Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish it were so we would have had HHr, but alas it's JK Rowling's.
A/N: My reply to the challenge issued by PJ, you can find it here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26635 . This story will start right after fifth year, and it will involve sex, some blood, and such, so this is why it is rated NC17. I hope you'll enjoy it, I think this is the most complex challenge I've ever dared to reply to, so I sincerely hope I'll be able to pull it off well.
Thanks to my beta Gingercat!
Harry Potter and His True Sixth Year
Chapter Nineteen: An Offer and Steps Toward The Cure
Draco was nervous. Easter was coming close, and he knew what he had to do during that break. His mother had been pretty clear with him, the fact his father was in Azkaban would not delay his entrance in the Death Eater ranks. He would, in fact, take the Mark in less than a month, and the fact Lucius was in prison would put even more pressure over him to prove himself worthy.
The blonde Slytherin also knew that with his taking the Mark, his relationship with Ginny would be destroyed, and it pained him. They were on two opposite sides of the fight, and their love was destined to be shattered.
He had started it as an adventure, a way to have some fun, a good number of excellent shags, and then he had planned to break up with her. But it had grown into something he didn't expect, and he had fallen in love with the redhead Gryffindor. Alas, with her being a Weasley, even more obstacles were on their path to happiness.
But family hatred could be overcome, fighting a war on two different sides no. He knew he might have to kill her in battle, and he would have to do so remorselessly.
There was only one alternative solution, and he was set on pursuing it tonight. He would ask her to join him.
For a month now he had browsed through any other possibility, and he had no intention to switch sides and disgrace his family. He was in love, but still a Malfoy. Plus, the girl had shown no interest in joining Potter in his fight, even if her family would be on Scarhead's side. If anything, Weaslette had showed she wanted revenge on the Mudblood, which was exactly what being a Death Eater would give her the chance to obtain.
"Think about it, Ginny. Wouldn't it be satisfying to have Granger writhe at your feet, under the power of your own Cruciatus Curse, till she begs for you to kill her, or till she goes mad and becomes nothing more than a piece of meat?" he told her, as they lay in his bed in the Slytherin dorms, a Silencing Charm isolating them from Crabbe, Goyle, Nott and Zabini. And their snores, too.
The redhead smiled at him, imagining herself on the battlefield, humiliating Hermione in front of Harry, besting her in a duel and then making her beg for death, and then she wouldn't give it to her, no, she would torture the bitch some more, make her suffer like she was making her brother, and like she had done to Ginny herself before she fell in love with Draco and lost interest in Harry.
"It's alluring, I have to admit" she said, playing with the blonde hair on his chest, as he curled her fiery red locks around his finger, or caressed her pale, bare shoulder.
"You just have to come with me on Easter holidays, and get the Mark together with me. The Dark Lord will reward you if you do his bidding well, and believe me you're way smarter than many of his followers, so if they can do it, you can too. You've got the power, you just have to unleash it" he purred in her ear, and she shivered as his hot breath tickled her.
Turning to face him, she kissed him hard on the mouth, straddling him once more, and immediately feeling his growing reaction to her as she massaged his chest.
"I'll do it" she murmured against his lips. "Not only for revenge, although that's a fascinating thought, but mostly because I don't want to lose you, and I already know you won't switch sides, so it's me who has to do it" she reasoned, and he was amazed. Maybe she had always had more control than he thought, in this relationship, if she could figure out him so well.
"I will only ask you for one thing" she added then.
"What?" he huskily whispered, fondling her breasts.
"Help me convince my brother to join too" she said, and those were the last words they uttered for a long time, as their passion picked up and another glorious shag started.
--
It didn't take Ginny long to get in touch with brother the next day. She told him she had something to talk with him about, and to meet her in the Room of Requirements that night after dinner.
The redhead boy shrugged, and nodded. "I see you later then" he said, then his eyes met Harry and Hermione entering the Great Hall hand in hand, and his face contorted in a scowl.
Ginny noticed, and inwardly smiled. It may be easier than she had expected to convince Ron to take the Mark too.
--
When the time came, Ron walked up the stairs to the seventh floor, where the Room of Requirements was, and found the door. Pushing it open, he stepped into a room that resembled the Gryffindor common room, only with neutral colours.
He took a look around, and glared at Malfoy when he spotted him, an arm around Ginny's shoulders.
"What is he doing here?" Ron asked his sister.
"He's part of what I need to tell you, and I asked for his help" Ginny replied, and Ron's eyes widened.
"Malfoy, I swear if you got my sister pregnant…"
Draco only smirked, while Ginny rolled her eyes.
"No, Ron, he hasn't gotten me pregnant" she said, and Malfoy piped in. "Not for lack of trying, I assure you, Weasel" he drawled, and Ginny slapped him on his leg, giving him a look that clearly meant, "Behave".
Ron was growing redder by the minute, his temper raising. Ginny, however, swiftly changed the subject to avoid more damage being done.
"Ron, I'm here to make you an offer. I know you're angry at Harry for stealing Hermione from you. I know you've always thought the two of you would have your happily ever after, but now you see your dreams shattered, all because of Harry" she said, moving around her brother as she spoke.
"He couldn't be happy enough with one of the many girls who throw themselves at him for his fame and money, no, he had to go after the one he knew you fancied" she said, still purposefully incensing her brother against Harry.
Draco, who was listening, was amazed at her manipulative skills.
She would have done well in Slytherin, that was for sure.
Ron waited expectantly for his sister to continue her speech. She had just reminded him of all the reasons why he was angry with Harry, and right now he felt like he wanted nothing more than to be on his way and pick a fight with the sodding Boy-Who-Lived.
"But you're angry at Hermione too. She also knew of your feelings for her, and she knew you would be crushed from seeing her with Harry. Still, she didn't care, and went with him anyway. I'm sure she's already planning on how to trap him into marriage and then get hold of his huge vault. What other reason could she have to choose him over you? She acts mighty, but deep down she's money and fame hungry as anyone of us" she spat, her hatred for Hermione clear from her words. "She started shagging him immediately, she can deny it as much as she wants, but I know she was shagging him this summer already" she also said. A little lie couldn't hurt if it helped her reach her goal, right?
"And that is not all, Ron. I have heard rumours that she often goes to see Snape at night. I wonder why, if not to learn how to brew a Conception Potion and get herself pregnant, then he would surely marry her, he would feel obliged to. What a wench! Don't you think she deserves to be punished? Planning to trick a wizard into marriage this way, she's no better than a slut!"
Ron knew his sister was exaggerating, her words dripping with venom from her hate for the brunette, but the way she said them, he found it mesmerizing, and he believed them.
"She definitely needs to be punished" he admitted.
Ginny grinned at him. "Right you are, brother. And here comes the offer Draco and I want to make you. We are going to get the Dark Mark on Easter hols. Join us. Gather the power to punish the Mudblood and get revenge on Potter" she said, and Ron gasped.
"You're going to join You-Know-Who?" he said, shocked.
"You should start calling him Master, or Dark Lord, or Lord Voldemort" Draco drawled, "if you're going to join us, you know. And I'm sure if you joined, he would let you keep the wench, if you were faithful and effective enough in what he asked you to do"
Ron's gaze moved to the blonde boy he hated so much. He gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists.
"Hermione would never agree to be with me. She would choose death over it" he said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, come on, Ronald, don't be stupid! What are Love Potions for? Even Mum used one on Dad, when they were young, and look at how happy they are now, with seven children! I'm sure you'd be delighted to give Hermione seven babies" Ginny interjected, wriggling her brows in a suggestive manner.
Ron chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure I wouldn't mind that" he admitted with a rueful smile. Then he became serious again.
"I'll think about it, Ginny. I'll let you know in a few days" he said, then left, his head filled with her words.
As he walked back to Gryffindor Tower, he heard them over and over in his head. He knew he should be appalled at his sister joining what their family was against, but her words had fascinated him.
Power. Revenge. Hermione all for himself.
These were alluring prospects, he had to admit. And what had he to do in exchange? Get a magical tattoo and help Voldemort kill Potter. Big deal. He wanted to do it himself anyway…
That night, Ron never fell asleep, even if he was in his bed. He stayed awake for hours mulling over the chat he had with his sister and her boyfriend.
He had told her he had to think about it, but the more he did, the more he realized there wasn't anything to think about. His choice was made, and he allowed himself a smirk, feeling like for once he was going to get the upper hand on Potter, eventually.
--
While Ron had his meeting with Ginny and Draco, Harry and Hermione were busy with Snape. The Potion Master was a much more pleasant person when it was just the three of them, especially since Harry had had the intuition about how to cure Remus from his anomaly as a Lycan.
Now they were brewing the Wolfsbane Potion their old Professor and his girlfriend would need. The process of the cure had to be done there, at the castle, which meant both Remus and Samantha would have to come there, it was scheduled for Easter holidays when fewer students would be there, and since the full moon would fall during that time, having two Lycans around without Wolfsbane Potion was too risky, even if they were much more controlled than many people thought.
All night they worked, Snape at one cauldron, Harry and Hermione at the other, expertly mixing ingredients, stirring, and checking the potion was coming out just as it should.
Snape was also now and then checking another cauldron in the back of the office, and Harry just had to ask.
"Sorry, Professor, what is that?"
Snape smirked. "This, Potter, is the Blood Replenishing Potion keyed to the healthy Lycan blood" he said, frowning a bit over the cauldron. "Or it will be in a few days time when it's finished brewing" he added then as an afterthought.
"It's surprising how once again you came up with the right solution, Potter" the Potion Master said then with that hint of a smile Harry had already seen when the raven haired boy had come up with the bone marrow idea.
It had after all been Harry who suggested how to link Samantha's blood to the potion.
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