Forbidden Fruit

Draco took no pleasure in the mound of first years he left lying at the end of the hall. Somehow it was no comfort to him. He grumbled as he roughly pushed past another one who had been trying to run to her friend's rescue, leaving her practically untouched.

He needed a way to vent the frustrated energy building inside him. He smirked as he thought of just the right way. Pain shot through his foot after he remembered why that shouldn't, wouldn't, and never again could be effective.

A little slower, he hobbled off down the steps.

Draco stopped before entering the dungeons and mumbled, "Basilisk," before continuing into the Slytherin dormitories. He glared at his bed upon entry to his room. He'd have to buy a new one, or figure out how to get his father to anyway. This one held far too many memories of a certain Gryffindor; it just wouldn't do.

He was about to disrobe when a voice boomed through his room, "I wouldn't bother with that, son."

Draco jumped and turned towards his fireplace, his eyes rolling, at least mentally. "Father, I didn't see you there."

"Obviously. Now, Draco, I need you to meet me in Hogsmeade. I'm at the Hog's Head." Lucius' head turned away from the fireplace then back. "And your mother says to dress warmly. She doesn't want you to catch cold."

Draco let out an annoyed groan. "Tell Mother I'm perfectly capable of dressing myself. I'll see you both in a bit." With a smirk which Draco definitely recognized, Lucius was gone.

~*~

Ginny woke to a dark room with a stranger's hands around her waist. Momentarily, she jolted until she remembered Hermione comforting her to sleep. She took a deep breath and willed her heart back to its original pulse; however, the cool air did nothing for her. Or maybe it was the thick smell of chocolate coming from her roommates' corner of the room; she wasn't sure. Either way, she hurled herself off the bed and barely made it to the bin before the contents of her stomach emptied. It wasn't until she finished that she noticed Hermione kneeling next to her, holding her hair back.

"Thanks," she mumbled, rocking back on her heels as she felt a wave of dizziness hit her.

Ginny glanced to the bin and back up at Hermione, an incredulous look upon her face.

"That's it. Come on; we're going to see Madam Pomfrey." Hermione stood up, her hand firmly grasping Ginny's arm. Ginny made a weak sound of protest but honestly couldn't find the energy to fight it.

~*~

Draco shivered as he stepped into the Hog's Head. He had to make a mental note to quit being so stubborn. A warmer robe would have been nice in the cold night air, but no, he had to be stubborn just because his mother had mentioned it.

Looking around, it wasn't hard to spot his mother and father in the nearly empty pub. He made his way across the room, sickened by the filth, and slid into a chair next to his father. "Butterbeer," he told the waitress without even looking up to acknowledge her. He looked around to see three unfamiliar faces sitting across from him.

"Manning, this is my son, Draco," Lucius began the introductions. Draco nodded to the man with indifference as he drank his butterbeer. "Draco, this is an associate of mine, Manning Mason, his wife, Nichole, and his eldest daughter, Neeley. Neeley will start Hogwarts in the morning."

Draco nodded to each of them in turn, taking note of the petite girl directly in front of him. She had scared eyes and a pretty heart-shaped face. Oh yes, she would be fun to torture, teach, and mold.

Narcissa broke his focus with her voice. "Draco is a seventh year and a prefect," she bragged.

Draco had to wonder what the point of him actually being at this little soirée was exactly. When he found out, he wished he hadn't.

"I've told Manning you'll show Neeley around, Draco. Show her the ropes, teach her about Slytherin and what we're all about. I want you to take her under your wing, per se."

Draco nearly spit out his butterbeer. "But, Father, she's a first year! I can't walk around with a first year girl. It just... isn't done. I've got other things to tend to." Like torturing first years, he mentally added.

Lucius' face was stone, not a good sign. "You will. In fact, I'll be in regular correspondence with both Neeley and her father to make sure her treatment is satisfactory." Draco nodded appropriately. "Good." Lucius smiled. "Now that that's taken care of, Dumbledore is expecting her tonight. I'll let you take her back with you while Manning and I discuss other business."

"Father, I'm not even supposed to be here. There's no way I can..."

Lucius stared at his son. "There's always a way, Draco. You just have to get over your lazy streak and think about it."

"Yes, Father." Draco kissed his mother's cheek and shook the hand of his father's associate. "Let's go," he told the small girl roughly and left without waiting for her.

Neeley's much smaller legs struggled to keep up with the obviously perturbed older boy. "I'm sorry," she called to him. "This wasn't my idea either."

Her voice was softer than he was expecting. It rather reminded him of Ginny, which didn't exactly lighten his mood. "It never is," he answered gruffly. "I'm sure Father has some kind of reasoning."

"I think it was just a favor to my father to shut my mother up." The girl finally caught up and struggled for breath as she barely kept pace through the thick snow. "Could we slow down? I'm still not completely well."

Draco slowed just a bit. "Well? Are you sick? I hope it's not something contagious. I hate being sick."

"It's not. I was born with a heart anomaly. That's why I'm starting so late; Professor Dumbledore made a special exception for me because I've been in Spain recovering from hopefully my last surgery."

"Are you from Spain?"

"No," she laughed. "I was born here, but there's a specialist in Spain that my father takes me to."

Her laugh was nice too. Draco mentally kicked himself. This girl was not Ginny, nor would she ever be Ginny. No one would ever be Ginny. He had to force himself to accept that and move on. The snow crunched under the pressure of his steps a few more steps before he replied, "How'd you get into Slytherin? You don't seem the type."

Neeley laughed again. "I begged the Hat when father brought me this summer. Father was a Slytherin, and Mother was a Ravenclaw, but I don't think I could be a Ravenclaw."

"You talk too much. First rule you need to learn is to quit announcing your weaknesses. Slytherin will eat you alive if you keep babbling like you have to me."

Neeley stopped and stared at him. "Next you're going to tell me I should be a Gryffindor or something."

Draco shrugged and gave his signature smirk. "If the shoe fits."

Neeley stepped up to him on short legs and rose to her tiptoes to come a little closer to looking him in the eyes. She tapped her finger into his chest pointedly. "You need to keep in mind that your father will be asking how I'm being treated, and no one but me gets to answer that question, Draco."

She spat his name as if the mere thought of saying it was disgusting to her, and he smiled. "Now that's a Slytherin."

~*~

"Ginny, I need to speak with you alone." Madam Pomfrey looked pointedly at Hermione, but Hermione held her ground.

"It's okay, Madam Pomfrey. I've been tired lately. I'm sure the fatigue just got the best of me. And Hermione is my friend; whatever you tell me, I'd tell her anyway." Ginny gave a watery smile as she dangled her legs off the side of the bed.

"I'm not so sure about that, Ms. Weasley. I'd really like to speak with you alone, or better, with your parents here."

Hermione gasped with alarm. "Is it bad? Should I go get Ron? I'll go get Ron. What's wrong with her?"

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley's brother need not come at this hour. In fact, you should be in your bed. I am perfectly capable of taking care of Ms. Weasley on my own. I want her to stay here for the night, and you can speak to her tomorrow when she's feeling better. She has nothing life threatening; she'll be fine."

"You're sure?" Hermione asked one more time. Upon reassurance, she finally gave in and left.

Ginny stared up at Madam Pomfrey expectantly.