The Heart Asks Darkness First

CHAPTER SIX - THE MOOD THAT PASSES THROUGH YOU

The next night, at dinner, Ginny was sat at the end of the table looking edgy. Cho had joined the trio on the Gryffindor table, and so she was playing the fifth wheel. She saw Malfoy sat in the midst of his housemates, holding court as usual. How was she supposed to sneak the potion in if -?

"Everything alright Ginny?" Hermione sounded genuine enough, but Ginny couldn´t help but think it was an act. She nodded silently then turned her stare back to the Slytherin table. Malfoy suddenly looked up and met her gaze, and for a brief moment she felt a little guilty for what she was about to do. Then something inside her tensed, as though reminding her that he deserved whatever he got. Resolve took over as she stood up and approached the other table, her hand firmly holding on to the little vial. Several of the Slytherins glared at her as she reached them, but she ignored them and headed straight for Malfoy. He was looking at her as though he had been expecting this. "What can I do for you, Weasel?"

Ginny took a step forward and `accidentally´ knocked Draco´s glass over. Pumpkin juice spilt all over the table and several of the nearby Slytherins backed away. Draco shot a look of pure loathing at her before bending down to pick up the now-empty glass. It was the moment Ginny had been waiting for; she grabbed another glass from the table and slipped the potion in as subtly as she could. When Draco looked up, she handed him the glass and walked off without another word.

The other Gryffindors watched the chaos, not entirely sure what Ginny was playing at. Ron scowled. "If it weren´t for her liaison with Tom, I´d swear she was trying to flirt with him."

Hermione shook her head. "I don´t know what´s going on, but I don´t think it´s that."

Ron was off on a rant again. "I mean, of all the Slytherins! She could have been having a threesome with Crabbe and Goyle and I wouldn´t have minded as much!"

Cho looked at him. "Thank you for that mental image, Ron."

Harry turned to Hermione. "So why do you think Ginny just-"

He was cut off by the sound of a chair overturning. The Gryffindors turned to look at the Slytherin table, and saw Malfoy stood up, making his way towards the teacher´s table. There was a distinct manner to his approach - every third step or so he would stop, as though uncertain whether or not to continue. His wand was drawn and his gaze seemed firmly fixed on Professor Snape. Silence fell on the hall as the entire room watched the blond boy make his approach. They were so transfixed that only one person noticed the lone male figure by the door. He shot a wink at the redheaded girl before returning his attention to the Slytherin. By now, Draco had reached his target, who was stood looking uncertain as to whether he should approach or back off. The other teachers were also stood up, clearly ready to step in if necessary. As Draco reached Snape, the Potions master noticed a slightly glazed look in his grey eyes. Readying his wand, Draco stuttered "C...Crucio!"

A gasp resounded throughout the hall as the Professor collapsed to the ground, screaming in agony. The scream seemed to jolt Draco out of his trance as he dropped his wand in shock. He stood staring at his head of House, who was staggering to his feet. Blaise Zabini, one of the Slytherin girls in Draco´s year, rushed to the boy´s side. "Draco, what happened?"

Ginny glanced at the door in time to notice Tom slip away. She hadn´t quite understood what he had done, but watching Malfoy under someone else´s control had been disturbingly satisfying.

~GW~ ~TR~

Half an hour later, Ginny was sat in the Gryffindor common room with Harry, Ron and Hermione. She had wanted to go and see Tom, to ask what he had done, but Ron had insisted she go back with them. She silently listened as the others discussed dinner, feeling a little smug at knowing something that not even Hermione knew. The seventh year girl was back to consulting her books while Harry and Ron discussed the aftermath. "Still, if anyone doubted Snape´s favouritism before, they couldn´t now," said Ron. "I mean, Snape still seemed far more concerned about whether Malfoy was okay."

"He could tell he wasn´t acting of his own accord," Hermione interjected, head still buried in a book. "Anyone paying attention would have known that."

"How do you mean?" Harry sounded a little confused. "I mean, obviously Malfoy attacking Snape is weird, but-"

Hermione closed her book and looked up at them. "Didn´t you notice how...hesitant he seemed? Like he was trying to fight back against something?"

"Maybe that was just an act." Ginny´s tone was harsh, even for discussing someone that no-body in the conversation actually liked. "I mean, Malfoy is good at fooling people."

Hermione shook her head. "Not even Malfoy is that good. And besides, why would he want to attack the only teacher he respects in the school?" She placed her book down, and picked up another. Seeing the title, Coercion - spells and potions of the mind, Ginny panicked and blurted out "I´ll look through that one, Hermione."

The others shot her odd looks, and she gazed coolly back at them. "Well, if I have to stay here I might as well do something useful."

Ron seemed a little riled at her tone. Harry decided to step in, saying, "Fancy a game of chess, Ron?"

Hermione shot a grateful look at Harry as Ron nodded and went to fetch his board. Then, reluctantly handing the book to Ginny, Hermione picked up the next in the pile and went back into research mode.

~GW~ ~TR~

Draco couldn´t settle. Even though Snape had assured him that he understood, that he knew it hadn´t really been him, and that he would not be punished, the Slytherin still felt incredibly guilty. Moreover, he couldn´t understand what had happened to him - and the fact that he hadn´t been in control of his actions unnerved him. Whatever that voice had been, it was stronger than he could fight off - even after all the training his father had given him. Strangely the voice had stopped almost as soon as he had uttered the spell - and yet Snape seemed aware that something was amiss. He had persuaded Dumbledore not to take any action, and as far as Draco could tell, the Potions master didn´t hate him. All in all he had landed on his feet. Even so, he had to work out what had happened.

As he paced the common room, blatantly ignoring any attempts by the other Slytherins to speak to him, his mind whirred with possibilities. The verdict he finally settled on would have shocked him if he didn´t know better. `That stupid Weasel!´ Without another word, he stormed towards the door and left the common room.