Prince of Unicorns

Prince of Unicorns
By Cinnamon
Chapter Seven

Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table when Harry and Ron entered the Hall. He was talking politely to Goyle, who looked bored but unsure of how to react to Malfoy’s sudden change in behavior.

Harry followed Ron over to the table, making sure to stay a few steps behind. He knew Ron even better than he knew himself and that meant he knew that Ron, feeling helpless over whatever was wrong with Ginny, wanted to feel as if he was helping somehow. Confronting Malfoy was the only way to feel useful, and Harry wasn’t going to take that from him.

“Malfoy,” Ron called, stopping behind him.

Malfoy turned around and smiled politely. “Hello.”

Ron just glowered in return. “I want to talk to you.”

Malfoy turned back to Goyle and said, “If you’ll excuse me?” He rose and gestured politely for Ron to lead the way. Ron was looking a little confused at Malfoy’s attitude but quickly lead the way out of the Hall where they’d have more privacy. Harry trailed them, watching carefully to make sure that Malfoy didn’t jump on Ron from behind.

As soon as they were away from the rest of the students, all of whom watched curiously as Malfoy quietly followed Ron out of the Hall, Ron spun to face Malfoy, his face red with fury.

“I believe we’ve met,” Malfoy said calmly. “But I don’t recall your name.”

Ron blinked. Harry glanced at Malfoy sharply, wondering furiously what sort of game he was playing. Ron decided to ignore the question. “What’s going on with you and my sister?”

Malfoy blinked, a slight smile of understanding curling his lips. “Oh, you’re Virginia’s brother.”

“Her name,” Ron growled, “Is Ginny. And Harry said he saw you hit her today.”

Malfoy glanced at Harry. “Harry didn’t see anything.”

“I did, Malfoy. I’m not blind.”

Malfoy laughed and opened his mouth to reply but before he managed a word, Ron had grabbed him and slammed him up against the wall. “If I ever catch you alone with my sister again, Malfoy, I swear I’ll kill you,” he snarled.

Malfoy pushed him away easily, even though Ron was the taller of the two, by only a little bit. “I don’t think it’s any of your business,” he said stiffly, before walking away quickly.

Ron moved to follow him but Harry grabbed him roughly by the arm. “Wait,” he hissed. “Didn’t that seem strange to you?”

“What?” Ron asked, distracted as he watched Malfoy go back into the Hall.

“Malfoy! He’s not… quite… himself.” Harry’s eyes were narrowed in thought. “He’s being too… nice to people.”

“Now that you mention it,” Ron said with a malicious grin, “he also seems to have put on a little weight.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Harry said, exasperated, though he was smiling a little. Malfoy did look a little heavier than he had before.

***

Adrieyl was waiting like she had promised she would be, and Ginny smiled at her, feeling remarkably better at the prospect of going to see for herself that Draco was all right.

Although Adrieyl had assured her that no creature in the forest would dare to hurt her now, Ginny was still worried as she followed the unicorn through the forest. The journey to the fortress took half the time Ginny had thought it would. Adrieyl had led her down tiny paths and through the underbrush in the most direct route.

You’ve got to go through the tunnels, Adrieyl told her. I cannot lead you around through the trees to the courtyard, the terrain is too dangerous.

At the entrance to the fortress, Ginny pulled her crown of starflowers out of her robes. The flowers hadn’t begun to wilt and weren’t even slightly crumpled from being crammed into her pocket. Ginny figured they must be enchanted.

She put the crown on her head to ward off the spells Copper had drenched the fortress with. The unicorn promised to wait in the forest to guide her back, and Ginny entered the caverns alone.

She got lost twice trying to find the courtyard, but eventually she saw the familiar doors and stepped through them out into the open space, still pleasantly warm from the unicorn’s magic.

Draco still lay on the marble altar they way she had left him, on his back, still tied hand and foot, his head tilted back a little, exposing his throat.

She approached him quickly, wanting to untie the ropes. She hadn’t dared to do it the night before in case Copper wondered why she bothered untying the body he was leaving for the scavengers. Now she pulled the first rope away from his right hand, taking it in hers and rubbed it briskly to help circulation. It was icy cold and she dropped it, startled.

Glancing at his face out of the corner of her eye, she whispered, “Sorry,” before picking up his cold hand again. Then, more to break the strange silence in the courtyard, she began talking as she rubbed it. “You did tell me that your body would slow down and look dead but I guess I didn’t realize you’d be so cold. Or maybe you’re always this cold. I don’t know, I haven’t touched you often enough to tell…” She trailed off, her thoughts wandering in directions she didn’t even want to consider, all of which circulated around touching Draco.

Almost out of a morbid sense of curiosity, Ginny brushed her fingertips against his cheek to see if it was as cold. It was, as were his lips. “All cold,” she whispered. She shook her head, smiling wryly. “That’s why I’ve come, really. I couldn’t leave you out here in the cold.” She quickly untied his other hand and his feet before lifting his head and slipping the pillow underneath it. She tossed the heavy quilt over him, tucking it up to his chin and smiling. The blanket was huge, made out of crimson velvet, with a huge Gryffindor crest sewed into the center. She had sewn it the summer before, out of boredom. “It’s got a Gryffindor crest, but I didn’t think you’d mind. Seeing as you’re nearly dead and all.” She had started absently smoothing the blanket and now, with a strangled yelp, she realized exactly where her hand had been smoothing. Somewhere below his stomach and above his thighs. “Sorry,” she said breathlessly, turning scarlet.

She was aware, suddenly, of eyes upon her and her startled gaze flew to Draco’s face. His eyes were still closed so she glanced to the dark forest. Something was watching her from there and she hoped it was a unicorn sent to guard him and not something frightening.

She licked her lips nervously and turned back to Draco, playing with the corner of the blanket. “You better not be dead, Draco,” she said quietly, studying his face. “I swear, if you’re dead, I’ll be so furious at you.”

Looking at him was unnerving her. Maybe it was because he looked like he was sleeping and that made his face appear more angelically innocent and vulnerable. She wasn’t used to seeing his face looking anything other than arrogant and cold. He looked years younger now, almost like a child.

“You know the strangest thing?” she whispered. “Copper’s being nice to everyone and so polite. All I can think when I watch him do it is that I’d rather have you there making people cry, than him there charming the whole school. At least your bullying was honest. And you never hit me.” Her voice got thick with tears for a moment and she touched her lip. It was still a little swollen, she hadn’t bothered to get it healed.

A silky piece of hair had fallen across his forehead and Ginny brushed it away. She’d never looked at him before, never had the chance really. Any time in Hogwarts when she’d run into him, she’d been too busy glaring hatefully to really look at him.

Ginny.

She glanced up. Adrieyl stood near the trees at the far end of the courtyard. “Is something wrong?”

The Prince is angry. He’s looking for you.

Ginny’s eyes widened. “I should have gone to dinner,” she whispered. “He’ll kill me.”

He won’t, Adrieyl said, tossing her mane angrily. We won’t let him touch you.

Ginny nodded, though she still looked pale and worried. She glanced back at Draco’s still form. “I’ve got to get back,” she told him, even though she knew he couldn’t hear. “Copper’s looking for me, he’s angry.”

She brushed her fingers along Draco’s jaw, carefully adjusting his blanket. She didn’t want to leave him. Gritting her teeth in irritation, she said, “It’s just because he’s vulnerable. I still don’t like him.” She hooked some of her hair behind her ear and looked at him once more. “I’ll come back tomorrow night for you, I promise,” she swore, before running back through the caverns. Adrieyl was waiting there and they made their way back to Hogwarts without speaking.

Ginny was trembling with fear by the time she dashed across the snowy grounds and up the front steps of the castle.

Copper was waiting in the Entrance Hall. Before she was even aware that he was there, he had come forward, snatching her roughly by the arm. “Where were you? You missed dinner.”

Ginny flinched. “I was visiting Hagrid,” she lied.

“You weren’t,” he said dangerously. “I checked.”

“I was!” she cried, trying to pull away. “I wasn’t hungry so I went to help Hagrid take care of that creature! She’s hurt and I wanted to help!”

“Stop lying to me,” he snarled, lifting his hand as if to hit her. “I know magic that’ll tear the truth out of you, you stupid girl. I could—”

“Ginny and Draco!” a voice called from down the hall, and Ginny nearly fainted from relief. Dumbledore was walking down the hall towards them. “I’m glad you two seem to be getting along.” His voice was light but his eyes were sharp as he saw the way Copper was holding Ginny.

“Hello, Headmaster,” Ginny said, her voice trembling.

“I didn’t see you at dinner, are you feeling all right?” Dumbledore inquired politely, watching with satisfaction as Copper let go of Ginny’s wrist.

“I just wasn’t hungry,” she whispered, stepping back. “But I’m really tired, sir…”

He smiled gently at her. “Of course. I’m on my way to the kitchens for some éclairs. Are you sure you’re not hungry? You could accompany me if you like, there are a few things I’d like to discuss with you.”

Copper was looking furious and Ginny certainly did not want to be left with him, so with a helpless glance at him, as if she were going against her will, Ginny turned and allowed Dumbledore to steer her down the hall.

They were silent for the first little bit, and then Ginny asked nervously, “What did you wish to talk to me about, sir?”

Dumbledore looked surprised and then he smiled. “I simply wished to inquire after Fred and George. I must confess that Hogwarts hasn’t been the same since they left. A lot quieter, mind you, but certainly not the same.”

Ginny smiled. “They’ve been driving mum mad with the jokes they’ve been inventing. They’re still planning to start their joke shop, expanding their stock.”

Dumbledore chuckled as he tickled the painting that led to the kitchen and ushered Ginny in before him. He filled her hands with éclairs and other treats the house elves passed to him and then took some himself before they left.

“Thank you,” Ginny said with a small smile. She was more grateful to Dumbledore than he knew.

“If you care to walk with an old man, Ginny, I have to pass the entrance to Gryffindor Tower on my way to my office,” he replied, and Ginny grinned with relief.

Dumbledore ate an éclair as they walked while Ginny told him more of Fred and George’s exploits until he left her at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

“Sugarcane,” she said to the portrait. It was this week’s password.

The Fat Lady nodded regally and swung open. Ginny stepped into the common room, nibbling on an éclair.

Ron was waiting. Ginny swallowed her mouthful of éclair guiltily and tried to smile at him. “You know,” she said. “Mum would call this stalking. You’re always lurking about.”

He did not smile in return. “Ginny,” he began angrily.

Taking a calculated risk, Ginny shoved the rest of the éclair in her mouth and burst into tears, her entire body shaking with her sobs. She buried her face in her hands and wailed; Ron looked stricken.

“Gin,” he cried, patting her shoulder awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I—”

Ginny fell against his chest, still sobbing noisily, and Ron glanced nervously around the common room as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and patted her back. Neville was watching, horrified, as was a collection of first years. Harry had just gone in search of Hermione and Ron was wishing with all his heart that those two would return any second.

“It’s all right,” he said to Ginny. His words just caused her to cry even louder. “Come, sit down and tell me what’s wrong.”

They went into the darkest corner to escape the gawking students who watched them, and Ginny dried her face on her robe. She sniffled wretchedly. “I wish Fred were here,” she said. Her shoulders slumped. “I miss Fred.”

Ron looked relieved. “Is that what this is? Homesickness?”

Ginny didn’t reply but looked, if possible, even more wretched. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying

“I’ll owl Fred at once,” Ron told her desperately. “I’m sure he’ll come and visit.”

“All right. But if you don’t mind, Ron, I’m really tired,” Ginny said quietly, her lower lip trembling. “I’d really just like to go to sleep.”

He smiled brightly, relieved that he had been able to help. He patted her head in a brotherly fashion, wiped at the chocolate on her face with the edge of his robe, and said, “Of course, Gin. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ginny hurried away, ducking her head as she went past the first years, who were whispering and staring at her.

She smiled a little as she went up the stairs. Of all her brothers, Ron was the only one who would have fallen for that.

***

Ron was beaming when Harry finally returned from his search for Hermione. She followed him into the common room, clutching a library book.

“I found out what was wrong with Ginny,” he said proudly.

“Did you? Isn’t it positively dreadful? Did you find out the only way to reverse it? That’s barbaric—”

Ron looked a little confused. “She came back a little while ago, eating éclairs and when I asked her what was wrong, she shoved the éclair into her mouth and burst into tears.” He grinned. “I handled it quite well, Charlie would have been proud. Whenever we’re at home, he’s the one she talks to when she’s upset. I made her feel better, too.”

“What was wrong with her?” Harry asked, flopping into a chair beside Ron.

“Homesickness. She misses Fred.” Ron was still smiling. “Silly that we got all upset over nothing, isn’t it?”

“It’s got to be more than that, Ron, I’ve researched,” Hermione said, shaking her head.

“But she told me that’s what it was. I think I would know her a little better than you do, Hermione. After all, she is my little sister.” Ron was still beaming.

“You said she ate the éclair before she started to cry?” Hermione asked. Ron nodded. “Well, that proves it then, she was just pretending. She had to do something, after all, we wouldn’t leave her alone!”

Ron scowled. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s under a spell, Ron,” Harry told him. “Hermione’s been researching.

She was nodding eagerly. “I researched all the clues, Ron, and I’ve found—”

“All what clues?” Ron asked sullenly.

“The ones Ginny gave me earlier. Last night I got upset because I thought Ginny wouldn’t tell me what was wrong but I realized that wasn’t it. She couldn’t tell me. So I began thinking, what would make it so Ginny couldn’t tell her brother? And then when Ginny was here earlier, she practically told me, except she didn’t really, because she couldn’t. I haven’t got everything figured out, there are still some things I need to ask her of course, but I think I’ve found the spell that was used on her!”

Ron blinked. “I’m not following, Hermione,” he said finally.

“Like I said, she’s under a spell, Ron.” She opened the book she was holding, flipping through it and pointing. “It’s called a tongue-binding, if the clues she gave me were right. It’s a sort of magic that binds the tongue, I guess. It makes it so that the person the spell is performed on can no longer talk about certain things. As the mind forms the intention to speak of whatever the tongue has been bound against, the tongue just doesn’t form the words.”

Harry was looking as skeptical as Ron felt. “Why would anyone put this kind of spell on her?”

Hermione shrugged. “She either saw something they don’t want repeated, or she’s involved in something they don’t want her talking about, and judging by the way she’s been acting, it’s something dangerous.”

“Right then,” Ron said, offended that Ginny had lied to him and furious that someone had been casting spells upon her. “We’ll reverse the spell and she’ll tell us what’s going on, and if Malfoy’s involved, we’ll kill him.”

“It’s not as simple as that,” Hermione told him reluctantly. “The only way to reverse a tongue binding is to cut out the tongue of the victim.”

“We can’t do that!” Ron cried. “We can’t cut out Ginny’s tongue.” His voice had risen and the first years glanced over at him, startled.

“Of course we can’t,” Harry agreed. “She didn’t say we would, Ron, only that the book said that is the only way to reverse the spell. But there has to be another way.”

“I’ll keep researching,” Hermione said, though her voice was heavy with doubt. “Tomorrow at lunch.”

Harry nodded. “Where’s Ginny? We may as well see what she can tell us.”

“She went to bed,” Ron said defiantly, refusing to believe that Ginny had lied to him. “Because she missed Fred so badly.”

Hermione and Harry exchanged a look but didn’t comment. “We can talk to her just as easily tomorrow,” Hermione said finally. “Before breakfast.”

They didn’t get the chance, however, because Ginny got up before dawn and had already eaten and disappeared by the time they went down to the Hall for breakfast. Malfoy wasn’t at breakfast either, and Ron grew steadily more furious as the day passed.

***

“You do want to help me with my plan, don’t you, Virginia?” Copper asked, his eyes glittering, again, with strange lights she didn’t understand. She had met with him again early that morning. Now it was lunchtime and he had asked her to meet in the Entrance Hall, with the starflower crown that Adrieyl had given her.

“Of course I want to help you,” she lied, trying to smile.

“Then I should remind you that you must obey me. No more of this sneaking off after class to wander about. You must stay near me and help me.”

“I am sorry, Copper, truly I am. It’s just, Ron and Harry are furious at me because they don’t understand why I’m staying so close to you and I wanted to escape them.”

Copper scowled. “I am beginning to think Harry Potter is more of a liability than I would have thought. He and his little friends are endangering my mission and threatening my life on a regular basis and I cannot destroy the Malfoys if I must continually put up with awkward attempts at schoolyard bullying!”

“A liability?” Ginny asked, growing frightened. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that if they continue, I may have to devise a way to ensure that they don’t get in my way in the future.”

“You… You mean kill them?”

Copper shot her a cold look. “This mission is more important than one or two lives, Virginia.”

“You can’t kill Harry and Ron! I’ll talk to them! I’ll tell them something, anything. I promise, I’ll see that they don’t interfere.”

Copper nodded once. “See that you do. Harry and I are, after all, on the same side. The side of good.” He smiled. “You brought the crown?”

She nodded, pulling the circlet of flowers out of her robes and handing it to him. He held it in one hand while the other hovered over it for a moment, his eyes going dark with concentration. “What are you doing to it?” Ginny asked.

He smiled, satisfied, and handed it back to her. “Nothing, nothing. Just a little enchantment to ensure you can’t lose it. It wouldn’t do, after all, to have you lose your crown. If you lose it, you won’t be able to walk past the charms and curses in the fortress without them affecting you. Now tell me everything you know about Draco’s family.”

Ginny nodded slowly and tried not to let the horror she was feeling show in her voice as she told him everything she knew about Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

Lunchtime ended just as she finished. She quickly told Copper that she couldn’t be late for potions, and hurried away, glad to have escaped him.

She didn’t know exactly when Draco was going to wake up, so dinner was a horribly anxious experience that night. She didn’t want to give Copper cause to suspect her and knew she couldn’t sneak away until after her usual bedtime. She sat beside him at dinner, gazing longingly at the door and unable to eat very much. Copper sat beside her, again talking charmingly with the other Slytherins, all of whom were glaring at Ginny when they thought he wasn’t looking, and answering him in short, monosyllabic sentences.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept casting her sympathetic looks, and she supposed it was good that they, at least, weren’t angry with her any longer. They had probably figured out that she wasn’t exactly sitting at the Slytherin table of her own free will.

After Copper had eaten, he rose and asked Crabbe, who was sitting beside him, to be excused. Crabbe blinked uncertainly and Copper bowed graciously before motioning for Ginny to follow him and sweeping out of the Hall. Ginny hurried after him, casting one last pleading look at her brother and his friends.

Copper was gesturing dramatically as he walked, deep into some speech about his great plans to destroy the Malfoys, but Ginny hadn’t really been listening to a word of it. Her stomach was clenching with nervousness and she was trying frantically to think of a way to slip out of the castle unnoticed and go to Draco. Copper finally noticed her silence and he paused to study her face.

“Are you feeling all right, Virginia?” he asked, arching his elegant eyebrows graciously. “You look pale.”

Ginny licked her lips nervously. “I’m not feeling at all well,” she confessed.

“Ah. Well, I suppose you may retire then. I intend to go to the library to read up on the history of the Malfoys, see what I missed while living in the forest all those years. I shan’t be needing you. Not until tomorrow, that is.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, hurrying off down the hall. She felt Copper’s eyes glaring into her back until she turned the corner.

***

“Are you sure you didn’t find another way to cure the spell?” Ron asked as he, Harry, and Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room. He was stuffing a bag of sweets he had gotten from Fred and George at mail time into his pocket. He hadn’t eaten any; knowing his brothers, it was probably gag candy.

“Of course I’m sure!” she snapped. “I searched as long as I could, but just because I couldn’t find one, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one, right? I mean, there has to be one. Maybe Dumbledore will be able to help.”

Harry had already searched the common room. “Ginny’s not here. Hermione, go check if she’s upstairs. She may still be wandering around with Malfoy.”

Hermione hurried up the stairs and Ron shifted anxiously on his feet. “How much trouble do you think she’s gotten herself into? I mean, really? Mum said I was to owl her immediately if anything happened to me or Ginny.”

Harry shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing major. She probably just found out some secret of Malfoy’s that he doesn’t want getting around so he cursed her and now he’s blackmailing her into hanging around him.”

Ron’s eyes lit up. “Maybe she caught Malfoy in a compromising position with Professor Snape! I always knew there had to be a reason that slimy git was Snape’s favourite!”

Harry was about to reply when Hermione dashed back down the stone steps. “She’s not there, but look outside!” She ran to the window, still gasping for breath, and Ron and Harry followed. “I glanced out the window when I was upstairs, thinking maybe she was out on the grounds again, and look what I saw!”

They could see Ginny walking across the snowy grounds, her red hair flaming even in the weak winter sunlight. She disappeared into the Forbidden Forest.

“We’ve got to go after her!” Ron cried. “That’s enough of this rubbish, I want to know what she’s doing!”

“Of course we’ll go after her!” Hermione replied. “Hurry and get your cloaks, we can’t let her get too far ahead.”

They ran for their cloaks and mittens and then dashed out of the common room. The first years, who were once again sitting around the fire, watched in bewilderment.

“Do you suppose,” one of them asked his friend, “it’s a rule that all students must go stark raving mad by the time they reach fifth year or something?”

“It bloody well seems to be,” replied his friend, shaking his head ruefully.

***