Moonlit Grounds

Chapter 5

Ginny picked up her pace as she neared the forest. She couldn't risk being seen. She entered quietly through a small opening between two gigantic trees. She was in the Forbidden Forest.

She had always felt safe in these woods. They would constantly offer shelter, no matter what time of the day it was. The thick overgrowth blocked any trace of sunshine that dared to touch the leaves of such dark woods. Ginny quickly found the familiar path and followed it a ways into the forest. After a half an hour or so, she came into a small clearing. Here the trees drew back from the spot, as if it were infected with some damnable disease. Above, a hole was left in the canopy of trees, so that the moonlight was able to filter through and send a sickly, pale light down onto the ground.

Ginny took a small, tentative step into the circular clearing. She let out a breath. She was all alone again.

*

Draco ran down the stairs and out onto the dark school grounds with his robe billowing out behind him. The last time he had seen the figure, it was just crossing the threshold of the forest. He retraced his steps and found that his point of view down by the woods was much different from his view at his window. After looking for two huge trees that seemed to have a space between, he finally found a likely prospect. He hurried under the trees and found himself in a black world.

He slid out his wand and whispered, "Lumos."

The light afforded him a three-foot sphere of vision. He walked slowly, searching the ground. He saw what looked like a small beaten path and decided to take his chances.

As he followed it, he began to wonder what would happen if he wasn't welcome. He had just wanted to see what this person was up to, not introduce himself. He settled for finding the person, and then leaving. Besides, he thought, it's getting cold. He wrapped his cloak tighter around himself as he continued into the woods.

*

Ginny was standing in the center of the clearing, staring up at the moon, which was right overhead. She felt the familiar twinge of excitement race through her blood. It's time, she reflected.

She pulled out the shiny object from her robe. It glistened in the light, just like it had in her dream. She looked at it for a long time before actually lowering it to her forearm. She pulled her sleeves down and with one quick motion, broke the skin. She had stopped feeling the pain a long time ago, but she still got the chills from slitting herself. She admired the rich blood staining her pale skin. It was beautiful.

*

Draco saw a ray of pale light shining down up ahead. He walked as fast as he could, while remaining silent. As he got closer, he recognized the figure. It's Ginny, was all he could think. He saw something reflect the moonlight and he watched as she cut her arm and just stood there, staring at her wound.

Draco couldn't believe what he was seeing. She let the blood drip down off her lovely skin onto the ground. She let out an audible sigh, which to Draco sounded like a sigh of tranquility.

He crouched low to the ground, in fear of Ginny spotting him. She brought the knife up to her mouth and flicked her tongue across it, lapping up her own blood. After she licked it clean she tucked it back into her robe, and glanced once more up at the moon. She looked around the clearing and stepped back into the darkness and disappeared back towards the castle.

Draco looked on this display of mutilism with a certain somberness. He had seen this kind of behavior before, but it was from people that this was expected from. He had even participated in some of the bizarre rituals that the Death Eaters performed, but this...this was different. Ginny wasn't in league with a madman. Ginny was a Gryffindor, the pride of her family. Ginny was a soft-spoken, intelligent girl. Ginny was...not like her family. The words kept flashing in Draco's head as he looked down upon the blood stained clearing.