicent said, wrinkling her nose.

Theodore closed his eyes, then began to murmur in Elvish. His eyes flung open, their colour an electric and unnatural blue.

"Head east," he said to Colin.

With a flare of his nostrils, and some resulting smoke, Colin was heading east quickly.

As a weather elf, Theodore was able to use the weather to his advantage, and as all lakes, streams, rivers and seas are part of the weather, he had simply been able to ask the lake where Ginevra and Draco had gone. If he hadn't been in his Elvish state, Theodore would have found it amusing that the lake kept referring to them as 'Queen and King of All'.

After about ten minutes of swimming, Ginevra and Draco arrived at the mermaid's underwater city. They swam faster, still worried about Pansy's safety. Their worry increased further when they saw how deserted the city was. Not one person was in their house, no one was swimming around at the market, the market itself had been abandoned. Ginevra and Draco kept swimming, eventually arriving at what seemed to be a castle. All of the missing people were gathered around the castle. They were singing, but everything about their manner and the song was filled with sadness.

As Ginevra swam amongst the merpeople, she realised that they weren't paying any attention to her. They didn't stop singing, not even if accidentally bumped into. They wouldn't stop singing for anything or anyone.

Ginevra shot out above the merpeople. She was still no where near the castle entrance.

"Cimroan, I need your help!" she called.

Within minutes, the hippocampus was by her side.

You called for me, Queen Ginevra? Cimroan asked, sounding as sad as the merpeople.

"What's going on? Where is Pansy? Is she all right?" Ginevra asked, her worry making her words string into each other.

Draco swam up to them, bowing to the hippocampus. Cimroan returned his bow, seeming surprised that royalty would bow to a creature like him.

"We would appreciate your help, Cimroan," Draco added.

We should go to the castle. Less ears, Cimroan said quietly, then began to swim away.

Ginevra and Draco hurried after him, the song of the merpeople following them.

Cimroan swam into the castle without getting a second glance by the guards. Ginevra and Draco were stared at by curious onlookers, who found their tails almost insulting.

Fish tails indeed! one or two muttered as they swam by.

Cimroan led them to a large room, then looked at them.

Pansy's grandfather is very ill. Water Pansy was called to be by his side. She is fine, Cimroan added. Water Pansy understandably, is quite upset, as she is very close to her grandfather. I presume she told you her was her Teacher? Cimroan asked. Ginevra nodded, and he continued, Grand Royal Hyler was not only teaching Pansy the main four studies, he was also teaching her how to run the city of Tler, Cimroan explained. Water Pansy is the next in line for the throne.

"What?!" Ginevra's surprised cry seemed to echo in the underground castle.

Hush! It is important that none of the merpeople find out how ill Grand Royal Hyler really is. The worst of it is, that we do not know what is truly wrong with him, Cimroan said, sounding sad.

"Can we go see him? Or Pansy, at least?" Ginevra asked.

Cimroan looked troubled by her request. It took him a full five minutes to decide.

You must be quiet. Come with me, he said, swimming out of the room and along the passage.

Ginevra and Draco hurried, but all three of them turned when one of the mer-guards called out for Cimroan. The hippocampus swam in front of Ginevra and Draco, shielding them from the mer-guard's view.

"We have caught some legglings outside of the castle. They say that they are with them," the guard said, indicating to Ginevra and Draco.

Cimroan just nodded and swam out of the castle quickly, to where they'd been caught.

The other eleven of them were there, Colin included. They all had bubbles around their heads, and were struggling against the mer-guards.

"Ginevra! Tell them to let us go!" Gregory called.

Both he and Vincent looked thoroughly annoyed, and reading to break some noses if they couldn't get to Pansy.

"Cimroan, they're our friends. And Gregory and Vincent are dating Pansy," Ginevra added quietly, not wanting the mer-guards to hear.

They are safe to come inside, Cimroan said to the mer-guard.

Reluctantly, the guards released them and swam back to their posts.

Luna swam over lazily, smiling at the hippocampus.

"You will find them soon, do not worry any longer, dear Cimroan," she murmured, stroking him affectionately.

Cimroan looked surprised, then bowed to her.

"I thank thee, Lady Cassandra," he said, then swam back into the castle.

"What's going on? Where's Pansy?" Vincent asked Ginevra immediately.

"We're going to her now, but we have to be quiet," Ginevra replied absent-mindedly, hurrying after Cimroan.

The group fell silent, and concentrated on swimming after the hippocampus. Cimroan swam along the long passageway, finally stopping at the end doors. He swam inside, motioning for them to wait.

Vincent and Gregory waited impatiently, fidgeting silently.

In a minute, Cimroan returned with Pansy. She barely looked at them as she swam away with Cimroan. They all followed, confused to say the least. When they were in the same room Ginevra and Draco had been in earlier, Cimroan left after nudging Pansy to comfort her. Once the hippocampus had left, Pansy looked at them, then burst into tears. In seconds, they were all around her, hugging her tightly.

It took a few minutes for Pansy to compose herself. When she did, she turned away from them and looked out of the small window at the merpeople, who were still singing mournfully.

"They have no idea what's wrong with him, and won't take a chance on any of the medicines we have," she murmured. "Everyone keeps expecting me to take some kind of command, but I can't. Not while he's still breathing... I can't," Pansy said, falling to the ground as her tail gave way.

Gregory and Vincent immediately swam over to help her up. She started to hit them with clenched fists, crying at the same time, even as they held her tightly.

"I don't know why this is happening! He's still young, damn it!" she cried.

"Water Pansy," Luna murmured, swimming over to her with ease. "Come with me," she said quietly, offering her hand.

Pansy took it, her tears still falling from her face and floating into the surrounding water. Luna swam out of the room with Pansy by her side. Without a second's hesitation, the others all followed them. Luna swam along the passageway with confidence. She stopped only twice in order to not be spotted by the mer-guards, then continued, just as confidentally as before. They swam into a small room near the one that Pansy had exited from, then watched as Luna touched a particular piece of coral. It looked no different than any other piece of coral, but it opened a small window looking into the Grand Royal Hyler's room.

"Drink this, sir. It will help you get better," a male voice crooned. "Drink it!" he commanded.

Hearing the hostility in the man's voice, Pansy looked into the room intently. She gasped when she saw who was in the room with her grandfather.

"Who is he?" Padma asked as she looked over Pansy's shoulder.

Pansy's grandfather had managed to knock the goblet over, and the other merman was now pouring more of the liquid into the goblet from a vial which he hid behind his Band.

"One of Grandfather's Advisers, Jalk. Grandfather never trusted him, he always said that Adviser Jalk was after the throne," Pansy said quietly, watching as the Adviser forced her grandfather to drink from the goblet.

"We'll go deal with him," Gregory and Vincent offered.

"You can't. It's against the law to hurt another. The law applied to guests too," Pansy added when they didn't look concerned. "If you hurt him then you'll be put in gaol for twenty years, and nothing I say will help you... I need to find out what's in that vial," she murmured, watching as the Adviser went to leave the room.

"We'll get it," Padma and Parvati said with grins. They left before anyone could protest.

A few seconds later, everyone heard a loud bang, and Parvati apologising profusely. The Adviser growled at her, then hurried off, not noticing Padma slipping the vial into her pocket.

"Too easy," she muttered, then returned to the small room with her twin.

"How can we find out what's in it?" Colin asked, looking at the vial curiously.

"You can give it to Snape when you get back," Pansy suggested. "I'm staying here with Grandfather. I don't want to leave while Adviser Jalk is around," she grounded out, sounding angry.

"What if he tries to hurt you too? You're next in line for the throne," Ginevra said.

"I know. That's why you all have to hurry," Pansy said. "Before you go, take one of these Bands. They will grant you access to the castle, so you don't get caught by the guards again," she said, handing them each a strip of seaweed, fashioned into a hoop.

Pansy gave the vial to Padma, who hugged her tightly and swam off.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Ginevra said, hugging Pansy and swimming off too.

They all hugged Pansy, swimming off. Vincent and Gregory had to be pulled out of the castle before they would leave.

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As soon as the were out of the city of Tler, Colin swam up to the surface. He started to change into a dragon, pushing himself out of the water and into the air. Grateful to be out of the water, he shook himself slightly, then went down closer to the lake to get the others.

A few minutes later, they were all on his back and heading towards Hogwarts. The entire way there, Gregory and Vincent muttered about Jalk, wishing that they could hurt him.

"That bastard made Pansy cry," Vincent growled.

"Wish she'd let us at least punch him out cold," Gregory muttered for the hundredth time.

"If you two don't shut up, we're going to leave you behind!" Parvati said, glaring at them.

"Like you could stop us from coming!" Gregory replied, glaring too.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Padma said angrily.

"Shut up!" Ginevra yelled, calming them all with a spell.

Draco encouraged Colin to hurry up.

They arrived at Hogwarts, touching down in the courtyard. Some people screamed, others caused a lot of commotion, but all of them were ignored. Draco and Ginevra hurried down to thte castle entrance, the others right behind them. Colin changed back as quick as he dared, hurrying after them with a pale face. He was tired, but he didn't want to say anything. He was just as worried as the rest of them were.

They practically ran down to the dungeons, pushing students out of the way and ignoring their shouts of annoyance. Filch yelled at them as they trailed wet footprints throughout the castle, but he too, was ignored. In minutes they arrived at the Potions classroom, banging on the door and yelling for Snape to let them in.

Severus opened the door, annoyed that he was being interrupted just as he was beginning class. Third years were a nuicance, and it would take them a very long time to settle down after this interruption. Someone had better be dying...

"We need your help," Ginevra said immediately.

Snape heard the distress and urgency in her voice, and put one of the more serious Ravenclaws in charge of the class, before going with them to a different room.

After about five minutes of hurried explanations, Snape figured out what was wrong. He took the vial, and immediately started to work on it.

"Can we do anything?" Neville asked, wanting to get back to Pansy as soon as possible.

Severus went to growl at the young boy for saying such a foolish thing, then remembered how well he was doing at Potions now.

"Get a parchment and quill, then write down everything I tell you," Snape said, turning back to the vial. "Luna, would you please dry everyone off before Filch gets all of you expelled," he added.

Luna and Neville did as they were asked. Colin took the opportunity to sit down and try and get his breath back. Gregory and Vincent stood around nervously, fidgeting again. Theodore and Millicent waited, watching Snape with impatience. Padma and Parvati murmured to each other, holding hands to offer some comfort. Blaise and Seamus helped Neville, trying not to think about what could be happening to Pansy this instant. Draco watched Ginevra, who hadn't said a word the entire time. She was paler than usual, and was watching Snape with such an intensity that Draco was sure she'd forgotten to breathe and blink. Going over to her, Draco touched her shoulder, making Ginevra jump.

"She'll be okay," he said softly.

Ginevra just nodded, then returned her attention back to Snape.

"Longbottom," Snape said, making Neville hurry over, parchment and quill in his hand. "The main ingredients are Alihotsy leaves and Streeler poison. What's wrong?" he asked, seeing how pale Neville had turned.

"I suggested that combination to Pansy to get rid of Plimpy's. She said that she'd talk to the merpeople about it," he muttered. "It's all my fault."

"That's ridiculous, Neville. You suggested it for Plimpy's, not for Pansy's Grandfather," Parvati said soothingly.

"Yeah, it's still that jerk Jalk that's poisoning him, not you," Padma added.

"Can you make an antidote?" Ginevra asked Severus.

He nodded briefly, then turned to a cauldron, putting various ingredients in the boiling water.

Minutes later, they had three vials of the antidote, just in case something happened, or if Jalk had decided to use it on other people. Severus told them that he would inform their Professor's of their absence, and added that they could miss out on Potions if the need be. They were grateful, but still hurried down to the lake.

It took Colin a full five minutes to change into a dragon, the effort of the change making it harder for him to get into the air. He flew there, and despite the urgency and his own worry, Colin was too tired to go very fast.

"We'll go now and get Cimroan to take us," Ginevra said.

She checked that the antidote was secure, then jumped off Colin's back, landing in the water with a splash. She quickly returned to tail and gills, then called out for Cimroan, Draco, Vincent, and Gregory beside her.

It took a minute or two for Cimroan to arrive, having travelled such a long distance, but he was grateful when they told him they had an antidote for the poison that Grand Royal Hyler was being forced. With the four of them on his back, Cimroan swam faster than he ever had before, heading towards the city of Tler. Even when the castle came into view, the hippocampus didn't slow down. He shot past the mer-guards and went straight down the passageway to the Grand Royal Hyler's room. He burst through it in time to find Pansy struggling against Jalk, who was trying to force her to drink the poison.

Gregory and Vincent jumped off the hippocampus, then pulled the Adviser off Pansy. Despite the warnings Pansy had given them, they punched him out cold, watching with satisfaction as blood floated out of his broken nose.

"Are you all right?" they asked Pansy, helping her off the floor.

She sighed, looking at the Adviser.

"This is going to mean weeks of court, you know," she muttered, then turned to Ginevra and Draco. "Did you find out what the potion was?"

"Alihotsy leaves and Streeler poison," Neville replied as he swam in with the rest of them. "Sorry, Pansy."

"As long as you have the antidote, there's nothing to be sorry about," she said firmly.

Pansy took the vial from Ginevra, then swam over to her Grandfather.

"Snape said it might take a few days for the poison to get out of his system, so he won't be able to move much until then, but he should be able to talk as soon as he's had the antidote," Parvati said as Pansy opened the vial.

Pansy nodded gratefully, then helped her Grandfather sit up before putting the vial to his mouth. The poison-influenced paralysis made sure that he couldn't hold onto the vial himself, but he didn't struggle against Pansy, obviously having heard everything that had been said around him.

They all watched as the Grand Royal Hyler drank the antidote. He swallowed a few times, moving his mouth experimentally to see if it did work.

"Thank you," he muttered. "By the way, there will not be a court case against your boyfriends' for what they did to Adviser Jalk. He deserved it two times over... That was not a permissive statement, boys," Hyler added when Gregory and Vincent started to go back over to Adviser Jalk.

Pansy started laughing, somewhat hysterically, as she hugged her Grandfather tightly.

"Go get the rest of the court please, Cimroan," Hyler said. "I apologise, Water Pansy. I cannot return your embrace," he said, sounding annoyed.

Cimroan swam out of the room quickly.

"It is all right, Grandfather," Pansy said with a brief smile, pulling away. "I am just happy that you're not sick any longer."

"So am I. Thank you all for your help," Hyler said, looking to them all. "Lady Cassandra, it is a pleasure to see you once more," he said fondly.

"Thank you, Grand Royal Hyler. It is a pleasure to return. I am sorry it had to occur under these circumstances," Luna replied with a bow.

"As am I, Lady Cassandra. Before the court arrives, I think you should introduce me to your friends, Water Pansy," Hyler said with something resembling a smile.

Jalk groaned, and made some kind of movement. In an instant, he was out cold again, Vincent and Gregory 'accidentally' whipping him with their tails.

"This is Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. Purebloods for ten and eleven generations respectively," Pansy began.

"I think a shortened version will be necessary, Water Pansy," Hyler said.

Pansy nodded, then continued. "Parvati and Padma Patil, both purebloods. Millicent Bulstrode and Theodore Nott, also purebloods. Neville Longbottom, Blaise Zabini, and Seamus Finnigan, purebloods. Luna Lovegood, you know. Colin Creevey, half-blood. Ginevra Weasley, and Draco Malfoy, both purebloods," Pansy finished.

Hyler looked at Ginevra and Draco curiously, his eyes calculating.

"It is a pleasure to meet the new Queen and King of All," he said, barely able to move his head in a bow.

"Thank you, Grand Royal Hyler. It is a pleasure to meet you too," Ginevra replied, Draco bowing beside her.

Everyone went silent as Cimroan returned, and announced the various Royals, Advisers, Teachers, mer-guards, and other important merpeople that entered the room.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Hyler said with a brief smile. "I understand that a lot of you were hoping I was dead, and I am quite pleased to still be alive to nettle you all," he said, a few people looked guilty, while others laughed nervously. "My granddaughter and her friends have helped me as you have not been able to; they discovered that I was being poisoned and have stopped it. The traitor is behind you. Help Adviser Jalk up, would you boys?" he asked Gregory and Vincent.

They grabbed him roughly and pulled him up, but refrained from hurting again. There were too many people that would call for a court hearing.

"It is my understanding that you have left during one of your school days. You should return with Cimroan now, so he may explain to the Headmaster what has happened. I do not wish for you to get into trouble for helping an old man like myself," Hyler said, looking to the non-mermaids.

"You don't look a day over fifty, Grandfather," Pansy protested, smirking at him.

"Considering I am over one hundred and eighty years old, I doubt it," he replied with a chuckle. "Get gone with you then," he said, but not unkindly.

Hyler bade them all farewell, then nodded to the hippocampus, who led them out of the castle.

If you do not mind, I would prefer to hurry while Grand Royal Hyler is talking to the others; I do not want to miss out on anything important, Cimroan said.

When they all nodded, he had them hold onto his mane, then began to swim quickly. He broke the water's surface within a matter of minutes, and was so close to Hogwarts that they were able to swim the distance without much effort.

"Thank you for everything, Cimroan. We will not forget it," Ginevra said with a bow.

You are welcome, Queen Ginevra. Fare well, Cimroan replied, then swam back to the mermaid palace quickly.

They swam to the shore silently, all emersed in their own thoughts. Gregory and Vincent swam on either side of Pansy, but she barely noticed them.

As they got out of the lake on shaking legs - only Pansy and Luna seemed to be fine - Ginevra and the others saw the Runes class coming out of the Forbidden Forest. When Professor Yepir saw them, she rushed over and quickly did drying spells on them.

"How long were you in there? Your skin's all blue!" she muttered, doing a warming spell on them now.

"Since lunch," Ginevra said, her teeth chattering slightly.

"Right. We'll talk about your absence from class later on. For now, I want the lot of you get to the hospital wing this instant," Yepir said, shooing them in the direction of the castle.

Ginevra and the others hurried up to the castle, and to the hospital wing, knowing that Yepir would be in to check on them, as well as ask questions.

As they walked along the corridors, Ginevra and Draco heard an argument between a girl and guy. It was nothing physical, and it was too far away for them to intervene, but they both heard the words the girl yelled at the boy very clearly.

"Just because you think that we went out some time last week, it does not mean that I will 'get back together' with you! You can not 'get back' with someone that you have never been with before!"

Ginevra smirked at Draco.

"I told you it didn't sound like either one of us," she muttered as they walked through the hospital entrance.

"Are you all right?" Madam Pomfrey asked, looking at all fourteen of them.

"We've been in the lake for a while, and Professor Yepir wanted us to come up here because we were blue and cold," Millicent said, sneezing loudly.

"I thought you would be more than capable to handle a simple cold, Theodore," Madam Pomfrey admonished, but continued to heal them all.

Theodore blanched slightly, and opened his mouth to say something.

"That was my fault, Madam Pomfrey. I told them all to come up here. I needed to ask them all a few questions about their absences, and as not all of the students are in my class, I thought it best to keep them together," Professor Yepir said as she walked in.

"Have you told the other Professor's of their appearance? I am sure that they would have worried," Pomfrey murmured, frowning.

"Yes, I have told Professor Sprout, and she will be here momentarily. Thank you, Poppy," Yepir said, subtly dismissing her.

Madam Pomfrey gave a slight huff and went to her office once they were all warmed and healed properly.

"I'll wait for Professor Sprout to get here before I start with my questions," Yepir said with a friendly smile.

A few seconds later, Professor Sprout bustled into the room, dirt flying from her robes.

"There you are. I was beginning to worry. You never miss a class, Neville," Sprout said.

"I was just about to question the students of their whereabouts, Pomona. Did you get Albus?" Yepir asked.

Pomona nodded, then looked behind her with a slight frown.

"I'm sure he was right behind me," she muttered.

"No need to worry, Pomona. I am right here," Albus said, walking into the hospital wing with a brief smile. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"The students were absent for our lessons, and they came out of the lake... I thought it might be important for you to hear what they have to say," Yepir said.

"Severus told me a little of what happened, but I would like to hear the entire story from you," Albus said with a nod.

It took almost half an hour to tell what had happened, various questions coming from the two Professor's and Headmaster. Sprout was quite pleased with Neville for the poison he'd thought up, even if Adviser Jalk had used it in a menacing way.

"You didn't know that it would affect people in that way, so there's nothing to be sorry about, Neville," she said kindly.

Neville just nodded. He still felt bad about it, no matter what anyone said.

"I believe you all have a Potions class to attend. Take this note with you," Albus said, a scroll appearing in his hands, "and tell Professor Snape that you are not to get detention for being late," he added.

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore," they chorused, then practically ran down to the dungeons.

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The original classroom was practically destroyed. Apparently the serious Ravenclaw who had been left in charge of the class hadn't known that someone was in possession of Filibuster fireworks near a hot cauldron.

Ginevra shook her head at the mess. It would take a lot of magical and manual energy to clean the mess up. As there was no note on the door to say where their class would be, Ginevra and Draco had to change into a Vampiress and a Veelan in order to hear where their classmates were.

The scratching of quills further down the tunnel indicated that it was going to be a theory lesson, and Snape's stomping told them that he was not happy at all. Neville voted that they skip the lesson entirely, only half joking.

They hurried down to the substitute classroom and opened the door a crack. Unfortunately for Neville, the door squeaked, and alerted them to Snape's presence immediately.

"Don't dawdle at the door. Get inside the classroom!" he bellowed.

Neville paled and followed his friends inside, glad that Seamus and Blaise were on either side of him. Small vines started crawling up and around his arm, reacting to his nervousness.

Seamus saw how nervous Neville was, and took his hand to soothe him. The plants around Neville's arm disappeared into his skin and he looked at Seamus gratefully.

As soon as they passed Lavender, her hand was up in the air like a shot.

"What is it, Miss Brown?" Snape glared at her.

"You said that people aren't allowed to hold hands in your class!" she said, pointing to Neville and Seamus.

"I said that you and Mr. Weasley are not to hold hands, as you don't get any work done!" Snape bellowed.

"They won't get any work done either!" Lavender protested, ignoring his anger.

"Yes they will. Mr. Finnigan writes with his left hand, and Mr. Longbottom writes with his right. Even a child could see that they can still do their work!"

"Lucky I'm ambidextorous, or else we'll be proving him wrong," Seamus muttered with a grin as they sat down.

Neville refrained from laughing. Blaise watched them with a smirk.

"You should have three arms, Neville. I want to hold your hand too," Blaise murmured quietly, smirking when Neville blushed.

"Blaise, stop doing that to Neville under the table, or else you'll have to go back to the hospital wing," Ginevra hissed at them, hitting Blaise's shoulder.

He just laughed, then moved both of his hands away.

"Damn, I was enjoying the show," Seamus muttered, sounding upset.

Neville blushed when they continued to pay him attention. A touch on the shoulder, a linger of a hand, a quill innocently brushing against him.

Ginevra held her head in her hands as their thoughts assaulted her mind. She did not want to know how Blaise and Seamus were planning on seducing their lover! At a particularly detailed image, she winced and looked over at Draco, who had gone paler than usual.

"I don't want to see this. I really don't," he whimpered softly, shaking his head.

"What is gonig on back here?" Snape drawled as he swept to the back row where they were all seated.

"We're doing our work, Professor," Blaise said innocently.

Snape narrowed his eyes at him.

"Then why are Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy as pale as ghosts?"

"I don't know, Professor," Blaise said, turning to look at them, and smirking when Snape couldn't see his face.

"Perhaps we should take them to the hospital wing," Seamus suggested, turning to smirk at them too.

"No!" Ginevra and Draco said quickly. They knew exactly what Blaise and Seamus would do while they so 'gallantly' took them to the hospital wing!

"I'm fine," Ginevra said, smiling innocently.

Severus didn't reprimand her, only raised an eyebrow and stalked over to where Lavender was talking to Ron in not-so-hushed tones.

"We're going to get you back for that," Draco hissed.

Seamus and Blaise just smirked at them, then returned their attention to their work and Neville.

"Exactly how are we going to get them back?" Ginevra muttered to Draco as she answered a question from her workbook.

"Your brothers, Parvati and Padma can help us with that," Draco replied.

Ginevra smirked, then finished her work silently.

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After Potions, Pansy went back to the lake with Gregory and Vincent. Neville went straight to his room, Seamus and Blaise with him. Theodore and Millicent went to the hospital wing for his round. Luna convinced Colin to become a dragon in the courtyard, and they flew away as fast as the rumours that followed them. In Ginevra's rooms, Draco Floo'd Fred and George, while Ginevra got Parvati and Padma into the meeting room.

"I'm going to assume this is about what Seamus and Blaise did earlier?" Parvati drawled, grinning.

"Oh, I hope so. Fred and I have been working on a new product," Padma said, rubbing her hands together eagerly, an evil gleam in her eye.

"What's up?" Fred and George asked as they sat on the table, looking at Ginevra and Draco.

"We need your help," Ginevra said.

"Trouble in the bedroom?" Fred said, grinning.

"What?!" Draco said, looking both offended and confused.

"That's the name of the product!" Padma said quickly, laughing. "He's not saying that you're impotent!"

"Oh..." Draco murmured, going red slightly.

"What's the product do?" Ginevra asked, getting the attention away from him.

"Exactly what the name says. It causes a couple, or three people, as the case may be," Fred said with a smirk, "to have trouble in the bedroom. A person will become impotent for approximately three hours, give or take an hour, depending on the amount of hormones they produce," he said, close to laughing now. "The only side affect is that they will be extremely horny after the product wears off. We don't know how to stop that yet," Fred said.

"More like you don't want to," Parvati said with a laugh.

Padma just smirked, but George was looking very annoyed with Fred.

"You tested that on me, didn't you?" he asked angrily.

Fred paled slightly, then looked guilty.

"We promised to never test products like that on each other!" George said.

"The thing is, Fred didn't do it. I did," Padma said, looking guilty too. "Fred didn't want me to do it at all, but like I told him, it was either you or him. And I knew that Parvati wouldn't be over for a few hours anyway. Sorry," she said, hanging her head.

"I thought he had a bit more energy than usual..." Parvati murmured, going bright red.

George flushed brightly, then sank down onto a chair, his head in his arms.

"I can't believe you did that, Padma! That wasn't very nice," Parvati said.

"I never said I was nice. You got all the nice genes, remember?" Padma said with a smirk.

"But still... I didn't get all of the moral genes! Weren't there any morals stopping you?"

"A few postponed me for about ten minutes, then my bad genes voted that my morals were stupid and made me do it," Padma said.

George laughed through his arms at her statement.

"So can we get that product now?" Draco muttered to Fred, who smirked and produced a vial from his pocket.

"One drop for each of them only. Any more and they might be impotent for a very long time. You don't want all of those frustrated thoughts and feelings bombarding your brain, do you?" Fred said with another smirk, patting their heads.

Ginevra shook her head, then left with Draco quickly so the twins' could make up.

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"Before dinner, during, or after?" Draco asked as they sat in his room.

"It would be easiest to slip it in their drinks at dinner. That will give it a while to take effect," Ginevra replied with a grin.

"Exactly what do you plan on doing to us?" Blaise asked.

Draco and Ginevra looked up to see Blaise and Seamus standing at the door, wearing nothing but their bathrobes. Seamus smirked at them. A vine slipped to the ground, uncurling quickly and heading for the vial that was sitting next to Draco on the bed. Draco went for the vial, getting it mere seconds before the vine did.

"Oh, you almost got it!" Ginevra drawled sarcastically. "Why not try some time when it's not next to him?" she said, waving them out of the room.

Blaise snogged Seamus, leaving Draco and Ginevra with some detailed images as Seamus pulled Blaise back to their room where Neville was waiting.

"I wish we could do it back to them. That'd teach them," Ginevra said with a laugh.

"They'd probably enjoy it," Draco said, shaking his head.

Luna knocked on their door, smiling when they looked at her. Ginevra grinned when she saw how wind-whipped her hair was from flying on Colin.

"You could change it, you know," she said dreamily. "Change their thoughts of each other to your own of one another," she explained. "It wouldn't take much imagination," Luna said with a soft laugh. "Coming, dear," she called to Colin, even though he hadn't said a word. "Think about it. You can take that literally," she added, her eyes twinkling.

With another soft laugh, Luna headed back to her room, Lyra flying above her lazily.

"Do you think it would work?" Draco asked Ginevra, slightly surprised he hadn't thought of something similar before.

"It could. Do you think we should risk calling Blaise and Seamus back?" she asked with a grin. "They'll probably walk up here naked just to spite us," Ginevra said, laughing now.

"We could call Neville then," Draco said with a shrug. "I hope he'd have enough sense not to walk around naked, but then he is dating those two," he said, indicating to Blaise and Seamus who were standing at the door again, trying to be discreet and obviously failing.

"Good, now you're here, you can help us," Ginevra said, waving her hand at them.

Blaise and Seamus were pulled into the room unwillingly. When they'd straightened themselves out, they glared at Ginevra.

"I'm being nice. You should be grateful that I don't slip this entire vial into your pumpkin juices at dinner," she said, holding the vial.

"What's it do?" Seamus asked curiously.

"Causes impotency for about three hours," Ginevra replied calmly, ignoring the shocked looks they were giving her. "Now, since we're not going to put it in your drinks, you can be nice and help us," she said, smirking.

Both Blaise and Seamus looked wary and suspicious.

"We just want you to do what you did before. Snog each other and send us images," Ginevra said, rolling her eyes at their paranoid behaviour.

Blaise grinned broadly.

"Now that I'm all too happy to comply with!" he said, saluting her mockingly before pulling Seamus to him.

An assault of images hit them both.

"Just one, for the gods' sakes! Are you trying to kill us?" Draco muttered.

Blaise didn't say anything, or stop snogging Seamus, but the images slowed down to one as requested.

The scene changed slightly, Seamus and Neville fading to become Draco and Ginevra instead.

Yelping, Blaise pulled away from Seamus.

"Why'd you go and change it for? Now I'm going to be stuck with the image of you two doing ... " Blaise trailed off as he shuddered.

"At least we didn't put the quill in, like your last one," Draco said with a smirk.

"Now you know what it feels like. Stop intentionally sending the images to us, or we'll change them to be as detailed as yours have been!" Ginevra said cheerfully, smirking at the horrified look both boys were giving them.

Blaise and Seamus left, muttering about them under their breath.

Ginevra laughed hysterically after Draco shut the door, then quietened and looked at him playfully.

"You wouldn't happen to have a quill, would you?" she asked, laughing again when his jaw dropped.

Draco smirked, then pulled her up to him, kissing her eagerly. Ginevra responded quickly, her arms around him in seconds, and her eyes turning red as she listened to the quickened pulses of Draco's blood.

She bit into him, licking the blood from him as a cat would drink from a plate. Draco fell onto the bed, leant on the wall and eagerly took the wrist she offered him. Ginevra straddled him, licking at his neck again. Without really thinking, they were both undressing each other fervently, kissing and Drinking at different intervals.

A knock at the door stopped them for a small moment. Draco growled and threw his hand towards the door.

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Colin yelped as an invisible hand dragged him away from Draco's door and down to the meeting room.

"You could have just asked me to leave!" he yelled, trying to control Apollo's anger.

"Apollo, dear. Let them be," Luna murmured, not looking up from her homework.

Apollo pouted and sat down with a huff. Slowly, a playful smirk graced his features.

"And stop doing that to my leg. I'm doing my homework. So should you, Colin," Luna added, unfazed by what he was doing.

"Cassandra," Apollo said, making her look at him.

A soft glow surrounded his body, but Luna just shook her head and looked away easily. Apollo pouted when she didn't respond to the hormones he was sending her.

"Do not pout or complain to me, you always said that you liked that I never looked at you like the other women. Now, do your homework, or Colin will be kicked out and you won't see us again," Luna / Cassandra said.

Apollo pouted once more, then Colin returned with a small shake of his head.

"Sometimes I wish he'd stop doing that hormone thing. Gets me all worked up," Colin muttered, looking to his parchment.

"You're not the only one," Luna murmured, laughing softly when Colin looked at her abruptly.

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Draco watched as Ginevra Drank his blood. She seemed to glow with pleasure and he was the cause of it. His blood was the only thing that could make her look like that, he was sure of it. The thought made him growl low in his throat, and he pushed Ginevra against the wall. He held her wrists above her head with one hand, and used his other to do a spell.

Ginevra's breath caught in her chest as she watched Draco grow fangs. She knew that it would be painful for him, but then his teeth sank into her neck and she moaned heavily, pleasure blocking out any thoughts.

Draco Drank from Ginevra, the experience definitely new considering he'd only ever Drank from her wrist before. Blood literally flowed from her neck, and he barely had to suck in order to get the liquid out. He licked at her neck eagerly, disappointed when the wound healed.

"Draco," Ginevra said huskily. "Arms," she murmured, moving her wrists against his tight grip.

"Not yet," Draco growled at her, biting into her soft neck again and Drinking from her.

Ginevra moaned and struggled against his grip, eager to touch his body.

"Draco," she begged, struggling again.

He just continued to Drink from her.

Ginevra growled at him, and when Draco pulled away, she quickly moved her head and pierced his neck with her fangs.

Draco's grip loosened on her wrists as Ginevra moved further down his body. Smirking, Ginevra licked his hardened nipple, Draco eliciting a moan.

Ginevra moved up to kiss Draco eagerly, her hand moved down his chest and abdomen. He sucked in a breath as she took his cock in her hand. Smirking, Ginevra began to stroke him, her fangs sinking into his neck. As she Drank from him, her hand moved in unison with her tongue.

"Fuck," Draco groaned, his hips jerking forward.

Ginevra guided Draco over to the bed, pushing him down onto the mattress.

She straddled his hips, lowering herself onto his cock. They both groaned at the feeling, anticipation flowing through them. Ginevra smirked at Draco, a sharp fingernail sliding down his chest, a trail of blood following. She lapped at him, Draco bucking beneath her.

He couldn't think straight. Not that he wanted to think straight. Thinking was definitely overrated, Draco decided as Ginevra lapped at the blood flowing from his chest. He wanted to turn her over and pound into her until she cried out for mercy. He wanted to Drink more blood from her, the red liquid too sweet and addicting to give up after just one taste.

"Ginevra," Draco groaned as the wound closed up.

He turned them over and pushed deeper into her, his lips attached to her breast.

"Want more blood," he hissed, biting her nipple.

"Not Full Blooded. Can't Turn you," Ginevra replied in her own hiss.

"Blood," he growled, biting her harder.

Ginevra cried out in pleasure and pain, then moved Draco away from her breast before trailing her nail along her breast, blood seeping out of the wound.

Entranced, Draco watched as blood trailed down the curve of Ginevra's breast, almost as if it was caressing her. He licked the blood from the valley of her breasts, then sucked the wound on her breast eagerly.

"Please," Ginevra moaned as he continued to tease and taunt her.

She could feel his cock twitching and pulsing inside her, and she wanted to feel more of him. She wanted more of everything he could give to her. At his request, she drew another line of blood on her other breast, moaning in esctacy when his tongue lapped at the wound. She bucked, her hips pushing towards Draco's.

He groaned, his eyes shutting tightly of their own accord. Draco stopped Drinking from her, the wound closing soon enough, and started to push into her, unable to hold back any longer.

Ginevra wrapped her legs around Draco's waist, her hips eagerly rising to meet his own. A primitive sound left Draco, making Ginevra look at him. He seemed to be completely out of control. His hair was everywhere, sweat glistened along his body, his breathing was harsh, the incoherant words leaving his mouth even worse, and his movements became more erratic and fast with each passing moment. She loved that she was doing this to him.

Time seemed to stop, or go faster. It didn't matter anymore, their feelings were in complete control. The only thing they realised was each other, and even that realisation was limited to the feelings they were creating.

As her orgasm faded, Ginevra found that she could breathe, but her body felt numb from the aftershock. She smiled at Draco, caressing his face and kissing him softly.

"Keep that up and I'll lose control again," he murmured against her lips.

"Don't mind," Ginevra replied with a soft laugh.

Draco smirked and pulled out of her, cleaning them up with a few spells. He pulled the blanket over them, then wrapped his arm around Ginevra's shoulders. He kissed her forehead, then they both slept.

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"Are they okay? They haven't left their room for the entire night," Millicent muttered.

"They're fine, Millicent. They're just happy and tired. I wouldn't expect them to leave for the rest of the night," Luna said with a laugh.

"I think they're giving us a fine example to follow. Care to stay in our room for the night?" Gregory asked Pansy, smirking at her.

Vincent smirked and wrapped his arms around her, murmuring something in her ear. Pansy's eyes widened slightly, a grin forming on her face.

"Definitely," she said, leading them both out of the room.

"Great. Now I'm going to be stuck with the image of those three going at it," Millicent muttered, wincing.

"Well, I don't have a shift tonight. I'll make you feel better," Theodore said with a laugh.

Colin winced and covered his ears as the couple continued to talk, both of them leaving within a few moments.

"Everyone looks like they've taken a Lust Lolly," Padma said, shaking her head as she walked into the meeting room with Parvati.

"I don't think it was a Lust Lolly, Padma. Probably just the hormones Apollo released earlier today. They didn't affect me, so they went to everyone else instead," Luna said, grinning at Colin.

"Don't blame this on me! They're the ones that are all off screwing each other," Colin muttered, pouting.

"I think someone's jealous," Parvati said with a laugh as she and Padma left the room again.

Parvati and Padma laughed quietly, then headed down the corridor to Fred and George's shop. Apollo's hormones were working very well...

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Waking up very late in the night, or early in the morning, Ginevra looked around Draco's room for a clock. Not seeing one, she yawned and lay down again. She smiled at Draco's sleeping form. In the early morning light she was able to see the healing wounds on his neck and shoulder. She touched them lightly, waking Draco up. "I'm sorry for waking you up. Is your neck all right?" Ginevra asked him softly. "Well, you might have to bite it again to see for yourself," Draco replied smirking. She laughed and kissed him instead.

"So what's wrong? Why did you wake up?" he murmured, yawning.

"Nothing's wrong. I was just wondering what the time was," Ginevra replied.

"Four o'clock in the morning," Draco said.

He pulled Ginevra closer to his body, wrapping his arm around her.

"I'm not tired," Ginevra protested, yawning.

Draco smirked at her and closed his eyes.

It only took them ten minutes to fall asleep again.

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Draco smirked at Ginevra. She glared at him half heartedly, then smirked in return.

"Are you going to let me go now?" she asked, looking up at her tied wrists.

"Not yet, love. We still have a few hours left before we are to meet the Lords," he murmured, kissing her eagerly.

His hands trailed along her arms, eventually coming to a rest at her breasts, cupping them.

Ginevra moaned at his touch and struggled against the binds. She could get out of them easily enough, but Ginevra liked them as much as Draco did.

Draco's fangs pushed out with ease and he bit Ginevra's breast, watching the blood flow. No matter how many times he did this, it always seemed so intimate. Her blood caressed her skin softly, the red trail leading him downwards towards her nest of curls. He followed the blood with his tongue, the fangs withdrawing as he licked her centre.

Bucking at the sensation, Ginevra briefly wondered at how he always managed to make her feel this way. The years they'd spent together were more than any Muggles, and most wizards, but she never tired of him. She loved the way she could make him lose control with just a simple touch or look. He would glare, especially if they were in public, but that only showed her how close he was to simply ripping her robes off and shagging her senseless. Just like he was about to now...

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(a/n: I hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for reading!)

15. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter, don’t sue me!

(a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing!)

Chapter Fifteen

Wednesday, Sept. 18

Ginevra woke up with a throaty gasp. Her breathing was heavy and sweat covered her body. The dream had felt so real...

Draco smirked as she woke up. He rolled over and kissed her hotly.

"We should probably invest in some ties," he murmured with a quiet chuckle.

Ginevra blushed, and then gasped as he bit her breast.

"You dreamt it too?" she asked, her senses going hazy as Draco began to kiss and lick his way down her body.

"Yes," he hissed, licking her centre.

Wrapping her legs around his head, Ginevra groaned heavily.

There was a knock at the door and with a disappointed sigh, Ginevra unwrapped her legs from Draco. He sat up next to her, pulling the blanket over them as he started to kiss her neck. He opened the door with a wave of his hand, revealing an amused Pansy.

"You've both got enough time for a shower before we have to get to breakfast," she said, smirking.

"What're you smirking at?" Ginevra muttered at her.

"I've been waiting for you two to shag for weeks. Congratulations," Pansy said with a laugh.

"Sod off," Draco muttered.

Pansy laughed again, and then went down to her room to get Vincent and Gregory out of bed.

Luna leant against the doorframe, smiling at them in a dreamy way.

"You should probably get to the shower before breakfast. Lupin can smell sex from a mile away. Nymphadora won't know what hit her," she mused with a light chuckle.

Draco and Ginevra pulled apart, wincing.

"The thought of Lupin with anyone just put my mood out the window," Draco muttered.

"Agreed," Ginevra said with a shudder.

She leant over the bed and started to gather her robe and clothes. Putting her robe on, she smirked at Draco, then headed to her room to get ready for class.

Relo scampered out of her room when the door was opened.

"Elf boy wouldn't let I stay with him last night! I was unhappy!" he said with a sob.

"I'm sure he's upset about it too, Relo," Ginevra said, but she wasn't so sure of that, considering how smug and happy Millicent was looking at the moment. "I think Theodore just needed some privacy with Millicent. You like privacy sometimes too, don't you?" Ginevra asked Relo.

Relo just nodded, then left Ginevra's rooms to get food.

Shaking her head, Ginevra hurried to the bathroom. She showered quickly and changed into her uniform and robes.

"Hurry up!" Pansy yelled at Gregory and Vincent. "If you don't get up soon, then you're going to miss out on breakfast!"

Still grumbling, the two boys got up and hurried to get changed.

"Finally," Pansy sighed. "Is everyone else out of their rooms?" she asked Padma and Parvati.

"Luna's getting Colin out now," Padma said.

"Millicent and Theodore are already up, so are Draco and Ginevra," Parvati said.

"Blaise, Seamus, and Neville are still in their room," Padma said, smirking when Pansy went down to their room.

Knocking on the door loudly, Pansy waited until she heard some cursing that indicated they were awake.

"Get up! We've got to get to class!"

"It's still early, bugger off!" Seamus called.

Pansy narrowed her eyes, even as Blaise tried to get Seamus to be quiet.

"Get out of bed, or I swear I will come in there and drag you out myself!" she yelled.

Seamus didn't say anything, but quickly got out of bed and hurried to get changed, as Blaise and Neville were doing.

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Flitwick floated around the room, smiling at everyone as they completed the theory work he'd set them. Hermione Granger had her head very close to the parchment, eager to get in as much as she possibly could. Lavender Brown was pretending to do work each time he passed, and as she had finished an answer, he couldn't bring her up on it, nor give her detention. Ginevra Weasley and Draco Malfoy were sitting there, looking bored.

"Have you both finished?" he asked, looking to their parchments.

"Yes, Professor," Ginevra said. "Do we have any other work to do?" she asked, passing her parchment to him.

"Since you will both finish your work faster than the others, I think an extra curricular assignment may be in order," Flitwick replied with a small sigh. Ignoring the upset cry that came from Hermione's direction, he continued. "The origins, requirements, and outcomes of the Fidelius Charm should give you enough work to do. Pack your things while I get passes for you to go to the library," Flitwick said, going over to his desk.

Ginevra and Draco packed quickly, then went to the front where Flitwick was waiting. Taking their passes, they thanked him and left the room quietly. They continued to hear Hermione hyperventilating for another three corridors.

"What is wrong with her?" Draco muttered as they sat in the almost-empty library.

"She's always on the lookout for extra work to do. It must be killing her that she's not getting to do an assignment on the Fidelius Charm too," Ginevra replied, smirking.

"Right," Draco drawled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Can I help you?" Madam Pince asked with a smile as Draco and Ginevra approached the circulation desk.

"We have an assignment to do on the Fidelius Charm. Are the books in the Restricted Section, or the normal collection?" Ginevra asked politely.

"Restricted, of course. We can't have students running around making everyone Secret Keepers over a hidden sweet, now can we?" Pince asked with a laugh.

She headed over to the Restricted Section, Draco and Ginevra following her.

"Books to do with the Fidelius Charm are straight ahead, the third bookcase to your right. The second shelf from the top, I believe. You may want to cast a silencing charm first, those books are known to yell," Madam Pince said.

"Thank you," Ginevra said, leading Draco down the narrow spaces between the bookcases.

"There's Fidelius," Draco said as they stopped at the third bookcase.

He pulled a book from the second shelf and did a silencing spell on it, then opened it.

"Fidelius Charm is an immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is impossible to find, unless the Secret Keeper chooses to reveal it," he read. "Sounds about right to me," Draco muttered, putting it aside.

They went through all of the books available, sorting them into quick piles. In ten minutes, they finished sorting them, replacing the ones they wouldn't use, then going back into the main area of the library to do their assignment.

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The bell rang, and Ginevra quickly packed her things up to head to the dungeons. Draco didn't move.

"Are you still awake?" she muttered, poking him.

"I'm writing, aren't I?" he said in return, smirking at his parchment.

"You could be sleep-writing," Ginevra said with a laugh.

Draco shook his head, dried off the ink, then packed up too.

They went to the dungeons quickly, arriving just behind the last of the students.

Snape stalked into the room as everyone was seated. The door shut with a slam.

"Open your books to chapter eight," he said, anger tinting his words. "Read all of the chapter, then do the exercises at the end. I do not want to hear a single word from any of you!" Snape said, glaring at them.

Without so much as a breath, the class opened their textbooks to the chapter, and began to read silently. Ginevra wondered what was wrong with Snape, but decided to just do her work as he'd instructed.

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Although a lot of people had finished their work, Ginevra noticed that no one seemed very eager to go to the front and give it to Snape. With a sigh, she looked at her work, then stood up and headed to the front.

"Professor?"

"What?" Snape snarled with a glare.

"I've finished my work," Ginevra said, gritting her teeth so she wouldn't say anything rude and lose House points.

"Put it down, then go and sit at your desk quietly," Snape said, glaring once more.

Ginevra rolled her eyes slightly, then put the parchment on his desk before returning to sit beside Draco. One by one, people timidly went to the front. They practically threw their work on the table, avoided all eye contact with the Potions Professor, then ran back to their seats.

Even when most of the class had finished their work, no one said a thing. Ginevra was almost sure that a few people stopped breathing.

Sighing softly, Ginevra grabbed her Vampire book opened to a page and started to read.

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Vampires are beings who do not overly enjoy the prospect of change. Despite the fact that a lot of vampires mould themselves to the current year and century, a lot of them dislike doing this.

If a vampire resides in the Muggle world, they have to change every aspect of themselves; their home, passport, social security number, tax number, job, etc. and sometimes even their way of speech and country. (For more information on these Muggle things, read Mystifying Muggles, also by myself.) For newer vampires, the first few changes are made easy by telling everyone that they are a long-lost son or daughter of their former selves.

As the years wear on, a lot of vampires choose to return to the wizarding world. This may occur for many reasons, but the most common are war and dislike of the Muggle population on a general whole. While some vampires are intrigued and fascinated by Muggles, just as wizards are, they also have to see a lot more of them, night after night, year after year. (I feel that I must remind you here, that at night, Muggles are seemingly at their worst.) While some vampires argue that Muggles and wizards are only different due to magic, or lack of, they all agree that after two hundred years of being with Muggles endlessly may drive a vampire to insanity.

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Ginevra didn't know whether to laugh or be worried. Her father seemed to be of the mind that Muggles could do no wrong, yet here they were driving people insane. Shaking her head, Ginevra put the book away, then started to read her Potions book for the few minutes left of the lesson.

The bell rang, and just as quiet as the lesson had been, the class left. As soon as they were out of the dungeons, they all started muttering about Snape's behaviour.

Ginevra looked at Snape, watching as he sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead, suddenly seeming as if he was the oldest man in history.

"Is everything all right, Severus?" she asked, concerned.

"Fine," he muttered in reply.

With a cough, he righted himself and looked at the pile of parchments on his desk.

"Everything is fine. There is no need for your concern, Miss Weasley. Head off to recess, the lot of you," Severus added, seeing that all fourteen of them were standing there.

Even though she didn't believe him at all, Ginevra left with the others, all of them talking quietly about what could be wrong. Suggesting it in even lower tones, Parvati and Padma thought it was something to do with Voldemort.

"He's not like this after a meeting with Him," Draco said, shaking his head. "He's usually pale and withdrawn, not angry like this," he said, his voice betraying his worry.

"Food will help us think properly," Vincent decided with a nod.

"Agreed!" Gregory said, grinning.

Pansy rolled her eyes at them.

"You never stop thinking about food, do you?" she muttered, but headed to the Great Hall anyway.

"Do you know what's wrong with Severus, Luna?" Millicent asked, Theodore looking at her.

Luna shook her head, frowning.

"I am sorry that I do not know. I wish I did; I do not like to see a friend like this," she murmured.

"You can't expect to See everything, Luna. Told you that last night," Colin said, hugging her.

"I know, love," she said with a smile.

Blaise, Neville, and Seamus talked quietly, following the others to the Great Hall for recess.

It seemed that everyone was talking about Snape's odd behaviour, especially as he wasn't present for all of recess.

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"Yer assignments are due today. Yer had better have finished them, or I have permission ter feed yer ter the squid," Hagrid said, chuckling when a few students paled. "No' really, don't worry 'bout that," he added when one looked close to fainting. "They are due though, so all of yer hand 'em up at the front 'ere," he said, patting the box beside him.

Most of the students started lining up and putting their scrolls in the box. Some students raised their hands, looking nervous.

"I haven't finished my assignment yet, Professor," one said, trembling.

"Yer all haven't finished it yet?" Hagrid asked, surprised when they all nodded. "Detention tonight then, the lot of yer," he said, sighing. "Yer'll finish off yer assignments plus an extra inch. Don't like it when people are slack," he muttered.

Ginevra sat down, Draco and Blaise on either side of her. Neville and Seamus sat next to Blaise. Behind them, the Patil twins sat with Pansy, Gregory and Vincent. Millicent and Theodore sat in front of Ginevra with Luna and Colin.

"I'll mark yer assignments and yer can read yer books. The information 'bout the Chimaera is really interesting," he said, his eyes sparkling in excitement. "When I call yer, come up here and get yer scores," Hagrid added.

Grabbing her book, Ginevra started reading. The Chimaera was interesting. A Greek monster with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail.

Ginevra looked at the picture, frowning. The Chimaera seemed very unbalanced. The lion head was fairly large, as was the dragon's tail, which was very heavy. She could imagine the Chimaera having a lot of back pain, considering it had the body of a goat.

"I can see why it's always hungry. I'm sure a lion would eat a goat, but it can't eat its own body, or it'll die," she murmured to herself, shaking her head. "Poor things," Ginevra said, then continued to read.

A Greek tale of the Chimaera had been translated into English and was featured in the chapter, providing good information about the rare beast.

"Ginevra," Hagrid called.

As she stood up, Ginevra looked at her watch, surprised to find that over half an hour had passed since the start of the lesson.

"Very good. I like how yer argued the Gytrash's purpose in life and them being innocent and all. Pass," Hagrid said with a smile.

"Thanks, Professor," Ginevra said with a grin, then returned to her book quietly.

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"Today, we are continuing to gather wood for your Runes," Professor Yepir said. "As some of you were absent yesterday, you will have to catch up in your spare time. Organise a time with me after class. I do not want you in the Forbidden Forest unsupervised," she said sternly.

"Yes, Professor," Ginevra and the others chorused.

"Okay, everyone outside," Yepir said. "Ginevra, a moment," she said quietly as the students began to file out. "As we agreed earlier, I would appreciate you collecting your wood during the study time allocated on Friday afternoons."

"That's understood. Do I have any homework to catch up on from yesterday's class?" Ginevra asked.

"Yes. You all do," Yepir added, nodding at Ginevra's friends. "Read chapters four, five and six, then complete the exercises in each one. It sounds big, but it really isn't. There's about twenty questions all together," she said with a friendly smile.

"Can we catch up on Friday too, Professor?" Pansy asked. "We don't mind that Ginevra's there," she added when Yepir looked uncertain.

"I will think on it. For now, you have to get outside too. Thank you for your understanding, Ginevra," Yepir said, then left the Runes classroom.

Ginevra sighed, then went to a nearby tapestry, heading down the narrow stairs to her room.

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"Is everything all right, Ginevra?" Bexley asked with a bow as she entered the room.

Ginevra gave the Boggart a smile and nodded.

"Everything is fine, Bexley. I am just collecting the wood for my Runes on Friday, that's all. I might do my homework while I have the free time," Ginevra said with a grin. "Where is everyone?" she asked, setting her bag on her bed.

"Relo is out hunting for food. Lyra is in Luna and Colin's room decorating the walls with smoke. It is a mystery to me too, but somehow, the smoke attaches itself to the wall. It looks quite pleasing," Bexley added thoughtfully. "Sram returned to the pixie world. I believe he left yesterday with Padma and Parvati," he said, nodding to himself. "Micah is asleep. He has shrunk himself in the back of Vincent's sock drawer," he said.

Ginevra winced at the thought of the Moke being surrounded by the resulting smell.

"Chi is up in the rafters, playing with what is left of the birthday sign. Dodger is sleeping in Seamus' room. I believe he talks in his sleep. Rather, he curses in his sleep," Bexley corrected with a grin.

"Thank you," Ginevra said with an appreciative nod. "Would you like to stay in here, or come with me for a while?" she offered.

"I may rest in your cupboard for now. But I would be happy to take you up on your offer if you are planning on going outside once you have finished your homework," Bexley said with another bow.

Ginevra bowed in return, then grabbed her homework and headed to the meeting room.

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Over the next half an hour, Ginevra finished planning an essay for Potions, had finished writing the introduction and the first opening paragraph. Satisfied, she dried the ink and set it aside. Taking up the work for Astronomy, Ginevra looked at the charts and started on the work set with a small sigh.

Her ability to retain knowledge, as well as her Vampiress speed ensured that she finished the work in fifteen minutes. Pleased with her work, Ginevra went to her room and roused Bexley from his sleep.

Ginevra walked along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Bexley content to see everything from inside of her.

"Do you dream, Bexley?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, every living creature dreams, whether they understand them or not. Primitive beings may dream of food for their entire lives. Others may dream of happiness, of being with a higher power. Dogs often dream like that," he replied.

"What do Bogart’s dream of?" Ginevra asked.

"You must not confuse all Bogart’s to be the same, Ginevra," Bexley reprimanded lightly. "Just as not all wizards, or Muggles, are the same," he said.

"May I ask what you dream of then?" she asked with a smile.

"The future as it should be, as it could be, and as it would have been," Bexley replied.

"Would have been?" Ginevra queried.

"If you had not saved me, then my future would have been very different indeed. Quite possibly, I may never have had a future to dream of," he said, sounding sombre.

Ginevra just nodded, thinking on what he said. A noise filtered through the trees, and Bexley flew inside Ginevra before he was seen.

"Ginevra," a voice hissed from the edge of the tree line.

Looking to where it came from, she saw Alexander standing between two trees, his bow beside him.

"You should not be here, it is not safe for you," he hissed, looking over his shoulder. "The centaurs are not happy about the Runes class taking wood from the forest," Alexander said.

"Will the centaurs hurt them?" Ginevra asked immediately.

"I do not know," Alexander said truthfully. "With your permission, I will watch the centaurs to ensure that no one is hurt," he offered.

"Very well," Ginevra said with an absent-minded nod.

Frowning slightly at her lack of attention to him, Alexander took his bow and left.

Ginevra continued along the forest line, her footsteps quickening as she smelt blood. Soon, she was running along the trees. She stopped abruptly as she came upon her friends who were exiting the Forbidden Forest.

"Ginevra? What are you doing here?" Blaise asked with a frown.

"Professor Yepir's not going to be happy if she sees you," Pansy added, all of them hurrying to surround her so the Yepir wouldn't notice the addition to the class.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked quietly as they walked up to the castle.

"Alexander said that the centaurs weren't happy about the Runes class taking wood from the forest," Ginevra said. "And I smelt blood, so I thought something had happened," she added as Draco's face hardened at the Protector's name.

"The blood was us, all right," Millicent muttered, showing her the newly healed wounds on her arms and hands.

"Yepir was right about everyone nicking themselves," Seamus said, rubbing his own arms.

"I think Draco was the only one who didn't get cut," Padma said, glowering at him as he smirked.

"I only cut myself once," Parvati said, laughing at her sister's annoyed face.

"Can we hurry it up? I'm starving," Vincent groaned.

"Agreed," Gregory said with a nod.

"I hope there's pumpkin soup again," Vincent said to Gregory.

"I don't know. I thought the roast pork and vegetables were good," he replied with a small shake of his head.

"Are they really talking about eating vegetables?" Theodore murmured, sounding shocked.

"I heard that too," Ginevra said.

Gregory and Vincent just laughed when everyone stared at them in shock, then they all hurried to the Great Hall.

Ginevra sat next to Draco, who smirked and put an arm around her waist fondly. She smiled at him, then started on her lunch, hungrier after hearing Gregory and Vincent talking about food.

Halfway through her food, Ginevra noticed that Snape was absent too.

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"Today's lesson will be held in the Room of Requirement. You will all be doing different scenarios this time," Lupin said, looking at the class. A few people shivered at the thought of the last time they went in. "Please get into groups of five. Include people from the opposite House," Lupin added, then began taking attendance.

Luna and Colin went over to Pansy, Gregory, and Vincent. Blaise, Seamus, and Neville joined Ginevra and Draco. Millicent, Theodore, Parvati, and Padma formed the third group, glaring at anyone who went to say something about their group only having four people.

In ten minutes, the class was made up into five groups, everyone huddled together nervously.

"Right, all of you follow me," Moody barked, then made his way out of the room.

The class quickly followed Moody, talking to each other quietly about what they were about to face.

"It better not be the animals again," Blaise muttered, subconsciously rubbing his hand where the Boomslang snake had bitten him.

The puncture marks had healed, but despite everything Madam Pomfrey and Theodore tried to do, a small white scar still remained.

"You'll be fine," Seamus said, grinning at him. "You were fine with the animals yesterday," he added.

Blaise just nodded, then smirked at Neville, who had taken his hand.

"Aw, is big ol' Blaise scared about a few animals?" Lavender taunted with a smirk as she walked past with Ron.

"Spider!" Ginevra yelled, making both Lavender and Ron scream.

Blaise laughed, Neville and Seamus giving Ginevra grateful looks.

"Oh, I wish I could drop a spider down her back," Parvati growled, glaring at Lavender.

"It just so happens that I have a jar of spiders," Padma said with a smirk.

"Why are you carrying around a jar of spiders?" Millicent asked, her eyebrow raised.

"In case Ronnie-kins annoyed me," Padma replied, smirking as she handed the jar to her twin.

Parvati opened the jar silently and shook it slightly. A small spider crawled onto her open hand, then Padma replaced the lid and watched as Parvati crept closer to Lavender. With a smirk, Parvati tipped her hand, the spider crawling onto Lavender's robe. Lavender didn't notice a thing, not even when Parvati left back to her friends.

"Oh, Lavender?" Ginevra said sweetly, smiling at her mockingly. "Did you know that you have a spider on your shoulder?" she asked, motioning to it.

"Yeah, like I'm going to fall for that," Lavender retorted, glaring at her.

Ron, however, had looked to where Ginevra had pointed, and immediately moved away from Lavender, his face pale and his entire body trembling.

Seeing the horrified look on Ron's face, Lavender's eyes widened and she started to scream, hitting her robe and missing the spider each time.

Luna shook her head at everyone, from her laughing friends, to the scared and trembling Ron and Lavender. With a sigh, she moved closer to Lavender, who was oblivious to her, still hitting away at her clothes. Luna just stood there for a moment, then quickly moved her hand and grabbed the spider from Lavender's robes. Despite her dislike of the event that had just occurred, Luna had to admit that it did look funny, and knew that Lavender wouldn't listen to her, even if she said that the spider was gone, so she stayed quiet and just watched Lavender with an amused look.

"What is going on here?!" Lupin said, looking at them all angrily.

"There's a spider on me!" Lavender cried, hitting her robes again.

"Miss Brown, if you would desist with your antics, I can check if there is a spider on you and get it away," Lupin said with a sigh.

Lavender kept hitting herself, but eventually stopped. Lupin pointed his wand at Lavender, then murmured a spell. Nothing happened, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"There is nothing on you. Perhaps it jumped off while you were hitting yourself," Lupin added when she paled. "If you're finished, can you please continue up to the Room of Requirement?"

With a scowl at Ginevra and her friends, who were shaking in an effort not to laugh, Lavender left, practically dragging Ron along with her.

Lupin looked at the fourteen students, then sighed.

"Hurry up then," he muttered, when Ginevra portrayed the image of innocence.

Laughing to each other, they quickly went to the Room of Requirement. Madam Pomfrey was waiting beside Mad-Eye, whose magical eye was watching the door intently, his other eye kept on the students outside.

"The first group has already entered," Moody said to Lupin, who nodded.

Everyone watched the door. It took ten minutes for the door to turn red, a loud scream coming from the wall. In an instant, Moody and Pomfrey were inside the room, leading out the trembling and feverish students.

"What one did you get?" a few people asked Sally-Anne, who had been the one to scream.

"Death Eaters. They were just everywhere," she murmured, her eyes wide as she shuddered.

"Next group!" Moody yelled.

Luna's group went in, and everyone waited anxiously for fifteen minutes before the door turned a dark shade of orange. No scream filtered out, and neither Moody nor Pomfrey could get inside. Another five minutes went by and then the door turned green. Luna, Colin, Pansy, Gregory and Vincent came out of the room, slightly bruised and bloodied, but otherwise fine.

"If they can do it, then so can we," Lavender said pompously, then dragged Ron, Harry, and Hermione into the room.

"We cheated," Pansy murmured to Ginevra, smirking. "Apollo went all out when a Devil's Snare got Luna. The rest of it was a breeze," she said with a low laugh. "Certainly helps having a god, but Colin was mightily pissed," she added.

"I can imagine," Ginevra said with a nod, seeing how sour Colin looked.

The door turned red, two high-pitched screams filtering out of the door. It was loud enough that even Moody and Pomfrey paused to cover their ears before going inside.

"That was definitely Ronnie-kins," Ginevra said, smirking.

"The other one was Lavender," Parvati said with a nod.

The four of them came out, pale, bruised, with a broken arm, and bleeding from various wounds.

"Who knew that Muggles were so vicious?" Lupin muttered as he helped attend to them.

"You're saying that Muggles did this to them?" Draco drawled, his surprise evident.

"Yes. People can do extraordinary things when they are frightened, or feel threatened, Muggles included," Lupin replied.

Millicent's group went in, Ginevra and the others deciding to go last. Again, they were forced to wait while their friends faced the dangers in the Room of Requirement. Pansy started pacing, muttering about how unfair it was to make the groups smaller.

"When in battle, you may often split into smaller groups in order to spy on others, or to sneak about without being seen. It is quite useful, and even though you may worry about the others in your larger group, it will not help that you are worrying about them instead of focusing on your own task," Lupin said.

"But I don't have a task to do at the moment, do I?" Pansy muttered, then continued her pacing.

The door turned orange after ten minutes, then red in another five, two identical screams filtering through.

Moody and Pomfrey ushered the four out, Parvati and Padma clinging to each other, their faces so pale they were almost unrecognisable.

"Don't worry about it," Millicent was saying, looking slightly green herself.

"What happened?" Draco asked Theodore, who was silent and pale.

"We got the one with Death Eaters and dead bodies. We were okay with a few no-odour spells, but then Parvati and Padma stepped in two bodies that were rotting. They swear that they looked like Fred and George," he replied, turning a shade of green.

"Last group!" Moody called.

Ginevra, Draco, Blaise, Seamus, and Neville walked into the Room of Requirement feeling nervous, and slightly sickened by what they had just heard. They stood in a line so they all knew which way the others were facing, then started to talk amongst themselves quietly.

"We can't really plan anything without knowing what we're coming up against, can we?" Neville muttered as the door shut with a loud bang.

"We'll find out soon enough, I'm sure," Ginevra said.

"A barrier might give us enough time to come up with some sort of strategy," Seamus suggested.

"I don't think anything will be repeated, so that means Death Eaters are out, as is the one with Death Eaters and dead bodies," Ginevra ticked off.

"Muggles are out, so are plants," Draco said with a nod.

"So that leaves everything else under the sun," Blaise muttered. "Moody said there'd be combinations of all of the scenarios, so why prepare ourselves for one when it may not even be that one?"

"We should wait until the lights go ... " Seamus began to say, then the light disappeared, the room plunging into darkness. "... out," he finished.

"A bright light will give us enough time to talk about something if it's animals," Neville said quietly.

"If it's something with Death Eaters, then we may give away our position," Ginevra replied.

"How about we Stun whatever we can hear? It'll do something to anything that comes at us, and from there we can figure out what it is with a small light," Blaise suggested.

"Good idea," Draco said.

"There's something coming from the left," Seamus said in a hushed tone.

Listening carefully to the soft sounds that were coming from his left, Draco shot a Stunning spell at the thing, then led the others to the where the thud sounded. Neville produced a soft glowing light from his thumb and they looked down at the Stunned Muggle on the floor.

"Okay, so it's one with Muggles. That means it can have either animals, Death Eaters, or plants included with it," Ginevra muttered.

"Or a combination of them," Draco pointed out. "It could be all four options, or it could be three of them."

"What should we do with the Muggle?" Blaise asked, looking down at it.

"It was only Stunned, so it'll be fine if we leave it here," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"Maybe we should find out what the landscape's like first," Seamus suggested. "There's something against my shoulder here, and it almost feels like a wall," he added, sounding worried.

"All right, I'll do a quick flash of light then," Ginevra said.

A moment later, the area filled with a bright light.

There was a wall next to Seamus, one connected to a familiar building. They were standing in what seemed to be a car park, identical to the one at King's Cross Station. A train whistle filtered from inside the doors, and lights began to turn on inside the building.

"We apologise for the temporary loss of lights. We experienced a minor technical glitch," a scratchy voice came from speakers.

"Don't tell me this is actually King's Cross Station," Blaise muttered.

"I'm going for Muggles and Death Eaters," Neville said quietly, looking around at the crowding Muggles.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" a Death Eater yelled.

There was a flash of green light, and as someone dropped dead, screaming and chaos ensued.

"Oh, shit," Seamus said as hundreds of Muggles began to swarm towards them in a terrified mass.

"Try to stay together!" Ginevra called, grabbing onto Draco's hand.

She held tightly, but was forced to watch her friends get swept away by the sea of Muggles. In his Veelan form, Draco cajoled, persuaded, and encouraged people to get away from them. A small group of Muggles calmed down considerably then began to direct other Muggles away from the scene.

"We should go get the Death Eaters, then try to find the others," Draco suggested.

Ginevra nodded, then they started to push their way against the tide of people. As they got closer to people, Ginevra could immediately tell which Muggles had seen the murder, and which ones were just terrified. The ones who had been witness to it had a look of pure shock, disbelief and terror in their eyes. The rest were simply pale and scared.

Draco and Ginevra hurried along the passageways. They saw a robed figure escape into a wizarding platform, only to come out the other end and send hexes at more Muggles.

"They're going in the Quarter Platforms!" Ginevra yelled, her voice echoing through the emptying station. She hoped the others had heard, then slipped through the barrier between platform five and six.

Platform nine and three-quarters wasn't the only wizarding one. All of the Muggle platforms unknowingly had wizarding Quarter ones, so people could travel from wherever they lived, much like a regular Muggle transportation system.

Draco hurried after Ginevra through the barrier, watching the other side until he went through completely.

"He hasn't gone through yet," he called to Ginevra, who gave a nod.

The scene on the wizarding side of the station was quite like the Muggle one, the only difference being that the wizards and witches were able to Apparate away from the danger rather than run. That meant that there were very few wizards left to worry about.

"Quarter Platform three!" Blaise's voice called out.

"I'll go," Draco said quickly.

Ginevra nodded once more, and ran even faster after the Death Eater. Annoyingly, the Death Eater Apparated out of the Quarter platform. Hearing screams from the Muggle side of the platform, Ginevra ran to the end and came out of the other side. She pointed her wand at the Death Eater, who was currently playing yo-yo with a few Muggles bodies.

"Expelliarmus!" Ginevra yelled, the wand flying out of the Death Eater's hand.

The Muggles dropped to the ground with a sickening crunch. As her attention was diverted by the Muggles, the Death Eater Apparated away.

Suddenly, all of the Muggles woke up and started screaming loudly, the noise echoing throughout the entire station.

Moody and Pomfrey entered the room, entering the 'station'.

"We weren't hurt though!" Neville protested when he saw them.

"No, not you, but they were. While you're in here, the Muggles are under your protection too," Moody said.

"That's just stupid," Seamus muttered under his breath.

"No, it is realistic. Now hurry and get your bags. It's the end of lesson," Lupin said, his head popping into the room.

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"We could have healed them and kept going," Seamus grumbled on the way to Astronomy.

"Actually, some of them fell pretty hard. I don't think I would have been able to heal them," Ginevra said with a shake of her head.

"As great as this conversation is, we have to hurry, or else we'll be late," Pansy pointed out.

With nods, they started to run along the corridors and to the Astronomy Tower.

Arriving a mere three seconds before the bell rang, they all hurried to sit down before Rion would take points off for something as trivial as stopping to catch their breath. Going to the long row of tables at the back of the classroom, they sat down and caught their breath as Rion took attendance, glowering at them.

"Put your homework on my desk, then do the work on the board," Rion said, her tone clipped. "I do not want to be disturbed, and if I hear a single sound from any of you then, thirty House points will be taken off immediately!"

A few people paled, Lavender included, and everyone hurried to get their homework out of their bags. In less than ten minutes, Rion's table was filled with the class' scrolls, and everyone was copying the work from the board. Not one sound was uttered from the student's mouths, the only sound that could be heard was their timid breathing and quills scratching on the parchment.

Ginevra finished the work half an hour after she started, Draco beside her, looking bored. He had finished his work ten minutes before. He was tempted to do something to alleviate his boredom, but the look on Rion's face made him even think otherwise.

Smirking, Ginevra started writing something on a scrap of parchment, not looking up from her finished answers.

Bored yet? she wrote, nudging Draco with her leg.

He glanced to the parchment without moving his head, then a smirk started to form. He moved his arm over slightly, but not so much that it would draw any attention from the annoyed Professor.

Of course. I think she thought the work would take us the entire lesson. Stupid woman, he replied.

I agree completely. I think Lav-Lav's having a hard time though. Either that or she's trying to eat her parchment, Ginevra noted.

Draco looked over to Lavender, who had her head so close to the parchment she was either falling asleep or licking the ink.

She might be going for a new look. I heard that ink-stained noses are the new thing, he replied.

Ginevra had to hold her breath so she wouldn't start laughing out loud. Her hand shook with the effort, but she soon got herself under control.

A piece of parchment slid over to her from Pansy, who'd finished her work too.

Give us a copy, we're bored over here!

Draco pointed his wand at the parchment discreetly, glancing up to see if Rion noticed. She was busy marking the homework, and didn't look up from the parchments. Draco thought of a spell, and duplicate parchments appeared in front of them.

So very bored! Can't we Stun her, then go play Quidditch? Seamus asked.

I second that. Love to see you riding a broom, Blaise said.

Keep your thoughts off the parchment! Pansy wrote, a slight wince on her face.

Nothing wrong with showing affection, Blaise replied, his smirk evident even in his words.

That's affection? I'd almost hate to see what you consider foreplay! Gregory said.

Now, now Gregory, you're making poor Neville drool and blush! Millicent said.

I am not drooling! Neville protested.

Not yet. I think Blaise and Seamus have other ideas, though... Parvati said, seeing what they were doing to Neville under the table.

Okay. Keep your thoughts, hands and other body parts to yourself, or else you'll be kicked off the parchment! Draco said.

Is it possible to be kicked off something this small? Theodore asked.

Being a smart arse will get you kicked off too! Draco replied.

That's everyone using the parchment, Draco, Ginevra said.

You think that getting laid would make him relax a bit, wouldn't you? Padma said, smirking slightly.

Nice one, Padma. You're making him go Veelan, Colin wrote, looking at Draco out the corner of his eye.

Draco, calm down, Luna wrote, her demanding tone evident in her words.

That was close. I think Rion noticed something, Vincent said.

Draco thought something silently, his head not moving, even as he watched Rion get up from her desk and start patrolling, an angry look on her face. The parchments disappeared, and they pretended to be reading, writing, or doing something that looked like they were still doing work.

"If you have already finished the work, why have you not told me so I can give you something else to work on?" Rion said in a clipped tone, looking at Ginevra’s work in disdain.

"You said that we weren't to disturb you, so I thought it would be best if I just started reading the next chapter, Professor," Ginevra replied, smiling at her innocently.

"Give me your work," Rion said.

Ginevra did as she said, her jaw dropping when Rion started ripping it to shreds.

"Come to the front of the classroom and do your work while I watch. I want to be sure that you're not cheating," Rion said, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Of course, Professor," Ginevra said in a snarl, then grabbed her things, and headed to the front of the class.

She sat down, her blood boiling in anger. Trying to settle down for Draco's sake, as well as her own (he was starting to turn Veelan, and an angry male Veela was never good to have in such a small space), Ginevra clenched her teeth tightly as she began re-writing her work.

Rion stood over her, practically breathing down her neck. She was concentrating so hard on Ginevra, that she didn't notice Ginevra's friends attempting to calm Draco down in the back of the classroom.

"Draco, calm down or else we'll all get into trouble. Do you really want thirty points taken from each of us?" Pansy hissed at him.

"Can't you do something, Luna?" Parvati asked, her voice low as she kept a worried eye on Draco.

Feathers started to grow from the corner of his eye, and his hair began to change colour as it grew longer. Instead of being platinum blonde, it was turning white. The colour was so bright that it almost looked like a moon was glowing inside the room.

The glow caught Rion's attention and she started to turn.

"Professor, I finished!" Ginevra said quickly, sending a look to her friends that clearly said get him under control.

"Already? You can't have, you were just up to question five!" Rion said, her voice shrill as she returned her attention back to Ginevra.

In an instant, the light that had filled the room went out. Rion turned again, glaring at Vincent, who was rubbing his fist in pain. She didn't notice that Draco wasn't in his seat, but lying on the floor behind them, unconscious.

"What are you doing out of your seat?" Rion yelled.

"I saw a Snidget," Vincent replied smoothly, returning to his seat without another word.

Rion was confused by his answer. Not only were Snidget's extremely rare and valuable, but how would it have got into her room? Deciding that he was playing her for a fool, she glared at Vincent.

"Thirty points from Slytherin," she said, then looked back to Ginevra, who was calmly writing out her answers again. "I thought you said that you were finished?"

"I finished question six," Ginevra replied with a bright and fake smile, then returned to her work.

Theodore quietly crept from his chair and down to Draco. He looked for a bruise, but there wasn't a single blemish to indicate that Vincent had knocked him out cold. In fact, Draco was waking up. Although he was surprised at how fast Draco recovered, Theodore acted quickly and put a hand over Draco's mouth as he sat up. Draco glared at him.

Millicent, seeing what was happening from he corner of her eye, quickly wrote a note and slipped it to Theodore.

She's not looking, get back to your seats before Brown says something.

Theodore nodded and went back to his seat with a glance at Draco. Brushing himself off, Draco glared at Vincent, then sat in his seat with as much dignity as he could muster.

The class was quiet for the rest of the lesson. Draco brooded and sulked, glaring at Vincent occasionally. Ginevra finished her work five minutes before the bell rang, much to Rion's disappointment.

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Rion made up an excuse to keep Ginevra back, but the others waited for her, glaring at Rion until she let Ginevra out of the classroom. As soon as they were out of the doorway, Seamus started swearing in a mix of Gaelic and Latin.

"On that cue, we'll be going to the hospital wing," Theodore said with a grin, leaving with Millicent.

The others headed over to a tapestry and began making their way down to Ginevra's rooms.

"I didn't know you knew Gaelic," Ginevra said, smirking at Seamus.

"We knew," Blaise said with a grin. "Who ever said that Latin was the language of romance obviously hasn't heard Seamus speak in Gaelic," Blaise said, smirking when Seamus started talking about him in Gaelic.

"Seamus!" Neville hissed, blushing slightly.

He started to redden further as Seamus leant to his ear and began murmuring things in Gaelic.

"We'll see you at dinner," Blaise said with a grin, not in the least bit annoyed with his lovers. In fact, he looked rather smug as he hurried them down the corridor to their room.

"You didn't have to punch me," Draco muttered to Vincent, still annoyed about it.

"Yes he did. You were about to get everyone into trouble," Ginevra said, with a glare that silenced his retort.

They continued in silence until they reached the wardrobe that led into Ginevra's room. Pansy was talking to Gregory and Vincent quietly, her cheeks going red as they whispered back to her.

Ginevra and Draco winced as they were assaulted by images and their quiet words.

Laughing at the expressions Ginevra and Draco were making, Pansy pulled Gregory and Vincent down to their room quickly.

"Is anyone actually going to train tonight?" Ginevra asked, seeing Padma and Parvati slipping off to their room, where Fred and George were waiting.

"I'd take that as a no," Draco said with a smirk, as Luna and Colin left.

"Are you going to train?" she asked him, smirking as his own smirk faltered.

"I can think of something better to do," he replied after a moment, smirking once more.

"I'd hit you if I didn't agree," Ginevra said with a sigh, then grinned and kissed him as she pulled him to her room.

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"Severus, a moment of your time please," Albus said, entering Snape's office.

As Albus rarely entered his office without good reason, Snape nodded and indicated to the seat in front of his desk.

"Is everything all right, Severus? The entire student population has been commenting on your odd behaviour. You were not present for breakfast, recess, nor lunch, and you did not have a meeting last night," Albus said at Snape's annoyed look.

"I had the house-elves bring food for me, and I did not think that you were suddenly keeping tabs on the staff," Snape drawled.

"You think I came here as your employer, Severus?" Albus asked with a stern look.

Sighing heavily, Severus shook his head.

"No, I don't think that, Albus. I know that you are worried for me. Everything is fine," Severus said, but continued at the look Albus gave him that clearly said he didn't believe him. "The Ancients of the Veela Council want Draco to join them sooner rather than later. Apparently, his power is growing far too immense for the end of the school year to be an acceptable time. I am worried what will happen if he doesn't go, but I am also worried about what may happen if he does go," he said, sighing once more.

"Severus, why did you did not tell me this earlier? I know exactly when he can go that will be enough for both his schooling, and for his power to be contained properly," Albus said with a small smile, shaking his head.

"I was only told of it this morning, and I have been trying to think of a way to tell him all day. You should talk with the Ancients, Albus. They want to see him about it this weekend," Severus said.

Albus nodded, put a hand on Severus' shoulder to thank him, then left the dungeons with a purposeful stride.

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"Pansy?" Ginevra called, knocking on her door tentatively.

Pansy opened the door, and Ginevra could see that Gregory and Vincent were finishing getting changed, just buttoning their shirts.

"Need everyone to get out of their rooms?" Pansy asked with a grin.

"If you don't mind," Ginevra said, grinning in return.

"Mind? I've been waiting for you to start the training for half an hour! Mind you, it did give Greg and Vince a chance to rest," Pansy said with a laugh, then headed into the corridor. "Get out of your rooms now!"

In less than ten minutes, everyone was in the training room, stretching slightly.

Luna persuaded Colin to join in, and he reluctantly left his camera on the bench.

"Why do we have to train? We're not at school!" Fred and George whined.

"Stop your whining and get ready," Ginevra said with a smirk.

"Fine," they said with sighs.

"Maybe we should let them sit this one out. They haven't trained with us before," Pansy said with a smirk.

"We said we're going to train, so drop it!" Fred and George growled.

"I must say that I am quite surprised that all sixteen of you fit in here," Bexley commented as he floated over to the bench beside Colin's camera.

Ginevra thought about it for a moment - the room did seem larger than normal, but then she dismissed it and shrugged.

"Maybe it's because we shrank the furniture," Millicent suggested.

"Perhaps," Bexley said.

"Everyone ready?" Neville called, grinning.

A chorus of 'yes' followed.

"Right then. On three. One," Neville said, then threw a punch at Seamus.

"That weren't three!" Seamus growled as he rubbed his cheek.

"Element of surprise," Ginevra said with a grin, kicking at Draco, who dodged her easily.

Pansy started to attack both Fred and George, the twins barely able to stop from getting hit. It was their experience with four brothers that helped them dodge Pansy, while it was her lack of experience that made her miss some vital openings.

Moving faster than even Ginevra could see, Draco started towards her and began retaliating on her assault, hitting and kicking her before she could defend herself.

Parvati and Padma stopped fighting with Blaise and Theodore, staring at the blurs of Ginevra and Draco that was going around the room. Millicent took Gregory out of the headlock, both of them staring too. Pansy, Fred and George stopped, as did Colin and Vincent, and Luna, Seamus, and Neville. They all stared as a red and blonde blur circulated around the room faster and faster.

"Should we stop them?" Millicent asked, frowning.

"I don't know if they realise how fast they're going," Blaise murmured, watching as the blurs were on one side of the room, then the other in less than a millisecond.

"I'll stop them," Neville said.

"You may be strong enough, but you're not fast enough," Luna commented, putting a hand on his arm to stop him.

"I'm strong and fast," Apollo / Colin said, stepping forward.

"Apollo, don't be an idiot!" Luna growled at him, pulling him back before the blurs hit him. "Just because you're a god, it doesn't mean you can't die in this form," she said, glaring at him.

"Sorry, that was my idea and his ego. Bad combination, huh?" Colin muttered, grinning sheepishly. "They'd better not go near my camera though, or I will be forced to torch them."

"What about you two?" Pansy asked.

"We're fast enough, but not strong enough," Fred and George replied, shaking their heads.

"Strong, but not fast," Vincent said for himself and Gregory.

"I vote that we just continue fighting and wait for them to wear each other down," Seamus said.

"Agreed," Parvati and Padma said quickly, then both punched at Seamus' head.

He managed to block and dodge both of them, then started to retaliate.

Gregory started fighting against Luna and Blaise, while Vincent started fighting against Pansy and Colin. With a smirk, Millicent and Neville started towards Theodore, who blanched slightly, a mist appearing in front of him.

A plant shot through the mist, the vine missing Theodore by millimetres. The mist grew thicker and the vine started to struggle against the weight of the cloud. Neville pulled it back in, then started muttering. A green light came out of the mist, moving swiftly as Theodore moved around. With a growl, Millicent jumped on the green light, pinning Theodore to the ground. Another vine snaked over to them, tying Theodore up from the roof. He glared at Millicent and Neville, then another mist surrounded him and heavy rain began to fall on them. The rain cleared only to show that Theodore had escaped. Neville barely had time to dodge the fist aiming for him, Theodore hitting Millicent instead.

"That all you got?" she asked with a toothy grin, then they started fighting again.

Blaise growled angrily; he didn't have time to aim his bow, let alone string an arrow. For a troll, Gregory was moving extremely fast and he wouldn't be able to aim, hit him and dodge the club. Shielding his eyes from a sudden bright light that came from Luna, Blaise stared as Cassandra /Luna started fighting against Gregory swiftly. She managed to hit him in a few vital spots and in seconds, Gregory was on the ground, his club beside him. Not giving Blaise a chance to breathe or stare in shock, Cassandra / Luna started to punch at him. Blaise barely had enough time to put his bow around his body before he could resist and gain some control over the fight.

Pansy and Vincent started advancing on Colin, who was still in his human form. He didn't know whether to change into Apollo, or into a dragon. A dragon would limit the space in the room, and he wouldn't be able to fight as well without the sky around him. Quickly choosing Apollo, Colin let out a smirk as a gold glow pulsed from his body.

It took you long enough, Apollo said.

Never mind that, just start fighting!

Nodding, Apollo / Colin moved forward to Pansy and Vincent, a bright light shooting from his body and blinding them for a moment. The moment was all he needed, and a black arrow started forming around Apollo / Colin's hands. The arrow was so dark that it made night seem like day, and shadows were nothing but mist compared to this arrow.

Draco and Ginevra stopped fighting, sensing the power that was about to be unleashed.

Cassandra / Luna put Blaise on the ground in an instant, then appeared in front of Apollo, glaring angrily.

"Do not even dare of doing that, Apollo!" Cassandra started yelling in Ancient Greek.

"It is a fight!" Apollo protested.

"It is training with friends," Cassandra said, glaring again.

The black arrow disappeared and Apollo looked away from Cassandra, muttering under his breath.

"Sometimes I really do not even think that you have learnt from your actions. And making your sister do them is not any better!" she said before he could begin defending himself.

"Apollo has a sister? Is she Dennis?" Pansy asked, grinning slightly.

"Of course I have a sister. You have not heard of Artemis?" Apollo asked, offended and shocked.

"I've heard of her, but since I'm a mermaid, the dolphins only ever talk of you, don't they? Apollo rode on my great-grandfather's back; when Apollo was a dolphin he swam with my ancestor's school to take the priests from Crete to Pytho," Pansy mimicked with a smirk.

"Well, I did," Apollo said, confused and angry about her sarcastic attitude.

"Artemis is not Dennis, Pansy," Cassandra / Luna replied with a sigh. "Apollo, calm down, would you? You really have to understand humans a bit better before you go around shooting them with a plague-filled arrow," she muttered.

"Well, I think that's enough training for tonight," Ginevra said with a smirk.

"Nice to see you properly," Neville said with a grin.

He helped Blaise up, cancelling out Cassandra / Luna's action with his magic, then helped Gregory too.

"You turned into blurs when you were fighting. It was scary in an amazing way," Blaise said, smirking at them.

"What did you do to me?" Gregory asked Luna as he returned to his human form.

"I hit a vital point in your body. The result caused a temporary paralysis or unconsciousness in your body," Luna replied.

"No, really?" Gregory muttered, rubbing his sore body.

Draco smirked as he heard what Pansy and Millicent were arguing about.

"The wolves are worse! As soon as you mention gods, even if it's not Apollo, they won't shut up about him unless they're going to sleep, or going hunting!" Millicent said.

"Dolphins are worse! They can tell you their entire family history just based on Apollo!" Pansy argued.

"I think it's the hyacinthus that's worst. It never stops crying," Neville said. "Apparently he was angry at Apollo for throwing the discus into his head, but then he found out that Zephyr, the god of the West wind, did it because he loved Hyacinthus too. Now he's just moping about saying 'woe is me! I was too fair for both to have, and now neither do!' And don't even get me started on the cypress tree!" he muttered.

"We won't!" Padma said quickly, smirking at him.

"Personally, I think that humans were the worst," Luna murmured.

"Agreed! Now can we go get dinner?" Vincent asked, his stomach rumbling loudly.

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Ginevra sat next to Draco, grinning when she heard Ron's hyperventilating as Draco gave him the finger.

"You're so kind," Ginevra muttered to him.

"Very kind," Draco murmured, his hand slipping beneath the table to rest on her leg.

"And you're so mean," she growled, barely refraining from moaning out loud as he started to stroke her leg. "Not in public," Ginevra hissed at him, blushing as she grinned into his shoulder.

"You love it," he whispered in her ear, his hand moving slightly and making her gasp.

"I love dinner," Ginevra commented, looking at her shepherd's pie.

She wasn't so enthusiastic about eating it now.

"Damn you," she muttered, moving the plate away and resting her head on the table to try and hide the fact that she was blushing so brightly.

The others were nice enough not to smirk at them too much.

Draco pulled away, smirking himself. With a small sigh of relief, Ginevra felt her eyes closing as she tried to control her flaming cheeks.

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"Don't you understand, my dear?" Voldemort's voice rasped at her.

He looked down at her with red eyes, smirking at the bars that separated him from her magic.

"You will never escape from here unless I consent to it. You hurt some of my best workers, and it takes time to get new ones, not to mention training them to replace the dead. And of course, I have to quell the fear that you have raised. Oh, yes. Now you look at me," he leered. "You have made everyone so afraid that I had to come in here myself to show them that you are nothing more than a little, weak girl," Voldemort said, emphasising his last words with the Crucio curse.

The curse passed over her, and even now, Voldemort couldn't understand how or why it did. He wanted to know how she did that!

"I was when I was younger, Tom, and that is all you remember of me. But I'm not a little, weak girl any longer. Not anymore, Tom," Ginevra said with a snarl.

Jumping from her corner of the cage, she moved faster than ever before. Breaking a metal bar in half, she grabbed Voldemort by the neck, the jagged metal against his throat. Sneering at him with her fangs in full view.

"Don't you understand, my dear?" she mocked him. "This is what I am now."

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Ginevra left the vision with a start, someone screaming in pain distracting her. As she became aware of her surroundings, Ginevra realised that the screaming was coming from Harry and that he was clutching his scar in pain. As the vision faded completely, Harry became calm once more and sat up, panting with wide eyes.

Going red at everyone's attention on him, Harry slid back into his seat and kept his head down, his bangs covering his eyes, almost acting as a barrier between him and the rest of the students.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked Ginevra quietly.

She nodded and began to reply, but was distracted by a bird flying into the Great Hall, a scroll in its beak.

In seconds, everyone was staring as the bird flew around the Great Hall. It was not only getting attention because it had come during dinner, and not breakfast, like owls usually did, but also because the pure white bird looked like a Veela when angry. The feathers and wings were the same, it only had the body of a bird instead of a Veela.

With a sigh, Draco turned Veelan quickly, the transformation catching the bird's attention. It flew down to him, perching lightly in front of Draco. He bowed his head slightly, and the bird returned his bow, dropping the scroll before flying into the air again.

"Show off," Draco muttered as the bird circled a few times before leaving the Great Hall.

Ginevra watched Draco read the letter, slightly surprised when he smirked suddenly. He put the scroll down, but before anyone had a chance to glance at it, the scroll burst into white flames, turning into nothing more than a pile of white ash. Draco scooped the ashes into a vial he conjured, then continued eating his dinner calmly.

The Great Hall buzzed with conversation at the two odd events that had already occurred.

"What did it say?" Millicent asked immediately, her curiosity burning inside her.

Everyone waited impatiently for Draco to finish swallowing and answer her.

"None of your business," he replied with a smirk.

Millicent glared at him.

No one asked Draco again, and the rest of dinner was spent in silence.

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Draco kissed Ginevra goodnight, ignoring the whistles and glares that he got from their friends, then went down to his room quickly. Millicent was still annoyed that he hadn't answered her question, and he knew that all of them wanted to know, but he couldn't tell them what the letter said. They would all be too tempted to tell Ginevra and ruin the surprise.

He remembered the letter word for word.

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Dear Draconius,

Everything has been organised with your Headmaster.

You are to come to the cottage this Friday for your Initiation. Your own, Ginevra, is to come with you.

You will be prepared for the Hunt, and Ginevra will be participating, if she passes my spell.

Sincerely,

Veelan Ancient, Lord Garion

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Draco grinned, then got in his bed, wanting Friday to come quick.

Initiation Hunts were famous for more than just the thrill of the hunt...

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Ginevra was confused. She knew that Draco wouldn't want to talk about what the letter said, but she didn't know if he'd want her in his bed while he was so preoccupied. He'd closed his mind off to her when she'd asked about the letter, but that smirk was there, as if to tease her and say 'I know something that you don't know'.

Sighing, Ginevra got changed into her pyjamas. Bexley was sleeping on her dressing table Relo curled up at the foot of her bed, using her childhood blanket as both a pillow and quilt.

Sitting on her bed, Ginevra thought about it a moment longer, then made up her mind and headed down to Draco's room. She knocked on the door and went inside when he answered.

Draco sat up and looked at her, worried that something had happened. Then, sensing her nervousness and lust, he grinned at her reassuringly and patted the bed beside him.

Feeling more relieved than she would care to admit, Ginevra sat beside him, playing with the hem of her nightdress.

Stroking her shoulder softly, Draco turned Veelan and tuned into her emotions. He relaxed as she let him into her mind, then spoke to her in quiet tones, kissing her shoulder, moving up to her mouth.

Ginevra kissed him back, turning into a Vampiress and letting her power flow over, through, and around them.

Draco moved the quilt away, then pulled Ginevra onto his lap, holding her hips.

As she guided his cock into her body, Ginevra moved forward, her lips right next to his ear.

"Ego diligo vos," she whispered. (I love you.)

"Ego diligo vos quoque," he murmured, kissing her deeply. (I love you too.)

Moaning, Ginevra Drank from Draco hungrily.

"Carus, Ego postulo cruor," he groaned as she licked at the wound on his neck. (Beloved, I need blood.)

Pulling away reluctantly, Ginevra offered him her wrist, her eyes glazing over as he Drank deeply.

Draco started to push up into her as he Drank from her. Clutching his back, Ginevra moved further against him, biting into him again as they explored each other.

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(a/n: thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

In case anyone was wondering, and even if you weren't, I found out a few days ago that the first fourteen chapters of this story are OVER 400 pages long! That's in Verdana font, size nine, and with five millimetre borders on the page. It's also NOT including the author notes before and after the chapter!

I got the information on Apollo from the following site: (again, tell me if it doesn't show, but I will still put it on my profile for those interested - the site also has a lot of information on other Greek gods. More than I knew about! Just click the 'Greek Mythology' link at the top of the page.)

www (dot) pantheon (dot) org / articles / a / apollo (dot) html

I know I said this in the last chapter, but the world domination RPG has been cancelled and I'll be changing it to a Harry Potter one instead. If anyone's even vaguely interested about it, I'd like to know so I can start organising some sort of structure for it, as well as what it will focus on. There's the before, during, and after Harry Potter era's. So that's basically the Lily and James / Lucius and Narcissa era (yes, I know they were different, but they're better grouped together!), the Draco and Ginevra era, or children of whoever survived Deathly Hallows era. (I'm not going to spoil it for those who haven't finished reading the book, but you'll know who I'm talking about if you've finished it already.) If you're interested it'll be great to know!

Just so you know, I will be skipping straight to Friday for the next chapter! Hope everyone's okay with that!

Thanks again for reading!)

16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Friday, Sept. 20

Draco woke up early on Friday morning. He sat up, careful to not disturb Ginevra, then got out of the bed. Going to his trunk, Draco started to get out his Initiation attire, then headed to the bathroom.

Stepping into the bath, Draco sank into the hot water and relaxed, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply, exhaling after a moment.

He could smell so many things; it was almost scary. The air had drops of moisture in it; the steam that filled the room, the scent of freshly pressed linen and towels. He could smell everything in Ginevra's rooms, from the overwhelming smell of Vincent's sock drawer that Micah was sleeping in, to the woody scent that filled the meeting room.

Breathing and exhaling deeply again, Draco focused his senses on his own body so he could wash properly. Ginevra's scent lingered on his body, mixing with the smell of his own scent. The musky smell of cooled sweat and body heat mixed together. He could smell his hair and the dried gel products he had used yesterday morning when it had been untameable.

With a small sigh, Draco took the soap from the holder and began to clean his body and hair. The soap didn't have a scent and was specially designed by the Veela Ancients to erase all foreign smells.

Ten minutes later, Draco stepped out of the tub and used the white towel to dry himself, wishing that he could use his regular black or green towel. Once he was dry, he changed into the Initiation garments, delighting at the feel of the white silk against his skin, even despite the cool air. Frowning, Draco realised that there were no shoes with the clothes.

"I'm just supposed to go around barefoot?" he muttered.

Yes, you are, Garion's voice said in his mind, sounding amused.

Lord Garion. Good morning, Draco said quickly.

Good morning, Draconius. Are you prepared for the Initiation tonight? Garion asked.

I am preparing myself now, my Lord Garion, Draco replied.

Good. I have appropriate attire for Ginevra so that she will not feel out of place.

Thank you, my Lord.

You are welcome. Do not forget that you must fast for the entire day.

I will not forget.

Lord Garion left Draco's mind with a nod of approval.

Draco looked down at his bare feet and sighed. He couldn't even do a warming spell on them.

Heading back into his room, Draco found that Ginevra was waking up. With a small smile, Draco sat on the bed.

Ginevra frowned slightly. She had the sense of something clean sitting next to her. There was no human smell at all, just a pure sense of cleanliness.

"Good morning," Draco said with a grin as she opened her eyes to stare at him.

Ginevra's eyes widened as she realised that the clean smell was coming from Draco; or rather the clean smell was Draco. She wanted to touch him to see if he was as solid as he had been the night before. Draco seemed to be more Veelan than human at the moment.

"Good morning. You're wearing white," Ginevra murmured, looking him over.

"You're wearing nothing," Draco pointed out, smirking as Ginevra blushed and pulled the blanket up further.

"Are you going to wear that during class?" she asked, wanting to change the subject from her current lack of clothing.

"Yes," Draco said with a nod. "It's the compulsory attire for a Veelan who is to be Initiated," he said.

Draco had told them all the night before that he was going to be Initiated, as he knew they would not leave him be unless he told them something about the letter. He didn't mention that he was taking Ginevra along with him.

"Is that silk?" Ginevra asked as she started to get changed.

Draco nodded in reply, watching her change into her uniform.

"I don't think you should go to class. Everyone's going to be all over you," she muttered.

Pansy knocked on the door loudly.

"You two out of bed?" she asked.

"You can come in," Draco called.

Pansy opened the door, smirking at them. She saw Draco and her jaw dropped.

"Wow, Draco... You're wearing white," she said quickly, hearing Ginevra's low growl.

Draco suppressed his laughter, settling on a smirk instead.

"I've noticed," he replied. "Coming to breakfast?" he asked.

Pansy she struggled to back down the corridor, her eyes wide.

"Think I'll skip it," she muttered, hurrying back into her room.

Draco raised an eyebrow, then headed down the corridor. As he passed each door, they opened and everyone was soon staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

"I hope you realise that your Veelan hormones are at full scale while you're wearing that," Luna commented, smiling at Draco.

"I've got them under control though," Draco said with a slight frown.

"The clothing releases it anyway," Luna said, shrugging.

"Draco. I really think that you should stay inside today," Ginevra said, barely getting through their friends to him.

"I don't think that will work," Luna murmured, indicating to the window.

Ginevra looked out and saw most of the Hogwarts population coming down towards her room, pulled by Draco's Veelan spell.

"Looks like I'm going to class then," Draco muttered.

He strode through the front door, Ginevra a second behind him. Luna held the others back with a strong spell, then shot another spell at each of them before slumping against the wall wearily.

"Are you okay, Luna?" Colin asked her immediately.

"Nothing a day of rest won't fix," she said with a tired smile, then turned serious once more. "You're all going to have to stay with them and make sure that nothing gets out of hand. I think Ginevra might just hurt someone if they touch Draco, and with his Veelan pull this strong, that won't even stop them," Luna murmured.

"I wouldn't be against her hurting Lavender," Parvati muttered, but still hurried out the front door with the others.

The scene they arrived at was pure chaos. Students were struggling to get to Draco, screaming and kicking each other to simply touch him. Ginevra was trying to fight them off, but the desperate students still managed to get to Draco.

"This is going to be fun," Seamus said with a wild look, jumping into the fray.

Students cried out in pain as Seamus made his way through them, finally stopping beside Ginevra.

"You okay?" he called to Ginevra.

"Perfectly fine," she growled, pushing away two fifth year girls.

In a matter of minutes, Blaise and Neville were beside them, vines pulling students away.

"Tell Draco to get on my back, I'll get him to class," Blaise said with a determined look.

Nodding, Ginevra looked over to Draco, still trying to fight off the students.

"Get on Blaise's back," she said.

Growling, Draco leapt into the air, landing on Blaise's back lightly. Before anyone had a second to realise what had happened, the centaur and Veelan were heading towards the castle.

"We couldn't get through them. It was like they were stuck to each other!" Parvati growled.

"It's all right. You tried," Ginevra said with a small smile.

"They're all going to regret their behaviour tomorrow," Millicent muttered to Neville, watching as the screaming girls ran after Draco.

"Some of them might not. Romilda Vane's not very choosy," he muttered in reply with a smirk.

"Stupid bint," Seamus muttered.

"We better get to class before someone tramples Blaise to get to Draco," Ginevra said with a sigh.

With that, they headed through Ginevra's rooms to the Astronomy Tower.

"If his Veelan powers are at full scale with the clothes on, would they stop when he took them off?" Fred and George asked as they headed with the others to class.

"I'm not sure it'll be a good idea to make Draco strip," Pansy said, grinning.

"We didn't mean it like that! Can't he just change his clothes?" Fred and George asked, going red slightly.

"He has to wear the clothes all day. It's his Initiation attire," Ginevra said.

They heard a loud thud and ran to the Astronomy classroom.

"Blaise!" Neville and Seamus cried, running over to him.

He was on the ground, fading to his human form. Rion had cornered Draco and was clawing at his clothes.

"Get the hell off of him!" Ginevra growled, running over to Rion.

She hit a barrier and her eyes glowed red as she watched Rion rip open Draco's shirt.

"Get off him, you bitch!" Ginevra removed the barrier and cleared the classroom in one leap, pulling Rion off Draco with a primitive growl.

Rion hit the wall with a grunt, then ran back over to Draco, who was trying to create a barrier around him. The Veelan attire cancelled out any magic he tried to perform, and the barrier idea was immediately dismissed.

"Stop it this instant!" Draco roared, fed up with the Professor's advances.

By this time, the students had made their way to class and were trying to get past the Professor's own barrier to get to Draco. At the sound of his voice, everyone went quiet and stopped what they were doing.

"So that's how it works," he murmured to himself. "Right, all of you stop this nonsense this instant. Go to your classes, or to your desks, and do not bother me for the rest of the day!"

Quietly and without much fuss, everyone left the room, excepting Draco and his friends, Rion, and the other students in the Astronomy class.

Red faced with embarrassment, Rion started teaching the class, not even daring to look in Draco's direction.

Ginevra glared at Rion any time she looked up from the parchment and barely listened to a word that she was saying.

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Now that he was no longer being pursued by the student (and staff) population, Draco was left to his own thoughts. He couldn't concentrate on class, and was far too excited about the Hunt that night to be bothered about not paying attention.

Charms started and went by almost as quickly. Flitwick taught them a new spell. It was immediately pushed to the back of Draco's mind after he'd perfected it - in one shot, of course - in favour for more interesting thoughts.

His eyes flicked over to Ginevra, who was just finishing the spell herself, and smirked. She was going to be in for a surprise. All Veela's and Veelan's were taught about the Initiation Hunt as soon as they discovered what they were. Hunts in general occurred everything three months, but Draco hadn't been able to attend as a fledgling. He'd been told by various Veelan's of what happened at the Hunt, and their tales had only made him eager for his own Initiation Hunt to occur.

He could barely wait for the night to come.

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"Draco isn't with us at the moment, is he?" Pansy asked, smirking at the faraway look on Draco's face.

"He hasn't been with us for most of the day," Ginevra murmured, waving a hand in front of him.

Draco didn't move or even blink an eyelid to acknowledge her.

"Well, if he's not going to eat that ... " Vincent said, reaching over the table to take the cake from Draco's plate.

Draco grabbed his hand before he could touch it, and glared.

"Don't touch my cake," he growled.

He wouldn't eat it anyway, as he had to fast, but Vincent could still ask!

"Oh, so you'll come back for the cake?" Ginevra muttered, feigning hurt.

Gregory laughed as Draco looked at Ginevra, a confused look on his face.

"Is the day over yet?" Draco asked, looking out the window with longing.

"You should have just stayed in your room. You're not going to learn anything today," Blaise muttered.

"Oh, I disagree," Draco said with a smirk, doing the spell that Flitwick had taught them that day. "See, I learnt something."

"I'm sure your mummy's very proud of you," Seamus said sarcastically, grinning at Draco as he glared.

"Don't fight so soon after eating. You'll get cramps," Luna said absent-mindedly, returning to her own lunch.

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"Congratulations, Draco," Firenze said as he entered the room.

"Thanks," Draco replied, momentarily surprised out of his stupor.

Firenze nodded in reply, and Draco returned to his thoughts.

"I think I should be scared that he's been thinking all this time," Ginevra muttered.

"His poor brain mustn't be taking it too well," Millicent sniggered.

They sat at a table, waiting for the rest of the class to arrive.

"So what are we doing for today's lesson?" Ginevra asked Firenze, who just smiled at her and shook his head.

Before Ginevra could mutter about not getting an answer, the rest of the class arrived.

"With Professor Trewlaney's permission, I will be teaching you for today. She has agreed to teach you on Monday and Friday to make up for it," Firenze said, ignoring their disappointed looks. "For today's lesson, you will be learning about divination and meditation," Firenze announced when everyone was seated. "You will be meditating for today's lesson. Do not worry, I will teach you how," he added before any questions could be asked. "I do not expect anyone to succeed immediately, so do not worry if nothing happens at first," Firenze said, smiling at them kindly.

A few of the students looked relieved at this. Firenze asked them all to stand, and in moments, the chairs and tables had disappeared, soft cushions on the floor instead. All of the bags were lined against the wall, out of everyone's way. The students sat down and waited for Firenze to continue.

"There are six basic forms of meditation that you can attempt during today's lesson. You do not have to choose a preferred form of meditation today, as you may not know immediately what suits you best. I suggest giving them all a try and then deciding later," Firenze said.

A few students look excited, Firenze noted with a smile.

"The first is breathing meditation. This helps you maintain your breathing and clear your mind. Close your eyes," he instructed, waiting for everyone to do so before continuing. "Now, to start off with it is easiest to go with a count of four. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four," Firenze began slowly, tapping a hoof against the floor in time with his words.

He gradually stopped talking, simply tapping his hoof against the floorboards instead. A few times Firenze noticed that some people were getting restless, and so he instructed them to concentrate on their breathing and counting, nothing else.

After ten minutes of this, he instructed the students to open their eyes once more. It took a few minutes for everyone to get back from their relaxed state, but they got there eventually and Firenze awarded ten House points for both Slytherin and Gryffindor.

"Very good, everyone. We will continue while you are still relaxed," he said. "The next type of meditation is empty mind meditation. This requires you to empty your mind of all thoughts, and as it is human nature to think, this will be difficult for most of you. Sit up in a cross-legged position and we will begin," Firenze instructed.

They all sat up in the way he had said, waiting for further instructions.

"Now, empty your mind," Firenze said, watching them with a smile.

He waited for a few minutes before continuing.

"You need to clear your mind of all thought. As I said, it will be difficult for you to do this immediately, so for now, simply sit quietly. Close your eyes, sit cross legged, Mr. Weasley," Firenze added as Ron went to stretch his legs. "While you are sitting there quietly, you will have thoughts. For now, just accept that you have listened to your thought, and let it move on," he said.

After fifteen minutes of sitting quietly, some people started to get restless, Ron in particular.

"Open your eyes now," Firenze said, smiling at them again. "The next type of meditation we will try is mindfulness meditation. It is practiced by both Muggle and wizard Buddhists, and is also known as vipassana, or insight meditation," he informed them. "You can keep your eyes open for this meditation. This type of meditation gets you to focus on everything, from what you're feeling and thinking, to your surroundings. This will be done outside, so take a few minutes to stretch," he finished.

Once everyone had feeling in their legs again, Firenze led them outside. He stopped at the top of a small hill and instructed for them to sit on the grass. As they were seating themselves, Firenze looked around. Everything could be seen from this small height: the castle, lake, Forbidden Forest and Whomping Willow, the Quidditch grounds, and even the cliffs were in clear sight. He looked at the class again. They seem interested, but it may be an affect of the meditation, he mused with a slight smile.

"Calm your breathing as we did for the first meditation," Firenze instructed, his voice soft and carrying. "Now, focus on yourself. Focus on your breathing ... your feelings ... your thoughts," he said, pausing between each and allowing enough time for each student to do so. "Feel the floor and cushion beneath you," he said, his voice no more than a whisper now. "See your surroundings. Don't move," Firenze added. "Focus on the nature that is around you. Everything is moving to its own rhythm, and you will sense this with practice," he said.

Ginevra could feel her legs getting pins and needles, and heard the restless grumbles of her brother behind her. He had never been this quiet when he was awake. Not that he was quiet when he was sleeping either, she mused. Redirecting her thoughts, Ginevra focused on the lake, waves moving back and forth against the rocky sand, the water rippling with the movement of the giant squid. She could feel the wind on her face, playing with her hair and cooling her neck as it blew from the Forbidden Forest. As her mind focused even further, she realised that she could feel an insect crawling on her hand. Wanting to know what the animal was, but not wanting to break out of her trance-like state, Ginevra just focused on the feel of the miniscule animal instead.

Draco was surprised that he'd settled down enough to meditate for so long, let alone for three different types of meditation. He focused on he was feeling, becoming slowly overwhelmed by the amount of anticipation he was suppressing for the Initiation Hunt. The more Draco focused on the feelings, the more his anticipation flowed through him, and he began to get agitated. Waiting was horrible, he decided. Draco redirected his focus to the grass beneath him and started to focus on the individual blades of grass against his leg.

Gently, Firenze felt into the minds of the students. They were focusing on their surroundings effectively now, but thoughts still pressed against their minds. The next lesson would have to focus on how to quiet thoughts further, he told himself.

"I will now go around and tell you a word. You are to repeat this is as a mantra in your mind. Later, if you choose to practise this, you may say it out loud. The mantra will make you concentrate on the word alone, and help you clear your mind," Firenze said, and then started around the class.

As Firenze murmured a word in their ear, the class started to recite. Some of the students mouthed the words, while others screwed their faces up to concentrate on nothing but their particular word.

"Relax," Firenze said, amused at some of the expressions they were pulling.

Less than five minutes went by, and Firenze had to stop them before a few of his students fainted from a loss of oxygen.

"Now, you will try how to meditate on a concept. The Buddhist 'meditation on the corpse' is focused on a body in the ground as it rots away and is fed on by worms," Firenze said.

Lavender screeched and gagged, going green in the face.

"Don't like worms, Lav-Lav?" Pansy taunted, sneering at her.

Lavender gave her the finger and as she went to add a few swear words, but Firenze interrupted her quickly.

"No offensive language during meditation," he said, looking at the entire class sternly. "You do not have to meditate on a body rotting as your particular concept, but it may be easier to focus on than some other concepts," Firenze said. "Now, close your eyes and begin. We will do the final meditation in ten minutes," he added quietly, making sure they all closed their eyes.

Ten minutes went by and Firenze called the students out of their trance-like states. He noticed that most of them were looking slightly ill at how detailed their meditation had been, from everything to each grain of dirt surrounding the body in the ground, to the entire rotting process and the joy of the worms.

"This final meditation is called walking meditation. It may help clear your mind and emotions. Stand up," Firenze said, smiling. "As you begin to walk, pay attention to the movement of your legs, and your breathing. Continue to walk, and feel how your feet touch the ground. You may take your shoes off if you would like to feel the grass on your feet. If your mind wanders, focus on the motion of walking and breathing. You can pace back and forth if you would like. I would not suggest walking in circles, Mr. Thomas," Firenze said.

Dean, who was walking in small tight circles, nodded queasily, turning a light shade of green.

Everyone began walking, some people looking straight ahead, while others watched their feet. Some chose to walk with shoes on, others didn't. By the time the bell rang, everyone felt relaxed and refreshed, the rotting body nothing more than a memory.

"Very good, all of you. Twenty points for both Slytherin and Gryffindor. Enjoy the rest of your day and night," Firenze said with a smile, looking directly at Draco and Ginevra.

"Thank you, Professor. See you on Monday," Parvati called as she left with the others.

"See you on Monday," Padma taunted, smirking at her.

"Oh, shut up," Parvati grumbled, glaring at her twin.

Padma just laughed and put an arm around her sister's shoulder.

"Any chance you can get Draco to hurry up? He's dawdling and we're running late," Pansy muttered to Ginevra.

"Not sure what I can do, but I'll try," Ginevra replied with a grin.

Lagging behind, Ginevra waited for Draco to get beside her. She pinched him, and he glared at her angrily.

"What did you do that for?" he asked, rubbing his arm.

"You're walking slow," Ginevra said with a shrug.

"Why'd you have to pinch though?" Draco grumbled.

"Hurry up then I won't have to pinch you again," Ginevra taunted, hurrying after the others.

Draco muttered to himself then, rubbing his arm again, hurried after her.

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"Today's lesson will be focused on changing animals into more than one item. For example, a hedgehog can be transfigured into a pin cushion," McGonagall said.

She quickly transfigured a hedgehog out of a spare quill, then continued.

"It is one of the easiest multiple transfigurations to do, due to the hedgehog's spiky outer skin. Remember to focus on the hedgehog's face and body disappearing into a small pin cushion, and the spikes into pins," McGonagall reminded them. "The incantation is Macero mucro, which means to soften a sharp point in Latin. Now, watch my wand movements," she said.

Circling clockwise three times, McGonagall did a sharp anti-clockwise motion, pointing her wand at the hedgehog she'd conjured.

"Macero mucro!" she said.

The hedgehog shrank rapidly, its spiny outer skin changing into individual silver pins. The pin cushion itself was a beige colour, and with some concentration, McGonagall had her initials etched into one corner of the cushion.

"Put a quill in front of you and I will transfigure a hedgehog for you. Please make sure it doesn't get away from your table," McGonagall said, going around the classroom quickly and efficiently.

In less than fifteen minutes the entire class had a hedgehog sitting in front of them. A new record, McGonagall thought with a hint of pride.

"Now, try to change your hedgehog into a pin cushion. The pins need to be removable," McGonagall said, then sat at her desk to watch them perform the spell.

Luna watched as some people started to do the spell. She winced as one person's spell was done wrong and the hedgehog started squealing, trying to roll into a ball, but unable to as it was slowly becoming a pin cushion. Luna looked at the hedgehog on her table with a slight frown. She didn't want to hurt the hedgehog like others in the class were doing.

The hedgehog heard the squeals from the other hedgehogs throughout the classroom, and grunted in fear a bit, it's voice getting higher with its increased fear. The hedgehog curled into a tight ball, its spines sticking out in every direction.

"Poor thing," Luna murmured, patting the spines lightly.

"Professor! My hedgehog is losing its prickly things!" Lavender yelled from her seat.

"You are stressing the animal, that's why!" McGonagall yelled back.

The squealing got louder as students started shouting at each other, at the animals in front of them, and at their wands.

"You okay, Luna?" Ginevra asked her, seeing Luna's frown.

"I don't want to do that to the hedgehog," Luna said, indicating to Lavender's hedgehog.

It was shedding spines out of stress, half formed into a pin cushion. The poor hedgehog looked frightened beyond belief, trembling and managing to get out a few squeals from its cushion mouth. The hedgehog had no idea what was happening, or why it was suddenly feeling different.

"I know what you mean. My poor hedgehog is scared out of its wits," Ginevra said, looking at the curled hedgehog in her hands.

She'd talked to it briefly, explaining to the hedgehog what was happening. As soon as it found out, the hedgehog had gone into its protective ball and didn't want to come out, its fear too much for the small animal to handle.

"I don't want to do this spell," Parvati said, looking at her hedgehog in pity.

"No, I don't think I'd like it if I was suddenly turned into a pin cushion either," Draco was saying to his hedgehog.

"You're not doing the spell either?" Pansy asked Theodore, who shook his head.

"The hedgehog's gone into shock because of Lavender's incompetence," Theodore muttered. "Don't think I'd want to anyway; what am I going to need a pin cushion so urgently for that I'd need to make it out of hedgehog?"

"Exactly what I've been saying for this entire lesson. If I need a pin cushion, I've got one in my bag that I can use," Millicent muttered. "Why are you all looking at me like that for?"

"Show me your pin cushion," Padma said quickly.

McGonagall calmed both Lavender and her hedgehog down, and then did a small Stunning spell on the animal so Lavender could do the spell properly.

Millicent passed her pin cushion to Padma, who smirked, quickly going into a conversation with Colin and Neville.

"It could work, but the initials would have to go," Blaise pointed out, trying to soothe his hedgehog down at the same time.

"Okay. Give us some quills and let us work on it," Padma said, nodding to Parvati.

They handed over their spare quills and started to calm their hedgehogs down as Padma and Parvati started working on duplicating the pin cushions.

"Why do you have a pin cushion in your bag anyway?" Seamus asked Millicent with a grin.

"So I can stab people," she replied sarcastically.

"Come on! What do you really have it for?" Neville asked.

"We won't laugh," Pansy said, smirking at her.

"Not telling you. You're already laughing," Millicent pointed out with a half-hearted glare.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about, Millicent. They're really quite good," Luna murmured, trying to coax the hedgehog out of its ball.

"I'm not ashamed! I'm just not telling them," Millicent muttered.

"We'll start singing unless you tell us," Gregory said, Vincent nodding in agreement with a large smirk.

"Don't care," Millicent said, putting her head on her arms.

Gregory and Vincent coughed slightly to clear their throats.

"Millicent, tell us before they really do start singing," Pansy said, paling as her boyfriends decided on a song.

"Food, glorious food!" Gregory and Vincent started to sing loudly.

"Oh, for the Gods' sakes! I do cross stitching, okay?" Millicent muttered, her voice muffled.

Gregory and Vincent ignored the looks they were getting from the rest of the class, then started pestering Millicent to show them some.

"Please?" Ginevra asked, pouting at Millicent.

"I said no, so drop it," Millicent said. "Don't touch my bag, Theo!" she said, glaring as he went to reach in her bag.

"If you show them then they promise to shut up about it," Theodore cajoled.

"Promise!" Pansy said, nudging Vincent and Gregory to agree with her.

"Draco will say please too," Ginevra said, smirking when Millicent just raised an eyebrow at her.

"No I will not," Draco muttered, looking down at the hedgehog.

"Say please!"

"No," Draco growled.

"Say please!"

"Glad to see the hedgehogs are enjoying the show," Neville said, seeing that the hedgehogs had uncurled and were watching the argument in amusement.

"Hurry up and say please or else you won't get one," Padma bribed, holding out a pin cushion to Draco.

"I could just make you," Draco responded.

"Just say it," Ginevra said.

"Fine," Draco said, sighing heavily. "Would you please show us?" he muttered to Millicent.

Millicent still didn't look happy about it, but she brought out a cross stitch that she was working on. It was a wolf head, and even though it was only half-finished, the wolf still seemed to leap out from the cloth.

"That's really good, Millicent," Ginevra said, slightly surprised.

"I told you," Theodore said, smirking at Millicent.

"Shut up. McGonagall's coming over. Give me my cushion back now," Millicent said, grabbing her pin cushion from the twins.

Everyone hid their hedgehogs on their laps and placed their pin cushions in front of them.

"How are you going over here?" McGonagall asked, looking at each of them.

Pin cushions sat in front of all of them, but something didn't look right.

Ginevra cursed inwardly as the hedgehog on her lap started to grunt affectionately.

"All of you move back away from the desks," McGonagall said with a heavy sigh.

They reluctantly did so, revealing the hedgehogs sitting on their laps.

"We didn't want them to be like that," Luna said, indicating over to the deformed hedgehog that Lavender was working on.

"You don't believe in your abilities enough?" McGonagall queried.

"It's not that," Luna protested. "It's the hedgehogs. They feel everything, and even if we managed to get the spell done half as fast as you did, it would still be excruciating for them," she said, patting the hedgehog fondly.

"You do know that I created the hedgehogs out of quills?" McGonagall asked. "Quills have no feelings."

"But it's a living animal! The moment you did the spell, you gave them life and feelings too!" Luna protested angrily.

The others watched her in surprise. They had never seen Luna as emotional as this before. She was always calm and level-headed.

"You can not just do that to them! They have hearts, and they beat just as ours do!" Luna said, tears streaming down her face now.

Ginevra frowned, then stood up and looked at Luna.

"She's Seeing," Ginevra murmured, indicating to Draco.

Luna's eyes had glossed over with a white film, and her face was paling with every second. As Ginevra said that, Luna's entire body went pale and her clothes changed into a tattered form of Cassandra's white dress.

"Theodore, help us over here," Ginevra said.

He hurried over, Millicent beside him.

"We should lie her down and get Madam Pomfrey. I haven't had much experience with this before," Theodore murmured, conjuring a pillow for Luna.

In seconds, a makeshift bed was made up and Luna was lying down, still crying out words of helplessness every few minutes.

"My Lord! You must have some mercy! They are mere humans and know not what they do!" Luna cried, her body convulsing with emotions.

By now, the entire class was crowded around Luna, the hedgehogs forgotten on the desks. Draco, Gregory and Vincent were holding Apollo back, but just barely.

What happened next scared everyone and even gave McGonagall nightmares for months. Blood curdling screams ripped from Luna's body and her body rocked with every one.

Apollo finally got our of the three Slytherins grasp, and hugged Luna to his body tightly, golden light spilling into her pale body. The light faded, but Luna still remained as white as a sheet. Apollo screamed in pain, loss, anger and love, and even more light flowed out of his body and into Luna. As it did, Apollo started to fade back to Colin's form.

"I don't think that's good," Pansy murmured, but was unable to move.

After what seemed to be hours, Luna finally got some colour back in her body, and Apollo had disappeared. Colin gently lowered Luna back down on the bed, and stood up shakily, only to collapse to the ground immediately.

Theodore rushed to him, feeling for a pulse and doing a few spells to monitor him. Different coloured bars appeared in mid air, only Theodore knowing what they all meant.

"He's lost a substantial amount of inner magic. Someone go get Pomfrey!" Theodore yelled as something started to change colour.

Five students ran out of the classroom as fast as they could.

"They won't get there fast enough. We'll be right back," Neville said.

Neville and Seamus were gone before anyone could think of saying something.

"Professor, the bell went some time ago," Millicent murmured.

"Oh. Yes ... Of, of course," McGonagall said, staring at Luna and Colin's pale forms for a moment longer. "Class is dismissed!" she said, quickly turning the hedgehogs back into quills. "All of you, out!" she said, her voice and words reminding everyone of Madam Pomfrey.

No one wanted to leave it seemed, and just packed their things, then returned to crowd around Luna and Colin. Theodore started doing a few spells, but the coloured bar he was looking at continued to drop.

"Okay, boys. You can get this plant off of me now," Pomfrey's voice came from the classroom. "That was the oddest form of transport I've had since I went for that ride in one of the Muggles aeroplanes... Really, Professor. I would have thought you would have had enough sense to get the students out of the classroom!" Pomfrey muttered as she pushed her way through the students to Luna and Colin. "Oh."

Neville and Seamus collapsed against Blaise wearily, their breathing heavy with the exertion.

"All right then. The lot of you, clear out!" Pomfrey yelled, shooing away the students.

"We're not leaving," Ginevra said firmly, the others standing beside her.

McGonagall managed to get the rest of the class out of the room, and paced beside Pomfrey.

"Is there anything I can help with?" she asked, wringing her hands.

"No, there is nothing you can do. Just go to lunch and tell Albus what happened," Pomfrey said, dismissing her without even looking at the Professor.

McGonagall didn't look very pleased, but left nonetheless, shooing the last of the dawdling students out of her classroom.

"You can stay here as long as you don't get in my way," Pomfrey said reluctantly when Ginevra and her friends refused to leave.

"Thank you," Ginevra said quickly, sitting on a nearby table to watch.

The others followed suit and they watched carefully as Pomfrey and Theodore started to work on Colin and Luna, the two monitors showing varied colours that still meant nothing to anyone except the two healers.

"You spend every day with him in the hospital wing, and you don't know what any of this means?" Draco growled.

"I do my cross stitching in the hospital wing," Millicent said sheepishly. "I know that bar there is the heart rate though," she said quickly, pointing at the red bar on Colin's screen. "The lower it is, the slower the heart rate is," she said nervously, watching as the bar started to drop.

Finally knowing what something was, they all focused on the red bars on the two magical monitor screens, their own hearts jumping every time the bar dropped lower.

"That gold bar of Colin's is really small," Neville murmured, looking at it.

"That's the inner magic bar," Theodore muttered absent-mindedly. "He lost a lot of magic doing whatever he did to help Luna," he said.

"You're missing out on lunch, you know," Pomfrey said, sounding just as absent-minded as Theodore.

"We'll be fine," Gregory and Vincent said immediately, not looking away from their friends or even pause to stop and think about food.

Pomfrey didn't reply, she just murmured something to Theodore, who began murmuring in return. Their words were incoherent to anyone but them; not even Millicent understood the language they used. Theodore nodded, then turned to his friends to translate what they'd said.

"They'll be fine. We just need to take them down to the hospital wing. Colin will sleep for a while, as he needs to replenish his inner magic. Luna will be fine once she comes out of her daze, but to be on the safe side, we're just going to administer a sleeping draught that has a mild sedative in it so she won't freak out when she wakes up," Theodore said.

"Theodore, what did I say about that term?" Pomfrey asked him sternly as she levitated Colin and Luna into the air with ease.

"Freak out is not a technical term," Theodore muttered in response. "Sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

She nodded curtly, then guided the lovers down to the hospital wing carefully.

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"You don't have to stay here. They won't wake up for a while," Theodore said.

"Go have some lunch," Madam Pomfrey insisted, practically pushing them all out of the hospital wing.

"I'll get you as soon as something happens," Theodore promised.

The door shut on them and Ginevra sighed.

"I'm not in the mood for going to the Great Hall. There are going to be too many questions," she muttered.

"Kitchens then?" Parvati and Padma asked.

"There won't be a lack of noise. House elves are louder than third years when it comes to food," Pansy muttered.

"It will do for now," Draco said.

Blaise looked at Neville and Seamus in concern. They still weren't looking any better than they had when they'd returned from the hospital wing.

"What did you two do to get her there so quickly? The hospital wing is more than a few minutes away from the Transfiguration classroom, even for you two," he murmured as they headed to the kitchens with the others.

"We did it," Neville said heavily.

"You stopped Time?" Blaise asked in shock.

Seamus nodded grimly.

"I never want to do that unless I absolutely have to. It's not the way they make it out to be," he shuddered.

Blaise frowned.

"What do you mean? Doesn't everything just pause?" he asked.

Seamus laughed shortly and shook his head in reply, trying to hide the fact that his hands were trembling.

"Time doesn't technically stop," Neville replied. "We're just diverted to a place that is similar to this one, but where Time means nothing. We had to do a few spells on Pomfrey so she wouldn't realise that we weren't in Hogwarts," Neville said.

"If you weren't in Hogwarts, how did you get Pomfrey?" Blaise asked, confused.

"We did it twice. We came out just at the hospital wing entrance, then after doing the spell on her, we left in the same spot. It's not good to do it in more than one place within a matter of minutes," Seamus said.

"It's not good to do it more than once in the same lifetime," Neville muttered, rubbing his hand over his face.

"You three coming?" Ginevra called, looking at them with a frown. "What's wrong?" she asked as they hurried to the fruit portrait.

"Nothing's wrong," Seamus replied.

"Do not lie to me," Ginevra growled.

"Ginevra. We are tired from carrying Pomfrey, so nothing that is overly important is wrong," Neville corrected Seamus, using a half truth. He could tell the whole truth later.

Ginevra stopped glaring at Seamus, then nodded wearily. Blaise steered Seamus into the kitchens.

"You're telling me later," Ginevra muttered as Neville went past her into the kitchens.

Since she was a Vampiress again, Ginevra had to wait in the corridor for the others.

"We just want some food, Dobby!" Draco growled, getting annoyed at the house-elf, who insisted they all sit down and eat it right there. If they didn't get the food, then Ginevra wouldn't eat.

"We're going on a picnic, and we want to take the food outside," Parvati said.

"Why didn't Misters and Mistresses say so?" Dobby said happily, then ran away grinning. He returned in seconds with a large picnic hamper.

"I'm not carrying it," Draco muttered when the house elf offered it to him.

Dobby insisted, a large grin on his face as Draco left the kitchens with the picnic basket in his hands.

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"Nice basket," Ginevra said with a laugh, smirking at Draco.

"Damn bloody house elf wouldn't let us leave unless I took the damned thing," he muttered.

Ginevra just laughed again, then opened a tapestry and they headed to her rooms quietly.

Vincent and Gregory ate very little and the others only ate out of necessity. Draco didn't eat anything, and wouldn't have eaten even if he had been allowed to.

"Good afternoon. Is something the matter?" Bexley asked as he floated into the room and saw the picnic food strewn across the table, hardly any of it touched.

"Luna and Colin are in the hospital wing," Ginevra replied, biting into her sandwich without any enthusiasm.

"What is the matter with them?" Bexley asked, frowning.

"Luna Saw something that made her do something else and Apollo did something that made her better, but it was something that made him worse," Neville replied.

"So in other words, you do not know exactly what happened?"

"Not really. All we know is that their heart rates dropped, and Colin's inner magic is below average," Ginevra replied.

"Madam Pomfrey said that they'd be fine and will sleep it off," Parvati and Padma replied.

"Ginevra!" Relo said happily, oblivious to the mood of the room as he ran in and hugged Ginevra's legs tightly.

"Hello Relo," she said with a slight smile.

"Dodger was being mean and saying he was going to bite my ankles. Where is elf boy? Why is everyone looking sad?" Relo asked quickly, looking around at everyone with wide and innocent eyes.

"Theodore is in the hospital wing looking after Luna and Colin," Ginevra replied.

"Is they all right?" Relo asked, his eyes wide.

"We hope so," Seamus murmured.

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The bell rang, and they reluctantly went out to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures.

"Yer to be reading yer books, then we're goin' in ter the Forest to see the blood-sucking bugbears," Hagrid said. "They sound worse than they are," he said quickly when a few students looked scared.

"They suck blood, don't they?" Sally-Anne asked.

"Er ... Yeh, they do," Hagrid said, wringing his hands. "They're really good though. Yer'll see when we go ter see them. They won't hurt yer," he said quickly.

"What chapter do we need to read?" Ginevra asked him, diverting the subject.

"Chapter eight. There's information about bugbears in it," Hagrid replied, looking relieved. "While yer all reading I'll jus' go make sure they've eaten, then I'll come to get yer," he said cheerfully, hurrying into the Forbidden Forest.

Ginevra could feel the nervous atmosphere increasing through the students as they read each passing paragraph on blood-sucking bugbears.

"Okay, who's ready to go see the bugbears?" Hagrid asked eagerly, clapping his hands together in excitement. "They've eaten everything I gave 'em so they won't do anything ter yer, I promise," he said, smiling at everyone reassuringly.

Only once Ginevra and her friends stood up to follow Hagrid did the rest of the class follow, still looking nervous.

"They won't hurt yer," Hagrid reassured as he led them through the forest.

He started whistling loudly, and the students huddled together, sure that he was bringing more attention than was necessary to their whereabouts. Soon enough, Hagrid stopped whistling, and turned to the students, smiling at them cheerfully.

"They'll be 'ere in a minute, yer'll see," he said, then turned around again.

He whistled every so often, almost like he was directing the bugbears by sound. In five minutes, a sloth of bugbears were in front of the students, sniffing eagerly.

"Why are they sniffing?" one student asked in a trembling voice.

"They're mostly blind, but they can hear yer hearts and blood pumping. They're sniffing ter see if yer scared of 'em," Hagrid replied, calming the student with a soothing voice.

One student didn't get the soothing effect of Hagrid's voice, and yelped in fear when one of the bugbears shifted restlessly. Immediately, the bugbears looked at the student, their eyes glowing brightly. They snarled at the student, their sharp fangs dripping blood and saliva. With a terrified yell, the student ran out of the forest and straight back to the castle. As soon as he'd gone, the bugbears returned to sitting on their hindquarters, seemingly indifferent to the humans in front of them.

"They're so cute," Ginevra said with a smile, getting odd looks from her friends.

"You think they're cute? After what they just did to what’s-his-name?" Pansy asked Ginevra, her eyebrow raised.

"They just scared him enough so he'd go back home. You just read that in the Book of Monsters, Water Pansy," Luna said, laughing quietly.

Oblivious to the argument, Ginevra went over to Hagrid.

"Can we pat them?" she asked, looking to the bugbears with something close to longing.

"Not yet," Hagrid muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Have ter calm the rest o' the students down before you get the bugbears all excited," he said with a slight grin.

Ginevra sighed, but stepped back and waited impatiently for the rest of the class to get comfortable around the bugbears. They looked exactly like normal, everyday bears. Except for the sharp fangs and glowing eyes, of course.

"So how much blood do they need in comparison to Vampires?" Draco murmured in Ginevra's ear, moving them behind Hagrid and away from prying eyes.

"They need twice as much, but they also store it for longer. Vampires need to replenish every three to five days, depending on their size and Hunger. Bugbears will drink their fill once a month," Ginevra replied.

"Three to five days? You've been Drinking every three to five hours," Draco muttered, smirking at Ginevra.

"Well, why would I say no when I have a willing supply of sweet blood?" she replied, turning and kissing him eagerly.

"Break it up now, the two of yer!" Hagrid said, pulling them apart. "Can't have you doin' none of that in front of the bugbears. Yer blood'll pump faster and it'll excite them, yer see," he said in explanation, then quickly continued when he realised he was supposed to tell them off for other reasons too, "That, and it's also me class. So no more of that, clear?" he asked sternly.

"Yes Professor," Ginevra said.

She moved away from Draco reluctantly, scowling when Pansy and Millicent smirked at her.

"All right, now yer've all settled, yer can pat 'em a bit. They like it behind the ears," Hagrid said, a cheerful grin on his face.

Someone pushed Sally-Anne forward. She stared at the bugbears in fright, obviously remembering what had happened to the boy.

"It's all right, Sally-Anne. They won't hurt yer," Hagrid said, slowly calming her down.

Tentatively, Sally-Anne walked forward, encouraged by the whispers of her classmates. It showed that she wasn't listening, as Millicent was whispering for her to get scared and run off to the castle. Luna raised an eyebrow at her friend's behaviour, making Millicent grin sheepishly and go quiet.

Sally-Anne took a deep breath, and closed her eyes tightly as she placed a hand on one of the bugbears. Nothing happened. She let out a sigh of relief, then started to stroke the bugbear behind the ears.

It whined and growled affectionately, making the others brave enough to step forward to the other bugbears. Hagrid waited until the other students had all had equal amounts of time with the bugbears before letting Ginevra and her friends through. He'd offered for them to go before, but they all wanted to wait for Ginevra instead.

Ginevra looked at the bugbear in front of her. It was the largest of the sloth, and therefore the leader. There was blood stained around its mouth from the blood Hagrid had given it earlier. The bugbear regarded her for a moment, then turned away indifferently.

"You know who I am, do you not?" Ginevra asked it quietly.

Yes, we are all aware of who you are, Queen Ginevra, the bugbear replied. Why do you ask?

"I was wondering, as I am not used to this reception of indifference," she said with a short laugh.

You would have us praise you as others do then? the bugbear asked.

If it could have raised one eyebrow at her, Ginevra was sure that it would have.

"Not at all," Ginevra said, grinning at the bugbear.

For a short moment the bugbear looked impressed, then it returned to its face of indifference, looking at the students in front of it.

You are missing some, the bugbear stated, sounding curious.

"Two of our friends are currently in the hospital wing, and my two brothers are in their shop for the day," Ginevra replied.

They will be fine, do not worry, the bugbear said, in the kindest voice of indifference possible. How long do your nails grow?

"My nails?" Ginevra asked, surprised.

The bugbear nodded, looking bemused. Ginevra extended her fingernails to their longest length and held them out.

They are strong at this length?

"I believe so," Ginevra said, flexing her fingers experimentally.

Would you care to test them? the bugbear asked, an eager light shining in its red eyes.

Ginevra looked at Hagrid, who nodded, looking weary.

"Go ahead. Be careful with her, yer hear me?" Hagrid said to the bugbear, glaring.

Of course. Nothing less than gentlemanly behaviour, the bugbear replied with a toothy grin.

Hagrid sighed, then led the other students away.

The rest of the bugbears crowded around Ginevra and the largest bugbear. Ginevra's friends hurried to sit in front of the bugbears.

"Should we be letting her do this?" Millicent asked the others.

"Probably not, but Draco wouldn't let anything happen," Blaise said, looking at Draco.

No longer thinking of the Initiation Hunt that was going to occur in about four hours, Draco watched Ginevra intently as she faced the bugbear.

Are you ready?

"Yes," Ginevra said with a nod.

Before she had even finished nodding, the bugbear swiped at her, its red claws extended.

She moved out of the way quickly, grateful that she'd been training with Draco. Moving aside her gratitude and other emotions, Ginevra scratched at the bugbear. Without even blinking, the bugbear blocked the blow, retaliating with its own. Ginevra blocked, then retaliated. The bugbear blocked every motion, from the front, back, side; all of Ginevra's moves were blocked instinctively. The most she got was a lock of fur from the bugbear's arm. The bugbear was blocked too, in some cases no more than a few millimetres from Ginevra's body. The most the bugbear got was a scrap of material from Ginevra's robes.

They stopped after another ten minutes of fruitless fighting and blocking.

"You are good," Ginevra breathed heavily, clutching the fur in her hand.

As are you, Queen Ginevra. No one has gotten that close to beating me in a long time. I would suspect that your own would beat me with his power and skill. I am tired now, so perhaps another time, the bugbear said with a smile.

"I would be honoured," Draco replied.

You may keep my fur. You may call me with it when you feel ready to beat me, the bugbear said, smiling at Ginevra.

"Thank you. You may keep the piece of my robe," Ginevra replied with a bow.

The bugbear returned Ginevra's bow awkwardly, then led the rest of the sloth deeper into the Forest.

"We've got to go, or else we'll miss meeting up with Yepir for your Runes lesson," Neville reminded Ginevra.

"You sure you want to come?" Ginevra asked, leaving with them quickly.

"Of course. You wouldn't want to Drink our blood when you've got Draco, would you?" Millicent teased, laughing.

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"You were almost late," Yepir said with a smile. Noticing Ginevra's friends, she continued with a frown, "Are you sure that it is wise for all of you to come along?"

"It's better than you being on your own with Ginevra if something happens," Pansy replied, shrugging.

"We might as well get the wood now," Seamus added.

"Very well," Yepir said. "What wood would you like for your Runes?" Yepir asked Ginevra as they walked along a path in the Forest.

"Ash, please," Ginevra replied.

"What is your wand made from?" Yepir asked curiously.

"Elm," she said, wondering why Draco looked surprised.

"My wand is ash, and my Runes will be elm," Draco explained.

"Did you plan to have it opposite to each other?" Yepir asked.

"No. I didn't even know what properties Draco's wand had," Ginevra replied.

Yepir just nodded, then continued along the path.

Ginevra let her mind float, listening to the noises throughout the Forest. She stopped abruptly, hearing a centaur's words. Draco followed Ginevra's pointed finger and tuned into what she was listening to.

"They are ruining our forest, Bane! You should not stand for this!" a centaur hissed.

"They are not ruining it! They have the Forest's permission!" one voice said, Ginevra recognising it as Ronan, the young centaur who supported her.

"We will consult the stars this evening to ascertain what we will do," Bane replied diplomatically, his tone crisp. "It has been that way for centuries, do not glare at me, Tate!"

There was a galloping sound, but only one centaur had left.

"I will be watching the stars for you, Ronan. You had better not betray the herd," Tate hissed.

"I can watch the stars myself," Ronan replied, leaving before Tate could do anything more.

"Is everything all right?" Yepir asked, looking at Ginevra and Draco in concern.

"Fine, sorry Professor," Ginevra said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Blaise, Neville and Seamus had listened in too, and quietly relayed what they had heard to the others as Yepir continued along the path.

"Here we are," Yepir said as they arrived at an ash tree. "Would you like a knife to ... " she started to ask Ginevra, stopping short when she saw how pale Ginevra was. "Are you feeling all right?"

Ginevra stared at the tree in front of her. Over the past years since Hogwarts had introduced Runes to the curriculum, the tree had its bark removed, and the inner wood cut out by uncaring students. The tree had taken a long time to repair itself, only to have the same misgivings repeated.

"How could they let it get like this?" Neville murmured in shock. He didn't have Runes as a subject, so this was the first time he was seeing it too.

"How many more are there?" Ginevra whispered, looking at the tree.

Ginevra, Draco, Neville, and Seamus all paled at the tree's answer.

Yepir looked between the students and the tree nervously.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"How could you have seen this and let it go?" Ginevra asked, turning on her friends, Draco and Seamus included.

"It wasn't this bad!" Seamus protested.

"We asked the other trees before we did ours," Gregory said quickly, Vincent nodding in agreement.

"We all did, Ginevra," Millicent said.

"If we had known it was like this, we wouldn't have done it," Parvati and Padma added.

"What are you all talking about?" Yepir asked.

Draco had to hold Ginevra back so she wouldn't hurt Yepir.

"I'll show her," Seamus offered, stepping forward and taking Yepir's hand.

Seamus placed his free hand on the tree, and shut his eyes, a look of deep concentration on his face. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a horrified and painful sob broke from Yepir.

"What's he doing?" Pansy muttered to Neville.

"Showing her the tree's life, and how much pain it's in," he replied.

Tears were falling from Yepir's face, her sobs getting more pain-filled with every passing second.

"Enough now, Seamus. I can't stand to see women crying," Blaise said, putting a hand on Seamus' shoulder.

Seamus pulled away, letting go of Yepir's hand. She moved slowly, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand.

"You need to do the project to pass the subject," Yepir said quietly after a long time of silence. "Wood can be taken from a fallen branch or tree," she added. "Go ahead for a moment, I'll find you," Yepir said, not looking at them.

They nodded, and then continued along the path. Yepir moved to the tree, putting a hand against it and sighing heavily.

"For what it's worth, I really am sorry," she murmured, then went after her students quickly.

"We found a thick branch, Professor. Will that be enough wood to make my Runes?" Ginevra asked, indicating to the large branch that Gregory and Vincent were lifting.

"More than enough," Yepir replied with a nod.

"You didn't have to lift it manually, you know," Ginevra said with a grin. "But thank you anyway."

Pansy laughed as Gregory and Vincent reddened, realising that they had their wands on them.

"Don't inscribe the runic symbols. For now, just get the wood cut so it will be manageable," Yepir replied.

Ginevra nodded, then started to cut into the fallen branch carefully.

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"How are you going?" Yepir asked, walking over to Ginevra.

"I think I'm done," Ginevra answered, sitting back on her heels and wiping her forehead.

"Did you cut yourself?" Yepir asked, her eyes scanning Ginevra's hands and arms, and her hand subconsciously going to the wand at her belt.

"I only got myself once. It's healed now," Ginevra replied, showing the Professor her unscathed arms.

Yepir nodded briefly, then went around to the others. They'd levitated logs of their own specified wood to the area and were cutting them up too. On Yepir's request, they'd all put up odour-less spells so Ginevra wouldn't do anything. It worked fine with the smaller amount of people, but had the entire class been there then it would have been too much for the magic to handle, and Ginevra would have smelt the blood all the same.

"Your study time has finished. Bring the wood to class on Monday. Ginevra, again you will have to be absent for my class while this is going on," Yepir said, sounding apologetic.

"That's okay. Thanks Professor," Ginevra replied, grabbing her wood and leaving with her friends.

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"There you are! You took ages," Colin said as soon as they entered Ginevra's rooms.

He looked shocked when everyone rushed over and hugged him tightly.

"You had us worried," Ginevra admonished, trying not to focus on how pale he looked.

"Yeah, I worried a lot of people, apparently," Colin murmured. "Sorry," he added sheepishly.

"You better be, god or not!" Millicent said, levelling him with a glare.

Colin looked away briefly; pain in his eyes, and Luna appeared between them.

"Apollo is not residing within Colin at the moment. What he did today forced Apollo to retreat back to Mount Olympus until he is at full strength again," Luna said quietly.

"How long will that take?" Draco asked, who had enjoyed talking with the god.

This time Luna looked away briefly. She took a deep breath, then looked at them all with watery eyes.

"I do not know," she answered.

"I told you not to tell them that," Colin said, looking crestfallen.

"I know, love. But I Saw what would happen if they did not realise he was gone. It is better for everyone to not be so dependent on each other," Luna murmured, swaying slightly.

"Is she Seeing again?" Parvati asked, noticing the white look of Luna's eyes.

"She might be. We couldn't help her with her eyes," Theodore said, sounding upset.

"I told you that it did not matter. My sight will restore itself in time," Luna said with a smile.

Luna turned to Padma when she heard her gasp.

"Yes, I am blind," she replied to their silent question. "But that does not mean I will not beat you during training," Luna said, a grin on her face.

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For a good ten minutes into training, no one knew what to do. They were wary of Luna, almost afraid of hurting her, or acting as if sightlessness was contagious. Luna knew how to solve that problem and within minutes, they were retaliating against her attacks as fast as she was sending them.

"How are you sending them so fast?" Pansy muttered, erecting a barrier to stop a harsh and fast hex from Luna's wand.

"Never mind that. I want to know how she knows where we are!" Millicent grumbled, reflecting another hex.

"I have practiced with my eyes closed for some time now. You are also very noisy when you fight," Luna replied to their questions, shooting a spell at Colin.

"Do you mean to say that if we stop moving you won't know where we are?" Parvati murmured, stopping completely.

"Not necessarily," Luna replied, pointing her wand directly at Parvati's face, a barrier blocking spells from the others.

"How?" Padma asked, shocked.

"I can also See your aura's," Luna admitted.

"So we won't be able to hide from you?" Gregory asked.

"Not until you harness your powers properly," she replied, shaking her head slightly.

"Can every ... blind person see aura's?" Vincent asked hesitantly.

"I do not know. I would like to think that they could all see what I see, but it may not be."

While they had been talking, Ginevra had crept closer and closer to Luna, making her movements so quiet that not even she could hear them. She took a deep breath, trying to clear out her mind. At her movement, Luna whipped around and pointed her wand at Ginevra, a half-smile on her face.

"Close, Ginevra. Had you cleared your mind without taking a breath, I might have been fooled," she said.

"I have to go now," Draco said, hearing a clock chime seven. "Walk me out, Ginevra?"

"All right," Ginevra replied. It was odd that he was asking her, but she wouldn't complain about some quiet time with Draco. "Be back soon," Ginevra said, leaving with Draco.

Luna waited until the front door closed and Ginevra and Draco were out of earshot.

"Draco's taking Ginevra to his Initiation Hunt. She won't return this night," she murmured, sighing.

"You're tired," Colin said, taking Luna's hand.

Luna let him lead her to their room. She felt along side of the bed and sat down, then looked at Colin with another sigh.

"You can ask me," she murmured.

Colin stopped staring and nodded briefly. He realised that she wouldn't be able to see him, and swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"You knew you were going to go blind today, didn't you?" he asked after a few moments to compose himself.

"Yes."

Neither of them noticed that the door hadn't closed all of the way, and their friends could hear every word they were saying.

"Did you know that I would lose Apollo?" Colin asked.

"You haven't lost him. He is still inside you, but he is too weak to come out as he once did," Luna said.

"Answer the question, Luna," Colin grounded out.

"Yes, I knew," she replied, her voice quiet.

"And you didn't think of telling me?" Colin said, his voice getting louder now.

"Of course, I thought of telling you!" Luna said, tears in her eyes. "I Saw every single possible way I could tell you, and none of them ended well!"

"You think this is any better?"

"Yes," Luna said softly.

"I tell you everything, Luna. You could have told me that you were going blind at least!" Colin yelled.

"I couldn't, Colin! I didn't want to lose you," Luna said, sobbing now.

"You wouldn't have lost me! Why didn't you just ask me, instead of Seeing? I wouldn't have broken up with you!"

"I know that! You would have tried to save me, and you would have been killed!" Luna yelled, falling off the edge of the bed as she started crying.

"What do you mean? I saved you today, didn't I? I'm not dead, am I?" Colin said, proving that by hitting his shoulder.

"You wouldn't have used Apollo until it was too late. You would have tried to take on my Seeing, and what you Saw would have led to your death," Luna replied, still crying on the floor.

"What would I have Seen?" Colin asked after a moment's hesitation.

"You would have Seen a possible future," Luna replied.

"Stop with the cryptic answers, for fuck's sakes, Luna! Tell me what I would have fucking Seen!" Colin yelled.

"You would have Seen one of your possible deaths ... I killed you," she said quietly.

Colin stared at Luna. She was his girlfriend, his lover, and his best friend. She would have killed him?

"Colin?" Luna called, not able to sense him.

"I'm leaving," Colin said and left her crying on the floor.

Colin pushed past his friends, glaring at them when anyone tried to say something to him.

"What do we do?" Millicent asked Pansy.

"I don't know..." Pansy murmured, wishing that Draco and Ginevra were there. "Someone go after Colin and make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Or anyone else," she added.

"We'll go," the four twins said, leaving through the front door quickly.

Luna's sobs flowed from the room, making everyone uncomfortable.

"We'll stay with Luna," Seamus said to Pansy, Neville and Blaise nodding in agreement.

"If you need anything, we'll be in the meeting room," Pansy replied.

With a sympathetic look at Luna's sobbing form, the five Slytherins made their way to the meeting room, keeping the door open and an ear out for them.

Neville, Blaise and Seamus went into Luna's room and touched her shoulder.

"Sorry, I know you do not like to see women crying. I can't seem to stop," Luna said through her sobs.

Blaise shook his head slightly, then lifted Luna easily and put her on the bed.

"You can be an idiot for someone so wise, Luna," Blaise murmured.

She laughed, tears falling freely from her sightless eyes.

"It really was for the best. This wasn't the best outcome, but the others were far worse. I didn't want to lose him again," she sobbed.

"Again?" Seamus queried.

"I keep Seeing his death. I'm always there watching and I can't stop it from happening. I See his death, and then I create my own," Luna murmured, her tears slowing.

"How often are you Seeing?" Neville asked.

"Every minute of every day. I See what will happen next, and what could happen, which ends up as hundreds of possibilities alone. I can See the answer for every question, and what would happen if someone answers the question right or wrong. I then See the possibilities of every other class member answering the question for both right and wrong. The answer to that question can affect their entire lives, from their self-esteem, to their exams, to the job they get in the future. I then See their entire future, the girlfriend they could have if they said something at this moment, the friend they could lose if they misinterpret something that way, the wife they could destroy by going through with the thoughts of the younger witch that just walked by, the children that have no respect for them if they have that one drink too many, the job they could lose by answering one question in a particular tone, the lives they affect every day just by being alive ... So many possibilities, so many choices. How will anyone ever know if they chose the right one?" Luna murmured.

"It's not for us to know. Our future is there for us to look back on the things we did choose, and not have any regrets," Neville said quietly.

As they continued talking through the night, the three lovers combined their magic to create a vine hammock. They infused all of their love and support-filled feelings into it, and as Luna began to sleep, the three of them lifted her onto it. The plant cocooned her slightly, but not enough to feel restricting in any way.

"I thought you would make it," she murmured as sleep finally took her.

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Ginevra followed Draco past the Hogwarts entrance. The spells around Ginevra's rooms ensured that they didn't hear what was happening between their friends this very moment. By the time Colin left the rooms, Ginevra and Draco would be gone.

"Where are we going?"

"Albus said to meet him in the Forest," Draco replied, taking Ginevra's hand and continuing along the forest's edge.

Ginevra frowned, but went with Draco nonetheless. Smirking to herself, she started to caress his arm with her free hand, watching him out of the corner of her eye to see his reaction. After a few minutes, she pouted in defeat.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked with a slight frown.

"You didn't do anything," Ginevra said, sighing in annoyance.

"About what?" Draco asked, confused.

"You can't feel that, can you?" Ginevra asked, touching his arm again.

Draco shook his head, getting confused again when she muttered about the disadvantages of magical clothing. They went into a clearing. Albus wasn't there yet.

"Are we early?" Ginevra asked suddenly, a smirk on her face.

"Only by about ten minutes," Draco replied, wary of what she was going to do.

"Good," she said, then kissed him eagerly. "You can't feel that, can you?" she asked, smirking again.

"Yes I can," Draco said, going in for another kiss.

Ginevra stopped him with her hand, the smirk still there.

"Not that. Look at where my other hand is," she said.

Draco followed her arm downwards and stared at where her hand was pressing against him. Peals of laughter burst from Ginevra when Draco's mouth fell open.

"That's not fair. I can't feel it," Draco growled, kissing her hungrily and pushing Ginevra against a tree.

The bark digged into her back, scratching and pulling at her robes. Ginevra found that she didn't care, couldn't care when Draco was doing that to her mouth.

A polite cough made them pull apart, their faces flushed.

"My apologies for interrupting, but you need to leave early if you are to meet Lord Garion first," Albus said.

"Very well," Draco said, sighing.

"Ginevra, I trust that you have preserved your energy for tonight?" Albus asked her with a smile.

"What do I need it for?" Ginevra asked with a frown.

"You have been invited to come with me tonight," Draco said, grinning at her.

"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I might have had plans!" Ginevra said, glaring.

"I didn't tell you sooner because it was a surprise. You didn't have any plans, and if you had, I would have organised you to do them tomorrow night," Draco said with a smirk.

"You will have to decide if you will go, Miss Weasley," Albus said gently, looking at his pocket watch.

"Of course I'm going!" Ginevra replied indignantly. "I just would have liked to be informed. I mean, don't you have some sort of required dress?" she asked Draco.

"Lord Garion has the appropriate attire for you," Draco replied.

"You should go now, Mr. Malfoy," Albus said, a stern edge to his voice. "It will take two hours for you to get there."

Draco nodded.

"Good luck, Mr. Malfoy. Remember your manners, Miss Weasley," Albus said briefly, then left with a secretive smile.

"Wish you'd told me, Draco," Ginevra muttered. "My apologies, carus. Ready?" (Dear, or beloved.) "Ready," she replied with a nod. Draco looked at Ginevra and with a smirk, he began to change. He changed into a dragon and blew a small puff of fire at her before flying up into the sky. Ginevra shook her head at him, then changed into a winged horse and flew to join him. Draco gazed at her then flapped his wings once before flying over the treetops. Ginevra followed, keeping up with him easily despite their difference in size. As Draco started to descend, Ginevra frowned in a very unlike-horse way. They hadn't been flying for that long, no more than thirty minutes. Hadn't Albus said it would take two hours? Draco landed and changed back into his human form. Ginevra went down to the ground and followed in suit. "Why are we here? Where is here?" Ginevra asked, looking around. "You don't recognise where we are?" Draco asked with a smirk. Ginevra frowned, but followed him along a path. When she saw where they were headed, she stopped short. A cottage was before them; one she had Seen before. "Lord Garion," she murmured, shaking her head. Draco just smirked again, and knocked on the wooden door. The door opened but no one was there. Far from being spooked, Ginevra knew that it was controlled by magic and followed Draco inside. "My Lord. I have brought her," Draco announced, blocking Ginevra's view with his body. "Very good, Draconius. Please enter," a voice replied. Draco moved into the room, and Ginevra followed him inside. Sitting on a throne-like chair was Lord Garion, as handsome as he had been in her vision. His long blonde hair flowed past his knees despite his intricate braids. His blue-silver eyes were enticing and his pale skin seemed to shine in the warm firelight. His clothing shimmered white, despite the red light of the fireplace. "Hello, Ginevra. Do you know who I am?" the man asked, smiling at her. Ginevra bowed to the man before answering. "I do know who you are, Lord Garion. I did not expect to meet you, and I apologise sincerely for my manner of dress," Ginevra replied. Garion laughed softly and looked at Draco, then at Ginevra again. "Very good... Very, very good. You bow and show respect, even though I am the leader of your enemy?" "Of course, my Lord Garion. I would not allow myself to be disrespectful towards you. I am your guest, which could turn hostile if I do not give the proper courtesies towards you. Besides, you are my lover's mentor. I would not insult one who means so much to the one I love," Ginevra replied. Garion nodded his head in agreement. "Excellent, Ginevra. Now, would you oblige me by answering some questions I have for you?" Garion asked. "Of course, my Lord Garion," Ginevra answered. "I thank you. Draconius, seat your lady, then leave us," Garion instructed. Draco bowed and led Ginevra to a seat. He held her hand as she sat down, then kissed it. With another bow he left the room, closing the door behind him. "Now, Ginevra, if you will allow me to do one single spell to see if you under any enchantments before I begin my questioning?" Garion asked. "I allow you to perform the spell," Ginevra replied. "Promptu," Garion said holding his palm towards Ginevra's face. A white mist flowed around her for a moment, then flew back to his hand. (To make clear or reveal.) "May I ask what the result was?" Ginevra asked. Garion nodded. "You have not been put under any enchantments. The spell I just used also allows me to discover whether Draconius has put you under a Veelan spell, as well as to find out if you have been spelled to comply with another's wishes," Garion said. Ginevra smiled briefly. "You think this to be amusing, Ginevra?" Garion questioned. "Slightly, my Lord. Nothing about you, of course. I am immune to Veelan charms, so it would be unnecessary for Draconius to attempt to seduce me in that particular way," Ginevra replied. Garion looked at her for a moment. "May I see if this is true for myself?" Garion asked, sounding curious. "Yes, I allow you to see if I am indeed immune to Veelan charms," she said, remembering the correct phrasing from her vision. "Thank you. If you will please, look into my eyes," Garion said. Ginevra looked into the Veelan Lord's eyes and watched as a glint travelled across gaze. She felt nothing happen, as usual. "Stand up," Garion commanded. "I hope you will not be offended, but I would prefer to sit," Ginevra replied. "Very well. Thank you for letting me see for myself. Now, I will begin my questioning," Garion said. "You have Seen this entire conversation before, have you not?" Garion asked her. Ginevra was surprised. She had been expecting the question he had asked in her vision. Quickly composing herself, Ginevra answered truthfully. "Yes, I have, Lord Garion," Ginevra said.

"Good. I understand that you are not yet part of the Elder Council. This event is occurring a few months before schedule. I will not delay our journey by going through all of the tedious questions again. You have Seen it, and your questions have already been answered, as have mine. I suggest that we continue on to Draconius' Initiation Hunt," Garion said with a smile.

"Gladly. Thank you, Lord Garion," Ginevra said.

She stood and offered a hand to Lord Garion. He took it, and stood up too, calling Draco into the room.

"We have agreed to continue on with the journey without questioning. She knew all of the answers word for word, so I have no doubt that she is who she is supposed to be. Shall we continue?" Garion asked Draco, smiling at him.

"With your permission, my Lord Garion," Draco replied with a bow.

"Very well. Ginevra, I would suggest that you change into the appropriate attire here. It would not do for you to arrive and hold up the Hunt while you change," Garion said. He moved his wrist slightly and a small white bird appeared. "Follow it to a room, and it will lead you back here when you have finished changing," Garion instructed.

"Thank you. By your leave, Lord Garion," Ginevra replied with a bow, then followed the extremely fast bird through a series of corridors.

Draco turned to look at Lord Garion, who was still watching after Ginevra, despite that she was no longer in eyesight.

"Where is Lady Julianne?" Draco queried.

"Testing your own," Garion replied briefly.

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Ginevra thanked the bird, then went into the room. She stopped short on seeing a Veela in the room. The Veela looked young, but her eyes showed that she had been in the world longer than the sixteen years her face portrayed.

"My apologies. I did not know that this room was being used," Ginevra said, wondering if she'd been sent to the wrong room.

"Everything is fine. I am simply here to help you bathe and dress," the Veela replied with a smile.

"Oh... Thank you," Ginevra said, sounding uncertain even to her own ears.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" the Veela asked.

Ginevra couldn't judge the age of the lady, but knew that the Veela shouldn't be calling her 'ma'am'.

"My name is Ginevra, and there is no problem, I am just used to cleaning and dressing myself," Ginevra replied with an apologetic smile.

"Of course, Ginevra," the Veela said, curtsying slightly. "Your bath is this way," the Veela said, leading her into an adjoining room.

A screen was set up in the corner of the room, the 'bath' in the middle of the room. It was certainly the largest bath Ginevra had ever seen before. It was closer to a spa than a bath. Steam rose from the water, inviting Ginevra to get in.

"Sorry, but what is your name?" Ginevra asked the Veela, going behind the screen to change.

"My name is Jules," she replied.

"It is nice to meet you, Jules," Ginevra said, smiling at her as she came from behind the screen, a white towel around her body.

Jules was kind enough to turn around when Ginevra went to take off her towel, sensing how uncomfortable she was. Only when Ginevra was fully submerged did Jules turn around again.

"Have you eaten today?" Jules asked, placing her hands on Ginevra's forehead.

"Not a lot, unfortunately," Ginevra said, wondering why Jules had her hands on her forehead, but too polite to question her.

"Why have you not eaten?"

"Dinner started an hour after we left, and I did not feel up to eating my lunch due to my friends being in the hospital wing. I missed out on breakfast because I had to help Draco this morning. Most of the school were trying to get their hands on him," Ginevra added, unable to stop the growl in the back of her throat.

"You do not like other people touching Draconius? You are not proud that his looks draw attention from people?"

"Looks fade," Ginevra said simply, then tried to think of a way to say her next words without offending the Veela. "I would not be proud if he looked at someone who was drawn to him for only his looks and money."

"And you were not?" Jules asked, her tone almost accusing.

"Definitely not for his money," Ginevra said with a light laugh.

"What of his looks?" Jules asked, the smile on her face evident in her voice.

"They were a bonus, I suppose," Ginevra said.

She briefly wondered why she was telling Jules all of this when no one else knew it, then relaxed again as Jules placed her hands on her forehead again.

"Why did you date Draconius then?" Jules asked curiously.

"I dated him because of what I'd Seen of him. He always treated me with respect, and the look in his eyes ... " Ginevra said, trailing off.

"What did you see in his eyes?"

"Love," Ginevra replied.

Jules was surprised. They had taught him better than that.

"Would you like me to show you?" Ginevra offered, noticing how still Jules was.

"If you would not be uncomfortable about it," Jules said.

"I will be fine. You remind me of someone, but I can not think who," Ginevra said, frowning.

"What do I need to do?" Jules asked.

"Hold onto my hands, and I will show you what I Saw," she replied, offering her hands.

Jules took them, and Ginevra said a spell silently.

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Draco watched her from the balcony. Ginevra was working in the garden, tending to the plants carefully. Her skin was bathed in the moonlight, and he'd always loved how ethereal she looked under the full moon.

Especially when he was inside of her, holding her arms above her body and working on her rounded breasts with his tongue. He loved how she purred and moaned his name when he did that to her. Ginevra's screams of ecstasy only encouraged him further... He groaned at the thought, the noise attracting Ginevra's attention from in the garden.

"You're staring again, carus," Ginevra said, smiling up at him. (Dear, or beloved.)

"I do not stare," Draco protested. "I gaze at with lust," he said, smirking.

"Lust, already? I only just managed two hours sleep," Ginevra replied, sitting back on her heels and looking at him from the garden bed, her eyebrow raised.

"And what is your point? You've woken me up after ten minutes," Draco replied, smirking again.

"That was on our honeymoon. It's allowed," Ginevra countered, grinning now.

"You coming upstairs or not?" Draco growled.

"Of course. Don't want you to pout, do I?" Ginevra said.

She stood and jumped up to the balcony with ease. Standing on the railing, Ginevra looked at Draco with a smile.

"Are you going to help me inside, or not?"

"Who said we were going inside?" Draco growled, pulling her down to him.

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Ginevra stopped the vision before it became any more detailed.

"I see," Jules murmured.

She took her hands away from Ginevra's, then closed her eyes and murmured a spell of her own.

In less than five seconds, Ginevra was completely clean, from her hair to her toes.

"I will return with your necessary clothing. You may dry yourself with the towel," Jules said, leaving the room quickly.

Ginevra took her time; the water was very warm, and it probably hadn't been the best idea to See something that sensual when she was going to be near Draco for the rest of the night without being able to do anything about it. Tonight was going to be torture on her senses, she could already tell that.

"Your clothes, Ginevra," Jules said with a smile, offering the white bundle to her.

"Thank you, Jules," Ginevra replied, then went behind the screen to change.

"Is everything all right, Ginevra?" Jules asked. The clothing did not take this long to get into, and Garion was starting to get impatient.

"I apologise. I am not sure if I have this on correctly," Ginevra said, coming out from behind the screen.

The clothing was all made from silk. It was comprised of a white skirt and shirt, both items torn, layered and very short so the person wearing it seemed to be wearing nothing more than a cloud.

"You have it on correctly. We must hurry if Draco is to arrive on time," Jules murmured, ushering Ginevra out of the room quickly.

Ginevra followed Jules along the corridors, feeling uncomfortable in the clothes. It was far too short, considering what she was used to. She felt very exposed and vulnerable, and didn't like those feelings at all. Jules was wearing a longer version of the clothing, why must she wear this?

She hesitated a moment before following Jules into the room. What would Draco say about what she was wearing?

Taking a deep breath, Ginevra entered the room.

Draco stared as Ginevra walked in. He had seen Veela's wearing less than what she was, but nothing came close to what Ginevra looked like. He barely remembered to breathe.

"Carus, vos vultus decorus," he murmured, taking her hand. (Beloved, you look beautiful)

"Gratias ago vos," Ginevra replied quietly, her cheeks going red. (Thank you)

"Ginevra, I would like you to meet my own, Julianne," Garion introduced. "Jules, you know Ginevra," he added, smirking.

Jules smiled at Ginevra, offering her hand to her. Ginevra was only slightly surprised.

"Nice to meet you, Lady Julianne," Ginevra said, grinning as she shook Julianne's hand.

"Call me Jules. Are you ready now, Garion?" she asked, turning to her husband.

"I have been waiting for you!"

"You always say that," Jules said, laughing as she Apparated away.

"You are always late," Garion muttered, then turned to Draco and Ginevra. "Draconius, you know where to go."

Draco nodded in return, then bowed and watched as Lord Garion Apparated too.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Draco asked her with a slight frown.

"I'm not very comfortable in this, that's all," she replied.

"Don't worry, the others will be wearing less. What you have is quite modest, by Veela standards, that is," Draco added with a grin. "Ready?" he asked.

Ginevra nodded briefly, holding onto Draco's hand tightly as he Apparated her away.

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They arrived in a large clearing in the middle of a forest. The second they arrived, Draco was pulled away by Garion, leaving Ginevra alone. She felt lost, and looked after Draco for a moment, then she noticed that there were hundreds of Veela's and Veelan's in the clearing. They were talking to each other, all of them in their human form, and all of them wearing the same clothing that she and Draco were wearing. Most of the Veela's were wearing even less than she was, making Ginevra a little more comfortable.

"I haven't seen you around here before, love," a voice purred behind her.

"Lolita, she is immune. Leave her be," Jules said sternly.

"Immune? She is not one of us," Lolita replied, sounding confused and angry at the same time.

"She is Ginevra, Draconius' own," Jules replied cryptically.

Ginevra frowned when Lolita hissed; in awe or dislike, she wasn't sure.

"You had better stay with me tonight, Ginevra. They can smell that you are not one of us, even despite the soap," Jules murmured, but smiled at her reassuringly. "Garion is starting, look."

Ginevra looked to where Jules was indicating, and listened as Garion began to speak.

"Tonight begins the Initiation hunt of the ninth moon. The fledglings shall become Full Blooded, and we shall fly as one into the night!" Garion said, roars and applause bursting from the crowd. "Fledglings, up front!" he commanded.

As one, three Veelan's stepped forward, Draco included. They took off their shirts, and Garion nodded to the first fledgling.

"Begin."

"I, Pluma, of the Torleni clan, choose to spread my wings and fly this night," he said, then stepped forward, went down on one knee, and stayed perfectly still as Garion painted a white intricate pattern on the left side of his face.

"Stand, Pluma, and spread your wings," Garion said.

Pluma stood, then stepped past Garion and concentrated for a moment. He cried out as pure white wings exploded from his back, a few white feathers falling to the ground.

"Is Lord Garion's last name Torleni?" Ginevra asked Jules quietly.

"Only through marriage," Jules replied. "When Veelan's take a Veela as a mate, they take the woman's last name," she explained.

"Do you know Xavier Torleni?" Ginevra whispered.

"Of course. He is my brother," Julianne said.

Ginevra would have stared, had Garion not instructed the next Veelan to begin.

"I, Ravi, of the Torleni clan, choose to spread my wings and fly this night," Ravi said, then repeated the actions of Pluma, not moving at all as Garion painted the pattern on one side of his face.

"Stand, Ravi, and spread your wings," Garion said.

Ravi stood, stepped past Garion, and clenched his jaw tightly as his wings erupted from his back.

"The patterns are different for every Veelan," Julianne explained quietly. "They not only identify them as a Veelan of the Torleni clan, but also reveal their true nature to everyone."

"Why is it only on one side of their faces?" Ginevra asked.

"The other half is painted once they have flown with the rest of the flock," Jules replied. "Draconius is up now."

"I, Draconius, of the Torleni clan, choose to spread my wings and fly this night," Draco said clearly.

He stepped forward, went down on one knee and waited patiently with a blank face as Garion painted the left side of his face with magic.

"Stand, Draconius, and spread your wings," Garion instructed.

Draco stood up steadily, and stepped past Garion. He steadied himself for the pain, knowing that it would hurt. He cried out briefly as the skin on his shoulder blades split, feathers pushing out of his body. Bone and feather grew from his skeletal structure, joining to him like nothing before. He felt whole, as if he'd regained a lost limb. He gave his wings a light shake, feathers floating to the forest floor.

"Veelans, step forward and spread your wings!" Garion called, the excitement of the night in his voice.

As one, all of the Full Blooded Veelans stepped forward and pushed their wings out of their backs with ease. As they did, Ginevra noticed that their human faces changed to the patterned ones the fledglings were getting a taste for. Lastly, Garion revealed his wings, and they all flew a few centimetres off the ground. They started talking with the three fledglings, instructing them how to fly properly, how to use the wind's currents, how to feel every single feather in their wings, and realise that every one had their own purpose.

"Come, Ginevra. We are going on our own hunt," Jules said.

"We're not going with them?" Ginevra asked nervously.

"Not tonight. Fledglings need to feel free this night, and not be nervous about what we are twittering about when they do not fly straight," Jules said with a grin. "Our Initiations are different. Veela's don't have wings, you see. So we can not fly about the forest. We run to hunt, faster than any speed they could ever get to," she added, smirking when Garion looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"You know that is not true, Jules. We can reach speeds of over one-hundred-and-fifty kilometres per hour, and you can only do one-hundred-and-thirty," Garion said.

"You believe what you want, Garion. Are you going on your hunt, or not?" Jules asked with a smirk.

"This is what I get when I came over to say goodbye?" Garion asked, a teasing smile on his face.

Jules laughed, kissed her husband and hugged him, laughing once more as he lifted her into the air with one beat of his powerful wings.

"Look after them, or the mothers will come after you with more than wands," she said as he lowered her to the ground.

"Girlfriends too," Ginevra muttered, making Jules laugh again.

"Indeed. I always look out for them, Jules. Enjoy your hunt. I will see you afterwards," Garion said.

Jules wasn't offended in the least at the suggestive tone he was using, even though they were in front of Ginevra.

"I look forward to it," she replied. "Now leave so you can come back sooner."

"Gladly, love," Garion said, then flew over to the waiting Veelan's.

"Follow me, Ginevra," Jules said, leading her over to the Veela's. "Ladies, it is time for a hunt of our own. Lolita, help Ginevra along if she can not keep up," Jules instructed.

"Yes, my Lady," Lolita said happily.

Hadn't Jules said that Ginevra was to stay by her side? Ginevra thought, confused.

Julianne smiled at the confused look on Ginevra's face, then stepped back.

"Do not worry. I will explain in a moment," Julianne said.

Julianne's shoulder-length hair changed from its silver-blonde colouring to a dark brown colour. She grew taller, and her clothing changed from the short shirt and skirt to a flowing white chiton. A small pair of wings pushed from her shoulders, and a bow and quiver materialised in her hands.

"Lady Artemis. A pleasure to see you during our Hunt," Lolita said, curtsying low to the goddess.

"It is a pleasure of my own," Artemis / Julianne replied. "To my right, leopard," she said.

Lolita nodded and went to the right side of Artemis, looking proud.

"My lion has returned," Artemis said lovingly, looking at Ginevra. "To my left, lion," she instructed.

Ginevra moved to the left of Artemis. To say that Ginevra was still confused was an understatement.

Her friends were turning into gods, her ancestors were immortal, and now she was not only related to a goddess, but also a lion for said goddess! Nothing made sense!

"Everything is connected. That is what Initiation Hunt teaches the fledglings. You will understand everything at the end of the night," Artemis said, reassuring Ginevra.

"Fly to the right, fledglings. Link your mind with ours. You need to become one with the rest of the flock, or else we will not be able to hunt properly," Garion instructed.

Flying to the right, Draco kept his wings in tight and opened his mind to the other Veelan's in the flock. Memories, images, thoughts and information all pushed into his mind. As the Veelan's opened their minds to each other, the thoughts became more focused and direct.

Move wings inward, go faster. He tried it and shot forward. Tilt left wing higher than the right, bank right sharply.

The flock moved as one through the night air, banking right and shooting forward as they all adjusted their wings and arms accordingly.

Turn right at the tree two wing-spans in front, curve around the large tree on the right, look out for the low branch, beat right wing faster for left bank. Shoot forward, slow by spreading wings forward and tilting feathers vertically. Hover with down movements of primary feathers. Not those feathers, these ... Good. Keep wings beating. Look out for thermals; they are good for soaring.

More and more pieces of vital information came from all of the Ancients, even as they directed the flock to their prey. Their hearts beat in time with each other, and they all felt the same feeling of completeness. The flock burst from the treetops, and then dived sharply back into the forest, arms outstretched to capture their prey.

When they had all caught something, from rodents to snakes, Garion stopped them from doing anything else.

"Let the animals go," he instructed.

The Veelan's did as he said, panting heavily at the night's exertion.

"Why did we let the animals go, Pluma?" Garion asked.

"So we do not deplete the food supply for other birds," Pluma replied.

"Good. How do you bank left, Ravi?"

"Either beat your right wing faster, or tilt your right wing higher than your left," Ravi answered.

"Correct. What is the highest speed a Veelan can go to, Draconius?"

"One-hundred-and-fifty kilometres per hour," Draco replied.

"Correct. Your patterns will be finished later on tonight. For now, let us fly," Garion said.

The Veelan's flew up into the air, then continued to fly and teach the fledglings the art of flying.

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Artemis ran along the path, her leopard and her lion on either side of her. They were both keeping up very well, and she was proud of them. The other Veela's were also keeping up, staying a respective distance behind her.

As they continued to run - reaching speeds well over the Veelan's boastful one-hundred-and-fifty, she might add - a herd of deer appeared from the surrounding trees, running elegantly beside them.

"Bows!" Artemis called, slowing her pace abruptly.

All of the Veela's slowed and bows appeared with a gentle flick of the wrist. Quivers materialised on their backs, wings etched into the fine leather. In seconds, the bows were strung, and arrows were pulled back, ready to fire.

"Lion, leopard. Change," Artemis said.

Lolita nodded and in seconds, a leopard stood in her place, black dots shining on golden fur. Ginevra took a few moments longer, but was soon shaking her mane and standing beside Artemis on four paws, ready to fight or defend.

"Keep your bows steady," Artemis instructed, her voice quiet.

They waited for instructions, tense. Artemis was patient, watching the trees in front of her intently.

"When I say, shoot at the trees. Not between, is that understood?" Artemis asked.

Confident in their affirmative reply, she held the leopard and lion back, gently resting her hands on their necks.

"Ready," Artemis said. The Veela's had not moved from their positions once. Excellent. "Shoot!" she commanded.

As the barrage of arrows shot onto the trees, the Veelan's flew in between them, nimbly avoiding the arrows. Artemis whistled, making the arrows return to their owners slowly, leaving the trees unharmed.

"Congratulations, you are now Full Blooded Veelans!" Garion said to the former fledglings.

"You may return now, Lolita and Ginevra," Artemis said kindly, smiling at them.

Ginevra returned to her human form in time to see Garion painting the rest of the pattern on Draco's face. All of the Veelan's looked immensely happy and fulfilled with their hunt. Their mates soon found out how happy they really were, and they started to go off in groups of two.

"You need not worry about my brother, Ginevra. Apollo is strong, and he will survive what happened today. My brother is usually foolish when it comes to love, so I am happy that he has found someone he can truly love," Artemis murmured. "He will return in a short time. He just needs to recover," she added with a reassuring smile.

"My Lady Artemis," Draco said with a bow. "May I take Ginevra off your hands?" he asked politely, his face flushed with excitement.

"Of course, Draconius. Enjoy the rest of your night, Ginevra," Artemis said with a knowing smile.

Julianne returned, then went over to Garion, both of them grinning broadly. They Disapparated within seconds of taking each other’s hands.

"Did you have a good time?" Draco asked Ginevra.

"Yes. What about you?" she asked, grinning. She could already see the answer in his flushed face and excited eyes.

"It was excellent. I've never felt so whole or complete," Draco breathed.

"Wait 'til you get with your girl! Always better after a Hunt, eh lad?" a Veelan called, laughing heartily as he led his wife away.

"Your mother was a sparrow!" Draco called after him, trying not to let his cheeks go red.

"Draco?" Ginevra said, gaining his attention once more. "Can you carry me while you fly?"

She didn't want to focus on how shy she sounded. He just looked so brilliant with his face and wings, and added to the fact that he hadn't stopped staring at her; it was all making her unbelievably nervous.

A few of the other Veelan's had told Draco what to expect when he came back to the others - his own included.

They love flying as much as we do, and will always reward you for a flight ... Mostly. Just remember to hold onto her. She will not be pleased if she falls, especially if you do not catch her! Then all you get is a hand print on your face.

Draco smirked at Ginevra, then flew down to her and lifted her easily.

"How high do you want to go?" he murmured in her ear.

"As high as you can," Ginevra replied eagerly, watching as the ground got further away and the trees became nothing more than shadows in the moonlight.

Draco glided in the air, holding Ginevra against him tightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Ginevra nodded, kissing him hungrily. Draco fell a few metres, then remembered his wings and rose into the air again.

"Hold on a minute, carus," he murmured as Ginevra started to kiss his neck. (Dear, or beloved.)

Draco dived into a clearing in the forest, stopping and landing on his feet lightly. Before Ginevra had time to adjust to ground beneath her feet again, Draco's arms were around her, his lips were on hers and he was effectively changing her brain into liquid.

She pulled the clothes off him quickly, caressing his wings cautiously. He shivered at her touch, his wings wrapping around her, moving Ginevra even closer to him.

"Remember what you were doing before?" Draco murmured against her neck. "I can feel it now," he said.

Ginevra blushed as she remembered what she'd done so boldly.

Draco removed her shirt and skirt, his mouth taking possession of one of her breasts eagerly. Leaning Ginevra against his wings, he let his hands roam over her body. He could feel her trembling in pleasure against his feathers, and moved his wings slightly so Ginevra was pressed flush against him.

She couldn't think straight. She could hear his blood pumping faster, could feel his teeth scraping against her nipple gently, his hands were everywhere, and his wings ... oh, his wings. The feathers pressed against her already-sensitive skin and made her want to whimper in pleasure. She wanted to Drink from him, have him inside of her, kiss him, make him go over the edge.

Crying out Draco's name as he eased into her roughly, Ginevra moved his head to the side and bit into his neck hungrily. Sweet blood filled her mouth and she Drank eagerly, wanting more.

"Share," Draco growled in her ear, kneading her breasts with his free hands.

Ginevra drew a nail along her wrist, offering the blood to him. Draco Drank from her slowly, relishing the taste in his mouth. Sweet and heady. Perfect.

Ginevra pulled him down to the forest floor. It was soft enough. Cocooning them with his wings, Draco pushed deeper into Ginevra, his movements getting faster and erratic as she wrapped her legs around him, calling his name. Only once Ginevra orgasmed did Draco let go and spill into her, kissing her softly as the wave of emotions began to wear off.

"Love you," he murmured, already falling asleep.

"Love you too," Ginevra replied softly, watching as his eyes closed and he slept, his arms still wrapped around her.

Ginevra stayed awake for a long time, thinking over what Jules had said earlier: everything is connected.

Luna was Cassandra, Apollo was Colin, Artemis was Julianne, who was not only married to Draco's tutor, but who also happened to be Xavier's sister. Xavier was married to Agnes, both of them ancestors of Ginevra's. Everything was connected!

As she continued to think on it, Ginevra came to a stunning realisation. It was definitely still confusing, but she could see that all of their lives, and the lives of everyone in the world, were connected in some way. Whether the connection was small or large, it was always significant and affected the rest of the world, even if people didn't individually realise it.

With that thought in mind, Ginevra smiled and curled up into Draco's embrace, sleeping contently.

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(a/n: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading!)

17. Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue me! (a/n: Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I really appreciate it! Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Seventeen

Early Saturday morning, Sept. 21

Blaise, Neville and Seamus watched as Luna writhed in the hammock they'd created. They hadn't slept since she'd woken up and found that Colin hadn't returned. From that moment, Luna had started to See, and now, almost three hours later, she still hadn't stopped Seeing. At the moment, her white eyes were wide and unblinking. Even though Luna had specifically told them not to do anything while she was like this, it still didn't stop them from worrying about her.

"I wish Colin would come back. He's hurting her even more by being away," Neville murmured, taking Luna's hand.

"He's hurting himself too, though. Colin loves Luna more than his own life. The fact that he sacrificed Apollo should show that," Blaise said in return.

"It does, but still ... Oh, I don't know. I suppose I just don't like to see them fighting. Luna needs him to be here," Neville said with a sigh.

Seamus wrapped his arm around Neville's waist and hugged him to his chest.

"He'll come around," Seamus murmured.

"I hope so," Neville said with a heavy sigh, looking at Luna once more.

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"But it's a living being! The moment you did the spell, you gave them life and feelings too!" Cassandra protested angrily.

"Cassandra, I suggest that you calm yourself," a voice rumbled in warning.

Zeus.

She continued on, ignoring the warning. She already knew every single possibility of what would happen anyway. None of them ended well.

"You can not just do that to them! They have hearts, and they beat just as ours do!" Cassandra said, crying now.

"Cassandra," Zeus said in a warning tone.

"My Lord! You must have some mercy! They are mere humans and know not what they do!" Cassandra cried, her body full of human emotions.

"I am well aware of their incapabilities, Cassandra," he replied angrily. "And I have been far more merciful than other gods," Zeus muttered, his eyes dark. "They have had reign over themselves for far too many years. Now is the only time I am able to do this without the rest of the Pantheon," Zeus said, more to himself now.

"My Lord! Please, do not do this! There is hope still. You yourself brought them into the mortal world, do you not remember?"

"I remember clearly, Cassandra. Do not insult my memory, or I shall revoke your gift," Zeus growled.

Cassandra cried loudly, her eyes turning white as her body glowed gold.

"Honestly, Apollo. Must be so dramatic and use Cassandra to gain entry onto Mount Olympus? She did not recover properly for fifty years the last time you did that," Zeus grumbled, taking hold of his largest lightning bolt.

"Father," Apollo said, briefly stopping him.

"What is it, Apollo?" Zeus muttered briefly. "I am trying to rectify the world, if you can not tell."

He aimed the lightning bolt directly at the middle of the world. He remembered the last time he had done this. Had it really only been fifty thousand years ago? he wondered in surprise. Mortals were getting worse each and every time.

"And destroy the sea again? Poseidon will need healing on Mount Olympus again, and we both know that Uncle would not be fond of that," Apollo tried to convince his father.

"He will forgive me within after a few thousand years. Poseidon just becomes restless when there are no mortals to worship him," Zeus said, waving off his concern.

"And what of Artemis? She will be killed, as will I once I return."

"So you worry for yourself only, I see. You have not changed at all since Artemis helped deliver you into the world, Apollo," Zeus grumbled.

He checked his aim once more and drew his arm back to throw the bolt.

"What of the Pantheon? You have not called a Council, have you? I do not think that you will be forgiven for this. This time alone, it took well over twenty thousand years for the mortals to become civilised," Apollo said

"The Council is still undecided on that, actually," Zeus muttered.

"All right. Then what of Athena? You are not going to leave her to perish on the mortal plane, are you? And you know your agreement with her, just as well as you know the agreement you have with all of us. You cannot destroy Gaia again until our job has been fulfilled," Apollo said.

Zeus lowered his arm. He could not risk his favourite child. If he sent the bolt now, then there would not be enough time for her to return to Mount Olympus, and as he had swallowed her mother, Metis, it would be almost impossible to have another child. And even with all of his powers, Zeus knew even if they did have another child, he would not love her as much as he did Athena.

Muttering to himself, Zeus returned the lightning bolt to the others.

"Another fifty years is all we ask," Cassandra said, stepping forward once more.

"Fifty mortal years is nothing to you," Apollo added quickly.

Zeus sat on his throne once more.

"Very well. Fifty mortal years is granted. If you have not succeeded in your tasks by that time, then Gaia will be reborn once more," Zeus said. "Apollo, you are to stay here for a few weeks to learn and recover from your ascent," Zeus said.

Apollo went to argue, but then thought better of it and closed his mouth once more.

"You are not to return to the mortal world until you have learnt how to ascend to Mount Olympus without Cassandra. Honestly, boy! You would think that over one million years would give you that ability," Zeus muttered, dismissing them both.

At Zeus' dismissal, Apollo disappeared to his place on Mount Olympus and Cassandra faded back into Luna's body.

He did not even give them time to say farewell...

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Luna's body slowly returned to the hammock, her body filling with pain from the erratic movements.

"Colin?" she murmured, blinking finally. "Oh. Sorry. How long have you all been awake?" Luna asked, sounding tired.

"Don't worry about us, Luna. You should have a dreamless potion," Neville said.

"I will take it if you all promise to get some sleep," Luna said, a brief smile on her face.

"All right. Where's the potion?" Neville asked, getting off the bed.

"Top drawer," Luna murmured.

Neville opened the drawer and sorted through the various vials inside, finally finding the potion.

Seamus conjured a goblet while Neville opened the vial and poured it inside.

"Drink all of it up, mind you," Blaise murmured as Neville put the goblet in her hands carefully.

Luna gave him a half-hearted glare before drinking all of the potion.

"Do not patronise me, Blaise. I can still ... beat you ... " Luna said, starting to yawn and trailing off completely as a dark and empty sleep took her over.

Blaise and Seamus waited a few minutes to ensure that she really was asleep before laying on the bed once more, and sleeping too. Neville took the goblet from Luna's hand and set it on top of the drawers, replacing the now-clean vial inside the top drawer.

Neville watched his two lovers, and Luna as they slept through the night and early morning. He didn't sleep at all.

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Waking up to bright sunlight in her eyes, Ginevra yawned and stretched as she sat up. Seeing the trees surrounding her, she frowned and blinked a few times before her mind revealed the memories of the previous night.

Draco muttered something beside her, not awake yet. She smiled at him, lightly tracing the patterns on his face. The touch woke him up properly, and he looked at her briefly before pulling Ginevra down to his body for a prolonged kiss.

"Good morning to you too," she murmured with a laugh, pulling away.

Draco smirked and continued to hold her, his wings brushing up against her bare skin.

"Draco," she growled, the sound low in her throat. "You had better stop that."

"Why?" he asked, smirking at her.

"Because Garion and Jules are standing behind you," Ginevra replied seriously.

"Sorry to interrupt, Draconius," Garion said pleasantly, stepping into the clearing.

Jules just grinned at them as she followed her husband into the clearing.

Draco flushed slightly, and used his wings to cover their exposed bodies. Ginevra quickly put on the shirt and skirt from the night before, then left Draco's side, redirecting Garion and Jules' attention so Draco could put his pants on in relative privacy.

"My apologies, Lord Garion, Lady Julianne," Draco said with a bow.

"There is nothing to apologise for," Jules said with a smile. "Most of the others have not even considered waking up, let alone getting changed," she said, laughing softly.

"Would you care to accompany us back to the cottage? It will be a shorter return trip to Hogwarts," Garion added.

"Our thanks for your consideration, Lord Garion," Draco replied.

"We will Side Apparate, if you do not mind. We only flew here last night to comply with tradition," Jules said with a grin, taking Ginevra's arm.

Garion took Draco's arm and the four of them Apparated back to the cottage.

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"We will return in a moment," Garion said when they arrived, taking Draco aside.

Ginevra watched as they walked into an adjoining room, then looked to Jules curiously.

"The final part of becoming a Full Blooded Veelan is done in secret, and one on one with a Veelan Ancient," Julianne explained with a smile. "Would you care for some tea?" she asked, moving her hand.

A tray with a teapot, tea cups and saucers rolled over from the corner of the room.

"Oh, yes thank you," Ginevra said.

"I assume that you have some questions after learning that I am Xavier's sister?"

"A few," Ginevra admitted with a grin.

"You may ask, but I may not be able to answer all of them," Jules said with a nod, passing the cup of tea to Ginevra.

"Thank you," Ginevra said, taking a sip before beginning her questioning. "Why are the Vampires and Veela's at war, if you are Xavier's sister?"

"We are not all at war with one another. There are different Veela and Veelan clans. Some of the Veela got terribly upset over the lack of affection from Virginia Weasley, or upset at the over-affection she showed to some clans," Jules said.

"You mean to say that this entire war is because of Virginia?" Ginevra asked, too shocked to notice that she had interrupted the Veela Ancient.

"In a matter of words, yes. Virginia loves war, and so she uses any excuse to create bloodshed. Most of the Vampires do not realise that she was the cause of it, as the Veela's simply got into a frenzy and attacked the Vampire stronghold without warning or letting them know why. Quite rude on our parts, I realise," Julianne said with a smile.

"But Garion has such hate towards Virginia, why do you not fight?" Ginevra asked.

"He hates her for causing the war between our clans. Before her, we were all very close with one another. Garion lost his brother among the politics of this war, and has not spoken to him for over forty years. Garion also hates Virginia as she killed his father after seducing him. Her part was needless in that affair. I t was between the Quintapeds and the Veela's," Jules muttered, shaking her head. "We still refrain from joining the war due to common sense. We have lost a lot of our clan to others, as they are intent on killing her. They do not realise that Virginia can do the same to them as she did to Lord William. Or perhaps they do realise it, yet think that they may outsmart her and kill her," Jules mused, sighing heavily before drinking more of her tea.

"So only some of the clans are fighting against Virginia?" Ginevra queried.

Julianne shook her head, a look of regret on her face.

"We are the only clan who is not fighting. I refuse to fight my brother just because of the being he is. I am a being too, and that would not only be hypocritical of me, it would also be rather stupid. I watched him become a Vampyre and I held no prejudice towards him even as I watched him Drink from Agnes. I held no anger towards him when I was burned at the stake and I forgave him for not being able to help even after fifty years. If I did not hate him before, during or after my first death, I would not be able to hate him now for something that he has no control over," Julianne said practically.

"You were burned at the stake?" Ginevra asked, her mouth dropping open in shock. "And what do you mean by first death? How many times can you die?"

Julianne laughed lightly, then finished the rest of her tea with an amused look.

"I may tell you one day, but it will not be today. You need to return to Hogwarts with Draconius. I will see you again, my niece," Jules said with a wink.

As she finished her sentence, Garion returned with Draco following behind him. Draco looked slightly shocked, but also seemed as if he knew all of the world's mysteries.

Ginevra watched as Draco's wings folded back and disappeared into his back. As his wings returned to his body, the patterns on Draco's face faded away as well.

He smiled at her briefly, then bowed to Garion.

"I thank you, Lord Garion. I am truly honoured for your knowledge," Draco said.

"You are welcome, Draconius. I am proud of you," Garion said, returning his bow.

"Now that the formalities are over, I do think a hug is in order," Julianne said, smirking and laughing when her husband scowled at her.

Garion and Draco gave each other a brief hug, making both Jules and Ginevra roll their eyes.

"Over one hundred and eighty years together, and he still refuses to hug anyone but me," Jules muttered in Ginevra's ear as she hugged her tightly.

"I heard that, Jules," Garion said, smirking at her.

"You were meant to," she replied with a laugh.

"The Floo system is set up so that you can return to Hogwarts. You will arrive in Albus' office. I have already given your clothes back to Draconius," Garion added, smiling at Ginevra.

"Farewell Draconius, Ginevra," Jules said, waving both of them off as they used the Floo system.

"Good bye!" Garion called.

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"Welcome back," Dumbledore greeted them with a smile. "Did you have a good Hunt?"

"Exceptional," Draco replied, smirking.

"And you, Ginevra? I have been told that you are Artemis' lion," Albus said, smiling broadly.

"I had a very interesting night," Ginevra replied vaguely, a smile on her face too.

"Perhaps you would both prefer to change before leaving? I do not think the other students would be able to resist both of you in Veela attire," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he showed them to separate rooms.

As Draco handed her clothes to her, Ginevra went bright red and hurried into the room to change. She'd forgotten that she was wearing little less than a few scraps of material!

Chuckling to himself, Draco went into the other room and changed too.

"I have informed Professor Moody that you will not be present for your morning training session, Miss Weasley," Albus said as she came out of the room.

"Oh. Thank you. Lupin will be expecting me?" Ginevra asked, buttoning her robe quickly.

"Yes," Albus said, a knock at the door interrupting what he was going to say.

As Draco came out of the room, Albus answered his office door.

"Ah, Mr. Longbottom. I had hoped you would come early. Good morning, Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Zabini," Albus said cheerfully.

"What are you two doing here?" Neville asked as he saw Draco and Ginevra.

"I could ask the same about you," Draco drawled, smirking.

"We just got back," Ginevra answered.

"We're going with Neville to meet his parents," Seamus said, looking proud.

"We also have the pleasure of meeting his Gran," Blaise said, not sounding quite as thrilled about that part.

"You don't have to come, you know," Neville said nervously.

"Don't be silly, ye git," Seamus said. "We're definitely coming," he murmured with a smirk. At Albus' polite cough, he added, "To meet your parents."

Neville nodded, looking a bit brighter.

"The others want to watch for some reason," he said to Ginevra. "I don't know why, but could you do that for them?" Neville asked.

"Of course," Ginevra said. She hugged him, then left with Draco.

"They're your friends, so they want to meet your parents too," Blaise said seriously.

"You should probably leave now if you are not to keep your Grandmother waiting," Albus intervened.

Neville nodded, and went over to the fireplace. He put the Floo powder into the fireplace, and stepped into the green flames.

"London Floo transport centre," he said clearly, then disappeared.

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Draco and Ginevra hurried to Ginevra's rooms. As soon as they arrived, they were pulled into the meeting room. Nearly everyone was waiting in there, popcorn surrounding them on the table.

"Hurry up, would you? They've probably Flooed by now!" Pansy said.

"Nice to see you too," Draco said with a smirk.

"Where's Luna and Colin?" Ginevra asked, not seeing them, or her brothers, in the room.

"Luna is sleeping in her room still. Neville told us not to wake her. Apparently she took a dreamless potion last night," Parvati replied.

"Fred and George are looking after Colin in the shop," Padma added.

"Now can you get it up? They're probably at St. Mungo's by now!" Millicent muttered.

"What do you need? I can do a sheet of water on the wall if you want," Theodore offered.

Ginevra nodded and in a second, a large pool of water was on the surface of the wall.

"Don't ask how, just get it up," he murmured.

Ginevra took Draco's hand and concentrated. A few seconds later, a picture flickered onto the water before steadying properly.

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Neville looked nervous as he watched the fireplace. What if they had decided to stay after all?

He was only a few streets away from St. Mungo's, but he didn't want to leave in case they were still coming. He breathed a sigh of relief when Seamus, then Blaise walked out of the fireplace, brushing the soot off their robes.

"Blaise kept trying to get into the fireplace before me, and we ended up having to do heads or tails to see who could go first," Seamus muttered, hitting Blaise with a glare.

Blaise grinned sheepishly, then looked at Neville.

"Are you all right?" he asked, frowning.

"Fine. Great," Neville said too cheerfully, his voice nervous.

"Where do we go from here?" Seamus asked, trying to brush off a stubborn patch of soot.

"Just down a few streets to the Purge & Dowse shop," Neville replied, then led them out of the Wizard Transport Centre.

Blaise and Seamus followed Neville quickly, looking to each other in concern when they saw how nervous he was. They arrived at Purge & Dowse ten minutes later, the sign saying that it was 'Closed for Refurbishment'.

"Hello. We'd like to visit my parents, please," Neville said to the dummy inside the store window.

The dummy clad in green velvet gave a nod, crooked a finger at them, motioning them to come forward. Neville walked through the window without hesitation, disappearing from sight. Seamus and Blaise hurried to follow him.

The reception area was nearly empty, with only three people waiting for Healers. One lady who had a teapot stuck to her shoulder. She whistled loudly, and the teapot started steaming noisily.

Neville went over to the desk marked Enquiries, the plump blonde witch behind the eying him for any noticeable injuries.

"Welcome to St. Mungo's. What's wrong with you?" a Welcoming Witch asked abruptly.

"I'm Neville Longbottom. I'm here to visit my parents on the fourth floor," Neville said. "They're with me," he added as the Welcoming Witch looked at Blaise and Seamus with her critical eye.

"Frank and Alice on the Fourth floor? Good luck with them," the witch said dismissively.

Blaise had to hold Seamus back before he hexed the witch in anger.

"Well? Go on! You know where the stairs are," she said, waving the three of them off as a couple walked in, their arms wound together like vines around a tree. "Next!"

"She was nice," Blaise muttered sarcastically.

A Healer in a lime green robe bumped into Seamus, muttered loudly about rude patients, then hurried over to a witch who had a long nose that was continuing to grow with every passing second.

Blaise and Seamus followed Neville through the double doors and along the narrow corridor, the portraits of famous Healers floating on the walls. Crystal baubles filled with candles floated up on the ceiling, lighting the portraits and the long corridor.

Seeing that they were alone, Blaise smirked, and pulled Neville and Seamus to him, kissing both of them hungrily.

They pulled apart abruptly when one of the Healer portraits gave a dramatic gasp, practically running down the corridor like they had a bucket of paint.

"We're not contagious, you f ... " Seamus started to yell after the Healer.

Neville quickly covered Seamus' mouth, only releasing it when he was sure he wouldn't say anything.

"Why'd you do that for?" he muttered.

"That's Healer Lancelot. Gran knows the person who has his house portrait. If she accepts us, then she'll deal with him," Neville said briefly, starting up the stairs.

"If she accepts us? You mean you haven't told her yet?" Blaise asked, he and Seamus quickly following him.

"I told her that I was bringing my partners today. As it was, she wasn't happy about the plural part of it," Neville answered nervously, tugging at the collar of his robe.

"Ye didn't tell us she didn't know, Nev," Seamus said.

Neville went red, and hurried up the stairs. He stopped at the fourth level landing, staring at the window set into the double doors. His Gran was standing there, looking as sour as ever. She pushed the doors open and strode over, sniffing at Neville's attire, despite her green robes, fox-fur scarf and vulture hat that were accompanied by her usual large, bright red handbag.

"You're late, boy," Augusta said with a glare. "Well, where are your partners, then?"

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Longbottom," Blaise said smoothly, holding out a hand to shake.

"Good morning, Mrs. Longbottom," Seamus said, offering his hand too.

"These two? Honestly, boy!" Augusta muttered, ignoring Blaise and Seamus' hands.

"May I enquire as to what is exactly wrong with us, Mrs. Longbottom?" Blaise grounded out, struggling to keep his tone and words polite.

Seamus wasn't quite so reserved...

"What the fuck is ye problem, lady?" he snarled, glaring at her.

"Seamus!" Neville said quickly, blanching as he covered Seamus' mouth.

Augusta glared, hitting Neville sharply with her wand.

"Let him go, boy! I want to hear what he has to say to an old grandmother who has given up her years raising you!" she said.

"I know you have, Gran," Neville said, but was cut off by Augusta with a glare.

"I said to let him talk. Go on boy, talk," she said, folding her arms and looking impatient.

"Fine," Seamus muttered. "I don't know what the fuck is wrong with ye, lady, but ye've got no right to treat Neville or us like that," he said with a glare.

"I can treat Neville how I like. I raised the stupid boy, and look how he's turned out. I knew he would be nothing like his father! Worthless," Augusta sneered down at Neville.

Neville looked down at the ground, clenching his fists tightly.

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Everyone started yelling insults at Neville's Gran, the picture wavering as Ginevra and Draco registered Augusta's words properly.

"That fucking bitch! Can we get there in time to hex her?" Pansy asked, throwing a handful of popcorn at the screen of water.

"Don't disrupt the water! It's hard enough keeping it up there against gravity, let alone having objects thrown at it!" Theodore muttered.

"All of you shut up! And you two, keep the gods' damned picture going!!" Millicent said, glaring at Draco and Ginevra before looking back to the screen.

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"Neville is not worthless!" Blaise burst in angrily, unable to restrain himself any longer.

Neville didn't know whether to cry, laugh, or bang his head against the wall in hopelessness as his lovers and his Gran started arguing loudly.

"Excuse me? What is the problem here?" a Healer asked, unlocking the doors and walking onto the landing, locking the door behind her once again.

The motherly looking Healer walked down the small corridor, wondering what all of the noise was about. She saw Neville and Augusta, and smiled brightly. She could obviously see that something was the matter, but she didn't want their problems disrupting her patients!

"Hello, Neville. Augusta, a pleasure to see you again," she said cheerfully.

"Maybelle," Augusta said sourly.

"Hello, boys. You must be friends of Neville. Welcome to the Janus Thickey Ward," Maybelle said cheerfully, ignoring Augusta's tone and look.

"Thank you," Blaise said, nudging Seamus.

"Thanks," Seamus muttered, his tone close to Augusta's.

"Why don't you two boys come with me and I'll introduce you to Frank and Alice?" Maybelle offered, guiding Blaise and Seamus into the ward with a firm hand. Once they were inside, Maybelle turned to Augusta and Neville with a stern look that was quite uncharacteristic of her usual motherly appearance. "You two sort this out, and do it quietly, is that understood?"

Without waiting for an answer, Maybelle turned and strode into the ward, her usual bright smile on her face.

"Sorry about Seamus' language Gran," Neville said quietly, looking down at his feet again.

Augusta looked at Neville intensely, making him uncomfortable. She never looked at him for too long if she could help it.

"That boy said that you were special. Why did he say that?" Augusta asked finally.

Neville frowned, not remembering when that was said, but then, they had all been arguing without listening to each other and their words had become jumbled.

"He knows about me being a nymph," Neville replied. "They both do. And they both know about my other powers as well."

"What other powers? Why didn't you tell me?" Augusta asked immediately.

"Because you never seem to want to know anything about me unless it's school related! And that's why you have just given me plants as presents, when Great Uncle Algie and Great Auntie Enid admitted to buying them for me instead of you," Neville said.

"I raised you, boy! Of course I want to know about you, you idiot," Augusta muttered. "Now, what other powers?"

Neville hesitated a second, then changed to his nymph-state, revealing all of his powers.

"All right, stop showing off now. Open the door for me, boy," Augusta said, waving her red handbag at the door.

Neville returned to his mortal form and hurried over to unlock and open the door. Augusta walked into the ward with her nose wrinkled slightly.

"Where have those two boys got to? Can't have them wandering around. They'll probably bring that idiot Lockhart back here," Augusta muttered, looking around the ward.

"I'm going to say hi to Mum and Dad," Neville said.

Augusta gave a curt nod, but didn't say anything to him. Neville sighed and went over to his parents.

Alice was humming to herself, looking at the arm chair intently.

"Hi, Mum. It's me, Neville," he answered quietly, taking her hand in his.

Alice smiled at him brightly, still humming under her breath. It was obvious that she wasn’t understanding or comprehending what he'd said to her. She handed him an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.

"Neville, I do wish you would stop taking those blasted wrappers. You've got enough at home," Augusta grumbled as she came over to them, Seamus and Blaise behind her, pulling faces.

Neville clutched the wrapper and put it into his pocket, ignoring his Gran's comment.

"Hello, Alice dear. Lovely to see you again," Augusta said in a cheerful voice that was obviously fake. "Go on boys, let us talk," she said, waving the three boys away.

Seamus and Blaise glared at Augusta, even as Neville led them to his father's bed.

"If she wanted us to go, why did the ol' bat bring us over there?" Seamus muttered.

"Most likely to keep an eye on you. She's like that," Neville replied with a shrug.

Seamus muttered Gaelic swear words under his breath, smiling broadly any time Augusta looked over at them with a glare.

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"I say we hex the bat for being such a bitch," Padma said, sounding as angry as Seamus' muttered words indicated.

"I don't think you should call her a bat. The poor species will be so insulted!" Millicent sniggered.

"If you don't stop talking and watch, we're going to stop the picture," Ginevra said.

"I second that," Theodore muttered, the water wavering as his concentration broke.

"Spoil sports! I say we do the Jellylegs hex to start off with," Pansy muttered to Padma, smirking.

"I was going to do a slug attack," Padma replied with a smirk of her own.

The picture started to waver and fade as the concentration of Draco, Ginevra and Theodore was redirected to the conversation.

"Shut up, would you?!" Parvati said, throwing popcorn at her sister and Pansy.

The two Slytherin's rolled their eyes, but did as she asked.

The picture and water returned, now focusing on Augusta.

A hiss went around the room, and Pansy was tempted to throw more popcorn.

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"I honestly do not understand what the boy sees in those two. Quite frankly, I wasn't surprised in the least when I saw him with two boys, considering the things he used to do when he was younger. I just thought it was a phase, mind you, but now I see that my initial thoughts were right. Oh, Alice dear, you do not know how hard it has been raising this boy on my own. Algie has been no help at all, giving him that toad and those horrendous plants. Algie's turning the boy soft, and it's harder to stamp it out of him when he's at Hogwarts for most of the time," Augusta muttered, loathing in her tone. "It's not Albus, because he is by far the best thing that has happened to that school ... " she trailed off for a moment, glaring as Maybelle walked past.

Augusta glared at the back of the retreating witch, waiting until she was completely out of ear shot before continuing with her tirade.

"Now, where was I? Oh, yes, Albus. He is the best thing that has happened to Hogwarts. I thought the boy was getting better when he befriended Harry Potter, he's the one that defeated You-Know-Who at one year's old... I told you He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was going to come back, by the way," Augusta said proudly. "The boy is just hopeless, I still cannot believe how you and my lovely boy produced such a worthless and ungrateful child," Augusta murmured, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Gran? Maybelle says we have to leave now," Neville said, coming over to her.

"That old bag! Visiting hours don't finish for hours yet!" Augusta muttered, getting up and straightening her vulture hat and green robes angrily. "I'll see you later, Alice dear. Boy, take that blasted wrapper from her, would you?" she added in an undertone, then headed over to Maybelle with a sour look on her face.

Neville shook his head after her and looked at his mother with a sad sigh. He took the offered wrapper and tucked it into his pocket with the other one. He kissed her forehead lightly and gave her a smile.

"Bye Mum. I'll come back to visit as soon as I can, okay?" he murmured.

Neville groaned as his Gran's voice started to raise. Maybelle was keeping her tone light and friendly, as she always did, but it wouldn't be long before Gran provoked her into a full blown argument. He went over to the two witches, hoping to break it up before Gran needed a bed in the ward herself.

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A high-pitched scream flooded through Ginevra's room. Instantly, three things happened. The vision disappeared, the water splashed to the ground, and everyone ran to Luna's room.

Luna was on the ground, having fallen from the hammock. She was sobbing, but her grazed knees weren't the cause of her tears. Colin was.

Ginevra stopped short, seeing that Colin was standing in the room. His face was twisted into something so horrible and unlike him that Ginevra couldn't repress the shudder that flowed through her. She was briefly thankful that Luna couldn't see the look on Colin's face.

"I can't do this anymore, Luna," Colin sneered. Ignoring Luna's cries, he continued, "I don't love you, or can't you see that?" he asked cruelly. "I've found someone else; someone who is normal. You know you'll never be normal, Luna. How could I love you when you're like this?"

"Padma, Parvati! Go check on Fred and George!" Ginevra commanded, not moving her eyes away from Colin.

The twins left the room, practically flying down the corridors to the twins' shop. Ginevra pulled her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at Colin angrily.

"Move away from her, Colin! RIGHT NOW!" she yelled.

Colin flew across the room with the force of her words and her spell. As he did, Colin's form began to waver and a mist stopped mere centimetres from the wall.

"Bexley?" Ginevra asked, her mouth dropping open in shock.

Her wand lowered as she looked at the trembling Boggart.

"I am sorry, Queen Ginevra. Her fear was too great to resist. I could not stop myself," Bexley cried.

"Go to my room, Bexley," Ginevra said, going over to Luna. "Are you all right, Luna?" she asked, crouching down beside her.

"I-I'm f-fine," Luna stammered through her tears. "I-I don't k-know what happened to me. I j-just l-lost control. Don't blame Bexley. Promise me?"

"I promise, Luna," Ginevra said.

"LUNA!" Colin yelled, coming into the room.

He was out of breath, and his face was so pale and frightened that everyone moved to let him through before he hexed his way to get to Luna.

"Oh, Luna. Don't do that to me ever again! You hear me?" he murmured, gathering her up in his arms and burying his head in her shoulder.

"Okay, people. Time to leave," Pansy said, ushering everyone out.

Luna and Colin were oblivious to the others leaving the room.

"I thought you didn't love me anymore," Luna said softly, her eyes bringing up a fresh batch of tears.

"Don't be ridiculous, Luna! I couldn't stop loving you. I was just upset that you didn't talk with me about what was going to happen. I acted like a git," Colin muttered, sighing. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry too, Colin," Luna said. "Will you trust me when I tell you that it's better for you not to know what's going to happen?" she asked.

"I'll trust you, no matter what, Luna. But that doesn't mean I won't worry about it," he added with a brief smile.

Luna hugged him tightly.

"I love you," she whispered,

"I love you too," Colin replied.

He helped her from the floor and over to the bed, wrapping his arms around her as he whispered in her ear.

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"Colin was at the shop!" Padma called as she and Parvati came into the room, clutching their sides in pain.

"Never seen him move so fast," Parvati murmured, trying to catch her breath.

"We know. The other Colin was Bexley," Ginevra said with a sigh.

"You mean we ran all that way for nothing?" Padma groaned.

Ginevra grinned and went to her room, closing the door after her. The others went back to the meeting room. Theodore cleaned the water with a murmured word, and everyone sat at the table.

"Not for nothing. The lovebird and the dragon are in there making up now," Millicent said with a grin.

"Is that even physically possible?" Pansy asked with a frown.

"Why a lovebird?" Parvati asked in surprise.

"A lovebird would suit her," Millicent said with a shrug, then turned to Pansy with a smirk. "It's no less possible than a mermaid, a troll and a giant."

"Or a werewolf and an elf," Gregory said, laughing as Theodore went red.

"Or a Vampiress and a Veelan," Padma said, earning a glare from Draco.

"Or four pixies," Parvati said, her face red.

"They're all the same species though," Vincent said, frowning.

"You've obviously never seen four pixies mate then," Padma said, laughing as her twin's face went even brighter.

"Well what about a nymph, centaur and ... What is Seamus, anyway?" Pansy asked in confusion.

"We thought he was a nymph," Parvati and Padma said.

"But Neville only transferred some of his power. So Seamus wouldn't really be a nymph," Theodore pointed out.

There was a surprised silence as everyone thought about it.

"Does it really matter what Seamus is?" Ginevra asked as she came into the room. She was met with a guilty silence, and shook her head. "I didn't think it mattered. Now, who's up for training?" she asked smirking broadly.

"In here?" Millicent asked suspiciously, not liking the look in Ginevra's eye.

"Room of Requirement. I wanted to start training with magic," she replied, grinning.

"We're all doomed," Pansy muttered, smirking at Ginevra. "I'm up for it," she added.

They quickly decided to take Ginevra up on her offer, and left to get their wands while Ginevra wrote a note for Neville, Blaise and Seamus. They headed through the wardrobe, no one willing to go near the wall after what Lavender and Dean had done there, despite the numerous cleaning spells.

"You know something? If we have kids, they are going to be so emotionally screwed," Pansy muttered, almost to herself.

"What do you mean by if?" Gregory and Vincent asked at the same time.

Everyone listened in, yet pretended that they weren't as Pansy coughed slightly to encourage them to hurry up the corridor.

"It's not going to be fair to either of you if we fathered a child with just one of you," Pansy said, thankful that the lighting in the corridor wasn't bright enough to show her bright cheeks. "Besides, it's going to be hard enough having society accepting us, let alone our child. Can you imagine having to explain why he has two fathers?" Pansy asked.

"I can explain it quite easily, actually," Gregory said. "We both love you, and each other. We both want to have a child with you," he said quietly.

"I wouldn't mind if he was Greg's," Vincent added, hugging Pansy.

"I wouldn't mind if he was Vince's either, love," Gregory said, kissing her. "We both know how much you want a child."

"We told you that last night," Vincent said, sounding slightly confused.

"I thought you were humouring me," Pansy admitted, her voice low and her eyes downcast.

Everyone stopped in shock at that, no longer pretending that they weren't really listening.

"You think we would say something like that and not mean it?" Gregory asked, hurt.

"No ... Yes ... I don't know," Pansy murmured, not looking at any of them.

"We'll see you in the Room of Requirement," Padma said, surprising everyone.

She gave Pansy a brief smile, and ushered everyone out with Ginevra's help.

They all walked to the Room of Requirement in silence, not willing to wonder what the other three were talking about.

"Did you want us to try spells silently, or out loud?" Parvati asked.

"We can try out loud for now," Ginevra suggested, Draco nodding as she looked to him for confirmation.

"If we practice the spells out loud now, then we have a way to better our aim. We can do silent spells later," Draco added.

He didn't mention that doing the spells out loud would also distract them from worrying about what was happening between Pansy, Gregory and Vincent.

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"Why would you think that of us, Pans?" Vincent asked, looking at her.

"I thought you wouldn't want to stay with me, so I didn't know what to think," Pansy replied. "I didn't want to force you underwater with me. I can't stay up here forever," she said.

"We know that, love," Gregory murmured, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"We'll be right beside you," Vincent said, hugging Pansy from the front.

"Or behind you, as the case may be," Gregory said with a smirk, holding her hips against his.

Pansy couldn't help but laugh, kissing them both tenderly.

"You make me cry like this again, and I'll be forced to hurt you. Hear me?" she muttered, wiping away her tears.

"We wouldn't ever hurt you, Pans. At least, not on purpose," Vincent added, kissing her.

"Definitely not, love," Gregory murmured, kissing her shoulder, then kissing Vincent.

He felt Vincent smirk against his lips when Pansy gasped, and a smirk of his own began to form.

They could put training off for a few more minutes, surely...

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"Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!"

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

"Put me down!"

Parvati rose up to the ceiling, and Padma smirked at her twin, her wand steady.

"Padma, I'm going to get you back for this!" Parvati yelled, then started swearing at her in pixie.

"That's not very nice, dear sister," Padma said, feigning hurt.

"I'll set Lavender on you if you don't put me down this instant!" Parvati threatened.

Padma hurried to set her twin on the ground. Parvati probably would set Lavender on her!

"That's one of the cruellest things you could threaten someone with, Parvati! Even Voldemort would run when faced with Lavender!" Ginevra laughed.

The Room of Requirement door opened. Seamus, Neville and Blaise walked in, looking tired from their trip.

"You look tired," Theodore muttered as the door closed.

"Gran kept complaining about Maybelle all the way back to the Wizard Transport Centre," Neville muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Not to mention that the old bat got us fucking lost, even though we kept telling her exactly where the bloody Transport Centre was!" Seamus muttered.

"I'm not even going to bother complaining about her. Just let me sleep," Blaise said wearily.

A hammock appeared next to him and he flopped into it, swaying slightly.

"We're training, you know," Millicent pointed out.

"Then don't hit the hammock," Blaise muttered, shutting his eyes.

Draco smirked and murmured a spell quietly. Everyone watched as the hammock gently rose up towards the ceiling, Blaise not noticing a thing.

Seamus and Neville watched, wondering if they should tell their lover what was happening, or not. Considering everyone had their wands at the ready, they decided to stay silent.

"Oh, Blaise?" Ginevra called in a sweet voice, smirking.

"What?" he muttered.

"Open your eyes," she said, barely stifling her laughter.

Blaise opened his eyes and saw the ceiling a few centimetres from his nose.

"Draco, you bastard!" he yelled, clutching the sides of the hammock tightly.

"Whatever gave you the idea that it was me?" Draco asked, feigning innocence.

"Put me down!"

Draco smirked and let Blaise fall half a metre before slowing him and letting him get off the hammock.

"If I didn't feel so queasy, I would be kicking your arse," Blaise muttered, staring at the floor while he tried to settle his stomach.

It felt like he'd left it up on the ceiling!

"A bit of queasiness is going to stop you then?" Draco taunted, smirking.

Blaise glared at him, sending a hex at Draco.

"Finally," Padma muttered, then started to throw hexes at Millicent.

Laughing wildly, Seamus advanced on Ginevra, shooting spells at her. She blocked them with her dagger, returning a few spells of her own when she had the chance. Seamus certainly wasn't merciful!

Parvati began fighting with Neville, and he had to appreciate how alike her twin she really was in relation to spell work. Then he had to dodge said spells and was too busy to think.

Everyone started fighting, forming groups against each other. The room around them started to change to suit their situation, the mats disappearing and a hilly terrain forming beneath their feet. Draco's group had to back up the hill, as Ginevra's group advanced on them.

"Charge!" Ginevra yelled.

They ran at each other in an instant, wands and eyes blazing.

Blaise attacked Draco, annoyed about the hammock. Draco smirked at him, and started to defend himself, barely able to avoid Blaise's hooves.

Millicent smirked at Theodore, and they both started to attack the Patil twins, surrounding them with help from Neville and his vines.

Seamus was still fighting Ginevra, and the fighting continued, even when Pansy opened the door with Vincent and Gregory following her inside. Seeing the fight, the two boys grinned and immediately joined in. Gregory hexed Seamus as Vincent started to attack Millicent, Theodore and Neville.

Pansy rolled her eyes at their enthusiasm, but joined in the fighting eagerly. She started to attack Blaise, confusing him and buying Draco enough time to lock his hooves with a word.

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Colin looked at Luna with a sated smile. He caressed her hair lightly, kissing her forehead. She smiled at him in return, holding his face in her hands.

She suddenly moved away, her white eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" Colin asked instantly.

"We have to go. We have to warn them," Luna said, and then started to get changed.

Her demeanour affected Colin, making him hurry to get changed too.

"What is it? Did you See something?"

Luna gave a brief nod, then hurried down out of the room and down the wardrobe's corridor, her lips tight with worry.

Colin rushed after her, pulling on a robe over his bare chest and loosely tied pants.

"What did you See?" Colin insisted.

"Fudge," Luna snarled. "I'll tell you when we get to the others," she added, a little calmer.

Colin just nodded and they hurried along the corridor.

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Ginevra was winning, she could see that from a glance. Seamus was finally starting to relent, the vines weren't as strong as they had been at the beginning of the fight.

They had to work on stamina, she thought to herself, cutting off a vine before it wrapped around her feet.

The Room of Requirement suddenly went silent. The fighting stopped as everyone watched the hilly terrain beginning to fade.

The door opened, Luna and Colin running inside. If it wasn't for the look on their faces, Ginevra was sure that someone would have made a comment about them being out of their room so soon.

"What's wrong?" Ginevra asked, Draco by her side in an instant.

"Fudge released the Dementors to find an Azkaban escapee. He's using a new spell so they only find the highest magical energy. The escapee was the most powerful wizard in the world, even greater than Dumbledore," Luna explained quickly, her words rushing together in her hurry. "Our combined magical energy is just barely greater than his, but it is higher," Luna said.

"What's that mean?" Seamus asked, paling as he thought of the answer.

"Dementors are on their way to Hogwarts."

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Ginevra rushed out of the Room without a second thought. The others were behind her in an instant.

"Get everyone sixth years and up. Do it quietly and don't let the younger ones see," Ginevra murmured to Draco.

He nodded and shut his eyes, focusing his Veelan powers. In a matter of minutes, all of the sixth and seventh years were coming out of the castle, while any younger students were making their way inside, not quite sure why they were leaving when it was so nice outside.

"What's the meaning of this?" Minerva demanded as she saw Ginevra and the others organising the sixth and seventh years quickly.

"Luna said that Dementors are coming to Hogwarts. We have to hurry," Ginevra said, then turned back to Tom. "You take the others around the back. Use your Patronus. You learnt it in the DA, you'll be fine," she added with a brief smile.

Tom nodded, then took five students with him, all of them practising the Expecto Patronum spell as they went.

"Miss Weasley, this is ridiculous. The Dementors are not getting into Hogwarts grounds. The spell that Albus used on the wards is strong enough to keep them out," McGonagall said.

She wouldn't argue Luna's word, not after what she'd seen her do, but this was just plain unnecessary!

"The spell that Fudge is using lets them bypass any spells that may have been put up to keep them out," Luna murmured from behind Minerva, scaring her.

Luna had not been there a second ago!

"Besides, there is a weak spot in the ward. Right ... there," Luna said, pointing to a place near the Forbidden Forest. "Albus couldn't put the ward in the Forest; it wouldn't allow it," she murmured dreamily, then smiled and was serious once more. "We're going to need help from Harry, Hermione and Ronald, if you please, Professor. Would you mind getting them for us?" she asked, looking directly at her.

Minerva repressed a shudder. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to know how Luna knew exactly where she was.

"I'll go get them," she murmured after a minute, then hurried back into the castle.

She had to tell Dumbledore as well. If Luna was right - which was a high probability - then Albus would not like what Fudge was doing. The spell was still in experimental phases. At least, that's what Fudge had told everyone!

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Fudge looked at the Azkaban with a smile. His plan was going to work, and no one would know a thing. Ric would regret that he had ever tried to escape, Cornelius would personally make sure of that.

With a elaborate bang, the Minister Disapparated to his Ministry office, pleased with himself.

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"They're coming," Luna murmured, her eyes turned towards the sky.

"Everyone get ready!" Ginevra yelled.

Nervous groups of students looked up at the sky. In the distance, a black cloud started making its way to Hogwarts, silently moving against the wind.

As the cloud came closer and closer, they saw ice beginning to form on the tops of the Forbidden Forest. The trees shivered, the ice breaking from the branches and falling to the ground.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron hurried out of the castle quickly. Lavender and Dean were close behind them. As their eyes followed the gaze of the rest of the students, wondering what was happening, they saw the Dementors.

"Can you feel anything?" Hermione whispered to Harry, referring to his scar.

Harry shook his head, briefly touching the lightning bolt on his forehead.

"Nothing," he replied.

"It's not Voldemort," Luna murmured quietly, taking hold of her wand.

Ron blanched dramatically, and Harry looked surprised. Hermione was just looking at Luna curiously, noticing the colour of her eyes.

"What happened to your eyes?" Hermione asked, sounding horrified.

"I thought you would have known already, being friends with Lavender," Luna said with a smile, then turned away.

"I try not to listen to her," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Sometimes she tells the truth," Luna answered with a shrug.

"You mean you really are blind?" Ron said, sounding shocked. "But how can you see where we are?"

"Ron! That's so insensitive!" Hermione said, staring at him.

"But ... "

"You should get your wands out. They're almost here," Luna said with a smile, then wandered down to Ginevra and Draco.

"You all right?" Ginevra asked.

Draco glared over at the Trio, muttering about hurting Ron. Ginevra nudged him.

"Stay focused," she murmured.

The Dementors flew faster towards the Hogwarts barrier. It took less than a second for the spell to break through the barrier that Albus had created, and the students closest to the oncoming Dementors started to shiver, stammering out the Expecto Patronum spell.

"Gods' damn it! Do the spell before they get to you!" Ginevra muttered loudly, conjuring her Patronus.

The students quickly blocked the front students, allowing them enough time to conjure their Patronus' too, before moving further back and conjuring their own.

Suddenly the grass was covered with silver and shining animals. Rabbits, deer, stags, dogs, otters, horses, wolves, dragons, unicorns; every type of animal under the sun seemed to jump out of the wands. A few of them faltered as the Dementors came closer, but a few words from Luna in their ear had the students concentrating on a happy memory.

Draco watched as his dragon Patronus flew into the sky, charging at the Dementors with Ginevra's dragon beside him. The two dragons flew directly into the Dementors, ripping two apart at a time. The other Dementors swerved around them, the dragons too large to turn around as nimbly as the Dementors.

Two wolves took a running leap, landing on top of two Dementors. The Dementors were ripped to shreds in seconds, the wolves landing on the ground easily, returning to Ginevra and Millicent quickly.

Luna waited patiently, her rabbit Patronus fidgeting in her arms. The Dementor flew towards her, and even as she opened her mouth in a silent scream, the rabbit jumped out of her arms and onto the Dementor.

Colin was beside her in an instant, his small Chinese dragon Patronus helping the rabbit quickly.

"I'm fine, Colin," she reassured him, smiling briefly.

Her smile was strained as she looked up to their Patronus'.

"Ginevra! We need Macen!" Luna called.

In less than a second, the bat was flying beside the dragon and rabbit.

The Dementors were slowly being killed off, but there were still a lot heading towards the students.

A stag burst through the scramble, and started warding off two and three Dementors. Harry looked pleased with himself, his smile faltering as ten Dementors gathered on his Patronus.

"I've taken out more than that before! What's going on?" he thought out loud, putting more power into the spell.

"Fudge has been screwing with the Dementors. How do you think they got through the barrier?" Padma muttered, hurrying to get her own Patronus to the fallen stag.

Parvati helped her twin as well. Hermione saw what they were doing, but her otter was too busy helping Ron's Patronus to help.

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Albus hurried down the corridor with Minerva by his side, looking worried. He didn't bother stopping to look out at the grounds from the window. Every student that wasn't outside was looking out of the windows. Not only that, but the windows were beginning to frost over with the cold that accompanied the Dementors.

Fudge was going to have a lot of explaining to do!

He heard a loud crash outside, and started walking faster. McGonagall turned into a cat and shot off down the corridor.

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Tom's Patronus crashed to the ground and he cried out as Dementors started to rip into his Quintaped. The others with him tried to help, but the Dementors ignored the animals as if they were nothing more than insects.

"I'll be back," Draco murmured to Ginevra, hurrying over to help Tom and the others.

"Draco!" Ginevra called, wanting him to come back.

Then Dementors started attacking her again, and she didn't have time to think.

Draco's dragon roared and dived on the Dementors.

The Dementors saw where the Patronus was coming from, and advanced on Draco quickly, their cold aura's freezing the other students attempts to stop them. The fighting continued and no one paid much attention as the Dementors got closer and closer to Draco.

As the dragon ripped the last of the Dementors off the Quintaped, there was a loud thud, and Draco's Dementor disappeared. Draco's head made a loud cracking sound as it connected with the hard ground.

"Draco!" Ginevra yelled, hurrying to his side.

She stared at him, stared at the blood pooling around his body.

How could she have let this happen? How could she have let him go? She should have kept him with her! If she had then maybe he would still be all right... She should have ... she should have done something!

Screaming in anger and torment, Ginevra's body began to change. Everyone surrounding her quickly moved back, afraid of what was happening to her. The Dementors disappeared immediately, not even the spell enough to keep them near her.

One by one, Ginevra's Patronus flew into her.

Black and crimson red scales burst out of her skin, pure black leathery skin shot out from her back, forming into large bat-like wings. Ginevra let out a painful scream as a long scorpion tail burst from her spinal cord, another scream echoing it as a spiralled horn pushed out of her forehead. Hissing in more pain, Ginevra's fangs increased to the size that of a wolf. Her black clothes began to tear at themselves, leaving welts along her skin as the invisible hand continued to tear at her, long after her robes and clothes were in shreds. Her eyes burned red and the thing that was no longer Ginevra glared at the bloodied field.

"Ginevra!" a familiar voice called to her.

Looking down from her new height, Ginevra saw Draco, standing and alive. She hissed at him, a string of fire flowing from her mouth. A barrier formed between the fire and Draco, pushing back at the fire.

"Ginevra, love. Come back now. You'll scare everyone," Draco said in a drawl.

Her nails grew into long sharp weapons and she glared down at him. She'd seen him die. This wasn't really Draco.

Draco sighed and looked at Ginevra once more. As he watched her, Draco turned Veelan, growing to be the same height as Ginevra was. He looked directly at her, small bird feathers on the sides of his eyes. His hair was long and impossibly bright, making him look even more handsome. He held out a hand, fire resting on his palm.

She stared at her lover in shock. He couldn't ... He wasn't ... She looked down and saw Draco's dead body, as she had left it.

Her body went into shock and as it wasn't able to handle both her new form and two Draco's, Ginevra returned to her human form. Draco returned to his too and looked at her, then at the body beside him.

"That isn't me, Ginevra," he said, seeing her staring down at his look alike.

"Prove it!" she hissed.

Draco opened his mouth to do exactly that, but before a word could be said, an arrow flew from out of nowhere and embedded itself in his chest. Draco looked down at the arrow head, his knees failing him and he crumpled to the ground.

"Ginevra," Luna said quietly, putting a hand on her shoulder before she could transform again.

"What?" Ginevra snarled, not looking away from Draco.

"I did it again; I am so very sorry, my Queen," Bexley said sorrowfully.

"I don't care, Bexley! Go get someone to help Draco!" she yelled.

"Don't touch the arrow, Ginevra," Theodore said, dropping beside them quickly.

"Who did this?" Ginevra snarled.

"That is what I have been trying to tell you!" Luna said, sounding exasperated.

Ginevra looked at Luna quickly.

"Look to the Forest," Luna said quietly.

Ginevra looked at the forest, scanning the trees easily.

"Alexander," she snarled, getting up.

"You can't, Ginevra. Stay with Draco," Luna said, holding her back forcefully.

"Let me go, Luna!" Ginevra yelled angrily, trying to pull away from Luna's grasp.

"No. Draco needs you to be here," Luna said quietly.

Pansy took Ginevra in her arms, Vincent and Gregory holding both of them tightly. They left to Ginevra's rooms.

"LET. ME. GO!"

"Can't do that, Gin," Vincent said, sounding apologetic.

"Theodore will be bringing Draco in a minute," Gregory added.

They went into the meeting room and locked the door behind them.

"Alexander shot Draco, don't you understand that?" Ginevra snarled, pushing away from Pansy as soon as the two boys set them down.

"Yes, we understand, and we're just as angry," Pansy said.

"Then let me go after him!" Ginevra yelled.

The door opened, and Vincent and Gregory struggled to keep Ginevra back.

"You'll be hurt if you leave after him now," Luna said quietly, closing the door behind her and the others who came inside.

"You think so little of my power?"

"Of course not. The repercussions of what you would do would haunt you, even if it is done with reason," Luna murmured. "You would not be able to live with yourself later in life if you choose this path now. Draco will be all right, you just need to trust in Theodore," she said quietly.

"I do trust Theodore. I don't trust that Alexander won't try to hurt Draco again," Ginevra said, her anger beginning to ebb away.

"Of course he will try to hurt Draco again. It is in his nature, as he thinks that you should be his. Jealousy twists people into things that even monsters are afraid of," Luna murmured.

There was a knock at the door, and Parvati opened it to reveal Dumbledore.

"Good to see you are all well," Dumbledore said with a brief smile. "Oh, not quite. Are you all right with this, Theodore? Or would you like me to send for Madam Pomfrey?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Theodore said.

"That is good to hear. Ginevra, a moment if you please," Albus said, ushering her out of the room.

Theodore held a hand over Draco's mouth, and pulled the arrow out of his chest. Draco bit back a scream.

"Mill, the potion," Theodore said.

Millicent hurried over and handed him a vial. Theodore tipped the contents into Draco's mouth, and they watched as his eyes closed.

"What was that?" Padma asked, looking at the empty vial.

"A combination of sleeping and blood replenishing potion. He'll be asleep for a few hours, and the potion will work on healing his wound, as well as replacing the blood he lost," Theodore replied.

"What's wrong, Nev?" Seamus asked, wrapping his arms around Neville's waist.

Blaise looked at them, concerned, resting his head on his shoulder.

"I'm worried about Bexley. He left so quickly when Ginevra yelled at him. He looked really upset," Neville muttered, looking out the window, as if expecting to see Bexley.

"He'll be okay," Blaise murmured.

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"Miss Weasley, I would like you to explain what happened today. Minerva was barely coherent when she came to me. We were all quite annoyed when we discovered that the doors had shut after Harry and the others left the castle," Albus said.

"That was Luna's idea, sir. We didn't want any younger students coming out and getting hurt, so she did a spell that made the doors stay closed once all of the sixth and seventh years were outside," Ginevra said. "We didn't know that it would keep you and the Professor's out as well," she added with a shrug.

"Yes, well. It was certainly frustrating, but perhaps it was for the best. We got to see what you were all capable of," he said, smiling briefly.

Ginevra nodded, then explained what Luna had Seen, and what they'd done from there.

"I'm not sure exactly what Luna Saw, you'll have to ask her," Ginevra finished, nodding behind Albus.

"I would like to talk with you in your office, if you do not mind, Professor," Luna said with a quick smile.

"Of course," Albus said.

He offered a hand to Luna, and left with her to his office.

Ginevra hurried back into the meeting room.

"Is he all right?" she asked immediately.

"He's fine. Just sleeping off the wound. I've wrapped it so it won't get infected, and gave him a blood replenishing potion too. He'll be fine in the morning," Theodore reassured her with a smile.

Ginevra sighed in relief.

"Can I move him to his room?" she asked.

"Yes," Theodore said. "He will be fine, Ginevra," he added quietly.

"I know. Thank you, Theodore," she replied quietly, taking the offered arrow.

She lifted Draco with her wand and gently levitated him down to his room. Following him inside, Ginevra sat by the bed and watched him breathe, the bandages around his chest making her angry again.

Clutching the arrow, Ginevra tried to dissuade herself that it wouldn't be good if she went after Alexander. She tried to convince herself for three long hours, not even leaving the room for dinner. Ginevra knew that if she left for dinner, she would be far too tempted to go the long way to the Great Hall; mainly through the Forbidden Forest.

After three hours, Ginevra told herself that arguing was pointless and a waste of time, so she made up her mind to go to the Forbidden Forest. She could talk with Alexander at least, see if his jealousy was the only reason for shooting Draco. If it was, then she could hurt him.

Still holding the arrow in her cramping hand, Ginevra left the room and quietly left her rooms, heading towards the Forbidden Forest.

Evita was waiting in front of the tree line.

We heard what happened from another Protector. Is Draconius all right? Evita asked, sounding concerned.

He will be fine with a few more hours rest. Theodore is a skilled Healer, Ginevra replied.

The unicorn looked relieved.

Unfortunately, by our laws, we can not punish Alexander for what he did. We have been told that he did not know which Draco was which, and shot on his instinct. Perhaps he should have waited to see if you could have resolved it first, Evita murmured. I am very sorry about this, Ginevra.

I do not blame you, Evita. I blame Alexander. I am almost certain that he knew it was really Draco he shot. He has expressed his hostility towards Draco more than once, as Draco is my own and he is not, Ginevra replied, sounding annoyed.

That is worrisome. His behaviour is ... Evita started, then trailed off, looking behind Ginevra.

Ginevra turned to see Seamus standing behind her, in his fighting mode once more.

"Why are you like that, Seamus?" Ginevra asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Luna said I had to come get you, and that I might need force," Seamus replied with a shrug.

"Aren't you cold without your shirt on?" she muttered, shaking her head.

"No," Seamus said, grinning.

His vine tattoos moved down his arms, before going back to his biceps.

Evita ignored the conversation, nimbly moving towards Seamus. She neighed at him, and rested her horn on his arm, directly on his vine tattoo. As both of his tattoos started to glow bright green, Seamus looked surprised to say the least.

"What's she doing?" he whispered to Ginevra.

"I have no idea," she replied, as surprised as he was.

Evita pulled away from Seamus, and the glow faded. The tattoos moved down his arm, forming around his wrists.

"Are you okay?" Ginevra asked with a frown, seeing the vacant expression on Seamus' face.

What happened to him? Ginevra asked Evita.

The boy is of the forest. Even without the nymph's added powers, Evita explained vaguely. He has to come with us. Now.

Us? Ginevra echoed.

She looked behind Evita and saw other unicorns arriving. Volatil Equus was there, despite being an Abraxan. Ginevra noticed the golden horn growing on the young horse's head, and looked to Evita for an explanation.

Her father is an Abraxan, and her mother is a unicorn. We were not sure which species she would represent, Evita explained. She will definitely be the tallest unicorn this herd has had, she added, sounding amused

"What are ye doing?" Seamus asked as two unicorns started to nudge him with their horns.

Evita turned to stop them, and silently explained that Seamus was of the forest, and that he had to go with them.

"Does it got to be now?" Seamus muttered. "Can't I at least say goodbye to Blaise and Neville?" he asked when Evita replied in the affirmative.

No, we must leave now. Ginevra can say goodbye to the nymph and centaur for you, Evita allowed.

"Not in the way that I want," Seamus muttered.

A unicorn nudged his leg with her horn, and he yelped, cursing loudly.

"I ain't going with ye!" Seamus muttered, trying to back away.

Ginevra tried to help him, but Evita held her back.

Evita, at least let him say goodbye to Blaise and Neville! They won't understand, Ginevra pleaded.

Evita sighed heavily, then touched her horn to Seamus' head. He stilled, his eyes wide with fear and wonder. As Evita pulled away, Seamus closed his eyes, a tear still escaping.

"I'll be fine, Gin. Look after them for me," Seamus said quietly, then left with the unicorns, no longer struggling against the animals.

Volatil Equus nudged Ginevra, attempting reassurance.

"Look after him for me, Volatil Equus," Ginevra murmured in the Abraxicorn's ear.

Volatil Equus nudged her once more, serious now, then galloped after Seamus and the other unicorns.

Blaise and Neville ran out of Ginevra's rooms as Seamus disappeared into the Forest.

Neville ran after him, but was herded back by Evita just as quickly.

You cannot do that, nymph. He needs this, Evita murmured.

"B-but... Where's he going? When will he be back?" Neville asked, his eyes wide.

"Why didn't he say a proper goodbye?" Blaise asked, staring at the forest.

I gave him the best goodbye I could offer. If he had seen the both of you, he would not have left. This is necessary for him, Evita said, trying to reassure them both.

"He could not have left tomorrow? You could not have given us some time with him?" Blaise asked, glaring at the unicorn.

The boy had seen us. He would not have paid you any attention, nor anyone else. He would have thought of us and nothing else until he was with us. He needs the forest, Evita tried to explain.

"And if we need him?" Blaise asked.

Humans are so emotional, Evita said with a sigh. He will return soon enough, she added, then left to follow the rest of her herd.

"Come on. We had better go tell the others," Ginevra said softly, guiding the two boys inside.

Both Neville and Blaise were silent as they left Ginevra take them to her rooms, but she could see Blaise's hands clutching in anger and confusion, and Neville didn't look up once, trying to hide his tears.

As soon as they walked into the room, they found the others waiting. Fred and George were there, and even Draco was up, despite Theodore's warnings.

"Is what Luna said true?" Pansy asked, looking behind them to see if Seamus was hiding, and this was all some horrible joke.

"Seamus has returned to the forest," Luna murmured, repeating the words like a mantra. "The trees are talking, they're welcoming him," she said, then repeated the mantra again.

Only Luna looked happy about what was happening.

"We're going to bed," Blaise said, neither he nor Neville looking the others in the eyes.

Ginevra hugged them tightly, wishing that they had at least been able to say goodbye properly.

Blaise and Neville went into their room. As Neville shut the door, everyone could see that his eyes were red, and Blaise looked like he was barely holding himself together.

"They're not going to be happy until he's back," Luna said, the mantra finally stopped.

"None of us will be," Ginevra muttered, then sighed heavily and went to her room.

Relo sensed the sad mood everyone was in, despite his usual child-like obliviousness, and crawled under Ginevra's bed, crying himself to sleep when he heard what had happened.

As Ginevra listened to Relo's sobs, she felt like crying herself. She tucked herself into a ball and willed sleep to come before her tears would fall too.

Draco looked at Ginevra's closed door, then sighed softly, hearing Ginevra's muffled sobs, even through the door and spells. He wanted to comfort her, but didn't know how. He had no idea what to do, much less what she would want from him in this kind of situation. With another sigh, he headed back to his room, his chest aching with a pain that wasn't caused by an arrow wound.

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(a/n: Abraxicorn! Crossbreeding is great for names...

We're finally moving along in the story! The next chapter will be in October sometime, just to warn you!

I can tell you right now that Real Life isn't going to give me a spare moment until December 14th, so please do not expect a chapter before then! I hope this is enough to last until late-December! I would apologise, but people will hurt me, and I need this time to pass my course! Wish me luck!

I really hoped you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks to everyone for reading!)

18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Sunday, Oct. 13

"I told you that I don't want a bloody party!" Pansy yelled, and not for the first time that day.

"Well, you're still getting one!" Luna called down the hallway, laughing lightly.

"If she doesn't want a party, we shouldn't give her one," Colin murmured quietly.

Luna just laughed again, kissing Colin.

"I have a surprise for everyone though!" she laughed, twirling as she headed to the meeting room to finish decorating.

The past twenty-one days, fifteen hours, seventeen minutes and thirty-five seconds had been horrible. Everyone was dealing with Seamus' absence in their own ways, none of them good.

Ginevra and Draco hadn't spent one night together, but they continued to look at each other longingly during every meal, and nearly every lesson. Pansy, Gregory and Vincent had stopped being as obvious about their feelings, not even looking at each other when Blaise and Neville were around. Parvati and Padma spent more and more time with Fred and George, not wanting to see the sadness on everyone's faces, despite their own sadness. Blaise and Neville hadn't let each other out of their sights, both of them skipping their separate lesson so they could spend the time with each other. Neither of them spoke unless it was completely necessary, and even then the words were limited. Colin had stopped taking photographs within a few days of Seamus' absence, as the photographs were far too depressing. Even Dodger had stopped swearing.

The hammock in her room was wilting as Neville became more withdrawn with every passing day.

Luna was the only one pleased with what was happening. She still didn't understand how everyone was so upset about it. Seamus was becoming what he'd always wanted to become, even if he didn't know it. This would benefit him far more than Hogwarts ever could. Luna had stopped trying to convince everyone after a few days, seeing that it was hopeless.

She'd spent the last two days in the Forest, talking with the unicorns. No one had asked about her absence, again showing how withdrawn everyone was becoming. But then, their lack of questions may have also been due to her arriving at Ginevra's rooms with bags full of presents. Pre-wrapped, so Pansy wouldn't try to peek, of course.

Last week Albus had agreed to her suggestion, and had announced that there was going to be a Halloween party scheduled for the thirty-first of October. It was to be a costume party, and Luna planned on going as Cassandra. Not very inventive, but she knew that it would be original at least.

Her friends still hadn't thought up any costumes, which was disappointing, but after today, she had an inkling that they may change their minds.

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Dodger returned to Ginevra's rooms. He gave a report to her, then curled up under the bed, not even bothering to scare Relo. He was tired after chasing after the unicorns for the past two days. The things he did for friendship...

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At fifteen minutes past twelve, Seamus left the Forbidden Forest. He winced at the bright sunlight, raising an arm to shield his eyes.

Keep going straight, Orion. You will need to use your hand to knock on the door. Do not forget the note, Evita's voice said in his mind, soothing him.

He did as she said, using his hand to knock on the wooden door. He was unsure of what to do next. Evita's voice didn't sound again, and he waited impatiently, not used to having to wait for something.

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Pansy stopped yelling at Luna through the meeting room door when a knock came from the front door.

Luna looked out from the meeting room, and smiled broadly at Blaise and Neville, who had gathered with the others to watch Pansy yell at Luna.

"Blaise, Neville, would you go get that, please?" Luna asked them.

Neither of them answered, they just stood up and went over to the door.

Pansy barged her way into the meeting room, and continued to yell at Luna for organising and going ahead with her unecessary birthday party.

Neville opened the door, and they both froze when they saw Seamus standing at the door.

Blaise's mouth dropped open in shock and surprise. He stared at Seamus, who had changed signifiantly since he had last seen him.

Seamus was in his fighting mode, and his shorts were ripped and torn. His hair was shaved close to his head, his eyes were bright green and his skin was bronzed from the sun, and looked to be tinted silver when he moved in the light. The vine tattoos on his arms were still there, brighter than either Neville or Blaise had seen before. He was muscular, and his arms flexed subconsciously, as if he were missing something. On his left forearm was a leather strap, holding his wand on the inside of his arm.

Not only that, but his entire body was covered in scars. Some of them were white and healed, while some others that looked remarkably like arrow wounds, were red and scabbing over. A few of the scars even looked to be teeth marks, and not just from animals.

The look in his eyes was confused, but not confusion of a mortal. Seamus' eyes held a wildness that only animals could achieve. He didn't seem to recognise Blaise or Neville either.

"LUNA!" Neville yelled, his voice hoarse.

Everyone came rushing out of the meeting room to see what was wrong.

"Seamus?" Ginevra said in disbelief, staring at him.

Luna grinned and looked at Blaise and Neville, who were still in shock. She held back a laugh, then offered her hand to Seamus.

He looked at Luna as if he didn't know what to do. Remembering the note, he held it out, looking at Ginevra.

"Why's he looking at me like that?" Ginevra muttered under her breath.

"Just take the note," Luna suggested.

With a tentative smile, Ginevra took the note from Seamus' outstretched hand, and read it, frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, reading over her shoulder. "Oh."

"What do you mean by oh?" Pansy muttered, taking the note from Ginevra. "He will not be the same," she read. "Like we didn't notice," she drawled.

"Does he even recognise us?" Parvati asked, staring at Seamus.

"Pehaps we should let him come inside," Luna suggested.

Realising that they were still standing around the doorway, everyone went back inside to the meeting room. Ginevra looked over her shoulder. Blaise and Neville were still standing at the door, Seamus still outside and looking confused.

Frowning slightly, Ginevra went back to the door, and took Blaise and Neville's hands in her own. They jumped slightly, as if they'd forgotten there was anyone else in the room.

Ginevra smiled at Seamus, and nodded with her head over to the meeting room.

"Coming?" she asked.

Seamus just looked at her. Looping her arm through Blaise and Neville instead, Ginevra offered her hand, as Luna had done. Seamus looked wary, touching her hand with the tips of his fingertips. She slowly closed her hand around his fingers, and pulled him slightly, encouraging him to walk inside the room. Seamus seemed to understand, and stepped in through the doorway.

Blaise pulled away from Ginevra, grabbing Seamus in a tight hug.

Seamus froze in his embrace, his eyes wide. He didn't understand the words that Blaise whispered in his ear, nor the feelings that struggled in his stomach.

"Blaise, I don't think he understands what's happening," Neville said softly, putting a hand on Blaise's shoulder.

Blaise pulled away from Seamus, looking into his face for something. When he didn't find it, Blaise nodded briefly, a cold mask in place of his face. He turned away, and Ginevra caught a brief glimpse mask the mask to see that Blaise was absolutely distraught. Neville's face fell and he took Blaise's hand, leading him to their room.

"Come on, Seamus," Ginevra murmured heavily, going into the meeting room.

Seamus cautiously followed her into the room. Before he went inside, he looked to where Blaise and Neville had gone, a frown on his face.

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For the rest of the day, Seamus was silent. He didn't say a word, or seem to understand what the others were saying. When given a piece of Pansy's birthday cake, he stabbed it with the fork, as if he didn't realise that it was food.

Seamus peered at the pieces of cake, looking for blood and possibly entrails. Not seeing any, he pushed it away with something akin to disgust on his face. He kept the fork in his hand. He liked the fork.

Ginevra slowly moved the knife away from Seamus' reach. She didn't want to see him with a knife in his hand, considering how dangerous he looked with just a fork!

Blaise and Neville came into the room, neither looking at Seamus. He looked at them as they sat at the far end of the table.

"Where's the presents then?" Pansy muttered.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, and even with everyone acting like they were, she was enjoying the party. She just didn't know why Luna had to look so smug! In seconds, a heap of presents were in front of her.

Seamus peered at the wrapped gifts curiously. The paper was shiny, enticing and startling him at the same time. One of the wrapping papers had beeen designed to sparkle when light hit it, and the setting sun was pouring in through the window, making the entire room sparkle.

Pansy began to open the gifts. An Animagus book from Ginevra, a bracelet from Draco, a book on healing properties of water plants from Blaise and Neville (and Seamus, but he didn't know that), a very long list of pixie swear words courtesy of the four twins (Padma was going to test her on some of them later, apparently), a book on potions from Colin and Luna, and a framed mermaid cross-stitch from a bright-red Millicent and grinning Theodore. Gregory and Vincent refused to let her open her gift from them in front of everyone, and had whispered enough in her ear to ensure that she didn't want to with everyone watching.

"Why were you the only two that got separate presents?" Pansy asked, glaring at the others half-heartedly.

"Well, we figured we may not always be together, so it wouldn't be fair for us to buy you just one present. Bsides, we're not cheap!" Ginevra said, laughing at Fred and George's expressions.

"What do you mean you may not always be together?" Pansy muttered. "You two are the gods' damned perfect couple!"

"So were Romeo and Juliet, and they're dead," Ginevra pointed out.

"They were Muggles!" Millicent protested.

"Helen and Paris, then," Draco said.

"He was a Muggle," Gregory retorted.

"Tristan and Isolde," Ginevra said.

"She was Muggle-born!" Padma replied.

"Dumbledore and Grindelwa

"Luna! Honestly, the thought of Dumbledore with anoyone is enough to make me ill!" Colin groaned, his head in his hands.

"It's not that bad, Colin! They would have been much younger," Luna murmured. "I think it would have been extremely difficult for Dumbledore to have killed Grindelwald when he loved him so much," she said, a sad frown on her face.

"Be as that may, I still don't want to think about Dumbledore having ... doing ... " Colin shuddered, unable to finish his sentence.

"Agreed!" Pansy said immediately, her face pale.

As they argued playfully, the sparkling wrapping from Colin and Luna's present to Pansy fell to the floor, the room dulling slightly. Seamus frowned, then leant back to look for the sparkling paper. He wanted the room to shine again.

Seeing the paper on the ground, Seamus grinned to himself. In a fluid motion, he was out of his seat, and crouching on the floor. He growled low, almost playfully, then leapt clear across the room and straight onto the shiny paper. He was very pleased. Holding up the paper, the room started to shine again. He moved it out of the sun, and the room dulled. Sun, shiny. No sun, dull.

Everyone watched in some form of shock as Seamus played with the sparkly paper in an almost child-like way. He continued the up and down motions for a good ten minutes before getting distracted.

Relo walked into the room. It was shining, then it did not. He wanted the room to shine. Relo saw Seamus and went over to him happily, stopping a few metres short when he smelt Seamus' scent properly.

"Ginevra! What did they do? He smells different!" Relo said, looking confused.

"What do you mean?" Ginevra asked.

She swatted Draco's hand away as he started to tickle her.

"He smells different!" Relo repeated, searching for the right words. "He smells like he should," he said with a happy nod.

Seamus looked at Relo, a frown on his face. He crouched low, his body as close to the ground as possible. Relo laughed, recognising the game, and crouched too. He leapt before Seamus had time to blink, and scrambled onto his back. Seamus rolled, moving so that Relo was pinned to the ground. But only for a moment, as Relo appeared behind Seamus so quickly it seemed that he had slid out of his grasp.

Everyone watched the fight in surprise. Relo was laughing, but looking more serious than anyone had ever seen him before; while Seamus was doing moves that no one had thought were possible. He used his body like it was made to twist around completely, and his arms were able to hold someone in a grip that looked impossible to get out of.

"We're going to be screwed when he comes back and we do training," Pansy muttered.

Padma agreed with wide eyes.

"Definitely have to start training again," Ginevra said.

"Well, that's something to look forward to!" Luna said cheerfully. "Do you like your presents, Pansy?" she asked, grinning.

"I already told you that I liked them!" Pansy growled, glaring at her.

Relo and Seamus gradually stopped fighting, and turned their attention to Pansy and Luna, who were arguing. Luna was smiling broadly, but Pansy was getting quite heated. In the midst of it all was Ginevra's laughter. Draco had started tickling her, making her laugh wildly when he reached sensitive spots on her body.

Seamus growled, leapt clear over the table and pulled Draco off Ginevra.

Stunned at what had happened, Draco was thrown across the room. He was up in an instant, growling at Seamus deep in his throat.

Seamus turned to face him, crouching low again.

"Both of you stop it!" Ginevra said, glaring at both of them.

Seamus didn't look away from Draco, his eyes narrowed.

"He's acting like Alexander," Pansy said, surprised at her own revelation.

At Alexander's name, Seamus growled angrily.

"So you don't like Alexander, either?" Draco asked, brightening as he straightened up again.

Seamus looked confused, his eyebrows knitting as he tried to understand why Draco wasn't challenging him to a fight.

"It's all right, Seamus," Ginevra said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Seamus relaxed visibly, and returned to his place at the table. Relo sat by him, chattering away happily, even though he knew that Seamus didn't understand a word he was saying.

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Blaise's hand brushed Neville's, conveying his feelings with a simple touch. They had gotten better at communicating without words over the last twenty-two days. They'd had to.

Neville gave a nod, so small that Blaise himself almost missed it.

Blaise left the meeting room quietly, barely noticed by his friends as they continued to talk with Pansy on her birthday. He couldn't hate them for being happy, he couldn't hate them for anything they were feeling while Seamus had briefly returned. He could be jealous about it though.

Neville left a minute after Blaise did, glancing at Seamus longingly. Seamus looked back at him, almost as if he recognised him for a moment. Then his eyes returned to their blank state. The almost-recognised look filled Neville with hope, and he hurried to their room, where Blaise was sitting on the bed, looking at the forest.

The forest on the wall had changed noticeably. The trees were no longer their vibrant forest green colour, but had dulled to a brown colour. Some of the 'trees' had also been scratched out of the wall, as if centaurs hooves had been beating into the wall for seven long hours.

Neville sat at Blaise's feet, looking into his eyes and telling him what had happened.

"Sure?" Blaise asked, his voice soft and uncertain.

Neville hesitated for a split second, then nodded.

Blaise sighed heavily, looking at the centaur marks on the wall. He didn't want to be crushed again. His heart wouldn't survive it.

"We'll try," Blaise said, kissing Neville's hands.

Neville hugged Blaise, then headed back to the meeting room. Seamus was sitting at the end of the table, the paper beside him, not providing as much entertainment as it had only minutes before.

He took a deep breath, and shot a vine at Seamus. In an instant, Seamus had hit the vine off, and was crouching on the floor, ready to fight. Neville snarled back in his throat, but quiet enough to not draw attention. He glared at Seamus, then hurried back to their room.

Not one to back away from a fight, Seamus followed him, keeping low to the ground.

Neville gave a nod when Seamus was in the room, and Blaise shut the door quickly.

Seamus whirled around when he heard the door close, and the rush of air accompanying the motion. He snarled at both of them, low to the ground once more. He didn't like to be trapped.

"You can stop pretending now, Seamus," Neville said, his voice wavering. "We're alone in here, and we won't tell the others if you just talk to us," he added.

"Irish," Blaise murmured, moving closer to him.

Seamus turned so he was facing Blaise, a snarl on his lips.

"You have to recognise us, Seamus!" Blaise said, his voice on the verge of breaking.

Without another word, Blaise pulled Seamus to him, kissing him passionately.

Neville rushed over and pulled Blaise away. Seamus didn't recognise them at all. It had all just been wishful thinking.

"I'm sorry," Neville said over and over in Blaise's ear, holding him tightly.

He hated how Blaise seemed to shrink in his arms, how the control he'd worked on slipped out of his grasp, and how he was racking with sobs as Seamus just stood there, not understanding what was wrong.

"Just get out!" Neville yelled at him angrily.

He would regret the words later, even if Seamus didn't understand what they meant.

Seamus managed to open the door, surprising himself at how easily he learned how to use the round knob.

He left, briefly looking back at the two of them; Blaise crying into Neville's shoulder quietly.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Seamus was quiet for the next two hours. The silence was different to earlier in the day, and had most of them worried that something had happened. Since they couldn't ask Seamus and be sure of an answer, Ginevra and the others turned to Luna.

"Neville and Blaise tried to talk to him earlier," Luna answered their question softly, sadness filling her voice.

"What happened?" Parvati asked, glancing at Padma for some sort of reaction.

"Blaise kissed Seamus," Luna said simply. "They won't willingly come out of their room until late tonight. Seamus will be very upset when he remembers all of this," she said, sighing heavily.

"He's going to remember all of this?" Pansy asked in surprise.

"Of course. Just because he doesn't understand everything at the moment, it does not mean that he will not understand it later on," Luna replied.

Pansy clenched her teeth.

"Right then," she said, standing and going over to Seamus. "You are a complete bastard for having left without saying goodbye! No matter the reason, you still could have said goodbye. You broke Blaise's heart, you idiot! Not to mention Neville's completely withdrawn himself! He won't even go to Herbology! When you're back to normal, you have a hell of a lot of explaining to do!"

Everyone was silent for a moment, Pansy's chest heaving as she stopped yelling at Seamus. He looked completely stunned, not understanding a single thing she'd said.

"Well, I feel better now," Pansy said, then headed to Neville and Blaise's room.

Everyone hurried after her quickly.

"Luna said they weren't going to come out of their room," Colin said, frowning as she started banging on the door.

"Willingly," Pansy corrected with a broad smirk. "Get out of your room this bloody instant, or I will come in there and drag you out my bloody self!" Pansy yelled loudly, banging on the door with each word.

A string of insults and swear words came back at her, from Neville surprisingly enough.

"Fine," Pansy growled. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door, murmuring something under her breath.

The door exploded from the frame, and Pansy walked into the room, literally dragging Blaise and Neville out by their ears. As she did, everyone got to see in the room for the first time in twenty-two days.

"Blaise, you would have seriously injured your hooves by doing that," Theodore muttered, seeing the large dents covering the walls.

"I don't fucking care!" Blaise yelled; his tears were still there, but the sobs were under control. "He fucking left without a fucking word, and then he fucking shows up today not remembering one fucking little thing!"

I do apologise for that, a voice said. It floated through the rooms, calming everyone.

Evita managed to walk into the corridor, and into Blaise and Neville's room, without injuring herself or anyone else.

I did warn you that he would not be the same. Orion does not understand human society, he still has a lot to learn about the mortal way of life. I am quite surprised that he learnt how to open the door so quickly, Evita said in an amused tone. He will remember everything that has happened today, as well as his relationships with you all, when he returns. I normally do not let trainees out of the Forest before they have had proper instruction in mortal ways, but Cassandra was quite insistent.

Everyone looked at Luna for an explanation, but she pretended not to feel their gazes on her, and just kept her white eyes facing straight ahead.

Come, Orion. It is time for you to return now, Evita said quietly.

Seamus followed her out of the rooms, and towards the Forest.

"Wait, Lady Evita!" Neville called.

The unicorn stopped, turning to look at him. Neville stood with Blaise by his side, the others crowded behind them.

"When will Seamus come back properly? Can you tell us that?" he asked, pleading with her.

I can tell you, if only to make up for him not being able to say goodbye the first time. It took us quite a few days to calm him over that, Evita murmured. He will return on the day of All Hallow's Eve. I believe that Cassandra is making a costume for Orion, she added, almost laughing in their heads as their surprise filtered through their thoughts.

Blaise and Neville said goodbye to Seamus, trying to show him their feelings for him without scaring him again.

"Seamus!" Pansy called as he and the unicorn reached the Forest line. "Sorry for yelling at you when you don't understand me!" she called.

"Sorry about my behaviour too, Pans," Blaise murmured as they went inside.

"That's fine. You swear at me like that again, and I'll castrate you!" she said in a tone so cheerful it made everyone wince, no matter their gender.

Neville sighed and led Blaise to their room, the emotion of the day tiring both of them. They had to wait another whole eighteen days before Seamus would return to them.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Thursday, Oct. 31

Ginevra watched Neville pace up and down the meeting room. Blaise was sitting down, but he wasn't looking any calmer than Neville. Blaise kept fidgeting, looking out the window at the Forest, then returned to fidgeting, before starting it all over again. At least they were being consistent.

She was happy that Dumbledore had given everyone today off in order to prepare for the Halloween party that night, or else she would have just gone back to sleep when Blaise and Neville had knocked on her door almost two hours earlier.

Since Pansy's birthday party, it seemed like Blaise and Neville had changed overnight. They had both started talking and participating in class again, and they'd even encouraged the nightly training sessions to restart. It was like they wanted to be at their absolute best for Seamus when he returned.

"It's really too early to be here!" Pansy groaned, resting her head on the table. "I mean, Evita didn't even say that Seamus would be coming back this morning! And even if she did, I don't think she would have made it before a decent hour!" She managed to lift her head to glare at Neville and Blaise, who weren't paying her any attention.

"It's almost eight o'clock, Pansy. You're up at seven every day anyway," Millicent said, raising her eyebrow.

"But today is a day off! I stayed up late because I had a day off! And since I stayed up late, and had to get up early, I am tired and grumpy! I want to go back to bed!" Pansy groaned, putting her head on the table again. "If I don't get to sleep soon, someone is going to pay dearly!"

"You will be able to sleep later, do not worry," Luna said with a brief smile.

Her smile broadened and she turned her attention to the door. The action caused both Neville and Blaise to go completely still. They waited impatiently for any sounds that would reveal Seamus' arrival: footsteps, breathing, knocking on the door.

Nothing happened for a few minutes, and Luna burst out laughing.

"I am so very sorry about that, but it was too good of an opportunity to miss! The expressions on your faces must be hilarious!" Luna said between her peals of laughter.

She suddenly went quiet, and hurried to the door. Blaise and Neville frowned at each other, not wanting to fall for her trick again. But they didn't want to risk not seeing Seamus either, and hurried after her, the others right behind them.

Luna indicated to the door, and a heartbeat later there was a firm knock on it. Neville grinned brightly, hope filling his eyes. Blaise hesitated a moment before opening the door.

Seamus was standing there, a slight grin on his face. He looked as he had only eighteen days earlier. There was one large difference, and that was the look in his eyes. There was still an animalistic gleam to his eyes, but they also held an understanding that hadn't been there before. Seamus was human again.

Scars still laced his body, but they were tinted silver and bronze, like the rest of his skin.

"Hi ev'ryone," Seamus said, sounding nervous.

He looked at Blaise and Neville, his whole body tensed.

Blaise and Neville just stared at him, unable to say anything. Suddenly, Blaise stepped towards Seamus, who stilled further, and pulled him into a hug. Blaise murmured words in Gaelic to Seamus, trying to pronounce the language correctly.

Seamus looked surprised, both at the hug and Blaise's newly-learnt language skills. He hugged him back, returning words of his own. He looked at Neville and said something in Gaelic that brought tears to Neville's eyes.

Neville hugged both Seamus and Blaise tightly, clutching them like he never wanted to let go.

"All right, enough of the mushy stuff. We want some answers!" Pansy interrupted.

Pansy really wasn't comfortable when these sorts of moments happened.

Millicent, on the other hand, was comfortable, and started bickering with Pansy to leave the three alone.

Seamus just grinned as they argued with each other.

"Would you stop arguing and let Seamus come inside so he can have the chance to explain?" Ginevra muttered.

"Keep bickering like that," George started.

"And you'll be sent to different corners of the room!" Fred finished cheerfully.

Pansy and Millicent glared at the Weasley twins, but still went quiet and headed back to the meeting room. Seamus took Blaise and Neville's hands, going into the room with them by his side.

"I should probably start by telling you that a few days after I got into the Forest, the unicorns erased my memory," Seamus began.

"They erased your memory?! Without your consent?" Blaise burst out angrily.

Seamus shook his head.

"I let them do it, Blaise. They told me what my training would involve, and I knew I wouldn't be able to do most of the things needed if I was worrying about you all," Seamus said quietly. "My mind reverted to animal instincts for food, shelter, and water to survive. They ensured that I knew my wand was important so that I wouldn't lose it. It took me a few days to make this," Seamus said, showing them the leather band on his forearm that still held his wand.

"What about clothes? You were wearing shorts when you came back," Padma said, smirking at him.

Seamus chuckled.

"After the memory modification, my clothing was gone in less than a day, actually. It took three hours and two memory adjustments for me to understand that shorts were necessary, and that I had to wear them. That's why I was late to the party," Seamus said with an apologetic look at Pansy. "Sorry about what I was like," he added. "But I guess that's part of it ... When I say they erased everything, except those few things, I mean everything. I couldn't talk, I didn't understand what sounds meant, or even what things in front of me were. It took me a few hours to realise that trees were solid after I ran into one three times and tried to dig it out of the earth."

Fred and George tried not to laugh so that they were noticed.

"I also didn't remember any of you. The first memory adjustment they did was to get me to briefly understand that it wasn't appropriate for me to walk around naked when other people are around," Seamus said.

"I wouldn't have minded," Blaise said, smirking.

Seamus grinned at him.

"The second adjustment gave me a memory of you all; but just your faces. I didn't know your names, who you were, or what you meant to me," he said, sounding sad as he looked at Blaise and Neville. "By the time I got here from the Forest, the faces that I had been shown had practically faded from my mind. So when I got here and saw you, it really felt like I was seeing you all for the first time."

"What about Ginevra? You seemed to know her well enough to attack me," Draco muttered.

"Oh, yes. Well, Protectors all know who the Queen of All is by instinct. She has ridden a unicorn, and that smell never fades," Seamus said. "I really didn't know what you were doing. I couldn't understand the difference between pleasure and pain," he said, flushing slightly.

"So that's why you didn't ... " Neville began, then trailed off as he went bright red.

"Didn't what?" Millicent asked with a smirk.

Neville went brighter still, and just shook his head.

"What about all of those scars and marks on you?" Ginevra asked, redirecting the conversation.

Neville gave her a grateful look, while Millicent just looked disappointed.

"And why is your skin tinted silver?" Parvati asked curiously.

"The first question can be better answered if I Show you," Seamus said. "And to answer your question, Parvati, unicorn's blood is why my skin is silver," he said.

"What?!" Neville and Blaise shouted, staring at him in disbelief.

Seamus touched their hands, quietening them so he could finish explaining.

"Protectors do not kill the unicorns for their blood. The unicorns give their blood freely, so we are not cursed. It is like Ginevra drinking blood," he added.

"Except you drink from a mythical being, and I drink from Draco," Ginevra drawled, smirking.

"He could be counted as a mythical being," Gregory said with a laugh.

Draco rolled his eyes, ignoring Gregory's comment.

"So how did you get those scars?" Parvati asked, frowning.

Seamus moved a hand subtly, and the table turned transparent.

Having heard Seamus arrive, Relo and Dodger had come to see him. Dodger scoffed at Seamus.

"Still using bloody theatrics after all ye learnt?" Dodger asked, taunting him.

"What's he mean by that?" Vincent asked.

Seamus grinned at Dodger, then at the others.

"He meant why did I use my hand to direct my magic when I don't need to?"

The table started to change from wooden to transparent with no movements on Seamus' part at all.

"Now ye're jus' showin' off, ye bastard," Dodger muttered as the table flicked from one material to another even faster.

Seamus smirked, and the table stopped on its transparent form.

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He woke, his body completely still on the tree's wide branch. The forest and wind whispered to him, warning him. He stayed completely still, listening to the movements of the two-legged creatures below the forest canopy. They were close to his tree, but they hadn't seen him.

He waited until they continued along the path before descending the tree carefully. Stopping halfway down, he reached into a hole, past the sleeping owl, and grabbed his rock. It was sharpened to a point, and he could use it well enough if he was attacked.

He rubbed one of the cuts on his arm, the pain still present. It wasn't as sharp as it had been when the knife had gone into his skin, but it was still sore when it hit things.

He dropped fromt he lowest branch, landing in a low crouch. He had been caught landing on his feet only a few days ago, and he would not repeat his earlier mistakes.

He followed the trail they left. They were messy; their footsteps not covered, and a lot of broken branches, which meant that they weren't taking enough care when they walked in the forest. He growled in a low tone.

He hurried along the path, taking a different route. He knew where they would end up, and he could get there quicker. He arrived in a clearing, then went behind a tree opposite to where they would enter. He crouched low enough so that he wasn't visible, but also in a way that allowed him to escape if need be.

The first of the creatures arrived. Arrows were strung to its back, and the creature didn't notice him at all. The second one arrived, more cautious than the first. The creature looked around, listening intently.

He slowed his breathing so that he could barely hear his own heartbeat, then waited. Finally, the second creature seemed satisfied, and stopped listening, turning to the first.

He crouched lower, ready to spring. Suddenly, a Jobberknoll started to die nearby where he was hidden. The two creatures covered their ears, trying to block the noise, and looked directly at him, trying to find where the Jobberknoll was dying.

He snarled, and leapt from his position into the clearing. The Jobberknoll's death wasn't planned, but this confrontation would have happened sooner or later. He had three arrow wounds from the first creature, and the cut on his arm had been caused by the second.

He clutched his rock tightly, snarling at the two creatures. The first one had an arrow pointing at him, while the second had his knife in his hand. The second one said something, and the first backed away, the arrow still pointed at him. The second one crouched low and growled at him, accepting the challenge.

The creature leapt at him, and he rolled, barely dodging the creature's knife. He managed to get a scrape in though.

He held back his pleasure, and concentrated on the creature. Emotions were nothing but distraction when it came to fighting; it had taken him days to figure that out, and he would not forget it now.

The creature didn't move, watching him intently. He would not move first, and he would wait for the creature. He had a lot of patience. He could stay in the same position for hours if need be, and only a slight pain would result. The trees and wind had taught him to channel his pain, to make it become energy. They had taught him how to stay as solid as a tree, as flexible and strong as the wind. Their secrets flowed through him, and he would not let them down.

The creature leapt, faster than any normal human could have. The creature's knife dug into his stomach, but he ignored the pain. As the knife stuck into him, he hit the creature with his rock. As the creature staggered back, he pulled the knife out, throwing the rock to the side. He had a knife now, he would win.

The creature didn't have time to dodge, the hit to the face still making the creature stumble. He ran at the creature, who fell to the ground, three cuts bleeding from his chest. The creature cried out, and he waited for an arrow to come through the air. When nothing happened, he looked to where the other creature had been standing. The creature had disappeared, leaving his kin to die.

He growled, disgusted at the creature's actions. The creature beneath him cried out again, eyes wide. He shook his head, and watched as the realisation came into the creature's eyes. He felt something like pity for the creature, and stood up. The creature looked suspicious, its chest still bleeding. Looking around cautiously, the creature growled as he realised that the other creature had disappeared.

He didn't offer to give the knife back. He had taken it from the creature, the knife was his now.

The creature shut his eyes for a moment, and the wounds healed, leaving three long scars. The creature nodded at him, then left the clearing, not looking back.

He looked at the knife in his hand, feeling something like happiness. He searched the clearing and found his sharpened rock. The knife was definitely better, but the rock could still be used in an emergency.

He left the clearing, and went back to his tree. His stomach was still bleeding, the blood clotting black as it tried to heal the wounded skin. Finding some herbs at the base of the tree, he did as the wind and tree said, chewing the herbs in his mouth. He pressed them to his wound, and rested at the base of the tree, branches covering him from the sight of animals and other creatures.

He slept, weary from the blood loss and the sudden loss of adrenalin.

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"A Protector's training includes real-life battle against different opponents," Seamus explained. "The unknown Protector is sent into the Forest alone to fight and survive on his own, while other Protectors are grouped together so defend parts of the Forest. Alexander, the one with the arrows, was supposed to defend and help his partner, but he left him to die. He is under review," Seamus said, sounding pleased. "By the end of my training, I had won five out of eight parts of the Forest."

"Does that mean you get to keep those parts of the Forest then?" Parvati asked, slightly confused.

Seamus chuckled, shaking his head.

"The Forest is not to keep or be controlled by anyone other than Mother Nature," Seamus said. "The Forest permits the unicorns and Protectors to divide it during training, but other than that, most Protectors simply just look after the Forest as a unit," he answered.

"What about your response to Alexander?" Blaise asked.

Everyone looked curious about this question, and waited for Seamus' answer impatiently.

"This is sort of hard to explain," Seamus murmured. "Every Protector has their own unique talents. I am able to read other's emotions and body language, and translate it into what they're thinking. So I was able to see who Draco meant when he said Alexander's name, due to the intense anger he felt." He frowned, not sure if he was making any sense.

"You were able to interpret his emotions into a picture of Alexander?" Parvati asked, looking a little confused.

"Something like that," Seamus said with a nod, relieved that he was making some sort of sense.

"I'm not even going to ask how that's possible," Padma muttered, shaking her head. "I'd get too confused, so I'm just going to accept what you've said, and continue with my own question," she said, smirking broadly. "Would you please get Luna to tell us who you're going as to the Halloween party? It's been driving me nuts for weeks!" Padma growled, glaring at Luna.

"I second that!" Ginevra said, grinning.

"Agreed," Pansy muttered.

"You are not to find out until tonight," Luna said, a smile on her face. "Perhaps a round of training will get your minds off of tonight, and it will give Orion a chance to show us his new skills."

"Who's Orion?" Vincent asked, frowning.

"I am," Seamus said, a grin on his face. "Orion is my Protector name. It means 'hunter', and it comes from the Greek tale of the hunter Orion. It's kind of a long story," he added, looking sheepish.

"You will have enough time to tell us along the way," Luna said cheerfully.

"Does that mean you have Orion inside of you like Colin has Apollo?" Millicent asked curiously.

Seamus growled at the god's name, his eyes glowing a bright green colour.

"Apollo is here?" Seamus / Orion hissed angrily.

"I'd take that as a yes, Mill," Theodore drawled.

"Apollo is on Mount Olympus, Orion. And you are not to hurt him. That was part of the deal," Cassandra said in a reprimanding tone.

"That bastard killed me, and you expect me not to at least throw one punch?" Orion growled.

"Apollo did not kill you, Artemis did. Apollo just tricked her into doing it. He was young, jealous, stupid and foolish. I'm sure he will admit that himself when he stops hiding behind Colin," Cassandra said, looking to Colin.

"I was not hiding!" Apollo said, his skin glowing gold, even as Orion's started to glow silver and green.

"You're back?" Theodore said, staring at Apollo, then to Orion.

"All right! Time out!" Ginevra called, getting everyone to stare at her. "I am getting quite sick of all of this drama! Leave your personal problems on Mount Olympus, or sell it to some Muggle soap opera, I don't care. Just don't bring it here! While you're here, you are going to at least be civil to each other!" she said, glaring at Orion and Apollo.

"He killed me!" Orion said indignantly.

"Then take your anger out on him during training!" Ginevra said. "After training, then you are to be civil to each other. If you cannot handle these terms, then you can both leave. You know where the doors are and how to use them," she said, completely serious.

Apollo and Orion nodded to each other, then faded away.

"Sorry, I probably should have warned you that he was back when you mentioned Orion," Colin said sheepishly.

"I don't mind!" Millicent said immediately.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"What? Two hot gods come out wanting to wrestle, and you think I'm going to be upset?" she said, laughing.

"Their way of wrestling doesn't involve mud, Millicent," Gregory teased, smirking.

"No, but I'm sure it involves removing of clothing!" Millicent said, not at all fazed by his teasing.

"Oh, I'd pay to see that," Pansy said, fanning herself.

"We could actually start charging people money to watch them fight," Padma said to Parvati, grinning.

Parvati just blushed and shook her head slightly, but was still grinning nonetheless.

"You realise that if any of us had said that about women, we'd be in deep shit?" Draco drawled.

"You'd be dead, not in deep shit," Ginevra corrected, a cheerful smile on her face as she left the room.

In that moment, everyone knew how angry Vampires got at the thought of adultery alone. They shuddered, not wanting to see what they were like when the adultery was actually commited!

"I suggest we go start training now," Seamus said.

"Agreed!" Fred and George said quickly.

Everyone followed after Ginevra, talking to Seamus again. It was almost as if he'd never left.

"Orion was the son of Poseidon and Euryale. He was giagantic, as all of their children were, and was a hunter. He fell in love with a woman named Merope, the daughter of Dionysus and Ariadne, and wanted to marry her. He stayed with the king for a long time, in order to gain favour with them. However, the king hesitated in arranging the marriage. Merope said that she loved him, and Orion gave himself to her. She claimed it as rape the next day, so the king got Orion drunk, and then threw him into the sea after blinding him," Orion/Seamus said.

"Claimed it as rape?" Cassandra echoed, turning to face him.

"Ten years of service to that bastard, a promise of her hand, and he procrastinated just because his wife was about to find out about his mistress! Merope was rightfully mine!" Orion growled.

No one even had time to think as Cassandra slapped Orion on the face. Hard.

"I meant what I said about only fighting each other in training. That goes for everyone!" Ginevra called, sounding annoyed.

"My apologies," Cassandra said, but she still glared at Orion.

"What happened after the king blinded him, Seamus?" Parvati asked, purposely addressing Seamus so that Orion would fade away.

"He wandered the earth for two years, until Hephaestus took pity and gave him a boy to guide him. With the boy as his guide, Orion made his way east where the rising sun restored his sight. Orion set out to kill the king, but Hephaestus warned the king and put him in an underground chamber where Orion wouldn't find him. Orion gave up after a while, and left with Eos to Delos, where he served her sexually for almost seven years," Seamus said, sounding nauseous at the thought. "Artemis offered him a place within her hunting circle, and gave him the opportunity to be something other than a slave to Eos' sexual appetite. He agreed and left with her. Apollo," Seamus said.

Orion shot Colin a dirty look.

"Apollo didn't agree with his sister's choice of hunter, as Orion wasn't a god. One day when Orion was swimming in the sea, and merely a dot in the water, Apollo challenged Artemis to hit the floating speck. Artemis never could back away from a challenge, and so she used her bow and arrows to shoot the speck, as he said. Orion was killed instantly, and his body washed up onto the shore a few moments later..." Seamus said, trailing off.

"I think that Artemis will be happy to see you again," Cassandra murmured, almost to herself.

"Artemis is here?" Orion asked.

All of their anger towards each other dissipated as they started to talk.

"She is with the Veela's. Julianne Torleni, Xavier Torleni's sister. Xavier is a Vampyre and Ginevra's mentor," Cassandra was saying as they left the corridor, and started up to the Room of Requirement.

"Do you know who else is here?" Orion asked.

"Of course I do. But I am not able to tell you. The consequences will be too much to bare," Cassandra murmured quietly.

Orion seemed to understand, and just nodded sympathetically.

"Gods', it really is like one of those soap things," Colin muttered, shaking his head.

His words made Luna burst out laughing, and although Colin was surprised, he was still pleased that he had made her laugh.

"Hurry it up, would you? We want to get to training! I want to kick Draco's arse again!" Pansy called, smirking.

"What do you mean, again? You haven't kicked my arse before!" Draco said indignantly.

"Last time, I got you on the ground for three whole seconds. That counts as kicking your arse!"

"It doesn't count. Ginevra distracted me," Draco muttered.

"There'll be distractions if it was real," Pansy pointed out, looking smug.

Ginevra shook her head and opened the door.

"We're willingly doing this?" Seamus asked, realising that it was one of the challenge rooms from Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"Yes. We're getting quite good at it. We almost came out of the last challenge," Ginevra said, sounding pleased for everyone.

"Haven't others already come out of challenges though?" Seamus asked.

"Yes, but they came out of a one-part challenge when you saw them. Only one team has finished a two-part challenge," Pansy said.

"The Room looks at the skill of the people in the one minute, and decides the best alternative for them. We've been getting three and four-part challenges lately," Blaise added, grinning.

Seamus looked impressed, and followed everyone into the room.

"How are we going to split this time?" Padma asked as soon as the door was closed.

"I say Ginevra against Draco. That was interesting," Parvati said, grinning.

"Agreed," Millicent said.

"Fine. But someone else is choosing next time," Ginevra muttered. "You choose," she said to Draco, who gave a nod.

"Seamus, Fred, Blaise, Parvati, Luna, Theodore, Pansy," Draco said, grinning.

"You really went for a split there," Millicent muttered.

"Padma, George, Neville, Gregory, Vincent, Colin, Millicent are with me," Ginevra said.

They all split up and went into their groups.

"What's going on? Aren't we just going to battle against animals or Death Eaters?" Seamus asked, confused by this turn of events.

"No. Those ones weren't as realistic as they could have been. We realised half-way through one of the challenges that the Death Eaters didn't have any personality or features. They fought like Death Eater's did, but they didn't respond to things like some could have," Parvati explained quickly. "So we decided to split into two groups and go against each other. The Room seemed to like the idea, and turned my group into Death Eaters after a few minutes. It was a shock, and I couldn't stop shaking for a good ten minutes," Parvati admitted, blushing. "Now we choose who's going to be evil, and we can get ready for it. The pain in your arm is only an illusion," she added, trying to comfort him.

"Pain?" Seamus asked.

"From the Dark Mark. It's only an illusion to help you understand the way that Death Eaters feel when they're being summoned. It only hurts if you let it hurt," Parvati said.

"I hope we don't get plants on our side again," Blaise muttered. "Neville was wreaking havoc with them last time. I think we're getting a few extra minutes to explain, but I still had better be quick. We still have the same alternatives: Death Eaters, plants, animals, the lot. We're just using them in a different way. Last time, I was good, and we had plants as a friend, but we were against the team that Neville was in, so the plants weren't friendly for very long. Took a huge strain on him, but it worked. We lost within ten minutes," Blaise said, sounding disappointed.

"How do you win or lose?" Seamus asked.

"If you're hurt or hit in a way that would kill you in real life, then you're down for the rest of the challenge. Once all of your group is down, or you're the last one standing without a chance, then you lose. You win by not being that team," Blaise said with a smirk.

The lights dimmed, warning them to start strategising.

"We're evil this time!" Pansy called, grinning.

"You were evil last time!" Padma called back.

"You were on my team last time!"

"Attention," Ginevra said. "We're good, they're evil. Minimum light to begin with. Luna's observant so no sudden movements. Take it slow and easy. Make sure your barriers are up, as well as a cloaking device," she said.

"What about Seamus?" Vincent asked.

"Unknown powers, but don't lose track of him. He may surprise you and get past the Dark Mark pain long enough to hit you with a curse," Ginevra said. "Keep an eye on Draco; make sure he doesn't go Veelan and lure you away. You all know the spell to counter that, so you had better use it," she growled.

"I did say I was sorry about that," Padma said with a sheepish grin.

Ginevra just smirked at her before continuing. "We're at a stale mate with the twins," Ginevra said, getting nods from George and Padma. "But we can use it to our advantage. You can confuse the others. Mirror images should work, just make sure they don't include us," she said with a grin. "Neville, you can get to work on any plants that there may be. Seamus may still have your nymph powers, so be careful. Millicent, work with the animals if you can. Be careful with Draco's resistance. Gregory, Vincent, you are allowed to cause as much damage to the opposition as you want," Ginevra said, getting rewarded with grins. "Colin, either dragon or Apollo, since he's back. We need to know so we can give direction," she added.

"Apollo. He's busting to go against Orion," Colin muttered.

"Remind him it isn't hand-to-hand unless it's completely necessary! We don't want to be down one member in the first five minutes just because of something that happened long before our great-grandparents were born," Ginevra said.

Draco looked at his group, a smirk on his face.

"Luna, you know what you and Cassandra have to do. Theodore, mist over them would be good, and tend to the wounded. Pansy, spells and hexes. They'll probably have barriers, so be careful. Fred, Paravti, you can go pixie and annoy them. If that doesn't work, get back here and help with hexes. Seamus... What can you actually do?"

"Forest plants, wind, some animals, hand-to-hand fighting, healing with both herbs and spells, and normal hexes and spells," Seamus replied.

"And what about Orion?"

"Hunting with bow and arrows, as well as spears and nets," Orion replied. "I am also able to change into a unicorn if it is absolutely necessary," he said.

"Okay. It's only training, so I doubt it will come to that. I think we'll go for Seamus now. If you need to, change to Orion. You can do that quickly, right?" Draco asked.

The lights flickered, both teams cursing loudly as their time started to run out even quicker.

"Cloak up," Draco hissed.

As they all put up their cloaking devices, the lights switched off, leaving them in complete darkness. In less than a second, however, light appeared again, brighter than before. The sun was shining down on them, making them all feel lethargic within seconds.

"Is this normal?" Seamus asked Parvati quietly.

"We've had sunshine one other time, but that was just in Defence Against the Dark Arts," she said in reply.

"Attention," Draco hissed, contemplating whether he should turn Veelan straight away, or if he should wait for them to show themselves first.

As he decided to wait, Draco and the rest of his group started to feel a burning sensation in their left forearms.

Seamus bit his tongue as pain pushed at every nerve and cell in his entire body. His body felt like it was on fire, and he desperately wanted to scratch the skin off his left forearm just to alleviate some of the pain he was feeling.

"It's in your mind," Parvati murmured to him, seeing the sweat pouring down Seamus' face from the strain.

He nodded briefly, then stood completely still and emptied his mind. He tried to get past the pain he was feeling, as well as the short emotions brought on by the intense heat. As he relaxed each body part, and his mind started to become clearer, the pain faded.

"It worked!" he said, sounding surprised.

Luna giggled quietly, but from the other team, Millicent and Padma started laughing loudly.

"You just gave away our position. Nice one, Seamus," Fred said, clapping him on the back.

"Whoops. Sorry," he called out sheepishly.

A spell came from the other team, and Seamus fell to the ground with a Jellylegs spell.

"That wasn't very nice, Padma!" Parvati yelled.

"That's my girl!" Fred called happily. "Shit," he muttered, realising that Padma was probably aiming her wand at him, since he'd given away his position as well. He dropped to the ground, only to hear sniggering coming from George.

Fred yelled at his brother between gasps of laughter, as George had put a tickling spell on him.

As they all started laughing and giving away their positions, hexes and curses flew left, right, and centre, trying to hit people who were still covered by cloaking devices.

"You didn't See this?" Draco asked Luna, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, and this version looked like more fun that some of the other ones," she replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Draco would have said something in return, but Ginevra hexed him with a spell, and green jelly shot over his body.

The fighting paused as everyone realised what Ginevra had done.

"What spell did you try to do?" Fred asked, finally able to talk after removing the tickling spell.

"Jellylegs spell. I didn't add the last word to it though," she said.

Trying the spell again, Ginevra grinned when more jelly spat out of her wand.

"That looks really disgusting when it comes out of your wand like that. But it's enticing as well," Pansy muttered, her head cocked to the side as she surveyed the pieces of jelly wobbling on the ground.

"I'm going to assume that the training is over," Draco muttered, taking off his cloaking device.

No one answered, too busy making jelly appear. Smirking to himself, Draco jumped at Ginevra, catching her around the waist and landing on the ground. She smirked at him, then tried to use the palm of her hand to hit his nose. Draco moved his head to the side, and pinned her to the ground again. Ginevra smiled up at him and in less than two seconds, Draco was flying off of Ginevra with an Expelliarmus spell.

"Forgot to take my wand off me," Ginevra taunted, binding him.

"I thought we were supposed to be evil. You're hexing people when they're down," Draco said, gasping for air.

"I'm hexing an evil person while they're down so they don't get up to hurt good people again. I think that still makes me a good person," Ginevra said with a smirk.

Draco grinned, and spun his body so that he caught his legs caught on the back of Ginevra's ankles, making her crash to the ground.

She gasped at the sudden shock, glaring at Draco. Then she grinned and started laughing.

"You've got jelly in your hair," Ginevra said, laughing even harder.

"Fine. I relent! I'm not going to train today. I'm going to go have a shower and get ready for tonight. Happy?" Draco muttered to no one in particular.

"If I get more sleep, then yes, I am estatic!" Pansy said with a grin.

They left the Room of Requirement, still covered in bits of jelly.

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Draco finished his shower in a record time of fifteen minutes and three seconds. The others had already finished their showers beforehand, and when he went to look for them, Draco found that they'd transfigured the meeting room floor into a mattress, and were all sleeping quietly.

He was slightly tired himself, and lay down next to Ginevra. He was only going to rest, he told himself. Draco was asleep in a few minutes.

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Bexley came into the meeting room cautiously.

He had spent as much time as possible away from the humans and their irresistible emotions, but he found that he had missed the humans sorely. Even though Ginevra had forgiven him for what he'd done, Bexley still felt awful about it, and had hid in the back of Ginevra's closet for a few days. It was only her worry and fear for him that made Bexley leave...

He saw everyone sleeping in the meeting room, and looked at the time. They were supposed to be getting ready for the Halloween party. He floated over to Pansy, trying to call her name to wake her up. When that didn't work, he floated a little closer to her, briefly wishing that he was solid so that he could nudge Pansy to wake her.

As he floated closer, Bexley was pulled into Pansy's mind.

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"Come closer, my dear. I have a surprise for you."

Voldemort's voice was raspy and sickening, but Pansy still moved forward, the Imperius on her mind too strong. She bowed and looked up at Voldemort, seeing that he looked amused, his face twisted into something that could have resembled a smile.

"Goyle, Crabbe, come forward," Voldemort said, pleasure in his voice. "Look at them, my dear."

Pansy looked up to see Gregory and Vincent before her, not their fathers as she had expected. The shock was enough to get past the Imperius briefly, yet she was only able to stare at them in disbelief.

"You seem surprised, my dear. Did you not wonder how you arrived here? They have been faithful to me for these past three years," Voldemort sneered.

The Dark Mark glowed and burned on Gregory and Vincent's forearms. As she stared at them, Pansy felt her forearm burning. She looked to see the Dark Mark on her arm, and screamed as she fell into darkness.

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Bexley gasped as he forced himself out of her nightmare, and stared at Pansy as she woke up. There was nothing on her face that revealed the overwhelming emotions of her nightmare, and he was shocked that she was able to hide it away so effectively.

"Did you want something?" Pansy asked.

"The Halloween party starts in a few hours," Bexley said quietly. He bowed to her in respect, then left the room quickly.

Pansy frowned after him, but as she saw the time, she dismissed his odd behaviour and began to wake everyone up.

"We've only got two and a half hours before the party! Hurry up, would you?" Pansy said loudly, nudging Fred and George with her feet.

On hearing Pansy's words, Parvati and Padma left the room quickly, muttering to each other about over-sleeping.

"Only two and a half hours? We missed lunch," Vincent muttered, disappointed.

"We get to eat more at dinner then!" Gregory said cheerfully. "But not a lot," he added at Pansy's stern look.

"Go and get ready," Pansy said to her boyfriends, shaking her head. "I'm going to come back in ten minutes. If you're not out of the room by then, I will pull you out by your ears!" she said to the rest of her friends.

Luna laughed, taking Colin's hand and leaving the room with him quickly.

Ginevra sat up, yawning. She nudged Draco beside her, grinning when he opened one eye to glare at her.

"Time to get ready. Come on," she said, standing and helping him up.

"I don't see what all the fuss is about. Two and a half hours is more than enough time to get ready," Draco muttered.

Ginevra laughed, and went into her own room to get changed.

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Pansy frowned, knocking on Ginevra's door. They only had a few minutes before the party was due to start, and Gregory and Vincent were already impatient for food.

"Ginevra, are you all right?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. Fine!" Ginevra called.

She sounded nervous, and anything but fine, but Pansy didn't press her.

"We have to get going. Draco's waiting for you, and Blaise, Seamus and Neville haven't come out of their room either," she said.

"All right! See you there!" Ginevra said.

Pansy shook her head, and left with the others.

Ginevra sighed in relief, and turned back to her reflection. Maybe it hadn't been such a wise idea to let Luna design her costume afterall.

The dress was no design she'd ever seen before. It started off looking like a harmless haltered dress with the front loosely hung around her breasts, but then it went in to a criss-crossed pattern, almost like a corset, around her body, to flow down into a skirt made of the same silky material that the top was made out of.

Even though the dress had looked absolutely brilliant hanging up, Ginevra wasn't sure if it suited her. Perhaps she could just wear pants and a shirt, and go as a Muggle? Come to think of it, she had no idea what costume the dress was supposed to be!

"Ginevra, are you ready?" Draco asked, knocking at her door.

"Yes," Ginevra called, quickly slipping her shoes on.

Again, they were from Luna, which was why they were heeled sandals. Ginevra prepared to wince as she walked to the door, but found that she could walk steadily in the shoes. She had to give Luna credit for knowing what she would be comfortable in.

"Can I come in?" Draco asked.

"No need," Ginevra said, opening the door quickly.

Ginevra blushed as Draco stared at her, his jaw dropping.

She looked at his outfit, and noticed that he was wearing something similar to his Veelan initiation attire. It was the same design, but made from a different material so that he wouldn't be attracting the entire student population unintentionally. He had released his wings too, as well as showing the patterns on his face.

"What, or who, are you actually going as?" Draco asked, taking her hand in his.

"I have no idea," Ginevra said with a grin, shaking her head.

Red curls bounced every which way as she did so, and she frowned, not used to having her hair curly. Parvati and Luna had had a field day with her hair, intent on using as many curling spells as possible. Ginevra had stopped counting at the sixth spell, too worried about what they were actually doing to her head.

Luna was going as Cassandra, who was happy to have a night out. Apollo, of course, insisted that Colin go to the party as him, and after a lot of nagging and cajoling, Colin had grudgingly agreed.

Parvati and Padma were going as Amazon warriors. Fred and George had been allowed to attend, as long as they didn't break any school rules, and were dressed as prisoners of the Amazon warriors.

Pansy wanted to go in her mermaid form, but it wasn't possible without water, so she had decided to go as the three Graces instead. The Graces were Aglaia, who represented splendour, Euphrosyne, mirth, and Thalia, good cheer. The three Graces were part of Greek Mythology, which she saw as fitting, considering Apollo and Cassandra would be going.

Vincent and Gregory were dressed in toga's, portraying a poet and an artist. Vincent carried a lyre, and Gregory had transfigured his wand into a paintbrush.

Theodore was going as the famous Healer, Lancelot, and Millicent used a few spells to make herself look like a wolf.

Blaise, Neville, and Seamus were going as a centuar, nymph, and creature of the forest respectively.

Ginevra didn't know why they were taking so long.

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Blaise looked at Neville for a moment. He kissed him softly and whispered in his ear, causing Neville to blush brightly. Seamus smirked at them, then kissed Blaise. "Come on, lovebirds! We want to get there before the party ends!" Ginevra called, knocking on their door. "All right, Goddess Ginevra!" Blaise called, smirking. "We're coming, keep your hair on!" Seamus called with a grin. Blaise and Seamus took Neville's hands and they left the room. They walked out to see Draco and Ginevra waiting impatiently, hand in hand. "Well, finally! I was about to send a search party for you," Ginevra drawled, smirking at the three of them. "What did you both say to Neville? He hasn't stopped blushing since you came downstairs," Ginevra said looking at Neville. "Calm down, love," Blaise whispered in Neville's ear. "Don't want ye to walk in there red like a beet, do ye?" Seamus whispered in his ear. "All right, enough whispering. Do we need to split you three up or can you behave?" Ginevra asked, looking mainly at Blaise. "Me, not behave? You wound me," he said mockingly. "I'm sure I do. Come on, everyone else has already left; we're going to be the last ones there," Ginevra said and took Draco's hand to get him off the lounge. "I wish you'd stop staring, Draco. It's making me uncomfortable," Ginevra said, frowning at him. "Can't help it. You sure you're not part Veela yourself?" Draco asked with a smirk. "If I'm part Veela, then you're part troll. Come on!" Ginevra said and pulled Draco to the corridor. The three boys followed them, Blaise and Seamus still whispering in Neville's ear.

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They hurried to the Great Hall, where Snape was waiting outside with a glare on his face. He didn't look pleased that he had to usher all of the students inside. Since the younger students were all scared of him, it was impossible for Snape to punish anyone. But then, he didn't want them in his dungeons anyway...

"Get inside. You're late!" Snape snarled, glaring at them.

They went into the Great Hall, and saw the Weird Sisters on a stage, their music pounding and shaking the room. The doors shut behind them, but the music drowned out the noise.

"Let's try to find the others," Ginevra suggested, having to raise her voice to get over the band.

"Pansy's over at the food table with Gregory and Vincent," Draco said in her ear.

"Luna's in front of the stage with Colin and the four twins," Blaise added.

"Millicent and Theodore are at the drinks table," Neville said.

"Would you like to dance?" Draco asked Ginevra, smirking at her.

She raised an eyebrow, looking to the band.

"They're not really playing music you can dance to," she said.

"That doesn't mean we can't dance," Draco said, grinning now.

He took her hand and led Ginevra onto the floor, pulling her body to his.

Lavender sneered at them, saying something to Dean and Ron. Ginevra was grateful that the music was too loud for her to hear what she said. She didn't want to get into a fight tonight.

"The others are coming over," Draco said in her ear.

Ginevra turned to see Fred, George, Parvati, Padma, Luna, and Colin walking over. Padma was grinning broadly at them.

"I don't think the Weird Sisters are happy that you're doing a slow dance to their music!" she said, laughing.

Fred bowed and offered his hand to her.

"Can't let them upstage us, can we?" he asked with a wink.

"Definitely not," Padma said, grinning at him as she took his offered hand.

Draco chuckled as George and Parvati started dancing. Luna took Colin's hand, and they started to dance too.

"I don't think Pansy's happy with Gregory and Vincent. They're not offering her to dance," Ginevra said, looking over at the food table as she and Draco resumed their dance.

"I can fix that," Draco said with a grin.

Gregory saw that Draco was calling them over, and he nudged Vincent, nodding over at Draco.

"What's he want?" Vincent asked, frowning.

"We had better go over," Gregory said with a heavy sigh, looking at the cake longingly.

"Maybe we'll get to hurt the Trio," Vincent said with a grin, putting his plate down and heading to the dancefloor.

"Or Brown and Thomas," Gregory said, smirking.

Pansy hadn't heard what they'd said, too busy watching the others dancing. But she did see her boyfriends walking onto the dancefloor, and hurried to catch up to them.

"Does this mean you want to dance?" she asked, grinning.

Gregory and Vincent looked at each other.

"I'll dance with you, Pans," Blaise said, winking at her.

"No, you won't," Gregory growled, pulling Pansy to him.

"Don't fight over me when I can't hear what you're saying properly!" Pansy said, grinning.

"Well, you can only dance with one of them. Someone's going to have to dance with me, since Seamus and Neville left me!" Blaise called in their direction, grinning when Neville looked abashed.

"Oh, fine. I'll dance with you," Gregory muttered.

Vincent grinned, and offered a hand to Pansy.

"No groping," Gregory muttered.

"Spoil sport!" Blaise said, laughing. "Fine, but I get to lead."

Gregory shook his head and took Blaise's hand, letting him lead him around the dancefloor.

They got a lot of odd looks from the other students, but some of them shrugged and started dancing too, laughing to each other. The Weird Sisters looked simply confused, this never happening to them before. They stopped their song halfway through, then started a slower one to suit their audience.

"I think they'll benefit from this," Luna said to Colin, grinning.

"Who? The Weird Sisters, or Pansy, Gregory, and Vincent?" he asked with a grin of his own.

Luna thought for a moment.

"Both," she said, with a decisive nod.

"Honestly, how can you stand to dance with this one? He is barely moving," Apollo growled, sounding annoyed.

"I am quite happy with how Colin dances, thank you, Apollo," Luna replied.

Apollo frowned for a moment, then he smiled.

"May I cut in?" he asked with a bow.

"You may," Cassandra replied, smiling. "Do you remember how to dance in a mortal body?" she asked, a taunting gleam in her eyes.

"Of course!" Apollo replied indignantly, twirling her around the floor as if to prove it.

Seamus growled under his breath, his eyes glowing green briefly as he glared at Apollo and Cassandra dancing.

"Are you jealous?" Neville asked curiously.

Both Orion and Seamus looked surprised at his question, faltering for a moment.

"I am not jealous of them being together, if that's what you mean," Orion said, giving him a cheeky grin.

Neville raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to answer his proper question.

"I may be slightly jealous over the amount of power he has as a god," Orion muttered, looking away briefly.

"You're a demi-god, though," Neville pointed out.

"I did not mean that kind of power. I mean he has the power to kill or hurt someone and not be punished for it. I had to wait centuries before I was released from the Underworld for my crimes. I still have issues, according to Hades, but I think he was just pissed that Persephone was with her mother for those months," Orion muttered.

"No, he was right. You still have issues," Blaise said with a cheerful grin. "May I cut in?" he added before Orion got offended. "Gregory threatened to hex me if I didn't stop trodding on his toes. It wasn't my fault," Blaise said, a smirk betraying his innocent words.

"He's dancing with Pansy, so I'll go dance with Vincent then," Neville said with a grin.

He kissed Orion and Seamus, then kissed Blaise, before heading over to Vincent.

"Want to dance?" he asked Vincent.

He turned his attention away from Pansy and Gregory, looking at Neville.

"Not really," Vincent said, sighing. "How can you stand to not be there with them?" he asked, nodding to Seamus and Blaise, who were laughing and spinning each other as they danced.

"I trust that they're not going to run off without me. I know where they sleep," Neville said, laughing.

Vincent grinned wryly, looking at Pansy and Gregory again.

"Well, I'll be over at the drinks table if you change your mind about that dance," Neville said cheerfully, leaving him alone.

After a few more minutes of watching Pansy and Gregory dancing, Vincent sighed and went over to Neville, looking sheepish.

"Would you like to dance now?" Vincent asked.

"Sure," Neville said with a grin, going onto the dancefloor with him.

Halfway through the dance, the ghosts of Hogwarts came through the Great Hall doors. The Bloody Baron laughed as a girl screamed in surprise.

"Happy All Hallow's Eve!" the Fat Friar called cheerfully.

Lightning and thunder appeared in the ceiling, flashing brightly and rumbling loudly. Everyone went quiet as they realised that there wasn't any lightning or thunder outside to be reflected in the ceiling. Even Albus looked surprised.

Ginevra looked to the windows with a slight frown. She stared, seeing a person at the window. The man was pale, and was pressing a hand to the window, staring directly into her eyes. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place who he was.

The lightning and thunder disappeared, and the band started again. Ginevra looked at the window again, but there was no one there. Shaking her head at herself, she turned back to Draco with a smile.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly, a concerned look on his face.

"Fine. Just thought I saw someone at the window," Ginevra said, giving him a reassuring smile.

Luna heard her words, and bit her lip in worry. She tried to get to Ginevra, but people suddenly blocked her way as the Weird Sisters started playing one of their new songs.

"What's wrong?" Colin asked.

"I need to get to Ginevra," Luna said.

"She's over this way," Colin said.

Apollo took her hand, and a path became visible between the teenagers. Luna had to run to keep up with Apollo, but she arrived next to Ginevra in less than five seconds.

Draco was looking confused, as Ginevra moved away from him, looking at something that didn't seem to exist.

"Luna, what's going on?" Draco called.

"Ginevra!" Luna called, ignoring Draco's question for the moment.

Ginevra didn't seem to hear her, so Luna walked forward. An invisible barrier stopped her from getting any closer to Ginevra, and she growled in impatience.

"Cassandra, Goddess of the Future, hear my plead. Let my words be heard by my friend. Her need is great," Luna whispered, then touched the barrier again.

The barrier wavered, as if it was made out of material, instead of it being solid as it had been only moments before.

"Ginevra! Do not pay attention to his words! Don't dance with him!" Luna called.

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Ginevra stepped away from Draco, not aware of her own movements. She turned to face the man who had been at the window moments earlier, and frowned at him in confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You may call me Ric," he answered, smiling charmingly.

Orchestral music floated around them, and he bowed to her.

"Would you care to dance?" Ric asked charmingly, offering his hand.

Ginevra frowned. She was supposed to be dancing with someone else, wasn't she?

"Dance with me," Ric said, his voice low and demanding this time.

"Ginevra! Do not pay attention to his words! Don't dance with him!" a voice came to Ginevra's mind, and she frowned.

The voice was familiar, and she should knew that she should recognise who it belonged to, but she couldn't seem to place the voice with the face.

"Love, do not listen to her," Ric said smoothly, a look of anger fading from his face as he smiled at her.

"Who is she?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

Ric looked triumphant, and smiled again.

"No one important, my love. Come, dance with me, and forget her," Ric said, a hint of impatience to his voice.

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"What's going on?" Pansy asked as she came over with Gregory and Vincent.

The others crowded around Ginevra, who was still confined within the barriers.

"Some bastard has put a barrier around Ginevra, and is trying to get into her mind," Draco growled.

He hit the barrier with his fist again, hating how helpless he was.

"Ginevra!" he called, putting more power into his voice.

Albus went down to where the students were gathering, and asked Luna for an explanation.

"Ric has her," Luna murmured quietly.

Albus looked to Ginevra, in her invisible cage, and paled slightly.

This was not good at all.

Luna stepped back for a moment, closing her eyes. She frowned as she Saw hundreds of possibilities in a matter of seconds.

"Draco!" she said quickly, and he was by her side almost instantly. "Give me your hand," Luna said, her eyes still closed.

He put his hand in hers, and watched Ginevra intently as Luna whispered under her breath.

"Call her. Now!" Luna said.

"Ginevra!" Draco called loudly.

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"Dance with me, dear. I love you," Ric said whole-heartedly.

Ginevra felt desire and lust swirling inside of her body.

"Please dance," Ric said quietly, looking at her with wide eyes.

Ginevra looked to him, and stepped forward to take his hand.

"Ginevra!" she heard her voice being called.

Draco!

Her eyes widened as she realised that something was wrong, and she stepped away from Ric quickly.

"I won't dance with you!" she said, her tone angry.

"I may not have gotten your mind, but I still have your desire and lust," Ric sneered, turning his handsome face into something wild and feral.

There was a bang, a flash of light, and smoke filled her vision. As Ric disappeared, Ginevra felt dizzy, falling to the ground. Her eyes closed as two of her emotions were pulled out of her body.

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"What the fuck just happened, Luna?" Fred and George asked immediately, going over to their sister quickly.

"We need to get Ginevra to her rooms, then I will explain," Luna said softly.

Gregory and Vincent lifted Ginevra up, leaving the Great Hall without another word. The others hurried after them. Once the sixteen of them had exited, Albus shut the doors of the Great Hall, and looked to the Weird Sisters.

"Perhaps this would be a good time for another song," he said with a smile.

The Weird Sisters looked unsure, but Albus was paying them, so they started to play again.

Albus made sure that everyone was enjoying the party again, before leaving to contact Xavier and Agnes.

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Vincent and Gregory lay Ginevra down on the table, and everyone sat around her, watching as she slept heavily.

Luna sighed and rubbed her temples, weary of the past month's emotional ups and downs.

Colin walked behind her seat, and rubbed her shoulders to ease the tension.

"Ric has taken Ginevra's desire and lust from her body and mind," Luna said.

Immediately, there were questions flying at her.

"Who the fuck is Ric?"

"How do you take someone's desire and lust?"

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

Only Draco and Colin were silent as everyone bombarded Luna with questions.

"Why aren't you saying something?" Pansy asked Draco, glaring at him.

"I've found that Luna tends to answer questions without them needing to be asked. I'm waiting for you to all quieten down so we can actually get somewhere that may be able to help Ginevra," Draco said.

His words were quiet, but they held a tone that no one had ever heard in his voice before, and everyone went silent, realising that he was right. They waited, albeit impatiently, for Luna to start talking.

"Ric is the prisoner who escaped from Azkaban last month. He is a very powerful wizard, as he is a Vampire as well as a wizard. Ric is short for Maverick. His mother is Virginia Weasley, and his father is Maverick," Luna said.

"I thought only females in the Weasley line were able to become vampires?" Pansy asked, remembering reading the fact in Ginevra's vampire book only two weeks ago when they were both bored during Astronomy.

"Females of the Weasley lineage can only be born as vampires, that is true," Luna conceded with a nod. "However, that is not to say that the males are not able to be turned," she said. "Virginia turned her son into a vampire when he was forty. He already had an heir, so their line would continue, and the child left the house by the time Ric was thirty-three. His wife died of smallpox when Ric was thirty-five. He accepted his mother's offer to become a vampire, and used the alias Ric so that no one would find out that they were related, unless it was necessary for someone to know," Luna said.

Ginevra moaned on the table, her body arching.

"Maybe we should put her in bed," Gregory said, looking embarrassed.

"Leave her for now. It is Ric. He is using her emotions against her," Luna said, looking sad. "Ric took her emotions while she was inside the barriers. He did a spell on her when the lightning and thunder happened," she said.

"She said that there was someone at the window," Draco murmured softly.

"It was Ric, but you couldn't have known that," Luna said, patting his hand.

"If you knew, then why didn't you say something?" Pansy asked.

"It was only one of hundreds of possiblities," she replied, sighing. "There were a lot of possiblities that showed him just watching from the Forest, others showed him storming the castle and taking Ginevra to be tortured and killed by Virginia. That one was a very low possibility, as it showed Ginevra in a different outfit; pants and a shirt, I believe," Luna said. "The main possibilities that showed with Ginevra in this dress were that he tested her strength, he left us alone, or he took all of her emotions. Then all of those possibilities narrowed down with each choice that every single person in the Great Hall could have made. If he had tested her strength then a number of things could have happened, from Ric being permanently scarred for life and wanting revenge on Ginevra, to her death."

Ginevra moaned again, her hands clenching tightly.

"This was actually one of the better options," Luna said quietly. "We were lucky that we got to them before he stole her love, or her kindness," she said. "If her love and kindness had disappeared, then this would have been a harder time for all of us. As it is, she will not recognise or understand desire or lust unless it comes from Ric. She will dream of Ric and may even say his name in her sleep," she said, sounding apologetic.

"I am going to kill this bastard," Draco growled.

"How do we help her?" Neville asked, privately agreeing with Draco.

"The spell Ric used is an old one, but it is not permanent. She will return to normal after a month. In the meantime, we have to support her as much as we can. She will become very frustrated at herself, especially since she likes to give and receive affection," Luna replied.

"That's it?" Fred and George asked angrily. "We just have to sit by and watch?"

"Unfortunately there is no way to bring back her emotions. A potion may give Ginevra a few hours to feel again, but if she consumed too much it would either make resist her own emotions, or may kill her. The other downfall to the potion is that it would be like waving what she does not have in her face," Luna said.

"What do you mean by that?" Parvati asked.

"It would be the same as telling someone you have bought a Firebolt for their birthday, and making them wait for five months, all the while showing them pictures of the Firebolt."

Ginevra moaned, and Draco could see tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What is he doing to her?" he asked.

His anger was building up, coiling around him tighter than a spring.

"He is using her own desire and lust to hurt her," Luna said, her voice catching. "Ric knows that adultery is the worst crime to vampires, and is using his own image to convey her desire. She is trying to fight him, but it's difficult for her to deny her own feelings."

It was the last straw for Draco, and he got up without a word, leaving the room angrily. He slammed the front door behind him and headed to the Forbidden Forest.

With a nod from Luna, Gregory and Vincent carried Ginevra to her room, Pansy following so she could change her into pyjamas.

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"You don't want me?" Ric's voice was silky in her ear, and she shivered as desire pulsed through her.

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"Say it then," he said, smirking at her.

"I don't want you," Ginevra managed after a few minutes.

This was her head, and her emotions. She should be in control of them, not this creep! As handsome as he looked, there was something about Ric that made her nauseous.

Ric smiled broadly, an evil gleam in his eye. He kissed her, licking her lips as he ran his hands down her body. Desire filled her at his touch, and lust pushed at her when his tongue touched her lips.

No, this wasn't right. She didn't love Ric. She didn't want Ric. He was just controlling her emotions. She loved Draco.

"Love won't win against lust and desire," Ric sneered, biting her neck.

She loved Draco, not Ric. She didn't want to do this. She wasn't in love with him. She loved Draco!

Ric was thrown away from her, and Ginevra stared at the blood on his mouth.

"You're a Vampire?" she asked.

Ric smirked, even as he stood up and brushed himself off. This, he could use against her.

"Yes, as are you," he murmured softly. "You smell delicious; your blood and life force are enticing," Ric murmured, weaving her desire and lust into his words. "You smell sweet, and you taste even better," he said with a smile, her blood staining his lips. "Come, see what your blood tastes like," he said, pulling her to him.

Draco was the only one who was allowed to Drink from her! Even if the blood did smell wonderful, and the wound on her neck was sending shivers down her spine, as well as the wonderful colour of Ric's lips. She didn't remember them being that full and enticing earlier.

Just as she was about to kiss Ric, Ginevra pulled away, coming to her senses.

Ric had stolen her lust and desire. That was all there was to it. He was using them against her, and she wasn't going to succumb to the likes of him!

"No. Stay away from me!" Ginevra said, pushing him away. "I don't love you, and I won't do anything with you!"

"Who said anything about love?" Ric sneered, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to him.

He kissed her forcefully, pressing her body hard up against his.

Even as she tried to stand completely still and not respond in any way, Ginevra could feel her desire and lust in the pit of her stomach. She felt tears running down her cheeks as Ric continued to kiss her; the salt burned the bite marks on her as they slipped down her face and neck.

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Draco made his way into Ginevra's room, sitting at the end of her bed quietly. He rubbed at his red eyes, despising the tears as much as the person who had caused them. He hated Ric more than he did Alexander. At least Alexander was just intent on hurting him, and not Ginevra.

Ginevra was still crying, even as her body responded to whatever the sick bastard was doing to her emotions. He really hated Ric. He was so intent on thinking of various ways to kill and torture Ric, that he didn't hear Ginevra's door open.

"Are you all right?" Blaise asked quietly, walking over to Draco.

Draco gritted his teeth and shook his head, not trusting himself to talk without crying again.

Blaise rested his hand on Draco's shoulder, trying to comfort him in a way that wouldn't make him feel uncomfortable.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, Draco trying to hold back another onslaught of tears, and Blaise quietly supporting him.

"I'll be okay. You go back to Neville and Seamus," Draco said. "Thank you."

Blaise nodded, leaving as quietly as he had entered.

Draco lay down next to Ginevra, holding her to him, even as she started to moan Ric's name.

It's not her. She's not controlling it. It's not Ginevra's fault, Draco told himself, and he hated Ric even more.

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(a/n: thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and have a great New Year!)

19. Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let JKR sue me.

(a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

Good luck to everyone who's starting school / university / college, etc. this year!

Be careful to look at the dates on this one!

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Nineteen

Early morning. Friday, Nov. 15th

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"Come on, love. You know you want this. I can taste your desire. You lust for me," Ric's voice in her ear was silky and charming; everything he wasn't.

"Only because you want me to," Ginevra growled back at him, glaring angrily.

"Yes, keep fighting it. Deny it all you want, fight me. It still doesn't change the fact that you want to fuck me," Ric sneered.

He smirked at her, kissing her roughly, and pressing his body up against hers.

She felt sickened, even as her own lust and desire rushed through her blood, warming her body. Her insides went cold and Ginevra screamed as soon as he pulled away from her.

Ric's cruel laughter echoed in her mind.

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"Ginevra," Draco said, shaking her slightly. "Wake up, love," he murmured, stroking her hair.

Ginevra sat up quickly. Her eyes were wide, her skin was pale and sweaty, and her breath was coming in short gasps as she tried to shake Ric's laughter from her mind.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"No," Ginevra murmured, shaking her head

She curled into his chest, listening to his heart beat, and wishing that she wasn't under this spell.

Draco held her, his eyes clenching as anger filled him, as it had for the past two weeks every morning when Ginevra woke up briefly.

He looked at Ginevra, who he saw was asleep again. She was still under Ric's spell, and couldn't stay awake longer than a few minutes. She had enough time to eat some soup, and perhaps drink some water before she was pulled to sleep again. All of it was just enough to keep her alive, like Ric was trying to kill her slowly.

Sighing, Draco ran a hand through his hair. He desperately wanted to find Ric. Perhaps tearing his throat out would be too kind a thing to do. Maybe it would be better if he just bled the sick bastard to death. Anger curled in his body, and Draco forced himself to slowly relax again.

"Are you all right?" Padma asked quietly, looking at him quietly from the mattress at the end of Ginevra's bed.

The Patil twins had moved into Ginevra's room without giving a reason, but they seemed to relax Ginevra, so Draco didn't argue against them being there. That didn't stop him from asking questions though. As of yet, Luna still hadn't answered his questions, and neither had the twins, but it was obvious that they were helping in some way at least.

Every time they left the room, Ginevra's nightmares became worse and she started moaning Ric's name again, and when they returned, the nightmares weren't as bad, as she didn't moan in her sleep.

"I'm fine," Draco muttered.

"Are you sure?" Padma asked.

He jumped slightly when he realised that she was suddenly beside him, and no longer on the mattress. He hadn't even seen her move!

"Not now that you've scared me like that! How on earth did you do that?" Draco asked.

"Magic," Padma replied, ironic laughter in her eyes. "She'll be okay, you know. Time heals all wounds, even ones in the mind. Those wounds just take a little longer to be healed in a way that is seen by everyone else," she murmured, her eyes serious once more.

Draco nodded briefly, looking at Ginevra once more. She was still curled into a ball and clinging to his chest. In the pale moonlight, he could see tears making tracks on her cheeks, and he had to force his anger back again.

"I just wish I knew how to help her," Draco murmured, wondering why he was confessing this to Padma.

"Just be there for her," Padma replied. "You should get some sleep now," she added, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Draco shook his head, but his eyes felt so heavy, and he was tired afterall. He was asleep in seconds.

Padma sighed, rubbing her face. It seemed that the bags under her eyes were becoming darker and deeper with each passing hour. She was tired, but she had a job to do. Padma cast a Glamour on her eyes and went back to the mattress where Parvati was sitting, looking concerned.

Parvati sat up, watching her twin as she tried to hide the fact that she was completely exhausted. Padma was doing so much, and no one knew about it. Padma was the only one who could help Ginevra, and Parvati was the only one who could help Padma.

"You need to sleep as well, sister," Parvati murmured, going to rest a hand on Padma's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Parv," she snapped, hitting her hand away. Sighing, she looked at Parvati apologetically. "I am sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you like that. Perhaps a few hours sleep would be beneficial," Padma murmured.

Her eyes closed as her head rested on the pillow, and Padma was asleep within a minute.

Parvati sighed softly, and removed the Glamours from Padma's face. As she removed each one, layers of healthy skin and bright eyes disappeared to reveal unkempt skin and hair, as well as large dark and deep bags under her eyes. Shaking her head, Parvati rested both of her hands on Padma's shoulders, closing her eyes.

Parvati concentrated, a slight crease on her brow the only evidence, and took long deep breaths. With each breath she took, Padma began to change. Her exhaustion slipped away, the creases on her face after two weeks of nightmares smoothed, and it continued until she looked healthy again.

The changes transferred onto Parvati, and she hunched as nightmares filled her, racking her body. Bags appeared under her eyes, looking black as they added to her own tiredness.

"You can transfer the emotions, you know," Luna said from the doorway, her voice soft.

Parvati took her hands away from her twin and looked to the door. Luna was standing there, Colin by her side.

"I can't," Parvati replied, shaking her head.

"I can take it, and Apollo can change it," Colin said.

"No, I mean I really can't. I'm not able to do it with anyone else," she answered quietly, looking down. "I'll just sleep it off," she said, giving them a smile.

Colin looked like he wanted to argue, but Luna touched his hand, and he gave a nod. They left quietly, and Parvati laid back on the mattress, crying herself to sleep.

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Draco woke up, feeling refreshed. He frowned, as it was odd for him to feel like that after only a few hours sleep. He looked to Parvati and Padma on the mattress, and saw how exhausted Parvati looked. Padma looked tired too, but she had the same refreshed look to her face that he felt.

He would let them sleep for now, then he would get answers, willingly or not.

Draco looked at Ginevra, who was still curled into his chest, gripping his shirt tightly. Tears seemed to stain her cheeks. They hadn't left her face since she'd gone to sleep two weeks ago after the All Hallow's Eve party.

He sighed, and put an arm around her lightly.

There was a knock at the door, and he looked to see Fred and George standing there. Their hair was short and standing up in every direction, and George had a scar on his cheek to join the other two on his face. Their eyes seemed to be steadily dimming with every passing day that Ginevra was under Ric's influence. Unable to handle their sister the way she was, always crying and having nightmares, Fred and George had started searching for Ric less than two days after Ginevra had fallen asleep.

"Anything?" Draco asked.

Fred shook his head briefly.

"Agnes has been helping, but even her resources are limited. Julianne was able to help with Artemis, but we still can't find out exactly where he is," Fred said, sounding angry.

"Artemis is pissed, by the way," George said, sounding slightly happy. "Ric's got more than fifty spells going in order to keep himself hidden, as well as cloaking devices," he added.

"I thought Cassandra said that as long as Ginevra was sleeping, so was Ric?" Draco muttered.

"We know, that's why it's so frustrating. He manages to keep moving, despite being asleep. I didn't think sleep walking could last this long," Fred said, rubbing his temples.

"Did my ears just hear a joke, brother?" George asked, somewhere between surprised and amused.

"I know. Shocking, wasn't it?" Fred replied, grinning.

"Absolutely. You shame me," George said, laughing softly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're going to class now, okay?" Pansy said, looking at Draco.

"We'll bring notes back for you," Millicent added.

"Thanks," Draco said with a nod.

"We should get going too. Tell our girls we stopped by," Fred and George said, looking to Padma and Parvati longingly.

"I will," he replied.

In a few minutes, Draco was left alone with Ginevra, Parvati, and Padma around him, sleeping soundly.

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"I say we skip classes for the day," Pansy muttered. "I don't want to deal with anyone. And I swear if Lavender looks at us with that smug fucking look on her face, I think I may just stab her with my wand."

"As much as I agree with you, we have to go," Neville said, sighing heavily.

"I still don't see why we have to," Millicent muttered angrily.

Theodore nudged Millicent, who trailed off when she saw the Golden Trio standing in front of them.

"What do you want?" she sneered, glaring at them.

Hermione looked at Ron, who scowled at her, shaking his head.

"Ron wants to know if Ginny's all right," Hermione said, sighing and stepping around Ron to look at them.

"What the fuck do you care? She's been under Ric's spell for two whole weeks and you haven't asked before!" Pansy said, glaring.

"She ... she's still my sister, all right?" Ron muttered, not looking them in the eyes.

"Yeah, the way you've treated Ginevra really shows how much you think of your sister," Neville drawled sarcastically, surprising everyone. "She's been this way for weeks, and you only ask about her now?!"

"Well, you're not very approachable!" Hermione said, defending Ron quickly.

"Oh, get off ye high horse, Granger!" Seamus growled, glaring at her.

"Yeah, let the Weasel King speak for himself, if he can," Blaise sneered at Ron.

"Leave her alone!" Harry said angrily, his hand immediately going for his wand.

"Oh, fuck off, Potter!" Neville said, fed up with the Trio already.

Harry stared at Neville in shock.

"You're just like them," Ron hissed, glaring at Neville.

"Better than being like you. Now move the fuck out of our way before I make you," Neville snarled angrily.

Their shock had the Trio parting, and Neville pushed past them, the others beside him in a second.

No one said anything about Neville's outburst, but all of them started to realise just how much Ginevra's state had affected Neville. Ginevra was his best friend.

She was their friend, best friend in some way or another, and they slowly started to see how her absence affected all of them. It was a startling realisation for all of them, even Luna.

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"I can see it, you know," Ric murmured in her ear.

She wouldn't answer him, despite her curiosity.

"Your flaw, I know what it is," he said, running a hand down her body.

"I'm not flawed," Ginevra replied, glaring.

"Exactly! That is my point. Your flaw is that you are perfect," Ric said, smirking. "You have your entire image set up so that no one will notice anything and be suspicious of you. Except your brother, of course, and he can be taken of easily enough, can't he?" Ric sneered.

"Don't talk about him like that!" Ginevra said, glaring at him.

"Why not? I know of your thoughts, your desire to see him hurt the way he hurt you... Besides, it can be put down to his own stupidity, can't it? No one will ever know your flaw, and as such, you will remain innocent and perfect," Ric said, sneering at her.

"I'm not perfect! And I am definitely not innocent!" Ginevra growled, indicating to her naked state.

Ric smirked at her, her lust increasing in her stomach, even as she felt nauseous.

"I know that you're not perfect or innocent, but the rest of the world believes you to be exactly those things, don't they? You wouldn't want to dissapoint the world by losing yourself to one such as me. At least, you wouldn't want to be with me if it weren't for the hold I have over you," Ric said. "The entire world loves you, Ginevra. And you love the attention, don't deny it. Being the youngest of seven children, as well as the only girl, you never got the attention that you needed. Sure, you got some here and there when it came to explain the necessary 'women's things', but even that was short due to Ron falling off his broom. Even your first year wasn't all that much, was it? After all the time you spent with the Dark Lord, you got avoided more than the attention you craved..."

Ginevra made a pained sound, but Ric ignored her and continued talking.

"And now, now that you are a Vampiress, you are loved, revered and getting more attention than you could have ever dreamed of. But it's not enough, is it? You want more attention, and to get that, you have to stay perfect. In order to keep the power and attention, you need to maintain your innocent look and keep every little thing about you perfect so that they won't stop loving you. You're perfect, and you can't go back to the way you were anymore..."

"STOP IT!" Ginevra said, a sob ripping from her chest. "Would you have done it any different? Well, would you?" she yelled, glaring at Ric.

Ric smirked at her. "I would have done the same, and more. That's why we're perfect for each other," he murmured, going to kiss her.

She moved away, glaring at him.

"We're not perfect for each other!" Ginevra said, glaring at him.

"Because I ruin your image of being perfect and innocent," Ric countered.

"Because I don't love you!" Ginevra said, her voice rising to a yell.

Ginevra turned away from Ric, and he didn't try to stop her. He smiled to himself.

The seed of doubt had been planted. Not only one that would make Ginevra doubt her relationship with Draco, but also one that would spread across her mind to make her doubt herself. It was going even better than he had planned.

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Draco stayed awake as Parvati, Padma and Ginevra slept around him. He didn't have any energy to move, but his mind was whirling with hundreds of thoughts. Useless thoughts, thoughts of helplessness, confusion, anger, and more helplessness.

He felt his body go slightly numb, but still didn't move. He stayed in the same position until Parvati and Padma woke up. Only then did he allow himself to move slightly and sit up properly.

"I want you both to explain what is going on," Draco said to the twins when they were both completely awake, his eyes not leaving Ginevra once.

"What do you mean?" Parvati asked.

"You could start off by explaining how I went to bed exhausted and woke up better than I've felt in a long time, after just a few hours of sleep," Draco replied.

Parvati looked at Padma, who looked back at her and gave a slight nod.

"I take emotions from people," Padma said.

"And I give emotions," Parvati said.

"What does that mean, and how does it help Ginevra?" Draco asked.

"I am able to take away the worst of her emotions from her nightmares. It takes a lot out of me, as I get the worst of it then, but Parvati can give me her own emotions, and takes them away from me. Even when I tell her not to," Padma muttered, glaring at her twin half-heartedly.

"I wasn't going to sit by and do nothing to help you, Padma," Parvati murmured.

It was obviously an argument that had been going on for some time.

"Why can't you just give your emotions to Ginevra?" Draco asked Parvati.

"I'm only able to give my emotions to Padma," she replied, sounding frustrated.

Padma patted her sister sympathetically, looking sad.

Draco was silent as he thought of everything they had said.

"Thank you," he said eventually.

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"They're still not coming to class then?" Flitwick asked Pansy as he saw her walk in the Charms classroom with the other nine, and without Draco, Ginevra, Parvati and Padma.

"Not yet, Professor," Pansy said, shaking her head.

"How are you all coping?" Flitwick asked kindly.

The others all looked to Pansy, who gave a brief nod. They all went to their seats while she answered for them.

"We're not coping that well, Professor. We all miss Ginevra, more than even some of us would like to admit. She has become more to us than we realised," Pansy said, then went to her seat between Gregory and Vincent.

Flitwick looked at all of them, seeing the dark circles under their eyes, how their clothes didn't seem to fit properly, like they'd all stopped eating. They all looked like they were under a curse too. Sighing, he silently hoped that Ginevra knew what kind of friends she had.

Other students entered the classroom then, and he reluctantly turned his attention from the ten shadows sitting at a long desk.

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Draco brushed a piece of hair back from Ginevra's face as she groaned, her hands clenched into tight fists.

Parvati and Padma had left to get lunch, and Ginevra had already moaned Ric's name twice. He tried to ignore her tone, the one that she usually used when he was with her, tried to ignore the look of rapture on her face. He really tried.

"Ric, please," Ginevra moaned, her back arching.

Draco got off the bed, moving away and just looking at her.

Padma and Parvati felt the wave of rage come from Ginevra's room. They stopped making lunch, and ran back to the room. Ginevra was crying out Ric's name, and Draco was in the corner of the room, just staring at her.

Padma hurried over, placing her hands on Ginevra's shoulders. Closing her eyes, Padma had to bite her lip to stop from calling out too. That would be far too much for Draco to handle.

Ginevra relaxed at her touch, her body lowering back onto the bed. She woke up then, her eyes wide. Ginevra looked at Draco, his pale face, the dark colour of his eyes, and turned away from him, realising what he'd seen.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed.

Draco forced himself to move over to her, and wrapped his arms around Ginevra. He tried not to think of Ric doing the same thing, holding her, kissing her, loving her.

"You don't have to be sorry, love. Ric's doing this, not you," Draco murmured.

"We made food," Parvati said after a moment's silence.

"I'm hungry," Ginevra said.

She didn't look at Draco, but she didn't move out of his embrace either.

Padma and Parvati hurried to get the food, knowing that if they took too long then Ginevra would be asleep by the time they returned.

"You shouldn't be watching this," Ginevra said quietly.

"I know, but I'm not going to leave you," Draco said.

The Patil twins returned with food, stopping any response Ginevra would have made.

"Thank you," Ginevra said as she finished off a sandwich and drink.

She yawned and her eyes began to close.

"Sorry," Ginevra said, falling asleep again.

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"You could have given me more time!" Ginevra yelled at Ric.

"To do what?" Ric asked, taunting her. "To kiss him, without emotion? To tell him that you love him, when you can't? Please, tell me what you would have done with an extra five minutes, or even five hours, if you could have had it! Would you have gone and played Exploding Snap? I'm sure he would have loved that, after two weeks of not seeing you," Ric jeered.

"Bastard!" Ginevra yelled, hitting him angrily as she cursed at him.

"My mother wouldn't thank you for that," Ric said with a smirk.

His response startled Ginevra for a moment. She hadn't thought of Ric having a mother, a father, siblings. She hadn't thought of it at all, as if he had just appeared out of nowhere to harrass and torture her mind.

"Oh, come now! Don't look so surprised, my dear," Ric sneered. "You know my mother already," he said, a taunt to his words.

Ginevra frowned and looked at Ric intently, trying to discern where and how she would have met the mother of this foul, low, mind-warping creature.

"Virginia," she said, disgust evident in her voice.

"Don't sound like that, love. Mother dearest would be ever so upset," Ric said with a sneer.

"Bastard! Complete and utter bastard!" Ginevra said, hitting him again.

"I think we already established that I am not a bastard in the literal sense, Ginevra. So I take it that you are attempting to offend me," Ric taunted, feigning hurt.

Ginevra turned away from him, glowering.

Bastard, she thought angrily, but she wasn't as satisfied as she should have been.

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Pansy grit her teeth during Divination. It seemed that every five minutes, either Trewlaney sent them sympathetic looks, or Ron and Harry sent them glares. Normally, neither of their expressions would have bothered her, but nothing had been normal since Ginevra had gone under Ric's spell.

"Relax, love," Greg murmured under his breath. "Only ten more minutes left," he added, taking her hand.

"Feels like ten years," Pansy replied in a soft tone.

She desperately wished that she could leave the stifling classroom and go down to the lake. Being in the water would soothe her...

Pansy waited impatiently for the bell to ring. She could skip Transfiguration; the others would take notes and they would be more than understanding.

Ron and Harry glared over at them a further six times, while Trelawney seemed to notice the hostile looks they were giving her and only offered three sympathetic stares. It was enough to make Pansy break her favourite quill, almost put hand dents in the table, and squeeze the blood and circulation out of both Vincent and Gregory's hands.

They were already going down the ladder before the bell finished ringing.

Pansy headed straight to a tapestry, ignoring the other students who were coming out of the Divination classroom. They went inside the wall, oblivious to the students' surprised gasps and hurried whispers.

"I'm not going to Transfiguration," Pansy said as soon as they were all in the corridor.

"We're not either," Vincent said for himself and Gregory.

"I'll go, you all stay and watch over Ginevra. Draco and the twins need more sleep," Luna said, leaving them all without another word.

Neville led the way down the corridor and back to Ginevra's room. They crowded into her room, all of them managing to find seats despite there only being one chair.

Draco, Parvati and Padma slept on, oblivious to the others seated around them.

"Do you think she can hear us?" Colin asked softly.

It was something they had all discussed at length, but no one, not even Luna, was able to tell if Ginevra could hear what they were saying. That didn't stop them from talking to her though.

"I hope so," Millicent muttered, then she began to recount the day's events so far, from Lavender's smug expression at breakfast - which all of them had wanted to hex off but had somehow refrained - to the annoyingly sympathetic looks Trewlaney kept giving them through Divination.

Slowly, they all began to fall asleep. Pansy and Neville were the last two awake, both of them fighting yawns to stay that way.

"You go to sleep, Pans. I'll watch over her," Neville said.

Pansy would have protested, but her eyes were already closing and by the time she would have said something, she was fast asleep.

Neville blinked furiously, then rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He wouldn't fall asleep. He did a slight cooling spell on his body in an effort to wake himself up. It worked well and he shivered as he watched Ginevra carefully.

So it was that Neville was the only one awake when Ginevra woke up five minutes later.

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"Ric, darling! Time to wake up," the sweet voice rose him from his dream-like state, and Ric sat up, blinking wildly.

As his pupils adjusted to the dim light, Ric scowled for being woken up.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You know I hate it when you pout like that," Virginia said, a sharp edge to her voice.

"Which is why I do it, Mother," Ric sneered at her.

"Do not use that tone with me!" Virginia snarled, glaring at her son with red eyes. "I Turned you, and I can just as easily Turn you back to a stupid, little mortal!"

Ric didn't show any emotion on his face, but he quietly drank the blood Virginia offered to him, then returned to taunt Ginevra some more.

"Go, get her mind," Virginia hissed.

Ric was already asleep, yet his fear of returning to a mortal life followed him.

Sensing magic nearby Virginia hissed again. Taking her son's wrist, she forced him to change into an animal, then carried him out of their latest hiding spot.

They were getting closer with every passing hour...

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Luna woke up, surprised that she had rested. This vision had been undetermined, which was odd. Shaking away her doubts, Luna stood and left the class without a word of explanation.

McGonagall stared after her in some confusion, but was forced to return to teaching the rest of the class. She would talk to Luna about it later...

Hurrying to Ginevra's room, Luna found Neville returning to his seat, a frown etched on his face.

"Did she just go back to sleep?" Luna asked.

"Yes," Neville replied, then he frowned again, this time at Luna. "Did McGonagall let class out early today?"

"No, I left," Luna said. "I had a vision; something that can help Ginevra."

"Help her to get rid of Ric's spell?" Neville asked hopefully.

"No; help her fight him," she replied.

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Refusing to go to class, even when Draco tried to make them, everyone instead waited in Ginevra's room for her to wake up. They all kept a vigilant watch over Ginevra, and any time that she did awake, Luna was called for immediately. By the second hour, they all knew what it was that could help Ginevra, but still, they called for Luna.

As it was, Ric didn't risk keeping Ginevra awake for longer than a few minutes, and it was never enough time for Luna to reach through Ginevra's somewhat addled mind.

After five hours had passed, Ginevra was finally awake and able to understand Luna's message. She nodded in response to their encouragement, then fell asleep within a few seconds.

The others left quietly, leaving the Patil twins and Draco sleeping around Ginevra's still form.

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Ric looked at Ginevra, and saw the smug smirk on her face.

It had worked then, just as his mother had said it would...

"So you fear of becoming mortal again, do you Ric?" Ginevra sneered at him.

"Perhaps," he replied smoothly.

Too intent on returning his cruelness, Ginevra missed the tone in his voice, and the look in his eyes.

"You realise that once you're done with me, Virginia's not going to want you anymore? She'll probably turn you to a mortal again, then send you back to Azkaban," Ginevra sneered.

That hit a nerve, and Ric clenched his teeth tightly.

"I was captured by the Ministry, she did not send me there," Ric said, glaring.

"How do you think they captured you? Our kind has been successfully avoiding the Ministry for centuries!"

She was affecting him far too much, Ric decided, it was time to turn it around again.

"And what if I am scared of being mortal? You are too, aren't you?" he said, sneering at her. "You're just as afraid to be a mortal once more, afraid of losing the power, the perfection of being a Vampiress. You'll return to being plain old Ginny Weasley, youngest of seven. Without this power of being a Vampiress, you'll return to being a nothing, a nobody! You will probably go off and marry Harry Potter, live a wonderfully boring life, have some kids that you'll no doubt love to pieces, but always wonder what it would have been like with someone else ... Someone like me," Ric said, emphasising his point by pulling her body to his, holding her against him tightly.

Ginevra pulled away abruptly. He shouldn't have had power over her like that! It was his fear, yet he had made it hers!

"You can not deny it, love. You and I are made for each other," Ric said, kissing her hungrily.

"No!"

She didn't want to believe it, yet she could see his words as the truth. She could see herself beside him at the Vampire Council, she could see herself hunting and Drinking with him...

NO! a small part of her mind protested, and it was that protest that made Ginevra pull away from Ric, drop to the floor and curl up into a tight ball. She would not let this bastard get to her, even if she had to go so far deep within herself that she wouldn't be able to get back out again...

Ric smirked as he watched Ginevra clutch her knees tightly, curling up even smaller still.

Now she was so far gone that not even her precious Draco could get her back...

He could almost hear his mother's laughter in his mind, sharp, high-pitched and completely evil.

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Luna gasped, sitting upright.

It was a trap.

Those four words echoed in her mind over and over until she could no longer hear the outside world. She had led her friend into a trap, a trap she should have Seen!

"Wake Ginevra up!" Luna called loudly.

She stumbled out of her bed, reaching for her wand and clothes. Not able to feel either properly, Luna simply left her room and hurried down to Ginevra's room.

Not knowing who was awake and who was asleep, Luna raised her voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

"WAKE GINEVRA UP!" she called.

"We're trying!" Padma called back, disgruntled.

"She's not waking up!" Parvati yelled, her voice close to hysteria.

"What's wrong?" Theodore asked, pulling a robe on and following Luna into Ginevra's room.

"It was a trap," Luna said, her voice emotionless.

"What was?"

"His fear," she replied.

"What are you on about, Luna?" Millicent grumbled, confused as well as angry.

"I was meant to See his fear. Virginia sent it to me; it was a trap for Ginevra," Luna said.

"You mean he's not really afraid of being mortal?" Pansy asked, her eyebrow furled.

"Oh, yes. He's terrified of it. I think Ginevra gave him something to think about as well," she said, absent-mindedly.

"What does it mean for Ginevra?" Draco asked, his fists clenched tightly.

His body glowed brightly, his Veelan side struggling to come out. He wanted to hunt Ric down and kill him. Every fibre of his body and soul strained to be released to do this one thing.

Draco knew that if he did do it then he wouldn't return alive. He wouldn't leave Ginevra like that, he couldn't. Draco forced the Veelan back inside with a cry of pain, then looked at Luna impatiently, waiting for an explanation.

"She's gone inside of herself. Even when the spell is removed, she will not be the same..."

"We knew she wouldn't be the same before this!" Neville said, his voice bordering on a shout.

"Don't yell at her!" Colin growled, glaring.

"Leave him alone!" Orion growled.

Apollo shone brightly, scowling at Orion.

"Can this display of testosterone be postponed?" Pansy said, glaring at both of them.

They reluctantly backed away from each other.

"How will she be different, Luna?" Blaise asked quietly.

Luna focused for a moment, her body trembling as she Saw the hundreds possibilities.

"Worst case scenario is Ginevra will need to be put in St. Mungo's. She will not be cared for properly, they will treat her vampirism as a disease, rather as something that she is, and it will worsen her. If that path is followed, then she will die before Christmas. By Draco's mercy," Luna said, her white eyes staring directly at him. "That is without any intervention on our part, which I hope will not happen," she added softly. "The best case is that she will simply be withdrawn and come out of it by Christmas."

She didn't add that she doubted for this to happen.

"What do you think will happen?" Draco asked, his voice soft as he looked at Ginevra with tender rage burning in his eyes.

"It does not matter what I think will happen, what matters is what we will make happen by our actions and reactions," Luna said, shrugging his question away.

Neville left the room then, muttering under his breath about cryptic answers that didn't make sense. Blaise and Seamus followed him soon after. Their bedroom door slammed shut and it didn't open for some time.

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Fred looked at George, albeit with difficulty, the latest scar on his face making his eye swell up.

"We're so close," he murmured.

"I know. Artemis? Or Agnes?"

"Both. The magical signature is weak at best, but they may be able to get it. We're still not strong enough," Fred replied.

"When they're with us, we will be," George said, looking at his twin.

"We could have brought them," Fred replied.

"They needed to be with Gin," he countered, somewhat reluctantly.

"I'll get Artemis," Fred said after a long heavy sigh.

"I'll get Agnes," George said with a nod.

They both disappeared.

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Fred arrived at the small cottage. Knocking on the door, he waited somewhat impatiently for Julianne or Garion to open the door. Julianne opened the door, looking grave.

"Come in, Fred. We've been waiting for news," she said, leading him into the sitting room.

Garion was there, his face stern. He could feel Draco's anguish; all of the Veelan's could. This was hurting all of them more than anyone seemed to realise.

"We traced it to a magical signature. It's weak, but it's stronger than the last few. I think we're getting closer," Fred said quietly.

"I will look at it," Artemis said with a nod.

"Thank you," Fred said with a slight bow.

"What of Ginevra? Draco is becoming more enraged with each passing minute. Only five minutes ago did he let his Veelan self out, but it was for a brief period. Do you know what is happening?" Garion asked.

"George and I were there this morning, my Lord. We have not yet been back. We were hoping to return this evening," Fred said. "We will report to both yourself and the Elders as soon as we hear of something," he added with another bow.

"The moment you report to the Elders," Garion said, emphasising their name with distaste, "then Virginia will know everything. Her husband is still on the Council."

"I am aware of that, my Lord. But I did not specify that I was going to reiterate the information to the Council, I only said 'Elders'," Fred said, a grin forming for a moment.

It only lasted a moment, as the motion pulled on the scar, making his eye sear with pain. The grin turned into a wince.

"You're going to inform Xavier and Agnes, aren't you?" Julianne asked.

"Yes, my Lady. As Ginevra's mentors, they have a wish to know of this as well," Fred said.

"Good. Keep them well informed then," Julianne said with a nod.

"We are, my Lady. George is with Agnes at this very moment, relaying the same information. Agnes has been able to help with some of her more questionable resources," Fred said.

"Good," Julianne said, a smile on her face. "Now, you'll have to Apparate me back to the site. The signature won't be there forever," she said briskly, taking hold of Fred's arm.

Garion sighed after they disappeared.

Something bad had happened for Draco to let go of his Veelan side. After being made a Full Blood, a Veelan had more control over his side than that. Only the most emotional urges would have made him loose that control...

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George knocked on the mansion door quickly. Miles opened it and ushered him inside, making sure that no sunlight would enter for too long a period.

"Stay, I will get Agnes," Miles said, leaving George in the foyer.

Agnes hadn't allowed George to Apparate into her room. Not only was it considered rude, but there were a great many wards against that kind of thing, and George would most likely be turned into mince before he even reached her room.

Agnes arrived with Xavier only a moment later.

"George, a pleasure to see you again," she said smoothly, but her eyes betrayed her pleasant tone and words.

She was worried about Ginevra, George thought.

"Follow me," Agnes said, turning and returning to her room without the usual pleasantries.

Very worried.

George followed after Agnes and Xavier, trying to keep from rushing. Any fast movements would signify a chase, and despite knowing Agnes and Xavier, and being Ginevra's brother, none of that would stop the vampires from chasing after a fresh supply of human blood.

They eventually reached the room, and Xavier shut the door behind them.

"What have you found?" Agnes asked instantly.

"A magical signature. It's weak, but it is stronger than the last few," George said.

"Do you know the direction it was heading?"

"No, sorry. It's hard to determine, since we're not at full strength," he replied.

Agnes gave him a sympathetic smile.

"You know that the twins are needed with Ginevra," she murmured softly.

"We know, my Lady," George answered with a nod.

"Has Cassandra Seen anything that may be of use?" Xavier asked.

"No, my Lord. She says that it is too cloudy for her to discern anything. Something is blocking her Sight," George said.

Xavier and Agnes shared a quick glance. It was too quick for George to notice.

"I should go look at that signature now, dear. You will need to Apparate me," Agnes said with a smile.

George nodded, offered Agnes his arm and Apparated swiftly.

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"Hello, sister," Julianne said as Agnes and George arrived.

"Julianne, it has been far too long," Agnes said, smiling at her affectionately.

"Definitely. But our fates are entwining again, so I suppose we will see each other more often," Jules said with a grin.

"Indeed. How will Garion react?" Agnes asked.

"If it is just you, Xavier, and I, then he will be fine. Any more than that, and I'm afraid he'll overreact," she murmured.

Artemis' attention was on the magical signature.

Agnes waited patiently as her sister-in-law scrutinised the signature. As she waited, she looked at the twins. She noticed the numerous scars on their faces - more than they had had a day ago - with some degree of surprise, and asked them how they got them.

Fred and George scowled in response to Agnes' question, their hands clenched into tight fists.

"Bart, Virginia's bodyguard. He likes to play with knives," they replied angrily. "But we know we're getting closer the harder he comes at us," they added grimly. "She's getting desperate, sending him out to fight us."

"I hope you're giving as good as you get it," Julianne said with a grin, finished for the moment.

"Better," George said with a smirk that bordered on evil.

"Fireworks in the shape of worms for instance," Fred said, smirking at George, then wincing slightly.

"Spells that make him see worms covering his body," George continued.

"That one wasn't pretty to see when he had the knife in his hand," Fred said, shaking his head.

"Worms?" Julianne asked, her eyebrow raised in confusion.

"His greatest fear is worms," they answered.

"They are heading east," Agnes said.

"You got that too?" Jules asked with a grin.

"Anything more specific?" Fred and George asked hopefully.

"Not at the moment. We will continue to look," Agnes replied.

"I want to deal with them myself," Artemis snarled. "No one touches my lion and gets away with it," she growled.

With a grin at each other, George and Fred Disapparated in an eastern direction. It was better than nothing...

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Friday, Nov. 29th

They all waited expectantly for Ginevra to open her eyes. This time she would do it of her own free will, and she would no longer be under Ric's spell.

The past month had been horrendous, things only worsening after the initial two weeks.

Fred and George rarely returned to the rooms, unable to look at the shell that Ginevra had become. Their scars got worse with each passing day, and the light in their eyes dimmed.

Parvati and Padma cried themselves to sleep every night, certain that it was their lack of effort that had caused Ginevra to escape deep within herself.

Neville, Seamus, and Blaise hardly left their room, and when they did, not one of them spoke. Neville managed to perfect silent hexes though, as the Trio found out after a particularly bad argument with Pansy.

Gregory and Vincent didn't eat anywhere near what they usually did, and even less than they needed to eat. Instead, most of their food was pushed around their plates. Even if they did eat it, it tasted like cardboard and they could hardly swallow.

Pansy skipped a lot of her classes and found refuge in the lake. The squid would rock her to sleep, and her tears mixed with the water surrounding her.

Millicent and Theodore spent more and more time in the hospital wing; he working and she attempting to sleep. Millicent had recurring nightmares, and wasn't able to sleep for more than three hours at any given time, and even then it was a broken and fitful sleep.

Luna spent all of her time in her room, not leaving once. The door was shut firmly, and even Colin had a difficult time entering the room. Luna blamed herself for everything that had happened, and spent all of the time Seeing as much as she could to try and right the situation. She wasn't able to See much.

Draco spent all of his time in Ginevra's room. He didn't move from her side, except for the basic necessities, and even they were put off until the last minute. He rarely spoke, hardly blinked or breathed. It was almost as if he were under Ric's spell too.

Now, the long month was over, and they all waited with anticipation for Ginevra to open her eyes.

Theodore checked her vitals more than three times. Slowly, Ginevra opened her eyes to see fifteen faces hovering above and around her, a range of emotions on their faces. Her first words weren't what they expected at all.

"Leave me alone," she said, her voice rasping from lack of use.

They all looked confused then, so she repeated her words with more force, making sure they knew she meant it for them. One by one, they slowly left. Ginevra looked at Draco and told him to leave too.

The hurt and anguish in his eyes pierced her for a moment, but then it was gone. And so was he.

Ginevra turned on her side and slept.

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Bexley watched Ginevra, a frown on his face. He had spoken with Parvati and Padma, but they hadn't been able to discern Ginevra's emotions on waking.

She should have felt a rush of emotions, but it had all been supressed. It was as if she didn't have any emotions.

Going closer to Ginevra's sleeping form, Bexley slipped into her dream.

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Ric sneered at Ginevra, pulling her close to his body. She pushed him away, but without much effort.

Bexley moved around and watched Ginevra closely as she fought off Ric listlessly. Her eyes were blank, cold; she was dead inside.

The dream, nightmare that it should have been, stopped. Ginevra and Bexley hung in mid air. She looked at him with no emotion.

"Go away," she said.

As Bexley pulled himself out of her dream, he realised in shock that not even her voice had emotion to it.

She was truly devoid of emotion.

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Ginevra sat up from her dream, and saw that Bexley was gone.

She laid back on her bed, and let her emotions flow through her properly.

Happiness, anticipation, confusion, anger, hate, relief, lust, desire.

Everything flowed through her, and as each emotion filled her body, Ginevra bit her lip in an attempt to stop from crying out in pain at the same time.

Ric hadn't just stolen her emotion, he had also forced herself to go deep inside of herself. But in doing that, Ginevra had caused herself more pain than Ric had. Any emotion she displayed would result in every fibre, cell, and atom of her body feel as if it was on fire. She clutched at the mattress as she writhed in pain.

It eventually stopped, and Ginevra closed herself off again. She couldn't have Padma and Parvati feeling this pain. It would destroy them, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle losing them.

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They all looked at each other, silent as their thoughts got more and more confused with every passing second.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like seeing her like this," Millicent said after ten minutes of unbearable silence.

"Agreed," Neville muttered.

"Do we even need to get her so we can go to class?" Pansy asked, hating that she sounded so uncertain.

"She will be out in a moment," Luna said softly.

Blaise looked at Draco in concern. He watched as Draco clenched his fists tightly, squeezed his eyes tight and took a good ten seconds to put his blank mask up.

Before any of this, he would have had it up in half a second. Ginevra affected him more than most of them realised, Blaise thought in some surprise.

Neville and Seamus saw Blaise's look, and looked to Draco, then away before Draco could catch them looking.

Ginevra appeared in the doorway. She was pale, and looked quite ragged. It wasn't her clothes, they were straight and pressed, as were every students'. It was Ginevra herself; her eyes had heavy bags under them, despite the amount of sleep she had, her hair was ratted in various places, and worse than everything else was her eyes: they weren't bright, no spark of life shined through them, and she looked more like a stuffed animal than a human being.

"I don't think you should go to class, Ginevra," Theodore said, hurrying over to check her temperature.

Ginevra pulled away quickly.

"I'm fine," she said, her voice firm. "Let's just go to class."

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Yepir looked at them all when they entered her classroom. She looked relieved and pleased to see Ginevra, all of them, and said as much.

Ginevra just nodded in thanks, then went to her seat. Slightly put out, Yepir watched them all for a minute, then returned to the blackboard behind her.

In reality, it seemed that nothing had changed with Ginevra's awakening. They were still shadows of themselves...

Ron, Harry, Hermione, Lavender and Dean entered the room. Lavender and Dean hesitated when they saw Ginevra in her seat, but on seeing the grim look of her friends, their expressions became smug once more, and they sat with the Trio confidently.

Class went by almost the same as it had the previous four weeks. Ginevra didn't say anything in class, adding to the illusion that nothing had changed.

The only thing that had changed was the atmosphere. The sad atmosphere that had been following the other nine around was now gone, replaced with a confused and wary one instead. Even the hope that they'd all had was slowly dimming with every passing minute of Ginevra's prolonged silence.

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Flitwick was excited, so excited in fact, that he had already fallen off his chair more than three times. Ginevra would be in class again this morning, and her friends would be joyful again. They would put more effort into his class, into his charms and spells. Everything would be fine...

His face fell the moment Ginevra and her friends walked in. They looked even worse than they had in the past month!

All of Flitwick's hopes went flying out of the window faster than any 'Accio' could have produced. With a heavy sigh, he began to teach the class, hoping that they were just tired, and getting more and more disappointed with every charm he had them refresh up on.

At the end of class, Flitwick couldn't stand it anymore and called Ginevra over. She walked over obediently, and he waited for the rest of the class to filter out before speaking.

"I am very pleased to see you awake, Miss Weasley," he said, putting as much warmth as he could muster into his words.

"Thank you, Professor," Ginevra replied, her voice empty.

"Are you feeling well enough to be starting classes already? I think Albus said you were allowed to have the weekend off ... " he trailed off for a moment, wondering if Albus had seen Ginevra yet.

"I feel fine, Professor," she answered.

"Very well then," Flitwick said, frowning. "I do hope you realise the amount of hardship your friends have been through, Miss Weasley. You weren't the only one to suffer from Ric's spell," he called as she walked out of the door.

Ginevra froze for a second, then continued to walk on as if she hadn't heard him.

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Ginevra didn't go to the Great Hall for recess, despite telling the others that she would meet them there. Instead, she went straight to her rooms, hurried to her bedroom and shut the door firmly behind her.

Sitting on the bed, Ginevra stared at the floor. She tried to imagine everything that her friends had been through without her. It wasn't hard to do, as she remembered every word they'd said to her while she was under Ric's spell. The daily recounts, the secret visits at night when Draco dozed off for a minute; she remembered all of it.

She wished that she didn't. She didn't want to hear about Rion's awful and smug behaviour, Lavender's sick expressions, Ron's lack of concern, the teacher's stares, and the work they were expected to concentrate on while she was in the coma-like state.

Ginevra didn't want to remember a thing that had happened to them, not when it added to everything that had happened to her.

Her eyes were shut tight, and she could hear Ric's voice in her mind.

In order to keep the power and attention, you need to maintain your innocent look and keep every little thing about you perfect so that they won't stop loving you. You're perfect, and you can't go back to the way you were anymore...

We're perfect for each other...

Tears leaked from her eyes, and pain filled her body as the emotion ran through her mind.

It wasn't meant to be like this. She was meant to wake up, be happy with her friends, with Draco, and she was meant to forget the awful things that Ric had ever said and done to her.

Screaming in frustration, Ginevra hit her pillow in anger, then her mattress, moving onto the wall before sliding onto the floor, sucking her bloodied hand.

The blood made her feel slightly better. Not a lot, but it was enough for her to be able to face the next two classes.

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Ginevra didn't hurry to the Divination classroom. Firenze would most likely understand, and if he didn't ... well, she was supposed to have today off anyway.

Going up the ladder to Divination, Ginevra opened the trapdoor and entered the classroom. She didn't remember it being quite so stuffy, nor the scent being quite that overwhelming. It made her stop and try to compose herself for a second.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Firenze asked, his voice kind and musical.

Ginevra fought to keep her emotions down. Firenze was trying to bring them out with his own power, but she wouldn't let him. Not while her friends were there, vulnerable to her.

"Fine, thank you," she replied.

It was becoming an automatic response.

Firenze simply nodded, waiting for her to take her seat.

I want to see you after class, Ginevra.

As with the past two classes, Ginevra didn't offer to answer any questions. When she was asked one, she gave the right response, no less and no more. Other than that, Ginevra stared off into space, her gaze eventually wandering to the crystal ball on her table.

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Ginevra sat in St. Mungo's, watching the wall quietly. Nothing was on it, the whitewash making it less than ordinary. Still, she continued to watch it, waiting for something to happen.

Three nurses stared in through the small window on the door, intrigued by the vampire.

"She's been sitting like that for weeks on end," one nurse whispered.

"I haven't even seen her blink," another said in a hushed tone.

The third just stared, wondering how the vampire could sit in the sun without burning.

"Excuse me," a cool voice said behind them.

The three nurses jumped, and turned to see Pansy staring at them with an icy glare.

"We're here to see our friend," Neville said.

The nurses scattered quickly, knowing their tempers all too well.

The fifteen walked into the room. Colin blacked out the window, while Draco moved over to Ginevra. Without a sound he cut his palm, letting some of the blood pool in his cupped hand. He offered it to Ginevra, and she lapped it up, barely making a movement.

"They've got her drugged up to the eyeballs," Theodore said in disgust, reading the medi-chart.

"And I sincerely doubt that's even the human supply of blood we gave them, let alone a fresh batch," Millicent said in horror, staring at the bowl near Ginevra's bed.

"Ginevra, it's time for you to wake up," Luna's voice murmured in her ear.

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Ginevra opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She looked at Luna, who gave her a small smile.

"You know that's what will happen if you don't do something, don't you?" Luna said softly.

Without waiting for an answer, Luna left the Divination classroom so that Firenze could speak to Ginevra in private.

"This is the wrong path to take, but I think you know that now," Firenze said softly.

Ginevra nodded in response, her throat constricting as tears threatened to spill. Her body burned as sadness washed through her.

"It hurts when I h-have emotions, Firenze. It hurts s-so much," she stammered through her pain.

"They can help you get through it. Do not fear for their vulnerability, your friends are stronger than you think," he replied honsetly, a kind smile on his face. "Go and sleep now, Ginevra. The rest will do you good."

He guided her to the trapdoor, then watched as she left the room.

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Doing as Firenze said, Ginevra went back to her rooms. She didn't go to her bedroom, not wanting to see the hole she'd put in the wall earlier.

Instead, she went down to Draco's room. It smelled like him, and the scent was soothing as well as painful. Removing her robe and shoes, Ginevra climbed into his bed and curled up.

She slept.

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Padma and Parvati rushed into the room, trying to make it look like they weren't rushing. Seeing Ginevra curled up in Draco's bed, they sighed in relief.

"She's in here!" they called down the corridor.

"I did tell you that she would be," Luna said, a smile on her face.

"You should see the size of the hole in her wall!" Neville said, his eyes wide.

Draco just walked into his room and looked at Ginevra asleep on his bed. It had been a long time since he'd seen her look content while she was sleeping.

Moving so as not to wake her, Draco quickly took his robe and shoes off, joining Ginevra on the bed. The others followed suit, laying around Ginevra's curled up body. They were all asleep in minutes.

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Ginevra woke up, surprised at how calm she felt. Seeing the others surrounding her, she laughed. Wincing as it caused her pain, Ginevra took some deep breaths.

She waited patiently for everyone to wake up, trying to figure out what and how she would tell them.

By the time she had figured out a speech, they'd all woken up and were looking at her in concern.

Ginevra relayed everything that Ric had done to her, including her responses and how she had finally gone inside of herself to hide from Ric and his pain. Then she went on to say how, in doing that, she had caused herself to be in even more pain when she woke up.

"That's why you were so unemotional this morning," Millicent muttered.

Ginevra nodded in response.

"I'm really sorry, I just couldn't think of any other way to deal with it. It hurts now, even being remorseful," she said, her teeth clenched.

"Well, don't worry. We're going to help you get through it," Parvati said, Padma adding in firm agreement.

"We all will," Pansy added, grinning at her.

Even though she knew her pain would multiply, Ginevra allowed herself to feel happy and hopeful.

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(a/n: end of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Again, sorry for the delay!)

20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let J.K.R sue me.

(a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really do appreciate it!

I apologise, but due the amazing amount of time that I don't have, I am no longer able to do recaps.

Pay attention to the dates, please!

Thank you to my new beta, CattyRose! I am grateful you're beta'ing for me!

Read on, oh faithful ones!)

Chapter Twenty

Friday, Dec. 6th

Draco looked at Ginevra, and saw that she was asleep. He was glad that she was sleeping again. It had taken over a week to convince her that sleep was necessary for her, and that the nightmares she were having were only nightmares, and not Ric come for her emotions again.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face softly, hoping his action wouldn't wake her. Ginevra didn't stir. Draco knew it was because of Parvati and Padma, and because of them he would be eternally grateful.

Since Ginevra had talked to them all, Padma and Parvati had set their minds to helping her. They had stayed with Ginevra over the course of Saturday and Sunday, never leaving her side and undertaking the unrelenting task of removing the burning sensation that arrived with every one of Ginevra's varied emotions.

Emotions are fickle things, tending to overlap with one another, so there were hundreds of them to deal with. They had barely slept at all, and the Patil twins looked worse for the wear near the end of it. By that time, Ginevra was sleeping somewhat peacefully, her only trouble at night.

Her mind would take longer to heal; perhaps years, and so she would have nightmares more often than not. But at least the twins had gotten the burning sensation away from Ginevra. She was able to smile, laugh, and even cry, without it causing her unbearable pain.

Draco had glimpsed brief moments of her pain. During those moments he couldn't take the stress and turned Veelan, which had been horrible enough; he was amazed that Ginevra had been able to stand it at all.

Now, Ginevra assured him that the only pain she felt was like a dull headache whenever she felt too strong of an emotion. Apparently, he made that dull headache come to life, and Draco was sure he wasn't meant to feel pleased at that.

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Lavender looked at Ron, who was snoring on the Common Room lounge, his mouth hanging open. She grimaced in disgust, before turning to face Dean.

"Are you sure he's completely necessary? I'd rather have you to myself," Dean snickered, hitching her hips forward so she was closer to him.

In answer, Lavender was immersed in a breathtaking, controlling kiss, one she fought for. It took her a few moments to reply.

"Yes, he's necessary. Without him, we can't get to Potter and Granger," Lavender said.

Another loud snore from Ron had her wincing and shuddering.

"Unfortunately," she added, not quite under her breath.

Dean smirked in response, glaring at Ron, who had rolled over, clutching a cushion to his chest.

"Is the potion ready?" Dean asked, leaning back on the armchair.

"Almost. Four days left," Lavender said, impatience thick in her voice. "After what she's just been through, we can get her while she's still weak. It's perfect, but I wish we'd had it ready a week ago," she almost growled.

"You never are patient, are you? Good things come to those who wait," Dean quoted, smirking smugly at her.

"But better things come to those who get in first," Lavender retorted.

"Very true," Dean responded, another smirk on his face. "So do you want to come up to my room and shag me senseless, or what?"

"With Potter in the room? I think not," Lavender said, wrinkling her nose.

"You change your mind, you know where I am," he said nonchalantly, shrugging and heading up to the seventh year's room.

Lavender pouted, and was after him in a minute.

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Tuesday, Dec. 10th

Ginevra stretched as she woke up, pleased that she had slept with minimal nightmares. Only two had woken her up, and considering the past few weeks, it had been a good night. She hoped it would be a good day, too.

Draco blinked, waking quickly as she sat up beside him.

"All right?" he asked immediately, sitting up.

Ginevra smiled and nodded at him, reassuring him.

"Fine," she said, then brightened. "In fact, better than fine," she said, moving closer to kiss him softly.

It was their first kiss since Ginevra had woken up, and Draco groaned at the feelings it stirred in him. As he responded hesitantly, Ginevra gasped in pain, pulling away as the dull ache roared in her mind. Draco moved away quickly, to the other side of the room, as if he had burnt her.

"Sorry, love," he murmured softly.

"My own fault," Ginevra said, giving him a reassuring smile. "It didn't hurt that much," she added, her lie leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Don't lie," Draco said humourlessly.

"You two getting ready or what?" Pansy called, banging on their door.

"We're coming," Ginevra called back.

She avoided Draco's gaze as she got out of bed and started to get ready.

So much for a good day.

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Padma and Parvati smiled at Ginevra as she walked over to them. She thought of all of the feelings they had experienced from her, and wanted to blush. It had been a very intense two days, although that was probably an understatement.

"Are you feeling okay?" Parvati asked kindly.

"I guess," Ginevra replied with a shrug.

"What's wrong?" Padma asked, more direct than her twin.

"Nothing," she murmured, but she didn't look at Draco when he came into the room, immediately giving it away.

"He didn't try to force you, did he?" Padma asked, her voice low.

"No, of course not!" Ginevra said, surprised that Padma could even suggest that. "It was me, that's all... He responded, and it hurt," she said, trying to shrug it off.

"What feeling was it?" Parvati asked.

Padma was already holding out her hand for Ginevra.

She bit her lip, hating to make them do this. Again.

Yet, she still took Padma's hand. As she thought of the kiss, the feelings she felt when Draco had returned her kiss were brought up, the pain accompanying them.

Padma tried not to moan at the feelings that coursed through her, especially since it was from Draco, and not Fred. She almost couldn't abstain, the feelings from Ginevra were that strong. She managed to hold the pain though, and let the feeling of love return to Ginevra gratefully.

Parvati took the pain from Padma before her twin could protest. She could handle the pain better than Padma anyway.

"Draco," Parvati called, smiling at him.

Draco came over, but waited until Ginevra looked at him.

"Are you all right now?" he asked softly as Parvati and Padma left.

Ginevra nodded. Now that she had looked up at him, it seemed that she couldn't look away. She had hurt him by lying, she realised with regret.

Before Ric, she wouldn't have lied. Before Ric, she could have kissed Draco without feeling pain. Before Ric ... everything had been perfect, including herself. She hated that he had seen that when she hadn't even realised it herself.

"Do you still want to go to class?" Draco asked softly.

Ginevra nodded again. She bit her lip, and pulled Draco down to kiss him. There was no pain. She could feel the tears sliding down her cheeks.

She had been crying more than usual, another thing that annoyed her. Ever since she had gone inside of herself to hide from Ric, she had changed. She was more hesitant, more worried, more emotional. It was like she was trying to hurt herself in Ric's absence.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Draco asked after a moment to catch his breath.

Ginevra shook her head; no, she wasn't all right, she had some serious doubts whether she would ever feel all right again.

"Do you want to skive off? We can talk, if you feel up to it," Draco murmured.

Despite the fact that she had been awake for two weeks now, Draco and Ginevra hadn't talked about Ric and what he'd done. At least, not alone.

Ginevra had given them all an edited version of what had happened between her and Ric. She had kept some things away from them, knowing it would cause not only herself pain, but also them. She had hardly told them of anything he'd said to her, only going into the physical things he'd done. In hindsight, that most likely hadn't been the best approach to take. Draco's fists had clenched so tightly that she had stopped talking, worried that he'd hurt himself. Which had caused another round of pain.

They were all burning with curiosity, but were trying to be patient with her, sure that she would talk to them in her own time. But after Ginevra's urgency that morning, something had woken up in Draco. He wanted to talk to her about what had happened he wanted to know, to talk with her, to be with her.

Ginevra saw the urgency in his eyes, and nodded in agreement.

"All right, we'll talk about it," she said quietly.

"We'll come back for lunch then," Pansy said, grinning when Ginevra jumped, having forgotten that they were there. "Have fun, and don't do anything that I wouldn't do," she added with a smirk and a wink.

"I doubt we could even think of something that she wouldn't do," Ginevra said after they'd all gone, grinning at Draco.

"I don't want to think of the things she does do, let alone things she doesn't," he replied with a chuckle.

Ginevra grinned at him again, then looked around at the empty corridor.

"Did you want to talk in the meeting room?" she asked.

"Our room is fine."

Ginevra nodded and headed to his room - their room - wondering what she was feeling, and why it wasn't causing her any pain.

She sat on the bed, Draco by her side. Ginevra took his hand and he squeezed it lightly for support.

"I love you, you do know that, don't you?" she murmured, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Yes, I know. I love you too, Ginevra," he whispered, kissing her.

He manoeuvred her around so that she was on his lap, and he kissed her with as much passion as he could muster; which was a lot.

It left her breathless, and she hugged herself to his body. She told herself to stop procrastinating, despite wanting to kiss him again. She would only end up using this moment as an excuse to put off the story, when he needed to know. From everything Ric had done to her, to the more important matter of what he had said to her.

Gently, she loosened her hold from around Draco and went to sit on the bed beside him. She gave him a tentative smile, and willed her voice not to shake as she started to talk.

"Ric abused me with my emotions, as you know. But not all of the time. Other times he talked to me," she said. "They were mostly stupid, little things, probably thought up by Virginia to make me worry and doubt certain things. But there were a few things he said were true, even though I didn't realise it until he said it," she murmured, looking at their clasped hands.

"What did he say?" Draco asked when she didn't continue.

Ginevra took a deep breath, wondering how to say it in a way that would make sense.

"He said that I was flawed, and he was right... Hear me out," Ginevra said quickly as Draco clenched his fist tightly.

"You're not flawed," Draco muttered under his breath, but let her continue.

"Yes, I am. Or at least, I was," she corrected. "When I found out that I was a Vampiress, I was so afraid of what was happening to me, what everyone would think of me, that I closed myself off. The reaction from my brothers hurt the most, and that's when I told myself that I would show them that I would be happy with who I was, what I was. I didn't even realise what I was doing. I made myself believe that I was someone different so I could pretend to be happy. I made myself seem perfect so I wouldn't have to deal with what was actually happening to me."

"What's so bad about being a Vampiress that you would lie to yourself? And deceive the rest of us?"

"I was afraid! I was being shunned by my family, again. I knew that I would experience the same thing from my friends, from strangers, from people who didn't even like me," she said, looking at him for a brief, intense pause, before continuing, "I didn't want to go through my first year again. Especially considering that I wasn't under someone else's control. This time it was all me; it was what I was, what I was becoming. I couldn't blame it on Tom Riddle this time and expect everyone to forgive me! So I hid everything away, all the doubt, fear, everything."

"You can't have hidden it all away," Draco interrupted. "I know what it is to hide emotions, and I didn't sense it on you."

"That's because you didn't expect me to hide anything. I was supposed to be innocent Ginny Weasley, who shows her heart and all her emotions to the world, and who wouldn't lie under any circumstances. You didn't sense anything, because you didn't know me before all this, so you had nothing to compare to," Ginny said, attempting to soothe the look on Draco's face.

She desperately wanted to take back these last ten minutes, take back the hurtful words she was saying, but now that she'd started telling Draco everything, she couldn't seem to stop.

"I learnt how to study from Fred and George, surprisingly enough. I knew exactly what would be expected of me, knew what most people's reactions would be to what I was becoming. I'd seen it all before in my first year, so I just changed the circumstances slightly when I needed to. At home, I was dutiful and frightened, as Mother expected me to be. I was left alone for the most part, and spent all of that time reading every single book we had in the house about Vampires. I have a photographic memory naturally, so it was easy to retain all of the information. Almost too easy," she added with a harsh laugh.

"I started going through my books for this year, and doing potions when no one was home. That was easy, as well. I simply had to say a few words to Mother, and she'd get everyone out of the house to leave me alone. Everything was going perfect, and all I had to do was follow it. I was perfect in every fucking sense. Perfect daughter, perfect student, and the perfect sister, with the exception of Ron. I was the perfect friend, and in some way, I continued trying to be perfect for you. After all the pretending I'd done, I actually wanted to be the perfect girlfriend."

Ginevra laughed sourly now, not even looking at him, afraid of his reaction.

"Are you quite finished now?" Draco drawled, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Wh-what?" she stammered, whipping her face to look at his, disbelief showing. "After everything I just told you, that's all you have to say?"

"What did you expect, a parade and a medal?" he countered, smirking now.

He watched the disbelief turn to embarrassment, then to anger. His smirk grew wider as she stalked over to him, hitting at his chest with a closed fist.

"You complete and utter bastard," she growled.

"Now, there's the Ginevra I fell in love with," he said, smirking yet again. "Ric doesn't know shit about you, Ginevra. He got to you with a few words, and even if some of it may be true, not all of it is, because you don't consider your reactions around me, or even the rest of us. What you've done with us over the past few months, not all of that has been coordinated and planned to make you look perfect, has it?" Draco asked, looking at her intently.

Ginevra shook her head after a moment's thought. She had tried to make things look perfect, and even some of the things she'd done and said had been coordinated, but definitely not all of it. Draco was right, her reactions around them were different.

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"What's happening?" Pansy hissed to Luna, not even pretending to be listening to McGonagall now.

"Give me five minutes. You're going to lose more House points," Luna warned softly.

Muttering to herself, Pansy returned to taking notes, but her mind was definitely not on McGonagall's lecture about animal transformations.

"Wait," Luna said out the side of her mouth, four and a half minutes later when Pansy looked ready to lean over again.

Thirty seconds later, McGonagall turned her attention to the board, no longer shooting Pansy glares for not listening to her lecture.

"Ginevra's talking with Draco about what Ric said to her. In more detail than she gave us earlier," Luna added. "We'll be told it tonight ... Make that tomorrow. They're not going to be leaving their room any time soon," she amended, wincing slightly as she finished her sentence.

"Okay, too much information!" Pansy said, wincing.

"Lucky bastard, gets to play hooky and have sex," Vincent muttered to Gregory, who nodded in agreement.

McGonagall turned back a minute later, their words somehow registering in her mind, but they were looking as innocent as they could be, and she couldn't do anything except continue teaching.

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Lavender was impatient, angry and more than annoyed. The potion had been read wrong. Instead of being ready today, as it bloody well should have been, the potion wouldn't be ready until April! It was unacceptable.

Her bad mood affected the act she usually had around Ron, Potter, and Granger. She was irritable as all hell, and had snapped at Ron when he'd asked her a stupid question, as usual.

The look on his face had been priceless, and he would probably ignore her for some time until he thought it was right to forgive her. And since everyone was leaving for the Christmas holidays in five days, that would mean that Lavender wouldn't have enough time to plant more seeds of doubt in Granger and Potter's ears.

Oh well, she could always blame it on her period. Ron's face always went bright red when she brought up anything like that, she mused, a smirk on her face. It was amazing how he didn't seem to know how often women menstruated, or for how long. She could have had her period four times in one month, and Lavender doubted that he would notice! She'd already gotten away with three, by pure accident, but maybe four times was pushing it a bit.

For now, she pushed the thoughts of Ron out of her mind, back to the potion and her anger, and continued on her search of Dean. She needed a release and, right now, he was the only one who could give it to her.

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Ginevra sighed, curling her body on top of Draco's. She felt wonderful, beautiful, and loved. Even after everything she'd just said - and at times, yelled - Draco still said that he loved her, and then had taken time to show her just how much.

He hadn't let her do a thing, and despite it being frustrating, not being able to touch him, it had also been oddly erotic. Her mind had kept playing over the things that she was going to do when she got her hands free.

When Ginevra had told Draco what she was thinking, she'd seen his eyes almost darken to black, and she delighted in being able to make him lose control. She doubted that she would ever stop feeling delight at that feeling. Not even the dull ache that had accompanied her emotions brought her spirits down.

"Thank you, Draco," she murmured quietly, pressing a kiss to his torso.

"You're welcome, love. Any time you need me to tie you up and fuck you senseless, you know where to find me," Draco said, smirking at her.

"Oh, I'm not quite senseless yet," Ginevra replied, looking up at him, a cheeky grin on her face.

"A challenge, eh? I think I can meet it," Draco said.

He grabbed her hips, rolled them around so he was above her, and pushed into her with a possessive growl.

He wanted to make Ginevra forget all about Ric, and what he'd done to her.

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Sunday, Dec. 15

Ginevra watched as most of the castle left through the entrance. They talked animatedly about the Christmas holidays, what they were doing, where they were going, and what they were going to get.

She was thankful to be staying behind, and even more thankful that Ron, Harry, Hermione, Lavender, and Dean weren't going to be at Hogwarts for the Christmas break. The Trio were staying at the Burrow, and Ginevra had offered to stay at Hogwarts so that there wouldn't be any arguments over the holidays.

Her friends had decided to stay as well, and she was grateful for it.

Draco came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and murmuring something suggestive in her ear. Ginevra laughed softly, turning in his arms to face him.

"I do have to sleep sometime, you know," she said.

"I don't," he replied, smirking.

She kissed him, grinning. The last of the students left the grounds, and were subsequently forgotten by the lovers.

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Saturday, Dec. 21

Ginevra was exhausted. She had barely stopped during the last week.

Not only had she had to deal with catching up with classes, learning the new work, homework, and trying to decipher everyone's handwriting, Ginevra had also had to re-start her training with her Professor's. The nightly training had begun again, but they still couldn't do more than ten minutes, which showed just how far they'd all slipped behind.

Ginevra had then used whatever spare time she had left in the Forbidden Forest. She had to talk to the unicorns, (Alexander was absent), talk to the Forest's inhabitants and other creatures of the forest, and somehow deal with their disputes. For animals, they had a lot of disputes for Ginevra to hear - most of them were accusations of someone eating someone else's family or friend. Relo had refused to leave her side, growling at anything that came too close for his comfort - which was a five-metre radius.

Once they had all been dealt with, Pansy's Grandfather, Grand Royal Hyler, had requested an audience with Draco and Ginevra. The 'audience' was actually a party, mermaid-style. Clown fish performed tricks, mermaids sang ballads in their enticing voices, and Hyler had presented them with bands allowing them to enter the city of Tler at any time. It was a rare privilege.

Now, sitting in the Thestral-pulled carriage, Ginevra was glad to rest for a moment. She leant against Draco's shoulder, closing her eyes contently as he put an arm around her.

"Are you all right?" Neville asked quietly.

Ginevra opened her eyes, smiled reassuringly and nodded.

"Just a bit tired," she replied.

Draco looked smug, smirking at her, and she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Not because of that! Well, not just because of that," she amended, grinning.

"I think you just bruised my ribs," Draco groaned, holding his side.

"If you can't handle an elbow to the ribs, I don't think you should do training anymore," Pansy taunted, smirking at him.

"Shouldn't he do more training then?" Colin asked, a frown flitting across his face.

"Not if he's going to cry and whinge about it," Pansy replied.

"Okay, enough already. We're here, and I want a Butterbeer," Millicent muttered, opening the carriage door before Pansy or Colin could say anything.

The others followed her quickly, eager about the prospect of something warm in the cold weather. The five girls hurried to catch up to Millicent, leaving their boyfriends trailing behind.

"Nice diversion, Millicent," Padma said with a grin.

"It wasn't a diversion. I really do want a Butterbeer. I'm freezing," Millicent said, rubbing her hands.

"So what are you getting Theodore for Christmas?" Parvati asked her, grinning like her twin.

"Aw, crap. I knew I forgot something," Millicent moaned, Pansy laughing at them.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Gregory asked as Pansy's laughter flowed on the wind towards them.

"Well, Christmas is only in four days, so it's probably about presents," Neville pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, good. Pansy won't tell us where she hid our presents," Vincent muttered.

"I think that's part of the Christmas joy. 'The not knowing what you're going to get' feeling you have, and the anticipation of what you think you're going to get," Colin said, grinning.

"I hope it's lingerie," Vincent said, as if Colin hadn't said a thing. "What? Not for me, you dolts," he muttered when they stopped and looked at him oddly. "For her," he said, looking at Pansy as if he wanted to devour her. "Something black and lacy," he murmured, trailing off.

"Oh, fuck, Vince. Don't give me thoughts like that. I may just have to return my gift and buy her something else," Gregory said, gripping his boyfriend's arm tightly.

"Och, I don't want any of those thoughts either," Seamus said, looking slightly ill.

"Keep your thoughts away from our girlfriend," Vincent growled.

"Glad ter," Seamus muttered, then pulled Blaise down to him for comfort.

"Luna would look good in white, I reckon," Colin mused, looking at Luna. "Oh, fuck me," he groaned after a moment's silence.

They all looked at him in surprise, not used to hearing Colin swear.

"Apollo just ... oh, fuck ... She does look good in white," he muttered, a grin breaking over his face. "I'm going to the shops. I'll meet you in The Three Broomsticks later," Colin said, hurrying off, still grinning broadly.

"We'd better go too," Vincent said, pulling Gregory after him.

"Where do you think they're going?" Parvati asked, watching as Colin left the others, Vincent and Gregory following half a second later.

"Good morning ladies," Fred and George said, winking at them. "What's a bunch of pretty girls like you doing in a place like this?" they drawled, eyes bright.

"Waiting for you," Padma replied, smirking as she pulled Fred to her, kissing him.

George wrapped his arm around Parvati's shoulders, and she smiled happily, turning her head to kiss his shoulder.

"Can we get inside now? It's freezing!" Millicent groaned.

The others had caught up by then, and on hearing his girlfriend's words, Theodore took her hands in his and rubbed them lightly, warming her.

"Aw, why don't you rub me like that anymore, Neville?" Blaise asked, smirking as Neville spluttered and went red.

"I'll rub ye, love," Seamus said, grinning.

"Did Apollo let off more aphrodisiac today?" Ginevra asked Luna, who laughed, shaking her head.

"Not that I know of. I just think everyone's looking forward to having a day off," she replied as they went into the pub.

"We've had some time off," Ginevra said.

"A few hours at most, and then we're training again," Pansy corrected. "Not that I am complaining about it, we definitely need the training. But an entire day off ... Greg and Vince aren't going to know what hit them," she said, an animalistic look in her eye as her mind wandered.

"Down, girl. Sit, behave," Padma said.

"What'll it be, dears?" Rosmerta asked pleasantly, smiling at them.

"Sixteen Butterbeers, please," Luna replied. "Oh, sorry. Fourteen Butterbeers and two ... stop changing your orders, or you won't get anything," she muttered, glaring at Fred and George, who just grinned in response. "Sorry, Rosmerta. We'll have fourteen Butterbeers and two lemon, lime, and bitters," she said.

"You should stop teasing Luna that way. It confuses people when she's trying to place orders for us," Ginevra said, glaring at her brothers.

They had done the same thing only a few days ago when Luna had been trying to ask the house-elves for food. It had taken her fifteen minutes to get four things for the twins, as they'd kept changing their minds.

"Oh, don't worry, if they do it to me again, then I will just be forced to buy a ginger and licorice flavoured drink," Luna said cheerfully.

"We'll be good!" Fred and George promised immediately, blanching at the thought.

"Where were you three?" Pansy asked when Gregory, Vincent and Colin arrived at their table.

"Never mind that, the drinks are here now," Ginevra said.

Rosmerta arrived less than a second later, a large tray full of drinks. They all took their drinks, thanking her and paying when the tray was empty. As Rosmerta left, the table fell into a comfortable silence as they started on their drinks.

"So where did you put our presents, Pansy?" Gregory asked, smirking at her over the rim of his glass.

"I already told you that I am not telling you," she said, a smirk on her face.

"We'll tell you where we just were," Vincent offered.

Pansy thought for a moment, but then shook her head. She turned to Millicent, smirking.

"Are you warm now?"

"Yes, actually," Millicent said, grinning. "Now tell them where the presents are hidden, or I'll start asking too."

"I'm not telling anyone," Pansy said, returning to her drink.

"Spoil sport," Vincent said, pouting.

"Please tell us, Pans! We won't look," Gregory promised, nudging Vincent under the table so he'd agree.

"Promise!" Vincent agreed quickly.

"Not telling. Help me out here, would you?" Pansy muttered, looking to Padma, Parvati, Luna and Ginevra imploringly.

"What did you get me for Christmas?" Padma asked Fred.

"I'm not telling you," he replied seriously.

"You have to wait until Christmas, or else you don't get the present," George added.

"Weasley rules," Ginevra finished, grinning. "It's tradition. You're not allowed to ask for Christmas presents. If you did, then you have to wait an extra week for them. And if you went hunting for them, and did manage to find them, then you wouldn't get the present at all."

"I lost a cauldron to Percy that way," George said with a heavy sigh. "I got his quill set instead."

"My Puffskein was given to Ron," Fred said, sighing as well.

"Not that he had it for long. You used it for Beater practice!" Ginevra said.

"That would have been messy," Padma said, wincing.

"You killed a Puffskein?" Parvati asked, her eyes wide.

"If I couldn't have it, then no one could. Besides, Ron stole my practice Bludger," Fred said with a shrug. "He didn't even want it anyway. Said it was a baby's pet. So much wasted potential," he muttered, shaking his head in disappointment.

"If you're that upset over it, I'll get you a Puffskein for Christmas," Padma said to her sister.

"And I won't use it for Beater practice," Fred promised, grinning.

"Promise me something, sister? Do not buy me a Puffskein, I don't think I could handle the stress of it being around Fred," Parvati muttered, only half-joking.

Fred just laughed at her expression.

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Wednesday, Dec. 25

"Merry Christmas!"

The two words had a varying amount of responses, and none of them were nice, considering it was only seven o'clock in the morning.

"Okay. You all sleep some more. I'll just eat the food and open the presents myself!" Luna called loudly, grinning when she heard Gregory and Vincent swearing and hurrying to get dressed.

Slowly, everyone dragged their feet into the meeting room. The gasps of surprise she heard was enough to make Luna smile. She had hoped to get the decorations right, which had been difficult, even with Relo attempting to guide her. She had already smashed two glass baubles.

"You did this, Luna?" Pansy asked, awe in her voice.

"I tried to. Relo helped me," Luna replied.

"I helped link the paper circles!" Relo added proudly.

"Very good job, both of you," Parvati said with a grin.

"Where's the food?" Vincent asked, his stomach growling painfully.

"Food before presents," Gregory added when Colin went to say something.

There was some scuffle as everyone tried to grab plates, food and drinks without getting it on each other, or more importantly, the presents.

In minutes, they were all eating, talking to each other between bites, and eyeing off the stack of presents surrounding the tree.

"I can't believe we're up before seven, and on Christmas Day too," Millicent muttered. "I could have spent another three hours in bed!"

"You wouldn't have slept anyway," Luna stated.

"Exactly my point," Millicent replied, smirking when Theodore's ears turned red.

"I want to keep my food in my stomach," Padma muttered, poking at her scrambled eggs with a wince.

"Well, I want to open my presents," Blaise said, grinning.

"Ye can't unwrap me here, love. They migh' all get jealous," Seamus said, laughing when most of them looked at him in surprise.

Neville grinned, and went over to Seamus, sitting in his lap gently.

"Dear Santa. For Christmas this year, I'd like ... " he began, then started murmuring in Seamus' ear.

From the look on Seamus' face, Ginevra found that she was immensely glad Neville was speaking Gaelic and she couldn't understand a word being said.

"We'll be back for our presents later," Blaise said hurriedly as he listened to what his lover was saying.

Seamus, Neville, and Blaise pulled each other out of the meeting room quickly. Within seconds of getting inside their room, a vine shot out and pushed the door firmly shut, wrapping itself around the handle so no one could get in. Or out.

"Well, if they get their extra three hours, then so do we," Millicent said, grinning as she took Theodore's arm, leading him out of the room.

The others all followed suit, soon leaving only Draco, Ginevra, Luna and Colin in the meeting room.

"You released hormones this time, didn't you?" Ginevra asked Apollo, a slight grin on her face.

"One of many Christmas presents," Apollo replied, smirking.

"Well, we'd better not waste his present then, should we, love?" Draco asked Ginevra huskily.

Luna turned to Colin / Apollo once they'd left the room.

"Just how many presents did you get me?" she asked with a smile.

"Seven between the both of us. And some of them are from both of us," Colin replied.

His voice had an edge to it that she hadn't heard outside of their room before. It was one of desperate need and lust. Luna wondered exactly what it was he had bought for her that could make him like this.

She could See, of course, but that would spoil the surprise. Besides, with the amount of gifts he'd bought, it would be close to impossible for Luna to work out which scenario was right. Too much effort for something that was supposed to be a surprise.

So instead of Looking, Luna just smiled and held her hand out. Colin took it and pulled her to him, kissing her hungrily.

She leaned into his kiss, and with a soft groan, Colin hurried to lead her to their room.

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Draco had placed at least five spells on the door to prevent anyone coming in, interrupting, thinking of interrupting, or attempting to go near the door. Even though he doubted Apollo's hormones would wear off anytime soon, he really didn't want anyone disturbing them.

"I have a small present for you here, if you want it now," Draco said, grinning.

"Okay," Ginevra said eagerly, her eyes bright.

"You have to close your eyes."

Ginevra reluctantly did so, wondering what he'd gotten for her.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Ginevra did so, her gaze landing on something completely unexpected.

"A Blood Pop?" she stated, looking to Draco.

He was grinning at her expression, and placed it against her lips, offering her to taste.

She did so tentatively. When she recognised the blood as Draco's, her eyes widened slightly and she removed the lollipop from her mouth.

"How did you do this?" Ginevra asked.

"Fred and George helped me. They mixed the ingredients with a few drops of my blood and set it into a lollipop. I wasn't sure it would work," Draco said with a slight shrug.

"They're not going to mass produce them, are they?" Ginevra asked, her fear and jealousy making the words come out in a rush of breath.

The fear of what other vampires would take a liking to her own's blood, and try to seek him out. And the jealousy of said vampires finding Draco and Drinking from him ... They would have to get past her first.

"No, that's the only one," Draco said, wondering about her reaction.

"Good," she breathed in relief.

Then she launched herself at him. With the lollipop sticking out the side of her mouth, Ginevra managed to kiss Draco, mixing the sweetened blood with the taste of him.

"So you like it then?" Draco asked with a smirk as she removed the Blood Pop from her mouth to bite his neck eagerly.

Without moving her head from the glorious flow of blood, Ginevra put the Blood Pop against Draco's mouth. He took it from her, sucked it for a moment, then removed it with a smirk.

"Well, no wonder you don't want it mass produced. I taste good," he said smugly.

"Better than good," Ginevra murmured as she licked the last of the blood from the healing wound on Draco's neck. "And all mine."

Ginevra ripped Draco's robe and shirt off in one movement. He would have protested as it was one of his favourite shirts, but then figured she could fix it later. And besides, why would he say anything when she was licking his chest that way?

"I'll fix it later," she murmured, running a hand down his chest.

She watched in brief fascination as five trails of blood started flowing down his torso. Draco's stomach clenched in desire, and Ginevra grinned at him then lowered her head. She licked each trail up one by one and in an excruciatingly slow way, her eyes never leaving his.

"Fuck, Ginevra," he groaned, pulling her back up to him.

He undressed her quickly, ripping her shirt as payback.

"I'll fix it later," he drawled when she growled at him.

Ginevra just glared and kissed him angrily, pressing him against the headboard as she undid his pants quickly. Draco groaned as she ran her hands along his inner thighs, and gripped her hips tightly. He went to caress her, but Ginevra shook her head.

"No foreplay, not today," she murmured, then nipped at his ear.

She impaled herself on him swiftly, both of them moaning in pleasure as they filled each other.

Ginevra bit his neck, drawing blood once more. She Drank from him eagerly, then cut her palm and offered it to him as she began to move against him.

"Let me go on top. I can get you there faster," Draco murmured, lapping the blood from her palm.

Ginevra had barely nodded when Draco turned them over and started pushing into her quickly. She joined in immediately, raising her hips in an effort to get to her orgasm sooner. There would be time for slow and sensual sex later. For now, she just wanted a hot and hard fucking.

Draco made sure that she got it, not even slowing when she reached her first orgasm, still pushing deeper and faster into her. Ginevra could have broken her pelvis and she wouldn't have cared, so long as Draco was on top of her with a hungry look in his eyes, and her blood on his mouth. She drew another line of blood, this one along her breast, and watched as he Drank from her eagerly. As he Drank, then moved his mouth to her tight nipple, Ginevra entered her second orgasm, crying out his name.

Draco was kissing her when she returned to reality, still managing to hold off his own orgasm. He licked her tongue, still able to taste the Blood Pop on her. He briefly wondered where that sticky thing had gotten to, but then Ginevra wrapped both of her legs around his waist and he slid even deeper into her, crying out as his orgasm took him over.

"I wanted to get three out of you," he panted as he rested on top of her.

"I know, but I wanted to see you lose control," Ginevra replied with a smirk.

"You can do that any time. Just tell me you love me," Draco murmured, kissing her again.

"And then pounce on you like you're the cream and I'm the cat?" Ginevra said with a laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him down for another kiss.

"That's always a nice bonus, but not necessary, love."

"I know," she murmured, kissing him again.

...

"Okay, three hours is up. Everyone get out here so we can open our presents!" Pansy yelled, banging on the doors.

"What, do Greg and Vince have watches on their ... Ow!" Fred yelped when Padma hit him.

"You are crude, brother dearest. Now get out here before I come in there and drag you out with your watch," George replied, laughing at the obscenities Fred yelled back.

"You're both crude, and I'm giving you bars of soap to wash your mouths out," Ginevra muttered, shaking her head at her brothers' behaviour.

"Oh, you wouldn't do that, sister dearest! It may just make us nice, and could you imagine a world where Gred and I are nice?" Fred asked, shuddering at the thought.

George draped an arm around Ginevra's shoulder, smirking at her.

"Yes, Forge and I would give sweets out to children and they wouldn't run away," George said, batting his eyelashes.

"People would thank us in the street, not hit us with their handbags and umbrellas," Fred added.

"We'd love every family member the same, and even listen to Percy's lectures about cauldron bottoms," George continued.

"We would never even dream of teasing our sister dearest about drinking blood and sucking on Blood Pops," they said together, both of them trailing off as Ginevra's eyes turned red.

"Oh yes, thank you for that," Ginevra said, grinning at them both as she went over to Draco, her arm around him.

"Not even going to ask, are we, Gred?" Fred asked.

"Not even going to think about it, are we, Forge?" George replied.

They both shuddered, then hurried to the meeting room with the others.

"Did you end up finding the Blood Pop?" Ginevra asked Draco softly.

"It was stuck to the canopy over the bed. No idea how it got there," he replied, smirking.

Ginevra laughed, kissed Draco again, then went into the meeting room with him.

After half an hour, all of the presents were opened. Fred and George had exchanged their gifts with each other four times, so they had the present they'd originally been given.

"I swear, there's more paper in here than presents," Pansy muttered, hitting a shiny piece of Christmas wrap away.

"Merry Christmas, we bought you paper!" Padma and Parvati sang out, laughing.

"Don't you feel special now, Pans?" Gregory said sarcastically, smirking at his girlfriend.

"Oh, yes. Can't wait to see what I get for New Years and Easter," she drawled, rolling her eyes.

"Sex, sleep, and more sex?" Vincent offered, smirking.

"No thanks!" Fred and George called.

"Fred and George, did you give Relo a Skiving Snackbox?" Bexley asked as he floated into the room.

"We aren't allowed to answer that without our lawyer present," they replied immediately.

"You didn't, did you?" Ginevra asked, hitting them on the heads as she hurried to her room.

Relo was on the ground, boils covering his entire body.

"I'm going to kill you two," Ginevra growled to her brothers, glaring at them.

"We didn't know it would do this to him!" they protested.

"That's no excuse," Theodore muttered, going to find his healing kit.

"Don't be bad with the twinses. They were nice to Relo," Relo said, his body shivering as some more boils appeared.

"Seamus, go hunting. Relo needs food," Theodore said as he returned with his kit.

Seamus nodded, leaving with Blaise and Neville quickly.

Ginevra went to her trunk. Rummaging for a moment, she found the blanket that Relo had kept for her. Going back to the Erkling, Ginevra put it beside Relo. He looked happy for a moment, wrapping his arms around the faded blue blanket lovingly. Relo murmured something in elfish, making Theodore grin before returning to the healing spells.

"Okay, everyone out while Theodore helps Relo," Pansy murmured, ushering them out of the room. "You too, Ginevra."

"I'll be back, okay Relo?" Ginevra said, smiling at him.

Relo managed a small nod, whimpering.

Fred and George both looked ashen and upset, not meeting anyone's gaze as they all left the room.

"We really are sorry," they said to Ginevra.

"I know you are, but it doesn't make what you did any better. I mean, honestly, giving a Skiving Snackbox to an Erkling? And one as young as Relo, at that! You'll both look after him when Theodore's finished fixing your dirty work. And don't give those boxes to any more creatures," Ginevra said, sighing.

She couldn't be truly angry at them. Not when they both looked as depressed and remorseful as they did. Fred and George had never looked remorseful about something before, not even when they'd tried to make Ron do an Unbreakable Vow.

"Oh, and by the way? You can take the Glamours off," Ginevra added.

Fred and George looked up then, surprised.

"We don't mind keeping them up," Fred said.

"We know that we're not exactly model material..." George continued.

"You never were, now take the Glamours off," Ginevra interrupted, her voice stern.

Sighing, they took the Glamours off. As they did, the numerous scars they'd gotten during the month Ginevra had been under Ric's spell appeared. She kissed both of their scarred cheeks and hugged them tightly.

"Don't worry, brothers of mine. Relo will be all right."

"Okay, it's Christmas. Enough of this depressing stuff!" Pansy muttered from the meeting room doorway. "If you're quite over feeling sorry for yourselves, we're waiting for you to have lunch."

Ginevra smiled up at her brothers, counting the five and six scars on Fred and George respectively. She owed Virginia and Bart eleven scars...

"Come on, let's go get lunch," Ginevra said with a grin, looping her arms in her brothers and leading them to the meeting room.

"We're back," Blaise called as he, Neville, and Seamus came into Ginevra's rooms.

Seamus was carrying a few small birds and lizards. Despite the cold winter air, he was still in his fighting mode. He went straight into Ginevra's room, closing the door behind him.

"You should have seen him hunting," Neville said, grinning.

"Those animals didn't feel any pain at all," Blaise said.

"I don't think they even noticed the arrow," Neville added, shaking his head.

"It is the way of the hunter to cause the least amount of pain to its prey," Seamus murmured as he came into the meeting room.

His sudden presence made most of them jump; they hadn't heard Ginevra's door open, or heard Seamus' footsteps.

"I wonder if Theodore knows how to treat heart attacks," Millicent muttered, her eyes wide as she held her heart.

"Is Relo okay?" Fred and George asked.

"Theodore said tha' he'll be fine. Relo's doing whatev'r he does ter those animals now," Seamus replied.

"Doesn't he just eat them?" Padma asked, her eyebrow raised in confusion.

"I don't think ye want ter know what he does before lunch," Seamus said, grinning.

They all heard Theodore's footsteps, so no one was shocked when he came into the room. He looked a little green.

"You don't want to know what he does after lunch, either," he muttered, sitting down next to Millicent. "The boils are all gone now, and he's just got a slight fever. Relo will be fine after a few hours rest," Theodore informed them.

Fred and George looked relieved.

"That's great! Now sit down so we can eat," Vincent growled, rubbing his stomach.

Seamus rolled his eyes, returned to his mortal form and sat between Draco and Neville.

"There, happy now?" he drawled, grinning.

"Definitely," Gregory said, reaching over to grab the bowl of vegetables.

"You wanted vegetables?" Padma asked.

"They're warm, and I'm cold," Gregory replied, shrugging.

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard!" Pansy said, laughing.

Gregory just passed the vegetables to Vincent, grinning.

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"Ah, a pleasure to see you all came to spend Christmas dinner with us," Dumbledore said, smiling at them all broadly. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Professor," Ginevra replied.

Relo ran between their feet, and looked up at Albus, grinning broadly.

"Hello Relo, it's wonderful to see you again," Albus said.

"Hello!" Relo replied, hugging Albus' legs.

A shriek drew their attention to the teacher's table. Rion was staring at Relo with wide eyes, her mouth formed in a shocked 'o'.

"We should have brought Relo to dinner long before this," Millicent muttered under her breath to Padma.

Padma stifled a laugh when Albus looked at them, before he turned his attention to the Astronomy Professor.

"The Erkling is quite harmless, Olivia. There is no need to be afraid of him," Albus said with a smile.

"I refuse to be in the same room as that ... creature, Albus," Rion said, her voice rising as Relo came closer to her.

"Relo, come back. You're scaring her," Ginevra called, reassuring Relo, who hadn't understood what Rion was saying.

Relo whined, but returned to Ginevra, his head hung.

"We'll be spending Christmas night with you Relo, just as I promised," she assured, smiling at him.

Relo yelled happily, hugging Ginevra tightly. He scrambled up her body and rested on her shoulder, wrapping his thin arms around her neck.

"Merry Christmas, everyone," Ginevra said genuinely, then left the Great Hall without a second glance back.

"Merry Christmas," her friends echoed, smirking at Rion's facial expression, before following Ginevra.

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Relo scrambled around the rooms eagerly, showing none of the weakness he'd had earlier in the day. He hugged everyone constantly, even while they were eating, and chattered away despite knowing they couldn't all understand what he was saying.

"We should get Chi to go with us tomorrow," Gregory said to Vincent, grinning.

"Speaking of, I haven't seen the Clabbert for a while, where'd she go?" Pansy asked with a slight frown.

"She's hibernating in the rafters," Bexley answered when no one replied.

"I didn't know the Clabbert hibernated," Parvati mused.

"Lyra told me, but I forgot to mention it," Colin admitted sheepishly.

"Is Micah still suffering in your sock drawer, Vincent?" Padma asked him, smirking.

"He moved to the cupboard just last week," he replied.

"Not much of an improvement there," Millicent muttered, making Parvati laugh.

"Dodger's off hibernating as well," Neville said, grinning.

"He's underneath our bed, last I saw," Seamus said.

"I heard he was moving to your Gran's place to teach her some manners," Blaise said to Neville, smirking.

"Oh no! I forgot to send my gift to Gran!" Neville groaned.

"Not like she deserves it, the old bat," Fred and George muttered.

"What did you buy her?" Ginevra asked.

"I didn't buy it; I made it ... " Neville said, coughing as he reddened slightly. "I grew a flower for her."

"I don't know anything about flowers, but I'd say it's a nice one," Seamus said, grinning.

"I can send it to her now, if you want," Draco offered.

"I'll send it tomorrow morning. It's not like she expects anything less from me," Neville replied with a sigh.

"I can't believe you actually put effort into something for her!" Theodore said, shocking most of them. "What? It's true... He's probably spent weeks growing this flower, and I doubt she'll even take care of it, or appreciate the work he's put into it. It's not right to be treated that way," he muttered.

"I know, but she raised me," Neville said quietly.

A Filibuster firework exploded, everyone jumping at the sudden loud noise and bright lights. Relo ran underneath the table, whimpering.

"Sorry Relo," Parvati called, sheepish. "It's Christmas; I didn't want to be depressed," she added when everyone looked at her in surprise.

"You can come out now, Relo. It won't hurt you," Theodore coaxed.

Trembling, Relo slowly came out from under the table. He flinched when Parvati hugged him, then relaxed.

"You scared us with the noise and the lights," he cried.

"I'm sorry, Relo. But it made everyone happy again," Parvati murmured, patting him.

"Jelly!" Relo said happily, scrambling over to Vincent.

"Or maybe it was the jelly," Parvati huffed.

George put an arm around her, grinning.

"I was just about to light mine when yours went off," he admitted, chuckling.

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"Good night!" Ginevra called down the hallway.

Everyone echoed her, sounding far more happy than they had in some time.

"Good night," Draco murmured, kissing her.

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(a/n: hope you enjoyed the twentieth chapter! Thank you for reading!)

21. Chapter Twenty-One

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let J.K.R sue me.

(a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate it!)

Chapter Twenty-One

Saturday, Dec. 28

Ginevra watched as her friends left, a suspicious look on her face.

They'd all wanted to come up to the Shrieking Shack, and now seconds after arriving, they wanted to leave?

"All right, Draco. What's going on?" she asked, hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What makes you think something's going on?" he replied, smirking.

"How about the fact that everyone's left when they all wanted to come here?"

"They had a sudden change of mind?" Draco suggested, still smirking at her.

"Yeah, right," Ginevra muttered under her breath.

"Humour me," Draco said.

"Did you hear the one about the gnome and the Hippogriff?" Ginevra asked sarcastically.

Draco stared at Ginevra for a moment, his eyebrow raised in disbelief. Or shock.

"That was extremely lame," he said, shaking his head.

"I know. Will you tell me what's going on now?" Ginevra asked with a huff.

"Nope. It's a surprise."

Ginevra muttered under her breath, kicking at the snow on the ground. She was being childish, but it made her feel a little better.

"Ready?" Draco asked.

She looked up at him, and her breath caught in her throat as she took in his Veelan form.

With his wings spread, the elaborate patterns on his face glowing, and soft snowflakes drifting around him, Draco could have been mistaken for a fallen angel.

He smirked at her as he recognised the lustful look on her face.

"Not here, love," he said with a chuckle, then took her in his arms and rose into the sky. "Hold on tight," Draco murmured in her ear.

Ginevra wrapped herself around Draco's warm body, making sure she kept her arms below his wings.

Draco took in a deep breath, then held Ginevra tighter still and dove towards the ground. She laughed in his ear, and he spun upwards moments before they hit the ground. He flew over Hogsmeade, and they both heard their friends call out to them loudly. Draco grinned at their comments, then headed towards the forest.

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Agnes smiled at her sister-in-law. It was not a pleasant smile. It was a predatory smile, and hinted to the very reason why Agnes was still living and breathing, even after two vampire wars.

"I cannot wait to rip her to shreds," Julianne growled.

"When that day comes, I swear that I will turn a blind eye," Agnes promised.

"A promise I will hold you to, sister of my heart," Jules said, grinning.

Agnes just nodded her head in response, and they both followed Virginia's magical signature quickly.

"I do not like this," Artemis murmured a moment later. "Her signature is too prominent. She is letting us find her."

"Virginia must have thought of a way to get out of her punishment. She would not allow herself to get caught without knowing she had a way to escape the consequences," Agnes murmured.

"Should we call the twins? They may have some Veritaserum," Jules suggested.

"It would not work on one such as her. Virginia is old enough to know how to get past the effects of such a serum," Agnes said, shaking her head.

"We keep going," Artemis said firmly.

She had been hunting Virginia for weeks, and was not about to give up now.

"Very well. We keep going," Agnes said, and they continued faster still.

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Ginevra slipped out of Draco's grasp as he landed, and promptly fell onto the grass. The surrounding trees provided adequate cover from the falling snow, so she was lucky that there was only a slight dew from the cold, rather than centimetres of wet snow.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Draco asked, by her side instantly.

"My legs have gone numb," Ginevra said, laughing.

Draco stretched as his wings disappeared into his back. He tapped his wand to Ginevra's legs, then rubbed them slightly.

"Thank you. That feels better," she said, sighing in content.

"You're welcome, love."

Still rubbing her legs, Draco watched as Ginevra lay on her back. She arched slightly to look at the weeping willows surrounding them, providing a curtain from any curious animals.

"Would you like lunch?" he asked after a moment.

Ginevra sat up quickly, looking surprised.

"You brought lunch?"

"Of course. I don't plan on going back for a while," Draco replied, smirking.

"And what makes you think I don't want to go back?" Ginevra asked coyly, laughter in her eyes and tone.

"This," Draco said, lunging forward and kissing her eagerly. "And this," he added, kissing her neck.

He murmured something under his breath, and Ginevra felt her robe and shirt unbutton themselves.

"Where did you learn that spell?" she asked.

"Pansy told it to me, actually," Draco said, reddening slightly.

"That's awkward. It would be like one of my brothers telling me a spell!" Ginevra said, laughing. Then she went quiet, and smirked at Draco.

"What did they tell you?" he asked warily.

"You will see," Ginevra said, grinning as she murmured under her breath.

"What was the spell supposed to do?" Draco asked after a moment.

"Nothing. There was no spell, I just wanted to see how long it would take you to say something!" Ginevra said, laughing as Draco growled at her. "So what did you bring for lunch?" she asked, rebuttoning her shirt and robe.

"I don't know," he admitted, grinning. "The house elves insisted on packing it," Draco added quickly.

"Surprise lunch. My favourite," she drawled.

"Sarcastic much?" Draco said, smirking at her as he made the basket larger.

"Did Dobby make you carry the basket again?" Ginevra asked, laughing when Draco muttered about tea-cosied house elves under his breath.

They talked quietly to each other as they ate, learning and exploring themselves.

Hearing tiny flapping wings, Ginevra looked up to see butterflies flying near a fragrant bush.

"Look," she said, nodding over to them. "They're beautiful creatures," Ginevra murmured, watching as they danced intricately with the wind.

"Watch this," Draco said with a wink.

Ginevra watched as Draco called butterflies down to them, laughing. More arrived with each passing second, enticed by his Veelan call. The butterflies flew around them, their soft wings making light breezes.

A bright blue butterfly landed on her nose, and she smiled at Draco. He cupped the butterfly in his hand gently then released his hold on them, kissing Ginevra as the butterflies flew away.

"Ginevra?" he murmured, pulling away.

She noticed that one of his hands was still cupped closed, and looked at him curiously.

Draco looked at Ginevra, smiling broadly. He took her hand then went on one knee beside her.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" he asked.

He opened his hand, and the blue butterfly flew away, revealing a silver engagement ring mounted with a blue sapphire and a smaller diamond on either side.

Ginevra smiled and nodded, hugging him tightly.

"Of course I will, Draco! I love you," she whispered then kissed him.

Draco held onto her and kissed her back.

"I love you too, Ginevra," he whispered in her ear as he slipped the ring on her finger.

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Halfway between sleep and rest, Ginevra tried to keep awake by watching her engagement ring shine in the sunlight. The amusement faded after a few minutes, as Draco was asleep and couldn't see it too, so she began to listen to his heartbeat. Holding her breath for a moment, Ginevra timed her heart to beat in time with his, making sure to breathe at his pace.

Listening to their hearts beating in time, Ginevra was surprised when she heard another heart beating. It was too large for any forest animals, and even too large to be a human's heart. Listening intently, Ginevra wondered if the creature was friendly or hostile.

Draco opened an eye as Ginevra sat up, making her movements as quiet as possible.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low.

"Not sure," she murmured, standing now.

Draco stood beside her, listening.

"Do you hear it?" Ginevra asked, staring in the beating's direction.

"I hear it. It's coming closer," he replied, his voice quiet.

Any response Ginevra would have made was stopped by a creature leaping into the clearing.

Ginevra started when she realised that she recognised the creature.

"Leo-Bestia-Famulus?" she murmured, taking a step forward.

Draco quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her close.

"He doesn't know you," he murmured to her. "You have to fight him."

"Leave then. I don't want to worry over you," she replied, looking at him. Draco nodded, kissed her and left through a nearby gap in the trees.

"You send your woman to fight me? And such a small one at that? It is an insult to me! One so small will be easily killed, and yet I fear that she will not be able to fill this stomach," Leo taunted as Draco left the clearing.

Ginevra's dagger appeared in her hand, and she glared at the manticore.

Insulting her was one thing, but insulting Draco was something else all together...

"Very well, small one. I will fight you. And once you are dead, then your lover will be next," he crooned. His scorpion tail whipped around to the front, and Ginevra barely had time to dodge it. Her dagger glinted in the sunlight, drawing the manticore's attention to it. He laughed, advancing on her.

"You think that you can hurt me with that puny thing, small one?"

With a snarl, Ginevra leapt forward and made a deep cut in the manticore's lion body, making in growl in pain. She crouched low, but was not fast enough to avoid the manticore's sharp talons as he leapt backwards in pain. With a hiss, the manticore aimed his scorpion tail at her. Quicker this time, she moved out of its way and made her way behind the creature. Moving forward quietly as the manticore tried to turn to look for her, Ginevra dodged his tail, jumping forward and slashing at the joint between the lion's back and the beginning of the scorpion tail. The manticore howled in pain as its tail fell off.

Ginevra felt sickened as she watched green blood pour out from the wound, knowing what she had done. The manticore stared at Ginevra as its human head paled.

"I apologise to you, my Queen. I did not know it was you who I fought! Please, forgive me and let me become your faithful servant!" the manticore said, dropping to the ground in a bow. Ginevra stood up properly and looked at the dying manticore before her.

"I accept your apology. You are forgiven, Leo-Bestia-Famulus. Once you are healed, you will be sworn to protect me and my loved ones, even if this action causes your death, is that understood?" Ginevra asked. (Lion-beast-servant.)

"That is understood, my Queen," Leo replied, nodding.

Ginevra carefully picked up the tail of the manticore and held it against the open wound. Resting her hand over the split, she closed her eyes and began to murmur a healing and binding spell under her breath. Blood began moving back into the manticore and the cut flesh repaired itself. The scorpion tail joined on with the lion body and when Ginevra opened her eyes, all that was left was a red scar showing that he had been healed, and that Leo-Bestia-Famulus was now her servant. Even the wound on Leo's shoulder had healed too.

"You are sworn to protect myself, and those I love, Leo-Bestia-Famulus. Now, follow me. I need to find my fiancé," Ginevra said and turned around to go find Draco.

Draco had returned to see the fight, remembering the vision. Despite having Seen it before, Draco wanted to be sure that Ginevra was not hurt by the manticore. Surprising himself, Draco enjoyed watching the vampiress fight the manticore. His heart stopped each time she was hurt, beating again fiercely when she continued to fight. The fight was so much better in person than in the fragmented version of the vision, and he couldn't help but stare at Ginevra - his fiancée - in shock and admiration.

By some amount of willpower, Draco didn't fall to his knees when Ginevra turned to him. She had told him never to bow to her in the vision, and he knew that she wouldn't appreciate it if he did so and she had to repeat herself.

Blood was splattered across her robes, her hair was tousled, and a slight sheen of sweat coated her face and neck, the only skin that he could see. Though her face was scratched, she'd never looked so beautiful.

"Ginevra, love," he murmured.

Draco moved to her, held her in his arms and kissed her deeply, ignoring the manticore beside them. Time passed, how much of it, Draco neither knew nor cared. But then Leo interrupted and Draco reluctantly let go of Ginevra to glare at him. Leo ignored the glare, looking only at Ginevra.

"My Queen. I apologise for interrupting, but it is vital that we leave. A herd of centaurs are heading this way," he informed them.

Ginevra nodded her head and got on the back of Leo. With only a slight hesitation Draco got up behind her and Leo leapt away quickly, arrows narrowly missing them.

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Julianne and Artemis glared at Agnes, not happy with their sister-in-law's decision.

"I am truly sorry, but it is the law of my kind. We cannot kill her," Agnes muttered, not even glancing in Virginia's direction.

She already knew the smug expression Virginia donned at times like these, and Agnes was afraid that if she saw that look, she would break her own laws and dispose of Virginia without a second thought.

"There are no witnesses to prove your accusations, and it is within my immortal right to go travelling if I wish!" Virginia said, the triumphant tone in her voice almost breaking Agnes' resolve.

"The gods' witness your every action and deed," Artemis hissed, making Virginia shrink back against her binds for a moment. "They will judge and punish you accordingly at the end of your time."

Artemis was not in the least satisfied, but she knew that she had to accept her own words. She left Julianne before she hurried Virginia's meeting with the gods'...

"I will wait for my chance to exact revenge on her. I expect you to keep your promise then, sister of mine," Julianne said to Agnes, ignoring Virginia's cries for attention and questions.

"I will be beside you, and I will keep my promise," Agnes said firmly, nodding her head.

"Then that is all I can ask. Please give my greetings to my brother," Jules said.

"Of course. Do the same for Garion. I hope there will be a time when we can dine together once more," Agnes replied.

"As do I. Farewell, sister," Jules said, disappearing back to her husband and their home.

When Julianne was gone, Agnes turned to look at Virginia. She tried her hardest to ignore the victorious look on Virginia's face.

"You know that there is no reason for me to be bound like this, my kin," Virginia crooned. "I have done no wrong, and I do not like being held against my will."

"Very well, kin," Agnes said, hissing the last word like a curse. "But you remember this: I have more power than you do, and I am well aware of your weaknesses. The next time you hurt my family, I will use both against you."

Suddenly, Virginia was alone. The binds around her were gone, as was Agnes. Virginia barely repressed her shiver, and resolved to stay out of Agnes' way for the next century ... or three.

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Tuesday, Dec. 31 / Wednesday, Jan. 1

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

"Don't scream in my ear!"

"I wasn't screaming!"

"Yes, you were!"

"You're screaming now!"

"So you admit to screaming?!"

"How long do you reckon they'll last?" Pansy asked Ginevra, looking over at Fred and George, who were still arguing.

"Depends on how much Butterbeer they've had," Ginevra replied, shrugging.

"Well, those three bottles were full when they arrived," Neville said sleepily.

"Someone needs ter get ye ter bed," Seamus murmured, stroking Neville's shoulders lightly.

"Not tired," Neville replied, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes quickly.

"Oh, I know tha'," Seamus said, his Irish accent thickening.

"I don't think he intends on letting either of us sleep tonight, Nev," Blaise said, smirking.

"Aye, yer right. So ye should both jus' give in an' come ter bed," Seamus said, grinning. Blaise nodded, helping Neville off the couch and following Seamus to their room.

"I don't know if I want to Obliviate myself or not," Pansy mused, shaking her head.

"That's not suggested while under the influence of Butterbeer," Luna said, smiling at them as she wandered out of the room with Colin in tow.

"Do I look like a house-elf to you?" Pansy called, muttering when Luna's laughter was the only response.

"Time for bed, Pans," Greg said, lifting her off the couch and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Bed is good," Vince added, nuzzling his face into her neck.

"Great, I'm dating Tarzan," Pansy muttered, but allowed herself to be led out of the room.

The others began to leave too, wrapped up in one another. Fred and George stopped their argument long enough to realise that Parvati and Padma weren't impressed, then decided to use their mouths for more recreational purposes instead.

"Are you all right, Ginevra?" Draco murmured when they were alone ten minutes later.

"I think so," she replied. "I don't like making Leo stay outside; it's freezing out there."

"We already offered a room to him, but he wouldn't take it, remember?" Draco reminded her. "I don't think manticores are fond of small spaces, love. It would be like Azkaban to him in here."

"I know, but I still worry. What if one of the centaurs decides that having a manticore so close to the forest is a danger and tries to shoot him?"

"Then we will deal with them. He has pledged his life to serve you, and there's probably some rule in some book somewhere stating that a servant of the Queen cannot be killed without her permission," Draco teased.

"Not funny, Draco," Ginevra muttered.

Shaking her head, she kissed him and followed him to their room.

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Wednesday, Jan. 16

As Ginevra and the others walked around the lake, students scrambled to get out of their way. Some screamed and others looked ready to faint. Leo, the manticore, was the reason for all of the hysterics. Apparently, not everyone believed that a friend of Hagrid's could receive a manticore for Christmas...

"I will take my leave of you, my Queen. I am distressing your subjects again," Leo said, bowing low before leaving in the direction of her rooms.

"I wouldn't have minded if he'd stayed. At least Lavender won't come near us then," Parvati muttered.

Lavender had been very attentive to them since the Christmas holidays had ended, something they were all suspicious of. So far, only Leo was able to make her keep her distance, but even then, she started sending Dean after them. Never Ron, though.

"Maybe Ron will talk to us now," Ginevra said, shrugging.

The others exchanged glances. Ginevra had been talking of Ron more and more often lately, and they weren't sure if that worried them or not.

"We can pass a note on to him, if you want. I don't think Lavender will let you go near him," Parvati said, chewing on her lip.

"Especially not while she's got her hooks, claws, and talons in him," Padma added.

Parvati nudged her twin, glaring at her for being so insensitive. Padma just shrugged in return.

"Don't worry about it. I want to talk to him face to face," Ginevra said, shaking her head. "Thanks for the offer though."

"You're welcome," Parvati replied quickly, nudging Padma when she went to say something rude. Padma agreed with a curt nod, then folded her arms and muttered under her breath.

"I think we need to do some training so Padma can work off her bitchiness," Pansy said, smirking.

"So you're giving me your bitchy crown and title then?" Padma retorted.

"Never. But I can always use more loyal subjects," she replied, ignoring Padma's attempt to pick a fight.

"Do you want to talk to me about it, Padma?" Luna asked quietly, indicating to the door.

"No, I do not want to talk to you about it! I can talk just fine where I am," Padma said, glaring. "I hate that you're putting all of this time and worry into Ronnie-kins," she said to Ginevra, sneering. "He hasn't done anything for you; at least nothing good. He didn't put any of his time and worry into you when you were under Ric's spell. We did. You shouldn't waste your emotions on the likes of him. He doesn't deserve them."

Everyone watched Ginevra and Padma anxiously. Parvati rose out of her seat, taking a step towards them before stopping. Padma had just said what they were all thinking.

"I suppose you're right," Ginevra said, sighing heavily. "I just feel like I'm not making enough effort with Ron. He is still my brother."

"He doesn't act like it," Padma pointed out.

"I know, but doesn't that mean I'll be the better person by acting like his sister?" It seemed like she was asking - almost pleading - for an answer.

"He'll think you're looking down on him, and resent you for it," Padma replied.

"So I'm just supposed to give up, and not even try to fix my relationship with my brother?" Ginevra asked, getting angry now.

"You can try, by all means... But don't just worry about it, and not do anything!" Padma said. "You've been going on about Ron for almost two weeks now, but you still avoid him in class, in the hallways, at the Great Hall. You're not doing anything!"

Ginevra recoiled as if she'd been slapped. Her anger faded almost immediately, and she thought about Padma's words seriously. Realising that Padma was right, Ginevra nodded briefly.

"Sorry," she murmured, suddenly embarrassed.

"Don't apologise," Padma said. "Just do something about it, okay? We don't like to see you tearing yourself to pieces like this," she said, concern in her voice now.

Ginevra nodded again.

"Thanks," she said quietly, smiling at Padma as she left the room.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to see this," Pansy said, smirking.

"And Her Royal Bitchiness returns," Padma said, bowing mockingly.

"Shut up and hurry," Pansy said, laughing as they went after Ginevra.

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Ginevra eventually found Ron and Lavender in a corridor, their faces pressed against each other. She coughed slightly, and they pulled apart to glare ... or take a breath.

"Hi Ron. Do you mind if I talk to you for a moment?" Ginevra asked, smiling at him. Lavender's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"What do you want from my Ron-Ron?" she simpered, yet managing a sharp edge to her tone.

"I just want to talk to him," Ginevra replied truthfully.

"It's all right, Lav. I'll be back in a minute," Ron said, untangling himself from Lavender's grip.

"I'll be over here," Lavender called after them, glaring at Ginevra.

"So what do you want?" Ron asked after a moment's silence.

"I was hoping we could talk; try to sort things out," Ginevra replied.

"Sure. But some other time, okay? I have a chess game with Harry," Ron said, grinning.

Ginevra stared after Ron, surprised and somewhat hurt at his dismissal. No matter how much they had both changed in the past few months, she doubted Ron would dismiss her so quickly...

"Ron, what's my favourite colour?" she asked.

It was a simple enough question, one that any Weasley knew the answer to, especially Ron; he had teased her about it often enough.

Ron stopped abruptly, then turned to look at her. His eyes were wide, and they flicked behind Ginevra to look at Lavender.

"R-red," Ron said, flushing.

"Wrong," Ginevra snarled, then jumped, landing directly on the impostor's back. "Who are you?" she hissed, pulling his head back by the hair.

The body beneath her began to change, and Ginevra had to tighten her grip so she wouldn't let go. "Dean?!"

"Ginny? What are you doing to Dean?" Ron yelled, appearing at the other end of the corridor. He ran over and pulled her off Dean quickly. "What is wrong with you? Are you insane?"

"No, he was you," Ginevra replied, then shook her head as she realised how that sounded. "I mean, he was pretending to be you and ... "

"I don't want to hear it, Ginny. You've got no right to go around hurting my friends. Look how pale he is! You've scared him half to death!" Ron said, shaking his head.

"Oh, it was horrible Ron-Ron! Dean didn't even do anything to her, and she just jumped on his back and started hurting him! I was so scared, I couldn't move!" Lavender said, her eyes wide and overly innocent.

"That's not what happened!"

"Enough!" Ron said sternly as he put an arm around Lavender protectively, glowering at Ginevra. "I cannot believe you, Ginny. I thought you might have been better this year," he said, turning his back on her and leading Lavender and Dean away.

Ginevra was still for a moment, then she shook her head quickly, both in disbelief and to get rid of her negative emotions. The pain that Parvati and Padma had so painstakingly removed was burning through her body, and Ginevra could hardly breathe from it. After another moment, she got it under control and turned to smile at her friends.

"You were right. I was stupid to have wasted my time and emotions on him," she said. "Let's go before one of them decides to tell a Professor."

Draco took Ginevra's hand in his own, rubbing the back of her hand reassuringly. He stopped when he noticed that there wasn't a Glamour on her engagement ring. Ginevra followed his gaze and sighed.

"I forgot to put it on. Well, at least he didn't notice it. That means he won't go tell Mum," Ginevra said.

"That's right, look on the bright side of things," Draco muttered.

He wasn't looking forward to telling Arthur and Molly that he had proposed to their daughter. Especially without their permission. Ginevra hadn't wanted him to die an(other) early death, and had agreed to wait until Easter to inform their parents.

Draco was certain that they would get married with or without their blessing, but it would be better for everyone's sake of mind if they did receive it...

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Sunday, Mar. 31

(Easter)

Draco hurried out of Ginevra's rooms, making his movements as quiet as possible. No one heard him leave, and he was grateful for that, hoping to return before they woke up.

"Is everything all right, my King?" Leo asked.

"Fine, Leo. I need to get to Hogsmeade," Draco replied. "I think the carriages will be leaving soon, and I want to try and get back before the others wake up," he said, heading towards the castle.

"You may ride me, if you wish to arrive and return faster, my King," Leo replied.

Draco nodded gratefully and mounted Leo quickly.

The manticore leapt away, heading towards the village of Hogsmeade.

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Lavender woke up, looked at Dean and smirked. Today was the day they would get revenge on Ginny 'Little Miss Perfect' Weasley. The day was looking brighter already. "Wake up, you lousy git! We've got to get ready," she said, shaking him awake.

"Wha'? Lav? Aw, fuck off. We've got the entire day yet," Dean mumbled, rolling over and covering his eyes with his arm.

"And they may already be up! Get up, Dean Michael Thomas, or else I'll make you," Lavender growled.

Dean rolled onto his back to look at her, all trace of sleepiness gone. "Is that a promise, Lav?" he asked, smirking as he thrust his hips forward.

Lavender huffed, hit him and turned away. Dean crawled over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Come on. One shag won't be a waste of time. Who knows, maybe it'll make me do my part better?" he added with a grin as he licked her neck.

Lavender held out for a moment longer, and then turned in his arms, kissing him. "You had better put on the performance of your life, Dean Thomas!" she threatened, pushing him back onto the bed.

Dean grinned, holding her hips as he pulled her towards him. "Oh, I will."

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Ginevra woke up suddenly, feeling cold. She shivered and reached around for the blanket, trying not to

open her eyes.

"Get the blanket for me, Draco?" she'd mumble, moving to snuggle into his warm body. "Draco?"

Ginevra opened her eyes and looked at Draco's side of the bed, which was currently empty. It took a moment for her sleep-riddled brain to realise that Draco wasn't in the bed, and that she couldn't hear him in the bathroom either. "Draco?!" she called.

Ginevra got out of bed quickly and headed to the bathroom, just in case she was wrong. Frowning as she went back into their room, Ginevra looked around for a note of some kind.

Seeing a piece of parchment lying on the desk, she hurried over to look at it. Sighing in relief when she recognised Draco's handwriting, Ginevra read the note, her relief turning to confusion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ginevra,

I hope that I am back before you wake up. If not, then I have left this note.

I have gone out for a while. I will come back as soon is possible.

Don't worry; nothing is wrong.

Sincerely,

Draco.

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"Good morning, my Queen," Bexley said, bowing as he floated into the room.

"Hi Bexley," Ginevra said absent-mindedly, still looking at the parchment in her hands.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, concern in his tone.

"Draco's gone out. Do you know where?" Ginevra asked.

"Unfortunately, I do not know where he has gone, but I did see the manticore leave with the King on his back just this morning," Bexley replied.

Ginevra nodded, feeling safer that Draco was with Leo.

"Thank you, Bexley. Are the others awake, or do I still have time to hide their Easter eggs?" she asked, grinning now.

Bexley chuckled and headed towards the wall.

"I will check for you; one moment," he replied, disappearing through the bricks and stone.

Ginevra changed quickly while Bexley floated through the corridors, returning in a few minutes.

"The coast is clear, my Queen," he said, chuckling again.

Ginevra grinned, took the Easter eggs from their hiding spot and left the room quietly.

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Draco almost felt guilty for what he was doing. He was going to be meeting Arthur and Molly Weasley tomorrow afternoon, as he had agreed with Ginevra, and he was frighteningly nervous about it.

He could practically hear his father telling him that he was a Malfoy; he shouldn't be nervous over something like this.

Pushing his father's words from his mind, Draco entered the wizard's specialised Muggle store, hoping to find something for Arthur.

It was a feeble attempt to get Ginevra's parents approval, but he just hoped that they wouldn't think he was trying to buy them...

Fifteen minutes later, he left the store, a bag in his pocket containing various things he'd never seen before: a rubber duck, a glow-in-the-dark stick (didn't Muggles have any other sources of light?), and a computer drive. It was one of those elek-tricity things that Muggles were always going on about...

Draco sighed heavily. Now he just had to find something for Molly...

He headed over to Leo, who was covered by an invisibility spell, something for which Draco was both grateful and annoyed about. It made talking to the manticore very difficult.

"I don't know what to get her," Draco murmured.

"What about jewellery?" Leo suggested.

"No, I ... What did you say?" Draco asked, turning to stare at the manticore in shock; never mind the few people on the street.

Leo frowned, and went to ask a question, but then Draco dropped to his knees, pain etched on his face.

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Ginevra cradled the eggs in her arms, careful not to drop them. She was sorry that Draco had missed out on the egg hunt, but it did mean that she got more chocolate for herself!

Chuckling to herself, Ginevra opened their bedroom door and put the eggs on the table.

"Ginevra? We're going to the lake, do you want to come?" Pansy called out, knocking on the door.

"All right. Give me a minute to get changed!" she called back.

She hurried to get into suitable clothes, then grabbed her robe from the chair before leaving the room.

"Ready," Ginevra said with a grin, putting the robe on and buttoning it quickly. "Where's Luna?" she asked, not seeing her with the others.

"She doesn't want to go to the lake today. It's going to rain later," Colin said, holding up the umbrella with a grin.

Ginevra just nodded in response, then they left to go to the lake.

Pansy went ahead of them all, eager to see the expanse of water. She wanted to swim, now that it wasn't so cold her tail almost dropped off. Vincent and Gregory hurried after her, hoping she wouldn't dive straight into the water like she had last time.

The others hurried after her, enjoying the sunshine. Ginevra lagged behind, happy to take her time. Her friends were far in front now, and Ginevra smiled as she saw Pansy jump into the lake fully clothed. Again.

She went to hurry past the stone-walled courtyard that was well-known as a place for students to make out, or do more if they were adventurous. She didn't see why anyone would do that when the walls weren't very high, and people could see people's faces if they were tall enough.

Ginevra's heart skipped a beat as she saw platinum blonde hair inside the walled area.

It was Colin Creevey, she told herself, shaking her head.

She repeated it, even as she focused her hearing on the two people inside.

"Won't Ginny know?" a female voice whispered.

"I can handle her," Draco's voice replied.

Draco Malfoy's voice.

Ginevra's heart stopped.

Draco was cheating on her.

All of the pain that had been repressed in the last few months broke free of its hold. Ginevra fell to her knees, clutching her chest. Pain enveloped her entire body and being, and she couldn't even call out.

Suddenly, all of the pain disappeared, and Ginevra looked up. Her eyes burned red, her hair crackled with red lightning, and red waves started to pulse from her body as her Vampiress form forced its way out of her.

Ginevra moved towards the wall. It crumbled as the red waves touched it, and the girl shrieked as the dust cleared and she saw Ginevra properly.

Ginevra ignored the girl, even when she ran past her. She only had eyes for Draco.

Draco Malfoy, her fiancé, who was cheating on her.

Her Vampiress form faded, the shock enough to bring it out of her.

Draco smirked at her.

"Why so surprised?" he drawled, folding his arms across his chest. "You didn't really think that I loved you, did you?" Draco asked, laughing cruelly. "You were a brilliant shag, I'll admit that," he added, looking over her body hungrily. "How about another one for old times' sake?"

With a growl, the Vampiress form returned and any pity or reservations Ginevra might have had disappeared.

Black clouds rolled in, blocking out the sunshine in one fell swoop. Rain started to pour and hail pounded. Students screamed at the sudden change, rushing inside to get warm.

Ginevra ignored them, ignored the hail, ignored the rain.

"Come on, Ginevra. You must have known that I would leave," Draco said, despite his chattering teeth. "I..."

"Silence," she hissed.

He clutched his throat as his voice disappeared.

Ginevra stalked towards him, the red waves pulsing. Lightning struck and thunder rolled, bathing Ginevra in a sudden light in the darkness.

Draco jumped at the sound. The red waves got closer. He remembered the wall and tried to back away.

She growled, cleared the small distance in an easy leap and held Draco up against the wall by his throat.

"You used and cheated on me as if I was nothing," she growled.

Draco's face started to turn red from the lack of oxygen.

"You made a big mistake," Ginevra hissed, smashing him into the wall while still holding his throat.

She let go and Draco crumpled at her feet, blood seeping from his skull.

Ginevra ran.

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Lavender screamed as the wall crumbled behind her. Her Glamour was weak, but Lavender was hoping that Ginny wouldn't even notice her, too caught up in Draco and his betrayal. She was right, and without getting a second glance, Lavender was out of the walled area.

Hurrying to the castle, Lavender shivered as she remembered Ginny's face. Dean would be all right, but only due to the potion that she had spent all of these months preparing.

The Dark Potion enabled Dean to be hurt to any extent possible within a thirty minute time span and then recover immediately. He could even die, and after the thirty minutes were up, he would wake up and be as healthy as he was before taking the potion. Of course, there were side affects. From what Lavender had understood from the old text, by using this potion, Dean had lost five years of his life.

It was something she was willing to risk. Since Lavender knew that Dean wouldn't take the potion if she'd told him, she had neglected to mention this fact. It wasn't like those five years were really necessary, anyway! And no one knew when they were going to die, so why bother worrying over something that might happen fifty, sixty, seventy years later?

Entering the castle, Lavender hurried to find Ron and tell him how it had went. Since Ginny's last meeting with Dean, Ron had been ropable when it came to his sister. Lavender had decided to bring him into the scheme, and he had been extremely helpful in getting ingredients from Snape's cupboard for her.

It seemed that Ron thought Ginny was being influenced by Draco. If Ginny thought that Draco had cheated on her, then she would return to the Gryffindor Tower, forget all about the Slytherins with whom she was currently residing, and return to being his innocent and naive sister...

Lavender snorted at Ron's stupidity, shaking her head.

"Are you satisfied now, Lavender Violet Brown?"

Lavender jumped as the voice came seemingly from nowhere. She glared as Luna stepped out from the shadows.

"What are you going on about?" Lavender sneered.

"I am talking about what you, Ron, and Dean have just done," Luna replied calmly, her white eyes staring straight at Lavender.

"And what do you think you're going to do about it?"

"Nothing; what is done is done. But mark my words. You will pay," Luna said.

Lightning struck, and Lavender jumped as thunder followed it closely. She hadn't even noticed the darkness.

"How will I pay?" Lavender asked, trying not to let her fear into her voice.

When she didn't get a reply, she looked to where Luna had just been. She was gone.

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Draco clutched his chest, unimaginable pain tearing through his heart and body.

"Have to ... get to ... Hogwarts," he said between clenched teeth. "Ginevra's hurting," he said, looking at Leo.

Leo nodded and hurried to a side alley, becoming visible. Draco forced himself to stand and, ignoring the people who were starting to come over, he went into the side alley, climbing onto Leo's back.

He could only hold on tightly as Leo leapt from the alley, almost as high as the buildings, and hurried back to Hogwarts.

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She had killed Draco. He had cheated on her, and she had killed him.

Tears streaming down her face, Ginevra ran into the Forbidden Forest. She cried out in grief and anger, then leapt deeper into the Forest than she'd ever gone before. She heard Grawp and Hagrid somewhere further back in the Forest.

Draco was dead.

She kept running.

Coming to a clearing Ginevra stopped suddenly and collapsed.

She had killed him.

As before, her body started to pulse red waves. Her conflicted emotions caused the waves to darken. They became a blood-red colour as lightning flowed around her shaking form. Lightning cracked and thunder pierced the darkness. The waves became larger with each tear that fell from Ginevra's eyes.

Soon, they had become so dark that Ginevra herself couldn't be seen and with a loud cry of anguish, a large wave emitted from her. The red wave flew through the Forbidden Forest, lightning following it.

Everyone in both the Forest and Hogwarts stopped as the wave passed through them. Almost as if pulled by an unseen hand, they all walked to the clearing, human, animal and beast alike.

Ginevra cried out her pain and tears as lightning continued to flash around her, and the thunder crashed and rolled around the clearing.

She had killed Draco.

Some flinched when they saw that the lightning and thunder was coming from Ginevra somehow.

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As Draco felt another jolt of pain go through him, he urged the manticore to go faster. Giving a small grunt, Leo put on an extra burst of speed, running faster still.

As they neared the Forbidden Forest, a large red wave poured out from the trees. Lightning crackled throughout the Forest, bathing everything and everyone in an eerie red light.

Leo and Draco were pulled into the Forest with the others. As everyone somehow managed to enter the clearing, Draco saw Ginevra sobbing in the centre. Lightning cracked again, thunder rolled, both bursting out of her.

More tears fell from her eyes and Draco clenched his fists, wanting to kill whoever had made his own cry.

"Ginevra!" he called, moving to her. She looked up at him, her eyes red. "Ginevra, why are you doing this?"

Despite having Seen this so many times, he still had no idea why it happened.

Ginevra glared at him, hissed and scratched his face. He staggered back, holding his hand to his face as blood seeped from the wounds.

Draco was dead.

"Ginevra! It was not your love!" Leo called. "I swear it on the word that binds me to you!"

Ginevra hissed, her fangs extending.

Draco looked at Leo, wondering what he knew. His attention quickly returned to Ginevra as she stood up and hissed a spell loudly.

"What the fuck is she doing to me?!" Lavender screamed, her voice going hysterical.

Draco stared in shock and resounding anger as lightning wrapped around Lavender's body, lifting her into the air. Ginevra yelled another spell and Draco watched as Ron was lifted into the air too. Another spell, and movement beside Draco made him quickly turn and he saw Dean uselessly trying to fight the lightning that was lifting him up as well.

"You wish to break me?" Draco heard Ginevra ask quietly, and despite the thunder and lightning her voice was perfectly audible. "You wish to break that which is not yours to break?" Ginevra yelled at the three struggling in the air.

The lightning tightened around their bodies, almost cutting through their skin.

"You think that I would not find out that it was not my own? You thought that I would not discover who did this?!" Ginevra cried, the lightning tightening again.

Draco watched as they started to gasp for breath, holding in their screams of pain as the lightning bit into their skin.

"Put us down, you fucking bitch!" Dean yelled angrily, the lightning cutting him open.

"Te nequam meretrix!" Ron yelled. (You worthless whore!)

Draco snarled angrily, wishing that he could help Ginevra punish them...

"You chose this path, Ronald," Ginevra whispered.

Lavender screamed as the lightning dug into her flesh.

Their blood ran down their bodies and onto the forest floor.

Across the clearing, Draco saw that McGonagall and Dumbledore were whispering to each other, Albus shaking his head at a question she was asking.

Draco shook his head as he saw Luna standing nearby, holding an umbrella open above herself and Colin.

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"Can't you do something, Albus?" Minerva asked, not too keen to see students killed in front of her.

"No, she is too powerful. Besides, Vampire magic is far older than anything we know. If I try to stop it then we will all die. Even if I try to intervene then the result will be catastrophic," Albus said, shaking his head. "I must say, Miss Lovegood had the right idea," he murmured, looking at Luna and her umbrella.

Minerva just shook her head, and returned to watching the three students hanging in the air. Blood was dripping from them now...

"You chose to insult me, and now you will pay!" Ginevra yelled at Lavender, Ron and Dean.

The lightning tightened a final time, burning and cutting through their skin, muscles, bones and very souls. They screamed; a sound that would haunt the nightmares of every single person who heard it.

Suddenly, the lightning disappeared and Lavender, Dean, and Ron dropped to the ground, shivering and red welt marks covering their bodies.

The pull that Ginevra had held on them all faded immediately. Most ran away from the clearing, humans and beasts alike.

Draco barely realised that the red wave was returning back from Hogwarts and the surrounding forest until it hit Ginevra in the chest with its full force. He cried out as she fell to the ground and hurried to her side, Leo beside him.

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Draco looked down at Ginevra, fear grabbing his heart.

Speak, let me know you're all right, he willed, holding her hand. Draco almost sighed in relief when Ginevra opened her eyes and looked at him.

"I take back that what I have caused to my own, three-fold," he heard her whisper.

A red glow surrounded them, and he watched in horror as even more cuts appeared on Ginevra's face, larger and deeper than his few. Her eyes closed and Draco held her close to his body.

"My King, you must let go of her now. She needs to be taken back to the castle to be healed," Leo said quietly.

"I'll carry her," Draco said defensively, lifting Ginevra up as he stood.

He wouldn't let his mind linger on how limp she felt...

Draco passed Lavender, Ron and Dean and saw Madam Pomfrey beside them, muttering to herself. He clutched Ginevra tightly, sorely tempted to hex them.

"Draco! Is Ginevra all right?" Neville asked, rushing over with Blaise, Seamus and the others beside him.

"I... I don't know..." Draco said quietly, looking down at her.

"Ah, Miss Lovegood. I believe your umbrella will no longer be needed now that the rain has ceased," Albus said, smiling at her.

When Ginevra had crumpled, the clouds and rain disappeared. Now the sun was shining brightly, mocking them.

"It is actually a parasol," Luna replied. "And it is not for me to use," she added, turning to offer the parasol to the newcomers.

"My gratitude, Lady," Xavier said with a slight bow.

He guided Agnes beneath the parasol, before moving beneath its shade gratefully. They walked over to Draco and Ginevra.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you would please relinquish your hold on Ginevra, we will be able to take her to a place where she can be healed," Xavier said. "She needs more magic to be healed than anyone here can provide," he added.

"I'm coming with her," Draco said firmly.

"I am sorry, but that is not possible," Xavier said, sounding regretful.

Draco went to argue, but Agnes started talking before he could say anything.

"The healing process usually takes a week to complete. As Ginevra has exerted all of her power and emotions in this one day, we do not know how long it will take to heal her," Agnes said. "We cannot have you in the mansion for an unknown time period; we can only protect you for seven days," she added.

"Then I'll come now and stay for a week," Draco said.

"Seven days of your entire life," Xavier corrected.

Agnes rested a hand on Xavier's arm, whispering to him in a low rush of words that not even Draco heard.

"It has never been done before, but our laws will permit it," Xavier replied.

"We will contact you on the final day of Ginevra's healing," Agnes said to Draco, smiling.

"You need to let go now, Draco. If we do not get her to where she can be healed, then she may not make it," Xavier said, handing the parasol back to Luna absent-mindedly.

As the sun's rays hit Xavier and Agnes, they both hissed. Their skin turned red and their eyes flashed red in pain.

Luna hurried to hold the parasol above them, Colin moving her hand slightly so that it was shielding them completely.

"Thank you, Lady. Thank you, Apollo," Agnes said, shaking slightly as she reached over to release Draco's hold on Ginevra gently. "I promise that she will be safe, and we will contact you. I do not break my promises," she said.

Everything in Draco believed her, but he was still reluctant to pass Ginevra over to Xavier.

As soon as Ginevra was in Xavier's arms, he disappeared.

"I will take hold of the parasol for a moment, if you do not object, Lady," Agnes said to Luna with a smile.

"Of course not. Be gentle, they may be useful later," Luna replied.

"It may not be up to me to decide," Agnes replied, then took the parasol and headed over to where Madam Pomfrey was still attempting to heal Ron, Lavender and Dean.

"I need help with these three," Madam Pomfrey called out, not realising that Agnes was behind her.

"I will be taking them with me, Poppy," Agnes said.

"They are students here!" Madam Pomfrey protested, even as she stood up and stepped away from them.

"They are no longer students, nor human, until it has been deemed so by the one they are now owned by," Agnes replied.

It worried her that Ginevra had used the spell, let alone known about it... But for now, she had to deal with three children who had insulted her daughter. And one of them her sibling, Agnes thought sadly, shaking her head. It would take even more of her willpower not to harm them. It had been hard enough not to harm Virginia when she had the chance...

Touching each of the three children gently, Agnes stood once more and disappeared. By the time the parasol hit the ground, Dean, Ron, and Lavender had faded out of the clearing.

The only evidence they had been there was their blood on the floor, and their imprints in the wet grass. Both would disappear by the end of the day.

"I realise that this may be difficult for you, but you should all return to the castle," Albus said, sighing wearily.

Draco and the others left without a word.

The Professors who had stayed behind went over to Albus, all of them with questions, none that he could answer.

"What just happened?" Lupin asked.

"I am not sure. We will find out on Ginevra's return, I suspect," Albus replied.

"What do we do?" Minerva asked.

"Nothing. Our part is over now," he answered.

His response stilled any other questions, and they headed back to the castle silently.

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Xavier placed Ginevra on the bed. He covered her with the blanket, then turned to help Agnes as she arrived with the other three.

"Do you know how she knew the spell?" Agnes asked as they put Ron, Lavender and Dean on separate beds.

"I had forgotten the spell myself," Xavier said. "It is far too old for even some of the eldest Elders to remember."

"I know. That worries me," Agnes replied, looking over at Ginevra with a slight frown. "You checked her for soul possession, of course?"

"Of course. She was being possessed by Lily Potter, but that soul has now moved on," he replied.

"She is sensitive to possession then. We may need to do a regular check," she said, sighing.

"We will need to heal before attempting it," Xavier said, regarding his red arms with annoyance.

Agnes agreed, and left the room with her husband.

Ginevra lay in the bed, not moving in the darkness of her mind.

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(a/n: thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!)

22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let J.K.R sue me.

(a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I appreciate it!)

Chapter Twenty Two

Monday, Apr. 1

Ginevra woke up. Her mind was clear, her body was free from various aches and pains, and she couldn't even feel the dull tingling left over from Ric's spell.

Sitting up, the first thing Ginevra noticed was the other three beds in the room. The room was absent of light, and she couldn't see the occupants of the beds properly.

As Ginevra looked at them closely, trying to figure out who they were, the three people glowed slightly. They sat up in unison, and turned to face her. Ginevra scooted back to the wall, clutching the blanket to her chest.

Dean, Lavender, and Ron stayed on their beds, watching her with closed eyes.

"It is good to see that you are awake, Miss Ginevra," Miles' voice carried from across the room.

"What's wrong with them?" Ginevra asked him.

"If you will wait a moment, I will get Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Miles said, leaving the room before she could answer.

Xavier and Agnes arrived within seconds. They thanked Miles and waited until the door had closed before going over to Ginevra.

"Are you well, daughter?" Agnes asked, smiling at her briefly.

"I don't know. What's wrong with them?" she asked, again.

"They are fine, daughter. Relax a moment. Lie down once more," Agnes murmured to her.

Ginevra reluctantly did as she said, watching as Agnes touched Ron, Lavender and Dean's foreheads. They returned to sleep again silently.

It was very odd, considering Ron usually snored. Quite loudly, at that, Ginevra mused with a frown.

"I am going to put a spell on you, daughter. It will just relax your body to the point where you will not be able to move and harm yourself," Agnes murmured.

"Harm myself?" Ginevra asked in alarm.

"Trust us, daughter. You are safe," Xavier promised gently.

Ginevra nodded briefly and tried to relax.

She watched as both Agnes and Xavier sat beside her on the bed. Xavier weaved the spell around her body, and Ginevra felt her body slowly relax. Her heart rate slowed and her limbs grew heavy as the spell worked its way over her.

"Do you remember what happened, Ginevra?" Agnes asked.

"What happened when?" Ginevra asked, obviously confused.

Xavier and Agnes shared a quick look, but it was enough to betray their worry to Ginevra.

She struggled against the spell, but was unable to move. She couldn't sit up, couldn't move her limbs, couldn't even move her body to face them properly. This feeling would haunt her dreams for years to come.

"What did I do?"

"I apologise, daughter. I am not able to tell you what happened. It is something that you must remember yourself," Agnes said kindly.

"It has something to do with them, doesn't it?" Ginevra asked, her eyes looking to Dean, Lavender and Ron.

"We are not able to assist you, daughter; it must be done on your own," Xavier said, standing. "We will leave you to think. I hope that you remember soon," he added with a gentle smile.

Xavier offered his hand to Agnes, and they left the room silently.

The moment the door closed, the spell was released, and Ginevra sat up to look at the three beds, a frown creasing her forehead.

What on earth had she done? Why couldn't she remember it? And most important of all, why had she done it?

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Arthur and Molly sat across from Draco, and he suddenly wished that he'd thought to bring the gift bag for Arthur. It might have eased the tension a little.

"Where is our daughter, Albus?" Molly asked the moment Dumbledore entered the room.

"She is safe," he replied.

"We can tell that by looking at the clock, Albus," Arthur said, his patience wearing thin. "Where is Ginny?"

"She is being housed by her vampire kin," Albus said, sighing. "Unfortunately," he added, before Arthur could say something else, "I do not know where it is, as it is Unplottable, and I am not their Secret Keeper. Only vampires and their kin may go there without permission, and I am neither."

"When will we be able to see her?" Molly asked.

"Ginevra will return when she is healed. I have not been provided with a timeframe," Albus added, sighing wearily.

"Then why bring us here? You could have said that over the fire, Albus," Molly said.

"I believe that Mr. Malfoy requires an audience with you both. I will be in the Great Hall if I am needed," Albus said, smiling now as he left, humming to himself.

Draco almost hated the Headmaster in that moment. Both Arthur and Molly turned to look at him intently, curiosity, concern, and surprise etched into their faces.

"I had intended to do this with Ginevra," Draco started, a nervous hitch in his voice.

Arthur's eyes immediately narrowed, and Draco hated how that one motion made him even more nervous than before. He reminded himself to think of Ginevra.

"I have proposed to Ginevra..." Draco began.

"What makes you think we'll let our baby girl marry you?" Arthur yelled, getting to his feet.

"Arthur, sit down," Molly said, pulling her husband down onto his seat again.

"But Molly, he's a Malfoy," Arthur hissed. "And they're too young to get married."

"Your daughter has no problems seeing past my name, sir. And I certainly do not have a problem with her name, or heritage," Draco said smoothly. "We may be young at the moment, but I did not say that we intended to get married straight away. We are somewhat immortal, and the ring that Ginevra has taken from me is a promise of my intention to marry her."

"So you're just going to string her along, are you?" Arthur said. "Give her a ring, buy her things, and keep her on the side while you go off with other women, and never actually get to the altar?"

"Arthur!" Molly yelled, stopping Draco's response. "I do apologise for him, dear. He is very overprotective with our daughter, as you can see. Do continue, I promise that Arthur will behave," she said, glaring at her husband sternly.

Draco coughed slightly, and nodded in thanks to Molly.

"As I was saying, I have proposed to Ginevra. We do not intend on marrying straight away, as we still have a lot to learn about each other. We have only truly known each other for six months, despite being at the same school for these past six years. The rings we have exchanged are an indication of our love, and if you will, of our ownership of each other. Adultery is practically a crime to the vampires, and Veelans aren't so forgiving on that matter either," Draco said with a slight grin.

Arthur didn't look impressed.

"By accepting my proposal, Ginevra has also accepted that she will not cheat on me, and I the same to her," Draco said, his tone showing that he meant his words. "We also accept that we will forgive each other if it is out of our control," he added, reminded harshly of Ric and what he had done.

"Will you tell us what happened, Draco?" Molly asked after a moment's silence. "Albus seems reluctant to give us all of the details, and it is keeping me up at night worrying over my baby. I know that she is growing into a woman, and has always been a very independent soul, but Ginny is still my daughter, and ... " she trailed off, tears glistening in her eyes.

Draco shifted in his seat uncomfortably. He hated to see women crying.

"What do you want to know?"

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Neville looked at the tube in his hands, wondering how on earth he had forgotten about it. The small cylinder contained the phoenix tears Ginevra had given him all those months ago. So much had happened to him, to all of them, between then and now. Not all of it was good, but he supposed that's what life was about.

There were good and bad days in everyone's lives, even the Queen of All, he thought wryly.

"Neville?" Blaise murmured, entering the room with Seamus.

"You all righ'?" Seamus asked, as he and Blaise sat on either side of Neville.

"Don't know," he replied, feeling weary.

"What's tha' there?" Seamus asked.

"Phoenix tears. Ginevra gave them to me to help my parents. I'd forgotten about them until now," Neville said in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Do you think they'll work?" Blaise asked quietly.

"I don't know," he answered, his voice hitching slightly.

"She'll be all right, love," Blaise said, wrapping his arm around Neville.

"How do you know that?" Neville asked, shaking his head.

"We've all Seen Ginevra in th' future; she has ter survive," Seamus answered.

"The future always changes! Luna tells us that every bloody day, why would this be any different?"

"We don't know tha' it will be, we jus' have ter hope fer th' best," Seamus murmured, rubbing Neville's shoulders gently.

Neville just nodded in reply, looking at the phoenix tears again.

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Ginevra watched as Dean, Lavender and Ron all breathed in unison. Ten minutes into it, it had been funny but now, after an hour and a half without a single hitch in breath, it was just scary.

She turned away from them, and looked at the wall. She was no closer to remembering what she had done, or why, and had no idea how to figure it out.

Sighing, Ginevra rested back on the mattress. Deciding to meditate - how could she remember how to do that from when she had learnt it so long ago, and then she couldn't even remember what she had done (presumably) a day ago? - Ginevra shut her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

In, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. In, two, three, four...

As she breathed systematically, Ginevra tried to empty her mind. It proved to be difficult, as there were so many thoughts plaguing her.

It took hours before Ginevra was able to concentrate on breathing and nothing else. It didn't feel like that much time had passed since she had nowhere else to go; time became irrelevant.

The last thing she could clearly remember was finding Easter eggs. Their colours blurred together as she tried to remember further and again, Ginevra had to concentrate on her breathing.

Ginevra let herself relax, and when no thoughts or feelings plagued her, and she was concentrating on her breathing intently, a vision came to her. It was not one of the future, but of the past.

The events from the previous day, including The Vision, hit her all at once. Ginevra gasped as all of her pain and aches returned to her body, the dull tingling from Ric's spell flaring into something monstrous that overtook her entire body. She found that she couldn't scream to release the pain, and was vaguely aware that her breathing was still continuing in the same pattern.

It took time; minutes or hours, Ginevra didn't know, for her to return her concentration to her breathing instead of the pain she was feeling. It took even longer for her to pull herself out of her trance-like state. Slowly, Ginevra's pain dulled and she became aware of her surroundings again. As she sat up, she saw that Ron, Dean, and Lavender were sitting up on their beds, their eyes open, yet completely blank as they directly stared at her.

Ginevra looked at Lavender, hate filling her entire being.

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Molly watched as Draco told them everything that happened. He didn't seem very sure on a few details, but Molly doubted that anyone but Ginny would be able to tell them exactly why it had happened.

She watched him with a mother's eyes, and saw that he clenched his fist in anger, read the sadness in his eyes, and saw the absolute love for her daughter in his every motion. It was shocking to see a Malfoy in love, but she supposed that stranger things had happened.

"Why weren't you with our daughter the entire time?" Arthur asked, something that Draco hadn't mentioned.

"I went to Hogsmeade early that morning," Draco replied.

"What for?" Arthur asked, suspicion in his eyes and voice.

Molly sighed, wishing that her husband would get over this silly feud. She doubted that he even remembered why there was a feud in the first place!

"I went shopping in anticipation of this meeting," Draco said, and Molly was surprised to see that he looked embarrassed.

"What do you mean by that?" Arthur asked, glaring.

"I was nervous about this," Draco said, waving a hand between them, "and I thought that if I bought you both something that you would like, it would be easier for us to get along ... Or something along those lines."

"You were going to buy our affection?" Arthur asked indignantly.

"I don't think Draco meant it like that, dear. Do calm down. Did you buy anything?" Molly asked, smiling at Draco encouragingly.

"Yes, actually. But only for Mr. Weasley. I had to leave before I could purchase anything for you, ma'am," Draco said with an apologetic nod.

"Had to leave?"

"Yes. I felt the pain that Ginevra was in, and I couldn't exactly continue to shop while she was hurting," Draco said, anger beginning to get to him.

"What did you buy for Arthur?" Molly asked to diffuse the situation.

She could ask how he felt Ginny's pain later; perhaps when Arthur wasn't in hearing distance. Molly had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer...

"Some Muggle knick-knacks," Draco said, waving his wand.

A bag appeared on the table before them, and Arthur had some difficulty restraining himself from looking in the bag. It took the whole of ten seconds before he gave in and opened the bag.

"Oh, look dear. It's one of those glowing sticks! And a rubber duck! What is this?" Arthur asked curiously, looking at the computer drive.

"It stores Muggle technology and ideas, apparently. The lady at the store said it was a com-pew-der driver, or something like that. I'm not exactly sure how to work it," Draco admitted, shrugging.

"I'll soon work it out!" Arthur said happily.

"Dear, remember Ginny," Molly said, putting a hand on his arm so that he wouldn't start tinkering away on the thing now.

"Of course," he replied, then looked at Draco sternly. "You look after my daughter, or I will hurt you, Malfoy or not."

"Of course, sir. I will look after Ginevra as best as I can," Draco promised.

"We know you will, Draco," Molly said, patting his arm.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he replied.

"My name is Molly," she said, smiling.

Beside her, Arthur was already attempting to make the computer drive do something.

"Sorry, dear. We had better go before my husband blows up Albus' office trying to get that thing to work," Molly said with a sigh. "Thank you for telling us everything; I cannot imagine how hard this is for you."

"You're welcome," Draco said with a brief nod.

He didn't want to admit how hard it was just to get up in the morning, how he was constantly worried about Ginevra, always looking out of the window, searching for an owl from Xavier and Agnes. If he did admit it, then it would make it worse for Molly, he was sure of it; she hated to see anyone in pain, even if it was a Malfoy.

And while he didn't admit it, Draco could still see the understanding in Molly's eyes as she looked at him while Arthur Apparated to their home. To his surprise, she didn't follow after Arthur immediately.

"How did you know that Ginny was in pain?" Molly asked.

"I don't quite know. It could be due to the fact that we belong to each other, or that we have shared our blood with one another. I haven't thought about why it happened, I just know that it did," Draco replied, shrugging slightly.

"You've shared blood?" Molly asked, her eyes widening slightly.

Draco just nodded, not knowing what to say in response to her reaction.

"Well, I was right. Arthur would not have liked that answer at all," Molly murmured under her breath, unaware that Draco could still hear her. "Don't worry about Ginny, dear. She's always been a survivor, and now isn't any different," Molly said, then hugged Draco slightly before Apparating to the Burrow.

Draco rubbed his face; he was feeling very tired all of a sudden. Sighing, he left Albus' office and went to his room to try and get some sleep.

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As Ginevra stared at Lavender in anger, the door opened. Xavier and Agnes came into the room quickly, standing beside her and holding her shoulders down. It wasn't until that moment that Ginevra realised that she was in her Vampiress form, snarling with her claws digging into her palm.

She slowly relaxed as Xavier and Agnes talked to try and calm her down. They let go of her shoulders when they were certain that she wouldn't do anything.

"You have remembered what happened, have you not, daughter?" Agnes asked softly.

Ginevra nodded, not looking at Ron, Dean or Lavender, afraid that she would lose control if she did.

"Now that you remember, you must now punish them accordingly," Xavier said.

"Not so fast, dear," Agnes said, and then turned to look at Ginevra once more. "There is always more than one side to a story, daughter. These three that are before you do not have a will of their own. The spell that you performed on them removed nearly every sense of themselves that they had. While they are like this, they are nothing more than shells with memories."

Ginevra looked at their blank eyes once more, and shivered. She had done that to them?

"You can ask them any question, and they will answer it. They will be able to perform basic duties as well, if you wish to keep them as mindless slaves," Agnes continued. "Now that you remember what has happened, you have a decision to make. You can keep them like this, and use them as slaves, or for drinking, if you prefer."

Ginevra noted the disapproving tone in Agnes' voice, and waited for the other options.

"If not, then you can either return them to their original states, or change them to become what you want," Agnes said.

"What do you mean by that?" Ginevra asked, confused.

"At the moment, you own their very souls. You can mould their souls to suit whatever purpose you desire. For example, if you wish for this one to think that he is an animal," Agnes explained, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder, "he will live the rest of his life believing that he is that animal, and no spell will be able to undo it. If you wish for their personality to be restored, but for them to completely forget about you, then you can also do that. You may punish them however you see fit," Agnes said.

"I own their souls?" Ginevra echoed, feeling sick.

"Their souls, their names, their identities, their very humanity, all of it belongs to you," Xavier said.

"How should I punish them?" she asked, looking to Xavier and Agnes.

"We cannot tell you what to do, daughter. This spell is of your own doing, and so, you must make the decision yourself. However, I suggest that you talk to them all before you make any such decision. Call us when you have made your decision," Agnes said touching Ginevra's shoulder briefly as she left the room with Xavier.

Ginevra found that she didn't want to think about it anymore. She got under the quilt, her back to the three shells, and willed herself to go to sleep.

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Tuesday, Apr. 2

"Are you sure that you have to go, Nev?" Blaise murmured as he kissed Neville, attempting to cajole him into staying.

"I have to go," Neville said, sighing. "But that doesn't mean I want to," he added, grinning at his lovers briefly.

"Well, I still don't see why ye've got ter be there," Seamus muttered, pouting.

"It's the nymphs birthing time, Seamus. I've got a responsibility to be there and help them," Neville explained, yet again.

"Why can't we go?"

"Because I'll be distracted. It's hard enough being around you two here, without ... Never mind," Neville said quickly.

"Without what?" Blaise asked, pulling away to look at him.

Neville sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to find his green thumb very interesting, and didn't look at them as he explained.

"Well ... they're nymphs, and there's a lot of sexual energy in the air. If you two were there with me, I doubt that I'd let either of you wear clothing," Neville said, smirking at them now.

Seamus stared for a moment, then grinned broadly.

"Ye have ter take us there sometime," he murmured.

"Deal, just not this time," Neville said quickly.

"Done!" Seamus said, grinning still.

"As unfair it is for you to leave us with that image of you not leaving us clothed, you had better go off and help deliver the nymph babies," Blaise said, kissing Neville yet again.

Neville laughed, kissed them both, and disappeared into the Forbidden Forest.

There was a flash of light between the trees, and Neville disappeared into the nymph world.

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Hermione closed her book with a disappointed sigh. She couldn't concentrate on her homework, or one of her favourite books, and it was all because of Ginny.

Or was it Ginevra now? Was it Weasley, or Malfoy? Hermione hardly seemed to know what name to call her by lately. Ron's sister had changed so much, and it probably wasn't even fair to call her that. She was always studious, had been ever since her second year after the events with Voldemort in the first, but lately, Ginny had been getting a bit too much right. Maybe Lavender was right, after all, and Ginny needed to be taken down a peg or two.

No, what was she thinking? Ginny was her friend, she was a Gryffindor, and that had to mean something. Didn't it?

But look at Ron, a small snide voice whispered. He was her friend, a Gryffindor, and Hermione loved him as much as she could hate him sometimes, and he hurt her. He had hurt her almost as much as Lavender had, just by going to be with Lavender. But if it weren't for Ginny becoming a vampire, Ron wouldn't have felt the need to prove his manliness by going to Lavender.

But she didn't know that, not for certain. And she couldn't know it for certain. She could ask Ron about it, not that she ever would; when it came to boys (and Ron especially), the infamous Gryffindor courage was awfully picky!

Besides, lately the teachers were becoming too obsessed with Miss Ginny Weasley. They were asking Ginny things they had never asked her to do before, they were asking Ginny to do assignments that they knew she could have done better, and they were even asking Neville questions before her! Neville! It was great that they were trying to include him in the lessons, and increase his confidence, but it was bordering on ridiculous now! Especially how he seemed to be getting everything right. It was suspicious, that's what it was...

Hermione began to think of every class she had with Ginny (Ginevra, vampire, whoever, whatever), and as she thought of the way the teachers were doting on Ginny instead of her, jealousy and envy began to form inside of her. And as they combined to make her see green, Hermione's two true fears began to surface.

She had a primal and instinctive fear when it came to Ginny's vampire side. It was a common fear among both wizards and mortals, but Hermione's jealousy made her fear multiply itself many times over, until all she could picture was Ginny the Vampire, attempting to Drink her dry at every possible opportunity.

Her second fear was one Hermione had borne for years, ever since receiving disapproving remarks from her parents in her first year at her Muggle primary school. She had failed a test, and due to the words from her parents, ever since then Hermione had been scared of failing and getting disapproving looks and comments. It was that in particular, that really scared Hermione. She couldn't handle failing assignments, tests, and exams, because she knew that she always put her hardest work into them. But if she received any comments from someone she respected, admired, or looked up to, that would truly devastate her. Hermione wasn't shallow, but she did like to be praised for the above average and excellent marks she received.

And ever since Ginny had been Advanced - yet another opportunity that had not been offered to her - the praise had lessened considerably, she was not first in every subject, she was not the smartest witch for her age, and she was not called upon in class. Hermione was beginning to fade into the background, and that was something that truly terrified her.

Something had to change. But not now, not while Ginny was so surrounded and protected and loved. One day she would make a mistake, and Hermione would get the chance she needed in order to shine once more. She would be the smartest witch of her age, no matter what it took.

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Ginevra looked at Dean, his blank eyes staring back at her. There was no recognition, no sense of remorse, emotion or humanity in his eyes. They were as empty as he was. She had decided to start with Dean first, as he hadn't done a whole lot to her, and she wouldn't get as angry.

Of course, he had pretended to be Draco, and had tried to make her think that Draco didn't love her. And he was off screwing Lavender while she was dating Ron, even though they were friends, and had been in the same dorm together.

Okay, maybe starting with Dean isn't such a good idea... Ginevra thought to herself, sighing.

Lavender still invoked far too much rage within her, and even after all the Patil twins had done, Ric's spell caused far too much pain for her to look at her, let alone question the witch. So that left Ron, she thought, turning to face her brother.

Just don't think about what he's done, don't think about it. Just ask the questions you want to ask, and don't think about it... Ron is your brother, Ginevra told herself, then took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She looked at him, and realised that although she had seen The Vision and knew what caused it to happen, Ginevra had no idea what part her brother had in it all. Maybe he was innocent, and there was no reason to punish him?

"Ron," she said, and he turned to stare his blank stare directly at her. "What part did you play in causing The Vision to happen?"

"Question is not understood," Ron's voice said, sounding hollow.

Of course, none of them had any idea what she meant by 'The Vision'; that was the term she and her friends had given it... She wondered if her friends were all right, then shook her head. She could worry about them later, for now she had to finish this so she could work out the punishment for Dean, Lavender and Ron.

Ginevra placed a hand on Ron's forehead and showed him The Vision, then did the same for Lavender and Dean.

"What part did you play in making that happen?" Ginevra repeated, looking at Ron.

"I organised it. I have been planning this for months, and I helped get the potion ingredients," Ron replied, and for a hollow shell, he almost sounded pleased.

"What? How did you organise it? Lavender loathes me and I thought she ... " Ginevra trailed off, staring at the smug grin on her brother's face.

"I gave her the idea. It was a Suggestion Spell while she was sleeping. Lavender isn't too bright, and it was fairly easy to plant the idea in her mind. She does loathe you, which made it all that easier. Her hatred fuelled her willingness to accept the Suggestion," Ron said.

"Then what did you do, Lavender?" Ginevra asked, looking to her.

"I accepted the Suggestion. I created the potion for Dean to take, and chose not to tell him about the side effects. I also did a Glamour on Dean to make him look like Draco," Lavender said.

"What potion, and what side effects?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"The Dark Potion allows any sort of physical damage, even death, to happen to a person, and then after thirty minutes, they will be restored to their same physicality as before they took the potion. The side effects of this potion is that the user will lose five years from their life," Lavender answered.

"And Dean agreed to this?"

"Dean did not know; I did not tell him of the side affects, as I knew that he would refuse," she replied.

"You gave it to him without telling him?" Ginevra asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Dean, what did you do in relation to The Vision?" she asked.

"I went along with the plan, helped get ingredients for the potion, and pretended to be Draco in order for you to kill him and get sent to Azkaban, or at least expelled."

Ginevra just stared at the three of them. She now knew what they'd done in relation to The Vision, but they had been tormenting her for far longer than that. She would have to find out every detail before she could make a proper decision. She turned to Dean, deciding to start with him.

"Dean, what have you done against me?" Ginevra asked.

"I dated you because I thought you would be an easy lay, trying to get away from the Weasley-saint image," Dean said.

Ginevra stared at him, her surprise and hurt unable to let her reply. He continued talking, a mere shell unaware of its affect on others.

" ... worked with Professor Rion and Lavender in order to get you expelled from Hogwarts. I also organised and performed the torture of Neville Longbottom after he sided with SlytherinsÕ and embarrassed me in class; he's your friend, and I knew I could get to him easier than I could get you. I also pretended to be Ron in an attempt to get information from you so that I could help Lavender hurt you."

"Lavender, what about you?"

"I tried to make you insecure by telling you about calories and fat content in food products. I told Potter that his mother possessed you, and I have a debt to gain from him, which I was planning to use against you. I have started to turn Granger against you, and will soon have one from her too," she said, sounding pleased. "I've been fucking both Ron and Dean, because I knew that you would be hurt by the adultery I committed against your brother. Like Dean, I was also working with Rion to get you expelled. I tried to expose you when you lost your memory of being a vampire. I used my credibility as a gossip in order to spread rumours about your Thirst, and after the Christmas break, I started sending letters to the Daily Prophet about there being a vampire at Hogwarts. Parents should be taking their children out of the school after Dumbledore confirms it."

"You would do that to Hogwarts, just to get back at me?" Ginevra asked.

"Yes."

Ginevra gritted her teeth and turned to Ron before she hurt Lavender.

"Ron, what have you done against me?"

"I wasn't there for you when you were younger, or when you started at Hogwarts. I have insulted and teased you. I have caused you both physical and mental pain. I have also hexed and cursed you, and your own, and I have lied to you. I've ignored you, your requests, demands, and questions. I was jealous that you were dating before me, and I dated Lavender because I knew how much you hated her. I have tried to kill you, and tried to get others to kill you."

"Dean, what have you done for me?"

"Nothing," he replied after a moment's silence.

"Lavender, what have you done for me?"

"Nothing," Lavender replied.

"Ron, what have you done for me?" this question she was almost afraid to ask, and couldn't look at him as he answered.

"Nothing," Ron said.

"Do any of you regret your actions?"

"No," they said.

"Why do you want to kill me?" Ginevra asked Ron, looking at him now with a mixture of sadness and pity.

"You always got the most attention from the family. Just because you're a girl, and the youngest, you got away with everything! Not even Fred and George could have gotten away with half of the stuff you got away with! And then you find out that you're a vampire! Everyone else in the family has something going for them; I'm just Harry's stupid sidekick. I'm sick of not getting attention, and if you weren't around, I know that I'd be the most-loved one in the family. Mum hates the twins' experiments, Bill and Charlie are off living their own lives, and Percy's an idiotic prat. You were the only one left. I have hated you since you were born," he hissed, hatred contorting his features.

"Go to sleep, all of you," Ginevra said.

Their eyes closed in unison, laid down on the mattresses, and were asleep in seconds.

Ginevra sighed and rested on her own bed, thinking over everything they had said, and wondering how she should punish them.

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Draco hated how slow everything was going. It had already been two days since Ginevra had been taken, and he only five more before he could see her again, but the way time was going, it would be more appropriate to say five years. They had all felt that the day had been exceedingly long.

Seamus and Blaise were moping over Neville's absence, even though he'd only been gone a few hours, which was affecting everyone's moods more.

Draco's thoughts kept wandering to Ginevra, and he wondered how she was doing, and what Lavender, Ron and Dean had to do with her recovery, if they had anything to do with it at all. He had tried Seeing, but it was too hazy for him to work anything out. He was extremely frustrated at how helpless he was, and with a low growl, Draco left the rooms to do something, anything, to stop thinking about it.

He made his way out the front, to where Leo was waiting. The manticore still had to answer some questions, after all.

"My King," Leo said, bowing to him.

"Leo," Draco replied, nodding his head in return.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Leo asked after a moment of silence.

"The other day, when Ginevra did that spell... How did you know what happened, and that it wasn't me?" Draco asked.

"I am the Queen of All's servant; I know all that happens to her, and you, as a result," Leo replied.

"Then you know what happened to Ginevra?"

"Yes."

"Tell me," Draco said.

"I believe that it is my Queen's information to tell, not mine," Leo replied hesitantly.

"And as your King, I am telling you to tell me what happened," Draco said.

"It is all right, Leo. It will be easier for them both this way," Luna murmured, going inside the rooms with a bunch of bright flowers.

"How do you always do that?!" Draco yelled after her.

"Magic," Luna replied, laughing.

Draco muttered under his breath as he turned to look at Leo for an explanation.

Leo explained what had made The Vision happen, and watched as Draco turned into a Veelan, anger pulsing from his body. The patterns on his face were glowing fiercely, and his wings vibrated with anger.

"I'm going to kill them," he snarled.

"My Queen is dealing with them as we speak, my King. There will be no need for you to go to such extremes," Leo said.

In a moment, Draco was himself as his anger disappeared instantly.

"Show me," he said.

"You will be able to see their punishment when you have taken hold of my tail, my King," Leo said, moving his scorpion tail so that it was close to Draco. "I will never harm you, my King. Not unless the Queen has willed it, and even then I will do so regretfully and with mercy," Leo said.

Draco wasn't sure if Leo was trying to reassure him or not. He took a deep breath to steady his sudden onslaught of nerves, and then grabbed Leo's scorpion tail, hoping that Leo wouldn't release his deadly poison.

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"I have decided their punishment, Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Ginevra said formally.

Lavender, Dean and Ron simply sat on the beds, unable to move or show any emotion in response to her statement.

"Very well, daughter. If you would care to divulge in your decisions for the three, we will be able to record their punishments for future reference," Xavier replied.

Ginevra had spent all night deciding the punishment for the three in front of them, and by three in the morning, she was finally satisfied with her reasoning and judgement. She just hoped that Xavier and Agnes would approve.

"The punishment for Dean Michael Thomas is to return him to a Muggle. He has abused his power as a wizard, and even after all of these years at Hogwarts, he still laments the loss of his Muggle lifestyle. I believe that this punishment for Dean will be the one that has the least repercussions for both him and myself. He will not remember Hogwarts, anyone from this world, or myself. A Memory Spell will allow him to have lived the past seven years at a Muggle boarding school, so that he does not lose all sense of himself," Ginevra said.

Xavier's quill copied her words, the red quill shining in the firelight.

It looked brand new, but Ginevra could tell that Xavier had had the quill for years. Perhaps it was a phoenix feather...

"The next punishment?" Agnes queried, bringing Ginevra back to her task.

"Lavender Violet Brown's punishment is to be aged fifteen years, and to live the rest of her natural life as my companion. She will not be a slave, as she will have her own free will, but she will be required to do tasks as I ask them of her. Lavender will not be able to use her free will to harm myself, or the ones I love. I will return her to her original state before ageing her, so that she will know why it is being done," Ginevra said.

"Why have you chosen to age her fifteen years?" Xavier asked, his quill stopping.

"Lavender gave Dean a Dark Potion that took five years from his life without his knowledge or consent. I cannot age her threefold, as I think an extra one-hundred and thirty-five years to her life will be too much, so instead three five's will be added: fifteen years. Besides, I think that if she has the extra age, she may be better behaved. I am hoping that her current behaviour is a teenage jealous phase."

"Very well," Xavier said with a nod. "And the last?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley's punishment is wizard disownment," Ginevra said.

"Are you sure?" Agnes asked, seeming surprised.

Wizard disownment means that the person is no longer formally recognised as family, and it also removes any memory they have of that person. They will not remember who the person is, and would think them a complete stranger the next time they meet. They will not have any recollection of their thoughts, activities and feelings towards that person. Wizard disownment was irreversible, even for a Dark Wizard.

"Yes, I am sure. Why do you ask?" Ginevra asked, frowning slightly.

"We live very long lives, Ginevra. Once completed, a disownment cannot be undone. You will go through the rest of both Ron's life and your own, with the knowledge that you willingly disowned him. But it is your own choice, so I will say nothing further," Agnes said.

"Please continue, daughter," Xavier murmured with a slight nod.

"The punishment for Ronald Bilius Weasley is ... "

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Draco was brought out of the vision abruptly, feeling someone shaking him intently.

"Draco, come on. Breathe, damn you!" he heard Pansy saying.

Then Draco realised that he was the one shaking. His friends were standing around him, looking worried. Theodore was hovering over him, sending spell after spell to his chest in an attempt to revive him. Draco sat up quickly, and then lowered himself to the ground once more, the world spinning.

"Oh, thank the gods' you're all right. Ginevra would have killed us," Millicent muttered.

"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?" Pansy yelled at him.

"Let him rest for a moment, Pansy. His body went into shock. You can yell at him later," Theodore murmured, gently moving her away from his patient.

"I'm all right, Theodore. Where's Leo?"

"I am here, my King. I apologise, I did not realise what was happening until you fainted. I lost Ginevra's decision almost five minutes ago. Do you know what happened to them?" Leo asked.

"Don't apologise, it's not your fault. I almost had all of it," Draco replied, shaking his head.

"What are you two going on about?" Pansy asked, glaring at both of them.

"I asked Leo to show me the decisions Ginevra's made on how to punish Brown, Thomas, and the Weasel-King, so he did. But then I must have stopped breathing, and fainted right before I found out what Ginevra's decision for the Weasel was," Draco muttered.

"She's awake?" Parvati asked in surprise.

"How's Ginevra's punishing them?" Padma asked, grinning.

"Let me go inside, then I'll tell you," Draco said with a sigh as he got off the ground. "Thank you for showing me that, Leo," he said. "Can you tell me if you see the third punishment?"

"Of course, my King."

Draco went inside, the others following quickly. They were seated around the meeting table in less than a second, and waiting impatiently for Draco to start talking.

"Ginevra's chosen the punishments for the three of them. Dean is to be returned to his Muggle state, and have no recollection of the wizarding world, or Ginevra. Lavender is to be aged fifteen years and become Ginevra's companion. Ron was supposed to be disowned, but Agnes said something that made Ginevra doubtful," Draco explained simply.

"Why's Lavender being aged fifteen years for?" Parvati asked.

"Yeah, it's not like she'll be any better when she's older," Padma muttered.

"The Dark Potion she gave to Dean stole five years from his life. She did it without his knowledge, and so she's being aged fifteen years in retribution," Draco replied.

"What did Agnes say to make Ginevra doubt her decision about Ron?" Colin asked.

"Agnes told her that vampires live a long time, and that it may be difficult for her to go through the years knowing that she willingly disowned her brother," Draco replied.

"It's nothing less than what he deserves," Pansy growled.

"Ron deserves it, but does Ginevra?" Luna asked quietly.

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Saturday, Apr. 13

Draco was getting impatient. Ginevra had been at the mansion for almost two weeks now, and he still hadn't heard a word from Agnes and Xavier.

Draco had tried Seeing Ginevra numerous of times, but it was always cloudy, and he could hardly make out her shape, let alone See what she was doing. It was decidedly frustrating, and Draco was getting short tempered with everyone. He'd locked himself in his room late Friday night, and had decided not to leave until he heard word about Ginevra.

His actions could have been misconstrued as sulking, and by Pansy, were. She'd had enough of his behaviour, and was more than ready to tell him to grow up and act like a man, instead of a sulky child.

"He'll be better in an hour, Pansy. Have patience," Luna said warmly, smiling at her.

"He'd better be, I'm getting pissed off at his attitude," Pansy muttered, scowling.

"You might want to try and get Neville to leave his room. It'll be important," Luna said, vague once more, leaving the room humming to herself happily.

Neville had returned from the nymph world last weekend, and since then, no one had caught more than a glimpse of Blaise, Seamus and Neville. Everyone had started betting on how long they would last, cooped up in their room, and so far, everyone had lost. Luna hadn't betted with the others, saying that it wasn't fair, as she would just be taking their money from them.

Pansy grinned, a little happier now that she had some sort of purpose. She went down the hallway to start banging on Neville's door.

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Draco hadn't been sleeping well since Ginevra had left to heal. As a Full Blooded Veelan, he was used to getting minimal hours of sleep, but at least when he did sleep, he had slept for the entire time. Now however, it seemed that all he could do was toss and turn in his sleep. He was barely getting two hours of sleep, but since it was always an interrupted sleep, Draco could hardly be aware of the proper amount.

He was sleeping, fitfully as was becoming usual, when he heard something tapping at his window. It wasn't an owl, or else it would have hooted at him impatiently within seconds.

Draco sat up, muttering under his breath. He hadn't slept properly in weeks, and now when he was trying to sleep, he was interrupted! Typical...

His muttering stopped short when Draco saw that it was a pure black owl at the window, silent as it stared at him patiently. It flapped its charcoal black wings evenly, and didn't lose its rhythm once. Draco hurried to open the window, seeing the scroll tied to the owl's leg. The owl landed on the windowsill, held its leg out and waited, watching as Draco opened the scroll and read its contents.

Dear Draco Malfoy,

You are cordially invited to attend the Blooding Ceremony of Miss Ginevra Weasley, which will occur on the 26th of this month, in order to coincide with the full moon.

If you do not wish to attend, please return the scroll and owl. If you would like to return, please send a RSVP with the owl.

We look forward to seeing you, and hope that you will be a part of this historic Vampire night.

Regards,

Agnes and Xavier Torleni

Vampire Council Elders

Draco immediately replied saying that he would attend, and watched as the black owl flew away silently.

He had no idea if Garion would allow him to go to a Vampire Turning, but Ginevra had gone to his, so he supposed that Garion would be fine with it. If he wasn't, Julianne would definitely be able to change his mind- she had always been able to do that, which amazed the rest of them, considering how stubborn Garion could be- and not only that, but she was Xavier's sister, and would probably have her own agenda regarding Ginevra's change to a Full Blooded Vampiress.

Draco already knew that Albus would let him go, as Dumbledore had said as much only two days ago. He just needed to tell Dumbledore when it was taking place, and Albus had promised to organise transport for him. Draco had noticed that Albus looked a little down, and some of the sparkle was fading from his eyes, but didn't have the time to question it as he was between classes.

"Would you tell us what's going on? Luna hasn't stopped grinning for the past ten minutes!" Pansy yelled, banging on Draco's door and bringing him out of his thoughts abruptly.

"Hold onto your broomstick," he muttered, going to open his door.

Everyone spilled inside Draco's room, Fred and George included. Luna had owled them an hour ago, and they'd spent almost forty minutes shutting up before running to Hogwarts in the tunnel under their shop.

"I just got an invitation to attend Ginevra's Turning. It's in two weeks on the 26th, to coincide with the full moon, apparently."

"But the full moon's on the 27th, not the 26th," Parvati said, frowning.

"Well, that's what their invitation says," Draco said as he looked at the parchment again.

"There's something written on the back," Fred and George said, sitting on the floor so that they could look directly up at the words. "For those who are unaware of Vampire traditions, a Blooding Ceremony takes three days to complete, during which, most rules regarding foreigners are not taken into account," they read, then frowned. "What on earth does that mean?"

"It means that because Ginevra is getting Turned into a Full Blooded Vampiress, Draco can attend the ceremony as he is her fiancŽ. And as such, he can stay there for the full three days without having to worry about the other rule stating that non-vampires can only stay at the vampire's place of residence for seven days of their entire life," Luna said, too excited to let them work it out.

"How's that good?" Padma asked.

"It's good because then Draco will be able to stay there if there's an emergency of some kind, and won't have these three days already taken off. It's absolutely horrific to see a house full of vampires left with one person who is not protected," Luna said, shivering slightly.

"What emergency?" Draco asked, frowning.

"Oh, nothing, just a generalisation of something that will most likely happen. There are emergencies in everyone's life, after all," Luna said with a brief smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Nice to see you out of your room, Neville," Millicent said, smirking at him.

"And clothed," Gregory said, shuddering.

"Don't remind me," Vincent muttered.

"Ah, yer just jealous," Seamus said, laughing as he put an arm around Neville's shoulders.

"I don't want to know what of, I'm leaving!" Colin said, covering his ears and leaving quickly, humming loudly.

With an evil laugh, Seamus bounded after him, pulling Neville and Blaise along with him.

"I'm happy that you accepted the invitation, Draco. Ginevra will appreciate it, I'm sure," Luna said with a smile. "And don't worry about Garion and Julianne, they're curious about it too. You are, after all, the first Veelan to be invited to such a ceremony since the first Vampire-Veela war," she said, patting his shoulder gently before leaving to help Colin.

"It still scares me how she does that," Vincent muttered, shaking his head.

"Same," Greg said. "I hope she'll be all right when it goes away," he said after a moment.

"What do you mean by that?" Pansy asked, frowning.

"Well, she's been Seeing intensely every day for months now. It might go on for years, and then when the Sight fades, Luna will have to readjust herself to seeing everything that is happening, and not Seeing what could happen. It's enough to drive a man crazy," Gregory replied.

They all looked at Luna as she stunned the three boys that were teasing her boyfriend.

"I think she's strong enough to handle it," Draco said with a slight grin.

He pushed them out of his room, and went back to bed. Draco had a feeling that he would get a good night's sleep now.

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Tuesday, Apr. 16

"Ginevra? I have brought you something to read," Agnes said, knocking on the door.

"Come in," Ginevra called.

She didn't go to open the door; the last time Ginevra had gone to do that, Agnes had already entered the room by the time Ginevra was standing.

Agnes seemed to appear beside Ginevra, and smiled at her. She offered Ginevra the book, then sat across from her on one of the empty beds.

Dean and Lavender had been removed from Ginevra's room after their punishments had been officially decided and instilled. Agnes and Xavier were still waiting on Ginevra's decision regarding Ron, but he had been taken with the other two as well. Ginevra hadn't seen them since.

"The book relays all of the information you will need to know about your Blooding Ceremony," Agnes said, smiling again.

"I've read the entry in the Vampire book, but that was short compared to this," Ginevra murmured, looking at the book in surprise.

Agnes laughed sweetly. "Of course it is, daughter. The man was a historian looking for a story. He chose vampires for the sexual rumours we were producing at that time, with the Muggle Dracula's going around seducing women and whatnot. The man was simply hoping for fame by using us, and unfortunately for him, we vampires are a very secretive race. That man knows little more about vampires than any other mortal. The Ceremonies he attended were real, but we did not allow him entry to all of it due to tradition. And, as he wrote, he had to attend more than one Ceremony in order to get those facts alone as he was so affected by the atmosphere they produced. The facts he wrote were real, we would not disillusion a guest, nor the world, with lies, but there is so much more to the Ceremony that only vampires know," Agnes said.

Ginevra nodded, looking at the book in her hands. She sighed softly.

"Is something the matter, daughter?" Agnes asked, concern in her voice.

"Are you sure that I'm ready for this?" Ginevra asked Agnes, frowning.

"Of course I am sure, daughter. We cannot keep you a halfling much longer. Your power is too great, and your halfling state will not be able to handle its intensity for long. You are ready for this, Ginevra," Agnes replied, smiling at her kindly.

"Thank you," Ginevra said softly.

"You are most welcome, daughter. I will leave you to become acquainted with the book," Agnes said, rising and leaving within the space of a single heartbeat.

Ginevra sighed and opened the book.

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Official Blooding Ceremonies take place over three nights. The first night involves the formal Choosing of the Elders. The second night is when the halfling is Changed into a Full Blooded Vampire. The third night is the Naming of the new Vampire.

The first night, the Choosing, is the shortest of the three nights. The halfling meets with each of the Vampire Council Elders, and is given two hours think about their decision. Once the halfling has chosen two Vampires, they will then leave to a private room, and prepare for the following night's events. The halfling will bathe and detox their bodies so that they are cleansed of the mortal world. They will then cleanse their minds, and their Chosen two will explain about the trials and benefits that come of longevity.

The second night is usually the longest of the three, and is chosen in order to coincide with the full moon. The Changing begins at the first star's appearance, and ends when the last star has taken leave from the sky. The sky-clad halfling, who has bathed again that day, sits with their Chosen in a ring of fire, signifying the complete cycle of life, death and rebirth. Sitting in four corners on the outside of the ring are four drummers, who have the ability to manipulate and control fire. Surrounding them are those personally called to attend the halfling's Blooding Ceremony, while the rest of entire of the vampire race wait around them. Over the course of the night, the halfling is drained and filled with blood from the Chosen, giving the halfling access to their memories and emotions, and them to the halflings'. During this time, the drummers increase and decrease the drums and flames coinciding with the halfling's heartbeat. The sexual tension increases steadily throughout the night, and by the time the halfling is completely Turned, no one notices as they leave the circle, despite the symbolic importance it holds. By leaving the circle, it shows that the newly Turned vampire accepts their life to no longer be of the norm. They know that they will not be part of the natural circle of mortal life, and by stepping outside of it, they embrace their new life as an immortal.

The third night can be one of the longest nights, or the shortest of the three nights in the Blooding Ceremony. It truly depends on the Vampire. The Naming of a Vampire consists of the newly Turned vampire, and their Chosen. As the Changing is tiring, the newly turned will have slept for some time in order to prepare for their Naming. In order to prepare, the Turned vampire will bathe once more, and then go into a meditative trance with their Chosen. They are required to stay in this combined state until the True Name for the new vampire is revealed. As such, it may take anywhere from minutes to hours for a vampire's True Name to be discovered. Despite meditating with their Chosen, it is only the Changed Vampire who will know their True Name. It is their decision to trust it to others, or not.

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Ginevra closed the book, despite there being more information to read. There was plenty of time to read it over, and that had been a lot to take in at once.

She closed her eyes and hoped that sleep would claim her quickly.

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Saturday, Apr. 20

Ron sat on the bed, not comprehending anything that was happening around him. He didn't recognise the only other person in the room as Lavender Brown; he didn't hear the knock at the door; and he didn't see the two vampires enter the room. They stood in front of him, but Ron didn't even look at them.

"Your punishment has been decided, Ronald Bilius Weasley. Come with us," Xavier said.

Like a puppet on a string, Ron stood up stiffly, and followed Agnes and Xavier from the room.

Xavier walked in front of Ron, Agnes coming up from behind. They didn't want anyone to lure Ron away, which would be far too easy to do while he was in his current state.

Agnes was just thankful that Dean was no longer in the mansion. After he had been returned to his human and Muggle state, there had been quite a frenzy to get at his fresh blood. Agnes had been forced to stun the crowding vampires just so that she could return him to his Muggle house. He was now a mortal, and a Muggle at that. He would have nothing more to do with this world, or Ginevra.

Lavender had been aged fifteen years as Ginevra had originally decided, and one of the newer vampires had thought it funny to give the girl a mirror. She hadn't stopped crying for two days straight, after which she had become dehydrated from the loss of bodily fluids. They had only taken the IV drip out of her a few days ago, concerned for her well-being. She was on the mend, and seemed to be eating at last. Agnes just hoped that she would feel some remorse for her previous actions, behaviours and deeds. It would be a shame for her to waste her life without the prospect of redemption.

And now, the final punishment was being bestowed. Agnes looked at Ron, sighing softly. It was difficult to believe that one of her descendants was so capable of hurting, and so intent on destroying his sibling.

Agnes loved every one of her sons, daughters, and following offspring, and had watched them all mature and live their lives, but she was not able to pinpoint the exact moment that Ron had turned hostile towards Ginevra, and without combing his mind she doubted that she would ever be able to. It was both a regret and a joy to know that she would never know the true answer.

"Ginevra? We have arrived with Ronald," Xavier informed her, knocking on the door gently.

"Come in," Ginevra called.

They entered the room, and Agnes was struck by the royal air that surrounded Ginevra today. Agnes now saw that Ginevra was not making this decision as a sister: she was making the decision as a Queen of the world, and even if she regretted the decision, it would have been made in order to help the world, not to spare her own feelings.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley. You have attempted to hurt me, planned to kill me on more than one occasion, and have no regret for your actions. Therefore, I have two choices left. The first I can choose is to kill you, in response to what you have tried to do with me. The second is to disown you, so that you will never remember me, or the life we have lived together. As I have no will to kill you, especially in cold blood, you will be punished with the latter; no matter how much it may grieve me to lose a brother, there is no other option that would be safe for either of us. What do you have to say in response to your punishment?" Ginevra asked, a queen regarding her subject.

"I would prefer to live without knowing you than have my life taken from me," Ron replied, his voice dead.

"So be it," Ginevra murmured.

Ron kneeled before Ginevra, and she placed a hand on top of his head. Her eyes closed, and Agnes watched with a morbid fascination as Ginevra proceeded to disown her own brother, removing his every memory of her and their life.

Ginevra would probably fill the blanks with something generic from his childhood with his other brothers, but it would most likely leave Ronald with a lot of questions, especially when he saw Ginevra at the Burrow.

As Agnes watched Ron's disownment from Ginevra, she noticed that more memories than should be normal were leaving Ron. It was then that she realised Fred and George were present, and they too, were disowning their brother. They were not there in a physical sense, of course- the wards were still erected, and if they had tried, they would not be alive- but they were there, and they were disowning Ron just as Ginevra was.

As they were family, they would have been able to feel the fact that Ginevra disowned Ron, as would their brothers and parents, but this was just inexplicable!

They should not have been able to do this... But these three were something different to anything she had seen before; she should not make assumptions about what they could and could not do...

Agnes sighed in some defeat. She would just watch them for now, and question them later.

It took almost an hour for the disownment to be complete, due to Fred and George's added presences. As soon as it had finished, the twins disappeared as quickly and silently as they had arrived, leaving Ginevra and Ronald alone. The former was looking pale and tired, and the latter was on the ground, shaking.

"I promised them," Ginevra said quietly, obviously seeing the question in their eyes. "I promised Fred and George that when I disowned Ron, they could as well," she said, her eyes closing as exhaustion claimed her.

Agnes gently moved Ginevra to her bed as Xavier picked Ronald up easily, then they left the room quietly.

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Monday, Apr. 22

Draco grumbled under his breath as he headed to his afternoon classes.

He didn't know why he still had to attend classes, it wasn't like he didn't already know the content of them - not being able to sleep had made him an even better student, it seemed.

But that wasn't why Draco was grumbling. It was because of Leo and Luna that he was muttering and complaining under his breath.

Leo still hadn't told him what Ginevra's punishment for Ron was, despite telling him that he had seen it. Luna had told Leo not to tell him what the punishment was, and the manticore was obeying her instead of him. He was King, he should have ranked over Luna in some way, Draco thought with a frown.

Fred and George were looking extremely happy about something though, and they too, refused to tell him what it was. Draco supposed that he would have to wait until he saw Ginevra so that he could ask her what she had done.

His Sight regarding Ginevra was still blurry, as if the future was still considering whether she should be allowed to live through this weekend or not. Draco didn't allow himself to think of this very often, as his heart stopped at the prospect of Ginevra dying.

No matter what happened this weekend, Draco wouldn't allow Ginevra to die. She couldn't leave him. Not when he loved her like this, not now.

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"Ronnie-kins, dear? Are you awake now?"

Ron mumbled something incoherent from underneath his quilt, and opened a bleary eye to look at his mother.

"Wha? Where's am I?" he asked sleepily, unable to make a proper sentence in his current state.

"You're at home, dear. You fell from your broom while playing Quidditch at Hogwarts. You hit your head," Molly said, brushing his messy hair back from his face. "You've been in and out of consciousness for a while now, and the doctors let us bring you home when it seemed you were getting better," she said, smiling slightly.

Ron just looked at his mother, attempting to comprehend what she was saying. It was too early in the morning for him to make sense of her words, but it sounded like he'd fallen off his broom while playing Quidditch. He didn't even remember playing Quidditch at Hogwarts this year!

"I don't 'member playin' Quidditch," he mumbled. "How long have I been out for?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Almost a month," Molly replied, seeming hesitant.

"How's Harry and 'Mione taking it?" Ron asked, more awake now.

"They're sending letters, asking about you. They've asked Dumbledore to come over this weekend to see you," Molly said. "Now, you look thin as a broom! What do you want to eat? I've made your favourites," she said, smiling broadly when Ron sat up immediately, looking eager.

"Everything," he said, grinning.

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Lavender hated needles. It was one of the few reasons she had taken the IV drip out and started eating and drinking what the vampires were giving her. They'd initially given her a room with Ronald, but then he'd gone and still hadn't returned yet. She wasn't sure if she considered that a loss or not, since he hadn't done anything while he'd been here.

The room was nice, with plain but soft colours on the walls, and well kept furniture. There was also a large full-length mirror, something that Lavender would have usually spent hours in front of, but not any more, especially not with this face. She had been pleased to receive the small mirror from the vampire at first, but then she had actually seen her reflection.

It had shaken Lavender to her core to realise that she didn't recognise her own face. She touched her face, watching with fear as the person reflected in the mirror did the same thing. She had broken down, crying for two whole days.

Now, as Lavender was gradually getting used to her face, she could start to see parts of her younger self in her face. Her eyes were still the same, and they were what she focused on when she had to look into a mirror.

In less than a day, Lavender's body had transformed from a seventeen-year old girl, to a thirty-two year old woman. It would take some time for her mind to catch up, but some things were already starting to change. Her clothing style, manner of speech, temperament; they were such gradual changes that not even Lavender truly noticed them.

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Dean woke up to find his younger brother on his bed, laughing and giggling.

"What are you doing, Lou?" he muttered, rolling over.

"It's your first day back from that silly boarding school! We wanted to see you!" Marty, Lou's twin said impatiently, shaking Dean.

Boarding school? Oh yes, that's right. His stepmother and father had sent him off to a boarding school that gave the students the best possible chance of being accepted into Eton. It was hard work, but he was managing. It would be nice to finally relax, even with the rug-rats that were his step -brothers and -sisters.

"Is Lucy around?" Dean asked as he sat up with a yawn.

The twins immediately jumped on him, grinning broadly.

"You've lost your teeth," Dean said in surprise.

"We got a whole pound from the tooth fairy!" they said in excitement, Marty taking it out of his pocket.

"Mummy's having breakfast with everyone downstairs. They're making a surprise for you," Lou said, grinning again.

"But we weren't supposed to tell," Marty said, nudging his twin.

They both looked at Dean, eyes wide.

"It's all right, I'll still be surprised. Come on, let's go get something to eat," Dean said, tickling them off the bed.

Dean spent the entire weekend with his family, and not a thing was out of place. He didn't remember the wizarding world, what magic was, or what he had done. He lived out the rest of his life without one magical incident, and he was better for it.

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Wednesday, Apr. 24 to Friday, Apr. 26

Three days left, three days left, three days left. Draco repeated the mantra constantly over the course of the day. He only had three days left before he could see Ginevra again, and he couldn't wait for those damned days to be over already.

He tapped and fidgeted impatiently, rushing from one class to the next in an attempt to make them pass faster by arriving earlier.

Draco didn't even slow down at meal times, and it looked like he was trying to inhale his food rather than eat and digest it. Neville had to hit him with a calming spell just so he wouldn't choke.

Thursday and Friday passed in the same manner, and both the students and teachers were surprised at the sudden anticipation Draco held for his classes and studies. Only Dumbledore and Snape knew of Ginevra's Changing Ceremony, and neither bothered to tell the teachers why Draco was suddenly so interested in his classes.

If it werenÕt for Pansy, Draco would have left for the vampire mansion the moment his Friday classes ended. She grabbed him by the shirt, almost expecting his feet to continue walking comically, and waited until he had taken a breath to start talking.

"We all know that you're looking forward to seeing Ginevra, Draco. But we haven't seen her either, and we want you to take messages to her for us. Not to mention the fact that you haven't had a shower in the last two days, and you're really beginning to smell," she added, crinkling her nose in disgust.

Draco growled and muttered under his breath.

"Fine, I'll go have a shower. Get your messages organised by the time I'm out," he said, shrugging out of Pansy's grip and heading to the bathroom.

Despite his initial intention to shower and clean himself in a minute, Draco found that the water was actually quite soothing. He stayed beneath the water for ten whole minutes before realising that he had to go, and was probably wasting water by just standing there.

Pansy just grinned at him knowingly when he came out of the bathroom, clean, dry and dressed.

"Don't say it," Draco muttered, glaring at her.

She laughed, and then went to the meeting room where the others were waiting.

"Right, what do you want me to tell Ginevra?" he asked, looking at them. "What are those?" Draco asked, frowning at the small bottles on the table.

Each one was full of blood, and as he realised this, Draco also found that there was a copper and salt smell in the room.

"What did you do?"

"Well, we know you don't want to try and remember all of our messages, and you'll most likely forget the moment you see Ginevra," Neville added.

"We read somewhere that vampires can read messages transferred through blood," Padma said.

"So we thought we'd try it out," Parvati finished.

"And even if it doesn't work, she'll at least know us by taste," Blaise said, smirking.

"Are you sure you didn't read that in a Muggle book?" Draco asked the Patil twins, shaking his head when they looked at each other quickly. "Great, now I've got to carry around fourteen bottles of blood in a house full of vampires. Good thinking, everyone," Draco drawled sarcastically. "I'm surprised you let them do this, Luna," he muttered.

Luna just smiled and gently picked up the bottles one by one, putting them into a soft bag.

"They have unbreakable charms on them, and the bag is spelled to ensure no one will smell the blood inside. They will work, don't worry," she said, handing him the bag.

Draco shrank the bag down a few sizes and put it in his pocket, hoping that the spells were enough to get past vampire senses.

"Mr. Malfoy, are you ready?" Dumbledore called from the front door, knocking loudly.

"Say hi to Ginevra for me," Neville said.

"From all of us," Seamus amended, putting an arm around Neville comfortingly.

Draco nodded, then left to the front door. Dumbledore smiled at him, then started towards the Forbidden Forest.

"Madam Maxime returned to Beaubaxtons yesterday, as her long service leave had ended, and as such there is no carriage to take you to the vampires. An alternate form of transport has been offered," Albus said as they went between the trees.

"The unicorns?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Unicorns cannot fly, and even Volatil Equus will not be able to take you, as unicorns cannot allow men to ride them," Dumbledore replied.

"Then how am I getting there?"

"Witherwings," Dumbledore said, coughing slightly as if to cover a laugh.

Draco was going to question him, but then Dumbledore stopped and Draco saw his transportation for himself. Witherwings was a Hippogriff; one that looked exactly like Buckbeak, in fact. His arm started to ache.

"Excellent," Draco muttered under his breath.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Miles had been instructed by Xavier and Agnes to keep a look out for Draconius, and had stayed beside the window for the past three hours to do so. He had no idea how Draconius intended to arrive, and was suitably shocked when a Hippogriff landed in the mansion's front yard, Draconius seated on its back.

Taking a parasol from the stand, Miles hurried to assist him.

"All right, you can let me off now, Wither...things," Draco muttered. "I don't know why I have to call you by that absurd name, I know you're Buckbeak," he added. "And Buckbeak suits you better," Draco said quickly when the Hippogriff started to rise again.

He had spent the entire trip feeding the damned creature's ego, just to make up for the incident in third year. Even though this Hippogriff "wasn't" Buckbeak, it sure had the misgivings of a jilted Hippogriff.

Witherwings...Buckbeak lowered his wings and allowed Draco to get off his back.

"Welcome to Ginevra Weasley's Blooding Ceremony, Draconius," Miles said, bowing to him.

"Thank you Miles," Draco replied.

"If you would care to follow me inside, I will then be able to tend to your ... transportation," Miles said, lowering his voice so the Hippogriff wouldn't be insulted by the title.

Draco nodded and followed Miles inside quickly.

"I must admit that I have not had to deal with a Hippogriff before. How am I to tend to it?" Miles asked, looking out the window to the creature.

"Give it some raw meat, keep it away from animals that are smaller than it, and for the gods' sakes, don't insult the thing," Draco muttered.

Miles bowed, breathing properly once more.

"I will take you to Lady Agnes now," Miles said as he led Draco through the hallways.

Inside the mansion, he was more confident in himself. He knew the mansion better than any other vampire, and heard things that no one else could hear. To most vampires, Miles was simply the mansions' doorman and the vampire's butler, but Agnes and Xavier knew that Miles was so much more than that. He was one of their descendants, after all...

"Lady Agnes, Draconius is here," Miles said, knocking on the door.

"Thank you, Miles. Come in, both of you," Agnes said.

Miles opened the door and followed Draconius inside.

"Good afternoon, Draconius. I trust that your ride here was pleasant," Agnes said.

"As much as it could have been, concerning the type of transport I was forced to ride on," Draco replied with a slight grin as he bowed to her.

"Draconius arrived on a Hippogriff, my Lady," Miles added when Agnes looked to him in confusion.

"Oh, that explains a lot," Agnes said smiling at Draco. "Thank you for bringing him to me promptly, Miles. I will see you tonight, my son," Agnes said, hugging him briefly.

Miles smiled and bowed in return, leaving the room silently.

"I am sure you are impatient to see Ginevra. Please, come with me and I will take you to her room," she said, offering Draco her hand.

He took it quickly, eager to see Ginevra. Xavier met them as they walked through the mansion, and took his wife's arm.

"Now, Draconius. The Blooding Ceremony is extremely important for every halfling, and also for the vampires that attend. The night is extremely sensual, and in recognition of that, Ginevra will be sky-clad tomorrow during her Changing. I expect that you will not attempt to see her after her Changing is complete. Ginevra will be quite exhausted, and will need her rest for the next night," Agnes said.

"Of course, my Lady," Draco replied with a bow.

"This is Ginevra's room," Xavier announced, giving his wife a look that betrayed his confusion at her words.

Draco missed the look, staring at the door as if he could make it invisible by staring at it long enough.

"Ginevra? Draconius is here to see you," Agnes said, knocking on the door.

The door was opened almost immediately, but Draco didn't recognise the person who had opened it at first. Then, as he truly looked at her, Draco's jaw almost dropped.

"Lavender Brown?" he said, staring at her.

"Good afternoon, sir. My Lady awaits you," Lavender said, curtsying briefly.

She was pleased that he had at least recognised her. Maybe she didn't look so altered, after all.

"Your Lady? Ginevra, of course," Draco murmured. "Thank you for your company, and for bringing me here. I sincerely doubt that I would have been able to find the room on my own," he said to Agnes and Xavier, bowing.

"You are most welcome, Draconius. We will leave you and Ginevra alone. Lavender, you may come with us," Agnes said, holding her hand out for her.

"Yes, Lady," Lavender said and took her hand immediately.

Draco went inside and the door closed behind him firmly.

"What was all of that about, dear?" Xavier asked as they started to leave.

"All of what?" Agnes asked, a slight grin on her face.

"That rubbish about Draconius not being allowed to see her after her Changing. You know it's all they'll both think about and need," Xavier said. "We all do on a night such as that," he added.

"Oh, I am aware of that, love. He thinks that I was serious, and it will be interesting to see how long he can last apart from her," Agnes said with a light laugh. "Now, why don't we have some tea, Lavender, and you can tell me what you think of your new life," she said, smiling at Lavender.

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Draco closed the door firmly behind him, and looked at Ginevra. She was standing directly in front of him, and smiling broadly. He moved to her in the blink of an eye, and held her tightly.

"I missed you, Draco," Ginevra murmured, kissing him.

"Missed you too, love," Draco said, returning the kiss eagerly.

They didn't talk for another ten minutes; they simply held each other in contentment.

"What's that in your pocket?" Ginevra asked, laughing as she pulled away.

"Bottled blood," Draco said, pulling the small bag out.

"What?" Ginevra asked, frowning at him in surprise.

"Everyone decided that I'm not capable enough to remember messages, so they put their blood into bottles for you... Something the Patil twins suggested, and Luna said it would work," Draco said with a shrug as he returned the bag to its original size.

"I haven't had blood like this before," Ginevra murmured, looking at the bottles with a frown. "I much prefer to get it from the source," she added, grinning at him as she licked her lips.

"As do I, but I doubt that Hippogriff would have been able to carry everyone," Draco muttered.

"You rode here on a Hippogriff?" Ginevra asked, laughing again.

"I swear the damned thing is Buckbeak. My arm started hurting the moment I went near it," he said.

Ginevra just laughed, and kissed Draco to console him.

"It probably was Buckbeak," she said, grinning.

"You'd better drink the blood, they'll want a report the moment I get back," Draco said, smirking.

Ginevra nodded and opened the first bottle carefully. Keeping her eyes closed, she drank the contents quickly.

"Wow, that's not too bad. I think this is Gregory's blood ... Oh," Ginevra said, her eyes glazing over briefly.

Draco watched Ginevra as she came out of her trance-like state.

"That was different," she said, looking at the empty bottle in surprise.

"What happened?" Draco asked, frowning.

"He gave me a message through his blood. But he thought about other things too, and I'm surprised at how smart he really is. I mean, I know a lot of it was for show, but his mind is intelligent," Ginevra said, shaking her head.

Ginevra went through the rest of the bottles, managing to save Luna and Neville's until last. Fred and George had said something to make her laugh, and Draco wanted to know what they'd said. When Ginevra came out of Pansy's message, she looked slightly guilty, but wouldn't tell Draco what Pansy had said. She drank Luna's next, and came out looking slightly appeased, before drinking Neville's. Ginevra wiped away the tear that had formed, and put the empty bottle next to the rest.

"Everyone misses me. And Seamus had a really good time when Neville got back from the nymph world. Neville showed me one of the new-born nymphs, he was beautiful," Ginevra said, smiling briefly. "And now I'm starting to feel a bit sick. So many types of blood, and none the one I want," she murmured, moving towards Draco quickly.

Draco felt smug as Ginevra bit into his neck. She wanted his blood, not someone else's. She wanted his, and his alone.

He took her offered wrist, and watched her intently as he drank from her slowly. He was hers, but gods' be damned if it was any different for her in regards to him...

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginevra waited for the first of the Council Elders to arrive. The book Agnes had given to her had told Ginevra the names of all seven Council Elders. Four Ginevra already knew: Xavier, Agnes, Virginia, and her husband, Maverick. Over the course of the night, she would meet the other three Elders: Everett, Thayne, and Annabelle.

There was a knock at the door, and it opened without waiting for a response. Ginevra wasn't surprised to see Virginia standing there.

"Good afternoon, Ginevra. I am the first Elder you will be meeting with. May I enter?" Virginia asked.

"Of course, Council Elder Virginia," Ginevra replied formally.

Virginia entered the room and shut the door in less than a second.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Virginia drawled.

"Gladly, Virginia. What do we need to say to each other?" Ginevra asked.

"You may ask me any question regarding Blooding Ceremonies, and I have to answer. It is done in an attempt to bond, so that you will hopefully Choose me," Virginia said sarcastically.

"Very well, Virginia. I would like to know who the first person you Turned was," Ginevra asked.

"The first person was my husband, Maverick," Virginia replied.

"Did your mother tell you about the vampire that had bit her during pregnancy, or did you just become a Vampiress without prior knowledge?" Ginevra asked curiously.

"My mother did not tell me about the vampire until after I became a halfling. She did not think that the vampire venom had done anything, especially after so long," Virginia replied.

Ginevra was surprised to hear the loving tone in VirginiaÕs voice when she spoke of her mother. She did not think that Virginia could truly love anyone beside from herself.

"Do not look so surprised, the expression does not become you," Virginia said.

"I do not see how my expressions should affect you, ancestor," Ginevra replied.

"If we are quite done here, I do have other business to attend to," Virginia said haughtily, standing up.

"You are welcome to leave. I thank you for your hospitality in answering my questions,Ó she replied.

"A pleasure," Virginia spat, and then left the room without another word.

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Throughout the rest of the day, Ginevra met with the other six Council Elders, Agnes, Xavier, and Maverick, VirginiaÕs husband, three of them. The other three Vampires were polite, but seemed to know that Ginevra would not choose them. They answered her questions with more enthusiasm than Virginia, and made her look forward to the Changing Ceremony the next night.

However, it was Agnes that made Ginevra doubt her initial decision regarding who should Change her.

"You are aware of the saying, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, I presume?" Agnes asked.

Agnes had just recounted how she Changed Xavier during the time of the plague. He had been sick, and his sister Julianne had risked leaving their house to come fetch her. Julianne had also witnessed XavierÕs Changing, one of the few mortals to have ever done so. Fortunately, Agnes had done this long before laws were passed that ensured no mortals could ever see a vampire being Changed, and Julianne was no longer a mortal, so there was no need for a trial.

"Yes, I know the saying," Ginevra replied, frowning slightly.

"Then you may understand why I suggest this option for you. I am aware that your intent is to Choose Xavier and myself to be the two to Change you, and I am honoured that you would offer me the opportunity to do so. However, while a Changing occurs, you will have access to every thought, feeling and emotion that the Changer has ever felt, both while mortal and as a Vampire. They can hide nothing from you, and you will remember everything that you have seen and felt from their memories," Agnes said, looking at Ginevra pointedly.

"If I can see everything from them, then does that mean that they can see everything from myself?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"It does. But if you think that you can risk them seeing it, then this could be extremely advantageous for you, my daughter,Ó Agnes said.

Ginevra simply nodded, thanked her and watched as Agnes left.

Now, five hours later, Ginevra still had no idea who to choose. She did want to Choose Agnes and Xavier, as she felt that they would be able to help her handle the transition smoothly. But the prospect of seeing VirginiaÕs every memory and thought was quite tempting...

"I choose Council Elder Agnes Torleni and Council Elder Virginia Malfoy," Ginevra said clearly.

"I, Agnes Torleni, accept Ginevra's choice, and will Change her into a Vampiress," Agnes said formally.

"I, Virginia Malfoy, accept Ginevra's choice, and will Change her into a Vampiress," Virginia echoed.

The look of surprise on VirginiaÕs face almost made Ginevra laugh out loud, but due to the formal atmosphere, she bit her tongue and looked at the floor intently. When she looked up again, Ginevra saw that Agnes was smiling at her. Ginevra smiled back at her, suddenly hoping that Xavier would not be offended she had not Chosen him.

"The Council recognises the choice made and the answer given. Ginevra Weasley will be Changed into a Vampiress by Agnes Torleni and Virginia Malfoy tomorrow night, in order to coincide with the full moon," the Council Elders said.

Ginevra bowed her head, and by the time she lifted it again, all seven Elders had left the room.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"You're letting Virginia inside your mind?" Draco asked in disbelief, staring at her. "You're willingly let her see everything?"

"Yes, Draco, I am letting her in my mind. But don't you see that I can do the same to her? She will not be able to stop me, and I will see everything. If she's Seen anything of the future, then I will be able to See it as well, and I can counter it when it happens!"

"The future always changes! How do you know that she won't just go and change everything?" Draco argued.

Ginevra's response was silenced, and she tried to think of the reasoning that had made so much sense earlier. Draco sighed, redirecting her attention to him. He looked at her, moving to pull her into his arms.

"Never mind, Ginevra. You have already Chosen, and there will most likely be advantages from this. I sincerely doubt that Agnes would tell you something that will harm you. I am simply jealous that Virginia will be able to see your every thought and emotion, especially when they concern me. She will know how much I matter to you then, and that will change the vision where she attempts to kidnap me from you," Draco muttered.

"I'd forgotten about that," Ginevra murmured. "I should probably see Ollivander when this is over. I want one of those bags, just in case she does still try to take you."

Draco kissed Ginevra, stopping her worry-filled words in a moment.

There was a knock at the door, and Draco sighed heavily as he pulled away from Ginevra.

"It is just Lavender. I need to prepare for tomorrow," Ginevra explained.

"How do you know that it's Lavender?" Draco asked.

"She belongs to me, so I know everything that happens to her," Ginevra replied simply, shrugging as she opened the door.

"Hello, my Lady. I apologise for interrupting, but Agnes and I have come to prepare you for tomorrow," Lavender said.

"It is quite all right, Lavender. Lady Agnes, a pleasure to see you. Draco was just leaving," Ginevra said, grinning at him.

"I wouldn't mind staying," Draco replied.

"That is not allowed, Draconius. Now I believe that Xavier is waiting for you in your room. He has been waiting for a rival in wizard's chess for some time, and since Ronald needed to leave earlier this week, Xavier has been impatient for your arrival," Agnes said, smiling.

Draco looked at Ginevra when Ron was mentioned, and saw the slight hardening of her jaw. He wondered exactly what his punishment had been, but figured that he had already kept them waiting long enough. He could ask Ginevra later.

With a bow to Agnes, a kiss on the hand for Ginevra, and a brief smile for Lavender, Draco left the room. It was only after the door had closed that Draco had no idea how to get to his room from here.

As if he could hear his thoughts, Miles appeared suddenly.

"Good afternoon, Draconius. Would you like me to escort you to your room? Xavier has been looking forward to a game of chess for quite some time, as Agnes does not care for the game very much," Miles said with a smile.

"That would be excellent, thank you, Miles," Draco said with a sigh of relief.

Miles just smiled once more and then led Draconius to Xavier.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginevra undressed quickly, clutching the towel around her body. It was only Lavender and Agnes present, but undressing in front of them now gave her a cruel reminder that she would have to be naked tomorrow. She still didn't see why she couldn't be clothed for the Blooding Ceremony...

Ginevra sniffed the aroma drifting from the bath water, and wondered exactly what was in it. There were small stones at the bottom of the bath, making Ginevra hesitate to step inside. Small vases filled with different flowers surrounded the bath, and fragranced candles were scattered along the floor.

"They are to help you detox," Agnes said, smiling. "That smell is lavender oil. Lavender stimulates the immune system, detoxes the body, and also works as an anti-depressant and sedative, to relax your nerves."

"And the stones in the bath?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"Gemstones to assist with the detoxifying," Agnes said. "Lavender, do you remember what each gem is for?" she asked.

ÒRed Jasper detoxes the circulatory system, blood and liver. Copper not only helps detoxify, but it also influences the flood of blood, and is an aid for sexual imbalance, both of which are necessary for tomorrow's Changing Ceremony. Citrine increases tissue regeneration, which helps to strengthen halflingÕs into vampires, as well as detoxifying physical, emotional and mental bodies. It also enhances the bodyÕs healing energy, which gives the newly Turned vampire energy for the night following their Changing. And the golden topaz detoxifies the body, and also helps with tissue regeneration, as well as strengthening the liver, gallbladder, spleen and nervous system," Lavender said, smiling with pride as she remembered everything.

"Excellent work, Lavender. You have a very intelligent mind," Agnes said kindly, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Lady Agnes," Lavender replied quietly, looking away.

"The bath is safe for you to enter, daughter. The gems, as you have just heard, are there to aid you. They will not hurt you if you step or sit on one," Agnes added with a slight grin.

Ginevra sighed in defeat, dropped her towel and stepped into the bath, more relieved when nothing pierced her skin than her nakedness. She relaxed in the water, her eyes closed.

"Isn't Virginia supposed to be here too?" she asked, not opening her eyes.

"Virginia likes to arrive unfashionably late," Agnes replied coolly. "And on this occasion, I do believe she will only come here in order to do the mind detoxifying," she murmured.

"What does that involve, exactly?" Ginevra asked.

"Meditation, meditation, and more meditation," Virginia's bored drawl answered.

Ginevra's eyes flew open as she heard her voice, and looked to see Virginia leaning on the door. She hadn't heard her come in!

"Virginia, you know that it is not polite to enter a room without announcing yourself first. You've scared them both now," Agnes said, frowning as she saw Lavender's pale face and Ginevra's wide eyes.

"If little old me can scare her this easily, perhaps Ginevra should choose a new slave. They are of no use to you if they cannot hear another vampire coming upon you. You will not always be liked, you know," Agnes said, sneering at Ginevra.

"Lavender is not a slave! I would never take her free will away from her like that," Ginevra said, glaring.

"Of course not. You only take away the free will of your brother, do you not?" Virginia replied.

"Virginia, that is quite enough!" Agnes yelled.

Virginia looked at the ground, but Ginevra knew that she didn't feel remorseful.

"Ronald's free will was not taken from him, his mind was simply altered. You know this, having done it to countless others over the years yourself," Agnes said, glaring at Virginia. "You have had the honour of being Chosen, Virginia. Do not cause problems. There will not be a re-Choosing, no matter how much you attempt to sabotage this in order for it to be so. Now cease your foolishness, and do what you have been Chosen to do. If you do not do this duty, then I will call upon the Council to question your authority as an Elder," Agnes snarled at her.

Virginia paled slightly, but her features were composed by the time she looked at Agnes again.

"Very well, sister. I will do my duty, as is required of me," she said.

The moment the mind cleansing had finished, Virginia left. Her duty had been completed, after all.

Agnes spent the night telling both Ginevra and Lavender about her life as a Vampiress. How she had met her lover, Valentine, as a child, and how she had found him years later, reincarnated as Xavier. She told them about her journey around the world with Xavier. Julianne had found them, over two hundred years after her death, and had explained how Artemis had saved her, and she was really a Veela. Xavier, who had gone temporarily insane after his sisterÕs death, had needed to be sedated with herbs in order to process the information properly. Julianne had stayed with them for some time, both to reassure her brother she was alive, but also to learn from them. They had both lived such different lives over the years, that it took almost twenty years to fully recount every detail.

"But then, there is also the downside for living for as long as we do," Agnes said, sadness filling her voice. "I have made many friends over the course of my life, and as such, I have lost as many. I have lost close friends, who knew of what I was, but did not want the life for themselves, and I have lost mere acquaintances, who turned out to provide me with important life lessons. It is regretful to live for so long and not have anyone around to share the memories with you. That is why you must always be grateful for your own, Ginevra. You must not lose him- yes, it is possible, even though you are soul mates- and you must never forget how important he is to you. To lose friends is hard enough, but to lose oneÕs soul mate, that is what will truly break you. That is why I could not go through it a second time with Xavier. I could not watch as my soul mate died, again. I was selfish, but as Xavier has never regretted this life, I am glad that I do not need to regret my decision to keep him with me," Agnes said with a small smile.

"Of course, it is because of this downside that a lot of our kind decide to live their lives away from the mortal world. There are some vampires who refuse to leave the mansion, simply because they do not want to risk forming an attachment only to have that person die. Eighty years can seem like nothing, especially when you can live for as long as we do."

"I do suggest one thing, however. It seems that Muggles are beginning to show a lack in creativity and originality. I do not suggest that you follow their fashions, or their cinemas. All they are doing is attempting to remake things in order to conceal the fact that they do not know what else to do. It can be disheartening, and I was quite fond of the cinemas when they first started," Agnes said with a small sigh.

Ginevra offered Agnes a small bunch of lavender.

"Anti-depressant," she said at AgnesÕ curious look, grinning when Agnes started laughing.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Saturday, Apr. 27

Ginevra watched as Lavender collected the burnt-out candles. She seemed happy enough, and there hadn't been a harsh word between them since she had aged Lavender, but it did seem a bit too smooth.

"Is something the matter, my Lady?" Lavender asked, noticing GinevraÕs absent-minded stare.

"I was just wondering if I made the right choice with you," Ginevra replied.

"You mean to retract my punishment?" Lavender asked, her face paling drastically.

Not the reaction Ginevra had expected.

"No. What I meant was, I just wasn't sure if you were happy. I'm not making you a slave, am I?" she asked, frowning.

"I am quite happy, thank you, my Lady," Lavender said quickly. "Lady Agnes has been extremely kind to me, all of the vampires have, in fact, and I think that my view towards them has changed. You did not just age my body, but also my mind. I am not the immature schoolgirl I was a few months ago. I would say that I am ashamed of what I did, but I probably have not had enough time as this mature person to truly realise the repercussions of my actions. I am a woman of thirty-two years of age, but I have only had the experiences of a seventeen-year old girl. For now I am content with my lot, as I know that I have to pay penance for what I have done, but I suppose that I would eventually like to see some of the world. Agnes has assured me that I will see more of it than I ever wished, while in your service, and I believe her. I am paying for what I have done, and I am doing it of my own free will, as well. I am not a slave," Lavender said forcefully.

"I am glad that you feel that way, Lavender," Ginevra said, smiling at her briefly.

"If I may add something, my Lady?" Lavender asked after a moment's hesitation, and then continued at Ginevra's nod. "I think that it is a very brave thing you are doing, Choosing Virginia to be one of the ones to Change you. I am not sure that I would have had the courage to do it myself, with or without the supposed Gryffindor traits. I also believe that you will gain far more from tonight than she will," Lavender said, smiling.

"I hope so, Lavender," Ginevra murmured.

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Draco wasn't quite sure who had won the last game of chess. It had seemed like Xavier was moving the pieces, but any time that Draco looked at him properly, Xavier seemed to be at a complete standstill. It was very off-putting, and despite having made check twice, Draco couldn't remember who's king had fallen by the end of the game.

He was exhausted, and intended on sleeping for the entire day. Xavier had agreed for him to leave, albeit reluctantly when Agnes told him off for keeping Draco awake for so long on such limited sleep as it was. Draco didn't bother asking how she knew about his sleeping habits, but instead bowed and stumbled his way out of the room.

Miles had guided him to his room on Agnes' instructions, and again, Draco was more than glad for it. He barely was able to close the door behind him before collapsing on the bed and falling to sleep.

Agnes glared at her husband after Miles and Draco had left, and Xavier had the decency to look ashamed.

"Time got away from me, dear. I was so caught up in the game that I quite forgot Draconius needed sleep," Xavier murmured.

"How many did you end up playing?" Agnes asked, relenting.

"I stopped counting after the sixth game. I had to concentrate more then; Draconius is quite an excellent chess player. Within a few years, he may even beat me more than twice in a row," Xavier said.

"And just how many times did you cheat so that you did win?" Agnes asked as she left the room.

"Not that often. It was much easier as the night went on, though. I should have noticed how tired he was when he did not even realise that I had been checked, but I knocked over his king," Xavier murmured, following her.

"If he falls asleep during Ginevra's Changing Ceremony tonight, I am going to hold you personally responsible," Agnes said sternly.

"There will be so much energy in the air tonight, that not even the gods will sleep," Xavier replied.

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Ginevra was nervous. She was also naked, and covered in a silk robe that she was sure could be seen through. Agnes had reassured Ginevra that the flames would cover most of her body to the others outside of the ring. It wasn't overly comforting, but Ginevra's nerves for the night were fast overtaking any shyness she felt.

She had bathed for almost two hours earlier, and could feel the wrinkles on her skin from the water. Ginevra rubbed her hand on her leg, attempting to smooth the skin in vain.

Virginia and Agnes both took her hands, and they walked into the circle. Ginevra could see nothing but vampireÕs faces all around them, and held her breath as she sat on the ground. She wanted the fire to start, and not just to hide her body from everyone; the night was very cold.

From where she was, Ginevra only had to turn her head in order to see everyone. They were all watching her, and ... why was Draco at the very front of the vampires?! He was staring at her, his eyes dark.

Agnes and Virginia sat on either side of Ginevra, and the moment they were seated, the drummers started a slow roll. It redirected everyone's attention, something that Ginevra was grateful for. As one, the drums stopped with a loud bang. In that same moment, the fire sprang up, completely engulfing the three inside.

Through the flames, Ginevra looked up at the sky. The sun had set on the other side of the mansion, throwing everyone at the Blooding Ceremony into shadows, and now all they had to do was wait for the first star to appear. Not even five minutes later, the first star appeared, and the fire died abruptly.

With an encouraging smile, Agnes moved towards Ginevra. She tilted her head back and moved her mouth to GinevraÕs neck. As Agnes bit Ginevra, the drums started pounding fiercely in time with her heartbeat.

"You could become like me, Agnes," a silky voice murmured.

GinevraÕs eyes opened, and she watched as a tall, handsome, dark-haired man walked towards her.

"You will be able to travel the world with me, love, and we will be together," Valentine said, stroking her cheek.

"I have only ever wanted to be with you, Valentine," Agnes replied softly.

The scene changed, and Ginevra watched intently, almost oblivious to the fact that Agnes was still Drinking from her.

Agnes hid from the hunters pursuing them. Valentine had been by her side only a moment before, but now he was turning to face them.

The Vampyre hunters had been pursuing them for some time, despite Agnes and Valentine's best efforts to escape them. They were not like the usual hunters; these ones held sticks and used barbaric magic to corner and capture them: Wizards.

Agnes kept watch as Valentine attempted to fight off the wizards. They would not allow him to get close, and she watched helplessly as each Wizard pointed their sticks at him, making poor Valentine writhe in pain. He had done nothing wrong to them, or anyone else! Why was he being hurt? Agnes cried out a silent sound of pain, and Valentine seemed to look straight at her. His eyes said for her to not move, and she could do nothing but obey.

Valentine was left to die, and the moment the Wizards had left, Agnes was by his side.

"I will return, love. Not in this form, but you will recognise me. Our journey is not yet finished," Valentine murmured.

"We will be together once more, I promise," Agnes said softly.

Agnes kissed him, wishing that she could cry her sorrow.

The scene was cut short abruptly, and another one appeared, more terrifying than anything Ginevra had seen.

Agnes snarled at the Wizards, anger pulsating throughout her body. She had spent months tracking them, and now that she had found them, they would be punished for what they had done to her beloved. Before any of the Wizards had time to react, Agnes had already ripped the head from one, bit into the neck of another, and had her hands around the throat of the third.

A small cry startled Agnes, and she looked to the wooden doorway to see a small child standing there, eyes wide and hands gripping a stick – wand – that was much too large for its size. AgnesÕ red eyes faltered, and she dropped the man she was choking.

Agnes ran towards a forest, away from the house, the Wizards, and the child. She had killed before the eyes of a child. If she had not been damned before now, she surely would be now. Agnes stumbled through the forest, crumbling to the floor as she hit a tree. Well, maybe she would see Valentine earlier than she had thought, Agnes thought to herself, blackness taking her.

Agnes woke up, to neither Heaven nor Hell, and was filled with disappointment. Then she saw a horned horse nearby, and stared. The unicorn – was a unicorn not a mythical creature? – looked at her, almost as if it could hear her thoughts, and was telling her that the creature she was, was a mythical creature as well.

Ginevra could barely hear the drums any more. Did that mean her heart was slowing, and she was dying? Or was she just so intent on AgnesÕ memories that she didn't bother listening to them?

Agnes stared as she watched the young man pass her. His complexion was fairly average, compared to some of the men that she had seen over the years, but his looks did not matter to her. Agnes recognised him, his soul, and knew in her heart that it was Valentine's reincarnation. She hurried after the man, ignoring the shocked gasps from others around her.

She could not bear it. Not again. She would not sit by and watch as her beloved Valentine, Romulus, Jean-Pierre, Xavier, died again. Even if it were not for JulianneÕs cries of help, Agnes would have Turned him. With or without XavierÕs permission, she would not lose him again. The loneliness was too much to bear, and she could not survive without him again. She bade Julianne to get her mother to leave the house, and when Julianne had gone, Agnes started the Turning process.

Ginevra felt a sharp pain, and was vaguely aware that Virginia had bit her wrist. She was not as gentle as Agnes, but Ginevra hadn't really expected her to be.

"What is wrong with me, Mother? I do not understand why I thirst so," Virginia cried.

She was only thirteen years old, and her body was changing. Her mother said that it was normal, but there was nothing normal about the changes she was going through, Virginia knew that instinctively.

Emelia looked to Edward, and that look scared Virginia.

She did not want to thirst so much, but they all smelled so delicious. And she was ever so thirsty.

"Do you think it is because of the Vampyre?" Emelia murmured quietly, the words clear as a bell to Virginia.

She chose not to tell her parents that she could hear their quiet whispers, and continued to listen.

"It should not be possible," Edward said in reply, a frown burrowing on his forehead. "Eddie," he said, his face paling.

VirginiaÕs face twisted briefly. Her father had always loved Edward more than her that much was clear. Even though she was better at magic than he was, her father refused to acknowledge her accomplishments.

Draco smirked at Ginevra, her heart skipping a beat as he moved towards her.

GinevraÕs eyes opened in surprise. Virginia was taking memories from her!

Draco kissed her intently, his arms wrapping around her.

Maverick kissed Virginia deeply, and all she could think about was Drinking him dry. She wanted his blood more than anyone elseÕs, and that constituted as love for now. She would find her true love later in her life, Virginia knew that, but for now, Maverick would be a loving and adoring alternative.

Butterflies flew around them, and Draco proposed to her. The ring shimmered as she played in the sunlight, laughing.

Xavier kissed her round stomach, listening as their first child kicked inside AgnesÕ stomach. She smiled at him, running a hand through his tousled hair. She could not have wished for a better partner, and was so grateful that he was open to being a father.

Virginia looked down at her stomach. Maverick had gotten her pregnant, and now she would have to endure nine months of being fat before she would be able to return to her former beauty. She would be able to twist everyoneÕs minds to make them think that she was beautiful, of course, but that took quite a lot of energy, and the child inside of her would be using more of it than she liked to begin with.

Ginevra screamed as she began her labour. She cursed everyone in the room, her beloved husband included. He just smiled at her as she felt her body ripping in half, and she could have killed him. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ginevra made sure that she didnÕt listen to her husband or look at him, for fear of the consequences.

Virginia swore intently at Maverick. He was the bastard who had done this to her, and he was smiling at her! He was smiling at her, and then he was smiling at something else. Someone else. Jealousy tore through Virginia.

"You have a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Congratulations," the doctor announced, handing the tiny and fragile baby to Maverick.

"She's beautiful, just like her mother," Maverick murmured, moving beside Virginia with a broad smile.

Agnes began to give birth, and growled at her husband. Xavier was enjoying her pain far too much. It would be worth the pain, just so that they could see their child grow and live. They would allow their child to live either in the mortal or Vampire world, and ensure that they grew up healthy and kind. Agnes would not have one of her children to be spoilt and cruel. There was already too much cruelty in the world.

The pain stopped abruptly, and the images faded from GinevraÕs mind.

As her eyes opened, Ginevra became aware of how weak she felt. Her limbs were heavy, her motions were slow, and she felt like there was no blood left for her heart to pump. The drumbeats were fainter now, and further in between. The flames were reaching towards the sky, and the fiery colours blended together in GinevraÕs weak mind.

A wrist was offered to her, and Ginevra took it greedily, Drinking deeply. More memories assaulted her mind, but Ginevra couldn't keep up with their intensity and pace. Images of Agnes, Xavier and their children ran through her mind, and Ginevra started rocking back and forth as she attempted to decode them and work out what each one meant.

The wrist was pulled away gently, and Ginevra moaned, her eyes completely red.

More blood was offered, this lot from the heart. Ginevra didn't care anymore; she just wanted the blood. She needed it, craved it, and would do anything for more. It wasn't as sweet as Draco's blood, but then she doubted anything ever would be. The thought of Draco made Ginevra's mouth water, and she wondered exactly what he was seeing through the receding flames.

More memories came at Ginevra, this time of Virginia, Maverick, and their children. Francesca, VirginiaÕs first born, was beautiful, and Virginia had been jealous of her; the feelings were so intense that they were clear despite how fast everything was moving through her mind.

Ginevra was pulled away again gently. She had a few more seconds to breathe this time, before she was offered blood from AgnesÕ heart. The memories and feelings of Xavier, and their children were just as intense, this one of love and power. Agnes had so much power and knowledge at her disposal; GinevraÕs mind could hardly comprehend it. She wanted that knowledge. She Drank a little more deeply, wanting the feeling of love to return as well. It reminded her of Draco, and she wanted him even more than the knowledge.

A wrist was offered once more; Virginia's this time.

The process continued for some time, and with each new lot of blood, Ginevra found that she could see and hear things differently. She could see each individual flame for what it was, see the tiny sparks of colours within the flames, even as they started to die down, as her heart grew stronger. She could hear the sounds coming from beyond the ring, and it sounded like the sexual energy was getting to an all time high with the vampires.

In between blood, Ginevra looked through the ring of fire and her eyes locked on Draco's. He was alone, and was staring at her intently. His eyes had gone so dark that she could barely make out his pupils from his irises, and the look in his eye made her shiver.

The stars started to fade from the night sky, and Ginevra regretted that the brilliant lights were being fazed out by the sun. It meant that the blood would stop; as would the memories and knowledge she was gaining. It was intense, and Ginevra just hoped that she would be able to sort all the thoughts, memories and feelings properly when she had time to herself.

Agnes offered her wrist for the last time, and was grateful to see the stars fading from the sky. She would be the last to give Ginevra blood inside of this circle. And after today, Agnes was almost certain that Draco would be the only one that Ginevra would drink from.

As the last star disappeared from the sky, Ginevra pulled away from AgnesÕ wrist. At the same time, the flames rose up, higher than ever before, and with a loud bang from the drums, the fire died completely.

Ginevra stood up with her two Chosen, and they left the circle.

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Draco waited impatiently for Agnes and Virginia to leave. They were no more than three minutes, wanting to get to their husbands, but it felt like much longer. Draco didn't even consider Agnes' words from the day before as he knocked on Ginevra's door lightly and rapidly.

He sucked in a breath when she opened the door, her eyes red and her body completely naked. Ginevra just smirked at him knowingly, didn't wait for him to say anything, and pulled him through the door. He was pushed up against it within a heartbeat of the door closing, and GinevraÕs lips were on his own.

"I saw you, through the flames," she murmured breathlessly, tearing his clothes off without a warning.

Her sharp nails cut into his chest, and Draco shuddered at the sudden pain.

"Saw you too," he muttered in reply, a groan escaping as she licked his chest.

Ginevra just grinned up at him. In that same instant, she was suddenly at his neck, her fangs piercing the skin easily.

"Gods', this power is addicting. Just like your blood," Ginevra purred, licking and sucking at his wound eagerly.

Draco moved so that his body was pressed right up against hers, and smirked when she groaned in response.

Ginevra pushed Draco down so that he fell onto the cushions on the floor, and crawled on top of him quickly. She bit him again, moving so that his cock filled her. She moaned slightly, drinking from him deeply. Ginevra held Draco against her body, her nails piercing his back as she rocked against him.

Draco licked her breast, his hands moving to cup her tightly as he moved to suck her nipple, biting lightly. Ginevra groaned, then bit his shoulder, making Draco cry out in response. He hissed his pain through clenched teeth, but she seemed oblivious to it. As Ginevra started to lick and suck him, the pain subsided quickly. Draco was suddenly aware that blood was pouring from various wounds on his body. Ginevra's eyes were red, and she licked every trail of blood from him in a matter of moments.

"Share, Ginevra," he murmured.

She growled, but then smirked suddenly, and drew a line of blood along her breast. Draco smirked and licked it up eagerly, sucking more blood when a sudden craving took over.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley. You have attempted to hurt me, planned to kill me on more than one occasion, and have no regret for your actions. Therefore, I have two choices left. The first I can choose is to kill you, in response to what you have tried to do with me. The second is to disown you, so that you will never remember me, or the life we have lived together. As I have no will to kill you, especially in cold blood, you will be punished with the latter; no matter how much it may grieve me to lose a brother, there is no other option that would be safe for either of us. What do you have to say in response to your punishment?" Ginevra asked, a queen regarding her subject.

"I would prefer to live without knowing you than have my life taken from me," Ron replied, his voice dead.

"So be it," Ginevra murmured, moving to place a hand on his head.

The memory surprised Draco, but he kept Drinking, and other memories replaced that one.

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Ginevra woke up, her body splayed across Draco's. She moved off him gently, trying not to wake her lover up.

"I am already awake," Draco murmured.

Ginevra muttered under her breath, not looking at him.

Draco just smirked at Ginevra, kissing her temple lightly.

"I love you, Ginevra," he whispered.

Ginevra rolled over to look at him, smiling genuinely.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing him before letting her lips kiss a trail across his jawbone, resting on his neck.

Draco moaned as her fangs pierced him, his own fangs pushing out. He licked her neck lightly before biting her too, Ginevra's moan the same lust-filled one as his had been.

They Drank from each other eagerly, then made love on the soft cushions surrounding them.

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Sunday, Apr. 28

There was a knock at the door, and Ginevra opened her eyes instantly. She didn't feel tired, like she usually would after waking up, and there was no lethargy in her body or mind. She was completely and utterly awake.

Damn it, they never tell you that in the vampire books, Ginevra thought with a frown.

"Come in, Lavender," she called.

Draco conjured a sheet to cover them, and Lavender walked in a moment later.

"I am sorry for waking you, my Lady, but Lady Agnes requires your attendance. Lord Xavier also wishes to see your own; I believe there was something mentioned about a chess game," Lavender said with a slight grin.

Ginevra laughed when she heard Draco mutter under his breath.

"Thank you, Lavender. We will be out in a moment," Ginevra said.

Lavender nodded and left the room quickly.

"Do I have to go, love? Xavier cheats," Draco muttered.

"Only because he's worried that you will win if he doesn't," Ginevra replied, grinning. "And yes, you have to go. I'm not sure that what we did last night should have resulted in giving you fangs," she murmured, looking at his mouth briefly.

"I doubt the process is reversible," Draco replied, but still sat up to get changed.

When they were both dressed, Ginevra and Draco left the room. Lavender was waiting for them outside, and led Ginevra to Agnes' room, before taking Draco to Xavier in the vampire library.

"Why are you being nice, Lavender?" Draco asked as they walked through the hallways. "Aren't you resentful for having lost what was your life?"

"No," Lavender replied, sighing heavily. "I have the feeling I am only ever going to be asked that question. I regret my decisions as a teenager, and hate the fact that I was so shallow and self-involved. Because of my jealousy, I couldn't see that Ginevra was a good person and was just attempting to live with what she had been given. Before you and your friends, I imagine that she would have been extremely lonely and confused. Ron always told me how he hated Ginevra for being a Vampiress, and he gloated over how he and his brothers didn't talk to Ginevra after they found out about it. Fred and George never did like that, and didn't talk to their brothers because of their decision, but they didn't talk to Ginevra either, so she doesn't know what they did for her."

Lavender shook her head slightly.

"I am happier now than I have been in years, so I do not feel any resentment whatsoever at being aged. I believe that it is one of the better things that I could have been punished with, and people do still recognise me, so I'm certain that I do not look like a hag. I try not to look in the mirror if I can help it," she added when Draco looked at her in surprise. "Do not forget to tell Lord Xavier about your fangs. He is so used to seeing vampires that I doubt he will truly notice them," Lavender said with a grin.

"Thank you for guiding me here, Lavender," Draco said, giving her a smile as he went into the library where Xavier was waiting.

Lavender headed back to her room. Both Ginevra and Draco were pulling slight faces whenever they said her name, as if her very name made them angry. She supposed that it did, considering everything that she had done to them. As Lavender went inside her room, she wondered if she could change her name, just so they would not feel so bad about her presence.

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Ginevra bowed to Agnes as she went to sit beside her.

"Thank you for coming, daughter. I just wanted to ensure that you were prepared for tonight, and I doubted that you would be able to sleep for long while in Draconius' presence," Agnes said with a smile.

"Probably not, but I do not think that it would have been his fault," Ginevra replied, grinning slightly.

"I suspected as much," Agnes said, laughing. "Come, I have prepared a proper bed for you to sleep on. It has been with me for some time now, so I can assure you that it is a very comfortable bed," she said, leading Ginevra through to an adjoining room.

"Wow," Ginevra said, stopping and staring at the king-sized four-poster bed.

"It is quite magnificent, is it not?" Agnes said, smiling broadly. "I purchased this in India in 1850 from a British Raj for quite a large sum. It was definitely worth it, and I suggest that you spare no expense on your bed when the time comes to purchase one. You will be sleeping on it for the rest of your life, after all," she said with a smile. "I will leave you to rest now. I will wake you an hour before Virginia is scheduled to arrive for your Naming tonight," Agnes said, then left the room before Ginevra could say anything.

"Thank you," Ginevra called after her.

"You are most welcome, daughter," Agnes' reply came.

Ginevra looked at the bed, and climbed into it, suddenly feeling quite tired.

Agnes was right, it was very comfortable, she thought as she fell asleep.

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"Are you certain that they are not the product of a spell?" Xavier asked Draco, looking at his fangs with a frown.

"I am sure," Draco replied, making his fangs retract and then extend. "Does this mean I am a vampire as well as a Veelan?" he asked. "I doubt that Garion will allow me to return if I am a vampire now," Draco said, the consequences of his fangs no longer quite as pleasant.

"I think that will be up to Garion to decide," Xavier said after a moment's hesitation. "It is not within my power to bring him here, but perhaps Garion will allow us to go to him," he murmured.

"What is this urgent matter, love?" Agnes asked, entering the small room that was adjoined to the library. "I was just showing Ginevra our bed, and she is quite ... Oh my," she said, staring at Draco's fangs.

"I was just saying that Garion might permit us an audience so that we can discuss this. I do not know if he is a vampire, or if this will even affect his Veelan state," Xavier murmured.

"Draconius, can you change into a Veelan?" Agnes asked, looking at him.

Draco nodded, and changed immediately. His feathers expanded, the patterns on his face glowed brightly, and he wasn't the only one who breathed a sigh of relief at the change.

"Lady Agnes? The house is starting to get hostile. They felt the Veelan power that was just released," Miles said, entering the room quickly.

"I did not consider the consequences," Agnes said with a disappointed sigh. "We have no choice but to take him to Garion. We will return by the time everyone has settled, dear son," she murmured.

"Very well, my Lady," Miles said with a bow.

Xavier and Agnes took Draco's arms, and disappeared in a moment.

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"Draconius, is everything all right?" Julianne asked as she opened the door. "Xavier?" she asked, staring at her brother.

"Hello, Julianne. Do you mind if we come in?" Xavier asked, grinning.

"Still so formal," she muttered.

"Just as informal," he replied with a smile.

Draco had no idea what their banter meant, but Xavier suddenly released him, and hugged Julianne tightly.

"I have missed you, dearest sister."

"Just as I have missed you, dearest brother," Julianne replied quietly. "Come inside," she said, moving from the doorway. "What brings you all here after so long? Is it time?" she asked Agnes eagerly.

"Not yet, sister. I am afraid that time will be longer than either of us would like. We are here about Draconius, actually," Agnes said, nodding to Draco.

"What happened?" Jules asked, frowning. "We all felt your power only a few moments ago. It was stronger than it usually is. You did not kill a vampire, did you?" she asked sternly.

"No, I was just checking that I could still turn into a Veelan. It seems that Ginevra and I have managed to make myself into a hybrid," Draco said.

"What are you going on about?" Julianne asked, frowning in confusion.

Draco bared his fangs, and she paled, moving a few steps back.

"Well, shit."

"It should not have happened, but I fear that we have underestimated both of their powers," Agnes murmured apologetically.

"Garion won't make me leave the flock, will he?" Draco asked, unable to keep the nervous tone from his voice.

"I will make sure that he doesn't," Jules said immediately, shaking her head. "This may actually be good for the clan."

"I don't see how," Draco muttered.

"We need someone to negotiate with the vampires, and who better to do that than a Vampire hybrid?" Julianne asked, grinning.

"I thought it was decided that you were going to do that?" he asked, frowning.

"Garion does not like the idea of me being alone in a room with vampires, apparently," Jules murmured.

"I am surprised that you are not being more stubborn on the subject, sister," Xavier said, grinning.

"I have learned to hone my stubbornness, thank you very much. He will regret his decision later, I will make sure of it."

"Hello Draconius. Why are there vampire Elders here, Julianne?" Garion asked, his voice almost a snarl.

"Garion, you remember my brother, Xavier, and his wife, Agnes?"

"Of course, I doubt I will ever forget," Garion murmured, moving to shake XavierÕs hand stiffly.

"Indeed," Xavier replied, a smirk on his face.

"To answer your question, Lord Garion, we are here on my account," Draco said, attempting to get them away from their cryptic answers.

"Is everything all right?" Garion asked, a very slight frown on his face as he looked Draco over for injuries.

"It all depends on how you look at it, my Lord," Draco replied hesitantly.

"Would you please just explain what is going on?" Garion asked with a sigh.

"I have Drunk Ginevra's blood, and she mine. And those actions seem to have Turned me into a hybrid," Draco said, showing Garion his fangs, and then bowing his head when his tutorÕs eyes widened.

"Hybrid? You are part vampire, you mean?" Garion asked.

Draco looked at him in surprise, as the hate-filled tone that he had expected was not in Garion's voice. In fact, he seemed rather happy.

"I have been waiting for that to happen since it was confirmed of whom your own was. If that is all you had to say, then you can return with the vampires, as I am sure that the Ceremony is not over. Just be careful among with all of those vampires surrounding you. You still smell like a Veelan," Garion warned him.

"What?! You're not angry?" Draco asked in shock.

"No, why would I be? There is so much in the future that relies on your hybrid abilities and nature. I do not hate all vampires, Draco, just Virginia. She is the only vampire I truly hate, and I could never hate one of my most promising Veelan's, could I?" Garion asked, seeming amused at Draco.

"Well, I'm as shocked as you," Julianne muttered, smirking at Draco. "Say hello to Ginevra for me when you see her later, all right?"

"Of course, my Lady," Draco replied with a brief bow.

"And you, do not stay away for another thirty years just because of one dinner. Is that understood?" Julianne said to Xavier, glaring at him.

"I did not think that my absence would be noticed. I will endeavour to come over sooner. So long as your own does not think to insult me with the likes of a pig again," Xavier muttered.

What on earth were they talking about?! Draco thought to himself, looking between them in complete confusion.

Julianne just laughed, and shook her head.

"I cannot promise anything, but I am sure Garion will try to behave himself next time," she said sternly, looking at her husband.

"I will behave," Garion said, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Now that the testosterone display has been completed, I suggest that we leave. It is almost time for the Naming," Agnes said. "You are not allowed to stay away either, sister. Do not forget that we are not always in the vampire mansion," she said, hugging Jules briefly.

"I know, but it has been much harder to leave lately. The other clans are starting to become aggressive," Julianne muttered.

"If there is anything we can do, just ask," Agnes offered.

"We will, thank you," Julianne replied.

Draco bowed to Julianne and Garion, then took the offered hands of Agnes and Xavier and disappeared back to the mansion.

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"That was surprising, I must admit. But I am not ungrateful for the surprise," Agnes said with a smile as she let go of Draco.

"Do I dare ask about the pig comment?" Draco asked, smirking.

"Not if you value your life," Xavier muttered.

"No need to be so harsh, Xavier. It was over thirty years ago, and they both should have forgotten about it by now. I do not think there is a need to bring it up again and make another thirty years go by before they see each other," Agnes murmured to Draco, who nodded in response. "Thank you. Now, I am sure that you are quite tired. There is a bed available nearby, if you wish to use it. I cannot let you go to our room with Ginevra, as she really does need her rest for tonight. It can be quite tiring to meditate for so long if one's mind is not properly rested," she said, sounding apologetic.

"That is understandable. Thank you for your consideration, Lady Agnes. I will accept your offer of the bed, I feel quite tired," Draco replied, barely able to hide his yawn.

"Very well, I will call Lavender or Miles for you," Agnes said.

"I am already here, my Lady," Miles said suddenly, opening the door briefly.

"Oh, thank you Miles. Please take Draco to a room. I do not want him to be disturbed; he needs his rest," Agnes said.

"Of course, my Lady. Follow me, please," Miles said, leaving the room.

Draco bowed to Xavier and Agnes, then hurried after Miles quickly.

"This is a private room. No one will be able to disrupt you, excepting Lady Agnes, Lord Xavier, Ginevra's companion, or myself," Miles informed him.

"Ginevra won't be able to come in then?" Draco asked with a frown.

"She may, if she wishes. But her Naming is to start in half an hour, so I am sure that she will be busy until the early hours of the morning. If not, the Naming is quite tiring, and she will most likely go straight to sleep once it has finished," Miles said sympathetically.

"Of course. Thank you, Miles," Draco murmured.

Miles bowed in response, then left the room, closing the door behind him firmly.

Draco headed over to the bed, and despite his intent to relax for only a short time, he was fast asleep within minutes of his head touching the pillow.

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Ginevra was woken up by Agnes, and again was surprised at how awake she felt. It would take some time to get used to it, she mused as she sat up.

"Good afternoon, daughter. I trust that you slept well?" Agnes asked, smiling.

"I did, thank you," Ginevra replied.

"I am glad of it. Virginia is expected at any moment for the Naming to begin, so I suggest that you take the time to bathe and refresh yourself. The en-suite is through that door," Agnes said, indicating to a nearby door.

"Thank you," Ginevra said, waiting until Agnes had left to go to the bathroom.

She sank into the tub of hot water, closing her eyes as she relaxed.

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"You have a reputation, one that I am sure you do not wish to lose," Virginia's smooth voice said, charm in every word.

The man across from her just nodded briefly.

"Then you will complete this job for me. I will pay you twice my original offer, and I want proof when the job is done."

"Heart? Or wedding finger?"

"I want her head," Virginia snarled.

"Her head? That's going to cost you more than double. In order to get the head, I need to get up close to her, which of course, puts my life at more risk. I want four times the original amount," he replied.

"I will give you double now, and the other half when the job is completed. I will know if you are lying, so do not even attempt it, or she won't be a worry for you," Virginia hissed.

The man looked down at the photograph. The red-haired woman in the picture didn't even look to be twenty years old, but she had done something to piss this other lady right off. He wondered what they had both done for it to come to this.

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Ginevra opened her eyes, frowning.

The water was still warm, and not even fifteen minutes had passed since she got into the water, but she suddenly didn't feel like relaxing any more. Getting up, Ginevra dried herself off and changed into the clothes that were lying on the bench.

Leaving the en-suite, Ginevra sat beside Agnes quietly. Agnes did not question her, and they simply waited for Virginia to arrive. She came after another ten minutes of waiting, and entered the room without knocking.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Virginia said as the door closed behind her.

The smile on her face indicated that she was anything but sorry.

"Never mind the hour, are you ready for the Naming?" Agnes asked.

"Yes, I am ready," Virginia replied, sighing heavily.

"The Naming consists of us three, but only you will be told your True Name. Whoever you choose to share it with is your own business, and you do not need to feel obliged to tell anyone, if you do not wish to do so," Agnes said kindly, smiling at Ginevra, who nodded in response. "Good, now even out your breathing while Virginia and I prepare."

Ginevra began to even out her breathing, breathing in to the count of four, holding for four counts, breathing out to the count of four, holding for four, and continuing the cycle endlessly. As Ginevra did this, she felt her limbs and body start to relax. The even flow of blood being pumped made her arms and legs tingle in protest. She ignored the impulse to scratch, and continued to concentrate on her breathing.

"This may feel a bit intrusive, but it is part of the Naming. Just try to keep breathing at the same pace," Agnes murmured.

Virginia and Agnes were sitting on either side of Ginevra, facing each other. They linked their arms through Ginevra's, and held hands. They closed their eyes and matched their own breathing to Ginevra's.

Ginevra continued to breath, even when her arms were moved briefly. She felt both Agnes and Virginia link their arms through hers, and as they matched their breathing to hers, she found that she could feel their power too. They were lending Ginevra their power in order for her to discover her True Name.

Not one thought passed through Ginevra's mind, and the only thing she felt was the power of two Elder Vampiress' flowing around her. She stayed in that state for what seemed to be days, and yet nothing came to her.

Caeledea.

The word repeated itself over and over and over again, and the moment Ginevra opened her eyes, it stopped.

Agnes smiled at her, and Virginia quickly let go of them.

"You know your True Name now, daughter. Congratulations, and welcome to your new life," Agnes said, hugging Ginevra.

"Congratulations and welcome," Virginia said in a monotonous tone.

"I thank both of you," Ginevra replied, smiling.

She would hold no ill will towards Virginia for tonight. Ginevra knew her own True Name, and she still felt the power of her two Chosen surrounding her. It was a night to celebrate, not to fight.

Virginia stood, bowed slightly to Agnes and Ginevra, and then left the room.

"Would you care to see Draconius now, my daughter? I will have Lavender get him for you," Agnes said, standing.

"Would you care to hear my True Name first, my Lady?" Ginevra asked with a smile.

"It is not necessary for you to tell me, daughter. By knowing your True Name, I will have complete control over you. Do not treat it with lightness, I beg of you," Agnes implored.

"I know, and I can promise that I will not be anything but responsible with my True Name. You will be one of four that will know my True Name, myself included. Draco and Xavier both have a right to know, although I will not allow myself to tell Draco until he is properly warded against Virginia," Ginevra said.

"Very well. I would be most honoured to know your True Name, my daughter," Agnes said.

"I am Caeledea," she said, smiling.

"Heavenly goddess, it is more than appropriate," Agnes said with her own smile. "I will have Draco brought here, unless you would like to go to him?"

"I will find Draco, thank you, my Lady," Ginevra said, bowing.

"You are most welcome, my daughter."

Ginevra left the room, intent on finding Draco. She searched nearly every room, the library, and even the kitchen, but she couldn't find him. Fear gripped at her, as she thought of Virginia.

She hadn't already kidnapped Draco, had she? There hadn't been that much time for Virginia to find Draco and take him away. Besides, she wouldn't be – couldn't be – so foolish as to kidnap her own when Ginevra was a newly Changed Full Blooded Vampiress... Would she?

"There you are, my Lady! I have been trying to find you," Lavender said, puffing from the exertion. "This body was not built for long distance running," she muttered.

"Is everything all right? Is it Draco?" Ginevra asked.

"Everything is perfectly fine, my Lady," Lavender reassured her immediately. "Draconius was required to tend to Witherwings. Or Buckbeak," she said, frowning slightly.

"The one place I didn't think to look," Ginevra muttered. "If everything is all right, why have you been trying to find me?" she asked curiously as she headed to the mansion's entrance.

"I would like to change my name," Lavender said, her cheeks turning red briefly.

"Why would you want to do something like that?" Ginevra asked in surprise.

"I am not very comfortable being called Lavender anymore. It represents too much of my past, and I am certain that I will be constantly asked about my teenage years while I still have this wretched name. If I introduce myself with another name, then people will just think I look like an older version of her," Lavender explained.

She decided not to tell Ginevra or Draco about the minute expressions of hate they had whenever they said 'Lavender'. They didn't know that they were doing it, so she wouldn't make them upset by telling them.

"By what name would you like to be called then? Hopefully not Lav-Lav," Ginevra teased, laughing softly.

Lavender laughed, shaking her head.

"Gods', no! That would be even worse. I had thought of my middle name, Violet, but it is a bit obvious then," Lavender said.

"Why about Lettie? It sounds a bit happier, and I doubt that anyone will really make the connection between you and your younger self unless they knew you," Ginevra suggested.

"I will think about it, and leave you to spend some time with Draco," she replied.

"Thank you, Lavender. And do not feel that you need to change your name because of Draco and me, all right?"

Lavender just nodded in response. Feeling completely alone, she watched as Ginevra ran out into the night to be with Draco.

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(a/n: end of the 22nd chapter. I truly hoped that you enjoyed it!

Ginevra's True Name Caeledea is pronounced: Kay-El-EE-Dee-A (a is in car). It comes from the Latin words, caelestis (heavenly/celestial) and dea (goddess)

Thank you for reading!)

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let J.K.R sue me.

(a/n: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, I appreciate it!)

Chapter Twenty Three

Monday, Apr. 29

"You're quite sure you don't recognise them?" Molly asked, her forehead creasing into a frown.

Ron had looked completely bewildered when Molly mentioned the twins and Ginevra, and had asked for a photo album. Molly had left him almost two hours ago, and when she'd returned a few minutes ago, Ron had every single album surrounding him, photos strewn on the floor and was staring at nothing that she could make out.

Molly was grateful that none of the pictures could talk, as every single one of their photo identities looked quite upset at having been thrown around.

"I don't recognise them at all. And I don't even remember this Quidditch photo with Bill and Charlie, either! What's wrong with me?" Ron asked, looking to her for answers with wide eyes.

"You hit your head, Ron. The doctors said that there was a chance of amnesia. They won't be able to do anything about the amnesia, dear. It's something that your own mind will have to heal, if it chooses to do so. Sometimes, memories never return," she said, obviously quoting the doctors' words.

Molly cleared her throat slightly, then smiled brightly at him.

"Harry and Hermione will be over soon. I'm still surprised that Albus let them have the entire day off, so I hope you will make the most of it. Try not to play too much chess with them, dear," Molly said, laughing at Ron's expression. "Why don't you help me clean this up, so the house looks nice when they arrive?" she said, waving her wand so that the pictures reinserted themselves into the albums.

"Sorry; I didn't realise the mess," Ron muttered, frowning.

He picked up the albums when the photos were all inside once more, and put them back on the shelves.

"Don't worry, dear; it's clean now. Would you like to help me make lunch, or do you want to wait for Harry and Hermione in here?"

"I'll help you," Ron said.

He didn't want to be alone with the unfamiliar photos for longer than he needed to be.

Molly smiled happily and went into the kitchen, Ron following quietly.

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"Are you all ready?" Agnes asked, smiling at them.

Ginevra held onto Draco's hand tightly and nodded. Beside them, Lavender hesitated a moment before nodding too.

"We should leave now, dear. If we take any longer, I am sure that Albus will come here himself to get you. He has been most anxious for your return, especially since Buckbeak returned alone last night," Xavier murmured.

"Very well," Ginevra said, stepping forward with Draco.

Lavender moved forward tentatively. She didn't want to go back to Hogwarts; by going back she would be faced with the memories of her younger self, and she knew that the other students at the school would continue to condemn her as her younger self, and not as the person she was now becoming. She was terrified of returning to Hogwarts, and to the person she had been only a short time ago.

As the light faded from the night sky, and the front of the mansion was enveloped in shadow, three vampires, a Veelan, and a mortal left the dimly lit mansion to enter the newly created darkness.

Without a word, Agnes took Lavender and Ginevra's hands, and Xavier took Draco's and his wife's. In the same manner, there was no warning, no gut wrenching feeling, and then suddenly they were all at Hogwarts.

"What was that?" Lavender asked in surprise, looking at Agnes and Xavier.

"You just experienced vampire travel; it's older than wizard Apparation, and much smoother. Though I am not surprised, as the wizards took the idea from vampires, after all," Xavier replied with a grin.

Ginevra looked around them, the familiar Forbidden Forest and lake nearby. Millions of eyes watched her from the darkness of the trees, as if welcoming her return. She nodded her head to the creatures, and then turned back to Draco.

She smelled them before they came over the hill into her line of sight. All of her friends, accompanied by one with extremely powerful blood. Well, for a mortal at least. Ginevra wasn't surprised to see that it was Albus. Her friends ran down to her, surrounding her and Draco in a moment. Agnes and Xavier stepped back to allow them room, Lavender moving away with them.

"I missed you, Ginevra," Neville said, hugging her tightly.

"Missed you too, Neville," Ginevra replied, hugging him back.

The others said the same, all of them hugging her. They ignored Draco's protests to their displays of affection, and hugged him too.

"It is a relief to witness your return, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Thank you, Albus," Ginevra said, smiling back at him.

"And it is my pleasure to see you both again, Lord Xavier and Lady Agnes," Albus added, turning to them and bowing slightly.

"The pleasure is all ours, Albus. And I am sure that we have told you not to bow to us," Agnes said, a slight grin on her lips.

"Indeed, you have, Lady, but I cannot seem to bring my body to obey my mind. Old age, and the like," Albus replied, chuckling as he bowed again. "And who is this with you?" he asked, seeing Lavender beside Agnes and Xavier.

"This is L..." Ginevra went to say.

"My name is Lettie, Headmaster," Lavender said, looking to Ginevra with pleading eyes.

She had been right; Ginevra's friends had already seen her, recognised her and judged her. Lettie was a better name than Lavender, and right now, Lettie was better than no name at all. She would be Lettie until she felt comfortable with a new name, if she needed one. She was a new person, and a new person should have a new name.

"Lettie is my companion," Ginevra added with a comforting smile to Lettie.

"I thought Lavender was ... oh," Millicent trailed off as she looked at 'Lettie' properly.

"And the Knut finally drops!" Fred said, smirking.

"Good one, Mill," Padma sniggered.

Lettie went bright red, looking at her feet.

"It's good to see that you decided to come back, Lettie," Luna murmured, making Lettie look at her in surprise.

"Why are you so happy that I'm back? You weren't happy with me ... before," Lettie said, frowning slightly.

"You were Lavender then, and I had no reason to be happy with you. Now you are Lettie, and that gives me plenty of reasons to be happy with you. You will get used to the name, do not worry," Luna said, smiling brightly.

Lettie was slightly confused, but still thanked Luna for her kind words.

"I apologise for leaving so soon after arriving, but there is a Council meeting scheduled this night, and we cannot be late for it. We will do a progress check on you in a few weeks, just to make sure that you are adjusting well, daughter," Agnes said, smiling at Ginevra as she hugged her.

"Thank you, Lady Agnes. I am sure I will adjust perfectly well with your blood in my veins," Ginevra replied, smirking.

"Let us hope so," Xavier murmured.

Ginevra noticed the look that passed between Xavier and Agnes, but wasn't able to ask them about it, as Xavier bid his farewell to Albus, then they stepped back and disappeared, again without a word of warning. Lettie looked uncertain and somewhat lost without the two vampires by her side, so Ginevra looped her arm through hers and gave her an encouraging smile.

"You are doing very well, Lettie. There is nothing to be worried about," Ginevra said.

Lettie just nodded, not looking at all convinced.

"If you do not mind, Ginevra, there are some things I need to discuss with you before you return to your rooms," Albus said, attempting a smile, but the expression looked rather grim instead.

Ginevra's own smile faded slightly, and she nodded. Not letting go of Lettie's arm, Ginevra followed Albus to the castle. The others walked with them, talking about everything that had happened since they had gone - Flitwick had started his own duelling class, and was teaching them all defensive and offensive spells in Charms.

The Daily Prophet had released a Ministry-sanctioned article about the return of Voldemort. A lot of it was pure rubbish - hiding in basements never worked before against the Dark Lord, so everyone doubted that it would work now - but it did confirm one thing: the Ministry acknowledged the Dark Lord's return.

"I would have preferred to talk to you alone, but I can tell that your friends will find out what I am going to tell you the moment you leave my office, so perhaps it would be best if I tell all of you at once," Dumbledore mused as he entered the castle, and headed up to his office.

The others looked at each other curiously when Ginevra didn't reply. Draco was the only one who knew why she hadn't answered, but that was only because of the bone-breaking grip she'd had on his hand since Albus opened the doors to the Hogwarts entrance. He held onto her tightly, not letting go as they walked past the Great Hall, where hundreds of students sat, completely unaware of the danger walking past through the corridor.

Ginevra was Thirsty. She didn't know why she was, she'd been Drinking from Draco most of the day, after all. But that faded to the back of her mind as the smell of hundreds of students' pulsing blood washed upon her the moment the doors opened.

She could smell every individual student, teacher and creature within the castle walls, and her control almost slipped as they walked past the Great Hall. She could smell what every person inside was eating, from Sally-Anne's mashed potato and chicken wings, to Professor Flitwick's chicken corn soup. But their food didn't matter to Ginevra; their blood did.

Luna edged closer to Ginevra, touching a hand to her shoulder as they passed the Great Hall, both to reassure and hold her.

"You will be able to Drink from Draco the moment we enter Albus' office. Calm yourself," Luna murmured.

Ginevra barely managed a nod, and gripped Draco's hand a little tighter.

Lettie didn't say a word, despite the painful grip Ginevra had on her arm. She knew that Ginevra hadn't done it on purpose, or was even aware of the pain it was causing her. Lettie could see that Ginevra's eyes were dark red, and didn't dare to say a word in case those very eyes were turned on her. She could heal herself later, and there was no point making a fuss over the pain she was feeling, when the agony Ginevra was going through would be so much more than her own.

"Please use the adjoining room while you Drink. I have a weak stomach, especially after a rushed dinner," Albus said as they entered his office.

Ginevra nodded, practically dragging Draco into the room. Lettie managed to free her arm in time for the door to slam in her face.

"Just be thankful that you were not taken in there too. I don't think that you are quite ready for that," Luna murmured, guiding Lettie to a chair gently. "Theodore, Lettie's arm."

Theodore frowned slightly, but moved to face Lettie in the chair. One look at her arm, and he could tell that it was broken.

"You should have said something, La... Lettie," Theodore muttered, healing her arm quickly, and bandaging it.

"I didn't want to make a fuss. My Lady's pain was worse when we went past the Great Hall," Lettie replied, shrugging slightly and then wincing when the action caused her pain.

"Your Lady?" Parvati echoed, raising an eyebrow at her.

"The future Mrs. Malfoy," Lettie said with a brief nod.

"When did you get all polite?" Padma growled, glaring at her. "And don't go pretending you're a different person just because you've changed your name," she hissed.

"That is enough, Padma," Ginevra said, coming into the room with Draco.

Everyone noticed the teeth marks on both of their necks, and looked to Draco curiously.

"We will explain it later. You are to treat Lettie with respect. I will know if you do not," Ginevra added sternly.

"Why do we have to be nice to her? She's still Lavender under all of that," Padma said, glaring at Lettie.

"You have to be nice to her because Lettie is my companion, and she has been chosen for a reason. Lavender does not exist within her, and you will be civil in the very least," Ginevra said, her tone final.

"Do not fear, Lettie. They will come around in time," Luna murmured to her quietly, smiling reassuringly.

"What did you need to talk to us about, Albus?" Ginevra asked, redirecting the conversation.

Padma didn't look happy, or convinced that Lettie wasn't Lavender, but just folded her arms and refused to look at Lettie.

"Apparently, word was sent to The Daily Prophet about there being a vampire within Hogwarts. You have not been named, so your parents are safe, as is the rest of your family. The person did describe the vampire as a student at Hogwarts. That has, of course, caused many parents to write to me, demanding that I expel said student, or at least deny that the rumours are true. I just thought to inform you before I made any further decisions," Albus said to Ginevra.

"Thank you for your concern, Albus," Ginevra murmured absent-mindedly.

She looked at Draco for a moment, sharing her thoughts with him. He didn't look surprised, and nodded briefly in response.

"There is no need for expulsion, or lies. My time here has come to an end. Now you can answer truthfully and reassure the worried parents that there are no Vampires at Hogwarts," Ginevra said, smiling.

"Which means I'll have to leave too, since I'm a hybrid," Draco said, smirking lazily.

Dumbledore didn't look very surprised at either of their comments, but the others did. Their shock prevented them from saying anything, and Dumbledore used the silence to his advantage.

"You will need to complete your exams before you can leave, or else the Ministry will regard you as having failed, and neither of you will be allowed a reference or recommendation for work by me or any other staff member currently teaching at Hogwarts for any future employment that either of you choose to do."

"Very well. I will stay to my rooms during that time, will no longer attend lessons, and will not participate in school doings. That will help the separation easier, fuel enough rumours about me within the general school population, and completely squash any attempt of parents trying to remove their children from here. If I am not seen in the school, then the students cannot say that there is a Vampire among them. Besides, it would do me well to start living at night. The day is far too noisy," Ginevra murmured.

"It's not like I wanted to put up with their staring anyway," Draco muttered with a shrug, moving his tongue to play with his fangs.

"And so ends the official schooling of the Vampiress and the Veelan," Luna murmured, a small smile on her face as her white eyes Saw things that the others could not yet hope to dream of.

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Hermione watched as Ron played a game with Harry. He was winning, as always, but she wasn't concentrating on the game, or the small chess pieces that were yelling victory cries with every defeat of the opposing side. No, she was watching Ron's face.

Soon after they had arrived at The Burrow, Molly had informed Hermione and Harry that Ron had no recollection of Ginny, Fred, or George, and very limited memories of Charlie, Bill and Percy. It was somewhat distressing for Ron, and Molly would appreciate it if they didn't bring them up unless Ron did first. Harry, of course, agreed immediately. Hermione wasn't so sure that this was the best method of restoring Ron's memory, but agreed a moment later.

It was Ginevra's doing, of that Hermione was sure. Ron had talked of his siblings the moment Molly left the room. He could still remember Bill, Charlie and Percy with almost perfect recollection - there were a few memories missing, but he could still remember their birthdays, favourite Quidditch teams, and most of their childhood with him.

Of the other three, there was not one thing he could recall. He didn't know that Ginny's full name was Ginevra, her eyes were brown, or that the twins had turned his teddy bear into a spider at the age of three. He was still afraid of spiders; Ron's fear went deeper than that one memory, it was lodged into the very depths of his brain.

Ron admitted that it bothered him that he couldn't remember three of his siblings, but he uncharacteristically decided not to get wound up about it. Harry had looked somewhat grateful, and then challenged Ron to a game of chess, hoping Ron's amnesia would let him win for once.

Hermione looked at Ron's face. He seemed happy, despite the look of concentration on his face. There were none of the worry lines that had developed on his face since learning that Ginny was a Vampiress and dating a Malfoy. He was as blank as a piece of parchment when it came to his sister and the twins, and that annoyed Hermione. Harry was too worried about being The Chosen One to be overly worried at Ron's sudden loss of memory, or Ginny's perfection as a Vampiress. Neither of them would be of much use.

"I might go back to Hogwarts. I need to finish my assignment on Rune Placement for Professor Yepir," Hermione said, standing up, giving both surprised boys a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure, 'Mione? Dumbledore said we can stay here for the whole day," Harry said, standing too.

"I'm sure, I've really got to get the essay done. You stay with Ron, Harry. I'll just say good bye to Mrs. Weasley. I'm glad to see that you're well, Ronald. Have fun playing against Harry for the rest of the day," she said, grinning at him.

"Yeah, I will. Thanks," Ron said, standing and giving her an awkward hug, pulling away quickly.

Hermione hugged Harry.

"Move your bishop," she murmured.

Harry pulled away, grinning. He looked at the board as Ron called for Molly, seeing that he could move his bishop and get a bit further in the game, at the very least.

"Is everything all right, dear?" Molly asked as she came into the room.

"Everything's fine, Hermione just wants to go back to Hogwarts. Study, or something like that," Ron said, turning back to the board with a dismissive shrug.

"Is everything all right?" Molly asked Hermione with a frown.

"Cramps," Hermione lied, keeping her voice at the appropriate level - low enough to make it seem as though she was whispering, but still loud enough for the boys to hear.

"Hermione, we really didn't need to know that!" Ron cried, going red.

"Do calm down, Ronald. It's a natural response in a woman's body," Molly said, shaking her head at him as she led Hermione out of the room. "You don't have to go, dear. I have plenty of medicines if you would prefer to lie down," Molly offered, smiling at her kindly.

For a moment, Hermione felt bad for lying to Mrs. Weasley. But then she remembered the child she had birthed - the same one who had taken all of Ron's memories away, the same one who was surpassing her in school, and the very same one who was out to get her blood.

"I'd prefer to return to Hogwarts, if you do not mind. Thank you for the offer though, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied.

"Very well dear, let me just get the Floo ready for you," Molly said.

Hermione just nodded and waited in the doorway until everything was ready.

"I do hope you feel better soon, dear. And do come back, Ron has been missing you something awful," Molly murmured, handing the flower pot to Hermione.

"Of course. Thank you again, I am sorry to bother you so much," Hermione replied.

Molly immediately protested her words, smiled. Hermione didn't smile in return, she simply threw in a small handful of Floo Powder, stepped into the green flames, and went back to Hogwarts without looking back.

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Friday, May 3 - Saturday, May 4

Midnight

Alexander watched from between the trees as Ginevra led Draco from the rooms. He held back a snarl, knowing that they would both hear him if he so much as breathed out of turn. He was currently matching his breaths to the nearby herd of sleeping centaurs. He was thankful that the moon was waning, or else Ginevra would have spotted him by now.

Even if she was preoccupied with the filth who dared to call himself Ginevra's own. He wasn't worthy of her, Alexander thought with a snarl, glaring at Draco intensely.

Alexander looked away when Ginevra laughed softly, pulling Draco flush to her body and kissing him deeply.

He left the forest's edge, refusing to acknowledge the look of love on Ginevra's face.

Ginevra had just been fooled into thinking that she loved Draco; she didn't know what she was really feeling, what she should be feeling about him, not Draco fucking Malfoy!

Ginevra's laughter followed him into the forest, past the sleeping centaurs, and deep into his dreams.

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Ronan hurried deeper into the forest, briefly glancing up at the stars every so often to ensure that he wasn't being followed. The stars kept murmuring words of death to him, but he was galloping too fast to heed their worry and words.

They had already told him that what he was doing was right, and Ronan already knew the consequences of his own actions. If what he was doing was right, then so be it.

He stopped near a clearing, looking through the gaps in the trees for the pure white glow of the unicorns. He was running out of time, and if he did not get to them in time, then Ronan would not be the only one to die.

Finally seeing the glow ahead, Ronan hurried to it, glancing up at the stars once more. They were beginning to fade in the early morning light, and he feared that all was lost.

The Protector's let him through without stopping him, and Ronan was glad that the unicorns let him in without an inquisition. There was no time.

Ronan, we have been told of the urgency, but not of the cause. What is wrong? Lady Evita asked.

Her words were not as calm as they usually were, and did nothing to soothe Ronan's nerves as they usually did.

"The centaurs plan to attack Ginevra this day. They are going to lure her out by attacking others in the forest, and will kill her if the sun does not," Ronan said.

If it was possible for a unicorn to frown, Evita achieved it.

Alexander has been keeping an eye on the centaurs, and reported that there was no threat to Ginevra only an hour ago.

"You think that I would lie? Ginevra is the Queen of All, and the herd will attack her. Look to the stars!" Ronan burst out, anger filling him.

I do not think that you would lie, Ronan. You are pure of heart, unlike so many in your herd. However, Alexander is Ginevra's Protector. He would not allow any harm to fall to her. I heed your words, and will ensure that there is someone close to the forest's edge today, just in case. Does that appease you? Evita asked.

Ronan shook his head.

"No, it does not. I will protect her myself. You will regret this decision when you hear about the centaurs attacking the creatures in the forest, Evita. The stars agree with me on that," Ronan said, leaving the clearing quickly.

Evita watched as he left, then turned to Volatil Equus.

Go to the forest's edge and keep an eye on Ginevra's rooms. Make sure she does not enter the forest, Evita murmured, then turned to one of her personal Protector's, Aryle. Keep your ears open to the forest. I want to know if the centaurs attack any of the creatures within the forest. If they do, you are to bring Alexander to me immediately, is that understood?

"Yes, my Lady," Aryle murmured, bowing and leaving the clearing silently.

Volatil Equus left the clearing, beginning the journey to the forest's edge.

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"I have reason to believe that we are being betrayed by one of our own," Bane announced.

The centaurs surrounding him looked up to the stars, their murmurs confirming his words.

"In light of this betrayal, I have decided to use the spy as our bait. Those who have been assigned to the decoy will hunt the spy through the forest. Ginevra will feel his pain, and be lured from her rooms in order to save him. Those who have been assigned to the forest's edge will attack when she is close enough, if the sun has not killed her in that time," Bane instructed.

The centaurs nodded, some of them looking doubtful.

"When the betrayer returns, I want him brought to me. I will show you that he is more loyal to Ginevra than to our kind," Bane said.

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"Ronan, there you are! Bane has been looking for you. He wanted to tell you the time for the attack," a centaur called out. "He's this way," he added, leading Ronan through the trees. "Where were you anyway?"

"I was talking with the stars," Ronan replied.

Even now, as the last stars faded from the sky, they were still whispering words of death to him.

"Ah, Ronan. I was looking for you. Thank you," Bane murmured, nodding to the other centaur, who left immediately. "We have planned our attack. It is scheduled for this day. We want you at the front line of the attack, Ronan," Bane said, smiling.

Ronan frowned slightly, but nodded.

"Very well."

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Alexander went deeper into the forest, intent of being as far away from the forest's edge as possible. If he was not within calling distance, then he could not be blamed for what Ginevra was going to go through.

Though, it was not like she was without powers. She had the powers of the world within her; a lowly herd of centaurs should be nothing to her. Not only that, but she was now a Full Blooded Vampiress. Ginevra would be completely fine without him, Alexander reasoned with himself, even as he started moving faster into the forest.

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Bane watched Ronan as they started to go towards the forest's edge. Ronan was fidgeting, something out of character for the usually calm centaur. He was also looking around nervously, as if he was expecting an arrow through the heart.

"Are you nervous?" Bane asked Ronan quietly.

The younger centaur shook his head briefly.

"There she is," a centaur up ahead whispered, quickly and silently locking an arrow into his bow.

As the centaur aimed straight, Ronan paled. He could not see Ginevra past the centaurs, but he could not stand by and do nothing as she was killed. Despite his earlier words when first meeting Ginevra, discretion was no longer an option. He had tried to be discreet, and the unicorns hadn't believed him.

"Ginevra! Don't come! It's a trap!" Ronan yelled.

Bane smiled and nodded to the centaur who had his bow strung. In a second, the bow was pointed at Ronan instead, and not even a whole second later, a look of comprehension dawned on his young face.

"Until this recent event, you have been a loyal herd member, Ronan. Therefore we are giving you a chance to outrun us and our arrows," Bane said. "We will not start hunting until the count of five."

Ronan paled and immediately started running towards the forest's edge. If he could get to Hogwarts, he may be able to warn Ginevra, or someone, in time to save her.

As he ran, Bane's voice followed him, and the invisible stars echoed with one word.

"One."

Death.

"Two."

Death.

"Three."

Death.

"Four."

Death.

"Five."

Death.

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"And then his entire face just started to blow up!" George said, laughing.

"It was hilarious!" Fred said, holding his stomach as he laughed.

"Percy didn't think so," George added, still laughing.

Their laughter was infectious, making the others laugh too. Ginevra stopped suddenly, mid-laugh. In the same moment, Luna collapsed to the floor, her eyes wide.

"No, they cannot do this now. She cannot go. Do not let her," Luna started ranting, her words running together, and completely incomprehensible to everyone around her.

Theodore immediately crouched beside her, checking her vitals quickly.

"Ginevra? What's going on?" Draco asked, shaking her shoulders slightly.

"They shot Ronan," Ginevra murmured, seeming to stare through the wall.

"Centaurs. They bring death, create new death, and watch as they fall down dead," Luna continued her rant.

"I have to go help him," Ginevra said, standing quickly.

"NO!" Luna yelled, that word everyone understanding clearly enough.

"They're killing him!" she yelled in return.

"It's the middle of the day, you'll be burned," Pansy said, standing in front of Ginevra, and attempting to make her see reason.

"I'll be fine. I have to help him. He's dying. They just keep shooting him over and over," Ginevra said, absolute horror in her voice as she felt the ghost of every arrow enter her own body.

"I'll take the pain away, Gin. Pansy and Luna are right, you can't go out there," Padma said, moving towards her with an open hand.

"No, I can't just sit here as he's dying. Padma, they're killing him because of me, I know it," she said.

Without another word, Ginevra moved away from them so quickly it looked like she had disappeared.

Lettie looked to Draco, who had been the only one able to see Ginevra leave. He was already up and starting to follow her when Lettie took his arm.

"Take me with you."

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Ronan wasn't scared to die. He was scared to let Ginevra die. He was fond of the world the way it was, and did not want his death to bring on the consequences that the stars had foretold him.

Bane's words had long finished echoing throughout the forest, but the stars were still repeating their one word over, almost as if they were anticipating the end of his life.

Every time his hooves touched the earth, they murmured the word to him. He briefly wondered if it was like this for every centaur that died, to be taunted by the stars that they looked to for guidance through their life. Then yet another arrow pierced his side, and Ronan concentrated on galloping faster.

Bane aimed his arrow, concentrating on the moving centaur far ahead. His eyes followed the zig-zag pattern Ronan was making in an attempt to confuse them, and after a moment, Bane let his arrow fly.

Ronan could see the sunlight getting brighter as he came closer to the edge of the forest. He could see between the trees, and could make out the bricks of the Hogwarts castle.

The stars continued to taunt him. In fact, they were getting quite loud.

Death.

Death.

Death.

DEATH!

An arrow pierced him from behind, plunging deep into his back and through to his heart.

Ronan collapsed, landing mere centimetres outside of the forest. He heard a cry of pain, but it hadn't come from him. It sounded like Ginevra.

"No," he murmured, coughing as he struggled to stand again.

Blood was pouring from his chest, he could feel his lungs collapsing and knew that his body was bleeding internally as well. Ronan did not expect to live much longer, but he would still attempt to protect Ginevra.

She was the Queen of All, and the herd had no right to kill her just because she was born a human.

There was a sob from nearby; Ginevra had come to him.

Ronan tried to reach out to her, but he found that he could not even do that. He could not stand, call out, and as darkness started to creep up to him, he found that he could not open his eyes, nor feel the pain from the arrows any longer.

The crying continued, and as the darkness enveloped him completely, Ronan struggled to stay alive and protect the Queen.

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Draco cradled Lettie in his arms as he ran after Ginevra. He didn't want to drop Lettie, so he didn't run as fast as he could have. They both heard Ginevra cry out each time an arrow hit Ronan.

"Move faster," Lettie said, tears leaking from her eyes.

As Ginevra's companion, Lettie could feel a dull ache from the pain she was feeling as well. She wasn't the only one; Draco was able to feel Ginevra's pain too. As her own, he felt her pain as intensely as she did, but it was delayed by a few moments, and he was still able to function properly if he focused past the pain. Draco felt every arrow that Ginevra felt Ronan to be hit by, but he still felt the overwhelming need to protect her.

Draco heard Ginevra crying and, gripping Lettie tighter, he hurried even faster to the forest's edge. Ronan's lifeless form was lying on the ground, arrows sticking out of his body in various places. Ginevra was surrounded.

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Ginevra cried out loudly, feeling an arrow piercing her heart through her back.

"Ronan!" she cried, seeing the centaur collapse out of the tree line just up ahead.

He struggled to move, and Ginevra ran even faster to get to him.

"Ronan, don't move. Oh, gods'," she sobbed, seeing all of the arrows protruding from him.

Three were in his back, four in his flank, and there were numerous scratches from arrows that weren't embedded in his body, but had still managed to hit him. Blood was pouring from his body, and she could smell blood clotting internally. She couldn't do anything, not even her power could heal these wounds.

Ginevra couldn't help the tears and sobs that racked her body, watching helplessly as Ronan died in front of her.

His eyes fell shut and his heart stopped beating. Ginevra looked at the arrow protruding from Ronan's back, the one that had caused his death.

"Bane!" Ginevra yelled, standing up.

The centaurs had surrounded her as Ronan died, and even though she was vastly outnumbered, Ginevra's grief and rage ensured that she didn't care about the numbers. Not even the sun burning her skin was enough to make her stop.

"You killed one of your own kind?" Ginevra asked, glaring at Bane.

"He betrayed us," Bane hissed, letting an arrow fly at Ginevra.

Ginevra's dagger deflected his arrow, and she moved towards the herd leader quickly.

Other arrows started flying towards her, and though Ginevra dodged a few of them, more than three embedded themselves into her body. Her dagger sliced at Bane faster than he could see, and she cut his chest. Ignoring the smell of his blood, Ginevra hissed at him and continued to fight the centaurs that were closing in on her.

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Pansy muttered about running, hating that she had no other way to get to the others quickly. Ginevra had taken off, and then Draco and Lettie had followed without so much as a word to them. Theodore was still in Ginevra's rooms, looking after Luna, who was still muttering gibberish and ranting. Colin had stayed behind too, too worried about Luna to be any use out on the field. Millicent had opted to stay as well, since she could help Theodore, but threatened their lives if they didn't return to tell her everything that happened.

Neville was at the front, Blaise and Seamus by his side. Seamus somehow knew exactly where Ginevra was, and was running faster than Pansy could keep up. The twins were having no trouble, and Pansy almost resented them for it.

Gregory and Vincent were glancing at her worriedly, hearing the gasps she was taking. She wanted to get into water, not be up in this stupid restricted atmosphere of pure oxygen.

Pansy yelped when she was suddenly picked up.

"We need to hurry; Ginevra's getting hurt," Fred and George said, holding her between them.

Seamus just nodded in reply, and ran faster still.

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Ginevra could barely even feel the arrows as they pushed their way into her body. She could smell Draco on the other side of the centaurs, and could feel his helplessness as his attempts to get through the centaurs was thwarted each time. His Veelan magic had no affect on the centaurs, and they barely even glanced at him, despite the spells he sent at them.

Bane was almost dead. She was sure that she had taken out one of his eyes, and he would never be able to run again. But it wasn't enough. He had killed Ronan, all because of her. The other centaurs were faring just as bad as Bane. There weren't as many arrows that were coming to her from behind, so Ginevra had to reason that she had at least got a few of them down.

A loud high pitched scream rang out, and suddenly Lettie was pushing Ginevra into the ground. Both women cried out as an arrow pushed its way through Lettie's back, and split Ginevra's side.

"I am sorry, my Lady," Lettie murmured, blood spluttering out of her mouth.

Draco finally got past the centaurs, roaring as he picked up Ginevra's dagger. As his hand came into contact with the dagger, both the hilt and blade extended, turning the dagger into a sword. Draco didn't stop to think about why it had happened. Instead, he cut down the three centaurs that charged at him.

The four remaining centaurs backed away, their eyes wide. A red glow reflected on their chests, and Draco turned to see Bane, Ginevra and Lettie rising into the sky, a red light surrounding them. The three of them floated down the tree line towards Fred and George, who were moving towards the three figures, their wands drawn. The others followed them, Pansy being carried between Parvati and Padma.

As Draco hurried down to them, Neville, Blaise and Seamus shot past him, anger filled in their faces. Blaise was a centaur, following his kind into the forest. Seamus was in his Protector mode with Orion in his eyes, hunting the centaurs that had run away. But it was the look on pure hate and anger on Neville's face that scared Draco. As Neville approached the forest, entire trees seemed to wither up and die, and vines were shooting after the centaurs that were running even faster.

Draco shuddered, hoping to never be on the receiving end of Neville's anger.

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Lettie watched the fight, trying desperately to find a way between the centaurs to get to Ginevra. She was getting hurt, every single arrow that was aimed at her was hitting her in some way.

"You have to help her," a voice murmured in Lettie's ear.

Ronan's ghost, who it seemed that only Lettie could see, was looking just as desperate as she felt. Lettie had seen the ghost the moment they arrived, but Draco hadn't said anything about him, so he was either too worried about Ginevra, or really couldn't see him.

"Do not worry about that now, young one. You need to help your Lady. The next arrow will be fatal!"

"I can't get in," Lettie said, her eyes darting in every direction, failing to find an opening.

"Come here," Ronan said quickly.

Lettie hurried over, Draco too intent on the fight and Ginevra to notice that she'd left.

"Get ready, I will only have enough power to do this once," Ronan murmured, turning his eyes to the fight.

"Do what?" Lettie asked, suddenly nervous.

"Breathe, young one. You do not have time to be nervous," Ronan said, reassuring her with a brief smile.

Lettie nodded, and when Ronan picked her up, she didn't scream. She took in a deep breath, and looked at Ginevra over the top of the centaurs. She quickly looked at the centaurs, trying to see where the next arrow would come from. Ronan threw her, a bright white light shining from him as he disappeared from beneath her.

Lettie landed on the shoulders of one centaur, using her momentum to jump into the middle of the fight, directly on Ginevra's side, pushing her into the ground. An arrow went straight through her back, and due to the close range, continued part way into Ginevra. Lettie cried out, Ginevra's cry echoing her own.

"I am sorry, my Lady," Lettie murmured.

A metallic taste filled her mouth as blood spluttered out of it with her words.

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Fred and George stopped for a moment as they felt an arrow pierce Ginevra. It was only a very dull ache in their bodies, but they had no doubt that it could have been fatal if Lettie hadn't jumped in front of their sister. They had seen Lettie pale, run over to the centaurs and literally jump over them in order to get in front of the arrow in time. The centaurs closed in again, and they lost sight of the fight, but they all heard the roar that Draco gave.

"Take Pansy," Fred and George muttered to Parvati and Padma, handing her over to them quickly.

They were still too far from the fight to be much use with their own magic, but they subconsciously knew that they could use their sister's magic while she was unconscious. They yelled a spell, directing the energy with their wands.

Bane, Lettie and Ginevra started to rise from the ground, enveloped in a red light.

Fred and George made the bodies move towards them, and away from the centaurs, even as the remaining ones began to leave.

Draco hurried over to them, a sword in his hand.

"Where'd you get the sword?" Gregory asked.

"Why is your magic red?" Draco asked the twins at the same time.

"We borrowed some of Ginevra's magic," Fred and George replied.

They picked up Lettie and Ginevra gently, being careful not to separate them. They didn't know how much damage the arrow had done to them, and didn't want to take the arrow out in case it did more damage than good.

"We've got to get to Thedore," they murmured, turning.

"I'm here," Theodore said, puffing slightly from having run the whole way.

The twins lay Lettie and Ginevra on the ground carefully, Theodore dropping beside them quickly.

"I offered to carry you," Apollo muttered to Theodore, gently laying Cassandra down.

"You didn't offer to carry me, you git," Millicent muttered.

"Is Luna all right?" Vincent asked.

"She's Seeing far too much. It calmed down a few minutes ago, and we were able to understand what she was telling us," Apollo replied.

"Where'd Seamus, Neville and Blaise go?" Pansy asked, taking deep breaths.

"They went after the centaurs," Draco replied.

"Get into the water, Pans," Vincent murmured.

"No, I don't ... " Pansy began to protest.

Her words were cut short when Gregory picked her up, taking her to the lake's edge.

"Water pansy will float between new feelings. Centaurs find a new respect. Consequence is newly forced. Nymph finds a new protector. Unicorns create a new future. Vampiress and Veelan live a new life, as a new star watches them from the heavens," Luna murmured, smiling up at the sky.

She closed her white eyes with a small sigh of relief.

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Ronan saw his dead and bloodied body, watched as Ginevra cried over him, and cringed when she started to fight the herd. Not long after, Ginevra's own arrived, holding an old, but young woman. The woman looked at him with wide eyes.

"You can see me, can you not?" Ronan asked.

She nodded, paling as she saw his dead body nearby.

"Do not worry, I am only here for a short while. I need to protect the Queen," Ronan said.

The young woman's eyes darted to the ongoing fight, and she nodded.

"So do I," she murmured quietly.

They both watched the fight intently, hoping for an opening of some kind to slip through. There didn't seem to be one, despite the injuries the herd were receiving.

"You have to help her," Ronan whispered to the young woman urgently.

The stars were beginning to whisper.

Ronan only had a limited amount of power and strength as a ghost. If there hadn't been so many of his herd, he could have killed Bane and perhaps another one or two with the strength he currently had. As he stood there, he felt that power diminishing quickly.

He saw the young one look over to Draco, and heard the worry in her thoughts.

"Do not worry about that now, young one. You need to help your Lady. The next arrow will be fatal!"

The stars were talking to him, telling him he had to hurry, or else the Queen of All would die, and the world would follow.

"I can't get in," the young woman said, her eyes darting in every direction, failing to find an opening.

Throw her, lift her, carry her over the top. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

"Come here," Ronan said quickly. "Get ready, I will only have enough power to do this once," Ronan murmured, looking to the fight.

"Do what?" the young one asked, nerves filling her.

"Breathe, young one. You do not have time to be nervous," Ronan said, reassuring her with a brief smile.

Ronan picked her up gathered his remaining dwindling strength, and threw her. The moment she left his grip, he burst into light, disappearing into a million different places all at once. As he did so, the stars began another chant.

Welcome.

Welcome.

Welcome.

Welcome.

As Ronan's spiritual form gathered itself together once more, he found that he was not in the Otherworld. It was dark, but he did not mind, as there were many lights, and even the darkness was made of light. It may have been cold, but he did not feel it. Ronan found that he could see, but he had no body or eyes to see with.

Where am I? he asked.

You are home. Welcome.

The hundreds of millions of lights shimmered, and as Ronan looked around, he found that he could see Earth. He turned slightly, and saw planets and lights surrounding him, saw the brightest star shining as the Sun, and saw further past that one star to the millions behind it.

All of the stars and lights shimmered, welcoming him happily. He suddenly understood what the stars had been telling him before. They hadn't been taunting him, or his death. They had been anticipating his death in order to welcome him. They had been waiting for him.

Ronan turned his gaze back to Earth. He looked closer, and saw millions of blades of grass, changed his view and saw Ginevra lying on the grass, the young one on top of her, an arrow piercing them together.

"A new light shines in the heavens," a soft voice murmured.

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Evita waited, pacing in the clearing impatiently. She did not want the young centaur to be right, but ever since she had felt Alexander going further into the forest's depths, she had to admit that Ronan was right about both Ginevra, and Evita's regret.

She had called Volatil Equus to return only a few hours after the Abraxicorn had left, and despite Volatil's annoyance at the wasted journey, Evita did not want the young one to see so much death and pain. She could feel Ginevra's pain at this distance, and knew that Aryle's news would not be good.

As if he had heard her thoughts, Aryle stepped into the clearing and bowed to Evita.

"My Lady? I bring word of the centaurs," Aryle said. "The young centaur was right; they did attack a creature of the forest. However, it was the centaur that they attacked, and no other creatures. Ginevra was lured out of her rooms, and the young centaur is dead. Ginevra's companion saved her life, but may have forfeited her own in doing so. There have been a number of centaur deaths, although the number is unknown."

Aryle looked at the ground for a moment before continuing, "I have asked the trees, and have looked in the Protector's areas of the forest, but I have was still not able to locate Alexander."

Evita looked to the stars, a tear slipping from her eye as she saw the new star being welcomed into the heavens.

I am sorry, dear Ronan. I promise that I will not let my faith in Protectors blind me again, Evita said. She looked to Aryle. Orion is hunting in the forest. Volatil Equus will cross his path momentarily. They will find Alexander.

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Volatil Equus didn't make it to the forest's edge. Within a few hours of leaving Evita, she was called back to the unicorns clearing. The Abraxicorn whinnied in some annoyance, but turned and made her way back quickly when Evita related what had happened to Ronan, the centaurs, Ginevra and her companion.

She just hoped that Ginevra would be all right.

After some time, Volatil heard centaurs coming towards her. She snorted angrily, pawing her hoof on the ground. Lowering her horn, Volatil waited for the centaurs to come.

Volatil, Alexander is attempting to escape. We need you to take Orion and find him, and bring him to us so that he can be judged, Evita said.

But the centaurs are almost here, I can take them, Volatil replied.

Be that as it may, it is not your fight. The ones that are hunting them have more need for justice and revenge than you. Now please, help Orion, Evita said.

Yes, my Lady, Volatil murmured with a sigh.

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Orion. Alexander is attempting to evade the consequences of his actions, and has evaded two of my Protectors. Volatil Equus is up ahead. Please go with her and find Alexander. I want him brought to me alive. A Protector who betrays us should not be given the option of death without a trial, Evita said.

Her voice was colder and sterner than Seamus had ever heard it before.

Yes, my Lady. I will bring him to you alive, Orion replied.

"I have to go find Alexander. Keep on these ones," Seamus said to Blaise and Neville.

The centaurs must have realised that they were gaining on them, and started galloping even faster.

Neville just nodded, jumped and landed on Blaise's back lightly. He murmured something under his breath, and the very trees themselves started to move in the direction of the centaurs.

Seamus continued along the path, coming to an abrupt stop when he saw the Abraxicorn up ahead.

Hello, Orion. Are you ready to hunt? Volatil asked.

Volatil Equus, Seamus said, bowing to her. I am always ready to hunt.

Then see if you can keep up! Volatil neighed, galloping deep into the forest.

With a grin, Orion took over Seamus in a split second and ran after her.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Theodore worked faster than he ever had before, working on removing the arrow while Millicent sent as many numbing spells as she could to both Lettie and Ginevra.

Lettie was still alive, by a rather large miracle in his eyes. The arrow had pierced through her lungs, but she was still breathing shallow and short breaths. Theodore had no idea if it was Ginevra's magic that was keeping Lettie alive, and at the moment he didn't truly care, but it was enough to give him hope for Lettie's life.

He glanced at the bars hovering above Lettie and Ginevra.

"Lettie's going into shock, try some more numbing spells, Mill," Theodore murmured.

"I've done all of the spells I can, they're not working on her anymore," Millicent said, putting more of her power into her spells.

Parvati looked to her twin pleadingly.

"You have to help her; she saved Ginevra's life," Parvati said.

"I don't have to do anything, Parv. And who cares if she saved Gin this once? She's tried to kill her so many more times before," Padma said.

"Come on, Padma. Ginevra trusts her, you should too," George murmured to her.

"Stop telling me what to do, damn you," Padma growled, glaring at George.

"Millicent, they're not working. Just stop now, she's in too much pain and shock..." Theodore murmured, ignoring the pleads to Padma behind them.

"Oh, for gods' sakes, move out of the way," Padma muttered, pushing past Millicent. "Just because I'm doing this, it doesn't mean I'm friends with you, got it?" she muttered to Lettie, putting a hand on her shoulder gently nonetheless.

Theodore shook his head at Padma's poor attempt to stay tough, and hurried to work on Lettie again, the shock and pain leaving her body quickly. He pulled the arrow out of Lettie slowly, the metal leaving her body with a slight pop. Millicent dropped beside him, working her own magic on the split in Ginevra's side.

When her sister's eyes started to roll back into her head, Parvati hurried to give her own emotions to Padma.

"So much pain," Parvati hissed, clenching her fists tightly.

"Almost done, just hold on a little bit longer," Theo muttered to the Patil twins.

He finished repairing Lettie's organs, then quickly worked on stitching and fusing her skin back together. The moment he finished, both Padma and Parvati let go of Lettie, shaking with their own pain.

"Give the twins some chocolate, and Lettie a replenishing potion, Mill. I'll finish on Gin," Theodore murmured to her.

Millicent nodded, and quickly moved out of the way. She rummaged through Theodore's bag, and found the bottle of blood replenishing potion inside. She sat Lettie up gently, making sure not to pull on her newly-healed skin, and poured the contents of the bottle in her mouth. Holding her mouth shut, Millicent pinched Lettie's nose, forcing her to swallow the potion. She passed the twins some chocolate, and turned to see Theodore healing Ginevra with red magic.

"How are you doing that?" Millicent asked.

"I don't know," Theodore replied. "It's depleting her internal store of magic, but I can't use my own, hers is too strong."

"Then how about you hurry up the healing?" Fred muttered.

"I am going as fast as I can. I don't want to make a mistake," Theodore replied tersely.

"She will live, do not worry," Luna murmured, her eyes still closed. "She will live."

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Alexander knew that he was being hunted. Even if it weren't for the complete silence he received from the trees and wind, he would have recognised the shiver on the back of his neck. He started to run.

"He is running. Coward," Orion snarled.

We are not to harm him, remember that, Orion, Volatil called.

Orion just gave her a wild grin and continued running. The wind and trees talked to him as he ran past, telling him the path of the betrayer.

The wind finally spoke to Alexander, and although he was expecting hostility, he had not expected the absolute glee with which they told him that Orion and Volatil Equus were catching up to him.

You will be punished, Alexander. You will be caught, Alexander. You will die, Alexander.

Alexander put on an extra spurt of speed, running as hard and as fast as he could. The wind just laughed after him, mocking his every footfall.

Orion laughed softly, grabbing his bow and quiver of arrows, seemingly out of thin air. He stopped suddenly, Volatil stopping and turning back to him.

We are not to harm him, Orion, Volatil said, whinnying nervously.

"I know, Volatil. Do not worry. I will not harm him," Orion murmured.

He lined his arrow and adjusted his arm slightly to account for the wind and distance. With a steadying breath, Orion let the arrow fly. He stood and shot a spell at the flying arrow using Seamus' wand.

As the arrow started to fall towards Alexander, it changed into a net, covering the Protector firmly. The net ends burrowed themselves into the ground, pinning Alexander down.

Volatil trotted over to Alexander.

Are you harmed, Alexander Tobias Therode? she asked.

Alexander shook his head, glaring up at the Abraxicorn through the net.

That is a pity. He will not be harmed on our journey back? Volatil asked Orion, who shook his head in response..

"I will not harm him. However, if he tries to run, the net will stab him, just like my arrow should have. Therefore, we are not harming him, Alexander is harming himself." Orion said.

I hope he tries to run, Volatil murmured.

"So do I, Volatil," Seamus replied, glaring down at Alexander.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Monday, May 6

Ginevra opened her eyes with a small gasp.

"Thank the gods'," Draco murmured, hugging her to his body before she had a chance to say anything.

She cried out in pain as his embrace stretched her side.

"Sorry, love. Theo told me to be careful of your side," Draco said, looking sheepish.

Checking her side, Ginevra saw a welt along the entire side of her body. She remembered Lettie pushing her to the ground, an arrow piercing both of them, and her side splitting as the fatal arrow missed its target.

"What's going on? Is Lettie all right? And what happened to Bane?" Ginevra asked the moment he pulled away.

"Lettie is fine. She's been worried sick over you, but she's fine. Theodore healed her. Bane was healed, and is being held, awaiting your punishment," Draco replied.

"You worried over me, didn't you?" Ginevra murmured, running her fingers over the creases on his forehead.

Draco just gave her an indignant look, as if to say he shouldn't need to answer her question. Ginevra laughed softly, kissing him.

"I promise I won't die intentionally, love," she said, echoing his earlier words from months before.

Her words reminded Draco of a vision from long ago, where Ginevra willingly threw herself from the edge of a cliff. He held her a little tighter.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise, Ginevra Weasley," Draco murmured quietly.

A knock at the door prevented Ginevra's response, but she managed to get a curious look directed at Draco before the door opened and the Patil twins came in.

"Ginevra! Oh, thank the gods'! Lettie has been driving me nuts!" Padma said. "Lettie, get your arse in here!"

Lettie came into the room not even three seconds later, her face red.

"I am sorry, my Lady. I did tell them to wait..."

"But you wouldn't stop looking at the door every three seconds," Padma interrupted.

"Don't include me in this! Padma just pulled me along. I was going to the kitchens!" Parvati muttered.

"Didn't Georgie-boy go into the kitchen a few minutes ago?" Padma asked her twin, grinning when Parvati blushed brightly.

She laughed cruelly, leaving Ginevra's room to go to the kitchen.

"Leave him alone, Padma!" Parvati yelled, running after her sister.

"Oh, dear. Do excuse me. I am glad that you are awake, my Lady," Lettie said with a smile as she curtsied.

Ginevra nodded her head in response, and watched as Lettie hurried after the Patil twins.

"Padma, put your sister's boyfriend down, or I will get Pansy!" Lettie said.

"You wouldn't dare!" Padma replied.

"That was definitely weird. What on earth is going on with Padma and Lettie?" Ginevra asked Draco, feeling perplexed.

"After Lettie jumped in front of the arrow to save you, Padma took away Lettie's pain so Theodore could heal her. Ever since then, they've been really close. No one really seems to know why, except for those two and Luna, and none of them are telling," Draco replied. "Speaking of Theodore, he wanted to see you when you were awake. Something about unconscious power sharing," he murmured.

"Never mind, I'm here now. I figured that you were awake since Lettie isn't waiting for your door to open, and is having some sort of female-bonding-argument with Padma," Theodore said, grinning.

"I might go check on them, make sure they're bonding doesn't turn into a full-blown fight again," Draco muttered.

"What do you mean, again?! Why do I always sleep through the good stuff?" Ginevra grumbled.

"Don't worry, it wasn't a proper fight. Apparently Virginia said something about Lettie not being able to protect you. It seems that her comment hit a nerve, and Lettie has joined in the fighting and training at night," Theodore said, grinning.

He sat beside Ginevra on the bed, then continued. "I'm just going to check your vitals, and your internal magic. It was very depleted when you went to sleep on Saturday. You've healed faster than I expected, but I've attributed that to your vampire genes. This may sting a little," Theodore said, pointing his wand at Ginevra's core muscles.

She hissed in pain as his spell went deep into her muscles and body.

"Sorry. I usually only use this spell when someone's already in too much pain to feel it. Just a little longer," he murmured.

Ginevra sighed in relief when the pain faded from her body, and looked at Theodore curiously.

"What did it say?"

"That your power has returned and your internal magic is at full capacity," he answered.

"And what was that Draco was saying about power sharing?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"On Saturday, you unconsciously leant your power to the twins, and I in order for us to help you. I don't know if it's supposed to be possible to do that as a witch, or even as a vampire," Theodore replied, frowning as well.

Ginevra got out of bed, murmuring to herself as she opened her Vampire book, flipping through the pages quickly.

"Here it is," she said, waving Theodore over.

"Vampires can share their power with those they feel require it," Theodore read.

"Neville did the same with Seamus earlier. I did the same, just without knowing it," she said.

Theodore nodded briefly.

"Didn't think of it that way," he murmured. "How's your side feeling?" he asked.

"Fine, a couple of twinges now and ... "

"LUNA! It's ready!" Pansy yelled down the corridor.

"I know! I'm coming. Had to be ready when I need the bathroom," Luna muttered, hurrying past Ginevra's room to Pansy's. "Glad to see you're awake, Ginevra," she added, not bothering to raise her voice.

Pansy's door slammed shut a second later, and Ginevra looked at Theodore, who shrugged.

"They've been making a potion, but no one knows what it is. Luna hasn't even told Colin what it is. Vincent and Gregory aren't very happy," he replied.

"Since it's ready, will you tell us what th' hell ye've been doin' now?" Seamus yelled, going to Pansy's room too.

"Why is everyone yelling? I'm trying to sleep!" Colin yelled.

"Pansy's potion's ready!" Padma and Parvati called back.

"Coming!"

Brimming with curiosity, Ginevra left her room with Theodore, seeing everyone crowded around Pansy's room. Even Draco and Lettie were standing there, waiting for some answers. Padma looked triumphant, and both Parvati and George were bright red.

Just what had happened to everyone while she'd been sleeping?! Ginevra wondered, her thoughts interrupted as Pansy's door opened.

"Stop looking at me like that; you look like a bloody bunch of Hufflepuffs!" Pansy muttered.

"Just let us in and tell us what the bloody potion is!" Fred called out, ignoring the look Pansy gave him.

"It's all right, Pansy. Bring them in now," Luna called from inside the room.

Pansy sighed, kicked the door open and went back into the room. Everyone followed her quickly, mostly getting stuck in the door at the same time.

Fred and George hit the door frame with a spell, widening the wooden structure and making everyone fall into the room. They grinned at each other, stepped over their friends and moved to the cauldron in the middle of the room.

"That smells disgusting," Ginevra said as she stood up, the smell enough to take any annoyance away from her brothers. "Where have you been sleeping while this has been going?" she asked Vincent and Gregory.

"The meeting room. Pansy wouldn't let us put an anti-odour spell on it," Vincent muttered.

"I told you already; if you do that, it will alter the potion!" Pansy said, glaring at her boyfriend.

"Still doesn't make up for the fact that we've had to sleep alone the past two days," Gregory said, pouting.

"Both of you shut up! You'll be able to go make love to Pansy the moment we've found out what this potion is!" George snapped.

"I wouldn't suggest it though," Luna said, laughing.

"This is annoying me. What the heck is in that cauldron? Pansy? Luna?" Ginevra asked, glaring at both of them when they didn't answer.

"Pansy can tell you. She's known about it longer than I have," Luna murmured, sitting on the end of Pansy's large bed.

"Thanks, Luna," Pansy muttered, sighing. "Over the last month, Luna and I have been making the Animadverto potion."

No one said anything, and Pansy frowned at their stunned expressions.

"Are you insane?!" Fred asked, his eyes wide and voice serious. "I'm not taking that potion!"

"No, we are not insane," Pansy ground out, glaring at him.

"Well, I'm not," Luna said, just grinning when Pansy's glare turned towards her.

George, Parvati and Lettie laughed softly. The others joined in heartily, more to relieve their shock than due to humour.

"All right, it wasn't that funny; you can shut up now," Pansy grumbled.

They sobered up quick enough, and Ginevra sighed.

"Maybe you should tell us why you made the potion before anyone refuses to take it," she said.

Pansy cleared her throat and began, "Animadverto means 'to turn the mind to', and the Animadverto potion allows the drinkers to turn their minds to each other. They can hear each other's thoughts when unguarded, communicate without words over long distances, and feel each other's emotions. If one of us drinks, the rest of us have to drink within ten minutes or else not everyone's minds will be linked. There are some side affects, but they don't always happen, and no same one has happened to one person," Pansy trailed off, looking to Luna.

Luna didn't say anything.

"I'll take it," Ginevra said after a moment of silence.

"Ginevra, do you remember the side affects of that potion?" George hissed at her.

"A high level of lust, bordering on nymphomania; slight degrees of lunacy, paranoia, and amnesia; a very slight chance of loss of all magical abilities; and an even smaller chance of your brain imploding, resulting in death... I remember, George. But you have to remember that most of those affects were temporary, not all of them happened to the one person, and I'm almost positive that the people who did try it didn't have an ounce of any of our powers. Besides, if Luna has been helping Pansy make the potion, there must be a high chance that it will work," Ginevra said.

Everyone turned to Luna expectantly, except Pansy, as she started stirring the cauldron with a large ladle. Seventeen goblets hovered in the air around her, waiting to be filled.

Luna gave herself a second before answering their unasked question. Not only did the next ten minutes rely on her answer, but so did the entire future. It was a large responsibility for such a small moment in time.

"I have Seen various possibilities for this; all of those side affects are possibilities for each and every one of you, so it is somewhat difficult to keep track of every possible future. At this very moment, due to the next ten minutes of our lives, our futures have so many possibilities that I cannot tell you what will happen for certain. It seems that there's only one thing I can do to show you how much the future relies on us drinking this potion," Luna said, her voice trailing to a murmur.

She stood and made her way to the cauldron. Taking one of the goblets from the air, Luna held it out to Pansy, who ladled the right amount into the goblet after a split second of hesitation.

"I will be all right," Luna said with a small smile, then drank the entire contents of the goblet. "They should really think of flavouring that," she murmured, then collapsed to the ground.

Theodore hurried to her, checking everything quickly.

"Tell me what just happened to Luna, Theodore," Colin growled when Theodore just sat staring at his charts for a few seconds.

"Oh, she's fine. Her vitals are fine. Her magic is going off the charts. In both directions," Theodore murmured, frowning.

There was a thud behind them, and they turned to see Ginevra on the floor, a goblet falling out of her hand.

"Did she take the right amount?" Pansy asked straight away.

"Who cares about the right amount? Check her!" Fred and George growled at Theodore.

"If Ginevra didn't take the right amount, it will affect what happens to her now, isn't that right?" Draco asked Pansy, who nodded with a pale face.

"My Lady took the right amount; she measured exactly as Pansy had for Luna," Lettie said quietly, holding out her own goblet.

Pansy breathed a sigh of relief, then filled Lettie's cup as Theodore confirmed that Ginevra's vitals were the same as Luna's.

"Fill mine, Pansy?" Draco asked, sighing as he held out his goblet. "Romeo's got nothing on this," he muttered, drinking the foul-smelling potion and dropping to the ground soon after.

Neville, Blaise and Seamus grabbed their goblets without more than a glance at each other.

Padma watched as her friends dropped around her slowly. She was overly aware of the time ticking by. After two minutes, Colin took the potion. At three minutes, Fred and George took the potion as well. Millicent took it after four, and after reassuring Theodore that she would be fine. Parvati took it at five minutes, sending Padma a worried glance. Both Vincent and Greg were stubbornly waiting for Pansy to take the potion, until she made them realise that she had to go last in order to give the right amounts to everyone else. At seven minutes, Theodore took the potion. And by the eighth minute, Pansy was getting worried.

"Are you going to take the potion, Padma? I can't fill your goblet until you take it yourself," Pansy said.

Padma automatically reached out and grabbed the goblet. Pansy sighed in relief, then scooped the potion into it.

"Even Lettie took the potion, what does that say about me when I'm standing here in the last minute?" Padma murmured.

"It doesn't mean anything, Padma. I can tell that you're worried about everyone's safety. Don't think I can't feel you taking my worry out of me. I was a nervous wreck only fifteen minutes ago," Pansy said with a slight grin.

Padma nodded in surprise. She hadn't even noticed that she'd been doing it, but now that Pansy had told her, Padma found that she could feel their individual worries and fears inside her, mixing and increasing her own.

"Drink up. You can't worry over all of us all the time," Pansy said, raising her own goblet in a salute.

Padma returned the motion with a weak grin and they both drank at the same time. As they swallowed the last of the potion, the tenth minute ticked over.

"Disgusting," Padma muttered, her eyes shutting as she fell to the ground.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Evita paced in the clearing impatiently. It was an odd characteristic both for a unicorn, and also because she was usually so calm. But her patience had run out hours ago regarding Alexander.

He had taken some herbs to keep himself from talking, and not even her magic could reverse the effect of them. So she had to wait until the herbs wore off before she could question the Protector.

There was a slight shift in the air not a minute later, and Evita huffed in relief.

The herbs had finally worn off.

Speak, Alexander Tobias Therode, Evita said, her voice stern.

Alexander looked at her, his blue eyes bright with malice.

"How's it feel knowing you killed Ronan?" he sneered.

Evita neighed loudly, her horn glowing brightly in anger. She didn't charge at Alexander, as a younger unicorn might have. Evita waited until her anger dissipated and her horn stopped glowing, and then walked towards Alexander.

I will not kill you, no matter how much you attempt to anger me and make it so. You will be put on trial, and I hope that you are not put to death. That punishment would be far too good for you, Evita said.

She left the clearing, her horn beginning to glow again.

Put the net back on him, and make sure that he does not leave, Evita instructed Aryle.

He bowed and entered the clearing, holding the net carefully. Alexander's eyes widened and he tried to get up, his face pale. His body glowed white as Alexander was slammed into the ground. Aryle threw the net over Alexander's still form and left the clearing, not feeling an ounce of remorse for the ex-Protector.

Since Alexander was Ginevra's Protector, she will choose his punishment. And the threat is still not clear, so a new Protector has to be assigned to her as soon as possible. We need to gather all of the Protectors to find someone suitable, Evita said, sighing softly.

"Of course, my Lady. I will organise scouts to gather all of the Protectors; it is too much magic for you to use all at once," Aryle added gently before Evita could call them all with her mind.

She nodded at his sympathetic tone, feeling quite weary after her encounter with Alexander.

I must rest now. Please organise the scouting parties. Do not forget those who are outside of the forest, Aryle. We need Ginevra here for the proceedings, as well.

"Yes, my Lady. I will get them myself," he replied, bowing.

Aryle waited until Evita had left the clearing to sleep before turning to the waiting Protectors and giving them the relevant instructions. With one final look through the trees to make sure his charge was sleeping, Aryle left the clearing as well, heading towards Hogwarts.

Peering into the clearing, Volatil Equus trotted in once she was sure it was empty. With a quick glance, she made sure no one noticed that she was leaving, and followed Aryle.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Ginevra was in complete and total darkness. She couldn't see the darkness, but she knew it was there. She couldn't walk into it, couldn't seem to move at all.

As she waited - not sitting, because she didn't seem to have any limbs that she could tell - Ginevra became aware of a light bobbing gently in front of her. Much like her red balls of light, but this was nothing like wand magic. She knew it instinctively, just as she recognised the pure white ball as Luna.

"Luna!" Ginevra tried to call, but she had no mouth to call with. Nothing came out, not even a thought of a whisper.

The Luna-ball seemed slightly amused and just continued to bob gently in front of her.

Ginevra tried to look at herself, but had no eyes to see with either. She was there, but nothing was there at all. What was she?! As Ginevra realised that she didn't know the answer to this question, she started to go into a panic.

If she didn't know what she was, how on earth could she know who she was?! And if she didn't know that, then how was anything in the world going to ever make sense to her? If she didn't know who she was, she wouldn't be able to do anything that truly mattered. How could someone do something of significance if they didn't even know who, or what, they were?!

It was incomprehensible, and the fact that she had no form that she could recognise was starting to make Ginevra go more than a little crazy.

The Luna-ball bobbed in front of her a little quicker, as if concerned for her.

Maybe if Luna was a ball of light, then she was one as well? Ginevra thought after a moment of watching the light move erratically.

But if she was just a ball of light, how could she have thoughts? In fact, how could she just be a ball of light? Wasn't she more than this? What if everyone really was just a ball of light, and no one noticed it? If no one noticed the lights that were surrounding them, then maybe no one noticed that they too, were nothing but a ball of light.

Ginevra was vaguely aware of a Lettie-ball and a Draco-ball of light appearing near her. By the time Fred and George appeared, after Neville, Blaise and Seamus, Ginevra was too worked up about being a ball of light that she didn't even notice them. She had also started arguing with herself.

People can't be balls of light! People are people, it's that simple!

But if people only think that they're people, and are really balls of light, then that means they're delusional and have no true concept of themselves!

You can't be a ball of light and not realise it! It gets dark every night, you know! Wouldn't these ball-of-light-people start glowing?!

Not if they were so deluded that they didn't see the light! If someone really doesn't believe in something, then they're blind to everything that pertains to its existence!

That might be true, but still ... Someone would have to notice that everyone's a round ball of light! Not everyone in the entire world can be delusional about the same thing!

Maybe the light's really inside them? And so what if a few people did notice? If they told the people who didn't notice, which has a high chance of being the majority of these people, then those people would lock them up for being insane!

So there's balls of light inside of people, but not everyone knows about them? And those that do know about them continue to pretend that they don't know about them, so that the rest of the world won't condemn them?

Yes.

Then those people are just as bad as the people that don't realise! If they realise that this wonderful ball of light is inside them, but they ignore it, then they're just as bad, if not worse than the rest of the world! They're worried about people who will condemn them, but they're really condemning themselves!

Maybe some of the people do notice, and do something about it! And maybe those people help other people who recognise their light!

There's a lot of "maybes" in there. But I think I agree with you.

There was a blissful moment of silence.

If we're a ball of light, what does that mean? Do we have to help others recognise their light? If we don't do that, does that make us bad, even though we've found our light and are doing something with it?

There was only darkness as a response, and within a second of realising that she was now alone, Ginevra also discovered that she was not completely alone. She could hear other voices with her own, feel other feelings within her, and then Ginevra realised that she was also inside of them.

We did it! Pansy's voice echoed loudly, exhilaration and joy pulsing through her, and through all of them.

It's time to wake up.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Early morning. Tuesday, May 7

"It's time to wake up," Luna said, gently shaking each of them.

Ginevra opened her eyes to bright morning sunlight and sat up quickly, holding her head.

"Remind me to get pillows next time we decide to spontaneously drink potions that knock us out," Fred murmured to George.

"Colin, wake up," Luna said, a note of urgency in her voice that had everyone looking at them.

Colin was lying on his back, completely still. It didn't even look like he was breathing.

I'm fine. Just need to be alone with Luna, if you don't mind.

Ginevra stared at Draco, who looked just as surprised as she did. Looking at the others, she noticed that they all had looks of surprise on their face.

Now! Unless you want have the desire to watch me make love to my wife, Colin added sarcastically.

When did you get married?! Parvati, Millicent and Ginevra thought in surprise.

"I did not mean married in the mortal sense. Now if you do not leave this room in five seconds, I will make you," Colin said as he sat up, not looking away from Luna to glare at them.

Padma hurried to get everyone out of the room, feeling his burning desire even from across the room.

"But I want to watch!" Millicent said as she was dragged out of the room.

"You have a filthy mind, Millicent. I'd tell Theodore to clean your mind, but I have the feeling he's just as bad as Colin," Gregory said with a snigger, seeing the look on Theodore's face.

Theodore didn't even bother responding, and simply pulled Millicent to their room.

"Those two weren't the only ones affected by the lust side affect," Pansy murmured into her boyfriends' ear.

Vincent grinned at Gregory, and they both headed down to their room just as fast as Pansy was pulling them.

"Damn, I did nae get affected like tha'," Seamus muttered in annoyance.

"It probably recognised how horny you are most of the time and skipped you," Fred and George taunted, grinning at him.

"Where's Neville?" Blaise asked Seamus suddenly, not seeing their boyfriend around.

"Isn't that his shirt?" Lettie asked nervously, pointing to the material on the floor.

"And I think that's his pants," Parvati squeaked, blushing as she indicated material further down the corridor.

Seamus laughed, grabbed Neville's clothes and ran down to their bedroom, where the clothes were leading. Blaise watched with wide eyes as Neville pulled Seamus into the room quickly, grinning smugly when Neville called out to him.

"See you next week," he said cheerfully, hurrying to join his lovers.

"Well, that's not fair. Those three are always at it like jack-rabbits," Fred muttered.

"Well, I'm just thankful to be out of that darkness," Parvati said quietly.

George hugged her gently, murmuring in her ear gently as he led her away to talk in private.

"Why can't I hear anyone in my mind anymore?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"Probably because we don't know how to use this type of power," Padma replied, shrugging. "If you never use your muscles, then you suddenly discover that they're there, it would take a while to get used to. I imagine it will be painful, just like using our muscles," she added, a slight grin on her face.

"I'm just glad no one's brains imploded," Draco muttered, shivering slightly.

"I think mine almost did," Lettie said quietly. "I couldn't feel anything in that darkness but pain. I wanted to scratch my head out, but Luna calmed me. I'm grateful to be out of that place," she said, her voice quieter still. "If you don't mind, I will go rest, my Lady," she said, curtsying and heading to her room.

"So what happened to you?" Fred asked Padma.

"I lost my magical ability," was all Padma said.

She didn't say anything else, and left the others. Fred frowned deeply and hurried after her.

Ginevra sighed softly, and looked at Draco.

"Should I ask what happened to you?" she asked, only a slight smile on her lips.

"Paranoia. It was fairly extreme, so far as I could tell. Now I know what my father feels like every day," he replied, smirking wryly. "I managed to question every relationship I have, and convince myself that everyone was after something. Apparently you were after my money, which is a very characteristic thing of a Malfoy to assume."

"I think they named the term 'Galleon digger' after people who married into the Malfoy line," Ginevra said, giving him a smirk of her own.

"What about you?" Draco asked as they headed to their room.

"Insanity. I lost my sense of self. And when I had a shred of it back, I argued with myself. Then I convinced myself that I was a ball of light, and everyone in the world was a ball of light, but no one noticed it. It was more confusing than what it sounds like."

"I'm sure it was. Nothing in that place was sane," Draco said, shaking his head.

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Aryle could sense that he was being followed. Since the creature following him had no ill intent, he ignored it, presuming it to be nothing more than a curious forest-creature.

There had been an increase in forest-dwelling creatures since the appearance of the Queen of All, and her King. Aryle didn't mind, so long as the creatures stayed in their designated areas. The forest was only allowing them a temporary residence. When the Queen decided to move on, the creatures would undoubtedly follow, and the forest would return to its usual inhabitants.

Aryle was still undecided as to whether he would miss them, as there had been many a creature arrive that he had never seen before, but that also meant unknown dangers to Lady Evita and the unicorn herd.

The creature following him got closer still, and Aryle jumped up into the trees nimbly. He did not dare to breathe as the creature got closer, in case it did have a hidden agenda. Aryle felt Volatil Equus before she rounded the tree line, and sighed. He jumped from the branches of the tree and landed on the ground.

"What are you doing, Volatil? You should be with the herd," Aryle said, frowning at her.

I ... I just wanted to see if Ginevra was all right, Volatil said, pawing the ground nervously. She helped me when I was hurt, so I wanted to see if there was anything I could do for her.

"The Queen of All is fine. We would know if she wasn't, Volatil," Aryle said, not overly happy at her familiar tone for the Queen.

I want to make sure for myself, Voltail said determinedly. I will not leave, Aryle, the Abraxicorn added, her horn glowing for a moment.

Volatil is already with you, Aryle. Just let her see for herself, Evita said in his mind, sounding tired.

"Very well. Stay with me so that you are not hurt," he said to Volatil, continuing along the path.

She neighed happily, and trotted after him quickly.

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Ginevra sat by the window, trying to ignore the sounds coming from her friends minds. Apparently intense emotions allowed their thoughts to filter through, and it was disturbing hearing their sex-filled thoughts all at once.

Draco was staring at a blank piece of parchment, as if he was attempting to not let anything else fill his mind but that small piece of parchment. Ginevra wasn't sure if it was working, since his face twitched into something painful every couple of minutes.

"Nothing will stop the thoughts," he said after five minutes, throwing the parchment away in disgust. "Colin is so loud. Wish he'd shut up!"

"Want to play Exploding Snap? Might drown out some of the noise," Ginevra said, moving out of the sun.

It was starting to burn her skin and she didn't want to go up in flames just because she was sitting at the window.

"All right," Draco said with a sigh, willing to attempt anything to stop hearing their thoughts.

"We should try with a couple of packets, just so there's more noise," Ginevra said, grinning now.

Draco nodded warily, wondering if she was planning something.

Ginevra just laughed at his expression, and retrieved a deck of Exploding Snap from the bottom drawer. She multiplied the cards three times over, handing him two of the four decks.

Sitting on the floor, Ginevra waited until Draco had seated himself across from her before opening her decks. The bed, although more comfortable, would be subjected to the explosions caused by the cards. Ginevra liked their bed and mattress the way it was.

"Rules?" Draco asked, opening his packs.

"Same as usual, but you can snap on either pile," Ginevra replied, putting two cards on the floor on front of her.

"Twice the chance of the noise," Draco murmured, nodding his appreciation.

Gregory's thoughts made both of them wince, and they hurried to start the game.

Within minutes, the cards were exploding loudly, shaking the floor. Ginevra laughed, cheating and going through her decks to find cards that matched the ones on the floor. The good thing about Exploding Snap was that you were able to re-snap cards when they fell out of the original piles.

Draco laughed along with Ginevra, both of them trying to find cards to match the ones strewn across the floor. The floor continued to shake with each explosion, and their friends' thoughts faded soon enough.

It took both Ginevra and Draco a few minutes to realise that someone was knocking on their door. Draco waved his hand, the door opening quietly as the last of the cards exploded. The twins were standing there, faces slightly pale.

"Can we play? Their thoughts are scaring us," Parvati said, her face red.

Neville's thoughts were the cause this time.

"Close the door behind you," Ginevra said.

Fred and George hurried inside, pulling their girlfriends in and shutting the door behind them firmly.

"How many decks are you using?" Padma asked, seeing more than the usual fifty-two cards on the floor.

"Four. More noise that way," Draco said.

He looked at the cards, and after a moment of concentration, the cards started going back into piles again. Ginevra frowned, and with a look of her own and more concentration and effort than Draco had given, the decks started to multiply.

"So we're playing with wandless magic then?" George asked as he sat on the floor.

"No. We were just playing normally," Ginevra replied.

"Wandless magic would require more attention though," George mused.

"Less opportunity for their thoughts to enter our minds," Fred added with a nod.

"We can just try it for one game," Parvati suggested.

"All right. It'll be good practice for when I kick Colin's arse tonight," Ginevra said, smirking.

"I'm going to kick Pansy's," Padma said, Parvati saying it at the same time.

They looked at each other and grinned.

"Two against one isn't fair," Parvati pointed out.

"I never said I was fair," Padma replied, smirking.

"We're going to get Neville," Fred and George seethed, shuddering.

"Can we start playing already? They're getting louder," Draco said. "I'll take on Theodore," he added with a smirk.

Ginevra just grinned at him, and put down two cards without touching them.

Draco's cards floated in front of him unsteadily, and then two cards were put on the pile, one side exploding already.

"You're cheating!" Parvati said.

Fred and George laughed, their own cards floating in front of them too.

"I am not cheating. I'm merely ensuring that our minds are not filled with thoughts," Draco offered, grinning.

"Fine by me. Wish they'd shut up already," Padma muttered, two of her own cards going onto the piles.

Again, it didn't take long for the explosions to start and the floor to shake. The explosions shook their concentration, and most of the game was spent attempting to keep the cards floating in mid air rather than have them fall to the ground.

"I win!" Fred cried out.

"No, you didn't! Those cards are from your deck!" George protested, indicating the cards tucked under Fred's crossed legs.

"They fell from everyone else's piles!"

They started wrestling each other, the cards forgotten.

"Well, it seems that we're dating ten-year-olds, Parv," Padma said with a sigh.

"How embarrassing. Mother will be so very upset," Parvati said, giggling.

"And imagine Father's face? He might die of shock," her twin replied, grinning.

"Or he might set Khara on them."

"Remember when he did that to those poor boys down the road?"

"He was definitely overreacting. We were only ten!"

"Khara seemed to enjoy herself."

"She did. That is worrying."

"Maybe we shouldn't let these little boys meet her," the said to each other, sighing.

Fred and George weren't wrestling anymore, and were staring at their girlfriends in shock.

"Who's Khara?" Fred asked.

"What happened to those boys?" George asked warily.

"Khara is our father's pet tiger," they replied, smirking at their expressions. "She didn't eat them. Just scared them so much that they never spoke to us again."

"That's a good thing then," Fred and George said, grinning. "Wouldn't want to hurt someone over your attention. Although, we would if there was someone that needed to be hurt."

"Should you be condoling violence like this?" Ginevra murmured to her brothers.

"Silly boys don't stand a chance against a tigress," Parvati said, leaving the room.

"Silly boys don't stand a chance against us," Padma added with a wink, following her sister.

Fred and George's mouths dropped open, and they hurried after their girlfriends quickly.

"Did Colin release hormones or something?" Draco muttered, shaking his head.

The cards rearranged themselves into decks, and flew over to the drawer.

"Probably not, but now we're going to hear them too," Ginevra muttered, frowning.

Draco muttered under his breath, cursing their hormones.

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Luna sighed, kissing Colin's bare chest gently. She didn't want to leave him so soon after they'd finished, but Aryle and Volatil Equus would arrive momentarily. Luna needed to be there to explain, as usual.

Colin's eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply, somewhere between awake and asleep.

Luna sighed softly and started to sit up. She needed to find her clothes and get somewhat presentable.

"Uh-huh," Colin murmured, holding her hips and pulling Luna back onto his chest. "You're not going anywhere, love. They'll be fine on their own," he said, despite yawning slightly.

Luna smiled and snuggled into Colin's chest. He was right, she Saw. They could figure it all out on their own. Smiling brighter, Luna pulled their blanket up around them and settled to sleep.

They would both need their energy for tonight's training.

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Aryle and Volatil Equus saw the light at the edge of the forest, and hurried their pace. Aryle could have been there almost two hours before, but had needed to keep his pace slower so that Volatil could make her way through the unfamiliar land carefully. He did not want her to hurt her hooves on a tree root. They had a tendency to trip unaware creatures this close to Hogwarts.

Arriving at the door leading to the Queen's rooms, Aryle knocked briefly, Volatil waiting impatiently beside him.

"Get yer arses out of there! There's someone at yer bloody door! I ain't yer servant, ye know!"

Aryle frowned slightly, not recognising the voice.

Surely that wasn't the Queen's own? he thought in some surprise.

"Don't be rude! Ginevra said to shows respect!" a childish voice admonished.

"Don't tell me what ter do, ye stupid idiot! How an idiot like ye is feared by kids is beyond me," the first voice replied.

"I'm coming! Relo, Dodger, be nice to each other would you? Wouldn't kill either of you to be friendly. And don't think I didn't hear you swearing, Dodger!" a female voice called.

The door opened, and Aryle stared at the red headed woman standing in the door frame. Her skin was pale, her eyes were black, and she smelled familiar. Aryle quickly dropped to one knee as he recognised the familiar smell belonging to the Queen.

"Volatil! You didn't tell me you were coming! Who's your friend?" Ginevra asked. "Is he tying his shoes or something?"

Hi Ginevra! It was a last minute decision, Volatil said sheepishly, pawing her hoof on the ground. She noticed Aryle bowing and sighed. Get off the floor, Aryle. You're embarrassing me, Volatil said, nudging him with her horn.

"I apologise for staring, Your Majesty! I did not recognise you," Aryle said.

"Of course you didn't, we've never met before. Please, stop bowing and come inside," Ginevra said.

The skin was starting to burn her skin and she didn't have the patience to wait for this stranger to stand up in his own time.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Aryle said, standing.

He saw the look of annoyance on her face and the tightening of her jaw.

Ginevra doesn't like to be called 'Queen'. You should know that already, Aryle! Doesn't Evita tell you anything? Volatil muttered, stepping around him and going inside of the Queen's rooms.

"Volatil! You're not showing the proper respect!" Aryle hissed under his breath, staring after the Abraxicorn.

"For the gods' sakes," Ginevra muttered.

She grabbed Aryle, pulled him inside and shut the door with more force than was necessary. The wall shook and dust floated out of the rafters. Lyra roared and flew down the corridor.

"Sorry Lyra!" Ginevra called, then turned to face Aryle. "I don't know who you are, or why you're here, but next time someone tells you to get off the gods' damned floor and get inside, you should gods' well listen to them! That sun burned, dammit!"

"You all right, love?" a male voice asked.

"Fine. This guy wouldn't listen, and I burned my face in the sun. Next time you're opening the door," Ginevra muttered.

"I did offer," the man replied.

Suddenly, Ginevra wasn't alone. A pale man had an arm wrapped around her, and moved her shoulder so that they were facing each other. His hand caressed her face softly, the slightest of frowns on his face.

"The burn isn't too bad. Do you want me to risk interrupting Theo? Who's he?"

"No, it's fine. I refuse to go in there until it wears off, and even then I'm not going in without everything being sterilised first," Ginevra replied, shuddering. "Don't know who he is, but Volatil arrived with him, so I'm assuming he's with the unicorns. Where did Volatil go? You really don't want to go in there, Volatil! Orion's busy!" Ginevra called, rushing down the corridor quickly.

"I told ye ter shut up, ye stupid fu ... Oh, hi Draco!" one of the voices from earlier turned into a squeak, and Aryle turned to see a Jarvey scurrying along, an Erkling walking beside it.

"Dodger, stop teasing Relo, or else I'll make you be nice for an entire week. To everyone," Draco drawled, smirking.

The Jarvey yelped and ran as fast as he could from the room.

The Erkling sidled up to Draco, and Aryle prepared himself to protect the King. Erkings liked to eat humans, after all... Even though Draco wasn't a child, this Erkling was an adult, and would still be able to cause enough damage to bring down a full-grown human adult. But it seemed that Draco wasn't worried, and the Erkling was hugging him?!

"What alternate universe have I stepped in to?" Aryle muttered quietly, his eyes wide.

Draco chuckled, as if he'd heard his words, then looked straight at Aryle, confirming his thought.

"Sorry to disappoint you, stranger, but this is no alternate universe," he said, chuckling again. "Volatil, really, as much as you think Orion would understand, he really wouldn't like to be disturbed right now!" Draco called.

He held the Erkling up, and hurried down the corridor where Volatil and Ginevra were standing. Frowning deeply, Aryle followed.

But Orion is my friend! I just want to say hello, Volatil whinnied.

"Volatil, sweetie. Orion is currently on Mount Olympus, and Seamus is in there with his boyfriends. You really don't want to disturb them," Ginevra explained gently.

Draco shuddered slightly.

He has more than one boyfriend?! Aryle thought, shaking his head.

"Why don't you introduce us to your friend, and tell us why you're both here?" Ginevra added, leading the Abraxicorn down the hallway.

You promise that you'll tell him that I came by? Volatil asked.

"I promise," Ginevra said, smiling brightly.

Thank you! This is Aryle. He's Evita's Protector, Volatil introduced.

"Hello Aryle. I'm Ginevra, and this is Draco," Ginevra said, smiling at him.

She held out her hand to shake, and frowned when Aryle bowed and kissed it instead.

"Your Majesties. It is an honour to meet you," Aryle said.

A murmur passed between them that was too low for Aryle to hear.

"Didn't I tell him to stop bowing?" Ginevra muttered to Draco.

"I'm sure you did," he replied, smirking.

"Aryle, stand up. Stop bowing to us and address us by our names, not as Majesty," Ginevra said.

"But Your Majesty, I am not worthy to address you as such! And royalty is always bowed to; it is the proper way," Aryle argued, not daring to look up.

Ginevra scoffed at his words.

"Do I look like royalty to you? And what have I done that makes me so bloody worthy to be bowed to, and called 'Queen'? Until I've done something gods' damned worthy of the title, I do not want to be called 'Queen'! I didn't think that would be so much to ask," Ginevra said.

"Ah yes, but the stupidity of commoners is amazing," Draco drawled, smirking at her.

"Dodger said that we was stupid! And he was swearing again! We tolds him to be respectsful!" Relo interjected, still in Draco's arms.

"We'll deal with Dodger when we've finished talking with Aryle, how about that, Relo?" Ginevra asked, smiling at him.

"All right. We go find the naughty little Jarvey!" Relo said happily, jumping out of Draco's arms.

"Are you here about Alexander?" Ginevra asked Aryle when Relo was gone.

"Yes, your Ma ... Ginevra. Evita has requested your presence at the proceedings. Orion also needs to return to the forest, so that a new Protector can be chosen for you," Aryle replied.

"I thought something like this would happen," Ginevra said with a sigh. "When do we need to leave?" she asked.

"Today would be preferred. I still need to get other Protectors that are not within the Forest's dwellings," he said.

"We need to go with you to get them?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"You will need my protection through the Forest, Ginevra," Aryle said, nodding.

"You don't trust Seamus and Volatil to be able to take care of me?" she asked, grinning at his expression.

"I cannot return to Lady Evita without you. I said that I would get you and Orion myself."

"Along with other Protectors, who are probably nowhere near here, am I right?"

Aryle nodded reluctantly.

"Then you should go get them yourself, like you promised. Seamus and Volatil can look after me. The centaurs are no longer a threat, and I can take care of myself."

Aryle could see her point, but was still reluctant to leave. Both Volatil and Orion were young and still new to the unicorn herd. If anything were to happen to the Queen, it would be all his fault for leaving her in their care.

"Aryle, if you do not leave in the next minute, I will make you leave. I can take care of myself, I trust both Orion and Volatil Equus, and if anything should happen, I will take full responsibility for it. You still have other Protectors to retrieve, and the day isn't going to get any longer while you're just standing here. Now, go," Ginevra said.

It seemed to be the reassurance Aryle needed, as he nodded and bowed slightly to both of them, ignoring Ginevra's look of annoyance.

"Very well. I will see you this afternoon at the unicorn's clearing. Orion and Volatil know the way. Good bye," Aryle said.

He left without another word.

He didn't even say goodbye to me! Volatil neighed, drawing their attention to her. And he still treats me like I'm a foal! I can take care of you, Ginevra! I know I can!

"I know, Volatil. I'm glad that you'll be with me," Ginevra replied, smiling at her. "Now, would you like to help me interrupt Orion? They've been in there quite long enough," she said, heading down the corridor.

"I'm staying out here," Draco muttered, shuddering.

Volatil laughed in a whinnying sound, and followed Ginevra.

"Oh, Orion?! Your presence is needed! And if you don't get your arse out here by the time I count to five, I'm coming in there and getting you myself!" Ginevra called, banging on their door loudly.

One, Volatil started counting, looking far more evil than an Abraxicorn should.

"He's busy!" Neville yelled back.

Two.

"I don't care! Make him un-busy!"

Three.

"Don't send me thoughts like that, Neville! I'm not even down there!" Draco yelled, cursing loudly.

Four.

"Blaise!" Ginevra and Draco yelled, both of them cringing.

Five! Volatil finished, whinnying loudly and readying her horn at the wooden door.

Ginevra smirked, raised her wand and pointed it at the door.

"Time's up, boys!" she called, giving them fair warning.

Just as she was about to blast the door from its hinges, it opened to reveal Seamus with the sheet wrapped around him haphazardly.

I wanted to break the door, Volatil muttered in disappointment, moving her head away.

"Unless someone's dead, I ain't leavin'," he said seriously. "Hi Volatil," Seamus added as he noticed her, then shook his head and did a double take. "Aw, but ... Nev an' Blaise," he said, as if that explained everything.

Considering what Neville had been through, maybe it did, Ginevra thought wryly.

No one has died that I know. But humans die every day, so does that mean you'll leave now? Volatil asked.

"This is 'bout Alexander, right?" Seamus asked.

"Yes. Alexander's getting put on trial," Ginevra replied.

"Good, tha' means there's a possibility I'll be able ter watch th' bastard die!" Seamus said cheerfully. "Give me a minute ter get ready an' I'll be righ' out!"

"As much as I don't like Alexander, I think it's a little morbid to be so happy about him dying!" Ginevra called.

"It's not morbid. It's too kind for that bastard. He deserves to live with unspeakable pains every day for the rest of his life," Draco said from the end of the corridor.

Ginevra turned to admonish Draco, but saw that he was glowing with unbridled anger, and decided to be quiet.

"He practically handed you over on a silver fucking platter to the centaurs, and they're going to give him a trial which will probably result in his death. Oh no, death is far too easy an option for Alexander. He deserves so much more than that," Draco seethed, glowing brighter.

Doors opened with slams, and their friends came out of their rooms in various states of undress. If it wasn't for the blank looks on their faces, Ginevra would have laughed at the comical way in which they'd left their rooms. She had no doubt that Draco was doing this, and hurried to get to him before their friends could.

"Draco, calm down," she said, touching his arm and putting a burst of power through to him.

It didn't seem to work. Ginevra frowned slightly, and moved his head so that she was looking into his eyes.

"You need to calm down, love," Ginevra said, caressing his face softly.

A slight recognition, but not enough to get the blank look of death from their friends' faces.

Ginevra moved closer to Draco still, pressing her lips to his. She almost sighed in relief as his arms wound around her waist, and she kissed him deeply.

"Draco Malfoy! You bastard; this isn't funny!" Pansy yelled, running back into her room.

The others hurried away too, and Draco pulled away to look at Ginevra in confusion.

"What did I do?"

Ginevra explained quickly, and Draco barely kept his temper in check once more. She kissed him again, making him forget about Alexander. She didn't dare bring up Bane's fate. Seamus came out of his room after a few more minutes.

"Aw, ye both tell me ter hurry, an' then ye're both in 'ere kissin' when I can't. That's not fair," Seamus said, glaring at them.

"Oh please, we all know you were in there kissing Blaise and Neville. It doesn't take that long to throw on a shirt and pants," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes.

Seamus grinned at him.

"It does when they keep tryin' ter get me out o' them!" he said cheerfully.

Ginevra shook her head and followed Seamus to where Volatil was waiting.

"We'll be back soon, love," Ginevra said, kissing Draco one last time.

"Come on already!" Orion yelled.

"Looks like he didn't need to get changed after all," Ginevra said with a laugh, getting onto Volatil's back.

Volatil whinnied her good bye to Draco, then started galloping into the forest, Orion next to her.

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Bane turned in the forest clearing, trying to find some opening. The forest seemed to laugh at his predicament, and the ward surrounding the clearing became denser, forcing the centaur to his knees.

The moment the dense atmosphere lessened, Bane was on his hooves and leaping at the ward, despite knowing it was futile. Animals passed by the clearing, completely oblivious to his predicament, and not even the stars were talking to him.

"LET ME OUT OF THIS INFERNAL HOLE!"

"I say we curse him ter stay there fer th' rest of his miserable life," a voice said behind him.

Bane turned to snarl at Orion, who ignored his look easily enough.

I second that! Volatil said eagerly.

"I'm not allowed to punish him until the centaurs have brought their council together... And you're very sadistic for a unicorn, Volatil dear," Ginevra murmured, patting the Abraxicorn's mane tenderly.

He deserves it, Volatil replied.

"Stop talking about me like I am not here! Let me out!" Bane yelled, cursing at them.

"We have to go, Volatil. Please continue," Ginevra said, ignoring Bane.

"If it were up ter me, ye'd be in this clearin' fer the rest of yer life, an' ev'ry creature'd come ter laugh at ye. Yer pride wouldn't like tha', now would it, Bane?" Seamus asked, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Seamus, stop riling up the centaur! We're going to be late," Ginevra called over her shoulder.

Seamus' laughter echoed in the clearing around Bane. Something inside of him snapped, and Bane let out a loud yell. He started to pull trees out, knocking them over with his hard hooves.

This damn forest had and its damn creatures! All of them laughing at him! He hated them all! Bane thought, ripping up more trees in his anger.

Ginevra heard the trees yelling, the wind crying for help, and hurried back to the clearing. The moment she stepped inside, Bane turned to face her, a snarl on his face.

He launched himself at her without warning, and Ginevra didn't have time to think, scream or retaliate. Her body moved out of pure instinct, and Bane's two front hooves connected with her shoulder instead of her chest. Ginevra heard the bone crack loudly as it popped out of its socket. Now she did scream.

Seamus jumped through the trees and into the clearing, hitting Bane with a spell. His body shone brightly as he fought Bane as a Protector, his wand forgotten after the first spell.

Ginevra noticed a symbol glowing on Orion's forehead, and felt an ache as the same symbol etched itself into the back of her right hand.

Volatil! What's happening? she cried out in alarm.

Volatil didn't have a chance to answer. Orion picked Ginevra up, ran out of the clearing, set her beside the Abraxicorn, and then went straight back into the clearing to continue fighting Bane.

Ginevra muttered under her breath about over-protective males, and hurried to the edge of the clearing to watch the fight.

It was easy to tell that Orion was winning, even at a first glance. Bane hadn't slept since he'd been put in the clearing, and the fatigue was beginning to wear on him, just as the adrenaline from his anger began to deplete too. In less than two minutes, Orion was standing over Bane's crumpled and bloodied body.

"Do not kill him, Orion!" Ginevra called out quickly.

Orion struggled against her words, glaring down at the centaur. His inner battle ended soon enough and Orion left the clearing without looking back once. The clearing's barrier reformed the second Orion left, leaving the wind and trees to tend to Bane's wounds. He couldn't die before Ginevra selected a punishment for him. That would be too good for the betrayer...

"We have to hurry if we are to arrive before Aryle and the others," Orion murmured, touching Ginevra's arm and guiding her away from the clearing.

Volatil was whinnying, but would tell neither Ginevra nor Orion why she was so happy.

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Aryle hurried through the forest, the other three Protectors alongside him. They could all feel the danger the Queen was in, and all had the compulsive reaction to help her.

He should not have let the Queen leave with Volatil Equus and Orion. This was all his fault! Aryle cursed himself once more, putting on an extra burst of speed.

He stopped suddenly, feeling the danger waning. There was another presence protecting the Queen. Aryle closed his eyes, the others continuing to the unicorns now that the Queen was safe. Reaching out briefly, Aryle was surprised at the amount of power this new presence had.

He must be very powerful to hide this amount of power all this time, Aryle mused. He faltered for a moment, recognising the presence.

"Orion?" he whispered, his face paling.

Aryle started running once more, following the other Protectors to the unicorns.

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Ginevra, Orion and Volatil Equus reached the unicorn herd almost thirty minutes after the fight with Bane. They were all surprised to see Aryle there already, three Protectors with him, and even more surprised to see that he was arguing with Evita.

"He did not have that amount of power earlier this day!"

Aryle, if you raise your voice to me once more, I will spear you with my horn! Now be silent! Evita said, her usually calm voice rising with each word.

He stopped yelling abruptly, and bowed deeply.

"My apologies, my Lady. I am stunned, and not myself these last few hours," Aryle said humbly.

Evita huffed, shaking her mane out.

Apology accepted, Aryle. Ginevra, welcome back. I wish it were under more pleasant circumstances, but times are changing, and I fear that those times will be few and far in between, Evita said, sadness in her eyes.

"I certainly hope otherwise, Lady Evita," Ginevra replied, bowing.

Evita nodded, then returned her gaze to Aryle.

Please take our guests into the clearing. Volatil, a moment if you will, she said, leading Volatil away.

"Please, follow me," Aryle said once Evita and Volatil had left, indicating the way.

Ginevra and Orion followed Aryle and the other Protectors into the clearing, waiting patiently for Evita to return.

When the unicorn did return a few minutes later, she looked both pleased and upset.

Ginevra, may I see the symbol on your hand, please? Evita asked.

Putting her hand out, Ginevra watched Evita's face and eyes. Evita smiled briefly, shut her eyes and placed her horn against the now-dull symbol. It lit up brilliantly, and Ginevra cried out as pain flared through her body. She vaguely heard Orion crying out too, and could see his own symbol glowing from the corner of her eye.

Evita gently moved Ginevra closer to Orion, and the moment they touched, the pain disappeared.

"What was that?" Ginevra asked, her breath coming in short shallow gasps.

"Orion is your True Protector. He will now do what Alexander did not do, and he will protect you even if it costs him his life," Aryle answered when Evita stayed silent.

"Why didn't I chose my Protector like this last time?" Ginevra asked.

Last time was the traditional way of choosing one's Protector. Orion was not a Protector then, and could not have been present anyway. This time, his True Protector mode was forced out of him in order for him to come to your aid. It would not have happened with any other Protector besides your True one. You are very lucky that Orion was with you, or else we may have lost Protectors that are otherwise invaluable, Evita said, looking at Aryle pointedly.

Aryle understood her message. She was saying that he should not feel guilty for letting Ginevra go with only Orion and Volatil Equus, as he would not have been able to help anyway. Aryle nodded to Evita, feeling his shoulders lift with the released tension and guilt.

Now that Ginevra's Protector is already chosen, may you all please follow me to the trial of Alexander Tobias Therode? Evita asked, leading them out of the clearing once more.

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"I should have gone with her," Draco muttered to himself, yet again.

If only to escape the lustful little nymphomaniacs I call friends, he added silently, wincing when Pansy's thoughts started to get louder.

"Relo, want to go for a walk?" Draco called.

"Yes! We miss the sunshine, and the animals need to be filling our stomach. We is hungry," Relo said happily.

"Let me come wit' ye," Dodger said, scurrying over.

He sounded almost like he was begging, Draco mused.

"What's the magic word?" Draco asked, smirking.

"Abra-freaking-cadabra, get me the hell out of here?" Dodger replied, running up Draco's leg and body to wrap himself around his neck.

"It's not cold enough for a scarf, Dodge. You can unwrap yourself from my neck now," he replied.

"I wasnae' plannin' on keepin' ye warm," Dodger replied, and if a Jarvey could smirk, Dodger achieved it.

Draco rolled his eyes and left the rooms quickly, Relo beside him and Dodger on his shoulder.

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Alexander Tobias Therode, you are hereby sentenced with negligence and purposely putting your charge, and your charge's loved ones in danger. How do you plead? Evita asked.

"Not guilty," Alexander replied.

His entire body glowed red, the symbol on his forehead burning brightly.

"Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!" he yelled, the red fading immediately.

He collapsed to his knees, panting heavily.

"Guilty," Alexander muttered, standing again.

Your sentence will be decided in a few moments, Evita informed him, turning to talk to her fellow herd members.

After five minutes of waiting, Evita turned back to face Alexander.

You will be revoked of your pledge, Alexander Tobias Therode, and then you will lose your status as a Protector, along with the power and skills you have obtained through becoming a Protector.

Beside Ginevra, Orion shuddered at the thought.

The unicorns horns started to glow fiercely, and Alexander's body began to glow once more, silver this time. They all watched as silver blood began to pour itself out of his body, even as Alexander fell to the ground. The unicorns' blood pooled in front of them, and the Protectors started to put the precious blood into small vials so as not to waste it.

Alexander continued to glow, his body changing as the glow started to leave his body. His toned muscles disappeared, his hair losing its shine, his eyes darkening, hands weakening. It continued until the silver glow and blood had disappeared from him completely, and all that was left was an older, weary and unfit version of Alexander.

We revoked his pledge as well, Ginevra, so that you do not need to suffer along with him. He will be taken to the Muggle world, where he will find a job, housing, and forget that we ever existed. He was a good Protector before, Evita murmured to Ginevra.

Before me... Ginevra thought with a heavy sigh.

"Well, I'm glad tha's ov'r. He was a righ' prick," Seamus said, wrapping his arm around Ginevra's shoulder. "He deserved tha', an' more."

Do not be so quick to judge, Orion. There are always outside factors that not everyone knows or considers. You should return to Hogwarts now. Thank you for being a witness to our proceedings, Ginevra. And I am glad that you have found your Protector so soon, Evita said, glowing happily. I would like a moment with Orion, if you please.

Of course, Ginevra bowed to Lady Evita, and left the clearing.

Look after her, Orion. The threat against her is getting closer, and we are still not aware of who or what it is. Keep your eyes open, and listen to the wind. Congratulations, young one. We are all proud of you, Evita said, nuzzling Orion gently.

Thank you, Lady Evita, Orion replied, bowing deeply.

Evita watched with sad eyes as Orion and Ginevra left back for Hogwarts.

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Draco had let Relo go hunting in the forest alone after seeing the way he 'ate' his food. Now he knew why Theodore had felt sick after watching Relo feed when he'd been ill at Christmas.

"Now I know why th' brats are scared of him. Eatin' somethin' like that jus' ain't righ'," Dodger said, shuddering in Draco's arms.

"Yes, well, Ginevra drinks blood. I don't think how he eats really matters, so long as he eats it," Draco replied, shrugging briefly.

There was an excited yell from inside the forest, and Draco stood up quickly, hurrying to the tree line.

"Put me down already! Ye donnae need ter hol' me like a baby!" Dodger yelled, struggling in Draco's hands.

He shook his head and let him go.

"We is out hunting with Draco! Dodger came alongs with us too, but he got scaredy-Jarvey and jumped into Draco's arms when we was eating! Dodger made us laughs!" Relo was saying excitedly, hardly taking a breath.

"It sounds like you've had fun," Ginevra's voice replied, and Draco could hear the tinge of amusement in her tone.

He grinned, heading into the forest to meet her.

"Draco! We found Ginevra! She's with Orion! He's Seamus too, and he's all silver-glowy! He looks so pretty," Relo said, sounding awe-struck.

Draco just nodded at Seamus, who really was glowing silver, and he nodded back in return.

"Thank you for going with her, Seamus. Everything get done all right, love?" Draco asked, hugging her to him.

"Except for Bane, everything was fine," Ginevra replied, grinning up at him.

"What about Bane?" Draco asked, a growl at the back of his throat.

"Nothing that can't be dealt with another day. Let's go home. It's been a long day, and I want to rest before training tonight," Ginevra said.

Draco wasn't overly happy with her choice, but he could see the fatigue in her eyes, and nodded.

"All right. Another day then," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

"Dodger! Want to see how much we can eat at once?" Relo asked, laughing when the Jarvey ran away quickly.

Ginevra shook her head at them, and went back to Hogwarts, her husband, and her Protector by her sides.

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Virginia glared at the picture of the three in the mist. It hadn't taken much to watch into the unicorn's trial, and she had watched as Alexander was revoked of his Protector pledge and powers.

He definitely wasn't much to look at now, she thought, her nose wrinkling in disgust. Her gaze returned to Ginevra, Draconius, and Orion in the mist and she glared once more. How happy they look... How absolutely disgusting, she thought, a hand waving the mist away in anger.

"We have lost another ally, my Lady," Bart said beside her.

"Yes, I know! I saw it myself," Virginia hissed. "Now that Alexander is helpless and mortal, he'll be wanting my help. Ginevra will tell Agnes about all of this, I'm sure. Having her ex-Protector show up on my doorstep just won't do," Virginia mused. "Follow the Protectors to the Muggle world, and make sure that Alexander will never be able to return here."

Bart bowed, a grin spreading across his scarred face. He straightened up once more, and left to fetch his knives.

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(a/n: end of the twenty third chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!)

24. Chapter Twenty Four

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't sue me.

Chapter Twenty Four

Friday, 10 May

Ginevra muttered under her breath as she looked at the fading burn-mark on her arm. Colin had burnt her during training on Tuesday, and since his dragon's fire was more magically potent than normal dragons, the burn had to be treated the normal way, with salve and bandages. Theo had only taken the bandage off this morning, muttering about its sorry state since Ginevra had picked at the bandage more often than not.

It had taken most of them to hold Draco back, and he still wasn't happy with Colin three days later. Ginevra sighed, stretching her arm. She winced as her shoulder cracked loudly. Orion had fixed her arm after Bane pulled it out of its socket, but it was still sore too.

Would you stop your whinging? You're human, you feel pain, and you'll heal faster than the rest of us, you non-human creature, Padma muttered in Ginevra's head.

They'd been working on talking to each other silently during nightly training as well. It was much harder to keep your thoughts restricted to only a certain number of people, and refrain from suddenly telling your enemy where you were going to attack next. Even without Luna telling them, they could tell that it was an important skill to have.

You're contradicting yourself, sister. How can she be human, and a non-human creature at the same time? Parvati asked, grinning.

Don't know the technical side of it, she just is, Padma answered with a shrug.

Ge' out of me head. Too early in th' mornin' fer this, Seamus muttered.

I agree, Ginevra murmured, rubbing her shoulder.

You can't agree with him, you've been awake for hours already! Luna said, sounding far too cheerful.

I've been thinking, Ginevra said, already able to hear the others' surprised thoughts before they directed them at her. It's time to deal with Bane. He's been in that clearing for a while now, and the forest is getting weary of him.

Do you know what you're going to do yet? Draco asked silently for everyone else's benefit, sitting up on the bed across from Ginevra's seat at the window.

No idea. Any help, Luna?

It's fuzzy. You haven't decided yet, so I can't tell what you can do, Luna replied. Who's up for breakfast?

We are! Greg and Vince called quickly.

Not so loud guys, I've got the worst hangover in the world, Blaise groaned, holding his head.

I told you not to drink that third glass. Or the fourth, or fifth. Or the seventh, Neville admonished, gently nonetheless.

He jus' cannae hold his liquor, Seamus replied smugly.

You shouldn't have encouraged him for the eighth glass, Neville muttered. I spent all night holding his head over the toilet while you were in here sleeping soundly.

It was the drink tha' knocked me out, Seamus said defensively.

Can we turn the light off now? Blaise asked, somewhat oblivious to his boyfriends' arguing.

That's the sun, Blaise, Neville said. Come on, lie back down. Sleep some more, he murmured.

"So what are we going to do to Bane?" Draco asked, redirecting Ginevra's attention.

"We are doing nothing, Draco. I am punishing Bane, you're not. You get angry enough at the mention of his name," she said, indicating to the glowing Veelan marks on his face, "and I don't want you to come if you're just going to look at him and then kill him."

"He deserves it," Draco muttered.

"That's for me to decide, isn't it?"

"I promise I won't kill him without your permission. Okay?"

Ginevra shook her head. "Just because you promise it, doesn't mean that you mean it. And don't say 'a Malfoy is true to his word' or some such bull," she added at his indignant look.

"Well, how am I supposed to show you I mean it then?"

"Apologise to Colin. He was on the enemy side, he was fighting like he was supposed to, and I'll be hurt when we go to war anyway... Apologise to Colin, he's feeling bad enough as it is," Ginevra said.

Theo! Can we get something for Blaise? He's turning green, Neville called out.

We didn't want to know that before breakfast, Neville! Padma replied.

Stop yelling, Blaise groaned.

All right, you had better be decent, Seamus. Let me in, Theodore said, knocking at the door.

I'm always decent!

I meant clothed, Theodore muttered.

"Fine, I'll apologise to Colin," Draco said, running a hand through his hair.

He stood up to get his robe, intending to put it over his pyjamas.

"You might want to get changed. He went out with his camera an hour ago," Ginevra said, looking out the window again.

"Put something on your burn, or at least move your arm out of the light, love. You're going to make it worse, leaving it in the sun like that," Draco replied, getting a shirt and pants from the cupboard.

"I know," she murmured, looking down at her skin.

She moved her arm into the shade, and looked over to Draco with a smile.

So what are we goin' ter do ter Bane? Seamus asked Ginevra, grinning.

You're not doing anything, Seamus.

Why not? The others are comin'! Why am I th' only one who cannae kick his arse?

We're not all going! Ginevra said, and was immediately met with more than one argument on that. All right, all right! We'll all go. Merlin's wand, you lot can be frustrating.

Thank you, Millicent said, not offended in the slightest. We can discuss what we're going to do to him over breakfast.

Perhaps we shouldn't eat breakfast so soon. Blaise might not feel well enough, Lettie said, frowning.

You doubt my expertise? Theo teased with a grin.

Yes! Fred and George called out. The antidote you gave to us for the draught works too well... We still want some side affects, damn your expertise Theo!

You never asked for that, you just asked for the antidote ... Sit up a bit... Not you two, I was talking to Blaise! ... If you don't drink it, you won't be able to get up for the rest of the day, Blaise. Yes, well it's not my fault you drank that entire bottle of rum, is it? Yes, blame Seamus all you like. You be quiet Seamus, or do you want to do this? Didn't think so. You know how bad alcohol is for centaurs, Blaise. All that processed stuff isn't good for anyone. Yes, even in drinking competitions. No, Seamus isn't human to be able to drink all that. Unless he's finally worked out how to turn rum into water using wandless magic.

Not even a second later, they all heard a loud yell as Seamus was hit by a spell.

"Remind me to never challenge Seamus to a drinking competition," Draco muttered.

"All right... Don't you have someone to go find?" she reminded him pointedly.

Luna, do you know where Colin is? I want to apologise to him.

Owlery roof. Be careful, Luna replied.

Where's our food?! Gregory and Vincent called out.

They act just like children, Padma muttered.

Not all the time, Gregory said smugly.

Ginevra shook her head and, with a considerable amount of concentration, started to block everyone out of her already-aching head. Leaving her room, she headed to the meeting room where Gregory and Vincent were waiting impatiently.

"You could make breakfast yourself, you know, it wouldn't kill you," Ginevra said, grinning.

"With the way they cook, it probably would kill them," Pansy muttered from behind her. "You blocked us off. You're missing a spectacular fight between Fred and George. Or Gred and Forge," she said, smirking.

"It's a bit loud for this time of the morning," Lettie murmured, yawning slightly. "Sorry I wasn't up earlier, my Lady."

"No need to apologise," Ginevra said, waving it off. "Two o'clock in the morning shouldn't legally be a time anyway."

Lettie smiled and curtsied slightly in response.

Ginevra noticed Pansy wincing, and sighed. "I'll get them to shut up," she offered, leaving the room. "Fred and George! Get out here right now, and stop arguing!" she yelled, banging on the door.

"But we stopped arguing almost three whole minutes ago!" Fred and George said, opening the door.

"Then who's arguing now?" Ginevra asked, frowning as she slowly let everyone back into her mind.

Well, it's not us, Fred and George said, shutting the door in their sister's face.

No need to be rude, Ginevra thought, listening to everyone properly.

Would you two shut up already?! Don't make me come up there! Pansy was yelling.

You shouldn't have attacked her! You knew her arm was sore from what Bane did to her! Draco was shouting at Colin.

Yes, I knew that! I already apologised, for the gods sakes! You don't think she's going to be hurt in a proper war, Draco? People are going to be spying on everyone, and they'd probably use the same information. We are training for a war, we're not training just for the fun of it! Colin replied, his voice beginning to get louder with anger.

BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! Ginevra yelled. You were supposed to go there to apologise, not argue. Colin is right, I am fine, now apologise and leave it be! she said to Draco angrily.

There was a long moment of silence from everyone, as if they'd all held their thoughts and breaths.

Sorry, Colin, Draco said, the apology as tense as his stance. "I know you're right, I just don't like to see Ginevra hurt," he added out loud, more apologetic now.

"I know. I'd be the same if it had happened to Luna," Colin said, an ironic humour in his voice. "I have no idea how we're going to survive the war," he muttered, grinning at Draco.

"We're going to survive it wishing we could go personally kill every bastard that so much as points their wand at our women," Draco muttered, shaking his head as he headed back to the rooms.

Colin laughed heartily, hopping down from his perch on the Owlery roof and following Draco back to the rooms.

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"I've go' some bad news and some worse news," Seamus muttered to Ginevra.

She frowned briefly. "What's wrong?"

"The bad news is tha' Alexander is dead," he replied. "The worse news is tha' he was murder'd."

A shocked silence went through them all. Hadn't they all wished him dead only days ago?

"I feel sick," Parvati said, rushing off to the bathroom quickly, her hand covering her mouth.

A feeling of nausea flowed through each of them as Parvati was violently sick.

"Do you know who killed him?" Ginevra asked.

"Nay, we donnae. But he was killed with knives, tha' we can tell fer sure. The wounds couldnae be healed, even with th' unicorn blood," Seamus murmured, his eyes flicking to the scars on Fred and George's faces.

Another bout of sickness hit them, this time from Colin.

"Stop that, you're making me dizzy," Pansy groaned, her face pale.

"Do you have any chocolate, Theodore?" Ginevra asked.

With a brief nod, Theodore got up and left to get his medical supply bag. He stopped to give a piece to Parvati, which she took gratefully but still looked sickened.

They all ate a small block of chocolate, and slowly, the feeling of nausea faded.

"We really have to work on this mind thing more," Millicent muttered.

The others just nodded their agreement, still reeling from the news Seamus had given them.

"Well, we might as well continue with this sort of thought and discuss what's going to happen to Bane," Ginevra said, sighing heavily.

"I say punishment by death," Draco said immediately.

"Of course you do," Pansy said, rolling her eyes at him.

"I say ye keep him in th' Forest so he's nev'r ter leave tha' clearing again," Seamus snarled.

"Oh, that sounds good. He'd go insane," Millicent said, grinning slightly.

"Do you really want an insane centaur in the forest?" Parvati asked with a sigh.

"Definitely not. Well, what else do you suggest?" Ginevra asked, looking at them in turn.

"Insane centaur outside of the forest?" Padma asked, grinning at her twin.

"No ... Insanity is not an option," Ginevra said, reminded about her own insanity after taking the Animadverto potion.

"Fine, then death it is," Draco said cheerfully.

"And I refuse to kill him," she added, glaring at Draco briefly.

"You won't have to, I will," he replied, leaning back against his chair smugly.

"Do not say that so casually, Draconius," Luna murmured, turning her white eyes to look directly at him. "There is a great difference between saying that you can take a life, and then actually performing that act in cold blood. And do not think that this death will not be done in cold blood simply because the centaur makes you angry... The blood does not boil with anger alone."

Draco just looked at Luna for a moment, then turned away, his teeth gritted.

I hate it when she makes sense so fucking cryptically, his thought echoed through loud and clear enough for everyone to hear.

Luna just chuckled, smiling as she turned her eyes away from him.

"What do you think we should do to Bane, Luna?" Millicent asked. "Taking out the death and insanity options that is," she added with a slight grin.

Break bones. Shoot with arrows. Return to the earth. Change to horse. Sell to animal breeder. Let loose in Muggle world after changing into a horse. Let loose in Muggle world without changing into a horse. Humiliate in hundreds of different ways: force to teach at Hogwarts, wear clothing, take away arrows and force him to hunt, let the animals laugh at him... The thoughts, pictures and ideas just flowed through all of them over and over, every possible future showing various outcomes for that same future.

"Enough!" Millicent yelled, her knuckles white from gripping the table so hard. "Enough, enough... Please, that's enough," she said, shuddering.

Slowly the images, words and ideas faded from their mind and Luna's sigh could be heard clearly.

"Every question, every possibility, every future... It always changes, and I always See."

"It hurt," Millicent muttered.

"It usually does," Luna agreed with a brief nod.

"What was that return to the earth one? My brain didn't catch it properly," Blaise asked, his fingers massaging his temples.

Return to the earth. Spell so his body disintegrates, soul loses its body, returns to the soul-fold-flow-life-nature-world-earth and is either sentenced or reborn.

The images this time were slower, easier to process, but Ginevra could see that there was some pain in Luna's face still, as if she was controlling the vision very deliberately.

"Don't ask. Please," Luna grounded out as the vision disappeared from their minds.

"Do you want me to get you anti-pain medication? It's only a slight numbing, but it might help," Theodore asked.

Luna shook her head, her hair flying left and right quickly in time with her motion. "No. If I take that, I won't be able to See," she replied. "Thank you anyway," Luna added with a brief smile.

"So what do you think of that earth one?" Pansy asked, looking to Ginevra.

"How difficult is it to perform?" Ginevra asked Luna, hoping her question wouldn't cause her more pain.

"No more difficult than most spells. It's in this books," Luna said, flicking her wand.

A book flew into the meeting room at a high speed. Draco's hand whipped out and he caught it a moment before it hit Luna's head.

"Thank you," she said calmly.

"What if I hadn't caught it?" Draco asked, surprised at how calm she sounded.

"Then I would have been hit on the head with a book," Luna replied, smiling at him. "Page three-hundred and twenty ... six," she said, frowning as she tried to See the page number properly. "Or five, it's a bit blurry."

"You were right, three twenty six," Draco murmured as he flipped to the page quickly.

"Repeto orbis terrarum," Pansy read over Draco's shoulder, smirking at the others.

"To return to the earth," Colin said, proud that he'd been able to translate it correctly.

"Name says it all, doesn't it?" Padma asked, smirking.

"Are you sure about this, my Lady?" Lettie asked Ginevra quietly.

"I'll decide after we've all heard what the spell entails," she replied, nodding to Draco.

"Returning a soul to the earth is a spell that is best left to the gods. Unless you are a god, I suggest you stop reading now. If you are a god, on the other hand, then you may read on."

"What is it with books and sarcasm?" Ginevra muttered as Draco continued to read the entry.

"Congratulations, you are a god. Or at least, you think you are..."

"Okay, it was funny a sentence ago, but seriously, can you skip the sarcasm now?" Millicent asked.

"This entry has been hexed so that a person must read the entire article from start to finish until the spell written has been performed," Draco kept reading.

"Great, looks like it's been decided for me," Ginevra muttered, Lettie stifling her laughter.

"We might as well head out to where Bane is then. If he has to repeat it more than twice, Draco'll be pissed," Pansy muttered, standing up.

"He already looks pissed," Gregory said, waving a hand in front of Draco's face.

Draco held the book up so he could see Gregory properly, and glared angrily, even as words continued to flow from his mouth.

"All right, let's go already. If we leave now, we'll get back before it's dark," Parvati said.

"Since when are ye scared of th' dark?" Seamus asked, frowning.

"Never mind. Can we just get going?" she asked, looking to them in turn.

Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think about it... Parvati's thoughts seemed to scream through their minds, and even Draco paused his dictation for a moment.

"Don't think about what?" Millicent asked immediately.

"Nothing," Parvati replied quickly, but an image flashed through her mind at the same time.

"What was that thing?" Blaise asked, shuddering even though the image had only been half-formed and not at all recognisable.

"Show us again, Parvati," Luna said softly, a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Parvati's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded and a dark silhouette started to form in their minds slowly. Encased in shadow, not much of the feared creature could be seen. Except for the creature's ice-cold eyes. Its eyes stared deep down, through them, into them, past them. Those eyes had seen far too much.

"Stop; that's enough now, Parvati," Luna murmured, and the cold creature disappeared instantly.

Save for Draco repeating the spell again, there was silence as they all processed their own thoughts.

"What was that?" Lettie asked, Draco's voice raising as if in agreement.

"The Night Fairy," Neville answered, surprising them. "I thought she was just a legend?"

"Neville, you're a nymph. Isn't that the cat calling the cauldron black?" Theodore asked, rolling his eyes.

Ignoring him, Neville looked at Parvati, waiting for an answer.

"She's not a legend," Parvati said, shivering.

"This might be a dumb question, but who is she?" Millicent asked, looking between Parvati and Neville in confusion.

"The Night Fairy is a legend ... was a legend, I suppose," Neville said when he looked to Parvati, who simply nodded for him to continue. "She is the ruler of the shadow fairies, and controls most of the night's creatures, including the Lethifold."

"What are shadow fairies?" Lettie asked, looking confused.

"They're the darkest fairies, created from a drop of the Night Fairy's blood. They are Disorder, Havoc, Mischief, Mayhem, and Turmoil. They are all that embodies Chaos, and the Night Fairy is their creator, so you can tell how powerful she is," Neville replied. "Well, at least that's what the legend of the Night Fairy says," he added with a slight frown.

"What do you mean she was a legend? Doesn't that mean she's dead?" Theodore asked, frowning.

"Not necessarily. There are many variations of the legend's ending, some say she died, others say that she sacrificed herself and would only return with the sacrifice of another. It's all very confusing and far more detailed, but in the end, no one really knew what happened to her," Parvati said.

"And you're scared of this fairy because?" Pansy trailed off, waiting for an answer.

"She enslaved pixies to create an army, and those that tried to fight her were killed," Fred and George replied.

"An army for what?" Colin asked.

"More importantly, how do you know she's alive?" Millicent asked, her arms folded.

"Shouldn't we be going to deal with Bane? You know, before it gets dark?" Parvati asked, wringing her hands.

A nervous ripple rushed through them.

"Agreed. Bane now, questions later," Millicent muttered, shivering.

"Let's go then," Ginevra sighed, leaving the rooms before anyone could change their mind.

Draco followed her, still reading the spell in the book. The others followed quickly, spurred on by Parvati's fear.

"The spell can take anywhere between an hour and three hours to complete," Draco called loudly when they reached the Forbidden Forest.

Ginevra stopped and turned to him. "What? Why didn't you say that before we all left?"

"He can only read the spell chronologically, if he wasn't up to that part before, then he couldn't have said it," Luna answered for him.

"Once begun, the spell can not be stopped," Draco said, his head nodding slightly in agreement.

"Let's just keep going. Maybe it will only be an hour, and we'll be back before it's really dark," Padma suggested, her eyes flicking to her twin.

Parvati just nodded, but she didn't look very appeased.

Hurrying along the forest paths, Ginevra found that she kept glancing into the shadowy trees uneasily. She kept becoming more nervous and jumpy with every metre she covered, and was soon sick of feeling that way. Stopping in the middle of the path, she turned to face her friends. Their expressions were bordering on terrified. Draco's voice was nothing but a small whisper.

"We have to control our feelings properly. I can't concentrate," Ginevra said, shaking her head.

"What if she's out there?" Parvati whimpered, her eyes darting to the trees on either side of them.

Fear shivered along Ginevra's spine, and she bit her tongue to focus on something else.

"We have to control it. Breathe, like Firenze taught us. Keep it under control, or we'll never get to Bane to get back in time," she added.

Slowly, a calm yet determined feeling passed through them. Sighing in relief, Ginevra continued along the path with the others following her. Soon enough, they all heard Bane yelling in one of the clearings, his voice echoing and bouncing off the barrier holding him prisoner inside.

"I want you to all stay out here," Ginevra said, turning to look at them one at a time.

"You don't think we're actually going to stay out here, do you?" Neville asked in disbelief.

"We're coming in with you," Pansy added immediately, rolling her eyes.

Ginevra sighed heavily, knowing it would be pointless to argue further. Their determined emotions were growing with each passing second.

"All right. Just be careful, okay?" she said with a worried frown.

Indignation replaced determination instantly.

Gritting her teeth, Ginevra ignored their affronted feelings and turned back to the path.

"Ready or not, here we come," she muttered softly and walked into the clearing to finally deal with Bane.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Ronnie-kins, dear!" Molly called as she walked onto the third floor landing in The Burrow.

From inside Ron's room, there was a loud thud and he scrambled to stand up, kicking the thick book under his bed. Moving the chair that was holding his door closed, Ron sat at his desk and pretended to be reading the Standard Book of Spells for his seventh year at Hogwarts.

He'd be going back in a week, so it would be perfectly reasonable for him to be studying, wouldn't it?

Molly opened Ron's door to find her son sitting at his desk, trying to look nonchalant, but his ears were burning red, and he was attempting to read the Standard Book of Spells upside down.

He was probably writing a letter to Hermione, Molly thought and hid a smile.

"You called me, Mum?" Ron asked, his voice a pitch higher with nerves. He coughed slightly.

"I just wanted to know what you'd like for dinner, but I can see you're busy ... studying," Molly said with another hidden smile, "so I'll let you keep reading."

"Can we have chicken? And your roast potatoes? They're the best in the world," he said, grinning.

"Oh, don't be silly, Ronnie... I'll call you when dinner's ready," Molly said, smiling brightly at him and leaving Ron's room, closing the door behind her.

Holding his breath, Ron waited until he heard his mother's footsteps fade as she went downstairs to the kitchen before letting it out in one big gush. Putting his book down and the chair back against the door, Ron dropped to his knees to find the book under his bed.

His fingers came into contact with something that was thin and dusty, and definitely not the book he'd been reading, but something compelled Ron to see what it was. Maybe it was a Cannons clipping? he thought without much hope, bringing the photo-sized square out from under his bed.

Blowing the dust off, Ron waved his hand to get rid of the dust in the air, his hand stopping halfway through the action as he saw the photo.

It was a picture of four people. He recognised one person was himself, but the other three - Fred, George, and Ginny - he only recognised because of what his parents had told him. That wasn't what had made him shocked however. With wide eyes, Ron stared at the picture of himself with his three siblings, and stared in particular at the pair of blood-red fangs that had been drawn over Ginny's mouth.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

"Bane, you are to be judged and sentenced here. Before the decision is made, do you have any final words to say?" Ginevra asked formally.

It had taken them almost five minutes to subdue the centaur, and in the end it was Neville and Seamus who had been able to do it, combining both of their powers to create thick vines to wrap around the centaur's legs, body and arms to keep him from doing any more damage to the clearing or to Ginevra.

Bane remained silent, but the loathing look in his eyes was enough to say it all.

"Another paragraph, and he'll be back at the start again," Parvati murmured, looking to Draco.

Draco sighed slightly in relief, his voice sounding happier as he continued talking.

"Is everyone ready?" Ginevra asked, looking to each of them.

She wasn't sure why she asked, as she wasn't truly certain what they would do while she was doing the spell, but she wanted to make check with them anyway. After receiving positive nods, Ginevra breathed deep to ready herself and turned to face Bane, Draco's instructions floating on the wind to her.

"Returning a soul to the earth is a spell that is best left to the gods. Unless you are a god, I suggest you stop reading now. If you are a god, on the other hand, then you may read on... Congratulations, you are a god. Or at least, you think you are... There is a difference, and by the end of the spell you will see why.

"This entry has been hexed so that a person must read the entire article from start to finish until the spell written has been performed," Draco kept reading.

"Due to the way this spell can be used, it is altered for every person performing it, as well as every person reading it. Only these first few paragraphs remain the same, so the next time you go to perform this spell, do not use the same wording as it will not work. This is presuming you have survived this attempt, of course," Draco read, his head bowed as he read the words of the intricate spell carefully.

"The time taken on the spell varies, and as such, the spell can take anywhere between an hour and three hours to complete. However, you must be warned that once begun, the spell can not be stopped," Draco said.

Before his eyes, the spell began to change and the empty space below what he'd already read began to fill with paragraphs upon paragraphs of words. He took a deep breath and made sure to concentrate properly so he wouldn't say the spell wrong.

"First, cast a circle around yourself and the one who is being returned to the earth. Make sure that there are no gaps in the circle and your power is spread evenly throughout."

"The two involved in the ritual must drink from the same cup, ensuring their understanding for what is to happen. This must be done willingly, or else the spell will not work."

"Once this is done, both parties must meditate until the proper time."

"Proper time? What does he mean by that?" Millicent asked, frowning slightly.

"This time can only be decided by the two involved, and is the main reason for the varying lengths of the spell."

"The following spell will only be heard by the one performing it," Draco continued.

A whisper started to form in Ginevra's head, and she refrained from shaking her head to get the noise out.

He who has killed and sinned

Against myself and his kind,

I return you to the earth.

You are to be born again willingly,

A hope for a better life then.

As I will, so mote it be.

"This spell is different for each person or creature that it is used upon, and cannot be used more than once."

"If he who is being returned to the earth is stronger than the caster of the spell, others within the circle may lend their power for the spell to be completed. If he is too powerful, however, the spell will not be completed, and all lives will be forfeited. You have a minute to think about the consequences of this," Draco said.

His voice didn't relax, nor could he move his head to look at them. He was still under the influence of the spell, and would continue to read the words until the spell had been performed, just as it had warned at the start.

"I think we should continue," Lettie said, even though she sounded nervous. "Ronan was killed because of Bane, as well as other innocent creatures."

"He has no remorse," Parvati and Padma included, both staring at Bane in disgust.

"Do we have enough power to do the spell though?" Theodore asked, looking at each of them. "Seamus and Neville are barely holding him down, and it took us all five minutes to get Bane down in the first place."

"Exactly! Combined, we're more powerful than he is," Gregory said.

"But are we more powerful than he is when we're just human? I doubt this spell is going to take into consideration the fact that we're all part-beings, is it?" Theodore replied.

"Probably not," Ginevra said. She refrained from asking Luna, not wanting to cause her friend more pain, and also wanting to make the decision without a possible future forcing her hand. "But we can't leave Draco like this either. I'm fairly certain that the spell was created without a way to break it."

"Fifty seconds," Draco began counting slowly.

"I say we do the spell," Pansy said. "If he isn't remorseful for what he's done, then he deserves to die."

"-one, fifty-two."

"Agreed," Vincent and Gregory echoed.

"Agreed," Parvati and Padma said quickly.

"We all agree, how about that?" Millicent said, Fred and George nodding.

"Fifty five, fifty six," Draco continued.

"Do we?" Ginevra asked, looking to Colin, Blaise, Neville, Seamus and Lettie. She heard Luna sigh softly when she didn't look at her, and knew that Luna, on some level at least, agreed as well.

"If he has no remorse, then I have no pity for him," Blaise said.

Neville and Seamus met Ginevra's look and nodded their consent.

"Fifty-seven, fifty-eight."

"I agree," Lettie said, but sounded slightly ill on top of her certainty.

"So do I," Colin said, just as Draco reached 'sixty'.

"The minute is now over, and your decision must be made. First, those not casting the spell, nor having the spell cast on them, sit in a circle around the former and latter," Draco instructed.

The mood suddenly sombre, they all moved quietly to take their seats, sitting in a position that allowed them to face Ginevra and Bane.

"No unnatural things are allowed within the circle, this book being the only exception. That means that all clothing must be removed. To do so, say the words 'vestis, abeo, lux', and wait until the spell has finished before continuing." (Clothing, disappear, light.)

"That's stupid, I don't see why we have to be naked!"

"I refuse to get naked in front of you lot," Millicent muttered, reddening slightly.

"I don't want to do that," Lettie said, her entire face bright red.

"We all know why you don't want to, Mill. Part werewolf makes you hairy, doesn't it?" Vincent sneered.

There was no time to react to what happened next. Even Bane seemed surprised at it. One second, Theodore was sitting next to Millicent, trying to calm her down, and the next he was standing over Vincent who was lying on the floor motionless.

"What did you do to him?" Pansy asked in horror, staring at her boyfriend.

Vincent's body gave a slight spasm and there was more than one sigh of relief.

"Don't you ever talk about Millicent like that again!" Theodore said, a tone of pure venom laced in his voice as he glared at the other Slytherin. "He's alive, just in a lot of pain," he added to Pansy briefly.

Theodore's wand was pointed down at Vincent, but Ginevra was positive he hadn't used it to do ... whatever he'd done to him. Vincent managed the smallest of nods, his body twitching again in pain. Theodore's glare didn't lessen, even as he knelt to touch certain parts of Vincent's body.

"You just paralysed him, didn't you? With his nerves?" Lettie said, surprised.

He nodded in response, left Vincent lying on the floor where he was, and returned to his seat beside Millicent. She smiled at him, holding his hand as he moved a bit closer to her.

"I'm sorry, Millicent," Vincent said, his throat tight.

Millicent's smile faded completely, and she didn't answer, but Ginevra thought she could see tears forming in the girl's eyes. Neither Pansy nor Gregory looked to their boyfriend.

"I still don't want to get undressed in front of you all," Padma said loudly, redirecting everyone's attention away from Millicent and Vincent.

"I don't want you to either; you're my brother's girlfriend... That's just weird," George said, his nose scrunching.

Bane looked both amused and annoyed at their arguing. It was only the vine across his mouth that stopped him from taunting them all, Ginevra was sure. But he did have good reason to be annoyed at them; all this arguing was pointless and getting them nowhere, simply delaying Bane's punishment.

Saying the spell quietly, Ginevra closed her eyes and waited for the sarcastic comments to come. While she herself was more comfortable being naked, Draco was still the only one who had seen her naked since she'd become a vampiress. Before that, it had been her mother when Ginevra was too young to bathe herself!

Not hearing any of the expected comments, she opened her eyes cautiously and looked at her friends for their reactions. They seemed surprised, and were basking in an odd red light. Glancing down at herself, Ginevra could see that a red ribbon-like light was wrapped around her body, shielding her private body parts from view. The tense atmosphere lightened to one of relief, and all around the circle, the spell was repeated. Soon, ribbon-lights covered each of them. Draco was also covered by a ribbon-light, the book making him say the spell again so it would work. His ribbon was a bright white colour, yet it seemed to be made out of feathers.

"You may now cast the circle," Draco instructed, still not looking up from the book.

Closing her eyes, Ginevra envisioned a circle surrounding them, keeping everything within and outside the circle in their proper places. Holding her wand out, she turned in an even circle, her magic roping out an invisible barrier around them. Closing the circle, she opened her eyes once more and waited for further instructions.

"When the circle is completely cast, it restricts all movements of those not reading or casting the spell. This is to prevent anyone from leaving the circle. It must also be ensured that no more enter the circle, as the spell will break and again, all lives will be forfeited for the one being returned."

"You may now drink from the same cup. Say the word 'pluvia', cup your hands and both drink from the water," Draco said. (Rain/shower.)

"Pluvia," Ginevra repeated.

The moisture in the air became thicker, making it difficult to breathe. Just when she thought she might faint from the lack of air, it suddenly started to rain. Hurrying to cup her hands, Ginevra caught the water that was falling and drank some, thankful for the liquid. Moving slowly towards Bane, she moved her hands up to his mouth. The vine around his mouth disappeared and he drank slowly, also seeming grateful for the water. At least, he didn't spit it back in her face.

"Now meditate," Draco instructed.

The surrounding atmosphere returned to normal. Ginevra slowed her breathing, her eyes never leaving Bane's. He breathed in time with her, watching her as he timed his breaths. All time lost its meaning, and the clearing fell away around them, surrounding them in both nothingness and everything all at once.

Stupid human. Mere mortal. Not worthy of being Queen. Not worthy of being Chosen by the gods. The stars are wrong, the stars lie. Stupid, mortal, not worthy. Deserves to die, then see if she is really a Chosen one of the gods.

The thoughts practically exploded in Ginevra's mind, and she took a step back at the hostility coming from Bane. As more of his thoughts (or were they memories?) bombarded her mind, Ginevra briefly wondered what he was hearing from her.

Suddenly, the past-tone of the thoughts/memories finished and Ginevra found that she was hearing the present Bane inside her mind.

Too late for remorse or repentance. I know that now, and I understand what I did was wrong. I know I should be punished, and I know I will be punished by your hand. But despite all this, I would still appreciate a silencing spell while the deed is done, Queen of All, Bane's mind murmured. A final request, if you will allow it.

Ginevra nodded, and then suddenly they were in the circle once more, her friends surrounding her and her wand in her hand. Doing the silencing spell on Bane, Ginevra stepped back and waited once more.

"Now cast the spell," Draco said.

Just as she was about to begin reciting the spell, Millicent's mind called a warning to Ginevra, showing her a tall black creature with black leathery wings moving towards the circle. If it came in now, then Ginevra wouldn't be able to complete the spell and they would die, while Bane went free. She couldn't allow that to happen.

Ginevra threw a hand out as the black creature continued to move towards the circle curiously. She could only spare the smallest amount of power and as such, it was only a tiny red ball of light that flew at the creature. Ginevra didn't have time to react when she noticed that Bexley was clinging to the ball, and turned back to Bane, the spell beginning to flow from her mouth.

Despite the small size of the ball, it still had enough force to back the creature up against the tree. The light flew into the creature's mouth and Bexley attaching himself to it's forehead. The ball stifled any screams it made as Bexley floated inside the creatures head to make its worse nightmares come true.

"He who has killed and sinned

Against myself and his kind,

I return you to the earth.

You are to be born again willingly,

A hope for a better life then.

As I will, so mote it be," Ginevra said.

Red light crept its way up her feet, her ankles, moving up her legs quickly. In mere seconds, Ginevra's entire body was encased in a bright red light. Oddly, she could still see everything in their proper colours, and not tinged in red as she thought it would be.

Suddenly, hundreds of tiny lights started appearing in the air. Ginevra frowned slightly, one of the lights appearing just in front of her face. Inside of the light was a tiny ant. Focusing on each of the lights, Ginevra felt sickened to see that each one was an ant. As they had no magical power to give, the ants were giving up their lives instead.

Looking up as more lights appeared, Ginevra saw various winged insects also encased in bright red lights. Mosquitoes, dragonflies, fireflies, ladybugs, moths; all of them were being killed.

Was she really this weak compared to Bane? She was so weak that animals had to die just so she could do a spell on him?

The red lights surrounding the animals started to change to a white-hot colour, and if they had the ability, the animals inside all would have screamed.

Suddenly, her friends began to light up as well. Slowly, from the bottom of their feet and travelling up, the red light began to encompass them all. Fear screamed from their minds, and Ginevra could see the terror in their eyes as she turned to each of them.

Draco wasn't lighting up, she noticed in surprise. Was it because he was reading the spell? Or was he more powerful than all of them combined?

Ginevra's thoughts were distracted when, in small bursts of light, the white-hot colour surrounding the animals disappeared. Before her, the lights began to transfer themselves onto Bane with each creature's sacrifice.

It happened over and over. A sudden burst of light, and as the dead animal fell to the ground, the white-hot light moved onto Bane.

The colour surrounding Ginevra began to turn white, even as the dragonflies and largest of the moths fell to the ground.

All around her, the light became hotter and whiter. It was unbearable to look at, yet she hadn't the power to look away.

Suddenly, Bane's body began to lift into the air. The bright light surrounding Ginevra grew even hotter still and she screamed as the light exploded into darkness.

Bane's lifeless body fell to the ground, and yet the spell holding them in place still didn't disappear.

"Look up," Draco read the final line of the spell.

As one, all sixteen looked up to the night sky through the opening in the forest clearing. Thousands of millions of wispy white ribbon-thread-lights were floating up into the sky, the stars shining brighter as the wispy ribbons disappeared completely.

The spell disappeared suddenly, the fifteen lights surrounding them vanishing. The moment the light had gone, clothes returned to their bodies, and each one collapsed.

Draco, the only one unaffected, finally closed the book in his hands and looked around him. Sixteen people, his fiancee included, were lying unconscious in the middle of a clearing in the Forbidden Forest, Bane was dead, as were a whole lot of insects and bugs, and Bexley was holding some sort of black fairy prisoner just at the edge of the tree line.

"How on earth am I going to get you all back?" he muttered, feeling lethargic himself. Not to mention his throat was sore from talking all this time.

"Excuse us... King of All?" a slightly nervous voice queried from the other side of the clearing.

Surprised - he hadn't heard anyone approaching the clearing - Draco looked over to see a small group of centaurs waiting. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. Had they just seen the death of their former leader, and now they wanted revenge?

"What do you want?"

Not very Kingly or diplomatic of him, but his voice was too raw to go through any pleasantries with these creatures, Draco figured.

"We would like to help you," the centaur replied, sounding a bit more confident now. "We can help you carry your friends and the Queen of All back to your residence at Hogwarts," the centaur added.

"You're a female," Draco noted in surprise.

He cringed slightly as his throat felt like knives were dragging themselves along it. He quickly did a soothing spell. It wouldn't last long, but he hoped he wouldn't have to talk long.

"Yes, King of All, I am. We all are. Women were not allowed to be part of the hunt while Bane was in charge," the centaur replied to his unasked question with a brief scowl. "We were nothing more than a hunt when mating season came, and were either brutally raped or used as target practice. We all took to hiding in the clearings each mating season so that we could not be hurt..." she muttered, too many emotions in her voice for Draco to focus on just one. "Now that Bane is dead, and the males fleeing prosecution, we would like to rectify their mistakes."

Draco shook his head. "No. You cannot rectify the mistakes of others, otherwise they will never learn their own lessons. You will be treated as your own selves, separate from the deeds that some of the male centaurs have done.

"And I would be greatly appreciative if you did help me return my friends to Hogwarts. I will carry Ginevra myself," he added.

A muffled scream came from nearby, and Bexley popped out of the black creature's head for a moment.

"What would you have me do with this one, Draco?" Bexley asked.

"It can come with us. We'll find out what it wants, and what it actually is, when Ginevra and the others wake up," Draco replied, moving to pick Ginevra up carefully.

Bexley gave a slight nod and flew out of the creature's head, Draco silently stunning it with Ginevra's wand as Bexley returned to his place inside Ginevra.

A small herd of centaurs moved into the clearing, picking up the humans with the utmost care. Another centaur picked up the black creature, and they started along the path.

"What is your name, centaur?" Draco asked, looking at her.

"My name is Elin, King of All," she replied.

"My name is Draco, not King of All."

Elin nodded slightly. "Yes, Draco."

They were silent as they made their way through the forest. Creatures came to either side of the path to see the King and Queen as they passed, but not one dared to step on the path. Draco was glad, as it meant he had time to think properly. His eyes had been on the book the entire time the spell had taken place, so he only had snapshots of what had happened through the others' eyes.

"Excuse me, Draco?" Elin asked after some time.

"Yes, Elin?" he replied, immediately wanting to curse. He'd forgotten about his sore throat.

He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as he gripped his wand and Ginevra at the same time, saying the throat soothing spell once more.

"What did you mean that only some of the men did those deeds? Were some faithful to yourself and the Queen of All?" she asked.

"Her name is Ginevra," Draco replied, looking down at her for a moment. "So far as we know, only one was faithful. At least, only one who was faithful was also brave enough to forfeit his life in order to try and warn Ginevra about the danger she was in."

"May we ask the name of that centaur?" Elin asked, her voice tight.

"Ronan," Draco answered. He jumped slightly as an unexpected cry came from one of the centaurs behind him. He turned to see tears running down Elin's face and dripping onto Neville.

"Ronan was my son."

"I am sorry for your loss," Draco said quietly.

Elin nodded briefly, and continued to walk along the path to Hogwarts.

8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8----8

Saturday, May 11

Ginevra opened her eyes to find herself back in her rooms. Blinking twice, not quite sure if she was imagining things, she frowned and sat up.

Where was Bane? Where were her friends? Where was the forest?

"Draco?" she called, her voice cracking. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink - sharing the rainwater with Bane didn't count as any substantial fluids - and hadn't even had a Drink yesterday, so she was dehydrated and hungry with red eyes.

Draco appeared in the room suddenly, and if it wasn't for the click of the door closing, Ginevra would have thought he'd Apparated.

"How are you feeling, love?" he asked, walking over as he drew a sharp nail along his wrist, cutting the skin open.

The sweet smell of his blood filled her senses, and Ginevra didn't even bother to answer, instead latching her mouth to the blood that was flowing freely.

As Draco's blood coursed through her veins, she relaxed slowly, his blood nourishing her.

"Much better," Ginevra finally answered as she pulled away from his wrist reluctantly.

She smiled at him with blood-red lips and brown eyes.

"Good to know. Everyone's still unconscious and will be for a while yet," Draco murmured, licking her lips as he put his hands on her hips.

"Good to know," she mimicked with a grin, biting his lower lip.

With a soft chuckle, Draco pulled Ginevra's hips so she was pressed flush up against him. He kissed her hungrily, biting her tongue as she tried to take over his mouth. Blood filled his mouth and he swallowed eagerly, the blood as nourishing for him as it was for her.

In her rush to remove Draco's pants and boxers, Ginevra scraped his thighs so hard that lines of blood followed. The blood trickled down onto her fingers and she pulled away from Draco's mouth to lick her fingers. Seeing the blood spilling down her fiancŽ's legs, she smirked broadly. Getting off the bed, she turned to push Draco back onto the mattress.

He moved up onto his elbows to look down at her as she traced patterns on his stomach with her light fingers, her tongue moving along each trail of blood slowly. Draco held back a groan as her red hair spilled over his thighs, Ginevra's tongue flitting to his cock.

"Ginevra," he groaned as she licked him, his hips bucking.

She grinned, taking him in her mouth, and listening as he moaned her name again, his fingers threading through her hair.

"Ginevra, up," Draco said, tugging her hair slightly.

Caressing his thighs, Ginevra ignored him for the moment. She would move up to him when she was ready...

Draco moved so he was lying back on the mattress again, and closed his eyes as Ginevra worked her tongue, lips and teeth on him. Her nails dug into his thighs, drawing blood. He hissed in a combination of pain and pleasure, Ginevra's nails scraping their way up to his stomach. Draco's stomach clenched and his cock throbbed in response.

"Fuck," he hissed, his fingers tightening in her hair as he sat up again.

He could feel Ginevra smirking around him - cheeky wench - and held back another moan as her tongue swirled around his cock as she pulled away gently.

Before Draco could even say her name, Ginevra had already started to lick the blood she'd drawn from the half-crescent marks on his thighs. Licking slowly, she looked up at Draco to see that his grey eyes were dark and practically closed in pleasure.

"Want more?" Ginevra asked, moving back to take her shirt off.

"More," Draco agreed, breathless.

He tugged Ginevra up to him again, and this time she complied, straddling his lap and kissing him hungrily. Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, moving so he was nestled between her legs comfortably. With a slight grin, Ginevra bit Draco's lip and ground her hips against his erection. Draco groaned huskily, one of his hands moving to caress her breast.

"Want blood," he murmured against Ginevra's lips, licking her bottom lip as his fangs lengthened slightly.

"Take it," she replied, arching her back to press her breast into his hand.

Draco lowered his head to her exposed throat, his other hand holding her head gently. Instead of biting the skin as he wanted, he kissed Ginevra's throat, collarbone, right above her breast, before finally sinking his fangs into her breast.

At the same moment, Ginevra lowered herself completely onto his hard cock, immediately tightening around him as she came.

Draco licked and sucked her breast long after the blood stopped flowing, his mouth hot around her pert nipple. Ginevra bit his neck as her orgasm faded, sucking hungrily as his blood filled her mouth.

His hands on her waist once more, Draco held on tightly as he thrust up into her faster. Ginevra matched his rhythm and pace in seconds, her breasts rubbing against his chest.

"Faster," she murmured, her voice a chant as he complied.

Love Gin. Need more, want more. Want everything. More, faster, faster. Fuck she sounds so hot. Harder, don't hurt. Careful. Let her come again. Good feeling. Love her, want all of her. More. Keep wings in, don't come yet. Hold back. No, faster, harder. Oh gods', Gin.

Draco's thoughts and feelings were tumbling through her head even faster than they were moving. Ginevra had no idea if she could hear what she was thinking and feeling, but she didn't truly care at the moment, her body too full of emotions to allow too much thought. At his last thought, Draco lost control of his emotions and came hard inside her, spurring on her second orgasm.

Lying against his sweaty chest, Ginevra listened to their erratically beating hearts as their orgasms faded. Cradling her in his arms, Draco lay back on the bed, kissing her lips gently.

A sudden feeling of exhaustion swept over them, and Ginevra yawned slightly, cuddling up to Draco properly. He stroked her hair, his fingers lingering along her spine as his own eyes closed slowly. The sheet moved up to cover their naked bodies, and they slept in each others' arms.

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All seventeen sat around the table later that night, the black creature that Bexley had caught in the Forbidden Forest sitting on the middle of the table to face all of them. Parvati whimpered every time the creature turned it's black eyes towards her. Padma didn't whimper as her twin did, but her fists tightened and her heart raced as the creature looked at her.

"What is your name?" Ginevra asked, holding back her own shiver as the creature's black eyes were turned to her.

"Niryalhetinalorx. For the gods' sakes, just call me Niryal," the creature added when they all looked perplexed.

"This may be a stupid question, but what are you?" Millicent asked curiously, looking at the creature's wings.

"The Night Fairy," Parvati hissed.

The creature turned to Parvati, seeming surprised, then its eyes flashed purple and Parvati fell off her seat.

"Parvati!" George cried, moving off his seat to her instantly. "What did you do to her?" he hissed, glaring at the creature angrily.

Ignoring his question, the creature turned away from Parvati.

"Are you the Night Fairy?" Pansy asked curiously.

"Of course I bloody well am," Niryal replied, giving the sense of rolling her eyes.

"I like her already; sounds just like my damn aunt," Dodger chuckled from under the table.

"Shut up, you filthy rat. You and your kind had a lot outside my bloody nest! I was happily sleeping 'til you lot came along," Niryal said, glaring down at the table, seemingly through it and down at Dodger.

"You know Aunt Bell then?" Dodger asked, not scared by the Night Fairy's reaction.

"She was fucking delicious," Niryal replied with an evil chuckle.

Dodger just laughed. He stopped laughing suddenly as a bright flash of blue light came from the twins' direction.

"What did you do to Parvati?" George hissed, his skin an electric blue as he turned pixie.

"Answer him," Neville said, glaring at the creature.

He didn't care that the Night Fairy was a tale whispered at night to scare young nymphs, or that he'd been scared of the thought of this creature only the day before. The vine tattoos on his arms started creeping down his arms in response to his anger. Pixies were distant cousins to nymphs, but even if they weren't, Neville couldn't stand seeing his friends hurt for no reason.

"I just checked out her soul. Geez, you're all acting like I fried her freaking brains out! She'll wake up, so calm the hell down already," Niryal muttered.

"You checked out her soul?" George asked, his pixie form fading with the increase of his frustration.

"I just fucking said that, didn't I? Idiot," she grumbled. "Sure you're not a bloody parrot, pixie?" Niryal sneered.

George glared at the Night Fairy again, turning to Parvati when she stirred behind him.

"Leave them alone," Neville said, still angry as indicated by the vines that were now covering his hands.

"Yes, Master," Niryal replied, sounding both disappointed and reluctant.

"Oh, got yourself the other kind of Night Fairy, eh Nev?" Dodger sneered.

"Say anything else and I'll use you for Quidditch practice," Blaise said, glaring at the Jarvey.

Dodger shut up immediately, and hurried from the meeting room as fast as he could.

"What do you mean Master?" Neville asked in surprise.

"You summoned me, I came, and now you are my Master and I am your servant. I thought it was bloody simple enough to understand," she said, shaking her head at him.

"I summoned you?! How on earth did I do that?" Neville asked, the tattoos retreating back to their place on his biceps.

"You didn't read the bloody spell before you did it? Have an idiot for a master, great," she muttered sarcastically.

"What spell?" Neville ground out.

"Call my name once, I shall not answer,

Summon me twice, I shall not answer,

Summon me thrice, I shall not answer,

Summon me a fourth, I shall not answer,

But call me a fifth and I shall answer to my new Master," Niryal recited.

"How original," Seamus said, rolling his eyes.

"I didn't call you though," Neville said, scratching his head slightly in confusion.

"You said Night Fairy five times in a row without anyone else bloody saying it in between! Do you know how freaking rare it is for that to happen in conversation? Very bloody rare, let me tell you!" she said. "So now, I am your servant, you are my Master, until the end of time or until your death. About another hundred damn years before I'm free," Niryal moaned.

"I'm hoping to live a bit longer than that," Neville said, grinning slightly.

"Mortal or wizard, you don't live any freaking longer than one-twenty. Then I can go back to bloody sleep. Reckon that Jarvey can get his family to move away from my freaking nest? I want a solid millennia before I have to get up again, for fuck's sakes," she grumbled.

"I'm neither mortal nor a wizard, Niryal," Neville informed the Night Fairy, showing her his nymph side.

"Aww, fuck."

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"So, what does it mean now that I'm your Master?" Neville asked with a slight frown when the Night Fairy had stopped cursing.

"Complete fucking control over me, that's what," she muttered sourly.

"That means he controls everything you control too, doesn't it?" Padma asked suddenly, Parvati looking hopeful.

Niryal just nodded.

"Which means I can make sure you don't capture pixies again and try to use them for a war?" Neville asked, realising what their hope meant.

"Yes," she spat.

"Good. You can relax now," Neville said to the four twins, grinning.

"How is he supposed to control you? It's not like you can follow him everywhere he goes just waiting for something to happen," Millicent said.

"My Master," Niryal said as if the word was the most toxic thing in the world, "can choose to put me inside some bloody thing which he always carries with him, or I can go inside him until I'm fucking needed," she grumbled.

"I don't like the tone she's using while talking about you, lover," Blaise murmured, glaring at the black creature.

"Get the fuck over it, you bastard," Niryal replied.

"Don't talk ter him like that, ye overgrown Doxy!" Seamus snarled angrily.

"Look at that bloody temper! Why couldn't it have been him instead of the freaking wimpy nymph?" she muttered, ignoring Seamus' actual words.

There was a short hollow laugh from Neville, drawing the Night Fairy's attention.

"You think I'm weak, but you should reserve your judgement until later tonight, Niryal. You will see what I can do when we train," Neville said, a glint in his eye that made the creature shiver slightly.

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"All right, who's choosing the teams tonight?" Ginevra asked as they headed up to the Room of Requirement.

Niryal was trailing behind them, hissing whenever a portrait looked at her for too long. It was so late in the night that not even Filch was out patrolling for wandering students.

"I want everyone to go against me," Neville said before anyone else could reply.

"Yeah right, Neville. You're not having sixteen people fight against you!" Pansy said, shaking her head.

"Not even Death Eaters fight in larger numbers," Parvati pointed out.

"Yes, but we won't always be fighting Death Eaters, will we? And the only reason they fight in smaller numbers is so that they're not all discovered together. If Harry doesn't beat Voldemort, then they'll have no problem fighting in larger groups... I want all of you to fight against me," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I say we fight him," Colin said suddenly, surprising everyone. "What? He's right, for one. And secondly, I want to see what he thinks he can do against all of us," he added, grinning.

Gregory chuckled, clapping Colin on the back. "You're thinking like a Slytherin," he said, grinning back at him. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not."

"Neither do I," Colin replied, his grin broadening.

"Oh, fine. I'll fight you then, Neville," Pansy said, shaking her head as she sighed in defeat.

The others all agreed in turn, and Neville was silent for the rest of the way.

"Everyone ready?" Draco called out a few minutes after they'd arrived in the Room.

Receiving positive responses from everyone, the Room decided that was good enough and the lights went out immediately.

A thud was heard from within the group and Pansy hissed in pain as someone fell on her foot. Crouching down, she listened out carefully as she tried to feel who the person was. Touching their face, she frowned slightly. Gregory had short hair like that, and higher cheekbones like that too. How was it possible that Neville had taken him out so easily in the dark?!

Keeping low to the ground, Pansy moved away from the others silently, trying to get her eyes to adjust. She was used to being in the dark while in the depths of the lake, so she was sure she'd be able to see soon enough. Hearing something nearby, Pansy immediately stopped, holding her breath. She could hear something ... growing? What on earth was Neville doing?

Whatever was growing stopped nearby, but she held back her sigh of relief and continued to move away from Neville silently.

It seemed like the thud of a body was nothing but a warning: I can see where you are, and I can take you down before you'll even find me... Ginevra shivered slightly. Thinking a spell, her feet raised from the floor and she walked in the air silently. Changing her eyes to that of a cat, it still took Ginevra a moment to find out where Neville was. He wasn't even standing or holding his wand, she noted in surprise.

Neville sent the Stunning spell towards the group the moment the lights went off. By the thud, he knew he'd hit someone, and knew they'd immediately start moving the moment they realised it too. Sitting on the ground cross-legged, he placed his wand on his lap and closed his eyes. Placing his hands on the floor on either side of himself, Neville began to concentrate. As he did so, plants and vines began to grow slowly. They started to inch their way down towards his friends, sensing their life forces.

His friends would worry about the plants and probably try to attack them, but the plants weren't designed to fight back and they'd soon give up, thinking it was nothing more than a trick. Well, the trick would soon be on them, he thought with a brief smile. Opening his eyes slowly, Neville took hold of his wand and stood once more, following the trails his plants had left him.

Millicent bit back a growl as she swiped a paw at the plant moving towards her. It didn't fight against her: no poison shot out, no vines tried to wrap around her body, nothing. Wary, and anything but relieved, Millicent sniffed slightly. Neville was coming this way! Leaping away to get further into the dark, she dropped her body low to the ground to listen. The plant was still following her! Jumping on top of the vine, Millicent cut it with her claws and ran again.

With a grin that was invisible in the darkness, Neville continued to follow Millicent. Moments later, her howl was echoing through the Room.

Shuddering as he heard Millicent howling in pain, Vincent gritted his teeth and shot a spell at the vine following him. It retreated slightly when he shot a Stunning spell at it. With a small grin, Vincent turned and Stunned the plant over and over again. He was so busy keeping the plant at bay that he didn't hear the person approaching who had sent the very plant.

His eyes narrowing slightly when he saw what Vincent was doing, Neville shot a Petrificus Totalus spell at him quickly, not wanting the plant to suffer any more. The withering plant sprang back to life as Neville neared it, and he almost sighed in relief. Content that it was alive again, Neville left to follow another one of the vines' shoots.

Parvati and Padma walked along the ground carefully, listening carefully and trying to figure out where Neville was. They couldn't hear the others fighting him, but that didn't mean they hadn't fought him already and had already lost against him!

We should be able to hear his thoughts if he's nearby, Parvati thought to her twin.

I don't think he'd leave himself open like that; Neville's smarter than that, Padma replied.

Thank you for thinking so highly of me. And so loudly, Neville said with the briefest of smirks, Stunning both of them.

Fred and George didn't move. They didn't even dare breath too loudly. In the Room around them, they'd heard more than the original thud. And yet, no one was even putting up a fight! No sounds of spells were coming from anyone, and they both wondered what Neville was doing. They'd already seen the vines he'd sent for them, but the plant had just sat in front of them, seeming to wait for something. Or someone...

Fred tapped George's arm briefly, indicating for him to move a few steps away. He wanted to see what the vine did. Keeping his eyes trained on the vines in front of him, George moved to the side silently. One of the vines moved after him, and George quickly looked up to his twin. Neville would follow the vine directly to them! Fred moved so he was next to George again, the other vine following his movements now. They both held their wands at the ready, using their Cloaking devices in their pockets to shield themselves from any oncoming spells.

Suddenly, the two vines sprang to life, wrapping themselves around the twins. The Cloaking devices were powerless against plant life, and both twins were soon covered by the plants. Their shock created a fault in their Cloaking devices, and Neville Stunned them mere seconds later.

Pansy tried to escape the vine that was following her. She silently sent a spell at it, a rope pinning the vine down. The plant struggled in its binds, and while it did so, Pansy flipped backwards to land behind the vine. She hurried away from it quickly, using a silent cooling spell on herself. The vine was following her, and she didn't know if it recognised her body heat or something else entirely, but it was worth a try.

Seamus sent the vine in the opposite direction to him, using more power than he would have thought he needed. Neville kept growing in strength and soon, not even his Protector powers would be able to match his.

Och, I need ter go back ter the Forest ter train, Seamus thought to himself as the plant slowly started to creep its way back to him. Hunter wasn't much use in this situation either, but they were both profoundly glad that Neville was on their side. Most of the time, at least, Hunter thought with a brief grin as he surveyed their surroundings.

Using even more power this time, Seamus sent the vine away from him, and before it could turn around again, he ran.

Taking care to not even place her feet on the ground firmly, Lettie kept her eyes wide open and her wand at the ready as she ran along the floor quickly and as silently as possible. She wasn't a mythical being with amazing powers like the rest of her - friends? Is that what they were? she wondered in surprise. She certainly considered them to be her friends, but Lettie had no idea if they felt the same way. Tripping over a large rope-like thing on the floor was enough to get her to focuse on the task at hand again, and she hoped that her fall hadn't been so loud as to draw Neville's attention.

She wasn't special like the rest of them, and after seeing everything they all dealt with on a daily basis - the hunger cravings for things that weren't food, the pressure to do everything right because everyone was watching and waiting for every single mistake, the time they couldn't spend with each other because something else needed their attention - Lettie was usually glad she was just a witch and nothing more. But now, as she was being hunted by one of the creatures she called 'friend' Lettie couldn't help but think that now would be as nice a time as ever to suddenly develop some extraordinary power. Nothing magical happened, and while she was both glad and disappointed at the same time, Lettie hadn't truly expected it to anyway. She had already had her chance at power, and had - thankfully - failed miserably.

Concentrate, she demanded of herself, and looked around the room quickly. That rope-thing she'd tripped over moments ago was actually a plant, and ... was it following her?! Moving slightly, Lettie determined that it was, and she shivered. That had to mean Neville was nearby. She wondered what would happen if she just tried to nudge the vine away. The vine probably wouldn't like it, she thought, and neither would Neville. But she was fighting against them so maybe it didn't matter? Sending an Expelliarmus spell at the vine, Lettie was pleased to see it fly in the opposite direction.

The moment Gregory fell to the ground, Stunned, Colin turned into a dragon and flew up into the air. He knew that Neville had only hit one of them as a fluke, but he didn't want to be the second one down and make it more than luck. Colin watched as Neville sent his vines out to find everyone, wondering if the plants could make their way as high into the air as he was. He kept an eye on the vines, even as Neville left his sitting position and started to Stun his way through the group.

Suddenly, a vine shot into the air directly at him. Swerving to get away from the plant, Colin raked his claws at it. He couldn't risk blowing fire and giving away his position. The plant shredded under his sharp claws, yet it still continued to grow and follow him through the air. Getting fed up quickly, Colin decided to risk it and blew a stream of fire at the vine. It shrivelled and died with something akin to a screech. Was it a Devil's Snare plant? he thought, watching as the plant landed with a thud on the floor. He stayed in the same position for too long, and seconds later, Colin was falling to the ground as well, Stunned by Neville.

Luna sat on the floor serenely. She didn't move, even when the vine slithered right up next to her. There was no point trying to run away from the plant, and it would be too difficult to fight the plant itself. It would be easier, however, if she fought Neville himself. If she could get him to forget he had control over the vine, she might be able to get him down long enough to get the plants under control. And so, Luna simply continued to wait quietly for her turn to fight.

Blaise crept along the floor, missing the stability of his four hooves. He could fight better as a centaur, but by changing into one the noise of his hooves would give away his position. He could hear a plant slithering nearby, and immediately crouched to the ground, waiting for his eyes to adjust so he could see exactly what the plant was. Maybe if he knew what it was, he would be able to fight it off.

The plant moved closer and Blaise stretched out his hand slowly. letting it come closer still. When the leaves were running beneath his fingers, Blaise frowned as he tried to identify the plant from touch alone. It was difficult and took some time, but he was just grateful he'd actually listened all those times Neville talked about plants. It was a Devil's Snare vine, which meant the only way to get rid of the plant was to also give away his position.

He's thinking like a Slytherin, he thought to himself with a smile. Bastard, Blaise thought fondly. He would wait for Neville to come to him, and then they would see who would win.

Theodore let the mist flow around him, obscuring him from vision. He silently worked a spell into the watery mist; it would make whoever came close enough to him suddenly realise they needed to go somewhere else and the mist was nothing more than mist. It was the same sort of spell the Ministry used on Muggles during the Quidditch World Cup. His concentration faltered as he heard something slither along the ground. It didn't sound like an animal, even snakes sounded different to this, and he hurried to finish the spell into the mist. The slithering sound continued, and Theodore frowned. Since Neville was against them, it was most likely a plant of some sort. He had no idea if the spell worked on plants. Well, he'd find out soon enough, Theodore figured, waiting inside the mist.

Draco lay on the floor next to Gregory's fallen body. The others had all run mere seconds after Gregory had been Stunned, but Draco didn't think that was the best course of action. Neville was far too good at sensing things that the others didn't even notice. Luna could tell someone through their aura, and Neville seemed to have that same ability - or something very like it. Draco slowed his breathing, his eyes closed as his pulse slowed. He heard a plant stop nearby, creeping closer towards him and Gregory. Holding his breath now, Draco listened intently as the vine came closer still. Just as his chest felt like it was going to burst - he did have to breathe sometime, after all - the vine moved away and continued to creep along the floor. Draco let his breath out very slowly, listening to make sure the vine didn't come back.

Pansy shivered as the cooling spell continued to make her body colder and colder with every passing minute. She spelled her jaw shut so her teeth wouldn't start chattering and give away her position. The only good thing about the spell was that it seemed to have tricked the vine into thinking (was it even possible for a vine to think?) that she wasn't there. Her pulse became slower and slower as she slowed down, her body too cold to move. She heard footsteps approaching quietly, and adrenaline would have flowed through her body if she wasn't so damned cold.

Great, she was trying to escape Neville and instead she was so frozen she'd practically given herself to him on a silver fucking platter, Pansy thought sourly. She began to undo the spell slowly, hoping that whoever was getting closer to her wasn't Neville. Seconds later, Pansy was Stunned and lying on the ground, her body shaking as her cooling spell continued to freeze her body, the reverse spell not completed.

Neville stood over Pansy, frowning slightly. He could see that her body was blue, even in the dark Room. Her removed her cooling spell and put his own heating spell on her gently, so as not to send her body into shock. His Stunning spell wouldn't wear off until he found the others, or they gave up. He stayed with her a few moments longer to make sure that she wouldn't get hypothermia. He couldn't leave the warming spell on her for too long either, since he didn't know how long it would take for the others to be found and defeated. If he simply left the spell on her, then her body temperature would just continue to escalate and she would probably end up with a fever.

The vine wrapped around Pansy's body gently to try and keep the warmth closer to her body, and Neville took the spell off carefully. Crouching down, Neville touched a hand to the vine to instruct it to get him if something went wrong. The vine wriggled slightly, large leaves growing to add extra warmth.

Seamus hurried along the floor, his ears becoming so sensitive that every breath he took started to sound like a vine following him. He stopped quickly, trying to listen past his adrenaline-pumped pulse. There were no sounds following him, and Seamus took a few steps, trying to see if the plant was just moving at the same time. Even though he still didn't hear anything, Seamus didn't allow relief to overcome him. His grip tightened on his wand, and he continued to walk along the floor quietly. Despite hearing it before seeing it, Seamus still didn't have time to turn, and the vine wrapped itself around him quickly, tightening his arms against his body so he couldn't use his wand. A growl began to form in his throat, and Seamus' body started to glow silver. The vine struggled as the light brightened, but soon exploded into ash. Seamus was Stunned a moment later.

Seeing a bright light seemingly explode from further down the room, Lettie paused to see what would happen. She wasn't overly surprised when Seamus fell to the ground moments after the plant had exploded, but didn't focus on it for too long. Instead, she used the quickly fading light to see where the Stunning spell had come from and where Neville was. Spotting him only a few metres away, Lettie blanched when she saw that he was looking around for everyone else as well. Thinking silently, she quickly clouded herself so he wouldn't see her and held her breath, watching to see if he'd noticed her before the spell was done. Neville's eyes seemed to slide over her, but Lettie didn't feel as relieved as she should. Following his gaze, Lettie saw Ginevra hovering in the air. Stepping forward, Lettie stopped just as suddenly as she'd started. She could almost hear Ginevra's thoughts telling her not to move. Not yet...

Neville Stunned Seamus and quickly used the light to see where everyone was. Blaise was to the left of him, a mist hiding Theodore was to the right, and Luna was sitting calmly on the floor as if she was waiting for him. He couldn't see Ginevra, Draco or Lettie, and the last one was surprising as well as frustrating. A vine moved towards Neville, relating information to him quickly. With a grin, Neville looked up into the air and saw Ginevra standing in the air, watching him. A movement to his left redirected his attention for a moment, but he couldn't see anything there. Ginevra flew towards him suddenly, and Neville quickly shot a spell at her as his vine flew up into the air behind her.

Ginevra saw Lettie cloud herself, and quickly looked to see if Neville had seen her. Judging by the frown on his face, she guessed not. Then Neville looked up at her, and Ginevra sensed Lettie take a step towards them. Wait, she willed her silently. Not yet... She flew at Neville, deflecting his spell, and spinning in the air to throw a spell at the oncoming vine. It dropped to the ground, withering quickly. While Ginevra was distracted by the squealing sound the vine had made when she'd hexed it, Neville sent another spell at her. A wispy barrier suddenly formed around her and Ginevra thanked Bexley silently, then frowned when she realised that the Boggart wasn't in her. Looking to where Lettie had been only a moment before, Ginevra saw a faint outline of her companion due to their connection, and could see that Lettie was pointing her wand at her.

Neville was put out that his spell hadn't worked, and sent another spell at Ginevra. Frowning when her barrier didn't disappear, he realised that it wasn't Ginevra's barrier. That meant it was either Draco or Lettie. Shooting another spell at Ginevra, the barrier lit up, as did the flow of magic that had created it. His eyes adjusted and he followed the greenish light to see it coming from nothing. That nothing had to be one of them, and the moment he took them out, then he could Stun Ginevra. That would only leave four more to defeat. Not even a second after seeing the spell, Neville sent a Stunning spell to where the spell had been coming from, hearing a thud a moment later, and turned back to Stun the now-unprotected Ginevra. She didn't have a chance to react, and was falling to the ground a second later.

Theodore waited patiently. He could hear the others fighting now, and yet the Room continued to stay dark, so he knew that they were all losing. He hoped that they were okay and didn't need urgent attention, but Theodore had to believe that Neville wouldn't injure them that severely and leave them to die all to win a game! His thoughts stopped abruptly as he realised it was getting harder to breathe. He felt the mist around him getting thicker. His throat tightened as the cloud blocked his airway. He hurried to make it disappear, just to be able to breathe properly again. Theodore barely got a breath in when he was Stunned by Neville.

Blaise heard Neville approaching, and immediately put up a barrier around himself. He strengthened it slightly so the vine wouldn't be able to enter either. The barrier's one downfall was that he couldn't send any spells out of it, they would just bounce around inside and end up hitting him instead. It would wear off eventually, but it would take hours, sometimes even days, to do so. Blaise wasn't sure if his lover had enough patience to wait for the barrier to wear off. As Neville threw a fire spell at Blaise, he figured that no, Neville didn't have that much patience. The barrier started to heat up and it got very hot very quickly. To lose the barrier now meant to be vulnerable, but to leave it up possibly meant to be roasted alive. Neither one was a good option. But being vulnerable and alive was far better than exposed and dead, Blaise figured and quickly took the spell off. Before he even had time to drop to the ground or think a spell, the vine shot out and wrapped itself around him, immobilising him effectively.

Luna could see flashes of light behind her eyelids, but didn't move from her position. Moving now would force Neville to Stun her a whole two minutes early, and she at least wanted to put up a fight during those two minutes before she lost. She was sure that if the others knew that she knew she was about to fight a losing fight, they would wonder why she even bothered. Luna didn't want everything to be predetermined in her life, just because she could See. It would be too easy - and ultimately too hard - to just go along with the easiest option she Saw. By following her Sight all the time, nothing would be a mystery or a surprise, and there was always a chance that the easiest option was the least likely to happen. If there were only ten possible outcomes for the fight that was about to occur, and she only had a chance of winning one of those ten fights, then Luna would still fight. She had to believe that there was at least a chance to change the things she Saw and not everything was predetermined. Ironic, considering Cassandra was currently housed in her body, but Luna would continue to fight until the end.

Her two minutes were almost up, she realised as Neville's footsteps started towards her. Standing firmly, Luna checked for Neville's aura to ensure she was at least facing the right way. If she wasn't, it would be embarrassing to say the least. She dodged the first Stunning spell Neville sent towards her, and sent her own in return. Neville didn't have to dodge her spell, as Luna hadn't sent it at him, rather at the vine that was coiling behind him, ready to strike at Neville's command. The vine went limp and Luna turned to send a spell at Neville. He was too quick for her; by the time she'd turned, Neville had already moved positions and sent another Stunning spell at her. Luna cried out as she fell face first towards the ground. Neville caught her quickly so she wouldn't be injured and gently lowered her to the floor before standing and looking around for Draco.

Draco saw light flashing from behind his closed eyes, but didn't open them. He continued to concentrate on his slow breathing, hoping that he wouldn't be noticed in the fading light. There were no approaching footsteps, so he figured that he would be safe for the moment. He heard Luna call out as she was hexed, and it took a lot of his willpower to not move. It was one of the very few sounds he'd heard since Gregory was first hexed, and Draco was surprised at how restless his mind was at the lack of noise from everyone. Footsteps sounded, closer now, and Draco held his breath once more, hoping that Neville wouldn't see him yet.

Stepping carefully and as quietly as possible, Neville looked everywhere for any sort of movement. His final vine slid along the ground, as anxious to find Draco as he himself was. He went to move past Gregory, and just as he was about to bypass his Stunned friend completely, Neville was surprised to notice that something next to Gregory's Stunned form was breathing. Small shallow breaths, but it was movement nonetheless, and more specifically, a movement that someone Stunned couldn't make. A slow smirk began to form on Neville's face, and he continued to walk past Gregory as if nothing was amiss.

If Draco hadn't been listening to Neville walking for so long, he wouldn't have heard the pause of hesitation in his step. The moment the hesitation was made, Draco knew that he'd been discovered. He didn't move yet, just in case he was wrong. Neville continued to walk past, but there was a slight spring in his step. When he'd gone past completely, Draco opened his eyes and stood up quickly. Ignoring the resulting head-spin, he sent a hex towards Neville. A vine wrapped itself around Draco's ankles, knocking him to the floor. The vine twisted its way up his body in a matter of seconds, leaving Draco completely helpless. Yet, Draco still smiled smugly when he heard Neville tap dancing.

The Room began to filter light through again. Neville's tap dancing faded as the room brightened considerably, and with small pops, the Stunning spells left each of them suddenly.

Vines unwrapped themselves at Neville's silent command, and he immediately went over to Pansy to check if she was okay. Her skin wasn't as blue as it had been, but it still wasn't as healthy as it could be.

"Theodore," Neville called.

The large-leafed vine appeared again, wrapping around Pansy once more to keep her warm until Theodore arrived. A minute later, Theodore was beside them and checking Pansy over for hypothermia when the vine disappeared. Not even a minute later, everyone was crowded around them, looking at Pansy in concern.

"She's all right, thanks to your vine. If that hadn't been keeping her body warmth in, it wouldn't have been good," Theodore muttered. He used a few heating spells on Pansy, medical spells that slowly heated the body and then faded as the human body returned to its natural temperature.

Relieved, Neville left them and went over to the Night Fairy who was hovering nearby. "What did you think?" he asked, curious for her opinion.

"I'm fucking impressed," Niryal said with a smirk. "I thought you'd be down in a few bloody minutes," she admitted.

"I can hold my own better than that," Neville replied.

"I bloody well know that now," she muttered sarcastically.

"Now that's over, I say we kick your arse," Padma said cheerfully, her expression turning fierce as she kicked at Neville's head.

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Ginevra called goodnight to everyone, her body feeling weary from the fight. She'd fought against Draco and Seamus, and while she was pleased with the marks she'd given them, Ginevra wasn't as happy at the ones she'd received from them.

Going to her room, Ginevra closed the door and stripped quickly. Covering her body in an arnica cream to stop the bruising, she then added a healing spell from head to toe. Her muscles loosened, knots of tension worked their way out of her body, and with a sigh of relief, Ginevra put her pyjamas on and climbed into bed to sleep.

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Ginevra cursed under her breath, her entire body aching. The spells Theodore had used on her weren't working, and even the Muggle methods of healing were ineffective. He'd done his best, and she was sure that if not for Theodore's quick thinking, she'd be dead by now. But that didn't lessen the pain she was currently feeling.

They all knew she couldn't go to a doctor, Muggle or wizard. She was wanted on both sides of the barrier, and in more than one country as well. To just stroll into a hospital was practically the same as signing herself into Azkaban. So for now, she would just continue to grit her teeth and concentrate on something else as the poison flowed through her body.

"Come on, love. We're almost there. Neville will be able to help," Draco murmured, his words encouraging her to continue moving.

Ginevra nodded briefly, biting her tongue to stop from crying out as the fiery sensation moved down her legs. She only managed a few steps before the pain became too much and her legs buckled beneath her.

Gregory hurried to catch her before she hit the ground, and she thanked him weakly as she closed her eyes. The blackness was tempting, lulling her to sleep.

"Ginevra, wake up! You can't fall asleep," Draco said, and it was only the worry in his voice that had her struggling to open her eyes once more. "Run with her, Greg. You'll get there before we will at this rate," she heard Draco murmur to him.

Nodding his scarred face once, Gregory took off quickly.

Draco watched after them with a sad expression on his face. He cradled his broken arm and followed the path Gregory was making through the forest, the ten others silent as they walked with him.

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(a/n: end of the twenty-fourth chapter. Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!)

25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter Twenty Five

Monday, 13 May

Owls hooted loudly as they circled the Great Hall, looking for the people their letters were intended for. Errol made his usual crash landing among the cereal and milk, shouting and hoots of embarrassment following.

Luna had asked that everyone eat breakfast in the Great Hall this morning, as she was waiting some mail and didn't want the owl to get lost on the way to their rooms. Not expecting anything to arrive for them, Ginevra and Draco all but ignored the owls flying above their heads, instead taking the time to concentrate on their breakfast before it went cold.

Two owls landed directly in front of them, and Draco looked up from his toast with a slight frown at the two green envelopes the owls were holding.

"Please don't tell me that this is the mail you were waiting for, Luna?" he said, sighing. "Why couldn't you just have told us that we had letters coming?"

A large owl landed in front of Luna and she held her hand out, while sending a disapproving glare in Draco's general direction.

"You're not the only ones who receive mail, you know," she murmured as she opened the envelope, tapped the letter with her wand and held it to her ear.

"I can just read it out loud to you, Luna," Colin said, frowning.

Putting the letter down when the message was finished, Luna just smiled at Colin and patted his arm. "I know, but some things aren't meant to be heard by your ears... What does your letter say?" she asked Ginevra, turning away from her boyfriend.

"I have my final exams this afternoon. An Examiner from the Ministry of Magic will be coming to Hogwarts to oversee it, apparently," Ginevra said, scanning the official letter.

"I got the same letter," Draco said when Millicent, Parvati and Pansy looked to him.

"Short notice, isn't it?" Theodore said with a shake of his head.

"Lucky we've been studying for it then," Ginevra said, grinning.

"When?" Padma asked, scoffing.

"We don't need much sleep anymore," Draco replied with a shrug.

"And you're voluntarily choosing to spend that time studying?" Vincent sneered.

Draco rolled his eyes. I'm refusing to answer that, Vincent. So very wrong, he thought.

Vincent just laughed and returned to his breakfast.

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Ginevra watched Millicent with a slight frown. All morning, the Slytherin girl had avoided her, and at one point she had even left the room when Ginevra walked in. It wasn't like Millicent to do something like this, and she wondered what was wrong with her friend.

"Mill, what's wrong?" Ginevra asked finally as everyone was eating lunch.

Millicent had chosen the seat furthest away from Ginevra, even though she hadn't been the last person to the table.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Millicent replied far too quickly.

"There has to be something wrong, or you wouldn't be avoiding me like this," Ginevra pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not avoiding you," she muttered, looking down at her food.

"You haven't looked at me once all day, you haven't even spoken to me, and you even left the kitchen when I went in earlier for lunch... Now tell me. What. Is. Wrong?" Ginevra growled.

"I'm menstruating, okay?" Millicent muttered, her face turning red. "I didn't know how you'd handle it after turning into a Full Blooded Vampiress," she said, shrugging.

"You thought I was going lose control and Drink from you because of old blood?" Ginevra asked, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Old blood?" Vincent echoed, looking at his tomato soup queasily.

"Yeah, I'd stop eating that too," Gregory muttered, grimacing at the bowl.

"Lovely," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. "Perhaps you should finish this delightful conversation when weak-stomached people aren't eating?" he added, smirking at Ginevra.

"Well, I didn't know what would happen, and I didn't want to ask," Millicent said, ignoring the guys' reactions.

Ginevra laughed softly and moved over to Millicent so she could pat her shoulder. "Don't worry, your precious blood supply is safe while Draco's around," she said, winking.

"Thanks... I think," Millicent said with a frown.

"Now that that's over, can we go? I'm suddenly not hungry anymore," Vincent asked, still looking ill.

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"Miss Weasley, Mr. Malfoy, if you will follow me please. The Examiners from the Ministry of Magic have arrived for you to take your final exams. I hope you've both been studying," Albus said with a slight smile, leading them upstairs.

"Of course," Draco said indignantly.

Shaking her head with a brief smile, Ginevra put a hand on his arm to calm him.

"The Ministry have created certain rules for your examinations," Albus informed them. "They aware of your non-human status, of course, but as they do not know exactly what unique talents you have as a vampiress and veelan respectively, certain actions have been undertaken to ensure there is no cheating."

"What sort of actions?" Ginevra asked, frowning.

"Separate rooms, various spells to stop communication, the normal anti-cheating spells, and ..." Dumbledore trailed off, coughing slightly.

"And?" Draco prompted with a frown of his own - he doubted he was going to like the Headmaster's answer.

"The Ministry are refusing to let you take your examinations unless you make an Unbreakable Vow stating that you will not cheat. I was against such a drastic measure, of course, but I'm afraid I do not hold much sway over the Ministry anymore," Dumbledore said, looking at his blackened hand.

"An Unbreakable Vow just so that we won't cheat?" Ginevra echoed, surprised and suspicious; there was something Albus wasn't telling them.

Dumbledore looked directly at her, and she could see the pity, anger and fear in his eyes.

"They want you to become human during your theoretical examinations, and nothing more than a normal witch and wizard for your practical ones. It is the Ministry's understanding that if you really are the Queen and King of All, becoming human for a less than a day in order to complete your examinations should be no trouble."

"We can't do that. Can we do that? Is it even possible for us to do that?" Draco asked, looking at Ginevra.

"I ... I have no idea," she replied in a murmur.

"You only have a few minutes to decide," Albus said, standing in front of the examination room's door.

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Ron looked around the Gryffindor Common Room. Everything was exactly as he remembered, though the younger students seemed smaller than he'd ever been. Despite his glances, it wasn't the room he was looking at. He was looking for his sister, the one in the photos, but not in his memory.

"Ha, got another one of your pawns! Distracted there, Ron?" Harry asked with a grin as his knight smashed the pawn in half.

His attention quickly returned to the game, and Ron beat Harry in five moves. With the game over and his victory complete, Ron looked around the Common Room once more.

"Ginny doesn't stay in Gryffindor Tower, Ron," Hermione informed him, not-too-gently either.

"She hasn't been here nearly all year, mate," Harry added.

"Why not?" Ron asked in surprise.

"She lives in an older part of the castle with Malfoy," Hermione said.

There was a thrill to being the reason Ron's face was turning pale to green to the horrendous Weasley-red. No wonder the Slytherins riled him up all the time! She hid her smile and looked concerned at Ron's continually-reddening face.

"Malfoy?!" Ron spluttered.

"'Mione," Harry hissed, nudging her.

"What? I thought someone would have told him by now. They're practically married, he'd find out sooner or later," she said, rolling her eyes.

Ron clutched his chest at the word 'married' and his face went redder still. Harry hit him on the back a couple of times, glaring at Hermione briefly.

"No need to be so blunt about it, 'Mione. He's going to have a heart attack," Harry said, hitting Ron harder.

It took a few minutes for Ron to calm down enough to breathe again, but even then he still didn't look well. A sliver of guilt dug into Hermione's mind and she fought to push it away. Ginny had caused her brother more pain than this, and she wasn't remorseful!

"Sorry, Ron. Are you all right now?" Hermione asked, trying to smile at him.

Ron was uncharacteristically silent as he nodded. "Right, up for another game then, Harry?" he asked, turning back to the chess board.

Harry groaned good-naturedly and they set up another game. Neither noticed Hermione leave the Common Room and go upstairs to the girls' dormitory.

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One Examiner stood in front of Ginevra while in another room two flights down, his colleague was standing in front of Draco.

"Ready?"

Ginevra and Draco both nodded. Neither one looked overly well, but there was a determination in their eyes that indicated their strength. Glowing on both of their arms was the mark of an Unbreakable Vow.

"Your theoretical exams start... Now!"

Turning the first parchment over, both Ginevra and Draco began their final exams.

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Albus looked at the closed door behind which Draco was just starting his exam, and with a heavy sigh, the Headmaster headed down to the staff room.

He was sure that most of the staff would be waiting, worried right up until the last minute when they had to leave for their classes. Even then, he was sure that some would still worry and be preoccupied during them. They all knew of the Ministry's conditions on letting Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley complete their examinations. Not one of them agreed with the condition, but they had no more say in it than he did at present.

"Did they do it, Albus? Are they all right?" Minerva asked the moment he entered the staff room.

Snape didn't say anything, but he looked as worried as Minerva.

"They're both tired, but they managed to do it," Albus replied with a brief nod. "For the next twelve hours, both Ginevra and Draco are completely human."

"May the gods' save us all," Trelawney muttered, toasting her glass of sherry to the heavens before downing it in one gulp.

Snape left the room without a word, and moments later, both Minerva and Sybill had left as well. Sinking into an armchair with a heavy sigh, Albus looked to the clock hanging on the wall.

Eleven hours, fifty-five minutes and thirty-two seconds left.

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Ginevra felt sick. Her entire body felt like it was burning up, her stomach was turning over and over, and her head seemed to be swimming in a non-existent ocean.

Don't be sick, don't be sick, don't be sick, she told herself, forcing her mind to focus so she could concentrate on the exam.

The Examiner from the Ministry looked like he would be as sympathetic as a dead Jobberknoll.

Soon, it became too much and she hesitantly raised her hand.

"What is it?" he asked in a deadpan voice.

"Can I have some water, please?" Ginevra asked.

A glass of water appeared in front of her and she thanked him with a nod before taking the water and drinking eagerly. Feeling refreshed, but definitely not satisfied, Ginevra returned to her exam.

Draco held back a groan of pain. His head was thumping, his stomach was growling, and his entire body was starting to ache. He had to pass these exams, dammit. Without these exams, the only future he would have was one that relied entirely upon his fortune. His father had lived that way, and Draco refused to live the same way as him.

Clenching his fist tightly, Draco let the pain in his palm distract him from the pains in the rest of his body, and continued with the exam silently.

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"All right, quill down. Your first exam is finished," the Examiner said, standing directly in front of Ginevra's desk.

She put the quill down before he finished talking, and watched queasily as he took the parchment off the desk.

"Excuse me, sir? Dobby was asked to bring food for Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy," Dobby said from the doorway, his voice somewhat muffled from behind the large trolley.

"How did you open the door? That was locked from the inside!" the Examiner said, stalking over and glaring at the house-elf.

"It was locked against the students, not Dobby, sir," Dobby replied.

"Fine. What's all this then?" he asked, looking at the trolley with a frown.

"Lunch for Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy," Dobby replied. "It's from Professor Dumbledore, sir. He says that they are still to eat while they are students here, and Dobby says he would bring them food at lunch time, so Dobby has done what Professor Dumbledore has asked of Dobby."

"All right, give Miss Weasley her tray and then take one down to Mr. Malfoy," the Examiner muttered.

Dobby did so quickly, leaving the tray on the desk next to Ginevra's table, before leaving the room and going down to where Draco was being held.

"You have twenty minutes to eat your lunch."

Ginevra nodded gratefully and took the lid off the tray. Two salad sandwiches, a bowl of fruit salad, another bowl of vegetable soup, and a glass of pumpkin juice awaited her. Biting into the first sandwich she was surprised to find that she was ravenous. Forcing herself to eat slowly to avoid indigestion, Ginevra still managed to eat her all of the food in the twenty minute timeframe. Draining the last of the pumpkin juice, she set the goblet down and took a deep breath.

"Your time is up. Get ready for your next exam."

Draco nodded, finishing the last of his pumpkin juice. He hadn't eaten like that in such a long time. Since before he started his Veelan training with Garion, in fact... He hadn't eaten like that since he was human.

Picking up his quill, Draco readied himself for his next exam, feeling much better now.

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"How do you think they're going?" Pansy asked the others as they walked around the castle, licking her ice cream.

Luna had suggested they go for a walk to get out of the rooms, and while the rooms were getting quite stuffy because of the increasingly warm weather outside, it had taken ice cream bribes to make everyone leave.

Relo currently had ice cream smeared over his face, but he had eaten some of it so Pansy was sure that he did actually enjoy it. She was just glad that he hadn't gone hunting and eaten animals in front of them.

"They're probably already finished, knowing them," Millicent replied with a grin.

"Who suggested ice cream again?" Gregory asked, his voice hitching as he watched Pansy lick the melting substance off her fingers.

Pansy just laughed at his expression and continued to eat her ice cream.

"Oh," Lettie murmured, stopping so suddenly that they all looked at her.

Her face was pale and she was staring straight ahead, her ice cream cone held limply in her hand. Frowning at each other, they followed her gaze and saw Ron and Harry up ahead.

"Oh," Millicent echoed.

"There they are," Harry said to Ron, indicating to the large group.

Lettie blanched further and moved so she was hidden behind Gregory. He put an arm behind his back and held her hand gently, reassuring her.

"Good afternoon, Ron, Harry," Luna said pleasantly as they stopped in front of them.

"Hi Luna," Harry said, nudging Ron who was staring at Luna's eyes.

"She's blind, how'd she know it was us?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"Luna's blind, not deaf," Colin said, getting angry already.

"We told her that you were coming over, of course," Padma said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course," Ron said quickly, seeing the look on Colin's face.

"Is there something you wanted?" Parvati asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"Oh, yeah. Have you seen Ginevra anywhere? I wanted to say hello to her," Ron asked.

"She's doing her exams with Draco. They won't be out until dinner," Millicent replied.

"Her exams? But it's only May," Ron replied, frowning. "It is only May, right?" he added to Harry.

Harry nodded, looking confused himself.

"They are taking their final exams as they have finished learning anything that can be taught. You can ask Professor Dumbledore if you wish to know more, or Ginevra herself at dinner," Luna answered. "Let's go to the lake, the squid will be awake soon," she said, smiling.

They all headed down to the lake, leaving Harry and Ron standing there in confusion.

"How does she know the squid's going to be awake soon? Seriously, mate, I don't really think she's blind," Ron muttered to Harry, shaking his head.

"I don't know about that, you think they'd realise if she wasn't, wouldn't you?" Harry replied with a grin.

"Probably not, they're Slytherins, remember? Can't see past their own nose half the time," Ron muttered.

Harry shook his head at Ron and patted him on the back. "Let's go inside and find Hermione. She'll probably want to know where your sister is as well."

Ron nodded, heading into the castle with Harry.

"Final exams? They're doing their final exams?" Hermione's voice became an indignant screech as she repeated it over.

"Maybe we shouldn't have told her," Harry muttered quietly.

Ron nodded as he sat on the armchair, his face pale, watching Hermione pace the Common Room. They were the only three in there - everyone else had already been scared away by Hermione. Ron didn't blame them, she looked murderous.

"Why do they get to do their final exams? Do they think I'm not smart enough? They think I'll fail, don't they?" Hermione questioned, her high-pitched voice not wavering. "Final exams?!" she said again, letting out a scream of frustration.

Muttering to herself, and with another frustrated scream, Hermione stomped her way up to the girls' dormitory. Moments later, a loud slam echoed in the Common Room, making both Harry and Ron jump.

"Really shouldn't have told her, mate. Brilliant idea," Ron said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Let's get out of here before she comes back down. We'll just ask Dumbledore about Ginny," Harry whispered, grabbing his cloak and hurrying to the exit.

There was another scream from the girls' dormitory, and Ron hurried after Harry.

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Pansy, Gregory, Luna, Colin, Parvati, Padma, and Lettie were waiting outside Ginevra's exam room, waiting for her final exam to finish. They'd split up so half were waiting for both of them to finish, with Theodore, Millicent, Blaise, Neville, Seamus, Vincent, Fred, and George waiting for Draco.

Luna hadn't said much about how Draco and Ginevra were faring with their exams, only that they would finish exactly fifteen minutes before dinner. Finally, the examination door opened and the Examiner stepped out, ignoring the waiting students as he left.

"How are you feeling?" Luna asked Ginevra as she stepped out into the corridor.

"Not so good," Ginevra replied, her head spinning.

"Dinner starts soon, why don't you get some food in you and you'll feel better?" Greg murmured, patting her shoulder gently.

Ginevra nodded briefly, clinging to Gregory when her head decided that nodding wasn't such a good idea at the moment.

"Careful there, don't throw up," Pansy said, moving to steady her friend.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Greg asked, frowning.

"No, I'll be fine. I can walk," Ginevra said, though she sounded anything but fine.

"Do you need ... blood?" Lettie asked, stepping forward.

"That would not be a very wise suggestion at this moment, Miss Lettie," Professor Dumbledore said as he walked over with Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Lettie?" McGonagall murmured, a question in her tone.

Albus just smiled and touched her arm before turning back to the small group of students.

"Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy were required to become human in order to complete their examinations according to the Ministry's rules. As you will notice, there is a Unbreakable Vow mark on her arm, as there is one on Mr. Malfoy's, adhering to this ridiculous rule. If she is given blood at this moment, it will do nothing for her. Miss Weasley needs food and water to strengthen herself, considering she has not eaten adequately for almost nine months now. Mr. Malfoy will be the same, so I suggest you both help them to the Great Hall for dinner immediately. I will have the doors opened early so that they can be seated without so many eyes watching," Dumbledore said with a kind smile.

"Thank you, Professor. Don't feel bad about it, you weren't the one to make the rule, and you certainly were not the one who made us do it. Draco and I decided that for ourselves," Ginevra said, even as she swayed on her feet.

Gregory picked her up quickly, holding her still. He nodded in thanks when the two Professors parted so he could pass with Ginevra, and walked down the corridor briskly.

"Human? How is that possible?" Pansy asked as they followed them quickly. "I didn't think Unbreakable Vows could do that," she murmured, shaking her head.

"What did you mean by 'Miss Lettie', Albus?" Minerva asked when the students were gone.

"Simply what it meant, Minerva," he replied with a chuckle. "At this moment, Miss Lettie has no surname by which she can be called, so I addressed her as was suitable. Now, let us go check on Mr. Malfoy's well-being," he said, humming as he walked down the corridor.

"At this moment? So does that mean she will get a surname?" Minerva asked, frowning. "Oh, Albus," she muttered when she realised that he was pretending not to hear her question, and followed him quickly, shaking her head.

Mere seconds after Gregory arrived at the Great Hall with Ginevra, the doors opened and he went straight inside, sitting Ginevra at the Slytherin table.

A few minutes later, Theodore arrived carrying Draco. He seated him next to Ginevra and they all seated themselves around their friends.

"Do you want something to eat now? We can go to the kitchens," Neville asked, half standing already.

"No, we'll be fine in an hour or so," Draco said, waving for him to sit down again.

"It was only for twelve hours. We started at nine, so we should be fine after that," Ginevra added, trying to smile reassuringly.

It didn't seem to work, and they just looked as worried as before.

"Should be fine?" Fred and George said, a growl in their throats.

"Well, as far as we know, it's never been done before, so we don't really know the consequences," Draco said, shrugging slightly.

"You did a spell without knowing the consequences?" Colin asked, shaking his head.

"We had to. We needed to pass our exams," Ginevra said wearily, tired of justifying their decision.

There was some general muttering about the insanity of the Ministry, but then students started to file into the Great Hall, and they went quiet. Ginevra leant her head on Draco's shoulder in an effort to make the room stop spinning, and he rested his head on top of hers. With a slight smile, they held hands beneath the table and rested quietly together.

In less than ten minutes the Great Hall was full of students, as well as their noise. Dumbledore made an announcement about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend, and dinner was on the table by two minutes past eight. Some students wondered why dinner was being served early that night, but then decided that the ever-disappearing food was more important, and hurried to eat instead.

Ron's bright red hair was all that could be seen over the sea of students as he popped his head up briefly between chicken legs to see where his sister was. There were three red-heads over at the Slytherin table and he frowned, bypassing them the first few inspections, thinking that they wouldn't be anyone related to him. Fred and George were supposed to have graduated - well, not graduated, but certainly no longer at Hogwarts! - and from what he'd heard of the twins, they wouldn't have returned for anything less than a Quidditch game and the chance to sell their infamous products.

"Is that my sister?" Ron whispered to Harry, his whisper coming out fairly sloppy considering he still had pieces of chicken in his mouth.

"Where?" Harry asked, hardly looking up from his mash potato and roast.

"Over at the Slytherin table," Ron said, biting into another chicken leg.

Harry actually lifted his head this time, and after brushing his bangs from his eyes, he looked between the students to see a very tired Ginevra sitting at the Slytherin table.

"Yeah, that's her," he said with a nod, returning to his roast.

"Thanks," Ron said, getting up and brushing his greasy hands on his robes.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked in surprise.

Ron didn't seem to hear him, and stepped away from the Gryffindor table, making his way towards the Slytherins.

Be nice, Luna's voice echoed in Fred and George's minds. They looked at each other, then to Luna with a frown. When she didn't elaborate, they looked around, and saw that Ron was walking over.

"Ginny?" Ron said, his voice an octave higher with nerves.

"That's Ginevra to you," Fred muttered under his breath, and was rewarded with a sharp kick from Luna. Grimacing in pain, he rubbed his tender ankle and kept quiet.

"Good evening, Ron," she replied with a gentle yet weary smile.

"Is it Ginevra? I'm sorry, I don't really seem to remember," Ron said, his face flushing. "I don't remember you two either. Fred and George, right?" he asked, his nerves increasing as the twins turned to him with identical unreadable expressions.

"Yes, that's right, Ronnie-kins," they replied. Their tones were somewhat pleasant, but their expressions remained the same.

Ron attempted a smile, wondering if they'd always behaved this way to him. Had he done something to make them act this way?

"Would you like to play a game of chess later, Ron? Tomorrow, if you don't mind. I'm a bit tired from my exams," Ginevra added with a slight yawn.

Ron did his best not to lean over the table and inspect her mouth for fangs. He had a feeling Fred and George wouldn't respond well to that. "That'd be great. I'll meet you in the Common Room?"

"How about we play by the lake instead? It will be a nice day to be outside, and the pieces can yell as loud as they'd like," Ginevra said, grinning.

Ron chuckled and nodded enthusiastically. "Excellent. After breakfast, or is that too soon?"

"Perfect. I'll see you then," she replied, smiling at him now.

Feeling a lot more relieved now, Ron went back to the Gryffindor table and took his seat between Harry and Hermione.

"I can't believe you just walked straight up to them!" Harry said in awe, clapping him on the back.

"And over to the Slytherin table, at that. Are you feeling all right?" Hermione asked, placing her hand against his forehead.

"Feel fine, 'Mione. We're playing chess tomorrow by the lake," Ron said with a grin, reaching over Hermione to grab a chicken leg.

"The lake?" Harry said in surprise.

"Yeah, good weather for it," Ron replied, biting a chunk out of the leg.

Hermione frowned slightly, looking over to Ginny and her friends. They all seemed innocent enough at the moment, but why wouldn't she go to the Common Room? Surely Ginny could be separated from them for the short amount of time it would take for Ron to beat her at chess?

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Tuesday, 14 May

"I thought we were supposed to be here after breakfast?" Harry asked Ron as they walked over to the lake, seeing Ginevra and her friends already waiting.

They weren't hard to miss; not only were they the biggest group sitting outside, they were all sitting on a blanket beneath a very large red and green umbrella.

"We decided to eat outside. Would you like something before the game?" Ginevra asked, smiling.

"How many games are we playing?" Ron asked, seeing the small row of chess boards set up.

Plates of food were strewn between the boards as well as the people sitting down too.

"As many as you'd like, I suppose. But the others wanted to play as well. Harry, would you like to play against one of us, or would you like to play against Hermione?" Ginevra asked.

"I should warn you, we take chess very seriously," Draco added, chuckling briefly.

Hermione noticed the bite marks on his neck and shivered in the warm morning sun.

"Draco Malfoy, laughing? Next you'll tell me you're capable of feeling emotion," Ron said, shaking his head as he sat across from his sister.

"Nothing to tell about it, brother," Fred said, glaring at Ron.

"He's more capable of feeling emotion than you are," Padma muttered, not quite under her breath.

George and Parvati were at the shop in Hogsmeade for the day.

"Calm yourselves down; he was attempting to be funny," Draco said, smirking at Ron's surprised face. "But Fred is right, there is nothing to tell. At least, I think it would be easier to show you," he added, turning to Ginevra and kissing her passionately.

She smiled under his kiss, her hands threading through his hair as she kissed him back, nipping at his bottom lip.

No blood play in front of your brother, he will not react well in any scenario, Luna's voice warned them.

Draco pulled away reluctantly, his hand trailing down Ginevra's arm to hold her hand. Ron's face was nothing less than shocked.

"Are we going to play a game or what?!" a black knight yelled.

"We've been sitting out here for ages and we want to play!" the white bishop agreed.

"Yeah? Well, we've been waiting longer!" a red pawn from another board yelled.

"That's enough," Ginevra admonished, looking at the yelling chess pieces. "We already discussed this; keep your conversations and arguments to your own board," she said.

The chess pieces didn't seem to hear her, but suddenly, the screaming was reduced to their own board instead of across the picnic blanket.

"Why do you have an umbrella up? The sun isn't that bright yet," Hermione added, looking over to the cloud-covered sun.

Ginevra didn't respond, instead she watched the older girl intently. Hermione repressed yet another shiver, and looked away, choosing to examine the red and blue chess pieces on a board below. Insults and curses were flying from one side to the other, and she wasn't quite sure if they even knew what it was they were arguing about anymore.

"It's going to get hot quickly, so we wanted the shade and didn't think you'd appreciate playing beneath the Whomping Willow," Theodore drawled.

Hermione looked up, surprised. That was the longest sentence she'd ever heard Theodore say!

"All right, enough questions. Let's play," Ron said with a somewhat impatient huff as he sat across from Ginevra.

Harry had seemingly decided who he wanted to play against, and was seated across from Neville. Hermione wasn't sure Harry should look quite so confident.

"Come on, 'Mione. I ain't got all day. No one else to play against anyway," Seamus said, interrupting her thoughts.

Everyone's full of surprises this morning, Hermione decided as she sat across her House-mate.

Lettie stood behind the tree, watching as Ron, Harry, and Hermione took their places at the chess boards. She didn't want to see them, didn't want to see him. But it was practically impossible to avoid him for the rest of her life: Ron was her Lady's sibling, after all. Stepping out from the shade, Lettie blinked in the bright sun and quickly retreated again.

It won't hurt you, Lettie. Why don't you come over and say hello? Luna asked.

Maybe next time, she replied quickly, stepping further back into the forest.

Don't leave the tree line, the yeti's back, Luna warned.

Lettie paled slightly and glanced behind her. She couldn't hear the yeti, but that didn't mean much. Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, Lettie stepped out of the forest and headed towards the picnic quickly.

"There you are, Lettie. We were wondering where you were," Millicent said with a brief grin.

"Want to take over for me? I can't stand all this screaming. They scream when they win, they scream when they lose; it's a never-ending screaming match!" Luna said, shaking her head.

"Very well. Thank you," Lettie said, taking her place.

"Still don't know how you were beating me, Luna," Blaise muttered.

"I have a very good memory," she replied with a laugh.

"Who's that?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

Looking up, the bushy-haired girl frowned as she tried to place the woman's face. She seemed familiar somehow, but Hermione had no idea why someone over the age of thirty would be at Hogwarts if they weren't a teacher!

"You paying attention, Potter?" Neville asked, moving his knight closer to the king.

"Yeah! Come on, we're losing here!" the last remaining pawn yelled.

"Sorry," Harry said, distracted easily as he returned his attention to the game.

Now that Hermione realised she had no idea who this woman was, or why she seemed to be friends with the people around her, she wanted to know more.

"Excuse me, Zabini?" Hermione said in what she hoped was a timid enough voice. "Would you mind swapping with me? I think poor Seamus is becoming frustrated at beating me so easily," she said, looking at the board guiltily.

That part very well may have been true at least. She wasn't overly terrible at chess, the years spent with Ron had been bound to rub off, but Malfoy had been right: they all took their chess games very seriously.

Blaise's eyes flicked to Ginevra, questioning her silently for his answer.

It's obvious she's curious about Lettie. We can't let her find out; if she tells Ron... Ginevra thought dubiously, trailing off as she thought of the consequences.

"I'm sure Seamus will survive. You're not losing that bad," Blaise said, turning back to his game.

Annoyed, Hermione turned back to her own game with a huff.

"All right there, brother? You're very quiet," Fred said with a smirk.

"Concentrating. I didn't know you would be this good at chess," Ron said, grinning at Ginevra.

"I play against Draco mostly. He's been playing since he was five, and a very difficult person to beat," she replied, smiling over at her fiance.

"Really?" Ron said, his interest piqued.

"Yes, but finish this game first or I'll be insulted," Ginevra said with a laugh.

"And we all know what happens when you're insulted, don't we?" Hermione muttered, still put out at Blaise's response.

Ron heard his friend's words and looked at his sister with a frown. "What's she talking about?"

"Nothing," Harry said quickly, noting the white-knuckled grip Neville's fists had across from him.

"It's not nothing, you coward! Are you going to tell him, or do you want me to?" Hermione asked shrilly as she stood up, knocking the chess board over.

There was a cry from the affronted chess pieces, but they were ignored as the tension beneath the umbrella mounted.

"Yes, let's tell Ron exactly what you're talking about," Luna said, moving so she was standing across from Hermione. "Let's tell Ron how you hit Neville because he received a better Potions' score than you. Or should we tell him how you revealed a secret to the entire Common Room because of your petty jealousy? Or how you were rude to Ginevra because she was Advanced into your seventh year classes and you were jealous that you never had that opportunity? Need I go on?"

"Tell me you didn't really do all that, Hermione?" Ron asked in disbelief.

Hermione went bright red and looked away from the shocked expression on his face. Unable to think of anything to say, she hurried away from everyone and towards the castle.

"I guess we'd better go after her. Thanks for the game, Ginevra," Ron said with a quick smile.

"You're welcome. See you later," she replied with a nod.

Harry and Ron hurried to catch up to Hermione.

"That was interesting," Padma drawled, turning back to her game against Fred.

The chess pieces called for vengeance, or at least another game, so they set up the fallen boards again and continued to play.

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Monday, 20 May

Ginevra wandered the halls of Hogwarts aimlessly. She no longer had to attend classes, her friends were in their own classes for the day, and Draco had disappeared soon after the sun's first light. She didn't know where he'd gone, but today was supposed to be some sort of Veelan holiday, so she presumed he was with Garion and Julianne.

Ending up outside, Ginevra headed towards the Forbidden Forest. Slipping between the trees, she started down a path. Eyes followed her progress between the trees.

Stopping in a clearing, she sat down cross-legged in the middle of the grassy area. She had chosen this clearing for a reason: the trees long branches stretched across the top of the clearing, providing enough shade so she wouldn't be burnt.

Closing her eyes, Ginevra began to meditate. As her thoughts faded from her mind, and her breathing was all that she concentrated on, a vision began to appear.

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"I told you this would happen, Draco," Ginevra said, sighing.

"I know, and I agreed with you, even then," he replied, lying back on the lounge.

Sitting on the window seat, Ginevra looked out over Muggle London. She could see the wizarding world's barrier from here. It was colourful in the evening sky, rainbow colours swirling as if a large bubble had been blown over their side of the world. The colours, while pretty, were actually detection spells.

All that magical energy and work, just to find us, she thought, shaking her head.

"Has Lettie been in contact yet?" Draco asked, not opening his eyes.

"Not yet," she replied with a sigh. "I'm worried about her."

"I know, love," Draco murmured, sitting up and moving to her side in a second. "She will be fine; she's your companion after all," he said with a smile that was supposed to be reassuring.

Not feeling any better, Ginevra just nodded, leaning into his embrace and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Let's go to bed now. You haven't been resting enough," Draco said, traces of worry and concern in his voice. He caressed her face softly and helped her up from the seat.

Ginevra held her swollen stomach protectively and let Draco take her to the bedroom. Lying down, she smiled softly as he wrapped an arm around her. Both of their hands rested on her stomach, silently telling their baby how much they loved it, and each other.

She fell asleep in Draco's arms, her exhaustion too much to hold off any longer.

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Opening her eyes, Ginevra smiled when she saw various forest creatures surrounding her. Dodger must have come out of her rooms, as he was curled up on the warm forest floor beside her leg. Relo had actually climbed up on to her lap, and Ginevra was surprised that she hadn't been pulled her from her vision. While she wasn't quite sure, she could have sworn the Horklump at the base of the tree to her left hadn't been there earlier.

Closing her eyes again, Ginevra just relaxed and let the morning pass quietly.

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"There you are, my Lady. I have been looking for you," Lettie said as Ginevra came into her rooms, picking blades of grass and leaves off her robe.

"I was in the forest meditating. Is something wrong?" she asked, brushing the last of the leaves off.

"Nothing is wrong, my Lady, but you received a note from your brother earlier this morning," Lettie replied, offering the envelope to her.

"Thank you, Lettie. I hope the twins got their new order," Ginevra said, her words trailing off as she recognised Ron's handwriting.

"I didn't open it, my Lady, but as it is the first time he has written since his return, I thought it might be important," Lettie said.

"Yes. Thank you," Ginevra said, her voice flat. Opening the letter, she read it warily, thinking that Hermione might have told him that she was a Vampiress.

To Ginevra,

Thanks for the game of chess the other day. Sorry we didn't get to finish. Hermione's been acting odd lately. Did I do or say something to her before I hit my head and now I don't remember?

The last two sentences were crossed out so that they were almost illegible, with a quick apology underneath for thinking out loud while using a Quick Quotes Quill.

If you would like to continue our game - or start a new one - I will be in the Common Room after classes today.

Hope you're well, etc.etc.etc.

Ron.

"Shouldn't he be studying instead of playing chess?" Lettie asked after Ginevra had related the note's contents.

"Of course he should, but this is Ron we're talking about," Ginevra drawled, rolling her eyes. "But he won't study until the very last minute."

"So will you go to the Common Room to play?"

"I'm not sure. I'll think about it and send him a reply at lunch," Ginevra murmured, looking down at the note again.

Lettie nodded and with a curtsy, headed to her room.

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Ron staggered out of Potions, his head aching and his hand throbbing. Some of his potion had landed on his hand, causing it to swell ridiculously. After healing him reluctantly, Snape had made some comment about his gloves that Ron didn't really understand, and had then given him detention for later that night.

It was a Monday, and he already had detention for Merlin's sakes! He sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as he came up to the Fat Lady portrait.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked, looking down at him.

"Umm," Ron said, his mind completely blank. "Bumblebeetuna?" he hazarded a guess.

"I beg your pardon?" the Fat Lady said, looking offended.

That was obviously wrong.

"Queens and knights frolic in the moonlight," a voice said behind him.

Ron turned, wondering who on earth was rambling nonsense, and he was surprised to see his sister standing there, smiling.

"Uhh ... What?" Ron asked, frowning.

"It's the password. Someone was trying to be poetic, apparently. All they managed to do is cause the worst amount of lock outs this year," Ginevra replied with a smirk, nodding behind him to the now-open entrance.

"Who on earth thought that rubbish up?" Ron muttered as he climbed into the portrait hole.

"I believe it was Romilda Vane. The prefects wanted more responsibilities, so they got the Tower passwords. There was a big fuss over it when the passwords became more wordy and far too flowery for some of the guys' taste. But everyone now knows how big Justin Finch-Fletchley's..."

"Okay! I've heard enough," Ron muttered queasily.

Ginevra just laughed as she came out of the portrait hole behind him, brushing off her robes.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked, seeing how red and tender it was.

"Hurt it in Potions," Ron said, trying to shrug it off.

"Again?" Ginevra murmured, taking his hand gently and healing it with her wand.

"What do you mean, again?" Ron asked, frowning.

"Well, you didn't actually hurt yourself last time. I had a spare pair of gloves that you borrowed. Do you want me to go get them? You'll probably have to complete your potion tonight for detention with Professor Snape," she said.

"How'd you know about my detention?"

"Mind reader," Ginevra said, grinning broadly.

"Yeah, right. Why don't you go get your gloves then, and I'll set up the game of chess. You are still playing, right?" Ron asked, feeling anxious about her answer.

"Sure. I'll be back soon," she replied, leaving through the portrait hole quickly.

Ron rushed upstairs, dumped his bag on his bed, grabbed the chess set and ran downstairs again. He wanted to get it set up before she got back. He hadn't even finished setting up his pieces by the time Ginevra returned.

"Wow, you're fast! Did you run or something?" Ron asked with a grin.

"Or something," Ginevra replied, holding out the gloves for him.

"They're nice; thanks for that," Ron said, pocketing the gloves.

"You're welcome. Ready to play?" she asked, setting up her pieces faster than he could see.

"How'd you do that?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Magic," Ginevra replied.

Ron frowned, obviously not satisfied with her answer, but he didn't press it. They started the game in silence.

Tell him the truth, Ginevra, Luna's thoughts entered her mind strongly and forcefully.

No, I can't do that, Luna. Look what happened last time!

Tell him you're a Vampiress, or someone else will, and it will happen all over again, Luna warned.

"Ginevra? Are you all right?" Ron asked in concern, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry. Did you say something?"

"It's your turn, the pieces are getting impatient," Ron said with a grin.

Ginevra nodded and looked at the board. How on earth was she going to tell him? Casually move her knight and then say 'oh, and by the way, I'm a vampire'? That would go over well, she thought sarcastically.

"What's wrong? You look distracted. Don't you want to play anymore?" Ron asked, frowning at her distant expression.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just trying to figure out how to tell you I'm a vampire," Ginevra replied, offering a small smile when he fell silent. "I don't drink blood or anything, well not yours at least. I've been a vampire for a while now, and I didn't want to tell you the moment you got back after hitting your head because there just didn't seem to be a right time..." she trailed off, wondering if Ron was still breathing.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" he asked faintly.

"I'm engaged to Draco."

Ron went quiet and looked down at the board. "So do you want to play or not?" he asked, looking back up at her after a few minutes of silence.

"That's it?" she asked, shocked. "That's all you've got to say?"

"Would you like me to say something else?" Ron asked, grinning.

"No. But... I'm surprised that you're not blowing your top," she admitted.

"Let's just say that hit on the head knocked some sense into me," he said, chuckling quietly. "Well, come on, then; your turn," he added, nodding to the chess pieces who were starting to yell impatiently.

A feeling of relief washed over her, and with a grin, Ginevra moved her pawn forward.

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Sunday, 26 May

"Wow, Mill, you don't look too good," Colin muttered, frowning at her.

Millicent let out a slight growl and pushed past Colin to go back into her room.

"Nice one, Colin. It's a full moon tonight," Pansy said, hitting his shoulder.

"Oh. Sorry, Mill!" he called out sheepishly.

"Where'd Millicent go?" Theodore asked when he saw that his girlfriend wasn't in the corridor anymore. "What happened?" he asked when they were all silent.

Sorry, Colin thought, quickly leaving before he could get hurt.

"Why are you all standing out here? Aren't we going to breakfast?" Ginevra asked with a frown as she came out of her room with Draco, buttoning her robes.

"Millicent and I will stay in this morning. I've got to get the potion ready anyway," Theodore said, going into their room and shutting the door behind him firmly.

"What did we miss?" Draco asked Pansy, frowning.

"Later," she said. "Come on, you three. We want breakfast now, not tonight!" Pansy called, banging on Seamus, Blaise, and Neville's door.

"We're coming, calm down," Blaise said, opening the door.

"You need to be fully dressed to eat in public, Seamus," Pansy added.

"I woulda been dressed fine if ye didn't have ter bang on it so often," Seamus said, stepping out of the room as he pulled his shirt on.

"There should be a law about arguing before breakfast," Neville muttered as he slipped his robe on, following them all out to the Great Hall.

"There should be a law about being woken up at improper times," Padma said, yawning.

"It's not my fault you weren't in bed until after two this morning," Pansy retorted, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Two? You said you weren't going to do that until all hours of the night anymore, Padma," Parvati said with a frown.

"Do what exactly?" Lettie asked in confusion.

"Work on a product for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Padma replied, yawning again.

"Uh, guys? We're not late for breakfast, are we?" Gregory asked, looking ahead to the Great Hall.

"No, we're right on time," Pansy answered, looking in the same direction as well.

"Then why are the doors still closed?" Greg asked.

"Maybe there's something wrong?" Vincent asked.

"Where's Colin? He left before us, shouldn't he be here by now?" Parvati asked.

No one answered, but everyone ended up looking at Ginevra and Draco anyway.

"Why are you looking at us like you think we have the answers? We know as much as you do," Draco said, shrugging.

"There's Professor Dumbledore, maybe he'll know what's going on," Ginevra suggested, heading over to the Headmaster quickly. "Excuse us, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Good morning, Miss Weasley. Nice to see that you're all up and eager for breakfast," Albus said with a twinkle in his eye. "The doors will be open momentarily. There was a fire in the kitchen that had to be contained before there was any serious damage, so breakfast will be delayed momentarily," he explained.

"Oh, thank you," Ginevra said.

"You are most welcome, Miss Weasley," he replied, smiling. Dumbledore used the teacher's entrance to get into the Great Hall, leaving the group of students waiting outside.

"That still doesn't explain Colin's absence," Draco muttered.

"He could have gone to the bathroom," Parvati suggested.

Ginevra glanced at Draco quickly, a frown flitting on her face. Wasn't Parvati the one who asked about Colin in the first place? she asked.

Think they're up to something?

Probably. We can't hear them, Ginevra replied.

I just thought I'd blocked them out, Draco thought in surprise, unblocking his mind to find that there was still silence.

The Great Hall doors opened and they all went inside. Ginevra and Draco looked around warily, but there was nothing out of place that they could see. The food was already set on the table, steam rising from the heated dishes. Cutlery and dishes were at their places along the four House tables, and the House flags were hanging in their usual places.

Guess we were wrong, Ginevra thought to Draco, taking his hand in her own.

Then why can't we hear them still?

A camera flash distracted them, and they looked to where Colin was waiting with a large smile, his camera in his hands.

"All right, what's going on?" Draco asked, glaring at them all.

"Nothing!" they answered quickly.

"That's a load of Hippogriff shit. You don't take photographs for nothing," Draco muttered.

"Oh, stop with your whinging and sit down already. We're hungry," Gregory said with a grin, nudging Draco and Ginevra to their seats.

Still not appeased, they both sat down. Students began filing into the Great Hall, and as they did, the morning chatter and noise increased loudly. When everyone was seated and most were already enjoying their breakfast, Dumbledore stood up and asked for silence.

"As most of you may already know, Miss Weasley and Mr. Malfoy completed their N.E.W.T.s two weeks ago..." There was a pause, and nearly everyone in the Great Hall turned to look at the couple. "Congratulations, Miss Weasley, and Mr. Malfoy. Your final grades from the Ministry arrived this morning," Dumbledore announced, his eyes twinkling. "In honour of this, and as you will not be here to attend the end of year ball, this morning's breakfast will be accompanied by cake!"

Cakes appeared suddenly on all four tables. Dumbledore sat down once more, a smile on his face as he took in the students' wonderment. Applause erupted from their friends, and soon enough the entire of the Great Hall were clapping enthusiastically. Two envelopes flew towards them quickly. Catching them in midair, Ginevra and Draco checked the name on the envelopes, swapping before cracking open the Ministry seals.

"Transfiguration: Outstanding. Divination: Outstanding. Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding. Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding. Runes: Outstanding. Potions: Outstanding. Charms: Outstanding. Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations," Ginevra read, a grin on her face. "Seven out of eight. I'm happy with that!"

Draco kissed her. "Congratulations, love," he murmured.

"What about you, Draco?" Pansy asked, trying to look over his shoulder.

"Same classes, all eight Outstanding," Draco replied, showing the parchment to Pansy.

"Congratulations, Draco," Ginevra said, kissing him.

"Now that's all over, who wants cake?" Vincent asked, smirking.

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"What are you two reading so intently? You've finished school!" Pansy said as she came into the meeting room.

"Looking for places to live. We can't exactly stay at Hogwarts," Ginevra replied, not looking away from the property listings in The Quibbler.

"Why aren't you staying at Malfoy Manor?" Pansy asked, frowning.

"Can you imagine us living under the same roof as Mother? She's already pestering me about grandchildren, and if we're there, it will just get worse," Draco said with a shudder, the Daily Prophet's listings shaking in his hands.

"Uh huh... This is really because you don't want her walking in on you while you're having sex, isn't it?" Pansy said, looking between them.

A loud bang was heard from the meeting room, and Neville rushed there quickly, Seamus and Blaise behind him. Pansy was covered in soot, her hair sticking up at all angles. Draco and Ginevra were laughing at her shocked expression, but they didn't offer any explanations or apologies.

"Come on, we've still got studying to do. I don't want to have to tell my mother I've failed my N.E.W.T.s," Blaise muttered, going back to their room.

"Speaking of ye mam, when are we goin' ter meet her?" Seamus asked with a grin, following him.

"Graduation, the same time we're going to meet yours," Blaise replied, smirking.

"Remind me ter owl me mam and tell her ter stay home," Seamus muttered.

"Not likely, love. I'm as eager to meet her as Blaise is," Neville said with a chuckle, kissing Seamus lightly.

Pansy yelled obscenities at Ginevra and Draco, shooting a jet of water at them. Dodging the second stream of water, they left the meeting room quickly and ran to their own room, the bundle of papers and parchments in their arms. Shutting and locking the door behind them firmly, Ginevra sighed and brushed her wet fringe from her eyes. Pansy started banging on their door a moment later, still yelling.

"I'm going to miss living with everyone," Ginevra said quietly.

"I know, love, so will I," Draco replied, dropping the papers onto their bed and moving to hug her.

"Pity there aren't any huge houses with eight rooms for everyone to live in," Ginevra said, only half-joking.

Draco dried the water off both of them and kissed Ginevra, trying to soothe both her and himself.

A tapping sound at the window interrupted them, and he pulled away, shaking his head. "We should just go to the bloody Manor. If it's not Mother, it'll be some damn bird," he muttered, opening the window with a thought.

Two owls flew inside and perched themselves on Draco and Ginevra's chairs. Both owls were carrying an envelope, one addressed to Draco and the other to Ginevra. They left the moment the letters were taken from their beaks.

"That's Xavier's handwriting," Ginevra said with a frown as she opened the envelope.

"Mine's from Garion," Draco said at the same time, opening his envelope too.

Both Draco and Ginevra sank down onto their chairs as they read their notes. Their emotions stopped Pansy's banging and yelling, while Blaise, Neville, and Seamus all stopped studying. Looking at each other with frowns, the three headed down to Ginevra and Draco's room. Relo scurried past them quickly, a sob in his throat.

"What's going on, Pans?" Blaise asked, his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know, but it's coming from them," Pansy replied.

Beside her, Relo was already crying large tears that stained the wooden floor beneath him.

"What's happening? These emotions aren't good for Millicent, can you lot calm down?" Theodore asked as he saw them standing in the corridor.

"It ain't us," Seamus said, shaking his head and nodding to Draco and Ginevra's door.

"I have to go live with the Veelans," Draco said.

"I have to go live with the Vampires," Ginevra said at the exact same moment, both looking up at each other.

Without a word, they both handed their note to the other. The notes were fairly generic, and apart from the names, it was almost the same.

Dear Draconius/Ginevra,

Congratulations on completing your schooling, and well done on your results. We are very proud of you.

As you have only recently changed into a Veelan/Vampiress, there is still much you need to learn of our ways; things that books alone cannot teach you.

This is an invitation to join the Veelan tribe of Torleni/Vampire Council's mansion from the 27th of May this year, until the period of time in which you have learnt all that needs to be learnt.

Congratulations once more, and we look forward to seeing you.

Regards,

Julianne and Garion/Agnes and Xavier

"You have to go tomorrow too?" Ginevra murmured, sadness echoing in her voice.

Draco sighed and rubbed his face with his hand wearily.

"I suppose we don't need to look for somewhere to live anymore then, do we?" he muttered, his eyes focusing on the papers strewn across the floor.

"Would you let us in already?" Pansy yelled, banging on the door once more.

The door opened, and they walked inside to see Draco and Ginevra sitting on their chairs quietly. Property papers littered the floor, flapping quietly in the breeze from the open window.

"What's going on?" Neville asked, his voice soft.

No one really wanted to hear the answer.

"Garion has requested I go stay with him, while Xavier has requested Ginevra's presence," Draco explained.

"We have to leave tomorrow," Ginevra added, not looking away from the letter in her hands.

There was silence for the longest while, making both Draco and Ginevra look to their friends. Blaise, Neville, and Seamus all looked sad, but Pansy had a determined look on her face.

"Right. Then you'd better choose a house quick-smart. Doubt the Vampires and Veelas are going to let you visit each other on their own grounds. They're still at war, after all, and the only time you'll really be able to see each other at the tribe and Council residences will be for special occasions," she added when they all looked confused. Sitting in the middle of the floor, Pansy grabbed some papers and shuffled them into piles. "Hurry up, we don't have much time. You have all night to sex yourselves up," she said, waving off their excuses.

Draco and Ginevra moved to the floor, taking a pile of papers from Pansy. Sighing, Blaise sat down too.

"Guess we'll have the rest of the night to study," he said, taking a pile too as Neville and Seamus sat down as well.

"Oh, how about this one? Two bed, one bath, broom shed," Pansy murmured, reading over the details.

"We need two bathrooms," Draco said immediately, cutting her off. "What? We're not having one each," he said, rolling his eyes at their thoughts of his vanity. "It's for Lettie. I doubt she is allowed to stay away from Ginevra from long, and she'll need her own bathroom."

Pansy nodded, immediately throwing two more sheets at the fireplace.

"Apartment. Two bed, two bath, fireplace... Never mind," Blaise muttered, shaking his head.

"What's wrong with it?" Ginevra asked.

"It's in Muggle London," he replied.

"What's wrong with that?"

"It's Muggle London," Blaise responded, as if that explained everything.

Shaking her head, Ginevra turned back to her listings.

"Two bedroom, two bathrooms, kitchen, broom closet, owl perch, and fireplace. Diagon Alley," Neville said triumphantly, holding the listing up high.

"Bugger them, we'll take that one," Seamus muttered, reaching for the paper.

Faster than anyone could see, Draco took the paper from Neville and was sitting back in his seat before they had time to process the fact that he'd moved.

"Ye slimy thievin' bastard, give tha' back!" Seamus growled, glaring at Draco.

"As kind as your words were, Seamus, I think I'll have to refuse. What do you think, love?" Draco asked, passing the listing to her.

Ginevra tapped the picture with her wand, watching as the photograph moved through the apartment.

"I like it. You don't mind the small rooms?" she asked, looking to him.

"If I didn't like them, do you think I'd be asking what you thought of them?" he asked, grinning. "Would you calm down, Seamus? Blaise and Neville would probably want a large house, just so they can say they've screwed you in every room. A two bedroom would stifle their creativity," Draco added, smirking at Seamus' fading anger.

"Well, when ye put it tha' way... Ye can have the bloody place," Seamus said, grinning as he leant into Blaise's embrace.

"We'd better get it arranged with the agent before it gets taken," Ginevra said, rummaging around to find a parchment that wasn't already written on.

"Don't you know who you're marrying, love? We don't organise things ourselves," Draco drawled.

"You obviously don't know who you're marrying, because we do," Ginevra replied, raising an eyebrow at his tone. "And if you dare say that you'll let me do this myself, I'll make sure the agent changes every gods' damned surface in that place to pink, understood?"

Neville bit his tongue to stop from laughing.

"Fine," Draco muttered, realising that his fiancee was serious. "Here's a clean parchment."

Pansy led the others out quickly, a grin on her face as she shut the door behind them. "Those two aren't going to know what hit them when they start living together," she said, shaking her head.

"They live together now," Seamus pointed out.

"No, they have sex in the same room. That's nothing like living with someone, having them share the same space as you every hour of every day," Pansy said. "They're going to have to learn to compromise, or they'll end up talking to each other through lawyers - or worse - us," she said, shivering.

"I don't think I could choose between them," Neville said in agreement.

"Can't believe they're only going to be here for one more night," Blaise murmured, looking at the closed door.

"Do you think we should tell them we can still hear them?" Draco muttered as he signed the letter Ginevra had written to the estate agent.

"Somehow, I think they know we can hear. They're right though," she added, sighing as she finished addressing the envelope.

"How do you propose we come to a compromise then?" Draco asked, folding the parchment and putting it in the envelope.

Ginevra slid the envelope under the door. "Since you're all standing around listening to us instead of studying, you must have the time to go post that letter for us," she said.

Pansy muttered loudly, but took the letter anyway.

"Well, we're not going to be living together for the gods' know how long. Maybe should get someone to handle our affairs for us, since I doubt we'll be able to communicate directly. Pansy's right - we're in the middle of a war, and unfortunately, on opposing sides - so we're probably not going to be able to see each other for a while," Ginevra said, a tear falling from her cheek.

Draco caught the tear in his palm, moving his hand to wipe away the rest that were flowing. "Don't cry, love. I doubt Garion and Xavier would have us do this if we weren't allowed to see each other. They know what it's like to be without their mates, after all," he murmured, pulling Ginevra onto his lap.

They stayed that way for the longest time, not even moving when Pansy called them for dinner.

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Millicent howled in pain. It wasn't a wolf-howl, but a human one and in her mind that was far worse. The emotions from everyone were becoming too much for her to handle, and the potion Theodore had given her made her feel weak as well as nauseated.

She wanted to shed this human form and run in the forest, the moon whispering to her as the raced the wind through the night. She wanted to get out of this small room that seemed to be getting smaller with every passing second.

Oh, gods'. She was going to throw up.

Complete and utter despair overwhelmed her entire body, emotions projected from her friends unknowingly. Theodore left to tell them off, and Millicent was physically ill within seconds of the feelings coursing through her body.

"Come on, Mill. Let's get you outside," Theodore murmured, helping her stand properly and to the door.

They didn't leave the rooms quietly, yet they were still unnoticed by the others still awake. The wind whipped around her face, the forest's smell taunting her. She breathed deep, a shudder running through her weak frame. Oh, to run between the trees on all four paws would be nothing short of bliss!

Grateful that it was a cloudy night, Theodore lead Millicent past the forest, ducked beneath the Whomping Willow's branches and hit the knot on the tree trunk. The branches stilled immediately, and he hurried back to Millicent, helping her to the opening at the bottom of the large willow tree. It took some time, but eventually, they were inside the Shrieking Shack.

"Here, drink this. Open your mouth. Good girl, good," Theodore said soothingly, pouring a potion into her mouth slowly.

Obediently, Millicent drank the potion he had given her. Moments later, she collapsed to the ground. Theodore sat beside her and quickly began to remove her robe and clothes. When she was naked, he covered her with a sheet and waited.

"Good evening, Professor. Do you need some Wolfsbane Potion as well?" Theodore asked as Lupin entered the shack.

"No, Professor Snape has already given me some, thank you," Lupin replied.

He went up the stairs to get undressed and ready himself for his transformation as well. The clothes were floated down to Theodore, who put them with Millicent's. With a sigh, Theodore kissed Millicent on the forehead and left the Shrieking Shack, the clothes bundled under his arm. As the door closed behind him, the full moon escaped the cover of the clouds and shone directly into the rooms.

With a grunt and growl, Millicent's body was forced onto all fours, and she howled as her body began to change. Hair sprouted from her exposed body, her nose and mouth lengthened to become a wolf's snout, her entire arms and legs changed shape to accommodate their new body, and with a snarl, she tore the sheet from herself.

Further down the tunnel, Theodore heard Millicent howl to the moon loudly. She wasn't happy tonight. He'd had to give her two doses of the Wolfsbane Potion since she'd all but thrown up the first dose. A rough snarl came from the Shrieking Shack, presumably as Millicent and Lupin discovered that the other was there. They would fight for the territorial rights all night, as they had been doing for almost seven months now.

In the morning, when the sun's rays first appeared, Theodore would re-enter the Shrieking Shack to see blood, fur, paw prints, and claw marks embedded into walls, and each other. They usually wore each other out before morning hit, and he would have the task of redressing them in their clothes and waiting for them to wake up. Headaches and grumpiness were the least of his worries. If they woke up and were still in the mindset of a wolf, he would have to dodge teeth and nails, trying to calm one or both down as they fought against him, attempting to kill this new invader.

They never remembered what they did to him, but more often than not, Theodore came away with just as many bruises and scrapes as they did. Both Lupin and Millicent apologised profusely whenever they saw the freshest black eye, scratched arm, or bruised leg, but he waved away their apologies and concerns - it was his job as a Healer to look after them.

The wolf-who-was-Millicent snarled at the older wolf before her. The wolf snarled back, leaping down the stairs to attack her for invading his territory. She snapped her jaws, trying to catch his paw between her sharp teeth. If she did that, then he would be severely weakened. The other wolf dodged her teeth, but barely. Growling, she circled around to avoid his claws. Snarling again, she leapt forward to deliver a blow of her own. The wolf moved, and she only cuffed the side of his head instead of the front of his face. Moments later, she howled loudly as three scratches appeared on her snout. Growling deeply, she moved forward and scratched him back.

Theodore sighed as he heard the howls and growls increasing. This was going to be a long night.

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Ginevra sighed, moving off Draco's lap reluctantly. "We'd better go have something to eat," she murmured.

"How are we going to organise someone to attend to our affairs if we have to leave tomorrow?" Draco asked as they headed to the Great Hall.

"I'm not sure. Could we advertise it in The Quibbler?" she asked, frowning.

"I don't think that would work. People might get suspicious if we're both advertising for someone to do the exact same job, even if we take out separate advertisements," Draco replied.

"True, my mother looks out for things like that," Ginevra mused, shaking her head.

Draco opened the corridor door and moved the tapestry to the side for Ginevra to go through first. He followed her out, going to close the door and tapestry behind him. Lettie stopped him and stepped out into the corridor as well.

"Sorry, my Lady, my Lord," she said, curtsying to them both.

"No need for apologies, Lettie. You haven't been waiting for me to eat dinner, have you?" Ginevra asked

"No, my Lady. I went with Pansy and Gregory to eat. May I offer my assistance, my Lady?" Lettie asked.

"What with?" Ginevra asked, confused.

"With your affairs, my Lady. I will be able to sort everything for both of you, and as I can go to both the Veela tribe and Vampire mansion without any repercussions in the war, I can direct any communications you desire," Lettie replied.

"You can go to the Veelas?" Draco asked in surprise.

"Yes, my Lord. I was sent a pass from Lady Julianne earlier today, about the same time you both received your letters, I believe," she said, holding up her arm.

A black leather strap was wound around her left wrist, brilliant white feathers sewn into it.

"Do you need something like that in the Vampire mansion? I don't want you to be Drunk from accidentally," Ginevra murmured, frowning.

"Oh no, my Lady. I am safe in the mansion so long as you are there as well. Apparently, I smell like you, and as such, would not be mistaken for a ... meal," Lettie replied with a brief smile.

"That is good to know. Draco and I will talk about your proposition over dinner, if you do not mind?" Ginevra said when her stomach began to rumble loudly.

"Of course, my Lady. Enjoy your meal," she replied, curtsying and going back to Ginevra's rooms.

"I think it's a good idea, and I know you do too. What's there to talk about?" Draco asked as they continued to the Great Hall.

"It is a good idea. She knows us, and if that pass allows her to between the tribe and mansion, then half of our problems are solved. I just wanted to talk to you about the places we're applying for first," Ginevra said, sitting at the Slytherin table.

The Great Hall was all but empty, the last of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students attempting to fit in as much as they could.

"Places? As in plural?" Draco repeated, frowning.

"I applied for the apartment in Muggle London as well," Ginevra said with a slight cough as she moved her bowl forward to get soup.

"What? Why on earth would you do that?"

"I recognised it from one of my earlier visions. The one where I'm falling out of a twenty-storey building to see you?" she reminded him.

"What of it? The apartment was in that same building?" Draco asked.

"No, but in the photograph viewer, it showed the view from the lounge room window. It looked like that building was in a nearby street... Besides, I want a place in Muggle London as well as on this side of the wizarding world. We both know we're not always going to be liked in the wizarding community, and I thought it was a good idea to have somewhere in the Muggle world to go to while we wait that out," Ginevra replied, shrugging slightly.

Draco didn't reply for a moment, drinking from his goblet slowly as he thought it over. "You could have told me earlier, I doubt Pansy or the others would have said anything about it," he said finally.

Ginerva's silence was as much a reply than if she'd screamed her response out loud.

"You don't want the others knowing, do you?" Draco asked, his eyebrow raised slightly.

She shook her head. "I know it seems awful, but if they're captured in the war then they can't tell someone something they don't know," Ginevra said quickly.

Draco took her hand to reassure her. "I understand, love. I think it's a good idea too. What will we do when Lettie finds out then? If she is going to sort our affairs and the like, don't you think she'll notice soon enough?"

"Lettie won't tell anyone if I don't allow her to talk of it. I didn't want her to tell the others before I could talk to her about it properly, and I wanted to tell you first," Ginevra said, dipping her bread in the soup.

"You wanted to eat before any of that, didn't you?" Draco asked, chuckling when Ginevra was silent again.

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Vincent looked at the letter in his hands, his entire body still as he went into a numbing shock-like feeling. There was nothing written on the parchment, but in the top left corner was a drawing of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.

"Vince, ready to train?" Pansy called as she came into the room.

Her voice interrupted his stupor and he threw the parchment into the fire quickly, standing and straightening his robes as she came over.

"Burning your copies of Playwizard again?" Pansy teased, grinning at him.

Vincent forced himself to laugh and distracted her with a kiss before going to the door. "Coming?" he called back over his shoulder as he left the room.

Pansy hurried after him, not knowing that a parchment with a green skull and snake was burning in the fireplace behind her.

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"Come on, hit harder! You think anyone's going to be scared of you with a little punch like that?" Padma growled at Lettie, swinging her own fist towards her face.

Lettie dodged her quickly, retaliating with her own punch.

There was a sense of desperateness coming from all of them as they fought, knowing this would be one of the last times - or even the very last itself - they would train with each other. In a few months, they would have all gone their separate ways, starting with Draco and Ginevra in a less than eight hours.

Kicking Padma in the stomach, she was somewhat pleased when she heard her friend cry out.

"Good. Keep going, don't stop now," Padma said, surprising Lettie by kicking her feet out from under her.

Falling on her back with a cry of her own, Lettie thought a spell and Padma was too busy waltzing to tell her to keep going again. Getting up just as Padma took the spell off, Lettie attacked her with punches and kicks, not allowing Padma any time to get her bearings and fight back. Eventually her legs and arms tired, and then Padma was retaliating once more.

Ginevra fought Neville and Parvati, her dagger blocking their spells while she sent back spells of her own. She heard Luna come up behind her before the rest of her senses realised, and Ginevra sprung into the air off the pads of her feet, Luna's spell hitting Parvati instead. Landing on the ground steadily, she was barraged by fists and feet, spells and hexes all at once. She was hit by both fists and spells a few times before she was able to put up a temporary shield and remove the Jellylegs spell and fix her broken nose, wiping the blood off on the back of her hand quickly.

Getting to her feet, Ginevra moved faster than they could see and cut at their robes and limbs. She bit her tongue so she wouldn't get distracted by the smell of their blood. Slicing at them again, Ginevra Stunned both Luna and Neville. Their cuts stopped bleeding as both fell to the ground. Still concentrating on Luna and Neville's frozen forms, Ginevra failed to hear Parvati come up behind her. She was hexed and on the ground in seconds.

Blaise, Seamus and Gregory were all fighting against Draco. They were all heavily cut and bruised, and more than one mind was thanking the gods' that Theodore wasn't fighting so they could be healed properly in the morning.

Draco dodged Blaise's hooves, sending a locking spell at the centaur to fix his legs together. The spell didn't last long, but it was enough time to knock Gregory's club out of his hands and use it on the plants that Seamus had sent after him. Arrows shot through the air soon after the plants' attack failed, and Draco hurried to erect a barrier. He was seconds too late, and one of the arrows got through before the barrier was up, piercing his shoulder. His eyes watered in pain, and he growled as he ripped it out, healing the wound temporarily. The barrier began to fade, and Draco readied his Veelan self to fight. Glowing patterns seemed to explode from his face and at the same time, feathered wings escaped the confines of his back. Flying a foot or two off the ground, Draco held his wand at the ready and watched as the last of his barrier dissipated.

Colin soared around the sky, breathing fire at Fred and George as they chased him on modified broomsticks. He had no idea what they'd made the brooms out of, but he didn't like the way they were catching up to him. He was fairly limited in this form if the opposition could handle dragons. He adjusted his wings and began to plummet towards the ground. The twins followed immediately, trying to hit him with a number of spells as he weaved through the air. He roared in pain as a particularly forceful spell hit his tail, almost severing it completely.

Turning on them suddenly, Colin breathed a large ball of fire. The twins had no time to escape, but just enough time to do a cooling spell on their bodies to get through the fire relatively unharmed. Their hair was smoking and singed, and their robes were covered in fire-riddled holes. Grinning at each other through soot-covered faces, they began their attack on Colin once more.

Pansy frowned, even as she kicked Vincent to the ground. He was distracted, he wasn't concentrating on the fight properly, and she was beating him far too easily. She'd even left openings on purpose, but he hadn't taken them. In fact, it didn't even seem like he'd seen them! Frustrated, she hexed him with a simple Petrificus Totalus, and walked over to him.

"If you're not going to fight properly, then don't fight at all," Pansy said, moving him with her wand and leaving him near the door.

Judging the other three fights at a glance, Pansy went over to help Ginevra against Parvati, Neville, and Luna.

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Ginevra was covered in bruises and cuts. She was fairly certain that her arm had come out of its socket again, and there were still various grazes that were bleeding. And there was the matter about her nose not being so straight anymore.

"I think Theodore's going to have a heart attack when he sees all of us," she murmured to Draco as they changed into their pyjamas stiffly.

"Or he'll think he's in the Otherworld. So many people to heal, so little time," Draco said with a smirk, rubbing his jaw.

Blaise had clipped him with his hoof once he'd freed himself and there was a large crescent-shaped bruise beginning to form on Draco's cheek and jaw.

Ginevra was silent as she climbed into bed, but he could tell she was thinking by the distant look on her face.

"How are we going to say goodbye to them all?" she asked quietly as he got in beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist, caressing her spine.

Draco sighed softly, kissing her split lip gently. "We'll figure it out soon," he murmured, closing his eyes to sleep.

Ginevra nodded in response, her eyes closing too.

Dreams of lights and balls flew through her mind. Large red and green glowing balls chased her through unfamiliar streets. Turning down a side-street, Ginevra saw that she'd turned into a dead-end street. There was no way out, her wand was no where in sight, and she was trapped. The balls closed in on her, their lights pulsing as she was backed against the wall. Suddenly, the wall disappeared from behind her. Losing her footing, Ginevra fell backwards into the darkness below. The lights followed her down. They reached her, and instead of the pain she'd expected, a feeling of calmness enveloped her as they entered her mind and body. Still falling towards the ground, Ginevra was relaxed and stopped struggling. She burst into a thousand different pieces and colours as she hit the ground, lights shining everywhere and showing that the ground she'd hit was actually a mattress.

Waking up with a start, Ginevra quickly felt her body to ensure she was still alive and not glowing in any way, shape or form. Eventually reassured, she sighed in relief.

"All right, love?" Draco asked, looking up at her.

Knowing he would be able to see her in the full moon's light, Ginevra nodded. "I know how we can say goodbye."

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Hundreds of red and green balls of light flew through Hogwarts silently. It wouldn't have mattered if they'd made any noise as all of the students were already fast asleep. Still, they flew on silently, veering off from the rest of the group as they had been directed.

Floating through walls, floors, and ceilings, the lights entered the sleeping quarters of all the students and staff of Hogwarts.

Ron turned over in his sleep, mumbling something under his breath about knights and queens in the moonlight. The red-green ball entered his forehead, and a smile soon crept up on his face. His dream faded and he slept peacefully, a renewed love for his sister in his heart.

Asleep on his chair, Argus Filch was snoring slightly with Mrs. Norris on his lap. She was twitching every so often, chasing a mouse through her dreams. As the ball of light entered his forehead, and then hers, Argus stood up and walked over to his bed. He got beneath the covers, Mrs. Norris curled at his feet as they continued to sleep uninterrupted.

Vincent couldn't sleep. His mind was turning over that one picture over and over. He felt sick, but he hadn't eaten enough at dinner to do anything other than dry heave. So wrapped in his thoughts, he didn't even see the ball of light until it was already in front of him and entering his mind. He stilled, relaxing completely as he fell into a dreamless sleep gratefully.

Pansy tossed in her sleep, another nightmare about Death Eaters wrecking her sleep. She shuddered when the light flew into her mind, and then huddled into Gregory's embrace, sleeping soundly for the rest of the night.

Luna waited patiently, her white eyes open as the light flew to her. It stopped a few centimetres from her forehead, as if waiting for her permission. With a smile she gave a slight nod. The light entered her swiftly, and with a contented sigh, Luna had her first dreamless and Sight-less sleep in almost nine months.

Three lone lights flew away from the castle, heading towards the Whomping Willow. Dodging the swinging branches easily, the three balls sank into the earth below, moving through dirt, roots, as well as bugs and other various insects, to get to the tunnel beneath the large tree. Flying through the tunnel quickly, one light stopped in front of Theodore while the other two continued into the Shrieking Shack.

"Hey, wait! You can't go in there!" Theodore called, moving to follow the lights.

The light that had hovered in front of him quickly moved into his forehead, and he slumped to the ground in a heap. Feelings coursed through his body, and Theodore was surprised to find that he was crying at the intensity of the sorrow and happiness the light was giving him. It was from Draco and Ginevra, that much was obvious. Wiping his tears away quickly, Theodore wondered why it felt like he wouldn't see them for a long time after this night. He didn't have much time to think on it, as he soon fell asleep.

The wolves were continuing to fight, though both were weary. So focused on their fight, neither noticed the ball of light flying at them. The moment the lights entered their foreheads, both wolves dropped to the ground, their heads resting on their paws. They slept for the rest of the night, peaceful feelings rippling through them as they dreamed of running under the full moon outside.

One by one, Ginevra and Draco's friends received their own balls of light, wrapping them in warm feelings and dreamless sleeps.

Albus watched from his office window as lights travelled out of Draco and Ginevra's window in the older part of the castle below. He waited expectantly for a light to appear before him, and a few minutes later, he was not disappointed. A red ball with a green tinged light flew towards him. Resting on his blackened hand, the light tried to sink into his skin but failed. With a slight frown, Albus moved his healthy hand towards the light. It bounced up into his skin eagerly, and with a soft sigh, he shut his eyes. A grateful and appreciative feeling flowed though him, thanking him for everything he'd ever done for both Ginevra and Draco even before they'd become beings.

A genuine smile spread across his face as the feelings continued for some time. It was the first time he'd felt peaceful in a very long time.

Draco offered Ginevra his own light, releasing it from his palm as she did the same with her own. The red and green lights entered their foreheads at the same time, and they moved closer as they slept with their emotions and feelings coursing through each other.

Professors and students alike received the balls of light from Draco and Ginevra, feeling their farewell in their minds. Most didn't recognise what it was or who it was from, but they all slept well that night nonetheless. Dreams and nightmares faded to bring dreamless yet restful and peaceful sleeps, and everyone slept with a smile.

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(a/n: thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)

26. Chapter Twenty Six

Disclaimer: I donÕt own Harry Potter.

Chapter Twenty Six

Monday, 27 May

Voldemort stood before them, listening as his followers described what they had witnessed. There was no denying their absolute surprise, but their words held nothing but truth in them.

So, the youngest Weasley and the heir to the Malfoy estate were engaged, were they? A slow evil smile spread across his face. The fact that she was aligned to the vampires, and he to the veela's made it all that much better. By holding one, he could control the other, and by doing that, he would have two more allies in his campaign. He could definitely work with this.

"Follow both of them. Capture at least one and bring them to me. The other will follow willingly, if they are as in love as you say," Voldemort said, a warning in his tone. It was one that said if they were lying, they would pay a heavy price.

With bowed heads, the small group of Death Eaters Disapparated with tiny bangs.

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Luna woke with a gasp, her head swimming as her mind attempted to wake up properly after the shock.

Sending out her senses, Luna discovered that Draco and Ginevra had already left. Calling for Pansy, she didn't have to wait long for everyone to be roused, dressed and hurrying outside.

Colin took her arm, leading her along quickly. She didn't mind the action as she usually might have; Luna needed to get to Draco and Ginevra as fast as possible.

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Draco and Ginevra stood together, quiet in the misty morning, waiting as the sun began it's daily climb from out of the shadows and darkness. Waves brushed against the sand gently as the squid swayed in its sleep. The forest was bright with nocturnal eyes, but neither Draco nor Ginevra noticed.

Lettie, Albus, Minerva and Severus waited a few steps behind them, all four pretending to watch the rising sun rather than the people in front of them.

Ginevra looked at Draco, her stomach feeling like it was made of pure lead. He looked as though he felt the same. Draco took her hand in his, kissing the back of her hand softly.

Look after yourself, love, he thought.

Ginevra pulled him to her and hugged Draco tightly. You too, my love, she thought, her eyes squeezed tight to stop the tears.

Stop with all the repressed emotions. It's too early in the morning for that, Pansy's thoughts grumbled.

What are you doing? Lady Julianne and Lady Agnes will be here soon, Ginevra thought, hearing and smelling their friends coming up over the hill.

We will be fine, Luna replied calmly.

Didn't think you were going to get away without saying goodbye properly, did you? Neville asked as he stopped at the top of the hill, looking down at them.

Had thought about it, Ginevra replied with a slight smirk.

They all came down the hill together, Gregory hugging Draco tightly mere seconds after they reached him and Ginevra.

"Get off. Might be harder to kill, but I don't want to die from suffocation," he said, struggling in Greg's embrace.

Greg just chuckled and let him go.

"You excited about going?" Millicent asked, grinning.

She was covered in bruises, and her face had three long scratches across her nose and cheeks.

"I'm not sure how I feel about it," Ginevra said with a slight shrug. "It'll be interesting to see what I have to learn, but I'm going to miss everyone," she said, her voice quiet.

"We're all graduating in two months, you're just leaving that bit sooner than the rest of us. Stop it already," Padma said, hugging her tight.

"All right, I'm stopping now. You can leave my emotions the way they were," Ginevra added, pulling away.

Padma didn't even look ashamed at being caught, she simply grinned and hugged Draco too.

"All this emotion and hugging might make Draco in ter a regular feelin' person. Ye'd best stop afore he starts crying," Seamus said, smirking at Draco when he glared.

"Go bugger your boyfriends, Finnigan," he muttered.

"Was doin' that right fine 'fore had ter come down here," Seamus replied cheerfully. "Sooner yer both gone, sooner I can get back to doin' it."

Behind them, McGonagall had gone bright red. Dumbledore coughed slightly, as if he was hiding a laugh. Snape just raised an eyebrow slightly and tried not to listen to anymore of their conversation.

"Why are you standing all the way over there, Lettie? Get in here so we can do a group hug before these star-crossed lovers leave," Pansy said, smirking.

Lettie laughed at Ginevra and Draco's expressions and moved next to them. They all hugged each other, circling around the three in the middle.

"Good morning. Albus, Minerva, Severus. I trust you're well?" Julianne's voice asked a second later.

"As well as ever, Lady Julianne," Albus replied with a smile, bowing to her. "Lord Garion will not be joining you this morning?"

"No, Garion doesn't want to see Xavier," Jules replied, rolling her eyes at her husband's childish behaviour.

"There was no need for him not to attend then," an amused voice said behind them. "Hello, sister," Agnes said, smiling at Jules.

"Agnes. How are you?" Jules asked, grinning as she hugged her.

"I am sure I would be better had my husband not chosen to stay in the mansion rather than meet his brother-in-law," she replied, a chuckle escaping. "Yourself?"

"Good. There's a hunt tonight, so everyone's excited," she replied.

The group hug had dissolved moments before, and on hearing Julianne's voice, Seamus went completely still, staring at her.

Luna sighed softly, irritated. Now she would never had the chance to warn them...

"Artemis?" Seamus/Orion asked, still staring.

Julianne stopped as well, her mouth open in mid-sentence. She turned to look at Seamus, her form changing. She grew taller, her blonde hair changed to brunette, and small wings pushed from her back as a chiton replaced her normal attire. Her bow and quiver were strung on her back, and Artemis grinned at Orion broadly.

"Long time, no see, Orion," she said.

"Bitch. You killed me!" Orion growled.

"Believe me, I was as upset about that as you were. I grieved for you longer than I did one of my companions," Artemis replied.

"Of course you did. Precious little hunter meant more to you than a companion, didn't he?" Apollo growled.

"You, brother, will stay out of this. If not for you, Orion would not have had to be reborn," Artemis said, glaring at him.

"If not for me, you would have lost your maidenhood to the brute," he replied.

Orion reddened slightly. The sun seemed to get brighter, and both Agnes and Ginevra hissed as their skin tingled fiercely.

Julianne's form mixed with Artemis' as she looked to her sister in worry.

"Leave now. We will discuss this later," Artemis said, still glaring at Apollo.

Apollo faded without so much as a blink, and Orion looked to Artemis.

"Is what he said true?"

"Of course not. You would not have taken me after what Eos put you through. I distinctly remember you telling me that you would never take another woman. My infatuation was nothing more than an appreciation for such a skilled hunter. I would have felt the same way had you been one of my female companions. Do not worry yourself over the past," Artemis murmured. "Now, you were not really angry with me for killing you, were you?" she asked, contradicting her own advice.

"No longer, Artemis. I think I am ... how did Hades put it? ... getting over my ego and emotional issues," Orion said, grinning slightly.

"When do we get to meet Hades? He sounds like a blast," Millicent said, grinning.

"Do not wish that meeting so eagerly, Millicent," Luna murmured.

Millicent paled slightly and her mouth tightened as if not to let any more words out.

Orion faded and Seamus leaned against Neville slightly, the emotional turmoil overwhelming. Artemis disappeared a moment later and Julianne stopped to take a breath.

"My apologies, but we must be leaving. The sun is getting quite intense," Agnes murmured, holding out her hand for Ginevra and Lettie to take.

Lettie stepped forward, taking her hand with a smile.

"Good bye. Look after yourselves, all right?" Parvati said, her eyes tearing up.

You too. 'Til next we meet, Lettie thought, smiling sadly.

'Til next we meet, everyone echoed quietly.

Ginevra kissed Draco one last time. A tear ran down her cheek as she stepped to Agnes and took her hand. All three disappeared in an instant.

Draco was quiet as he stepped to Julianne, his lips tingling. He took Jules' hand and watched his friends fade as he disappeared.

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Ginevra and Lettie opened their eyes as they felt the world stop spinning. Lettie frowned, not recognising where they were. Ginevra, on the other hand, knew exactly where they were.

"Why are we at the Burrow?" she asked Agnes.

"I thought you would appreciate seeing your mother and father before being leaving for an undetermined time. You will not be able to see them during your time away with us; it will be too difficult to resist her blood," Agnes replied.

"Thank you," she replied, letting go of her hand to walk up the kitchen door.

Lettie was silent as she watched Mrs. Weasley open the door, enveloping Ginevra in a hug before she had a chance to say anything to her. Her mother hadn't hugged her like that in ... well, she didn't remember Lavender's mother ever hugging her like that. It was odd, thinking of her own mother as though she was someone else's, but she was no longer Lavender, and her mother had been cold to her daughter, caring only for her vanity and social status.

"Would you like to see your mother, Lettie?" Agnes asked softly.

"No, thank you, Lady. There is nothing we have to say to each other, and I am positive that my absence would not be noticed," Lettie replied, a tremble in her tone.

"You can see her right now, without her seeing you, if you would prefer?" Agnes asked.

Mrs. Weasley laughed even as she cried, a hand on her daughter's arm. Did her mother ever love her like that?

"Yes, please," Lettie replied before she had even realised what she said.

With a soft reassuring smile, Agnes took her to the nearby bird bath. She held her hand over the water for a moment, and Lettie watched as her reflection rippled and her mother was staring back at her. She clutched the edge of the bird bath tightly.

Anita Brown stood in her daughter's room, flicking through the hanging clothes in her wardrobe. Lavender wasn't at the front of her mind as she did this, only the night's charity ball had any weight in her mind. She hadn't heard from Lavender in some time, but they'd gone months without talking before and the absence was barely noticed. Seeing the dress she wanted, Anita pulled it out of her daughter's closet and held it up against her petite frame.

Lettie looked away, her fingers disturbing the water as she let go of the bird bath's edge.

"Why don't you come inside? I'll have a pot of tea ready in minutes," Molly said, smiling at Agnes and Lettie.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Agnes said, following her inside.

Lettie looked at the still water one more time, and then went up to the Burrow.

"Arthur was called in to the Ministry this morning, so he won't be able to see you today, I'm sorry Ginny. Maybe another time? Would you like cake? I have tea cakes, cupcakes, scones. Biscuits too, if you'd rather them," Molly offered, still smiling.

"Mum, breathe; you're scaring them," Ginevra said, grinning at her overwhelming hospitality.

"Nonsense. Why don't you introduce us properly, dear? Then you can show me that lovely ring," Molly added, her eyes twinkling.

Ginevra flushed slightly; she'd forgotten to spell the ring before leaving Hogwarts. "Mum, this is Lady Agnes. She's a Council member, my mentor and wife to Lord Xavier. Lady Agnes, this is my Mum, Molly," she said.

"A pleasure to meet you," Molly said, shaking Agnes' hand gently. "I hope my daughter will make you as proud as she has made me," she said, smiling at Ginevra.

"Undoubtedly, Mrs. Weasley. She is a very special witch," Agnes replied.

"This is Lettie," Ginevra continued, trying not to get embarrassed by their compliments. "She is my companion, and has offered to look after my affairs with Draco."

"Lovely to meet you, Lettie. What does Ginny mean about you looking after her affairs?" Molly asked.

It took Lettie a moment to realise that she was asking about Ginevra.

"My Lady means that I will be handling her correspondence, as well as other duties relating to her wellbeing," Lettie replied.

"That sounds like quite a task. Does it involve..." Molly began to ask, then paused, shook her head and smiled at Lettie. "Sugar?" she asked as a tea pot moved to hover above Lettie's cup.

"One, thank you," she said, startled by the sudden change of topic.

"If you have time, I would like to go to Diagon Alley with you today, dear," Molly said, smiling at Ginevra.

Agnes nodded as she sipped her tea, and Ginevra agreed to her mother's request. It had been necessary to redirect Molly's questions. Too many questions like that could mean the difference between life and death in war.

"Now, let me see that ring," Molly said, taking Ginevra's hand with a bright grin. "How did he propose?"

Lettie sat up a bit straighter; she hadn't heard exactly how Draco had proposed. She had no doubt that it would be an interesting story.

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"Why are we at Malfoy Manor, Julianne?" Draco asked when they stopped and he saw where they were. "More importantly, how did you get past the wards?" he muttered, looking back to the large gate.

"That trivial magic is no match for me," Jules replied, waving it off easily. "Have a day with your Mum. It'll be your last for a while, so enjoy it," she added, knocking on the front door loudly.

"Hello?" a house-elf asked uncertainly, opening the door. "Master Draco! Come in, come in! Master Draco has brought a friend too. Welcome to Master Draco's friend," the house-elf said.

"No need to scan me, little one. Please inform Narcissa that we are here," Jules said with a smile.

"Scan you?" Draco queried as the house-elf disappeared.

"You think all that babble is for show? It's a spell based on sound waves and other stuff that no one quite understands. Basically, it lets a house-elf know if I'm a danger to you or your family. There's a reason house-elves are passed down through generations, and loyalty to Houses is one of the main reasons," Julianne replied.

"Oh," was all Draco had time to say before his mother appeared in the foyer.

"Draco," she said, a smile breaking out over her face as she moved to him and hugged him.

"Hello, Mother," Draco said, hugging her back.

"Oh, I do apologise," Narcissa said, stepping away when she noticed Julianne.

"No need for apologies, Mrs. Malfoy," Julianne replied.

"Mother, this is Lady Julianne. She is Lord Garion's wife, and one of the Ancients of the Veela Council," Draco introduced. "Lady Julianne, this is my mother, Narcissa."

"Delightful to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," Julianne said, smiling as she and Narcissa shook hands.

"The delight is mine, Lady Julianne. I hope Draco has been behaving himself?"

"Of course I have, Mother," he replied indignantly.

"He is very well behaved, Mrs. Malfoy. You did a wonderful job of raising him," Julianne complimented her.

"Thank you. However, you would think that a man would bring his future wife to meet his mother, would you not?" Narcissa said, turning to look at her son.

Draco paled slightly, wondering how with all of his power, his mother could make him feel like nothing more than a Horklump. "I had intended on bringing Ginevra to meet you, but our plans changed," he said apologetically.

"I'm sure they did. Come, let's get away from this draughty foyer and go to the sitting room. Would you like tea?" Narcissa asked them.

"That would be lovely; thank you, Mrs. Malfoy," Julianne replied.

By the time they arrived in the sitting room, a tray of cakes and a pot of tea were already waiting.

Draco waited until both Julianne and his mother were seated before taking a seat across from them.

"Sugar?" Narcissa asked, the sugar bowl and tongs hovering in mid air.

"One please," she answered, a small cube dropping into the mug.

"Now, tell me all about your year. Well, I suppose it would only be nine months, wouldn't it?" Narcissa asked Draco, smiling.

"I'm not sure there's much to tell, Mother," Draco said, refraining from shifting uncomfortably.

"Of course there is. You fell in love and you're engaged; that's more than enough to begin with. I don't recall Ginevra very clearly, tell me about her," his mother requested, smiling as she sipped her tea.

Where to begin? Her smile, her fierce determination, her flawed perfection, her loyalty? Ginevra's ability to make him see himself as she saw him, and not how others did? Her resistance to his charms (Veelan or otherwise), how unimpressed she was about his excessive amounts of money? Her complete lack of caring about what others thought of them being together, how she'd fought beside him (and at times, against him), and how he knew that she would do anything within her power to keep those she loved safe from harm? How she could drive him crazy with her stubbornness, how she drove him insane and yet was the very key to his own sanity? Where, oh where, to begin?

Narcissa laughed softly, drawing his attention to her. "Well, I think that display of expressions was more than enough of an answer, Draco. Relax, I promise I won't ask you any more personal questions. Well, bar this one..." she said, pausing for dramatic effect. "Do you love her?"

"Yes," Draco replied immediately. Simply but surely; it was now impossible for him not to love Ginevra.

"Good. Make sure she knows that, even when you're upset with each other," Narcissa murmured. "It's bound to happen you know, no marriage is perfect, even more so when one partner is a Veelan. Jealousy is an ugly thing."

"That's why so many of us only marry our own kind," Julianne agreed with a nod.

Draco studied his mother for a moment as she and Jules began to talk. Her blonde platinum hair was starting to turn white. Thin strands that were easily missed if you weren't looking closely, but they were still there. More than she'd had at the beginning of term, Draco thought with a slight frown. There were bags under her eyes, covered with a slight Glamour, and darker than he remembered. Her wedding anniversary was only days away, but before that particular day, there was another anniversary to remember. The day Lucius Malfoy was put into Azkaban. No wonder his mother didn't look well.

"Would you like to go shopping, Mother?" Draco asked suddenly, interrupting the ladies' conversation.

"Pardon?" Narcissa said, surprised at his request. Draco disliked shopping even more than Luc ... Shopping sounded like a wonderful distraction, actually. "I would love to. That is, if Lady Julianne does not mind?" she added, looking to her guest.

"Of course not. I haven't been out in quite some time. I think I deserve a day out," Julianne said, smiling brightly. "If you would just give me a moment to change, we can be on our way," she added, her form already changing before them.

Her clothes lengthened to brown pants and a light green shirt, her now-black hair cropped around her face.

"The last time I went shopping as a Veela, it almost caused a riot and another war. I didn't think you would appreciate that today," Julianne said when Draco raised his eyebrow at her slightly. "You might want to think on dampening down your appeal too," she added, standing with a smirk.

Draco did as she said, and then stood to offer his mother his hand. Narcissa took it with a smile and they went back to the foyer to leave for Diagon Alley.

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"I'm so sick of studying! I swear I'm going cross-eyed," Greg muttered, pushing his book away from him.

Pansy sighed softly, her eyes were hurting as well. They hadn't stopped studying since Ginevra and Draco had left; even missing lunch to work on their Divination revision.

"All right. Let's go to Hogsmeade for lunch," she announced, standing up.

"You sure, Pans?" Greg asked, surprised at her sudden need to leave.

"Yes, I'm sure. We've been studying for seven hours, we're hungry, and I know we're not going to get anything done until we've eaten. Dumbledore still has the carriages going, so you two can treat me out for lunch," Pansy said, grinning at them.

"We could stay in for lunch," Greg replied, looking her up and down seductively.

"We're going out for fresh air," Pansy said sternly, but a hint of a smile started to show. "Vince, you awake?" she asked, seeing the faraway look on her boyfriend's face.

"Yeah. Fine. Lunch?" Vince replied, looking and sounding dazed.

"You definitely need some fresh air. Come on, let's get out of here," Pansy said, taking their hands and leading them outside.

They followed obediently to the carriages quickly.

"All right, love?" Colin asked, seeing Luna sitting at the window.

Luna didn't reply for a long while; so long that Colin took a step towards her, worried.

"I'll need to go to the hospital wing soon. This episode will not go well," she said softly, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

"Do you want me to carry you, or can you walk there in time?"

"You will need to carry me to the bed, but I can walk to the hospital wing fine on my own," she replied, leaving the room with him.

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Gregory watched Pansy as they rode in the carriage. Beside him, Vincent was asleep, his head resting on the carriage wall.

"Have no idea how he falls asleep so easily," Pansy muttered as they went over another bump in the stony road.

Greg chuckled in response and put a hand on Vincent's leg, shaking him gently. "Wake up, love. We're almost there," he said, kissing his cheek.

Vincent mumbled something under his breath, not opening his eyes. The carriage came to a stop, and Pansy opened the door, air flowing inside.

"Come on, I want to go to Honeydukes before all the good sweets are taken by those greedy third years," Pansy said, tugging on Vincent and Gregory's hands before leaving the carriage.

"We're coming," Vincent said, his eyes wide open now.

"Were you actually asleep or were you just pretending?" Gregory muttered, suspicious at how alert their lover seemed suddenly.

Vincent just grinned at him over his shoulder and put an arm around Pansy, kissing her neck.

Gregory shook his head and followed after them quickly. He could tell them his news later.

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Ginevra walked through Diagon Alley, she and Agnes keeping to the shadows. Lettie and Molly were in the sunshine, talking to each other animatedly. Apparently, Lettie was quite the knitting-enthusiast, having learned needlework from Millicent. Molly talked happily, answering her questions and suggesting patterns. She asked no more questions about Lettie's relationship with her daughter.

"Is everything all right, daughter?" Agnes asked, seeing the distracted look on Ginevra's face.

"Fine, thank you Agnes," she replied, not convincing Agnes in the least.

Inside of her sleeves, her hands were clenched tightly. Draco was in Diagon Alley. According to the rest of the world, they were supposed to hate each other, their families were supposed to hate each other. Ginevra looked to her mother, wondering what Molly would say if she said they had to ignore Draco. Probably something about letting the world thinking whatever they wanted to think; they were engaged after all. But then, Molly didn't truly understand the war they were currently in. Not that anyone really understood the war.

"My Lady?" Lettie asked quietly, beside Ginevra all of a sudden.

"Draco's here. We can't meet here, not like this in front of everyone," Ginevra replied, her voice quiet so as not to alarm her mother, who was looking at wool designs at the shop across the street.

"I felt him arrive," Lettie replied with a nod. "Perhaps it would be good to meet him here, though?" she ventured, her eyes flicking to the wizards around them.

Ginevra nodded briefly, understanding what she meant. There was no telling how many were in league with Voldemort, and how many would report the civility with which Draco and Ginevra were suddenly expressing towards each other. What happened within Hogwarts could be dismissed as falsehood, gossip, exaggerations in the form of entertainment for bored students with nothing better to do. Those loyal to Voldemort would witness Draco and Ginevra's interaction, however, and that could not be dismissed as a lie. Draco still needed to be thought of as an elitist prat, and Ginevra as her mother's daughter.

She squared her shoulders when she saw Draco at the other end of Diagon Alley, his mother and Julianne with him. He looked appropriately bored, but she could tell from the slight clenching of his jaw that he was unhappy as she was at this. But they both knew it was for the best.

She continued to look around the street as if she hadn't seen the Malfoy heir. Flitting across the street, Ginevra took her mother's arm.

"Do you want to look at more wool inside, Mother?" she asked, smiling briefly.

"Oh no, dear. It's much too expensive inside. They always have the cheaper wool on display outside. It fades the colour of course, but I think it gives the jumpers that nice worn look, don't you? Isn't that Draco Malfoy with his mother?" Molly asked, looking in the exact direction Ginevra was trying to avoid.

"Yes, and I'd rather not breathe the same air as that lot," Ginevra said, glaring over her shoulder at Draco, who was now close enough to hear her words.

"Such a pity; I was going to say the same of you, Weasel. Move out of the way before I catch something contagious," Draco said, sniffing briefly as he looked down his nose at her.

"The Malfoy heir's afraid of a few germs, is he?" she asked, smirking as she twirled her wand between her fingers. "How about a Bat Bogey Hex? That'll get the germs right out," she taunted.

Both Narcissa and Molly stood to the side, shocked at their children's behaviour. Narcissa was the first to realise that the entire street was watching their performance, and recovered swiftly.

"Draco, dear? What did I say about talking with the commoners?" she drawled, walking away before he or anyone else could answer.

Molly realised what was going on, but still went bright red and glared at Narcissa's retreating form. "Come on, Ginny. You're right; the air out here does stink," she said, pulling her daughter into the wool store.

Draco followed his mother, his jaw tight. Lettie, who had pretended that she had nothing to do with either family, quietly slipped into the wool store after Ginevra and Molly. Agnes and Julianne shared a quick smile and followed their respective offspring.

"You, dear son, have some explaining to do," Narcissa murmured as she browsed the book collection at Flourish and Blotts.

"I know, Mother. Later," he promised as the store manager sidled up to them.

"How may I help you?" the manager asked, barely able to keep his hands from rubbing together in glee. When Mrs. Malfoy shopped at the store it meant Galleons, not Knuts or small amounts of Sickles like other customers.

"Leave us alone, little man," Narcissa said without turning to look at him.

The store manager's face fell considerably, but he hurried away nonetheless.

"I suppose later will have to do. Do not keep me waiting forever, young man, is that understood?" she asked, turning to look at Draco fiercely.

That look had never failed to scare him, and Draco could do nothing but nod in return. He turned to Julianne when his mother went towards the romance section of the store.

"I want to do something before I go. Can you keep Mother occupied while I'm gone, please?" he asked.

She frowned for a moment, obviously wondering what he was going to do. Seeming to decide something in her own mind, Jules nodded. "Be back in twenty minutes," she said, heading after Narcissa.

Draco left the store before Julianne could change her decision. Heading down Diagon Alley, he hurried to the Ministry's Floo transport centre.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy. How may I help you?" the wizard behind the counter asked, recognising his face instantly.

"Return Floo to Azkaban. Fifteen minutes," Draco replied.

The wizard nodded and set the fireplace accordingly. Draco was silent for the few minutes it took, his only words those that would take him to the wizarding prison.

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"Let's go to the Shrieking Shack. It'll be quieter,"" Gregory muttered to Pansy as two particularly loud third-years went past. They'd all but given him a headache in less than ten minutes!

"All right, can you see Vince? He's going to have a stomach-ache if we leave him in here," Pansy said, trying to stand on her toes to find their boyfriend.

A group of third and fourth years screamed loudly.

"Would you SHUT UP?!" Gregory yelled, his wand becoming a club as he swung at them.

Pansy stopped the club before he could hit them. The entire store was silent, staring at them. Gregory's chest was heaving, his arm straining against Pansy's grip.

"All right, scat," she said to the group of terrified students.

They practically disappeared in seconds, and noise filtered back through the store.

"Come on, Greg. Vince will have to find us," she murmured, her eyes scanning the store one last time as she led him outside.

They were silent as they walked to the Shrieking Shack. Pansy kept an eye on him, as well on his wand, which still hadn't transformed back from its' club form. No one else was in the area, and Gregory stopped at the fence, leaning on the wooden pole wearily.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice quiet. "You've usually got more control than that, Greg," Pansy added when he didn't answer.

"I got a letter from Voldemort," he said a few moments later. "He and my parents expect me to join him at the end of the school year."

Pansy was silent for so long that Greg looked over to ensure she was still beside him. Her face was pale and she didn't seem to be breathing.

"Pans?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

She stepped back subconsciously and Gregory tried not to be hurt by her action.

"You're joining Voldemort?" Pansy asked, her voice flat and void of any emotion.

"No! I could never join him," he replied.

He stepped forward again, and was more than relieved when she didn't move away this time. Gently, he gathered Pansy in his arms and held her until he was sure she was reassured that he wouldn't leave or become a Death Eater.

"I wanted to tell you so you didn't have to worry," Gregory murmured, caressing her back as she returned his embrace slowly. "I'll never be a Death Eater, I promise."

More relieved than she would ever admit, Pansy nodded against his chest.

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"We're almost to the hospital wing, Lu. Are you sure you don't want me to carry you the rest of the way?" Colin asked as he saw the double doors up ahead.

Luna stopped for a moment, a slight frown on her face. "I'm almost positive that I can walk to the doors. It's a very slim chance that you'll have to carry me from here, and that is one of the worst options. But thank you for offering," she added with a smile.

"Can you tell me anything about the vision? I might be able to stop it," Colin said, sounding as uncertain as he felt.

"No, it cannot be ..." Luna began to say, then stopped talking abruptly. "Oh, no."

Her whisper was all the warning Colin had as she collapsed to the ground, a high shrill scream ripping from the depths of her soul.

He paled slightly, even as he caught her. If she hadn't been able to walk to the doors herself, it was one of the worst visions. What on earth was happening?! Colin thought as he kicked open the hospital wing doors to carry Luna to the first available bed.

Madam Pomfrey and Theodore came out of the small office and Colin didn't have time to wonder about the vision as they tried to calm Luna unsuccessfully.

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"There you are, Vince! Just how many chocolates have you had already?" Pansy muttered, shaking her head at him.

Vincent looked guilty, but was glad she hadn't seen the bags in his pockets.

"Ready to go? These brats are giving me a headache," Gregory said, glaring at the third years nearby.

They squeaked something unintelligible and hurried away.

After paying for the sweets, Vincent left the Honeydukes store with Pansy and Gregory. He frowned when they didn't head down the path to the Shrieking Shack like they usually did.

"Where are you going?" he called, hurrying after them.

"There's a group meeting in the forest. Come on," Pansy replied, moving faster.

Vincent frowned, wondering why her voice sounded different; more rough than usual. Was she getting sick? He realised that Gregory and Pansy were already ahead of him and again, had to hurry to catch up.

They were silent as they went through the forest. Vincent was so intent on keeping his footing through the undergrowth that he bumped into Pansy and Gregory when they stopped suddenly. They walked into the clearing ahead surely and confidently. He followed them after a moment's hesitation. The moment he was clear of the trees, Pansy and Gregory took hold of his arms, lifting him above the ground easily. His wand was gone a moment later.

"Wonderful work," a voice rasped.

A cold shiver ran down Vincent's spine. He didn't bother asking whom the voice belonged to; his father had been right: Lord Voldemort's voice was unmistakable.

Suddenly, Vincent was floating in the air above Voldemort. He found that he couldn't talk. He tried to move his lips, tried to tell Pansy and Gregory to run, something, anything, but no sounds formed.

As he watched them helplessly, Gregory and Pansy's bodies began to change. They melted, bubbled and their familiar bodies disappeared to reveal Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew.

"I was very displeased when I did not receive a response to my letter, Crabbe," Voldemort murmured, moving Vincent's still body to float before him. "Your father promised me his first-born, and the time to collect has come."

He stabbed his wand into Vincent's left forearm, a hiss of both pleasure and pain escaping his body. Hundreds of images ran through his mind as he began to form the Dark Mark on his newest recruit's arm.

Vincent opened his mouth in a soundless scream. He was barely aware of the images that Voldemort was pulling from his mind; the pain was too great to focus on anything else. He fell to the ground as the spell disappeared.

Voldemort's eyes snapped open as the Dark Mark's outline finished. He needed the boy's blood for it to be complete, and that required his sworn allegiance. He smiled down at Vincent, his mouth formed in a cruel manner rather than kind.

"You worry for Pansy Parkinson, do you not?" he murmured.

It was a common thought in the boy's mind. Something about a vision and her broken body... Love was a ridiculous emotion, but it was the most common reason behind his followers, and Voldemort knew how to charm them into getting exactly what he wanted.

"Leave her alone," Vincent rasped, clutching his arm.

"I wouldn't dream of touching her, dear boy..." Voldemort murmured charmingly, running a hand down Vincent's face to cup his chin tightly. "But there are others who would hurt her, are there not?" He didn't wait for an answer before continuing, "They would harm her, break her. Do you think you're all that powerful to stop them? You think you can watch over her all of the time? Of course you can't. It's not humanly possible for one person to do."

Voldemort looked at Crabbe, waiting for a particular moment to show in his eyes. It meant that he was thinking about what he was offering, and would pledge himself soon enough. His eyes weren't quite there yet...

"Your supposed friends are all leaving, aren't they? Without them, the rest of you will scatter. No one will be able to watch over your precious Pansy, will they?" Voldemort asked.

There it was. How predictable and absolutely wonderful...

"They'll all leave, and Pansy will no longer be protected. However, if you join with me, I can guarantee she is looked after. I have control over many, even within Hogwarts, and they will ensure that she is not harmed, even after your friends have gone."

Vincent tried to think about the options he had. There weren't many; he was positive that Voldemort would kill him if he refused. And his offer to look after Pansy was tempting. He hadn't slept properly since seeing that vision of her broken body in the Antarctic iceberg-cum-hospital. If Voldemort really did have control over that many people, then Pansy would never be hurt again.

"I can only protect her if I have your allegiance, Crabbe," Voldemort said, interrupting his thoughts.

Vincent kneeled before the Dark Lord and pledged himself to follow Voldemort and become a Death Eater.

Voldemort's red eyes watched with cruel fascination as the wand became a knife and slid across the boy's left forearm, dark red drops of blood falling to the ground below.

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A town over, in the Hogwarts castle, lying on a bed in the hospital wing, Luna screamed.

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His hands clasped behind his back, Lucius paced in his cell, muttering under his breath about the guard's behaviour to him. Didn't the stupid wizard - more like Squib - know who he was? That ridiculous excuse of a wizard would be the first person fired the moment he was released.

"Malfoy, ye got a visitor. Hands where I can see 'em," the guard said.

Lucius moved to the bars, his hands in front of him as required. He tried to think of who would be visiting him. Narcissa had already had her allowed monthly visitation at the beginning of the month. He hadn't lost his head quite so much to have forgotten the date, had he? Maybe they were allowing her another visitation because he had been in this gods' forsaken place for an entire year?

He was surprised enough for an eyebrow to raise slightly when his son stepped forward. Draco was the last person he expected to see. The last time Draco had come here, he had left with the promise to never return.

"Draco, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Lucius asked, a sneer to his voice.

"You don't," he replied smoothly, keeping his hands behind his back as the guard had instructed.

They'd taken his wand, as well as any other item that looked remotely suspicious. He had no idea how a quill could be suspicious, but they'd deemed it as such, and so he was standing before his father wand- and quill- less.

"Very well. Then what are you doing here, if not for the pleasure of my company? You wanted a chance to jeer at your dear old daddy behind bars?" Lucius asked.

Draco didn't reply, instead he watched his father. His hair was whiter than he remembered, and his face had more lines than before he'd been sentenced to this place a year ago. He supposed they had both changed, whether emotionally or physically.

"Do take your time, Draco. I haven't anywhere else to be for at least the next 24 years," he muttered, looking down at his nails.

"Do you regret it? Any of it?" Draco asked, the question blurting from his lips.

He hadn't meant to ask that. But then, Draco realised, he really hadn't known what to ask anyway.

Lucius looked as surprised as Draco felt.

"Regret what? Supposedly serving the Dark Lord or killing the people they've sentenced me for murdering?" he asked, choosing his words carefully. He had no idea who was listening, and the guards would love to get something on him to sell to the Prophet.

"Either. Both."

"Then yes, and yes. More for the pain it's caused your mother than anything I'm suffering, mind you. I do have standards, and if I had killed anyone, they deserved their death," Lucius replied.

Again, Draco was silent. He tried to process the fact that his father had enjoyed killing people, and thought that his actions were justified. But then, wasn't that what war was all about? Justification for murder? He shook his head slightly.

Aware that Julianne was expecting him back soon, and that she couldn't hold his mother's questions at bay forever, Draco looked at Lucius one more time.

"I thought you should know that I've proposed, and I am soon to be married," he said.

Lucius' eyes lit up briefly and a sneer settled on his mouth. "So you've come for my blessing? Why did you propose to the Parkinson girl so early? It was arranged for your 25th birthday. Did you get her pregnant?"

"I have not come for your blessing, and I did not propose to Pansy, nor have I slept with her."

"One of the Greengrass sisters?" Lucius asked, getting a negative response. "Oh, gods. Don't tell me you proposed to Bulstrode?"

"No. I proposed to Ginevra Weasley."

He didn't know what he'd expected. Perhaps an ice-cold response, a disappointed and disgusted look, or even a demand to leave and threatening of disownment. But whatever response Draco had been expecting from Lucius, the absolute rage that overcame Lucius was far from it. His face went red and he flew at the bars, screaming louder than anything Draco had ever heard before.

Draco tried to keep calm and listen to his father without getting overly emotional - whatever he'd expected of him, he knew that Lucius wouldn't have been happy with his announcement to marry Ginevra - but when Lucius moved from his threats of disownment, to insulting Ginevra, the calmness he'd tried to keep evaporated into thin air. He stepped forward, bristling with anger, and without realising it, magic as well.

"Silence," Draco growled, his voice low with his anger, and his eyes turning black.

Lucius fell silent, but not through any will of his own. He fell to his knees as an invisible force pushed down on his shoulders.

"I did not expect you to understand, or even be happy about it, but I am marrying the woman I love and that is all you need to know. You are not to call her any of those names ever again. If you do, I will know, and you will regret it. Is that understood?" Draco hissed, his black eyes watching Lucius intently.

Still struggling under the force, Lucius managed a nod. The force pushed him down further and he crumpled beneath it, collapsing to the ground.

Black robes fluttered at the window, long thin and skeletal-looking fingers trying to reach through the bars. A hooded Dementor was at the window, its' hand outstretched to him. Draco stared at the Dementor, transfixed by the creature. He didn't feel cold; didn't feel unhappy. In fact, he felt quite normal. On the ground, Lucius was shivering and muttering under his breath, the Dementor affecting him as it should have.

"Mister Malfoy! Get back, quick!" one of the guards yelled, rushing into the room to pull Draco away from the Dementor.

The guard's warning pulled him out of his trance-like state, and as he looked away from the Dementor, the room began to swim before his eyes. Following the guard out of the room, he leaned against the closed door to compose himself.

"I'll get ye some chocolate, Mister Malfoy. Ye wait right there," the guard said, hurrying away quickly.

Behind the door, Lucius yelled.

The guard returned with chocolate in a few seconds, looking worried as Draco took a bite. "Yer not goin' ter tell my sup'rvis'r, are ye, Mister Malfoy? The Dementors ain't been here for months, an' if they find out they come back on my watch, it'll be me job. I got three young'uns an' another two on the way. Please, take mercy," he said, looking as anxious as he sounded.

"Five children?" Draco asked, swallowing the chocolate. He briefly wondered if the guard was a relative of the Weasley family.

"Yessir. I got pictures if ye want ter see," he said, grabbing onto the change of topic quickly.

"It's fine, thank you. I need to get going. Can you make sure the Dementor doesn't Kiss my father?" Draco asked, running a hand through his hair briefly. It would probably kill his mother.

The guard nodded quickly, and led Draco to the fireplace before returning to check on Lucius.

Draco looked out of the window, seeing nothing but black robes. Thousands of Dementors had surrounded Azkaban. Sighing, he threw Floo Powder into the fireplace and Flooed back to Diagon Alley.

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"Are you all right, Ginny?" Molly asked as she saw her daughter freeze in the middle of the store.

A few metres down the aisle, Lettie also seemed frozen. It was as if time had stopped. Molly didn't like the feeling, and looked at Agnes to ensure she wasn't the only one moving in this time-frozen world.

"Something is wrong. Do not worry, they are fine. Do not touch them," Agnes murmured, putting her hand on Molly's when she moved towards Ginny in concern.

Agnes disappeared and Molly shivered as she saw the look in her daughter's eyes. Yes, something was definitely wrong. Despite recognising this, she didn't want to know what exactly was wrong. Molly had the feeling that she wouldn't like what it was, especially as she instinctively knew that she would not be able to fix it.

Molly started in fright when Agnes appeared suddenly and without a sound.

"We need to go now. I am sorry to cut your day short with Ginevra, but if we don't leave soon, the consequences will be dire," Agnes said.

"Oh... Of course. Can I say goodbye to her?" Molly asked, looking to her frozen daughter once more.

"I am sorry, but you cannot touch her still. But she can hear you," Agnes added when Molly's face fell.

She thanked her with a slight smile and a nod, then moved to stand in front of Ginny. "Be good, Ginny dear. And write to me when you can; I want to know you're all right," Molly said, her voice stern but broken up with the tears that were forming. "I love you, my baby girl. Always remember that."

She reached her hands out, stopping centimetres before she could touch her daughter. With a watery smile, she blew a kiss to Ginny and stepped back.

Molly wiped away her tears quickly, and turned to Apparate. Before she did, she moved further down the aisle to talk to Lettie.

"I'm not sure what role you have in my daughter's life, but I can see you're her friend, and I'm more grateful than I could ever say that you're with her. Look after them both, please Agnes," she said quietly, her words catching in her throat.

"I will as if they were my own daughters," Agnes replied with a nod.

Molly Apparated before her tears could overwhelm her.

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"Where has Draco gone?" Draco heard his mother question Julianne.

He tried to call out, tried to tell her he was only a row of shelves away, but he couldn't move his lips. He couldn't move at all, and he had no idea why.

In his mind, he could hear the calls of his friends. They were frozen too, stuck in various places throughout Hogwarts castle. Luna was the only one lucky enough to be lying down, but it was far from a comfort considering the things that were going through her mind were moving so quickly that they made absolutely no sense.

Ginevra, are you all right? Draco called, trying to pull his mind away from Luna's.

I'm frozen, but fine otherwise. I'm at the wool shop with Lettie. Do you know what's going on?

Not one idea, love.

Vincent's not here, my Lady, Lettie interrupted.

Vince?! Greg, where's Vince? Pansy called.

Gregory had gone out to wait for Vincent's return, but had decided to wait for the last of the carriages in case he was coming back already. Because of the nice weather, the carriages were open and the passengers could be seen easily. Vincent was no where in sight, frozen or not.

He's not back from Hogsmeade. The last of the carriages is coming in too. It's Bones and Perkins. Where is he? Greg asked, sounding sick.

Voldemort, Luna said, and from the images still continuing in her mind, it seemed that would be the only thing she could contribute for a while yet.

Some went completely silent while others started protesting and demanding for more information.

"May I be of assistance, my Queen?" Bexley asked as he floated out of her.

Yes. Is there any way to get us out of this state? Ginevra asked.

"I am afraid not, ma'am. It will wear off in an hour or so," Bexley replied.

"Ginevra, we have to go now. Death Eaters are on their way to Diagon Alley. Julianne has been told and is leaving with Draco now," Agnes said.

Bexley, try to find Vincent please. If Voldemort's got him, maybe one of those Death Eaters will be able to lead you back to where they're holding him captive, Ginevra thought.

With a slight bow, Bexley turned into mist and floated out of the store quickly.

Agnes held her palms towards Ginevra and moved her closer to Lettie. When they were side by side, she placed her hands above theirs and disappeared.

Draco tried yet again to call out as Jules and his mother passed the aisle he was standing in. Both women were looking for him, and when they saw him standing there frozen, they hurried over. Narcissa was careful not to touch him.

"There you are, Draco," she said in relief. "I'm sorry to leave so suddenly, but your father's friends are on their way here. I don't feel up to entertaining them today," she said, trying to keep her tone pleasant without alerting people to the fact she knew Death Eaters were on their way.

While she would have liked to tell people to leave, Narcissa knew that wasn't an option. She had no proof for her allegation, and even if she did, most would assume her to be a Death Eater. If she said anything, she would be in a cell next to her husband. Narcissa loved her freedom more than Lucius.

"Be good, dear, and write me when you can. You still owe me an explanation," she added. Her eyes glanced around the store quickly, and with a strained smile, she Disapparated.

Jules put her hand above Draco's arm, disappearing from the store a moment later.

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Bexley made his way out of the wool shop, keeping himself concealed in shadows. It had been far too long since he had hunted this way, and the thrill of the hunt almost enticed him away to Ollivander's boarded-up store where a young child was scared witless.

No, Ginevra had asked him to do this, and he would not fail her, he thought, staying in the shadows instead.

Moments later, he felt both Ginevra and Draco disappear from Diagon Alley. Mere seconds later, Death Eaters Apparated into the crowded area. Screams echoed in the streets, more people Disapparated to escape the violence. Bexley made himself as small as possible.

There was so much fear. It was delicious, and he craved their fear more than he realised. He inched out of the shadows.

Bexley, try to find Vincent please. Ginevra's words sounded in his mind and Bexley retreated into the darkness once more.

If it weren't for his Queen, then he would be dead. He would have been killed for the mere pleasure of teaching third year students that they could conquer their fear. He wanted to do this task for his Queen. Besides, how often did one come across Royalty who thanked a Boggart? Becoming smaller still, Bexley held him back from every fear, every scream of terror, every delicious emotion that he longed to feast on.

A Death Eater was soon approaching, and Bexley stretched himself out so he looked like nothing more than an extension of the building's shadow. The Death Eater was so preoccupied by his current task of torturing a young family that he didn't notice Bexley float onto the back of his robes.

If he could have glared, Bexley would have. Despite the feelings that the Death Eaters were creating, he still loathed how they were doing it. What if that family was his Queen and King? What if they were being tortured just because they were out for the day? He slid up the Death Eater's back and into his mind briefly.

A sudden fear overcame Dolohov, and his focus on the Cruciatus spell dissipated so much that the family was able to get away. He didn't notice, instead, his mind was caught in its' own terror. What if Voldemort was calling them, and he hadn't felt it? Where were the other Death Eaters? Were the Aurors' on their way? It continued on for what seemed minutes, and then it disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived. Dolohov shook himself quickly, glancing around to ensure that no one had seen what had happened. He blamed the sudden nerves on his age, and then continued up Diagon Alley to where the Carrows were gathering prisoners for their Dark Lord.

Bexley had to force himself out of Dolohov's mind. He sighed softly, content at the terror he had created and fed on. It was good to know that he had control over himself, even as Dolohov's mind seeped its' new fear. Bexley stayed on the Death Eater's robes, waiting patiently until they all Disapparated back to Voldemort's hidden headquarters.

He had a mission to complete.

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Is Bexley back yet? Gregory asked for what seemed like the thirtieth time in as many minutes.

Where's Vincent? Pansy asked, her thoughts worried as she paced their room.

Since they'd unfrozen half an hour ago, Pansy hadn't stopped moving. She'd paced, wrung her hands, did everything to not be still again.

Bexley's not back yet, Ginevra replied as she had done ever since Gregory started asking.

She was lying on her bed in her new room within the mansion. Agnes had shown her there and said that she could have the rest of the night off to relax. The way she said it had Ginevra thinking that relaxing would be a very minimal leisure. She looked to a door that was hidden between two bookcases. It led to Lettie's personal room, and while she had her own door to come and go without disturbing Ginevra, both were grateful for the adjoined rooms.

A moment later, there was a knock at the hidden door and Lettie came inside, looking worried. It was then that Ginevra noticed Lettie's thoughts were purposely vague. She sat up straight, wondering what was wrong.

"What if Bexley hasn't come back because Vincent's dead?" Lettie asked softly, her face pale.

"If that were the case, Bexley would have come back to tell us," Ginevra said, trying to sound reassuring.

Lettie just nodded and sat beside her, sighing quietly.

"He'll be okay, I'm sure Vincent's fine," she added, taking Lettie's hand in her own.

They were silent until Bexley floated into the room fifteen minutes later. Ginevra stood up quickly, anxious for news.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, his voice sad and tired.

"Is he dead?" Ginevra asked, paling.

"No, my Queen. It is much worse," Bexley replied regrettably. "Vincent has become a Death Eater."

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End of the twenty-sixth chapter.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, don't hurt me. Please don't let J.K.R sue me.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Thursday, 30 May

Pansy watched Vincent carefully. He didn't seem any different than before he'd disappeared for two whole days. Actually, that was somewhat of a lie. Before he'd disappeared, he'd been quiet and reserved. Now he was much more lively. He smiled, paid attention to what she said, and even contributed in class and during their homework study sessions.

But there was something definitely wrong. She would have known that instinctively, even if it hadn't been odd that Vincent no longer wanted to have sex, or change in the same room as herself and Gregory. He didn't even like to hold her hand, and more than once, Pansy had caught him rubbing his left forearm subconsciously.

It was obvious that he had been Marked - they all knew it - but Vincent still hadn't said a word about it. That worried Pansy more than she let on, and by the bags under Gregory's eyes, she had no doubt that he was worrying about it late at night instead of sleeping as well.

Luna was still in the hospital wing, screaming about fire and death and other things that sent a chill up Pansy's spine despite not being able to understand it properly. Colin hadn't moved from her side, not even when Dumbledore himself suggested that he leave to at least eat or sleep on a more comfortable bed.

Vincent? Pansy called in her mind, more than the hundredth time since he'd gone, and more than the twentieth that day itself.

There was still no response, and no indication on his face that he'd heard her thoughts. This, combined with everything else that was happening, made her feel nauseous and Pansy left the room quickly, mumbling something about fresh air.

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Ginevra let out a grunt as her body slammed against the stone wall, head head connecting with the large stones and blood seeping out across her scalp and trailing down her neck. Her eyes went red as the smell of her blood filled her nose, and she fought the need to Drink.

She didn't have time to focus on the blood for long, instead Ginevra moved her head sharply to the left as a fist came towards her. Barely dodging more fists and feet that flew at her, she tried hard to fight back.

"Enough," Agnes' voice was quiet, but her one word had everyone stilling immediately. "Drink now. You are allowed three minutes rest."

The vampires in the room were gone by the time Agnes finished her sentence. Ginevra healed her head and slumped to the floor, feeling exhausted. She hadn't anything to Drink in four days, and the amount of bloodshed that was occurring in these training sessions was all but driving her insane.

"You are doing well, Ginevra. Try not to think about the blood, and rather on the change. You have done it before, and you can do it again," Agnes said with a smile, offering her a bottle of water. "Just because you are forbidden from Drinking, it does not mean that you should deny your body necessary fluids," she said when Ginevra looked at her with a frown.

"Thank you," she replied, drinking from the bottle quickly.

She wished it was blood. Draco's blood. His sweet, sweet blood sliding down her throat, the feel of his pulse under her fingers, beneath her mouth, each pump of his heart sending more of that delicious liquid into her...

"How long can we survive without blood?" Ginevra asked, her throat thick with need.

"The longest survivor was six years. However, he also went insane, so I would suggest you gain control sooner than that," Agnes replied, a slight smile on her face.

Ginevra managed a nod and stood up again. By the time she had done so, the vampires she was training against had come back into the room.

"Again," Agnes said.

A foot came towards her, and Ginevra had exactly a half second to wonder how Lettie was going before she dodged the foot, and tried to bring out her Vampiress side.

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Lettie Disapparated from the mansion carefully, as per Miles' instructions. She had no desire to get splinched in a place that not even the Ministry could detect, and therefore, not be healed properly. Shuddering briefly, she composed herself before straightening her jacket. Lettie hoped that she passed for a Muggle well enough. Colin had been helping her with various terms before she left Hogwarts, and had said that she was doing well, but Lettie wasn't sure if he had been humouring her or not. He had no idea that she would need to utilise the lessons so soon, after all.

"Ms. Lettington?" a voice queried.

Lettie turned around a second later, remember the alias she'd used for this.

"I'm Marissa Ferguson. Nice to meet you," the real estate agent said, holding out her hand.

"How do you do?" she asked with a smile, shaking the real estate agent's hand briefly but firmly.

"Well, thank you. Why don't you come inside? I was told that your client is absolutely in love with this apartment?" she said, sounding amused.

She headed upstairs and Lettie had to hurry after her.

"Yes, my Lady is quite taken with the apartment," Lettie replied.

"A Lady?"

Lettie froze on the stairs, her hand heading towards her wand. Had she already screwed up?

"My, how traditional. I haven't heard of many Ladies who still use their title. Well, apart from the Royals, and a few grandparents," Marissa said with a laugh.

Lettie laughed briefly, trying to ease her own nerves. "She comes from a very traditional family; it is all that she has known."

"Of course. Now, would you like to take some photos of the place, or were the ones on the website suitable enough for your client?"

"I am just here to ensure that everything is in order. My Lady will be able to sign the lease when it has been drawn up," Lettie replied, waiting somewhat impatiently for the real estate agent to find the right key to open the door.

"I must say that she is very lucky to have a PA like you then. Most people hate leaving things for other people to decide. Just make sure she doesn't get you painting the walls for her," Marissa said, unaware of the glare that Lettie was directing at her.

"I sincerely doubt that will happen."

The door opened, and Marissa hurried inside to open the curtains and light the apartment naturally.

Lettie followed her slowly, looking at everything critically. The walls were cracked slightly, the carpet stained with an unknown substance, and if she had blinked, Lettie might have missed the kitchen. However, from the window, Lettie could see that it was the same tower that her Lady had seen in her vision, and the other things could be fixed long before they needed to utilise the apartment.

Marissa was standing by the window, looking as if she was trying to compose her anxiousness. This apartment had been on the market for almost two months; something that was all but unheard of in a place that was so close to Central London.

Lettie smiled briefly, but it was somewhat strained after seeing the small size of the second bedroom. Even if it did have a balcony, it looked like it couldn't even fit a double bed!

"Is everything satisfactory, Ms. Lettington?"

"Not quite. We will require an inspection by a qualified pest specialist, mould specialist, and an electrician to ensure that none of the outlets are faulty. My client has instructed me that she will pay 270,000 pounds for the apartment, not a pound more or less. We will also need to meet with the building's maintenance officer, and there will be changes made to the kitchen with both the maintenance people and the council's permission."

Marissa's eyes widened slightly - 270,000 pounds was actually more than the asking price - but she nodded quickly. "Of course, Ms. Lettington. That can all be arranged," she hurried to appease her. "When can your client be ready to sign the paperwork?"

"Contact me when the specialists have finished their reports. I would like to review them before any further action is taken; I do not like to disturb my client if it is not necessary," Lettie replied, handing Marissa a business card.

"You don't have a phone or email address?" she asked, startled by the minimal information on the card. It was no more than Ms. Lettington's name (not even a first name, at that) and an address to write to.

"Phone reception is all but non-existent in my current location, and as the Internet is slow, I hardly bother with it," Lettie waved off, hoping she'd said it all right. "Please mail me as soon as possible; my client is quite eager to move closer to the city."

"Of ... of course," Marissa replied. "Thank you."

Lettie replied with a nod and left the apartment. Heading down the stairs, Lettie didn't stop until she'd walked out of the entire neighbourhood itself. She stopped at a park, resting on the bench and trying to calm her nerves. She couldn't believe she'd done it. She'd passed herself off as a Muggle - a personal assistant, in fact - and she hadn't had to Obliviate anyone!

A small laugh escaped her, and Lettie tried to keep her hands from shaking. She ignored the suspicious look from a mother nearby, even when the woman pulled her son away when he wandered towards the bench. Lettie stayed at the park for a few minutes longer before leaving to Apparate somewhere more inconspicuous.

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Draco snarled angrily as his flight was cut short by another Veelan, a spiked mace swinging towards him. He dodged it quickly, pulling his wings in before the spikes could break his wings. He plummeted down briefly, grabbing the ankles of the one carrying the mace. He wasn't allowed a weapon until he could bring someone else down. Ravi had already chosen his weapon- a crossbow that made him look like a fearsome Cupid.

Wings in, left turn, upward angle, dodge arrow, sword sharp. All of the other Veelans' thoughts were bombarding his mind, and Draco couldn't even concentrate long enough to block them out. He had to get past their thoughts; they were driving him not only to distraction, which could be fatal in its own sense, but somewhat insane as well. It had gotten so bad that Draco could hardly tell which thoughts were his own, and which belonged to his kin.

The person he'd grabbed on to struggled free of his grip, kicking him a few times in the head to do so. He let go with a grunt of pain and flew straight up into the entanglement of bodies above. They were all fighting against each other; yet there were no definite sides that anyone could align themselves to. It seemed that they were all fighting to be the last man standing. Or flying.

That was his thought, at least.

Clinging to the thought, Draco rose higher into the sky. His wings spread to their full length for a brief moment, casting shadows on the Veelans below him. He brought his wings in fast and sharp, diving down into the fray. He grabbed onto the nearest Veelan and continued to plummet down futher and faster. Whoever he had a hold of didn't stand a chance. The momentum of Draco's downward flight, as well as the added combination of his weight and gravity, meant that there was little even a full fledged Veelan could do.

Draco slammed into the ground, still holding onto the Veelan tightly.

"Good work, Draconius. Choose your weapon," Garion said.

Draco let go of his mentor, springing away and staying in the air for a few moments, unsure whether Garion was pleased or not.

"Hurry and choose your weapon before you get dragged back into the fight," Garion added, a slight grin tugging at his lips as he flew up into the air once more.

Draco landed softly and headed to the meagre weapon supply that was left. There were a few maces and clubs, but they were left there for a reason. Unless someone was experienced at flying, a hard swing of a mace could have the Veelan spinning as well, making it a very difficult weapon to fight with properly. There were a set of darts and a pipe, but Draco didn't think he'd be able to concentrate on flying while he was trying to aim and shoot the darts at someone as well.

His ears and body responded before Draco really comprehended what was happening, and he found himself flat on the ground mere seconds before a Veelan could pull him into the air. Getting up, Draco didn't bother to dust himself off. Instead, he chose two daggers as his weapon and flew up into the battle once more.

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Wednesday, 5 June

Vincent slipped out of the room quietly, careful not to disturb his lovers. He shut the door behind him, making sure that the door closed softly and didn't slam. He crept along the corridor quickly, heading to Ginevra's old room.

With one last look around him, Vincent left through the tunnel in the wardrobe. Once inside the dark tunnel, he fastened his pace, not wanting to be away longer than he needed to be.

He didn't notice the Erkling who was running after him, quieter than Vincent's distracted mind could hear. Relo frowned when Vincent stopped suddenly in the corridor, and tip-toed after him as he left through a tapestry door.

The Room of Requirement door appeared after a few seconds of impatient waiting, and Vincent went inside instantly, not even bothering to look around. Relo followed him inside before the door closed, the Room immediately covering the Erkling in shadows as was his requirement.

Vincent weaved his way through the tables and shelves of hidden secrets and forgotten treasures. He did it confidently and without stopping to look at his surroundings, as others might have done. It was clear that he had been in the room before.

Stopping in front of a large cupboard, Vincent opened the large double doors and sat on a stool that materialised. He began to fix the Vanishing Cabinet, mending broken bits of wood while the cupboard's twin sat in Borgin and Burke's shop in Knockturn Alley.

Relo clamped his hands over his mouth when he realised what Vincent was doing. This was not going to be good, not for anyone or anything, he thought decisively, leaving the Room as quietly as he had arrived.

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Lightning crackled in her hair and her teeth extended as Ginevra fought off the vampires. One of the women had said something about Draco, about her Draco, and Ginevra had lost it. She knew that they were just baiting her, but she couldn't help her emotional response. She lashed out at the woman, tearing her cheek with her long nails.

The woman hissed back angrily, jumping at her faster than mortal eyes could see. Ginevra, however, was in her Vampiress mode, so the jump seemed to be in slow motion. She moved away from the attack and pushed the woman to the side, turning to the others as she hit the wall with a loud thud.

They all came at her then, their own Vampiress and Vampire modes coming out completely. They had more control over it than she did, that much was obvious, but Ginevra was angrier and Thirstier than they were. In a matter of minutes, all four vampires were lying on the floor, and Ginevra was standing above them with red eyes and lightning hair.

"Very good, Ginevra. Again," Agnes said.

"Can I have something to Drink?" Ginevra asked, her voice a pitiful sound that even she loathed.

"Not until you have mastered it. Again," Agnes replied, nodding to the others.

Ginevra growled low in her throat, but didn't attack her mentor. Instead, she turned back to the vampires surrounding her, glaring and snarling as if it was their fault she hadn't had anything to Drink yet.

She leapt at them before they had a chance to get up completely, and Ginevra punched and kicked to keep them down.

Agnes just stood to the side and watched, a slight smile on her face.

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Thursday, 6 June

Luna was still confined to her bed, despite waking up almost two days ago. She'd started talking in a mixture of Latin and Greek, and neither Madam Pomfrey nor Theodore thought it wise to let her leave the hospital wing quite yet. She could understand their concern, but lying in bed with nothing to do and everything to See was doing very little to improve Luna's health and mood.

It didn't help things when they'd discovered that before now, she'd never spoken a word of Greek in her life. The language was nice, but Luna would have started talking in Mermish if she thought it would get her out of the hospital ward any quicker. Apparently, the fact that she'd checked herself in was not a factor.

Apollo understood Greek, of course, so Colin came to visit her every day, bringing Luna all of her class work so she wouldn't fall behind. Their final exams were starting soon, and she didn't want to fail. She tried not to think about everything that she Saw when Colin came to visit, trying not to think about the possibility of not having to do the exam, or the death and horror she had seen with it. She tried not to think about betrayal and torture, and tried not to think about the future.

Luna wanted to actually spend time with Colin when he was with her, and despite Cassandra's warnings and the unpredictability of her visions, she tried to actually pay attention and not See.

Colin noticed Luna's determination when he was with her, but said nothing on it, and continued to help her study. He knew how important Seeing was to her - to everyone, in fact - and didn't want her not to See because of him.

"It will start tonight," Luna's voice came out rough as her eyes rolled back into her head.

She clutched Colin's arm so tight that he couldn't move. Pomfrey had been called to the Quidditch pitch to tend to an accident so she couldn't help anyway. Luna was still talking in Greek and Latin, and it took Colin a moment to translate what she was saying into English.

"The greatest one will fall,
Marking the beginning of the fight.
The start of the wizarding war,
Revealed at the greatest height."

Elsewhere in the castle, her sherry-laced tea staining the carpet, Trewlaney was echoing Luna's words.

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Albus finished writing the letters, whistling briefly to Fawkes. The phoenix flew over immediately, leaving once he had the two envelopes in his claws. Albus sighed as he watched the magnificent bird fly up into the sunset. It was usually such a moving and wonderful sight, but tonight it wasn't enough to raise the Headmaster's spirits.

He closed the window and began to pack up his office. He wanted to leave it tidy for when Minerva became Headmaster of Hogwarts, and he had very little time.

Satisfied with his job, Albus began his walk to the Astronomy Tower; the highest point in the Hogwarts castle.

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Vincent watched as Albus stood before him. The Headmaster looked as calm as he ever did or had, despite the fact that Vincent's wand was pointed directly at him.

"You do not have to do this, Vincent. I know that you don't want to," Albus said, moving towards him with slow careful motions.

A flash of an image appeared in Vincent's mind. Pansy, bloodied and broken, her face swollen and her heart barely beating.

"I do have to. I have to protect her, them. I have to do this," Vincent said, his teeth gritted. "G-get back."

"Whatever Voldemort - " Vincent winced, hating himself for it. " - has promised you, I can guarantee that it will not help anything that you think is going to happen," Albus said, stepping closer still.

"He can stop it. He's promised me the power to stop it. She won't be hurt like that. Not ever," Vincent said.

His hand wavered, despite his determination to keep Pansy safe. Vincent didn't want to kill Albus, but if it meant saving Pansy from that terrible fate, then he would.

"You have had many chances to kill me, Vincent. You could have done it any time before now, and you haven't. We both know that you won't now," Albus said, his voice quiet and understanding. "If you come with me now, we can protect you. You can save her."

"I can't. You can't. He's too powerful," Vincent said, his voice wavering more than his hand.

Pansy, bloodied. Pansy, broken. Pansy, bruised. Pansy, dying because he was too weak to stop it from happening.

Suddenly, as Vincent was still convincing himself that this was the best thing to do, Albus raised his own wand, a spell on his lips. Vincent reacted faster than he thought he could, using the Expelliarmus spell to disarm him before he could finish. Albus looked satisfied rather than worried. Seconds later, a dagger was flying at Vincent. This one he didn't have time to deflect, and it embedded itself deep in his chest. Crying out in pain, Vincent fell to his knees, his wand clutched tightly in his fist. He sent another spell at Albus, watching in horror as the Headmaster began to fall back out of the window. Vincent struggled to his feet - to do what, he had no idea - and he tried to reach for Albus. He was too weak from the dagger to get there in time, and Albus fell to his death.

Vincent threw up, sickened by what he had done, as well as the blood loss. He didn't think that pulling the dagger out would be a good thing, but then he hadn't always had four hands. Vincent stumbled to the doorway, doing a spell at his chest to stop the bleeding - it was useful being friends with a healer.

He was losing blood too quickly, and he felt light-headed. The hospital wing was too far away to treat this in time, so Vincent went to the only place he knew where he could keep this a secret from his lovers and his friends: the Room of Requirement.

Still hidden, Harry watched as Vincent left the Astronomy Tower, while outside on the cold ground, the Headmaster lay dead.

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Friday, 7 June

Dear Miss Ginevra Weasley,
I do apologise for interrupting your studies, as I understand how important they are, and how important they will be to come. With this apology, you will understand how reluctant I am to ask anything of you, especially considering you have barely left to start your new life.
Yet, the worst is coming to pass, and I must ask you one favour before I am rid of the ability to ask it of you at all.
I will die tonight, or at least very soon, and while I do not doubt the power and strength of those in my current employment, I do fear that the opposition may be stronger and more powerful at this given moment. Therefore, I ask of you this: please return to Hogwarts and protect the people, creatures, and beings within its' walls.
Again, I must apologise once more, and I hope that this letter finds you well.
Wishing you all the best now and in the future.
Regards,
Albus Dumbledore.

It was a simply written letter, but it managed to bring tears to Ginevra's eyes as she read it. She didn't bother thinking how Albus knew his death was so near; the man had always known things that no one else could comprehend, and he was hardly ever wrong.

Ginevra was knocking on Agnes' door before Fawkes had even left the mansion grounds.

"Come in, my daughter," Agnes said with a smile. Her smile faltered when she saw Ginevra's face. "My dear, what is wrong?" she asked, beside Ginevra in a second.

"It's Albus. He needs me to go back to Hogwarts," Ginevra replied, showing her the letter.

Agnes read it in two seconds, her frown turning into one of sadness. "Very well. I will have Miles organise your transport right away. Have Lettie pack what you need," she instructed, ushering Ginevra out with a firm hand.

"My Lady, is everything all right?" Lettie asked, rushing over. She had felt Ginevra's emotions clearly, and had immediately left the stables to find her.

Miles was beside Lettie, a concerned look on his face.

"We need to get to Hogwarts right away," Ginevra said.

"Oh. Of course," Lettie said, going to leave.

Miles grabbed her hand and moved close to her, murmuring something in Lettie's ear that Ginevra was too preoccupied to hear. A light blush graced Lettie's cheeks and she nodded, her eyes flicking to Ginevra. Miles smiled briefly and let go of her hand, Lettie all but running down the corridor.

Ginevra looked at Miles for a moment, and then hurried after Lettie.

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Draco arrived at Hogwarts mere minutes before Ginevra and Lettie did. He thanked Julianne for bringing him and said goodbye before she left once more. As he was looking at the castle, Draco felt the air shift beside him. He turned with his wand drawn and his Veelan side at the ready. When he saw Ginevra and Lettie appear with Agnes, he lowered his wand and waited.

"This is a perfect opportunity to hone your skills as a Vampiress, and to ensure you have enough self-control," Agnes said to Ginevra, her eyes flicking to Draco.

"Yes, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied, sounding distracted. She hadn't stopped looking at Draco since they arrived. Her eyes were red, and she looked ready to run at him with fangs bared.

Agnes sighed softly and moved so that she was directly in Ginevra's line of vision. "Be safe, Ginevra. If this does turn out the way that Albus thinks it might, then there will be blood. You need to control yourself, is that understood?" she asked, her usually-quiet voice taking on a sterner tone.

"Yes, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied. This time she sounded determined rather than distracted. "I will be safe, and I promise that I will return," she added, smiling briefly.

"You should never make promises that are out of your control, my daughter. There are always too many unknown factors in war, and you cannot control all of them. Just promise me that you will not take any unnecessary risks," Agnes said.

"I promise," she said with a nod. "Thank you for all that you've done for me, Lady Agnes. I truly appreciate it," Ginevra said, hugging Agnes before she could object.

"I thank you as well, Lady Agnes," Lettie said, curtsying when Ginevra let go.

Agnes smiled at both of them and touched their shoulders gently. "It is I that should thank you, but I accept your thanks humbly and I wish for a quick return. Be safe," she said one more time. Agnes disappeared before they could reply.

"All right there, love?" Draco asked, directly in front of Ginevra not even a second later.

"I'm fine," Ginevra said, her face saying otherwise.

"And I'm part Hippogriff," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

Lettie laughed softly with a shake of her head as Draco pulled Ginevra in for a hug. She grabbed their bags and started up the hill to the castle. Moments later, a shudder ran through Lettie's body and she almost moaned. Ginevra was Drinking from Draco. With flushed cheeks, Lettie tried to redirect her thoughts anywhere else, and all but ran along the grass to Hogwarts.

Ginevra's eyes were all but glowing red when she pulled away from Draco, bloody lips curved into a grin. As she licked her lips, the glow began to fade and her brown eyes returned moments later.

"Hello to you too," Draco said, smirking.

"I'd apologise, but I don't think I could mean it," she replied with a grin, kissing him softly.

Draco deepened the kiss immediately, holding her flush up against his body, his hands tight on her waist. Licking her lips, he could taste his own blood. His hands moved up to caress Ginevra's face. A moment later he was holding her head tightly. His fangs sank into her neck. She moaned his name loudly. Blood flowed into his mouth. He felt two sharp points enter his wrist, and realised that Ginevra had taken his arm while he had been preoccupied. How absolutely cunning.

A loud, high-pitched terrified scream had them apart in a second. Ginevra and Draco looked at the first-year Hufflepuff with disdain, glowing red eyes, and bloody lips.

The girl fainted.

Ginevra turned to Draco, half of the mind to leave the foolish girl there and just continue Drinking from Draco.

"It's her own fault for being out here so early," Draco agreed to her silent question. "But seeing red-eyed, blood drinking demons first thing in the morning is probably scarier than anything else the Forest could think of."

Ginevra sighed and rested her head on Draco's shoulder. "Let's take her to the hospital wing before someone thinks we've murdered the girl."

She had barely finished her sentence when a large and familiar figure came down the hill, brandishing a pink umbrella. Hagrid stopped when he saw them, and then looked to the girl on the floor.

"What happened?" Hagrid asked, seeing the blood on their lips. He looked over the girl for injuries, but saw that she was fine.

"She saw us Drinking and fainted," Draco replied simply, not bothering with a lie.

"Why is a first year outside at this time of the morning anyway?" Ginevra asked with a frown.

"The whole castle's in an uproar this mornin'," Hagrid said, shaking his head.

Ginevra noticed the tears in Hagrid's eyes, and looked to Draco with a slight frown. They hadn't heard a thing from their friends, despite the letter that Albus had sent. He looked as perplexed as she felt.

"Professor D-Dumbledore," Hagrid began, his voice choking as large tears ran down his cheeks. "Prof-essor Dumbledore is dead," he said, sobbing into his hands.

Ginevra hurried to transfigure a large leaf into an even larger handkerchief, offering it to Hagrid.

He thanked her in between sobs and tears, blowing his nose loudly.

Grimacing at the sound, Draco looked to the girl who was still lying on the ground. "Will you be able to take the girl to the castle, Hagrid? I don't think she'd appreciate waking up to us," he said, a slight grin on his face.

Hagrid wiped his nose one more time and nodded. Grateful for a purpose, he set his shoulders firmly and picked up the young girl gently. He left without another word.

"Let's get inside and find out what's going on," Draco muttered to Ginevra.

She looked at his bloody lips once with longing, and then took his hand to run to their old rooms.

They arrived there within a minute, and both Ginevra and Draco were surprised to see Lettie just standing in the doorway, looking shocked.

"What's wrong?" Ginevra asked, putting her hand on Lettie's shoulder gently.

Lettie jumped as if she'd hit her hard, her eyes wide. She seemed too shocked to be able to say anything, and even her mind was too stunned for them to interpret properly.

Gently manoeuvring Lettie inside, Ginevra stepped past her cautiously, wondering what had set her into such a state of shock.

"Oh, my," Ginevra murmured softly, seeing the room properly. Rather, what was left of the room.

Everything was a mess, every breakable thing was broken, and pillars and rafters that Ginevra were sure couldn't be broken were splintered and cracked.

"What on earth happened here?" Draco asked, staring as well.

There was noise to the side, and all three raised their wands, not knowing who or what to expect. Neville came through the meeting room door, carrying a large box. He placed the box on the only empty spot on the floor, and looked at them, waiting until they lowered their wands to move closer.

"I'd say welcome back, but it's not really a welcoming atmosphere today," he said in a voice that was more sad and ironic than humorous.

"What happened, Neville?" Ginevra asked. "Pansy would kill you if she saw this mess," she added, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"No, she wouldn't. Pansy was the one who did all of this," Neville replied.

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Vincent woke up with a groan. It seemed that he had made it to the Room all right, and must have had some sort of clarity, because the dagger was beside him on the floor, and his wound was healed. Vincent didn't know if the Room had healed him, or if he had done it himself, but either way, he was grateful, alive, and in a lot of pain.

Sitting up, Vincent groaned again as his body ached in protest. He managed to stand up without too much trouble, and upon walking around, he found that he was in the secret Room of Requirement. He could see the Vanishing Cabinet from where he was standing.

On his forearm, the Dark Mark began to burn.

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On finding that Pansy had basically disappeared moments after her destruction, Ginevra and Draco went to look for her while Lettie helped Neville, Blaise and Seamus clean up the mess. The others had taken Gregory to the hospital wing. He had tried to stop Pansy, but she had hexed him along with everything else in the room.

"I think it'd be quicker if we split up. I'll take the lower levels, and you can take the higher ones," Ginevra said, kissing Draco briefly before she headed down towards the dungeons.

With one last look at Draco, Ginevra turned into a cat, running down the hallway to find her friend.

Draco headed up the staircase, hoping that Pansy hadn't hurt herself too much after everything she'd done and broken.

Twenty minutes later, Draco was making his way up to the seventh floor. He didn't dare use his Veelan charms as he had on lower levels. A stampede of love-crazed Gryffindors would be too much for him to handle.

He almost passed the Room of Requirement, when out of the corner of his eye, Draco noticed that the door was actually in the wall, but it looked exactly like the bricks around it. There was a slight discolouration on one of the door bricks if you knew where to look, and Draco had hidden things in the Room before. Thinking that Pansy may be in there, Draco started to think of his need to hide something, and reached out for the handle.

Before he could even touch it, however, the door blew off its hinges and directly at him. Draco was too close to even think of dodging the oncoming door. Half a second after it burst out of the frame, the large wooden door slammed into him, pushing him back and flattening him to the ground. Draco didn't move.

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Harry screamed so loud that Ron and Hermione considered Stunning him just to get him to stop. He had started almost a whole minute ago, and he hadn't even stopped to take a breath. The shocked look on Harry's face had them both worried, and the fact that he was clutching his scar as if it were trying to burn its' way out of his skin could only mean one thing: Voldemort had come to Hogwarts.

The screaming subsided slowly, and Harry gently peeled his hand off his forehead. His hand, and entire body, was trembling.

"We have to get everyone out," he said, his voice hoarse.

Hermione and Ron both nodded quickly, grateful that he was all right and no longer screaming.

"I'll get Professor McGonagall," Hermione said.

Before she could even stand up, McGonagall rushed into the Common Room. The portrait slammed behind her, the Fat Lady's high-pitched screams indicating that nothing was well outside of the Tower. McGonagall's chest heaved as she leant against the wall. When she saw the Common Room full of students - Harry had brought more attention than scared anyone off - she straightened and looked around for the elder students.

"Seventh years, gather around please," she said, breathless. "Everyone else, return to your rooms immediately. Barricade the doors with everything and anything you can find. Everything will be fine," she added, attempting to sound reassured. "Quickly now, all of you!"

The Headmistress' urgency caught on, and every gathered student hurried to do as she said.

"It's Voldemort, isn't it?" Harry asked, his voice hollow.

"Yes, it is. He knew about Albus' death, and he's come when we are at our weakest," McGonagall said, a mixture of sadness and hate in her voice. "Luckily, most of the students are in their Houses, studying for exams. There are some students who are wandering the halls, but I have the ghosts instructing them all to hide until they can return to their House."

"Isn't there anything we can do, Professor?" Hermione asked, her hand subconsciously moving towards her wand.

"Yeah, we can fight," Ron said, his wand already out.

"No, you are students, and I will not put your lives at risk like that. You are all under my care, I cannot ask you to do that," she replied immediately, shaking her head.

"With all due respect, Professor, I don't think it's up to you whether we fight or not," Harry said.

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Ginevra weaved her way through the dungeons, stopping every so often to look at any sort of movement that could possibly be Pansy.

It took her almost twenty minutes, but Ginevra eventually found Pansy lying on the corridor floor. She was curled up in a ball, her wand clutched in her fist. As Ginevra padded over to her, she could smell the blood that was coming from Pansy's knuckles. She meowed quietly, licking the blood off carefully.

Pansy didn't answer out loud nor in her head, but Ginevra knew that she appreciated her being there. She didn't turn back into a human for the simple reason that it was easier to curl up next to Pansy as a cat. Besides, she could probably offer more comfort as a feline than a mortal.

After a few moments, Pansy began to stroke her fur, large tears dampening Ginevra almost instantly. They stayed that way for a while, neither one thinking about anything that had happened, anything that was going to happen, and not realising what was happening at that moment.

It was only when heavy footsteps came towards them that Ginevra realised something was wrong. Students didn't travel this far into the dungeons purposely, the footsteps were too heavy to be anyone their age, and the people didn't smell overly hygienic either. Unfortunately, Ginevra knew instinctively that it wasn't Filch approaching.

Her fur raised on its end and she hissed, moving out closer to the people. Even in the dark corridor, her cat eyes could see the masks on the people's faces, and she spat and hissed at the Death Eaters.

"That Mrs. Norris?" one asked.

"Probably, Avery... Evil fucking cat."

"Pick her up, we'll give her a kick around," Avery said, laughing.

"I'm not gonna pick her up, you do it."

"Big, evil Death Eater you are, Dolohov. If the Dark Lord heard you talking like that, he'd rip out your heart."

"He'd have to know where a heart was first," Dolohov muttered too low for his companion to hear, but it was much clearer for Ginevra.

Avery came towards her, and she scratched at him angrily. How dare he try to touch her! The Death Eater cried out in pain and sent a hex at her. Ginevra yowled loudly, the Cruciatus Curse no match for her small body.

"Leave her alone!" Pansy yelled, hexing Avery.

The hex distracted the Death Eater, but it wasn't for long, and Ginevra couldn't move to get away anyway. Her body spasmed with the after effects of the Unforgivable Curse. Dolohov hit Pansy with a spell. She flew back against the wall and crumpled to the ground.

"Hey, isn't that..." Dolohov's question trailed off as he looked at Pansy properly. He nudged Avery when he seemed more preoccupied with the cat.

"What?" he muttered, then he looked at Pansy. "Oh yeah, it is too. Grab her and let's get out of here."

Dolohov flicked his wand and Pansy floated into the air. His friend hexed Ginevra one more time, laughing as she spasmed and twitched on the floor. Ginevra screamed until she thought her vocal cords would break. Pain filled her and she screamed and screamed and screamed. If she had any thoughts in her mind that weren't related to the pain she was feeling, Ginevra would have thought that the sound she was making would fill up the entire of the Hogwarts castle.

"Avery, leave the damn cat alone. Get a move on, before Voldemort comes down here himself," Dolohov hissed.

Avery stopped hexing the cat, muttering under his breath as he followed Dolohov out of the dungeons.

A hand reached out of the shadows and Ginevra felt herself being lifted off the floor moments before the world went black.

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Vincent stepped out of the Vanishing Cabinet, biting his tongue in an effort to not scream at the pain the Dark Mark was sending through his body. The moment he was in Voldemort's presence, the pain faded. He sighed in relief, rubbing at his arm briefly.

"Ah, Crabbe. You have fixed the cabinet, how wonderful," Voldemort said.

His words of praise were like a cool bath on a hot day, washing over Vincent.

"And the other matter?" Voldemort asked, the feeling turning to a choking one.

"It is done. Dumbledore... Dumbledore is dead," he replied.

"Good work Vincent. I am pleased," he said smoothly, the choking feeling fading. "Now, we need to get into Hogwarts. Move out of the way."

"Why do you need to go there? Dumbledore isn't a threat anymore," Vincent said, frowning. "Pansy is safe."

"She isn't safe yet, Crabbe. There are those who would seek revenge on those closest to you because of Dumbledore's death. We need to get to Hogwarts so we can keep Pansy safe from them."

Vincent was dazed from his trip through the cabinet, but he could still tell that Voldemort was weaving a silent spell into his words. He was too weak to fight the spell, and with a whimper of protest, he moved out of the way. The moment he was out of the way, Vincent slumped to the ground, Voldemort's second spell taking effect.

"Move him, and let's go back to Hogwarts," the Dark Lord said.

Surrounding him, the Death Eaters cheered.

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A scream erupted from Lettie. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her, surprised and shocked. She had been talking to Neville, and the scream had come mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?" Neville asked, feeling stupid and helpless as he watched her scream in what was obvious pain.

"It has t' be Ginevra," Seamus said.

Ginevra's mind had closed off to them when she turned into a cat, but they hadn't known she had changed form. There was some confusion and worry until Lettie had said that Ginevra was fine. They trusted her, but now it seemed that there was something very wrong, and Ginevra was no longer fine. Added to the fact that Draco's link had disappeared suddenly about three minutes before, everyone was concerned.

"Come on, let's go. If we split up, we can find them quicker," Blaise said, already heading out of the door.

Lettie was still screaming in pain, tears trailing down her cheeks. Padma moved to her quickly. She'd barely touched Lettie's shoulder when her eyes rolled back into her head and she screamed too.

"Padma!" Parvati cried, moving to her twin.

Fred and George both grabbed her around the waist, holding her back.

"You'll just end up screaming too," they said, trying to make her see sense. Parvati kept struggling. "You all go. Make sure our sister and her fiance are all right," Fred and George said.

Blaise, Seamus, Neville, Theodore, Millicent, and Colin left quickly. The first three headed towards the dungeons, while the latter three began up the Hogwarts stairs quickly.

Padma and Lettie continued to scream, no matter what calming spells the twins sent at them. They'd had to Stun Parvati, and she was sleeping on the table. When Fred and George had used every spell they knew, legal or not, and they still hadn't worked, they finally admitted defeat. They cast a Silencing Spell at Lettie and Padma, the sound stopping immediately, but they still continued to scream.

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Ginevra woke up with a pitiful meow. Her head was pounding, and her body was aching. She saw Mrs. Norris next to her, and tried to get up.

You are hurt. Do not exert yourself. It may be better to return to your human form, Queen. It may hurt less, and many are waiting for you, Mrs. Norris said.

She thought better of hissing at the older cat, and Ginevra took a few minutes to become her normal self again.

"Glad you're all right, Miss," a rough voice said, knobbly hands placing a cup of tea in front of her.

"Thank you, Argus," Ginevra said, her voice raw.

She sipped the tea slowly, trying to piece everything that had happened together. She could hear her friends' worry in her mind, but she didn't even have enough energy to reply.

Filch whistled slightly, and Mrs. Norris sprinted out the door before his whistle had even ended.

"She'll come back with yer' friends, Miss," Filch said, giving her a brief smile.

Ginevra nodded in thanks.

"Don't like those Death Eaters here. They're making my halls muddy and scaring the students. That's my job, it is," Argus said, trailing off for a moment. "I couldn't help yer friend, Miss. I'm sorry, I really am," he said, choking on his words as his eyes filled with tears. "I hate being a Squib, I'm bloody useless!" he said, his teacup slamming onto the table.

"You're not useless!" Ginevra said, glaring slightly. "You helped me when no one else could; you saved me. I can't thank you enough for that," she said, her voice gentler now.

Filch looked hopeful, brushing his tears away quickly. "You mean it, Miss?"

Ginevra nodded. "Of course I do. The Death Eaters will think of you as harmless, but you can get information that is vital to their defeat. You're the only one who can do that, Argus."

Argus' eyes filled with pride, he puffed up his chest and flattened down his hair quickly. "Well, when you put it that way, Miss, I'll be glad ter help."

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Draco came to, finding himself being carried. He almost turned Veelan to fight his captors until he realised it was Theodore, Millicent and Colin carrying him.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked, his mind groggy.

"A few things, actually," Theodore muttered. "You almost died, Pansy's still missing, there are Death Eaters in Hogwarts, and Ginevra is the-gods'-know-where."

"What?" Draco said, struggling to get out of their grip.

GINEVRA?

We found her, calm down, Blaise replied curtly.

What happened to her? Why isn't she answering? What's wrong?

There was silence for so long that Draco wondered if they hadn't heard him.

Death Eaters used the Cruciatus Curse on her, she's a bit weak at the moment, Neville answered, just when Draco was about to ask again.

Draco's Veelan side burst out, and his friends lost their grip on him. He rose into the air quickly. The patterns on Draco's face were so white that they looked like they were burning his skin. His wings were trembling in anger, and the look on his face would have terrified Colin, Millicent, and Theodore if they were in control of their own emotions.

Two daggers appeared in his hands. With hardly a whisper, a spell wrapped around the blades. He threw the daggers straight up into the air. They didn't fall down onto him as they should have. Instead, the daggers flew into the middle of the staircase, plummeting straight down. Draco followed without hesitation.

Still on the sixth floor, Theodore, Colin and Millicent made their way downstairs quickly. Draco was so emotional that he continued to have control over them, despite the distance.

Draco flew after the daggers, weaving his way in and out, under and over staircases. With each floor that he passed, students began to file out of classrooms and Common Rooms. Even the ghosts were caught under Draco's Veelan spell. He ignored every one of them, intent on the weapons in front of him. They veered sharply to the right, and Draco barely managed to keep from smashing into the wall. He followed the weapons faster still, and watched as they started to glow hot white.

Avery didn't know what hit him, but he was suddenly lurching forward. He died before he hit the ground.

Hearing his colleague cry out, Dolohov looked down the staircase to see Avery fall forward, daggers plunged deep in his back. He grabbed Pansy out of mid air and pulled a handful of black dust from his pocket. Smoke rose quickly, masking his escape. He heard people coughing in the black air, but continued up the stairs to the Room of Requirement.

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It was Seamus who saw Mrs. Norris first. The cat was sitting in the corridor ahead of them, looking expectant. Which was a very odd expression for a cat to have, really. Neville and Blaise stopped when he did, and saw Mrs. Norris.

She meowed loudly, moving a metre down the corridor and looking back to them.

"Think she wants us to follow her?" Blaise asked, frowning.

Mrs. Norris meowed in response, but it sounded like a very haughty sound, as if she didn't believe that humans were so stupid. They followed her anyway, listening out for anyone or anything. They didn't know what to expect. Argus Filch armed with a tray of tea certainly wasn't on their list of things to expect. But that's what they saw. Even Mrs. Norris looked confused, but she continued along the corridor.

After checking that they didn't have muddy feet, Argus gave the three boys a nod, and continued along the corridors with a whistle. The teapot and cups were balancing carefully on the tray, their rattling the only sound the boys heard for another few minutes.

Mrs. Norris slipped into a room - Argus' office, they noted - and they hesitated for a moment. Then Neville heard Ginevra's voice, and they hurried inside quickly.

"Took you long enough," she rasped, grinning very briefly. Ginevra bit into the piece of chocolate Argus had given to her before he left, and nodded for them to sit down.

"What happened?" Neville asked, sitting across from her.

"Death Eaters. They used the Cruciatus Curse on me," she replied, rubbing her sore throat slightly.

"They've got Pansy?" Blaise asked, already standing again.

GINEVRA? Draco's voice screamed in their minds.

We found her, calm down, Blaise replied curtly.

What happened to her? Why isn't she answering? What's wrong?

Neville looked at Ginevra. She sighed softly and nodded to his unspoken question.

Death Eaters used the Cruciatus Curse on her, she's a bit weak at the moment, Neville said.

"We've got to look for Pansy. Do you know where they're taking her, anything at all?" Blaise asked.

Mrs. Norris hissed suddenly, and they all drew their wands quickly.

"Oh, lay off. I was jus' lookin'," Seamus muttered, closing the drawer to the filing cabinet of confiscated materials.

"We don't need to look for Pansy yet. Give it a few minutes, and we'll know exactly where she's gone," Ginevra replied.

"How? Is this about where Filch was going with the tray of tea?" Neville asked, frowning.

"The Death Eaters won't consider him a threat, and they won't think twice about his offer of tea. Everyone knows that Argus doesn't like the students, after all."

Mrs. Norris rubbed herself against Ginevra's legs, purring.

"That's a lot of assumptions, Ginevra," Blaise said, not looking happy. "I don't like that we're ... "

He cut off so suddenly that Ginevra looked up from Mrs. Norris to see her friends walking out of the door.

"What are you doing?" she asked, frowning.

Mrs. Norris left too, her ears pricked. Ginevra hurried after them, her body still sore. Seeing the identical look in their eyes - even in Mrs. Norris' - Ginevra realised that Draco was doing this.

She tried to call him in her mind to calm him, but she didn't have enough energy to do it. Suddenly Blaise, Seamus, and Neville started running. Mrs. Norris took off at a sprint, and Ginevra struggled to keep up.

Just as they were coming up to the second floor, Ginevra saw two daggers fly into a Death Eater's back. By the person's smallish stature, she figured it was Avery. Draco hovered over him, his entire body glowing white. The glow was actually radiating from him, and Ginevra hesitated for a moment. She'd never seen Draco look this angry before. Students were gathered around him, all of their faces covered with the same murderous look.

Suddenly, black smoke erupted on the third level. As the smoke filtered through the castle, students began to cough and call out. No longer able to see Draco, they were brought out of their trances quickly.

"Go to the third level, find out who did this. They might have Pansy," Ginevra said to Neville, Seamus and Blaise.

They nodded quickly, lighting the tip of their wands to navigate their way through the smoke without walking into the other students.

"Draco!" she called, coughing. "Draco!"

"Right here, love," he said, his wings flapping to create some fresh air. "Are you all right?" he asked, looking her over with a frown.

"Sore and tired, but I'll survive," she replied, hugging him.

He glowed brightly and thought a spell. The black smoke began to disappear slowly, and the coughs lessened. Holding Ginevra in his arms, Draco rose into the air, flying out of the Hogwarts entrance.

"We need to go back in there. They've still got Pansy," she said, struggling to get out of his grip.

"I'll be going back in; you're going to rest. Lettie and Padma aren't well," Draco replied.

Ginevra continued to resist, and by the short time it took to reach the rooms, she had exhausted herself to the point of sleep.

"George! Fred!" Draco called softly, Ginevra's eyes closing as he carried her inside. "Are they okay?"

"They've just stopped yelling," George replied, sighing and rubbing his eyes.

"Bring Gin into the room, we'll put her with them," Fred added, opening the meeting room door.

Ginevra had the sensation of being carried and gently laid down before once more, her world went black.

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Of all of her patients over the many years she had been employed at Hogwarts, there were very few that could ruffle Madam Pomfrey's calmness. She was proud of this, and often made a point of keeping calm no matter what was happening, what had happened, or what was about to happen to the students.

Luna Lovegood was a matter all on her own. She screamed, cried, yelled. She talked in different languages - sometimes Poppy wasn't even sure if they were man-made languages - talked about things that hadn't yet happened, and so far, she was right. Poppy had no idea how to deal with Luna without keeping her permanently sedated. It would help her aching head, at the very least. But she was a Healer, a medic, and she had the students' well-being at heart. She knew that even if she did heal Luna from this, it may not help her in any way whatsoever.

So Poppy just waited for Luna to finish this round of screaming, woke her up gently and gave her a piece of chocolate to eat.

Considering that Luna was still speaking Greek and Latin, it took Poppy a moment to realise that she was speaking in English again, let alone that the young woman was talking to her.

"Please, I need to go. If I don't go now, it will all end," Luna said, her throat raw.

"What will end, dear?" Poppy asked, putting a goblet to Luna's lips.

She drank some and then pulled away to look Madam Pomfrey straight in the eyes. She stared back at Luna, her milky white eyes hypnotising.

"The world."

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Using the corridors and tapestries, it took Draco less than a minute to find the fight between the Death Eaters and Professors and students. It was up on the seventh floor now, too close to the Room of Requirement for Draco's liking. He wasn't surprised to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron at the head of the fight.

Concentrating for a moment, Draco charmed the Death Eaters to look towards him. They struggled and resisted, and with more than one, the years of power and control Voldemort had over them was stronger than anything Draco could produce. He put more power into it, and ten of the thirty Death Eaters looked at him. The distraction was long enough for the students and Professors to disarm, maim or kill the person who was trying to kill them.

As their comrades were killed, the remaining twenty Death Eaters retreated to the Room of Requirement, the door disappearing as the last one went inside. Hexes were moments behind them, and there was more than one cry of pain as the wall righted itself. Harry almost lost his hand inside the wall trying to follow them. Ron and Hermione pulled him back, Harry cursing and swearing that he'd lost his only chance to kill Voldemort.

"That's enough, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said sternly, her lips thinned. When she had everyone's attention, Minerva continued, "If you have been injured, please go to the hospital wing. If you cannot walk on your own, please let a Professor know and they will organise for someone to take you," she ordered.

There was chaos for a few minutes as people tried to organise themselves accordingly. When the last of the injured had left, Draco looked around at the students that remained. There weren't many, but considering for most, it was their first time in a real fight, Draco figured they had done themselves proud.

"Ready to go?" Millicent asked, grinning.

There were deep marks trailing down her arm, blood seeping from them.

"What happened to you?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"One of the Death Eaters transfigured his hand into a sharp rake-looking thing. I got too close," she replied, shrugging slightly.

"No sign of Pansy," Neville said, his voice hollow.

Draco looked at the Room of Requirement door, wishing that it could tell him exactly where the Death Eaters had taken his friend. The stone wall remained as it was, and he felt the urge to scream and curse as Potter had done only moments before. He sighed heavily instead, looking at the bodies on the ground.

"Go through the Death Eaters. If one's alive, make sure we get to question him before the Professors or Ministry," Draco said.

They didn't look overly pleased at the prospect of checking over dead people, but they nodded and began to step between the bodies carefully.

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Luna crept through the rooms, listening intently for anyone. Everything she had Seen in the last few weeks were all leading up to this one decision, and she had less than three minutes to decide the fate of her friends.

Opening the door to Greg, Vincent and Pansy's room, Luna knew that Greg was sedated and Stunned on the bed. She levitated him with her wand, carefully floating him out of the room.

Relo just watched as Luna levitated Greg out of the room, down the corridor, and outside. He was quiet and silent as a dead mouse (live mice were loud), and when they had both disappeared from sight, Relo crept back to sleep under Ginevra's old bed.

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Ginevra tossed and turned in her sleep. Fred and George watched her with slight frowns. Neither Lettie nor Padma seemed affected by whatever it was that was plaguing their sister. They didn't dare wake her, just in case she was Seeing something and it was important.

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Pansy woke up in a cell. Her hands were bound, her wand was gone, and from the way her hair was sticking to her eye, she was sure that she had a head injury of some sort.

"I'm so very glad to see that you're awake, my dear," Voldemort's voice rasped.

Pansy didn't reply and refused to look at him.

"Come now, don't you want to know why?" he asked, humour lacing his tone.

She was still silent, but she shook her head in a negative response.

"Poor Crabbe, he'll be ever so disappointed."

That had Pansy looking at him. She glared at the snake-like man, his scaly skin, red eyes and slit nose making her stomach turn.

"Ah yes, he's been very worried about you. He did all of this for you, you know. I've been trying to get the Crabbe and Goyle heirs for years, and you, you were my key to success. Thank you, my dear," Voldemort said, a hissy laugh coming from his lips.

The sound was creepy and it sent chills up her spine. Pansy tried to move away, to not listen to what he was saying. But she knew that on some level he was right. It was her fault Vincent was a Death Eater.

"Would you like to see Crabbe now, my dear? I assure you, he is better than he ever was."

Pansy didn't want to look, she couldn't bring herself to look, but Voldemort used a spell to hold her in place. She had no choice but to watch as Vincent Crabbe, her boyfriend of three years, walked into the dungeon. The Dark Mark was displayed proudly on his left forearm.

Pansy felt sickened just from looking at it. She was forced to watch as Vincent walked towards her with stiff movements. He opened the cell and she was still under Voldemort's spell so she couldn't even command herself to move and escape. Vincent began removing his robes methodically. Again, Voldemort did that creepy hiss of laughter, and Vincent closed the gap towards her. His fingers nimbly worked at her torn robes, and Pansy would have thrown up if she could have.

With whatever control she had left, Pansy shut off her mind link to everyone. She willed herself to turn to stone and not feel a thing.

Stones can still be smashed, and as Vincent entered her body, Pansy's mind yelled one final scream as she shattered.

-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-...-

Ginevra woke up, throwing up over the side of the makeshift bed she was on.

A goblet of water was held to her lips a moment later. She drank a small amount slowly, her body trembling.

"Did you See something?" Fred asked.

"Do you need a dreamless potion?" George asked.

"Later," she replied to both of their questions.

They let her be for the moment, and Ginevra held her arms around her knees tightly, rocking slightly as she tried to process everything. She almost wished that she could forget.

Draco came into the room, gathering her into his arms. She cried.

"Excuse us, Gin?" Fred and George said a few minutes later, sounding apologetic.

She looked at them, her tears still falling.

"It's Greg," George said.

"He's gone," Fred said.

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(a/n: Thank you for reading.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter.)

28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Disclaimer: I donÕt own Harry Potter and I donÕt make money from this.

Read on, oh faithful ones...

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Chapter Twenty Eight

Friday, 7 June. Nearing midnight.

Making her way deeper into the forest, Luna stopped in a clearing to ensure that she hadn't smacked Gregory into any trees unintentionally. Running her wand over his still form, Luna removed leaves and splinters from his body, healing any bruises the best she could.

Gregory twitched, his hand brushing her robes. Luna frowned, Seeing ahead in case this would cause problems. A moment later she sighed heavily. There would be problems no matter what; she just had to hope that it wouldn't be the worst ones.

Leaving the clearing again, Luna carefully made her way further into the forest. She listened to the forest around her, trying to pick out the sounds she had heard in her vision. A mouse squeaked in alarm, an owl hooting its' victory a moment later, the mouse swallowed whole. That was it. This was the place.

Guiding Gregory down to the ground softly, Luna turned slightly and stepped forward, trying to remember exactly what she had Seen. There wasn't much left to her vision but for what happened after these moments, so she wasn't entirely sure what to do or how to continue.

You are almost there, daughter. Carefully now, it is active, Cassandra's voice warned her.

"Still? I thought they would have shut off after all this time," Luna replied.

They did; Ginevra brought every single one to life during the events of The Vision, Cassandra replied.

"Do you know if this is the right one, Cassandra?" Luna asked, reaching out to touch the stone.

It is certainly large enough, she replied in amusement.

A groan sounded behind them, and Luna turned to face Gregory.

"Luna? What's going on? Where's Pansy? Has anyone found Vince yet?" he asked, firing question after question at her until she felt slightly dizzy at his intensity.

Raising her wand, Luna shot a calming spell at him before he had the chance to move.

"Stay quiet, please. I am not fully recovered, and I do not have the energy to answer all of your questions yet. Please," she added, in case he was going to say anything else.

Gregory closed his mouth and tried to let the calming spell work.

"Pansy and Vincent are still being held by Voldemort. Unfortunately, that is not as important as what is happening here," Luna said.

Her comment angered Gregory and he stepped forward with a clenched fist. "Nothing is more important than them! Unless you can get me to them somehow, then I don't give a fuck what else is happening."

"You care about them more because they are your irrevocably entwined with your future, is that right?" Luna asked, ignoring his hostile tone.

"Of course."

"Then consider this: if you do not do what I have set into motion today, there will be no future for you to share with either of them. If you go back to Hogwarts now, all three of you will die. That I have Seen and nothing will change it, no matter how large or small the deed."

Gregory was silent, looking at Luna, and then to the stone behind her. The stone looked like a door frame, three rocks sitting in the rectangular fashion. It wasn't the stone that drew his gaze, but rather the shimmering blue light encased within it.

"What is it?" he asked finally.

"It is a transportation portal. Way back when, Apparating was still not possible, and wizards needed to use these portals to travel to distant places. Most have been inactive since Apparating was first accepted and used. This particular portal leads to the troll camp near Romania. Well, it should," Luna murmured, her voice quieter on the last part.

Gregory scoffed, disgust evident in his eyes. "You think I'll go to them now when they refused me earlier this year?"

"Yes," she replied simply. "You were not ready for their life then, but you are now. Are you ready to leave, or would you rather return to Hogwarts?"

Gregory looked at Luna for a long while, contemplating everything she had told him. She had never lied to him, and had never been wrong about anything she had Seen before; why would now be any different? He sighed heavily, feeling sick at the prospect of leaving everything - and everyone - behind. Especially when Pansy and Vincent were at the hands of Voldemort.

"Tell me the truth, Luna. Will I see them again if I leave now?"

A lump seemed to form in her throat, her eyes tearing up. She knew the answer but did not wish to tell him.

Tell him the truth, daughter, Cassandra said softly, guiding her where she couldn't See.

"You will see Pansy again, but not Vincent," Luna said, her voice as soft as Cassandra's in her mind.

A choked sob escaped him as he fell to his knees, a cold shiver flowing through his body. He stayed where he was, kneeling on the ground, for less time than he felt pass. When his heart finished breaking, Gregory stood up and walked towards Luna, towards the portal, and towards his future.

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Wednesday, 12 June

Ginevra ducked under the fist coming towards her, retaliating with a low sweeping kick. Her attacker jumped over it quickly, sending a hex towards her. Pulsing with magic, Ginevra blocked the spell and sent a wave towards her opponent, knocking them out instantly.

"Revive Moon and start again!" Moody barked.

Pulling the wave back to her, Ginevra woke Sidney Moon at the same time and offered her a hand.

"Thanks," the young Slytherin muttered, standing and brushing off her robes.

"You've got to start using more defensive spells, Sidney. You won't be able to attack everyone all the time," Remus said. "And Ginevra, don't rely so heavily on your magic; it will deplete your energy quickly."

Both girls nodded. Sidney had a piece of chocolate and they started once more.

As she dodged the other girl's foot, Ginevra was hit with a well placed hex. It sent her spiralling across the grass, stars in front of her eyes. The last week flashed before her eyes in an instant.

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Flashback

McGonagall looked at all of the students before her. Ginevra and her friends looked back, all of them tired, sore, hurt, and defiant. They were patrolling the Great Hall with the few Professors who hadn't been injured badly, and Minerva was surprised to realise that she actually felt safer with the students guarding them too.

"We're not leaving. They're coming back, and we will fight," Ginevra said stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest.

"So will we. We're not going anywhere either," Harry said for himself, Ron and Hermione.

His two friends were near the back of the Great Hall getting their wounds tended to by Theodore.

"You've got Horcruxes to find, Harry. You can't stay here," Ginevra said before McGonagall could say no to both of them.

"How... How do you know about them?" Harry said, his voice a suspicious hiss.

"I'm not deaf, and you talk loud when you think others are asleep," Ginevra replied, giving him a pointed look. "You three will have to leave the moment you're healed if you think you'll be able to defeat Voldemort."

Harry didn't look overly pleased at being told what to do, but she knew that he could see what she'd said made sense.

"Professor, I suggest that you wait until they have left so they cannot betray us to Voldemort if they are ever caught," Ginevra added to Minerva when she went to speak.

With an annoyed huff, Harry turned away and stalked down to his friends. Ginevra ignored his childish attitude and hoped that whatever he would go through to find the Horcruxes would purge him of his naivety.

Twenty minutes later, the Golden Trio left the Great Hall, and Mad-Eye returned soon after that to report that they had left the grounds as well.

McGonagall stood in front of the teachers' table, drawing everyone's attention. "First of all, I would like to apologise to each and every one of you that this has happened. Before today, Hogwarts was considered a safe place against Death Eaters and Voldemort. Today, that was proved to be very wrong," she said, her eyes landing on some of the more injured students.

Black flags hung from the rafters for those who had been killed.

"I am offering you two choices. The first is to go home. The train has been equipped to return to London tomorrow morning, and your parents will be contacted immediately. The second choice is for you to stay here to train for the upcoming war. To do this, you must have your guardians' or parents' permission. Remember that you can always change your mind and return home at any time. You will not be thought any higher or less of, no matter which decision you make," McGonagall said, her voice firm. "If you would like to leave, please sign this parchment," she said, a scroll appearing to her left. "If you wish to stay, please sign this parchment. No matter which you sign, your parents or guardians will be contacted," she said, another materialising on her right.

"Excuse me, Professor?" Draco said, a slight hint of humour in his tone.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'm staying to train and fight. However, I do not know what sort of hold Voldemort has over my mother, and my father is in Azkaban. I'd prefer if neither knew what I plan on doing," he said.

"Very well. Are there any others in the same predicament?" McGonagall asked. "Mr. Longbottom?" she said, surprised that he had raised his hand.

"My Gran won't let me fight," Neville said, knowing it to be the truth. "I'm not leaving, no matter what. I'm almost seventeen."

Unfortunately, Minerva knew exactly what his Gran could be like, and nodded her understanding. "Very well."

"Whoever's not hurt badly, get outside. We start training now!" Moody yelled.

Some students signed the parchment to leave, but most signed the one to stay. Moody grinned at Ginevra, and she knew what he was thinking: how long would it take for the list of brave students to dwindle down to a select few because the training was too much for them to handle?

End flashback

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Ginevra sat up, her head still spinning. The amount of students had gone down, but not as many as she'd originally expected. Surprising everyone, Sally Anne Perkins had signed on to stay and was actually doing well.

"All right, Ginevra?" Sidney asked, offering her a hand.

"Fine. Thanks," Ginevra replied, taking her hand and standing.

While she still had her hand, Ginevra turned and flipped the girl over her back. She landed on the ground with a thud, breathless. Moody chuckled behind them, amused at Sidney's expression.

"Let your guard down, girl," he said.

A hex flew at Moody and he barely deflected it.

"So did you, Professor," Sidney replied, smirking.

Ginevra looked over at the setting sun and sighed softly. She had to return to the vampire mansion soon and continue her training there. Draco caught her eye and grinned, moving towards her. The students fighting and training around them made way almost automatically; it was now custom for Ginevra and Draco to say goodbye before they left. It was a passionate goodbye every night, and although most of the students turned away, they were all spurred on by the passionate display. They fought so that, one day, they would be able to have the same thing with someone they loved.

Breaking their kiss gently, Ginevra sighed and leaned her forehead against Draco's. "I'll miss you, love."

"As I you," he murmured in reply.

"All right, love birds. Break it up. Get on with you already," Moody muttered, rolling his good eye at them.

Lettie stepped forward and took Ginevra's arm. She gave Draco a smile, and with a soft flutter of material on the wind, both women disappeared.

"Train well, my Lady. I will return with your report later," Lettie said.

"Thank you, Lettie. Good luck with your training too. See how you fare against the twins tonight," Ginevra said.

"Which ones, my Lady?"

"Both, if you think you can handle it," she replied, grinning.

Lettie returned her grin and gave a slight curtsy before returning to Hogwarts. Her ability to move from Hogwarts to the vampire mansion and Veelan house had been discovered by accident one night when she had been too tired to remember that she couldn't actually Apparate in and out of Hogwarts. It was put down to the leather band and feather around her wrist, considering it was from two of the oldest of both species.

Ginevra sighed as she thought about Lettie fighting the twins. Fred and George had become makeshift leaders; instructing the students long after the Professors had gone to sleep. They had taken it upon themselves to train the students harder than the Professors would have allowed, knowing that the war would not be won otherwise. Again, those who remained surprised her: they had accepted the extra training eagerly, and some refused to leave until they had mastered whatever it was Fred and George were teaching them that night.

Parvati and Padma took over the training on the nights Fred and George were too exhausted to do more than cast a silencing barrier. One of those nights had been the time Ginevra had sent them on a very important mission: to find Ollivander.

She had Seen exactly where he was, but had no time or way to get to him. Ginevra had taken George and Fred aside when Draco was preoccupied and outlined what she'd needed from them. They'd left immediately, not questioning her or a single hesitation. They'd reported early the next morning that Ollivander had been found and was somewhere safe.

It was intriguing to know that Ollivander was actually part-dryad, and had been alive for so long that he knew how to change into a branch as well as an entire tree. He had hidden in a wand box soon after receiving news of Voldemort's desire to capture him, and despite being thrown around with the other wands in his shop, Ollivander had only suffered a few bruises and stiff bones.

Ginevra kept the information to herself, remembering the vision where Draco had tried to find Ollivander, and redirected his attention when Draco asked where the twins had gone.

"Ginevra, are you ready?" Agnes asked, knocking on the door.

She sighed softly and stretched briefly. "Coming, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied and left her room to begin another night of her vampire training.

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Draco could barely keep his eyes open. Lettie gave him a sympathetic smile, and continued with her report quickly.

"The twins want to start training with actual weapons but the teachers are hesitant about it."

"They'll get over it in time; Death Eaters aren't known for sticking to their wands during battles," Draco said.

Lettie nodded. "That's what the twins said." She stood stiffly, her body aching.

"Are you all right, Lettie?" he asked, trying to stay awake.

The Veelas took full advantage of the fact that he didn't need to sleep as long as others. They were trying to bring out his vampire side without success so far.

"I am aching but otherwise fine, thank you for your concern," Lettie said with a brief smile.

She could have said that she was dancing with purple Hippogriffs and Draco would have just nodded and fallen to sleep.

"Sorry, Lettie. You should go to Ginevra now. I'm no use to anyone at the moment," he muttered, his eyes closing.

Lettie smiled again and levitated him out of the room. Floating him down the corridor, she ignored the veela women that passed her. They were fine with her presence, as was she with theirs, but she couldn't help but feel plain beside them. More so than usual, at least. It was difficult to be the only ageing woman among eternal youth, and Lettie always left the veela house as soon as possible.

"Good morning, Lettie. How are you tonight?" Jules asked, smiling as she helped her put Draco on his bed.

"Slightly sore today, Lady Julianne," she replied truthfully.

"Who hurt you?" Jules asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I did. Well, I encouraged it, at least. I was training with the twins," Lettie replied, rubbing her shoulder with a frown.

"Ginevra's brothers, or the Patil twins?" Jules asked.

"Both," Lettie replied, her frown turning sheepish when Jules looked at her sharply. "I know, I wasn't ready."

"And why, may I ask, were you training against both of them if you knew you weren't ready?"

"My Lady wanted me to train against them if I was ready. I thought I was," Lettie replied, continuing with a sigh, "I just don't feel that I'll ever be strong enough to protect her. I need to get stronger quicker."

Jules saw the determination in the girl's face, and with a sigh, placed a hand on the companion's shoulder. She healed the bruise with a thought, and silently led her from the room.

"It seems we need to have a talk, Miss Lettie," Jules murmured.

"What about, Lady Julianne?" she asked, looking back to Draco's room anxiously. "My Lady is expecting me, I really should go."

"This will not take long, and it is important that you hear it," she replied, leading her into a small room adjacent to the library.

Lettie nodded and sat on a chair reluctantly.

Jules looked at the girl before her. Lettie's body was older than Julianne's own sixteen years, but the difference in their mind's age was staggering. It wasn't surprising though; this was only the girl's second life. Her first had been full of vanity and jealousy, the second now full of loyalty and braveness despite the fear. Lettie reminded Jules so much of her own companion that she felt a need to protect her as she had not been able to do for Kendra.

"I'm not sure how much you know of my past, Lettie, so I will start at the beginning: the announcement of my death."

Lettie's eyes widened slightly and she became more attentive to Jules' words.

"Kendra and I had been friends for our entire lives, and had the unfortunate circumstance to fall in love with the same boy. He chose me. I need not tell you what jealousy can do to a person," she said, and Lettie reddened. "Within a week, Kendra had told the village that I had entranced and bewitched the boy to love me. Her family had high standing within the village, and while most did not believe her, I was still required to attend a trial on the accusation of witchcraft. Bribes were made, promises of flesh and power were given, and within two hours of my trial beginning, I was deemed a witch. My sentence was that I was to be burned at the stake the next day. My brother, Xavier, tried to fight it with everything he had. He prolonged my time allowed, and I was given an extra week to live.

"During this time, Kendra continued to spread falsehoods against me, weaving my every achievement into a spell or a potion brewed in the dead of night. I didn't mind, as I knew they weren't true, and spent as much time with my family as possible. My brother came down with the plague two nights before my death, and I knew that no doctor would see him because of my connection to him. I left and returned with his lover, Agnes, who at the time, knew more about plants and medicine than I could have ever hoped. Xavier was too far into the plague's sickness to get past it with anything Agnes could have concocted. Instead, she Turned him into a Vampyre so that he might survive.

"My death went on as planned, and despite my brother's newfound power, he could not save me. Artemis awoke in my mind and informed the village that death would not stop me from living. She shielded me from the worst of the fire, and I died to the sound of her singing and my family screaming.

"I awoke fifty years later inside my coffin. My body was healed and I still had my memories, thanks to a boon from Hermes. Artemis took me from my coffin, and I soon discovered that my mother had died from grief and madness. My brother had gone mad as well, and Agnes had left with him before he could slaughter the entire village. I was still curious, and went to the village to see what had changed after my death.

"Much of it was the same, some of it was not. I was seen by some of the villagers that night and thought to be a ghost. They devised that the only way to appease this ghost was to kill the person that had caused its' death. After my death, Kendra had been all but banished to the edge of town. As I had said, her family still had high standing within the village, and they could not banish her completely.

"Kendra was dragged out of her house. She had gone mad with loneliness, and was avoided even more for it. I saved her from the villagers' wrath and took her with me. I made her my companion after she had recovered from the shock of everything that had happened. As it was Veela blood flowing through her, she regained some of her former beauty, and her life was tied with mine."

"Veela blood?" Lettie echoed, frowning in confusion.

"Yes. Vampires are not the only ones who create bonds with blood. It is the life force inside of us, and it is as precious as a person's soul. To give it away is to give life and love and everything combined with both; it should not be done haphazardly," Jules murmured.

Lettie nodded sombrely, and Julianne continued with her tale.

"Kendra was a faithful companion, grateful for the life I had given her. She too, wanted to protect me in every and any way she could. We trained for years, joining the Veelas at Artemis' instruction. A few years later, my brother and I discovered each other. Soon after, the first Veela-Vampire war broke out. Oh yes, we have been fighting for much longer than this one war. Neither I nor my brother wanted to fight the other, and we went to camps that were the furthest away from each other. It was a mixed blessing, for while I never saw my brother during the war, I was in one of the harshest camps possible. We led the war and we were winning. Kendra was captured the night before the final battle. She had been seen with me by the opposition and they could tell that she wasn't a veela. They thought that she would be easy to break, and if she didn't break, then they'd have a fresher lunch than they'd had in weeks.

"I met Garion in the war, and often left Kendra alone to be with him. The opposition knew that I wouldn't stay away from him the night before a large battle, and they were right. I'd barely been gone for five minutes when they stole into our camp and took Kendra. She fought them, killing one of the vampires with her dagger. When they were busy fighting her off, Kendra managed to cut out her own tongue. She knew that she was a liability and didn't want to betray me or my kind. The dagger was an old one, made by goblins. It recognised its' owner and healed the wound as it cut into her. There was no chance of recovering her speech once that had happened.

"The vampires still took her with them, planning on using her as an example. I had felt what was happening, but hadn't made it to her in time. I ignored every rational part of me that said it was insanity to go and get her from the vampires. Within an hour, I had a small group of the strongest with me, and we took off after them. The vampires were faster, but we were fast enough. I got to Kendra mere moments before they started slicing her body to pieces. I killed as many as I could, and Garion killed the rest that tried to kill me. Overprotective males are so much worse when they're Veelan," Jules said with a slight grin.

Lettie returned the smile briefly, thinking of Draco and Ginevra's relationship.

"While the war was won, and Kendra was fine, she never spoke again. I still talked to her as if she could, and we managed to communicate with a crude form of sign language. She continued to train in order to protect me, and was both my guard and friend. She was my maid when I performed my marriage ceremony to Garion, and was as dear to me as I was to her.

"Another war broke out, this one with wizards," Jules said, and the hostility in her voice surprised Lettie. "They used their wands and magic to kill hundreds without remorse, just to show that they were more powerful than us. By the time we figured out how to fight back, we'd lost almost five hundred of our kind," she said, answering Lettie's unspoken question. "Kendra fought beside me, as she always had, despite the fact that she knew she wasn't ready to fight this enemy. In order to save me from one wizard, Kendra jumped in front of a curse meant for me. She was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse right before my eyes... It wasn't an Unforgivable back then, and even if it had been, war makes people do things they wouldn't normally do."

"Did... Did she survive?" Lettie asked, horrified.

"Unfortunately, she did. The Cruciatus Curse had driven her to such insanity that she didn't recognise me, even with our blood and soul bond. There were some moments of clarity, but they were rare and she only ever said one thing to me: kill me, please. I didn't want to, I felt sick at the thought of it, but I knew that I had to do what she had asked. The fact that she was so weak was killing her from the inside out, and she refused to eat or heal. I did as she asked on the seventh of December, one-hundred and thirty two years after saving her from the villagers in our old hometown."

Lettie was silent and stayed that way as Julianne cried silently, tears running down her smooth cheeks.

"I don't understand, Lady Julianne. Why tell me all of this?" Lettie asked a moment later, her voice quiet yet confused.

Drying her tears, Jules sighed and looked at Lettie. "While your loyalty to Ginevra is applaudable, you must remember that if you are not ready for something, your injuries will only hurt her more. I was heartbroken when I lost Kendra to more than she could handle, and if I am right in thinking, Ginevra will feel the same at losing you. You mustn't put her through that sort of emotional trauma when it can be avoided simply by having some common sense. Don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger. Understand?"

Lettie nodded briefly, and left when Julianne bid her good night. She made her way through the veela house automatically, disappearing to the vampire mansion without really realising it.

Ginevra was already asleep, exhaustion on every feature of her face. Lettie went to her own room to sleep as well. Sleep didn't come straight away, and she wondered if Kendra had ever loved anyone.

When sleep finally took her, Lettie dreamed of fires and blood and tongues.

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Friday, 14 June

Gregory growled, swinging his club at his opponent. It connected with a loud smack, but it didn't stop the troll coming towards him. They grappled for a moment before pulling apart, judging the other and waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Luna had come through the portal with him and walked towards the troll camp confidently. She hadn't fought when they'd captured them, and Gregory stayed submissive as well. Luna had asked to see the King, and surprising Greg, her request had been allowed. He had been released from his gaol cell a few hours later, and given an ultimatum. If he could defeat seven of the trolls' strongest warriors, then he could stay and train with them. If he won, he would lead the trolls and their ogre cousins into the war. If he lost, he would be killed, his flesh eaten, and his head would be displayed on their borders.

This troll was his sixth opponent, and one of the most resilient so far. Knocks and blows that had sent others flying only made this one move back a few feet.

A snarl left his lips and Gregory gathered his energy, swinging his club back high. The troll saw his chance, rushing in quickly. Gregory gave a cruel smile and his free hand backhanded the unsuspecting troll. He flew across the field, Gregory after him in a moment. Looking down at the fallen troll, he ensured that he was unconscious before turning to the King, who was seated with the other spectators. The King nodded at him, and Gregory waited indifferently as the trolls cheered.

"Your next opponent, Griselda," the King announced, indicating to the final warrior.

Silence fell immediately.

The only thing Gregory could do was stare. He had to fight Griselda. Princess Griselda. The King's own daughter was his final opponent?! How could he fight her and live? To win against those of Royal blood meant death - it was not wise to be surrounded by others stronger than you when the crown was so sought after. Yet if he lost, it still meant his death.

Gregory gave a bow to the King and his daughter before leaving to his quarters to prepare his battle on the morrow. As he had done only a week ago, Greg had to trust that Luna was right. She wouldn't have brought him here only to meet his death. Would she?

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"Good morning, my dear," Voldemort hissed. "Time to wake up," he murmured with a sadistic smile, pointing his wand towards the cell.

Pansy woke with a scream, the Cruciatus Curse ripping through her body as it had every morning since she'd been captured. When he was satisfied, Voldemort let the spell dissipate. Her screams echoed the fading spell, her sobs the only thing that could be heard for a few minutes. Voldemort revelled in her weakness, watching every heave and racking sob her body made.

"I have a present for you, my dear," he said, smiling that smile once more.

Pansy moved to the wall furthest away from him and whatever present he'd thought of this time.

"Don't you want to know how your friends are faring?" Voldemort asked, tutting his disappointment.

She stilled immediately, her eyes flicking to the cell beside her. Vincent was lying there, dying slowly from wounds both self inflicted and forced. Voldemort laughed softly, a chill working up her spine. Pansy looked back to the Dark Lord and inched forward.

"Good, my dear. That's it, come closer," he murmured.

When she was as close to the bars as she felt safe, Pansy stopped and waited.

Voldemort's lips curved into a smile, his teeth sharp. He flicked his wand and a myriad of photos appeared on the ground before her. Pansy didn't like looking away from Voldemort for very long - if she did, that was when the most hexes and curses were aimed at her - but she couldn't help herself. She had to know how her friends were. Glancing down, Pansy almost threw up when she saw the bloodied bodies of all of her friends: Millicent, Padma, Parvati, Fred, George, all of them were in the pictures.

Blood surrounded them, cuts and burns from Dark hexes littered their bodies. They were lined up, all fifteen laying there completely motionless. Gregory - oh gods' Gregory - was one of the worst, more hex burns and cuts on his body than the rest combined. Even Draco and Ginevra had less than him. Pansy frowned slightly, the action not seen by Voldemort.

Pansy prided herself on being able to think rationally, and somewhere in what was left of her slowly breaking mind, she knew that Ginevra and Draco would never let their friends be harmed as bad as this. They were Full Bloodied beings now, and they would have been at the head of whatever battle they were fighting, giving them the opportunity to be hexed and hurt more than anyone else they were leading.

"No one is coming for you, my dear," Voldemort said, his voice a sadistically gleeful whisper.

Pansy looked up at him, fury in her eyes. She spat at him, blood and saliva hitting Voldemort square on. He hadn't expected her show of rebellion, and for a moment, he did nothing but let it slide down his face. Wiping it off with a fast motion, he glared at the girl in the cell.

"Crucio!" he hissed, his anger adding more power to the spell.

Her body convulsing, Pansy screamed as pain ripped and tore through her.

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Saturday, 15 June

Vincent twitched slightly in his fitful sleep. He was completely paralysed, a cruelty given to him by the Dark Lord himself. Voldemort had tired of hexing him, and so, he had paralysed him thus and put him in a cell next to Pansy. Vincent was forced to lay there as Death Eaters raped her - as he had done under the Imperius Curse - and he was forced to listen to her screams as Voldemort hexed and tortured her on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. He was helpless to help her, helpless to do anything. He was dying slowly, guilt eating at him faster than malnourishment. He had done this. He had wanted to save Pansy from this fate, and in the end, he had caused it.

He didn't know how long it had been since they had been captured, nor how long he had been paralysed. It could have been days, or simply hours. Vincent tried to move, yet again, but it was useless. He was bound too tightly by hexes, spells, and by the Dark Mark on his left forearm. It burned and sent waves of pain up his arm and through his body. The pain that pulsed clouded his mind, making it impossible to concentrate on anything for very long. It seemed to lessen when Voldemort was in the room, but then Pansy would be screaming and yelling and crying, and his mind screamed and yelled and cried with her, for her, for his uselessness, for his stupidity, for her to not feel a thing.

Vincent was hallucinating by the time mid-day came to pass. He hadn't slept in days, hadn't eaten in even longer, and the last drink he'd had was nothing more than a hazy memory. In his hallucinations, he could see Draco beside him. He didn't seem angry with him, and Draco was even murmuring words of forgiveness. Vincent tried to tell her that he couldn't sleep, that Pansy was being hurt, that he had to help her but couldn't. He needed to stay alive long enough to save Pansy from what he had caused. Draco nodded; he promised that he would save Pansy if Vincent could tell him where they were. Vincent thought it odd that his hallucination didn't know where he was, but answered anyway. They were at the Riddle House in Little Hangleton, Lord Voldemort's main headquarters, although he had other places throughout the country, all of them inheritance from his Muggle-born father's death.

He stopped in surprise. He'd never been told that, so how did Vincent know that Voldemort was a half-blood? Or that his houses were from an inheritance? Vincent twitched slightly, his body's nervous system still trying to fight the spell.

There was a hand in his hair a moment later, and Vincent's hallucination of Draco disappeared to reveal Pansy. Maybe it was another hallucination, but he could see bruises and blood on her face, her hair stuck down to her forehead with the red liquid. She was real and she was as close to him as she could be through the bars of their cells. He tried to smile, tried to reassure her, tried to give her some semblance of his somewhat sanity.

"Don't struggle, love," Pansy murmured, stroking his hair softly.

Her fingers caught in tangles, knots made from blood and sweat.

Vincent's eyes stared at her, trying to convey something she couldn't interpret. Then his eyes, his beautiful eyes, began to glaze over as Death approached. Pansy choked back a sob and quickly moved her hand to hold his.

The hallucination of Draco appeared once more, and Vincent reluctantly looked away from Pansy.

"Come, Vincent. It's time for you to go," Draco whispered, his wings spreading wide as he offered his hand to him.

Vincent sat up and looked to Pansy once more, a tear rolling down his cheek. "I love you, Pansy. I never meant for any of this. I'm sorry," he murmured, kissing her lips softly.

"You're forgiven and still loved, Vincent. Wizards more powerful than you have fallen prey to Voldemort's twisted words and promises," Draco murmured.

"It still doesn't make it right," he replied, taking Draco's offered hand.

Draco held Vincent close to him, his entire body glowing. White wings wrapped around his body, and Vincent felt a wave of peace and love and forgiveness wash over him. A wind blew in from the window, separating everything he was and rejoining him to everything he could be. There was a final flash of light, whether from Draco or himself, Vincent would never know, and then it all disappeared.

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"You idiot!" Ginevra said, shaking Draco out of his trance.

Draco swayed slightly, feeling nauseous. "Hello love," he said, trying to place which of the three Ginevra's was the real one.

"Don't you 'hello love' me, Draco! What were you thinking, staying in Vincent's mind that long! He was dying and you were too! Absolute idiot," she said, hitting him.

"Surprisingly good vitals considering he's been gone for the better part of an hour," Theodore muttered, looking at the gold bar above Draco.

"See, I'm fine," Draco agreed quickly.

When he'd first felt Vincent's mind an hour ago, Draco had checked with the others to see if they had felt anything. They hadn't, but Draco could already tell that Vince wasn't strong enough, mentally or physically, to send his thoughts to all of them. Draco had gone into a trance to get to Vincent's mind and hopefully get the whereabouts of Voldemort. There had been some opposition, but Draco had ignored them and did it anyway.

"I didn't say you were fine," Theodore countered. "I said that your vitals were surprisingly good, meaning you're not dead. Here, eat this," he said, giving him a large piece of chocolate. "However, you did spend too much time within the mind of someone who was dying, so you're going to feel like absolute crap for the next few hours," he added. "I suggest you take a sleeping potion and sleep it off," he said, handing him a vial.

Draco went to argue, but then he saw the look Ginevra was giving him. She'd been one of the ones to oppose him going into Vincent's mind, and he decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to disagree with her again. He took the vial and drank it quickly.

"If you insist; it'll probably be the only chance I'll have to sleep anyway," he said, giving Theodore a grin.

"All right. Ginevra, do you mind taking him? Someone's bound to get stabbed," Theodore muttered, looking at the weapons the students were holding.

"That's fine. Make sure they don't kill each other," she said with a slight grin.

Theodore nodded and hurried towards the students just as there was a cry of pain. The smell of blood filled the air and Ginevra turned away. Grabbing Draco by the arm she lifted him off the ground and started towards their old rooms.

"Did you end up finding out where Voldemort's holed up?" Ginevra asked.

"Riddle House, Little Hangleton. But apparently, he's got houses all over the country as a courtesy of his Muggle-born father's death. Did you know he was half-blood?" Draco asked, feeling slightly woozy.

"Yes, Tom told me when I was talking to him through the diary. I never thought much of it, considering how much he hated his father and anything to do with him," she replied.

"Guess he got over it," Draco murmured, yawning now.

Ginevra lifted him and carried him the last few metres to the castle. Kicking the door open, she was pleased to see that nothing had changed since they'd left. Making her way to their room quickly, Ginevra placed a sleeping Draco on the bed and covered him with the blanket.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Draco," she said, her tone softer and more vulnerable than she would have liked.

He made a slight noise in his sleep and rolled over, snoring gently.

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Gregory looked at Griselda, watching as she suited up for their battle. He'd come out onto the field with his shield and chain-mail shirt, as was the custom for most battles, but it seemed the rules didn't apply to the Princess. She was being suited up from head to toe in chain-mail, had a shield that looked goblin made, and a club that was bigger than any of the ones offered to Gregory or his past opponents.

He was patient as she finished, and then he looked to the King, waiting for the horn to sound.

Griselda swung her club at him, knocking unsuspecting Gregory across the field. He got up quickly, swaying on his feet, dazed at the impact. The horn hadn't sounded! Gregory's ears rang for longer than they should have, and he guessed that the King had finally sounded the horn. Griselda was moving towards him again, her club drawn back.

Gregory was at a disadvantage. While Griselda had watched all of his fights, and knew all of his moves, he had never seen the Princess fight and didn't know what he was up against. But then, he hadn't known for the past six opponents either and he'd won. Keeping his feelings in check, Gregory watched as Griselda ran the last length towards him. He didn't rush in as so many others might have, but instead waited for her and concentrated.

It was just like training, that was all. He was back with his friends and they were doing their nightly training together. He had to think of this objectively. Griselda might be the Princess, but it didn't mean she was invincible. She was faster than him, slightly larger than him, and knew all of the moves he'd done so far. So he had to be stronger than her and do a move none of them had seen yet. Greg crouched low, his legs tensed and ready to jump.

Griselda swung her club at the last possible moment. Gregory jumped as she swung down, ignoring the searing pain as her club connected with his shoulder and dislocated it with a sickening pop. He grabbed towards her, his arm around the Princess' neck. He moved around to the back of her, putting her in a headlock easily. She struggled against him, her sword and shield dropping to the ground as she tried to kick back. Gregory put his leg between hers, stopping her movements. If she tried to kick back at him now, she would lose her balance and send them both flying forward. If that happened, Greg could crush her neck and she could die.

The King was shouting at the other end of the field, the trolls around him unsure of what to do. No one had actually fought the Princess before.

"Yield," Griselda breathed, her voice choked.

"Louder, so they can hear," Gregory muttered.

He hadn't come this far to get killed over a technicality.

"YIELD!" Griselda yelled.

The King went quiet, and the commotion around him stilled.

"You're sure?" The King asked, shocked that his daughter was giving up.

"Yes," she said, her voice clear but still lacking breath.

"I win?" Gregory asked, looking up at the King. He didn't release his hold on the Princess.

"Yes, yes. Let go of her. Quickly now," he replied, looking angry.

Gregory let go of Griselda gently. "I hope I didn't hurt you, your Majesty," he said, bowing slightly.

Griselda nodded slightly, rubbing her neck tenderly. Still shocked at the outcome of the battle, the trolls didn't know whether to cheer or not, and simply watched as Gregory left the field to his quarters.

Everyone looked to the King, wondering if Gregory would be killed. There was nothing in the rules about what would happen if the victor won over a yield.

Gregory was oblivious to everything outside. His shoulder was swelling considerably, and he felt slightly nauseous. Moving to the wall, he pressed his shoulder to the stone and took a deep, shuddering breath. He cried out as he pushed against the wall, his shoulder popping back into place. Another wave of nausea flowed through him, and Greg fought the urge to throw up. His breathing heavy and laboured, Gregory went over to the stone bed and slept.

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"We've found out where Voldemort is," Ginevra announced, her voice quiet so as not to draw the attention of the nearby students.

"What do ye mean ye found him?" Moody asked, suspicious.

"How on earth did you manage that? Voldemort isn't exactly advertising his whereabouts," Remus added, frowning at Ginevra.

Ginevra looked at the two Order members before her, wondering if she should tell them. While telling them would provide proof of what she'd told them, she didn't particularly want everyone to know that she and her friends had brewed and taken an Animadverto potion.

Just tell them; they're part of the Order, they should know how to keep a secret, Millicent thought, sensing her indecision.

"We took an Animadverto potion last month," Ginevra told Moody and Lupin.

"What? Do you realise how dangerous that potion is? You could have been killed just brewing it!"

Surprisingly, it was Lupin who had the outburst. Beside him, Moody was silent. When Remus' words died down, Moody turned both of his eyes on Ginevra.

"The Dark Mark's stronger than a potion that still hasn't completely merged with the participants. How'd Crabbe get past that?" he asked, his eye roaming over Ginevra to see something that no one else could.

"He got past it by dying."

Ginevra turned at Draco's voice, a stern look on her face. "You should be resting still, Draco. You heard what Theo said," she admonished, even as she moved to hold him up properly.

"I know. Can't sleep any more. 'Sides, they still don't believe you."

Absolutely ridiculous, if you ask me. They've got Voldemort's location, why aren't they acting on it?! Neville muttered.

Would you believe it if we told you without concrete proof? Draco asked.

Neville was silent for a moment. They'd believe Potter without hesitation, he muttered sourly.

"Of course they'd believe Potter; he's the Chosen One," Draco said softly, smirking.

"Chosen to receive the award for ugliest scar of the year," Millicent called from a way over. Even with her werewolf hearing, she shouldn't have been able to hear what Draco had said.

"Personally, I think that award should go to us," Fred said to his twin, appearing by Draco and Ginevra's side silently.

"Yeah, we got ours fair and square," George replied, grinning.

Ginevra frowned slightly, moving to her brothers as Theodore appeared to hold Draco up immediately. Don't worry, dearest brothers, they will be given back threefold, she thought, caressing their scarred faces gently.

"With you beside us, sister dearest, we can give one each for the threefold," they replied.

"All right, ye can stop showing off. We believe ye," Moody muttered, turning away. He banged his staff on the ground once. "Minerva!" his magnified voice called loudly.

The Headmistress made her way up to where they were waiting quickly, a frown on her face. "What is it, Mad Eye? Was that really necessary?"

"We know where Voldemort is," Ginevra said, interrupting the long-winded lecture she was sure to give.

McGonagall looked between them, her face pale.

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Sunday, 16 June

In the vampire mansion, Lettie fought in a different room to Ginevra. The injuries she received caused her blood to spill more often than not, and Agnes wouldn't let Lettie risk herself like that. Ginevra was only just managing to control her Thirst, and the temptation of so much blood so easily attained could cause her control to slip.

"Do you really think you're ready for this, Lettie?" Miles asked, standing across from her with a sword in his hand.

She smiled briefly. "I know not to put myself through anything I can't handle. I'm ready," she replied confidently, gripping her own sword.

"Very well," he said.

He was a blur as he moved towards her. Lettie didn't concentrate on the blur he'd become, instead she thought of a rather complex spell she'd read about in the vampire's library. She disappeared a heartbeat before Miles swung the sword down at her. Turning quickly, he tried to sense where she was. He heard the sword whistling through the air and quickly raised his sword. Lettie was still invisible - or whatever she was - and he couldn't sense her either.

It was unsettling, but not impossible, he thought with a grin, their swords clanging.

Lettie swung her sword again, her spell still wound around her. It was draining her magical energy faster than she would have liked, but she needed the advantage of invisibility since she knew she wouldn't be able to match Miles' speed or strength. Her sword was met by Miles' again, and she pulled away, her feet dancing back as he started his offensive strikes. Moving to the side, Lettie wasn't happy to see that his sword followed her instinctively.

"Your spell's fading and I can sense you," Miles said, his hand and sword still.

Sighing heavily, she released the spell, appearing a moment later.

"That was a very draining spell you used, Lettie. Are you all right?" Miles asked, frowning in concern as he stepped towards her.

She took a step back, blushing and looking away when a hurt look flashed across his face. "Fine, thank you. I will rest tonight."

"Very well," he replied, bowing slightly.

Miles returned the sword to its' place in the weapons cabinet and left the room without a word.

Lettie berated herself silently. Stupid, stupid girl. She was worse than Lavender.

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Luna walked towards the troll camp slowly. She had left after Greg had accepted the ultimatum given and stayed nearby while the days passed. It hadn't been comfortable to say the least, but there were very few places she could go to. She was just thankful she'd had enough sense to bring a bag with her.

A bird sang loudly, it's tune reaffirming Luna's need to be exactly where she was. More confident now, she continued towards the camp.

"You again. What're you doin' back, little one?" a guard asked, his club hitting his palm menacingly.

"I would like to request a meeting with the King," she replied.

"Another one? The King's busy and can't hav' meetings with you fer the rest of his life," the guard said, sounding annoyed.

Luna just waited and didn't answer. The guard huffed and muttered under his breath as he went to disturb his King again.

"Come with me," the guard said gruffly, when he returned about ten minutes later. He held his large hand out to her.

"Thank you," Luna said, placing her small hand in his.

"The King's not overly happy at the moment. Your friend beat his daughter, Princess Griselda, in the fights. She forfeited to him so everyone's in a fuss, not knowin' what to do," the guard said, chuckling.

"Thank you for the warning."

"Just statin' the facts," he replied, blanching slightly.

"Of course." Luna smiled and knocked on the stone door with her wand.

"Come in," the King said, his tone unpleasant.

"Good luck, little one," the guard said, leaving quickly. The King wasn't known for keeping his temper in check.

Luna listened as the stone door opened, stepping inside the room a moment later. She made her way to stand in front of the King's throne. His daughter was beside him.

"Your Majesty," Luna said, curtsying. "Princess," she said with another curtsy.

"What do you want this time?" the King snarled.

"Father," Griselda hissed, glaring at him.

"It's quite all right, Princess. It's not the first time I've been greeted with anger, and I sincerely doubt that it will be the last," Luna said with a smile.

Griselda stopped glaring at her father reluctantly.

"I have come to offer a solution to your current ... situation," Luna said, choosing her words carefully.

"Oh yes? And what would you suggest? I can't adopt him or have him marry my daughter, and they're the only things that would save him from death. Yet he's become so popular with my subjects that if I kill the boy, I'll have a riot on my hands!"

Luna simply waited for him to finish his tirade. "I understand fully, your Majesty. However, there is another option, if you would care to hear it?"

The King was silent for a moment, looking at the pale young woman before him. How could someone so small, and sightless at that, sound so confident in herself? He was the largest troll and had fought his way to gain the crown, he couldn't comprehend anything that threatened his throne. Gregory was one of those things, and this little woman had brought him to their camp.

"All right then. What is your perfect solution?" he muttered.

"It is not a perfect solution, your Majesty. As well liked as Gregory is, there are still those who are prone to jealousy and may want to cause him harm," Luna countered. "My solution is to make Gregory your war General. You did promise that if he won, he would lead the trolls and ogres into the war. It is not his nor my fault that you chose your daughter as his final opponent just because you thought he wouldn't fight her," she said sternly when the King was going to answer back. "If he hadn't fought the Princess, then you would have killed him. If he did and beat her, you would have killed him. The only reason you aren't killing him is because your daughter yielded. The threat of death makes people do things they may not ever had the courage to do before that, especially when they risk never seeing their loved ones again."

"Loved ones?" Griselda echoed, sounding slightly upset.

This drew her father's gaze and he frowned at her.

"I mean, Gregory just seems so sad for someone who is in love," she said, ignoring his look steadfastly.

"Both of his lovers were captured by Voldemort. One died very recently," Luna answered.

"What? That filthy snake took the lovers of my war General?" the King burst out angrily. "He killed one of my war general's lovers?!" he cried, continuing to rant about war and revenge on the filthy snake.

While he was preoccupied as such, Luna moved forward to Griselda. The Princess glanced at her father who was in one of his tempers, and leaned down to Luna curiously.

"Gregory is not the one for you, Princess, despite what you may wish. However, there is someone very close who would be your equal in every way if you choose to see him as such," Luna murmured.

She had Seen what would happen if Griselda had propositioned Gregory as she wanted to, and it did not end well. While Luna didn't like talking with people about their love lives, she thought it best to redirect Griselda's attention away from her friend. The trolls would have lost the resulting Mermaid-Troll war by an extremely large number.

Griselda's cheeks reddened and she looked away from Luna.

"... and then I'll string him up by his balls and pretend he's a pinata!" the King was ranting, sounding delighted at the prospect.

Luna wondered how a troll in the British Isles knew what a pinata was.

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Wednesday, 19 June

"We can't attack from there, it's not at all feasible!" Remus muttered, glaring at Moody. "It's suicide if we go in there, I still say we go in through the back!"

"They'll be expecting that! We should go in through the side," Moody said, banging his fist on the table.

Neville let out a scream of frustration and left the room before he did something he'd regret.

"We've had this information for three days; I cannot believe they're still not doing anything about it!" Neville exploded, his hand glowing green with his emotional outburst.

Blaise and Seamus left the Order meeting, hurrying after their lover.

"I know, love. They're part of the Order, they've got to do this a certain way so their spies aren't killed by accident," Blaise murmured, not liking it any better than Neville despite his defense of them.

"What about us? What about our friends? Vincent's already dead, how do we know Pansy hasn't been killed already? We need to get in there, we need to do something," Neville said, not appeased in the least.

"Then we'll do it," Seamus said, making both of them stop and look at him. "What're ye lookin' at me like that fer?"

"You think we can just waltz up to Voldemort's stronghold and come out alive, with Pansy?" Blaise asked, his eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Not jus' us, no. But all of us," Seamus said, trailing off with a wicked grin. "Ye saw how many of the Death Eaters we took out jus' here. If we go there when they're unsuspectin' an' the like, we can probably get through his inn'r circle and get Pans..."

Seamus was caught by surprise as Neville kissed him eagerly, cutting his words off abruptly. Neville's fingers threaded through his hair, holding him tightly. When he pulled away, Seamus had a big grin on his face.

"I should make war plans more oft'n."

"I don't know about that, Seamus," Ginevra said, smirking.

Unbeknownst to the three, Ginevra and Draco had followed them out of the Order's meeting and had heard every word.

"An' why not?" Seamus asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Because while the element of surprise is an advantage, it may not be enough at the moment. The Death Eaters are preparing for a war, and while we may kill enough of them in the beginning, they will overcome their surprise quickly enough to kill more of us and escape, probably with Pansy," Ginevra replied.

"So we're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Neville burst out, his entire body glowing green now.

Beneath him, the grass shot upwards, obscuring him completely. It took a few seconds for Neville to calm enough to make the grass return to its' original size.

"Did I say that we'll be doing nothing?" Ginevra asked, looking amused rather than angry at his outburst. "We need more than the element of surprise; we need to get into Riddle House without being seen. We need to become Death Eaters."

"You think I'm going to take the Dark Mark? You saw what it did to Vince!" Blaise said, staring at them incredulously.

"Ginevra meant Polyjuice Potion, Blaise," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes.

"But for that we need to get a Death Eater's ... oh," Neville said, the Knut finally dropping. He grinned at them, "You want us to get hair from Death Eaters?"

"It'll be somethin' ter do," Seamus said with a shrug.

"Where exactly are we getting a Polyjuice Potion?" Blaise asked, frowning.

"There's a cauldron brewing in the vampire mansion. Some modification's on it to keep it fresh. I didn't ask many details, I'd been knocked about fairly bad that morning. I've already petitioned the Council to get a batch," Ginevra said.

"How about it then, Blaise?" Draco asked, smirking at him when he was silent.

"It's suicide, you realise that?" Blaise muttered. "Of course I'll help. Someone needs to be there to stop Irish from getting too wild," he added with a smirk when they just looked at him.

"Hey, that's nae fair!" Seamus said indignantly.

"It's true though," Neville said with a grin. "You'd probably decapitate someone just to get a hair from their head."

Seamus didn't reply, muttering under his breath in Gaelic.

"So, what do you think is the best way to get Death Eaters in public to fight?" Blaise asked, redirecting their attention.

"Something they want. Or rather, someone," Ginevra said, grinning.

"Who?" Blaise asked, looking between them in confusion.

"Me."

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Friday, 21 June

"I still think you're utterly insane," Blaise muttered as he walked down the street in Hogsmeade.

"It's good to have some insanity in your life every now and then," Ginevra replied, sounding far too cheerful for what was about to happen.

"Some insanity? This is above and beyond it!"

"Oh, come off it, Blaise. Have a bit of faith," Fred muttered beside him.

Blaise stayed silent, but his thoughts betrayed his worry.

Whispers followed them down the street, people locking themselves indoors soon afterwards. None of then wanted to risk the battle that they knew would occur when Voldemort found out that Ollivander was in Hogsmeade. Within five minutes, every house and workplace was deserted. Even The Three Broomsticks had sent its' customers home and closed up shop.

"They'd better arrive soon, this spell won't last much longer," George murmured quietly.

"Don't worry, they're coming," Ginevra murmured in reply, her eyes on the grey sky above them.

Seconds later, a group of Death Eaters appeared at either end of the street, blocking them in. It seemed that Voldemort was still upset at the last group's failure and had sent his best to capture Ollivander.

"Hand Ollivander over and we promise we won't kill you," Carrow sneered, the look on his face promising nothing of the sort.

"Yeah, right Carrow. We're not stupid! The Order will protect us," Ginevra said, her voice wavering slightly.

"The Order?! The Order of the Phoenix is going to protect you? A bunch of children?" Carrow said, laughing and nudging his sister beside him.

"Would you stop chatting and hex them already?" Bellatrix yelled impatiently.

Ginevra and her friends bristled at being called 'children' but held their emotions in check.

"All right, all right. Last chance, kiddies. Hand him over!" Carrow called. "You've got to the count of ten," he said, a gleeful note to his crazed voice.

"Blaise, dearest?" Ginevra said, getting his attention easily. "That is too much insanity."

The Death Eaters were closing in on them on both sides, trapping Ginevra and her friends.

"... Eight, nine, ten! Enough, already!" Bellatrix muttered, throwing her dagger at Ginevra's exposed back.

"Wrong choice, Aunt," Draco murmured, appearing behind Ginevra immediately. He caught the dagger with a spell and sent it back towards her.

"Draco!" Bellatrix cried in shock, even as her own dagger hurtled towards her.

"I do believe our time is up," George said, the enchantment beginning to fade.

The moment Ollivander's face and hair disappeared from George, chaos ensued. The Death Eaters realised that they'd been tricked, and while they thought they'd been trapping the four people in the middle of the street, they soon found out that they were the ones trapped. As they'd moved down the street, behind each of them, Ginevra's friends had followed the Death Eaters silently, watching everything with their wands raised.

"You little brats! I'll kill you all!" Carrow yelled, his sister echoing his words.

Ginevra Stunned both of them, more for the peace and quiet than anything else. At her back, Draco blocked more hexes and weapons that were being thrown in their direction. The twins were fighting back to back. Blaise, alone in the middle of them, was sending hexes and spells at both sides of Death Eaters when the others seemed overwhelmed.

"You traitorous little bastard! Do you know what Voldemort's going to do to you?" Bellatrix hissed at Draco, sending a burning hex at him. "What he's going to do to your family?"

Beside her, Rodolphus glared at his nephew-in-law. He'd put them all in danger with this stupid little stunt. "Did you even think of what he'll do to your mother?" he added.

Draco ignored their words that were accompanied with curses. If they wanted him to take anything they said seriously, then he figured that they could bloody well stop trying to hex him first!

Soon after the Carrow siblings had been disarmed, Dolohov realised that he was outnumbered and tried to Disapparate. On the other side of him, both Seamus and Neville grinned broadly when his eyes widened. They'd used some sort of spell; he was stuck.

"Looks like he's already trying to get away," Neville said to Seamus, shaking his head.

"Disappointin', I really wanted ter decapitate someone," he replied, disarming and putting Dolohov in a Full Body Bind.

"You should really talk to someone, Seamus. Your bloodlust is disturbing," Theodore said beside him.

"I'm talkin' now, ain't I?" Seamus replied, grinning.

"That's not what he meant, and you know it," Millicent said, rolling her eyes.

Theodore moved to the frozen Death Eaters, taking a few hairs from each. He left them there for Draco or Ginevra to Obliviate; their spells were stronger than anything he could produce.

Lettie glared as Rookwood sent a cutting spell at her, her clothes torn and bloodied seconds later. She sent back a spell of her own, his pain-filled screams satisfying her. He was Stunned by Padma a moment later.

Bellatrix tried to Apparate, but their spell had her staying exactly where she was. Not even a full second passed and she was frozen, falling to the ground face-first. Her husband was next, taken out by Parvati.

"You do the memory wipes for the town, love. I'll take care of this lot," Draco murmured to Ginevra, glaring down at his Aunt and Uncle Lestrange.

Ginevra nodded and closed her eyes. Close to a hundred red balls of light appeared in front of her. With a single thought, the balls sped away.

"Will they get to everyone in time? We don't know who's in league with Voldemort," Parvati said, frowning.

"I hope they will," Ginevra replied with a slight smile.

Draco finished Obliviating the Death Eaters, and they all left with their strands of hair.

Now, all that there was left to do was get the Council to agree to give them a batch of Polyjuice Potion. Then, it would be war.

The Order arrived moments after they had disappeared to find nothing but an empty and torn up street, six Death Eaters Stunned and bound in the middle of the destruction. Moody's eye swirled around them quickly, trying to find the source of this, but discovered nothing. Tonks, Lupin and Moody took their new prisoners to Grimmauld Place before any of the locals could alert the Ministry or Voldemort.

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Saturday, 22 June

"You want enough Polyjuice Potion for thirteen people?" Maverick asked in surprise.

"No, my Lord Maverick. Thirteen of us will be going, but I only need enough for six people," Ginevra replied.

"How do you know your friend is even in there?" Virginia asked, sounding as suspicious as Moody had.

Ginevra clenched her teeth, not wanting to give her the truth as an answer.

"If you will forgive me, Lady Virginia?" Lettie asked, stepping forward.

"What?" she asked shortly, not liking being addressed by a companion.

"We know that Pansy is in the Riddle House because Voldemort kidnapped her right out of Hogwarts. He would not do such a thing and then keep her where he could not see her with such easy access," Lettie said.

"You're presuming to know the mind of the Dark Lord?" Virginia asked, incredulous laughter in her voice.

"No, Lady Virginia, we're not presuming. As you have already had access to most of my mind, you would probably remember that I was possessed by Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort's younger self, on a near-daily basis for a whole year. I know how he thinks, and I know that he would want to hear Pansy screaming through the night. He has her with him," Ginevra said firmly.

The rest of the Council were more than surprised by her admission, and looked to both Agnes and Virginia for confirmation.

"I can give you my memories if you wish for proof," Ginevra added when Virginia remained silent and Agnes nodded.

"Just one will be adequate," Xavier said with a slight nod of gratitude.

A crystal appeared before Ginevra and she touched her hand to it. A bright flash of light filled the room, and then a projection of a corridor in Hogwarts appeared.

Dear Tom, what's your favourite animal? I like cats, even though it's not a popular animal to like here. Mrs. Norris isn't liked, but I don't mind her. She's very loyal. And cats were worshipped in Egypt. I want to go there one day, you know. Will you go with me, Tom? I'm sure you know all about hidden places there. Do you like cats, Tom?

The thoughts were loud, mocking, and not a hint of the love with which they were written was evident in the person's mind.

Stupid fucking cats. No, don't kill it, my dear. We'll never hear the end of it if the damn thing dies. Just Petrify it. Wait a moment, there's a good girl. That's it. Maybe now she'll shut the fuck up about gods' damned cats... This is almost becoming too tedious for me, dear. A childish girl with so very little to offer. I should have gone with a Slytherin after all... I told you not to eat the rooster! Give me that, the thoughts hissed angrily.

Words were written on the wall in blood, red lines dripping down the wall's crevices. A cat was hung from a torch bracket, laughter echoing.

The memory disappeared and Ginevra swayed on her feet slightly, the crystal dropping to the floor.

"I, of course, didn't get most of Tom's memories like this one, until after he'd been defeated by Harry. Tom was very careful to never let me see his disgust," she said, trying to get some moisture in her suddenly desert-dry mouth.

There was silence for a moment longer, and finally Xavier looked down at the two women before him. "We will discuss your request and give you an answer in ten minutes. If you wouldn't mind waiting outside..." Xavier trailed off.

Miles appeared behind them suddenly, ready to escort them out of the Council's room.

"Thank you," Ginevra said with a brief bow.

Lettie took her arm as she swayed dangerously on her feet again. "Come, my Lady. We have enough time for you to have a drink," she murmured quietly, her mind still reeling from the memory she had seen.

Miles left them sitting on the lounge outside of the room, promising to return with a drink in ten seconds. He came back in eight, not a drop of the water spilled from the glass.

"Thank you, Miles," Lettie said, smiling at him briefly.

He returned the smile and bowed. "You're welcome, Lettie... Don't worry, they'll accept your Lady's request. They've done much more for some less worthy, believe me."

Ginevra watched their interaction with amusement, drinking her water slowly. Lettie looked so unsure of herself, something that Lavender had never been when it came to the opposite sex.

"Ginevra? We're ready for you now," Agnes said, looking out at them with a smile.

Placing her empty glass on the small table beside her, Ginevra stood and followed him inside. Lettie followed quickly, giving Miles an apologetic smile.

"We have reached our decision," Xavier announced. "You can have the Polyjuice Potion for your six friends. It is a worthy cause, and we are all very impressed with the way you are handling this," he added gently.

"Thank you, Lord Xavier," Ginevra said, both she and Lettie curtsying.

Six vials floated in front of them. They took them out of the air carefully, placing them in a bag Lettie produced.

With another round of thanks, Ginevra and Lettie left the Council room.

Miles was waiting outside, smiling knowingly. "I did tell you that you would get it," he said, his smile turning into a grin.

"So you did," Ginevra said, grinning back at him. "I'll be right back," she said to Lettie, leaving before she could say anything.

That wasn't very subtle of you, Ginevra! Lettie thought, her face red.

Oh, well. Subtlety isn't my strong point. You've got five minutes before I come back.

"So you're going in with everyone to fight?" Miles asked.

"Yes. I'm in the second wave though," Lettie replied, still unsure if she was pleased or upset by the fact.

"The first wave will be using the Polyjuice potions?" Miles asked.

Lettie nodded. "Second wave is for any stragglers and the third is to search for Pansy."

"So you won't be alone then, that's good to know," he said, sounding relieved. "Lettie... Please, be careful."

Before Lettie could reply, Agnes and Xavier left the Council room. They both smiled at Miles and Lettie, Agnes stepping forward. "I am sorry to interrupt, my son, but I need you to retrieve Rufus Wesley. He is turning twenty-one tomorrow."

"Of course, mother," Miles replied with a bow. "I will leave with Lettie and Miss Ginevra."

"Thank you, dear. Good luck, Lettie. I hope it all works out for the best," Agnes said, sombrely.

"As do I, Lady Agnes. Thank you for your best wishes," Lettie said with a curtsy.

Agnes and Xavier nodded and continued down the corridor.

"You called Lady Agnes 'mother'. Is that common for all of her descendants?" Lettie asked.

"No, actually, it is not. I called Agnes mother because she is my mother. She's my natural birth mother," Miles said.

Lettie stared at him in shock, her eyes wide. "That means you're... you're..."

"Older than I look?" he teased, grinning.

He had the physical age of a twenty year old, and since his butler duties had only started in the vampire mansion a few hundred years ago, most assumed that he was a descendant of Agnes' rather than older than some on the Council itself.

"Why do you need to get that boy for Agnes?" Lettie asked, trying to redirect the conversation to something other than his age.

"He is one of her descendants. On their twenty-first birthdays, Agnes offers them this life. If they refuse, they think it nothing more than a dream and return to their lives. If they accept, then they are Turned on the next full moon," Miles replied.

First veela's participating in blood bonds, now vampires performing ceremonies on the full moon! Lettie thought with a shake of her head.

"Do many refuse her?" she asked.

Miles was silent for a moment, his brow creased as he thought about it. Lettie fought the urge to smooth down his eyebrow.

"I would say that it is about half and half. Most do not like to leave their lives and friends behind. Some are more than happy to leave everything behind."

"And you? Were you happy to leave everything behind?" the question had left her lips before Lettie even realised what she was asking.

"Actually, some of my friends were vampires. Not all that surprising, considering my parents, but I wasn't as reluctant to leave my life as others may have been. I asked Agnes to Turn me on my twentieth birthday rather than my twenty-first. She agreed only because she knew I wanted to become a vampire, and had wanted the fate for more than seven years."

"That's a very certain thing to know for a child."

"Perhaps, but I am generally a very decisive person."

There was a slight cough up ahead and Lettie looked up to see Ginevra waiting.

"I am sorry, but I need to go now. May we continue our talk when I get back?" Lettie asked, blushing again.

"I look forward to it," Miles replied with a smile.

Lettie ignored the larger-than-life grin Ginevra was giving her, and simply took her hand to disappear back to Hogwarts.

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Rookwood, the Carrow siblings, Bellatrix and Rodolphus, and Dolohov crept towards Riddle House. They straightened up when they realised that they were meant to look like they belonged there. Going to the large mansion was an everyday occurrence.

I still don't see why I had to be Amycus, Fred muttered.

You're prettier than me, that's why, George sniggered in Alecto's body.

No doubt about that, brother, Fred said with a smirk.

Just be thankful you're not Rodolphus; he's not the most hygenic wizard, Parvati muttered.

Why couldn't you be Amycus? Fred asked.

It's not her fault you switched goblets, is it?! Padma said, Bellatrix's eyes looking to him.

Fred went quiet. Rookwood sniggered, Seamus trying to cover it with a cough when he got identical glares from the Lestrange couple.

How far do we need to get before we can start hexing these bastards? Neville asked in Dolohov's form, his hand already going for his wand.

When we see as many of them as possible, George replied, his fingers brushing the Exploding Ear in his pocket.

"There you are, Dolohov. He wants to see you. Quick, before he gets mad," a Death Eater hissed, grabbing Dolohov's arm.

"Get your hands off of me," Neville snarled.

"All right, all right. So friggin' sensitive," the other one grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Hate pulsed through their bodies.

Not yet! Focus, Neville. Focus, Ginevra's voice came through, calming them quickly.

Sorry, he replied shortly, and followed the Death Eater down a hallway.

The others followed. It seemed that they were going to the largest room in the mansion, so hopefully there would be more people there than anywhere else.

Luck was on their side, it seemed. What looked like hundreds of Death Eaters, were crowded in the one room. All of them looked at Dolohov as he came into the room, quickly moving out of their colleague's way.

"Dolohov, there you are," Voldemort's voice called. It was a sweet sound, mocking in its tone and the words made all that more dangerous by the look on the Dark Lord's face. "Come, join me," he crooned, holding a hand out for him to come closer.

Wary, Neville moved forward. Death Eaters all but jumped out of the way when he neared them. Something was so horribly wrong with all of this.

Rookwood elbowed his way to the front of the circle that had formed around Voldemort and Dolohov. The Carrows stepped on feet and toes to get to the other side of the circle. Bellatrix and Rodolphus stood at opposite sides. They had Voldemort surrounded, but they didn't feel as victorious as they thought they would have.

"You were with the raiding party sent to Diagon Alley to retrieve Ollivander, were you not, Dolohov?" Voldemort asked, walking around the circle with ease.

"I... I... Yes, I was," Dolohov replied, his eyes flicking to the Death Eaters surrounding them.

"Did you retrieve Ollivander?"

"No, I didn't. My Lord," he added quickly when Voldemort looked at him.

"We had reports of Ollivander in Hogsmeade yesterday," Voldemort said. "You were part of the team there, weren't you?"

"Yes... Yes, my Lord," Dolohov said, his eyes never leaving the twirling wand in Voldemort's hand.

"And did you capture Ollivander?" Voldemort asked, his eyes glowing red as he turned to glare at Dolohov.

"No, my Lord."

"No, my Lord," he mimicked cruelly. He smiled a split second before he hit Dolohov with the Cruciatus Curse.

A scream rang out that wasn't Dolohov's. Rookwood rushed into the centre of the circle, his wand pointed at Voldemort. The Unforgivable faded as the Dark Lord looked at Rookwood curiously.

"Honestly, Rookwood? You draw your wand on me now? Over this?" Voldemort sneered, looking down at Dolohov.

Suddenly, an ear dropped into the circle. Voldemort was taken aback by surprise. An ear?! Just what on earth was going on? He didn't have time to ask the question, as the ear exploded loudly, thick black smoke pouring from it.

Curses were flying everywhere all at once, and Voldemort had enough sense to Apparate before he could be hexed. Wormtail noticed his Lord's disappearance. With a squeak, he turned into a rat and fled, unnoticed in the smoke. Not all of Voldemort's followers were as lucky, nor as quick, and a spell had them all stuck in the Riddle House, unable to Apparate.

Outside, Lettie looked at Theodore and Blaise beside her. They were all staring at the mansion, waiting for their signal to move in. Colin let out a stream of fire as Death Eaters tried to escape the smoke-enclosed mansion. Lettie jumped up and hexed the heck out of anyone who so much as moved. Her mind stopped focusing on Miles' earlier revelation, and she let the battle take over her mind. Blaise turned into a centaur, trampling over Death Eaters as he entered the mansion. Theodore immediately made his way to where the first wave where to heal any injuries they would have received.

Colin roared loudly when the second wave had completely entered the mansion.

Millicent, Ginevra and Draco made their way inside to see the chaos and destruction their friends had left in their wake. In her wolf form, Millicent howled loudly and headed in the opposite direction towards the dungeon. Ginevra and Draco hurried after her quickly.

We're coming, Pansy! Ginevra called in her mind, hoping that her friend was all right.

Millicent yelped when a Death Eater barrelled into her. She snarled as the Death Eater turned into a wolf as well. Fenir Greyback.

I've got him. Go, she said to Draco and Ginevra, snapping her jaws at Greyback. He growled back at her, snarling as he leapt. Millicent was ready, fighting him with claws and teeth.

Draco and Ginevra hurried down the corridor, their wands at the ready. The dungeon split into two hallways. Without a word, they took one each and continued along their way.

It seemed that this part of the mansion was deserted. Every Death Eater had been called for the meeting upstairs. But surely there were guards?

Just as Ginevra was thinking this exact thing, she saw two Death Eaters sitting in front of a room up ahead. They were facing each other rather than in her direction, and Ginevra stilled immediately. If she moved, it would draw their attention. She had her wand at the ready but she couldn't see theirs... Wait, there they were. One Death Eater's wand was sticking out of the top of his boot. The other had his poking out from behind his ear. If she attempted to get the wands from them with magic, it probably wouldn't work. The opposition generally had to be holding their wand, and she'd never heard of someone using the Expelliarmus spell on someone who had their wand in their boot.

Ginevra tucked her wand into her sleeve slowly. She slipped into her Vampiress mode silently, thankful for everything she had learnt at the vampire mansion. She ignored the slow pulsing of their blood, the smell of blood from the rooms around them, the smell of excessive amounts of blood being shed upstairs. Pushing away the temptations, Ginevra ran at the Death Eaters.

"You 'ear tha'?" one muttered, frowning.

"Hear what? What now?" the other replied in annoyance.

"I ... I dunno," he replied, his hand moving for his wand in his boot. "Where the fuck's me wand gone?" he yelled, standing and searching for it quickly.

His colleague, already Stunned in his chair, didn't reply. Appearing in front of him, Ginevra Stunned the second Death Eater, keeping their wands handy.

She looked at the door they were guarding, moving towards it slowly. She had no idea if more Death Eaters were inside, nor what she would find. Ginevra couldn't sense a thing from inside the room, and that worried her. Opening the door quickly, Ginevra held her wand at the ready. It was pitch black, but the smell that came from the room spoke of death.

"Lumos," she murmured, already knowing that she would not like what she would see.

As she was in her Vampiress form, the power for the simple spell was more than it should have been. Every light in the room lit up, and the tip of her wand burned brightly. Her eyes adjusted faster than normal, and she saw exactly what was in the guarded room.

Cages filled the room, but there were no animals in sight. The cages were filled with humans, Muggles she realised at their smell, all of them naked and injured in some way or another. They were silent, bar for one woman who was whimpering. The fear in her eyes made Ginevra realise that she must look terrifying, and she slipped to her mortal body quickly.

"I... I'm here to help you, to save you," she said, looking at the people.

Some of the cages held up to five people. Ginevra could count the ribs on every single one of them. More than one of the Muggles weren't moving, and with the death that already filled the room, she wasn't sure if they were alive or just unconscious. As she walked further into the room, Ginevra noticed that the cages became significantly smaller. Oh, gods'. No... she thought, pleaded, but it was in vain. Children huddled together in their cages, their eyes wide and hollow.

THEODORE! Ginevra yelled loudly, finally getting past her shock. She didn't have to tell him what she was witnessing, the images of the children and adults surrounding her conveying themselves to every one of her friends, bar Pansy and Gregory. Somewhere in the world, even Luna was getting this image of war.

Theodore arrived in mere second, covered in blood. By some miracle, he wasn't sick when he saw everything firsthand. But more and more images went through all of them. Upstairs, the fighting became louder as her friends had a renewed hatred for the Death Eaters in front of them.

"Fix them, heal them. Please," Ginevra said, her voice small as she shed a tear.

Her body had slipped back into its' Vampiress mode without her realising. A red wave pulsed out of her. A child reached out his tiny bony hand to her, and it was enough for the wave to break. It spilled through the room, knocking every Muggle unconscious. The wave filled with their tortured screams, their pleads of death, their cries of fright, and became stronger.

One moment, Millicent was ripping a chunk out of Fenir's fur, the next, he was nothing more than a pile of meat and blood and organs on the floor. The wave passed through her harmlessly, continuing to the fight upstairs. Turning to her human form, Millicent wiped the blood from her face and headed down to Ginevra and Theodore.

Images of children assaulted his mind, and Seamus didn't even notice the change as his body rejected what was left of Rookwood's form and he became himself once more. He roared in anger, plants appearing and strangling at least three Death Eaters. Another four replaced them, but he didn't care.

Neville had lost Dolohov's form faster than the others due to the Cruciatus Curse, and was fighting the Death Eaters with every ounce of anger he thought he'd possessed. Then those images appeared, oh gods' those horrific images he'd never be able to forget, and Neville found he had plenty of anger to spare. Two Death Eaters dropped dead seemingly without a curse or cause. With his nymph powers of Birth and Death, Neville had taken their life.

Fred and George lost the Carrow siblings at the same time, looking at each other with satisfied grins. It was so very good to be in their own bodies again, scarred or not. Death Eaters started dancing, Jellylegs had them falling to the floor, and their hair singed with hexes the twins had never released in their shop. Then they'd seen what their sister was seeing, what these Death Eaters had participated in or allowed to happen, and the hexes became far more dangerous.

Bellatrix and Rodolphus disappeared to reveal Parvati and Padma. For some reason, they'd taken longer than the others, but just as they became themselves properly, the images assaulted their minds. They straightened with the promise of death in their eyes. For the next five minutes, they made good on their promise, at least seven Death Eaters falling at their wands.

Lettie was almost sick when she felt her Lady's revulsion and horror. That was nothing compared to her own feelings as she actually saw what her Lady was seeing. Fighting her urge to throw up, she concentrated on the Death Eaters surrounding her. Lettie's wand transfigured into a sword and she fought with every ounce of feeling she possessed.

Blaise neighed as a curse hit his flanks. Bloody bastards were going for his weak spot. Well, he could do that and worse, he thought, kicking a Death Eater in the groin. He fell to the ground with a thud, but Blaise was too preoccupied with Ginevra and Theodore's mental images to feel satisfied. The intensity of the images faded, and with a glare, Blaise turned to his next opponent and fought with hands and hooves, his wand forgotten.

Outside, Colin was torching the Death Eaters that managed to escape his friends; it was getting fewer and far more in between as time passed. He saw everything that Ginevra and then Theodore saw, and only just managed to keep from setting the whole building aflame. His friends were inside, he couldn't burn them alive too. Five Death Eaters ran out, they'd managed to escape when their attackers had all stopped for a moment with cries of horror and pain. Colin roared loudly, flying down to them. These lot weren't going to be killed with fire, oh no...

The red wave flew into the room, Death Eaters screaming as it passed through them with the force of the Killing Curse. It didn't kill all of the Death Eaters, and passed through Ginevra's friends harmlessly. Those that weren't killed dropped to the ground, their screams magnifying with every horror their captures had ever felt or seen playing behind their eyes.

Neville lowered his wand, glaring down at the Death Eaters in front of him. He sent silencing spells at them, not wanting to feel pity for them. His friends echoed his spell a second later and silence filled the room.

"Let's go see Ginevra," Neville muttered, leaving the room. His blood soaked robes dragged along the floor, leaving a dark trail to the dungeons.

They passed what was left of Fenir Greyback, but not one felt sick or sorry for his fate.

In front of them, Draco was just heading towards the room. Pansy's limp body was in his arms, and above him, Vincent's body was floating silently. The wave had passed through all three without an occurrence.

"Is Pansy all right?" Parvati and Padma asked, rushing to him.

Draco was silent for a moment, turning to them. Pansy's body was bruised, dry blood on nearly every surface. It had taken him three attempts to get her away from Vincent; she hadn't seemed to recognise Draco. Her hair was stuck to her face, and by the amount of blood that was on her neck, it was obvious she'd hurt her head.

"She needs to be healed as soon as possible," Draco replied, his voice soft.

"I can't heal all of these people. Not here, not all at once. It would kill me, and I mean that literally. I need to get them to a hospital," Theodore was saying to Ginevra.

"I know. Come in, we'll need help getting them to the vampire mansion," Ginevra said, looking at her friends.

They entered the room slowly, not even the images they'd seen enough to prepare them for what was inside. Draco waited outside with Pansy and Vincent. Ginevra went out to him, her face pale from both what she had seen and using so much power at once. She collapsed onto the empty chair, staring at Pansy's limp form.

"Is she alive?" Ginevra whispered, not seeing her chest moving.

"Barely. I had to knock her out; she didn't recognise me and wouldn't let go of Vince."

"He's been dead for seven days," she replied, looking at Vince's body in the air with a frown.

His Dark Mark was black and ugly on his left forearm, but it seemed that nothing else had changed since she'd last seen him.

"Shouldn't there be a decomposing smell or something by now?" Ginevra asked, her voice quiet and sick at the thought.

"It's a spell Voldemort put on him," Theodore said, leaving the room. "Most Medics use it to preserve the body so it can be identified."

There was a moment of silence as they tried to wrap their minds around what Pansy must have gone through.

"We're ready to go now. Look, Ginevra, are you sure the vampires will be all right with all of this ... fresh blood turning up on their doorstep?" Theodore asked hesitantly.

"They should be fine with it," she replied, uncertain now.

"They will be. I took the liberty of checking, my Lady," Lettie said with a curtsy. "Miles is setting up enough beds for them all with Lady Agnes and Lord Xavier. I've also planted the location in everyone's minds. They're ready to Apparate when you are," she added.

"Oh, thank you Lettie," Ginevra said, touching her friend's arm and smiling.

They went back into the room. The cages were completely empty, groups of unconscious Muggles by each of her friends. They would have to make more than one trip.

"I'll stay behind to watch over them," Neville said, his wand already in his hand.

"I will too," Ginevra said, stepping towards him.

"I don't think so, Ginevra. You look ready to faint. You're Side Apparating with me," Draco said. He would have grabbed her if not for Pansy in his arms.

"Go on; Colin's still outside, he'll help me," Neville said with a nod.

Ginevra gave him a grateful smile and held Draco's arm gently so as not to disturb Pansy.

Neville watched as they all disappeared to the vampire mansion where beds and medics were waiting, and turned to keep an eye on the Muggles surrounding him.

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End of the twenty-eighth chapter. Thank you for reading.

Have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday!

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29. Chapter Twenty Nine

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter Twenty Nine

Monday, 1 July

"Are you well, my Lady?" Lettie asked, frowning slightly.

"Pardon?" Ginevra asked, turning to her with a blank look.

"Are you well?" she repeated, her frown deepening.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You've been standing in the same spot for ten minutes. You haven't stopped staring at the Muggles in that time," Lettie added.

Ginevra tore her gaze away from the blood - the Muggles, she corrected herself quickly - and released her grip on the railing. Bits of wood came apart, indicating just how hard she'd been holding it.

"Would you care for some tea, my Lady?" Lettie offered, her gaze moving away from the splintered wood quickly.

Ginevra relented and nodded, letting her companion take her to her room at the far end of the mansion.

It didn't help much; it hadn't in the past week and two days. Even from this distance she could still smell their blood, their cuts, their scrapes, the bruises and the clotted blood beneath the skin. She could almost taste their rushes of adrenaline when a vampire got too close too quickly. The blood was just sitting there, and she couldn't have any of it.

"I'll see if my Lord Draconius can arrange a meeting with you for this afternoon, my Lady," Lettie said as she poured the tea.

"Thank you. If you could organise for me to go to him, that would be much appreciated," Ginevra added as an afterthought.

"Yes, my Lady," she replied with a nod.

They sat in silence for a few moments. The smell became too much for Ginevra and she tried to think of something to do, something to say, anything to distract her from the blood.

"If you would like to inspect your apartment, I believe it is ready now," Lettie announced, drawing her attention immediately.

"The apartment? In Muggle London?" she asked, surprised.

Lettie nodded, looking pleased. "Yes, my Lady. The real estate agent was quite pleasant and gave me phone numbers for all of the tradespeople required to inspect and fix the apartment to proper standards. I believe there was an overcharge, but the allowed expenses covered it," she added quickly.

"A month to do all of that? Are you sure it's ready?" Ginevra asked with a frown.

"There is a severe case of unemployment in the Muggle world at the moment, my Lady. I think most of the workers were pleased to have a job and get their money as soon as they could."

She nodded in response, drinking her tea slowly and methodically to keep her concentration elsewhere. "Please try to organise that then, Lettie. It would be much nicer than our current ... room," Ginevra said.

Lettie patted her arm sympathetically. There was an abandoned ruin halfway between the vampire and Veelan's houses, and it was at this rotting place that Draco and Ginevra were allowed to meet if neither house could accommodate them. The roof had deteriorated so much over the years that no magic could restore it, and Ginevra was often forced to 'eat and run' as she called it. Neither she nor Draco were pleased with the arrangement, but there was little they could do without a place to call their own.

"Have you heard from the others yet?" Ginevra asked, finishing her tea.

"A report came this morning during your training," Lettie replied, pulling the scroll from her robes. "The four twins are still training the Hogwarts students. They are progressing well with their preferred weapons but still have yet to learn to wield both a weapon and a wand.

"Theodore and Millicent are still in Antarctica with Pansy. She is almost completely healed, and requests an audience with you when you are able.

"Seamus and Blaise are in the forest; Neville's whereabouts are unknown and the Night Fairy has also disappeared.

"Colin is on the dragon reserve with his mother, and Apollo is teaching him to use a bow and arrow in human form.

"There is still no word on Luna or Gregory, my Lady," she finished, looking up at Ginevra.

She sighed and nodded. "I hadn't expected one, but I am just glad that I can still feel them in here," she said, tapping her temple. "Schedule a meeting with Pansy for a week's time. Send a scroll to Seamus and Blaise to ask them if they know where Neville is. It's not the nymph's birthing season yet, so he shouldn't be in their world, but it could be possible."

Lettie wrote her instructions on a piece of parchment quickly, putting it in her pocket when Ginevra was silent.

"How is your training going?"

"Well, thank you, my Lady. I am able to sense most vampires in the immediate vicinity now, and my sword work is improving."

"And what about Miles?"

"What about him, my Lady?" she asked, blushing.

"How are things going with him?" Ginevra asked with a slight grin.

"There is nothing happening between him and myself, my Lady."

"But you want it to," she stated matter-of-factly.

"It is a time of war; I do not want to enter into anything rashly when I cannot be certain of the future," Lettie answered diplomatically.

"The truth, Lettie."

"I... I do not understand his attraction to me," she said quietly, not able to look up at Ginevra. "He has the physique of a very attractive twenty year old, and most of the women here are closer to his physical age than me. Most of the women here want him in their beds, yet he wants me. I'm thirty-two in body and almost eighteen in my mental age; he's twenty in body and he's the gods' know how old. I just can't understand it," she repeated, shaking her head.

"Perhaps he does not like women who look younger," Ginevra offered with a smile. "As for the rest of it, you will have to ask him yourself," she added, shrugging. "It's impossible to guess anything accurately and it's much easier to ask the question rather than assuming."

Lettie nodded, sighing. "I know, my Lady."

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Seamus leapt between the trees, hunting the intruder. The person seemed to know exactly where he was going to go, what he was going to do. It was infuriating. Orion burst out of him, eager to hunt.

He notched an arrow on the bow, ready to fire.

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

Orion faded as Seamus heard Luna for the first time in weeks.

Luna?

Put the bow and arrow away, Seamus.

He did as she said, wondering what was going on. A soft tread to his side had Seamus spinning around, his wand at the ready.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Apollo would not be happy," Luna said, gently lowering his wand.

"What are ye doing here? Where have ye been?" Seamus asked, still shocked that she was right in front of him.

"I needed to talk to you, and you wouldn't have left your lover's company for anything less than a threat on the forest," she said, not really answering his questions. "Neville needs your help."

A cold shiver ran down Seamus' spine. "Where is he?" he asked, the words thick in his throat.

"The nymph world, where else?" Luna said simply. "Come, we don't have much time."

She held out her hand. Seamus didn't hesitate, taking her hand. They disappeared immediately, the trees swaying slightly as the wind began to change.

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Draco waited at the ruins, pacing impatiently. He was as eager to see Ginevra as she was him. His fangs pushed out and he hissed slightly.

"Lovely to see you too, Draco," Ginevra said, smirking at him.

He didn't bother answering, instead kissing her intently, his hands cupping her face. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly, keeping him close.

A small cough interrupted them and they both pulled away with fangs bared.

"If you would prefer to take this inside, I can take you to the apartment before returning to the vampire mansion," Lettie said, trying not to sound nervous at the fact that both of their eyes were red.

"Very well. Sorry, Lettie," Ginevra said with a slight grin, taking Draco's hand in her own.

Lettie nodded and took their free hands, disappearing to Muggle London. Draco and Ginevra removed their robes, putting them over their arms as they would a coat.

"Would you like a tour, or would you prefer to see everything yourselves?" Lettie asked as they walked to the building.

Ginevra looked around the street, trying to find something a landmark so she'd be able to Apparate at a later date.

"We might have something to eat first and then look around ourselves," Draco replied.

"Of course. I have three sets of keys; one for each of you and one for myself in an emergency," Lettie said, leading them up the stairs.

"That's a good idea," Ginevra said, knowing full well that she'd be able to open the door, keyless or not.

"It was the real estate agent's idea. Apparently Mug... people often lock themselves out of their apartments and have no way of getting back inside without calling a locksmith. I have been told that it is very expensive," Lettie said in a conversational tone as she fished in her small bag to find the key.

Finding it eventually, Lettie opened the door and walked inside to hold it open for Draco and Ginevra. They walked inside to find a very different apartment from the pictures they'd first seen. Lettie smiled at their expressions, quite pleased with the apartment herself.

The kitchen had been altered, as had the bedrooms. The lounge room now had hardwood floors rather than the ugly and stained carpet, the bay window had been restored to its' former glory, and all of the walls had been painted a soft cream colour. Lettie had taken it upon herself to throw out the previous owner's furniture when she'd found cockroaches living in one of the kitchen cabinet drawers.

While Draco and Ginevra had been training, Miles had taken Lettie to various shops in the wizarding world to replace all of the furniture. It hadn't helped that a lot of the sales witches had thought Miles to be Lettie's boytoy, and the looks they gave her had Lettie gripping her wand for most of the time, trying to keep from hexing them. Miles hadn't seemed to mind their looks, and the memory of shopping for a bed brought a blush to her cheeks.

"Thank you for all of this, Lettie. It's wonderful," Ginevra said, smiling at her.

"You're most welcome, my Lady. I'll leave you to look around now. Enjoy your evening, my Lady, my Lord," Lettie replied with a curtsy.

Draco and Ginevra bid their farewell, although they were slightly confused at her sudden departure. Lettie hurried to leave the building, heading to a side alley and disappearing to the vampire mansion.

"Did I say something wrong?" Ginevra asked, frowning at Draco.

"I think Lettie just noticed how I've been staring at you instead of the apartment," he replied, smirking.

Ginevra laughed softly, kissing him. Her lips moved to his neck and she bit him, drawing blood. With a groan of pleasure, Draco wrapped his arms around her and headed to the bedroom.

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Lettie hurried through the mansion. She didn't want to see anyone, she just wanted to get to her room and relax for the evening. Miles saw her and fell into step beside her, keeping up easily.

"Did they like the apartment?" he asked with a slight grin.

Her thoughts still on the bed incident - honestly, they really shouldn't allow people to lie on their beds when they were that damn sexy - Lettie just nodded in response. She went to open the door to her room.

"Are you sure? You don't look all that happy, Lettie," he replied, taking hold of her arm to stop her.

"I'm fine, Miles. Really," she added, blushing again.

He'd stared at her as he lay on that damn bed, looking at her as if he could imagine her standing before him naked. She'd seen the look on other's faces when she was Lavender, and it seemed that it didn't change, no matter how old the person was.

Miles frowned at her, not looking as though he believed her words. He opened the door to her room and pulled her inside. "We're safe in here, Lettie. No one will hear us. Tell me what's wrong, please," he added, looking at her flushed face.

Lettie's eyes were all but glued to his hand, his cool skin on her own, his fingers wrapped around her arm gently yet firmly. He treated her as if she was precious, and even as Lavender, with her tens of boyfriends, she'd never had someone act that way towards her.

"Lettie?" he said, drawing her attention.

There was that little frown and crease of his eyebrow, showing his concern even more than his tone did. Reaching up, she smoothed it down gently, her face burning.

"Nothing's wrong," she murmured softly, cupping his face.

Miles took her free hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm gently.

"I'm very glad to hear that, Lettie," he said, his voice no more than a whisper.

She bit her lip, rising on her toes, watching him intently. It seemed like it had been forever since she'd done anything like this. What if she did it wrong? What if he didn't want her? She wasn't as young, or as pretty, as she used to be. What if she disgusted him?

Miles waited patiently, his hands clenched at his sides. He would let her make this choice, even if it took years of waiting. He didn't want to rush her and have Lettie regret it. Of course, it didn't stop him from hoping she'd kiss him, the mantra running through his head as he saw her indecision.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Lettie saw that he was barely able to hold himself back. With a tiny smile, she pressed her lips to Miles', kissing him gently. He relaxed beneath her kiss, but still didn't move to touch her. He'd probably lose control over himself then, and he doubted he'd be able to stop.

Lettie clung to his shoulders, licking his lips and delighting in his moan. Gods', she'd missed this. But, even though she was just kissing him, Lettie knew that it was so much more and so different than what she'd experienced before. She was different, and this entire experience would be as well.

Despite his earlier resolve, Miles couldn't help himself from holding her as he kissed her back. Couldn't keep from pressing his body against her, moaning as she licked his lips. It had been too long since his last lover, too long since he'd felt anything other than a butler's concern for someone in the mansion.

"Miles, please," Lettie murmured, sounding breathless.

Her words had him stopping immediately, worried that he'd hurt her. Had he bruised her, bitten her lip, injured her without realising it?

She looked at him in confusion, and when she saw his look, she smiled. "I didn't mean for you to stop."

Lettie kissed him again, softly and briefly this time. Leading him to her bed, she was slightly surprised when he stopped and didn't move.

"I don't want to rush you into anything, Lettie," he said.

"I wasn't going to," she admitted, blushing again. "I just thought it'd be more comfortable to kiss you sitting down," she added, her face reddening further.

He smiled at her, easing her worries almost immediately, and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Miles kissed her hand once more and gently pulled Lettie down to him.

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"How is Neville in trouble, exactly?" Seamus asked as they walked through the nymph's forest.

Luna didn't reply for so long that Seamus thought she hadn't heard him. Just as he was about to repeat his question, Luna answered, her voice quiet.

"The nymphs are putting him on trial for using his Birth and Death powers to kill those Death Eaters."

"What? But if he hadn't then those fuckin' bastards would have killed tens more people!" Seamus said, enraged.

"I know that, Seamus. Do try to calm down," she added as an afterthought.

"So how am I supposed to help Nev then?" he asked, trying to redirect his thoughts away from his anger.

"I'm not entirely sure, myself. Let's see how it goes, shall we?" Luna replied with a smile.

Stopping in front of a large weeping willow tree, she murmured something so softly that even Seamus couldn't hear her words. The branches parted and Luna stepped into the shadows. With only a second of hesitation, he followed her inside. A nymph hurried over to Luna when he noticed her, glancing back to the gathered nymphs nervously.

"Lady Cassandra, we are, as always, pleased at your presence. However, it will be necessary for you ... and your friend," the nymph added, seeing Seamus standing behind her, "to wait outside until this trial is over."

"I think we'll be fine here, Tyrone," Luna replied pleasantly, moving to seat herself at the end of the semicircle that had formed around Neville.

Before Tyrone could stop him, Seamus went and sat next to Luna, his eyes never leaving Neville.

Directly across from the gathered nymphs were another smaller assortment of nymphs. They looked older than the others, but it had nothing to do with their flawless beauty. Their eyes showed their age, and it seemed that the purple streaks braided into their hair was an indicator of this as well.

Neville was kneeling before the purple-streaked nymphs, but his back was straight and he held his head high. He was in his nymph form, streaks of green through his own hair. His vine tattoos were brighter than Seamus ever remembered seeing them before, and they were twining around his biceps slowly.

"You understand your charges, Neville. What do you have to say for yourself?" the front nymph, a female with long brunette hair and bright purple streaks, asked.

"I had good reason to do what I did and I don't regret it," Neville said confidently.

"You abused your powers!" a nymph to the side said, looking angry. "You knowingly went against the natural order of Birth and Death!"

"And I would do it over again! Do you really believe that Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters are adhering to the natural order? They are killing more and more wizards and Muggles every day. When the rest of the world is dead, they will turn on us, and I can assure you that they will not stop until every one of us is a slave or killed," Neville said, looking at each of the nymphs in turn.

Seamus watched as Neville's vine tattoos spun faster with his anger, the thorns seemingly invisible.

Murmurs surrounded them, worried and fearful whispers that spread to even those on the judging side.

"We understand, Neville, and we will decide whether we will fight them when the time deems it necessary. However, we are here to deal with your recent actions," the front nymph said, stilling the whispers.

"Oh, it looks like we weren't needed after all," Luna murmured.

Seamus looked to her, finally looking away from Neville. "What do ye mean?" he asked softly.

"Neville, your punishment for the abuse of your power is to stay in the nymph world for three months," the nymph said.

Neville seemed to be waiting for more, and when she didn't say anything more, he nodded. "I accept my punishment and will stay in the nymph world for three months."

"How is tha' fair? He cannae fight if he's stuck here," Seamus hissed to Luna, wondering exactly what she had Seen.

"Patience, Seamus. Neville can explain it later," she murmured, resting her hand on his arm gently.

It seemed that the nymph's word was final and within seconds, Seamus and Luna were the only two left on their side of the tree. On the other side, the judging nymphs left slower until the head nymph was alone. Between them, Neville was still kneeling on the ground.

"Are you well, Terra?" Neville asked, frowning at the nymph.

"Fine, fine. You know I despise politics," she replied, waving his concern away easily.

"Why didn't you give me a date to stay? I can choose to stay here for three months at any time then," he said, sounding confused.

"Exactly. There is a war going on out there, and I do not wish to confine you here when you can be of better use out in the mortal world," she replied fondly, smiling at him.

"Better use?" Neville echoed. "You need me to do something for you?"

Terra laughed softly. "Good observation, Neville. I will ask you later. For now, I suggest you take your lover away before he taints the Judgement Tree," she said, her eyes flicking over to Seamus.

Seamus reddened slightly, but he was only embarrassed at being caught. He'd been staring at Neville hungrily, thinking of every thing he was going to do to him the moment they were alone.

"If you will excuse me, Lady Terra, I do believe it will be best if you tell Neville what you require of him now. Seamus will be pivotal in helping," Luna said, stepping forward.

"I said not to use my title, Cassandra. I have lived for far too long to believe in such trivialities," Terra said, turning to look at Neville once more. "My granddaughter went into the mortal world soon after you came to us. I believe those Death Eaters have taken her and are using her for their evil deeds. She is too innocent a child to have to deal with such negativity."

Seamus stared at Terra, trying to wrap his head around the fact that the nymph had a granddaughter. She looked to be sixteen years old, eighteen at the oldest!

"Why do you think the Death Eaters took her?" Neville asked, frowning.

"I received a message from her three months ago. It was the last time I have heard from her since, and I am worried for her."

Terra stepped back, her hand flying through the air elegantly. As Seamus watched, the air that she touched lit up, much like a permanent firework. Terra's hand fell to her side and she sighed softly. A Dark Mark, lit up with every colour of the rainbow, was hanging in the air in front of her. The snake protruding from the skull's mouth was even moving. It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing Seamus had ever seen.

"How'd ye get a message from 'er?" Seamus asked, looking away from the skull.

"She is my direct descendant, and as such we have a mind connection. The only way it can be stopped is through powerful Dark Magic."

"We will need a picture of her and something that belonged to her, if you don't mind," Neville replied, his gaze still on the skull and snake.

"I have a lock of her hair but no picture. I can show you what she looks like, if you believe that will help?" Terra asked.

Neville nodded, and to Seamus' relief, the Dark Mark disintegrated. Terra drew her granddaughter in the same way as before.

Luna tapped Seamus' shoulder gently and he looked away from the woman forming.

"Take a picture for me. Colin can change it so she looks human," Luna murmured, holding out Colin's camera for him.

"Colin let ye take his camera?" Seamus asked with a chuckle.

"Of course he did. There were threats from me and tears from him, but the end result will make amends for both," she said, smiling brightly.

"I take it ye mean yer plannin' on shaggin' him senseless?" he asked, grinning.

"You have such a filthy mind Seamus. But yes, you're right."

Seamus laughed and turned to the picture once more, taking a few photos as Luna had requested. "They're probably nae ver' good," he admitted, handing the camera back. "I'm nae good at it like..."

Seamus' words were cut off abruptly as Neville kissed him eagerly. His lips curved into a grin and Seamus wrapped his arms around Neville, kissing him back just as passionately.

"Oh, dear. Lucky you waited for me to get the camera," Luna murmured. "Why don't you show Seamus to your place, Neville? I fear Terra was right, it wouldn't do good to taint the Judgement Tree," she added, gently pushing them towards the open branches.

Smiling to herself, Luna turned and left the way Terra had gone.

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Tuesday, 2 July

Gregory shifted slightly, uncomfortable in the ridiculous outfit the King had adorned him with. Apparently, he needed to have something that showed he was a war General, and that something was a blood-red outfit that was too tight for his size. He couldn't wait to leave this room and alter them with magic. Gregory knew that the King wouldn't appreciate him changing the clothes in front of him. No matter if he was the war General or not, the King still didn't like the use of magic near him. It frightened the troll more than he would admit.

"Do we even know where the Dark Lord is? It's a bit difficult to fight him if we don't know where he is," Griselda muttered, looking at the map spread out on the table.

"His last known location was in Little Hangleton, here," Gregory replied, indicating to Riddle House on the map.

She nodded, not looking at him. "That still doesn't tell us where he is now, does it?"

Gregory was pleased that Griselda had stopped staring at him. She barely looked at him now, but it was better than her getting the wrong impression and him having to turn her down. He doubted that it would have been a pleasant outcome.

"My friends are trying to figure out where he is. I will write to them this afternoon and we should know in the fortnight," Gregory replied.

"If that's the case, there's no point in us being in here! Get outside and start training that useless lot!" the King demanded.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Gregory replied with a bow.

He left to the gathered trolls outside. They were all armed, whether with club or a mug of ale. Gregory had the unfortunate experience of being in a drinking contest two nights ago. The ale the trolls drank was far worse than anything he'd ever had in the wizarding world. His head still ached from it.

"Right, who's ready to train?" he asked, grinning at them all.

They cheered, eager for a fight. Ale was drunk and in the crowd, someone was smacked on the head with a club. A brawl began immediately, a mess of limbs and growls from the pile up. Gregory stood back and watched. While they were all preoccupied he altered his clothes with an inward sigh of relief.

Within five minutes, the fight had finished. Trolls were bruised, others were bleeding, but none of them were excessively hurt.

Shaking his head, Gregory sighed. He had a lot of work to do.

"Pair up. I want to see how you go against each other," he called over the groans of pain.

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"I say we stay here for the rest of the day," Draco murmured with a smirk, running his hand along Ginevra's thigh.

"Mmm, that sounds nice, love," she replied, turning in his embrace to kiss him.

He covered her body with his own, deepening the kiss quickly. Turning them over, Ginevra bit his neck and licked at the blood slowly, teasing him. Grinning as she pulled away from him, she gave him a peck on the lips and got off the bed before he could stop her.

"Ginevra," he growled, "Share."

"I shared enough with you last night, Draco," she replied, still grinning. Gathering her clothes spread across the room, Ginevra headed to the bathroom. "Come on, love. The war won't end without us."

"As depressing as that thought is, it's actually true," he muttered, sitting up.

"You wrecked my shirt. Not even magic will be able to save this now," Ginevra muttered, showing him the scraps of material.

"That's my shirt. You did that, love, not me," Draco replied, smirking.

Gathering the rest of the clothes, he joined Ginevra in the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously when he turned on the taps in the shower.

"Having a shower so I can go back to the Veela house. You said that we need to save the world, remember?"

"I know. I just didn't think you'd give up so easily," she replied.

"Who said I was giving up?" Draco said, grabbing her around the waist and stepping into the shower with her.

Ginevra's laughter was cut off by a kiss. With a smirk, Draco moved his lips to her neck and bit the soft flesh gently, sucking and licking at the flowing blood. Pressing his body against hers, he kissed her once more. Ginevra's arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him tight against her as she kissed him back. Draco pulled away slowly, his forehead resting against hers. Reaching behind Draco, Ginevra grabbed the soap and cloth, a grin on her face.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "I think you're just going to waste the soap, love."

"We'll see about that," she replied, moving so they were both under the water.

"It wasn't a challenge, Ginevra," he said.

She replied with a noncommittal sound, already soaping his chest with the washer. Draco relented for the moment - it did feel nice, and it gave him a chance to stare at her breasts for longer than she normally would have allowed - but he assured himself that he wouldn't let her win. Even though it wasn't a challenge.

In a few minutes, all thought of challenges and winning went out of his mind and her hand wrapped around his cock, the soap making her grip slippery. Growling her name, Draco pulled her to him, kissing her eagerly. Her hand continued its' ministration and her lips curved into a smile as his fingers gripped her shoulders tightly.

"We should probably get ready, love. Lettie will be here soon," she said, pulling away.

"Finish what you've started," he said, his voice rough.

With a smirk, Ginevra began to clean him once more.

"Not what I was talking about, Ginevra," he said, pressing his erection between her legs.

Moaning softly, Ginevra ground down against his cock, her breasts rubbing against his wet chest. Unable to hold back, Draco thrust into her, lifting her to gain better access. Ginevra wrapped her legs around his waist, moving in time with his thrusts quickly. Keeping one hand on her hip, Draco ran his nails across her breast. The water from the shower mixed with her blood, diluted red liquid slipping along the curve of her breast. He licked the blood slowly, his lips wrapping around the wound as he sucked harder.

Draco barely noticed when Ginevra took his wrist and bit into it. Ginevra pulled Draco away from her breast as the wound closed and kissed him hard, her tongue and his own blood swirling in his mouth. He kissed her back harder, the taste of her blood mixing with his in their mouths. Holding each other tighter, they moved faster still, Ginevra's fingers balling in his hair as she pulled his head back to bite into his neck. Tightening around his cock inside her, she grinned when he hissed in pleasure and pain, her nails digging into Draco's back.

They were both drowning in a hazy mist of blood and sweat and sex, and some time later, whether it was seconds, minutes, or hours, Ginevra was clenching around Draco tightly, his name spilling from her lips as her orgasm shook her entire world. Draco wasn't too long after, coming hard as Ginevra kissed him.

Sighing contently, Ginevra rested her head against Draco's shoulder, pressing a light kiss to his skin. He pulled out of her gently, setting her on her feet, his hands staying on her hips. Draco took the cloth from Ginevra's clenched hand and cleaned her gently, washing her body in circular motions. Ginevra moaned as his free hand cupped and squeezed her breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers. Kissing her, Draco licked her lips, his fingers continuing their assault on her sensitive skin.

There was a knock at the bedroom door and Draco pulled away from Ginevra with a sigh.

"We'll be out in a few minutes, Lettie," Ginevra called, knowing it was her companion.

They both heard the bedroom door shut quietly in response. Draco kissed Ginevra once more and they cleaned themselves quickly, each glancing at each other longingly.

"Don't be long, love," Ginevra said, stepping out of the shower.

Draco watched her wrap a towel around her body, and as she left into the bedroom, he turned the shower to a colder temperature. He finished his shower in time to see Ginevra walking out of the wardrobe, black tights and a loose green shirt on. When she saw him, she took the shirt off and threw it to him. He caught it easily, almost losing his hold on the towel wrapped around his waist.

"I heard you turn the shower to cold so I warmed your shirt for you," she said, grinning.

"What would I do without you?" he drawled, smirking at her. He could smell her on his shirt, he realised, his eyes closing as he breathed in the heady scent.

When she didn't respond immediately, he frowned and looked up at her. Ginevra was staring at the top of his towel, chewing her bottom lip. Smirking in satisfaction, Draco 'accidentally' dropped his towel. Her moan came unbidden and was soon captured by his mouth.

"We... we can't," she murmured, breathless.

She hadn't meant to stare. She'd seen it all before, and there'd been no reason to stare. But his body, the water, the blasted towel... All of it had just made her want to jump on him and fuck him silly. Again.

"Lettie's ... waiting for us," Ginevra added, trying to remember how to join words to create coherent sentences.

"She can wait longer then," he replied, his hand returning to its' earlier position at her breast.

"My Lady? Is everything all right?" Lettie asked, knocking on the door.

Ginevra could barely hold back her moan. Draco's hands were intent on making her brain turn to mush. And they were doing an explicably wonderful job of it. It would be a shame to stop their work, really...

"F-Fine... Give us another half hour... Hour," she corrected at Draco's low growl against her neck.

"Of course, my Lady. My apologies," Lettie replied, leaving the apartment quickly.

Draco bit into Ginevra's neck, his fingers working to undo her shirt. He planned on using their extra hour wisely...

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"Does our dear little sister look different to you, Forge?" George asked, nudging his twin and nodding over to Ginevra.

"Why yes, Gred, I believe she does..." Fred replied, grinning.

She was walking around the training students, giving tips and help every so often, but she seemed preoccupied. If the smile on her face was anything to go by, the twins would bet their life savings Ginevra had spent the night with Draco.

"Don't want to think about that, do we Gred?" Fred said, wrinkling his nose.

"Not at all, Forge. Our sister needs to be brought back to reality."

"All that time in the clouds isn't good for her head," he agreed with a nod.

"Oh, Ginevra?" Fred and George called.

She walked over, unsuspecting and unguarded. This just wouldn't do... The twins looped their arms around Ginevra's and walked her down to the forest, ignoring the questions from their friends.

"What's going on?" Ginevra asked, frowning in confusion.

"We needed to get you alone," they replied, going further into the forest.

When they were both past the wards, Fred and George Apparated with a loud combined bang.

Arriving at their destination, the twins held Ginevra steady as she gathered her bearings.

"Where are we? Why did you need to get me alone? We need to go back. Now!" she said, glaring at them.

"You were the one who asked us to keep this a secret, dearest," they replied, ignoring her look.

Fred and George led her up to the house that she hadn't seen, passing through the gate without blinking an eyelid.

Ginevra realised that she recognised the house. "Ollivander?" she asked, looking to them.

They just nodded in response and knocked on the door.

It was opened a few minutes later to reveal a weary yet smiling Ollivander.

"Welcome, do come in," he murmured, ushering them inside. "Pleasure to see you again, Ginevra," he said, shaking her hand. "I've been wondering when you'd come," Ollivander added, looking at the twins.

"Sorry, old chap. It's taken a while to get Ginevra on her own, you see," Fred said, shaking his hand.

"She's a popular one these days, what with the war starting and such," George finished, shaking Ollivander's free hand.

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid that she will become more ... popular as time goes on," he said. "Tea?" he asked, leading them into the small lounge room.

"Yes, please," Ginevra said, sitting on the seat he indicated.

"Two sugars for us, chap. Ginevra will just have one; she's had enough sugar today," Fred said, cutting off with a grunt when George nudged him sharply.

Ginevra glared, her hand curled into tight fist. She was going to kill them...

"Very well," Ollivander said, the corner of his lips quirking. "Here you are, dear," he said, handing the cup to Ginevra.

Her cheeks were red and she took the cup with lowered eyes.

"You love him very much, don't you?" Ollivander asked, sipping at his tea.

"Of course she does!" Fred said, glaring.

"You think our sister would shag someone she didn't love?" George said angrily.

"Well, then you should know better than to reprimand someone in love," Ollivander replied simply, smiling at Ginevra.

The twins went silent, looking at each other as they tried to think of a response.

"How are you, Ginevra? You look weary," Ollivander said sympathetically.

She was surprised at the question; no one had asked it of her in a while. "I am feeling weary, to be honest, Mr. Ollivander. The war hasn't even begun yet and I already wish it was over," she said truthfully.

He chuckled softly, sipping at his tea. "Please, call me Oscar. I doubt that you are the only one who feels that way, Ginevra. Just think of those who are required to wait out the war with nothing to do to help," Oscar said.

Ginevra nodded, sipping at her own tea. She noticed a small bag around his neck, and all of her visions that even mentioned that bag hit her at once.

"There is something you could do, Oscar," Ginevra said, smiling at him.

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Draco looked around at the students, trying to find Ginevra between the fights, swords, and spells.

"Padma, do you know where Ginevra is?" he asked, heading over to her.

"I haven't seen her for most of the morning," she replied with a brief frown.

There was a loud clash beside them, and Padma turned to the students with a glare. "You're supposed to hold onto the sword, not try to throw it at your opponent! That move doesn't work any more than your dagger throwing did yesterday!"

"Sorry, Padma," Terry said quickly, grabbing his sword and leaving as fast as possible.

"Ask Parvati, she might know," Padma said, going after Terry to make sure he didn't try the same stunt again.

Draco frowned slightly. He had the feeling that Padma was avoiding the question. Seeing Parvati across the pitch, Draco headed towards her.

"Malfoy! Get a shield and get into the air! The students need archery practice on a moving target," Moody said with a sadistic grin.

Draco repressed a glare. The Order member was still pissed off at them for what they'd done to the Death Eaters. The Order had found out, of course. Most of their spies had escaped the attack, thinking it was an Order mission they hadn't heard about yet. Those that hadn't escaped had Ginevra's red wave pass through them with minimal damage. Apparently, it had taken three wizards to calm Moody down, and Draco could still see his eye twitching in anger when he looked at any of them. In Moody's opinion, they'd let Voldemort escape and had spent time uselessly killing Death Eaters. The Muggles hadn't mattered to him as much as Voldemort being alive. If He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was still alive, then he'd just be able to capture and torture more Muggles as revenge, or just for kicks.

"Just a minute, Professor. I'm looking for Ginevra," Draco said, trying to go around him.

"She's a big girl and can look after herself, Malfoy. Now, grab a shield and fly," Moody said roughly, glaring at him. "And none of that Veelan stuff again. They need a proper experience," he added, shoving a shield at him.

Sighing heavily, Draco donned the shield on his arm and turned into a Veelan. Repressing his Veelan hormones, he flapped his wings a few times to get into the air. An arrow shot at Draco without warning, quickly directing all of his thoughts to the task on hand. He was almost certain that Moody had shot that...

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"Well, that was a pleasant time," George said, folding the long parchment and putting it in Fred's pocket.

"Wonderfully pleasant, I dare say," Fred agreed with a nod. "We all got jobs to keep us busy," he said, grinning.

"We should have all of the ingredients Ollivander needs by the end of next week. It depends how long our supplier takes," George added.

"We'll let you know when Ollivander's done with the bags, okay?" Fred added.

"Thank you, I appreciate all that you're doing," she said, hugging them both. "I was wondering if you could do something else for me?" Ginevra asked, feeling guilty for taking up so much of their time.

"What is it?" they asked warily.

"I need you to organise better security for Oscar," she replied.

"How do you mean? He's in that place with a Secret Keeper; he'll never be found now," the twins replied, frowning.

"He might be in there with a Secret Keeper, but the Potter's had one too," she said, making them go silent. "I'll show you what I mean," Ginevra added, holding her hands out.

Fred and George took her hands without hesitation. With a loving smile at their trust, Ginevra showed them the vision she'd had about Ollivander all those months ago.

"Couldn't hurt to have extra protection," Fred murmured when the images faded.

"Better way to alert us if someone comes in against his will too," George added with a nod.

"We'd better take you back before we get too carried away, dearest sister," Fred said.

"Might never get back to Hogwarts then, and imagine what Draco would say," George said.

"Never mind what he'd say, imagine what he'd do! I like my fingers," his twin replied, wiggling his fingers with a light laugh.

"Right, back to Hogwarts then," they said in unison, moving to take Ginevra's hands once more.

"Actually, I'd like to go to Antarctica. If you don't mind, that is," she added.

They were both sombre in an instant. It was the first time Ginevra had gone to Antarctica since Theodore had moved Pansy to the medical facilities there. Nodding in understanding, Fred and George looped their arms around Ginevra's and Disapparated.

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"You didn't tell me you were coming. Is everything all right, Ginevra?" Theodore asked with a frown, quickly looking her over for any injuries.

"I'm fine, Theo. Fred and George just dropped me off. It was a spur of the moment decision," she added, easing his worries. "How is Pansy?"

"Her body's healed, but she still hasn't woken up. I can't fully assess her mental trauma until then. You can sit with her if you like?" he offered.

Ginevra nodded, following him through the iceberg's corridors. "Where's Millicent?" she asked as they passed the small room filled with books that Millicent was usually in.

"She went out for a run with Remus. There was something about penguins and leopard seals too. Tonks is still sleeping," he added in a whisper. "Don't think she's adjusted to the time zone yet."

"Bugger the time zones. It's the temperature I can't stand," Tonks said through a yawn, opening her door. "Hey Ginevra, long time no see," she added with a grin. "Coffee?" she asked Theodore.

"There's still a couple of cups left in the pot. I made sure they didn't drink it all this time," he added, smirking.

"Thanks ever so much," she said, rubbing her covered arms as she hurried to the kitchen.

"We've moved Pansy to a different room. Just down here," Theodore said, guiding Ginevra down a hallway. "You can hear the ocean in this room, and the sound seems to help her. Well, it's helping according to her brain patterns," he added.

"I'm not really surprised, her being a mermaid and all. Have you tried getting Pansy into water?" she asked curiously.

"Not yet. I'm waiting for her to wake up first. I'm not overly thrilled at the idea of drowning my patient," he drawled.

"I doubt Pansy would drown, and if you're that worried, why don't you get someone to hold her up?" Ginevra asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If Pansy wakes up and still thinks that she's in the hands of Voldemort, she'd consider it an attack and probably hurt whoever was holding her," Theodore replied.

Ginevra agreed after a moment, her arms falling to her sides.

"I'll check that Pansy's all right and then you can see her, okay?" Theodore said, pressing his hand to a small ice formation protruding from the wall of ice. There was a beep, a small flash of green, and the wall opened to reveal a hospital room, Pansy lying on the bed, motionless.

Before Ginevra could move forward, the wall appeared again, obscuring both Theodore and Pansy from view. Pressing her hand to the ice block, Ginevra waited for the wall to open again. It didn't, but the frosted ice began to clear to give her a window into the room.

Theodore was checking Pansy's vitals, his wand floating above her still form as he directed the magic to parts of her body. He frowned a few times at things Ginevra couldn't see or understand, but changed little from what she could see. Finished with his examination, Theodore turned to see Ginevra's head in the door. Stifling a laugh, Theodore opened the door and let her inside.

"Patience is a virtue, you know," he said, grinning at her.

"I was never good at being patient, I've gotten over it," Ginevra replied with a smirk.

"I'll leave you two alone. Let me know if anything happens," Theodore added, leaving the room.

Ginevra turned to Pansy, her smirk fading. The bruises were almost all healed, a yellow colouring to her skin for the worst ones. Cuts and similar wounds had all been healed, most of them without a scar. Theodore had also ensured that there was no internal bleeding. Physically, Pansy was fine.

Sitting beside her friend, Ginevra took Pansy's hand in her own. She wasn't sure what to say, and for a while, she said nothing. Then the silence began to creep in, and Ginevra could almost feel herself suffocating on it. She burst forth with words, sentences, not really knowing or caring what she was saying, anything to fill the void.

"You have to wake up, Pansy. It may be nice to sleep, and you might think all of your problems don't exist, but they do. You have to wake up. I miss you, Pans. I don't know what Theodore or Millicent have told you, but Vincent's dead. He's gone, and you can't follow him. Not yet, Pansy. Gregory's still alive. He's out in the world, waiting for you. I know it. Haven't heard from him in a while, but I know that he'll wait forever. He won't let you go, and that means you can't let go either. You have to wake up. Please, Pansy, please wake up. You have to wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up," she chanted, squeezing Pansy's hand tighter.

Ginevra closed her eyes, mouthing the mantra over. Pouring her emotions and power together, she tried to wake Pansy with magic. First her normal magic as a witch, and then her strengthened magic as a Vampiress.

Pansy didn't move.

Desperate, Ginevra tried to use her magic as Queen of All to wake Pansy up. Lightning crackled, the wind tore at them, the waves outside crashed against the iceberg loudly.

Nothing. Not a sound, a sudden breath, or a response to Ginevra squeezing her hand. Pansy didn't even blink an eyelid.

"Are you all right?" Theodore asked, opening the door. He hurried to check Pansy over, and then looked up to Ginevra. "A storm's starting to brew outside. It's too strong for me to control it, but I've managed to let Millicent know. She'll be back in about five minutes if you want to wait for her?"

"No. I'm sorry, I'm not feeling the best. I might just go back to Hogwarts, if you don't mind," Ginevra said, feeling weak on her feet.

"I'll take you back, Gin. Wouldn't mind getting some more winter clothes before I come back in the middle of a storm," Tonks said at the doorway, her gloved hands gripping a large mug tightly.

Ginevra nodded. "Thanks, Tonks. I'll come back when I can, okay, Theodore?" she said, kissing his cheek. "Look after Pansy for me," she added softly, looking to her friend.

"Of course," he said with a nod. "I'll let Millicent know you dropped by."

"Give her my apologies for not staying," she added, leaving quietly.

"Fireplace is just through here," Tonks said, leading her to a room a few hallways over. "Room's been magicked up to the brim so the fire doesn't melt the ice," she added, putting her mug down and warming her hands in front of the flames. When Ginevra didn't respond, Tonks hurried to get Floo powder from the small container on the floor. "Follow me," she said with a grin, throwing a handful into the fireplace. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmistress McGonagall's office," she said clearly, disappearing instantly.

Ginevra felt out of sorts, as if she was watching her life through someone else's eyes. She watched herself throw Floo powder into the fireplace, say the words, and disappear into the green flames.

Leaving the fireplace, Ginevra thanked Tonks for bringing her back to Hogwarts.

"You right there, Gin?" Tonks asked, seeing her eyes water.

"Fine. I just got some soot in my eyes," Ginevra lied, brushing the tears away.

"Happens all the time... Luckily McGonagall isn't in, she'd hate it if she knew I was using her fireplace to go shopping," Tonks said with a conspiratorial wink. "You sure you're right?" she added when Ginevra didn't even smile back.

"I'm sure. Might just go out and get some fresh air. Have a good time, Tonks. Thanks again," Ginevra added, leaving McGonagall's office before Tonks could say anything else.

Tonks looked to the paintings around her, opening her mouth to ask a question of Dumbledore's portrait. Then she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Throwing Floo powder into the fireplace, Tonks disappeared with a whispered 'Madam Malkins' before McGonagall could catch her.

Minerva stepped into her office, frowning slightly.

"Everything all right, Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, looking at her over his glasses.

"I thought I heard the Floo system," she said, turning to look at the fireplace sternly.

"I didn't see a thing, you must be hearing things," Albus said, humming to himself cheerfully.

The other paintings stayed silent, pretending not to see Minerva's enquiring look.

Hoping that fresh air would help her, Ginevra went outside to where the students were training. If the fresh air didn't help, then training might.

"There you are, Ginevra. Where were you?" Draco asked, frowning when he saw that she had been crying.

"Antarctica," she replied, wiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"Oh," he said, understanding at once. "How is Pansy?" Draco asked quietly.

Ginevra shook her head. "Still the same. I couldn't do anything to help her, Draco. Nothing, not even with my supposed power as Queen of All," she said, trying to hold back the sobs of helplessness.

Unsure of what to say, Draco gathered her into a hug.

Around them, the students stopped fighting and training to watch as Ginevra cried in his arms.

"Excuse me, my Lord. I will take my Lady back to the vampire mansion now. She is upsetting the students and she needs to rest. My Lady has had a very emotional day," Lettie said, taking Ginevra from Draco's hold.

"All right. Thank you, Lettie. Rest well, love. I'll see you tomorrow," he murmured in Ginevra's ear, kissing her wet cheek.

With a brief sombre smile, Lettie disappeared with Ginevra.

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Thursday, 4 July

Dear Seamus and Blaise,

I hope this letter finds you both well.

My Lady is wondering if you have seen or heard from Neville lately? He is not responding to any of our mind calls and the owls are returning undelivered.

In response to Blaise's last letter, the Muggles are doing quite well. They are gaining weight and no longer seem afraid of the Vampires, although my Lady tells me that their lack of fear is mostly for show. The children have adjusted better than the adults, but I doubt that would surprise you. The Vampire Council is deciding whether to send the Muggles back to their world with memory modifications, or if it would be impossible to remove such an experience. I will keep you informed.

If you could please reply as soon as possible with news about Neville, my Lady and I would appreciate it.

Warmest regards,

Lettie.

Seamus read the letter from Lettie, wondering how he should respond.

"What's wrong, Irish?" Neville asked, wrapping his arms around Seamus' waist as he read the letter over his shoulder.

"What should I say? I cannae 'xactly say the truth, now can I?" he muttered.

"You'll have to lie and say you haven't seen me. Same as you, Blaise," Neville added, looking over to their lover.

Blaise was lying on the bed, looking very pleased with himself. "I don't think I can lie about not having seen your delectable body, love," he replied with a smirk.

"In tha' case, I say we fuck him until he cannae think anymore," Seamus said, moving towards Blaise with a carnal glint in his eye.

"We can't, Irish. As much as I would love to make Blaise's brain turn to mush, we have to leave. We don't know what the Death Eater's are doing to Terra's granddaughter," Neville said. "You saw what they did to Pansy, and she's not even a nymph," he added, his voice quiet.

Seamus stopped where he was immediately and nodded, feeling a bit ashamed. "Ah well, you have somethin' ter look forward ter when we get back," he said to Blaise with a slight grin, kissing him briefly.

"Before you go..." Blaise said, waiting until he had their attention. "Why can't you just tell Ginevra the truth? She's worried about you and just wants to know where you are."

"Terra was very specific that only Seamus and I know what is happening, and it was only after Luna talked to her that she allowed you to know as well," Neville said.

"Then could I just tell Ginevra that you're in the nymph world?" Blaise asked, frowning.

Neville shook his head. "You didn't know that I was in the nymph world before, so you wouldn't know that for certain now. Seamus will just reply that he hasn't seen me, and that should be that for a while. I'm sure the war will occupy Ginevra's time and worry soon enough."

Blaise sighed and got off the bed, walking over to Neville. "Be safe, my love. Look after Irish, and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger," he said, worry lacing his features. He kissed Neville passionately, holding onto him tightly. He pulled away reluctantly and turned to Seamus. "Look after Neville, Irish. That doesn't mean decapitating anyone that looks at him," he added sternly. Ignoring Seamus' disappointed look, he continued, "and don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger either, you hear me? If you come back without limbs over something stupid, I'll hit you with your own arm, got it?"

"Yes, Papa. And if I'm extra good, can I get the new Firebolt too?" Seamus asked in a child-like voice, his eyes wide. He smirked and rolled his eyes at Blaise. "Ye really think I'm goin' ter lose limbs over..."

Blaise cut him off with an equally passionate kiss, holding his hands tightly. "Just be safe, Irish. I love you both," he said, taking hold of Neville's hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles lightly. "Now go before I tie you to the bed and never let you leave," he added, his words catching in his throat. He attempted to smile to reassure them that he was fine, that he wouldn't think about them and worry every second they were gone.

Neville kissed Blaise once more, squeezing his hand. "We'll be fine, love."

Love and sadness enveloped Blaise, feelings radiating from Neville.

"Come on, Irish. Let's go find some Death Eaters," he said, turning to Seamus.

"But, the bed. Tying us up an' never lettin' us leave. I vote we do tha' instead," he said, pouting.

Blaise chuckled softly and let go of Seamus' hand. "Go on, Irish. I'll be waiting for you to come back, limbs or no limbs," he added with a grin.

Seamus nodded briefly and kissed Blaise one more time before leaving with Neville.

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"My Lady?" Lettie called, knocking on Ginevra's door.

There was no answer. Frowning slightly, Lettie opened the door slowly, waiting for a response. When there still wasn't one, she looked inside to see that Ginevra wasn't in her room. Searching in her mind, Lettie tried to find Ginevra that way. Leaving the room, she bumped into someone. Hurrying to apologise, Lettie saw that she'd walked into Miles.

"Are you all right, Lettie?" he asked, looking at her in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, thank you," she hurried to reassure him, blushing slightly.

Don't think about kissing him, don't think about kissing him, don't think about kissing him...

"I was just wondering where my Lady is. Have you happened to see her?" Lettie asked.

"Yes, actually. Lady Agnes is talking with Ginevra in the dining room. I believe she is asking her opinion about the Muggles," Miles said.

Vampires were hurrying past, merely blurs of colour. Lettie frowned. She had never seen this many vampires in this part of the mansion, nor moving so fast. They usually walked slowly, considering they had all the time in the world to get wherever they were going.

"What's going on?" she asked, looking down the corridor after the rushing vampires to see what had happened.

"Lady Virginia has returned from her travels, and most are eager to hear her worldly tales," Miles said, his tone cold.

Lettie wasn't entirely sure why it felt like her heart was constricting, or why her breathing seemed to shorten. Was it because of Miles' intense dislike for Virginia, so like her own Lady's? Was it due to the possibility that Virginia had tried to seduce Miles? Was she jealous? Would she hate Virginia, or would she too, fall prey to her looks and charms?

"I ... I need to go. I can't see her. I don't want to become one of those," she said, indicating to the vampires who were rushing to be by Virginia's side.

"I am immune to her," Miles murmured quietly. "If you would like, you can see your response to Virginia when she walks by. I can hold you back if you feel the need to fawn at her feet," he added, smiling briefly.

Entranced by his smile, Lettie nodded her agreement. Such a lovely smile, and even lovelier lips. But she wasn't going to think about his lips because then she'd think about kissing him and she wasn't meant to do that for some reason...

Miles moved behind her, his arms around Lettie's waist, holding her against him in case she did try to run to Virginia. He hoped that she wouldn't, but knew that the charms of the vampiress could bring down an entire empire, and in reality, they already had done it.

"Here she comes," Miles murmured in Lettie's ear softly.

Shivering at his lips and breath so close to her, Lettie turned to look at Virginia. Holding her breath, she waited for an emotional or physical response to the beautiful red-headed woman as she went past.

The vampiress' eyes glanced over Lettie and Miles, dismissing them immediately and returning her attention back to the fawning crowd around her. She laughed a tinkling laugh at something one of them said, replying in a high-pitched voice.

Lettie clenched her teeth in pain. Virginia's laughter hurt hear ears, and her voice almost made her physically sick. It took her a moment to get past the revulsion to realise that she hadn't become a blathering idiot over the vampiress. She was almost positive that she wouldn't have been able to do that as Lavender.

A second after that revelation came the realisation that Miles still had his arms around her, despite the fact that Virginia was now long gone. Her face flushed, Lettie tried to stop her body from trembling as he subconsciously moved her tighter against his body.

There was a sigh of frustration behind her and Miles let go of Lettie reluctantly. "I am sorry, Lettie, but Lord Xavier requires my assistance. I will see you later," he said, kissing her hand.

Leaning against the door frame, Lettie fanned herself with the letter in her hand.

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Millicent collapsed into a chair, her entire body trembling from the cold. She shed her wolf form slowing, the transformation painful with her body as cold as it was.

"You... shouldn't... have... stayed... out... so... long," Remus said, collapsing on an armchair across from her.

"Don't... care... Have... to... find... her," Millicent replied, her voice rasping.

Theodore burst into the room, his face covered by a balaclava and goggles. "Did you find her?" he asked, looking between them. His voice was muffled and he hurried to take his mask off, his lips blue from the cold.

"N-n-no," Millicent replied, her teeth chattering.

"Tonks is... still out... there... looking," Remus added, shivering.

Disregarding his own frozen state, Theodore sent warming spells at both Millicent and Remus, waiting until their shivering had subsided. He warmed himself and headed to the kitchen to get some tea for all of them.

The storm was still raging outside, and despite all of the spells surrounding and within the iceberg to keep it from collapsing, Theodore was certain that it was shaking in the ferocious wind. He'd never seen a storm like this before, and despite the fact that he was an elf who could control the weather, Theodore had to admit that it frightened him a bit. It was as if the entire world was shaking and trying to break apart.

An hour after the storm had begun, something had happened to the magic that powered their lights. Theodore had immediately gone to check on Pansy, his promise to Ginevra ringing in his head. Millicent and Remus had tried to figure out and fix whatever the problem was. By the time they had finished and restored the lighting an hour later, it had taken Millicent a while to realise that Theodore hadn't returned. She'd found him knocked unconscious in Pansy's room, but that wasn't the worst of it. Pansy had disappeared.

Soon after Theodore had regained consciousness, Tonks had returned, armed with new clothes and bright blankets. Somehow, she blamed herself for not being there to stop Pansy's escape, and spent more time than any of them out in the storm trying to find her. It took Theodore longer and longer each time Tonks returned to restore warmth to her body, and Remus had taken to sleeping next to her in his wolf form just to thaw her frozen body.

There was a big crash, a howling of wind, and a loud thud. Hurrying out of the kitchen, Theodore went to the entrance to find the door open, Tonks lying face-first on the floor. She was so cold that she couldn't even move out of the doorway. Using his wand to move her gently, Theodore shut the door behind her, battling against the wind.

Lifting Tonks took more effort than it should have, the woman unable to lift herself or stand in any way. With an extra spurt of magic, Theodore guided her down to the fireplace immediately.

"Remus, she's frozen stiff. I have to get her warm and dry. Can you undress her? Quickly," he added when Remus just sat there, staring at his wife in shock.

With a nod, Remus hurried to do as he asked. His fingers trembled with concern rather than cold as he undressed Tonks from her wet clothes.

"Mill, get some clothes for Tonks. And blankets, lots of blankets," he said.

Millicent was gone instantly. Theodore hurried to the kitchen to get the tea. The warm beverage would be useful when Tonks could hold it. He returned to find Remus hugging a naked Tonks, trying to warm her with his body heat as best as he could.

"Got them," Millicent said, her arms full of clothes and blankets.

"Thank you. Remus, you need to let go of her now," Theodore said softly, gently pulling him away.

Remus sat back, his face pale as he watched Theodore work on his wife's frozen body.

Floating his wand above her form, Theodore quickly administered a slow-releasing heat spell. If she received too much heat at once, her body could go into shock and she could end up comatose. He re-hydrated her, again slowly. It was only a small spell, as Tonks wouldn't be able to receive many liquids without ingesting them herself.

"Remus, can you help me dress her? She needs to stay dry and warm. Mill, put the blankets around her and you two can stay on either side of her. Body heat will help. I need to regulate her temperature. It's going to go up and down for a while as her body gets used to pumping blood again. When she's able to respond, make sure she has a cup of tea. Don't yell or startle her if you can help it," Theodore added.

With Tonks dressed and sitting on the lounge, wrapped in blankets and Remus and Millicent on either side of her, Theodore took her cold hands and closed his eyes. He was going into a trance to keep her temperature stable, as he'd said. What he hadn't told them was that this procedure was as dangerous as Draco going into Vincent's dying mind. If it went wrong in any way, Theodore could die.

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Listening out for noises, Luna carefully made her way down to the stables at the vampire mansion. She stopped at the first stable. The stable next to it was empty, but not for lack of animal.

"Hello, Leo-Bestia-Famulus," Luna said cheerfully, smiling at the manticore. "How are you today?"

"I am well this morning, and yourself?" Leo asked with a small bow.

"Oh, quite well, thank you. I'm just waiting for the right moment to get inside without being noticed. I have a few minutes, so I thought it would be pleasant to say hello," she replied, still smiling. "I hope the vampires are treating you well?"

"They mostly avoid me out of fear, but I am allowed to feed without restriction, and I would never betray that show of trust by showing my displeasure. The Queen... Ginevra," he corrected, "keeps me company, and if not her, then her companion. They are not afraid of me, and neither are you," Leo said, sounding pleased.

"No, I am not. I know your loyalty to Ginevra and I will never be afraid of you, Leo," Luna murmured, stroking his head gently.

He purred happily.

"I am sorry to leave you so soon, but I must go now or I will be discovered," she said.

"Of course. Thank you," Leo said.

Keeping her footsteps silent, Luna made her way up to the mansion and slipped in through the servant's door. There was a crash of pots in the kitchen nearby. Using the distraction, she hurried past the open door without being seen. Ducking into a crevice in the wall, Luna stilled immediately. Further up the corridor, Virginia and her admirers passed by. Waiting five seconds longer, Luna continued up the corridor and walked into the library. She scaled the bookcase nimbly and walked along the top of the wooden structure, her feet barely leaving marks in the dust. Luna stopped suddenly.

Below her, a vampire was searching the bookcase for something. He wouldn't find it and would leave in twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... The vampire huffed in annoyance and left quickly.

Jumping to the next bookcase, Luna landed with the tiniest of sounds. This was the moment that could reveal her and ruin everything. She stayed crouched down, listening intently. Outside, a bird trilled a happy note. Recognising the sound from a vision, Luna stood once more, relieved that she wouldn't be found. She climbed down the bookcase, tapping her wand on a brick in the wall. An opening appeared and Luna went into the dark passage, cobwebs sticking to her skin. The wall closed up behind her.

Hearing Ginevra's voice and then Agnes', Luna realised that she was in the right place. She stayed inside the wall and waited patiently for Agnes to finish talking with Ginevra. She didn't want to alert either of them to her presence for the moment. There were things that needed to be said out of Ginevra's earshot, and Agnes and Xavier were the only two strong enough to create and maintain a sound barrier for such a conversation to take place.

"I would like you to think of their fate, much as you would one of your friends, my daughter. They were found and rescued by you and your friends, and as such, you should have a say in what happens to them now. Do not look so alarmed, my daughter," Agnes said with a smile. "You are not required to make the decision straight away. You have time to think over it, as does the rest of the Council. Perhaps you should talk to the Muggles themselves, I am certain that they would like to have a say in it," she added, patting Ginevra's shoulder gently.

"Of course, Lady Agnes," Ginevra replied, bowing to her. "Thank you for speaking with me of the matter."

"You are quite welcome," Agnes replied, smiling once more.

In a matter of seconds, Ginevra had disappeared from the room, and the door was closed behind her. Seeing that it was clear for her to reveal herself, Luna opened the passage in the wall and stepped into the room. Before she even had time to take in a breath, a dagger was pressed against her throat.

"Lady Ca..." Agnes began to say.

Luna hurried to put her hand over Agnes' mouth so she wouldn't finish her sentence. The dagger was removed from her throat when Agnes realised that it was still pressed against her firmly. Luna put a finger to her lips for silence. Waiting until Agnes had erected the barrier, she stepped back and healed the bruising around her throat.

"I am sorry, Lady Cassandra. I did not know that it was you," Agnes said apologetically.

"No need for apologies, Lady Agnes. I did not want to alert Ginevra of my presence," Luna replied, letting the vampiress lead her to a seat.

"Is something wrong between yourself and Ginevra?" Agnes asked with a slight frown.

"Not at all. She is worrying over me more than she should, but then, Ginevra always has worried about those closest to her," Luna mused with a small smile. "I have come to talk to you about her future, and it is something that she cannot hear at this present time," she explained.

Agnes nodded, and realising that Luna wasn't able to see her nod, coughed slightly in embarrassment. "Please, continue."

"Thank you," Luna said with a smile. "Ginevra must learn to control her powers as Queen of All, and while she must first gain control over her power as a vampiress, the two are interwoven. If she had not become a vampiress, then Ginevra would never have become the Queen of All, and if she had not been destined to be the Queen of All, she would never have been a vampiress.

"You see, her transformation is no longer reliant simply on her genes, dormant or otherwise. Those dormant genes in the Weasley females died along with Arthur Weasley's great-great-great-grandmother. The gods are taking an interest in mortal lives once more, and the Sisters of Fate deemed long ago that Ginevra would be the greatest power the world has ever seen, should she acknowledge it.

"Despite the fact that Ginevra is here and a vampiress, she has not yet accepted her Queen status. As such, she will not be able to vanquish her demons," Luna said, trailing off. She wiped a tear from her eye quickly, the images that she had Seen flowing through her mind again.

"While I do not like Virginia, is it necessary to label her a demon?" Agnes asked, frowning slightly. She'd seen demons over the years, and Virginia may have had a demonic attitude, but she was certainly no demon.

"My dear Agnes, I am not referring to Virginia. I am talking about Ginevra herself," Luna said. "If she doesn't accept or acknowledge her role as Queen, then she will never be able to defeat the evil side of herself."

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Lettie stayed a few steps behind Ginevra as they walked to the makeshift hospital the Muggles were in.

"Make sure I don't do anything, okay Lettie? I don't want to scare them any more than they already are," Ginevra said, her jaw clenched.

"Yes, my Lady," Lettie replied, moving forward and looping her arm through Ginevra's.

She may not have been strong enough to keep Ginevra back, but Lettie could at least get her out of the makeshift hospital before she did something she'd regret.

"Thank you," Ginevra murmured, opening the doors and walking inside.

Lettie bit her tongue to keep from crying out in pain as Ginevra clutched her arm tightly. Ginevra started to turn into a vampiress almost immediately, lightning cracking in her hair. Lettie tried to disappear with her, but she was struck by a lightning bolt that jolted her arm away from Ginevra.

The hospital doors closed and locked behind them. Screams began to echo through the room, the adults gathering children to their bodies in an effort to protect them.

Lettie tried to grab Ginevra again, but she was backhanded so hard that she went flying through the air and crashed into the doors with a thud. She hurried to get on her feet once more, running at Ginevra. Dodging her hand, Lettie tried to hold any part of her that she could. She had to get Ginevra away. Lightning crackled along Ginevra's body, shocking Lettie fiercely. She struggled to keep her grasp and concentrate on disappearing. More lightning struck her over and over.

"No!" a woman cried nearby.

Losing her concentration and grip, Lettie turned to see one of the children running to them. He had escaped the woman's hold and was now running towards Ginevra, seemingly entranced. Unable to do anything to stop Ginevra, Lettie tried to block the boy before he was injured or worse. He was faster than she'd judged, and Lettie barely managed to grab his arm. She was weakened by the lightning, and the boy pried himself loose, continuing towards the vampiress.

Stopping in front of Ginevra, he looked up at her with a look of wonder.

Ginevra stared down at the boy, her eyes red and lightning crackling even more fiercely. She was so hungry and he was so fearless. How easy it would be. So very easy. Just one bite and no one could stop her. She reached out a hand slowly.

Smiling, the boy held out his hand.

A child held out his hand between the bars. Trusting her to help them, trusting all of their lives in her hands. He wasn't afraid of her because he'd already seen things that were far worse. She'd taken his hand then, silently taking responsibility for all of them, child and adult alike...

Her hand dropped to her side quickly, and Ginevra's vampiress side disappeared instantly.

Unfazed, the boy took her hand, nuzzling his face against her leg.Around them, the screams came to a stop.

"Are... are you all right, my Lady?" Lettie asked softly, ready to pull the boy away.

"I'm all right now, Lettie... Let me see your hands," Ginevra murmured, stroking the boy's head gently.

Seeing that everything was all right once more, the adult Muggles slowly and warily released their holds on the children. The hospital doors unlocked.

Lettie held her hands out, covered in burns from the lightning.

"I'm sorry, my friend. Forgive me for this," Ginevra said sadly.

She let go of the boy and with a smile at her, he went to the other children. Ginevra took hold of Lettie's hands gently. Lettie held back her hiss of pain and tried to redirect her thoughts. A red transparent sphere surrounded their joined hands, and with a small burst of light, it disappeared. Lettie looked at her newly healed hands in wonder. There wasn't even a scar.

"H-how did..." she began to ask, and then she saw Ginevra swaying on her feet.

Blackened burns and bleeding cuts covered her hands and arms, each one tripled and deeper than the ones Lettie had received. Ginevra saw the look of concern on Lettie's face and then as she collapsed forward, she saw no more. Lettie hurried to hold her upright. Blood dripped from Ginevra's fingertips, small circles of blood staining the stones below.

"Are you all right? Do you need help?" a man asked, still keeping his distance.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern," she replied, lifting Ginevra by her hips and carrying her outside quickly.

Sensing the urgency, Miles was beside her in a matter of seconds. Wordlessly, he helped Lettie carry Ginevra to the mansion's medical area.

"Lightning burns and cuts," Lettie answered when the healers asked what had happened. "She took them from me," she added.

"She needs to re-grow the skin so we'll be keeping your mistress here overnight. There's little you can do, so I suggest you return to your rooms and wash the blood off," a healer said, turning her attention back to Ginevra.

Lettie didn't move, she just stared at Ginevra lying on the bed. The white sheets were already turning red with blood and black with charred skin. Seeing that she was going into shock, Miles led her out of the room quickly.

"I'll get a cup of tea for you, okay?" he murmured in her ear.

Lettie nodded briefly, her mind still relaying the images of Ginevra's arms.

What happened? Is Ginevra all right? Draco asked urgently.

Ginevra burnt me with lightning, and then took them back threefold. She will be fine. She just needs to regrow her skin, and the healers are keeping her overnight, Lettie replied quickly. She hadn't realised she'd been thinking that strongly.

You're sure she's okay? Parvati asked in concern.

I'm sure. The healers here are very good, Lettie told them, trying to keep her emotions reassuring.

What about you? Are you all right? Padma asked.

Fine. Miles is making sure I don't go into shock, she said, an image of Miles sending to them.

So that's Miles! Padma said, cackling.

Padma, leave Lettie alone, Parvati said sternly.

Their thoughts all stopped and Lettie sighed in relief.

Miles came into the room, carrying a mug of tea carefully. She smiled at him and took the offered mug, blushing slightly.

"Ginevra will be fine, you know. The healers here treat this sort of thing all the time," Miles said, trying to be reassuring.

"Really?" she asked in surprise, sipping her tea.

He nodded with a grin. "You know of Lorcan d'Eath?"

"The half-vampire singer?"

"That's him," he confirmed with a nod. "He had to spend a week covered in balms and bandages. He got the nickname 'the Mummy' because of it. He wandered around the mansion at night trying to scare everyone," Miles said, chuckling.

Miles continued to talk of the vampires in the mansion in an effort to keep Lettie's mind off Ginevra, who was still lying unconscious in the medic area.

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Tonks opened her eyes slowly. She kept her breathing regulated - a trick she'd learnt at the Ministry - as she tried to work out where she was. Theodore was sitting in front of her, holding her hands in his own. Millicent and Remus were on either side of her, their heat all but radiating from their bodies.

"Don't move, Tonks," Theodore said.

He opened his eyes slowly as well. Looking up at her, he gently let go of her hands.

"You almost died," he said, struggling to stand.

His body was stiff and his bones cracked as he righted himself properly.

"Wait there, I'll get some chocolate for you," he said, leaving to go to the kitchen.

Tonks frowned. She'd almost died? Her face crinkled into a confused state as she tried to remember why she'd almost died, or even how. She remembered the cold, the storm outside, but there wasn't much else. It took Tonks a few minutes to even remember why she'd gone outside in the first place.

A trail. She'd been following a trail, the wind and snow whipping at her as if it were trying to cut her open. But she hadn't cared. She'd needed to do this, to follow the trail, to find... What? No, not what. Who. She'd gone outside - all of them had - to find Pansy.

Theodore came back into the room with a block of chocolate. Tonks was sitting upright, staring at the flames without really seeing them.

"Are you okay, Tonks?" he asked, worried that he'd missed something and she was going into shock.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "I know what happened to Pansy. I followed her trail and ... She went into the ocean," Tonks said. "Would she have survived that? It's below freezing out there," she said, shivering at the reminiscent cold.

"I don't know, Tonks. I really don't know," he said, shaking his head.

Theodore sighed, handing Tonks a row of chocolate before it melted in the warm room. He took some for himself and bit into it, wondering exactly how he'd tell Ginevra that he failed her.

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Approximately 1100 kilometres away...

Pansy continued to swim with what was left her depleting energy. She had barely just begun to warm up from the sub-temperatures of the Amundsen Sea.

Going up to the surface, Pansy kept her gills under water and tried to gauge how far away from land she was. She could see land up ahead, indicated by the lights shining in houses and building. Hope renewed her energy, and Pansy went back beneath the water, swimming towards the land with renewed energy.

The energy didn't last long, and Pansy was barely able to navigate past the docked yachts and boats. Using the very last of her energy, Pansy made it to a secluded beach and dragged herself ashore.

As her vision began to go dark, she saw a tiny light moving towards her. Then Pansy's world went black and the light disappeared entirely.

A lit wand dropped next to Pansy's body, and with a sigh, the wand's owner followed.

"You left too soon, Water Pansy."

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End of the twenty ninth chapter.

Thank you for reading!

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30. Chapter Thirty

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!

Chapter Thirty

Friday, 5 July

Lettie woke up slowly, her mind clear and her body surprisingly rested. With a small yawn, she snuggled closer to the cool pillow beside her.

"Good morning," an amused voice said beside her.

She sat up abruptly, her face burning as she realised that the pillow had actually been Miles. "Good morning..."

"I apologise, I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. You fell asleep in the early hours of the morning and I was loathe to wake you by leaving," Miles said, moving away when he saw how embarrassed she was.

"Thank you?" she said hesitantly.

"I'll leave now," he said, heading to the door.

"Miles, wait. Please," Lettie added.

He looked at her, waiting patiently.

"I'm not uncomfortable that you stayed. In fact, I'm surprised more than anything," she added, thinking of all the duties he must have missed by being with her. "It's been a very long time since I've woken up next to anyone... Well, I just wanted to say thank you for keeping me calm and sane over Ginevra's situation."

Miles was in front of her in a heartbeat. His hands rested on her shoulders gently, and he smiled at her. "You're very welcome, Lettie. I am glad I was able to help in some way," he murmured, kissing her forehead gently.

Her face reddened once more, amazed at how gentle and caring this man was with her. And she must look like a mess after sleeping in her clothes. She said something along those lines, and Miles chuckled softly.

"I can assure you that no other woman has looked quite so beautiful this early in the morning... If you would like, I can check to see how Ginevra is faring while you dress?" he offered.

Stunned by the truth she'd heard in his compliment, Lettie was surprised that she managed to nod. Miles brushed a kiss on her knuckles, and was gone a second later.

Hurrying to the bathroom, Lettie didn't even bother looking at her reflection. Miles had said that she looked beautiful, and she couldn't be bothered attempting to find fault with his words. She knew that Lavender would have immediately gone to a mirror to check for the newest line, discolouration, imperfection, any bodily evidence to prove the complimenter wrong. As she showered, Lettie wondered how she'd never seen just how rude and vain she'd been before.

Hearing her bedroom door open, Lettie stopped changing to discern who it was. She recognised the vampire as Miles and hurried to finish changing.

"Sorry I took so long," she said, stepping out of the ensuite and into her room.

"You must stop apologising for everything, Lettie," Miles said, smiling. "Ginevra is doing well. Her scars have already healed, and after a day of rest, she'll be let out of the hospital ward."

Lettie let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding, relieved that her Lady was well. She immediately conveyed the information on to Draco, staggering slightly at the intensity of his relief.

"Are you well?" Miles asked in concern, holding her up quickly.

"Fine, thank you. My Lord was just very relieved to hear that my Lady is recovering so quickly," Lettie said, smiling to ease his worry.

"Perhaps you should sit down, just in case any of your friends also feel with the same intensity," Miles said with a grin.

"Are you trying to get me to kiss you again, sir?" she asked, a sultry tone to her voice.

She'd missed this. Innocent flirting, seeing the reactions, waiting for the response that could make her as weak as he was...

"I most certainly am. Is it working?" Miles asked, kissing her cheek lightly.

"D-definitely," she murmured, clinging to his shirt.

If she just tilted her head slightly that way, her lips would be on his...

Moving slowly, Lettie kissed Miles' lips, a grin forming as he sighed contently against her. A few minutes later, he pulled away reluctantly.

"I apologise for cutting this short, love, but someone needs my help. I'll be as quick as I can," he added, kissing her once more before leaving.

Lettie grinned, positive that she'd heard him mutter 'Someone had better be dying' on the way out. A frown began to form over her face as she realised that Miles had called her "love". She sat on the bed in a slight form of shock. Was this a good or bad thing?

... b ...

Sunday, 7 July

Pansy thrashed against the bed, trying to escape her captive state.

"Please, Pansy. Just stay still for a moment. I promise I won't hurt you."

She snarled in response.

"I might not be able to see you, but I can still See you. I do not appreciate you looking at me like that after I saved you from death!"

Luna knew that her words were harsh, but she pushed away her guilt quickly. If she didn't do this, then Pansy would never recover. She was no Theodore when it came to healing, but Luna knew enough to be adept for most things. However, it seemed that treating a mermaid with hypothermia was not covered in Basic Healing: Maladies and Injuries. If she didn't heal soon, Luna would be forced to take Pansy back to Theodore.

Seeing that Pansy was quiet and no longer thrashing about, Luna handed the bowl to Agnes.

"I am sorry to make you take care of such a difficult patient, Lady Agnes, but it is extremely difficult to do without my sight," she murmured.

Taking a place beside Pansy, Luna started to brush her hair gently, calming the young witch.

"It is quite all right, Luna. My husband can be quite a handful when he's sick as well. Acts like it's the plague all over again," Agnes said, chuckling. "Here you are, dear. Drink slowly, the soup is hot," she murmured gently.

"I hope Pansy will heal soon. I am worried about her," Luna murmured, feeling the hot temperature of her friend's forehead.

"You cannot See her future then?"

"Not at the present moment. It is ... foggy, for lack of a better word. Too much relies on this," Luna said, sighing softly.

On the bed, Pansy drifted in and out of consciousness. She only heard parts of the conversation around her, but each time she awoke, she could smell the ocean. The salt in the breeze, the waves frolicking on the sand, the sound of the life within.

From what she did hear, Pansy knew that she was close to death. She had to stay alive. If only for one more swim in the ocean. Determination set in, and she let Luna and Agnes take care of her as she slept and let her body heal.

... b ...

Tuesday, 9 July

Ginevra muttered to herself. She was perfectly fine, no matter what the healers said! See, she could even move her arm... Okay, maybe she couldn't. But she was still fine and it was ridiculous that she was being kept in this bloody ward for so long!

Ginevra, I love you, but you really need to stop whinging about this... You hurt yourself, and you need to heal. Don't do something rash and put yourself back in the hospital again!

Stop being so damn practical, Draco. You wouldn't like being stuck in here any more than I do right now!

I am aware of that, love, but you still need to heal properly.

Oh, speaking of love, how is Lettie going with gorgeous Mister Miles?

Padma? Shut up.

Even from across the mansion, Ginevra could feel Lettie's tumbling emotions.

What do you mean gorgeous? Aren't I enough for you anymore? Fred asked, a whine to his voice.

Bad mental images! Very bad! Would both of you stop it?!

Ummm... Parv? She's your identical twin, and you're dating Fred's identical twin... Isn't it just like seeing yourself with George?

There was silence as they all tried to process Millicent's comment.

For Merlin's sakes! I try to have a moment's peace, and someone swings a sword at me! Draco muttered, his presence disappearing from their thoughts instantly.

One by one, the others all faded, the distance tiring.

Lettie, can you come here please? Ginevra called.

She wanted to know what was wrong with Lettie. Had Miles hurt her in some way? If he had, she would tear him limb by bloody limb until he was nothing more than a pyre of blood and body parts!

It's nothing like that, My Lady, Lettie hurried to reassure her.

It was both comforting and scary to know how far Ginevra would go to protect her.

Well, then I demand an explanation when you're here.

Sighing heavily, Lettie headed to the hospital ward.

... b ...

"Put your bloody sword down! Right now!" Greg yelled, knocking the troll on the head with the hilt of his own sword.

"It ain't bloody. Not yet." The answer came with a complimentary blood-thirsty grin.

"Put. It. Down," he growled, anger and magic rippling around his body.

The troll paled slightly, the sword dropping to the ground with a heavy thud.

Greg sighed heavily. Maybe he'd started them on sharp weapons too soon? He really thought they would have known that they could actually kill each other with the swords. If there was another near-fatal stabbing, the medicine trolls were going to have his head on a platter. Literally, as he'd discovered when he'd found the stone slab hiding in their quarters...

"Everyone put your swords down!" he called, watching as the gathered trolls dropped their weapons reluctantly.

The magic wore off and the sharp swords turned into clubs once more. There was a loud cheer when the trolls realised they had their familiar weapons back.

Gregory frowned when he heard their cheer. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way? Instead of forcing weapons on them that they didn't like or even want to use, perhaps he could change the way they fought with their clubs. They were all for brutal force without thinking strategically, and in war, that school of thought would get them killed quicker than the King's temper changed...

He paced on the grass, trying to think of something that he could do. They were all exceptionally good at one-on-one combat - it was all they'd ever done, after all - but when working together as a team, they failed miserably each and every time.

It was so different than the way he'd trained though. This was outside, they all knew each other, knew their weaknesses, and had no way of identifying who was friend or foe. At least in the Room of Requirement, he'd been able to understand what could happen, who was bad, and what he could do against them. There was nothing like that here! He couldn't make a Room of Requirement, but Greg figured he could recreate one of the illusions he'd experienced. It was a complex spell, and he'd have to keep away from the fight itself so he couldn't be distracted or disturbed.

Looking at the group of trolls, he moved to one of the smaller trolls. Greg had seen him fight, and while he was good, he was often pushed out of the way so the bigger trolls could fight. Being small himself, Greg was sympathetic to him.

"Your name?"

"Helorr, War General sir."

"Congratulations, Helorr, you've just been promoted."

"Sir?"

Greg resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at the shocked look on the other troll's face. "Come with me and I'll explain."

There was a low grumble as they left, the other trolls feeling mutinous at the favouritism. When Greg and Helorr returned, more than one troll looked angry.

Ignoring their poisonous looks, Greg instructed them to split into two groups. "We're going to try something different now."

The trolls closest to Greg could see the look on his face, and shuddered visibly. Not a nice look.

Helorr wasn't as smart as the War General. In fact, he hadn't even won a tournament yet. But he was still smarter than the average troll. As the War General - Gregory, he corrected himself - walked away, Helorr had to wonder if he'd made a smart decision by promoting him in such an obvious way.

The scenery began to change, and Helorr stood his ground to watch as his kin fought each other, Death Eaters and the fields of war before their eyes.

... b ...

"You're upset because he called you by a pet name? Or because he called you 'love' in particular?" Ginevra asked, frowning slightly.

"I don't know, my Lady," Lettie replied miserably.

Ginevra shook her head, patting the bed beside her for Lettie to sit down. When she had done so, Ginevra took her companion's hand, gently squeezing it. "You have to work out your own feelings towards him. And you have to be honest with Miles. He's lived with vampires for so long that he's probably forgotten how to converse with mere mortals," she said, grinning slightly. "There's probably a very good reason he called you 'love' but you'll have to ask him what it is."

Lettie nodded briefly. "Yes, my Lady."

"And don't think I'm forcing you to do it. You ask him when you're good and ready," Ginevra added, worried that Lettie thought she was commanding her to.

Lettie attempted a smile, to reassure her. It didn't quite come out right, and she let the expression fade quickly. "If you are feeling better, I will take my leave until you require my presence again, my Lady," Lettie murmured, standing to leave.

"Very well. Lettie?" Ginevra called. "Do not be afraid to be in love."

Lettie seemed surprised at her choice of words, but nodded once more and left the hospital wing.

... b ...

"Would you tell me what's wrong already, Theo? You haven't stopped pacing since Pansy disappeared," Millicent said, taking his hand to still him.

"That's exactly it! She disappeared, not even two hours after I told Ginevra that I'd look after her," he muttered, slumping onto the lounge next to Millicent.

"You think she's going to punish you for something you couldn't control? Pansy knocked you out and ran away; you couldn't have anticipated that," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. She stroked his hair gently, trying to ease the stress and tension he was causing himself.

Sighing, Theodore let Millicent soothe him. He soon fell asleep...

... b ...

The Queen sat before him, her red hair flowing around her like silk. He stared at the ground beneath his knees, unable to look at her for long. The disappointment he was sure to see might just kill him, even though he knew it medically impossible to die of such a thing. Her sister had seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth, while under his care, and he was sure he would be killed in retribution. The bump on his head ached with such intensity that he had to fist his hands to refrain from touching it.

"Rise, and come to me, Healer."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he stood and moved to his Queen, still not looking up. He had a hundred thoughts running through his mind, most of it was worry for his wife and their young child. If they were removed from the healers wing after his death, then they would have nowhere to live. They would not survive the winter, no matter how warm his wife's fur coat could keep them. There was little they could do about starvation.

"Look at me, Nottingham," the Queen said, her voice soft.

He finally did so, his stomach twisting. She seemed worried, but not disappointed. Well, at the very least, she didn't seem like she was going to kill him. His stomach settled and some tension left his shoulders, but he was not naive, and kept an eye on the sword by the Queen's side.

"She will be found. Even with the herbs you have given her, my sister is capable of taking care of herself. She will be found, or she will return on her own. You need not worry yourself any longer," she said, taking his hand.

He felt the last knots of tension work free from his shoulders, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, let me see that bump on your head," she murmured, pressing her fingers to the egg-sized bump carefully.

No matter how many times he had witnessed the Queen use her magic, it still amazed him. What he could do with herbs and medicines seemed pitiful, but she had always encouraged him to continue his work in the village, not one to squander a gift from the gods.

The aching lessened quickly and he moved away when her hand dropped, lightly pressing his hand to his skull. The bump was gone, the pain fading to nothing, and he hurried to bow his thanks.

"You are most welcome, Nottingham. If something like this happens again be sure to tell me sooner. I could have found her if I had been notified earlier," the Queen said, her voice drowsy.

"Yes, my Queen. I apologise," he said, bowing once more and leaving as the Queen began to sleep off the use of her magic.

As he left the throne room, he bumped into someone. He hurried to apologise, but his words trailed off as he recognised his wife. It was obvious she had been eaves dropping, but the look on her face was far from apologetic.

"You would have told me anyway, so I don't see the problem... Now it's time to wake up."

... b ...

Theodore blinked as he woke up, realising that he was being shaken slightly. He focused on Millicent's face, still somewhat surprised at how realistic his dream had been.

"Sorry, Theo, but if you keep sleeping now, you won't sleep tonight. You all right?" Millicent asked quietly, still running her hand through his hair gently.

He nodded, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He frowned slightly when he realised that Millicent's action hadn't hurt the lump on his head like it should have. Theodore quickly felt for the lump, paling slightly when he found that it was completely gone.

"I healed your head for you while you were sleeping. I do pick up on some healing things, you know," Millicent said, grinning at his expression.

"Thank you, Mill. I'd better tell Ginevra about Pansy now," he murmured.

"All right. I'll go put the kettle on. Call if you need me," she replied, kissing him briefly before leaving him in the lounge room.

Theodore sighed softly, ran his hand through his hair and sat down to talk to Ginevra.

... b ...

"Come on, kid. You've got all that hybrid power in you, but I'll bet I can still take you down!"

"Who are you calling kid? I'm older than you, Ravi," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes.

Ravi grinned at him. "I can still take you down though!" he said, flying up into the air.

In an instant, Draco changed. Blood-red wings burst from his back, fangs pushed their way out of his mouth, his eyes turned red, and his fingernails grew into sharp black claws. He was truly frightening to behold. He shot into the air, a dagger clenched in each fist as he went after Ravi.

The other Veelan grinned at him, as he flew higher and higher. Draco growled menacingly when he didn't even take his weapon out to fight.

Ravi waited patiently, watching as Draco moved closer towards him. He didn't bother with his mace, knowing that if he moved his wings at the right moment, Draco would be blinded by the sun and then he could be defeated easily.

Draco could see the glare of the sun around Ravi's form, and knew that he would try to blind him momentarily in order to win. A small smirk flitted onto his face, and he waited, watching to see when Ravi would move. It didn't take long, and in moments, Ravi had moved to the side, flying down to pull Draco to the ground. Since Draco had been watching him, he'd manoeuvred so that he'd followed Ravi's movement instead of being blinded. Ravi hadn't watched Draco's response, confident about what would happen. So when, mere seconds after he'd started his descent, he found a dagger at his throat, Ravi was more than surprised.

"You just died. Never assume anything about your opponent, especially their reaction," Draco said, turning back to a Veelan and flying to the ground.

"You're getting better at controlling your hybrid form, I see," Garion said, grinning.

"With the war with Voldemort getting closer, I need to have control over myself sooner rather than later," Draco replied.

Garion's smile slipped and he nodded briefly.

"Lettie will be arriving soon, Draco. Don't hold him up, Garion," Julianne said, taking his hand.

"Of course. Off you go," Garion said with a nod.

"Thank you, my Lord, my Lady," he replied, bowing and hurrying to get a change of clothes.

"All right?" Julianne asked, squeezing Garion's hand gently.

"He's losing his adolescent years to a war that he shouldn't even be part of, Jules. It seems that for every generation there is a war to be fought, and the soldiers get younger every time." Garion sighed and turned to envelope his wife in his arms. "I know how old I sound, you don't need to tell me."

"I wasn't going to," she replied, hugging him back. "We were their age once, and we fought in a war as they did. It just seems longer because we've lived through so many, and they seem younger because we are older. If they didn't fight, then they would regard that as giving up, or giving in. We thought the same when we were the ones fighting, you remember, don't you?"

"Yes, I remember. But those wars never hung in the balance of my decisions, did they?"

"For me they did," Julianne replied quietly, hugging him a bit tighter.

... b ...

How long has she been missing? Ginevra asked, already thinking of numerous spells to find her escaped friend.

An hour or so after you left, Theodore replied.

You mean you haven't seen her for a whole week? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Ginevra asked, perplexed.

We've all been trying to find her. I didn't want to worry you, considering everything else you're going through, Theodore said, feeling abashed.

Oh, Theodore. You really should have told me sooner! Ginevra sighed to herself, wondering if she was really so scary that not even her friends felt that they could talk to her. Stay in Antarctica for a few more days, but if she's not back by Sunday night, return to Hogwarts. I'm positive that Pansy can look after herself. I don't think mermaids can freeze, really.

Pansy is not a fully-fledged mermaid though, Theodore thought, a frown on his face.

Ginevra's optimism faded, and she tried to make herself think positively. I'm sure she'll be fine; we'd feel something if she wasn't, she added, remembering Vincent.

I'm sure you're right. I'll let you know if anything changes, Theodore said, cutting his link with Ginevra after saying goodbye.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Millicent asked with a grin, looking in at him.

"You weren't supposed to be listening to that," he said, raising his eyebrow at her.

"You would have told me anyway," she replied with a shrug.

Theodore smiled and stood carefully, accepting the mug she offered. "Let's go tell Remus and Tonks what's happening."

... b ...

Friday, 12 July

Agnes stopped at the door, listening intently to try and figure out what was different. She frowned slightly when she realised she couldn't hear the usual sounds of Pansy trying to escape. Instead, she could hear... singing? Certain that she was hearing things, Agnes stepped into room quietly. Luna was sitting with Pansy, brushing her hair in long strokes. Pansy was awake, but her eyes were closed and she looked calm.

"Hush, the waves are rolling in,

White with foam, white with foam.

Father toils amid the din,

But baby sleeps at home.

"Hush, the winds roar hoarse and deep,

On they come, on they come.

Brother seeks the wandering sheep,

But baby sleeps at home.

"Hush, the rain sweeps o'er the Knowes,

Where they roam, where they roam.

Sister goes to seek the cows,

But baby sleeps at home."

Luna finished singing and turned her head to Agnes. She smiled, knowing that she had heard. "Welcome back, Lady Agnes."

"That was a beautiful song; you have a lovely voice," Agnes said softly, moving forward. She kept her eyes on Pansy, but Luna continued to brush her hair and the girl seemed content to let her.

"Thank you... My mother used to sing it to me when I was young. It always calms me, even now," Luna said with another smile.

Agnes checked over Pansy, relieved to see that her fever was dropping. "I am sorry for my late return. Virginia returned the very day I left with you, and I was kept longer than I anticipated to help maintain order."

"She is not causing trouble already?"

"Not yet, but I am sure it will not take long. Virginia thrives on chaos."

"So I've Seen," Luna murmured, shaking her head.

Pansy stirred slightly, and Luna resumed her task of brushing her hair, humming softly to calm her once more. Agnes took the opportunity to check Pansy's vitals, thankful that her fever seemed to be receding.

Luna handed the brush to Agnes, standing gently. "I just need the bathroom. Can you keep her calm?" she asked softly.

"I do not know the song you were singing," Agnes replied with a slight frown.

"That's fine, I don't think Pansy cares about the song, so long as someone's singing," Luna murmured.

"Very well," Agnes said, sitting beside Pansy as Luna hurried out of the room.

She sang a song that she had sung to her children, many years ago, when they had been sick. As she continued to brush Pansy's hair and sang to her softly, Agnes wove a sleeping spell into her words. By the time Luna returned, Pansy was sleeping peacefully.

... b ...

Neville ignored the look that the gaoler was giving him, and stepped with Seamus through the wards. Apparently, the gaoler had a brother working for the Order, one of the same who had been hurt by Ginevra's wave after seeing all of the children. He, like Moody, was angry at all of them for not letting the Order do its' job.

Seamus was muttering wild things under his breath, slipping in to Gaelic insults as they continued down the hallway. Neville shook his head gently and took Seamus' hand in his own.

"Calm down, Irish. This is the last Death Eater we have to talk to," he murmured.

Seamus didn't seem pleased at the fact, but he did stop his mutterings. He squeezed Neville's hand gently as they neared Bellatrix Lestrange's cell. He almost wished Niryal was with them. The Night Fairy could have done all of this in an instant, making each and every Death Eater beg as their nightmares controlled their minds. But Neville had sent her to Romania in order to retrieve the last of the pictures of Terra's granddaughter that Colin had developed for them.

The picture they had at the moment was slightly blurry, but it was clear enough for some of the Death Eaters to have recognised her. Unfortunately, they hadn't been close enough to Voldemort to know where she was, and while her face may have seemed familiar, not one was able to say where or even when they'd seen the nymph.

Bellatrix sneered when she recognised Neville. "How's Mummy and Daddy dearest?"

Neville's grip tightened on Seamus' hand, and he could see vines curling up the wall towards Bellatrix.

"Shut ye mouth 'bout his Mam and Dad," Seamus growled, trying to calm Neville at the same time.

He wouldn't mind strangling the crazy bint, but it'd be much harder to get information from her then...

"Oh, you're holding hands, isn't that sweet?" she crooned, laughing maniacally.

The vines whipped out, wrapping around Bellatrix's wrists and pulling her flush against the bar. Her laughter stopped, her eyes wide as she tried to pull herself free.

"Now that I have your attention, I want you to answer a very simple question," Neville said, his voice low and rough.

He held the photo up to the bars, directly in front of Bellatrix's face.

"Where is this girl?"

"Think I'm telling you that?" she asked with a laugh. Her noise was cut off abruptly as a new vine wrapped around her throat.

Neville looked at Seamus. "You were given explicit instructions not to decapitate anyone."

He grinned wildly. "There was nothin' 'bout strangling," he said cheerfully.

Bellatrix's eyes went between the two, fear beginning to creep in as the vine wrapped tighter and tighter.

"She is with Dark Lord!" she rasped.

The vines eased their hold slightly, but not by much.

"We know that. Where?" Neville repeated.

The vines around her wrists began to tighten as well, and she was sure her hands would break off. Her bones weren't exactly strong, what with the crap they considered nutritious food here.

She held off for so long that her face began to turn purple from lack of oxygen. "Marble Estate."

The vine around her neck was released immediately, but her wrists were still tied.

"If you are lying..." Neville said with a glare.

"You'll kill me, I know," Bellatrix rasped, her neck already bruising.

"Oh, no, I won't kill you," he replied, giving her a smile that made the hairs on her neck stand up on end. "But you'll wish I did."

Her wrists were released, and the two wizards walked away from her. Bellatrix went to her cot, holding her arms around her thin body, and wondering at the fear that he had released inside her. Not even Voldemort had been able to do that, not for many years now. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around her tighter.

"Do you know the place she talked 'bout?" Seamus asked.

They both ignored the guard's glare as they went to the Floo fireplace hand in hand.

"No, but we'll find it," Neville replied, stepping into the green flames and disappearing with a word.

Seamus followed moments later, heading to the Romanian dragon estate.

... b ...

Ginevra let out a sigh of relief when she saw the bandages come off clean. There were no scars, no marks, nothing to show the self-inflicted damage from the lightning.

She heard a soft sigh of relief in her mind, but it was so quiet she wasn't sure who it had come from.

"Lord Xavier has asked for you when you are ready," one of the medics said as Ginevra swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Try not to do things threefold again, it takes three times longer to heal," another added.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you," Ginevra said with a brief smile.

She wondered where Xavier was, and moments later, Miles appeared by her side.

"Good morning, Ginevra. It is a pleasure to see you up and about once more," Miles said with a smile and small bow.

"Thank you, Miles. It's a relief to be out of the ward," she admitted. "Do you know where Lord Xavier is?"

"Certainly. This way," he said, turning and leading her down a corridor.

Ginevra watched as he walked, his eyes straight forward and not once deviating from their path.

"Are you well, Miles?"

"Fine, thank you, Ginevra."

"Lies, this early in the morning? I am ashamed," she replied, trying to keep her tone light.

Miles stopped walking for a moment. "As Lettie is your companion, would you be able to inform me as to why she has suddenly had a change of attitude around me?"

"It is her information to share, Miles."

His expression dropped slightly, and with a firm nod, he straightened his shoulders and started to walk once more.

Ginevra grabbed his hand. "Wait. Just ... you have to understand something, Miles."

He looked back at her with a curious frown.

"You remember Lettie before, when she was Lavender, don't you?"

"Yes."

"And you understand how she has changed, how she is trying to become a ... different person?"

"Of course."

"Then you need to understand that Lettie still sometimes thinks as Lavender. She was an insecure girl, who relied on her looks, and all of her relationships were based on how she could benefit from them. Now, she has changed not only her physical form, but is attempting to change her mental one; she has just entered into a relationship with you, and you seem to love her for reasons that she cannot yet comprehend," Ginevra said.

"Are you saying that I'm the problem? That I should stay away from her?"

"Don't you get growly at me, Miles. You asked me to explain..." she reminded with a glare. Her fierce expression became more gentle as she amended, "But that is not what I'm saying at all. Well, not entirely."

"Please explain yourself in a better manner," Miles said, his teeth clenched as he tried to stay calm. He was usually level-headed, but when it came to Lettie... He was no better than a caveman of times long past.

"You recently called Lettie by a pet-name and it scared her, okay?" Ginevra said with a huff.

Miles' anger dissipated, and he stared at her in shock. It took him a moment to replace his shocked expression with a mask. He bowed to Ginevra. "Thank you for your explanation. Lord Xavier is down this hallway, third door to your left," he said, turning and leaving so he could think about what she'd said.

Ginevra winced slightly at his cold tone, hurrying to where Xavier was waiting.

... b ...

Gregory sighed as he headed to his quarters, tired after the day's events and detailed spell work he'd performed. As the King's war General, he had been given rooms inside the mountain, rather than out in the small village with the rest of the trolls. He would have preferred the village, but the King had gone off on one of his rants, and Gregory had agreed to stay, just so he would stop.

Just before he opened his door, Gregory felt a cold shiver pass through him. He immediately did a silent spell to detect danger, and frowned when the spell centred on the door handle.

All traces of exhaustion disappeared as Gregory performed spell after spell to reveal what exactly was wrong with the door handle.

It could have been a harmless prank - nothing more than a string and bucket of ale above the door entry - but he'd felt something in that cold shiver. Something like a warning.

The handle glowed a bright purple, and Gregory stepped back, looking down the hallway to see if the culprit was waiting for him to become a victim.

There was nothing and no one, but he didn't feel safe. He did a spell to make sure no one could touch the door, whether inside or outside the room.

With that secured, Gregory hurried to inform the King of what had happened, wondering who had tried to poison him.

... b ...

Neville stepped out of the fireplace, Seamus only seconds behind him.

"Welcome. You're expected, if you want to go straight up," the foyer's greeting wizard said, his accent thick.

"Thank you," Neville said with a nod, taking Seamus' hand as they left the small building and headed onto a cobbled path.

They were silent as they made their way up the mountain, but as they neared the reserve, they could hear the dragons.

"Hey, there you are. Come on through; Wilhelm called up ahead to let us know you were coming, so Colin should be down soon," Charlie Weasley said, grinning at them.

"No need, I'm here now, Charlie. Mother's waiting in the yard, if you wouldn't mind taking the harness off her?"

"Right," he replied with a nod. Moments after he went inside, they all heard him calling out to Harmony.

"Come on this way. I'm sharing a cabin with Mother; she'll be by soon if you're staying," Colin said.

"Depends on what the food's like," Neville said, grinning.

Seamus' grip on his hand tightened slightly.

Colin chuckled, shaking his head. "Not so sure myself, I've been surviving on raw meat. A couple of cattle here and there. But I've been told the roast is good."

He stopped in front of two pillars, murmuring some words. Before their eyes, the plain paddock shimmered and faded to reveal a small village made up of log cabins.

"The spell's done by five different wizards. It keeps the dragons' attention away from the village; you would not believe how strong the desire is to burn down everything when you're young," Colin murmured, shaking his head.

He lead them through the winding streets to a cabin that looked exactly the same as the others, so far as Neville and Seamus could see. All that changed when they went inside though. Much like the wizarding camping tents, the inside of the cabin was magically enhanced on the inside, and they were sure there was a darkroom towards the back.

"Make yourselves at home, I won't be long," Colin said, leaving them in the lounge room. "Not that at home, Seamus," he added over his shoulder.

Seamus slumped, his hand dropping to his side as he muttered under his breath about gods.

Neville grinned at him, kissing his knuckles gently. "Calm down, Irish. We'll leave when we've got the photos, if you're that uncomfortable."

"Hopefully not straight away. Mother was looking forward to meeting some of my friends from Hogwarts," Colin said, returning with the developed photographs.

There was an amused laugh from the doorway, and Neville and Seamus turned to see a young woman standing there.

"After all I've heard about them, I couldn't help but be curious, could I?"

"You're Colin's mam?" Seamus asked in shock.

He couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the idea of so many young-looking women having children or grandchildren! She barely looked twenty!

"Harmony Cooper. You must be Seamus," she said, smiling as she held her hand out to shake.

Seamus nodded, shaking her hand in a daze.

"Neville; it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Neville introduced, shaking her hand as well. Since he was used to Terra's appearance, he wasn't as shocked as Seamus, and noticed that her nails looked more like scales, a rainbow hue shining in the light.

"Ah. So Blaise is not with you?"

"No, ma'am. He is still training with the centaurs," he replied.

"Colin has been showing me all of his photos of everyone ever since he arrived. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he had so many friends. They were quite lacking in his earlier years, but it is not unusual for were-dragons to be solitary," Harmony murmured, then smiled suddenly. "I do hope you're staying for dinner."

Neville looked to Seamus for a moment, ready to make apologies and get out as soon as possible, as he'd said. However, Seamus surprised him by saying that they would stay.

"One night cannae hurt," he added with a slight grin.

"You're just staying for the roast, aren't you?" Colin asked, laughing when Seamus turned red.

"Not just tha'," he muttered.

"Thanks for getting the photos done up, Colin. Was it difficult to do with just the outline?" Neville asked, looking at the photographs he'd handed to him.

"The description that Luna gave me helped a lot."

"She's seen her? Well, tha's good. Means we find her... Donnae it?" Seamus added when both Neville and Colin were quiet.

"There were many visions where she saw the nymph's funeral, but just as many with her being found. I did a few of what she looks like according to the outline, and had one of the reserve's artists sketch her as Luna saw her."

Harmony excused herself to get tea for them all, and Colin lead them to the lounge area so they could sit comfortably.

"How did it go with the Death Eaters? Luna said you'd find something out if you didn't kill Bellatrix first?"

"Well, we didn't kill her, and we found out that Voldemort should be in a place called the Marble Estate. I'm going to contact the wizarding department in Little Hangleton, and see if they've got a listing of places that the Riddle family owned."

"What if that doesn't work? Riddle was a Muggle, wasn't he? And don't you think the Order would have tried something like that?" Colin asked with a frown.

"Well, it's a start. Ginevra said once that he was a Muggle, but I'm hoping that since he was Tom Riddle's father, there would be something more listed, but it's a long shot since no one believes that Voldemort was a Muggleborn, and most don't know who his biological father is. As for the Order, I really can't say... They didn't try Riddle House, after all, and look what happened there," Neville muttered angrily.

"Here's your tea. Oh, are you all right, Neville?" Harmony asked as she set the tray on the table.

He nodded, wondering at her question, then realised that the pot plants on the window sill had burst into a shower of petals. Neville concentrated for a moment, and the plants blossomed once more. Seamus took his hand, stilling the excess power he was letting out, and gave him a comforting smile.

"The Muggles'll be all right, Nev. They're with Ginevra, after all."

Neville smiled back at him, and took a gulp of his tea, trying to calm down.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice said, and Neville and Seamus saw Bexley floating out of Colin.

"Bexley? What are you doing here?"

"Miss Lovegood required my assistance... And apparently, I was scaring the Muggles at the vampire mansion without realising it," Bexley said with an embarrassed cough. "A Boggart of my age should have better restraint, but I haven't feasted on human fears for so long," he trailed off.

Harmony gave a polite cough, and Bexley quickly returned his attention to them.

"Ah, yes. My apologies. I just wanted to let you know that I know where the Marble Estate is."

... b ...

"You will be fine, daughter. Keep your arm on mine, and everything will be fine," Xavier said, leading her to where the Muggles were staying.

Ginevra nodded, still feeling nervous. She hadn't seen the Muggles since she'd all but attacked them, and wondered how they would respond to her presence.

She took a deep breath, and nodded for Xavier to open the door. Stepping inside, Ginevra was pleasantly surprised when no one started screaming at the sight of her. Generally a good thing, she thought with a small grin.

A group of children were running around the beds, giggling loudly as they tagged each other. They seemed much healthier than they had only last week, but despite their adrenaline-filled blood, they didn't make Ginevra feel Thirsty. She relaxed slightly, a knot of tension easing.

"There, you see? Everything is fine," Xavier murmured softly, giving her an encouraging smile.

Xavier kept his hold on her arm as they walked around the beds, but stayed silent as Ginevra conversed with the Muggles. Most of them seemed fine at her presence now that she wasn't in her Vampiress form, but others were wary and kept as much distance between themselves and Ginevra as they possibly could.

As they left the area, and the doors closed behind them, Ginevra let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. She was grateful that she hadn't turned into a Vampiress, had actually been able to focus on asking questions and listening to answers, and she was more than grateful that Xavier had been holding onto her.

"Would you like to retire for the evening, or would you prefer to discuss their responses now?"

"I might rest for a while, if you don't mind, Lord Xavier," Ginevra said, trying to keep her hands from trembling.

Not turning into a Vampiress seemed to have taken more out of her than she thought would have been possible.

"Very well. I will have some tea sent to your room, it will help you relax," Xavier replied with a smile.

Ginevra thanked him, barely aware that he was walking her to her room at a fast pace. She did notice when he set her back on her feet properly, and tried not to sway without his support.

Lettie appeared moments after Ginevra arrived at her room, curtsying when she saw Xavier. "Thank you for assisting my Lady, my Lord. I will take care of her now, if you are required elsewhere," she said, taking Ginevra's arm to steady her.

"I will leave her in your care, Lettie. I will send up some tea," he informed her, and with a sweeping bow, Xavier left quickly.

Lettie guided Ginevra inside carefully. "Perhaps you should visit with my Lord Draconius before you attempt to see the Muggles again, my Lady."

"It's fine, I was just weakened after being kept in bed for these past few days," Ginevra replied, trying to keep her voice steadier than her hands.

Lettie didn't seem fooled by her words, and Ginevra was soon tucked beneath the covers on her bed.

"Rest now, my Lady. I will wake you this evening when you are scheduled to meet Lord Draconius," Lettie murmured.

Ginevra didn't protest, her eyes closing before Lettie had finished talking. Watching over her for a moment, Lettie stepped back when she was sure that Ginevra was sleeping. A knock at the door startled her, and she remembered Xavier's departing words. Lettie hurried to answer the door, and stepped into the hallway so as not to disturb Ginevra further. She blushed slightly when she saw Miles standing before her with a tray filled with teacups and a teapot.

"I apologise; I have not waken your Lady, I hope?"

"No, Lady Ginevra seems to have slept through it," she replied, the fact that Ginevra had done so only increasing her worry. Lettie looked at the door behind her, wondering if she should have stayed inside with Ginevra.

"Would you care to have the tea with me then?"

She returned her attention to Miles, as if realising that he was still standing there. Giving him an apologetic smile, Lettie went to reply in the negative.

"Please, Lettie. I would like to talk to you," Miles added before she could reject his offer verbally.

Lettie's eyes widened slightly when the tray shook in his hands, and she recognised the distraught emotion in his voice. Nodding, she followed him to her room.

"Are you well, Miles?" she asked when he was silent.

Setting the tray down, Miles turned to look at her. "When were you going to tell me, Lettie?" he asked, sounding tired.

"Tell you what?"

"That you were uncomfortable with my calling you love," Miles said, moving towards her. "I am not a mind reader, nor able to understand another's feelings simply by looking at them, you know."

Lettie blushed slightly, looking away. "I ... I did not know how to tell you, and I did not want you to be upset or disappointed in me," she replied quietly.

"How could I be upset or disappointed by something like that?"

She looked at him, but Miles seemed more perplexed than anything else.

"I don't know, really."

Standing before her, Miles cupped her face gently. "You need to promise me something, Lettie," he murmured, brushing his lips against hers.

"Anything," she replied breathlessly.

"Promise me that you will talk to me; tell me if you're upset or uncomfortable. Please," he added softly. "I do not think I could handle losing you over a miscommunication," Miles said, completely serious.

"I promise, so long as you promise the same," Lettie added, smiling.

"Promise," he said, kissing her to seal his words.

Lettie wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back passionately.

... b ...

Blaise notched another arrow on his bow, aiming and releasing all in the same breath. There was a solid thud as the metal tip of the arrow embedded itself in the target swinging from the tree branch.

Elin nodded her praise, signalling the next centaur to take their shot. She verbally praised the young female centaur, but Blaise didn't comment on the discrepancy. He figured that she had every right not to trust him, especially after the way the rest of the males in herd had treated her and the women centaurs.

There were very few male centaurs left after the rampage that had ensued after Ronan's death, but the ones that had survived seemed to be repentant for their previous actions. Of course, it didn't mean that the women completely trusted them, but the relations between the sexes were improving slowly under Elin's reign.

Pulled from his thoughts when the centaur in front of him had shot her arrow, Blaise stepped forward with his bow raised once more.

Even if the women didn't trust him, they still knew the importance of the upcoming war, and knew that everyone had to be prepared to fight, whether they were male or female.

It was the instruction of the Queen and King of All, after all.

... b ...

Gregory stood beside the King, wondering when he'd stop all of his ranting and actually look at the door handle. Somehow, the King had decided that Gregory using magic was more of a problem than the fact that someone had attempted to kill him.

"Father, if we are to catch the person who attempted to assassinate your war General, then we had best send for Tharr, shouldn't we?" Griselda said.

Gregory noticed that the head guard was directing his subordinates to retrieve Tharr. They seemed to follow the Princess' direction without waiting for the King, which was probably why the trolls were thriving rather than crumbling under the King's rant-filled reign.

The King stopped his rant, looking at his daughter with a frown. "Of course we should! And when he's finished examining all of the evidence, the person responsible will be fed to sharks! Or a school of piranha! We can get piranhas, can't we? Or is it piranha?" the King mumbled, trailing off as he thought about it. "Never mind, the troll responsible will feel my wrath!" he said, laughing wildly.

"Who exactly is Tharr?" Gregory asked Griselda, frowning slightly. He was fairly certain that he hadn't met a troll of that name.

"He is a scholar. He used to be quite the fighter until he discovered he could read the writing in the books we took from the humans nearby. He was put under house arrest by Father when he used magic to protect the village, so he may not be happy about having to come, but if there's anyone who knows what poison this is, it will be him," Griselda murmured, looking to the purple handle with a frown.

"Is it possible that he did it himself?" Greg wondered aloud.

"Of course not. Tharr would never do that, especially when he's never met you. He would never do something so dishonourable!"

Gregory just grinned when Griselda went red. Her outburst even made the King stop talking. When he was assured that she wasn't hurt in any way, he told Griselda to report to him when Tharr had finished. She agreed, and satisfied, the King continued on his rant (something about running with swords, but Gregory couldn't be certain), talking animatedly to one of the guards as he headed back to his throne room.

A few moments later, two guards arrived with a large troll between them. As Gregory looked up at the towering troll, he was suddenly glad that he hadn't had to fight him.

"I believe you require my assistance, Princess?" Tharr asked with a bow.

"Yes, I... I mean, Father... Well, the door handle..."

Gregory was slightly surprised to see the Princess who, only moments before, had seemed so confident, was now faltering and stumbling over her words before this troll. Ever the gentleman, Gregory coughed slightly to draw Tharr's bemused attention away from Griselda.

"I have been informed by the Princess that you would be able to identify the poison that was applied to the handle on my door," Gregory said.

"Very well... You're the new war General then?" Tharr asked, looking down at Greg.

"Yes, I'm Gregory. I was told that you are a scholar?"

"Yes, I suppose I am. I wouldn't have worded it quite like that; it's more of a hobby," he replied with a grin.

Griselda's face reddened further, and she looked as if she wanted disappear.

Gregory wondered if it was any consolation that all beings seemed to go through the same problems when faced with someone they liked.

"If you wouldn't mind removing the spell, I can inspect it properly," Tharr said.

With a nod, Gregory did as he asked. Tharr moved so he was kneeling directly in front of the door.

"How long has the poison been on here?" he asked a few moments later, frowning.

"I put the spell on it about half an hour ago, but I'm not sure how long before that," Gregory replied.

"When was the last time you used this room?"

"This morning, when I left for training."

Tharr nodded and stood to his full height. Before anyone had time to react, Tharr kicked the stone door so hard that it flew across Gregory's room. It landed with a crash, cracking the wall.

"It's better to be safe than sorry where poison is concerned. I'm sure you can get another door to replace this one," Tharr added. "Mind if I borrow your wand?"

Looking at the door and cracked wall, Gregory wondered if he had the option to refuse.

"Oh, before I do this, do you have anything of value, sentimental or otherwise, inside?"

Gregory shook his head; everything of sentimental value was currently on his person, hidden within the depths of his pockets.

Tharr accepted the offered wand, pointing it at the doorway before him. Seconds later, a bright purple fire began to burn within the room.

"You were very lucky to not have entered your room, war General. The amount of poison inside would have killed you and half of the trolls inside the castle walls within minutes. The poison on the handle was merely there to trigger the spell inside. As no one has touched it, the spell cannot be activated. Very, very lucky," Tharr murmured, handing him his wand back.

"Thank you... How could you tell all of that just by inspecting the door handle?" Gregory asked, frowning slightly.

"I couldn't. I took an educated guess, and it just so happened that I was right. If I was wrong, then we would have died the moment I kicked the door in."

"You took that chance with all of our lives? With the Princess' life?" the head guard growled, his hand moving to his club.

"I'm not the one you should be threatening, Argle. Who, besides myself and the war General here, knows how to do magic?" Tharr asked pointedly.

The guard faltered, a frown forming as he tried to think of the answer. "Well... no one. The King outlawed all magic."

"Exactly... That means we have a traitor among us," Tharr said.

"How do we know it wasn't you?" Gregory asked.

"I have no wand to perform magic with, firstly. Moreover, the King himself put me under house arrest, and as such, both he and the guards would have been alerted if I had stepped out of my assigned quarters."

Gregory wasn't entirely satisfied with his answer, but nodded anyway. He would keep a careful eye on this troll.

... b ...

Niryal muttered sourly as she rounded yet another corner to find a dead end. She'd been searching for the bloody house for the better part of an hour, and she hated the fact that every damn building in this town was so similar that she couldn't find anything or tell them apart.

Suddenly, she stopped, realising that she could feel the presence of her Master. Well, it was about bloody time that he freaking showed up!

Heading back to the village street, Niryal followed her senses to where her Master was.

"You need to bloody colour code this freaking place or something! Do you know how hard it is to fucking find your way around?!" she muttered on entering the cabin.

"I believe I told you to cease with that sort of language, Niryal," Harmony said, her tone stern.

Niryal glowered, but refrained from saying anything.

Neville and Seamus were standing before a map on the far wall, Bexley between them.

"Ye're sure it's there, Bexley?" Seamus asked with a frown.

"Positive. I gleaned some information from the Death Eaters while I was looking for Vincent, and they were all terrified of this place," Bexley replied.

Niryal's ears peaked with interest. "What were they terrified of? Can we go there?"

"The Marble Estate; it's where we think Voldemort is," Neville replied absent-mindedly, looking at the map.

The place that Bexley had indicated was actually a enormous lake, and the land mass that was supposed to be in the middle of the expanse of water had been made Unplottable after the feud between the MacBoons and McCliverts had ended. The fact that it had ended due to the MacBoon clan becoming Quintapeds and killing their rivals wasn't exactly reassuring. If Voldemort had gained their favour, then he was hiding within an army who would sacrifice their lives for him.

"I thought you said he was hiding in one of his father's estates?" Niryal asked, frowning.

After hearing year upon year of Jarvey insults and swearing, it was surprisingly difficult to keep the same type of words out of her own sentences.

"Maybe they're just there as decoys, or backup places to stay in? Bellatrix Lestrange definitely wasn't lying about him being here," Neville replied.

"How do you know that?" Niryal asked.

The look that Neville gave her made the Night Fairy shiver.

"Because Bellatrix knows the consequences if she lies."

... b ...

"Are you well, Luna?" Agnes asked softly, looking over at her as the door opened.

"Fine, why do you ask?" Luna asked, her slight smile turning into a frown.

"You have been gone almost four hours, and I was starting to worry."

"Oh, I do apologise, I was simply sorting out some things that needed to be done before we left."

"Left? You believe it is wise to move Pansy already?"

"No, I was just getting some friends to look after her. We will both be needed elsewhere within the hour, and I did not feel comfortable leaving Pansy on her own."

Loud and heavy footsteps approached, making the very walls themselves tremble.

"Ah, there they are now. Please, do not be alarmed," Luna added, smiling as she opened the door and stepped outside. "Hello again. I would offer for you to come inside, but I think that it might be best if you stay out here. Just one moment."

Luna turned in the doorway and held her wand out for Agnes. "Would you mind levitating Pansy outside for me, please?"

Agnes took the wand and did as she asked carefully. She almost dropped Pansy when she saw the towering creature standing on the beach outside of the door.

"Are ... are you sure it is wise to entrust her life to a troll, Luna?" Agnes asked softly, hoping the troll wouldn't hear her words and be offended.

"Oh, yes. Pansy will be well looked after, I promise. Please, trust me," she added, resting her hand on Agnes' arm.

"I trust you," she replied, gently lowering Pansy to the soft sand.

Luna turned to face the troll, giving him strict instructions on how to care for Pansy, make sure that her hair was brushed daily, and she could hear the ocean. The troll scooped Pansy up surprisingly gently, and began walking along the beach towards some caves.

Agnes sighed softly, hoping that her trust was well placed.

Luna, sensing that Agnes was worried, began to explain how she knew to contact the trolls for help. "The troll King back home is building an army you see, and I knew that he had contacted the trolls here because he seemed to know what a pinata was, even though he told me he's never been out of the country. At first I assumed that one of the other trolls had told him what a pinata was, but after one very expensive night in their village tavern, I discovered that not one troll knew what it was. I found out that he had lied to me, and that's why I asked you to bring me here. If I believed in coincidences, then I would say that it was a very big coincidence to See that Pansy was here too," Luna mused. "Besides, they know that Pansy is the future bride of the King's war General, and they will treat her with due respect."

Somehow relieved by Luna's words, Agnes sighed and decided to trust her decision wholeheartedly. "Very well, Luna... Is there anywhere you need me to take you?"

Luna concentrated for a moment. "If you could take me to the closest wizarding transport centre, I would appreciate it."

Without a word, Agnes took Luna's hand and disappeared.

... b ...

Fred and George left Isaac's store, brushing the dust off their robes from his decrepit basement. They'd received everything Ollivander required to make those bags for Ginevra. As Fred was brushing the cobwebs from his back, George frowned slightly, looking out into the night.

"Do you feel that, Forge?" he murmured.

Stopping what he was doing, Fred concentrated on the night.

"Not a good feeling, Gred," he replied quietly.

Think it's something to do with Ollivander? he asked, glancing around them.

George shook his head in response. It's bigger than Ollivander... It's as if there's something wrong with...

The whole world... Fred agreed.

Suddenly, they were both glad that Parvati and Padma were in the pixie world. Taking each other's hand, Fred and George Disapparated to Ollivander's hideaway. The sooner they gave him the ingredients he needed, the sooner they could find out why they were feeling so ... wrong.

... b ...

Run! Quickly, run! Run, run, run. Faster, even faster. Run, escape. Survive!

Blaise burst through the trees, hearing the stars' warning with every step he took. There was something very wrong, and there was little to no time to stop whatever it was. The stars were whispering to him urgently, and he hated feeling so helpless, not knowing what to do, or even what was really wrong. It was Neville-in-the-coocoon all over again.

"Blaise, there you are! Quick, before it is upon you," Elin said, holding her hand out for him to take.

Reaching out, he grabbed her hand tightly. She pulled him against her tightly, a black shadow blurring past, missing its target.

"What is it?" he asked quietly.

"I am not sure. But stay to the clearings, it will not enter, and you will be safe."

Blaise nodded reluctantly, moving to the centre of the clearing. He had the feeling of being watched, of black eyes hidden in the night, his every movement followed.

"Will the rest of the centaurs be all right?" he asked, looking to Elin.

"Yes, it has become the norm to sleep in the clearings at night. Old habits are hard to break," she said with no hint of humour.

There was a pain-filled screech outside of the clearing, and Blaise stood, his bow and quiver materialising immediately.

"Centaur-boy! Help Relo! Relo needs help!"

The Erkling's voice was filled with pain, sobbing as he pleaded with him.

Lies, liar, untruths, falsehoods and fabrications. The stars words were quieter now that Blaise was safe within the clearing, but the urgency was still present.

"Relo! Get into the clearing," Blaise called.

"Can't! Relo is hurt! Relo needs your help!" he whimpered.

Lies, liar, untruths, falsehoods and fabrications. The stars chanted the words over and over, a mantra that became stronger and louder with every word that Relo spoke.

Suddenly, an arrow shot past Blaise. There was a sickening crunch, a loud scream of pain, and Relo's words stopped completely.

There was a moment of silence, and Blaise stepped back with a shudder when a pair of bright orange eyes appeared behind the edge of the clearing, glowing with hatred.

"You will pay for that, centaur," Relo hissed.

Blaise looked at Elin, wondering if she'd done the right thing. Deciding that there was nothing he could do about it now, Blaise moved back to the centre of the clearing. He was exhausted after his day of training, and the rush of adrenaline from being chased through the Forbidden Forest was starting to wear off.

"Sleep, Blaise. I will guard you," Elin murmured.

He barely had enough energy to nod, and his eyes closed soon after. Elin turned to where Relo was waiting outside of the clearing, her arrow notched in the bow, ready to shoot.

... b ...

Neville and Seamus had decided to leave for the Marble Estate soon after dinner. At Harmony's insistence, Colin had gone with them, and now all three were sitting in a boat, shivering in the cold air as Neville guided the boat with his wand. The warming charms were doing little to protect them against the weather, and they tried to keep warm by huddling together.

Niryal was asleep inside of Neville, despite the fact that she usually revelled in such dark and cold nights. It worried Neville that she wasn't awake, adding to the growing feeling of something being completely and utterly wrong with the world tonight.

Hoping they wouldn't get lost in this Unplottable place, Neville continued to follow Bexley's directions silently.

"R'mind me 'gain why we decided ter leave in th' middle of th' night?" Seamus muttered, rubbing his arms to warm up.

Neville was silent for a moment, trying to put his reason into words without it sounding completely insane.

"I don't know, but it feels like something's not right..." he said finally, trailing off and shaking his head.

"It felt like we had to leave straight away, didn't it?" Colin asked, his teeth chattering.

"Yeah, I was 'fraid of tha'," Seamus muttered.

"If you would prefer to sleep to conserve your energy and warmth, I believe I can guide the boat for the rest of the way," Bexley murmured.

Nodding, Neville let the spell fade. He moved so he was next to Seamus, and pulled Colin between them.

"We're nae goin' ter hurt ye, just settle down an' sleep," Seamus muttered when Colin went to protest.

Bexley wrapped the meagre blanket around the three of them, silent as he guided the small boat to their destination. He had felt the same as they had, the utter wrongness of the night making him want to get as far away from everyone and everything as possible. When Harmony had been insisting for Colin to leave with his friends, Bexley had caught the flash of fear in her words, despite how hidden they were. An image of her son, his scales and eyes black, darkfire pouring from his mouth as he destroyed everything around him.

If it was possible for a Boggart to be scared, then Bexley would have admitted to being completely terrified of what this night would bring. He just had to hope that because they were in an Unplottable area, it would mean that whatever evil thing the night might bring would not be able to follow them.

... b ...

Gregory repressed the shiver that threatened to escape. Somewhere between Tharr and Griselda giving their report to the King and the opening of the tavern, Gregory had been instructed to leave the trolls to meet up with their brethren in South America.

He hadn't even known that there were trolls in South America, and wondered if they were different from the kind he'd been staying with all this time.

Apparently, as war General, Gregory had the responsibility to teach all of the trolls how to fight, and that wasn't limited to just the ones in England.

Sighing, he hoped that Helorr had learned enough to continue teaching the trolls how to fight in his absence, and that Tharr remembered the proper spell to use. Tharr had elected to stay behind in order to find out who had attempted to kill Gregory, and while Griselda had wanted to stay as well, the King had proclaimed that someone of Royal blood needed to go to South America as a representative for their clan.

Griselda was snoring in the carriage across from him, and Gregory looked out to the night. The carriage they were riding in was pulled by captured and tamed Tebo, and made from the spun pelts of Demiguise. As the warthog-like creatures had the power of invisibility, their steeds couldn't be seen, and the Demiguise pelts had been spun so that the carriage itself was nothing more than a blur of wind. No one and nothing could find them, the fact of this emphasised by the large rope tied to Gregory's waist. The moment he stepped out of the carriage, he wouldn't be able to see it either, and as such, needed a way to find his way back.

Trying to settle the unease he was feeling, Gregory leaned back on the seat and tried to sleep.

... b ...

Pansy woke up to a crash and growl outside of her room. She noticed that she wasn't in the shack as before, and tried to remember leaving. When no memory appeared, she began to panic. She screamed loudly.

"Hush, little mermaid girl. It's okay. Nothing is wrong. Please, hush," a quiet and urgent voice whispered.

Her screams faltered and faded when Pansy realised she wasn't a captive of Voldemort's. Seeing the speaker, she would have guessed that she was with the trolls. But they looked different to Gregory, more tan than green, and taller too.

"Where? How?" she asked, her throat raw.

"You're on the Islas Diego Ramirez," the troll replied softly. "Go back to sleep."

"Luna?" Pansy questioned.

"Your little blanca friend entrusted your care with us. Please, sirena, sleep." (White. Mermaid.)

Pansy frowned slightly, but let sleep take her into the darkness once more. Outside her room, a group of trolls were defending the sleeping bride-to-be of their war General against a shadow in the night.

... b ...

Draco paced the floor, the parchment in his hand becoming more and more creased with each movement of his hand.

"It can't be right. We went there, we talked to them. How could they side with Voldemort? Why would they do such a thing?"

He had received the letter from Neville and Seamus informing him of Voldemort's whereabouts, but Draco couldn't believe that the Quintapeds would betray the Veela like this.

"It has to be a mistake," Draco muttered.

Lettie coughed gently, trying to remind him that she was standing there and waiting to take him to Muggle London.

"Sorry, Lettie," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Is Ginevra already at the apartment?"

"Not yet, my Lord. Virginia called for my Lady before we left, and I was instructed to take you first," Lettie replied. She didn't look overly pleased at the fact, either.

"Why would Virginia want to see Ginevra?" Draco asked, frowning.

"I am not sure, my Lord, but I am uneasy over my Lady's welfare," Lettie murmured. "If you wouldn't mind leaving with me now, I can return to my Lady quicker."

Draco nodded, taking her hand.

Moments later, they had arrived in a deserted alley that was close to the apartment building. Draco went to thank Lettie and instruct her to look after Ginevra, but she suddenly groaned, doubling over.

"Lettie?" he said, moving to grab her.

"Don't!" she hissed.

Draco stared helplessly for a moment. He couldn't take her to a Muggle hospital (he had no idea where one was, to begin with, and no idea what was wrong), he still couldn't Apparate to the Veela's, and he couldn't risk turning into a Veelan.

There was another groan from Lettie, and Draco could only stare as her eyes went red, her teeth expanding to sharp points. She looked absolutely monstrous.

There was alarm from their friends - Draco numbly noticed that even Pansy and Gregory were calling out - and just when he'd decided to take her away, no matter what she'd said, Lettie tore the leather band from her wrist.

"Get away!" the growled words were low and guttural, the last shreds of her humanity.

Draco caught the band Lettie flung at him, briefly noting that she'd tore at her flesh to get it off, and there was blood staining the dark leather. The moment the band came into contact with his skin, Draco disappeared back to the Veela house.

Still doubled over in pain, Lettie fell onto all fours. She tore at her clothes, each breath she emitted becoming a growl. Her eyes glowed red, and she howled as spikes shot out of her spine's vertebrae.

Behind her fallen form, the wind began to pick up. In a hurricane of unnatural wind, Agnes appeared. Lettie turned with a growl, the creature that she'd become not recognising the Vampiress Elder. For a few moments, all Agnes could do was stare at Lettie's form.

"Oh dear gods', what has she done?" she whispered, horrified.

Lettie snapped her large jaws, the only notice she gave before leaping at Agnes.

Paling slightly, she braced herself for the attack. Lettie's sharp teeth buried into her shoulder, but Agnes didn't cry out, despite the pain. Wrapping her arms around Lettie's spiked body, Agnes disappeared with her into the night.

... b ...

Theodore started when the fire began to burn a bright green colour. He wasn't expecting anyone; Remus and Tonks were in their room, Millicent was in the kitchen, and he was positive that he hadn't slept through to Sunday for Ginevra to collect them. To say he was surprised when Luna stepped out of the fireplace was an understatement.

"Luna? Why are you here?"

"Hello Theodore. No need to sound so alarmed, I simply came to inform you that Pansy is being looked after and you no longer need to worry over her."

"It's all well and good for you to say that, Luna, but how do I know you're telling the truth? And how did you get here in the first place?"

"The wizards at the transport centre are very friendly, and easy to hex at the right moment," she replied cheerfully. "As for trusting me about Pansy's whereabouts, well you will just have to believe me. I cannot tell you where she is at this present moment."

"Cannot or will not?"

"Perhaps it is both. Either way, Pansy is safe. You will be needed at St. Mungo's sooner rather than later, so I wanted to reassure you of her safety before you worried yourself sick."

"Luna?!" Millicent's startled voice was accompanied by a spell.

Theodore looked over to see two mugs floating in the air.

"I did get them, didn't I?" Luna asked, not sure if Millicent's voice had covered the ceramic smashing.

"They're fine," Millicent said, hurrying to take hold of them and place the mugs on the coffee table. "What are you doing here, Luna?"

Luna didn't reply straight away. They all heard a pop from the logs in the fireplace, and Luna moved to the side just as the flames went green.

A woman with a stern face appeared in the flames. Her expression turned to one of relief when she saw Theodore standing there.

"Theodore? I'm glad I've caught you before you went to bed. We need you at St. Mungo's as soon as possible. Now, if you can."

Theodore was shocked that the Head Healer was personally firecalling him, but Healer Derwent's words clicked into place and he nodded.

"What is so wrong that you need me so late at night, Healer Derwent?"

"A vampire has started attacking the general public, and we need every healer we can get," she replied. "You know how to Floo here? Good, I'll see you soon," she said, the flames returning to their original colour as the call ended.

Theodore turned to Luna, afraid to ask but terrified of the answer.

"Yes, it's Ginevra," she murmured.

"I'll go wake Remus and Tonks, you start packing," Millicent said, leaving the room.

Theodore turned to do what she'd said, but turned back when the fireplace lit up green.

"You're leaving already?" he asked Luna.

"I have to. There is more than one event that has been put into motion this evening, and the world needs to be looked after as a result," she murmured.

"The world?"

"Of course. Did you think it would be any different when the Queen of All turns evil?"

Luna stepped into the flames before Theodore could ask any of the questions that were running about chaotically in his mind. With a sigh, he hurried to go pack his and Millicent's belongings so that he could help the Healers. When that was done, then he could worry about everything that was happening.

... b ...

Fifteen minutes earlier.

Virginia smiled, her long fingers wrapped around the fragile china as she sipped her tea.

"I realised that I have been back in the mansion for over a week, and I had yet to see my favourite descendant," she murmured silkily.

Ginevra simply nodded, not feeling inclined to answer.

"Will you join me?" Virginia offered, indicating to the tea in front of her. "I am very particular about my tea, and I only use the best leaves. It's why I was out of the country for so long," she added with a smile.

Virginia poured the tea in the second cup, refilling her own as well. Ginevra watched carefully, waiting until Virginia had swallowed before even taking a seat across from her.

"Very well, I believe I have enough time for one cup. Then we can stop this facade and I can return to my original plans for the evening," she murmured.

"Oh, of course. I wouldn't dream of keeping you, my dear."

There was something in the way that Virginia was watching her so intently that made Ginevra uncomfortable. She wondered if there were poisons that could kill vampires. It hardly seemed necessary considering they could smell any discrepancies, whether in food or liquid form. With that in mind, Ginevra sniffed her tea discreetly.

A curl of black smoke drifted up out of the cup. The moment it entered Ginevra's nose, Virginia laughed. It was a soft, sultry laugh to begin with, soon turning to an evil cackle.

Ginevra simply sat there, her body frozen with shock and the effects of the tea as it flowed through her body.

"Oh, my dearest Ginevra. It was your suspicion that was your downfall. If you had simply drunk the tea without trying to determine if it was poisonous, you would have been fine. Oh, don't look so horrified, my dear, you are not the only one who has fallen prey to my little trick," Virginia murmured, a reminiscent shiver running through her as she thought of the wars she'd caused. "Now, go forth, and let your evil be unleashed. Wreak havoc, my dear, and destroy it all."

Ginevra's eyes turned black, a dark light glowing from her entire body as shadows flew from her body and out into the night.

Virginia sighed happily, watching as the dark wisps flew through the night. Every single one of Ginevra's friends and allies would become evil the moment those shadows caught them, and then she would have control over nearly every being in the world.

It had taken her months to gather the ingredients for the potion that had been forgotten by the rest of the world. Due to the extreme difficulty in procuring the necessary ingredients, no one had bothered to create the potion, instead using other means to control their rivals and enemies. Virginia doubted the potion even existed in written form anymore. A cruel smile curved her lips. Well, it would just make it all that harder to remove, wouldn't it?

Behind her, Ginevra stood and disappeared into the night. Her entire body still glowing darkly, Ginevra came to the conclusion that everyone apart from her Mistress was now an enemy, and every single one of them had to be destroyed. But first... First she would play and, as her Mistress had so eloquently murmured, Ginevra would wreak havoc.

... b ...

End of the thirtieth chapter. I hope you liked it!

Disclaimer note: The song that Luna sings to calm Pansy is called Gaelic Lullaby, and the version I have is by Judy Collins. I don't own the lyrics, or anything legally-related to the song.

... b ...

31. Chapter Thirty-One

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter Thirty-One

Saturday, 13 July

Ginevra laughed as the witches and wizards screamed their terror. She rose them high into the air, dropping them for a terrifying moment before quickly sending them back up into the sky. She repeated this over and over, delighting in their erratically flowing blood as their fear and adrenaline combined.

They'd soon realised that their little sticks were useless against her; every piece of magic they sent at her was absorbed by black shadows and subsequently increased her power.

"Ginevra?" a voice murmured nearby.

"There you are, love. I was beginning to wonder at your absence," she murmured, turning to face him.

"My apologies, beloved. It took longer than I thought to convince the others that this was a good idea," Draco replied, a smirk on his face. His eyes were as black as her own.

A wild grin graced her features and Ginevra pulled him to her, her lips fierce on his.

Behind them, the people who had been hanging in the air dropped, crashing to the ground with snaps and broken bones. Their wands gone, they had no way to escape, nor to heal themselves.

"Don't they smell absolutely delicious?" Ginevra breathed, her fingers rough in his hair.

"You taste better," Draco murmured against her neck, his tongue flicking out to lick her skin.

She moaned wantonly as his fangs pierced her neck and he Drank from her, his hand slipping beneath her shirt as he cupped and groped her breast. Grinding down against him, Ginevra yanked on his shirt to reveal the curve of his shoulder. Biting down hard, she sucked and lapped at his blood, her eyes glowing black.

She pulled away with a growl when one of the witches behind her whimpered and begged to be released.

"Shut up!" she snarled, hexing the lot of them again.

They rose into the sky once more, and Ginevra giggled as Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, his erection hard between her legs.

"They're going to try and stop us, you know," Draco murmured in her ear.

"I don't doubt it. How long do you think they'll be?" she replied, a grin flitting on her face as one of the wizards screamed in terror as he fell, stopping mere centimetres above the ground.

"Soon, probably. They'll think they have the element of surprise," he drawled.

"Well, then let's leave before they get here," she said. "I'm getting bored anyway," she added, the group of witches and wizards dropping to the ground yet again.

More bones were broken, and she shivered in ecstasy when she smelled their blood.

"How about one for the road, beloved?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Just what I was thinking," she hissed, moving faster than the mortal eye could see.

One of the men screamed. One moment the evil creature was metres away, and the next, she had him by his throat, fangs sunk into his neck. His screams turned to guttural choking as she drained him of his life.

Beside them, Draco was also Drinking from one of the witches. He pulled back with blood-stained lips, watching as the light in her eyes faded.

There was no moment of guilt, not one bit of remorse, but there were memories...

... b ...

Draco had disappeared to the Veela house the moment he touched Lettie's wristband. He'd felt the shadow following him before he saw or even heard it. Julianne had come out of the house, all Veela magic and feathers framing her face, but the shadow was faster. It wrapped itself around Draco, and he'd managed to call out for her to stay back before it entered him and took him over completely.

Julianne and Garion had used an old magic to keep him where he was, the shadow forced to be bound to the spot while it was within him.

It had taken what felt like hours to convince them to free him. Draco had begged and pleaded with them; he needed to get to Ginevra, he needed to see that she was safe, he would do everything in his power to bring her back. They didn't seem to believe him, and the stars whispered of his lies, but their words fell on deaf ears. Eventually, Julianne and Garion conceded that he would be able to bring her back and they could save her, so they had instructed him to do exactly that.

Foolish and trusting idiots that they were. They hadn't realised that he followed no order other than his beloved's. Her will was his own, and he would do nothing against her. Oh, perhaps there was a moment when their will might have been stronger, but the moment he'd seen his lovely Ginevra, eyes blacker than the night itself, giggling as she made the family rise and drop in the air, all thought of saving her fled his mind. There was no need to save her when she had nothing to be saved from.

She'd welcomed him with open arms, and it hadn't taken long for both of them to realise that her "Mistress" was not worthy of being followed. Together, they could rule the darkness and rise higher than even Virginia herself could dream of. His beloved's will was his own, and she wished it to be so. She wanted none other than him beside her, and dear fallen gods, would the noise in their minds ever stop?

He'd gone to reassure and placate the people who were begging in their minds, and he'd done his job well. A few words spoken with fake tears and the overwhelming need to save her. They'd all crumbled to his will, to his desire to save Ginevra from herself, and they all believed his words. Fred and George had been the first two to agree, and to the last, Pansy was the one who didn't want him to go. He'd sobbed over his need to save Ginevra, and finally, she'd relented. It would not do to have their friends' thoughts constantly in their minds, and this would placate them long enough to block them out.

Such gullibility from them all. He was disappointed in his fellow Slytherins, really. For a group who had once prided themselves on their ability to spot lies at a distance, and for all of their past suspicions, they'd almost been too easy to convince.

... b ...

"Come, love. We need to leave quickly."

Ginevra's words pulled him from his memories, and he moved to stand beside her. His Veelan side was revealed with little more than a thought, and he rolled his shoulders, black feathers dropping at the movement. The patterns on his face were all black, rather than white or even red, and they glowed with all the power of the night. Distracted for a moment, Ginevra's fingers traced the patterns lovingly.

"Where do you wish to go, my beloved?" he murmured.

"As long as it's with you, anywhere, love. Surprise me," she replied huskily.

Draco smirked and embraced her tightly. He rose into the air with one easy motion, and flew across the sky quickly. He knew exactly where he could take his bloodthirsty beloved.

... b ...

She was gone, completely out from under her control. It had never happened before, and Virginia was almost worried at what she'd unleashed in the form of Ginevra Weasley.

"If you cannot control her, then she is not your problem, is she?" Bart murmured, confused at her worry.

"If I cannot control her, then she can tell the Council who did this to her," Virginia said, her tone raising with her anger. She lashed out at him, her nails leaving gouges in his face. She gasped slightly, as if surprised at her own actions. "Oh, my love. I am sorry; I shouldn't take my anger out on you," she murmured, dropping to her knees and holding his head in her hands.

Bart shivered in ecstasy as her tongue flicked along the wounds gently, healing each line of blood. "I do not mind, Mistress," he managed as she started to kiss him.

"Of course you don't."

He wondered if it was a good time to bring up his Turning. He had asked for this - only this - ever since he had been in her service, but she always managed to distract or completely ignore him.

"Virginia?" Maverick's voice sounded and he knocked on her door loudly.

Pulling away from Bart, Virginia opened the door a moment later, no trace of guilt on her features. "What do you want?"

"The Council has called a meeting; a vampire's gone rogue."

"Oh, but my love, I am not feeling well. Please, give my apologies for my absence," Virginia crooned, her fingers trailing along his face.

"Very well, beautiful. I will tell you all that happens when I return."

"If I am asleep, do not bother to disturb me," she instructed, closing the door on him.

Virginia turned to Bart, and could see the hopeful look in his eyes; hoping that she had turned away the Council themselves so she could be with him.

What an absolutely idiotic man, she thought to herself with a roll of her eyes. She brushed past him, ignoring his wounded look, and entered the bathroom, locking the door after her.

... b ...

"You know he's lying, right?" Colin muttered as Draco's words faded from their minds.

"Of course; wasn't that hard to figure out when he suddenly disappeared for half an hour," Neville replied.

"Was good to finally 'ear from Pansy again," Seamus said, grinning.

Neville chuckled, remembering the verbal lashing Pansy had given Draco only minutes before.

"As bloody nice as this internal reunion is sure to be, don't you have some other pressing fucking matters?" Niryal muttered.

The sun was starting to rise, and they could see the outline of the cliffs ahead.

The cliffs had veins of marble running through them, and as they got closer still, they could see the outlines of Quintapeds standing guard. In the middle of the island would be the Marble Estate, created from the very land it stood upon.

"So, how are we gettin' ter the centre of this place, 'gain?" Seamus asked quietly.

Neville didn't reply, and Colin was still staring at the Quintapeds lining the shore, a frown on his face.

"They're not moving," Colin pointed out, his frown deepening still.

"Wha'?" Seamus asked, turning to see what he was talking about.

"The Quintapeds. They're not moving. I thought they'd at least be following the boat or something, but it doesn't even look like they're breathing," he replied.

Lifting his camera to his face, he changed the scope setting to zoom in towards the creatures.

"Can I see?" Neville asked.

Colin handed his camera over carefully.

"That's weird. I didn't think there'd be a spell to keep so many creatures still at once. Not even a Full Body Bind would affect so many at once," Neville mused, looking to the closest Quintapeds.

"Are they breathin'?" Seamus asked, frowning.

"I can't tell. I've never seen one before this, so I don't know how to tell if they're alive."

"Oh, for fuck's sakes. I'm right here, and I can't be killed by those bloody things. I'll go look if you're that damned curious," Niryal muttered.

"All right. Thank you, Niryal," Neville said.

The Night Fairy kept to the shadows as she skimmed the ocean's waves, flying vertically along a cliff face. She flew high above the Quintapeds, a shadow cast in front of her to protect her from the sun.

Despite her words, Niryal was as curious about the creatures as her Master and his friends. She'd heard of Quintapeds, and had been fascinated by humans that could become so like the monsters within themselves. These creatures didn't seem particularly monstrous, and Niryal flew closer to them, curious to see if they were still alive and as scary as she'd been told.

Niryal was surprised to find that she was more than disappointed when she saw the creatures weren't breathing. She was angry as all hell to find that all of the Quintapeds had been killed. She let out a loud screech, and for a long second, the sun itself was blotted out by darkness.

"'Spose that means they're dead?" Seamus muttered quietly.

Neville didn't reply, still using the camera to look at the Quintapeds. At Niryal's screech, he turned the lens to face her, and frowned when he saw a sphere of darkness surround her.

Suddenly, Neville disappeared from the boat. Seamus scrambled back in shock, staring at the empty spot his lover had just been sitting in.

"Neville?!" Seamus called loudly, his voice breaking.

... b ...

Sunday, 14 July

Fred and George looked at each other for a moment, each of them trying to decide what to do. They had captured two shadows, and had subsequently discovered exactly what they were. They had received a letter from Luna informing them of the potion that Virginia had used to control their sister, and so far, had spent their every waking moment searching for something about it.

They had called in every favour owed to them, threatened people, bribed others, and eventually, news of their small quest had made it's way to the ears of Narcissa Malfoy. Within an hour of her hearing of their dilemma, an unmarked owl had arrived at their shop, carrying a small package in its talons. The small package had been enlarged to reveal a book and note. The note informed them that the information they needed was inside, but was unsigned. However, it was obvious from the thickness of the paper and the elegant scrawl exactly who had sent it. The book was covered in a thick layer of dust, presumably buried within the Malfoy Manor for the last few centuries. It was called Dark Potions and Remedies, and there was no known author, only the letter F written beneath the title.

Neither Fred nor George knew how it was that the Malfoy matriarch had found out that they'd needed this information, but they had little time to care. The entry about the potion was written in an ancient language that neither twin could read, and while George had researched the necessary spells, Fred had all but attacked the book with his wand to make the words legible. Almost three hours later - one hour had been spent trying to free Fred's hand from the book's jaws, since it didn't seem to enjoy being attacked - George found the right spell to read the words on the wafer-thin pages.

What they read was less than reassuring, and for the longest time, neither one had the desire to speak, simply lost in their own thoughts.

... b ...

The potion is not hard to make, nor does it take long. However, the ingredients themselves are rare, even in their homelands, and as such, make the potion's creation difficult. Once created to the specifications below, the scent of the potion must enter the required person. From this, the potion will work within their mind and repress all of their humanity. The person will become little more than an animal, and if the person is weak willed, they will be controlled by the potion's creator. Due to this and the repercussions that may come from a person's allies and friends, the potion sends out forms (often mistaken for shadows) to control and cajole those people to have the same thinking as their friend. By allowing the shadow to enter them knowingly, all control over themselves will immediately be given to their poisoned friend.

There is no medical cure for this potion, however, there have been some instances where people have overcome the potion on their own. If they do not, then it is necessary to kill the one who originally poisoned the person.

... b ...

More was written, but it followed in a similar vein and did little to reassure Fred and George that their sister would survive this.

They looked to the captured shadows, both thinking of the words: "all control over themselves will immediately be given to their poisoned friend." By letting the shadows enter them, the twins would be under Ginevra's complete control. They would destroy the very world if she wanted them to...

There was no hesitation in their thoughts; they both knew that they would follow Ginevra to the Otherworld if need be.

George sighed softly. "The others won't be happy with us for this."

"Since when has that stopped us?" Fred answered, grinning broadly.

He grinned in return, and as one, they both moved to lift the jars off of the captured shadows.

... b ...

Gregory looked to where Pansy was sitting. She hadn't looked at him once since he'd landed in the encampment, much to the confusion of the trolls. They had organised accommodation for them to stay in together when they had heard from the "little blanca" (Gregory assumed they meant Luna) that he was coming to train them.

When Pansy hadn't even glanced in his direction, the trolls had wondered if they had heard the little white one wrong, and the mermaid they had protected wasn't the War General's bride-to-be.

Sighing heavily, Gregory returned to his meal. He would try talk to Pansy once they were in private.

Around them, the trolls talked to themselves quickly and quietly, their eyes watching the two silent lovers.

... b ...

Agnes looked down into the cellar of the ruins. A snarl filtered out of the dark room, and with a sigh, she turned away from the monster inside.

"Is Lettie all right?"

Turning to her son, Agnes shook her head briefly. "Ginevra's magic is too strong, and the soul bond between the two cannot be broken. Until Ginevra has defeated her evil self, Lettie will remain this creature."

Miles let out a pained sound, and took a few steps forward, almost involuntarily. "Is there nothing that can be done?"

"If there is, then I am not aware of it."

"What ... What if she is Turned? Will the bond between the one who Turned her be greater than the one with Ginevra?"

"It is impossible to predict. There have not been any slaves for centuries, nor any documentation of anything like this happening before."

Miles fell to his knees and stared down at the grass without seeming to see it.

"Why is this girl so important to you, my son? She is not the first lover you have taken."

"She will be my last," Miles replied, his admission quiet.

"You mean... She is your mate?" Agnes was surprised that he hadn't said anything sooner. "How long have you known?"

"Since she was restored to her human self and remade into Lettie. I could not bear to see her so saddened. I took the mirror to her in an attempt to cheer her, but I only made it worse. I could not bear to see her sad then, and I cannot bear to see her in this much pain now. Please, Mother, you have to let me try."

"What if she harms you?" Agnes asked, the dull ache in her shoulder a reminder of the creature's power.

"I am already in enough pain just seeing her like this. I need to try."

"There are regulations, channels, that need to be adhered to in order to create a vampire, even a halfling. You know this, Miles."

"You did not care for those when you Turned Father! Mother, please. I am begging you."

Agnes turned away, facing the cellar once more. Chains rattled, another snarl and a howl of madness filtered from the open doors.

"As an Elder of the Council, I cannot allow you to do this, Miles," she murmured softly. Ignoring his cry of pain, Agnes continued, "I am leaving to hunt now. I will return tomorrow night."

As Miles realised what his mother's words meant, he made his way to his feet once more. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Mother. I will never forget this kindness."

"Nor will I, my son. I truly hope it works, for both your sakes."

Miles nodded in return, and waited until Agnes had made her way into the surrounding forest before descending the stairs into the ruined cellar.

... b ...

Blaise awoke within the clearing, his arm wrapped around his quiver tightly. Sitting up, he saw that Elin was still standing guard, her eyes trained on the trees and the creatures beyond.

"Is everything all right? Is Relo still alive?" he asked, standing and moving beside her.

He gasped in surprise and stepped back a few paces when he saw that Elin was frozen as solid as a statue.

"What did you do to Elin?" Blaise demanded, turning around to try and find where Relo was hiding.

"We told you she would pay. The evil centaur should not have shot at us," the gleeful hiss came from the trees surrounding him.

Blaise looked at Elin once more, trying to see if she was still alive in her frozen state.

As he went to touch her, Relo let out a menacing laugh. "You don't know much about Erklings, do you, centaur? Touch her, and you freeze too."

Letting his hand hover uncertainly for a moment, Blaise eventually let it drop to his side, feeling helpless.

... b ...

Seamus paced the cave, angry and anxious all at the same time. Neville hadn't been seen or heard from since he and Niryal disappeared, and Colin had held both Seamus and Orion back to ensure that he didn't go after him. Apparently, Colin was protecting whatever creatures were still alive on the island, sure that Seamus would kill each and every one of them in order to find Neville again.

"We have t' go out there and find him. What if he's gone up 'gainst Vold'mort and he's up there dyin' 'n bleedin'?" Seamus asked, his accent thick.

"Well, aren't you just full of fucking faith and bleeding optimism?" a voice muttered at the entrance of the cave, the Night Fairy's voice echoing across the walls.

Seamus and Colin turned to see Niryal standing there, Neville limp and motionless in her arms.

... b ...

"Wake up, my beloved. We're here," Draco murmured, his wings flapping slightly to create a breeze.

Her eyes fluttered open to look at him, and she sighed as she smelled blood.

"Where are we, exactly?" she murmured, standing and turning to look around.

"Guess," he replied, his lips moving down to press against her neck.

Her breath caught in her throat as she recognised their surroundings.

Knockturn Alley. An endless supply of blood and dark magic. It was absolutely perfect.

She turned and kissed Draco hard, her nails digging into his shoulders.

"I thought you'd like it, beloved," he murmured against her lips, his hands gripping her waist.

"Aw, isn't this a lovely sight?"

There were familiar and identical snickers behind them, and Ginevra turned to see her brothers standing there, mirth in their laughter and faces. The usually-hidden scars on Fred and George's faces were visible and black, and their nails were as black as their eyes and scars. Even their hair was streaked with black, making the red colour seem darker than usual.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Ginevra said, smirking at them.

"As are you, beloved sister," Fred and George said with mocking bows, holding out their hands for her.

Draco's arm slipped away as she stepped forward, taking their hands.

"I would have thought you would stay with the others," Ginevra murmured, looking to them.

"And miss out on the fun?"

"I don't think so, beloved sister."

"Do you want to see what we can do now?" they whispered gleefully.

Ginevra barely finished nodding, and a high pitched chatter burst from their lips. Words flowed out of their mouths and into the surrounding darkness. Not even seconds later, low laughter came from all around them. As one, a large group of people stepped out into the light, their eyes a mix of blue and black.

"You can control them?" Ginevra asked, looking to the people around them.

Across from them, Draco didn't look impressed. He could do that with less than a whisper.

"Oh, we can do more than that, our beloved sister."

In seconds, the people began to change. Their faces became more familiar, their hair changed from their normal colours to the trademark Weasley-red, now streaked with black. Around them, the tens of people all turned into exact copies of her brothers.

"We can become them," the copies all said in unison.

... b ...

Luna hummed to herself softly, trying to distract herself from the images she was Seeing.

The twins and their copies terrorising the wizarding world. Dark smoke filled buildings, clearing to reveal lifeless bodies, drained by Ginevra's now-insatiable Thirst...

Hearing her number being called, Luna stood up and headed across the wizarding transport centre.

Since she'd arrived in the country with Agnes' help, Luna didn't have the proper documentation in order to travel around legally. Luckily, she'd managed to hex one of the security wizards patrolling, and she hoped that the man would be able to break the spell repressers in time for her to leave.

As she talked pleasantly with the woman behind the desk, Luna weaved a spell into her words to put confuse her. For a long terrifying moment, nothing happened. Then the woman shook her head, her eyes unfocused and dazed. She seemed to look straight past Luna, and called the next number. Luna stood there for a moment, unsure if it had worked without seeing the woman's response.

Quickly, my daughter. There is not much time, Cassandra prompted her urgently.

Grateful that her spell had worked, Luna moved past the desk to the fireplace. Feeling the heat from the flames on her face, Luna threw the Floo powder into them, waiting until she heard the familiar whoosh indicating that they had turned green. Stepping into the fireplace, Luna said her destination and disappeared with a bright flash.

The future of the world depended on whether she would get to Pansy in time.

... b ...

"Throwing furniture around isn't going to help anything, sister," Parvati murmured as she watched her twin demolish the room until the furniture became nothing more than a pile of splinters and toothpicks.

"Well, it makes me feel better," Padma replied sarcastically, not stopping with her destruction.

"It might now, but I doubt you'll feel better when you have to replace all of the furniture."

Padma paused for a moment, glowering over at Parvati. "Sorry if I'm not as content as you to be stuck here."

She laughed briefly, sourly. "Who said anything about me being content? We're stuck in the pixie world, and yes, I'm upset that George and Fred would do this to us. However, I'm sure they'll have a very reasonable explanation... If they don't, then it's a different story completely," Parvati added darkly.

Padma was silent for so long that her twin looked to her, wondering what was wrong. "You might be my twin after all," Padma said, smirking.

Parvati rolled her eyes at her comment and set about repairing and fixing the furniture. Padma muttered some more and set about helping her. Parvati was right. If Fred and George had a valid reason to keep them locked in the pixie world, then they would be forgiven after a few weeks of punishing them. If they didn't have a good enough reason, then they would be in so much trouble that they would be too terrified to sleep.

... b ...

Blaise clutched his bow tightly, his eyes trained on Elin. As he watched, she took a small step forward and stopped. She'd done the same thing for the last few hours, taking one minuscule step to the edge of the clearing before stopping. A few minutes later, she would move another hoof forward and stop again. It wasn't the nicest way to find out that Erklings had the ability to freeze and control their victims after only locking eyes with them.

Even worse, it had taken Blaise half an hour to realise that Relo had frozen Elin and was making her walk to her own death just to torture him. He could have moved and devoured her within minutes, but he was dragging out every second just to toy with Blaise, to let him know that he would be next.

"You are boring us, centaur. Why don't you look at us and you can join your friend?" Relo called, cackling when Blaise turned away and focused his gaze on Elin once more.

It had to be a personal choice, Blaise thought to himself. He'd looked at Relo before, looked him right in the eyes, and nothing even close to this had happened. He must want to freeze and eat the creature or person in order to do this.

Ultimately, Blaise had no idea how that could help him now, especially since Relo seemed happy enough about his decision to freeze Elin and torture Blaise with her slow walk to death. He stored the information in a different part of his brain and looked at Elin, keeping his gaze away from the tree line, where Relo was waiting.

... b ...

"How very impressive. Are they exactly like you in every way?" Ginevra asked, stepping forward to the closest copy of Fred.

"Why don't you test them and find out for yourself?" George suggested, stepping back until he mingled in the crowd of redheads.

"Can you find us among them all?" Fred asked, moving among the crowd as well.

"I don't think you can," a George copy said.

"It's difficult even for us," a copy of Fred added, grinning.

Ginevra smirked slightly. Oh, they thought they were so clever. They were difficult to spot, but she knew exactly which ones were her brothers. She could smell their blood, and there was an invisible tether between herself them, guiding her to each of them easily enough. Even without that tether, she could have found them in an instant.

Beside her, Draco was looking at the crowd as well. He found it just as easy to spot the real Fred and George as Ginevra did. He barely glanced at her, a smirk on his face.

She smirked briefly in return, and then they both moved. The crowd of twins were a blur of black and in the next moment, Ginevra had Fred by the neck, Draco's arm wrapped around George's neck.

"If you're quite finished with your little game, I suggest we go hunting. I'm dying of Thirst," Ginevra said, her grip lessening on Fred's neck.

"Well, of course, beloved sister," Fred replied smoothly, stepping back out of her grasp.

"Our army is ready at your command," George added, grinning at Draco.

"Where do you wish to go first?"

Ginevra smirked, her gaze travelling down Knockturn Alley and into the light of Diagon Alley. Despite the late hour, people still milled about, hurrying past Knockturn Alley and pretending it didn't exist. Their fear accelerated their heartbeats, and Ginevra grinned slightly.

"Isn't there a Lorcan d'Eath concert on tonight?" George asked suddenly.

Ginevra's grin broadened, her enhanced hearing picking up the screams from the fans of the number-one singer.

"Shall we crash the concert, my beloved?" Draco asked, holding his arm out to Ginevra with a smirk.

"I want to see how many of them I can make scream," she breathed, a shiver of anticipation running down her spine.

She looped her arm with Draco's, allowing him to lift her off the ground and into the air. There was a bout of chattering from the twins below, and soon the original Fred and George were on top of the building's roof, their copies making their way down the alleyway and onto the brightly lit street.

Licking her lips slightly, Ginevra scanned the area around them. She could hear the music, their blood pumping, the screams, the pulsating blood, the adrenaline, all of that delicious swirling blood in veins and fragile bodies... Ah, there they were.

With a nod from Ginevra, Draco began to move in the indicated direction. Fred and George were in the air on conjured broomsticks, the black brooms unlike any other they'd seen before. As they followed their sister, their Mistress, and her consort, Fred and George focused on the ground. They heard the screaming fans long before they saw anything, and there was a crackle as Ginevra and Draco went through a barrier. Without hesitation, Fred and George followed. The barrier was nothing against the Dark power within them, and the barrier against their skin wasn't even painful. To be honest, it kind of ... tickled.

Standing on top of the thin fence, the barrier melted around them. At the door's entrance the two security guards had already been knocked out and the copies were waiting impatiently to get inside.

"If this is the best their security has to offer, then they'll all be dead in minutes," Fred chuckled darkly.

"Oh, my dearest brother, I do not intend on killing them," Ginevra said with a slow smirk. "I am well aware that the Aurors and our friends are planning on stopping me, but they won't allow an entire building of witches and wizards die. I'm going to drain every single one of these people to the brink of death. St. Mungo's will be overflowing, and the Aurors will have their hands full for weeks."

"A very cunning plan, beloved sister," the twins said, grinning.

"How can we help?" George asked.

"Taking their wands would be a start. It saves my energy for more thirst-quenching matters."

"Consider it done," they replied.

The last of the barrier melted away and seconds later, the building was swarming with copies. A few shouts of protest filtered out when people realised that their wands were being stolen.

With a grin, Ginevra stepped off the fence, floating to the ground in an elegant swirl of black robes. Draco flew over her silently, dropping down in front of the door. He opened it for her, his fangs already out and his eyes even darker with Thirst. She kissed him briefly, stepping into the dimly lit building, Draco following not even a second later.

By the time Fred and George jumped off the fence and made their way to the entrance, terrified screams were already filtering out of the open door. They became louder moments later, and with sadistic grins, Fred and George entered the building to add to the chaos.

... b ...

"Another lot were just brought in. Can you take them?"

Theodore looked around the small room he had been shuttled off to on arriving to St. Mungo's. He'd originally had ten beds, had managed to conjure and squeeze in another six, and there were people standing when they really shouldn't be.

"How many?" he asked with a small sigh.

"Six in this lot. All with shattered bones, and three with extreme blood loss."

Ginevra... This was the fourth time now, and the victims were increasing. It had only started with one, but now it seemed like her Thirst was getting worse rather than decreasing with each victim. Despite the lengthy hours between her victims, Theodore had a very bad feeling about the fact that they hadn't heard anything from the rampaging vampire in almost eight hours. These people that were being transferred now were backlog from an overfilled waiting room. All night, even before Ginevra had starting attacking people, there had been an increase of witches and wizards injuring themselves or others in some way or another. Luna's last words to him echoed constantly - did you think it would be any different when the Queen of All turns evil? - and he couldn't help but think that all of these patients were to do with Ginevra's current state...

Millicent came up beside him, looking as tired as he felt, her darkened eyes scanning the room critically. "I can move the beds again. We might be able to fit in another three beds in that way," she offered. "You're just going to have to be creative about how you get to the patients," she added with a slight grin.

Turning back to the nurse waiting, Theodore nodded his acceptance for the new patients. In moments, six people were floating through the door. Three of them were bandaged up so much that they wouldn't have been out of place in an Egyptian tomb. The other three, the ones with the extreme blood loss, couldn't be bandaged until their vitals returned to normal. Sometimes this didn't happen at all, and Theodore would have a five minute break to try and cope with the patient's death before needing to return to the other patients.

He'd heard of Healers who had gone through their entire career without someone dying on them, and here on his first day, he'd already had two people die under his care. He hurried to shake himself from his thoughts. Theodore had no intention of breaking down at this. Sure, he'd been awake for almost 30 hours straight, it didn't look like he'd be stopping any time soon, two people had died, his friend was on some blood-driven rampage through Diagon Alley, but so long as he could keep one person alive through all of this, it would be worth it.

"Mill? What do you think about stacking the beds? Like those Muggle bunk beds Colin talked about."

She regarded the closest bed, a frown on her face. "It could work; I'll just need to make sure that the beds don't slip off the ends."

"Can you try while I sort these ones out? If you can't, then don't worry about it. We'll think of something else," he added with a tired smile.

She nodded, already concentrating on her task. Theodore turned back to the newest patients, hoping that he would be able to help them as he couldn't help his friend.

... b ...

Miles looked at the monster from his place on the stairs. The beast was snarling, all sharp spikes and even sharper fangs. He had been standing on the same step for the better part of an hour, simply watching and waiting.

The beast - Lettie - was chained and shackled to the ground, and by the amount of times she'd tried to free herself, snapping her jaws at him, it was obvious that she would have killed him if she wasn't restrained.

She hadn't slept since turning into this creature, and Miles was intrigued at the fact that she hadn't exhausted herself yet.

He knew that he was running out of time, and slowly stepped off the bottom stair and onto the cellar ground. Lettie immediately ran at him, her red eyes burning with anger and hunger, and was pulled back sharply by the chain around her ankles.

Miles was patient as he stepped forward slowly, trying to get Lettie to realise that he wasn't going to attack her. As much as it pained him to see her like this, he also knew that if she was released, then she would wreak havoc. She would probably try to find Ginevra, and with Lettie at her side, the entire world would fall to their knees.

Lettie stayed in the corner of the cellar, growling, snapping and lashing out at Miles any time he came too close. He dodged her paws, and eventually made his way directly in front of her. Sensing the challenge, Lettie crouched low, ready to pounce. Miles grinned slightly, his knees bent as he readied himself as well. Moments later, the beast and the vampire were running at each other, both of them with sharp teeth and red eyes. Miles dodged Lettie's paws and sank his teeth into her shoulder. She stilled immediately, her eyes closing as he began to Drink.

Miles relaxed slightly, grateful that she didn't seem likely to attack him while he was Drinking from her, and wrapped an arm around her body carefully. It was going to be a long night, and he just hoped that this would work.

... b ...

Luna dragged herself onto the shore of the island, exhausted after her long day of journeying. After leaving the transport centre, she'd moved from wizarding village to village via the local's fireplaces, begging and borrowing tiny amounts of Floo powder where she could, and stealing a few grains when she couldn't.

With the longer Ginevra was evil, the more people were becoming hostile, suspicious and short tempered. At Cassandra's insistence, Luna had taken five minutes to create a shield around herself before entering a particular village. On arriving, she'd been greeted with spears and scythes. Unable to see the weapons before her, and with the hundreds of possibilities in her mind, Luna had been grateful to get out of the village with nothing more than a broken arm and a few large gashes on her legs. That had been the second-to-last village of the day, and the final village had taken the last of her money, paying a ridiculous amount of Knuts and Sickles in order to pay an inebriated sailor to get her down to the troll-inhabited islands.

He'd left her almost ten metres away from the shore, refusing to go any further, and Cassandra had taken over, physically launching Luna into the ocean to escape the future that his presence provided. As he'd tried to drag her back into the boat with an oar, beating her on the head more often than not, Luna had struggled to swim away and escape with her exhaustion.

It seemed that the gods were on her side this night. Just as she'd been ready to give up, the ocean had swelled, almost capsizing the boat, yet safely sending her towards the shore. Luna was positive that she'd heard neighing as her feet touched the sand. She crumbled forward onto her knees, coughing and spluttering as she accidentally drank the salty water. Whatever she'd heard or presence she'd felt disappeared, and Luna was alone on the shore of the Islas Diego Ramirez.

Too exhausted to move further, she stayed where she was on the sand and fell asleep. The ocean lapped gently at her body, but the tide didn't rise any higher to take her out to sea.

... b ...

Monday, 15 July

Waking up with a groan, Neville let out a hiss as his body ached when he tried to sit up.

"Stay down, love. Yer goin' ter be sore fer a while," Seamus said, his face above his. He looked a mixture of relieved and worried, stroking Neville's hair gently.

"What happened?" he asked, unable to remember much after leaving Romania.

Seamus was silent for a moment, glancing across the cave to where the Night Fairy was sitting, tossing a ball of dark fire between her hands.

"You bloody well want me to explain it again? Oh, for fuck's sakes," Niryal groaned.

"I still don't understand what happened, so there's no way I can explain it to him," Colin replied, shrugging.

Neville looked alarmed, especially as his memory began to return. He remembered being in a boat, freezing as they travelled along the dark waters. Had the boat capsized and they were forced to swim to the closest shoreline, and they now didn't know where they were?

"Someone tell me what happened," Neville ground out. "Where are we?"

"We made it to the Unplottable island," Colin replied, knowing that at least. "We saw all of the Quintapeds lined up on the cliffs, and realised that they weren't alive," he said, glancing to Niryal, who had made the dark fire into a much larger ball, now hovering it between her hands as she expanded the unnatural flames.

"Then Niryal took me out of the boat," Neville said with a nod, remembering more the more he talked. "What happened then? Did we find the Marble Estate? Is Voldemort still alive?"

"He's the only bloody thing on that island that's still alive," Niryal growled. "He fucking killed everything; not one bloody creature is living."

Oh, that's right. Neville remembered the horror and anguish he'd felt, multiplied ten times over from the Night Fairy who was carrying him through the air in that sphere of hers. They'd flown over the island, skimming trees, passing streams, burrows and nests, but everything was covered in blood. It was infinitely worse than if they'd simply been empty and void of life. If they had been empty, then it could have been the Quintapeds who had ruined their own ecosystem by eating everything in sight. However, it was obvious from the fresh blood staining everything that the animals had been killed long after the Quintapeds demise. The clean cuts on bodies indicated that their deaths had come from a wand. There had been so much blood, so much death, and his thumb had been going crazy over the unbalance of Life and Death.

A shudder ran through him, his thumb flashing green at the memory. Neville turned on his side, away from Seamus and threw up. He lay there, his chest heaving for a long moment, before wiping his mouth and turning to Niryal.

"Where is Voldemort?"

"Hiding like a bloody coward, all holed up in the Marble Estate. I tried to get in eight fucking times before you went and passed out, so I had to freaking leave to come back here," she muttered sourly.

"Why couldn't ye get in? I still donnae get tha' part," Seamus said, frowning.

"The Marble Estate is bloody well surrounded by the blood of Quintapeds and so many fucking Dark spells that I lost count after the two-fucking-hundredth spell. We can't fucking cross it," Niryal growled.

"Ye didn't say it that way the firs' time; get it now," Seamus muttered.

"Can you fly straight over and into the middle of the Marble Estate?" Colin asked.

"That's what made him bloody pass out," Niryal muttered, nodding at Neville.

He ignored her barb, a frown flitting on his face as he remembered something. "The vines. They were across the circle."

"What?" Colin asked, sounding confused.

"The vines that were in the forest. They've become wild since they haven't been tended to, and now they're everywhere, including the Marble Estate. The circle of blood crosses over them, so if we remove the vines, the circle will be broken, and then we'll be able to get inside."

Niryal's ball of dark fire disappeared as she looked up at Neville, her brilliant Master.

"A few vines is all tha' stands 'tween us and Vold'mort?" Seamus asked, a grin forming on his face. "We can handle tha' easy."

Without a word of warning, Niryal made all of them disappear to the Marble Estate. Colin dry heaved, his stomach still feeling like it was down below the ground in the caves.

"Don't do that so suddenly next time," Neville groaned, holding his head in pain.

"Are ye insane? Nev only jus' woke up after bein' unconscious! He can't be moved like tha' so soon!" Seamus shouted, looking a little green himself.

"Sorry, I fucking thought you'd want to be off this damned island as soon as possible," Niryal said, but she looked a little guilty as Neville sank down to the ground.

Seamus went over to Neville, his arm around his shoulders to keep him steady.

"Um, Seamus?" Colin asked, his voice uncertain.

"Busy here, Colin," he muttered, frowning as he felt Neville's warm forehead.

"Seamus? Really need your help," he replied, his voice an octave higher.

A shadow fell across Seamus and Neville, making Seamus finally look up. A bunch of vines were grouped together, but they were bigger than any vines he'd ever seen before. The log cabin that Harmony and Colin lived in was a doll's house compared to these vines, and even Hagrid would have seemed small beside them.

"Niryal, get us in the air. Now," Seamus said, his face paling as he saw a large flower on one of the vines blooming.

"No bloody manners," Niryal muttered, but not even a second later, they were all inside the sphere and high above the Marble Estate.

Below them, the vines were shooting fire at the exact place they'd been only moments ago.

"Fire?" Colin squeaked, coughing to return his voice to normal. "How can they breathe fire? They're vines!"

"Nev said they'd gone wild," Seamus said, shrugging briefly. "'Sides, no one really knows what the MacBoons and McCliverts did ter the land when they were feudin'. If the McCliverts could turn the MacBoons in ter Quintapeds, why couldn't they make vines breath fire?"

Colin shuddered, turning his gaze away from the vines below them. Seamus returned his attention to Neville, who was starting to get clammy and shiver.

"Do ye remember any of them healing spells Theo was always goin' on 'bout?" Seamus asked Colin, licking his lips nervously.

"One or two. What's wrong with Neville?"

"He's burnin' up but he's shiverin' like he's freezin'. We still have that blanket?" he asked, looking around the tiny sphere. "Where's the blasted blanket? Why didn't ye bring it?" Seamus asked, glaring at Niryal.

She faltered at the sight of the tears in his eyes. "Can't you just conjure up a leaf or something to cover him?"

"No, I bloody can't! I have ter go down there an' use up ev'ry part of my magic to try an' control those blasted vines so we can get the fuck out of here! I can't conjure up a fuckin' leaf because ye brought us out here 'fore Nev was well, an' now he's got a fever an' prob'ly dying an'..." his words cut off sharply as Bexley flew out of Colin's body.

"Don't make me do this, Seamus. I can help Neville, but only if you control yourself," Bexely ground out, wavering between his mist form and Neville's dead body.

Colin slapped Seamus, trying to break him out of his terrified emotions. "It always works in the movies," he muttered when Seamus just glared at him, but Bexley continued to shift.

"How can ye help him?" Seamus relented, looking to Bexley in desperation.

"I can go into him and control his body temperature. But I can only do it for a small amount of time. You'll need to put all of your energy towards those vines so we can get him to a healer quicker."

"We can just go to a healer now, can't we? We know where Voldemort is, can't we just come back?"

"He's killed ev'rythin' on the island, Colin. He's nae stayin' here much longer. He'll need food for the nymph, as well as himself an' his bloody snake," Seamus muttered, sighing heavily.

"Then why go to all this trouble with the Quintaped blood?" Colin asked, looking at the circle of black blood beneath them.

"After all the Death Eaters we killed at the Riddle House, ye really think he'd just stay here withou' some sorta protection? 'Sides all that, if he thinks this is secure, then he'll think he has a place ter come back ter an' hide."

Neville shivered, his body curling up. Seamus frowned slightly, not liking the idea of leaving him alone. He turned to Colin, his entire manner stern.

"Ye keep 'im warm, ye 'ear me? If I come back an' he's still cold an' shiverin' like that, I'll hurt ye, god or not!"

Colin nodded briefly, and there was a slight pop as Seamus dropped out of the sphere. Watching for a moment as thin vines flew up out of the ground to catch Seamus' falling body before he hit the hard surface, Colin then turned to Neville and moved beside him, wrapping an arm around his body carefully.

Seamus brushed himself off quickly, looking up at the large fire-breathing vines. He held his hands up, his thumbs glowing green. Above him, the flowers on the vines started to close slowly. Then, as he used more power, his whole hands started to turn green. The vines swayed slightly, starting to shrink back down to the ground. The green colour spread further until his arms were completely covered and glowing. The vines continued to shrink at a faster pace, the circle of blood beginning to break. Finally, just as Seamus dropped to his knees in exhaustion, there was a loud hiss, a wisp of smoke leaving the broken circle.

The moment the circle was broken, Niryal's sphere dropped all the way to the ground, collecting Seamus' fallen body and continuing straight inside to the marble house.

... b ...

Blaise's stomach felt like it was attempting to eat itself, and his lack of water and subsequent dehydration was starting to make him delusional. Sleeping only helped for a short while, but all too soon, he'd be wide awake. Then he'd have to keep his concentration on Elin's frozen form so that he didn't look into the trees where Relo was waiting for one lapse, one moment to look him in the eyes and freeze him too.

"There is fruit and streams out here, centaur. Why don't you come out? Relo will pick the ripest fruits and the freshest water for you."

Biting down on his tongue hard, Blaise willed himself to sleep once more, but it was in vain. He almost cried out as Elin took another step forward.

"Ginevra will not be pleased if you eat us, Relo," Blaise called eventually.

Oh dear gods', this was almost worse than feeling helpless. What did he think he would do: talk the Erkling into not eating him? Maybe he'd be able to convince Relo that he was stringy and tasteless next!

"Why does the centaur think that?" Relo asked with a sneer.

Blaise couldn't be entirely sure if it was an effect of being close to delirium, but he was almost positive that he'd heard some uncertainty in Relo's voice.

"Well, when has she ever let you take a bite out of us?"

All of his supposed Slytherin cunning, and that's the best he can come up with?

There was silence, but Relo didn't immediately discourage him, so Blaise hurried to continue, despite his internal monologue.

"Ginevra would be sad if you killed Elin and me. We're her friends, her loyal subjects, and she would hate it, hate you, if you killed us."

There was a tiny whimper, as if the mere thought of Ginevra hating him made Relo feel sick.

"Oh, yes. She would hate you, and she would never forgive you if you ate us and went against her wishes."

"B-b-but... It's not against her wishes, centaur," Relo said with a mocking laugh. "I can feel all her thoughts and wishes in my head, and she wants destruction. My Mistress wants blood, and she craves death. She will forgive me for your deaths."

Okay, being taunted and strung along by an Erkling was a blow to the ego, Blaise decided.

He rolled onto his side, closing his eyes tightly and willing to sleep once more.

... b ...

Millicent was curled up in the corner, her exhaustion overcoming her and her magical supply extremely depleted. Despite the fact that his girlfriend was a few hours away from becoming a Muggle, Theodore was proud to see that the beds were stacked in a Muggle bunk bed style. Six beds were stacked atop one another, and similar spells were being used in other rooms in order to take more patients.

After the patients had dwindled down to one or two, Theodore had foolishly thought that there would be no more, and Ginevra had stopped her bloody rampage. Not even an hour later, the hospital staff had been informed of the events at the Lorcan d'Eath concert. They were to receive over one hundred more patients and even the permanent wards in the hospital were being utilised to hold these newcomers.

Theodore hated what Ginevra was doing with every fibre of his being. That being said, he was so extremely grateful that she wasn't killing her victims and the hospital's morgue wasn't receiving more than one hundred dead bodies. With the amount of Aurors that were moving around the hospital, it wasn't surprising to discover that there were only two small teams of Aurors out hunting for Ginevra, and the rest were inside the hospital, attempting to find someone conscious enough to give a statement.

Theodore needed to figure out a way to get blood replenishing potions into people who were unconscious and on the brink of death, and the distractions from Aurors definitely wasn't helping. After telling three Aurors that he would contact them when the patients were awake, stable, and could talk without screaming, Theodore locked the doors and refused to open it to anyone who wasn't wearing an official robe of St. Mungo's.

His gaze went to Millicent, who had her cross stitching on her lap, a futile attempt to relax when surrounded by people who she was helpless to help. Looking at the needles sticking in the hedgehog-shaped pin cushion, Theodore's eyes widened slightly, knowing exactly how to get the potions into his patients.

Scribbling a quick note to Healer Derwent, Theodore flicked his wand and the piece of parchment turned into a plane, flying out of the door he opened for it. He received a reply moments later, and while Healer Derwent wasn't entirely pleased at using a Muggle concept in order to help wizarding patients, she did agree that it was the only useful thing that had been suggested since receiving the patients almost thirty minutes ago.

Theodore went to the first patient, transfiguring the goblet that held the potion into a needle and drip bag, a thin tube connecting the two. When Theodore noticed that the potion wasn't moving, he held the bag up, adjusting the spell in order to hang it off the patient's bed so they could receive their medication. When it was done to his satisfaction ten minutes later, he returned Healer Derwent's message with instructions for the other healers, and then continued onto the rest of the patients.

... b ...

The sun had just begun to rise when a troll lumbered into the village, carrying Luna in his arms gently. She was taken into their shaman's tent, and neither Gregory nor Pansy were permitted to enter the wise woman's hut to see how their friend was faring.

They'd been escorted quite firmly back to their own hut, and they'd been sitting in silence for seven minutes before Gregory finally cracked.

"I hope Luna's all right."

Pansy looked up at him, somewhat amazed that those were the first words her boyfriend had directed at her since arriving with that female troll. The same female troll who just so happened to be the Princess of his entire clan!

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Gregory said, frowning when he saw her expression.

Pansy looked away from him, not replying.

Gregory briefly wondered if there was anything he could say or do that would satisfy Pansy. He had no idea what he'd done, or what he hadn't done! It couldn't have been something he'd said because she hadn't even let him get a word in when he'd arrived with Griselda!

"Have I done something, Pansy? You have to talk to me," he said, reaching across to take her hand.

She pulled away abruptly, glaring at him now. "Don't touch me."

"Would you just tell me what I've done wrong?"

"You need it spelled out? Fine then. You didn't visit me in Antarctica, you haven't talked to me in months, and you arrived with that Princess on your arm!"

Gregory looked stunned at her words, his expression melting to an angry frown. "I couldn't visit you in Antarctica since I didn't know you were there; Luna took me to..."

"I'm not talking about what Luna did, Gregory! I'm talking about you!"

"Well, fine. I still couldn't visit since I didn't know you were there! I thought you were healing at Hogwarts or something, and I had no way of getting back there... As for talking to you, I've been trying all bloody night! You won't look at me, and you haven't even let me get more than two words out while we were eating."

"I meant in here," Pansy said, tapping her temple. "I haven't been Voldemort's prisoner for three weeks now, and I haven't heard a single thing from you."

"The moment you were out of Riddle House, I tried to call you. I tried for two straight weeks, and I never heard a thing from you. I thought you were ignoring me, Pansy. I thought you didn't want to talk to me, with Vince... With his death," he said, his hands clenching tightly.

He slowly opened his mind connection, allowing the light tether between himself and Pansy to strengthen. She was so overwhelmingly sad, but there was still anger beneath the sadness.

"Why did you leave Hogwarts without even seeing whether I was all right? Why didn't you stay, or even come to see me before Luna took off with you?"

"I wanted to be there, Pansy, I really did. They sedated me the moment you were kidnapped..."

"So you couldn't even fight off a potion or two?" she sneered.

For a long moment, Gregory simply stared at her. "It wasn't one potion, Pansy, or even two. I was force-fed ten sedation potions and hit with six calming spells the day you were captured. I kept trying to get up and get to you. I didn't have any idea where you were, yet I kept trying to walk to find you, I kept trying to leave behind everything I'd ever known just to be with you again..." his voice cracked slightly, and he looked down at his clenched hands once more. "I was sedated on a daily basis, and when I had moments of clarity, I even contemplated contacting Voldemort himself, just to get you back."

Pansy glared at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Don't... Don't you ever do that! Don't say that, don't think it, and don't you dare ever do that!" her voice raised close to a scream, and she continued to hit him with each syllable that tore from her throat.

Gregory took each hit, watching as she wore herself down with screams and punches. When she was doing little more than sobbing against his chest, he gathered her in his arms gently, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Promise me. Promise you won't ever go to him," Pansy said, her voice scratchy and her eyes screwed tight.

"I promise. I'm sorry, Pansy. I really am. I should have never thought of doing that. I was desperate, and I was only thinking of you, I swear I was."

"So was Vincent. Voldemort told me that it was my fault he got to Vincent. That stupid dream he had about me being bruised and bloody. He was thinking about me when he went to Voldemort," Pansy sobbed. "It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"No, it's not. It was Vincent's decision, Vincent's choice. He was thinking of a dream, not the real you, and that was what he based his decision on. It is not your fault, do you understand me, Pansy?" Gregory said, holding her shoulders gently as he looked at her.

She continued to cry, nodding briefly without answering. Pansy would keep feeling like her boyfriend's death had been her fault for a very long time, but Gregory's words would eventually reassure her that she wasn't the one to blame.

"It's not your fault, love. I promise you that," Gregory whispered, kissing her hair softly.

He sat on his bed once more, pulling Pansy onto his lap. Together, they cried for their loss, for their boyfriend who had made one wrong choice, and Gregory held Pansy in his arms even after they both fell asleep a few hours later, both the troll and the mermaid emotionally exhausted.

... b ...

Miles stepped into the Muggle tavern, suspicious of the fact that it was the only building in the entire village that was lit. Even the houses were dark and empty. He soon discovered the reason, a half-smile on his face as his gaze went to the lone woman that the entire town was enraptured with. Francesca was sitting atop a table in the middle of the room, spinning stories for children and adults alike.

She saw him enter, returned the half-smile, and then focused her attention on her audience once more. Miles went to the bar, taking a few moments to get the barkeep's attention, and a while longer to get his drink. He didn't mind Francesca's storytelling as he usually did with Virginia's; while the daughter would simply tell a story for a room or a meal, the mother would create a web of lies and falsehoods to see the townspeople turn on one another, or to send an entire village penniless in one night.

Sipping his drink, Miles watched the villagers as they listened to Francesca's tale of a hero, a princess, and a bloody-thirsty curse. It was a story he'd heard often before; one of the tales his mother had told him when he was growing up. Miles stopped drinking, surprised to see looks of disgust and hate on the faces of two men. Glancing down, he spied two woven bags around their necks, and began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach.

The tale finished, and Miles tried to get to where Francesca was seated. It was an impossibility, the sea of bodies so tight together that not even a tiny mouse would be able to fit between them. At the insistence of the children, Francesca began to weave a spell, a simple trick designed to enchant and amuse. A firework display of her hero and princess appeared, the two figures disappearing in a shower of bright harmless sparks.

Francesca refused the request for an encore, telling the children that they had to go to bed and sleep, and the adults that they had children to tuck in and keep safe. At her slight instruction, the people in the tavern hurried to disperse and do as she'd said. Miles watched as the two men lingered at the doorway, their gazes on Francesca still. Frowning, he waited until they had left before making his way over to her.

"I hope you enjoyed the tale, Miles."

"I always do," he replied with a slight smile. "I noticed two that did not enjoy it as much, I'm afraid."

"Oh, yes?" she replied, curious.

"Woven bags were about their necks. I'm surprised that the smell of the tavern was able to cover the ingredients in those bags."

"I'm not; Mother has been testing new ingredients that disguise the smells. I hope that she hasn't succeeded this time," Francesca said with a tired smile.

"Are you leaving tonight, or on the morrow?" Miles asked briefly, his eyes flicking to the owner of the tavern.

"Perhaps it would be best to leave tonight, and save these poor people from my mother's jealousy."

Miles nodded, moving back as Francesca stood and stepped off the table elegantly. She landed beside him, and a moment later, was apologising to the owner, slipping him a few extra gold coins to make up for the wasted time spent on preparing her room.

Within a minute, Francesca was ready to leave, and she left the front door. Waiting until he saw two dark figures beginning to follow her, Miles left the tavern as well, a gold coin spinning on the table as his payment.

In his arms, Lettie was changing from a beast to her human self. Her face was almost it's normal shape, but her spine, teeth and nails were all sharp and long, the beast fighting his attempt to Turn her.

Pulling away from Lettie's neck, Miles placed his wrist at her mouth, needing to smear the blood on her lips before she would drink.

As with the past twelve hours, he simply hoped that this would work. Miles hadn't known that her beast side - Lettie's connection with Ginevra's current form - would be stronger than his blood, which was centuries old and one of the purest bloodlines in the Vampire world. Even if he had known that fact, he still would have done this, if only to see Lettie pain-free.

... b ...

Niryal was almost disappointed at how quickly they found Voldemort. He was deep within the dungeons of the Marble Estate, his snake beside him, and the nymph tied before him as he attempted to coax her to drink and eat. On seeing them, Voldemort had disappeared with Nagini, Colin lunging towards him a moment too late and knocking himself out on the bricks instead.

So now, rather than having three people who could stand and defeat the Dark Lord, Niryal had three unconscious kids in her sphere. They were against an ugly man with no freaking nose who had been so terrified that they'd actually made it past his circle of Quintaped blood that he didn't even realise that they were unconscious!

That bloody Potter kid was having trouble trying to defeat that guy, why exactly? Niryal wondered to herself, shaking her head in disbelief.

The creature they'd come to rescue could have been mistaken for a twig with her bones sticking out like that, and clumps of her hair on the ground around her, her nails torn and broken from dragging them along the floor in attempts to get as far away from Voldemort as possible. As the nymph looked up at Niryal, there was a defeat in her eyes that the Night Fairy just did not like at all, and she took her bony hand, pulling her into the sphere. Moments later, the nymph passed out as well. Not knowing what else to do or where to go, Niryal took Neville's hand and disappeared to the nymph world.

The moment they arrived, Neville and the bony nymph were taken to their own healers. Terra was so grateful for her granddaughter's return that she immediately restored Seamus and Colin to their full health, removing a rather large bump on Colin's head and replenishing Seamus' inner magic. The moment they seemed fine, but were still unconscious, Terra sent them back into the mortal world with Niryal in order to deal with the mess that Ginevra had become. Apparently, the vampiress was two short days away from getting through the nymph's defences, which would totally screw up both of the worlds until mortals and nymphs alike were in a living hell.

Colin woke up first on their arrival to Knockturn Alley. He managed to calm Seamus when he woke up moments later and found Neville missing. While Niryal was impressed at his ability to curse and swear (she may have learnt a new phrase or two, but that wasn't something she'd be telling him), she had no desire to see the world screwed up any more than it already was.

Niryal wanted to return the Queen of All back to her normal self as soon as possible; she could feel that the world wasn't right, and the Queen was trying to fight herself to gain control once more. She could feel that everything that was happening in the world was a fight between the Queen's good and evil sides, and by the looks of things so far, the evil side was winning.

It took a longer time in order to calm Seamus down about how fast they'd been able to find Terra's granddaughter. He was glad she'd been found, of course, was horrified at the image of the nymph that Niryal had shown him, but it didn't dampen his annoyance at spending over two weeks attempting to get to the nymph, only to find and rescue her within ten minutes of entering the Marble Estate. He'd taken longer fighting off the vines than it had to rescue her from Voldemort!

The Night Fairy had opened her mouth to tell him to get his priorities sorted out but was stopped by two familiar figures up ahead.

... b ...

Xavier paced the bedroom so fast that he was sure smoke started to come out from beneath his feet. He forced himself to slow down, or even sit down for a moment or two, but then seconds later, he was back on his feet, returning to the regular carpet-wearing pace.

A knock at the door had Xavier stopping and hurrying over to open it. The vampire behind the door didn't seem surprised at his state, but gave a slightly longer bow than usual in order to let Xavier gain some composure.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have been told to inform you that the manticore has been completely sedated, as per the Council's request. The manticore will not be moving for the remainder of the week," the messenger added.

"Thank you for informing me. Please let the rest of the Council members know, and you are to alert me to my wife's presence the moment she enters the mansion, is that understood?"

"Of course, Lord Xavier. Your orders remain the same, and will be adhered to," the vampire replied, bowing once more before leaving.

Xavier shut the door and sighed heavily. He had no idea where Agnes was, nor where Miles had disappeared to, he had a room full of Muggles that were getting cabin fever within a mansion of hungry vampires, and one of his most promising protege's had turned evil.

After providing them with some entertainment in the form of movies and games, Xavier had locked the door of the Muggle's rooms. He had two owls out searching for his wife and son, and while he wanted nothing more than to help stop Ginevra, Xavier had worn himself out simply by leading her around the Muggle's room. If he went to her while she was evil, there was no doubt in his mind that she would turn him evil as well. Xavier had been evil already, and it was enough to last him for the rest of his life.

... b ...

"Here they come," Ginevra whispered gleefully, her fingernails scraping down Fred's robes and George's sleeves.

Behind them, Draco was trailing hard lines on them, enough to draw blood. Ginevra took a step forward, a moan on her lips. Before she could attack her brothers, Draco moved to her, his lips on hers. She bit at his lower lip, blood forming and letting her lick and suck at him hungrily.

Fred and George grinned at each other and stepped out onto the street to begin their performance.

Seamus was suspicious when he saw the twins ahead, despite the presence of blood on their clothes and trailing down their skin. The marks seemed fairly fresh, and he was almost positive that they both had Glamours hiding their features. While it wasn't uncommon for them to have a Glamour on their face to hide their scars, this particular Glamour seemed to shine all over their heads and their hands as well.

"Tha's not righ'," Seamus muttered.

Colin made a small noise of agreement, his eyes flicking to the drops of blood that were falling to the ground. The twins had been with Ginevra and Draco for almost two whole days, and they were only injured now, when he, Seamus and Niryal were arriving? Definitely not right. Not to mention that the entire alley was deserted. People usually milled about no matter whether it was day or night, and yet they were the only ones visible.

Niryal could see right through the Glamours without needing to see the shininess of the spell. She grinned slightly at the sight of the black streaks, their black eyes, scars, and nails. They looked like fun. As the twins stepped forward, Niryal's grin faded. She could see the copies of the twins surrounding them, their figures hidden by cloaking devices and shielding spells. She growled briefly, not enjoying the idea of being surrounded, and definitely not in this underhanded way. Not fun, not fun at all. A brief motion had all of the twin's copies frozen on the spot, darkness filling their vision until they believed themselves asleep. Two by two, the figures stopped following their progress and lay down where they were, going to sleep. As they slept, the shielding devices and spells faded, revealing each copy to Seamus and Colin as well.

Fred and George glared at Niryal, their Glamours fading and their wounds healing. They moved towards them, their wands in their hands and hexes on their lips. Ginevra and Draco stepped out from their place further up the street, joining the twins as they advanced on Niryal and the two wizards.

... b ...

A mix between a gasp and scream tore from Luna's throat as she woke up, her visions becoming little more than a blur of black, red, and death.

"Stay calm, blanca chica," a voice murmured, stroking her forehead gently. (White girl.)

Turning sightless eyes towards the woman who had spoken, Luna focused her Sight on her own current situation and time, and she smiled briefly at the wise woman, inclining her head.

"It is I who should bow to you, Se–orita," the woman murmured, still stroking Luna's forehead. (Miss.)

Relaxing under her soothing ministrations, Luna slowly remembered her vision.

"Your friend is not always very blood-thirsty, no?"

"No, she usually has better control than this," she murmured in reply.

"You have seen the world without her?"

Luna shuddered at the memory of fire and destruction; the world itself burning as the skies poured with torrential rains that did nothing to stop the flames on the earth. A world damaged beyond repair, Muggles and wizards alike suffering through their lives with no hope and no end in sight.

"But the sirena and troll will help stop her, yes?" (Mermaid.)

"Yes. I need to get them, we need to go right away," Luna said, trying to sit up.

The wise woman held her down with a surprisingly strong grip, and even though she couldn't see it, Luna had the feeling that the woman was staring straight into her eyes. There was a long moment of silence, and Luna had no idea what the woman was looking for, or even if she found it, but suddenly, she was released.

The wise woman called out for one of the trolls. Luna was lifted onto her feet gently and lead out of the hut. She thanked the wise woman over her shoulder, but the troll had started chanting and didn't reply.

"Your friends are this way, blanca. They were confusing at first, so quiet and so much space between them when they arrived, and they were meant to be in love," the troll said, shaking his head. "But they were yelling and screaming to each other earlier, so we know that they will be happy."

"Yelling and screaming means they will be happy?" Luna asked in amusement.

"It means they talk, blanca, and when they stop yelling and screaming, they will talk until they are happy again."

Luna wasn't entirely sure that she agreed with the troll's reasoning, but nodded anyway. She could See that they were almost at the hut provided to Gregory and Pansy, and as they neared, she could hear Gregory snoring gently.

"See, blanca, they are happy," the troll whispered, indicating to the two entwined sleeping figures on the bed.

"Thank you. Could you please prepare the carriage and Tebo steeds so we can leave? We need to go as fast as possible, and it will take too long to return to the mainland by sea," Luna said.

"Of course, blanca. It will be ready soon," the troll promised, leaving as fast as his short legs could carry him.

Looking ahead, Luna saw that in a few hours, Colin, Seamus and Niryal would fight against Ginevra, Draco and the twins in Knockturn Alley. The former three would fight valiantly, but they would be overcome soon enough and the latter four would declare victory, shadows taking over the fallen trio. Soon after, Neville would fall, Blaise would follow, and the Patil twins would be overcome the moment they left the pixie world. In St. Mungo's, an exhausted Theodore would fight with the last of his power, and Millicent would snap on witnessing her boyfriend's death. The wolf would wreak ruin on the hospital, killing everyone who came near, even those Theodore had spent days healing. Lettie wouldn't be able to overcome her friends as well as her Lady, and would drag Miles down with her into a beast's existence of blood and death, with Agnes becoming the first victim...

"Luna! Luna, snap out of it!" Pansy was yelling at her, shaking her by the shoulders.

Coming back to herself, Luna realised that she was screaming, a loud piercing sound that even made her shiver in fear. Her scream died in her throat, and she clung to Pansy's arms tightly.

"It's all right, it's all right," Pansy murmured, hugging Luna and stroking her hair gently.

"What are you doing here, Luna?" Gregory asked when she seemed a bit calmer and stopped shivering.

"We have to go. Now," she said, letting go of Pansy gingerly.

"Where?"

"Knockturn Alley. We have to stop Ginevra and Draco from taking over the world," Luna said.

"Oh, is that all?" Gregory muttered in reply, moving to pick up their bags.

"What are you doing? Tie them up this instant!"

Luna sighed, turning and heading towards Princess Griselda and the troll who was readying the carriage for them.

"I do apologise, Princess, for not presenting myself to you sooner. I have urgent business in London, and your carriage is the fastest transportation currently at my disposal. I promise I will return it before you are required to leave," Luna added, giving her a smile. "If you will beg my pardon saying so, but you will receive a firecall from Tharr in moments, and I am positive that you will want to be ready for it."

Griselda paled slightly, her hand reaching up to her hair, which had become unmanageable in the foreign weather. She gave a nod to the waiting troll, who continued to put the harnesses on the Tebo steeds, and hurried back to her hut.

Pansy and Gregory walked over, Pansy putting her hand on Luna's shoulder gently as Gregory moved past them to put the bags in the back of the carriage.

"What do you mean by Ginevra and Draco taking over the world? What's happened, Luna? Does it have something to do with that shadow thing the trolls were talking about?" Pansy asked quietly.

Luna Saw hundreds of different visions, all of Pansy's reactions to what she would say. Pansy could do anything from refusing to leave with them to getting so angry at Ginevra and Draco's actions that she would haul Gregory into the carriage and leave without Luna.

If you take her hand, I can show her what has happened. It is one of the better options, Cassandra added.

Luna held out her hand for Pansy to take, and she did so with only a moment of hesitation. Pansy dropped to her knees as visions assaulted her mind.

Ginevra's attempt to wake her up with her power as Queen of All, Pansy waking and her journey to South America, Luna's voyage with Lady Agnes from England to South America to find Pansy on the beach, them taking care of her, Ginevra's time training at both Hogwarts and the vampire mansion, Ginevra talking with the Muggles of their futures, Virginia's trek around the world to gather ingredients for the potion, Virginia tricking Ginevra with the offer of tea, and Ginevra turning evil, Draco and the twins being inhabited by the shadows, all four wreaking havoc and causing mayhem wherever they travelled.

Opening her eyes, Pansy gasped for breath. She took Gregory's offered hand, standing on trembling legs. She fought the urge to run into the ocean and become a mermaid, just to escape the world and everything she'd missed. Pansy had the feeling that Luna hadn't told her everything, but what she'd seen had been enough.

"Let's get going," she said, squeezing Gregory's hand gently.

With a nod, he tied the ropes around their waists carefully before tying his own and stepping into the carriage. The Tebos ran down the short road, and the carriage lifted into the air with ease.

In her hut, Griselda finished her call with Tharr on a worrying note. He'd been sporting a black eye and swollen lip, the result of a bloody brawl in the tavern. It wasn't unusual for fights to occur, of course, but the brawls were becoming far more blood-thirsty and happening more often than usual. Even the King had joined in one fight, and he usually didn't have the attention span to hold a grudge long enough to fight.

Leaving the confines of her hut, Griselda called the trolls together to begin their training once more. She wanted to exhaust them to the point where having a brawl was nothing but a bad dream in the back of their minds, and by her club, she ensured on doing exactly that.

... b ....

Seamus snarled at Ginevra, his arms glowing green as he tried to ward off her hexes and curses. He could barely retaliate with any spells because she seemed to be moving even faster than she normally did, and the few spells that he did send missed their target completely. If only he could get to her wand, he might be able to take it and stop her spells. Seamus advanced on Ginevra slowly, his shield of leaves hardening against her attacks.

Draco was fighting against Colin, who had become surprisingly adept at hand to hand combat during his time with the dragons. He'd been in dragon form while fighting other dragons, of course, but the premise was the same: arms and legs moving in order to bring the opponent down. It was both a hindrance and a help that he didn't have to stay in the air at the same time. While he didn't have to think about staying airborne, Colin found that he was moving his shoulder blades slightly, as if he did have wings on his back. Draco was slightly faster than Ginevra, his hexes mixed with sharp bites of his teeth that only seemed to graze Colin's skin rather than penetrate.

Niryal fought against the twins, delighted that she was able to use her skills against so worthy opponents. The twins were fast and mischievous with their spells, but she had a skill set that they'd never seen before. For every spell they sent at her, she returned by filling their vision with nightmares of rotting skin and pus-filled boils. The twins shook the visions away, sending more ferocious hexes than before, these ones intent on harming her. Niryal just grinned and continued to play.

Seamus finally reached Ginevra, his shields protecting him from her spells while a vine made it's way towards her. The vine shot out at Ginevra, and she lunged towards Seamus. Their wands flew through the air as if time itself had slowed down, the two wands clattering to the ground. There was a long silence as they simply stared at the pieces of wood. Seamus scrambled to get the wands first, snapping Ginevra's wand in half before she could do anything. Ginevra gasped slightly, and then her gasp turned into low laughter, before changing to completely wild and unrestrained laughter.

"Tell me, what did you really think that would do?" she asked, wiping black tears from her eyes as she looked at Seamus with a smirk. "Did you think that I'd suddenly be powerless without that piece of wood? It's a stick, for fuck's sakes. Nothing more than a conduit, and I don't need that useless thing to completely fuck you up," Ginevra sneered, moving towards Seamus, sending a hex at him.

Niryal liked Ginevra, she really did, and her being dark and evil didn't really dampen the feeling. But Seamus was her Master's lover, and her Master came before anyone Niryal liked, even before herself, and there was no hesitation involved as she jumped high over the twins' heads, knocking Seamus to the ground so the spell would hit her instead. The moment the spell hit, black blood began to flow from several wounds on her body, and the Night Fairy fell forward, blood gurgling out of her mouth.

... b ....

"Is there any way to make these beasts move faster?" Luna asked Gregory urgently.

He nodded quickly, reaching out of the carriage window to wave his wand. A loud bang scared the Tebos and they moved faster through the air.

"What's happening?"

"It hasn't happened yet. It's going to, and if we don't stop it, then Niryal's going to die," Luna said, her hands wringing the hem of her robe.

Pansy frowned slightly, putting her arm out the window as well. Three loud bangs followed in succession, the Tebos screeching their fear and moving faster still. Silence filled the carriage, Gregory and Pansy sitting side by side, while across from them, Luna continued to See this particular thread of time and the fight that had just taken Niryal's life.

It was the thickest thread of the lot, but she was somewhat pleased to note that the closer they were to Knockturn Alley, the thinner the thread began to shrink. Yet it was still thicker than the threads involving her arriving with Pansy and Gregory in time to save them all. Luna silently hoped that they would arrive in time, and this would not be a fixed point that she could not change no matter what she said or did.

At this pace, they would arrive at Knockturn Alley in an hour and ten minutes. The fight was due to start in fifty minutes. Niryal would die ten minutes later, and then Seamus and Colin would be overcome just as she arrived with Gregory and Pansy.

... b ...

Two by two, the copies of Fred and George lay down to sleep, their progress faltering as Niryal's magic made them believe that they were asleep. At the end of the alley, Fred and George glared at her angrily, their Glamours disappearing and their wounds healing.

"What are these people? Are they all Fred and George?" Colin asked quietly, looking to the redheads surrounding them.

Cloaking devices were on the ground, fallen from limp hands, and the copies were snoring softly, oblivious to the fight that was about to occur.

"They're just bloody copies. When the fucking spell is released from them, they'll return to their normal freaking selves. They won't remember a damned thing about this either," Niryal added, her eyes flicking to a small boy curled up on the ground, sucking his thumb gently.

"Ready, my beloved?" Draco murmured, his lips hot against her skin.

"Always, beloved," she replied, nipping at his lower lip and licking the small amount of blood that formed.

He smirked against her mouth, returning the favour, his fingers digging into her hips.

"Thank the gods for their hormones," Luna muttered, making her way into Knockturn Alley with Gregory and Pansy behind her.

"So how exactly am I meant to get them to stop?" Pansy asked, frowning.

They'd been in the carriage for almost three hours, but the tension had been so thick that she hadn't felt comfortable asking what to do. Luna had been Seeing for the entire time, so it wouldn't have done much if she had asked.

"Ginevra believes that you're dead, and has no power as Queen of All. She's been fighting the evil side ever since turning, but she doesn't have the motivation, inclination or belief to help her throw off the evil completely. She needs to accept herself as the Queen as All, which she has been denying ever since receiving the title, and in order to do that, she needs to believe in herself. You can help her do that."

Pansy frowned slightly, not feeling as though her question had really been answered. She still had no idea what to physically do. She doubted that it would do much if she threw her shoe at Ginevra's head and yelled 'I'm alive! Look, I'm right here!' at the top of her lungs.

Luna started running, Gregory and Pansy hurrying to catch up with her. She stopped suddenly, almost being barrelled into as a consequence. Gregory and Pansy managed to stop themselves before that happened, and they surveyed the scene before them. The twins were only just being joined by Ginevra and Draco, while they were faced by Seamus, Colin, and Niryal. They were surrounded by exact copies of the twins, each one sleeping on the cobblestone road or tiled roofs and snoring gently.

Ginevra smirked briefly, and in a blur of black, she was at Seamus' throat, her hand wrapped around his neck tightly.

Pansy glowered at the sight. After everything they'd been through together, Ginevra was going to strangle Seamus to death? Raising her wand in the air, she let out a stream of bangs and fireworks in order to gain their attention.

"Put Seamus down right now!" Pansy said, advancing on them angrily.

Gregory hurried to follow her, not wanting to lose Pansy to an evil vampiress after only just getting her back from a deluded snake-man.

Ginevra's eyes widened slightly as she saw Pansy, but then she shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "Nice trick, Seamus, but it won't work. Take the illusion away," she growled, her nails starting to pierce his skin.

"She's not an illusion!" Colin said, moving aside as Pansy stormed past him.

"Put. Him. Down!" Pansy repeated, her wand pointed at Ginevra.

"You couldn't hurt me if you tried. You're just an illusion, some fucked up vision they're doing to make me stop," Ginevra sneered.

Pansy said a hex, and Ginevra dodged it despite her thoughts about the Pansy-illusion. She looked at the scorch mark on the cobblestones, and shook her head slightly.

"No, that was there earlier. I'm sure it was," she muttered, adding another hand around Seamus' throat.

He gurgled something, breathless and choking on his own saliva.

Pansy muttered something under her breath about stubborn vampires, and reached down to take her shoe off. She smacked Ginevra on the head, moving to whack her about the shoulders.

"I'm alive! Look, I'm right here!" she said, still hitting her with the flat shoe. "Alive, alive, alive. I am so alive that it hurts... Now put Seamus down, you idiotic vampiress."

Seamus dropped to the ground, his neck bleeding and five finger-shaped bruises starting to form on his skin. Colin hurried to pull him out of Ginevra's reach, but both women were oblivious to him doing so.

"Open your mind link; I'll prove it's me," Pansy said to Ginevra.

She shook her head immediately. Her eyes began to alternate between black and their normal brown colour. Ginevra growled, a low deep sound that would have scared lesser beings. Pansy just stood there with her hands on her hips and glared at her.

"Don't growl at me. Stop doing this. I'm alive, and you're the reason why. I woke up in Antarctica because of you," Pansy said.

Ginevra's hands clenched so tightly that she pierced her palms, blood seeping out of the wounds slowly. "No. You escaped and died in the freezing ocean. No one's heard from you in weeks."

"How did I escape when I was in a coma? There's no such thing as coma-swimming, Ginevra. You were the last one to see me; you used your power to wake me up, and it worked. I woke up, and I survived the oceans of Antarctica. You woke me up as the Queen of All."

Ginevra flinched at the name, clenching her fists tighter. Small pools of blood were forming below her hands.

"The Queen of All saved me," Pansy said, grinning slightly as she flinched again. "The Queen of All is the reason I'm awake; the Queen of All is the reason that I'm alive... You wouldn't have been able to wake me if you were just Ginevra the vampiress, and you know that, that's why you're doing this stupid evil rebellion thing. You want to prove you've got some sort of power even if you're not the Queen of All, but you know what? You've got more power in your pinkie as the Queen of All than you do in your entire vampiress body. You are the Queen of All, and you need to accept that."

Crouching on the ground, every name making her fall further, Ginevra's eyes were now permanently brown.

"Open your mind link now, Ginevra. You're the Queen of All, and you're so much better than this. You're not all of this death and destruction; you're life and power. I'm proof of that, and you know I'm right. Now, open your mind, and accept the fact that you're the Queen of All. You know you're that person, and as that person, you will be able to overcome whatever hold is over you now. Accept that you're the Queen of All."

Pansy wondered if this was working. She'd just made a freaking vampiress cower on the ground like a scolded child by talking to, or at, her... She was running out of breath, running out of convincing things to say, running out of ideas for what to do.

Slowly, inch by inch, Ginevra's mind began to open. On the ground, her nails were retracting and starting to turn back to their normal flesh colour.

"I swear that I'm alive, Ginevra. I'm right here in front of you, and you woke me up as Queen of All," Pansy promised, overwhelmingly happy that Ginevra was starting to open her mind.

The moment she was opened enough, Pansy sent every detail of her journey to Ginevra, knocking her flat on her back. She registered Draco's growl somewhere, but ignored the veelan, and continued to send images, feelings, and thoughts until Ginevra was screaming at their magnitude inside of her mind.

She could hear Ginevra's words as Queen of All to wake her up, and soon after, she could feel the swell of unearthly power that pushed her up out of her long sleep. Waking up, surrounded by white and with no idea where she was. She could hear the ocean, knocking Theodore out when he tried to sedate her or hex her, and continuing through the white corridors until she found a door that led her outside. The ocean was roaring, tumultuous in it's welcome, and she dove straight into the freezing water, clad in nothing more than a thin hospital gown. Moments later, she was naked, a tail replacing her legs, and she started swimming. She was exhausted, but couldn't turn around. She continued towards warmer water, her skin turning blue in the sub-zero temperature she was swimming in. She couldn't hear anyone in her mind. The last memory was of Vincent, of his death, of wishing for her own to escape the pristine body beside her. Voldemort's cruel idea of a joke to keep Vincent's body fresh as hers wasted away. She wasn't fed, had small amounts of water, and she lost all track of time. She swam faster, trying to escape the memory and feelings. She screamed out in her mind, for someone, anyone, to answer her, but there was nothing but silence. She was alone in the black water, alone in her dark mind, and she felt like she was drowning. Swimming faster, her tail powerful and determined in the water, and her arms by her side, she shut her eyes for the longest time, thinking of nothing and only allowing herself to feel the cold water around her. She was so cold, so freezing cold, and she was certain that her teeth started chattering an hour ago. The water began to get warmer, but her body was still freezing, and it took every ounce of strength to pull herself ashore. She was freezing, she was alone, but she was awake, and she was alive. She was so tired, and she was going to fall asleep from exhaustion, but she was alive. She was so alive that it hurt. Everything hurt, her body, her head, her heart, but it was worth the pain because she had survived.

Ginevra screamed, tears running down her cheeks. The black in her hair was almost completely gone, and she was almost back to her Weasley-red colouring. Her eyes were brown, her nails were normal, and she began to black out.

Further down the alley, Fred, George, and Draco were all curled up and screaming as well. Shadows were leaving their bodies, clinging to the warmth inside them. It was in vain, because moments later, they were no longer attached, and simply floating above the three bodies in exhaustion. Niryal snapped her fingers, the three shadows disappearing into a dark jar she conjured.

Ginevra's eyes started to close and a wisp of dark smoke left her body. It was captured in the jar as well, and then her world went dark as she blacked out completely.

Before anyone even had breathed a sigh of relief, Ginevra's eyes shot open and a bright white light shone from them, her entire body arching until she was sitting upright.

There was a sound of music, a comforting sound that seemed to wrap around them individually, filling them until there was nothing but pure happiness within.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, the music faded and left them completely, only the feeling of happiness remaining. Ginevra's eyes began to close, the white glow leaving too. As her friend collapsed back onto the ground, Pansy was positive she heard Ginevra whisper 'Thank you'.

... b ...

End of the thirty-first chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.

32. Chapter Thirty-Two

Disclaimer: I donÕt own Harry Potter.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Tuesday, 16 July

Agnes waited at the top of the stairs, getting more and more anxious when she realised she couldn't hear anything from inside the cellar. The doors had been closed in order to block out the daylight, and despite it being dusk now, Agnes couldn't bring herself to open them. Her son was inside the cellar, and despite not knowing whether he was dead or alive, she still couldn't open the doors. Agnes doubted that she would be able to cope, or stop herself from slaughtering Lettie, if Miles was dead. The retribution from Ginevra would probably lead to her death, but Agnes wasn't sure that would stop her either. She forced herself to stay where she was, just as she had done so for the past fifteen minutes.

Suddenly, the doors opened in a large crash, clouds of dust forming in its wake. Agnes stood where she was, uncertain as to whether Lettie had suddenly acquired the ability to open doors, or if Miles had been overcome and forced to let the beast out.

"Are you going to stand out there all night, Mother?" Miles asked, grinning at her.

Sighing in relief, Agnes was in front of him in a moment, crushing Miles to her body into a hug.

His grin faded when he realised how worried she'd been, and he returned the hug gently. "I'm all right, Mum. I'm fine," Miles whispered.

"I know, I know. I am allowed to worry over you, you know, no matter how old you get," she added, pulling away and smiling, refusing to let her tears fall.

"Maybe after a few more centuries you'll change your mind."

Agnes just shook her head in return, the motion stilling when she heard a growl from the cellar. "How is Lettie? Did it work?"

"Lettie's all right; she's just sleeping now. As to whether it worked..." he trailed off, his expression a mixture of curious and worried.

It was the exact same look he'd given her at five years old when he'd been told that she and Xavier were vampires. Miles had made them both promise not to hurt his Crup, and then had gone out to play as if nothing had changed with their revelation.

"Let me see her," Agnes murmured, waiting until he stepped aside to walk down into the cellar.

"Please, don't hurt her," Miles said, sinking down onto the stairs to watch.

Agnes could immediately see why he was worried. Lettie was lying on the floor, her body human, but her spine, nails and teeth were still sharp spikes, and her hair was as black as the night.

Despite Ginevra defeating her evil side in the earlier hours of that morning, the connection between her and Lettie had been strong enough for the evil to cling to Lettie, just as the shadows had attempted to do to Draco and the twins.

"Has she regained consciousness since Turning?"

"Only once, earlier this morning. She screamed, but didn't say anything," Miles replied, his gaze firmly on Lettie.

"Perhaps it would be best to wake her now, to see if she has responded positively to the change," Agnes murmured, stepping back. "It will be best for her to see you before me. You are, after all, the one who Turned her. She will respond to you better."

Miles nodded, standing and making his way down the stairs slowly. He crouched low beside Lettie, stroking her hair gently. "It's time to wake up, Lettie," he said softly.

Opening her black eyes, Lettie growled.

... b ...

"To be evil encompasses immoral feelings, and wanting to hurt others. And when the Queen of All turns evil, who better to hurt than herself?" Luna asked softly, her audience enraptured. "In order to hurt others, Ginevra decided that it was best to torture and maim them rather than killing them. She wanted them to live so they could feel the pain... However, at the same time, the good in her also wanted to keep them alive. Ginevra didn't really want to hurt or kill anyone, so the compromise that she came to with her evil side was really her fighting the unnaturalness that had overtaken her. She was fighting every second, every minute, that she was evil..." Luna trailed off, frowning slightly as she felt Padma and Parvati return to the mortal world.

Fred and George Weasley! If you don't give us a reason for locking us in the pixie world in the next ten minutes, there will be dire consequences, Parvati said sternly.

By that, we mean lots of pain and purposely blue balling you, Padma added helpfully.

Any chance you want to take this conversation to a more private setting? Colin asked.

Aren't pixies blue anyway? Millicent asked. Sorry, not helping.

Parvati and Padma's connection faded quickly, and moments later, Fred and George followed meekly.

"What happened next, Luna?" one of the Muggle children asked, tugging on her robe gently.

"After three whole days of being evil, Ginevra finally won against her evil side with the help of..."

"Her fiancŽ? He was only pretending to be evil so he could rescue her, wasn't he?" one of the older children asked, grinning.

"No, actually. He was just as evil as she was; the hold they have over each other is very strong, and cannot be denied by either one... It was Pansy who helped, in the end."

"The mermaid?"

"Yes, the mermaid. She can be very stubborn at times, but is extremely good at organising things and dealing with emotional situations."

"How did she help Ginevra then?"

"I hit her with my shoe," Pansy said from the doorway, grinning slightly.

There were a lot of squeals of delight as the Muggle children saw one of the heroines of their story, and they left Luna, rushing over to Pansy, some of them begging her to turn into a mermaid. She entered the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

"I can only do that when I'm in water, sorry," she said apologetically.

One young girl shyly held up a jug of water that had been by her bed. Pansy frowned slightly - she couldn't possibly turn into a mermaid with that small amount of water! - but smiled quickly when the girl's lower lip began to tremble.

"Let's see what I can do with this," Pansy murmured, lowering her hand into the water.

A thought later, her fingers were webbed, her skin becoming translucent.

"Wicked," one of the boys said, grinning broadly.

"Did you really hit Ginevra with your shoe?"

"Yes," Pansy said with a nod. "She didn't believe I was alive, and it seemed the quickest way to prove her wrong," she said, grinning.

"Is Gregory here too?"

"Only until the end of the day," Luna answered.

"Can we meet him?"

"I want to see his club!"

"Please?" a chorus rang out of pleading children.

"Give him a moment, he's outside with Leo," Pansy said.

"Who's Leo?" some of the children asked Luna, moving to sit before her again.

Luna was halfway through her explanation of manticores, and Leo being Ginevra's servant, when the door opened once more, Gregory striding inside, his club resting on his shoulder. The children ran over to him in excitement, forgetting all about Luna and manticores.

"He's wearing the War General clothes!"

"Can we see your club?"

"Can you smash my bed in half?"

"They're very excitable, aren't they?" Pansy asked Luna breathlessly as she watched the children gather around Gregory, talking all at once.

"Of course they are. It's the first time they've had company other than vampires or the other Muggles they were brought in with for almost a month, and after being stuck in a bed for seven days straight, they want to do anything other than ... oh, dear," Luna murmured.

"Oh, dear? What oh, dear?" Pansy asked immediately.

She quickly looked back to Gregory in case he'd accidentally sat on one of the children. They all seemed fine, but behind his body, Pansy could see that the door was open. The vampires had let them visit the Muggles so long as they followed one rule: shut the door behind you. It was too tempting to let fresh blood wander the halls of a vampire mansion, and despite most of the vampires going out to hunt now that Ginevra was better and not affecting their blood supplies, there were still a few vampires that had stayed behind.

"Oh, dear... Do you know who the child is, or where they've gone?"

Luna was already Seeing, trying to figure out that exact thing. She knew who the child was, due to the fact that the rest were all seated around Gregory, but as to where he had gone, there were four ways from this particular place, each hall branching out into three to six more halls, a staircase leading upstairs that just made the possible places overwhelming. There was a scream from outside of the room, and without waiting for Luna to close in on that particular thread, Pansy left the room quickly, making sure to close the door behind her.

The child will be at Virginia's rooms in two minutes. I suggest you hurry before she discovers him. First left, third right, fourth left, sharp left. Run.

Pansy ran as fast as she could, following Luna's directions. Taking the sharp left, almost knocking her shoulder into the wall as she passed, Pansy saw the small boy wandering down the hall. She ran faster, skidding to her knees as she grabbed him tightly, masking his Muggle smell with her own mermaid one.

"Shh," she whispered, picking him up slowly, her knees aching as she stood.

Thankfully, he stayed silent until Pansy's grip loosened on his body a few minutes later.

"I wanted to see Ginevra," he said, rubbing at his eyes.

"She's still asleep, sorry. There wouldn't be much to see at the moment," Pansy murmured.

The boy looked upset, but nodded, resting his head on Pansy's shoulder.

Be careful with him, Pansy. He's going to be very important when he's older.

In what way?

You'll find out some day.

It's really annoying when you do that, Luna, Pansy muttered, but still held onto the boy a little tighter as she made her way back to the Muggle room.

... b ...

"Centaur!" Relo cried, running into the clearing.

Blaise froze on the spot, not knowing if this was a trick of some sort, if Relo had somehow managed to come into the clearing despite what had held him back earlier.

Relo hugged Blaise's leg tightly, the wound in his shoulder bleeding freely onto his pants. Refusing to move just yet, Blaise listened to the stars, in case they were whispering a warning to him. They were silent, and no sense of urgency overcame him as he dropped to his knees. Relo hugged him properly, his arms around his neck. Blaise winced slightly, waiting for the orange eyes to look at him and freeze him. Nothing happened, and he relaxed slightly. Relo cried into his shoulder, large tears dampening his shirt.

"We is so sorry, centaur. It was the evil shadow that made us. We stamped on it and it died!"

"That's really good, Relo," he murmured, patting his back in congratulations.

It seemed that the worst of it was over, Blaise thought in relief, allowing himself to relax completely.

The adrenaline that had kept him awake and alert up until now began to fade. He hadn't eaten or had a drink since entering the clearing, and he realised too late that he didn't have any energy left without the adrenaline. Blaise swayed on his knees, letting go of Relo and collapsing on to the floor.

"Centaur! Centaur?" Relo whimpered, shaking Blaise gently, crying out when he didn't move.

... b ...

Neville blinked his way awake, smiling gently when he felt Seamus' arm around him, his body curled up beside him.

"Immawake," Seamus mumbled, trying to sit up.

"Shh, it's all right. Just rest, Irish," Neville murmured, stroking his hair.

Seamus murmured something incoherently, his arm tightening around Neville's body as he snuggled closer into him.

Neville closed his eyes, continuing to stroke Seamus' hair until he was asleep again. When Seamus was in a deep enough sleep, Neville managed to untangle himself from his boyfriend's grasp and moved off the bed carefully.

Opening the low hanging curtain of branches, Neville slipped outside before the light woke Seamus. Standing on the wooden balcony, he looked out to the nymph world. Trees of every kind and size were scattered before him, streams and rivers twisting their way through the eclectic forest. A lilt of musical laughter made its way along the breeze, a few nymphs singing and dancing around a tree. Looking down at the rail before him, Neville touched his hands to it, his thumbs permanently green in this world. The moment he came into contact with it, swirls of flowers began to bloom, making their way down the balcony rail and onto the bridges that connected the treetops together.

Terra walked down the bridge, smiling as she saw the flowers blooming before her. "Thank you for that lovely welcome," she said, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Sorry, Terra, I just wanted to see if I had my power back," Neville said.

"Do not apologise for a thing of beauty, Neville," she said sternly, making sure he wouldn't remove them. "You will always have power while you are in the nymph world," she added, her voice gentler now.

He nodded briefly, and they watched the world in silence for a moment, birds flitting across the clear sky.

"How is your granddaughter?" Neville asked quietly, glancing to the Healing Tree.

"Her physical form is almost completely healed. There is some worry over the state of her mind, and her magic."

"She has lot her power?" he asked, shocked and sick at the thought.

"No, she still has it... However, the one who calls himself a Dark Lord has poisoned and twisted her magic so much that she is fighting against any pure magic we try to give to her. The healers are allowing her to recover her magic naturally, but I am worried that it will continue to produce the twisted version of her magic," she said with a sigh.

"It won't be permanent though, will it?" Neville asked, frowning slightly.

"No, but the poison will take quite some time to leave her body, and then even more time will be needed for her magic to right itself naturally. It will be a very painful process, I'm afraid, and it's impossible to predict when it will happen. Unless, of course, Lady Cassandra has returned to us?" Terra added, grinning.

Neville shook his head. Behind him, the branches parted and Seamus stepped out, scratching his head with a wide yawn.

"Good morning, Seamus. I trust you slept well?" Terra asked.

He coloured slightly, but nodded in response.

A snicker of mirthful laughter came from above them, and the Night Fairy dropped from the tree branches to a crouched position on the rail in front of them. "Would've been a better sleep if he'd actually bloody slept, eh, Seamus?" she taunted, grinning. "Oi, stop that!" Niryal said, shaking off the flowers that had started to twist up around her arms.

"There is no need to be rude, Niryal," Terra said sternly, the purple streaks in her hair brightening for a moment as the flowers returned to the rail once more.

"I was just fooling around," she muttered, jumping off the rail and back into the shadows of the tree.

"When you are ready, I invite you all to visit my granddaughter. I am sure she will appreciate knowing you took the time to see her," Terra said with a soft smile.

"Thank you for your invitation, Lady Terra. We will see you at the Healing Tree soon," Neville replied formally.

Nodding briefly, Terra left their balcony, walking along the rail and heading to the bridge that would take her to the Healing Tree.

Niryal popped her head out from the branches. "That means I'm bloody well invited too, yeah?" she asked, grinning.

"Yes, but only if you behave. You'll be bound to a tree otherwise," Neville threatened.

"Wouldn't be the first time she's been stuck to a tree," Seamus said with a grin.

"It's not that sort of binding," he replied, shaking his head. "She'll be bound to that tree for the rest of her life, and will never be able to sleep unless she is on one of the branches of that particular tree. And the nymph world has a lot of trees that are no longer in the mortal world."

"That's a bit harsh," Seamus muttered.

"I'll behave! Bloody hell, you lot are worse than me mum!" Niryal grumbled, disappearing into the tree once more.

Neville just chuckled in response, taking Seamus' hand and leading him down to the Healing Tree. Niryal hurried after them when she realised they were going, quietening when they arrived at the large white-leaved tree.

A small nymph appeared before them, smiling brightly when she saw Neville. "Hello, Neville. You're here to see Terra's granddaughter?" she asked, opening the branches for them to enter.

"Yes, thank you, Naiad," he replied, inclining his head in a bow.

Stepping inside, Seamus and Niryal following him, Neville barely spared the Healing Tree reception a glance. Seamus, on the other hand, stared at the pulley system that flowed throughout the tree, the thick branches that encompassed what looked to be hundreds of beds on each one, and the white-clad nymphs that moved between the branches and boards connected to the pulley system with barely a glance.

"She is in the Recuperation ward, third branch up. She is still unconscious, but as always, we encourage any visitors to talk to the patients, no matter their physical state," Naiad said with a smile.

"Thank you," Neville said, guiding Seamus and Niryal over to an orange-coloured board.

As they approached the large trunk of the tree, Seamus saw various bands of colours wrapped around the trunk, a word written on each band that corresponded to it's particular ward. A green band was the Birthing ward, and a thinner yellow band simply called the Nursery. Stepping onto the orange board, he held onto the rail tightly as it started to rise up into the air.

"Can we go to the Birthing and Nursery wards next?" Seamus asked, his question seeming to surprise Neville.

"Why do you want to go there for?" Niryal asked, taking a moment to ensure she didn't swear and could stay with them.

"It's where Nev works," Seamus replied proudly.

"Let's not. Not today," Neville said, his cheeks tinged red.

"Why the hell not?" Niryal asked, frowning at him.

"Yeah, why not?" Seamus added with a frown of his own, not bothering to tell the Night Fairy off for her swearing when he completely agreed with her.

Seeing their confused and determined expressions, Neville sighed heavily. "They've named a part of the ward after me, and it's embarrassing, that's why."

"When'd they do tha'?"

"A few weeks after I delivered one of the nymph babies. She was really sick when she was born, but since I know so much about plants and herbs, I was able to make a potion to help her get well again. Everyone's treating it as if I'm a miracle worker or something," he added in embarrassment.

"Well, considering that most nymphs are demi-gods or an equivalent, they would consider it to be a miracle. They weren't known for their leniency towards those who were sickly or weak in any way," Niryal said, shrugging.

"How do ye know that?"

"I'm older than I look. Some of these nymphs were only just starting to run about the forest when I was four-hundred years old."

"Just how long were ye sleeping?" Seamus asked incredulously.

"Here we are," Neville said, the board slowing to a stop at a orange-coloured branch.

He stepped off quickly, Seamus and Niryal following suit.

"So we can see those wards later, yeah?" Seamus asked with a grin. "I don't mind that they've named somethin' after ye."

"I'll take you tomorrow. Let's just see Terra's granddaughter today," he muttered.

Although he wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome, Seamus still nodded and followed Neville down the branch to where Terra was standing beside a bed. A curtain of leaves surrounded them when they were beside her, Terra's purple streaks glowing slightly.

"She looks remarkably better," Neville commented, looking at the nymph lying on the bed.

That was an understatement, Seamus decided. The bruises, cuts, blood, and other manner of abuse that had been inflicted upon her skin were completely gone. She was very pale, but as he watched, he could see her skin becoming a more healthy colour with every passing second. Her green coloured hair was lengthening and strengthening, the locks shining in the filtered light through the curtain of leaves. Beneath her skin, he'd swear he could see her magic rippling, black swirls fighting against the white that was attempting to rectify itself.

"Why isn't she fightin' it?" Seamus asked.

"Why isn't she fighting what?" Niryal asked, frowning.

"Her power. The white is there with the black, but it's not winning; it barely looks like it's fightin' the black," he replied, indicating to one of the larger power swirls on her arm.

"You can see them?" Terra asked in surprise, then she saw Seamus' green thumb. "You shared your power with him?" she asked Neville.

"It was necessary," he replied with a firm nod.

"Oh, my dear boy, I was not going to chastise you for the gift. I was just surprised that you are still as powerful as you are even after sharing your power like that... You must really bring Ginevra to meet us; I would like to see her for myself."

"I will try," Neville replied.

"What's Ginevra got to do with yer power?" Seamus asked, frowning.

"Apparently, Ginevra is so powerful that she unknowingly releases a lot of excess power so her body can handle the large amount she does have. The power that she releases often attaches to those around her, increasing their power and sometimes bringing out dormant genes. The power I gave you, for instance, was only meant to be temporary. However, since moving in with Ginevra, your own power increased and changed so that it's now permanent and an intricate part of you and who you are," Neville explained.

His frown deepening, Seamus thought over his words for a moment, and then nodded briefly.

"So she's increased everyone's power then? Even Draco's?"

"Actually, he's just as powerful as Ginevra, and he's been doing the same. All of that power, is it really any surprise at all of the beings in Slytherin? Ginevra's took longer to develop, which is why there weren't as many in Gryffindor."

"What about Luna then?"

"She was Chosen by Cassandra; her power was always there," Neville replied, shrugging slightly.

There was movement from the bed, and they all went quiet as they turned their attention to the nymph who was starting to wake up. Terra turned to her granddaughter, talking to her in a soft voice and language that Seamus couldn't begin to translate.

"Char'maa this is Neville, Niryal, and Seamus," Terra introduced.

"How do ye pronounce that?" Seamus asked Neville quietly.

"Char'maa, it's the nymph word for karma," he replied.

"Karma? As in karman, the nymph of fate?" Niryal asked in surprise, looking back to the bedridden nymph.

"Yes, that's her," Neville said with a brief smile.

"Who?" Seamus asked, frowning as he looked between Neville and Niryal.

"Karma, the nymph of fate; some say that she is a daughter of the Fates, brought into being when Hercules' life thread refused to cut and they wanted revenge. I think it's ridiculous, of course, but my daughter was a virgin demigod and never explained how she became pregnant, so I suppose I cannot discredit it without asking the Fates directly," Terra added. "The Fates business came about when my daughter died in childbirth, which is quite rare for a nymph," she said, her words trailing off.

"Basically, Karma is the embodiment of fate itself," Neville said, grinning slightly.

Seamus nodded briefly, the motion stopping when he realised something very important. "I cannae hear Blaise."

"What?" Neville said, opening his mind link.

He usually kept it closed in the nymph world due to the increase of emotions he felt and would unknowingly project towards his friends. He frowned deeply, his mind flicking through the thoughts of everyone other than Blaise.

"I'm so sorry, Terra, we have to go," Neville apologised, bowing quickly and all but running out of the room, Seamus beside him.

"Bye Terra, bye Karma!" Seamus called over his shoulder.

Niryal sighed, changing into a black ball of swirls, shooting down the branch and into Neville's back.

Behind them, Karma stirred on the bed.

... b ...

Waking up took more effort than it should, but Ginevra managed it eventually, opening her brown eyes and sitting up slowly. Her mind was immediately bombarded with memories, and she quickly closed her eyes again, willing them to stop.

"Are you all right, love?" Draco asked softly, moving to sit beside her.

She shook her head briefly, tears squeezing their way to freedom and making tracks down her cheeks. "I can't stop seeing and remembering it. They won't stop," she whispered, bringing her knees up to her chest. "How could I do that to them, Draco? They did nothing against me, did nothing to deserve it... They were just there, and I almost killed all of them."

"You weren't the only one who hurt them, Ginevra."

The memory of Draco beside her, the thrill of both of them cornering a witch or wizard, tearing at their skin and clothes until they screamed for mercy. Fred and George laughing darkly as they and their copies fading in and out, confusing their victim until they suddenly made their move, two pairs of hands holding the person down as they attacked.

"If it weren't for me, then you and the twins wouldn't have done that."

"If it weren't for Virginia, none of us would have," he retorted, his arms crossed as if warding himself against any more of her wallowing. "Now, get up out of bed and have something to eat and drink. You're not going to do anyone any good while you're moping in here and wasting away."

"I'm not moping, you git! And what good have I done anyone lately? I haven't done a single good thing in what feels like forever! I attacked those Muggles, even before Virginia turned me evil! What's my excuse for that, Draco? Tell me! Tell me how good I am, how everything I've done has done anyone any good! Tell me!" she screamed, a jolt of power throwing him across the room.

Draco landed in a heap, surprised at the action. He was on his feet in a moment, glowering. "I'm not here to tell you all the good things, Ginevra, but I'm not going to tell you all the bad either! You want to wallow in misery for the bad things you've done, fine, do that! Go down in history as the person who fucked up and then just sat around feeling sorry for themselves for days on end instead of actually doing something to fix the wrongs! You've fucked up, you know that, and you know that you've got the power to fix it! Not as Queen of the god damned world, not as a bloody vampiress, but as a fucking human being. You're one of those too, you know!"

Ginevra turned away from him and didn't reply. He growled in frustration, his arms trembling as he clenched his fists in anger. Draco turned on his heel, wrenched open the door of their apartment and left, the door slamming behind him so hard that the furniture actually shook.

... b ...

"Oh, hello, Agnes. I wasn't expecting you for another two minutes," Luna said, smiling at her as she entered the room with Miles. "And Miles is here too; you've left her outside then?" she asked, standing and leaving once they replied affirmatively.

"What was all that about?" Pansy asked, frowning after her friend.

"You will find out sooner or later. Although, perhaps later is best. You should bathe first," Miles said.

"I beg your pardon?" she retorted, shocked.

"I do apologise for my son, Pansy. He is still affected by the events of the last few days and I fear he seems to have forgotten how to communicate appropriately," Agnes admitted, shooting Miles a disapproving look. "What Miles means to say is that due to your activity with the Muggle children today, you smell more Muggle than mermaid. Before you meet with Lettie, you really should bathe or use an overpowering scent to remove that ... temptation," she said.

"Temptation? Just what has happened to Lettie?" Pansy asked in confusion.

"It will be better for you to see it for yourself rather than have us attempt to explain," Miles replied.

His words did nothing to reassure her, and Pansy looked to Agnes, worried and confused at the same time.

"Please, dear, just trust us about this. If you would like to see her now, can you meet us in the foyer in fifteen minutes? Your partner may come as well, but he does not need to bathe. The troll smell is far more potent than Muggle," Agnes added delicately.

Gregory didn't know whether to be offended by her statement or not, but before he had time to decide, the two vampires had left the room.

"I have no idea what's going on, but I intend to find out. Come on, Greg," Pansy muttered, taking his hand in her own and heading to their guest room.

... b ...

Lettie stood at the edge of the vampire property nervously. She'd refused to let Agnes and Miles take her inside. She felt ... not weak, she'd never felt stronger, in fact; but she felt emotionally weak, as if one sniff of the Muggle blood would send her into a feeding frenzy that she couldn't hope to fend off.

Her shoulders relaxed a minuscule amount when she saw Luna leave the mansion and head towards her. Luna smiled, as if she could sense Lettie's relief even from that distance.

"Hello, Lettie. I See you've changed; how do you feel?" she asked, smiling again.

Lettie hesitated for a moment; she didn't particularly want to admit that she felt strong, that she was secretly relieved that she had powers and could protect her Lady better, nor that she could smell the faint Muggle smell on Luna, that she could already feel the evil welling up inside her to attack Luna. She took an involuntary step forward, just as Luna took a step back.

"I suggest you learn better control on that part of you, Lettie, and do it quickly. There are many who will not be forgiving, no matter if you are able to control it or not," Luna said. "Now, tell me how you feel."

Biting her tongue to distract herself from the smell, and the swirling mass of evil in her chest, the watering in her mouth at the very idea of draining Luna of all her blood, Lettie breathed in deeply through her nose to compose herself. When she felt the evil lessen, shrinking down to no more than a small ball inside her, Lettie opened her eyes to answer Luna's question.

"I feel better and stronger than I ever have before. I'm relieved, in a sense, that I will be able to protect my Lady and Lord to a fuller extent."

"But?"

"But I'm terrified that I won't be able to control the evil that is inside me. I'm terrified of what I'll become, and what I'll do, if I can't control it," Lettie admitted quietly.

"Hmmm," Luna murmured with a slight frown. "I suppose it's lucky I have one of these then, isn't it?" she asked, her face breaking out in to a pleased smile.

Looking at the item Luna held out, Lettie frowned slightly, not entirely sure what the length of leather could do to help her control the evil.

"Oh, don't look so downtrodden. At least ask what it does before dismissing my gift," Luna muttered.

"Sorry; what is it, and what does it do?" she asked quickly.

"It is a necklace that has been blessed by a shamanic troll. It's designed to repress or remove evil entirely. Of course, since that evil is attached to you through your soul bond with Ginevra, and has melded with your Full Blooded bond with Miles, it's not going to get rid of it completely. But it should help until you get it under control yourself," Luna added.

"It was blessed by a shamanic troll?" Lettie echoed, frowning slightly. "Did she make it especially for you?"

"Oh, no, I stole it from her hut when she wasn't looking," she replied cheerfully. "Oh, here's your band to get between the vampire mansion and veelan house," Luna added, pulling it out of her pocket. "It's possible there's still some blood on it; it's difficult to See."

"Thank you, Luna," Lettie said, although she did wonder if Luna was lying about her stealing the necklace.

She took both offered items, seeing that the band was repaired from where she'd torn it off her wrist. There were a few small spots of blood, but she didn't bother to clean them, letting them serve as a reminder of the evil that was inside her..

"You're welcome. Put the necklace on, I want to See how you look in it."

"Don't you already know?" she asked with a frown, but moved to tie the choker-like necklace around her neck.

"Oh, there's a few possible necklaces that I chose, so I'm not entirely sure... ah, there you go. That's lovely, Lettie," Luna said brightly.

Almost immediately, the ball of evil began to shrink. For a moment, Lettie was positive that it would disappear entirely, but just when it was at the size of a seed, it stopped shrinking and stayed steady. She breathed a small sigh of relief, and let it out when she realised that the need to attack Luna had dissipated entirely.

"Now the wrist band, and we can go inside. Pansy and Gregory are waiting to see you."

Doing as instructed, Lettie slipped the wrist band on, and was comforted by it's presence. She flexed her wrist gently as it tightened securely, just as it had done when she first put it on.

"Wonderful. Come on, then," Luna said, looping her arm through Lettie's and leading her up to the mansion.

... b ...

For the first time in days, and what felt to be more like years, Theodore slept. Millicent was beside him, her arm wrapped around him protectively, and glared at anyone who so much as came close to them, those people choosing to leave rather than suffer her wrath for waking her boyfriend.

Healer Derwent looked in on them from the doorway, seeing the tired lines and bags under the poor boy's eyes even at the distance. She too, was treated to one of Millicent's glares, but simply nodded in return, closing the door and locking it from the inside so that they could leave when Theodore woke up once more. Relieved that Theodore didn't have to get up again (she was sure he'd lied about sleeping around the same time she did), Millicent kissed his forehead softly and snuggled down to sleep as well.

She was still magically exhausted from making the bunk beds in Theodore's ward. The practice had been adopted in the other wards, with Healers using circular discs to float their way up to the higher patients. Most of the patients had been bound to the bed in an effort to stop them moving, but in case they bypassed that, a spell had been placed at the bottom of each bed to stop them from falling all the way to the ground. If someone did fall, the door would flash red in order to get a Healer's attention so that they could be returned to the mattress, or moved to a bed closer to the ground. The last thing the hospital needed was their own patients to injure themselves by falling out of bed.

Theodore hadn't said much when he came into the small room they'd been given (apparently Luna had organised accommodation for them, but it had been delayed by Ginevra turning evil), but Millicent gathered that his patients were still alive, and no more had died. He'd been too exhausted to even cry over the two deaths that he had experienced, but she knew that he would at a later date.

Healer Derwent had taken it upon herself to tell each of the families who'd had a death so that her sleep-deprived and emotional Healers wouldn't do it themselves and say the wrong thing. Of the hundreds of patients they'd received, six had died and she considered it a small miracle that the number had been that small, especially considering the trauma and injuries they'd all received at the rogue vampire's hands.

Closing her eyes, Millicent soon fell asleep, her arm still wrapped around Theodore's thin body, trying to give him her love, sympathy, and support, even when he wasn't conscious to receive it.

... b ...

Julianne ran into the library, ignoring the Veelas who cried out in indignation when she stepped on a foot or two.

"Garion! Quick! He's back," she said, spotting her husband by the fireplace.

"Yes, I know. I felt his arrival, just as you did," Garion replied irritably.

"Don't give me that tone! Now hurry up," she said glaring at him briefly before turning and leaving.

Garion sighed heavily, rubbing his hands over his face. He'd been losing his patience more and more often since Draco had disappeared, and had secured himself in the library for fear of what he might do. Now that Draco had returned, and whatever had happened to the world was starting to right itself once more, Garion could feel his patience returning. It was a relief, to say the least. Making his way out of the library, he found Draco and Jules in the foyer of the house.

"My Lord," Draco said with a quick bow.

"Draconius," he returned, drawling his name coldly. "How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

Okay, maybe his patience had not yet completely returned.

"Garion!" Jules hissed at him. "Get down here and apologise. You have no idea what he went through!"

Garion stayed where he was at the top of the stairs and didn't move.

"It's all right, Lady Julianne. His response is understandable," Draco said.

"How did you get here? Is Lettie with you?" she asked, leading him to the sitting room, glaring up at her husband as they passed beneath the staircase.

"No, I actually haven't seen Lettie in days," he admitted, frowning slightly. "I flew here," he added. "I kept to the clouds, and made sure no one would see me, don't worry," Draco added quickly at Julianne's look of concern.

"All right then. Where did you fly from? I'll have one of the Veela's check the newspapers to ensure you weren't spotted."

There was a moment of silence as Draco sat on the lounge, shifting uncomfortably.

"Draconius? Where did you fly from?" Jules repeated, her tone stern.

"Muggle London," he replied.

"Muggle... Oh, dear gods, boy, why? It's bad enough to go out flying around on this side of the barrier, why on earth would you do it on that side?!" she asked, already thinking of all of the ways that this could be so very utterly bad.

"I couldn't stay with Ginevra, and I refused to stay on that side of the barrier if I didn't have to," Draco said, a look of disgust distorting his features.

"What do you mean you couldn't stay with Ginevra? What happened?" Garion asked, coming into the room.

He studiously ignored the look he was sure Jules was giving him, and sat on the seat across from Draco. "Well? Go on," Garion prompted.

With a sigh, Draco told them everything that had happened since the shadow overtook him. When he came to explain Ginevra's behaviour, her moping and resolve to do nothing, his jaw clenched a bit tighter. He looked up, and was surprised to see the disappointment in Garion's eyes. Draco quickly looked away from him. A brief flash of light caught his attention, and he saw Artemis sitting where Julianne had been only moments ago.

"Come, let us go for a walk," Artemis offered, standing and holding a hand out for him.

Confused, Draco still took her hand, standing and leaving with her while Garion stayed seated.

... b ...

Virginia opened the door to be faced with a sneer. Rolling her eyes at her son's immature behaviour, she stepped past him and closed the door with a heavy thud, snow falling from her shoulders as she removed her thick coat.

"Ric, be a dear and hang that up for me?" she called over her shoulder, heading into his lounge room.

Ignoring the pelt on the floor, Ric stepped over the coat and followed his mother into the lounge room, just in time to see her rifling through his liquor cabinet. He growled deeply, moving over quickly and slamming the doors closed.

"Leave my liquor alone," he hissed.

"I'm positive that I taught you how to share. Now move away from the damned cabinet and share!"

"No. You've got me holed up here without so much as a house elf. If I can't Drink, then I sure as hell can drink, and you're not touching my booze!"

"Touchy, touchy," she murmured. "Ah, well. It's not like I'm thirsty anyway. I had a delicious snack before leaving."

Ric snorted in amusement. "Finally got tired of that oaf, Bart?"

"I tired of him long ago, dear son. Please, Virginia, Turn me. Why won't you Turn me? Where are you going? Why did you turn Ginevra evil? Blah, blah, blah," she scoffed, waving her hand in dismissal.

"You turned Ginevra evil? Did you bring her with you?" Ric asked, perking up.

"Yes, although it only lasted three measly days. Her friends helped her see sense. Although, her lover turned evil right along with her. It was all very romantic," Virginia said sarcastically. Then she smirked over at Ric. "Why the long face, dearest? Upset that your little girlfriend overcame my potion? Or are you just upset that you don't have someone to fuck on this mountain?" she sneered.

Ric rolled his eyes, feigning indifference, even as his nails dug into his palms at his mother's words. Then he grinned suddenly. "So... She overcame your potion, did she? And here I thought you'd come for a social visit. You're hiding!" he said mirthfully. "Oh, it must be killing you to have someone finally overcome that little potion of yours, and for it to be Ginevra... I can barely imagine the emotions you're feeling, dearest Mother," Ric said mockingly.

She glared at him, moving fast and using her strength to move him out of the way. By the time Ric recovered, his mother already had a bottle of rum to her lips. He growled, moving past her quickly, grabbing his bottle of Firewhisky as he left the room. Ric stepped on her precious coat on the way to his room, pouring a bit of the alcohol on it just to ruin it further. Virginia snickered at the thought of her son sulking, grabbing a few more bottles and settling down in front of the fire.

... b ...

Volatil Equus neighed happily when she saw Seamus, galloping over and rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. She was careful not to stab him with her horn, and he petted her fondly.

"How are ye, Volatil?"

Better now. The last three days were awful, she added in a hushed tone.

He grinned slightly. "Ye're tellin' me."

Hello, Neville, Volatil said happily.

Neville smiled briefly and returned the greeting, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "Have you seen Blaise? Or any of the centaurs? We haven't seen any, and we walked all the way here from the nymph's entrance," he added with a frown.

That is a far way to walk without seeing a single centaur. Especially since you walked straight past one of their favoured clearings, Evita said as she stepped into the clearing. I will send Aryle to check the clearings. Is it urgent?

"Yes, very. Do you mind if we look as well?" he asked.

You will need to ask the forest, not me, Evita said, smiling briefly.

Neville nodded in agreement, turning to the forest to ask permission. The wind whipped at them, pushing Neville and Seamus a step forward towards the edge of the clearing. They had permission, they realised in relief. With a quick farewell to Evita and Volatil, they left the clearing to find Blaise.

The trees parted, the wind whispering to Seamus as he and Neville ran along their newly created path. Every so often, Seamus would call out a direction, and the trees would respond to Neville's power. Within twenty minutes of running, they stopped before a clearing. They could hear Relo's sobs coming from within, and gripped each other's hand tightly, fearing the worst as they stepped through the tree line and into the clearing.

... b ...

Freshly showered and clean from top to bottom, Pansy stepped into a room Miles had led her and Gregory to, her boyfriend a step behind her. It took a moment for either of them to recognise the woman sitting with Luna. The last they had seen of Lettie, she was a brunette and had tanned skin; this woman had hair blacker than ink and was much paler. The change in hair colour made Lettie's face look different, but her eyes were the same, and Pansy stepped forward in surprise as she finally recognised her.

"Lettie? What on earth happened to you?"

"Hello Pansy, hello Gregory," she replied, sounding as nervous as she felt. "I ... I was affected by my Lady turning evil, and in order to help me, Miles Turned me into a halfling," Lettie explained, trailing off for a moment as she wondered if she should tell them about the desire for blood, the seed of evil that was within her and could sprout and encompass her in a moment.

"Well, that explains your sudden change in look. Since you're a halfling, won't you need to be changed to a Full Blood eventually?"

Lettie shook her head briefly. "No, there are many halflings who don't become Full Blooded. It's a choice for most; my Lady was required to become Full Blooded in order to better control her power."

"Agnes said you might be tempted by us. What did she mean by that? You're a halfling, so you want to drink our blood?" Gregory asked curiously.

"Something along those lines," Lettie said, not wanting to get into a long explanation.

Seeing that Pansy didn't exactly look impressed by her vague answer, Lettie sighed and went to explain further. She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves, frowning at the taste she could sense in the air.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Pansy asked, frowning on seeing Lettie's ramrod posture.

"Blood," she replied, her voice a hiss of desire and want.

Pansy and Gregory simply stared as their friend - their only friend who had no being-related powers to speak of - made their skin crawl with one single syllable. Her eyes turned black, rather than the red Ginevra's did when she needed to Drink, and the choker around her neck seemed to move, as if it was trying to escape the doom that faced them all.

Luna, who had been silent up until this moment, put her hand on Lettie's arm, murmuring something under her breath. She growled briefly, but nodded in response.

"If you would like to follow me, I believe this will need to be seen to be believed," Luna murmured, standing and brushing off her robes before heading to the door.

"What about Lettie?" Pansy asked, seeing that Lettie wasn't moving from her seat.

"If you are not opposed to the idea, I would like to spend time with Lettie," Miles said, standing at the door.

Pansy nodded quickly, her heart racing at his sudden appearance. Gregory put an arm around her shoulders gently, guiding her along to follow Luna. Pansy frowned slightly, certain that she heard the door lock behind them. She wondered if it was being locked to keep people out, or to keep Lettie in. When she heard a loud growl filter from the room behind them, Pansy concluded that it was to keep Lettie in, and they definitely hadn't been told everything about what had happened to Ginevra's companion.

It didn't take long to find where the blood was. In a mansion full of vampires, it was only to be expected that a fresh serve of blood would be met with every vampire in residence. There was a fair amount of shoving, elbows and toes stepped on, but eventually, Pansy, Luna, and Gregory made it to the front of the small semicircle that had formed in front of the room.

"Who is that?" Pansy murmured, frowning down at the man who was bleeding heavily across the black tiled floor beneath him.

"That is Bart, Virginia's servant," Luna replied. "At least, it should be. Short blonde hair, bleeding from the neck extensively, and wearing a blue shirt?"

"Yeah, that's him. That's the guy who scarred the twins," Gregory said, his voice rumbling in his anger.

"Didn't they want to repay the favour?" Pansy asked, stepping forward into the clear area.

A few vampires growled at her ability to pass the barrier, but Gregory stared them down angrily before following her across. Luna followed a moment later, humming happily, even as she held her nose delicately at the overwhelming scent of copper and metallic blood.

"If we take him to St. Mungo's, we can get him healed," Luna said.

"And then let him loose in the Forbidden Forest for the twins to hunt down? Sounds like a good idea to me," Pansy said with a smirk, grabbing one of Bart's arms.

Bart was feeling ridiculously woozy and was barely able to keep himself upright. If it wasn't for the spell on the door that refused entry to other vampies (thanks to Virginia's paranoia that someone would enter her rooms and drain her servants dry), he would have been someone's dinner by now. He blinked hazily, but he couldn't focus on the people surrounding him, nor their words very clearly. He vaguely felt a Side Apparation taking place, but moving in that way didn't seem the best for his health or body, because he passed out a moment later. As the darkness enveloped his mind and body, Bart wondered what his Mistress was doing, and if he'd been a pleasant and filling meal for her before her trip.

... b ...

"I can't believe they scolded us like that," Fred muttered sourly.

"I can't believe they aren't still scolding us," George countered, shaking his head. "You have to admit, if we were in Padma and Parvati's position, we'd be just as pissed as they are."

"Yeah, that's true," Fred conceded with a brief nod. "But we'd never punish them by not having sex!"

George laughed, the sound becoming a snort of disbelief. "Of course we wouldn't. Parvati and Padma are fucking brilliant in the sack. In fact, we'd probably punish them with shagging."

"Shagging should definitely become an acceptable form of punishment. Do something like lock your girlfriends in a different world for four days, and then get punished with four days of sex. I could live with that sort of torture, you know," Fred said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"I'm sure you could," he replied, chuckling.

Walking up to the nondescript house, they rapped on the door in unison, waiting for their security wards to take place. The door opened after they spoke the required phrase, and a hologram of Oscar Ollivander appeared in the doorway. Stepping through, it didn't take long to get through the other spells and booby traps they'd set to keep the dryad safe.

"Ah, boys, there you are. I was wondering when I'd see you again," Ollivander said amiably, pouring three cups of tea as they entered the kitchen.

Fred shook his head, George grinning beside him. They had a running bet as to whether Ollivander Saw when they were coming, or simply just set out three teacups every day in case they did show up.

"I finished the last of the bags, and I have a gift for you. Of sorts," he amended, turning to the bag that was set down beside his chair.

"A gift?" Fred and George echoed, frowning now.

He produced a small jar, a black wisp of a shadow fighting against the glass restraint surrounding it. Ollivander placed a small bag beside the jar, the smell permeating from it making it more than obvious that the ingredients for the vampire thrall repellent hadn't started to smell any sweeter over time.

"I Saw that Ginevra was going to use these, and as I've become comfortable in my abode, I thought it best to capture it rather than let it turn me evil. I'm far too old to be evil, you know. It takes quite a few lifetimes to achieve this sort of inner peace with life, and I had no desire to start that process all over again," Ollivander said, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Well, thank you for that, Oscar. Our sister will probably be very interested to see that this one's still alive. The rest were all destroyed, apparently," George added, looking at the jar with a slight shiver.

The things they'd done while under the influence of that shadow was nothing to be proud of, and they'd both tried to forget everything without success. The images of the screaming people, their begging and pleading as they controlled and terrified them into submission, they were permanently scarred into their memories.

"I am glad that you are both all right; I worried for both of you, as well as Ginevra and Draco. The future became so very bleak for a time there, and it was not pleasant by far."

"What was it like?" Fred asked, morbidly curious of the possible future they'd escaped.

"It was filled with death," Oscar said with a brief shrug, his tone indicating that he had no desire to expound on his short reply.

He smiled briefly, lifting his teacup to drink. His hands shook with the memories and visions of the still-present future, and the cup slipped through his trembling fingers. Large shards of the mug embedded themselves into his legs as the cup smashed on the tiled floor, and he cried out in pain. Fred and George responded immediately, panicking over the oozing blood and sharp pieces of ceramic sticking out of Ollivander's legs.

"Please, calm down, and get these out," he said, his voice hitching as he tried to calm the twins enough to help him. One spot of magic from him would bring Voldemort and the Ministry to his house in moments, Secret Keeper or not.

"We can't get these out with magic, Ollivander. There's too many pieces," George said, frowning as he calmed down enough to look at him properly.

"Theo's at St. Mungo's. He'll be able to help discreetly," Fred said, glancing to his twin.

Ginevra had told them to not let Ollivander out of the house, to not tell anyone else that he was alive and under their care. But these were extenuating circumstances, and surely the rules could be broken?

Making a split decision when Ollivander made a muffled sound of pain as he tried to move, George pulled a Shielding Cloak from his pocket and slipped it around the dryad's neck. Fred took his hand and Side Apparated to St. Mungo's, George grabbing the bag and jar and Disapparating after them a moment later.

... b ...

"Found 'im!" Seamus called over his shoulder, his tone hopeful and distraught at the same time.

Neville, who had been searching in a different clearing to cover more distance, ran to where Seamus was, skidding to a stop beside him not even ten seconds later.

Blaise was lying on the floor, human once more, and beside him, Relo was sobbing loudly. The Erkling didn't seem aware of their presence, or even realise that he was bleeding so much that a small pool of blood had formed beneath him. Behind the two creatures, a female centaur was curled up on the forest floor. She seemed to be thawing out, as if she had been frozen in Antarctica, rather than the tropical climate the Forbidden Forest usually provided.

They saw the scene before them for a second, and were beside Blaise in the next breath. It took Seamus a few minutes to finally dislodge Relo's grip from Blaise's shirt, but the Erkling finally seemed to realise that they were with him, and transferred his strong grip to Seamus' shirt instead.

"Is he..." Seamus began to ask Neville, but stopped short, unable to finish the sentence for fear of the answer.

Neville was silent, his eyes tearing up as he moved his wand over Blaise's body, trying to assess the damage, and see if his heart was still beating. His hands were shaking so bad that he could barely touch Blaise's cold skin, let alone feel for a pulse. Blinking back his tears quickly, Neville looked at the small bars floating above Blaise's form. The magical one was almost empty, a small sliver of gold was all that remained of his magic. The red bar was just as thin, and Neville realised that the bar indicated Blaise's energy level. He'd exhausted himself to the point of death, it seemed. He briefly wondered what had happened to make Blaise use up so much energy and magic so intensely. But then Neville's eyes caught notice of the small blue dot above the bars, and a shudder of emotion ran through his body when it moved. It was almost imperceptible, but it still moved, and that meant that Blaise was alive. His heart was beating, so slowly that he seemed dead, but he was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"Thank the gods," Neville breathed, moving his wand to Blaise's chest to help keep his heart beating. "Rennervate," he said, watching as Blaise's body arched, his chest jolting with the sudden presence of magic after being depleted for so long.

"Blaise... He's alive?" Seamus asked, staring between Neville and Blaise hopefully.

He clutched Relo as tight as the Erkling was holding him, and they both watched as Neville continued to repeat the spell, his eyes never leaving the small blue dot above the bars. Large leaves and vines grew up from the ground, wrapping around Blaise's body to keep him warm and steady so he wouldn't be hurt by the large arching motions his now-fragile body was doing with every jolt of the spell.

"Come on, come on," Neville muttered, doing a tenth Rennervate and stopping to see if anything had changed.

The small blue dot was moving in broader sweeps, and it was enough for Neville to feel safe about moving Blaise without injuring him further.

"We've got to get Blaise to St. Mungo's," he said, standing quickly, but levitating Blaise up into the air gently.

"What about the centaur lady? We didn't mean to hurt her," Relo said, large tears rolling down his cheeks.

"We will look after her," a female voice said behind Neville.

He turned quickly to see a centaur standing there, more than ten centaurs standing just outside of the clearing behind her.

"Due to the spell the Erkling used on her, she has not been depleted as Blaise has, simply frozen. We can take care of her, but we have no way of restoring Blaise's magical supply," the centaur said, sounding apologetic.

Neville and Seamus both nodded, but before they could Disapparate, Relo let go of Seamus and stepped forward, his bottom lip trembling.

"Can we help look after the centaur lady? We are sorry, so very sorry," he said, wringing his hands nervously.

"I do believe you, Erkling, but I doubt that Elin would appreciate waking up to see you there. Perhaps come back at a later time when you won't be so worried over Blaise to be distracted?" she suggested gently.

Whimpering softly, Relo nodded and stepped back. He scrambled up Seamus' body to wrap his arms around his neck, crying into his shirt quietly.

"Come on, let's get goin'," Seamus murmured, glancing to Blaise.

Neville nodded in response, then turned and nodded in farewell to the centaurs. There was a moment of respectful silence, and then Neville and Seamus Disapparated to St. Mungo's, Blaise between them, and Relo still hugging Seamus tightly.

... b ...

"Come, let's walk in the forest. It will be quieter between the trees," Artemis murmured, leading Draco to the tree line.

He nodded in response, despite the fact that the courtyard was completely devoid of life other than themselves. They were both silent as they approached the small forest, and Artemis seemed to know which path to take, even though most were only animal paths and had never had a human step on them before. Within minutes, they had reached a small clearing that had a fallen log stretched across the middle. Despite following Artemis and keeping an eye out for significant landmarks, Draco wasn't entirely confident that he'd be able to make it back to this clearing on his own.

"Please, sit down, and I will tell you a story," Artemis murmured, indicating to the log.

Sitting down, Draco waited for Artemis to begin.

"In 1614, when Julianne was much younger, and still innocent to those who would otherwise cause her harm, she rejected my form temporarily at the insistence of some so-called friends. They wanted to use me for their own purposes, and once I had been forced from Julianne's body, they placed me within a spelled jar to keep me out of the way. They wanted Julianne's body free for possession by another being all together," she said, her words chosen carefully and delicate, glossing over the actual events and continuing. "By rejecting me, Julianne was vulnerable to the world, and to the evil that her friends had planned for her. After residing in a mortal for so long, I was not at my best when I was rejected from Julianne's body. I did not have time to react, nor help her, when her friends bound her down and brought the creature forth to possess her. We were both too weak to do a thing to stop her from being possessed by a creature so dark that even the gods do not dare name it.

"Her friends wanted to use the creature for their own misguided purposes, and planned on allowing it to permanently possess Julianne's body in return for it's services. The moment the creature had possession of Julianne's body, it killed every one of her friends, and then brutally murdered everyone and anyone who came close enough. Kendra had gone to the local markets to pass time, as Julianne's friends were not fond of the woman who was so close to her. However, due to the bond between Kendra and Julianne, she had to be bound in order to keep from slaughtering everyone in the village.

"Now, unlike Ginevra, Julianne did not have friends or a lover to help her get past the creature's will and desire. As I mentioned before, she was emotionally exhausted from rejecting me, and had no energy left to stop the creature from its massacre. Without people to help her reject the creature, Julianne began to descend into herself to escape the mental trauma of what she was doing - what the creature was making her do," Artemis said, stopping for a moment as she tried to compose herself again.

Images of death, flames, blood, broken bodies, and skeletons all played behind her eyes, and despite her years as a goddess, and the years of war and death that she had seen, that she had participated in, these images never failed to make her feel ill. Artemis closed her eyes for a brief moment, breathing deeply before opening her eyes once more and continuing.

"It took some time, but I eventually managed to free myself from the spelled jar, and I helped Julianne stop and reject the creature. Her bout of evil lasted for an entire week, and due to the extremity of that time, it has been erased from history all together. Those that had died were simply never born, and there are only a handful of people who remember the time, most of whom are vampires or Veelas.

"Now, I presume you saw the look of disappointment Garion showed earlier?" Artemis asked, continuing at his nod of confirmation, "Well, he was disappointed because the time reminds him of his own actions. His incarnation in that time was one of the friends who encouraged Julianne to reject my form. If she had not rejected me, then he would not have been killed, and they would have been together for an extra two hundred years. Garion blamed himself for everything that happened, and on learning of his previous incarnation's actions, spent two years in the Tibetan Mountains. He refused to talk in that time, he did not permit himself to see anyone, nor leave the monastery, and he did not change to his veelan form once. Garion took so much of the blame for what happened that he could not function properly without being reminded of every single thing that he believed he had done. He felt that he had to punish himself in order to rectify that which he had caused. By neglecting himself in this manner, Garion came close to dying, and it was not until Julianne found him and pulled him outside by the ear that he began to forgive himself. Of course, being threatened by a Veela is not something many people can resist. Anger can be as potent as lust," Artemis said with a brief smile.

Quietly reflecting on her tale, Draco nodded slightly. He was feeling guilty enough about everything that had happened when he was evil, but Ginevra had been the one to instigate everything. She would probably think that she'd made him evil, not that he'd chosen to join her. She was stubborn enough to punish herself over something like that as well, he just knew it. With a sigh, Draco resolved to find her before she did something that they would both regret.

"Thank you for telling me that, Lady Artemis. If you do not mind, I will take my leave of you now?" Draco asked with a bow.

"Of course. Be careful, and good luck, Draconius," she murmured with a soft smile.

He nodded in thanks, his Veelan side appearing with barely a thought. Draco kept his wings close to his body as he shot upwards, flying through the overhanging branches and leaves of the trees, and into the air.

The flight back to the Muggle world took longer than he remembered the journey to the veelan house had taken. As he reached the barrier, Draco dropped to the floor, his wings and patterns on his face disappearing instantly. A quick Glamour had him looking similar to any other Muggle teenager, and he stepped through into the Muggle world. In a matter of minutes, he was at the apartment, opening the door and stepping inside quickly.

"Ginevra?" Draco called, frowning when he realised he couldn't hear or see her in any of the rooms.

Searching through every room twice without success, Draco eventually noticed a scrap piece of paper stuck to the fridge with some oddly shaped Muggle device. Pulling the paper off, ignoring the circle device as it clattered to the floor, he read the note Ginevra had left him.

I'm so sorry, Draco. You were right.

I'm going to do everything I can do to help the best I can.

Love, Ginevra.

The word love was scratched out, as if she realised as an afterthought that he might not love her after that morning's argument. Draco sighed heavily, trying to think of where Ginevra would go. Hogwarts, to train students? No, he didn't see how that would help after they'd just hospitalised all of those people. Thinking of hospitalisation made him stand up a bit straighter, and Draco decided to check St. Mungo's first. At least he had somewhere to start.

... b ...

Virginia was drunk. She was absolutely smashed, and with the five bottles of rum surrounding her, one of which was still full, she still had another hour of drinking left. Virginia planned on drinking until she couldn't see straight. Which was becoming difficult now anyway, with everything from the fireplace to the armchairs doubling around her. Her body was full of Bart's blood and copious amounts of rum, the two mixing together and enhancing every mood-altering drop of substance in her bloodstream. The fourth bottle emptied, she grabbed the neck of the fifth and stood precariously, the room swimming around her at a speed that she doubted she could even reach. Virginia stumbled out of the room, hiccuping and attempting to keep her balance, her body tilted awkwardly to achieve this goal. Seeing her fur coat on the floor, she blinked at it for a moment, unsure what the dark heap was, before realising that it was her very expensive and rare coat, and glared angrily.

"Ric! Ric, you little bastard! I told you to put my coat away! That's pure Moke fur! The damned species is almost extinct because of that coat!" she yelled.

"I'm not your slave, Mother. You're healthy enough to put it away by yourself," Ric said, stepping on to the landing at the top of the stairs. "Oh, gods. How much have you had to drink? I can smell it all the way up here!" he said, his expression full of disgust.

"Shut up! I don't comment on your drinking habits," Virginia sneered. "Since you don't have any slaves, then you are my slave. Now, pick up my coat!"

"You were the one who told me I couldn't have slaves, Mother. Pick it up yourself," he muttered, not moving from his spot.

Growling under her breath, Virginia began to mutter loudly about the ridiculous shack she was forced to reside in. No blood servants, no actual servants, there was only a single bed in that hole of a guest room, and the alcohol tasted like piss.

"If you're that bloody miserable, why don't you just leave?" Ric sneered, hearing every word she said.

Putting her damp coat on, Virginia turned her nose up at him. "Fine, I will. I'm taking this with me," she said, keeping the bottle of rum close to her chest as she stepped outside.

The door slammed behind her with a satisfying thud, and Virginia stepped out into the cold, determined to show her son that she didn't need him or his stupid hospitality. She had plenty of places she could go to!

The moment the door closed behind his mother, Ric jumped over the railing, landing in the foyer easily and without a sound. Taking hold of the top of the coat rack beside the door, he unscrewed the length of wood from the top, and in moments was holding a wand. It had taken him months to get a wand, and this was the first time his mother had visited since he'd received the length of wood. The spell could only be done once a person had entered and left the house of their own free will. Ric did a complicated flick and swish, murmuring words under his breath, and a blue bolt of light shot from the tip of the wand. Satisfied that his spell had worked, Ric quietly opened the door to find the view obscured by what looked like a large sheet of grey gauze. He held his hand up to it, the magic thrumming against his palm. The grey colour seemed to melt away until it was entirely clear, and Ric slammed the door shut. His mother didn't turn around or even seem to be aware of the sound. The spell he'd done had reset the wards on his home, and she wouldn't be able to see his house, let alone enter it again. Not until he reversed the spell. Ric whistled to himself happily, not planning on reversing the spell for another few centuries or so.

Virginia finished the last of the rum, the alcohol barely keeping her body warm in the cold atmosphere. Her coat was brittle from the freezing air, and she finally deemed that this length of time was more than enough to punish her son for being a pain in the arse. Turning around, her eyes widened and the bottled dropped through her fingers, smashing on the rocky ground beneath her. Ric's house was no longer there.

"Ric? Ric, I know you're there! Open the door!" she called, taking a few hesitant steps forward.

She didn't want to have him remove the spell and then suddenly find a house on top of her. Seeing that he wasn't going to remove the spell any time soon, she let out a growl and disappeared.

... b ...

Ginevra stepped into St. Mungo's cautiously, certain that the moment she entered the hospital, she'd be attacked by an onslaught of Aurors and vengeful relatives of the people she'd hurt. The waiting room of St. Mungo's was full. Everywhere she looked, people were milling around and waiting to be seen to. One lady's nose was looking more like the spout of a teapot than a nose, and her ears began to steam up as her forehead turned red. Ginevra quickly turned away, not wanting to see what would happen when the teapot boiled.

"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, sounding as if she didn't want to help in the slightest.

Ginevra faltered for a moment, unsure of what to say. Oh, hi, I drained a few hundred people dry, and I felt bad about it, so I wanted to see how they are. Providing they don't try to kill me. She doubted that would go down very well, and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Theodore Nott. I'm here to see him," Ginevra said quickly.

"Go that way, second elevator, fourteenth floor, and down the end of the hall," she drawled listlessly.

Nodding quickly, Ginevra left before the woman suddenly recognised her.

... b ...

Holding an unconscious Bart in between them, Pansy and Gregory made their way to the reception desk, Luna walking behind them. She held onto the back of Gregory's robes, and as she almost choked him for the third time, he had to wonder what she was Seeing.

"Is that guy dead?" the receptionist asked, her eyes widened slightly. Then her shoulders seemed to relax, and her bored expression returned when she realised that Bart was still breathing, albeit barely. "That way, second elevator, fourteenth floor, and emergency ward is down the end of the hall."

With her words, Luna let go of Gregory's robes, moved around the desk certainly and headed to the elevators. Looking at each other over Bart's lolled head, Pansy and Gregory frowned slightly. Gregory hefted Bart up slightly higher, taking more of the larger man's weight so Pansy wouldn't struggle. With that done, they both followed Luna to the elevators, Bart's feet dragging along behind them.

... b ...

Seamus and Neville kept their wands on Blaise carefully, his body straight and floating in the air between them. Relo had his arms around Seamus' neck, but he ignored the screams of fright coming from the people in the waiting room when they recognised what he was. Children were pulled out of the way quickly, and soon, a path was cleared for them straight to the receptionist's desk.

"You can't bring an Erkling in here, Longbottom," the receptionist hissed when she saw Neville.

"'e's comin' with us. Unless ye'd like ter keep 'im 'ere with ye?" Seamus added, smirking when the witch paled.

"We just need to get up to the emergency ward. He almost died," Neville said, his voice breaking as he looked at Blaise.

"Fine. But keep that Erkling with you at all times. If it goes anywhere near the children's ward, both of you will be in Azkaban for so long you won't even remember which end of a wand to hold, got it?"

Neville and Seamus nodded quickly.

"Good... That way, second elevator, fourteenth floor, end of the hall."

Thanking her, Neville levitated Blaise along, Seamus adjusting Relo so he could breathe properly. They hurried to the elevator and headed up to the fourteenth floor.

Neville frowned slightly when he heard how much noise was coming from the ward at the end of the hall. The waiting room on the ground level was manned by five or so Healers, who were often able to heal people's ailments without sending them up to the emergency ward. With the system working in that way, the emergency ward rarely had more than five people in it at a time, with the exception of Ginevra's bloody rampage through Diagon Alley.

His worry for Blaise had kept his mind link focused on Seamus and the emptiness of Blaise, and so he wouldn't worry the others, he'd kept his mind link private. Now, he was fairly sure he could hear Fred and George up ahead, their voices mixing with Pansy and Gregory's. Neville knew that Seamus had done the same. They glanced at each other before letting their mind links open. Neville stumbled slightly at the intensity of their emotions and thoughts, and Blaise dropped briefly. Seamus hurried to keep him steady, and they continued along the corridor, ignoring their friends shouts - both internally and out loud.

"You can't let him live! He's Virginia's slave!" Fred yelled.

"She Drank him dry, and obviously wanted him dead!" Pansy yelled back.

George and Gregory were the first to notice that Neville and Seamus had arrived with Blaise between them. Their silence made Fred and Pansy go quiet as well, wondering why they weren't arguing as well.

"Blaise!" Pansy called, paling and running over to them. "What happened?"

"Is he all right?" Fred asked, hurrying over.

"We'll talk later. Where's a healer?" Neville asked.

"We're still waiting to hear back from anyone. Theodore's taking care of ... our friend," George finished lamely, remembering that they didn't know about Ollivander.

"The Head Healer, Healer Derwent, is looking after Bart," Gregory added.

"Is there another Healer around? Blaise needs to be seen to straight away," Neville said, his urgency barely quelled.

"Geez, you lot are loud when you want to be. I've had complaints from the Mother's Ward all the way on the other side of the hospital," Theodore muttered as he stepped into the room. "Neville, bring Blaise with you. Seamus, you'll have to leave Relo in here," he said, holding the door open for Neville to levitate Blaise through.

Wordlessly, Seamus handed Relo to Gregory, and followed his boyfriends and Theodore through the door. When the door was shut behind them, Theodore took control of the levitation spell on Blaise's body, navigating him carefully through the halls.

"If you can put your mind shields up, I need to talk to you in private," he murmured, his voice quiet.

Trying not to think of the worst, Neville and Seamus hurried to do as he said.

"Ginevra's in the hospital. She's seeing all of the patients that she hurt while she was evil. She's healing all of them with her magic, and I can't get close enough to her to stop her. Her magic supply was already depleted, considering the amount she used, and the lack of rest she's had hasn't helped things. Millicent's in a room two doors down with Luna, trying to keep her calm. Apparently, the moment Ginevra stepped inside, she started rambling in Greek, and no one can understand a thing she's saying."

"I can understand 'er," Seamus offered, his eyes never leaving Blaise's still form.

Theodore sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, Seamus. I'll look after Blaise, I promise you I will," he said. "Neville, I need you to try and talk to Ginevra. I know you don't want to leave Blaise alone, and I understand that, I really do, but she needs help. She's healing everyone when she doesn't have the strength to be doing it, and at the rate she's going, she's going to kill herself. Not even being a Full Blooded Vampiress will stop death," he said, his voice hollow.

The decision tore at Neville immediately. He wanted to stay with Blaise, he wanted to be beside him, and he wanted nothing more than to keep watch over him to make sure that he would be all right. Blaise had worried over them before they'd even left him alone to find Karma, and he didn't want to leave him alone now. But Ginevra was his best friend. She'd gone with him to the Yule Ball, she'd been the one person who had supported him through everything long before Blaise and Seamus had come along. She was going to kill herself trying to fix everything she'd done. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he knew that he had a chance to save her and he hadn't taken it.

"You make sure he lives, you hear me, Theodore Nott?" Neville said, closing his eyes tightly as he turned around, trying to keep his tears from shedding.

"I'll do my best, I promise that," Theodore said, unable to promise anything about living or dying. "She's in the area down the hall. We moved all of those particular patients in there, to keep them separate from the others. A lot of other patients were getting nauseated by the smell of blood," he said.

Neville nodded and headed down the hall quickly. Seamus squeezed Blaise's hand gently before heading to the room that Luna and Millicent were in. With a heavy sigh, Theodore returned his attention to Blaise. He wouldn't let them down, he couldn't.

... b ...

Draco followed the receptionist's directions, wishing he could Obliviate himself. The pheromones from his trip as a Veelan must have lingered after he'd landed and returned to his normal form. He'd moved to the reception so quickly that the witches and wizards in the waiting area didn't have time to process the fact that he had passed them, and so, weren't affected. The witch at the reception desk was another matter all together, and it had taken some heavy emotional manipulation to get her to calm down long enough for him to get an answer to his question. When he realised that Ginevra had actually come to St. Mungo's, he asked where all of the blood-drained patients were, and left before the receptionist could try to come onto him again.

As he walked, he dampened down his Veelan side as much as he could. Draco had no desire for a repeat performance if he needed to ask someone else for directions. He cautiously opened his mind link, frowning briefly when he heard Pansy and Fred arguing loudly. Draco caught bits of their argument, and determined that they were at St. Mungo's as well; the former with Virginia's slave Bart, and the latter with ... someone, someone who Fred and George were both taking extreme care not to actually think about. He wondered if that's why Fred had started arguing with Pansy, to stop anyone questioning them about why they were at the hospital.

Then Draco felt Seamus and Neville arrive, Blaise's mind link weak and so very empty. He stopped where he was, frozen at the thought of his best friend... No, Blaise wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. He was just sick, that's all. He was unconscious and sick.

"Draco? What are you doing here?" Neville asked in surprise, seeing him standing in the middle of the hallway, his face pale.

"Where's Blaise? Is he all right?"

Neville sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. "I'm not sure. He's with Theodore at the moment. Theodore's promised to look after him," he added.

"Why aren't you with him then?" Draco asked, his voice close to a growl.

"Because Ginevra's killing herself, and I have to stop her."

Draco's fierce expression faltered as he realised what Neville had said.

"She's what?"

"Ginevra's healing everyone that she hurt, and she's using so much magic that it's killing her. She hasn't finished healing yet, so this is draining her more than it should... What's wrong?"

"Ginevra's doing this because of what I said to her. Bloody hell."

"How about you be remorseful later?" Neville suggested, continuing down the corridor quickly. "I can't hear her anymore, can you?"

Draco shook his head, paling slightly and hurrying after his friend.

"You're sure Blaise will be all right?" he asked.

"I really hope so," Neville replied, worry making his voice thick.

... b ...

Ginevra had initially followed the receptionist's directions to where Theodore was supposed to be, but along the way, she realised that she could smell blood. She could smell the blood pumping from bags, through tubes, and into the patients. She could smell the sleeping potions that were included in the replacement blood, and the pain potions to help with the transition so the patients' bodies wouldn't reject the blood.

She'd done this to them. She'd drained them to the point of death, and she'd put them in hospital. Who knew how many of them had died before they could get to St. Mungo's!

Feeling sick to her stomach, Ginevra changed direction to head towards the people she'd hurt. She could help them, surely. Draco had been right. She had to do something, or she'd return to a wallowing mess of self pity.

The healers were busy, and there were no Aurors waiting outside the room as she'd expected. Apart from the patients, the room was empty of other witches and wizards. They were all stacked up on top of each other, the smell of blood and potions repugnant, even for her vampire senses. Closing the door behind her gently, Ginevra made her way to the closest stack of beds. A young boy was lying there, his arms and legs bandaged. The bed above held someone in a similar state, and on seeing the parchments, she realised that it was the boy's mother. Stepping onto a circular disc, she started to move higher in the air from the third to the eighth beds. The third and fourth held a young girl and father; the family members of the two below. Beds five to eight were occupied by four young teenagers - two girls and two boys - who had attended Lorcan d'Eath's concert. The girl on the seventh bed was sweating profusely, her body trembling as it began to reject the blood being pumped into her.

This girl was going to die because of her. It was all her fault. She'd done this. She had to fix it.

Reaching her hand out to the girl, Ginevra closed her eyes and gave the blood and potions in the bag a quick push, to help her body accept the new blood. A small jolt of red magic flashed between her hand and the girl's forehead, and the girl gasped slightly in her sleep. Then she rolled over and slept more soundly than before, her body no longer sweating and trembling.

Using the disc at her feet, Ginevra moved to the next set of beds, doing the same to any of the other patients who were sweating and trembling. One man was groaning in pain when she started, and she saw that he'd scratched the marks on his neck. Hurrying to heal them before the blood could tempt her, Ginevra continued along once she was sure he would be all right.

She'd stopped counting after the thirtieth person, but some time after that patient, Ginevra realised that she was starting to feel weak. The disc beneath her feet responded to magical power, and she dropped a few metres in the air before she could right herself again.

Maybe it would be good to sit down for a moment, she thought, carefully letting the disc drop down to the floor.

As she descended slowly, Ginevra noticed a small boy shivering in pain, and knew in that instant that she couldn't just pass by and let him die. She couldn't let any of them die. This was her fault, and she was going to fix it, consequences to herself be damned.

Reaching out, she let a jolt of magic leave her. Then did the same for the next four patients in the stack of beds. Shaking her head to clear the haze, she continued along, healing more sick patients.

Ginevra was swaying precariously on the disc when the door to the room opened. She didn't have the energy to say anything, let alone hide, and the haze that had tried to blanket her mind finally succeeded. She fell off the disc without so much as two drops of magic to save herself.

Draco cursed loudly when he saw Ginevra falling, and without hesitation, flew up into the air to catch her. She was much lighter than he remembered her being, he realised in some part of his mind. He landed easily, setting Ginevra down carefully. A long fingernail slid along his palm, slitting the skin easily and the resulting blood pooling in his cupped hand. Ginevra didn't stir, nor respond in anyway, even when he smeared the blood against her lips.

"Um, Draco? You might want to see this," Neville said, his voice stunned.

Looking over to where Neville was standing at the window, Draco frowned. Healing his palm since Ginevra wasn't responding to the blood, he lifted her carefully and went over to the tall window.

"Was that like that before?" Draco asked in shock, staring at the rapidly dying tree by the window.

Beneath the tree, the ground itself was browning, wilting, and dying. The vines that were creeping along the hospital walls began to shrivel up and fall off the building, dead brown ropes hitting the dirt-covered ground. Neville's thumb flashed a bright green colour, but it did nothing to delay the dying plants before them.

"It's got to be Ginevra. She's dying, and the world's following. We've got to heal her, quick," Neville said, turning to face her.

"I've tried, she's not responding to my blood. She needs to Drink," Draco said.

"Are you sure that's all she needs? If the world's dying along with her, then wouldn't she need something more than blood as a vampiress?"

"I don't know!"

Draco tried to wake her up with magic, but it didn't do anything. Ginevra was limp in his arms, and the thought of that terrified him more than the dying world outside the hospital walls.

"Luna... She'd know. She's here in the hospital. Come on, quick," Neville said, hurrying out of the door.

Draco ran after him, holding Ginevra tight against his chest. He could feel her heartbeat, and that meant she was alive. He refused to dwell on how it was slowing.

... b ...

"What's she saying?" Millicent called to Orion over the loud pitch of Luna's screaming words.

He'd only just calmed her down after entering the room, but now she was screaming so loud that he felt like he couldn't even see properly.

"Something about a sacrifice!" he called back loudly.

Orion tried to approach her, but Luna moved away, her hands over her ears as she continued to scream about sacrifices and the end of the world.

"Luna, you need to calm down! Just tell me what needs to be done!"

"Death, sacrifice, the world ends, the oceans boil, the sky burns, the blood falls, always the blood, need more blood, need more magic, more of everything. Barriers are tearing apart, worlds collapse, the gods fall, and the demons rise," she babbled, none of it making any sense to Orion whatsoever.

Millicent swore, her surprise making her words louder than Luna's words for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Orion asked, not wanting to look away from Luna for long.

"The sky is on fire."

At her words, ones that unknowingly mimicked Luna's, Orion ran over to the window to see the red clouds in the sky, looking as if the heavens themselves had caught ablaze.

"Dear Zeus, this is bad," Orion whispered, his face pale. "Okay, Luna, listen to me. The sky is on fire. How do we make it stop? What needs to be done?"

"Sacrifice, sacrifice, one of everything needs to be sacrificed," she said, staring up at him intently, white eyes glowing fiercely.

"Everyone of everything needs to be sacrificed? Okay, why? Who to? How in Hades' name do we do that?" Orion asked, pacing back and forth.

Before Luna could answer, or Millicent could question him, the door burst open. Neville ran inside, Draco a second behind him with Ginevra limp in his arms.

"Luna, we need to heal Ginevra, quickly. How do we do that?" Neville asked.

Orion looked at Ginevra and Draco, dumbfounded. The Queen of All was dying - well, that explained the burning sky - and the King of All's knuckles were whiter than Luna's eyes, clutching Ginevra so tightly that she'd bruise.

"One of everything needs to be sacrificed," Luna repeated. "One of everything, one of everyone, one blood, blood, blood."

"She said one of everything needs to be sacrificed, and something about blood," Orion translated when Neville looked to him.

A moment of silence descended upon them as they all thought to themselves.

"If we could do that before the sky falls on us and burns the world to a crisp, that'd be great," Millicent drawled, moving away from the window despite her indifferent tone.

"She's the Queen of All, so she needs blood from every living thing to not die?" Neville suggested, frowning.

Luna's screams seemed to go quieter at his answer, so they took that to be the correct solution.

"Right. How on earth are we meant to get that?" Millicent asked, looking between them all with a frown.

"I can do it," Draco said immediately, handing Ginevra to Neville and Orion carefully. "I will do it. Just ... Just look after her, all right?"

"We will," Neville promised.

"What are you going to do?" Orion asked, frowning briefly.

Draco didn't reply, but instead sat on the floor and closed his eyes. In moments, his entire being began to shift before their eyes. His clothes wavered, and a large white ball began to form in front of his chest. When it was so large that it obscured his sitting form entirely, the ball began to glow brightly. Not even a second later, the ball broke up into millions upon millions of minuscule balls, all of them disappearing from the room so fast that not even Orion could see them leave. Draco didn't move from his spot, and now that the ball of light had disappeared, they could all see the crown on his head, and the goblet sitting before him. It was a plain goblet compared to most, but it seemed to be made from every type of wood both known and unknown to man, and was extremely large.

Everyone was silent, even Luna, and they listened to the sky roar in pain, and the plants die outside. Watching the goblet intently, Millicent was the first to see it filling up with tiny drops of blood.

"How ... How is he doing that?" she asked quietly, in awe and fear.

She'd never seen anything like it, and as she sniffed with her werewolf senses, Millicent was sure that she could smell the different animals the drops of blood came from. One of every animal from the every corner of the world, both magical and Muggle, was sacrificing drops of their own blood.

Ants and acromantula, bees and Billywigs, chickens and centaurs, dogs and dragons, eels and Erklings, fish and fairies, gnus and gnomes, horses and Hippogriffs, iguanans and imps, jackals and Jarveys, kangaroos and Kelpies, lions and Lobalugs, mice and mermaids, newts and Nifflers, octopi and Occamies, platypuses and pixies, quails and Quintapeds, rabbits and Re'ems, snakes and Snidgets, tigers and Tebos, urchins and unicorns, vultures and vampires, whales and werewolves, xeruses and xolotls, yaks and yetis, zebras and zilants.

The scents began to overwhelm Millicent as more and more were added, some from creatures that she knew, some that she'd never heard of nor smelt before. Blood of all colours, from pale yellow, to blue, green, purple and black, appeared in the cup.

Outside, the word continued to die and burn. As they heard the passing comments of healers who were completely flabbergasted by what was happening, they discovered that the oceans were burning and rising, and worst of all, the barrier between the Muggle and wizarding worlds was starting to break down.

Staring at the goblet, Millicent jumped when she saw drops of blood falling into it from above, rather than just forming inside. She stared at Neville in surprise.

"What? It's not like it could do any harm," he said with a shrug, healing his palm.

Nodding, Millicent sliced her palm open, squeezing so a few drops could drop into the goblet. Orion faded back to Seamus, and he copied the motion. Wordlessly, Luna held out her hand, staying still long enough for Neville to prick her finger and let the formed blood drop into the goblet.

"I'll be righ' back," Seamus said, running out of the room before anyone could answer.

"Oh, hey, that's Lettie's blood," Millicent said in surprise, looking at the goblet.

Neville thanked her silently, knowing that she was affected by this as much as Ginevra. She was probably dying too, wherever she was.

... b ...

Miles was worried, and couldn't stop pacing beside Lettie on the bed. She'd started screaming some time ago, and while she'd stopped, Lettie hadn't moved since. She was just lying on the bed, looking as if her life itself was being sucked out of her. He could feel it happening, a faint echo in his own body as she died slowly.

His parents were worried over his worry, but he hadn't let them enter the room. He didn't want them to see him - or Lettie - like this. Spikes were jutting out of her spine, and she was little more than the beast she'd been days ago. She was dying, and the evil that was inside her body was struggling to be released. The choker necklace around her throat was starting to untie itself, millimetre by tiny millimetre.

Looking at Lettie again, he held himself back from slicing his arm open for her to Drink. She'd already refused his blood, and Miles knew that wasn't a good thing. He dropped to his knees beside her, holding her hand in his own carefully, her nails sharp against his skin.

"You have to get past this, Lettie. You've got my blood in you too, you can fight it. You can live. Stay with me. Please, stay with me," he begged, a sob wrenching at him.

... b ...

Calling out to his friends in his mind, Seamus ran through the hallways and corridors of the hospital. Colin had landed mere seconds before the sky ripped apart, and at Seamus' call, the Patil twins left their home in India to appear in St. Mungo's. They'd been exhausted from their extended stay in the pixie world, and had intended to sleep for the rest of the week.

When he arrived in the emergency room's waiting area, Seamus sighed in relief when he saw that they were all there, bar Theodore and Blaise.

"I need yer blood. Quick, or else the world's goin' ter get worse from 'ere on out," he said quickly, conjuring a goblet from a strand of hair.

"If you're planning on turning this into some alcoholic beverage, you'd better bloody well share, Finnegan," Pansy muttered, stepping forth and pricking her finger with a quick spell nonetheless.

"I'm not, it's for Ginevra. Maybe later though," he said with a quick grin, holding the goblet out to the others.

Parvati and Padma were next, their blood mixing with Pansy's. Gregory, Fred and George, and Colin followed without hesitation. When they were finished, Seamus thanked them quickly and ran out of the room to where Blaise and Theodore were.

"Spare some blood, Theo?" Seamus asked as he stepped into the room.

"I'm slightly busy here, Seamus," he replied, not looking away from Blaise.

"The world's endin', and I need a drop of ye blood for Ginevra."

"What?!" Theodore stared up at him, and seeing he was serious, sighed heavily. "Hurry up then, I don't particularly want to die over a drop of blood," he muttered, pricking his finger with a spell.

Seamus nodded, taking the drop of blood. Seeing the blood dripping from Blaise's fingertips, he caught a few drops, refusing to think why he'd been bleeding in the first place. Theodore saw his look, and was going to explain that Blaise had been covered in cuts and scratches from falling onto the forest floor, but Seamus left before he could say anything. Sighing to himself, he cleaned his hands and returned to his job, end of the world or not.

Hurrying to the room that Draco, Luna, Millicent and Neville were in, Seamus stepped inside. The goblet sitting in front of Draco was almost full, and he carefully tipped his friends' blood in with it as well.

"Luna didn't say only animals had ter sacrifice blood, so it's bett'r safe than sorry," he explained with a quick grin.

"Good thinking," Millicent said, impressed by his initiative.

"It's full now," Neville said, seeing the blood touching the rim of the goblet.

No one wanted to think about how far between Ginevra's heartbeats were. Draco blinked his eyes open, his head spinning slightly at everything he'd done and seen. Animals across the globe had heard his voice in their minds, begging for a drop of blood. A few had refused when he'd first ask, claiming that the King of All would never beg for something so simple. Then the world had started burning, the plants and their livelihoods dying, and the blood had been given immediately. A gryffon had been awoken, giants had been roused, and many animals that he'd never seen yet immediately known the name of, had offered blood for the King and Queen of All. Mosquitoes had eagerly provided blood from humans, wizard and Muggle alike, and his mind had filled with blood of every colour and texture.

The goblet was full to the rim, but Draco could immediately see that there was room for one more drop. For the second time that day, he cut his palm. A single drop of blood fell into the goblet. Nodding to Seamus and Neville to bring Ginevra forward, Draco lifted the goblet to her lips once she was made to sit up against him, her body still limp.

When Ginevra still didn't respond, Millicent frowned. Moving over, she pinched Ginevra's nose, making her mouth open slightly a moment later so she could keep breathing. She stepped back, watching as Draco poured the blood in Ginevra's mouth carefully, not letting a single drop go to waste.

They could all see Ginevra swallowing the blood, but her eyes were still closed, Draco had to support her in a seated position, and she didn't move to take the goblet herself. She drank every single drop, but even when it was empty, she didn't move.

Outside, the world stopped burning. The flames in the sky began to die down, the plants, trees, and grass returned to their healthy green colour, and the oceans returned to their usual size. The barrier between the wizarding and Muggle worlds returned, with most Muggles assuming that it had been nothing more than a result of an overproductive imagination, fatigue, and a trick of the evening light. Within minutes, the world was normal once more, and for most, life continued on. In St. Mungo's, however, Ginevra was still limp in Draco's arms.

... b ...

End of the thirty-second chapter.

Thank you for reading.

33. Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

... b ...

Saturday, 20 July

Draco stood at the front of the gathering, his friends around him. The coffin floated along the aisle between the groups of chairs silently, the sombre procession following just as quietly. Beside him, Blaise squeezed his hand gently. He gave a brief nod, his eyes flicking to his best friend. He had become accustomed to the scars covering Blaise's face and body, and to see him without them now was startling.

Blaise had covered the prominent scars with a Glamour so that he wouldn't be stared at by those who didn't know why he had them or why he kept them. Theodore had offered to remove them when Blaise had woken up from being treated, but he had refused adamantly, even while under sedation from the pain potions. His desire to keep the scars hadn't lessened even now when he was being weaned off the potions.

Neville looked as though he was barely holding back a flood of tears, and Seamus wrapped an arm around him, murmuring a few quiet words in Gaelic. Fred and George were uncharacteristically silent as the procession passed by, both staring ahead and looking for all that they were statues. Draco wasn't sure that he could blame them. In front of him, Lettie turned to Miles, hugging him to her and hiding her tears. Pansy was huddled in Gregory's embrace, both of them had been silent for the past four days, and he doubted they'd say anything today.

His attention was diverted from his friends when the eulogy began, and Draco looked up at the redheaded witch who was speaking. Her hair had two long streaks of white in them, the colour brighter than his own hair, but he knew that they weren't natural or due to age. Ginevra had changed irrevocably when she had accepted her title of Queen of All, just as he had.

As Ginevra had stayed limp in his arms, her heart hardly beating, Draco had fallen unconscious as well. From what the others had said, that same light had flown from him and the music had followed. No one had been able to wake either of them up, no matter what spells Theodore tried or the Muggle methods that Colin attempted.

Exactly twenty-four hours after the goblet of blood had been consumed, Ginevra and Draco both woke up abruptly with a scream that no one had ever heard before, nor wanted to hear again. Despite being questioned multiple times and on multiple occasions, neither one could remember what happened after Ginevra had healed the patients. Draco looked blank when his friends talked of the world burning, of the skies opening, and of his solution to save Ginevra. Ginevra couldn't recall drinking the blood, nor remember anything about glowing or music.

The streaks of blonde in Ginevra's hair had appeared over the course of the day they'd been unconscious, the red colour seeming to fade and leak out of her locks slowly. Nearly everyone had expected Draco to gain two red streaks in return, and for a terrifying moment before he had seen his own reflection, Draco had thought the same. It seemed he had been spared that fate; however, he found that his hair had grown ridiculously long. His father had had his hair long enough to be put in a ponytail, but Draco's had surpassed that by far, and it was all the way down to his knees. He had attempted to cut it off, but every time he tried, Draco found that he was suddenly so exhausted that he didn't have the strength or energy to cut even one strand. Luna had murmured something about Samson and his strength, and Draco had quietly decided to leave the hair alone, even if there was the slightest chance she was right. Her words didn't stop him from plaiting the hair back and using a Glamour though.

Ginevra finished her eulogy, and stepped back from the six graves. There were a few more tears as the coffins were lowered into the ground, and the family members stepped forward to cover the coffins with dirt. As she moved to stand next to him, Draco took her hand, gently squeezing it. She squeezed his briefly in return, but didn't look at him, her gaze fixed on the graves before them.

The ceremony and burials complete, people started to filter away, talking quietly amongst themselves, or Side Apparating the family members who were too distraught to leave on their own. Soon, only Draco, Ginevra and their friends remained. Now that everyone else had left, Draco wrapped his arms around Ginevra, holding her even though she didn't return the embrace. Behind them, Lettie was sobbing uncontrollably into Miles' shoulder, and the vampire was having a difficult time soothing both her own emotions as well as those of her Lady's.

"Come on, love. Let's go home now," Draco whispered.

Ginevra nodded, knowing that it was more for Lettie and Miles' benefit than her own. Less than a week ago, she might have yelled at him for that comment, for saying that they could go home when six people she'd essentially killed never could go to their homes again. Now, she simply said goodbye to her friends softly, and let Draco Side Apparate her away, too tired and emotionally exhausted to do so herself.

On arriving in Muggle London, the wet and foggy weather hiding any magical appearance they might have made, Draco silently led Ginevra out of the alley and onto the street. They were quiet as they headed up to the apartment, the rain pounding against the building.

"I'll put some tea on," Draco murmured, a flick of his wrist making their wet coats become dry and disappear into their wardrobe.

Ginevra sat at the bench that looked into the kitchen, watching as he set about filling the kettle and lighting the stove with his wand.

"Do you remember anything that happened?"

Draco looked over his shoulder, Ginevra's words surprising him for a moment, though he supposed that he should have expected them. They'd only been released from St. Mungo's that morning, and hadn't had a chance to talk alone since they'd woken up.

"I'm starting to remember small parts. What about you?" Draco asked quietly.

A loud whistling sound behind him stopped Ginevra's response, and he hurried to stop the kettle and turn the stove off. Ginevra was silent as he poured two mugs of tea, and when he moved to sit on the stool beside her, she answered his question.

"I'm remembering parts as well. I just don't know what they all mean," she added, staring into the kitchen without seeing it, sipping at her tea.

"What do you remember? Maybe we'll have enough pieces to fit it all together," Draco suggested, shrugging.

Ginevra frowned slightly - not at the idea, she thought it was a good one - but at how to express herself, and put into words what she could barely seem to remember. Unable to think of anything, she shook her head and pressed her wand to her fingertip. A thought spell had a few drops of blood forming. Draco offered his mug to her, and Ginevra watched the blood drops fall into the dark liquid. Moments later, Draco had done the same with her mug of tea, and they both added their blood drops to their own drinks. They would be able to combine both memories then, and see what happened from both points of view.

Neither of them drank the tea yet, and Ginevra forcibly stopped herself from shivering. She had no idea what Draco's memories would contain, but if they were anything like her own, Ginevra wasn't entirely sure that this would be a pleasant experience.

"I'm scared," Ginevra admitted hesitantly, glancing at Draco.

He didn't seem surprised, nor want to laugh at her, and nodded sombrely, as if he knew exactly what she was feeling.

"I know, love, so am I. Let's drink together," Draco said, taking her hand in his own.

She smiled briefly, squeezing his hand gently. They raised their mugs to drink, and the moment both Draco and Ginevra swallowed the liquid, memories pulled at them.

... b ...

The world around him was dark, but he immediately knew every nuance, every nook and cranny. He was standing at the edge of a precipice, but how he knew that, he couldn't say. It was pitch black around him, and he couldn't see his own hand, let alone the ground beneath him. He tried to step back to get away from the edge of the cliff, but the ground crumbled away. Moving left and right had the same result, and soon, he was standing atop a small island with nowhere to go.

A hole appeared directly above him, and he hissed in pain at the sudden influx of light. Shielding his eyes, he was finally able to see where he stood. There were five long shining rivers below him. The one at the very left was shimmering white and the far right almost looked black. The first could have held clouds, yet the shimmering seemed to have more substance to it than that. The latter was much thicker, as if rivulets of blood, dirt and ash had run together, forming into some indiscernible liquid. In between the two, another three rivers flowed, one a clear blue, one filled with a haze of red and black, and the third a stormy grey colour that could cloud the mind if looked at too long.

Knowing where he was and that he would be safe in this area no matter what he did or what others attempted against him, a feeling of calm and certainty flowed over him. He moved to step off the cliff, but before he could do so, a sound began to filter from the hole above him. A sweet sound, sweeter than anything he had heard in lifetimes, and as he tasted the very sound on the air itself, he noted that it was even sweeter than his favourite pomegranate fruit. The sound, the taste, the very idea of whoever could make such beautiful music was addicting, and he immediately needed more.

...

The world around her was bright and she laughed at the nymphs as they frolicked and danced to entertain her. Their dance led her friends and guardians to the five streams nearby, but she stayed leaning against the tree, brushing her hair and humming. The sun was shining, she was warm, and she knew every part of her mother's garden. She was happy, and she knew nothing else other than this life.

The nymphs were playing a game with a small bolt that the weather-inclined nymphs had made - a secret game that not even the gods knew of - when the bolt slipped from the youngest nymph's hands, flying directly into the ground and making a hole into the world below. They wept for their carelessness and the loss of their game, and she, who could not bear to see her friends so distraught, began to sing for them. Her song was quiet at first, but grew louder and continued as their tears stopped flowing and their smiles returned.

A rumbling sound stopped her song, and the nymphs huddled behind her, sure that their stray bolt had been discovered and they were to be reprimanded. Shadows were cast over her mother's garden; the trees, plants and flowers wilting back in the presence of a god. He smiled at her, asked her to sing, held out a hand for her to go with him.

He was a man, and she had only ever been surrounded by female nymphs. She was curious, she was filled with a yearning for something other than her mother's garden, and soothing the again-weeping nymphs, she made them promise not to tell anyone of her departure. They agreed, knowing that it had been their own folly with the forbidden bolt that had led to this, yet they still wept. She kissed each of them on the forehead, gave them each a brilliant smile, and then she turned back to him and took his hand.

The journey took her through grass and dirt, into the dark, away from the sunlight, past five rivers that mirrored the exact position of the ones above, but were filled with something that was definitely not an elixir nor cool, refreshing water. The dark frightened her for she had never been exposed to it before. She missed the warmth, the sunshine, the world above, and so she stayed in the room that he had provided for her, shivering next to a fireplace that did little to stave off the cold in the very air itself.

...

He did not understand her reluctance, her confusion, her emotion. He had been in this world for millennia, and had forgotten his own response to the dark world below when he had first descended from the light one above. He may not have understood, but he did try to keep her comfortable. He provided her rooms, the thickest blankets and skins, the warmest gowns and dresses, but she could not seem to move beyond the fire, her feet tucked up onto the chair beneath her, her eyes staring at nothing in particular.

He wanted to hear her sing, asked her for a song, but she had lost her voice in their journey it seemed, because she shook her head minutely, continuing to stare at the flames. He left her, his mind full of her sweet song, his addiction growing even with the absence.

He went to her each day she was imprisoned, asking for a song, asking for her love. He offered her food and drink, but she shook her head and he eventually left her room unsuccessful each time. Staying with her longer during the days, he slowly began to see her smile, actually look at her, her eyes guarded but brightening in his presence. She began to move away from the fireplace and remove a few of the blankets, her body gradually becoming used to the cold; despite the fact that she did not eat or drink, he was pleased.

...

She was wary of him, but she was glad for his company. She was hungry and thirsty, but her mother had warned her of eating unknown foods, and she could not even trust the drink he brought to her since he partook in neither.

Not knowing whether it took days, weeks, or months, she began to become used to the cold. She could walk about her room, and as some more time passed, she ventured out of the quarters with him by her side. She met some of his messengers, as well as the elderly man who rowed across the rivers. They did not fear him, and he did not call them friends, but there was a respect there on both sides.

She was led past two arched doorways, one covered in bronze, and the other an arch into a field. The field made her long for the world above, and she stepped towards it, only to be held back. He told her that she must never step into either archway, for she would be lost to him forever. She knew the meaning of forever and shuddered, stepping closer into his embrace. To ease her trembling, he introduced her to his dog, and she laughed gaily as she played with the three-headed beast with snakes for a mane. One of the heads snapped at the other, certain that it was getting more attention from her. They snarled angrily, and just as he was about to bring her back to him to avoid the dog's temper, she began to sing. The dog stopped snarling almost immediately, moving to rest before her meekly, her sweet song entrancing the beast as easily as it had its master. He was gentle when he led her away and she smiled at him as bright as any sun or star could ever shine.

That night, when he did not wish to leave her presence, he asked to dine in her rooms, and she agreed, pleased that he would spend more time with her. He ate little, drank even less, preferring instead to talk with her, listening to her lilting voice as she talked of the games she would play, the vegetation rites she would perform, listening to everything she wanted to talk to him about. She fell asleep enveloped in his arms, feeling as safe as she could ever remember being.

On waking up, her hunger was so overwhelming that she could not resist it any longer. The food that had been brought for him the night before was still on the table, and she slipped out of his arms to make her way to the tantalising foods. Various platters were spread out, filled from everything from fruit to meats, breads to cheeses. As a vegetarian, she steered clear of the meat platter, and kept her gaze on the fruits instead. Goddess of the harvest as she was, she knew all of them by name, and she licked her lips at the sight of the pomegranate.

The sixth seed had already slipped between her lips when she felt him approaching, and she turned to face him, her lips stained red. He whispered something too low for her to hear, but his hand cupped her face gently, and he kissed her.

Her eyes widened, her heart pounding wildly, and she clutched at his tunic in a mix of fear and her awakening desire. He pulled away, watching her for a moment before lowering his head again, kissing her slowly and drawing out her emotions, her desire, and her blossoming love for him. She was surprised to feel tears sliding down her cheeks as he continued to kiss her, teaching her, learning from her, but she didn't feel sad; how could she when her heart soared in this way? Her grip slowly loosened on his tunic and she wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands slid down to hold her hips.

He was gentle, patient, slowly unfurling her emotions and desire as he undressed her, worshipping her in a very different way than the earth-bound mortals. She almost wished that she had known she could feel like this years' before, but in the same moment, she knew that she never could have felt this way with someone who wasn't him. The nymphs had told her tales, giggling and soft whispers abounding as they played in the rivers together, their eyes alight with some sort of emotion she'd never understood until this moment. They loved the chase, the kisses, the capture, the rise and fall, the eventual release. They spoke of this as if it too were a god, an unseen god that everyone worshipped, no matter their place or status.

She could feel him worshipping her as if she was the embodiment of that god, the flesh and skin of this emotion that could drive men to war. She didn't mind in the slightest. Even when he eased inside her, pain filling her entire being, he still worshipped her, her name falling from his lips and his very heartbeat and breath for her and none other.

In return for his worship, she too worshipped him. She felt his body beneath her fingertips, pressed her lips against his, murmuring words of newly found love and lust. He responded to her words best, moving harder and faster within her.

She had spent years following her mother as a goddess of harvest and thought she understood power. Before this, she would even have said that she was powerful in her own right, but now as his eyes darkened and he lost control, she knew that this was real power. She held a power over him that no other had held before, that none would hold again. She knew that he held a similar power over her, but it was not something that she could begrudge him.

She began to feel as though her entire body was crumbling and dissolving under his touch, only to be rebuilt by the same hands. The release was nothing she had ever thought, ever dreamed, ever imagined before. She was not only dissolving, but disappearing as well, and she was losing part of herself, but at the same time, she was returning, becoming something else entirely, and gaining a brand new part of herself that she had never known she'd needed before. She collapsed in his arms, and he finally too, found the sought-after release, his lips on hers in a rough manner that she found pleasant rather than painful.

Despite looking exhausted, he led her to the hot spring bath in her bathroom, gently cleaning the blood from her legs as he whispered soft apologies for hurting his queen. She rather liked the idea of being a queen, being his queen, and he her king. She smiled a sly smile that she had seen on the nymphs during the rites of harvest, and kissed her king.

The earth itself began to shake, just as it had when he had come up into the bright world above. He lifted her out of the bath carefully, putting her dress back on her body in a moment, his cool fingers lingering on her shoulders. She watched as he pulled his trousers and tunic on once more, her body thrumming with a desire to have him again.

Light flooded the world around them, and she lifted her hand to shield her sensitive eyes, whimpering at the pain the sun caused her. He was before her in a moment, guarding her and blocking the sun despite his own pain in the light's presence.

Without a say in the matter, she was taken from her world, away from her reign, from her king, from her love, pulled up through the dirt and grass, and into the blinding sunlit world above. She screamed in pain, ignoring her mother's waiting embrace, and held her hands over her eyes, even as a tree moved to cover her in shade.

...

He hated that he had been forced to let her go, that she had been taken from him. He had told his brother of her eating the pomegranate seeds, her mother yelling and screaming about tricksters, about force, about rape. He had barely held himself back from killing the goddess for making such a claim about his treatment of his queen, telling himself over and over that his beloved would not forgive him for such an act.

They had left him alone in moments, his brother noticing that he was one more accusation away from destroying the underworld and letting the dead rise from the now barren ground. He left her room the way it was, shutting the door and making sure no one would go near it, or they would face his wrath. She would return in six months time, but he already knew that they would feel as though they were closer to six lifetimes.

Standing atop his cliff once more, a speck of light shining through, he planted a seed in the earth above before returning to his kingdom.

...

She refused to talk to her mother for an entire month, refused to look at her or eat anything other than pomegranate. She sat in the shade of the cypress tree during the day, in the field where he had risen out of the earth to take her and make her his queen.

She knew every inch of the field, knew every plant and tree in the expanse of land, and when she saw a foreign flower pushing it's way up through the earth, she immediately knew that it was a present from her king. The narcissus flower would eventually be known as a daffodil, but she knew that no mortal would ever see this particular shade of the flower. The petals were red and the delicate bell in the middle was white with flecks of red, as if it had grown out of a pomegranate seed rather than a narcissus one.

Her mother was surprised at her sudden transformation that night. Where she had been sullen and silent, she was now talkative and even began to sing once more. The nymphs were gleeful at the return of their beloved young goddess, and she danced and played with them in the streams. When the nymphs lay in the fields, braiding one another's hair back, they whispered of their lovers, she too joined in the conversation, learning of new things to please her king.

She would see him again - her mother had bemoaned that fact often enough - and she would return a goddess fit for her queenly duties. She sang the loudest and sweetest when she was in the field, and she knew that he could hear her below the world, standing upon the highest cliff in his world, and the closest point to her.

... b ...

With a gasp, Ginevra and Draco were pulled out of their memories, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

"I don't remember any of that happening," Ginevra said eventually, looking at him.

Draco nodded in agreement, looking wary. "I don't even think that happened while we were unconscious. My memory of what happened was nothing like that."

They were both silent for a long moment, simply sitting there and trying to match their memories with what they'd seen. Sighing, Ginevra shook her head and stood up.

"If I keep trying to think about this all, it's going to drive me insane."

"What are you going to do then?" he asked, seeing her head to the door.

"I'm locking up and going to bed. I'm tired," she said, rubbing her forehead with the heel of her palm.

Draco nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted himself. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

In a matter of minutes, they were both in bed, arms wrapped around each other as they fell asleep.

... b ...

"There's no need for all of this, boys. Really, I am capable of looking after myself," Ollivander protested when they brought him his teacup.

"Theo said you weren't to walk and strain yourself, so we're looking after you," Fred said.

"Besides, Ginevra was right annoyed with us, and we'd rather not upset her again," George added with a wince.

Shaking his head briefly, Oscar decided to let them look after them and not risk their sister's wrath. He had Seen her at the funeral that morning, white streaks shining in her hair as she gave the eulogy. From what the twins had told him, Ginevra had only been released from St. Mungo's that morning, and no one was quite sure where she'd gone after the funeral. Draco had disappeared along with her, and from what Oscar had Seen of him that morning, he was covered in heavy Glamours.

Distracted from his thoughts when George brought a tray into the room laden with food, he smiled and accepted it without protest.

"I do hope you'll both be joining me for dinner?" Oscar asked.

"Of course we are. We never turn down food," Fred said, bringing in two more trays of food for himself and George.

Chuckling, Oscar started on his dinner, asking them about the shop when they were seated on the couch across from him.

... b ...

Lettie paced, her hand moving up to the choker around her neck every now and again, as if to reassure herself that it was still there.

"Is everything all right, Lettie?" Miles asked, coming into the room to find her still pacing.

"I can feel them out there, but I don't know where they are. I don't like this feeling, not at all," she muttered, still pacing.

"It's likely that Ginevra and Draconius have a reason why they're not letting you find them. They probably need rest and time to recover from everything they've been through. I'm not sure that you being with them will help them recover any quicker, Lettie," Miles said, treading carefully with his words.

"But... My Lady hasn't returned to the vampire mansion in so long, and I can still feel her emotions and guilt so clearly. I'm anxious for her," Lettie admitted.

"She has been granted to take some time away from the mansion in order to recover. Ginevra will be fine, Lettie, as will Draconius. Do not fret over them so; they need this time to reconnect with themselves and each other," Miles said softly, stopping her pacing by taking her hand in his own. "I was anxious for you when the world was dying," he added, bringing her hand up to press a kiss to it.

Blushing slightly, Lettie nodded. "If you hadn't Turned me, I would have died long before my Lady did. You kept me here," she said, smiling at him.

"I am very glad for that," Miles murmured, kissing her lips this time.

Her lips still curved into a smile, Lettie kissed him back, her arms winding around his neck to hold him close.

... b ...

Pansy lowered herself into the water, a mermaid tail appearing with little more than a thought. Her swim from Antarctica to South America had made her mermaid power grow exponentially, and she could swim within a smaller space and using sharper turns than she'd been able to before.

Gregory was silent as he watched her drop beneath the water's surface. When she was completely submerged, he followed her into the water, two spells turning his legs into a tail and gills appearing on his neck. Pansy motioned to him and then began to swim, Greg following without hesitation.

Apart from talking with each other, neither one had said a word to the others for the past four days, though both for different reasons. Pansy had been unable to form any words to express her emotions over Ginevra still being alive, and had simply hugged both Draco and Ginerva so tightly that they could understand her feelings without having to express them aloud. Gregory, on the other hand, hadn't known what to say on seeing his friends so altered. True, their hair had changed with one gaining streaks and the other's growing to an exceptional length, but he could feel that their power had altered too. He could not bring himself to speak before them, had no idea what to say to two people who were closer in power to gods than the beings they had been before. Gregory had barely been able to repress his entire body from trembling at the amount of power they exuded.

Luna had mentioned something once about both Draco and Ginevra leaking power subconsciously, which was the reason for so many beings and creatures in the two Houses, but Gregory had never felt their power like this before. It seemed as if their entire bodies were filled with so much power that it couldn't be kept inside them, and it just poured from them in torrents instead. It was so overwhelming that even now, the thought of their power sent a shiver up his spine.

On discussing just how Luna had taken him from Hogwarts to the troll's village, Pansy had frowned and asked him to describe the rock portal in more detail. She'd left for a swim later that day and had returned with news of the glowing portal beneath the water. They had eventually agreed to go through it together.

Realising that Pansy was further ahead, Gregory swam faster to catch up with her. Hand-in-hand they swam through the underwater rock portal together.

... b ...

Ginevra rolled over in her sleep, Draco's arm tightening about her waist. They were both dreaming, the memories of what had happened while they were unconscious finally returning.

...

Draco stood atop the cliff once more, but this time he was himself, and not him.

"You've taken your time in getting here, haven't you?"

The voice was familiar, but Draco knew that he'd never heard it before. Yet, somehow, it was as familiar to him as his own voice, as if he'd heard the voice every single day since his birth. Despite this familiarity, Draco didn't recognise the owner of the voice, more so because he couldn't see him.

Before Draco could begin to question the voice, a person began to materialise in front of him, standing on the air as if it was as solid as the ground. The man was wearing nothing but black, looking for all as though he had melted out of his surroundings.

"How are you doing that?" Draco asked, confused as to how this man could be standing there with nothing to hold him up.

"Doing what?"

"Standing on the air like that."

"Perhaps you should ask yourself how you are doing it, before you question me," the man replied, glancing down at Draco's feet.

Following his gaze, Draco saw that the cliff had disappeared, and he was standing on nothing. As soon as he realised this, he began to drop, falling towards the ground and the five rivers beneath him. The man followed him down calmly, watching as he fell and screamed.

"What are you doing?" the man asked curiously.

"Falling to my death, you pillock, what's it look like?"

"It looks like you're falling unnecessarily to me," he replied, coming to a complete stop and sitting in the air cross-legged.

Blinking in surprise, Draco forgot that he was falling, and for a moment, he stopped too. Forcing himself to think of something other than the fact that he was plummeting to the earth below, Draco slowed down gradually until he came to a complete stop mere metres above the rivers.

Chuckling, the man stood up and walked down to Draco. "Now that you've finished with your dramatics, are you ready to talk, Draconius Lucius Malfoy?"

"Who are you?" Draco demanded, not wanting to talk to someone whose name he didn't even know, no matter how familiar they sounded.

He seemed surprised at the question, looking at him for a long moment. "You already know who I am, Draconius. You've known who I am since I spoke to you, and even before that. You will always know me, just as I will always know you."

"You're Hades," Draco said without a hesitation.

"Correct," he replied, smiling briefly. "Now, you're here for a reason. You finally accepted your role and title as King of All, but you have still yet to accept me as a part of that."

"What?"

"Did you honestly think that you'd have all of this power without some way of managing it? Besides, you cannot be King of All without the King of the Underworld," Hades said with a smirk.

"By that reasoning, shouldn't Zeus and Poseidon be here too?"

Hades scoffed. "Zeus would never lower himself to be bound with a mortal. It seems that Poseidon has secured himself away in his castle until the right mortals come to him. I was not afforded that luxury, or you would be dead, and this would be much more difficult."

Not knowing what to say to that, Draco simply nodded.

"Will you accept me as part of your role and title as King of All, Draconius?" Hades asked.

The weight of the decision seemed to burden him all at once, and Draco actually dropped half a metre in the air. He knew what the decision entailed; the power of a god at his fingertips, the memories of a god who had been there since the very beginning of time in his mind. Add in the fact that the god was Hades himself, and Draco could very well be driven insane the moment he accepted. He would have to perform Hades' duties as King of the Underworld, on top of his own duties as a Veelan, as a son, as a fiancŽ, a future husband, and in all likelihood, a future father.

Not to mention that the last time someone had attempted to bind with a god, they had been driven insane in mere seconds, and died a minute later. Of course, the idiot had attempted it without the god's permission, so it was his own fault, really.

Draco frowned and looked up at the earth where the hole had been. "Ginevra's part of this, right? She'll be Persephone?"

"Of course. I would not have agreed to this if Seph had not decided to take pity on mortals and their world, yet again. I am meant to stay out of mortal affairs, but things are happening that are going to affect the world of the gods, and we cannot allow that."

At his words, Draco could see a vision of the future in an instant; mortals pulling the gods from the heavens themselves, Ares and Artemis revelling in the war as the world became barren and frosted over, mortals dying in millions as Famine scoured the earth. Shuddering, he forced the images away with an intensity that surprised Hades.

"Accepting you to bind with me will stop that?" Draco asked after a moment.

"I hope so. I am unaware of what the Fates have seen, and even Cassandra does not know the outcome of the many wars to come."

Draco nodded and held out a hand for Hades to take. Hades smiled a smile that wasn't quite human, and demonstrated just the type of god that Draco was about to be bound to.

Hades walked forward, his body seemingly melting into Draco's. As Draco's eyes had rolled back into his head, he couldn't see this strange occurrence, but in his mind, he could feel the presence of Hades beginning to make room, merging his own mind and body with his. His hair began to lengthen considerably, alternating between black and blonde at such a rapid pace that it was almost impossible to separate. His clothing, which had started off as the King of All's forest garb and crown on Hades' touch, was flitting between the forest clothes and Hades' own black clothes, the two melding together to form a much darker version of the King of All's clothing. As Draco felt the last piece of Hades' mind and body join with his own, his hair turned white completely, reaching down to his knees, and he finally accepted the title of King of All, living or dead.

...

Ginevra was sitting beneath the shade of the cypress tree, her hair red rather than blonde as it had been before, and she could see that the hole in the field was now covered with grass. Near it, a blood-red narcissus plant was growing, and she stood to look at the flower closer.

"It is a pretty flower, is it not?"

Kneeling beside the flower, Ginevra's body froze at the woman's words. She knew that voice. She knew that she knew it, though she could not have said where she had heard it before. Even as she stood to turn around, Ginevra seemed to know exactly who it was who had spoken and was not surprised moments later, to be face-to-face with Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld.

"Am I dead?" Ginevra asked with a slight frown.

"You just died for the third time in your life, what would make you think that this death would be any different from the first two?" Persephone asked, sounding both curious and sarcastic. Her expression softened for a moment, and she looked to the ground beyond the shade of the cypress tree. "You're not in the Fields, if that is what you are asking. The Elysium Fields are much lovelier than this area of grass, I can assure you of that."

In response to her words, the blades of grass seemed to straighten and become a little brighter, as if to prove that they were worthy of any Field, above or below.

"If I'm not actually dead, why am I here then?" Ginevra asked.

"You have finally accepted your title as Queen of All, but in order to complete that acceptance, you must also accept me as part of your role, and bind yourself with me. You cannot be the Queen of All without the Queen of the Underworld, after all."

"Why not?" Ginevra asked in surprise. "I've had this power for almost a year now, why are you showing up now?"

"As you hadn't accepted the power completely, nor had your King, you were both holding back. By doing that, you were both restricting us from contacting you any earlier than this. You drinking the blood of each person, creature, being, and has-been in the worlds has finally brought your acceptance of your title and your role. Will you accept me as part of your title and role, Ginevra?"

Ginevra was silent for a long moment, knowing from the tales just how drastic and encompassing this decision was. Men and women had died attempting to succeed in this very thing. To accept Persephone and bind with her would mean that she would have to carry out her duties as well, not only as Queen of the Underworld, but also her duties as a goddess of the harvest in the sunlit world.

"If I do accept, does that mean I have to stay up here for six months of the year, as part of your role?"

"Thankfully, no. I am binding with you as you are with me, and you have no such restrictions on the time you can spend with your future husband," Persephone replied, a wicked gleam in her eye. "My mother will most likely be keeping a close watch on us though. She would not be forgiving if we were to die unnecessarily."

Glancing back at the narcissus plant growing behind her, Ginevra looked to Persephone once more. "So is Draco a part of this? He'll be Hades, won't he?"

"If he accepts, then yes, Draco will be. I can assure you that Hades would not agree to be bound to a mortal if he didn't think it absolutely necessary."

Ginevra nodded; she doubted that Persephone would agree to it either.

"What will happen if I don't bind myself with you?" she asked, curious for the answer.

"You will not have a way to handle the amount of power you have, and the world will crumble. What happened moments ago will be a teardrop in the ocean in comparison," Persephone added.

The world was burning, relentless fires that could never be put out. The world was dying, every plant and type of vegetation dead or dying. The world was flooding, what was left of humanity forced to the remaining inner lands. Humanity was fleeting, humans turned barbaric to claim land, shelter, food and water. Shuddering, Ginevra forced the snapshot vision of the future from her mind.

"I agree," she said, holding her hand out for Persephone.

Persephone smiled as she reached to take her hand, and a chill ran up Ginevra's spine at the sight. It was not a smile of a young innocent maiden who had been a virgin and hidden from men by her overbearing mother, but rather the cold smile of a Queen who had reign over the Underworld and the power to make the King beg for her.

On taking the Queen's hand, Ginevra's clothes changed into the Queen of All garb. As Persephone began to walk into her body, two souls, minds, and bodies mingling in one space, Ginevra's clothes began to flit between the forest dress and crown, to a pure white dress, and a black and grey dress. The colours merged slowly, and in her mind, despite her eyes rolling back into her head, Ginevra could feel the presence and absolute power of Persephone take place. As the last of Persephone fit into Ginevra's mind and body, her hair turned a brilliant shade of blonde. Eventually, her red hair returned, but two bright streaks of blonde remained as a testament to her power, title, and finally, her acceptance as Queen of All, living or dead.

... b ...

Waking up with a start, Ginevra looked at Draco, her eyes wide and a bright green rather than their normal brown, or even red colour. He was wide awake as well, staring back at her, his grey eyes now entirely black.

"Seph?" Draco queried.

Ginevra nodded with a smirk worthy of a Queen, and without warning, he kissed her intently, his hands cupping her face.

"Already, Hades? We only arrived down here! Give us time to... ohh," her words trailing off with a heated moan as his hands moved to caress her breasts. "Don't you dare stop," she demanded, her hands tearing at his restrictive clothing.

"As my Queen wishes," he replied with a smirk, kissing and caressing her once more.

She simply huffed in irritation, and a single thought later, they were both naked. She smiled in delight on seeing the familiar tattoo wrapped around her husband's body, her hands tracing it, and making him shiver in response.

"Still as responsive as ever," she murmured.

He chuckled against her neck, his mouth leaving small bites and kisses against the pale flesh. She moaned, holding him close to her.

"As are you, my Queen," he replied.

Draco's mind was still everywhere at once, but he was very aware of the fact that he was about to have sex - this could definitely not be classed as anything other than hot hard sex - with a woman who wasn't his fiancŽe. He couldn't deny the feeling of her beneath him though, and he managed to moan Ginevra's name rather than Persephone's. The blue eyed woman beneath him moaned his name in return, and he could clearly see Ginevra's intelligence and acceptance shining through her eyes. With a quick grin, he kissed her once, and let himself retreat so that he and Hades could continue to merge together completely. On some instinctive level, Draco knew that Ginevra had done the same with Persephone.

Their minds still merging with the mortals they'd chosen, Hades and Persephone merged in a very different way entirely, their bodies seeking release, feeling new emotions, and both being reassured that they were still there together.

... b ...

"If you don't get back into bed this instant, Luna, I will tie you up and keep you there... Oh, for the gods' sakes, Apollo, I didn't need a mental image of that," Colin groaned.

Luna laughed, moving towards him around the desk chair and past the misplaced chest at the end of the bed. Her hands reached out to feel his face, her fingertips caressing along his forehead, over his closed eyes, mapping his face with her hands. Luna smiled gently as she traced his lips with her fingers and leaning down, she kissed him.

Grinning beneath her kiss, Colin wrapped an arm around Luna's waist and pulled her down onto the mattress with him.

"Stay here with me," he murmured, his lips still against hers.

Luna tried not to sigh in response. It hadn't taken long for Colin to convince her to have a small holiday, and after everything she'd Seen, she knew that this was a small break between events in which she could actually relax. Cassandra had pushed her, telling her she was silly to feel an ounce of guilt. Her friends and family were alive, the world was still turning, and she could have a holiday to celebrate at the very least.

"Your mother's going to call for us soon. She wants you to train," Luna said, starting to move away from him.

Colin tightened his hold on her, keeping her beside him. Propping himself up on his elbow, he looked towards the closed door. "Mother! I'm staying in with Luna! She needs her rest!" he called loudly, pulling the blanket up over them before Luna could protest.

"Well if you hadn't kept her up all night, shagging like bunnies, she would have had more rest," Harmony called back.

Luna laughed, Seeing Colin's expression easily. "Still want to stay in?"

"Yes. You do need your rest," he said, his legs entwining with hers easily. "Sleep now, and I'll show you the baby dragons later."

"That will be nice. I should tell Hagrid that Norbet's about to be a father," she murmured sleepily.

Colin stroked Luna's hair softly, his fingers slipping between the strands, and he pressed a light kiss to her forehead, holding her to him as they drifted off to sleep.

... b ...

Not knowing what to expect, Pansy had her eyes screwed shut as they swam through the portal, and she still had them closed when she passed through the glowing light. It was only the slight change in the water's temperature that made her realise that they'd actually moved anywhere. Coming to a stop, she opened her eyes cautiously, her jaw dropping when she saw the sight before her.

His eyes shut too, Gregory felt Pansy stop beside him. He stopped swimming before he dragged her through the water, and opened his eyes.

That's bloody enormous, George thought to Pansy, unable to get past his shock to do anything more than state the obvious.

The golden palace before them looked bigger than anything either one had seen before. Hogwarts itself paled in comparison, and Pansy had to wonder exactly where they were for no one to have ever seen this structure beneath the water. The mermaids had swum around the globe, yet none had mentioned this.

Pansy nodded in agreement, taking Greg's hand again before swimming towards the golden palace. As they approached the large flat entrance to the palace, the water rippled in front of them, the waters parting so they could walk inside.

Removing the spells on his legs and neck, Gregory swam to the landing, stepping out onto the golden surface carefully. When the water didn't come crashing down on him and he thought it safe, he nodded for Pansy to join him. A thought had her tail disappearing, and she was soon standing beside Gregory.

"All right, Pans?" he asked, seeing that she was shivering.

"Bit cold," she replied with a weak smile. "I've usually got some nice warm sand to lie on before I have to try and walk."

Gregory shook his head briefly, pulling his wand out from where he'd tucked it into the waistband of his shorts, drying their clothes and adding a warming spell for good measure. A strand of hair was transfigured into a jacket and he placed it around her, kissing her gently.

"Better now?"

"Much, thank you," she replied, kissing him.

"We'll be fine, Pans," Gregory added, feeling from her emotions that she wasn't just cold.

"How do you know that?" Pansy asked, looking to the large entrance that was shining in the muted light from the water and sky overhead.

"The water hasn't come crashing down on us, so I'm going to say that the person, creature, or being inside here is good. It's either that, or they're toying with us."

"Don't worry, I won't let you die if the water does come crashing down around us," Pansy promised, smiling at him.

He grinned in return, kissing the back of her hand. "Thanks, Pans. What do you say we go meet the owner of this lovely golden palace?"

She snorted. "Know I know that they're going to be good; it's Gryffindor gold."

Chuckling, Greg wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they walked towards the entrance.

... b ...

Looking at his half-naked reflection in the mirror, Blaise trailed his finger along the longest scar he could see. He'd been hurt on falling to the forest floor, twigs, branches, and rocks all digging into his skin, some piercing through the layers and making him bleed, others forming large bruises. Theodore had fixed up most of the cuts, but some had become infected and needed to be cleaned. He'd cut away the infected skin and used a healing salve to make the skin grow back. Due to this, Blaise had many more scars across his body and arms than the original injuries might have suggested. He'd refused to let Theodore take the scars away. The process of regrowing skin wasn't as painful as regrowing bones, but it still hurt, and he wanted the physical reminder of everything that had happened even after the pain stopped.

"If yer plannin' on seducin' me by standin' 'round half-naked, go righ' ahead," Seamus said from behind him, kissing his shoulder and grinning at him in the mirror.

"Well, it wasn't my initial idea for seducing you, but I suppose it will suffice," Blaise drawled, smirking.

"Och, love it when ye speak all proper," Seamus said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Laughing, Blaise turned around and kissed him, his arm wrapping around his waist to hold him close.

"Did either of you even notice that the door's wide open?" Neville asked, closing it behind him as he entered the room.

"No, too busy snoggin'," Seamus said, grinning and pulling him to them.

"Well, most of the students are training right outside, and the Patil twins are likely to come in when they've finished for the day," Neville muttered, even as he was drawn into their embrace and kiss.

Blaise made a sound of feigned interest, pulling Neville's shirt over his head before returning to his task of kissing his neck and shoulder. Seamus was pressing hot wet kisses to the scars littering Blaise's back, and he shuddered in response. Seeing the effect it had on him, Neville moved down with a grin, his tongue flicking against the scars on Blaise's torso. Feeling so much love for both of the people kissing him, Blaise pulled Neville and Seamus over to the bed to show them what he was feeling but couldn't even begin to express in words.

... b ...

The sun was starting to set over the Forbidden Forest, but the students had pleaded and begged to continue their training. Padma was beyond tired and sore, but before she could deny the students Parvati had taken her exhaustion, collapsing to the ground as her twin's pain and fatigue crashed upon her. Sighing, Padma conjured a small bed, placing her sister on it and covering her with a blanket. Turning back to the students, she glared at their expressions.

"Don't stand around looking guilty. You wanted to train longer, you're going to train longer. Don't make Parvati's exhaustion for nothing. Pick up your swords, grab your wands, and start training!" Padma barked.

Hurrying to do so, they were all training again in a matter of moments. Her energy restored, Padma joined in the fighting, sending hexes at some and swinging her sword at others. The night wore on, and large fire-lit torches were placed around the field so they could still see who they were fighting.

A few hours passed and the students' fatigue was beginning to show clearly through their half-mumbled hexes and fumbling sword strokes. Padma lined them all up in a row, sending a jolt of energy to each of them to keep them awake. If she had to stay awake and alert, then they would have to as well.

"Come on, you all wanted this! Now get back to training!" Padma demanded, hexing a fourth year with a Jellylegs spell.

You're going to kill them through exhaustion if you don't stop soon, Luna murmured in her head.

I gave them a burst of energy, they'll be fine, Padma replied, trying not to get distracted while sharp swords were being swung in her general direction.

Oh, my apologies, Padma; I thought this was Seamus. Careful on the left, you're wide open.

A glint from the torch made her look to the left, and she raised her sword to stop the student's sword from connecting with her shoulder.

"That was very close, Perks. Good move," Padma said, nodding to her.

Sally Anne smiled at the praise, withdrew her sword and began attacking again.

Another two hours passed before Padma deemed it late enough - and everyone exhausted enough - to stop training and go to bed. She just had enough energy to levitate Parvati to their room in the older part of the castle.

Wincing when she entered to hear the loud moans coming from Neville, Blaise and Seamus' room, Padma hurried past to put her sister to bed. When that was done, Padma returned to the main corridor to the rooms and replaced the silencing ward around the boys' bedroom. Sighing in relief when the noise faded away to nothing, Padma went to bed, climbing in next to her sister and falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

... b ...

The way through the palace was easy to follow, as anytime Pansy and Gregory went to turn the wrong way, a wall of water would appear and redirect them back to the main corridor once more.

Eventually, they made their way into a large throne room, two people sitting on thrones. A large man of stocky build holding a trident in his hand and a large golden crown on his head, while beside him, a woman whose hair shimmered in green, blue, and aqua waves as if the ocean itself had leant the colours to reflect her brilliance. Yet, upon her head, she was adorned with a simple golden band for a crown. Poseidon and his wife Amphitrite.

"Welcome to my palace, mortals," Poseidon said, his voice booming and very presence heavy, as if a weight of water was pressing down upon them.

There was an awkward moment of silence as Pansy and Gregory wondered what sort of response the god before them expected. Applause; tears of gratitude; eternal worship?

Were we meant to say something to that? Greg asked Pansy.

She held back a laugh and quickly swept down into a curtsy. "I apologise for our silence, but we are in such awe of your palace that we could not bring ourselves to respond."

"The woman speaks on behalf of the man?" Poseidon asked, looking at Greg in amused incredulity. "Have you no tongue, man, or perhaps you are nothing but an infant?"

Greg's eyes widened at the insult both to himself and Pansy, but he refrained from doing something stupid like insult a god. "I have no need to add to anything Pansy has said, so I do not feel it is necessary to speak simply to reiterate her words when she has already done so in such an eloquent manner."

Poseidon seemed surprised at Gregory's response. "You do know who I am, mortal?"

"Yes, you are Poseidon, and the lovely woman beside you is your wife Amphitrite," Gregory said, bowing to the aqua-haired woman.

She smiled brightly, but her smile quickly faded when Poseidon glared at her.

"Do you know why you are here?" Poseidon asked.

Biting back a sarcastic remark about choosing to swim through a glowing underwater portal, Gregory shook his head briefly. "No, I do not."

The god's satisfaction at Gregory's answer was clear, and he smirked down at them. "You two have been chosen to be bound with me and Amphitrite," he announced.

"Why?"

Stunned at the man's words, Poseidon gripped his trident, reminding himself that the two before him were mere mortals and obviously knew nothing about the magnitude of his declaration.

"The world above is embroiled in war, no matter which side of the barrier you reside in. That war will be brought to the world of the gods, and we must be prepared. Binding ourselves with you will stop the destruction of all of the worlds," Poseidon explained.

Gregory nodded, and looked between the god and goddess for a moment. "Which of you shall be bound to which of us?"

"I will be bound to you, of course!" Poseidon said indignantly, insulted that the mortal would think him bound to a woman.

"Then I refuse," Gregory said clearly.

"W-what?"

What are you doing, Greg? That's Poseidon, and we are under water, Pansy said, wondering just what on earth he thought he was going to achieve by refusing the god.

Gregory squeezed her hand gently, but did not look away from the immortals before him.

"I am well aware of the tales and legends surrounding you, Poseidon. It is for that very reason that I do not wish myself to be bound with you... You have cheated on your wife, bore children with other women, and have loved so many nymphs, maidens, and wenches that I doubt the tales could ever succeed in naming them all. I love Pansy and will have no other. As such, I cannot bind myself to you and subject my beloved to your womanising ways through me."

Beside Poseidon, Amphitrite had gone extremely still, as if she were a statue of marble rather than a goddess of the sea. Poseidon had gone red, embarrassed at Gregory's accusations and still angry over his refusal.

"You will have no other?" he sneered. "What of Vincent? You had him; multiple times, as I am aware of it."

Gregory stepped forward, anger flowing through him, sadness and pain swirling in his body, and for a brief moment, his power rivalled that of the god before him. Poseidon shuddered, the trident almost slipping out of his grasp.

"What Vincent and I had was love, and we both loved Pansy enough to let her tell us about her sleeping with both of us. We even decided to let her choose between us if she wanted... You would do well not to bring up his name again; you are the ones that need us, we do not need you," Gregory said icily.

His anger increasing, especially at the split second of feeling weak in the presence of a mortal, Poseidon stood from his throne, glowering. The water around the palace rippled fiercely as if it was battling against his barrier to flood the golden structure.

"You would do well to know your place, mortal, or else you will be stuck down here with the waters around you, and no way to escape," Poseidon growled.

Pansy had been getting increasingly frustrated with the pigheadedness of the god before her, especially when everything Gregory had said had not only been true, but said in a clear and calm manner. When the god brought up Vincent, she began to get angry, and then, when the very same god threatened to harm her Gregory, something in Pansy snapped and she stalked forward, power rolling off her in waves.

"Oh, no he will not! How dare you say that you need us and then threaten Gregory's life because he stated the truth? You will not be bound to either of us, and you will die down here in your stupid golden castle because you are a chauvinistic bastard who can't keep his cock in his pants! Don't you dare threaten Gregory because of your faults, do you understand me?"

The power that had been flowing out of her centralised and wrapped itself around Poseidon, bringing him to his knees in an instant.

"Amphitrite," he gasped, begging his wife to help him.

Her statue-like presence disappeared in an instant, and Amphitrite looked to him with fierce eyes.

"You really are an idiot, Poseidon. You could see that they were still hurting over the loss of their lover, and you still thought your power more than their grief to bring him up. You still don't know enough about humans, despite your bedding of seemingly every female that still has breath in her breast. Now, when you are weak and vulnerable, you ask for my help? Do you finally recognise my power as a goddess, as your wife, as the mother of your children, or perhaps you think me compassionate and foolish enough to free you from this just so that you can run off to the next filly and gain another conquest?"

By now, Amphitrite was standing over him, her words spilling out from her, the built up neglect and betrayal finally getting a release after their millennia together. The trident in Poseidon's hand shimmered, disappearing a second later to reappear in Amphitrite's grip. The moment it came into contact with her skin, her entire body began to glow a white as bright as foam in the ocean. The transfer of power was over in a matter of seconds, and she stood before them once more, the trident in her hand and a magnificent crown upon her head. Beside Amphitrite, Poseidon was still kneeling, and his crown was much smaller, signifying that his power had lessened.

Breathing out heavily in an attempt to keep her body from trembling at the overwhelming power it now had, Amphitrite sank down to her throne once more.

"What just happened?" Pansy asked, her power unwrapping from Poseidon's body and returning to her.

"I have been... promoted, I guess you could say. Poseidon is one of the oldest gods, and as such, he always had more power than me, to do with as he wished. Including running off and bedding anyone he wanted, whether they wanted him or not," Amphitrite added, glowering at her still cowering husband. "But now, thanks to both of you, I have the power to keep him from his lustful ways. If he wants sex, he will have to come to me," she said, sounding a bit gleeful at the prospect.

"You would still have him in your bed?" Gregory asked, surprised.

"Oh, I will eventually... He still has to suffer for the years of neglect he's put me through after pursuing me so relentlessly, but he is the only lover I've had, and I do enjoy his company when he's actually with me," Amphitrite added, looking to her husband.

Still on the floor, Poseidon was trembling slightly from the sudden reduction of his power, and he slowly made his way onto the throne beside his wife.

Looking to the two mortals before her, the very ones who had so much love and grief to bring her husband to his knees, Amphitrite sighed softly, wondering how she could convince them to bind with her and Poseidon.

"Do you mean it? You really will be able to keep Poseidon from pursuing other women?" Gregory asked.

Smiling brightly, Amphitrite nodded. "Oh, yes. I have already done so, and I can promise that he will not be lusting after anyone else."

Before Gregory could express his disbelief or uncertainty at her words, Pansy stepped forward, drawing Poseidon's attention to her. The moment he was looking at her, she let the jacket around her shoulders drop to the floor and she pulled her shirt up over her head. On seeing her bare torso, her breasts full and her nipples hard from the cold, Poseidon sat up a bit straighter, licking his lips. Before anyone could do anything more, Poseidon's whole body jolted in pain, and he was forced to look at Amphitrite.

"Oh, good, it worked. You can put your shirt back on now, dear girl," Amphitrite said with a nod to her.

Shivering slightly, Pansy hurried to do so. Gregory replaced the jacket around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her shoulder and wrapping his arms around Pansy's body to warm her once more.

"I'll do it, but only if you agree too. If that chauvinistic bastard tries anything, I will find a way to remove the binding and destroy him," Gregory said, his words harsh against Pansy's shoulder.

"You will be in a long line for that privilege, dear boy, but I understand your sentiments entirely," Amphitrite muttered. "And you, dear girl, do you agree to be bound to me?"

Her hands holding Greg's arms around her body, Pansy leant back against him as she surveyed the goddess before her. She was silent for a long time, but no one spoke or prompted her to answer.

"I agree, but on one condition... Unless both Gregory and I agree to it, neither of you are to use our bodies for sex."

"Agreed," Amphitrite replied immediately, nodding.

Poseidon took a moment longer, and by his pained expression, it was more than obvious that he was remembering the look of Pansy half-naked before him. "I agree," he finally said.

Both the god and goddess held their hands out to shake theirs and Gregory and Pansy stepped forward to accept their hands. The moment they did, Poseidon and Amphitrite began to melt into their skin, their power and minds merging together.

... b ...

Sunday, 21 July. Early morning.

His arms wrapped around his boyfriends, Seamus hugged them to his body tighter when he felt Blaise shivering in the cool morning air. A brief flash of green had vines pushing the blankets up off the floor and onto their bodies, Blaise sighing in content relief. Seamus frowned slightly, knowing that neither he nor Neville had moved the blanket. His mind still somewhere between sleep and awake, Seamus struggled to open his eyes and see who had covered them with the blanket.

"Terra? What're ye doin' 'ere?" he asked groggily, seeing the nymph at the end of the bed.

His words woke Neville, and a moment later, Blaise was awake too, yawning widely and muttering something about needing more sleep before another round of shagging. He noted Terra in the room and reddened slightly.

"I do apologise for waking you, but you are needed in the nymph world right away," Terra said softly.

Sighing, Neville nodded and turned to get his trousers off the floor.

"Not you, Neville. I actually require Seamus to come with me," she amended apologetically.

"What?" Seamus asked, wondering if he was still asleep and this was some very weird dream he was having. "Why do I need ter go ter the nymph world?"

"It's Char'maa. She's awake and asking for you. She is refusing to see anyone else," Terra said, sounding heartbroken.

Still confused, Seamus rubbed the back of his head. "Guess I've got no choice, do I?"

"Thank you. You may both come if you wish," Terra added to Neville and Blaise.

"'Course they're comin'; not goin' in there without 'em," Seamus muttered, grabbing their hands and squeezing tight.

"Right, of course we are. If you wouldn't mind giving us a moment to get dressed and somewhat decent, we'll be right out," Blaise offered, wide awake now.

Terra nodded gratefully, leaving the room as silently as she'd entered it.

"Any idea what this is about, Nev?" Blaise asked as he looked around the room for his scattered clothes.

"Not a clue. We'd best hurry; I'm not sure I want to keep the nymph of Fate waiting," Neville replied, pressing a kiss to Seamus' lips. "Come on, Irish, you need to get dressed too."

"Aye, I know," he muttered, pressing a hot kiss to Neville's shoulder. "When this is done, we'll be stayin' in that tree house and shaggin' Blaise silly, right?"

Neville chuckled when Blaise flopped back on the bed and groaned good-naturedly about already being shagged out. "You'll be changing your tune when we get there, I can promise you that," he said, leaning over to kiss Blaise upside down.

Grinning, Seamus ran his fingertips down Neville's spine teasingly. A knock at the door reminded them that they really had to go, and Seamus hurried to pull on a pair of pants and shirt. Neville moved away from Blaise who looked like he wanted to keep them both in bed despite his protests, and pulled on a shirt quickly.

They left into the corridor, Terra looking apologetic, even though she was smiling at them knowingly.

Neville held his hand out, Seamus and Blaise putting their hands on top of his. She covered their hands with her own, and the four of them disappeared.

... b ...

Her body well spent after the hours of sex Persephone and Hades had gone through, Ginevra had fallen asleep in Draco's arms, his body spooning against hers and his arm wrapped around her body protectively. Beginning to stir now, she yawned and looked at the time on the Muggle digital clock.

If it's earlier than five, I'm not opening my eyes, Draco muttered, sounding exhausted even in his mind.

"It's almost seven," Ginevra replied, kissing his arm gently.

She could feel him smirk against her shoulder, and Draco moved closer to her, his body pressed against her, and his erection nestled between her legs.

"Is Hades back already? Those two went at it like rabbits, I'm surprised he's got any energy left," Ginevra muttered.

Draco chuckled, kissing his way across her shoulder to her neck, finally taking her earlobe between his teeth and biting gently. "That's all me, love. Don't know about you, but I seem to have a sudden wealth of information that is all to do with pleasure," he murmured, his words hot in her ear.

Moaning softly, Ginevra gyrated her hips slowly, drawing out a long and torturous moan from Draco. "I think I do too," she said with a grin.

He moved his hands up to hold her breasts, but Ginevra slipped out of his grasp and got off the bed. Ignoring his look of betrayal, she leaned over to kiss him. "Come on, I want a shower. Take the Glamours off, I want to see you properly," she added.

Grinning when he realised her intentions, Draco took the Glamour off and hurried to follow Ginevra to the bathroom. The light overhead was bright, and the air in the bathroom was cold enough to have both of them covered in goose bumps. After turning on the shower, Ginevra turned and kissed Draco until the room was filled with steam and they were both warm. When she felt warm enough, she stepped back to look at Draco completely.

The tattoo she'd barely witnessed the night before was now much clearer to see. It was nothing more than black wisps, but they were wrapped around him as if smoky materials had taken purchase around Draco's body. His hair was still extremely long, and in her mind, she knew that Hades' hair was the same length, but black instead. His eyes were still the same silver colour, but as she'd seen last night, they had the ability to turn completely black while Hades was in control.

As she was surveying him, Draco did the same to Ginevra. She still looked the same, her body as familiar to him as his own. Apart from her hair, and the green eyes she'd sported the night before with Persephone in charge, it didn't look as though as much had changed with her as it had with him. A memory from Hades made Draco's gaze travel downwards, and he smirked slightly.

Surprised when Draco dropped to his knees before her, Ginevra didn't have time to ask what he was doing before he moved forward, his hands spreading her legs. She leaned back against the bathroom sink to accommodate him. He didn't kiss, lick, or tease her as she thought, but instead, ran his fingers along her inner thighs.

"Draco," she growled, glaring down at him.

He smirked up at her, moving back slightly so she could see what had him so amused. She had two tattoos on her thighs. The left thigh was adorned with a black outlined strand of wheat, and the right had a red circle with six perfect circles within it.

"She put them there so no one would see them," Ginevra murmured, touching the tattoos gently.

"No one but him," Draco replied, slightly surprised by how possessive he sounded.

Ginevra nodded, taking his hand from her knee to pull him up to her and kiss Draco passionately. He lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist, and carried her into the shower, pressing her up against the tiles and moving swiftly inside her. Tightening her ankles around his waist, Ginevra kept him as close to her body as possible. The tattoos on her thighs rubbed against the winding tattoo on Draco's hips, and she swore that she could feel sparks between them. The water cascaded down onto them, and Ginevra watched in fascination as the stream of water down Draco's chest seemed to affect the tattoo, the wisps moving like smoke in a breeze. She touched them lightly at first, but as their pace increased, she was soon raking her nails down Draco's chest and back, his entire body shuddering in response. Ginevra grinned, loving the power she had over him with such a simple motion, and kissed him eagerly, her breasts pressed against him. Draco's hands gripped her hips so tightly that she was sure she'd bruise, but her nails were digging into his shoulders as she moved in time with his rhythm, so Ginevra couldn't bring herself to complain. She felt the beginnings of her orgasm soon, and knew that she wouldn't be able to draw it out even if she wanted to. Riding him faster, Ginevra cried out Draco's name as she found her release. She leaned against his chest as he continued to thrust inside her, pressing a few light kisses to Draco's neck before her fangs pierced the skin. As she bit him and began to Drink, he orgasmed hard inside Ginevra, his fangs biting into her wrist.

She grinned at him, her lips stained with blood, and kissed him once more, slowly sliding her legs down to stand up properly. Still kissing her, Draco lifted her and pulled out of her body, his hands sliding down Ginevra's sides gently. Humming her appreciation, Ginevra flicked her tongue against his lips and pulled away.

"Move back under the water," she murmured, edging him back carefully.

Completely submerged beneath the shower's spray, Draco felt his hair getting very heavy, and winced at the feeling.

"We'll have to do this in the bath next time," Ginevra said, squeezing a generous amount of shampoo onto his wet head.

Draco would have replied, but then she began to massage the lotion into his hair, and the feeling was so soothing that he promptly forgot whatever it was he was going to say. She manoeuvred him around so his back was facing her, and then Ginevra began to wash his hair slowly, her fingers threading through the long locks and squeezing the excess shampoo out at the end. When wet, his hair reached his feet, and Ginevra smiled at the sight of the long straight strands falling down his back like a waterfall. When his hair was completely washed, she gathered it into three thick strands and plaited it quickly before moving it aside and started to wash his back with the washcloth he passed her. Her hands stroked his backside gently, and with a mischievous grin, Ginevra squeezed his buttocks.

"I'll have to punish you if you do that again, Ginevra," Draco said, his voice deep and low.

Kissing her way up his spine, she grinned to herself. "I'll be glad to take any punishment you think worthy of such a heinous crime," Ginevra murmured, pinching his buttocks once more.

He growled, a fierce sound in the back of his throat, turning around to trap her against the shower wall, his hands on either side of her head.

She grinned up at him, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "How shall I be punished?" Ginevra asked sultrily.

Draco kissed her harshly, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip, his hands rough against her skin. Before she could respond in kind, he picked her up and carried her out to the bedroom, dropping her naked and wet body on the mattress. She gasped at the sudden sensation, the sound swallowed by Draco's mouth covering hers, his entire body hovering above her before he sank into her once more. Grinning, Ginevra lifted her lips up to meet his, deciding that this punishment was more than acceptable.

... b ...

Stepping into the store, Julianne was surprised to see Agnes waiting at the counter.

"You received a letter from the twins as well?" Julianne asked as she approached her.

"Hello to you too, dear sister," Agnes said with a smile. "To answer your question, yes I did. They said that they required to meet me, and were kind enough to suggest the meeting time after nightfall," she added.

"They said the same to me. Have you seen them yet? Are they all right?"

"We're fine, actually," George said from behind the counter with a grin.

"We didn't know you cared so much, Jules!" Fred added dramatically.

"Very funny. What's this all about? I've got a sulking husband sitting around at home, and a hunt to prepare for," she said.

"We won't keep you long," George reassured both of them.

"We just want to know if you've seen our sister," Fred said.

"We haven't talked with Ginevra since before we turned evil, and we haven't been able to get in contact with her since yesterday at the funerals," they said in unison.

"I'm sorry, but I do not know where they are anymore than you do," Agnes said, shaking her head.

"Have you checked the Muggle world? They were there before that incident at St. Mungo's," Julianne suggested.

The twins looked at each other with frowns, then back to her. "We haven't heard of Ginevra and Draco owning some place in the Muggle world. What do you know?"

Jules went to reply, but found that no noise left her mouth. She couldn't speak, nor reveal what she knew about the house that Draco had flown from, so obviously had to be close to the magical barrier.

Both Ginevra and Draco will be at St. Mungo's later this afternoon. They will be talking with Bart, Luna informed them. You could have simply asked, she added with a slight frown.

We tried! they both protested immediately. But Colin blocked us out.

We were busy, and Luna wasn't able to think straight in the first place, let alone tell you two anything about Ginevra, Colin muttered.

"If that is all you wanted to ask, why bring us here?" Agnes asked, drawing them away from the internal conversation they were having.

"Well, we also got a few things from our supplier that we thought you'd be interested in," George said.

Fred grinned wickedly as he closed the shop with a flick of his wand and led them to the rooms at the back of the store.

... b ...

On arriving to Karma's branch in the Healing Tree, Seamus wasn't expecting to be attacked by the nymph, much less prepared for the way she wrapped herself around his body and hugged him so tight that he couldn't breathe properly.

"Get off of him!" Blaise said, hurrying to pull the nymph off Seamus.

He was treated to an angry glare, and Karma wrenched herself away from Blaise, moving to sit next to Seamus and hug him again.

"What's she doin' this for?" Seamus asked, looking up at Neville in confusion.

"You woke me up, you're mine now. And I'm yours too," Karma said, all but purring as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

"Nev? Bit o' help wouldn't go astray," Seamus said in a pained voice.

"Karma, you should probably sit up and explain yourself properly. Seamus doesn't know what's going on. Neither do I for that matter," Neville muttered to Blaise.

Karma pouted but reluctantly sat up again, keeping her hand on Seamus's arm even as he moved to stand up.

"I heard Seamus' voice when he said my name while I was sleeping, and I followed it back here to wake up again," she replied simply. "Now, we belong to each other."

"Did that sleep knock the sense out of ye? I don't belong to ye!" Seamus said, pulling away from her sharply.

"But you woke me up," Karma said, frowning in confusion.

"That don't mean a thing," Seamus muttered, brushing off his shirt and pants with a glower. "I wake Nev and Blaise up all the time, but that means something else entirely."

Blaise tugged Seamus over to him, not liking the way the nymph was staring at Seamus at all.

"Actually, in the nymph world, if someone's woken up like this, it means that their lives are entwined in some way," Neville explained. "It doesn't mean sexually, or even romantically, but it seems that Karma's got it into her head that you belong to each other."

"Seamus belongs to us, not her," Blaise hissed.

"Just a mite protective there, Blaise?" Seamus asked, trying not to grin too broadly.

"I think it's an affect of the nymph atmosphere," Neville replied, frowning slightly at the jealous and protective look on Blaise's face.

"We'd better get him ter yer tree afore he does somethin' stupid then," Seamus replied jovially.

A loud wail sounded behind them, and they all looked at Karma in surprise.

"You can't leave me here! You can't bring me back and then go!"

"Ye can go with yer grandmother; Terra'll look after ye," Seamus said.

"No, I want to go with you! He said our lives are entwined, that means I have to go with you!" Karma protested, pointing an accusatory finger at Neville.

"He didn't say that at all, you ..." Blaise's words were cut off by Seamus' hand.

"Take it easy, Blaise. I ain't goin' anywhere with anyone other than ye and Nev, got it?"

Blaise smirked beneath his palm, his tongue flicking out against his skin lightly.

"Nev, ye'd better take us outta here before I start shaggin' him right on this branch," Seamus groaned, the pheromones in the atmosphere affecting him in a very different way to Blaise.

"Right... Terra," Neville called, the curtain of leaves parting a second later. "We have to go. They're not handling the sudden arrival here as well as I'd hoped. Karma followed Seamus' voice here, and thinks that they belong to each other... Oh, fuck," he muttered, seeing Blaise and Seamus snogging as if their lives depended on it.

Behind them, Karma's eyes had widened comically, and she was staring at the scene before her, her face pale.

"Sorry, Terra. I'll talk to you later," Neville said, hurrying to disappear with Blaise and Seamus before they really did shag and desecrate the Healing Tree.

They'd barely landed in Neville's room in the tree before Blaise pulled him against his body, all three naked with nothing more than a thought. Seamus grinned and kissed Blaise once again, deciding that he really liked this world.

... b ...

Bart was confined to his bed both with magic and straps. He was the consort and slave of a Vampiress, and the magic that held him was just weak enough for him to escape from, as the Healers had discovered the hard way. The straps were harder to break, especially after using so much of his power to get past the magical binds, but Bart was wearing them down slowly.

He had to get back to his Mistress. She was somewhere out there without him, and he needed her just as he was sure that she needed him! Besides, if he wasn't with her, then someone else might be, and he couldn't let that happen. She was his, she had promised that she loved him, even more than that filthy husband of her, and he needed to get back to him so she could reaffirm their love together.

The door to his room opened, and he stilled immediately, feigning sleep.

"Pretending to be asleep? What an amateur," a voice muttered in disappointment.

"Didn't even keep his breathing steady at all," another similar voice echoed.

"Oi, open your eyes. We know you're awake, you dolt," the two voices said at the same time.

Cautious and wary, Bart opened his eyes slowly. Two identical faces were peering down at him, both with hair the same shade of red as his Mistress. He recognised the twins, frowning as he tried to place them.

That's right, they were the ones that threatened his Mistress. He'd scarred them for their insolence...

"Where's my Mistress?" Bart demanded, glaring at them the best he could while still bound down.

"Dead, hopefully," they replied with grins.

His eyes widened at the thought, and he tried to reach out to Virginia with his mind as she'd taught him to find where she was or if she was still alive. Bart couldn't feel her presence at all. Stopping trying to use his power to get out of his binds, he frantically used it to try and prove the twins wrong.

His Mistress was alive; she had to be!

It took almost ten minutes, and the remaining drops of his power, but Bart finally found her. He smiled in relief, his smile fading when Virginia pushed him away sharply and disappeared once more. Bart didn't have enough power to try to follow her, and he was too exhausted to try and get out of his binds.

"Let me go, I have to go to my Mistress!"

"Where is she, Bart?"

"We can get her for you."

"We'll bring her back for you."

"Just tell us where she is."

The twins continued like this for a good five minutes, breaking him down. He was too exhausted to fight them off, too worried about his beloved Mistress to realise that they had threatened her before, and finally, he gave in.

"My Mistress has disappeared, but she is probably with Ric in the Andes. My Mistress sent him there after he failed to break Ginevra," Bart muttered with a grin. "You will bring my Mistress back to me, won't you?"

"Of course we will," George said.

"We'll bring her back piece by piece," Fred added with a sneer.

Bart's distraught screams followed them out of the hospital room, and they shut the door behind them firmly, blocking any noise from filtering out.

"What are you two doing here?" Draco asked, surprised to see the twins standing outside of Bart's door.

"Hello, Draco! We're fine, thanks for asking," Fred said sarcastically.

"Oh, sod off," he muttered.

"We just came for a little chat with our favourite knife-wielding, vampiress-obsessed minion," George added, sneering.

"What did you do to him?" Ginevra asked, sighing heavily.

Fred and George ignored her question for the moment, moving forward to gather their sister up in a hug.

"We've missed you, dearest sister."

"Missed you too. Now let me down and tell me what you did."

Placing Ginevra on her feet once more, they took the time to brush off her robes and pick invisible pieces of lint from her shoulders.

"Oh, nothing much," Fred replied off-handedly when Ginevra glared.

"We just broke him," George said.

"And found out where Ric's hiding, probably with Virginia."

Not expecting that sort of answer, Ginevra looked between them, blinking in surprise.

"Really?" Draco asked, stunned.

"Have you ever seen such little faith in us, Gred?" Fred asked with a shake of his head.

"I suppose we should just keep the information to ourselves then, Forge," George replied, sighing heavily and turning away from Ginevra and Draco.

"You'd better be joking," Draco said with a glare.

"You know what we want to hear," Fred and George said, looking at Ginevra.

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine... You're both brilliant geniuses of epic proportions, and I am awed at your power. Now can you please tell me?"

Grinning broadly, they nodded. "He's holed up in the Andes mountain range."

"That's it? You realise that thing's seven thousand freaking kilometres long? How are we meant to find him in all of that?" Ginevra asked.

Fred and George faltered, not knowing how to answer. The silencing spell broke behind them, and Bart's hoarse screams filtered out of the room.

"Time to go," the twins said quickly, grabbing Ginevra and Draco's hands and Disapparating before they could be discovered.

... b ...

Millicent paced around Theodore's office, glancing to the door every time she heard footsteps. Finally, after what felt like her hundredth circle around the small space, the door opened and Theodore walked in.

"You're two hours late," Millicent said, crossing her arms as she glowered at him.

"I'm sorry, Mill. One of the patients decided that trying to bite their bandages off was better than getting their arm healed," Theodore muttered, shaking his head.

He moved to her, kissing her gently and smiling. She sighed, knowing she couldn't stay angry at him for long.

"Fine, you're forgiven. Let's go before someone decides that you're needed again," Millicent said, taking his hand.

Theodore nodded quickly, grinning slightly as he Apparated according to Luna's instructions.

Arriving at their destination a moment later, Theodore and Millicent walked up the lane to their new house. There were very few houses in the cul-de-sac, and a large forest loomed up behind the houses on all sides.

"They're here, they're here!"

Surprised at the loud and sudden voice, Millicent almost jumped out of her skin. Seeing a small boy running towards a house, she muttered something about loud children to Theodore. In a matter of moments, the owners of all of the houses were out on the street, welcoming Millicent and Theodore to their small neighbourhood.

"Sorry, but what's going on here? We were only told the address, not that they'd be quite such a ... fanfare of people welcoming us here," Theodore said, trying not to offend his new neighbours already.

One of the men chuckled, clapping him on the back. "Your little friend sent word here about five months ago that we'd have a new wolf in the pack by mid-year. The kids have been hanging out for a new wolf ever since they heard the news."

Theodore looked to Millicent, who was surrounded by a large group of children, all of them talking to her animatedly. She looked slightly overwhelmed at all of the attention, and he thanked the man before moving to get to Millicent's side.

Realising just how full-on their children could be to strangers - especially ones not used to being around children - the mothers hurried to gather their offspring and herd them back to their homes.

"No whinging now. Let them get settled in..."

"We'll have a barbecue later. Hope you like your steak rare!" one of the women called over her shoulder, ushering two of the children away, despite their protests.

"All right, Mill?" Theodore asked.

"Yeah, a bit better now... Great, and now I want steak for dinner," Millicent groaned. "Come on, let's get inside before one of the cubs tries to ambush us again."

He chuckled, kissing her cheek before taking her hand and leading her to the house at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Seeing that a letter was already in their letterbox, Theodore grabbed it on the way in. Millicent grinned, her cheeks bright as she lifted him and carried Theodore over the threshold. Theodore laughed against her shoulder, kissing her as he closed the door behind them.

"You want to read your letter while I go see what we've got for dinner?" Theodore offered.

She nodded, setting Theodore on his feet once more. Kissing him again, Millicent took the envelope from him and nudged him away gently.

"Go on. I'll take the bags upstairs," Millicent said with a nod, patting her pockets.

"Right. I'll be up soon," he said, smiling as he went to find the kitchen.

Millicent broke the seal on the envelope as she headed upstairs to where she presumed their bedroom would be. Leaving the letter for a moment as she explored the second floor, Millicent found the master bedroom easily enough. She grinned when she saw the ensuite attached, a large bath inside.

We've got steak and potatoes for dinner. I can do up chips or mash, what do you prefer? Theodore asked.

Mash'll be fine. We've got a bath. A really, really big bath. A 'we can fit the whole street in this bath and still have room' bath, Millicent said excitedly.

Sounds great. Except for the whole 'fitting the street in the bath part'. I'd prefer to bathe with you alone, Mill, he said with a chuckle.

Millicent shook her head and pulled the bags out of her pockets. Undoing the spell on them, she flicked her wand at the bags, clothes flying from the bags and into the wardrobes quickly. Heading downstairs again, Millicent found the kitchen towards the back of the house. Theodore was putting steaks on a tray for the oven, so she went to the back door to see where it led. There was a garden and a path that lead in to the forest.

"What did the letter say?"

Theodore's words made her realise that it was still in her hand, and she looked at the letter quickly. Millicent frowned, reading the letter once more. "I've got a job interview next week at the Ministry."

"Seriously?" Theodore said, hurrying over to take the parchment and read the letter. "Looks like Luna organised it."

"Luna really knows how to set things up," Millicent muttered, fanning herself with her hand weakly.

"Well, if we've got some chives, I reckon I can spice up the mash. We'll celebrate in style," he said, grinning.

She laughed, hugging him tightly. "I love you, Theo."

"Love you too, Mill."

... b ...

Parvati dodged the sword that was swung at her, the whoosh of air passing by a testament to just how close she'd come to being cut. Moving back a few paces, she sent a hex at her opponent, who managed to avoid being hit, despite their close proximity. At Parvati's loud and shrill whistle, more hexes began to fly towards them, the rest of the students converging around them and attacking each other in a closer proximity as if it were a real battle.

The fight was brief but intense. No one had really picked a side to fight on, but nonetheless the victors stood above the fallen in the end and called themselves the winners. Padma was surprised to see that her twin was one of the victims, and looked up to see Sally Ann bloody Perks standing above Parvati, the widest grin on her face that she'd ever seen.

"You got beaten by Sally Ann, Parv? I'm both impressed and disappointed," Padma said with a grin, heading over to her.

"Oh, do shut up, Padma," she muttered. "You taught her too well if she can beat me."

"That's the point, dearest sister. Come on, let's get showered and I'll bandage your wounds for you," Padma offered, kissing her cheek as she helped Parvati off the ground.

At her words, the rest of the students began to disperse and head back to the castle, a few people congratulating Sally Ann loudly and talking of a celebration. As Padma helped her off the ground, Parvati winced as a stinging sensation came from her arm. Looking down, she noticed a few red stains on her shirt that hadn't been there before.

"We're still training at the same time tomorrow morning! Don't turn up with hangovers, you twits, or I'll make you regret it!" Padma yelled after them.

Parvati snorted. "Like that lot know where to get alcohol from."

"Looks like we turned up right on time, eh, Gred?" Fred asked, grinning broadly.

Padma and Parvati looked over to see Fred and George walking over from the Hogsmeade path, Draco and Ginevra with them.

"Sounds right to me, Forge. You'll catch up to the students with our little elixirs?"

"Yeah, you look after Parv. Coming, Padma?" Fred asked with a grin, offering her his arm.

When she was sure that George had hold of Parvati properly, Padma accepted Fred's offered arm and kissed him eagerly.

"You took your time getting back to us," she muttered against his lips.

"So sorry, dearest, we had a knife-wielding idiot to break," Fred said.

"Ooh, do tell," Padma said brightly as they headed after the students.

"You want help, George?" Draco asked, stepping forward.

He shook his head and lifted Parvati into his arms gently. "I'm fine, thanks. Looks like you've got a visitor," George added, nodding behind him.

"Ginevra!" Relo's excited call came a moment later, and in a matter of seconds, he was wrapped around her neck, hugging her tightly.

"Hello Relo. I've missed you," Ginevra said, hugging him back.

George carried Parvati to the castle, laying her down on the bed carefully. Removing her shirt, he healed the numerous cuts on her body, applying a healing salve to them when his spells were finished.

Hearing Relo's excited chatter entering Ginevra's rooms, George grinned slightly, but closed the bedroom door nonetheless, and sat with his patient to ensure Parvati would be all right.

... b ...

Lettie woke up slowly, her body warm and comfortable. Sighing in content, she snuggled down further under her blankets. Realising that she was naked, and there was an unfamiliar weight on the bed beside her, Lettie opened her eyes to find that Miles was next to her. Peeking under the blanket, her cheeks red, Lettie saw that he was just as naked as she was. Memories of the night before hit her all at once, and she had to bite back a lustful moan as she remembered just what they'd done, what he'd done, and oh dear gods, what she'd done.

She'd been wanton and desperate whereas he'd been gentle, and he'd spent hours teasing her, loving her, whispering words of love and adoration as she begged him for everything and more. He'd promised it all, and he had delivered on his promise well into the morning.

Miles felt Lettie stiffen in his arms and he opened his eyes to see her face flushed and looking decidedly embarrassed. He attempted a smile, brushing her hair back from her face and kissing her slowly, lovingly. Keeping their bodies a distance apart so she couldn't feel just how much lying beside her affected him, and thinking him some sort of perverted sex-maniac, Miles drew away from the kiss gently.

"Are you well, Lettie?"

She nodded briefly. "I cannot believe how wantonly I acted last night. Or this morning," Lettie added, hiding her face against his shoulder.

Blinking in surprise - the embarrassment was for her own actions? he wondered - Miles shook his head and moved her back so he could look at her.

"You should never apologise for being such a brilliant - or vocal - lover, Lettie. I enjoyed every single second more than you'll know," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her lips.

Lettie didn't seem to believe him, and with a quick grin, Miles moved closer to her so she could feel him against her. Her eyes seemed to widen and she licked her lips gently. Miles barely held his control in check and Lettie could see a range of emotions flitting across his face, even as she felt him enlarge against her thigh.

"You really mean it, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"Every single word, my beloved Lettie," Miles promised, kissing her once more.

... b ...

Sitting in the shade of the villa's balcony, Virginia watched as the sun set. She could imagine Helios drawing his chariot across the sky, flame-burdened horses leading the chariot as much as the charioteer was leading the immortal beasts. She smirked a little, lifting her goblet of blood and rum in mock salute to the gods in their heavens above.

"Soon, you shall have a new goddess reigning. One whose beauty rivals that even of the great Aphrodite. One who even Zeus himself will drop to his knees before to worship and revere," she murmured, drinking the liquid concoction.

When it was completely drained, the goblet held loosely in her hand, Virginia turned and dragged the mortal's dying body inside her room to refill her drink.

Soon, her army would be ready to fight not only Ginevra and her useless friends, but the gods themselves. Her army's victory would leave her sitting atop Mount Olympus, and she would finally be worshipped as she ought to have been since her birth.

... b ...

End of the thirty-third chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

... b ...

Monday, 22 July

Blaise smirked to himself as Seamus groaned, and continued to press hot kisses up along his spine.

"If ye don't stop teasin' me an' actually do som'thin', I'll... I'll... Ah, fuck. I donnae. Just hurry up," Seamus groaned.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm intrigued to know what you'll do if I stop," Blaise said, sitting back on his heels and grinning over Seamus' shoulder to Neville, who had his shirt hanging off his frame loosely and was waiting for Seamus' response too.

"Ye're both righ' bastards. Teases and bastards, the both of ye," Seamus growled, getting off the bed and pulling Neville to him by the waistband of his pants.

"I can live with that," Neville said, grinning widely.

Blaise shook his head and followed Seamus off the bed, unbuttoning his own shirt in the process. He'd just gotten Seamus onto the bloody bed, and he went and got off the damn thing again!

A loud crash sounded outside of their room, and his mind still hazy from kisses, Neville pulled away from Seamus reluctantly. "What was that noise?"

"It's pr'ly just the twins. Y'know how they get aft'r a trainin' session."

"It's not even four o'clock yet. They don't finish training until nine at least," Neville replied with a frown.

Seamus muttered a few obscene words under his breath, stalking over to the door and opening it aggressively. Seeing nothing in the hallway, a frown began to form across his face. Adjusting his pants briefly, Seamus stalked out of the bedroom and followed the direction of the noise. Neville was beside him a moment later, with Blaise a few steps after them, pulling on a pair of pants that probably weren't his own and were definitely inside out.

"It's coming from the meeting room," Neville said, frowning when he saw the closed door.

He didn't know of any forest animals that could open and close a door behind them, at least, none that could do so without making noise. If Grawp had come to visit for some reason, they would have heard him long before he'd made his way into the meeting room.

Blaise opened the door with a powerful kick of his hooves, Seamus and Neville rushing in with their wands drawn.

"What on earth are ye doin' 'ere?" Seamus asked, his eyes wide on seeing the source of the noise.

Looking slightly guilty, Karma stopped playing with Lyra the miniature dragon and climbed down from the rafters. By the time she'd made it to the ground once more, Karma looked quite affronted at Seamus' question.

"I followed you," Karma replied, wondering why he was asking such a stupid question.

"Why would you do that?" Neville asked.

Behind them Blaise was glowering daggers at the young nymph.

"Because my fate is entwined with his," she replied simply, moving to the side to avoid Blaise's glare. "I'm staying and you can't make me go back!" she added adamantly.

"Terra's going to be sick with worry," Neville muttered, sighing heavily.

"I left a note," Karma said. She stated this with the conviction of one who believes that a few written words could lessen her grandmother's worry and emotional anguish on discovering her granddaughter gone again, especially so soon after getting her back from Voldemort's capture.

"You can't stay here," Neville replied.

"Yes I can, and I will! I am staying!" she said, scowling at him.

Neville sighed, shaking his head at her stubborn behaviour. "Keep her here for a moment while I contact Terra," he murmured to Seamus. "You might want to work on getting your emotions under control, Blaise," he added on seeing the fierce look on the centaur's face.

"Fine. But when I get back, she'd better not be here," Blaise growled, turning and leaving for the Forbidden Forest quickly.

Neville sighed softly, and his thumbs glowed green before he disappeared to the nymph world.

Karma moved closer to Seamus, smiling widely.

... b ...

Lettie simply stared at Miles, unable to think, to process his words, to really and truly understand what he was asking her. The feeling didn't fade, even though there was a vague realisation that he was watching her, waiting for an answer.

"I-I have to go. My Lady needs me," Lettie said, never more grateful to feel Ginevra's presence than in that moment.

A thought had her disappearing instantly, and Miles stood up slowly, his fingers curling around the small box before returning it to his pocket.

"You called me, my Lady?" Lettie asked.

It was the first time she'd seen Ginevra since the funeral, and she was surprised to discover that her Lady had even more power than before.

No, that wasn't right, Lettie corrected herself. It wasn't more power. Her power was just more controlled now. She looked as though she could make entire forests and crops wilt and die with just a thought.

"Are you all right, Lettie?" Ginevra asked. "I could feel your emotions even from here, and as far as I could tell, they weren't pleasant."

"Where is here?" Lettie asked, looking around and hoping to avoid the question.

They weren't in Muggle London, that was more than obvious by the lack of buildings. In fact, the trees surrounding them looked familiar.

"We're in the Forbidden Forest. Draco and I wanted to go out hunting. Now answer my question, Lettie. What's wrong?" Ginevra asked again, stepping forward to her.

For a moment, Lettie contemplated not telling her Lady. She had no idea what Ginevra would say, what she would do, and there was a gnawing pit in her stomach that held nothing but terror for the outcome of this conversation.

"Miles has asked for my hand in marriage," she said quietly.

"That's wonderful, Lettie!" Ginevra said, smiling brightly. Then her smile faded when Lettie didn't seem as excited as she thought she would. "Isn't it?"

Lettie opened her mouth a few times, trying to put her confused thoughts and emotions into words unsuccessfully.

"I... I don't want to leave you, my Lady. I cannot serve you if I am not here," she finally said. "And what sort of wife would I be if I were to spend all of my time here, rather than with my husband?"

Ginevra seemed surprised by her reasoning, and thought for a long while, her face creased in a frown. Lettie didn't dare to interrupt her silence.

"Do you want to be married to Miles, Lettie? Or are you just using me as an excuse to avoid marriage?"

"No, I would never do that, my Lady. I love him, I truly do," Lettie said quickly.

"But?"

Hesitating for a moment, Lettie sighed before answering, her legs feeling weak and her body trembling. "The commitment terrifies me. He proposed with a ring that belonged to his grandmother; it's a ring that's probably a thousand years old! I ... I don't want to be married while this war is going on. What if... what if I die? Worse, what if he dies? I won't be able to control myself," she said softly, her hand moving to the choker around her neck. "I love him too much to marry him just yet. If there's no commitment, then maybe it will hurt less."

"Do you truly believe that, Lettie? You think that being married to Miles will hurt you more than not being with him?"

A sob escaped Lettie then, tears trailing down her cheeks, and her legs gave up on her. She collapsed to the ground, her head in her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. Ginevra moved over to her, dropping to her knees so she could hug Lettie gently.

... b ...

Draco flew through the Forbidden Forest, his wings close to his body to avoid from snagging on tree branches. He'd felt when Lettie had arrived, feeling her confused emotions clearly. Draco had wanted to see her, but Ginevra had told him to stay away for the moment as she had to talk to Lettie privately.

Come on, Veelan. I'm going to beat you at this rate!

Draco grinned slightly at Blaise's words and shot forward, glancing to the side where the centaur was running between the trees and jumping over fallen branches. Draco had found Blaise hunting earlier, anger and jealousy clouding his mind, and Draco had challenged him to a race, hoping to give his best friend something else to focus on.

They continued through the forest, Blaise dodging trees at the last second and Draco flying every which way to avoid being hit by the large and low hanging branches. As focused as they were on their race and the trees around them, neither Blaise nor Draco noticed the centaur to the side of the path until they'd already passed her. Stopping abruptly, his wings trembling at the sudden readjustment, Draco dropped to the ground, his wings disappearing with a thought. Up ahead, Blaise had come to a sudden stop as well, his hooves making four deep grooves in the forest floor. He turned and hurried back to where Draco was waiting and they both went down the path to where the centaur was waiting patiently.

"My King, Blaise. Elin is asking after you," the female centaur said, leading them away from the path and into a nearby clearing.

Blaise paused at the edge of the clearing, unsure as to whether he would be allowed to enter, despite the fact that Bane was no longer alive nor a threat to the female centaurs.

"Come inside, Blaise," Elin called.

A feeling of relief flowed through him and Blaise stepped inside the clearing carefully. He stopped short, blinking a few times in surprise on seeing the large clearing. Tree branches had been pulled and adjusted to form tent-like areas for the women to sleep in. Most were covered with a smattering of flowers, screens obscuring him from looking inside any further, but a few were open and he spotted an array of arrows, bows and quivers.

"We had to keep our weapons handy, especially during the spring mating rituals," the female centaur spat. "Some of the more desperate centaurs didn't respect our boundaries."

Unsure how to respond, Blaise just nodded and stayed silent. Elin was sitting before a large tree, her tent adorned with the brightest flowers. She still looked tired from the ordeal Relo had put her through, but her eyes were clear and calm.

"I was planning on sending one of the centaurs to enquire after you, but you came here before I could do so. I am glad to see that you are well, Blaise," Elin said, smiling slightly. Then her smile faded, replaced with a frown. "What on earth happened to make you go crashing about the forest in the way you were?"

Blaise hesitated for a moment. His earlier possessive and jealous feelings had faded after his race with Draco, and he felt somewhat ridiculous about everything.

"A nymph has taken a liking to one of my boyfriends. She followed us here from the nymph world and refuses to leave," Blaise said reluctantly.

"That must be very frustrating," Elin said, surprising him with her sympathetic tone.

"Yes, it is. Neville is talking to the nymph's grandmother in an attempt to get her to make her see reason and leave us alone."

"Oh, I am not sure that will happen," Elin said carefully, aware of how tumultuous Blaise's feelings were at that moment. "Nymphs are known for their trickery and seductive ways. You have not left your boyfriend alone with her, have you?"

Blaise's paling face was answer enough, and with a quick goodbye over his shoulder, he ran out of the clearing and headed back towards Hogwarts.

"I am glad that you are well, Elin. I'm sorry I cannot stay longer. I think it would be best if I went after Blaise," Draco said with a quick bow.

"Of course. Look after him, Draconius. He may not seem capable of it, but Blaise might just destroy the world with his emotions," Elin said.

Draco gave a nod that, but was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to truly process her words, or hear the warning in her tone.

... b ...

"Mr. Ollivander?" Parvati said, too stunned to say anything other than his name.

"You're meant to be dead. How are you here? And alive, at that?" Padma demanded, not quite as surprised as her twin.

"And how on earth are you still alive with Fred and George looking after you?" Parvati muttered, making Ollivander laugh.

Fred and George let out a cry of indignation, looking offended at her accusation. "We've been looking after him very well, we'll have you know!" they said, arms folded across their chests.

Ollivander chuckled again, and nodded in their defence. "They have been looking after me superbly. In fact, it feels like they haven't left me alone in weeks! They ought to have a night off," he added, giving the two men a half-hearted glare.

Parvati and Padma glanced at each other, a slight grin on the latter's lips. Her twin seemed surprised at the meaning behind her grin, but Parvati gave a brief nod in return nonetheless.

"Well, as Mr. Ollivander deserves a night off from looking after you two," Padma said. She ignored Fred and George's noises, continuing without skipping a beat, "Parvati and I will be taking you out."

"We'll make sure to have them back tomorrow morning, Mr. Ollivander," Parvati added with a smile.

"Yeah, so don't wait up," Padma said with a broad smirk.

"Yes, yes. Take them away so I can finally make a proper cup of tea," Ollivander said, a smile tugging at his lips.

"You said my tea wasn't that bad!" Fred exclaimed.

"I also said that it wasn't that good," Oscar said, chuckling now. "Go on, before your lovely ladies change their minds," he said, shooing them away.

"Bye, Ollivander!" George called over his shoulder, the three echoing his farewell quickly.

"Don't see what's so wrong about putting the milk in after the tea anyway," Fred muttered to George as they let Parvati and Padma lead them outside.

"Best not to argue it, Forge. He's been making tea since before our grandparents were born," George said, patting Fred's shoulder sympathetically.

As they stepped outside and the door closed behind them, Ollivander's cottage disappeared from their fields of vision entirely. George gave a small shudder, the sensation never failing to send a shiver up his spine.

Fred sighed heavily and gave a sombre nod. Then he smiled suddenly, turning to Padma and Parvati. "So where are you taking us?" he asked curiously.

"You'll see when we get there," Padma said promptly, answering before Parvati could ruin the surprise.

"Don't like the sound of that, Gred," Fred muttered.

George just shook his head in agreement. Parvati and Padma just smiled and held out their hands for the two men to take. Gingerly, Fred and George reached forward and took their hands. A familiar pulling sensation indicated that they were Disapparating, but the familiarity did little to lessen their worry about their destination.

... b ...

"Good morning, Mademoiselle Bulstrode. You 'ave been expected. Please, go up to ze top level," the greeting witch said with a warm smile as Millicent walked inside.

Millicent thanked her, working on calming her nerves as she walked over to the elevators. The French Ministry was the second-largest Ministry in Europe, second only to the British one. There was such a competition between the two that Millicent had honestly been expecting some sort of hostility on arriving, as if the French witches and wizards were going to drive her out of the building with blazing wands. So far, everything seemed fine. Perhaps it was because she and Theodore were living on the outskirts of France now, rather than in Britain? But there was still the interview to get through, and Millicent still wasn't entirely sure what position she was interviewing for in the first place! Though she was exceptionally glad that the elevator was similar to the one in the British Ministry, Millicent's hopes were dashed when she realised that the signs were all written in French. She hadn't spoken French in years, and if she tried now, she'd probably insult someone.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Bulstrode. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I 'ave 'eard so much about you," a wizard said as she stepped out of the lift.

Just what the hell had Luna told them? Millicent wondered, forcing herself to shake the man's offered hand and smile, gods' damn it. Smile.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't heard a thing about you."

"Of course, of course. Mademoiselle Lovegood did mention that zis was a surprise for you. Come through, and you'll meet ze rest of ze team," the wizard said, ushering her down the hallway.

Introductions flew by at a rapid pace, and Millicent just hoped that these people wore name badges, or else she'd forget all of their names by the time her interview was over.

"Now zat you 'ave met everyone, I will show you to your desk," the wizard - who had introduced himself as Luc somewhere along the way - said, smiling brilliantly and guiding Millicent away again.

"Sorry to ask, but what exactly is the job?" Millicent asked, hoping that she hadn't already blown her interview before it had even started.

"It is a job to keep ze records clear. You will be required to go through newspapers from all around ze world and file ze information. It may sound like a ... how you say, tedious? ... oui, a tedious job to some, but from what Luna has told us of you, it would be a job zat you would enjoy. Yes?" Luc asked, sounding hopeful for a positive answer.

Millicent managed a smile and gave a quick nod, despite her reservations. She had enjoyed listening to the gossip at Hogwarts, but Pansy was the one who liked to organise things. Wouldn't she be more suited to this job?

"Now, ze records keeper is a miserable old goat, but do not let 'im bother you. If he does, then come to me, and I will sort 'im out," Luc promised.

"All right," Millicent said with a nod.

"Ah, speak of ze devil," Luc muttered, seeing someone up ahead. "Noel!" he called, hurrying after the man.

Millicent increased her pace to catch up, wondering just why Luc was almost running after a man that looked old (and slow) enough to be her long-dead great-great grandfather. Noel was walking down the corridor at a slow pace, but no matter how fast she and Luc ran, he always seemed to be a few metres ahead of them.

"Come on, Luc. You are embarrassing yourself in front of ze girl! Run faster!" Noel called, laughing wildly as he entered an elevator, the doors closing just as they reached them.

"I am so very sorry about zat. He usually lets me introduce him to people before he does zat to me," Luc said, looking to the elevator doors and swearing about Noel softly in French.

"It's all right. I'm sure I'll meet him eventually if I get the job," Millicent said with a smile.

Luc seemed confused about her statement. "What do you mean 'if you get ze job'? Did Luna not tell you?" he asked, trailing off. "You are not 'ere for interview. You already 'ave ze job," Luc informed her, smiling. "Luna recommended you very highly, and we 'ave no reason to doubt 'er."

Millicent, who had been mentally preparing herself to face a panel of interviewers, suddenly felt weak at the prospect of already having a job, let alone a job that she'd had to ask what it was for.

He chuckled at her surprised expression and indicated down the hallway. "Come, I will take you to ze DŽpartement d'enregistrements. Noel calls it the DŽpartement de vieilles choses," Luc said with an amused shake of his head.

Millicent just smiled, hoping that Theodore still remembered how to speak French. Luc realised that she didn't understand his joke and gasped slightly.

"Oh, pardon, Madamoiselle! I should 'ave done zis earlier," Luc said, pointing his wand at her.

Millicent's eyes widened in alarm, and she barely repressed the urge to knock his wand out of his hand, every fibre of her being demanding that she protect herself. Her wolf was growling at the blatant challenge before them, Millicent trying to calm both herself and the wolf down.

As Millicent was wrestling with her emotions and her wolf, Luc performed the spell, a thick grey haze covering her head.

"There, is zat not better?" Luc asked with a smile.

"Pardon?" Millicent asked in confusion.

"I am speaking French right now, and your brain - with my spell - is translating my words. It is a halted process, and some words do tend to slip, but it is better than nothing," he admitted. "Ministry meetings between different countries used to take hours at a time because no one understood what was being said. Now they take hours because everyone does understand."

Millicent chuckled, and Luc beamed, pleased that she had liked his joke. She realised that the signs on the wall were now displayed in English rather than French and breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Now, I will take you to the Department of Records. Noel calls it the Department of Old Things when he thinks no one is listening. He claims to be older than the scrolls!"

... b ...

"Karma, you can't stay here. You know what happened the last time you were in this world for too long. Do you want to be kidnapped again?"

Blaise barely kept himself in check when he came to the rooms and heard Ginevra talking to a sobbing Karma, Lettie sitting beside her Lady with slightly reddened eyes from crying. Draco was only a few seconds behind him, and stopped on hearing Ginevra's voice. Realising that Blaise wasn't going to do anything drastic, Draco sighed in relief and went to the meeting room while his friend continued down the hallway.

Blaise took it all in in a moment, but didn't care about anything other than Seamus' whereabouts. He stepped into their room, relieved when he heard the bathroom shower running. Shedding his centaur form, he knocked on the door.

"I told ye, ye little banshee, yer not gettin' in 'ere!" Seamus yelled.

"Hey, I'm not a banshee," Blaise said, grinning.

He couldn't help but feel ridiculous at the pleasure he felt about being to tease his boyfriend and not finding him wrapped up in some little nymph.

Well, a nymph who wasn't Neville, at least.

"Blaise, that really ye?"

"Of course it is. Let me in," Blaise replied impatiently, almost ready to knock the door down just to see Seamus and make sure he was all right.

"All righ', just make sure the bedroom door's locked," Seamus called.

Blaise closed and locked the door immediately, and by the time he turned around, he saw Seamus standing in the bathroom doorway, naked and dripping water everywhere.

"Thank the gods you're all right," Blaise breathed, closing the distance between them in two long strides, holding Seamus and kissing him heatedly.

"Tha's it. I'm always leavin' me towel in 'ere," Seamus said dazedly, yet still looking smug as he pulled Blaise in for another kiss.

"She didn't do anything to you, did she?" Blaise asked, stepping back and looking him over.

"Oh, she tried. She now knows how much Orion loathes the idea of bein' a female's sex toy again. He doesn't mind being ye and Neville's though," Seamus hurried to reassure him, grinning broadly.

"I've heard the tales about how Orion was treated, and I can safely say that neither I nor Neville will be doing those things," Blaise promised, moving to kiss him again.

"Love ye, Blaise, and Neville. I promise I ain't goin' ter be seduced away from either of ye."

"Good, make sure you keep that promise, Irish," he murmured, hugging Seamus tightly.

There was a shift in the room, a flash of green and a scent of flowers, and Neville appeared behind them.

"Terra's in there talking with Karma and Ginevra... You all right now, Blaise?"

Blaise both nodded and shook his head, but didn't move, not willing to let go of Seamus yet.

"As much as I like bein' held by ye, I'm gettin' cold on the oth'r side," Seamus said reluctantly.

Neville grinned a little and moved to hug Seamus from behind, warming his body with his own.

"Ah, fine. I'll stay 'ere then," Seamus said with a grin, his arms wrapping around Blaise.

Chuckling, Neville pressed a kiss to Seamus' spine and rested his head against his back.

... b ...

Ginevra made her way back to Hogwarts with Lettie, the silent walk giving both of them a chance to compose their emotions once more. Hundreds of eyes followed their passage through the forest, but the animals seemed to realise that now wouldn't be the best time to disturb their Queen.

"You look hungry, do you need to feed, my Lady?" Lettie asked as they neared the edge of the tree line.

Ginevra's eyes were red and she was starting to feel the Thirst the closer they came to the school, but she shook her head nonetheless. "I'll be fine until I see Draco later."

"Very well, my Lady," Lettie said, hoping that Draco would be seen sooner rather than later. She could feel Ginevra's Thirst and it was doing something to the beast inside of her.

As they reached the rooms, both Ginevra and Lettie heard a string of curses coming from none other than Seamus, and female laughter in response. Unsure of what to expect (and there was a slight tendril of fear that somehow Virginia had Seamus), Ginevra ran into the rooms as fast as she could, her teeth bared and her wand drawn. Lettie was a second behind her, her fingers at the knot of her choker, ready to pull it off in a second. The scene that met them was something that neither one could have ever dreamt of. Seamus was lying on the ground, a nymph straddling him, rubbing her cheek against his and ... purring?

"Ginevra! Thank the gods' yer here. Get 'er off me 'fore I throw up!" Seamus said, attempting to push the nymph off his body unsuccessfully.

The room was covered in vines and various plants, all created in an effort to pull Karma from his body, but she had been able to knock them all back without getting a scratch.

"Get off of Seamus, right now," Ginevra said, power laced in her words to make the nymph move.

Karma was only moved up slightly, but it was enough of a distraction to get a vine around her, Lettie helping to pull the overly amorous nymph from Seamus' body. The moment he was free, he stood up, muttering under his breath as he wiped at his clothes angrily.

"But you're mine! You're meant to be with me. You belong to me!" Karma cried.

The words threw Seamus back to a different time, a time when Orion was with Eos. She was the goddess of the dawn, a brief and shining moment of the day that few saw and even fewer appreciated. The dawn that broke every morning was the culmination of her desire, a woman writhing in passion for one single climax every day for the rest of her life. Her lustful appetite never faded, and she had gone through dozens of lovers before finding Orion wandering the earth and offering him the pleasure of a never-ending lust. He was exhausted from searching for Merope's father, the king who had blinded him, and he had felt an obligating gratitude to the personification of the rising sun that had restored his sight. Orion had accepted her offer, and had been taken away to be Eos' next play thing. She had favoured him at first - lavishing him with gifts, food, and all the drink he could swallow - but then she'd put her claws in, taking and demanding his body for weeks at a time without a single substance to sustain him. Then she'd lavish and praise him once more, and the cycle would start again. It was that way for nearly seven years, his body belonging to someone other than himself, and his mind so close to breaking with Eos' constant mood swings that Orion had prayed for someone, anyone to save him. Artemis had answered his prayer, and as he'd taken her hand and offered his life to serve her, Eos had come upon them, screeching in a fit of rage that he was hers, he owed her his life, and he belonged to her.

"I BELONG TO NO ONE!"

Every syllable was filled with the anguished power of a tormented man, the plants in the room growing to a monstrous size. Terrified, Karma ran to the other side of the room, sobbing into her hands.

"Seamus," Ginevra said, getting his attention as Orion faded. "Go have a shower, clean yourself up, and then rest. You're not to do any training for the rest of the day. That's an order," she added firmly.

Feeling weary at Orion's emotional outburst and sudden departure, Seamus just nodded and went to his room. He shut the bedroom door and locked the bathroom one tightly with both the physical lock and a spell for good measure.

"Now, Karma, listen to me," Ginevra said, turning to the sobbing nymph.

She turned away, her sobs getting louder.

"Karma, you can't stay here. You know what happened the last time you were in this world for too long. Do you want to be kidnapped again?" Ginevra asked exasperatedly. "I can't protect you here, not like Terra and the other nymphs can in your world."

Draco entered the room, Blaise passing by with nothing more than a brief glance at them.

"If you stay here, then you could get kidnapped by Voldemort again. Or someone even worse," Ginevra added, her face dark. "Do you understand that, Karma?" she asked.

Karma's sobs had lessened, and she nodded, but there was a stubborn expression on her face that made Ginevra think she didn't care, even if she did understand.

"Our lives are entwined. I'm not going anywhere!"

"Char'maa!" Terra exclaimed in relief on seeing her granddaughter, moving to hug her tightly. "I was worried about you. You should not have run off like that!" she reprimanded her.

"I left a note!"

"No, what you did was leave the Healing Tree before you were well, then you followed those poor boys here, and then you tried to force yourself upon him! I cannot imagine what you were thinking, if you were at all!" Terra said, somewhere between disappointed and stern.

Karma opened her mouth a few times, trying to think of something to say in response. "I... I didn't think about it like that."

"Well, that much is obvious! Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" Terra demanded.

"I don't want to leave."

Terra looked at Karma for a long while, as if trying to determine her reasoning through sight alone. "I cannot begin to understand why, Char'maa. You have been hurt and tortured in this world for your power. Your power has been twisted and tainted, and you cannot even use it to defend yourself. You are no more than a mortal in this world. If you come back with me now, then you will heal and be looked after by the best healers in the nymph world. You will be safe, and you will not be hunted or tortured again."

"I know, Grandma. But I know what will happen when my power becomes pure again; I will be completely vulnerable, and as such, the nymph world will be too. I can't stay there and risk all of you like that," Char'maa said, sounding far older than she had previously. "If I stay here, then there will be enough current magic in this world to help expel the tainted magic without risking the lives of these people too. You know that our world relies on belief and the loan of magic from the gods. They have not yet forgotten us, but when the last mortal forgets the first name, then the nymphs will be the first to suffer. I will not add to that by staying there and draining our world of more magic than it has. I am staying here, and when I am pure again, then I will return."

Terra sighed softly and pressed a kiss to her granddaughter's forehead. She stood and turned to look at the three - a Queen, a King, and a beast - to ask for their permission and protection.

"Please, may Char'maa stay here and be under your protection? I am sure she will stay away from Neville, Seamus and Blaise," Terra added, glancing over her shoulder to give Char'maa a look of warning. "I understand that you are busy, but I cannot persuade her otherwise, and I could not leave without knowing that she would be protected in some way," she pleaded.

We can't take her to the vampire or Veelan residences. She wouldn't be safe there, Ginevra thought, trying to think of an alternative that would keep everyone safe and, in Blaise's case, sane.

She could stay here at Hogwarts. Maybe the training with the twins would help her? It could keep her out of Seamus and Blaise's way at the very least, Draco added.

Okay... But where do they stay then? Ginevra pointed out.

I have a solution to that, if you don't mind me interrupting, Luna said. There's a house in the Forbidden Forest that I was going to show to them later in the year, but I suppose now is a good as time as any, she added. They seem to be busy at the moment, if you don't mind postponing this for a few hours more? Terra might like to help Karma decorate her room, Luna suggested.

Thank you, Luna, Ginevra said, relieved beyond belief.

Draco detailed the rules to Karma and Terra, making it clear that Seamus was not romantically interested in Karma in the slightest, and that if she tried to do anything like she had this afternoon, she'd be sent back to the nymph world, no matter the consequences.

Karma hadn't looked overly pleased at some of the rules, but she still nodded and signed the contract that Lettie had scripted. Terra added her own signature as a witness, and then went with her granddaughter to help choose and decorate her room, to spend some time with her before Karma willingly exiled herself to the mortal world.

... b ...

"Where are we?" Fred and George asked with a frown, not recognising their surroundings.

"India," Parvati replied, grinning slightly as looks of realisation spread across their faces.

"You mean that you're..." George started to say, goosebumps covering his arms.

"Introducing us to your parents?" Fred finished, his jaw hanging open slightly.

"Not just our parents," Parvati said, her grin taking on a wicked turn.

"But also Khara, father's tiger," Padma said, a wicked smirk on her face.

"Oh gods, this is another punishment for locking you in the pixie world, isn't it?" Fred asked with a groan.

Parvati raised her eyebrow at him, not looking impressed in the slightest.

"We're taking you to meet our parents, we're not going to feed you to the tiger, Fred. Come on, or we'll be late," Padma said, holding out her hand for him.

George and Fred sighed, turning to each other and getting to work. George fixed Fred's crooked tie as Fred cleaning off George's robe before swapping. They then went on to fix each other's hair, muttering to each other about how ashamed their mother would be to see them with hair like this.

"All right, that's enough now," Parvati said, stepping between them and turning them to face the doorway.

She took George's hand, and Padma darted forward to grab Fred's hand before he could try to stall them again. With a deep breath, they walked through the large double doors to the Patil house. There was a loud growl, and two identical thuds and groans of pain.

"Khara, no! Down!" Parvati commanded.

The tiger didn't listen, and kept licking the two wizard's faces, a paw on each of their chests to hold them down.

"Khara, down. Now!" Padma said, trying to pull the obstinate tiger back from the twins.

"Come here, Khara," a soft voice commanded, and all three stopped their movement at the sound of the Patil patriarch.

Khara left Fred and George alone, bounding over to her master. Fred and George didn't dare talk in case they inhaled tiger slobber and performed silent cleaning charms on each other as quickly as possible.

"What happened to a ferocious tiger threatening that boy when you were younger?" George asked as he stood up and brushed his robes off, Fred doing the same beside him.

"We never said it was the tiger that threatened him; we said it was our father who threatened him with Khara," Parvati replied.

"Yeah, what was he going to do, lick him to death?" Fred muttered.

"You've seen that Khara only follows our father's command; don't challenge that," Padma said.

"Parvati, Padma, I see you've finally brought these boys to meet us. Your mother has been asking about them since you mentioned them in a letter three month's ago. Why the delay?"

"Sorry, Father. There were some problems that needed to be dealt with before we could bring them here safely," Parvati said, bowing her head to him.

Yeah, namely getting these two here without them trying to avoid it, Padma added.

Their father made a noise that didn't convey a sympathetic image, and strode forward, Khara by his side. She snarled at Fred and George, teeth sharp and showing.

"What are your names?"

"I'm Bill Weasley, sir," George said.

"And I'm Charlie," Fred said seriously.

Oh, seriously, this is not a guy to screw with. Apologise and start again, Padma said to them urgently.

Khara growled at their lies, but a hand stilled her. Neither Fred nor George seemed inclined to change their first introduction, keeping their expressions neutral as Parvati and Padma's father stared them down.

"Siva, do stop attempting to intimidate our guests. You are even lucky that our daughters brought them home after the last boy," a feminine voice said, making all three stop their staring contest, however reluctantly.

"They were lying to me, Kali."

"If I had a tiger set on me the moment I entered this house, I would not be so prone to telling the truth either. Apologise to these young men right now, and then you two can introduce yourselves properly," Kali said, an arched brow directed at Fred and George.

"Yes, ma'am," they replied, somewhat abashed now.

"I apologise for Khara's excitement on receiving new guests," Siva said reluctantly.

"Siva, apologise properly," Kali said sternly.

"I am sorry for setting Khara on you. I will restrain myself next time."

What about the time after that? Fred thought.

Maybe he doesn't expect us to come a third time? George mused.

Or maybe Khara's going to gnaw us into little bits and use our skeletons as chew things?

Hmm, we could use something like that at the shop. Wishbone skeletons for Crups.

Two tails, two bones. Pet owners would go crazy to spoil their dogs. Need a range for cats then, Fred added.

Oh, bugger. We've got to introduce ourselves, George said, realising that they'd been talking for a little too long to be considered polite. Ah well, they'd live.

Unless Khara gets to us, Fred added with a snicker.

"I'm George, and this is Fred," George introduced, holding back a laugh at Fred's comment.

"I am Padma and Parvati's mother, Kali, and this is my husband, Siva. It is a pleasure to meet both of you," Kali said warmly, smiling at them. "Now, girls, you are not dressed correctly. Please go upstairs and change while we get to know our guests a little better," she said, guiding Padma and Parvati towards the stairs. "Gentlemen, please come with us."

Siva moved to walk beside his wife, Khara trailing behind lazily. Frowning slightly up at their girlfriends, Fred and George followed their parents before they were left behind.

... b ...

"Theo, you home?" Millicent called as she arrived back at their home later that night.

"Upstairs, Mill," he called.

Too tired to walk up the stairs, she Apparated to their room, and flopped straight onto the bed, her legs hanging off the mattress awkwardly. "I'm going to go straight to sleep. Wake me when the world stops spinning," she said, her words mumbled against her pillow.

"You can't go to sleep yet, Mill. We've got the neighbourhood barbecue tonight," Theo reminded her, rubbing her back gently.

Millicent groaned in annoyance, the event having completely slipped her mind. "Don't stop, that's nice," she said, figuring that if he helped her relax then the least she could do was go to the barbecue.

Theo chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He moved up onto the bed, straddling her legs gently and continuing to work his hands along her back, easing knots of tension and stress. By the time he finished fifteen minutes later, Millicent felt as if she could have floated off the bed.

"You sure we have to go? We still haven't tested the bath," she cajoled, grinning up at him.

"I didn't get anything out for dinner because of this barbecue, so unless you want to forgo dinner completely, yes, we have to go. We'll test the bath tomorrow," Theo promised, kissing her again.

Millicent sighed, finally giving in. "Fine, but I'm in charge of the bubbles," she muttered, getting off the bed.

"I'll call someone to renovate the bathroom for Wednesday morning then, shall I?" he asked, grinning.

"I didn't know they were expanding bubbles! I wouldn't have used the whole bottle if I did!"

"I know, love, I'm just teasing. I'll finish cleaning the kitchen while you get changed, okay?"

Nodding, Millicent waited until he'd left the room to get undressed and changed into a casual shirt and pants. Meeting Theo downstairs a few minutes later, she locked the door behind their exit and they made their way down the street. Theo was carrying a large platter of fruit, as there'd been nothing else in the kitchen to take as their contribution.

"I wish we had something more to bring than a fruit platter. Those cubs are likely to hunt me down for bringing this in," Theodore said, only half-joking.

"A bit of fruit won't kill them. Besides, it'll help balance out all of the meat they're likely to eat at the barbecue," Millicent said with a shrug. "If you're that worried, I can carry it in, or at least take the credit."

"Do you see how perfectly cut these oranges are? I'm definitely taking the credit," Theodore said, grinning at her.

"Yeah, I was going to ask you how long you spent preparing that," she muttered, glancing at the far-too-perfect orange slices.

"Healer Derwent refused to let me go back into work today, stating that I looked weaker than a soap bubble. I was kind of tired from all of that shagging we did," he said, chuckling slightly when Millicent blushed. "So, after a few extra hours of sleep, I found that I had a whole day to do nothing but perfect my orange-cutting technique."

"Well, you nailed it... You weren't using a scalpel, were you?"

"Don't worry, I sterilised it three times. Before and after cutting too; it's really difficult to get the orange scent out of things," Theodore said with a slight frown.

"Well, considering you cut up the entire bag of oranges, I'm not surprised," Millicent replied, grinning at him.

"Muuuuuummmmmmm! They're here!" one of the kids called.

"Bloody hell, still as loud as ever!" Millicent said, trying to keep her heart in her chest.

The boy just laughed and ran into the house, waving for them to follow him inside.

"Damn it, my fruit platter's ruined now," Theo muttered, looking at the mix of fruit with a frown.

"Can it pass as a fruit salad?" Millicent asked as they headed towards the house.

"Maybe if our hosts can spare a bowl, juice and sugar," he mused. "Should have spelled the platter."

"Well, now you know for next time."

"Ah, you are here. Sorry, Caleb has been going a bit stir crazy. He's finally going hunting tonight, and the boy just oozes excitement," a woman said, smiling brightly as she met them at the doorway. "I'm Selena, Caleb's mother," she introduced, almost as an afterthought.

"I'm Millicent, and this is Theodore. It's nice to meet you," she said, smiling.

"We brought fruit," Theo added.

"Oh, excellent. You have to tell the cubs that yourself," Selena said with a wicked smirk.

"Um, okay," he replied, a little surprised at her enthusiasm.

"We made a deal with them - they eat whatever you bring for the barbecue, they get to go hunting. They don't eat it, no deal."

"Do you always bribe your children?" Millicent asked, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Selena just laughed. "Only when they're trying to run up the walls and drive me up it too," she said.

(They passed by a wall that had small footprints halfway up it, so neither Millicent nor Theo were sure if Selena was joking or not.)

"They're here, everyone! And they brought fruit."

A disappointed groan went through the table of children, the adults laughing to each other.

"Millicent, Theodore, this is my husband Matt. Matt, these are our new neighbours. Why don't we go put the fruit in the kitchen, Millicent? Then my husband can induct Theodore into the time honoured tradition of standing in front of a barbecue, and claiming it as cooking," Selena said, grinning at a tall and bulky man who just laughed roughly in return.

"Thanks, Selena. There's a trick to cooking a barbecue, Theo. Secret man's business, of course. Come on, I'll introduce you to the others," Matt said, clapping Theo on the back.

"Okay," Theo said, stumbling a bit.

"Grant, Jim, Mark, and Rob. This is Theo. Theo, the guys. Grant's married to Serena, who's Selena's twin sister. Jim lives with his partner Mark, and Rob is a lone wolf," Matt said, all of the men laughing uproariously.

"It's funny because he claimed to be a nomad, but hasn't even left the woods for the past ten years," Jim supplied with a grin, seeing Theo's lost look.

"So what sort of wolf are you, Theo? Thin body like that, you've got to be fast. Short hair too," Grant commented.

"Uh, I'm not..." Theo began to say.

"You of all people should know that a human body doesn't necessarily reflect the wolf. He could be bigger than Matt," Rob argued.

"What do you mean, you of all people?" Grant asked with a growl.

"Oh, please, you're almost as tall as Matt, but your wolf's a scrawny little thing. I could take it on like this!" Rob said, sneering.

"Great, those two are going to be arguing for a good ten minutes now. Meant to be making an effort for the guests," Matt said, rolling his eyes.

"Come on, you're Alpha, Matt. Just get them to stop already. I don't want to get another new wardrobe because of those two," Mark muttered.

"Please, you'd shop for a new wardrobe if someone sneezed in your general direction," Matt said, laughing.

Mark shook his head, and seeing that Matt wasn't going to do anything, he moved as far away from the two arguing men as possible.

"So what kind of work do you and Theodore do, Millicent?" Selena asked as they put the fruit platter with the various salads.

"I've just started a job in the Ministry, and Theo works at St. Mungo's as a healer."

"That's... interesting. Are St. Mungo's accepting of Theodore's unique situation?" Selena asked carefully.

"Um, what situation would that be?" Millicent asked, completely confused.

"Well, you know, that he's a werewolf. Last I heard, St. Mungo's were not accepting of having creatures for staff," she replied, a look of distaste on her face.

"That's an understatement," another woman muttered, who looked remarkably similar to Selena.

"Millicent, this is my sister Serena. She's married to Grant, who's outside with the others," Selena said.

Millicent was still reeling from them thinking that Theodore was a wolf, and interrupted to set the record straight.

"I'm a wolf, but Theodore's not. He's not even a shifter," she said quickly, suddenly unsure of what they would do to him on discovering this.

"He's not? But how... I mean... What..." Selena attempted a few words, her confusion more than evident on her face.

"Never mind that, we've got to stop Grant and Robe from whatever they're about to do. They're arguing like idiots again, and they could hurt him," Serena said, hurrying outside.

Selena was behind her sister in a moment, and Millicent was only a step behind them.

Theo, get away from them now. They don't know you're not a wolf!

Millicent's warning was a second too late, and Grant and Rob burst out into wolf form, deep threatening growls in their throats as they circled each other. Matt sighed, and growled at them, a command in his Alpha voice to make them get away from his poor barbecue. They moved out from under the cover and onto the backyard. They were a metre or two away, but it wasn't far enough for Millicent, who was envisioning all sorts of horrible things happening to Theodore. She ran forward, jumping in front of Theo and bursting into her wolf at the same time, growling protectively.

Theodore was surprised at her action, despite the urgency in her warning earlier. He'd been able to feel her worry, but he didn't think she'd challenge two wolves over him, especially as she never seemed to recognise him as a wolf anyway. The wolf in front of him definitely seemed to recognise him, or at least recognise Millicent's need to protect him.

"Mill, it's all right. You don't have to do this, I'm fine," Theo said quietly, unsure of what he'd do if Millicent was hurt over him like this.

She growled at him and his words. For the first time since Millicent had changed, Theodore heard two words come through their mind link, despite the rough edges. Protect mate.

Mate? Well, that was new. Millicent had told him about wolves' mates and the bond between them. It was a bond that surpassed even their most animalistic natures, or perhaps they were a part of the primitive response to another being. But whatever it was, Theo was sure that it only happened between two wolves.

Hearing Millicent's challenge, Grant and Rob turned to her, growling and advancing on her. Matt swore under his breath, trying to command them back from his barbecue again. It didn't work as well as it had the first time, the primal need to fight surpassing even a command from the Alpha. The children, who had all gathered to watch the wolves fight, were all herded back inside quietly, their eager faces pressing against the windows.

Theodore went to move around Millicent, to get between her and the wolves and stop this nonsense, but Jim and Mark held him back, murmuring certainly that this was not something he wanted to stand between.

Rob snapped at Millicent, Grant leaping forward. A fierce pressure from her hind legs had Millicent jumping into the air, meeting Grant head on, her jaws snapping at his neck as they tumbled down to the ground again. Rob jumped into the fray, scratching at Millicent as Grant struggled to get out from under her. She howled when Rob bit her sharply, blood matting her fur.

"Matt, get in there and stop them!" Selena demanded.

"I can't. They're in the middle of a fight, they won't even listen to me right now. In fact, if I try, then they might turn on me," Matt said with a frown. "We'll just have to wait it out until they're finished."

Rob and Grant were now working together to bring Millicent down, and despite her larger size, she was still outnumbered. Her howls of pain were turning to whimpers as they bit and scratched, fiercely weakening her.

Protect mate. Something in Theodore snapped when he fought past Jim and Mark to see Millicent lying on the ground, large gouge marks in her fur and blood pooling around her.

An unnatural storm began to whip up above them, black clouds gathering and lightning flashing dangerously close to the house. Thunder rolled loudly, the sound continuing for a full thirty seconds, the children howling in fear inside the house. The wind surrounded Theodore's body and he pushed Rob and Grant further and further away from Millicent, their growls turning to weak gasps in the increasing gale. Rain began to pour heavily (Matt swore as his barbecue fizzled out completely, the string of words disappearing in the wind), the small drops of water getting larger and heavier, the atmosphere around them changing until they had become large balls of hail, the ground covered in icy white specks in moments. Rob and Grant were whimpering in fear, ears pressed back against their skulls as they tried to dodge the large balls of ice, the ongoing sound of thunder frightening them further. Millicent was protected from the storm by a large cloud, the white vapours clinging together to form a shield strong enough to endure Theodore's wrath.

"All right, that's enough now, mate. They've learned their lesson," Matt called loudly, battling the wind to make his way over to Theodore.

He lifted his hand to rest on Theodore's shoulder, hoping to jolt him out of this force of nature, but Matt was thrown back without warning, his body hitting the tiles with a crash that was as loud as the thunder overhead. Selena and Serena tried to attack him from either side, hoping to distract him, but were both thrown back by the wind, landing on Matt unceremoniously.

Under the white cloud, Millicent's wolf had faded, and she struggled to sit up, her body covered in gouges, blood and teeth marks.

Theodore, are you there? she called, unable to see him or hear him, and terrified about what might have happened while she'd been unconscious.

Millicent's words hit him like a tonne of bricks, and the white glow left Theodore's eyes abruptly, the storm disappearing in a mere second. The aftermath was still there, the floor covered in hailstones, the trees bent awkwardly with the wind, and there was smoke rising from somewhere in the forest where lightning had struck.

I'm right here, Mill. I'll take you home and get you fixed up, Theodore promised.

Relief flooded her, and Millicent shivered as her adrenaline faded abruptly, her arms covering her exposed body. The cloud around her adjusted to keep her covered modestly, and without a word, Theodore went over to her. He silently performed a spell to ease her pain, waiting until she'd gone unconscious once more before levitating Millicent gently. It was a temporary spell, and would last until he reached their home and could heal her properly.

The small crowd parted without a fuss or single word uttered, all of them staring as Theodore walked past, Millicent's limp body floating in front of him carefully.

Well, that went well, he thought sourly.

... b ...

Blinking her eyes a few times, Pansy sighed at the sight of the gold canopy above her. She turned slightly so that she leaned into Gregory's embrace, closing her eyes and hoping to fall back to sleep once more. Gregory's arms tightened about her automatically, but despite the warm embrace, Pansy couldn't fall back to sleep.

"Greg? You awake?"

"Mmm, trying not to be," he muttered.

"It's no use, I can't get back to sleep. Come on, let's train for a bit," Pansy said, sitting up and stretching.

"Breakfast first, then training," Gregory compromised.

"Fine, but I'm on defensive today," she replied, slipping out of bed and getting changed quickly.

Gregory sighed, but nodded reluctantly. Poseidon still wasn't exactly pleased with their arrangements, nor how he'd been brought to his knees by mortals, and took every moment to demonstrate how much he loathed Pansy, including using more power against her in training than Gregory would have used otherwise. It was the main reason that he hated being on the offensive against Pansy, but he did understand that she'd need to perfect her defensive strategy, even against someone who was as powerful and pissed off as Poseidon.

Amphitrite loved the challenge, whispering in Pansy's ear of a time long ago, when Poseidon still loved and wooed her, fighting against her other suitors with such grace and elegance that she could have very easily fallen for him, had it not been for his pigheaded nature. She had always longed to fight against him in this manner, to see if she could best him where no other could, and out of ten fights, she'd won seven. This only served to make Poseidon angrier and fight more aggressively, but Amphitrite was delighted at her husband's response.

Pansy and Gregory agreed that the two water-bound deities had spent too much time under the ocean, and were utterly insane.

"I'm getting sick of all of the gold around here," Pansy admitted over breakfast.

Gregory, who had a mouthful of food, nodded in agreement. Swallowing forcibly, he put his spoon aside and glanced out of the nearest window, the waves stopping their motion to provide a clearer picture.

"Do you want to go back up to troll's camp? We can leave after training and get back by dark," he offered.

Pansy spun a length of blue-green hair on her finger, looking at the colours for a long moment before responding. "Yeah, I think I'd like that. I'd like to breathe proper oxygen again and feel the sun on my face," she said with a smile.

Amphitrite shivered in delight at the prospect; a millennia had passed since she had felt real sunlight warming her body.

"Apparently lying on the sand until we're red has been deemed as necessary ," Pansy said, conveying Amphitrite's wish with a laugh.

Gregory just grinned and shook his head, returning to his breakfast. (Neither Pansy nor Greg knew what the food was, how it was made, or where it came from, but it tasted good, and they'd decided that they didn't want to know more than that.)

With their meals finished, Gregory and Pansy headed towards the training area, gold reflecting brightly off the walls surrounding them. Once they were ensconced in the room, Amphitrite and Poseidon faced each other, prepared to fight. A triton appeared in Pansy's hands, a sword with a seashell hilt appearing in Gregory's hands. The sword hit the triton, both vibrating loudly with the force, and a tendril of magic flowed up the sword's blade, wrapping around the triton firmly. Poseidon smirked, sure that he'd won this time around. Amphitrite laughed gaily, the sound making him question his victory instantly. A tendril reached up from the triton, picking up and moving Poseidon's one as easily as moving a quill. Then with that same tendril of magic, Amphitrite pushed the sword back fiercely, her husband struggling to hold the sword upright under her attack.

You've been relying on your power all this time, no wonder she's beating you, Gregory said, with all of the wisdom of a war General. Now it's my turn, he added, Poseidon fading with a glower of annoyance.

Gregory gripped the sword a bit tighter, raising it slightly so that Amphitrite had to use more force to push him back. Pulling the sword away abruptly, he moved to the side so that the triton became lodged in the ground. He raised the sword to attack Amphitrite, but she surprised him with a side kick to the jaw, making Gregory stumble back. Seeing Pansy grinning at him, Gregory grinned in response, his wand slipping into his hand. She pulled the sword out of the ground quickly, barely able to deflect the spell he sent at her. Spells flowed, his sword following the words gracefully, while Pansy gripped her own wand, a shield deflecting what she could and the triton blocking his sword quickly.

In the beginning, their training sessions had been a complete mess, swearing and curses flying faster than a Firebolt. In their minds, Pansy and Gregory were used to fighting with wands, while the deities were used to the physical action of a sword and triton. The two memories had resulted in a lot of fumbling hands, misdirected commands to the wrong weapon, and various cuts and singe marks. Gregory and Pansy had trained mercilessly until the memories merged together and they were able to fight with one or both weapons without any problems. They were able to switch between themselves and Amphitrite and Poseidon easier than some of their friends had done - Orion's immediate and emotional appearances through Seamus were not an option for Pansy and Gregory - and they switched between the two more often than they truly realised, working even as they slept.

The fight was over with Amphitrite as the winner, but the battle had raged for long enough to make the victory one that was well earned. Pansy and Gregory grinned at each other, their breathing heavy with the exertion; the former with Amphitrite's distinguishable hair colour, and the latter with tattooed wisps of blue wrapped around his body. (Up on Mount Olympus, Zeus' body was wrapped in gold. He'd claim it as nothing but the result of a drunken night with his brothers, but there was a deeper meaning to the tattoos than even Zeus himself would admit.)

Once they had regained their breath and were cleaned after their fighting session, Pansy and Gregory dressed warmly for their journey back up to the mortal world. Pansy was relieved when her familiar tail appeared with little more than a thought, a secret fear that somehow Amphitrite's power might have changed her mermaid form. Taking her hand in his own, Gregory began to swim up to the rock portal with Pansy by his side.

When they reached the surface - after lying in the sand for some time - Pansy and Gregory planned to organise transport back to Britain and the troll's camp. He still had yet to discover who had tried to poison him, and then there was the war to continue to prepare for.

... b ...

What's taking you two so long? Your mother's asking about baby names, Fred said in horror.

Tell her that you want something really English. She'll start ranting and you can tune out for about five minutes, Padma said helpfully.

"We were thinking of names that sounds a bit more ... well, English, ma'am," George said with a slight smile.

"Of course you were," Siva muttered.

Kali raised her eyebrow at her husband. "You can't talk, Siva Patil! Mr. I want to name my daughters the most obnoxious names on earth."

"What obnoxious names?" Fred asked curiously, sitting up a bit straighter and looking between them with a broad grin.

"Never mind," Siva said darkly. "So which one of you is dating which of my daughters?"

"Uh, well..."

George stopped mid-sentence, nudging Fred and nodding to the doorway. He turned to see Padma and Parvati standing there, dressed in traditional Indian outfits. Padma was in a green choli shirt, the shell garment tight-fitting and exposing her midriff and lower back, and a green lehenga skirt, the long length of silk flowing around her legs comfortably, while a silver sari was draped over her shoulder. Parvati was wearing an identical outfit, but the choli and lehenga were red, finished with a gold sari on her shoulder.

Stop staring already, Padma muttered, rolling her eyes at them.

"Come in, girls. We were just asking Fred and George who is dating who," Kali said with a smile, motioning for them to come in and sit down. "You've never been very clear about it in your owls home."

Padma and Parvati sat on either side of Fred and George, both suddenly wishing that they hadn't been quite so enthusiastic about getting their boyfriends to meet their parents.

... b ...

Ginevra ducked the oncoming fist, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the hex that accompanied it. Her legs shaking with the JellyLegs hex, she fell to the ground, rolling to avoid the sword that was swung down at her. Her concentration shaken, Ginevra had to repeat the JellyLegs counter curse twice before it worked and she could stand, fighting her way to her feet. She hexed the closest person, a pulse of vampire-powered lightning exploding from her free hand, and moved in the next motion to kick the legs out from underneath someone else.

From where those two had fallen, more replaced them instantly. People with swords, daggers, wands, and all manner of offensive weapons tried to hurt and overwhelm her. Ginevra fought the best she could, using whatever magic or defensive manoeuvre she could, the moves all instinct rather than thought.

Almost overwhelmed by the large onslaught of bodies that were so focused on her and her alone, Ginevra was close to admitting defeat when she saw a bright white light flash to the side. As one, the people surrounding her stopped fighting and turned to look at the entrancing light that was shining just for them. With everyone so preoccupied, Ginevra made her way out of the crowd, taking long deep breaths to try and calm herself. Lettie, unaffected by the light too, came to stand beside her, both of their arms littered in blood and bruises.

"Are you all right, my Lady? Is there anything I can get for you?" Lettie offered.

"I'm fine for the moment, Lettie. I'll be better when Draco stops using his Veelan power on everyone," Ginevra muttered, glancing up to where her fiancŽ was flying above the crowd.

At her words, the glow left his body abruptly, and the crowd looked around in confusion, wondering what had just happened. A few flaps of his wings had Draco making his way to where Ginevra and Lettie where, and he dropped in front of them easily.

"They almost got you in there, didn't they?" Draco asked, his fingers touching to one of the larger gouges on Ginevra's arm.

"Came very close to it. They're good in a crowd, I'll admit that. But they won't have that luxury in a war, so I want to see how they go individually," Ginevra said.

"My Lady? Perhaps you should spend some time with my Lord first?" Lettie suggested weakly. She could feel Ginevra's Thirst getting greater as the minutes passed, and they'd been training with the Hogwarts students for nearly half the day without Ginevra having a single drink.

"Come on, love. They can fight each other for a bit. Not all of the Death Eaters are beings, after all," Draco added, taking her hand.

Ginevra nodded briefly, slipping away with Draco, her eyes red and fangs already protruding from her between her lips. Lettie ran a hand over her hair, pulling out the tie and redoing the plait firmly. It might have looked brilliant loose, her hair flying out around her as she fought and trained, but it could get her killed if it blocked her line of vision, and Lettie refused to die over something as simple as her hair. (Oh, gods, just imagine if Lavender from last year could hear her now!) The echo of need from Ginevra lessened, and Lettie sighed in relief when it disappeared entirely, licking her lips at the phantom taste that she could never quite reach.

When Ginevra and Draco returned, both had blood stained lips and the red in Ginevra's eyes was lessening every passing second. Lettie smiled at them, falling into step beside her Lady and Lord as they returned to the training field.

"All right, we're changing this up a bit! Three lines, single file, all of you!" Ginevra called out, her voice projected so that everyone could hear her clearly.

No one questioned her, they all simply lowered their weapons and hurried to do as instructed. When the lines were formed, Lettie, Ginevra, and Draco stood at the head of each line respectively.

"You're to fight each of us. If you don't defeat Lettie, then you continue onto my line, then onto Draco's if you don't beat me either. If you do win, then you have earned a night of rest. You can choose to continue fighting if you'd prefer not to rest just yet. This is the last lesson for the night, and then you can all go off for dinner," Ginevra added.

"It's still early though, why do we have to leave so early?" Sally Ann asked, her sword resting against her shoulder.

"You need to balance work and play while you still can play," Draco said, smirking. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Perks."

She grinned and nodded in reply, taking a hold of her sword properly.

Lettie, if you think you can handle it, I'd like you to take off your choker, Ginevra said quietly.

A shiver of fear ran through Lettie at the very prospect, and she shook her head minutely. I do not think I can do that, my Lady. Not with so many students present. I may practice on my own in the vampire mansion, with your permission? It is more secure, and I would feel safer there than here, she added, trying to calm her wild emotions.

Of course you have my permission, Lettie. You are free to practice wherever suits you, she replied immediately.

Thank you, my Lady.

Ginevra nodded briefly, and they all focused on their first opponents. The first were beaten without much effort, and the three students moved to the end of the next line to continue fighting. By the time they were each fighting their fifteenth opponent, the lines had spread until the students were gathered in semi-circles around the fighting pairs. They were calling out to each other, encouragement and ideas mostly, the noise distracting more than helpful. Some of the students came close to defeating Lettie, and she clenched her fists around her sword tighter, determined not to lose yet. She had trained with Miles, and he was much faster and stronger than any of the students, she reminded herself sternly.

He might have been stronger and faster, but the students were far more desperate, intent on showing their progress and prowess with weapons and wand. Lettie was starting to tire by the time the line returned her first opponent again, and she struggled to block each blow. Lettie left herself open, a foolish mistake, but one she didn't notice until it was too late, and there was a sword at her throat.

"Good session, Sally Ann. Are you going for a break?" Lettie asked, standing when the sword was removed from her exposed throat carefully.

"Not yet, I want to see if I can beat Ginevra and Draco now," Sally Ann said, grinning brightly, endorphins and the rush of victory flooding her.

Lettie gave her a nod of respect and turned to her next opponent as Sally Ann went over to Ginevra's line and waited for her next turn.

As they were waiting, students began to start their own one-on-one battles with each other, slower movements copying the faster ones of the three in front of them, working through them faster until they could perfect the moves. A few people were hurt this way, but they were healed and picked up their weapon to continue practicing. They'd become hardened to these sorts of basic injuries, their skins thicker now that they'd hurt themselves with more than a sharp quill during class.

The fighting continued up until seven o'clock when the bell struck loudly, the sound seeming to echo through the quiet castle. Sally Ann had begged them to train with them again the next day, as she had yet to defeat Ginevra and Draco and desperately wanted another try. The other students echoed her sentiment quickly, begging Lettie to come back as well.

"You're meant to be training with the Professors tomorrow," Ginevra reminded them. "Professor Flitwick is going to be teaching you defensive spells, while Madam Hooch goes through evasive manoeuvres on brooms. Don't you want to do that?"

"Well, yes. But you can come in the afternoon. It's really helpful doing this with people who have more power and strength than us. Even Parvati and Padma have admitted that we need more experience," Sally Ann said quickly.

"It's true, they have said that," Dennis quipped, nodding.

"All right, we'll come by in the afternoon," Ginevra said, unable to stop from smiling when they cheered and thanked them profusely.

The students began to disperse, heading up to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Hey, Dennis. Have you heard from Colin lately?" Draco asked him curiously before the boy could leave.

"Yeah, he sent an owl from Romania a couple of days ago. Says he's fine and the dragon training is pretty intensive, but he's worked out how use the wind to fly even faster. Did you know there's a difference between hot and cold winds when you're flying?" Dennis asked, still as enthusiastic as ever. "Oh, well, I suppose you do," he added sheepishly when he realised that Draco was a winged Veelan.

"Yeah, I do," Draco said, chuckling. "Are you planning on going up to Romania anytime soon then?"

"No, I don't think so. I didn't get the dragon gene. Firstborns only. But I can make my eyes glow if I think about it really hard," Dennis said, grinning brightly. "I've got to look after Dad, anyway. Colin would hate it if anything happened to him, and I'm not going to leave Dad alone and unprotected if I can help it. I already set wards up around the house, and on his regular milk run," he added proudly.

"Good thinking. All right, enjoy your dinner, Dennis. See you tomorrow," Draco said with a nod, watching as the young boy ran to catch up with the others.

Are you all right, Draco? Ginevra asked with a slight frown.

Fine. Just wanted to know if he knew what was happening with Colin. Everything's happening so quickly, so I'm glad that they're making time to talk to each other. It's so weird to think that Dennis is fifteen already, he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

You're acting as if you're fifty years old, Draco. You're seventeen, remember? Ginevra said, grinning at him.

Draco rolled his eyes and nodded. I know that. But sometimes it doesn't feel that way.

Yeah, I know what you mean, Ginevra admitted, her grin slipping. She moved to stand by his side, taking his hand in her own.

"I will take my leave of you now, my Lady, unless there is anything you require?" Lettie asked, sheathing her sword.

"No, there isn't, Lettie. Go and have a night off. Maybe talk to Miles; he'll probably be worried sick about you. He hasn't seen you since this morning, after all," Ginevra added.

Flushing guiltily, Lettie nodded in reply. "Yes, I should talk with him sooner rather than later. I will see you tomorrow afternoon. Have a good night, my Lady, my Lord," she said, curtsying to both before touching the band on her wrist and disappearing.

Pressing a kiss to Ginevra's neck, Draco smirked against her. "Let's go finish what we started earlier, love," he murmured, teeth nipping at her flesh as he wrapped his arms around her.

She grinned, turning in his embrace to kiss him heatedly. "Sounds like a plan to me. But first we have to do something," Ginevra added.

"Hmm, what would that be?"

"I want to show you something. Hades, you should have something to show them too, if you're not too busy," Persephone said.

Hades smirked, his tongue flicking against a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. She shivered in delight, but didn't falter from her resolve. He sighed in defeat and stepped away.

"Fine, but after this, I'm going to fuck you against the closest surface," Hades muttered.

"Being outside does things to you, doesn't it?" Persephone asked, grinning at him.

"I'd prefer to be doing things to you," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh, Hades, you didn't just say that," she groaned in disbelief.

"I'm blaming all of this fresh air. It's unnatural," Hades replied.

"Right, come on. Let's get this done before you think of any more cheesy pick up lines. Your mouth could be doing much better things."

"And that wasn't cheesy?" he muttered, smirking.

"Ever so sorry to interrupt, but if you two really are planning on shagging, can we actually get going? What's this thing you want to show us anyway?" Draco asked.

"You'll see," Persephone replied, heading into the Forbidden Forest with Hades beside her.

... b ...

Blaise held onto Seamus and Neville a little tighter as he drifted off to sleep, certain that that awful nymph would steal into their room somehow and take them away from him. He'd not let go of them for the day, calling for a house elf to bring them food, and all but refusing them to leave the room. Neville had seen his desire to keep them close as something more than just a lingering possessiveness from the nymph world, and when Seamus was sleeping off their latest shag ("really, Blaise, if yer plannin' on lockin' me up all day, the least ye could do is shag me silly," he'd quipped, far too happy about the prospect and who was Blaise to deny him?), Neville had taken Blaise aside to ask him about it. He'd drawn a bath for Blaise, waiting until Blaise had sunk down into the warm water with a contented sigh before moving to sit behind him, his legs on either side of Blaise's body. Neville rubbed his shoulders, working on releasing the knots of tension that had formed.

"You need to talk to me, Blaise. This isn't just to do with the nymph world, is it?" Neville asked pointedly.

Blaise stayed silent for some time, not wanting to ruin the moment, but then he sighed and started talking.

"Ever since I was born, I've been alone. My mother spent a lot of time out of the country looking for her next husband, and for most of my childhood, I was all but raised by house elves. I distinctly remember asking the head elf who the woman was, why she was staying with us, and how she knew my name. I was two years old, and I didn't even recognise my own mother," he said with a hollow laugh. "It continued that way until I reached the age of four and mother's latest husband realised that he could get more political votes if he went with the family routine. So I was dolled up, taught how to behave, and taken out to every single function that the Ministry held that year.

"Shortly before the election, he died - it was put down to his opposition ordering a hit, but it was never proven - and mother realised that she garnered more sympathy with a grieving son by her side. She taught me about politics, how to cry on command, and how to get what I wanted no matter what it was or who I had to use to get it. The next year was spent at every function in the wizarding world, even if the Ministry didn't host it, and mother watched me to ensure that I was putting her lessons into practice. It was the most attention she'd paid to me since my birth six years before.

"I met Draco at one of the functions, and mother used our acquaintance as a way to get close to the Malfoy family. He was the first friend I had, even if we didn't like each other at the beginning. I thought he was a prat, and he saw through my lies, but we were both taught about the value of the other's family, so we kept on pretending to be friends until we really did become friends.

"Mother married again, but since that husband had no use for me, and loathed the fact that I wasn't his child, I was ignored again. The Malfoy's were used as a free babysitting service, and my mother was in turn used whenever Lucius and Narcissa needed a night to themselves, though my mother just left Draco and I to the care of the house elves.

"I was raised to believe that people are only there to be used, and that unless they're fulfilling a need, then there's no use in them. I wasn't raised learning things about love and emotions, only how to fake them to get what I wanted, and I definitely wasn't raised in a way that made me think those emotions were even real in the first place. People just pretended to have them to get further in society, to have sex with whoever caught their fancy at the time, or to marry whomever had the most money..." Blaise trailed off here, his mind caught in a memory that he couldn't escape.

Neville stayed silent, his hands moving from Blaise's shoulders to run his fingers through Blaise's hair gently, fingertips working at his scalp.

"When I came here to Hogwarts, and was sorted into Slytherin, I found out that some people claimed to have these emotions that the adults had all lied about. They weren't using people for status, sex, or money. As purebloods, they already had their own status and money, and apart from one or two who got into relationships for the presents and the idea of being someone's girlfriend or boyfriend, most actually meant what they felt. Gods, the very idea of really loving someone shocked the hell out of me, and I just kept to myself, watching this opera of emotions going through everyone else. Even Draco, when he was being a prat and taunting the Trio, I could see that there was something else beneath the surface because he was always so damn quiet when Ginevra went by, and he went out of his way to make sure that no one else teased her. Can't even remember what he said now, but it left an impression on the others," Blaise said with a chuckle.

"While I was watching all of them declare love and whatever, I stood back, and I waited to feel something, to feel something like what they claimed to feel. I didn't know what love felt like, as I'd never loved anything or anyone before. I tolerated my mother, and either loathed or was indifferent to my various stepfathers, and I suppose I was fond of the house elves, but apart from that, there was nothing.

"I clung to my friendship with Draco, and gradually became friends with the others too. They took some time to warm up to me and understand my sense of humour, but we all banded together and became steadfast friends, despite what it looked like to others outside of Slytherin. I thought that would be all there was, that my emotions only extended enough to be friends with a select few. I had sex a couple of times but it wasn't anything special, and didn't awaken any deep-rooted emotions in me. There was nothing, and I secretly believed that love - or the very idea of love, at least - was nothing but a lie, a sweet little fantasy that people let themselves believe because they didn't want to admit that they didn't really feel a thing."

Blaise's words were still flowing out of him, and Neville continued to massage his head, neck and shoulders slowly as he revealed so much more than he ever had before. In the bedroom, Seamus had woken up on hearing Blaise's first words echoing off the bathroom tiles, and was sitting on the edge of the bed listening intently.

"I found out I had a lineage that led back to the centaurs and discovered what I could become, and there was a sense of freedom there that I'd never felt before. I was able to do something that my mother or her husband of the year didn't have a hand in, and it was something that I belonged to. I didn't agree with Bane most of the time, and soon found myself an outsider in the herd, which just left me feeling so bitter. Here I was, finally finding something I was meant to do, something that I could open myself up to, only to have it thrown back at me and stomped into my face for good measure.

"Then, you came along..." Blaise's voice broke a little, but he composed himself and continued talking. "You were so gorgeous, even though you never seemed to know it, and there was just something about you that always drew my attention. I watched you for years, and then when you stood up to Rion... I never wanted you more than I did in that moment," he admitted, looking up at him with a quick grin. "Then everything started happening with Ginevra, and she told me that I should tell you how I felt. I was shocked, not that she'd noticed, but that I wasn't surprised that I did feel something other than friendship for someone. I was so happy that I'd actually felt something that I had to test it as soon as possible. I purposely bumped into you, just to see if I could feel something, and then you ran away when I sat in front of you in Charms, and I just had to go after you to make you understand."

Neville blushed slightly, remembering his embarrassment at Blaise sitting so close to him all too well.

"And after everything that happened with Dean and Seamus, and you going off to the nymph world, only to return to tell me that Seamus would be with us... I got worried. I was so worried that I wasn't enough for you, that somehow I was the problem, and maybe it would be my fault that Seamus would be with us too. I resisted it for so long, even when I knew that it wasn't my fault or a shortcoming, but then after Ginevra erased everyone's memories and brought them back, and we woke up with Seamus between us, it just felt right. You'd said as much, and I hadn't believed you until that moment, and I finally stopped resisting because I wanted him to be with us as much as I wanted you with me. I'd been selfish, trying to keep you all to myself," Blaise murmured.

"And now?" Neville asked, his words almost catching in his throat.

"Now, I love you both so much that I know I can't lose you. I wouldn't be able to handle it if I lost either of you, and my heart hurts so much at the thought that I just don't want to let you or Seamus out of my sight. I'm being selfish again, but I've finally discovered that love is a real thing, and I don't want to lose it again."

There was a small sob from the doorway, and they looked over to Seamus standing there, tears in his eyes and a slight smile.

"I'm goin' ter kiss ye both now, and I can say fer sure tha' I'm nay goin' anywhere," he added certainly, climbing into the bath to kiss Blaise eagerly, his arms wrapped around him tightly.

"We're not going anywhere, love," Neville added, sliding down into the bath fully clothed to kiss Blaise and Seamus too.

His heart overflowing with love, Blaise kissed Neville and Seamus back just as passionately, knowing that he'd never stop loving them.

... b ...

"Should we tell them that their thoughts are so loud we can hear them here?" Colin asked Luna, grinning slightly.

"No, we definitely should not. They need this time to themselves," she replied firmly. "But we'll have to say our goodbyes here soon. We need to be at Hogwarts by tomorrow night to help with the hunting party," Luna said, frowning.

"Hunting party? What on earth for?" he queried in confusion.

"I'm... I'm not sure what for," she replied uncertainly. "I just know that it's going to happen, but I can't See why. Something's blocking my sight," Luna murmured in frustration.

"But you're sure the hunting party's at Hogwarts? Can you tell who's there?" Colin asked, wondering if a more roundabout way of viewing the scene would help Luna as it had done before.

"I'm sure it's there," she replied with an adamant nod. "You're there with me... Gregory and Pansy will be in the troll camp, Theodore and Millicent will be working... I can't See anyone else, anyone who'll be directly involved. I can't even tell if the Hogwarts Professors' will be there," Luna said.

Colin sighed and drew her into a hug, rubbing her back gently. "If you can't See anything about it, then you can't See anything. You won't be able to do anything about whatever it is from here, so let's just do what we can do, and start heading back to Hogwarts. If we leave now, we'll make it there by tomorrow afternoon, weather permitting."

Luna nodded reluctantly, sighing briefly. "Sorry, Colin, but I hate when I know that something important is going to happen, but I can't do anything about it, and I can't even See what it is!"

"Well, I can't See anything at any time of the day, so you're one up on me there," he joked, grinning.

Shaking her head at his joke, Luna told herself that he was right. The only thing they could do now was what they could control, and that was leave for Hogwarts.

"I'll go say goodbye to your mother while you start packing," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Bexley moved to reside inside of Luna as she exited the room, not wanting to miss out on whatever the next day would bring.

... b ...

"Ready?" Persephone asked Hades with a wicked smile.

He nodded in response and held up his hands, palms facing the sky. Two balls of black fire burst out of Hades' palms, hovering above his hands easily before shooting into the air, doing a series of spiralling moves around each other. Before Ginevra or Draco could say something, he sent the black balls at a nearby tree. On hitting the tree, the two balls seemed to stick to the bark, and before their eyes, the evergreen began to lose its colour. The bark faded to a sickly shade of grey, the leaves fading from green to a rotting brown in a matter of seconds, and the trunk itself shrinking until the tree looked like nothing more than a shrivelled mess of dead branches and rotting roots.

Persephone held her hands out, two gold balls appearing above her palms as the black ones had for her husband. She decided to skip the aeronautical display, instead sending the balls straight to the tree. They covered the black balls easily, and the tree started to gain life and colour once more. The bark strengthened, the trunk expanded to its original size, the leaves returned to their green colouring, the branches firm once more. In the same time it took for the tree to die, it was brought back to life.

"This is one of your powers as the King and Queen of the Underworld," Ginevra stated, making her way over to the tree, pressing her hand to the trunk. "You can give or take life?"

"Not exactly, the Fates are still the ones that decide on who shall live and die," Persephone replied. "The power we just demonstrated was done with a soul. The Fates decide who lives and dies, but after they've died, Hades and I have their souls. We're the ones who decide where the souls should be placed in the Underworld."

"The souls have power, and some of the souls that are taken still have some life remaining inside of them. I can gather that remaining life and use it more productively," Hades said, nodding to the tree. "Seph's power as goddess of the harvest made her more inclined to use the soul's power to bring life back into something, whereas mine was more suited to taking life. The spheres attach to the being and drain them of their remaining life. It does not kill them though. As Seph said, that decision is still reserved to the Fates alone, but there have been times when some people have been less accepting of their fate than others. Their scissors are blunt and they unable to cut the thread, so the sisters ask a favour of me. Sometimes they will feel sorry for one soul or another, and then the favour is asked of Seph. But that is rare. In fact, it is more often that I am begged to save someone," Hades admitted, glancing to his wife. "She is far too loving, even when some do not deserve such a love."

"Can the Fates' scissors really get blunt?" Ginevra asked.

Hades just smirked in return and didn't reply.

"I didn't dare show you this skill of ours in the open. There are too many eyes watching these days, and it does us well to be paranoid," Persephone admitted.

"If that's all we needed to see, can we get back to our rooms now?" Ginevra asked.

Draco started walking back along the forest path, and she hurried to catch up, rightly assuming that her question had been answered.

... b ...

Lettie appeared in the vampire mansion, and in a matter of seconds, Miles was standing before her. He looked like an absolute wreck, but didn't say a word as he stepped forward to gather her in an enveloping hug.

"I have been so worried about you, beloved Lettie," Miles said, his words muffled against her.

"Sorry for worrying you, Miles. I just needed some time to think about everything," Lettie admitted.

"I have been thinking too, and I am sorry for rushing into..."

She put a finger to his lips, stopping anything else that he might say to her.

"Miles Torleni, I would love nothing more than to marry you," Lettie said, smiling at him brightly and pressing a kiss to his lips.

He seemed stunned at her answer; obviously he'd been expecting a negative answer from her need to think about it all day.

"Are... are you certain, Lettie?" Miles asked, loathing to ask but needing to know the answer.

"Yes, I am now. I was terrified this morning when you asked me, because I couldn't handle the idea of losing you in this war, and thought that if I said no, it would hurt me less. But then I realised that even if we weren't married, I would still hurt the same if I lost you in the war, and I can't bear to think of that. I know I'm probably not making much sense right now, and I swear it sounded much better in my head... I've thought about this all day, Miles, and I am absolutely certain that I want nothing more than to be married to you," Lettie said.

A sigh of relief escaped him and he caught her up in another hug, lifting his fiancŽe off her feet to kiss her passionately.

"I love you, Miles," Lettie said, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling at him brightly.

"I love you, my beloved Lettie."

... b ...

Tuesday 23 July. Early morning.

Virginia sighed, rolling her eyes at the stupidity of the man before her. Pettigrew squeaked in alarm when she stood up abruptly, scrambling back to get as far away from her as possible. A whisper of words had him going still immediately, his hands and feet bound.

"You are to take me to your Master, little rat man, and if you do not, then I will kill you. Is that understood?"

Pettigrew nodded enthusiastically, beady eyes darting about to try and find an escape. He should have known that it was too good to be true when someone of Virginia's beauty came to him in a bar.

Virginia lifted the man to a standing position by his coat lapels and linked her arm through his, waiting impatiently for him to Apparate. Pettigrew, resigned to the fact that he would not be escaping any time soon, reluctantly Apparated to where Voldemort was hiding out this month. With Virginia holding onto his arm that had his Dark Mark, Pettigrew was able to Side Apparate her without a problem. The only problem would be when they arrived before Voldemort...

"Ah, Pettigrew, my loyal servant. You have brought her to me," Voldemort said silkily, stunning Pettigrew beyond belief.

"Of course, my Dark Lord. I am always loyal to you, my Dark Lord," Pettigrew said quickly, not one to turn down an opportunity for praise.

Voldemort had already left with Virginia by his side, ignoring everyone else immediately.

Letting out a breath of relief, Pettigrew hurried to his small room, feeling that he'd dodged an Avada Kedavra with the woman's presence, though he wasn't entirely sure how or why.

Voldemort guided Virginia to a seat, apologising for the state of his surroundings, adding that his usual dwellings were overrun with Aurors at present.

"Ah, of course. That is more than understandable, then, my dear Dark Lord," Virginia replied, flashing a bright smile.

"How may I do your bidding, Lady Virginia?"

She smiled cruelly and began to detail her plan to her rapt listener.

"Tomorrow, some very annoying and, unfortunately, lucky children will be organising a search party for my son. He is in hiding for a crime that I am sure he did not commit, and as his mother, I have a duty to ensure that he is not found."

"Of course, Lady Virginia," Voldemort replied, waiting for her to continue.

"In order to keep my son safe, I need you to kidnap one of the children so that they will all search for the missing one instead of my poor Ric."

"An ingenious plan, Lady Virginia. Are the children in Hogwarts?" he asked hesitantly, licking his lips. "We have yet to get past the spells protecting the school," Voldemort snarled.

"Oh, my dear Dark Lord, do not worry yourself about those things. The one I want you to kidnap does not reside on Hogwarts grounds. In fact, I know exactly where she is, and can take you there myself," Virginia added helpfully.

"Of course, Lady Virginia. I am at your service," he replied, bowing his head slightly.

"Good."

Touching his hand, Virginia and Voldemort disappeared instantly.

On hearing a loud noise nearby, Lettie woke up blearily. The noise had come from Ginevra's room, and she got out of bed slowly, wondering why her Lady had returned so early in the morning.

My Lady? Are you all right? Lettie asked, trying not to yawn even in her mind.

She opened the adjoining door between their rooms and stepped inside Ginevra's room. It took Lettie a full second to realise that the scene before her was not one she expected in the slightest, and that the red-headed woman before her was definitely not her Lady. Virginia just sneered at her, and the man beside her stepped forward, Voldemort's wand raised and his hand outstretched. Touching the band on her wrist, Lettie's fatigue disappeared instantly when she realised that it wasn't working. Something was stopping her from disappearing out of the room. Lettie had left her wand by her bed, not thinking that she'd need it. Then she discovered that she couldn't even move her feet to run away. She was stuck to the spot with no way of escaping, and Voldemort was almost in front of her.

Ginevra! Help!

Lettie's scream of terror woke Ginevra with a jolt, and Draco sat up beside her too, the shout not limited only to Ginevra's mind link.

"What's happened?" Draco asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes quickly.

"It's Lettie," Ginevra said slowly, her mind still trying to comprehend what had happened through her fatigue. "She's been kidnapped."

... b ...

End of the thirty-fourth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.

35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Five

... b ...

Tuesday, July 23.
Early morning, continued.

On hearing about Lettie's kidnapping, Draco immediately got out of bed, went over to the fireplace and threw a handful of Floo powder on the dying flames. They lit up abruptly, and he looked over to Ginevra, who was completely alert now and pulling on a shirt and pair of pants.

"Can you even get to the vampire mansion through here?" he asked, starting to dress as well.

"I don't know, I've never tried," Ginevra admitted, but looked determined to try.

You have to go up to Professor McGonagall's office. She'll have access through there, Luna supplied, grateful that she'd been able to do something, even if she hadn't been able to stop Lettie's kidnapping.

The moment Lettie had disappeared from the vampire mansion, Luna's Sight had miraculously returned. She'd been so intent on trying to See something about the search party later that day that the sudden vision startled her, and if it wasn't for the intensity of the vision, Luna might have missed it entirely. The vision wasn't to do with the search party itself, but rather the subject, and she barely held back from throwing up on seeing Lettie's fate. She reiterated it in quiet tones to Ginevra and Draco, and turned to Colin, sobbing in his arms.

Thanking Luna gently, Ginevra Flooed up to McGonagall's office, intent on getting to the vampire mansion sooner rather than later, even if it meant waking up all of the Hogwarts staff. Draco followed her to McGonagall's office so he could Floo to the Veela house.

... b ...

Miles was pacing the floor, Agnes and Xavier blocking the door so that he couldn't get out - or someone couldn't get in? Ginevra wondered, hearing the multitude of footsteps outside of the Torleni's room.

"Daughter, thank the gods you are all right. Lettie was taken from your room, we thought they had you too," Agnes said, her worry clear on her face.

"I'm fine, I'm just worried about Lettie. Do you know who took her?"

The commotion outside of the room became louder, and Miles growled low in his throat. "The residual magical signature indicates that it was Virginia and the one you call Voldemort," he ground out, his fists clenched by his sides.

Ginevra's fists clenched, and she told her friends the news, their anger becoming a hot wave inside of her. Over the pounding in her ears, Ginevra could hear the noise outside of the room grow even louder. She frowned slightly, her anger starting to lessen and give way to confusion. Ginevra heard Miles' guttural growl and looked between him and the barred door. Agnes looked to Xavier, a quick thought receiving a reluctant nod in return. Before Ginevra could open her mouth to say something, Xavier shot forward in a blur that even she had trouble seeing.

Fangs sank into flesh, and Xavier held his son firmly so he couldn't escape his embrace. Miles fought Xavier, his arms and legs slowing with each passing second until he went limp entirely, his body slumped in his father's arms. The noise at the door stopped abruptly.

"Why? What?" Ginevra stumbled on her words, surprised at what Xavier was doing. She drew a deep breath and turned to Agnes. "Could you explain what on earth that was about?"

Agnes raised her eyebrow slightly at Ginevra's tone, but answered nonetheless. "Miles' power as butler of the vampire mansion allows him to know when someone needs help, even if they don't know it themselves. Of course, if someone doesn't know that they need help, it can be difficult to determine what he has to do, so his power also allows him to influence people in a very subtle way in order to determine what help they need. It seems that his current need to find and hunt down Voldemort and Virginia is affecting every vampire in the mansion, but they will not go without his direct command, hence the barricading of the door. No butler has ever done something like this before, so we did not know it was possible," Agnes said, glancing to where her son was being laid out on the bed.

"How are you and Xavier not affected then? Or me?" Ginevra asked.

"We are his parents, and you already felt the need to hunt Virginia and Voldemort down on arriving, so your emotions were not affected," Agnes replied.

"Lettie had accepted his marriage proposal only hours before, and he was telling us the news when she was kidnapped. Something kept him from getting into your room to help her, and he now blames himself," Xavier said quietly, making his way back over to them now that Miles was sleeping. "I took as much of his blood as I dared. His power's lessened, and he'll wake up Thirsty, but it's the only solution I could think of, albeit a temporary one."

"Virginia's position on the Council has been revoked, but as a vampire, she was still allowed to come here. The wards we had weren't enough, and the Council are still undecided on their response. Everyone knew Lettie was your companion, Ginevra, and all are sorry about her kidnapping. However, there are some still loyal to Virginia, even without her presence here, and they believe that it was not her doing, despite the evidence that shows otherwise," Agnes said, her distaste evident. "Xavier and I are working on changing their minds, but it is a long and difficult process."

"I may be able to help with that," Ginevra murmured, thinking of Ollivander and the bags she had asked him to make. "If Virginia's position on the Council has been revoked, does that mean there is a seat available?"

Xavier smiled slightly and nodded. "I was hoping you would ask," he said, offering Ginevra his arm.

She took it without hesitation, and they disappeared, moving through the mansion without seeming to take a single step. Stopping suddenly, Ginevra felt her stomach lurch at the sensation and tried not to throw up. Agnes appeared behind Ginevra not even a full second later, shaking her head at her husband before moving to take her seat. Xavier held onto her arm firmly, keeping her upright, and waited until she composed herself before he let go and headed to his seat beside Agnes.

Blinking, Ginevra realised that she was standing before a long table. Seated before her was every Elder of the vampire Council, all of whom she'd met during her first tests and before her Blooding ceremony: Everett, Thayne, Annabelle, Maverick, Xavier and Agnes. Virginia's seat was empty, but Ginevra hoped it wouldn't be that way for long.

... b ...

Lettie blinked her way awake slowly, her head pounding. She remembered everything that had happened, and seeing that she wasn't alone in the room, Lettie growled at the rat-like man across from her. He squeaked in fear, then coughed and drew himself up, Pettigrew telling himself that he was safe since she was bound and caged.

"Lord Voldemort will be arriving presently. You've been given ... something by Lady Virginia to stop you from escaping. It's probably fogging your mind right about now, but don't try to resist it; it hurts and doesn't achieve anything in the end," Pettigrew informed her.

Lettie's vision swam before her, Pettigrew's form doubling, tripling, and the room (cage, tent? Where were they holding her?) spun wildly. A wave of nausea hit her and she threw up, the acidic taste burning her throat and making her eyes water.

Pettigrew swore softly, knowing that Voldemort would hurt him if the woman was presented to him covered in vomit, and he hurried to clean her with a quick spell. It didn't work too well - he'd never been the best at Charms - so he threw a bucket of water over her instead. He would never admit to being terrified of the growl that came from her throat, but Pettigrew decided to stay a few paces back nonetheless.

Voldemort entered the tent, wand held loosely to the side as he walked over to survey Lettie. He frowned at Pettigrew, even though the man was grovelling on the ground and couldn't see his expression.

"Why is she wet?" he asked, his words casual but the tone with which they were delivered sent a shiver of fear up Pettigrew's spine.

"S-s-she was s-s-sick, my Dark Lord," he stammered, his eyes not leaving the dirt floor beneath him.

"Is your wand broken, Pettigrew?"

"N-no, my Dark Lord," he said quietly.

A swift kick to the stomach had Pettigrew rolling onto his back, clutching his body in pain.

"Get out of my sight," Voldemort hissed.

With gasping breaths, Pettigrew forced himself to crawl out of the tent. Voldemort sighed and looked to Lettie, as if apologising for the rat-like man's incompetence. He raised his wand, and Lettie didn't quite flinch, but she did close her eyes in anticipation. A warm rush of wind settled over her and Lettie opened her eyes to find that she was dry once more.

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"Because you should not be treated like an animal," Voldemort murmured, glancing to ensure that the tent's flaps were closed securely after Pettigrew's less than dignified exit. "You are more than that, aren't you?" he asked, his lips curving into a smile.

Lettie knew that he was trying to play to her emotions, trying to get on her good side so he could turn her later. She remembered what Pansy had looked like after being rescued from Voldemort, and knew that whatever Voldemort might have wanted from her wouldn't keep her safe for long. Lettie had no desire to succumb to him now anyway, and whatever Virginia had given her was making her felt nauseous again. She was unable to stop from being sick once more, the acidic concoction landing directly on Voldemort's robes. All pretence gone, he screamed about her ungratefulness and hexed her, watching with pleasure as she writhed in pain. He cleaned his robes and left immediately, Lettie panting on the dirt behind him.

Well, her head felt somewhat clearer now, Lettie mused, but she noted that she still couldn't hear the others in her head.

She looked at her surroundings, trying to determine where she was so that she could tell the others the moment she could hear them again. There wasn't much to go on: the tent was small, especially by magical standards, there were no windows, and the only light that filtered in was from the far side of the tent where a misplaced peg was allowing sunlight in through the gap at the bottom.

Her hands were bound and roped to a peg in the ground. Lettie tried to pull the peg out, but it didn't move an inch, and she figured that it had been set in the ground with magic. She hadn't been allowed much rope, and as it was, Lettie doubted that she would even be able to feed herself on her own. She shuddered at the idea of someone like Pettigrew feeding her. Lettie's ankles had been bound too, but on wiggling her feet, she found that the rope there had been tied rather loosely. They were still too tight to get out of completely though, and unless she found something sharp to cut the ropes, Lettie realised that she would be Voldemort's captive for the gods' knew how long.

The choker was still around her neck, and Lettie was momentarily disappointed that it hadn't been taken off of her. She could have turned into a beast and escaped, she was sure of it. Nearly all of Voldemort's army had been captured, killed, or run off after Ginevra's wave went through Riddle House. She had only seen Pettigrew so far, but Lettie wasn't sure how many of Voldemort's Death Eaters waited outside of the tent, or even if he had any Death Eaters left to fight for him. Virginia was with him now, so maybe she had helped Voldemort to recruit more Death Eaters since Ginevra took out the ones at Riddle House?

Lettie struggled to sit up properly, her legs stretched before her and her hands resting on her lap. She knew that she wouldn't be able to take the choker off, but maybe she could control the seed of evil that was still inside of her. Lettie might be able to increase it to the point where the choker didn't matter. She could turn into a beast, break the ropes around her, turn back into a human, and get away without alerting anyone. Okay, it was a risky plan, one that relied on her keeping her humanity even if she could control the evil inside of her in the first place, but if it worked, then it would be worth the risk.

Closing her eyes, Lettie started to meditate, her mind slowly reaching out to the evil that rested inside of her.

... b ...

Draco wasn't overly surprised when he saw that Julianne and Garion were waiting for him in the library as he stepped out of the fireplace. He'd been just as angry as Ginevra at Lettie's kidnapping, and the sudden influx of emotion would have woken them and put them on high alert. He was surprised, however, to see the anger that encompassed Julianne on hearing what had happened. When Ginevra told Draco that it was Voldemort and Virginia who had kidnapped Lettie, he passed the information on and watched as Garion's anger grew to match his wife's.

"We promise you our help in finding Lettie, Draconius," Jules said, leaving to gather the Veelas.

"Lettie reminds Jules of her own companion," Garion murmured with a sigh. "She enjoys the talks she and Lettie have after you've been given your report."

"I didn't know that they talked," Draco admitted.

"They only started a month ago, but they seem to enjoy each other's company. They have tea together and talk, and it has been too long since Jules has had a friend outside of the Veela house," Garion murmured. "You're certain that Voldemort and Virginia have kidnapped her?"

"Yes, Lord Garion. The magical residue left in the vampire mansion indicates that it was definitely Voldemort and Virginia. They seem to be working together now."

"If they are working together, then the Veelas that are under her enthralment may also be at the Black Lord's disposal."

"Dark Lord," Draco corrected, trying not to smile at his mistake.

"Really? Oh... Well, it's a stupid title anyway."

"This coming from the man who once threatened someone for incorrectly addressing him as 'Earl Garion'," Jules said, rolling her eyes as she returned, the Veelas following her. "We're ready. I assume you're gathering your friends and allies to help find Lettie, and fight the ones who have taken her?"

"Yes, Lady Julianne. They've been called and we're all gathering at Hogwarts now that the wards have been strengthened against Voldemort and the Death Eaters," Draco said.

"Good. Let's go then," she said with a grin, her wings appearing.

The library's double doors that led to the forest outside opened as she walked over, the Veelas following suit and flying up into the air to go to Hogwarts.

... b ...

Ollivander listened to the impatient knocking at the door, his hands stilling over his teapot as he waited to find out if the knocker was a friend or foe. The twins had updated his security measures at their sister's request, but what wasn't known to those outside was that Ollivander would get five full seconds of warning before the person could enter the house if they were being held against their will. It wasn't a very long amount of time, but he could Apparate or at least turn into a wand or tree in shorter time than that.

The door opened without any alarms or flashing lights, and Oscar sighed in relief as he headed out to his lounge room with a cup of tea in hand.

"Hello, Oscar. I'm sorry to come at such short notice like this, but I need the bags that I asked you to make for me. Are they ready yet?" Ginevra asked.

"Yes, they've been ready for a few days, actually, but I knew that you'd come when you really needed them. Fred and George were kind enough to get me extra ingredients, so there's a few more bags than you originally asked for," he replied with a smile.

"I hope it wasn't too much trouble for you to make this many," Ginevra said, seeing the large box sitting by his armchair.

"Not at all, dear girl. In fact, I quite enjoyed making the extra bags too. It gave me something to do while I'm hiding away here."

"I'm glad then. If there's anything else I can do for you, just ask me. I'm sure you're going stir crazy on your own."

"Well, since you are offering, I would very much like to make wands again. I left my tools in my shop though... Of course, it's a big risk to even ask it of you, but I feel restless and, apart from those bags, it's the only thing I know how to do."

"But don't you need to use magic for the cores?" Ginevra asked warily.

"Yes, but the cores can be done at a later date. The wands themselves take the most time to bring to life. The wood I can get with dryad magic; it's quite safe since no one knows how to look for that magical signature anymore," Oscar said a little sadly.

"All right then; I'll try. Where are your tools?"

Smiling, Oscar told her where he kept his tools in the back workroom and thanked her warmly.

"You're welcome. I just hope no one's watching the shop anymore," Ginevra said, more to herself than Ollivander.

"Oh, before you go, may I just say congratulations to the Vampire Council's newest Elder," he said with a pleased smile and slight bow.

"Thank you," Ginevra said with a smile, her hand going to the armlet on her upper right arm that signified her as a Council Elder.

It was a simple silver band that had a decorative swirl in the middle, the two ends not quite touching. Agnes had told her that it was Elvish, and Ginevra had seen the ringlet give off a faint shimmer of blue in the right light.

"You should go now, I am sure the people that need those bags will be needing them sooner rather than later," Oscar said, gently reminding her that she had to get back to the Council.

"Yes, of course. Thank you again, Oscar. I'll bring your tools by as soon as I can," Ginevra promised.

Oscar thanked her once more and watched as she left his small cottage to Disapparate.

... b ...

Parvati, Padma, George and Fred were the first to arrive at Hogwarts, all four more than glad to have a reason to escape the Patil parents. They weren't pleased at the reason, of course, but Kali's not-so-subtle hints of marriage and babies had them wanting to claw at the windows to get away. Savi's glares and threats of setting Khara the tiger on them paled in comparison to his wife's suggestions about where to hold the wedding, how many people to invite, etc. Even Parvati and Padma had had enough of their mother's meddling by the time they had finished eating their first meal.

Lettie's kidnapping had sent Padma on a rage, and she'd almost destroyed the set of jade elephant statues in the Patil foyer. They'd all managed to calm her enough to Apparate back to Hogwarts, and then Padma had let loose on the students that had already started training. More than one student ended up in the hospital wing when Padma had finally spent herself, collapsing on the grass with a sob of anguish.

The grass suddenly shot up around her, obscuring Padma from view and muffling her sobs gently. Fred and George looked over to see Neville coming over with Blaise and Seamus, his green thumbs glowing. Parvati stepped into the long grass to sit beside her sister, hugging her.

"Who's that?" George asked, nodding to the young woman trailing behind them.

"Karma, the nymph we were looking for. She's become overly attached to Seamus, but has made an agreement with the King and Queen not to do anything. If she breaks her agreement, Blaise gets to determine her punishment," Neville replied, Blaise scowling.

"Seems like a fair arrangement," Fred said diplomatically, raising his eyebrows at George briefly.

"Where are Ginevra and Draco anyway?" George asked quickly, not liking his twin's chances if Blaise saw his expression.

"They left Hogwarts as soon as they realised what happened to Lettie. I think they've gone to the vampires and Veelas for help," Neville replied.

"Hopefully they'll agree to help. If Lettie was right about Voldemort and Virginia teaming up, I don't like our chances that there's only a couple of Death Eaters with him," Blaise muttered.

Get out of the way! Luna called loudly.

Not knowing where to go to get out of the way (or even how they were in the way in the first place) there was a bit of noise and confusion as they tried to do as Luna said. Mere seconds after they'd scattered - wands drawn and hands on swords, unsure if they were under threat - a dragon landed on the grass. Luna slipped off Colin's back gently, her legs coming close to buckling under her. A plant hurried to hold her up properly, and she thanked Neville and Seamus silently. Colin turned back into his human form, stretching his arms in relief after the long flight. He ensured that Luna would be all right before turning to greet everyone.

"So, I'm guessing Lettie's kidnapping is worse than we thought if you've decided to come, Luna?" Blaise asked.

"Unfortunately so. I've sent word for Gregory and Pansy to come as soon as they've finished their business at the troll camp," she added.

"What 'bout Theo and Mill? They're nae here either," Seamus pointed out.

"They will not be needed until Lettie is found once more," Luna said certainly. "I have assured them of this, and will send word for them to arrive immediately when she is found."

"All right then. So where do we start looking?" Padma asked.

"I have little to go on, but I know the maps that will be the most useful," Luna said, flicking her wand.

A small table filled with scrolls appeared before her, and any hope that the others had was dashed at the sight.

"There's more than twenty scrolls here! The first one alone covers all of Asia!" Parvati said in dismay.

"That one can definitely go. I can't tell the difference between the maps by touch alone, you know. You'll have to describe them to me so I can tell whether they'll be of any use," Luna said.

"Right. As the map for all of Asia is not needed, does that mean any of the smaller Asian country maps can go too?" Fred asked.

"In this instance, yes, that's right."

George gave his brother a nod and they sorted through the scrolls silently, throwing the ones that weren't needed over their shoulders. Colin caught each of them before they could land in the mud; just because they weren't needed right at that moment didn't mean they wouldn't be useful further down the track. When the Asian maps were removed, Fred and George started looking at the fifteen scrolls that were left.

"Wizarding map of Russia?"

"Keep that one," Luna said with a nod.

"Map of United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales?"

"Muggle or wizard?"

"Uh, looks to be both," Fred replied, the ink shimmering in the sunlight.

"Keep it then. The Muggle one can be put aside," Luna replied.

"Right," George said, throwing the map in his hands over his shoulder and grabbing the next one.

Padma and Parvati had started to help Colin catch the scrolls that were being thrown, and Seamus was holding a bag for them to be put into.

"South America?" George asked.

"Not needed now. Neither is North America, actually," Luna said. "Wait!" she said urgently, just as George was about to throw the scroll away. "South America isn't needed for Lettie, but it will be needed for Ric. I'd almost forgotten about him hiding away in the Andes."

Fred and George looked to each other, surprised that they'd forgotten about Ric too. They shrugged slightly - they wouldn't forget about Ric now - and continued to sort out the maps for Luna until there were only four left.

"Does anyone know what that is?" Neville asked, redirecting everyone's attention up into the sky.

Everyone followed his gaze to see what looked like a large white cloud moving towards them. Though the wind was moving in the opposite direction, and the cloud didn't look like a normal cloud, but far more solid.

Honestly, what do you think it is? It's me and the rest of the Veelas, Draco drawled. We'll need a lot of space to land, I've got all of the Torleni clan with me, he added.

They cleared the field quickly, moving to the edge of the tree line to watch as the mass of bodies descended. Thankfully, both Draco and Julianne had told the clan to repress their Veela powers, or else the field would have been swarming with students and teachers alike. Julianne and Garion landed first, their wings disappearing as their feet touched the ground. Behind them, the tens of Veelas that had come with them followed suit. It was difficult to see Draco in the mass of bodies; most were blonde, and all seemed to be wearing the same brilliant-white outfit. Draco stepped out of the crowd with a slight smirk, his expression falling when he realised that Ginevra hadn't returned yet, and that Luna was there.

"It's that serious then?" he asked Luna.

"I'm afraid so. We'll need to organise two hunting parties if we can spare the people," she replied.

I think I can help with that, Ginevra announced.

They looked to each other with frowns, but before anyone could question her, Ginevra stepped out of the trees with Xavier and Agnes behind her. All three had Ollivander's bags tucked around their necks. As they all looked properly, they could see tens of red eyes glowing in the trees; obviously, the rest of the vampires that had come with Ginevra and the two Elders.

What are you wearing? Parvati asked hesitantly.

Traditional garb for Council Elders. Don't laugh; I didn't design this horrid thing, Ginevra muttered, tugging slightly at the long sleeves and high necked collar.

Don't mention Dracula, don't mention Dracula, don't mention Dracula, Colin said in a mantra, Luna laughing softly beside him.

Oh, shove off, Ginevra said with a glower.

"Garion; I take it that none of yours will attack ours?" Xavier asked, his eyebrow raised slightly.

"So long as none of yours attack any of ours, we should all be fine," Garion replied with a glare.

"Hello to you too, brother," Julianne said, her hands on her hips as she glared at Xavier. "Stop insulting Garion to try and get a rise out of him."

"I was simply asking a question, sister."

"Oh gods, I hope we're not that old and still arguing," Fred muttered to George.

"Shut up-shut up-shut up," George hissed when both Julianne and Xavier turned in their direction.

Both Fred and George gave innocent smiles and tried not to look too hex-worthy.

If you mention their ages again, I think they'll show you how they survived two wars to reach that age, Ginevra said with a grin.

Let me deal with this. Everyone else take the vampires and Veelas into the Hogwarts castle the moment I say so. Don't forget sun shields or parasols, Luna added.

"It is a pleasure to have both the vampires and Veelas' assistance in Lettie's kidnapping; although I do wish we were all working together under different circumstances," Luna said diplomatically. "If you would like to come inside with us, I'm sure the Professors and Headmistress would like to be told of your arrival, and the reason for it."

The house elves should be warned too. We'll take care of that, Fred and George said, leaving to Ginevra's rooms and the inner tunnels before Xavier or Julianne could do anything to them.

Blaise, Seamus, Neville, please stay behind. Send Karma ahead with Ginevra and Draco, please, Luna said.

With pleasure, Blaise muttered.

"Karma, can you help Ginevra and Draco, please? Blaise, Seamus, and I need to talk with Luna privately," Neville said.

Karma didn't look overly happy, but saw that Ginevra and Draco were waiting on her. Muttering under her breath, Karma left with them reluctantly.

When they were the only four left standing outside, Luna turned towards the tree line and headed into the Forbidden Forest. Confused, but not wanting to question her when it seemed that Luna wouldn't answer their question anyway, Blaise, Neville, and Seamus followed her into forest without a word.

... b ...

Gregory stood before the King with Pansy beside him, wishing that the King would stop his rant about how Gregory had left the South American trolls and potentially ruined their treaty, and just get to the matter at hand already. He and Pansy had only returned to the troll camp in order to determine who had tried to poison Gregory, and then they had to get to Hogwarts to help the others find Lettie.

You honestly let yourself and your kind be led by this fool who claims to be a King? Poseidon asked, sounding both incredulous and disgusted.

He doesn't really run things, thankfully. Everyone usually listens to Griselda; she must have gained her mother's common sense, Gregory added.

Where is her mother? Poseidon asked, seeing the empty throne on the other side of the King.

It's told that she fought against an ogre and lost.

Not much common sense then.

She did it to protect her daughter from being eaten.

Poseidon went quiet at Gregory's explanation and didn't seem inclined to comment on anything further. Gregory returned his attention to the King's ranting. Beside him, even Pansy seemed to be losing her calm exterior.

"Father, I think it might be best if Gregory continued his investigation. We need this traitor to be found," Griselda said, finally interrupting her father.

"Oh. Yes, of course. Of course he should. Go on then, what are you still doing here?" the King asked.

Gregory gave a bow, Pansy curtsying beside him out of courtesy, and they both left as fast as they could. The King started ranting again, this time about the quality of his mead, and Griselda decided that she could help find the traitor too.

"Princess Griselda," Pansy acknowledged when she caught up with them.

"War General's future bride," she said with a nod.

"You can just call me Pansy."

"Pansy... Do you have any idea who tried to poison you, war General?"

"Yes, I do," Gregory said, obviously surprising Griselda.

They went outside and headed towards the outskirts of the troll camp.

"You are going to ask Tharr's opinion?" Griselda asked, confused.

"Not exactly," Gregory muttered.

Beside him, Pansy's wand slipped into her hand, her other hand resting on the sword by her waist.

"B-but Tharr... He didn't do this to you! He has been locked away for all of this time," Griselda protested. "Father even took his wand away!"

"The wand doesn't matter, Princess. It's nothing more than a conduit; any stick would work just as well," Gregory replied.

Griselda kept walking with them, her heart sinking at the very thought that Tharr would do something like this. Well, Gregory still had to prove it, she thought decisively. And if he was wrong, she'd behead him herself.

... b ...

Millicent stirred on the bed, her body aching and her head throbbing in pain. Theodore was by her side in an instant, checking over her with his wand and murmuring softly, telling her to lie still for a moment. She followed his instruction quietly, her own eyes checking over him for damage as she remembered what had happened.

"How long have I been out?" Millicent asked, her throat dry.

"About a day. Almost done," Theodore added, doing a final spell to check her vitals.

With that all finished and determining that Millicent was truly all right, apart from a few bruises here and there, Theodore hugged her tightly. She hugged him back, surprised at the worry she could feel from him.

"I'm all right, Theo," Millicent assured him, rubbing his back. "It was only a few scratches; I've had worse from Remus."

"It was more than a few scratches, Mill. You took on two full-grown werewolves, not one wolf as scrawny Lupin! They really did a number on you," Theodore murmured, sitting up to look at her shoulder; the welts were still red despite everything he'd done.

"Yeah, well I wasn't just going to stand there and let you get hurt by them," she said.

Theodore was quiet for a moment, his hand moving from her shoulder to take her hand in his own. "I heard you after you changed into a wolf... You called me your mate."

"I did?"

He nodded, grinning now. "Yes, you did. I thought you said that it only happens between wolves?" he asked, his grin slipping.

"I... I thought it did. I've never heard of it happening outside of a pure wolf relationship before," Millicent said, frowning.

"So what does that mean for us now?" Theodore asked.

"It means that if I join a pack, you'll be ranked with me on the hierarchy rather than be seen as an outsider. You can't go hunting, obviously, but you'll essentially have the same rights as I do."

"Uh-huh... And what about us-us?"

"It means that my wolf has seen you as her mate. Sex will probably get rougher if my wolf is close," Millicent admitted, blushing slightly.

"You mean breaking the headboard wasn't rough?" Theodore asked with a grin, referring to the pile of toothpicks they'd reduced the headboard to only last week.

"Compared to what my wolf could do, that was foreplay. Foreplay with clothes on, at that," she added.

"Hmm. I think we'll have to put this theory into practice, don't you?" Theodore asked with a grin, kissing her lips gently.

The doorbell rang loudly, and he pulled away reluctantly, muttering about being cockblocked by a gods' damned bell.

"We could both still be asleep and conveniently sleep through the sound of the bell?" Millicent offered a lie, grinning.

"The dead couldn't sleep through that bell, Mill. I'll go answer the door; why don't you get the bubbles ready in the bath? They're the expanding ones, remember," Theodore added over his shoulder, heading downstairs.

Millicent already knew that it was Selena, Rob and Grant at the door; she'd smelled them as they came in through the front gate.

"Not missing this," Millicent muttered to herself, throwing the blanket off and going after Theodore, adjusting her nightgown properly.

"Oh, Millicent, I'm so glad that you're all right," Selena said warmly on seeing her behind Theodore.

"So am I. Theodore made sure of it," she said with a smile.

"What can we do for you?" Theodore asked pointedly, still not too happy that they'd been interrupted, nor at the presence of Grant and Rob so soon after the fight.

"I just came over to return your fruit platter. I'm happy to say that the kids all ate every bit of fruit," Selena added, grinning as she handed the platter back. "Grant and Rob came over to hide behind me."

Millicent put the empty platter on the small bench by the door, refusing to leave and miss any of this conversation.

"Hey, no we didn't!" Grant protested, glaring at his sister-in-law.

"Well, I didn't, at least," Rob muttered.

"We came to apologise, and to see if you and Millicent were all right," Grant said, barely repressing the urge to glare or whack Rob on the head.

"We're fine, no thanks to you two," Theodore said, his arms crossed over his chest.

Theodore, please don't aggravate them. They're trying to apologise. Do you know how hard it must be for a Beta and Delta wolf to apologise to me? I'm an unranked wolf!

No harder than it was for me to see you get hurt by them. I'm not letting this go, Mill. I don't care if they have to run up and down the street with their tails between their legs; if they're not truly remorseful about hurting you, then I'm not going to forgive them. And even if they are remorseful, I'll still be pissed off at them.

"Yeah, I know. I really am sorry about that; I didn't mean to get so carried away. I don't react well when I'm directly challenged," Rob explained. "I know that I took it too far. I'm really sorry about all of it, and I'm just glad that you're both all right."

"I'm sorry too; I just... I can't back away when someone challenges me. I'm not saying it's your fault because believe me, I know it wasn't, you were just protecting him like I would've protected Serena or any of the kids... I shouldn't've taken the fight so far as to actually hurt you; I'm really sorry about that," Grant added.

They both looked and sounded genuine about their apologies, and Millicent took Theodore's hand in her own, looking at him pleadingly.

Please, Theo. They mean it, I know they do.

It's your decision, Mill. You're the one that was hurt by them.

"Matt's also made sure that it won't happen again. Even if they're directly challenged, Grant and Rob won't be able to do anything more than a single bite or scratch," Selena added.

"That can be more than enough for some," Theodore pointed out.

"If I don't survive a bite or scratch, then I don't deserve to be a wolf," Millicent muttered.

Rob and Grant chuckled, and even Selena smiled a bit. Theodore sighed and moved aside so Millicent could accept their apologies.

"I'm not saying I forgive you, because that was seriously over the top for something as simple as a protective growl; but I accept your apologies," Millicent said, shaking both of their hands.

Grant and Rob both thanked her, wished her well again, and started to leave.

"Hey, wait," Theodore called.

Millicent was surprised to smell a hint of fear coming from the two men on the path, and tried not to laugh at the thought of those two men being afraid of her Theo. Oblivious to their fear, Theodore stepped out of the house with a sigh, running his hand through his hair.

"I want you to know that I still don't accept your apologies, because a bunch of words means shit-all at the end of the day. The next time you hurt Mill like that, I'll be much more precise about where the lightning bolts hit... That being said, thanks for apologising and actually meaning it."

Both men nodded and left quickly. When they were gone, Theodore turned to Selena with a slight frown. "Are the kids all right? They seemed pretty terrified when I let that storm loose."

"They're great, actually. If we could get them to stop playing weather gods versus wolves, that might be better for us parents," Selena said, grinning broadly. "But really, don't worry about them. Kids bounce back faster than most people realise."

"That's good to hear. I've got some Sleeping Draughts handy if any of the kids starts to have nightmares," Theodore offered.

"Thanks, Theodore. That's really nice of you," Selena said with a gentle smile. "I'm sure they'll be fine, but I'll keep it in mind."

He gave a brief nod in return and stepped back into the house where Millicent was waiting. Selena left a moment later, and Theodore closed the door with a sigh.

"Just how bad was the storm anyway? I don't remember much about it," Millicent said.

"Hail, rain, gale-force winds, a few trees were blown over, I started a lightning fire, and I think I was on the verge of creating a tornado when you woke up."

Millicent looked at Theodore for a long moment, frowning deeply. "You must've been terrified to go to extremes like that," she murmured, cupping his face in her palm.

"I was, Mill... I just snapped when I saw you like that; I don't even think I was in control of myself," he admitted, pulling her close for another hug.

Wrapping her arms around Theodore gently, Millicent tried to reassure him that she was all right - she was alive, and not going anywhere any time soon - without saying a word.

... b ...

Niryal flitted ahead, too bored to keep to the path or follow Neville's slower pace, no one was quite sure. The Night Fairy didn't care to comment either way, and flew above the trees, diving down only to pull up at the last minute and dart between the tree trunks wildly. Her erratic pattern reminded Blaise of his own earlier escapade through the Forbidden Forest.

"Luna, are ye sure we're headed th' righ' way? Heck, are we still in th' Forbidden Forest? I donnae any of this," Seamus said, looking at the foreign expanse of trees with a frown.

As a Protector, Seamus thought he knew every tree in the Forbidden Forest!

"We're going in the right direction, don't worry. The reason you don't recognise any of these trees is because they don't technically belong to the Forbidden Forest. There was a blue flash of light earlier, wasn't there?" Luna asked.

"Yes; I thought it was just a trick of the light," Neville said, frowning.

"It was no light trick. It was a portal to this place. They'd been deactivated until Ginevra let out that wave of power during The Vision. She accidentally turned them all back on again, all over the world. The blue light means that it's on, and the portals themselves are usually made out of stone. This one had so much overgrowth it just looked like a very odd tree," Luna said, shaking her head briefly. "Now, do you see a tree with three knots on the trunk? We should be nearing it soon."

"Found it!" Niryal called from up ahead.

They reached Niryal soon enough, and as Luna had said, there was a tree with three knots on the trunk.

"Tap the top knot, then the bottom, and then the middle knot twice," Luna instructed.

Niryal tapped out the pattern before Blaise, Neville or Seamus could attempt it, and she let out a yell of surprise when the tree split in half entirely, each half of the tree falling to either side of them.

"Step through, quickly now," Luna instructed.

Wary and somewhat cautious, they stepped over the broken tree and into the small clearing beyond it. When Luna and Niryal had joined them, the tree made an odd noise and they turned to see that the trunk had mended itself completely.

"That was fucking weird," Niryal said with a shudder.

"It's a Wilting Willow. They were first used to hide the wizarding world from Muggles. Then the Muggles had the brilliant idea to chop down trees to use for fuel, and most of the trees were either relocated or destroyed entirely so the Muggles wouldn't discover the unique properties of their bark," Luna explained.

"Okay, it's an interestin' tree an' all, but what's it got ter do with us?" Seamus asked.

"See that path over to the right there? At the end of that is your answer," Luna said with a smile.

Despite his questions, Seamus was the first one to start down the path and into the odd forest.

The path was surprisingly short, and they reached the end within a few minutes. Stopping short when he came to the end, Seamus stared at the structure before him. Neville and Blaise moved so that they could see properly, and they all just stared in surprise.

"Well, what do you think?" Luna asked. She frowned when they didn't reply. "We are in the right place, aren't we? Two-storey house, big windows, the whole thing covered in plants?" Luna asked.

"If by 'covered in plants', you mean a literal green-fucking-house, then yeah, I'd say we're in the right damn place," Niryal said.

"Oh, good. Neville, Seamus, if you'd just give the plants a bit of a wake up call and push to move back? It's been centuries for the poor things," Luna said sympathetically.

Finally brought out of their stupor, Neville and Seamus worked together to wake up the mass of plants and ask them to move out of the house and back into the forest. The plants agreed easily, glad for someone to talk to after so long, and slowly retreated with promises of being cared for properly once again.

"Now, I'm sure you probably don't want to clean it all up today, but I still wanted to show you where this was. It's not owned by anyone, the house has been forgotten for longer than the plants themselves, and since it's been empty for so long it's now yours to own. Of course, as it's not entirely in the mortal world, you should be able to move to the nymph world a lot easier now, Neville," Luna added.

"What do you mean it's not entirely in the mortal world?" Neville asked, frowning slightly.

"Well, when things are forgotten as long as this place has been, they tend to get... shifted aside to make more space for other things. If they're forgotten about entirely, or not used within a millennium of being forgotten, then they just ... well, they sort of disappear. It's actually very sad. Cassandra's world was so much bigger compared to ours. In different ways, of course," Luna admitted. "Our world is shrinking for the Muggle world, and we're losing these beautiful places far too often. In fact, if I hadn't brought you out here, the Wilting Willow would have been lost to us completely after next month."

"It's not going to be lost now, and us along with it?" Blaise asked warily.

"Of course not; the Wilting Willow's been used now, so it cannot fade away for another millennia. The same goes for the entire forest, the house, and the creatures living in here. I don't think any of them will trouble you," Luna said, frowning slightly. "Just be careful if you hear a Jabberwocky."

"A what?" Seamus asked.

"Everyone knows the Jabberwockies are extinct, Luna," Blaise said.

"Not extinct, just very good at hiding."

"That's just great. We don't have ter worry about bein' killed by Voldemort or Death Eaters; we've got a friggin' Jabberwocky that'll probably kill us instead!" Seamus said.

"Oh, please, there's no need to be so dramatic. Jabberwockies are herbivores, Seamus," Luna said.

"If they're herbivores, why do we have to be careful if we hear one?" Blaise asked pointedly.

"Because you'll probably scare the poor thing. It hasn't had company for a very long time, and with all of the noise you three can make, you'll probably terrify it."

"I'd pay ter see tha'," Seamus muttered.

"If you're not happy with the house, or this place, then we can just go. I'm not forcing you to stay here against your will; I just thought you might like a place to yourselves. Of course, if you hate it that much, you can just Obliviate yourselves. If you forget about this completely by the end of the day, everything will disappear," Luna said.

"We'll have a look around," Blaise said after a long moment of silence, taking Seamus and Neville's hands and walking up to the house with them.

"Is there really a freaking Jabberwocky here, Luna?" Niryal asked with a grin.

"Of course there is. He's very shy, so I wouldn't expect to see him for at least another six months," she replied.

Luna gave a smile at Niryal's frustrated mutter, then turned and left to go back to the Wilting Willow to leave the three wizards alone in what she hoped would be their new home.

... b ...

Gregory knocked on Tharr's door, standing back a few paces as he waited for an answer. He wasn't sure if it would be safe to simply open the door and walk into Tharr's room, and refused to take that risk, especially while Pansy and Griselda were present. Gregory frowned slightly when there was no answer. Tharr was still meant to be under house arrest while he wasn't accompanied by Griselda, the King, or an assigned guard.

"All of the guards are with the King at the moment. Has Tharr's sentence changed since I left, Princess?" Gregory asked, his frown deepening.

"No," she replied reluctantly. "He should be inside."

Gregory knocked again, harder this time, and the stone door shuddered under his fist. Again, there was no answer. He stopped knocking, his wand slipping into his hand as he heard a faint noise behind him. Without warning, Gregory spun on his heel, a hex leaving his lips in the same instant. Tharr barely dodged the oncoming hex, the spell singeing his vest.

"Not the welcome I usually expect," Tharr said drily.

"Why are you outside? More importantly, how are you outside?" Gregory asked, his wand never leaving Tharr's large form.

Tharr didn't seem inclined to answer, stepping past them to open his door and go inside. All three followed him wordlessly, both Pansy and Gregory keeping their wands trained on him. Griselda's eyes widened slightly on seeing the amount of books that Tharr had in his house. She couldn't read some of the titles, but from the ones that she could read, Griselda saw that they were spell books. These were the sorts of books that had gotten Tharr exiled to the edge of the troll camp and put under house arrest in the first place!

"How did you get these? Why would you?" Griselda asked.

"Flourish and Blotts have an owl delivery service. You have no idea how mindlessly dull it was, sitting here day in, day out, with nothing to do. I decided that since I'd been banned from reading these sort of books, I might as well make the ban worthwhile."

"You were punished for reading?" Pansy asked with a frown.

"Not exactly... I was punished for using the knowledge in the books to do magic. It is forbidden for trolls to use magic. Well, for most trolls, that is," Tharr added, looking to Gregory pointedly.

"So... You learnt a spell, used the spell, and were exiled away? What spell did you use?"

Tharr stayed silent, and Pansy looked to Griselda for an answer.

"He performed two spells: an Aquamenti spell, and the Cruciatus Curse," she replied quietly. "My father wasn't always the way he is now," Griselda added.

"You used an Unforgivable on the King?" Gregory asked Tharr, his jaw slack. "How are you still alive?"

"The Aquamenti spell saved the clan when a fire was set in the tavern; I was given a position of honour in the clan. Then the unfortunate accident with the King happened. My position was revoked, and magic was outlawed. As I had saved everyone earlier, I was exiled rather than killed."

"You had Gregory's position as war General, didn't you?" Pansy asked with a sigh, connecting the dots quickly.

"Yes, I did. I performed magic and was banished! But when a wizard joins the clan and tricks his way into getting my rightful position, no one thinks anything of it!"

"I didn't use magic to try and kill the King! I've only used magic once during training to help the trolls work together!"

"Our ways were fine before you came along!" Tharr shouted, rising up to his full height.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Gregory remembered the solid stone door that Tharr had cracked with nothing more than a punch.

"The only explanation is that you used magic on the King to get this position. Becoming war General isn't something that just happens, especially not to trolls that have been in the troll camp for barely a month!"

Gregory tried to defend himself and say that he'd been promised the position, anything to make Tharr see reason, but the larger troll didn't look as though he would listen. If he couldn't make him see reason, maybe he could make him confess instead.

"How did you do it, Tharr?" Gregory asked. "How did you try to kill me without leaving your house?"

"The Imperius Curse. Wandless magic is easy to perform if you've had enough practice. Since I was stuck in here, all I've had is time to practice."

"So you hexed your guard to put poison on my door and waited?"

Tharr nodded. "Of course, when I was called upon, I thought I would be going to examine a dead body. Instead, you were alive through sheer luck. I kicked the door in and set fire to the room to destroy any evidence; I still doubt that there was anything there to implicate me, but I didn't want to take any chances."

Griselda finally seemed to stop staring at Tharr in shock. "What were you going to do if you had killed Gregory?"

"Get my position back as war General, then challenge the King to a fight for his throne, kill him with magic if I had to, and take you as my bride. The trolls listen to you, Griselda, and if you were by my side, they might not be so rebellious after the King's death."

"And now that you've been found out, what are you going to do?" Griselda asked, the room already starting to spin around her.

He's been telling us too much far too easily, Pansy thought to Gregory, frowning. Somehow, I don't think he plans on letting us live.

Before Gregory could reply, Tharr lashed out, his arm connecting with his head and throwing Gregory across the room. Much like the stone door, Gregory crashed against the far wall and landed in a heap. Pansy had drawn her sword in this time and managed to land a blow before Tharr realised that she'd moved to attack him. He let out a fierce roar, thick rivets of blood streaming down his arm as he picked up his club and swung at her. Pansy blocked the club, dodging to the side to swing at him again. Tharr concentrated, a silent spell forming as he raised his club, and slowly, the desk behind Pansy began to lift into the air.

Behind Tharr, Gregory stirred, his head pounding and blood oozing down the side of his face. He sat up groggily, the room spinning around him. When he was able to see properly, Gregory saw the desk levitating into the air behind Pansy and struggled to help her. He already knew that he wouldn't be able to get over to them in time, and his mind was still fuzzy from hitting the wall so he couldn't even remember the spell to stop the desk, let alone try to warn Pansy silently. Gregory lurched forward as the desk began to drop and wrapped his arms around Tharr's torso, barely able to lock his fingers together around the large troll. He succeeded in breaking Tharr's concentration, but Gregory hadn't figured on the desk dropping all that quicker towards Pansy. He let out a noise of distress and urgency, his mind still too scrambled to form complete words, and pushed Tharr out of the way to get to Pansy.

Pansy heard Gregory's garbled noise and tried to turn around to see what he was indicating to. It all happened so quickly; one minute she was standing with her sword drawn, and the next she was being pushed to the ground, a large body crushing down on her and pieces of the wooden table breaking over them. It seemed that Griselda had finally broken out of her stupor. She'd pushed Pansy aside before the large table crushed her, but she didn't seem to be moving even though they were both safe. Pansy belatedly realised that she was still holding the sword and had probably stabbed Griselda.

Greg! Get her off; I might have stabbed her by accident!

Gregory's mind was starting to clear, and he lifted Griselda off Pansy carefully, a sword sticking out of her torso. She was still alive; barely, but she was still breathing and there was a strong grip on his hand as he helped her lie down on the floor gently. A low laugh behind him made Gregory realise that Tharr was still in the room and intent on killing them.

"Oh, this is perfect. I just have to hand you over to the King for killing his beloved daughter, and the trolls will look up to me for capturing you, despite being too late to save the Princess' life. The King will be even more irresponsible after the death of his daughter, and no one will mind if I take the throne from him, however bloody that takeover may be," Tharr said, looking down on Griselda's blood-covered body with a cold smile.

This guy is really starting to piss me off. Put up a shielding spell and then take the sword out so I can heal Griselda, would you?

What? Are you sure that's a good idea, Pans? Gregory asked, wondering if he was concussed.

I watched Theo when he fixed Lettie after she was stabbed through; I know what to do. Trust me, Pansy replied.

Gregory did a shielding spell and with a nod to Pansy, he pulled the sword out of Griselda. She gasped in pain, her breathing starting to come in shallow gasps as she stared past them and to Tharr. He didn't seem worried about what Pansy was doing, watching with a cold smile as Griselda slowly died on the ground before him.

... b ...

Through the small gap at the bottom of the tent, Lettie could see that the sun was starting to set. She was still working on enlarging the evil inside of her. It was bigger than it had been earlier, but it wasn't enough to loosen her choker and free the beast yet. It didn't help that Pettigrew and Voldemort had returned to try and get her to talk.

They wanted to know where her friends were, the ones that had destroyed some of the most loyal Death Eaters Voldemort had ever gathered. It had taken him years to garner that sort of trust with his inner-circle of Death Eaters, and then with one red wave, they'd all been turned into nothing more than shells. Oh, yes, some had survived the ordeal, but they were of no more use to him than the ones that had died.

The ones that had destroyed them needed to be punished. Of course, Lettie would be spared if she gave their location and helped them get inside. And, as Voldemort was feeling generous, she could even choose one person to be spared from his wrath. Wasn't that such a lovely and generous offer from the Dark Lord?

Lettie didn't answer, her mind busy even though her body hadn't moved a muscle in hours. She had continued to work at the evil inside of her all through Voldemort's speech, and refused to even consider what he said. Lettie remembered Pansy's broken body, she remembered the pristine body of Vincent that had to be pried from Pansy, and she remembered the Muggles that he had caged like animals. Lettie knew that whatever he promised or threatened, she would never give her friends up.

Realising that his audience wasn't as captive as her binds made her seem, Voldemort hexed her with the Cruciatus Curse, watching with a furled lip as she writhed and screamed her pain.

The Cruciatus Curse had set Lettie back hours, and she had to work on it again. Now, she'd managed to reach the same level as before. Was it her imagination, or was her choker feeling a little looser?

She repressed her excited emotion and continued to concentrate, her mind focused on nothing more than enlarging the evil inside of her.

It continued for another three hours, and Lettie could feel the choker loosening inch by inch, the evil ball beginning to grow larger. Her breathing became more ragged, her teeth started to lengthen, and her vertebrae began to change into sharp spikes. When she felt the choker slip off completely, Lettie opened her eyes with a feral grin.

The beast replaced Lettie in less than a heartbeat, and tore out of the binds a moment later. Flexing her muscles, she dug her paws into the soft earth beneath her and then leapt forward, ripping the tent to pieces as she made her escape. There was a scream of fear when the beast appeared, but then Lettie found herself bound and surrounded. She snarled, trying to get out of the binds unsuccessfully. Virginia and Voldemort made their way over to her, the multitudes of Death Eaters that had been surrounding the tent keeping their wands pointed directly at her. It had been a trap, and Lettie had physically leapt straight into it.

Voldemort's red eyes gleamed as he looked down at her with a smile. His bony hand pointed the wand down at her, but Virginia stilled his hand before he could hex Lettie. Virginia stepped over Lettie's body and into the mess of tent material. She reached down with a careful precision and pulled out what could have been nothing more than a piece of string, but was actually Lettie's choker. Virginia had wrapped and tied the choker around Lettie's neck once more before anyone properly registered that she'd even moved. Before their eyes, Lettie's body began to shrink and she howled as her spine returned to normal, fangs disappearing and paws lengthening into human fingers. As Lettie's vocal cords changed her howl turned into a scream of anguish, soon giving way to raw sobs.

Virginia smiled coolly when she saw something glinting in the moonlight; Lettie's engagement ring. She stood and held out a hand for Voldemort's wand. He handed it to her immediately without question, and both he and the gathered Death Eaters watched in a morbid fascination as Virginia said a spell, slowly slicing Lettie's ring finger off, her screams echoing in the night.

... b ...

"You cannot stop me from helping, Mother," Miles hissed, glaring at Agnes.

"You cannot blame me for trying. I do not want to lose you; you are emotional and far more prone to making mistakes. Do not try to deny or argue it, Miles," Agnes added fiercely.

"Of course I'm emotional! My fiancŽe was kidnapped and I couldn't stop it!"

"You need to stop blaming yourself, Miles," Xavier said.

"Then who do you suggest I blame?" he asked, turning on his father and glaring at him, his teeth bared. "How about the man that weakened me and stopped me from finding her?!"

"How about the ones that actually kidnapped Lettie?" Xavier suggested. "Now, you can either keep blaming everyone for what's happened, or you can stop this nonsense and we can go out to find Lettie together."

Miles faltered at Xavier's words, letting out a heavy sigh. "Very well."

"Glad you decided to join us; you're just in time," Ginevra said with a grin when Xavier, Agnes and Miles arrived on the Quidditch Pitch. "We've narrowed the search down to six areas. Luna will be organising everyone into teams so we can cover more ground."

"Oh no," Luna whispered, her words lost as an owl screeched loudly in the night.

An unmarked owl flew overhead, dropping a parcel to where Ginevra and Draco were standing in front of the crowd. The smell of blood was faint, but it was still present. Ginevra's hands trembled as she opened the rectangular parcel, the cheerful wrapping and ribbon a stark contrast to the contents. Lettie's ring finger was displayed in the box carefully, the digit resting in a nest of tissue paper and cotton, her ring glinting in the low evening light.

"Three areas have just been eliminated," Luna murmured to Draco.

What? How? he asked, still reeling from receiving Lettie's finger.

"The owl came from a particular direction; three of those areas aren't in that direction," she replied. "Fred, George, there's no need for the Russian map, and the two Muggle maps."

The twins nodded woodenly, their eyes still trained on the box that held Lettie's finger. Padma and Parvati were standing between them, bristling with anger, blue lightning rippling over their bodies from their pixie magic.

Miles moved up to Ginevra and Draco, unable to look away from the box. He took the offered box, carefully lifting her finger out to remove the ring with all of the gentle care that he'd had when placing it on Lettie's hand in the first place. Before anyone could say or do anything, Miles sank his teeth into the finger, a tear trekking down his cheek as he experienced Lettie's thoughts and memories up until her finger had been removed. Through Lettie's blood, Miles relived her attempted escape, her realisation of the trap, and then the blinding pain of her finger being cut off at an excruciatingly slow pace.

When he opened his eyes, Miles found that he had fallen to his knees. As he stood up, he saw that the Veelas, vampires and Hogwarts students had already been organised into four groups.

"I thought there were only three places?" Miles asked Luna with a frown.

"There are; but Ric is in the Andes, and he needs to be found too," she replied quietly. "I didn't assign you to a group; I've left the choice up to you, Miles."

"I want to find Lettie," he said certainly and without hesitation.

In his pocket, his hand wrapped around the engagement ring that he'd given to Lettie earlier, and Miles swore his revenge silently.

"Can you tell me if there was anything useful in Lettie's memories, Miles?" Ginevra asked, stepping forward.

Miles looked at her in surprise; her tone was more military general than worried friend, and he bristled at her seemingly lack of concern. He said as much, and was answered with a brisk slap across the face.

"I've officially declared war on Voldemort and Virginia over this, Miles. Do not mistake my ability to compartmentalise my emotions for not having any. I am just as affected by this as you are; Lettie is my companion and my friend, and I am trying very hard not to have a breakdown in front of everyone. We will find her, and we will do what needs to be done. Until then, I refuse to weaken myself by being overly emotional and not thinking clearly."

Miles nodded briefly, his face stinging. "Very well. What would you have me do?"

"Relay Lettie's memories to me; I want to know what she's seen and heard since she was kidnapped."

"There is too much to relay out loud," Miles murmured, almost to himself.

A dagger appeared in his hand before anyone had time to process where it had come from and he sliced a small line in his palm, blood seeping from the wound immediately. Ginevra flicked her wand, transfiguring a strand of hair into a goblet, and caught the drops of blood quickly. She thanked Miles with a brief nod, drank the blood down in one gulp, her eyes closing as the memories assailed her.

... b ...

"Twelve bedrooms, an attic, four bathrooms, an indoor pool, and a gazebo in the orchid. That orchid has some trees that even I haven't seen before... What do you think? Suit your needs, Irish?" Neville asked, grinning at Seamus as Blaise kissed his neck.

They were standing in the master bedroom that already came furnished with a large king-size bed. The attic had stored boxes of magically shrunken furniture, and they'd spent most of the day going through the boxes in order to furnish the large house accordingly. As they'd gone along, Seamus had detailed exactly what he would be doing to who on what piece of furniture. It had made for a very interesting day.

Seamus turned around abruptly, pulling Blaise to his by his shirt roughly. "Hear tha', Blaise? Twelve fuckin' rooms," he murmured against his lips.

Blaise grinned broadly, his arms wrapped around Seamus' waist.

"So I guess we're keeping this place?" Neville asked with a chuckle.

"Well, we can't say no when we haven't tested the rooms out properly," Blaise said practically, Seamus already starting to undo his shirt.

"I think we've got something more important to do, don't you?" Neville asked pointedly, silently reminding them about Lettie.

Reluctantly and somewhat ashamed, Seamus pulled away from Blaise and rebuttoned his shirt quickly. "Right, let's get back an' help the others find Lettie," Seamus said, leaving the master bedroom before he could change his mind.

Neville kissed Blaise chastely and they followed after Seamus quickly.

The return journey back to Hogwarts didn't take as long as the one there; the portal that they had walked through originally was easier to spot and identify know that they knew what they were looking for. Neville promised himself that he would look in to the properties of the Wilting Willow when he had the time.

On arriving to Hogwarts, they saw that the castle was lit up and followed the noise up towards the Great Hall. The sight that met them was unexpected: groups of Veelas and vampires were sitting at tables together, conversing loudly and a few even laughing together. The vampires all had goblets filled with a dark red liquid, a similar shade to their eyes. Up at the teacher's table, Professor McGonagall was sitting between Agnes and Julianne with an indescribable expression on her face; Hagrid was sitting at the end, having a joyous conversation with Xavier about dragons; Flitwick was talking about Charms with Garion, the smaller man's wand already testing one on a hapless feather. In amongst the mass of bodies at the Slytherin table, Ginevra and Draco were sitting quietly, eating the bare minimum and not joining in the conversations around them.

Everything all right, Ginevra? Neville asked, frowning.

I'm just tired. We've received Lettie's ring finger, and war has officially been declared by both the vampires and Veelas on Voldemort and Virginia. We'll be going over search plans tomorrow morning. Tonight, Luna has instructed everyone to rest and feast. I can't seem to bring myself to do much of the latter, so I might leave to try and do the former instead, Ginevra said with a slight smile.

Would you like company? Neville offered. I'm sure Blaise and Seamus can spare me for a night.

No, it's all right. You eat and rest up. I'd like to hear about this place of yours sometime later, Ginevra added as she stood and walked over to them.

She kissed Neville's cheek gently, and gave a slight smile to Blaise and Seamus, saying good night silently before leaving the Great Hall. Draco was only a few seconds behind her, giving the three wizards a brief nod on his way out.

... b ...

"Keep her still; I don't care what you have to do. Sit on her if you have to, just make her stop moving!" Pansy demanded as Griselda started to thrash about in agony, pained moans tearing from her throat.

Gregory doubted that he'd be able to hold Griselda down, trying to think of another way to keep her still instead. Eventually, he Stupefied Griselda, hoping that whatever healing spell Pansy was doing would still work while she was frozen in such a way. Pansy didn't seem overly pleased with his method, but continued with her attempt to heal Griselda without another word or demand, so Gregory supposed that it would be fine for now. He returned his concentration to the shield, noticing that Tharr was starting to lose his smug demeanour and beginning to look worried instead.

"I'm guessing you never read the healing sections of your book, only the destruction parts, right?" Gregory asked, smirking.

Tharr didn't bother answering, instead choosing to bash his club against the shield in an attempt to break it.

"Might want to hurry, Pans. I think I made him angry," Gregory said with a grin.

"No, really? What gave you that idea?" Pansy muttered under her breath, not looking away from Griselda.

The head wound Gregory was sporting must have been more serious than he initially thought, or Tharr was stronger than he gave him credit for, because under his club, the magical shield was starting to weaken.

Oh, shit. This is bad, Gregory muttered, telling Pansy what was happening.

Just try to keep him back for another minute; Griselda should be stable enough to Apparate out of here then. Or maybe a few metres; I don't know how well my stitches are going to hold up, Pansy admitted.

Gregory gave a brief nod and put more power into his spell, thankful that Tharr didn't seem to know the counter-curse to remove his shield. The small crack that had formed began to repair slowly, and Tharr gave a roar as he swung the club even harder. There was a cracking sound and then the shield shattered completely, Gregory too weak from blood loss to keep it up any longer. Tharr's club continued to swing through the broken shards and hit Gregory with full force. He dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, blood pooling around his head. Pansy cried out, running over to help him, leaving Griselda for the moment.

Tharr gave a feral grin and swung his club again. Pansy dodged it, moving to stand behind him. Tharr turned, his club continuing its arc around the room. Pansy ducked, thankful that she'd missed the oncoming blunt object, but had forgotten about the troll's ability to perform wandless magic. A mere second after ducking the club, Pansy was hit with the Cruciatus Curse. She fell to her knees, a pain-wracked sob tearing from her throat. She struggled against the curse, forcing herself to get past the pain and lift her wand. Tharr growled when he saw her arm rising and did thought another Cruciatus Curse, swinging his club at Pansy when she was too preoccupied with the pain to notice. His club never hit the target, and Tharr blinked slowly on realising that a sword was sticking through his torso. The sword was ripped out and he fell to the ground, his head falling off his neck with a wet thunk. Behind his fallen body, Griselda was leaning against the wall, her chest heaving in exertion, a bloody sword in her trembling hands and tears running down her cheeks.

Pansy struggled to her feet, the suddenness of the Cruciatus Curse leaving her almost as painful as the Unforgivable itself. She moved around Tharr's large body to take the sword from Griselda carefully. Blood was starting to seep from the wounds on the Princess' body, Pansy's spell not quite complete, and she started to patch them up again.

"Help Gregory; I'm fine," Griselda said, her voice trembling as much as her hands.

Pansy nodded and hurried over to Gregory, checking for a pulse as she tried to remember the spell to heal head wounds. His pulse was there, but it was slowing. She couldn't remember the spell and asked Theodore, trying to keep her anxiety out of her voice.

How serious is the wound? Theodore asked. On hearing her answer, he went silent which, in Pansy's opinion, was worse than anything else he could have done. I'll be right there. Just tell me where there is?

No time. I'll come get you instead. Are you at St. Mungo's?

No, but I can be in thirty seconds.

"Griselda, can you watch over Gregory for a moment? I'm going to get our friend; he's a healer. I can't heal Gregory, not with a head wound like this."

"Of course; go," she replied with a nod, her hand pressing against the wound on her stomach.

Pansy Disapparated, and in less than a minute, had returned with Theodore. He saw the blood seeping between Griselda's fingers and told Pansy another healing spell that would repair any internal bleeding. Then, without another word, he started working on Gregory. Pansy thanked him and went over to Griselda, healing her as Theodore had instructed.

... b ...

Millicent got out of the bath, her body aching and stinging. It seemed that the soap bubbles irritated the wounds she'd received, and Millicent was acutely aware of how many there had been. What she'd thought had only been a scratch or bruise turned out to be much more than that, and she was now very thankful that Theodore had stopped the fight before anything else had happened.

"Are you hearing all of this, Mill?" Theodore asked from the bedroom, referring to the thoughts their friends were inadvertently sending.

"Yeah, I am. I really hope Lettie's all right. Miles must want to kill everyone involved if his thoughts are anything like Ginevra's ones," she murmured, drying herself off and heading into the bedroom.

Despite their earlier intentions, Theodore and Millicent couldn't bring themselves to do anything more than cuddle on the bed, trying not to think of what their friends were going through and how they were useless to do anything.

Are you sure we can't help, Luna? Theodore asked for what could have been the hundredth time that hour.

I am positive. Please stop asking so frequently; I promise that you will be called when you are really needed. If you come now, you'll exhaust yourself before you're required, Luna replied. You might want to listen to Pansy now; you'll be needed there sooner rather than later.

Theodore frowned when Pansy called out to him a moment later, asking how to heal a head wound. How serious is the wound?

I don't know, Greg's been hit twice with a club. He's losing a lot of blood, and his pulse is getting slower. What do I do?

Theodore sat up immediately, pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt.

"Theo? What's wrong?" Millicent asked.

"Pansy and Greg need my help; I've got to go," he replied, leaning over to give her a quick kiss goodbye.

I'll be right there. Just tell me where there is? Theodore asked, realising he didn't know where the troll camp was.

No time. I'll come get you instead. Are you at St. Mungo's?

No, but I can be in thirty seconds, Theodore replied, Apparating immediately.

Pansy arrived outside St. Mungo's at the same time he did, and he barely had time to take in her pale features and the large cut on her arm that she didn't seem to realise before she took his arm and Side-Apparated him to the troll camp. A large female troll was leaning against the wall by the window, thick trails of blood seeping between her fingers from a hastily patched wound on her stomach. She was standing over an even larger troll whose head seemed to be a few metres away from the rest of his body, and Theodore wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what had happened here. He quickly told Pansy how to heal the stomach wound as well as any internal bleeding, discreetly healing the wound on Pansy's arm at the same time. He turned and set to work on Gregory, lessening the swelling around his brain and healing the wound on his head carefully.

Theodore was surprised that Gregory was still alive after a head trauma like the one he had; it was almost as though something - or someone - else was keeping him alive. He just hoped that whatever it was would be able to hold on long enough for his spells to work.

... b ...

Night fell at Hogwarts, and when the search plans and plans of attack had been agreed upon and organised, people began to leave the Great Hall and head to their allocated areas to sleep for the night. The vampires went down into the dungeons and into the Slytherin House to sleep, to ensure that they wouldn't be subjected to the sun. The Veelas had agreed on sleeping in the Ravenclaw Tower, with the windows left open for them to fly out of when they wanted.

Neville, Seamus and Blaise went to their house, Luna looking pleased that they'd decided on settling in the previously-forgotten world. Niryal flew ahead of them with Neville's permission, wanting to get into her attic before they could do anything to - or in - it.

In their room, Ginevra and Draco were both still wide awake, despite their earlier exhaustion. They listened quietly as the last of the residents and visitors went to sleep, and then set about strengthening the silencing spells in their room. Breathing deeply, Ginevra reached out for Lettie in her mind, yet again coming up with nothing at all. She closed her eyes tightly and squeezed Draco's hand, letting out her breath between trembling lips.

It'll be all right, love. We'll find Lettie, Draco promised, though he didn't sound certain as to whether they'd find her whole or in pieces.

I know we will, Ginevra replied softly, wrapping her arm around him and curling up beside him.

Draco held her as the day's events finally caught up with Ginevra, stroking her hair as she cried, and swearing revenge for every tear that fell. He was going to kill Voldemort and Virginia for this.

... b ...

Wednesday, July 24

Miles knocked on Ginevra and Draco's door softly, unable to hear whether they were awake or not through their spells. The door opened soundlessly a moment later, so he figured that they were awake, despite the early hour of the morning. He stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. On turning around, Miles was surprised to see both Ginevra and Draco dressed in what could only be described as battle-gear. Ginevra's white fighting outfit seemed to be painted onto her, her boots held no less than three daggers, and she was sheathing an inscribed dagger at her waist by her wand, with a sword on the other hip. Draco was dressed in black, and was placing two daggers in his sleeves, his wand and sword already by his side. His long hair was plaited back so it wouldn't be in the way, and it looked as though it wrapped around his waist too.

"I thought you were both on the searching party?" Miles asked.

"We are; it doesn't mean we can't become the attacking team if the situation calls for it," Draco drawled.

Miles recognised the promise that his eyes held, even if Draco's tone and words didn't portray them.

"You came to ask us for something?" Ginevra prompted, grabbing her hair in a rough ponytail and offering it to Draco.

Miles nodded, his eyes barely able to keep up with the speed that Draco's fingers worked on her hair. "As you're both on different teams to me and each other, I would like you to inform me the moment you find Lettie. If you do find her," he added.

"How do you propose we do that?" Ginevra asked curiously.

"If I share blood with you now, it should create a temporary connection. As you and Draco are already connected, then he can inform you, and you can then inform me immediately."

"How did you know we're connected?" Draco asked, frowning.

"Lettie told me," he replied. "Please, I do not want to be the last to know, and I can tell from my parents' behaviours that they are planning to do exactly that. They're worried about what I will do, but I refuse to let Voldemort and Virginia get away with what they have done."

Ginevra and Draco shared a glance, and he gave a minute nod. Ginevra stepped forward and offered her wrist to Miles.

"Sorry, Ginevra, but it has to be closer to the heart," Miles said apologetically. "The throat should be fine," he added at Draco's low growl.

She felt a bit self-conscious at baring her neck like this. The only person - other than Agnes and Virginia during her Blooding Ceremony - who had Drank from her neck was Draco, and Ginevra had come to associate the action with him. But she knew what Miles was suggesting would be the best for all concerned - if he found Lettie first, then he could tell her. Miles wasn't the only one who had a score to settle with Voldemort and Virginia for this. She swallowed and moved her head to the side, baring her neck. Miles gave them a single nod of thanks and respect, then moved forward in a blur of motion, and sank his fangs into her neck.

... b ...

Gregory woke up with a groan, his head pounding and his vision swimming.

"Don't move just yet. You've had a severe trauma to the head. Well, two, actually," Theodore murmured, holding Gregory down gently. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Gregory Goyle."

"Day of the week?"

"Come on, Theo, I don't know that at the best of times," Gregory muttered, grinning slightly. "Oh, fine. Tuesday? Or at least, it was when I got smacked around by Tharr. Gods', Tharr. Is Pansy all right? What happened to him? He didn't hurt Pans, did he?" he asked, trying to sit up unsuccessfully.

Theodore had learnt his lesson from when Pansy had gone missing and had bound Gregory to the bed to keep him from leaving.

"She's fine. Griselda decapitated Tharr before he could do anything else."

"Anything else?" Gregory echoed. "What did he do?" he asked, his voice little more than a growl.

Theodore was silent for a moment, looking at the bars hovering above Gregory's head. He gave a heavy sigh and finally answered, "He hit Pansy with the Cruciatus Curse. Twice."

"Is she all right?"

"I'm fine, Greg," Pansy said from the doorway.

She walked over to him and gave a small smile, her hand stroking his face gently.

It's good to see you awake, Greg.

Good to be awake, he said with a grin.

"Can you stand back so I can take the binds off, please Pansy?" Theodore asked.

Pansy nodded and stepped back quickly. Theodore removed the binds with a flick of his wand and helped Gregory sit up carefully, checking his eyesight.

Gregory frowned slightly as Theodore shone his lit wand into and away from his eyes. "Hey, Pans? Where's Vince?"

... b ...

End of the thirty-fifth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.

36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six

... b ...

Saturday, July 27

Ginevra woke up in an unfamiliar sunlit room. She saw large marble pillars rising to the roof of the room as she looked around the large bedroom with a frown. She pulled her arm out of the sun with a slight hiss, expecting pain but there was only a warm tingling feeling. It felt weird and she grimaced, rubbing her arm.

"Ah, you're finally awake, daughter."

The woman standing in the doorway wasn't Molly Weasley, nor was it one of her vampire ancestors, yet she still seemed vaguely familiar. Persephone took over with a sigh.

"Why have you brought me here, mother? You know very well that I am in the middle of something important."

"What could be more important than visiting your own mother?" Demeter asked, her eyes wide with hurt and feigned innocence.

"You know very well what! Don't think for a second that I believe you haven't been spying on me the moment I left."

"I only have your best interests at heart, Sephy."

"Don't call me that," she muttered.

Her mother seemed not to hear her. "We both know that your human pet is still alive, so why should a quick visit matter? Surely you would have felt it if she died?"

Persephone didn't answer, still annoyed that her mother had brought her up to Mount Olympus without even letting her know first. She was just glad that Demeter had been forbidden from taking human form while she was on Earth.

"So you brought me up here for a visit, nothing else?" Persephone asked, trying not to sound as scathed as she felt.

"Well, maybe a quick favour. I know you're busy searching for your human pet, but the crops need harvesting," Demeter said.

"Which you can and have done every turn of the season for the past hundred millennia!" Seph replied.

"Oh, don't exaggerate, daughter; it doesn't become you. It's only been a few millennia," she replied offhandedly. "I suppose that means you won't do a small favour for the woman who gave birth to you?"

"You suppose correctly. As my body is sleeping, I can probably stay to visit you for an hour or two," Persephone offered as an alternative.

"I would love that. But not today, daughter. I have a late harvest to deal with and cranky farmers. I swear, they were never this upset when we were still worshipped," she said with a shake of her head, disappearing without another word.

"That's because you didn't wait until the last two weeks of spring to harvest their crops!" Persephone yelled after her mother, knowing very well that she could still hear her.

Without warning, her bedroom on Mount Olympus disappeared and she felt herself falling through a black nothingness.

Ginevra woke up with a gasp, her heart pounding even as she tried to tell herself that she wasn't falling, her fingers digging into the thin mattress beneath her body. She looked out of the tent's material window and saw that the sky was a grey haze, the sun barely rising on the horizon. She sighed and flopped back onto the mattress, her heart only just starting to calm down.

I'm sorry about that, Ginevra. As you can probably tell, my mother can be quite the drama goddess. She could have done the harvest rituals two full months ago, but she was being stubborn about me leaving, Persephone said, rolling her eyes.

"She was being stubborn? Don't you think she'd just miss you?" Ginevra asked, thinking of her own mother's tearful goodbyes every year at King's Cross station.

Persephone gave a small laugh in her head. Of course she would miss me; who else would she have to bitch about the other gods to? Can you imagine my mother gossiping with Hera or Aphrodite? she asked with a snicker. She hates them almost as much as they hate her. That's why she was given the nymphs to look after. It eased her personality somewhat, but then I came along... I grew up in a very nice gilded cage, but it was still a cage, and my mother never seemed to realise that. She still hasn't forgiven me for eating those seeds; she knows I did it on purpose, but she still blames Hades for everything.

Ginevra supposed that Persephone would know her own mother's behaviour and just gave a short nod in response.

"Your mother's not going to pull me up to Olympus again, is she? We need to keep searching," Ginevra murmured.

She should be occupied with the harvest rituals for the next two weeks, and if we're lucky, then someone up there will keep her busy for the next ten years or so, Persephone muttered.

Despite her reassurance, Ginevra still hurried to get dressed, as if her being awake and dressed would stop the goddess from taking them back up to Mount Olympus. The sun was starting to creep up over the horizon by the time she had left the tent and Ginevra looked at it for a long moment, wondering if this would be the day she finally found Ric.

She had been annoyed at Luna's insistence that she not search for Lettie, but rather focus on Ric's whereabouts. Draco had agreed with Ginevra, not happy at the idea of her actively searching out the bastard who had fucked with her head, but Luna refused to budge, stating that Ginevra couldn't be too close to Lettie in case she turned into a beast again. While she might not be evil anymore, the evil in Lettie had been borne of Ginevra's own evil rampage. It worked both ways: the seed of evil could take over her sensibilities just as it had Lettie's, and the carnage would be more than they could handle. Ginevra had questioned Luna about Lettie turning into a beast again, but she refused to answer.

Sighing heavily, Ginevra tapped her wand on her tent and watched as it folded itself and shrank down in a matter of seconds. Pocketing the small square, Ginevra cloaked herself with a shadowing spell so the sun wouldn't burn her and moved to the other tents to wake up Fred, Parvati, Agnes, and the other vampires that comprised of her search team. They would find Ric if they had to walk up and down the Andes for a year, Ginevra promised herself.

... b ...

Lettie kept her eyes closed when she heard the tent flap open. The slow whisper of footsteps meant that it was Voldemort, which meant that she would be undergoing another round of questions, ones that she would refuse to answer. Every time they shoved Veritaserum down her throat, Lettie made herself fight it so she wouldn't betray her Lady and her friends. Every Cruciatus Curse had her screaming a pure note of pain, but not the answer to their questions. Voldemort had tied her wrists down again and put her through the Cruciatus Curse, not allowing her to claw at her head to get through the pain, but somehow, she still managed to hold off.

"Well, my dear. I do hope you've come to your senses. You need not follow through with this folly. You will be rewarded handsomely," Voldemort offered, his voice soft as he caressed her bruised cheek gently. "Now, where are they?"

Lettie kept her mouth closed, refusing to answer. Voldemort lost his fa�ade of composure and patience, his face twisting into a horrible snarl as he grabbed her neck with his long fingers, his wand pressed against her cheek.

"I will get the answer from you if it's the last thing I do," he hissed.

She managed a skewed smile, wordlessly taunting him to do his worst. Voldemort lifted her off her feet briefly and threw her body down to the ground, the Cruciatus Curse hitting her before she even had time to register the impact. The Unforgivable was used on her three more times, a blood-curdling scream finally breaking free of her throat. Lettie writhed in the dirt, her body contorting in pain. Some part of her mind thought that she'd never been this flexible before, and she briefly wondered if the Cruciatus Curse had some sort of bendy side-affect that no one had discovered before now. She was on the verge of laughing hysterically at her own thoughts when the curse was lifted, and Lettie dug her hands into the ground beneath her, as if she could cling onto her sanity much the same. She had no doubt that this was how Neville's parents ended up in St. Mungo's.

Voldemort seemed to know exactly what the problem was and smiled down at her. It was not a pleasant smile, but she was still too preoccupied to notice the expression. By the time she had regained her senses and looked up once more, Lettie realised that Voldemort had left her alone. She shivered as a cold breeze found its way into the tent and curled up on her side, hugging her knees to her chest to try and stay warm. Lettie desperately tried to call out for Ginevra in her mind, but came up with nothing. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep, hoping that she wouldn't be tortured by Voldemort again that day.

... b ...

"I promise I'm all right now. It was just a result of being knocked about like that. Honestly, you don't have to keep checking up on me, Theo," Gregory said.

"Actually, I do. It's part of my job as a healer, as well as your friend. Now, as your friend, I'm telling you in the nicest way possible to shut up and lie down so I can be your healer," Theodore said, his wand twirling along his knuckles as he fought the urge to just bind the stubborn troll to the bed.

Gregory muttered under his breath as he moved over to the bed, removing his vest. Theodore pretended not to hear his friend's words and waited until Gregory was lying down before making his way over. He had made the mistake of following Gregory over yesterday and had been treated to a backhand. Theodore had inadvertently discovered that trolls - or Gregory, at least - were far more paranoid than most realised and especially didn't like people sneaking up behind them.

Spelled bars showed Gregory's vital signs, and Theodore could see that he was fine both physically and magically. He just wished that Gregory would agree to go to St. Mungo's so he could see what the internal damage was to his head.

They'd all been stunned when Gregory had asked about Vincent. Theodore was sure that he'd never seen Pansy turn pale as fast as she had. She'd left them almost immediately, and Gregory had turned to him with a look of pure innocence and confusion. Theodore had to tell his friend that Vincent had died, and he'd watched as the heartbreak displayed across his face as if for the first time. Theodore had done a basic check on Gregory while he'd been preoccupied and found that he was okay. The temporary amnesia was probably just that: temporary, but Theodore had wanted to check at St. Mungo's. He had said as much to Gregory, who simply ignored him and left the room, stumbling out into the sunlight to try and find Pansy.

"There, all done. Not that hard, now was it?" Theodore said, grinning down at Gregory.

"No, I suppose not. But next time, can you call ahead? I've already delayed this meeting twice, and if I have to delay it again, they won't be quite so forgiving," Gregory muttered, sitting up and slipping his vest back on.

"Who are you meeting?" Theodore asked curiously.

"Firecall with the trolls in South America. I'm trying to see if they'll help us find Lettie or Ric. Preferably both," he added over his shoulder, already heading out the door.

Theodore hurried to catch up with him. "So Luna's told you to contact them then?"

"No, but a little initiative can't hurt. We haven't always lived our lives waiting for Luna to tell us what to do, and I'm sure there'll come a time when we won't always have that luxury. I'm not going to sit back and do nothing until I'm called upon to help; I can at least organise for more people to join in the search," Gregory said firmly.

His words stopped Theodore in his tracks and he gave a slight nod to Gregory. "I didn't think of it that way. A certain pack of wolves owe me a favour," he muttered, almost to himself. "Say hello to Pansy for me. Bye Greg," Theodore said, Disapparating away before Gregory could say his own farewell in response.

"That was quick, Theo. Everything all right with Greg and Pansy?" Millicent asked, popping her head out of the lounge room to see him in the entrance.

"Greg's getting better. I didn't see Pansy. I'm just going to visit our neighbours. I'll be back later," Theodore called over his shoulder, heading outside.

"Wait, what?" Millicent asked, throwing her knitting in the general direction of the couch and hurrying after him. "Why are you willingly going to visit our neighbours?" she asked warily once she'd caught up with him.

"Because they can help us in the war," he replied.

"It's not their fight, Theo. We can't ask them to fight with us. I mean, how do you even know if they've even got any misgivings against Voldemort?" Millicent asked pointedly.

"Muuuuuuum! Millicent said the V word!" Caleb yelled suddenly, running up to his house.

"Well, there's that," Theodore said, trying not to laugh at Millicent's look of surprise.

"Bloody hell! I swear that kid has a permanent Sonorus charm on him!" she muttered, rubbing her ear with a wince. "You can stop laughing now, Theodore," Millicent added sourly.

"Sorry, Mill, but your expression was hilarious!"

She muttered at him under her breath and they both headed up to Selena's house after Caleb.

Selena met them at the porch, arms folded over her chest. "Why have you been saying that evil bastard's name in front of Caleb?"

"To be fair, we didn't know Caleb was there. Or that Vol... Uh, He-Must-Who-Not-Be-Named would invoke such a response," Millicent said.

"We were talking about the upcoming war against him," Theodore added when Selena calmed down slightly.

Selena's eyes narrowed as she looked between them. "Luna said that we would be required to fight; I thought we'd have more time. You'd best come inside."

Millicent and Theodore nodded and hurried inside before she changed her mind.

... b ...

Niryal was absolutely fucking exhausted. It wasn't that she'd done anything more strenuous than fly overhead while Neville, Seamus and Blaise scoured the world below, but it was the middle of the damn day, and she was a bloody nocturnal being. She was meant to be sleeping, not winging through the damn air trying to find someone who was probably covered in a million damn cloaking spells in the first place. There was only so much her magic could do when she was this tired.

"Niryal!" Neville called without raising his voice, which was a nice comparison to the last Master she'd had, who never seemed to do anything without shouting at the top of his lungs.

Ugh, she was thinking of a Master as nice, now Niryal knew that she was definitely exhausted. She heaved a sigh and flew down to where Neville was waiting with Seamus and Blaise.

"What?" she snapped.

"We all need to rest. I'd prefer if you weren't out in the open right now; we don't know who's around," Neville said.

"Muggles can't see me anyway," Niryal muttered, but still flew into Neville without another word of protest.

She was so tired that she fell asleep immediately, wings folded around her body as she curled down to the size of a seed.

"She all right, Nev?" Seamus asked with a slight frown.

"She's asleep," he replied. "She'll be all right with a few hours sleep."

"Are you sure it's okay to keep going? The motion of you walking won't wake her up?" Blaise asked.

"Niryal's out like a candle; she won't wake up again until it's dark. Besides, we have to keep moving while it's still light out," Neville said, nodding for both of them to start walking again.

Blaise pressed a kiss to his cheek, then turned and did the same to Seamus before stepping out of the clearing and turning into a centaur. Neville kissed Seamus briefly, licking his lips as he stepped back. Ignoring Seamus' protests, he started taking his shoes off, shrinking them to fit in his pocket easily. With a heavy sigh and a mutter under his breath about shagging them both senseless later, Seamus climbed up the nearest tree.

"Ready?" Blaise called, his bow and quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder.

Neville flexed his toes gently, feeling the earth warm under his feet and the sun shining on him. In the tree, Seamus listened to the wind as it brushed past him, his own bow and arrows fitted across his shoulder.

Blaise counted down from three, and they took off. Neville ran straight, all manner of plants moving out of his way, his entire body glowing green. In the opposite direction, Seamus ran across the treetops, his feet light enough to barely cause a rustle of leaves. Along the forest floor in another direction all together, Blaise galloped and leaped over and through the trees. All of their senses were attuned to the forest around them, the three men trying to find any clue to Lettie's whereabouts, or better yet, any rogue Death Eaters to lead them to where Voldemort was hiding.

... b ...

Lettie must have dozed off because she was woken abruptly by Pettigrew, the ratty man poking at her with a fairly sharp stick to rouse her. It seemed that whatever granted wishes wasn't listening to hers, because Voldemort was returning to torture her, and this time he was bringing Virginia along with him. Lettie felt nauseous just at the thought of seeing the Vampiress. The very idea of her Lady being related to that woman - no matter how distantly - made her blood boil in rage. Her Lady was so much better than the utter filth that Virginia exuded.

Thinking of Ginevra made Lettie think about her friends, her Lady and Lord's mentors, and almost unbidden, Julianne's tale of Kendra's fate came to her mind. She smiled a slow smile, one that sent a shiver of fear straight up Pettigrew's spine, and he scampered out of the tent without even trying to hex her as Voldemort had instructed. Lettie was somewhat oblivious to his departure, her eyes closed calmly as she worked on doing the only thing she could do to save herself and her friends while trussed up this way: remove her tongue.

Voldemort and Virginia made their way into the tent almost fifteen minutes later, the former's jaw clenching when he saw that Lettie hadn't been hexed as per his instructions. Virginia simply frowned, smelling the warm coppery scent of blood, but unable to determine its' source. The girl wasn't bleeding, Voldemort didn't even have a single scratch on him, yet she could smell the blood as if it was right there in front of her. The scent made her hunger for blood, her Thirst coming close to consuming her until she could think of nothing else but her next meal.

Lettie was not allowed to be bled dry until she gave Voldemort what he wanted, and Virginia would never lower herself to drink from a man who had such pale skin and cold hands. His poor blood circulation would mean that she'd barely get her fill, and Virginia didn't have the time to try to suck his blood out through sheer willpower alone. Thankfully, she'd brought a couple of humans along with her. One was a qualified General of something or somewhere (she vaguely remembered getting him as she left Italy), and he had a nice healthy tan, along with a strong heart that pumped an awful lot of blood around his muscular body. Yes, a drop of Italian would do nicely, she decided.

"If you will excuse me, my dear Lord Voldemort, I have an urgent matter that needs attending," Virginia said, leaving the tent before her Thirst consumed her and she tried to drink from him, no matter her personal standards.

Voldemort frowned slightly at her sudden departure - Virginia was the one who had wanted to see the Unforgivable Curses in action, after all. Deciding that he would take some time to break Lettie further while waiting for his beloved Virginia to return, Voldemort smiled to himself once more and turned to face the woman kneeling in the dirt before him. All was just as it should be.

Knowing that she had to wait for the exact moment, Lettie tried not to choke to death on her own blood. She was feeling a bit woozy from the blood loss, was barely breathing for fear of swallowing too much blood, she could actually feel half a chunk of her tongue floating around in her mouth, she was feeling very nauseous on top of everything else, and Lettie wanted to do nothing more than throw up and go to sleep. Preferably in that order.

Voldemort pulled Lettie up by the front of her shirt, his long fingers curled into a tight grip as he held her before him. He'd learnt the hard way not to keep her too close to his body; the little bitch had a tendency to kick. He sneered at her, his wand pressing fiercely against her temple.

"Where are your friends?"

If she could have, Lettie would have smiled. Instead, she gathered up as much breathe, blood and bits of tongue as she could, then spat them directly into Voldemort's face. The piece of her tongue hit the floor with a wet thwack sound, and then Lettie did smile, trails of blood trekking down her chin. She could smell, taste, and see her blood as it dripped off her chin, pooling on the dirt beneath her. Nausea finally took a hold of her, vomit trailing down Voldemort's clean robes moments later. All in all, Lettie thought it was a job well done.

Voldemort hexed her within an inch of her life, which didn't take too long considering the amount of blood loss her self-inflicted mutilation had resulted in. Then, when she was wishing for death - yet another wish not granted - Voldemort stooped down low beside her and did the worst thing he could possibly do at that moment: he healed her tongue.

Lettie could feel it growing inside of her mouth, the silver tipped tongue fluidly gaining mass until it had replaced the part she'd bitten off completely.

"You will tell me where they are, whether you want to or not," Voldemort sneered.

She still refused to say anything, working her teeth further back where her tongue was still made of flesh, intent on biting it off again. Voldemort must have seen her teeth moving because he put her in a Full Body Bind to stop her. Lettie wanted to scream in frustration, but Voldemort just sneered down at her. He growled in annoyance when he realised that he wouldn't be able to question her until he had some sort of assistance (Veritaserum would work, if only he could convince Virginia to procure the items for him - he didn't trust Pettigrew to get them, and there were still some places in the wizarding world that would not serve Voldemort himself - never mind, it would all change soon enough, especially with Virginia by his side). He kicked dirt out at her frozen form, blood and dirt congealing on her face.

Lettie waited until he had left her to her misery before letting the tears that had built up slide down her cheeks. She was frozen, but she could still see, still experience, and her body was weak from the blood loss, lack of sleep, and various bouts of torture. It didn't take long for Lettie to fall asleep, her body and mind too weak to stay awake any longer. As she faded into the darkness, she could have sworn she felt Miles' presence nearby.

... b ...

Miles' mouth ached fiercely. He felt a wave of nausea flow over him, and almost stumbled at the intense feeling. It definitely wasn't from himself, and so far as he knew, nothing was wrong with Ginevra or either of his parents. The only other person he had this sort of bond with was Lettie.

A surge of hope rushed through him, and Miles ran ahead, certain that Lettie was nearby. The others in his group ran too, a few calling questions out to him, asking if he'd seen or heard something. Miles ignored all of the questions, keeping his mind focused on the sense of nausea that he'd felt, and kept running. He heard concern from Ginevra, asking what was going on and if he'd found Lettie yet. He didn't reply to her question; Miles refused to get distracted from the feeling of nausea, clinging to it desperately as he continued to run along the path. Lettie was nearby, she had to be, especially if he could feel her feelings this strongly. He wouldn't give up hope; she would be found on this day.

The nauseating feeling began to fade and he spurred himself to run faster still. Miles could smell blood, he was sure of it. She had to be just over the hill. He could smell her, feel her, and even though the feeling was fading faster still, Miles threw out his mind to search for a stronger hold on his beloved Lettie. He felt her slipping through the outstretched hand his mind had created, her consciousness leaking between his phantom fingers. Miles tried to tighten his fingers around her, to hold her as he had all of those days ago. He could feel his mind starting to splinter as a result of what he was trying to do, but he couldn't make himself pull back, not when she was so close, not now.

His feet pounded against the ground, and his mind began to crack, even as he spied the top of the hill, the sky appearing light blue and sunny. Miles threw himself forward, trying to hold onto Lettie even as she slipped down into the darkness. He landed hard on his stomach, pain spreading throughout his body, his nose dripping blood as his mind broke into a thousand pieces. His mind immediately began to shut down, to try and repair the damage that had been done. Miles tried to call out to the others, but no sound came out, and his mind was too far gone to call out to Ginevra internally. His eyes closed reluctantly, even as he fought against the sensation - he didn't matter, only Lettie did! - and at the bottom of the hill was a small group of tents and the smell of Lettie's blood.

... b ...

Ginevra felt Miles' panic, the surge of hope, and the absolute certainty that Lettie was nearby. Then his mind broke, and she almost stumbled and fell face-first into the snow. Miles just kept moving, and she could feel his determination with every step even as his mind splintered with each movement. She didn't have time to cry out, nor to tell Draco or the others that Lettie might be found, before her mind cracked open as well, the connection with Miles too new and overpowering with his emotions. Ginevra fell forward, collapsing onto the freezing snow and not moving.

"Gin?" Fred called out in worry, running over to her. "Gin, what's wrong?"

Fred? What's wrong with Ginevra? Draco demanded, George echoing his concern a second later.

No idea. She's just collapsed. Theo? Luna? Someone tell me what's going on!

Luna stepped in before anyone else could panic, her words firm and steady. Fred, get Ginevra out of the blizzard. There should be a cave about five minutes ahead of you. Wait at least three minutes after the blizzard's passed before attempting to Apparate to Hogsmeade with Ginevra and the others... Draco, Apparate to where Garion is with the rest of your team. Find Miles; he will need medical assistance, so he needs to be brought back to Hogwarts... Theodore, Millicent, you need to Apparate to Hogsmeade as soon as possible. Bring everyone with you; yes, the children are included in that... Blaise, Seamus, and Neville, you need to go to Hogsmeade to lead everyone back to Hogwarts. Bring them in small groups so you don't attract any unwanted attention. You can use both the Shrieking Shack entrance and Honeydukes tunnel. Use the Hog's Head painting only as a last resort, and if you can help it, avoid the Three Broomsticks completely... Colin and I will be going to the troll camp for Pansy and Greg, and the trolls they've organised to help... Everyone else, organise as much accommodation as you can within Hogwarts; we're about to get an influx of both werewolf and troll allies. Don't forget to let the house elves know as well - they'll need to get more meat.

That's enough, Cassandra. They'll be able to figure out the rest on their own, Apollo said firmly on seeing how pale Luna had become, her eyelids fluttering quickly as she tried to See every possible future in the space of a few seconds.

She took a deep breath and nodded weakly, opening her eyes to offer a reassuring smile in Colin's general direction. In her mind, she heard everyone following her directions, and hoped that it would be enough to save Lettie.

... b ...

"I hit you with lightning! You're dead now!" Caleb yelled, glaring at his cousin.

"Nuh-uh! I dodged it!" Maxine yelled back, glowering.

"I thought I told you two to play outside?" Selena asked them sternly.

"Sorry!" the two children called, running out to the backyard.

"Now, why don't you two sit down and we'll talk this over?" Selena offered, indicating to the dining room chairs for Millicent and Theodore to sit on.

They sat down, waiting and wondering just what on earth was going to happen.

"I don't know what Luna's told you, but she came here about eight months ago, telling us that a war was coming and we had to prepare. No one really believed her, but then she predicted a few things that were too personal for a stranger to know, and we eventually heard about You-Know-Who returning. It takes longer for news from the UK to reach the outskirts of France," Selena added with a slight shrug. "Everyone here has their own reasons for fighting, but I will tell you straight up that Matt and I have a personal vendetta against Fenir Greyback. If he comes within sniffing distance of us, we will not stop until he's dead."

"Uh... He's already dead," Millicent said a little hesitantly, hoping it wouldn't change her mind about joining their fight.

Selena went silent for a moment, shocked at this unexpected news. Millicent felt her heart drop to her stomach; now that their reason for fighting no longer existed, they weren't going to fight. Great one, Mill, why didn't she ever learn to shut up?! she berated herself.

"How did he die? Was it painful?"

Remembering the messy pile of blood and organs that Ginevra had turned Fenir Greyback into with her red wave on the Riddle House attack, Millicent grinned wickedly. "He was turned into a pile of goop by our friend."

"I hope it was painful," Theodore added with a fierce snarl.

Selena seemed surprised by his hostility, but nodded firmly. "Good. In that case, Matt and I will be completely focused on whatever task we're assigned. When do we need to leave?"

Millicent and Theodore were both distracted by Ginevra's collapse and didn't reply. Luna started issuing orders, even telling them who to take to Hogsmeade before they had asked the question itself, and when everyone had their tasks, she left abruptly.

"You two all right?" Selena asked, frowning at them in concern. "You kind of dropped off there."

"We're fine - sort of. Luna said that we have to leave for Hogsmeade right now," Millicent said.

"All of us, the children included," Theodore added.

"Fuck, how's that for timing?" Selena muttered with a shake of her head and a snort. "I'll tell Matt. Everyone will be ready to go in about fifteen minutes, if we can get the kids to put their shoes on without a fuss."

"Caleb, we've got to get ready to go! The war's here!"

Fucking hell, someone needs to get these kids bells or something to announce where they are! Millicent thought, her fingers clawed into her thighs.

"Maxine! What have I told you about your indoor voice?!" Selena yelled out to her niece.

"But I'm outside, Aunt Selena!" she called back over her shoulder, running to Caleb at the edge of the forest.

"Oh, damn it all, she's right... You two okay to stay here while I get packed?"

"We'd better tell our employers we're unavailable for the next month or so," Theodore said.

"Oh, right, of course. We'll meet you back here in about ten minutes then?" Selena asked.

Millicent nodded and thanked her, both she and Theodore Apparating to their workplaces a moment later.

... b ...

Draco barely waited for Luna to finish relating her instructions before he Apparated to Garion. He was part of the search team with Miles along with Xavier, much to his chagrin, as well as a mix of vampires and Veelans as the other teams were set up as well. Julianne, Padma, and George followed Draco with the others that had joined them, but Draco paid them no mind, his wings spreading a mere second before he flew ahead, hurtling between the trees to find Miles.

The vampire had run far ahead of the rest of his group and after passing the furthermost being, it still took Draco a few minutes to find Miles, collapsed on the ground and hidden beneath a plant's overgrowth as he was. His wings disappeared and he dropped to the forest floor, taking off at a run to reach Miles. He turned Miles over carefully and was relieved to find him alive - breathing, at least - but Draco couldn't see what was actually wrong with him. There was no wound, nor any blood, but that didn't matter; he was no healer. Draco let Padma and George where he was, and was joined by the two groups in a matter of minutes.

"Miles has been taken to Hogsmeade; we're going to head there now, are you coming, Draco? Draco?" Padma called again, frowning when he didn't answer.

"Do you see that?" Draco asked softly, looking down over the hill to a large clearing in the forest.

George and Padma moved to where he was standing, looking at the clearing but not seeing anything special about it; it was just an empty space between the trees.

"It's shining; I think there's a Glamour on it," Draco muttered, his eyes turning black as Hades took over and inspected the forest as well.

Now that he'd brought their attention to it, both George and Padma could see the shimmering as well. A brief flux of pixie magic had the Glamour fading, like water washing over a pane of glass, and they could see the multitudes of tents within the clearing. They were magical tents, if the sheer amount of people wandering the clearing were to go by.

"It's the magic of gods, no wonder no one else sensed it," Hades muttered. "You see the runes outlined there?" he asked Draco, indicating to a red rune, "It is a rune designed to break the mind of those bound with anyone within the magically-protected area. Ginevra will be all right in a few hours' time now that Miles has been removed from this area, but Miles will take longer to heal. I am truly surprised that he made it this far, considering the bond he has with Lettie."

"Wait, are you saying Lettie's down there? As in we can save her right now?" Padma asked, moving to go down to the clearing.

Hades grabbed her arm tightly, ignoring the low growl from George and the glare Padma gave. "Did you not hear me, woman? I just said it will confuse the senses of those bound with it's inhabitants. You think all bonds are forged with blood or magic?" he sneered. "Well, the bond does not differentiate between types; all bonds are adhered to. You are Lettie's friend, are you not? Friendship, love, respect, even hate can be a bond to another person. A complete stranger will need to go within the clearing to rescue Lettie. Are there any that you trust that do not know Lettie?"

Padma wrenched her arm out of Hades' grip and tried to think of someone that hadn't met Lettie that she trusted enough to rescue her friend. Thanks to the training Lettie had done, every single student still at Hogwarts knew Lettie, and Padma wouldn't trust the ones that weren't at Hogwarts anyway. The vampires all knew her, as did the Veelans; hell, even the Golden bloody Trio had met Lettie and probably formed an opinion of her on sight.

Didn't Luna mention something about an influx of trolls and werewolves? One of them might be trusted enough to get Lettie back, George mused.

Trolls, really? Are any of them - other than Greg - smart enough to get through the clearing, find and rescue Lettie, and then escape without alerting anyone to their presence? Or just destroy the place? One person won't be able to do anything other than get in and get out, and that's only if they're immune to Virginia! They won't be able to fight all of the Death Eaters that Voldemort's got down there alone. We don't have enough time to find a group of strangers to do this, and trust they'll get out of there without killing themselves or Lettie. Fuck, this sucks.

They stood there for a long moment, not daring to look away from the clearing. Padma soon reached the end of her patience and was ready to go in, screw the risk to herself.

The werewolves have volunteered; they will need to be Side-Apparated to your location. Please come to Hogsmeade as soon as possible, Luna said.

"We can't all go; what if something happens here?" George muttered.

"I'll stay. You both go, and get back here soon before I do something stupid," Padma muttered, making a shooing motion at them.

Draco nodded firmly. "Fine, but I'm trusting that you won't do anything stupid, Patil. Lettie will have my head if something happens to you."

"I know," she said with a smirk. "Now go already."

George hugged her warmly. "We'll be right back," he murmured in her ear, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Padma smiled briefly, watching as they both disappeared. When she was alone, Padma turned around and sat on the top of the hill, watching the clearing carefully.

... b ...

Fred called for Parvati to help him with Ginevra, and she hurried over with Agnes by her side.

"Luna says there's a cave up ahead, about five minutes away. We've got to get Gin in there and wait out the blizzard!" he called over the sound of the wind.

"I can carry Ginevra, if you are not opposed to the idea?" Agnes offered.

Fred just nodded, a gust of wind stealing his words of thanks. Smiling briefly, Agnes gave Fred a slight nod and lifted Ginevra easily, striding ahead to the cave.

Parvati and Fred clung to each other, wading their way through the snow and battling their way against the wind. The vampires that had accompanied them weren't too far behind, and they all crowded in the cave awkwardly.

Parvati murmured a spell to light the tip of her wand so they could at least try to make Ginevra comfortable. A hiss of pain at the light came from further back in the cave, and Agnes spun on her heel, throwing a dagger before Fred or Parvati could react.

"Ow! Fuck, that hurts!"

Fred went with Parvati as she moved away from the light-sensitive vampires, heading to the back of the cave as she made her wand light up brighter.

"Well, today was a bad day to try and get over my cabin fever," Ric muttered to himself, raising a bottle of potent alcohol in salute, a dagger sticking out of his chest. "A few inches to the left and I'd be heartbroken. Turn that bloody stick off, would you? I'm not going anywhere, there's no reason to torture me."

Parvati dimmed her wand slowly, not looking away from Ric as Fred bound his arms and legs with a spell. Agnes was beside them a moment later, and lifted Ric off his feet with an inhuman growl.

"Lovely to see you too, dearest ancestor. Care for a drink?" Ric asked with a laugh, offering the bottle with his bound hands. "No? Then how about you take this dagger out of my chest before the thing rusts? Wouldn't want a beauty like that being ruined over little old me," he sneered.

"Just how drunk are you?" Agnes asked in disgust, dropping Ric to the ground without warning.

He landed in a heap and took a moment to sit up properly, bound as he was. Still, he ignored the dagger and just raised the bottle to his lips with a grin. His cheeks and nose were pink, but Parvati doubted that it had anything to do with the cold weather outside.

"I'm just drunk enough to forget my manners and not feel the cold anymore."

"You're a vampire; you don't feel the cold," Parvati pointed out.

"Then I suppose I'm just drunk enough to forget my manners. But some would argue I don't have those anyway, so perhaps I'm just drunk. What're you lot doing in my backyard anyway?" Ric asked.

He looked between them with a lopsided frown, but when he saw Ginevra lying on the cave floor, all the colour drained from his face immediately.

"Ginevra? Fuck. Take these damn ropes off me and let me help her!" Ric demanded, throwing the bottle against the cave's back wall, green glass smashing and scattering across the cold floor, the light from Parvati's wand casting odd reflections on the wall.

"Yeah, like you helped her last time?" Fred sneered.

He pulled the dagger out of Ric's chest, twisting the hilt a bit as he did so, and feeling a sliver of satisfaction as the vampire cried out in pain.

"Fred, we don't have time for this. The blizzard's getting worse, and Ginevra can't stay here in this condition," Agnes said, not bothering to take her dagger back from Fred just yet.

"I've got a fireplace, and better accommodation than this. Not much alcohol left though," Ric added. "Please, I can take you there. It's not far, but I won't be able to get there in these binds."

"You heard Agnes, Ric; if Ginevra can't stay in here like this, what makes you think she'll be able to survive out there, no matter how close you live?" Fred muttered.

"Give me the dagger," Ric said, nodding to Fred.

He grinned slightly and buried the dagger back into Ric's chest, straight into his open wound.

"Fred!" Parvati hissed. "Do that after Ginevra's safe inside, would you?"

"Sorry, dearest," he said, stepping back with a slight bow.

Ric gave a small blood-splatted laugh, lifting his bound arms to pull the dagger out awkwardly. He hobbled and jumped his way to the back of the cave, shards of glass digging through his thin-soled shoes until the path to the wall was nothing more than a trail of blood. No one moved to help him, even though the vampires seemed more interested in draining him than helping. Ric grunted in pain as he stabbed the blood-covered dagger directly into the stone wall. The cave disappeared around them, melting like snow in summer, and they were suddenly in his lounge room. Ric collapsed onto his armchair, the dagger falling listlessly from his fingers. He watched as Agnes lifted Ginevra onto the lounge, Fred transfiguring the piece of furniture so it resembled a high bed and his sister could be comfortable.

"Someone heal him before I bleed him dry," one of the vampires hissed, hands clenched at her sides to hold herself back.

"I'll do it," Parvati murmured, slipping around Fred to go to Ric. "This will hurt a little," she said, pointing her wand at him.

A simple healing spell shouldn't hurt - it was trying to heal a person and end their pain, after all - but Parvati found that she could be just as ruthless as her sister, just as cruel as Fred, and just as vengeful as George. The spell she used wasn't simple and it was very painful. Ric let out a scream of anguish as she healed the wound on his chest, his back arching off the chair and twisting in pain. Parvati lowered her wand with a smile.

"It seems like this blizzard will be raging for some time yet, so I believe we will have time to question Ric," Agnes said, turning to look at Ric curiously.

"Just so you know, I'll be stabbing you for every injury - emotional or physical - that you or your mother and her allies have given her. I think today makes it thirty-eight, isn't that right, Parv?" Fred asked over his shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure the answer's forty-two," she replied, then looked at Ric with her most sweetest smile. "Don't worry, Ric; I'll be healing every stab wound Fred gives you."

"Fuck that ten times over... I'll tell you whatever you want, just keep that girl away from me," he spat, glaring at Parvati.

In her mind, Parvati could hear Fred's riotous laughter even though his outward appearance showed no hint of joy when she looked at him. You're the kindest out of the four of us, Parv, and you just brought a big bad vampire to his knees by offering to heal him! Oh, and you have to teach me that spell sometime.

Later, when this is all over, she promised.

"Where's your mother?" Fred asked, the dagger twirling between his fingers nimbly.

"I don't know; I haven't seen her since I threw her out," Ric said with a brief shrug.

Parvati noticed that Ric wasn't actually looking at Fred, but had eyes only for Ginevra across from him. She frowned slightly and moved to block his line of sight to test her theory. Ric gave her another glare, sitting up a little straighter as if to look over her shoulder.

"Fred? Give me a minute alone with Ric, would you?" Parvati asked.

Why? Fred asked suspiciously.

Because I know how to get the answers we need.

All right... You sure? he asked, concern etched in his voice.

Positive. Trust me on this.

I'll always trust you, Parv. Take care, and call out if you need me, Fred said.

Thank you, dearest Fred, Parvati said with a warm smile.

He grinned and pressed a quick kiss to her hand before stepping back to leave them alone. Parvati created a cube around them, blocking Ric from Ginevra's sight completely.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Parvati said with a sweet smile, pointing her wand directly at Ric.

... b ...

Theodore and Millicent arrived in Hogsmeade with the pack only a second behind them. Selena had Side-Apparated with Caleb in her arms, and he scrambled out of them as soon as possible, calling for Maxine to join him at Honeydukes. Max tugged on Serena's hand, looking up at her pleadingly.

"Can Cal and I have a Sickle to buy something, Mamma? Please?" she asked, smiling wide enough to show her missing front tooth.

"Selena, you okay with Caleb getting hyped on sugar?" Serena asked her sister, grinning.

"He's already hyper enough, Rena. Oh, fine, make it a Knut," she said with a sigh when Max turned her big blue eyes on her.

"Thank you!" Max said, taking the Knut and running to join Caleb at the candy store.

"Oh, I don't trust that boy to wheedle as many sample sweets as he can. Come on, Matt, let's go stop our son before he rots his teeth away," Selena said with a sigh, heading over to Honeydukes with her husband in tow.

Serena frowned after her sister, then looked to Grant. "Max will do the same, and she's already knocked a tooth out from running around after sugar. We'd better go check on them too."

"All right. But I want a bag of Pumpkin Choc-Chunks while we're there," Grant said with a grin, already heading towards the store.

"Ugh, just the smell of those things makes my stomach turn. What's the furthest place from here?" Jim asked Millicent.

"Probably the Shrieking Shack," she replied, nodding up to the old wooden structure.

"That'll do. Coming, Mark?" he called to his partner.

"Yeah, be right there," Mark replied. He pulled out a pouch and pressed a Sickle into Millicent's hand. "Be a love and buy me a bag of Liquorice Wands, would you?" he asked quickly, heading after Jim.

"Well, I guess I'll be at the pub until our escorts arrive," Rob said with a shrug, heading to the Three Broomsticks.

"No! Not there," Millicent said urgently, remembering Luna's advice. "If you want a drink, go to the Hog's Head. I'd better buy Mark's Liquorice Wands before I forget," she muttered to Theo, giving his hand a squeeze before following the two families to the store.

"Okay, fine, but where the hell's the Hog's Head?" Rob asked Theo with a frown.

"I'll take you there," Theo offered, nodding down the lane in the direction of the pub.

"Thanks; I've got a wrecked sense of direction if I'm not shifted," Rob said, grinning.

Lettie's been found. We think, at least. We need a stranger to save her due to the runic wards that are set up there. Any volunteers from your area? Luna asked suddenly.

"You 'right, mate?" Rob asked, his grin slipping at Theo's blank expression.

I'll ask in here; you ask the other three, Millicent said.

"Sorry, Rob, change of plans; we've got to get to the Shrieking Shack," Theo said, leading him away.

"Everything all right?"

"Our friend might be found; there's wards stopping anyone from getting close. Only a stranger can rescue her from You-Know-Who," he replied briefly, getting more information relayed through Luna and Padma. "Someone needs to get in, get Lettie, and get out without bringing any attention to themselves."

"I'll do it," Rob said, shrugging. "Pretty sure Matt won't mind if I go lone wolf this one time."

Rob's volunteered, Theodore told Luna and Millicent.

"Thank you, Rob; I appreciate it."

"Not doing it for you, not really. My pack - they've all got families and partners, and I'm not going to let them risk that. They're my family, and I'm just the weird uncle that arrived one day and never left. I'll get the girl out so they won't put themselves in harm's way."

"You're an idiot, Rob. You're our family as much as we are yours," Mark said firmly, coming out of the forest with Jim beside him, both looking thoroughly kissed.

"Yeah, weird uncle or not," Jim said with a snicker.

"If yer gonna start blubberin', let me know so I can leave, yeah?" Seamus said with a grin as he came down from the Shrieking Shack to meet them, Blaise beside him.

Blaise nudged Seamus with his elbow sharply. "Don't be a prick, Irish."

"Who the hell are you two?" Rob asked, his hands tensed at his sides, ready to shift if need be.

"They're our escorts. The rude Irishman is Seamus, and his better-behaved boyfriend is Blaise," Theodore introduced, moving to shake their hands in greeting. "Thought you were meant to meet us here, not be ten minutes late?"

"We would've been here sooner if Seamus hadn't made so many lewd comments about Neville's arse while we were crawling through the tunnel," Blaise said with a snort. "A bunch of plant roots ensnared Seamus and Neville wouldn't let him go until he stopped."

"Dear gods, how long were you stuck down there?" Theodore asked in feigned shock.

"Oh, shove off. I controlled it after a few minutes."

"You mean Orion did," Blaise said, grinning as he put his arm around Seamus' shoulders and kissed his cheek.

"Are we goin' or not?" Seamus muttered.

Blaise just laughed, and moved to meet Jim, Mark and Rob properly. Seamus shook their hands as well, smirking when Mark admitted that he would've done the same thing if he'd been stuck in a tunnel with his boyfriend.

"Well, don't go saying that. We've still got to get back yet," Blaise muttered.

Mill, we're heading back through the Shrieking Shack; is Neville there with you? Theo asked.

Yes, going through Honeydukes now. See you at Hogwarts. Oh, tell Mark I bought two bags on special; Neville's bought things for both Blaise and Seamus, but it's a surprise.

"Mill got two bags of Liquorice Wands on special for you," Theodore said, grinning when Mark did a little dance.

"Oh, you're so lucky I love you, Mark," Jim said, shaking his head at his partner. "Come on, let's go before he really breaks out the moves," he deadpanned.

"Don't tempt me, Jimmy," Mark said with a laugh, following Seamus, Blaise and Rob up to the Shrieking Shack.

"Don't see why I couldnae go ter Honeydukes," Seamus muttered to Blaise.

"Because you'd either eat your way through the store, or want to spend hours in there choosing one thing," he replied certainly.

"Hmm, true. How long do ye think it'd take ter eat me way through the store?" he asked with a broad grin.

"Longer than you'd ever be allowed in there," Blaise muttered. "Come on, you're first, Irish," he said, opening the trap door for Seamus.

"Why do I have ter go first?"

"Because you'll make lewd comments if you're behind someone again."

Seamus chuckled. "Yeah, prob'ly. All righ', see ye there," he said, pulling Blaise down for a kiss before he slid down into the trapdoor and began the trek back to Hogwarts.

Jim, Mark, and Rob followed, Theo going after them, with Blaise bringing up the rear after ensuring the trapdoor was closed firmly.

Hey, if I stop, don't butt heads, Seamus said, chuckling.

Bloody hell, Seamus, I'm going to hex you when we get back! Blaise yelled.

Seamus just laughed and continued through the dirt tunnel.

... b ...

Dressed in heavy and bulky chain-mail, Helorr struggled to keep up with Gregory's long strides across the troll camp, his movements clinking with each step.

"Is the chain-mail really necessary, Helorr? You're giving me a migraine," Gregory muttered.

"I won it in my first fight," he replied, frowning.

"That doesn't mean you have to wear it all day, every day."

"Oh, leave him alone, Greg. Thank you for bringing him here, Helorr. You can go continue your tournament celebration now," she said with a smile.

Helorr thanked them both and hurried off, clinking all the way to the pub.

"You've been in a bad mood all day; what's wrong?" Pansy asked Gregory.

"I'm not the one in a bad mood; Poseidon's still sulking and it's irritating me."

"Still? I'm very grateful that he helped keep you alive, but that doesn't automatically mean he gets sex," Pansy said with a snort.

"I know that, but try getting it through his thick skull! I swear, he's got a thicker head than I do."

"You don't have a thick head, Gregory," Pansy said, reaching up to stroke his head with a grin, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Poseidon took over and responded, holding her tightly and deepening the kiss until Pansy could wrench herself out of his embrace. She slapped him hard, Amphitrite shining through her eyes.

"You do not get to touch me," she hissed, her wand shimmering to take its triton shape.

Poseidon fell to his knees, his jaw clenched at the humiliation. "My apologies, my lady."

"Your apologies?! Since when have mere words ever mattered to you?" she sneered, leaving him kneeling on the ground as she left.

Sorry, Pansy, I couldn't control him then, Gregory said, sounding as pissed off as she felt.

It's not your fault, Gregory. Are you all right to stay there for a while longer?

I'm happy to keep kneeling and humiliate this bastard some more. How about another five minutes?

Thank you.

Gregory just grinned in response. He stayed where he was, pushed to the back of his mind, so that Poseidon could fully appreciate the consequences of his actions.

His five minutes were nearing their end when Luna and Colin walked into the room. Colin was surprised at Gregory's state, but Luna just smiled when he relayed what was happening.

"I do wish you would learn your lesson already, Poseidon. You will be humiliated each time you attempt something like that. I can tell you right now that this punishment is one of the kinder ones that will be administered if you do not relent in this behaviour. Pansy and Amphitrite will always be stronger than you while you are this weak."

"I am not weak!"

"You are kneeling and will continue to stay that way unless you are released by your wife. I do not see any strength in this situation. You must learn to see and treat her as an equal before you can ever hope to stand on your own," Luna said, shaking her head.

Poseidon roared and tried to get up to do something, he wasn't sure. Apollo stood before Luna in a heartbeat, blinding Poseidon instantly.

"You are weak, Poseidon, and you would do well to remember that you are not the only god present. Never threaten my wife again, or you will find out firsthand just how I eat my fish," Apollo snarled.

Pansy tried not to laugh as she stepped into the room. "Please tell me it's shish kebab?"

"Lady Amphitrite," Apollo said, making sure to bow to her, a clear sign of respect that he hadn't shown to Poseidon.

"It has been far too long, Apollo," she said with a smile. "I would have liked to see you again sometime after your birth, you know."

"I regret that this meeting has been so long in arriving," he said in return, nodding his head briefly.

"Stop your flirting, woman, and let me stand!" Poseidon yelled.

You know what? I'm still good for another five minutes, Pansy. Why not take Colin and Luna on a tour of the camp? Take the scenic route, Gregory said with a chuckle.

"As much as I would enjoy prolonging Poseidon's lesson, we do not have the time. Lettie may yet be found, and we will need everyone to come to Hogwarts sooner rather than later. Bonds need to be formed, and our training must begin tomorrow in order for the varied allies to be able to work together without causing any problems," Luna said.

"Yet be found? You mean you don't know?" Pansy asked, frowning.

"No. I have a bond with Lettie, just as everyone else does, and if she is within the runic wards as it is believed she is, then I cannot See her. I have tried to See her, gods know I have, but it is extremely difficult to find one person in the hundreds of countries that exist in both the Muggle and magical worlds. For all I know right now, Lettie could be in that clearing, or she could be somewhere in the Himalayas," Luna muttered, frustrated at her lack of ability.

"We'll find her, Lu, you know we will. You can't know everything," Colin murmured, taking her in his arms.

"I'll go gather the trolls. Gregory, care to join me?" Pansy asked.

Gregory shifted until he had control of his own mind and body once more and nodded, standing up easily without needing Pansy to free him. "I'd love to, Pans. Poor Helorr, this is the second time we've interrupted his celebration."

Pansy smirked and took Gregory's hand as they left to go to the pub where their guests from South America were involved in a drinking competition with their European cousins. Colin didn't bother following them. Instead, he stayed where he was with Luna in his arms, keeping her calm and centred as she tried to compose herself once more.

... b ...

Draco went to Hogsmeade on the second trip with Blaise, Seamus, and Neville, just as dinner was starting to be prepared by the house-elves. They returned with the first group of trolls half an hour later, but they weren't alone. Draco carried Ginevra in his arms, and Parvati and Fred were dragging Ric into the Great Hall behind him.

"We've prepared a bed for Ginevra beside Miles in the hospital wing," Theodore said, hurrying over to go with Ginevra and Draco. "Where do you want him?"

"Ric can be put in the Room of Requirement with his binds kept on," Draco replied firmly. "Make sure you put him in a door that won't grant him any requirements."

Fred and Parvati both nodded, and were joined by their twins a moment later, the four of them working together to levitate the bound vampire up seven flights of stairs.

"Why is Ric here?" Theodore asked as they headed to the hospital wing. He'd offered to levitate Ginevra, but Draco refused to let her go.

"He claims to have information about his mother's plans for the war, but refuses to tell anyone other than Ginevra what they are," Draco muttered, his jaw clenched.

Theodore fell silent, and they stayed that way until they reached the hospital wing. He watched as Draco set Ginevra down on the indicated bed carefully. "It doesn't have to be Ginevra herself, does it? What if it just looked like her?"

"It won't work; Ric's been in her mind and she's been in his. He'll know if we try to trick him," Draco said.

"You already tried, didn't you?" Theodore asked with a sigh.

He nodded in return. "It didn't help things when I knocked him out cold, apparently. Made me feel better," Draco said, smirking.

"Great. Stay here and I'll check your hands after I've looked after Ginevra," Theodore said.

Draco's smirk slipped and he sat on the chair beside Ginevra's bed. He suddenly wished that they were anyone other than themselves. Just an ordinary witch and wizard who met, fell in love, and had nothing but the rest of their lives to look forward to. Instead, they were magical creatures, possessed by gods, King and Queen of the freaking world, and were crucial figures in the upcoming war that neither one could avoid. There were times when it felt as though all of his responsibilities weighed too heavily on his shoulders, and Draco forgot that he was only seventeen years old. Ginevra was sixteen, and had to bear just as much responsibility as he did. Where were their teenage years, their carefree days? Or were they gone completely now that their childhood was over?

Theodore realised that Draco was lost in his thoughts, and from the expression on his face, it didn't look like they were good thoughts. He went into Madam Pomfrey's office to get a vial of dreamless sleep potion, and soon returned, offering the potion-filled goblet to Draco. He took it after Theodore explained what it was, swallowing the whole concoction in one long gulp.

"Thanks, Theo," Draco murmured, resting his head on Ginevra's bed gently.

Theodore finished reviewing Ginevra's vitals - everything was all right and she would be fine with time and rest - and then checked Draco's hands as he had promised. After he healed the red-raw skin, Theodore levitated his friend to a separate bed, moving the bed so that Draco could be close to Ginevra again. His three patients all needed to sleep and let their minds recover from their ordeals. There was nothing Theodore could do to help them with that part of their healing process but he could make them as safe and comfortable as possible, and for now, that would have to be enough.

He closed the hospital wing's door gently, taking care not to wake his patients. Theodore then locked the door with a spell to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed by anyone other than himself or Madam Pomfrey, and headed back to the Great Hall where Millicent was waiting for him.

... b ...

By the time Blaise, Seamus and Neville arrived with the last of the trolls in the late evening, the house elves had finished cooking up the meals required for the varied groups staying within the walls of Hogwarts. The vampires were given their own table, their goblets filled with a blood-red liquid; the Veelas feasted on venison that Artemis had hunted in the Forbidden Forest with Evita and the unicorns' permission; the trolls drank copious amounts of mead and ate whatever was placed in front of them; the werewolves were seated across the Great Hall from the vampires as they ate their rare steaks, the smell of fresh blood enticing to the vampires, but not enough that they tried to steal the food. The Professors and students of Hogwarts sat wherever they could, most of them keeping to the trolls' table as the vampires found their smell entirely unappetising and would not go near the mortals while they smelled like a troll. (Of course, not many of the students or Professors liked the idea of smelling like a troll either, but they liked the idea of living more; the smell could be fixed with a shower and strong-scented soap.)

The werewolves needed time to assess the situation they were about to get into before they attempted to save Lettie, and left with Colin soon after they'd eaten, the seven adults seated on his back as he flew in dragon form to Hogsmeade so they could be Apparated to the forest. On arriving, Colin gave Millicent a nod and took his turn at watching the clearing, Apollo shining through his eyes as he surveyed the runes.

The pack of werewolves slipped between the trees, eyes glowing in the dark as they made their way to the clearing quietly. There were guards, but they were dealt with easily enough, and they continued. A v-formation kept them aware of their surroundings at all angles, and knowing that his pack would protect him, no matter what, Rob slipped between the trees and into the clearing without a sound.

His sense of smell was better than his directional sense, and Rob could smell blood and a stench of fear-hate-pain coming from one of the tents at the furthermost side of the clearing. He went around the back of the tents, ensuring that no one would notice him. He was a shadow, nothing more. Then, as it was difficult to convey a rescue plan while he was a wolf, his shadow became a man, and Rob slipped into the tent to find Lettie. Only, the tent was empty.

Frowning, Rob turned into a wolf again and left the tent once more, going to the next - empty - and the next - empty - and the next - empty. He checked every single tent within the clearing, only to find them all completely empty.

Stepping out of the final tent as his human self, Rob called to Matt and Selena. "It's empty! No one's here!"

Up on the hill, Colin heard Rob's words, his heart sinking as he related the news to his friends.

... b ...

Everything had been in an uproar since Lettie fainted earlier, and when she'd woken up, they were moving through a forest, getting as far away from wherever they'd been as possible. Now, hours later, the stars faintly twinkling overhead and starting to fade, their second camp had been set up and Lettie had been thrown in another tent, her hands and legs bound.

Unable to quell her bladder's urgency, Lettie called out, raising her voice until someone threw an old copy of The Daily Prophet for her to wipe herself. She never thought that she would say something like this, but Lettie was almost positive that she would kill someone to use an actual toilet again. In fact, she had already compiled a list of the people she'd kill first: Voldemort, Virginia, Pettigrew were the top three, not surprisingly. Glancing down at the front cover of The Daily Prophet that was sitting before her, Lettie frowned at the date.

July 25th? But that couldn't be right. Her period was due on the 23rd, and her body was like clockwork when it came to menstruating.

Pettigrew came in a few minutes after she'd finished her business, a grimace on his face as he threw her food at her and cleaned the mess with a flick of his wand.

"What's the date today?"

"It's the 27th. Why do you want to know?" Pettigrew asked suspiciously.

"I wanted to know how long I've been here," she replied with a shrug, though her heart was hammering in her chest.

Pettigrew was still frowning as he left the tent, but Lettie ignored his departure easily enough.

She was four days late. Maybe it was just the stress? Kidnapping and torture's probably not good for body clock-things.

Somewhere in her chest, Lettie already knew the truth: that she was pregnant with Miles' child. Yet, she was a captive of Virginia and Voldemort, and she doubted that they would treat her any different if they knew. Lettie couldn't let them find out. They would try to hurt her baby or use it against her, and she would never let that happen. Despite the choker still being tied tightly around her neck, her eyes flashed black and her nails grew to sharp spikes.

... b ...

End of the thirty-sixth chapter.

Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it.