Draco paced back and forth in his room for what seemed like hours after the incident with Ginny. He was livid at his father and how low he would stoop to end Harry. His father usually shared all his plans with Draco so he wondered why he didn't tell him there would be an undercover Death Eater teaching at Hogwarts. If Lucius didn't want him to know then that must have meant his father didn't trust him. Draco knew it was just a matter of time before he received a letter from his father about him being suspicious of Warren and how he basically defended Ginny. If not a letter then something much worse, Draco shuddered just at the thought of enduring the Cruciatus curse. This whole thing would be a bit easier if Ginny was willing to rat the Professor out and he couldn't do it without his father finding out it was him. He thought about trying to convince Ginny to talk to someone about what happened and if not then he thought of going to her brother. He can't believe he was actually considering doing this, but was it to cover his own ass? Or was it for Ginny's benefit? He couldn't tell but he did know that he knew Ginny was in danger and the next time she was alone with Warren she would be broken in more ways than one, that much he knew. He threw himself on his bed and let his mind wander over the situation again before he finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
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Ginny awoke the next morning feeling a little sore. She slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom and took a look in the mirror. Sure enough she had a very noticeable bruise on her neck and then she looked and saw a bruise on her back from when she fell into Warren's desk. She used a concealment charm for the bruise on her neck and went back into the dorms to change. She was trying so hard to keep any thoughts at all out of her mind, she thought it best this way because she just couldn't handle it right now. She needed to put on her happy face or the trio would start asking questions. She knew if she had to she could vent to any of them but she just couldn't bring herself to do that. She brushed her hair, grabbed her things and headed out of the portrait hole and down to breakfast. She was only walking for a few moments before she felt everyone's eyes on her as she passed. Eventually Luna came walking up beside her.
"Hey Ginny"
"Oh hey Luna"
"You mind if we talk as we walk to breakfast?"
"No of course not, what's up?"
"Hermione mentioned that you were ok about Harry and me-"
"Luna you don't have to have my permission to date Harry, of course you can, I'm so happy for you both, really, no tension or awkwardness I promise" Ginny said stopping in the hall and giving Luna a hug.
"Thanks Ginny, I-"
"Hey Weasley I didn't know you were a whore, good to know" said a Slytherin students walking past them and flicking a piece of Ginny's hair.
"What was that about?" Luna asked
Ginny felt her face go completely red and she completely started trembling from head to toe, she felt dizzy and nauseous and was trying with all her might not to cry right then and there.
"Ginny? Are you alright?" came Luna's voice, but Ginny couldn't focus it sounded like a muffled mess.
She looked around her again and there was everyone looking at her and whispering, pointing and laughing, guys coming up to her and tugging at her clothes teasingly and cracking jokes. She ran through the halls leaving Luna behind and ran to the nearest girls' bathroom. She broke down into tears, how did everyone know about what happened? Why were they calling her a whore? Like she did something wrong? Who told everyone? The only people that knew was her and ---
Here tears suddenly became tears of anger as she ran from the girls' bathroom and down to the dungeons. She ran with such force and fierceness she didn't care to stop to listen to the inappropriate comments being thrown at her. She banged on the Slytherin common room portrait as hard as she could. An older Slytherin came out of the portrait hole and eyed Ginny up and down.
"Ahh Weasley, I see you make house calls as well" he smirked at her
"Fuck you!" she hissed
"Oooo feisty"
"WHERE'S MALFOY!" she yelled pulling out her wand and pointing it at the Slytherins head
"Damn chill out, he's in the Head boy room down the hall" he said holding his hands up to show he surrendered
She turned on her heel and stomped down the hall until she came to the Head boy dorm door and she pounded like she never pounded before. All the anger she felt she put into the knocks she slammed against the door. The door suddenly opened up and there stood Malfoy still in pajamas, hair a mess, he had dark circles under his eyes and he was pale and clammy.
"Weasley, What are you doing here?" he said rubbing his eyes
She walked into his room and slammed the door shut behind her and turned to him with such anger apparent in her face, "YOU TOLD EVERYONE!!!! YOUR SUCH A FUCKIN ASSHOLE YOU SELFISH INCONSIDERATE PRICK!"
"WOW what the fuck are you talking about" he said with a surprised look on his face.
"THE WHOLE SCHOOL HAS BEEN CALLING ME A WHORE ALL MORNING AND TEASING ME? THE ONLY OTHER PERSON THAT KNOWS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IS YOU!!! YOU!!! MALFOY!!!" she screamed poking him hard in the chest until he was backed up against the wall.
"LISTEN WEASLEY I DIDNT FUCKIN TELL ANYONE ANYTHING ALRIGHT? I CAME STRAIGHT TO MY ROOM LAST NIGHT AND I JUST NOW WOKE UP FROM YOUR ONCE AGAIN BARBARIC ACTIONS!" he yelled back walking towards her.
She stopped to think for a second and a shiver came over her.
"If you didn't say anything then who did?" she started sobbing
"Warren most likely, he's a death eater after all; this is why you need to say something"
"NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT" she said shaking her head and wiping her tears.
"Why though? He threatened to kill your family I get that believe me I do, I know what it's like to be forced into doing something when your family's lives are on the line but this is too much for you to do on your own, you need to get him out of Hogwarts, what if he's doing this to other students, and not just that-" he stopped at this line he wasn't sure if he wanted to go there with her.
"What? What is it?" she asked looking at him.
Draco walked over to the couch in front of the fireplace in his room and Ginny followed him over. He let out a long sigh before continuing. "I know my father is behind this, I didn't know anything about it, I know it's because I can't be trusted because I'm against everything my father is doing. This is a plan for Warren to get close enough to Harry and.........
"Kill him" Ginny finished in an almost inaudible whisper
"Yeah, but your just something extra along the way, a perk as he would see it" Draco snarled at this comment, the hate for the man apparent in his voice.
"I need to get to potions" she said abruptly and stormed from the room.
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Potions went by smoothly, Draco being late due to the conversation he and Ginny had this morning. Charms class was as boring as ever and soon it was time for lunch. Ginny was sitting at the table trying to put something in her stomach when Ron, Harry and Hermione came walking over to her.
"Hey Gin, we need to talk" Ron whispered sitting down across from her
"What's up guys?"
"Luna told us what happened this morning" Hermione said putting a hand on her friends shoulder
"Yeah and people have been coming up to Harry and me saying some inappropriate things about you" said Ron angrily, "What's going on, why is everyone saying these things?"
Ginny couldn't help the tears that surfaced in her eyes and covered her face with her hands. She fought the rest of the tears back and wiped her face free of any former ones. "Listen you guys; I'm not sure why everyone's saying these things. Someone probably started a rumor." she said trying to sound confident.
"Who would do such a thing?" Hermione asked sounding disgusted.
"I don't know but whoever it is I'm going to kick the shit out of" said Ron looking around the great hall daring someone to look at Ginny the wrong way.
As Hermione tried to calm Ron down Harry walked over to Ginny and sat down next to her, he gave her a small smile and a small hug and whispered in her ear. "Stop bottling everything up Gin, we love you and we're here to help you in any way we can, don't be afraid to tell us what's going on, ok?"
She looked at him teary eyed and gave a small nod.
"Well we have Defense against the Dark Arts next so I guess let's start heading that way" said Hermione leading the way.
Ginny was so nervous and scared for this next class. She was trembling and pale as ever. She thought she might actually need to stop and throw up from how nauseous she was. She was thinking about telling the trio about what happened, she was thinking about what she and Draco talked about this morning. Draco's father was behind all of this; it was so hard to even look at Draco without thinking about Lucius. Ginny knew Draco wasn't following in his father's footsteps but still it was hard to know that the one person who knew what she had endured was the one person she couldn't stand the most. Was it really that she couldn't stand him? Something was off with him, that much she knew, he was hiding something she felt. Or was he just hiding in general? Who was Draco Malfoy she thought to herself. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts when she heard yelling.
"Hey Potter, word on the street is your girlfriend is a whore, maybe you can share her sometime and let us Slytherins get a turn, I'm sure she won't mind" said a seventh year Slytherin walking passed Ginny and slapping her books on the floor.
There were about five seventh year Slytherins surrounding her and the trio, the scene that played out in the next few moments seemed to have been in slow motion. Harry jumped on top of the Slytherin who made the comment and Ron attacked another who was trying to attempt to get Harry off his friend. Another Slytherin was holding Hermione back so she couldn't help and another pinned Ginny against the wall.
"FUCK YOU, YOU PIECE OF SHIT" Harry yelled as he wrestled with the other boy.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Ginny screamed struggling to free herself from the other Slytherins grasp. She kneed him in the balls and he bent over in pain. She went to run over to help Hermione when another Slytherin grabbed her arms and held them behind her back. She whimpered in pain, tears falling freely from her face. The one Slytherin she kneed came over looking furious.
"YOU FUCKIN LITTLE BITCH" he yelled and backhanded her so hard she immediately tasted blood in her mouth.
"GINNY!" Ron yelled trying to get up from under the Slytherin he was wrestling with.
Suddenly, everything happened so fast, the Slytherin that had just backhanded Ginny was roughly grabbed by the throat with such force and body slammed to the ground so hard you could hear his skull clearly crack open and a fist flying through the air repeatedly hitting the Slytherin in the face until he was gasping for life. Draco stood up over the Slytherin his hands dripping in blood, his breathing rapid, his eyes as cold as ice, he looked directly at the other Slytherin holding Ginny who immediately released her and put his hands up to show he didn't mean any harm but Draco already grabbed him with both hands by his shirt and ran him into the stone wall. He repeatedly slammed the student against the wall until he lost consciousness and Draco threw him to the ground. The other three Slytherins went to make a run for it and Draco grabbed one of them by the collar of his shirt and threw him to the floor and started savagely beating him.
Draco suddenly felt two sets of arms on him dragging him off of the student. "MALFOY, MALFOY STOP IT, STOP GET OFF YOUR GONNA KILL THEM!" he heard Hermione screaming and turned to see it was Harry and Ron who dragged him off of the Slytherin.
Harry and Ron just stared at him in shock, Draco looked at them and then the scene before him, there was blood everywhere. He looked at his hands and his clothes that were covered in it also. He then turned to Ginny who was holding her face where she was slapped. She was crying and looking at him in complete disbelief as Hermione held her and was crying also. He felt disoriented, he had to get away and think for a second about what just happened and without saying anything he raced off down to his room.
McGonagall appeared through the crowd that had formed and was appalled at the scene before her. She looked around and surveyed the situation understanding what more than likely happened.
"EVERYONE GET BACK TO YOUR COMMON ROOMS UNTIL TOLD OTHERWISE, CLASSES ARE CANCELLED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, FILCH GO GET MADAME POMPFREY AND YOU 4 MEET ME IN MY OFFICE NOW!" she said turning on her heel and leaving the scene.
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Professor McGonagall stared at the five students she called to her office, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Draco. She wasn't sure where to exactly begin but she gave it a shot.
"Mr. Malfoy, are you aware of the serious injury you inflicted upon your peers?"
"But Professor they deserved it, they-
"Mr. Weasley please remain quiet and only speak when I ask you to" she looked at Ron with a piercing stare.
"Now Mr. Malfoy I understand you were standing up for another as well as Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley but in cases like these you seek out a staff member and we will address the matter, you don't resort to violence. Hasn't there been enough of that these past few months?" she paused before continuing.
"Miss Weasley, Miss Granger you both may leave as you were victims in this altercation but as for you three boys, you will have detention for the next two weeks and Mr. Malfoy, you're lucky you're not expelled after the severity and force you put upon another student. I have spoke with Professor Warren and he thinks you deserve another chance and I must say if he didn't ask me personally to keep you in school you probably would have been on the train home today, so perhaps a thank you to him is in order" she said fiercely
"Of course" Draco mumbled through clenched teeth, his blood boiling.
Draco was just about to ask the question that's been bugging him since he first laid eyes on Warren, when to his surprise Harry asked first, "Professor, may I ask where or how Professor Warren was found for the Defense against the Dark Arts position?"
McGonagall narrowed her eyes at such a question but answered, "Well Mr. Potter not that it is any of the students business where our staff is picked from.....BUT.....being that it's you lot asking......He was highly recommended from the Ministry as well as Professor Talca"
Ginny and Draco looked at each other at this statement confusion apparent on both their faces. Even Harry had raised an eyebrow at this.
"Now I want you all to head to your dorms" They all started to head towards the door, "oh and guys" they turned to face their Headmistress, "stay the bloody hell out of trouble" they all gave a small nod and headed out the door. Draco took off towards his room and the trio and Ginny walked silently back to the common room.
"Guys I'm going to go lay down I'm really tired" Ginny said
"Alright Gin, I'll come get ya for dinner later" Said Hermione giving her friend a small smile.
Ginny headed up to bed and immediately fell asleep she was so emotionally exhausted and her mind just shut down and sleep overcame her. Harry, Ron and Hermione still didn't know what happened with Ginny, she told McGonagall the same thing about someone starting a rumor but something still didn't fit.
Dinner went by pleasant enough; everyone was too busy talking about the fight earlier to think about the rumor of Ginny going around. She was thankful for that but she noticed Draco wasn't at dinner tonight and she knew he was probably thinking about how he acted earlier. But as disbelieving as it seemed she felt protected in that moment, like nobody could hurt her. The way Draco attacked those Slytherins was like a mother protecting their young. She couldn't help but form a small smile on her face at the thought of this.
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That night in the common room Ginny headed to bed early and Harry and Ron started a game of wizards' chess as Hermione read a book. She laid the book on her lap and looked at Harry and Ron thoughtfully.
"Do you guys think Ginny is hiding something from us?" she said
"Pft, yeah, but she won't tell us, which I hate, I want her to be able to confide in us.......in me" said Ron getting up from his game and slumping into the couch next to Hermione.
"She will when she's ready" said Harry walking over to join them
"Yeah well when will that be? She's doing worse here then she was at home"
"I don't know Ron but it's been two days and she's had a few horrible moments so she's probably just adjusting to everything, give her time" Hermione said lifting her book back up to read.
They sat there in silence for a few moments when there was a knock on the common room door. They all looked at each other. Who would be knocking on the Gryffindor common room door at this hour? Harry got up and walked over to the portrait hole and pushed the door open. A look of surprise washed over his face as he saw Draco Malfoy standing before him.
"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" he asked surprised
"I need to talk to you..........its urgent" he said looking both ways down the hall to make sure nobody saw him standing outside of the Gryffindor common room.
There was a pause before Harry answered him "ok, come in" he said leading the way back into the common room.
Ron and Hermione saw Draco walk in and they looked at each other confused.
"What's Malfoy doing here?" Ron asked sounding less angry then Draco thought he would
"He said he needs to talk to us........and that it's urgent" Harry said glaring at Draco.
They all sat down on the couches in front of the fire, awkwardness and tension like no other filled the room.
"Listen, I know I'm the last person you guys want to see but......" Draco trailed off, he thought about how angry Ginny would be with him for telling them what happened. He thought about what the consequences would be if he blew his father's precious plans, but he was ready to accept it, he didn't want to see anyone else get hurt.
"But what?" Hermione asked eagerness in her voice
Draco sighed
"It's about Ginny isn't it?" Hermione asked
Draco looked up at her and then to Harry and he slowly nodded.
"WHAT ABOUT GINNY, WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Ron shouted trying to get up from the couch but Hermione held him back down.
"Ron please, why would Malfoy do something to Ginny and then come tell us about it?" Hermione said rolling her eyes.
Ron just glared at Draco.
Draco shook his head with annoyance, "Anyway, listen Potter, Professor Warren, he's a Death Eater"
This caught all three of their attentions as feelings and memories of the war just months ago clouded their minds and the mere thought of knowing there was a death eater teaching at Hogwarts. Harry stood up at this news, "What! Are you sure?"
"Positive, I had a feeling I knew him from somewhere and I finally figured it out the night Ginny was..........." he stopped himself; he wasn't sure how to say this.
"The night Ginny was what?" Ron asked almost sounding scared of what was coming
Draco ran his hand through his hair and regained his voice, "The night I had my detention Ginny was.......she was sexually assaulted by Warren"
"WHAT!" they all yelled in unison
"THAT SICK FUCK IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS" Ron yelled making his way to leave in search of his professor
"NO, WEASLEY WAIT!" Draco jumped off the couch and tried holding him back.
"WAIT, FOR WHAT? WHY? ARE YOU WORKING WITH HIM MALFOY"
"WHAT? SERIOUSLY WEASLEY, JUST WAIT A DAMN SECOND FOR ME TO-
"NO WAY MALFOY, YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH THESE PAST FEW YEARS DONT YOU THINK, AND WHY DIDNT GINNY TELL US, DID YOU FORCE HER NOT TO?"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GETTING AT WEASLEY" Draco drawled with menace in his voice
"GUY STOP IT, RON SIT BACK DOWN NOW! " Hermione yelled squeezing between the two of them.
"Hermione are you sticking up for him? He's a death eater, he is probably working alongside this sicko" Ron spat over Hermione's shoulder.
"ARE YOU FUCKIN SERIOUS WEASLEY, I TOLD YOU GUYS TO PREVENT MORE PEOPLE FROM GETTING HURT" he yelled stepping closer to Ron to get in his face making Hermione almost squished between the two of them.
"OH REALLY, THAT'S FUNNY SINCE THERE'S THREE STUDENTS BEATEN HALF TO DEATH IN THE HOSPITAL WING" Ron shouted getting even closer to Draco ready to attack.
"I'D BE GLAD TO MAKE IT FOUR INSTEAD WEASLEY IF YOU DONT BACK OFF"
"YOU WOULD JUST LOVE THAT WOULDNT YOU, YOU THRIVE FOR BLOODSHED JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER"
This was enough for Draco to snap and they started to go at it when they heard Ginny's voice ring out
"STOP IT!!"
They all turned to look at Ginny; she had tears coming down her face. She had overheard the whole conversation. They all stood there not sure of what to say. She looked angry, infuriated with rage. Ron was the first to speak.
"Ginny, why didn't you tell us what Warren did?" he sounded close to tears
In a few short strides Ginny brought her hand up and slapped Draco so hard across his face with all her might
"HOW DARE YOU! I BEGGED YOU NOT TO SAY ANYTHING AND YOU DID ANYWAY! HOW COULD YOU!!" she screamed slapping him repeatedly until he grabbed her hands and held them down
"HOW COULD I NOT? ARE YOU SERIOUS? LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING. YOU CAN'T KEEP THIS A SECRET" he yelled back letting her arms go.
"Ginny, why does Malfoy know about this and we don't?" Harry asked sounding hurt.
"It wasn't like that Harry, he was there when it happened, he was trying to get to me when I screamed for help, if Draco wasn't there Warren would have.......finished the job, he didn't rape me if that's what your all wondering, but he did touch me inappropriately, and he pinned me against the wall by my throat threatening to kill me right then and there if I didn't agree that I wouldn't say anything. That's when I saw his Dark Mark. He threatened to have my family killed if anyone found out" she sobbed sitting on the couch as Hermione wrapped her arms around her and couldn't help her own tears that escaped.
"Malfoy wanted to tell someone but I asked him not to" she choked out.
"I just didn't want anyone else to get hurt" Draco whispered
"Come on Ginny, let's go upstairs and wash your face" said Hermione leading Ginny up to the girls' bathroom.
Harry, Ron and Draco just all stood there for a moment. They all were on the same side now it seemed. Were they though? Draco didn't know what he was, he was a mess is what he was, he was no good to anyone, he just made things worse it seemed. He tried to do the right thing tonight and Ginny was mad with him and Ron accused him of being a part of the attack.
"Malfoy, why are you helping Ginny?" Harry asked suddenly
Draco just stared at him for a moment, "I don't know, but I do know that I want to go over everything before my father finds out it was me that blew his death eaters cover, once he finds out it's me I'm not sure what's going to happen"
Ron and Harry exchanged looks of surprise; did Draco Malfoy just risk his own well-being to help Ginny? Was Lucius that low that he would kill his own son? Many thoughts ran through Harry's head with everything happening so fast.
"Are you listening?"
"Oh uh yeah go ahead" Harry said shaking all thoughts aside to make room for the important information Draco was about to give him.
Draco shared with them his father's plans and why Warren was at the school. He shared about how his father left him out of the plan involving Warren. He then went onto explain how his father had been leading the other death eaters and what kind of raids his father had planned and who the targets were. Any and all information he had he gave to Harry and Ron, it was now or never.
"Malfoy, why are you telling us all of this?" Ron asked
"Because Weasley, the more you know the more you have an advantage"
"No I mean, why are you helping us?"
Draco just gave him a sneer and looked away he then stood up and started pacing the room, "I want to be free of my father. Do you know what it's like to live an entire life that's been planned out for you? To be forced into doing things you never could see yourself doing? I hate my father for what he made me become, and everyday I think about the things I've done and the pain I've caused. I was a coward, I was weak, I still am, there's nothing left for me in this life so if I can do something halfway decent before my father kills me then so be it"
Harry gave him an understanding nod and Ron did the same.
"What do we do about Warren?" Ron asked
"I personally want him dead, but not sure if we'll be able to pull that off, so we might need to take the chance of telling McGonagall, but then if we do that then we need to worry about a threat on your parents-
"Why is everyone yelling?" came a small voice from the boys' dorms.
The three of them turned to see a first year Gryffindor rubbing his eyes and yawning. Apparently he woke up during the argument.
"Nothing you little-
Harry cut Draco off quickly, "Don't worry about it Michael we're just talking" he said giving the young student a friendly smile. The kid nodded and ran back upstairs. "Honestly, Malfoy, really to a first year?" Harry said sitting down.
Draco rolled his eyes, "They're an annoying bunch, is what they are" Ron and Harry gave a small laugh at this then Draco continued, "I got to get back down to my dorm and discussing this further in the common room is a bad idea, meet me at my dorm room during lunch tomorrow, its private and we can talk further there" they both agreed and Draco started to head out.
"Oh and Malfoy" came Harry's voice and he turned around to look at him, "I'm glad you beat the shit out of those Slytherins" Draco smirked at this and started walking away looking back and simply saying "Me too" and then he disappeared through the portrait hole.