Chapter Nine
Ginny stared up into the red eyes of Voldemort. She was hit with the memory of when she saw those eyes after she was carried out of the burning Burrow, after she found her family dead. Ginny yelled and scrambled to get away, picking herself up off the ground as she moved. She ran to Draco, whose face seemed tense, and grabbed onto his arm, as if he was going to protect her from the monster that stood before them.
Draco didn't look at her as she held onto him in desperation, but he said, "Settle down, Weasley. He's only a memory. He won't hurt you."
Of course she knew that, but that didn't stop her heart from beating against her chest, or from her eyes widening in fear. How could anyone face that man-that thing-and be calm about it, memory or not? She tore her eyes away from Voldemort and looked at Draco, who did not seem sad, but didn't seem himself either. He looked as if he was forcing himself to remain calm; his body felt rigid under her hand. Ginny let go, suddenly feeling foolish for holding onto him.
"Tonight," Voldemort hissed, drawing Ginny's attention towards him, "you will all witness what happens when you disobey your lord. My word is your way; your life is mine. Those who break against that will only suffer. There is no exception for displeasing me." He paused and looked around the crowd, into each face of the robed members. "Bring her in."
The crowd parted as it did for Voldemort, and two more robed figures walked in with someone in between them. The two figures, men, Ginny guessed, by the bulky width of their shoulders, threw the person they held to the ground, where she fell to their knees before Voldemort.
"Lower your hood so all can see the face of a failed Death Eater," Voldemort hissed.
Though the person's back was to Ginny, as she watched the person lower the hood to reveal a set of long, blonde hair, the same color as Draco's, she gasped. "It's your mother," she said to Draco, turning towards him. But he made no acknowledgement of what she said; his eyes trained on the woman before him.
"Do you know why you bow before me, Narcissa Malfoy?" Voldemort asked.
Narcissa nodded her head. "For disobeying you and leaving my post," she said in a faint whisper.
"And for failing to capture information about the Order," Voldemort hissed, "and Harry Potter." He paused and looked around. "Draco, step forward and stand next to your pathetic mother."
Ginny saw a hooded figure step out of the crowd and his take place to Narcissa. She knew it was Draco, even though he kept his hood up.
"You were originally assigned to this assignment," Voldemort said to Draco. "Is it true your mother took it over?"
Ginny looked at the hidden Draco to Narcissa on the floor. It wasn't true, Ginny thought. Narcissa had told her herself that it was Draco who had disappeared from his post; that she had only covered him to protect him. That Narcissa had died in place of her son.
"Yes, it is," Draco said.
Ginny gasped and spun around to the Draco who stood beside her. She wanted to ask him how could he have lied; he was condemning his own mother to death, but lost her words at the look of Draco. His eyes narrowed and his hands were fisted. His whole body was shaking and his face seemed paler than normal.
Ginny was aware of Voldemort talking once more, but instead she reached her hand out to Draco. "Draco," she said, grasping his shoulder.
Draco stepped out of her grasp. "Don't touch me," he spat, his eyes still ahead of him.
Ginny frowned at him, but in pity. He was suffering. Ginny looked forward to Narcissa, whose head was bent down, and to the hooded Draco, who stood over her, doing nothing to save his own mother. If it was Ginny, she would have thrown herself on top of her mother, saying that Voldemort would have to go through her first.
"Are you prepared to die, Narcissa Malfoy?" Voldemort said.
Narcissa finally raised her head, but she didn't look at Voldemort. Instead, she looked into the face of her son who stood beside her. "Yes, and I'd do it again if I had to."
Voldemort snarled, and as Narcissa raised her hand and reached for her son's, Voldemort pointed his wand at her and screamed, "Avada Kedavra!"
A bright, green light, flashed from his wand, so bright Ginny shut her eyes. When she opened them, Narcissa was sprawled at Draco's feet, her blonde hair fanned around her face. One by one, the spectators disappeared, until only Voldemort and the hooded Draco remained besides Narcissa's body.
"You will do well not to follow in your parents' footsteps," Voldemort said, and without a reply from Draco he disappeared.
Ginny wasn't aware of her crying as she watched Draco push back his hood and stare down at his dead mother. No expression filled his face; he did not reach out to her, or pick her up to take her away. He just simply stared, his arms lifeless on either side of him.
Ginny jumped when Draco grabbed her hand. She knew it was time to leave the memory, and by the look of Draco's pale face, she knew not to argue. She nodded at him, and then they too disappeared.
When they arrived back in the study, Draco let go of her and immediately went to a mini-bar in the corner of the room. Ginny watched the glass shake in his hand as he tried to pour himself a glass of brandy. With a sigh, she walked over to him and reached for the glass. "Here, let me do that."
Draco snarled and drew away from her. "I don't need your help, Weasley," he spat. "Especially if it's out of pity."
Ginny took a deep breath-she knew getting angry at him would only worsen things. "I just thought you could use my help."
"I said I don't need you," he hissed, and blocked her body with his as he poured the brandy, it sloshing out of the cup. "I don't need you, I don't need her-"
"Your mother?" Ginny asked, but as soon as it came out of her mouth she regretted it.
Draco slammed the brandy against the bar. "Don't talk about her to me," he yelled. He gripped his glass and swung back a mouthful of brandy.
"But," Ginny said, finding it harder to play nice with a screaming, drinking Draco, "then why did you show me that memory?"
Ginny watched as he finished his drink before he too slammed the glass down and then turned on her. Though she was very near to him, Draco advanced on her, making Ginny walk backwards to get away from him.
"That's to make sure you never go to her portrait again," he said.
Ginny felt her back hit the wall. "But it's not Narcissa I care about right now."
Draco let out a bark of a laugh. "Are you trying to say that you care about me?" he said. "Are you trying to say that after all this time in the manor, after the screaming and the fighting, that you have feelings for me?"
Ginny shook her head. "No, it's not like that," she said. "I just think you're really upset now and-"
Ginny froze as Draco closed in and put one hand on the wall next to her head. "And what?" he asked, leaning in. "Do you think you can help me? Do you think you'll help me find salvation over my mother's death?"
"You feel responsible for it," Ginny said. "This is why you're acting this way-you feel guilty." Ginny paused and stared at him. "You lied to Voldemort when you said she changed positions with you." Ginny didn't mean to trigger him, to make him angrier, but she knew the only way he could accept his mother's death was if he faced the truth, and the role he played.
"Shut up," he hissed. He leaned in closer. "If you ever talk to my mother again, if you ever mention her name-"
"I told you," Ginny said, "she's not who's on my mind right now."
Her heart jumped when she saw Draco's eyes widen for a second-maybe her words were getting to him. She knew he needed comfort, but right now he was like a poisonous snake, and no matter how wounded he was, if you tried to help him he would only bite you.
"There's nothing you can do for me," Draco finally said. "There's nothing that can erase all that has happened."
Ginny stared at him. "There's nothing any of us can do to bring them back. All we can do is move on."
"That's easy for you to say," Draco said, but his voice was calmer. "You weren't responsible for any of your families' deaths."
"What about Percy?"
Draco shook his head. "You didn't drag Percy there, tie him down, and just sit there and watch while the Dark Lord was killing him."
"But if you tried to help her, you would have been murdered as well," Ginny said. "There's nothing you could have done to save your mother."
"I could have followed my instructions!" Draco yelled, banging his hand on the wall. "If I had just stayed at my post like the Dark Lord ordered me to, none of this would have happened."
Ginny wanted to ask why he left his post, then. She wanted to ask what was so important to disobey an order from Voldemort, but she knew such a question would only make things worse, and would further delay trying to calm him down. She didn't even know why she felt it was her job to do such a task-maybe because after she visited her memory of her families' death, he was there to comfort her.
Very slowly, she reached out her hand and grasped his shoulder. Draco flinched at her touch. "You can't go on beating yourself up like this," she said. "I know myself-it's not a way to live. You'll only torture yourself."
"Then I deserve the pain," Draco said, but he did not hiss or spit his words like he did before. "I would think you of all people would agree with that. I killed your Mudblood friend. I found Potter. I knew your whole family was going to die. And yet, you don't think I deserve to suffer over killing my own mother, too?"
A ball of anger grew inside Ginny at what Draco said. He was right-she should not only hate him, but she should take pleasure in knowing he's suffering-that he deserved it. But surrounding that ball of anger was some other feeling, something foreign that she couldn't put her finger on. Whatever it was, it was strong, and forced her to look past her hate for him and to see the man who was breaking in front of her.
She felt the urge once more to kiss him, but as a means of comfort. In what may be her first unselfish act since she entered the manor, she wanted to hold him like he did to her, because that's all she could do. She couldn't fix the situation; she couldn't go back and change things. All she could do was be there for him, as he was for her.
She leaned her head up to do so, Draco being so close, but stopped herself. Memories of how he had reacted the last time she kissed him came flying back. It was too easy to forget he hated her. But he had told her himself that he didn't want her, or need her. Ginny drew herself back.
Draco's eyebrows sunk, and she saw him glance down at her lips. He knew what she was about to do. "Ginny," he said, but stopped.
Ginny let go of his shoulder as well. "You're right," she said, "there's nothing I can do for you, but that's because you won't let me." She lightly pushed past him, and he released her from the wall. Ginny turned back to him, but he was still staring at the wall, as if she still stood there. "But that doesn't mean I think you deserve the pain, Draco."
Ginny studied his silent figure. Maybe she was crazy-maybe he did deserve it. Maybe she had been around him for too long, and hated to see him suffer as she once did. Ginny sighed. She felt it was a little too late to explore her new feelings towards him, considering he made it a point that he no longer wanted her.
When Draco remained silent and staring at the wall, Ginny turned to leave, and was walking past his desk when she stopped. There, on top of the desk, was the picture frame of her.
Ginny's heart quickened. But wait-he was supposed to hate her. Why would he put the picture back up of her if he didn't want her any more? Unless…no; Ginny shook her head. She felt how his body responded to her when she threw herself at him. It was very clear he no longer wanted her, and he just said he didn't need her.
Ginny walked away from the desk and the picture frame before Draco could turn around and find her staring at it. When she approached the door, she wanted to ask him if it would shock her if she touched the doorknob, but couldn't find the words to speak to him. His words to her, and his body's reaction, just didn't make sense with the picture frame, and thinking about it only gave her a headache. Ginny pulled out her wand, and to her surprise, a simple Alohamora spell opened it. With one last look at Draco, she left him to himself.
~*~
When Ginny awoke the next morning, the first thing she saw was a gorgeous beige gown hanging on her closet door. She stared at it with her sleepy eyes, trying to figure out what it was doing there. After she crawled out of her bed, she approached the dress for a closer look. It looked to be her size; it was long, with a small top and the skirt flowing out at the hips. There were no straps, and cream lace underlined the chest part. Ginny looked down and saw dress shoes to match.
"Flipsy?" Ginny called out, and in a moment the house-elf appeared. "Flipsy, what is this dress doing here?"
"Why, it's yours, Miss!" Flipsy said with a smile. "For the ball!"
Ginny's eyes bulged. Pansy's ball-she had completely forgotten about it. "Please don't tell me that's tonight," she said, no longer eyeing the dress. Of course, now that she thought about it, she did pick out that dress, only it seemed so long ago.
"Yes, it is, Miss," Flipsy said. "Master says Flipsy has to start helping you get ready after lunch."
Ginny's stomach dropped; she felt sick. She knew a week ago that she was to go to the ball with Draco, but it had always seemed forever away. Even when she picked out the gown, she didn't actually picture herself wearing it. A part of her even hoped that Draco would come to his senses and realize she was the last person to bring to the ball.
"Where's Draco?" she asked Flipsy. Maybe she could still talk some sense into him and have him take someone else.
"Master is out for today and won't be back until before the ball."
Ginny swore-he probably did that on purpose. She began to come up with drastic plans. Maybe she could get sick, and then wouldn't have to go. Or she could sprain her ankle and therefore couldn't dance. But everything she thought of she knew that Draco could fix with magic. There seemed no way out of it-she was to go to Pansy's ball, and suffer every moment of it.
~*~
Ginny stared at the grandfather clock in the drawing room. It was quarter to seven, and Draco still wasn't home. Ginny stared down at the gown she wore. Like Flipsy said, she started getting ready after lunch, and after a long bath filled with all sorts of scents, Flipsy had done her hair and her makeup. The finishing result was beyond anything Ginny could have imagined. The only way she could describe herself was beautiful. She felt like a lady, wearing the fancy gown and the high heels. She even wore a pearl necklace with matching earrings, and with the makeup and her hair pulled up in curls, she hardly recognized herself. She didn't think it would even be necessary for Draco to change the color of her hair.
Her feet ached in her shoes, but she was too nervous to sit still. She paced the drawing room, wishing she could relax enough to at least breathe. She felt that she was going to go to her death. She would be in a room full of Death Eaters, full of people who wanted to torture and kill her. All she had to hide behind was a mask, but if that one little thing was removed, she was doomed. She began to wonder if even Draco could protect her if anything happened. There, he would be outnumbered. It didn't matter that she was his; everyone would be too outraged to see a Weasley amongst them.
And it helped little knowing Snape would be there. She hadn't heard from him since she saw him in the manor, and she began to wonder if him being on her side was a joke after all. How much faith could she put in a man who had killed the greatest wizard of all time? She still didn't know if she truly believed Snape and his claim of being on her side; all she knew was at that point, she had nothing else to lose.
She had wondered if the time came, if those two men would help her. She had wanted to bring her wand, but she had no where to hide it, and she didn't want to get Draco in trouble incase someone did see her with it. But then another thought occurred to her-a deeper and more sinister one. What if this was all a part of Draco's plan to torture her? He had told her from the beginning that that was the case, and when he refrained from doing so, she had wondered if he was first going to allow her peace and happiness before he crushed her. And now that she knew he no longer wanted her, why would he hold back from doing such a thing? What if he was only bringing her to the ball to place her in a room full of Death Eaters, and then let them have a go at her?
Ginny heard a cough from behind her, and she spun around. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of Draco. His hair was slicked back, just like his school days, and he was wearing a black dress robe with the collar outlined in silver. All thoughts of him betraying her left her mind as she saw him eye her up and down.
"You look…nice," he said. "I mean, you clean up well for a Weasley."
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. "And you for a ferret."
Draco narrowed his eyes back, and then walked towards her. Ginny had to fight the temptation to back up into the wall, just as she had done the night before. When he drew his hand from behind his back, Ginny winced, waiting for his wand to appear, but saw instead a mask.
"This is for you to wear," he said, "at all times. At midnight everyone takes off their masks, but if we're not gone by then, you must keep yours on. Do you understand?"
Ginny stared at the mask. It was white, only it sparkled against the candle light. "Yes," she said, and reached out for it, but Draco drew it back.
"Let me," he said, and before Ginny could say anything he stepped close to her. So close, that Ginny could smell a musk coming from him that she once smelled in a shirt she wore of his. Ginny stood patiently as Draco adjusted the mask on her face, and with his wand, he kept it in place with magic.
He stepped back to examine it, and nodding his head, he drew out his own mask out of his pocket. It was pure silver and matched his eyes. Without a word, Ginny took it from his hands and stepped up to place it on his face. A flush crept over her as he stared down at her; why was she reacting in such a way to him after everything?
When Ginny adjusted the mask, her hand skimmed Draco's cheek. She felt this had been the closest she had been to him since she had kissed him. And though she was no longer throwing herself at him, she still felt that same need to be touched by him as well.
When the mask was in place, Ginny stepped back and turned to avoid Draco's stare. "Shall we go, then?" she asked as she headed for the door.
"Wait-your hair," Draco said, and before Ginny could turn around, she felt a cool sensation erupt on her head. She glanced at a mirror next to the door, and saw that instead of red curls, they were dark brown.
Ginny fingered one curl, pulling it out to see the color. She looked herself over, and decided the hair color looked better in the dress then her red hair did. It didn't surprise her that Draco picked that color. After last night, making her blonde may have reminded him of his mother.
"And there's one more thing," Draco said. Before Ginny could ask what it was, Draco snapped his fingers and Flipsy appeared with a pair of gloves in his hand. Draco took them from the house-elf, and handed them over to Ginny.
Ginny eyed the gloves before taking them. She discovered that they were white evening gloves that sparkled like her mask. They were long, and Ginny knew they would reach to her elbows. She looked up at Draco with confusion. "What are the gloves for?"
Her stomach dropped as she saw him glance down at her wrists. "I assumed you'd want to cover that."
Before Ginny could stop herself, she looked down at the scar on her left wrist. The only time she had considered it was in the shower after she had thrown herself at Draco. It had never occurred to her that Draco would have thought of it as well.
Suddenly, Ginny did want to cover the scar very much. It unnerved her and made her feel naked knowing that Draco could see it, and what he probably thought of her. "Does it bother you?" she asked, as she fought not to put the gloves on and hide it.
Draco's eyes glanced up to hers. "I just don't want people thinking my date is suicidal, that's all."
Ginny's mouth dropped open. "How dare you! I'm not suicidal-"
"You slit your wrist while you were in prison. If that's not suicidal-"
"I had no choice!" Ginny cried. "It was either that or be murdered!"
Draco frowned. "What are you talking about?"
But before Ginny could answer, the grandfather clock struck, announcing that it was eight o'clock. Draco swore and walked towards the door. "Look, just put the bloody gloves on. We've gotta go-we're late as it is."
Ginny watched his back as he walked away, and with a scowl put the gloves on and followed. It angered her even more that she felt more comfortable with the gloves on, hiding the scar from Draco's eyes. She didn't care what others thought of her, but if Draco thought she was suicidal…
She bunched up her dress in her hands and hurried after Draco. She didn't want to lose sight of him.
~*~
They arrived in Pansy's front lawn by Apparation, in front of a mansion not as big as Malfoy Manor, but still huge. Carriages were being pulled around a circle driveway outlined with light posts; people in dress robes and gowns were climbing out and walking to the open double door. Several people chattered amongst pixie filled rose bushes, some sitting on stone carved seats next to a fountain, sipping champagne out of glasses. The black stoned manor's windows were all lit up, splaying light onto the front lawn and the night sky.
After making sure her mask was in place, Draco grabbed Ginny's arm and tucked it under his, and led them towards the front door. Ginny tried not to think anything of Draco holding her like he was-she knew it was just for appearance. Excitement mixed with anxiety; it was her first ball ever, and the little girl in her loved the gown she wore and imagined a night full of dancing-even if it was with Draco-but the anxiety kicking in reminded her of who she was, and who she would be surrounded by.
"I don't want you to talk to anyone," Draco muttered under his breath as they neared the door. "And stick by my side at all time. And-"
Ginny squeezed the arm that held her. "I get it, Draco. As much fun as it would be to disobey you, do you really think I want to do anything to draw attention to me?"
Draco glanced over at her, and Ginny cursed the mask he wore. It hid all facial expression, except the slight frown of his lips and the hard look in his eyes. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but they walked up the stairs to the front door in silence.
A large man with wide shoulders stood at the door. He had a green mask on, and wore a very simple gray dress robe. Draco stopped Ginny at the door, and presented Pansy's invitation to the man. The man looked at it, looked at Draco, and then nodded. But before Draco could walk away, the man looked at Ginny.
"I thought you'd bring that Weasley girl," the man muttered.
Ginny grew rigid at the mention of her name, and she felt Draco's body jerk as well. "Do you really think I'd do such a thing, Crabbe?" Draco asked. He tightened his hold on Ginny. "Rhonda is a much better date than that Weasley trash."
When Crabbe nodded in agreement, Draco steered Ginny away from the door. When they were out of ear shot, Ginny turned on Draco. "Rhonda? What kind of name is that?"
To Ginny's surprise, Draco smiled. "If you're going to have a fake name, can't we have fun with it?"
Ginny tried to bite her lip, but a smile appeared on her face. "I'd prefer something sexier, like Victoria, or Rhiannon."
"Or I could have called you Candy or kept the red hair and call you Rogue."
If the smiling wasn't bad enough, Ginny let out a laugh, drawing several people's eyes towards her. Ginny blushed and covered her smiling mouth. It warmed her to be able to laugh with Draco, and to not be reminded that he didn't want her anymore. "People would think I was a prostitute."
"Well, here then," Draco said as he let go of her arm and grabbed two glasses of champagne off of a tray of a passing waiter. He handed her one. "I hear whores enjoy their booze."
Ginny shot him a look, and would have stuck her tongue out at him if she wasn't in a fancy gown at an extravagant party. Instead, Ginny accepted the glass and took a slip, feeling the liquid bubble down her throat.
Draco offered his arm to her once more and nodded his head towards the direction of the ball room. "Are you ready to go into the pit of lions?"
"More like snakes," Ginny said as she tucked her free arm under his. They approached the door, where several couples stood, but when they took a look at Draco, they quickly stepped out of the way. Ginny laughed under her breath-she assumed with hair as light as Draco's, anyone would recognize him even with the mask on. Or, it could have been the fact that he walked around with an air of superiority, as if he owned the place and it was his party that was being held.
When they passed the couples, their eyes went from Draco to Ginny, which caused her to look away and stare at the ground. She knew her eyes were plain and brown, but she didn't know how much of the make-up covered her freckles, something that has always stood out about a Weasley. She swore under her breath and took a sip of her champagne-she should have had Draco hide the freckles as well.
When they were in the ball room, Ginny bit her tongue to stop her from gasping, or to even appear impressed. It was as big as Draco's ball room, only filled with dancing couples and mingling groups. Chandeliers covered the ceiling, and banners and streamers of silver and green swooped from the ceiling and hung on the walls. There was a small band playing a waltz in the corner of the room, and dozens of waiters and waitresses carrying trays of drinks and appetizers. But what impressed Ginny most was how everyone looked-every woman in the room wore a gown that looked to be the price of the Burrow, and every man was just as elegant. Everyone's hair was done perfectly, and they even danced with grace. Just staring at them unnerved her, and reminded her of exactly who she was, and how she was brought up. She wondered if even her gown and mask could hide the fact that she screamed a Weasley.
When Ginny would have loved to just hide in the corner and away from all the people so different than her, Draco led them into the mass of people. "This is when I make my rounds and pretend I'm happy to see everyone," he spoke into her ear.
Ginny shuddered at feeling his breath on his skin. "But how can you tell who is who? Everyone is hiding behind masks."
"Oh, there's other ways." He pointed over to the left. "See that man with three blonde women attached to his side? That's Flint. Rumor has it he's engaged now, but that doesn't stop him from being the filthy player he is. I'd keep an eye on him, if I were you."
Ginny nodded in agreement. She remembered Flint from school, and how he had a habit of cornering girls in the dungeons of the school when no one else was around. "And what about Parkinson?" she asked. That was another person she wanted to watch out for, especially after their last encounter at the robe shop.
"She's always wearing some frilly, pink dress," Draco said as he nodded to a group of people. "Merlin only knows it makes me nauseous just looking at her."
Ginny cracked a grin at the insult right when Draco looked down at her. He smiled himself, and the look warmed Ginny's body. Suddenly, she grew very bold, and taking advantage of Draco's good mood, she tightened her hold on Draco's arm and drew him nearer to her body, unable to stop herself. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the party and seeing all the couples, or the giddiness in her she had that reminded her of the first time she went to a dance with a boy. Or maybe it was the champagne already getting to her head, or seeing how handsome Draco looked and having him attached to her arm. Or maybe it was just, at the moment, that this was the most he had paid attention to her since before he found out that she didn't love Harry, and she missed that from him.
She heard Draco's breath hitch at her move and for a moment Ginny feared he would pull away, but instead he looked down at her, his eyes round with surprise. Once again, Ginny cursed the mask he wore, and wondered what his face was showing at her sudden move, and what was going on through his head. Ginny thought of the picture of her that was back on his desk-had he lost as much interest in her as she thought he had?
Draco licked his lips. "Ginny-"
"Well, look who we have here."
Draco and Ginny jumped apart and looked ahead. Pansy stood before them, in a pink gown just as Draco predicted. She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck a hip out, and underneath the mask Ginny knew she was glaring.
"Good evening, Pansy," Draco said. "Looks like the party was a nice turn-out."
But Pansy ignored Draco's words, and instead took to staring at Ginny. "Who's the tramp, Draco? I hope not one of Flint's girls."
Ginny's face reddened and she matched Pansy's glare. She felt Draco put his arm around her waist, but she wondered if it was only to keep her from clawing Pansy's face apart. "This is Rhonda," Draco said, "and I'd appreciate it if you didn't call her a tramp, for your sake. She's very feisty."
Ginny watched as Pansy eyed her up and down. "You like them feisty, don't you, Draco?" She turned her look to Draco. "That is what drew you towards that Weasley girl, isn't it?"
Ginny felt as if her heart would stop beating. They had barely arrived, and already she was mentioned twice. She felt Draco grow rigid as well, just as he had done when Crabbe mentioned her. "Don't tell me you're jealous of that Weasley trash," Draco said to Pansy. "Even that's low for you, Pansy."
Ginny felt like a warrior knowing she had once given Pansy a black eye, because now watching her get fired up, even Ginny felt intimated by her. She clutched onto Draco's arm, hoping to signal to him that she wanted to leave, but her move only caught Pansy's eye.
"I hope you know you have some serious competition," Pansy said to her, "and not by me. I'm sure Draco didn't tell you of the pet he's keeping inside his manor?"
"That's enough, Pansy," Draco growled.
Pansy's eyes flickered for over to Draco's. "Are you telling me Rhonda doesn't know of Weasley?" Pansy let out a laugh. "My, you are rather bent on keeping Weasley only to yourself, aren't you? I was rather surprised you didn't bring her as your date, though I suppose you'd hate to share her, wouldn't you?" She smirked at Draco. "That's a shame, really, because I know Flint was pretty excited to play with her."
"If you don't shut your mouth right now, I'll make you regret it," Draco spat between his teeth. Ginny felt him shake with anger. "I've told you before, what I do with Weasley is my business, and in your best interest you should never talk of her again."
Pansy's smirk dropped, but the glare in her eyes was still there. "You can't talk to the hostess like that-"
Draco took a step forward, leaving Ginny's side. "You forget who I am," Draco said, "and what power I hold over you. As I said, it would be in your best interest to never speak of Weasley again."
Pansy stood her ground, but only for a moment, before she backed away. She glanced over at Ginny and said, "Good luck with him; he's a prat," before she hastily walked away.
Ginny let out a breath as she watched Pansy retreat and gave Draco a small smile as he stood next to her. "Well that wasn't so bad, now was it?"
Draco let out a bark of a laugh, drawing several heads to turn at them. Draco glared at them, making them turn away. "This is why I hate these parties," he said, taking a drink from his glass and finishing it. "It's either I'm dealing with Pansy being a bitch, or with all the other idiots here." He placed the empty glass on a passing tray and picked up a full one.
Ginny eyed him with his second drink. "All we need now is for you to get drunk and light the drapes on fire."
"Now that would add some excitement to this dull party," Draco said with a grin, making Ginny smile as well.
But then, Draco's smile dropped, and before Ginny could ask what the matter was, she heard someone say behind her, "I don't know who your date is, Malfoy, but she looks rather nice from behind."
Ginny whipped around in disgust and saw Flint eyeing her up and down. She immediately backed up to where Draco stood, and felt a bit of relief when he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk to my date like that, Flint," Draco growled. "Especially with your fiancée so near."
Ginny looked behind Flint, and was surprised to see a short, blonde woman standing there. She wore a dark, shimmering blue robe, and a light blue mask. The woman, whose head was bowed and staring at the floor, did not acknowledge that what Flint said offended her. In fact, she seemed to be expressionless, and acted as if there was not a party going on around her.
Flint looked back at the silent woman and laughed. "Like she'd say anything," he said, looking back at Draco. His eyes then skipped over to Ginny. "In fact, I could be all over your date right now, and nothing would happen. My fiancée knows her place."
Ginny couldn't hide the disgust on her face, but Flint didn't seem to mind. He looked her up and down once more. "She's a real looker, Malfoy. Where'd you pick her up?"
Draco's hold on her tightened. "I don't see how that's any of your business," Draco said. "And I didn't pick her up, not like you do with your whores."
Flint merely shrugged his shoulders, as if what Draco said was the truth. "What's your name, sweetie?" he asked Ginny.
Before Ginny could reply, Draco said, "It's Rhonda."
Flint glanced at Draco before he looked back at Ginny. "You answer for her too, Malfoy? I guess you would get off on that power trip-it's pretty powerful stuff, isn't it? You should try tying her up in bed-that's where the real fun is."
The hate and disgust Ginny felt every time Flint opened his mouth finally boiled over. "You're disgusting," she spat before she could stop herself.
Flint's eyes widened, Draco loosened his grip on her and turned to look at her, but what drew Ginny's attention was that the blonde woman next to Flint turned her eyes on her as well. Ginny felt pulled into the contact with the one's blue eyes; she felt a sense of calm rush over her at the woman's gaze, like she was staring at someone she cared about.
The eye contact was broken when Flint stepped forward. "How dare you, you little-"
Draco stepped in front of Ginny, blocking her from Flint. "I'll have none of that, Flint," Draco growled. "If you lay one hand on her-"
"How can you just let that tramp say what she wants?" Flint snapped. "Don't you know the woman's only place is in bed?"
Ginny wished she could see the expression on Draco's face; she was fuming herself. "Just because you treat women like objects doesn't mean I do," Draco said.
"Yeah?" Flint barked back. Ginny peaked around Draco and saw the man's face was red. "I've heard rumors about you keeping that Weasley girl in your manor. I'm sure you have all sorts of fun with her." Flint took a step closer, and was now face to face with Draco. "Tell me, Malfoy, do you show her what it is to be a traitor?"
"What I do to Weasley is my business-"
"If you don't, then let me," Flint said. "I've been trying to get at her the whole time she was in prison, but your damn guards never let me touch her." A grin broke out on his face. "I got to her friend though."
Draco lurched forward at Flint, but Ginny dropped her glass and grabbed onto his arm and held him back from hitting him. "Draco, no, not here," Ginny pleaded as she struggled to hold onto him. She knew Draco was stronger, and could have easily pushed her off, but she still held on. It wasn't to protect Flint-if she could, she'd slap him herself-but a fight would only draw attention, and that was the last thing she needed. She felt each time her name was mentioned it was mere luck that she went unnoticed, but if the whole ball room was staring at her, she knew that someone would figure out who she really was.
Flint let out a laugh. "Man, you are pathetic, Malfoy. Having your woman holding you back?" He turned and walked away, laughing as he went, with his fiancée trailing after him.
Draco's body jerked again as Flint left, and then he turned on Ginny. "What did you do that for?" he snarled, his face pink with anger.
Ginny looked out of the corner of her eye and saw several couples staring. "Draco, please, there's people looking-"
Draco looked over at the people and glared until they looked away. "Is that what you're so worried about?" Draco said. "Fine-follow me."
Before Ginny could say anything, Draco grabbed her hand and tugged her after him. He led them out of the ball room and into the hall. He marched through the front door, without saying a word to Crabbe, and outside. Ginny thought they were going to go to the Apparation point, but Draco drew her to the left and passed couples and rosebushes before he came to the edge of the garden where it was empty.
He quickly let go of her and sat down on a carved bench. Ginny rubbed her hand; it was sore from Draco's tight grip on her. Ginny watched as Draco fumed, and then tore off his mask and threw it across the lawn.
"This was a bad idea," he said. "I shouldn't have come." He looked over at Ginny. "How could you hold me off like that? You heard what he said-he raped that Mudblood friend of yours."
Ginny's stomach plummeted. "But you've said before that Hermione was protected just as I was."
Draco ran a hand over his hair. "Crabbe and Goyle's job was only to watch you-I just put Granger in your cell to comfort you."
"But," Ginny said, sitting down next to Draco, "Flint never came into our cell. And Hermione never said anything to me-"
Draco shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore," he said. He set his hand down and stared ahead, silent.
But it did matter to Ginny. The thought of Hermione being raped by Flint made her nauseous. Ginny's gloved hand covered her mouth. Through her whole stay in the prison, one thing she had always been thankful for was that neither her or Hermione were touched. She would spend sleepless nights listening to women crying and screaming, and she would always wait for the men to come to their cell, but they never did. So how Flint got to Hermione, Ginny didn't know, but the thought of her friend going through such a thing made her stomach turn violently. Ginny quickly stood up. "I need the restroom," she mumbled behind her hand.
Draco's eyebrows raised and he stood up slowly. "Are you okay?"
A picture of Hermione being held down by Flint crossed her mind, and Ginny quickly shook her head. Tears sprang to her eyes. "I need," was all she could mumble. She needed the toilet; she needed to breathe. She needed to kick Flint between the legs, hard enough to where he could never rape another woman if he tried.
Draco must have understood her, because he took her free hand and led her away from the garden and back to the house. He rushed past Crabbe, who mentioned something about where did his mask go, and down the hallway past the ballroom. He stopped in front of a door, and let go of her hand. "Here," he said, nodding at the door. His hand touched her cheek. "You seem pale-are you-56"
But Ginny couldn't wait to hear what he had to ask. She ran through the door and entered the power room with a vanity mirror and a couch, and then through another door where there was a toilet and a sink. Without locking the door, she lunged over the toilet and dry heaved. She tried to calm herself; her heart was beating, her stomach was twisting, and she could barely breathe. She felt a rush of dizziness pass through her-she couldn't stop thinking about poor Hermione. But it didn't make sense-when did Flint rape her? How did he get a hold of her without Ginny knowing? And surely Draco would have known something about it.
When it was clear nothing was coming up, Ginny stood up from the toilet and tried to catch her breath. Her whole body felt weak and numb. She felt as if she had just run a mile; even her forehead was sweaty. Ginny took off her mask and wet her face from the sink. She just needed to calm herself down.
"Hello, Ginny."
Ginny gasped and jumped away from the sink. There, standing in the room by the door, was Flint's fiancée.
Ginny fumbled for her mask on the counter, but knew it was too late. "Please don't tell anyone who I am," she pleaded. Her cover was ruined-she was seen. Thoughts ran through her head of how she could stop the woman from telling everyone there was a Weasley in the bathroom, but without her wand, she had no way of stopping her. Flint's fiancée would tell everyone, and they would come rushing in, Flint and Pansy and everyone who wanted to hurt her.
The blonde woman smiled, but she seemed sad. "Don't you know who I am, Ginny?"
When Ginny shook her head, she watched the woman pull off her mask. Ginny's mask dropped from her hand in shock as she stared at her face.
There, before her, stood Luna.
~*~
Dun dun dun!! Add twist and insert yet another cliff hanger. Mwuhahah.
*cough* sorry, I got carried away. This chapter was a biggie-8 pages more than it usually is. I updated earlier then usual, and hope to get chapter ten done this weekend.
I hope you enjoyed, and please review.
Liz21