Yours Forever, Ginny.

Over the next few weeks, the Slytherins, with the exception of Caleb, had been meeting regularly to discuss what kind of action needed to be taken. Virginia had been absolutely shocked at this feat ... hadn't enough gone wrong in her life? The situation had affected her so much in fact that her schoolwork had been steadily spiraling down. The responsibilities of co-Head girl had become extremely full on and she didn't know if she could handle it all anymore. Draco had been pressing her to tell him what was wrong for a while now but she just couldn't do it. The only person she'd ever told was Aleña and she wasn't sure she was ready to change that. She knew if she didn't it would slowly tear her and Draco apart.

It just so happened that the next week, Dumbledore requested her prescence in his office. As she made her way along the lengthy corridors to his office, she hummed softly to herself. Without warning, she crashed straight into someone, causing them both to tumble to the ground rather gracelessly.

Virginia looked up and had to hide a gasp as she stared into Caleb's burning eyes.

"Hello Virginia," he said stiffly. Ever since that night in the common room, he had been cool around her, but she suspected it also had to do with the fact that he probably knew that she had something to do with the fact that he had gone down in the friends supply of late.

"Hello Caleb, what are you doing here," she replied coolly, not breaking eye contact. Finally, he blinked and turned away causing her to smirk inwardly.

"It's none of your concern, now if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back to the Slytherin common room." And with that, he stalked off haughtily. Virginia rolled her eyes and strolled down to the stone gargoyle that protected Dumbledore's quarters. Speaking the password, the gargoyle jumped to life and let her in. Once inside, she walked to Dumbledore's office door and rapped on it softly.

"Come in Miss. Weasley," the headmaster called and she obliged him. Setting herself down on a plush seat opposite him, she looked at him expectantly. He seemed to be doing the same thing, but rather, regarding her thoughtfully.

"Was there something you needed headmaster?" she asked finally after a few moments.

"Miss. Weasley, is there anything troubling you?" he said, looking at her questioningly. She was startled to say the least.

"N-no, I uh, no there isn't, why?" she asked. There was silence for a few moments.

"Are you quite sure Miss. Weasley, because it has come to my attention that you have been falling ... well, falling a great deal behind in your subjects," he said carefully. Virginia looked angry.

"It's very well for you to say all that headmaster, but as you must know I have a lot on my plate at the moment as well as head girl responsibilities, don't you think-"

"Don't YOU think that it may all be a bit much for you Virginia?" Dumbledore asked softly. She was taken aback. She had no idea what he was getting at.

"Virginia, I have a confession to make. When I appointed you assistant head girl, I had an ulterior motive ... let me first tell you that I have many spies amongst my order and those spies are loyal to me. It came to my attention that if there was one thing that Lord Voldemort wanted, it was to bring a Hogwarts head girl or boy over to his side. It is not a secret Virginia that the power you possess is a great deal more then Miss Granger ... I thought, rather foolishly, that if I could divert the attention from Miss Granger ... that we would at least have a fighting chance ... now I see that this was an extremely bad idea ... before, a few moments ago, I was trying to see if you were truly happy in this position because you no doubt have the grades, except of late. Virginia, I'm sorry, I overstepped my boundaries as a headmaster and put your life in danger," he said slowly. Virginia could hardly speak, all she saw was red. It was a few moments before she could even stutter out a sentence.

"You ... you ... what ... you ...HOW DARE YOU!!" she ended up yelling. Dumbledore showed no surprise.

"Fine! I can't believe you would do that to me! You could have at least asked Professor, I never asked to be head girl in the first place, so you can take your stupid badge back," she said, throwing the pin at his desk, "I'll just leave!" she cried before stalking towards the door and slamming it shut behind her.

*****************

Virginia ran all the way back to her common room and flung herself through the entrance. Draco looked up curiously, and frowned in concern when he saw her face. Without even glancing at him, she raced upstairs and threw herself onto her bed, crying her heart out. Draco had been the only one in the common room at that time and came racing up afterwards. He flung her door open and ran over to her, pulling her into his arms.

"Shh, shh love, tell me what's wrong?" he asked softly. Virginia continued to cry into his chest. Draco ran his hands up and down her back soothingly.

"Virginia, please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded. After a moment or two, she finally looked up.

"Draco ... I'm ready to tell you everything."

Aleksander wasn't moving. Virginia didn't know what to do, she was torn between the shock of what he'd been trying to do to her, and acting in his unconscious defense.

One of the higher members walked over to her and pointed his wand at her, muttering a few words. Immediately she felt the potion lift off her and she had her free will upon her once again. The member that had freed her pulled back his hood. It was Christophe. She made to speak but he shook his head.

Nikolai and Gemarie had levitated Alek from his position against the wall to the middle of the room. Virginia was startled to see the malicious flash in Nikolai's usually wise-filled eyes. He may have only been young, but his eyes carried a lot of knowledge.

Gemarie knelt to Alek's side and placed her wand at his heart.

"Enervate," she whispered. He awoke with a start. Looking around him, his eyes widened and he began desperately crying out in Bulgarian, begging. Virginia knew this because she'd picked up bits and pieces of the language whilst she'd been there. Nikolai shook his head and told him to get up.

"Please ... please Nikol-"

"You have no right to address me in such an informal manner any longer Korpov. You are cast out of the Society of Argentus." Aleksander was angry at this but seemed somewhat relieved.

"Don't think you've gotten away so easily though. When we cast out a member from this association ... we cast them out permanently. You have broken one of the laws of our covern and now must pay. Get up," Nikolai hissed. Alek's eyes were wide with fear as he slowly got to his feet. He flicked them towards Virginia, silently pleading with her, but she was in too much shock to do anything. What did they mean ... cast out permanently? Sure, she had thought about what it would be like to kill someone but ... was that what they were going to do? Was she going to have to watch? She didn't know if she was ready for that ... didn't know if she was ready for her innocence to be taken so blatantly from her.

"Aleksander Korpov. You are officially discharged from the Society of Argentus as both a higher member and member. Prepare for your punishment," Nikolai spat out and made sure that Alek's wand was nowhere near him. He pointed his own wand at the younger boy.

"Crucio." Virginia watched in a mixture of horror and dark fascination as Alek fell to the ground, writhing in agonizing pain. She clenched her fists so hard she was sure her fingernails would draw blood. She wanted to close her eyes, close her eyes and run away, but she forced herself to stay put, forced herself to watch. This is what loyalty meant, this was what the world was about, she couldn't hide from the real world any longer, she couldn't go on fooling herself with visions of happy days, bunny rabbits and laughter. This was life, and death. A stonewall slithered up around her body and soon the screams of agony coming from the middle of the room were a distant sound in the back of her mind. She watched, and she learned.

Nikolai broke the spell and Gemarie took charge. Pointing her wand at the broken man, she muttered a spell that caused him to bend, kneel in front of her, bend in ways that weren't even possible, and surely enough, the snapping of bone was heard. Virginia felt a distance tug as something inside her shuddered, but she forced it down and kept watching. She watched until Aleksander could scream no more. His cries had become shattered, pathetic cries and then a grating whining until there was one last ragged gasp ... and then silence. Alek was gone. He was dead, and he was never coming back.

"It wasn't your fault," was the first thing that came out of his mouth. She looked at him searchingly.

"Are you joking? What didn't you understand? The whole THING was my fault ... I thought I could deal with it, thought I was strong enough to fight the disgusting guilt and horror that I'm filled with, but I don't know if I can anymore. It's like this whole thing with Caleb has just reminded me how much I've been betrayed. I feel like nothing has ever gone right for me, I feel like there's no reason that I should even be living," she said, breathing heavily. Draco looked at her through lowered lids. What she had said had hurt. The part about nothing ever going right. Did she really need him?

"Gin ... I care about you so much, I'll always be here for you ..." he started but she cut him off.

"I know you do Draco ... but sometimes ... sometimes it's just not enough."

*****************

That night after dinner Virginia took Aleña aside so that they could talk.

"I told Draco, ..." she told her friend. Aleña's eyes widened.

"You mean ... everything? Like ... everything?" she asked. Virginia nodded.

"I had to, there was no other way. And then we had a big fight ... he doesn't understand ... he thinks he can just wrap me up and protect me forever, but he doesn't understand what I've been through ... I can feel this distance between us and I hate it," she said, looking worried. Aleña shared her look.

"Hey it'll work out, don't worry, you and Draco are perfect together ... Gin, don't worry ... but ..." she trailed off. Virginia looked at her questioningly and she finished what she was going to say.

"We're not members anymore ... but I'm guessing that the no talking about it rule still applies ... they will find out you realize ..." she tried not to sound accusing but she was extremely worried for her friend.

"I know ... but I guess I'll just have to deal with that when it comes around. There's something else ..." she said, trailing off, looking sad.

"What is it? You know you can tell me," Aleña assured her friend. Virginia nodded.

"My marks have been falling and Dumbledore has taken away my head girl status ... and I think he might be considering moving me back down to sixth year," she said, conveniently leaving out the other crucial part of their conversation. Aleña patted her friend on the back.

"I know, there was too much expected anyway. I felt like my head was going to explode with everything!" she said, clutching her hair. Aleña laughed.

"Don't worry, we'll study together, you're marks will be back sky-high in no time." Virginia nodded.

"Thanks Leña, I appreciate it. I'd better go, I've got a meeting with Dumbledore, I'll see you later in the common room okay?"

"Okay, bye."

It was Virginia's last day at Durmstrang. The last few weeks had been trying, extremely trying. Ever since ... that night ... she'd had completely mixed feelings about it. She saw someone, not just someone, her own boyfriend, get murdered ... she didn't know what to do. She'd reacted by building up an even harder shell around herself, not letting anyone else in. Finally after a few days she'd admitted to Aleña what had happened and the two of them had talked about it for a long time, Virginia trying her hardest to restrain from crying. They'd been discovered though. Somehow Nikolai had found out that they'd talked about it outside the society's walls and he was NOT happy about it to say the least. He'd summoned her by owl the next day and she'd gone to see him.

"Virginia, you have breached a serious law of the society's oath. What do you have to say for yourself?" he had said, looking down at her sternly. Virginia, mustering up all the courage she had, replied firmly.

"Nikolai, with all due respect, I'm obviously not as far along as you've assumed that I am. How can you expect me to just ... keep it all inside me? Would you rather me have gone to the authorities?" she said. Nikolai looked thunderous for a moment, but his expression turned to thoughtfulness after a bit.

"The Argentus Society thanks you for you impartialness but you have still broken the oath Virginia. We are bound to punish those that breach," he replied.

"Fine." That was all she said. If she had to be punished then so be it. She had not expected what was coming. He took her by surprise, whipping out his wand and casting the Cruciatus Curse on her. She was so stunned by the suddenness of it and the fact that nothing like this had EVER happened to her before, that she crumpled to the floor, screaming in agony, clutching her fists so hard that this time, they did draw blood. She remembered what Ron had told her in one of his letters. He'd said that Harry had experienced it and told him it was like a thousand knives prickling inside of him. He was exactly right. Virginia didn't think she'd ever felt pain quite as unique as this was. She couldn't breathe properly and she could hear someone's strangled, deathly screams in the corner of her mind and pitied them greatly, until she realized that it was in fact, her. Finally, just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore Nikolai let her go.

Virginia was already on the floor, but she dropped onto her hands and knees, her body ragged with heavy breaths, and she retched. When she had finished she coughed and coughed, and ended up coughing up some blood. Her hands were full of it ... red ... blood everywhere. She looked up at him in horror; he just looked down at her with a blank expression.

"You may go," he said coldly. Forcing herself up she limped to the door and ran as fast as she could in her condition, back to her room. When she got there she was extremely relieved to find it empty, and passed out on her bed.

Now, on her last day at Durmstrang, she knew what she had to do. Yes, she didn't want to be that shadowed little person she'd once been, and the Society of Argentus had been a main part in bringing her to where she was today. She may have been indecisive in her decision of whether to truly join the dark side, but she still wasn't sure whether she wanted to go back and join her brother and his friends in their useless fight against it. All she knew was that she didn't want to be part of this cruel, horrifying association anymore.

Nikolai was the last to see her off. She pulled off the ring she'd been given - all the higher members had one - and gave it back to him. He looked angry.

"What is this?" he asked. Ever since that day, he'd been exceptionally cold to her, and she thought this might just be the icing on the cake.

"Nikolai, I understand that you don't like me, and I think that is might be because you're jealous of the power that I possess, because it's so much more advanced then yours. Well, I don't want to be part of this ... this thing that you have going anymore. I officially resign from the Society of Argentus," she said, and simply walked away to the carriage that was waiting to take her away. As they were pulling away, she saw the look of absolute hatred on Nikolai's face, and cringed inwardly.

This wasn't the last she would be hearing from him.

*****************

Virginia walked back to the Slytherin dormitories on her own after her meeting with Dumbledore. She was in contemplation. She was glad to hear that he was not moving her back to the sixth year yet; he'd see how she went in her half-year exams to decide. But he expected so much from her - and it wasn't just about schoolwork either. She was just about to ponder on this a bit more when she bumped into Harry.

"Hey ..." he said nervously. She gave him a cool look. They hadn't really spoken for a while.

"Hello Harry, what brings you down here at this time? It's almost curfew," she said. He looked like there was something on his mind that he really wanted to say to her but didn't have the courage. Ha. Some Gryffindor.

"Spit it out Harry," she snapped, tired of his silence.

"Are you going over to the Dark Side?" whoa ... he was blunt! Virginia's eyes widened, she'd never thought he'd actually ask her out right. That was something; she took back her thought comment on his right to be in Gryffindor.

"Well well well ... you certainly don't beat around the bush do you?" she said sarcastically.

"Just answer the question Gin, I need to know," he said. Virginia decided to ignore his slip of her name.

"Harry, first of all, I really don't think it's any of your business. Secondly, if I were going over to the Dark Side then I certainly would not be telling you of all people, and thirdly, if I were to join the Dark Lord, then it would be your fault." And with that, she stalked off haughtily.

Virginia hadn't meant the last part, no, not at all, but she felt that Harry had to pay in some way, and this was her only way of making him do so. She had slightly regretted her words, but she hoped she knew Harry well enough not to take them right to heart.

"Well ... at least I think I do, ..." she muttered to herself. When she got to the common room it was already pretty late but Aleña was there waiting up for her.

"Hey," she said softly. Virginia plopped down on the couch next to her.

"Hey," she replied.

"How was your meeting?"

"It was okay ... I don't want to talk about it though," she said, making a face. Aleña nodded.

"Um ... I think you might've hurt Draco's feelings, ..." she said, looking at her friend, hoping she wasn't about to spark another fight. Fortunately for her, Virginia seemed to have reached this decision already.

"I know ... he's changed so much, and I'm pretty sure it's because of me ... I hope I haven't messed things up too much ... it'll be Christmas in a week and I was hoping to escape my family by spending time with im ... and you of course!" she added when she saw the look of mock outrage on her friends face. She sighed.

"I guess I'd better go and apologise," she said. Aleña nodded.

"I'll see you later." Virginia got up and walked up the stairs that led to the boy's dormitories and then the separate corridor that led to Draco's head boy room. She knocked on the door softly.

"Come in," she heard his hard voice. She cringed. Okay, maybe this wasn't going to go so well. Virginia walked in and closed the door quietly.

"Hey," she said, giving him a small smile. He looked back at her stonily.

"Baby ... I'm ... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"You know, I feel like I've done more for you then I've ever done anyone in my entire life. I'm a Malfoy, we're not supposed to have emotions, not supposed to let anyone else be in control but ourselves, but you make me want to throw everything away and just take you in my arms and stay that way forever." He broke off for a moment to catch his breath. Virginia's eyes softened.

"I-I know Draco but-"

"And you don't even care. You don't care that over these past weeks, everything I've done is so completely out of character for me that my ancestors would be turning in their graves if they knew ..." he trailed off, his eyes still hard. Virginia walked over to him, sitting down next to him on his bed. She reached out a hand and ran it along his arm, but he pushed it off.

"Dammit Gin, I fucking love you, don't you realize? I've never loved anyone, not even myself, and you've just been throwing it back in my face." He had stood up and was towering over her in rage. Virginia stood up as well, trying to stop the threatening tears that wanted to break free. She couldn't believe it. He loved her.

"Draco, I-I-"

"No, you listen to me. I want you to go. Go and decide what you want, and then come back and tell, because hell if you're going to pull me around on a string like this anymore. Gin, I know that we're meant to be together. Without each other, we'll never be able to win this fight. But I need you to know what you want first," he said, softening at his last words. By now, the tears had started streaming down Virginia's face freely and she didn't bother to wipe them away. All Draco wanted to do right then was kiss them away and hold her, but he held himself still. He would not give in. After a few agonizingly slow moments, she nodded and ran out of the room. When she was gone, Draco slumped back onto his bed and closed his eyes.

"Please Gin ... please make the right decision."