Whoo-hee look at that turn around! You can all thank the fact that I had a paper for school to write - nothing says procrastination like working on a HP fic! Anyhoo - this chapter does have D/G for all those that were missing it last chapter! And as a note of clarification Nott and his group are a group of death eaters living underground - there will be more details about them later on.
Oh and I know - I am a tease!! You will see shortly hee hee
Chapter 15: the Return
The stars dotted the sky above the burrow. It was a peaceful night... the eye of the storm Ginny mused silently. It was late, she should be sleeping. Tomorrow would be a long day, a test of her strength.
She had sat through an unnervingly silent dinner in which Ron refused to make eye contact with her and her mother sent her pleading eyes throughout the meal. On one hand Ginny was happy that she would be leaving for Hogwarts in the morning. The tension at home was almost too strong. She needed to put some space between her and Ron and her mother; as well as her mother meant Ginny couldn't stand her pitiful glances. But on the other hand she was scared to enter leave the sanctity that home provided. If her trip to Diagon Alley had been any indication, she didn't think that she would have a warm welcome at school.
Furthermore she wasn't sure what to expect from Draco. He was still a bit of an enigma, granted he had come to her home when she asked. But what would it be like in school? She knew it would be tough for him, surrounded by his former life. Slytherins who undoubtedly hated him now and saw him as a traitor.
The question that Ginny had been attempting to push to the back of her mind for the better part of the afternoon reared up again. Would their fledgling friendship fall apart from the pressures of school or from the darkness that filled her soul?
Ginny couldn't deny it anymore she had remembered the horrors of the summer, she couldn't hide from her past any longer... She scoffed at herself. At one point in the past few weeks all she had wanted was to remember and to know what had happened, what a silly naïve girl she really was.
She was an expert at putting on a face, a face that would make all the others happy and accepting of her. It was times like this, in the depths of the night, when the veneer faded and she was no longer able to pretend that she was good or worthy...
Ginny hugged her knees to her chest resting her chin on the knobby kneecaps. She knew that sitting here would not serve any purpose, but sleep had successfully eluded her for the evening.
She looked down at her wrist, a faint scarring marred the white skin. Ginny shuddered as memory consumer her mind. Her body folded in closer in reaction.
Her wrists were bound with an old rope. It looked frayed and weak, but she knew better. Her first two nights had been spent blooding her wrists attempting to free herself. She was too tired now to even humor the thought of escaping - it was pointless.
She had no real concept as to how long she had been attached to the dank wall. Days or weeks could have gone by and Ginny would not have known. She knew it had been some time since she had sat in the loo on the Hogwarts crying pitifully over what she thought was the very real pain of disappointment and lost love. She now knew now what real pain was. It had been days since she had felt the pull of Tom in her mind and had been unable to prevent it.
Her mind was blissfully blank now, but she was sure that would not last for long. Tom would come and go as he pleased, inserting thoughts in her subconscious. His soothing voice would wrap around her thoughts of fear and anger, comforting her. He would leave an odd sense of calm in her mind, one in which the physical pain and the mental torture weren't even fleeting memories.
It was just like her first year. Tom would remind her that she didn't have anyone, that she was alone. But he would always be there to talk to her. He would never tell her outright that all those she thought loved her didn't give a damn - but that was always the silent message.
Unable to control his voice, she would constantly remind herself that what he said was not true, that he was trying to use her. But as the days went by she began to question her resolve. Tom represented a piece of her past and she wanted to keep him there, but Tom did not agree with that.
He would tell her that she was strong, that no one had withstood him like she had. That he respected her power. He would tell her that she was special and had the potential to be great. In the depths of the night her memory of his 17 year old self, dashing with his dark hair and eyes, would surface in her mind and he would tell her that she was beautiful. He knew her every weakness and it sickened her that something as simple as a compliment could weaken her so.
He tried to tempt her with power, everlasting dark power, that was the easiest for her to dismiss and Tom quickly recognized this. Ginny did not have the all consuming desire to retain power over others; she left that for the Slytherins of the world. She merely wanted control over her own self, and world. Perhaps Tom understood that she wasn't the type to seek dominance over others as a means of self worth. Perhaps he understood that she would be much more powerful after she understood her own self worth. She would be a power to be reckoned with then.
She never quite clear about what he was tempting her to do, he never asked her to take the mark and join his ranks. The mystery of the whole situation only made it harder for her to comprehend. She soon learned though what Tom wanted her for...
Ginny snapped out of her memory, she didn't want to relive anymore... it was too painful.
The reds and oranges of the rising sun began to color the English countryside. Ginny quietly slipped through the window into her room. Her trunk, fully packed, lay near to the door. Ginny grasped her wand and placed it in her pocket, it was Percy's old wand. They had found it by his body and brought it home. Ginny had resolutely taken the old wand as her own rather than heading to Ollivander's to purchase a new one. She preferred to have this part of Percy with her; she liked to think that he would have wanted it that way.
Ginny slowly made her way down the stairs the first up and sat quietly at the kitchen table to wait...
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The train pulled away from the station as it had every year since Harry Potter began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry sat in the same compartment as he had for years. Hermione sat to his right, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand intertwined with his. She had fallen asleep soon after as they had taken their seats. She had reminded him with authority that he must wake her an hour before they arrived so she could attend the meeting in the head students compartment.
Harry looked down at her peaceful face. He knew something was wrong, dark circles marred her cheeks. Her eyes had also been slightly red-rimmed as she arrived at his house the night before. They decided to leave from Harry's to catch the train in the morning. It was to be one last night of freedom before they headed back to school. Hermione had been an enthusiastic partner as always, but something just didn't seem right. He had left her smiling face after getting ice cream so she could head home to say goodbye to her parents and finish packing before she headed to Godric's Hollow. But she had arrived at his home slightly off kilter. Of course he thought, the candle-lit dinner he had welcomed her with had removed the etchings of sadness from her eyes. Harry hadn't had time to talk with her about what had placed that sorrow in her chocolate eyes, but he hadn't forgotten.
Ron sat across from him quietly reading a Quidditch magazine. He flipped slowly through the pages not really seeming to read much. Ron looked a bit weary himself, but that was to be expected with all the happenings in the Weasley household over the past few weeks.
Harry wondered where Ginny was, he had seen her briefly as the Weasley's arrived in a black ministry car. With only Ginny and Ron to bring, it appeared one car was all that was necessary. She hadn't come into their compartment with Ron, typically she began to trip to Hogwarts in their compartment and then would move about to the compartments where the kids in her year sat - or at least that is what he assumed she did. Instead he had lost track of Ginny immediately after they had boarded the train and had not seen her since.
"Oy Ron, how do the Cannons look this year?"
"Huh? Oh right, the cannons look like they have a pretty good shot this season, even with Krum" a sneer crossed Ron's face as he mentioned the Bulgarian seekers name, "as their seeker."
Harry laughed. Ron had never let his hatred for the Bulgarian go, even after all these years. "You must admit though that he is a fantastic player, wanker or not."
Ron grumbled his agreement. "He and the cannons will give Wood and Puddlemere a run for their money."
"I don't know Oliver has quite the strong team this year. Blair is an excellent seeker and Darcy and Firth are vicious beaters. They will be hard to stop."
Ron nodded in acknowledgment to the legendary United beaters, "but they don't have Wallace do they... do they now!"
Harry laughed, "point taken mate, point taken. Wallace is the best chaser in the league. He is unstoppable."
Harry and Ron continued to discuss Quidditch for the better part of an hour, while Hermione slept blissfully unaware.
Harry smiled to himself it was nice to have this with Ron. It was nice to have this escape and this ability to return to the boy that Harry had been; to find purchase in his childhood love.
A knock at the door interrupted the pair. The small compartment door swung open to reveal Parvati. Her long dark hair hung down, not intricately coifed as she was famous for doing. Parvati had not been the same since Lavender was killed; it was as if part of her had gone with Lavender, even her relationship with her sister had seemed to wane.
"Parvati! Have a seat" Harry welcomed in the dark-haired girl. Hermione stirred at the announcement of a new arrival.
Hermione sat up and blearily rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Hello Parvati" she greeted her as well.
Ron quietly watched Parvati make her way into the compartment, a bit of a lost look in her eyes. She reminded him of Lavender, he couldn't help it but the pair was nearly inseperable. Ron had long since come to terms with the notion that he had not loved Lavender, he had been infatuated as teenagers typically are. Both Lavender and Parvati had taken on a more serious edge as the tension with Voldemort had increased. Ron had been able to find an attraction to Lavender that his 4th year self never could have imagined.
Parvati took a seat next to Ron; she really didn't know why she was here. She didn't feel right anywhere. She had sat for a while with her sister and some other Ravenclaws, then she had joined Dean, Seamus and Neville but it just wasn't the same without Lavender. She had spied the compartment that Ron, Harry and Hermione typically sat in and decided to join them. Perhaps if she just floated about like she had been for the past three months nothing would seem real and everything would be alright.
"Hello Ron" Parvati looked over at the redhead. A slight glisten entered her eyes, the last time she had seen her best friend was on the train ride home last summer sitting next to Ron. Parvati remembered that Harry and Ron had been playing a raucous game of exploding snap. Lavender was glued to Ron's side; he held her hand as they played. Parvati had been chatting with Hannah Abbott who had been sitting next to Hermione. But that was all long gone, that was before the Death Eaters had attacked the train and destroyed their blissful sense of security.
" 'ello Parvati." Ron replied quietly. He watched as she clutched her hands tightly in her lap. She used to be so cool and collected, always sure of herself. While he had been dating Lavender he had become friends with Parvati to a certain extent. She was a nice girl, perhaps a little too wrapped up in material things, but Ron reasoned there were much worse things one could care about. He noticed the tears causing her dark eyes to shine abnormally bright.
He had seen Hermione and his sister well up like this many times over the years, so he did what came naturally.
He scooted closer to her on the red bench and put his arm around her shoulder, leaning her against his side. Parvati quickly muffled a sob. Ron brought his other arm around and embraced her.
"We all miss her..." It was all he said, but it was enough for Parvati.
Harry and Hermione sat in silence, quietly reminiscing about those that they had lost and how lucky they had been to make it out as they had.
Parvati continued to cry into Ron's shirtfront while he ran a soothing hand down her back. After a while she hiccupped signaling that she was done crying.
"I'm sorry to cry all over you." Parvati dabbed at a few spots on Ron's shirt.
"Don't be." He smiled down at her.
"I thought I could keep it together, after all it has been three months" she raised a watery smile to the group. "but sitting here with the three of you just reminded me too much of the train ride home and Lavender should be here.... I'm sorry."
Ron lowered his head. He knew coming back to school would be hard, classmates were gone and it would be hard to adjust. He supposed he just hadn't been ready for the reality of it all.
"I remember we were sitting just like this, playing exploding snap, before the train was attacked..." Ron trailed off looking out the window.
"Hannah was here wasn't she?" Hermione interjected.
Parvati looked up at Hermione "Yes, I just saw her in a compartment with Susan and Justin down the way"
Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione; it was hard coming back when some weren't able. It was difficult being the ones to survive.
Typical to their English reserve they didn't express those feelings; rather they continued to reminisce about past trips on the Hogwarts express. But the pain of missing those that weren't there anymore began to lessen as they remembered and became accustomed to their absence.
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Draco sat silently in the last compartment of the train. He had claimed that compartment his first year and he would sit there regardless of whether the other Slytherins approved or not.
His first encounter had been with Pansy and Millicent. The pair of girls had entered shortly before the train pulled away from the station. Pansy had thrown open the door as if she owned the train. Millicent followed behind her but without the rancor that Pansy exuded.
Draco had immediately noticed the difference in Millicent, she hung her head and meekly went were Pansy went. He wondered what had happened to create this change of events. Millicent and Pansy had hardly been friends before, nor had Millicent been particularly meek. He mused though that the ranks of Slytherin had likely been largely thinned and the dynamics thrown asunder after this summer.
"Draco..." Pansy's voice drawled out.
He didn't quite understand where she got off addressing him like that. The Parkinson's had lost everything. But he supposed that he respected her ability to still hold her chin up high in spite of it all.
"Pansy... Millicent" Millicent raised her head at Draco's voice and quickly dropped her chin again.
"Well Draco, How are you doing?" Her question seemed laced with knowledge. She seemed to be looking for him to falter and reveal something in his answer.
"Splendid and yourself?" Draco responded not having moved from his position leaning against the window.
"Why Draco, aren't you going to ask me to sit? Where have your manners gone?" Pansy's eyes narrowed at the blonde.
Ah the games begin he thought.
"Forgive me I don't know what I was thinking... but I am sure you won't be staying long will you?" Draco's reply was polite but laced with malice.
Pansy pursed her lips. "Too true Draco, Blaise is having a little gathering in his compartment, we wouldn't want to miss that would we? Millicent?"
Millicent looked up at Pansy, "No, Blaise told us to hurry on to his compartment"
"Will we see you at Blaise's compartment?" Pansy smirked at Draco, knowing the answer to her question.
"I'm afraid that I won't be able to make it" Draco crossed his leg at the ankle and waited for Pansy to leave. "I shall see you later Pansy... Millicent?" Draco looked directly at the larger girl. Her blue eyes met his gray questioning ones. Millicent understood that he wanted to speak with her later.
"Millicent!" Pansy grabbed her arm and turned toward the door, "Goodbye... Draco!"
Pansy swiveled on her heeled foot and swept from the doorway, her blonde hair swinging behind her.
Draco sighed, it would be a long year, full of situations just as that.
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Ginny sat on her trunk as the steam from the engine billowed around her.
"Ginny!" Colin came running toward her.
"You ready?" Ginny stood up and grabbed the handle to her trunk. She pulled it forward toward the train, scraping it along the pavement.
"Let me, I've already got my things on the train." Colin removed the hefty trunk from her hands.
"Thanks Colin!" The pair made their way onto the Hogwarts express amidst the bustle of the many students.
Colin noticed the looks that many of the younger students were giving Ginny. He put one arm around her shoulder as they ascended the stairs, attempting to show the students that she was okay and that he would protect her.
Ginny understood what Colin was doing; she appreciated it but didn't think that it would matter much in the long run. They would think what they would regardless. After all look at her and her brother.
After they were settled in their compartment, Colin produced a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans for them to share.
Ginny savored a caramel flavored bean. It had been ages since she had tasted Bertie Botts Beans.
"Merlin Colin, these taste good - it's been ages since I've had one! I've been afraid to try anything at home since the twins have been around. You never know what they have left sitting around."
Colin laughed, he had been the recipient of many of the twins "testers" over the years and understood her reluctance.
"How are the twins, and the rest of your brothers?"
"They're doing well... as well as expected. I suppose..." Ginny trailed off at the end, not quite sure how to address all the problems that had arisen in her family.
"I heard about Percy. I am genuinely sorry Ginny. I know how much you loved him."
Ginny inclined her head. She wasn't yet comfortable with accepting condolences for loss of her brother.
Colin looked on with concern, when he had heard about Percy's death he knew it be especially hard on Ginny. He had only just reconciled with the family, mainly at Ginny's behest.
"I miss him, I probably always will" Ginny gently fingered the wand in her pocket as she spoke of Percy.
"How is Ron, I didn't see him with you when you got here? In fact I didn't even see him in Diagon alley?" a slight frown marred Colin's face.
"He went to Diagon alley with Hermione and Harry..." Ginny felt a lump form in her throat. "Ron... Ron hasn't spoken with me in a while. He rather thinks that I helped Voldemort." Ginny did not wait for Colin's gasp to leave his throat before she stood up, "If you will excuse me I need to run to the loo."
Breathing hard Ginny escaped from the confining compartment. She headed toward the back of the train, looking to get away from everything.Movement from the inside of the last compartment caught her eye. It looked to be blonde hair and dark robes.
Ginny knocked on the door softly. She heard a sigh from the other side of the door as it was pulled open. Draco stood before her his school robes half on, the head boy pin glinting in the light.
"Draco!" There was a bit of surprise to her voice and she didn't really know why. She had wanted to see him, she enjoyed Colin's company but he didn't understand her as Draco did. Perhaps it was the head boy pin on his chest that shocked her, but she supposed that it shouldn't. He was incredibly intelligent.
He finished pulling the robe on, his motions were stiff, a side effect of the beating from the night before.
Ginny immediately noticed the hitch in his normally graceful movements.
"You're hurt" It wasn't truly a question.
Draco did not respond instead he merely moved away from the door letting her into the compartment.
"What happened?" She continued, not bothered by the fact that he had yet to respond.
Draco silently watched her approach. Her eyes were haunted. She was hiding something. Ginny placed a hand on his cheek her fingers brushed across the deep bruising that a glamour charm was concealing. Her simple touch awoke feelings inside of him that he kept quelled at all times.
"Who hurt you?" her whispered question caused Draco to jerk his head up. The concern in her voice scared him. He wasn't accustomed to anyone worrying for him, caring about his pains, or protecting him.
"No one..." His voice held finality. His injuries were not open to discussion.
Ginny continued to survey his wounds. Somehow she was able to see through the charms. She looked closely enough to see the brusing, the scabs and the pain.
"If you won't tell me about it will you at least let me heal you?" Draco's eyes relayed none of the shock her words caused in his mind. Ginny... heal him? He knew she could... and it terrified him.
"Fine." Draco bit out a reply.
A frown marred Ginny's features. Why was he so short? What had happened? Where had her friend gone? Perhaps this is what their relationship must be now that they were back in school.
Draco took a seat on the cushion, Ginny followed suit. She took her wand out of her pocket. Draco gave her a questioning glance.
"It was Percy's"
Draco set aside his fear, and desire to distance himself from the red head, and placed his hand over hers squeezing gently.
Ginny bowed her head, acknowledging his comforting. After a brief moment she pulled her head up, "Now let me fix these bruises up, you really ought to work on your glamour charms..." she admonished.
"So sorry... I've never had to use one before, attractiveness comes naturally to me." He smirked back at her.
"Conceited git! Well maybe you should work on your healing charms as well... then I wouldn't have to do this, you are luck I was interested in becoming a medi-witch."
Ginny gasped slightly when she removed the glamour charm so she could see the full extent of his injuries.
"Merlin Draco!" Both his eyes were blackened, and his lip split. There was a gash running along one of his cheeks that still looked angry and red.
Ginny felt his pain in her stomach, he had been beaten severely. Who had done this to him? Her every instinct shouted out to take away his pain and kill whoever did this to him.
Draco sat quietly he didn't know what to say to her if she asked again what happened. She was stubborn and wouldn't take his silence for an answer. He didn't want to tell her why he was injured. It was his problem and he would deal with it. He understood now that dealing with it would require distancing himself from her. He cared for her too much, that was a liability not only to himself, but to her - he realized, causing his stomach to roll over.
His mind swam with thoughts; he needed time to figure out what was going on.
Ginny watched him quietly as she went about casting small spells that would take away the bruising and the pain. She couldn't completely remove the wound on his cheek, but it probably wouldn't scar, if that was any consolation. She wanted to ask him more, but she could tell he wouldn't answer her. He respected her secrets and she would do the same, but she did expect an answer at some point - when he was ready.
With a last touch to the cut on his lip Ginny sat back. "All done, you are back to being your smarmy conceited self." She smiled at him.
Draco was still quiet. He couldn't bring himself to enter their typical banter. She pulled at him, but he couldn't give, not yet, not now...
"Was your voice damaged as well?" Ginny tried to keep the air light as she sensed tension.
"Thank you, I didn't have time to look up the healing charms before I left for the station this morning" his tone was polite if a bit cold.
Ginny raised a hand and fingered his golden badge. "Head boy huh? Congratulations."
Draco looked down at her small hand that rested near his chest. "Oh the joy, Granger and I - a match made in heaven!" Draco bit out sarcastically.
Ginny let out a small giggle; they would be quite the pair. "Well think of it this way, you can take points away from Ron and Harry to your hearts content now."
One side of Draco's mouth pulled up in a smile, "I dare say it will be rather hard for your house to win the cup this year." Despite his unwillingness he once again found himself pulled into their typical pattern of conversation.
Ginny smacked his arm lightly, "Damn you - Hermione will never bend the rules to take points away from your house unless necessary! I hate it when you are right."
"You'd better get used to that little one, I'm always right." Draco lay a full-on smirk on her.
< p>
"Did you get all your supplies yesterday? I didn't see you in Diagon Alley while I was there." Ginny questioned Draco.
Damn! She was too smart for her own good, she kept hitting too close to home.
"Yes, I went a bit late. I waited for the crowds to thin."
"It was quite busy when I was there... So many people" Ginny trailed off.
"They stared didn't they?" He questioned. He didn't want to care, but he did.
Ginny nodded her head slowly.
"Ahhh... welcome to the world of a Malfoy." He lazily responded.
"How do you handle it?" She raised baleful eyes to his and Draco could not resist helping her.
"You have to know that you are better than them. You have to understand that they are weak and meekly follow what they are told, while you hold yourself to a higher standard and that one day that standard will be all that matters." Draco placed his hands on her upper arms to hold her facing him.
"You know that you are, don't you?" he continued.
Ginny refused to look up at him. That was the crux of her dilemma, she knew that she wasn't better than anyone and she never would be.
"Gin..." he breathed her name out quietly, pulling her into his arms. "You are better than you know..." he whispered.
A knock at the door, interrupted his comforting. Ginny snapped out of his arms and scrambled to hide. She stood where the door would swing open, concealing her. Draco thanked her quietly as he walked towards the door.
"Hello... Granger." Draco sneered, holding the door open slightly.
"It's time for our meeting." Hermione quickly responded looking like talking to Draco was the last thing on earth she wanted to be doing.
"I'll be there shortly."
"Thank you." With that she turned and sped down the hall, her bushy hair flying out behind her.
Draco closed the door and turned towards Ginny, who had pressed herself into the corner of the compartment.
Granger's interruption had reminded him of the danger he had just created by falling victim to his emotions once again. He cursed himself for being a weak bastard.
"You are more than welcome to stay here; I have a meeting to attend."
Ginny nodded and moved to head out after he left; Colin was still in their compartment. She wasn't quite sure why she had hid, and why it had been so automatic. She was sure that Hermione knew that Draco and Ginny were friends; she doubted that Ron could have kept that to himself. Perhaps some part of her subconscious felt that they would believe her if she didn't appear to be with Malfoy. Maybe they would remember that she wasn't evil... She cursed herself for being weak as she headed back to the compartment she was sharing with Colin.
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Thanks for all the reviews!
Annibug, Sexytexy, Ezmerelda, Arafel - y'all are the best!
Blackrose62 - I hope I answered your question above. I envisioned that there were pockets of death eaters that were in hiding - much like after Voldemort was "killed" by Harry in the books. This group meets underground and came out only for the express purpose of finding Draco.
Again I remind y'all to check out my livejournal scarlett_wfu - I should be putting up some of the cut scenes (i.e. the bit racier scenes - right now it is only H/Hr) in the next couple of days!