Traitors Gate: The Secret Slytherin

The Secret Slytherin - Book one of Traitor's Gate

By Ginnysdarkside

Chapter 1: Return to Hogwarts

Severus Snape finished straightening his classroom and took a final look around. Within hours the student population would return, causing havoc and turmoil wherever they went. In a few days he would be wondering desperately exactly why he submitted himself to such torture year after year, but for now, at least, the castle was quiet. He cast a final organizational spell on the Potions stores before shutting the door behind him. He'd spent a good deal of the past week wandering around the castle, pretending to get ready for the school year, when really his mind was on something else entirely. He'd met with Voldemort twice, oddly pleasant meetings in which the Dark Lord actually seemed proud that he'd brought in a new recruit and expressed a desire to meet her soon. Despite the relief he felt at getting through these meetings unscathed, it chilled him when he thought of his recruit actually meeting the Dark Lord. He intended to put off that social occasion as long as possible. There was no way he would let Ginny near Voldemort until she was good and ready or as ready, at least, as he could make her.

He made his way to his rooms and shut the door behind him, muttering a spell to light the sconces. His dungeon quarters seemed danker and more oppressive than ever now, especially after the warm sunlight that had always filtered into his rooms in Beijing. He had always loved the dark and potent solitude of the castle's bowels, but now he felt an indescribable longing for that tiny room where so much had happened.

There were nights alone in his chambers where the summer seemed like a far flung dream. He would wake up in the middle of the night, convinced it never happened, certain it must have been some elaborate fantasy, but then his hand would creep up to the pendant hanging around his neck, the jade warm from the heat of his skin, and he would breathe again. At such times, his thoughts became a jumble, a confused mixture of longing for her. He would lay under the covers, wishing to feel her warm body next to him in the middle of the night, longing to hear her impertinent voice goading him to a fit of pique or alternately confiding in him as no one else had ever done. What he wouldn't give just to see her looking at him with those thoughtful brown eyes that could spark into flame at the slightest inclination. There were times he dammed himself as a fool for resisting temptation. The thought that he could have had her, could have lost himself inside her and never found his way out again was intoxicating, but also, he knew, impossible. On those nights, he would pull the covers tight around him to combat the chill of the dungeons and think of her the way she'd looked that night ...

He had entered Julian Malfoy's ball late. Late enough to avoid the receiving line and blend in with the other guests without inciting notice. The dancing had already started, the orchestra playing a long familiar melody which he hadn't heard in years. He made his way to the wall near the buffet table where he could watch unobserved. Immediately his eyes settled on her. Her bright red hair stood out amid the other dancers like a signal fire, brought up in a simple style, exposing the soft white curve of her neck. Malfoy held her in his arms, moving her through the steps of the dance. He watched her for a moment unobserved, and then she saw him. It was as if the world fell away and only the two of them were left. She was breathtaking, young and beautiful, her robes, the rich color of amber, reflecting the thousands of candles that hovered over the dance floor. A thick suffocating feeling choked him, and he could not look away. Each time the dance brought her around to face him, their eyes locked together, and from the look in hers, he knew she wasn't dancing with Malfoy anymore, but existing with him, the two of them alone in a world separate from the din around them. It shook him to realize the depth of the feelings they shared. It shook him and at the same time filled him with despair. She could not be his. Not now, maybe not ever, but oh, how he wanted her. Wanted to hold her, to feel her moving against him, to have her smile up at him and laugh. A life that he wanted with her flashed before his eyes, a life he knew he could never give her. It sickened him that he wanted this with her. She was too young and he, he was too old. He wanted all the things he'd never allowed himself to ever hope for before. The memory of the dream he'd had of that long ago time when he knew they'd once been together haunted him. He wanted that with her, to grow old with her, to spend his life with her, but he knew it was unlikely that would ever be. She was better off with Malfoy. Malfoy had the potential to give that to her and he would allow it, would step back despite the desperate longing in his soul. But he would never desert her, and if Malfoy ever hurt her, ever betrayed her, he would kill him without remorse, without stopping to think an instant on his actions.

The thought shook him as those dark violent urges he had suppressed so long surged to the surface. The music stopped, and he turned away, disappearing before she could see the unsettled look on his face. He needed to cool down, to distance himself from her. The evening wore on, and he sat in the corner, speaking with the other Death Eaters present, while he sipped a glass of wine thoughtfully and watched her dance with other men, pretending not to observe her at all. It was then he overheard McNabb whispering about meeting someone, and when he saw Ginny standing alone on the edge of the dance floor, he had taken the chance to communicate with her. He had merely intended to speak with her about McNabb and then leave. He had given grudgingly in to her plan to steal the documents and had been about to leave her when the music changed, and then he found he couldn't let her go.

Instead he had drawn her into his arms, and time had stood still for the few minutes that the song had lasted. She had been feather light in his arms, a golden dream of things that would never be. He had breathed in her scent, knowing this might be the only chance he'd ever have with her to pretend, if only for a moment, that they were merely a man and a woman that loved each other. So he had danced, and she had moved against him as if they had always danced together, as if they had always known each other, anticipating each other's steps, their breath matching in time. It was more intimate than anything he had ever experienced; he felt as if he knew her, and also knew that from now on she would always be an indelible part of him. As the dance wound down, he did not bother to hide the look in his eyes, and he let the truth fall from his lips. He would let her go, he would let her live, but he knew as well as she that what they had would never die. He would love her forever, and he would wait patiently until they could be together as he knew they were destined to be. When the last mournful notes of the song faded away he left her on the dance floor. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do.

The clock chimed and Snape awoke from his reverie. Shadows were cloaking the room as night fell. He looked at the clock and realized the train must have already arrived. He reached his hand into his robes and pulled out the pendant, examining it in the slowly dying light, rubbing it between his fingers before sliding it back next to his heart.

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

Ginny Weasley quickly ran a hairbrush through her red hair, then tucked the brush securely into her trunk and closed the lid. This was it then; she was ready to go back to Hogwarts. The past week had seemed to crawl by. It had been nice to be home, but she'd forgotten how restrictive her life was at the Burrow. Her parents still saw her as a little girl, and it was difficult to once again get used to not being able to do exactly as she pleased. She was looking forward to getting back to school. Certainly there would be rules and regulations there, but at least she wouldn't have to answer her mother's constant stream of questions. As if reading her thoughts, her mother chose that moment to yell up the stairs.

"Ginny! Are you ready to go yet? Ron and Hermione are waiting!"

She took a last look around her room. It was littered with remnants of her childhood: posters, old dolls, worn well-read books. No matter how hard she tried, she somehow felt she would never quite fit in here again. She closed the door quietly behind her and started down the stairs. Her trunk was heavy and awkward to manage down the rickety staircase, even with the lightening charm Daisy had cast still in place.

Her mother stood in the cluttered kitchen which was still redolent with the aroma of bacon and eggs, gathering up the contents of her handbag while looking up at Ginny distractedly. "What on earth took you so long, Ginny?"

"Sorry mum," Ginny said, flashing her mother a sweet smile. "I was just making sure I had everything."

"That's all right, dear," her mother said. "Just go join the others in the car, I'll be right there."

Ginny went out to the new and improved car her father had been tinkering with. It resembled nothing more than the collection of parts that it essentially was, but at least, as her mother pointed out, he hadn't enchanted it to fly ... yet.

"Getting ready for Malfoy?" Ron said in a disgusted voice as she slid next to him in the backseat.

"That's none of your business, Ron."

"It most certainly is," he hissed, glaring at her. "I am going to have something to say to that ruddy ferret when I see him."

"Ron!" Hermione pulled on his arm. "Remember ..." She stopped whatever she was going to say with a sidelong look at Ginny.

"Remember what, Hermione?" Ginny asked, fixing her eyes on her friend. The brunette avoided her glance, slid further towards her side of the car, and remained silent. Ginny raised an eyebrow and continued, "Should I remember that this all some kind of phase I'm going through? That it's just an infatuation and that in no time Draco will dump me in front of the whole school and then I'll realize what a git he is?"

"How did you -" Hermione began.

"I have ears," Ginny snapped. "Don't think I didn't hear the two of you whispering last night." She glared at them both. "I don't want to hear another word from either of you or I'll ..." She grew quiet as her mother got into the car.

They all spent the ride to King's Cross in an uneasy silence, listening to Mrs. Weasley prattle on about how wonderful it was that they were all prefects. Ginny stared out the window, lost in thoughts of the past summer and how different her life was now. If her mother knew what had happened, she would never have forgiven her. Not only had she almost been killed, but she'd spent the summer pretending to fall in love with a boy who was the antithesis of everything her family stood for. At the same time she was learning to deceive, learning the cold dark arts of deception and cunning. Moreover, the deepest secret which she knew above all her mother could never know, was that she had found someone, found the man she wanted to be with, had tried to seduce him, had settled for some strange platonic love affair that she knew meant more than either of them would ever admit. The fact that this man was twice her age only made it that more important that her family never find out. She looked blankly at the passing cars and wondered how things had gotten so complicated.

When the car stopped at the front of the station, Ginny quickly got out, removed her trunk from the boot, and loaded it onto a trolley. She looked back to where Ron was helping Hermione solicitously with her trunk and then started into the station.

"Ginny ..." Her mother's reproving voice stopped her in her tracks. She squared her shoulders and waited until everyone had caught up with her. They made their way through the crowded station and snuck through the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾.

Instantly, Ginny's eyes began to scan the crowd for a flash of blonde hair. Hundreds of students and parents milled around everywhere, and piles of trunks obscured her line of sight. She was about to resign herself to wait until she got on the train when she saw Ron's eyes narrow just before she felt a hand close on her shoulder.

"Miss me, beautiful?"

Ginny wanted to laugh at the look on Ron's face as Draco whispered seductively in her ear. She turned around and smiled up into his grey eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Hermione restraining Ron. A wicked little urge possessed her; she might as well make this good.

"Draco!" She threw her arms around the boy in a tight hug and was pleased when she felt his arms tighten around her in response. She had missed him in the past week. His embrace was warm, and his familiar spicy scent reminded her of their time together in Beijing.

He whispered low in her ear. "Trying to make your brother mad?"

"Is it working?" she asked.

"Well, he has steam coming out of his ears and looks like he's about to have a coronary. Does that count?"

"Yes." She kissed him on the cheek and then pulled him past her now furious brother to meet her mother.

"Mum," she said. "This is my friend, Draco." Her mother eyed Draco up and down suspiciously, and Ginny squeezed his hand in encouragement.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," Draco said, taking her mother's hand and smiling at her politely. "Ginny told me all about you this summer, but she never mentioned that you were as pretty as she is."

Ginny refrained from rolling her eyes as Draco piled on the Malfoy charm. Her mother, of course, fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

A slight blush tinged Molly Weasley's cheeks, and she ran a quick hand over her hair. "It's nice to meet you as well, Draco. You and Ginny must have had a lovely time this summer. She's spoken of little else since she got home. It's nice the two of you became friends." She smiled at him, and Ginny was reminded suddenly of how her mother used to act around Professor Lockhart.

"Oh yes," Draco said, giving Ginny a knowing little look. "And I have a feeling we'll only become better friends this year." She kicked him on the ankle when her mother wasn't looking, and he merely smirked in return.

"That's nice, dear," her mother replied, looking over Ginny's head to where Ron and Hermione were now greeting Harry.

Draco turned to Ginny. "I'll let you say your goodbyes. Meet me in the prefect's car. I'll save you a seat."

She smiled as he walked away and went over to say hello to Harry. He was looking at her with a shocked expression, but was too busy fighting off her mum's doting concern to actually say anything. Ron, however, had no such distraction.

Her brother stared at her, an apoplectic look upon his face, and then grabbed her by the arm. "You're not sitting with that slimy git."

"That git, as you say, happens to be my friend," Ginny replied, throwing off his hand. She faced him down, glowering in a way that in the past had indicated a Bat Bogey Hex was forthcoming. "I'll sit where I please and with whom I please."

"That seemed a little more than friendly, Ginny." Ron seemed about to say more, but was interrupted as Hermione pulled him back into the huddle around Harry. Ginny shook her head and gave her mother an exasperated look.

"He'll come around, dear." Her mother patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "He's just worried about you, although I'm not sure why, your friend has lovely manners." She gave Ginny a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Now be sure to owl me once you've arrived."

Ginny nodded, listened to a few more last minute admonishments, and finally pulled away from her mother, manhandling her heavy trunk onto the train. She stowed it in a compartment and then made her way forward to the prefect's car. The train was full of jostling, talking students, and she had to maneuver and push her way up the narrow corridor until she reached the front. She hesitated a moment at the door before slowly turning the handle and stepping inside.

The compartment was almost full of students. She recognized the seventh year Gryffindor prefects as well as her fellow fifth years and several members of the DA including Hannah Abbott, Anthony Goldstein, and Padma Patil. Colin Creevey, the other fifth year Gryffindor prefect, waved at her excitedly and indicated a seat next to him, but Ginny shook her head in acknowledgement then turned to where Draco sat with Pansy Parkinson.

Pansy was watching her with narrowed eyes, as if measuring her and finding her wanting. Still, she said nothing when Ginny sat gracefully down on the other side of Draco. The action, however, made much more of an impression on the rest of the car's occupants. You could have heard a pin drop in the sudden silence that fell, and immediately it seemed that everyone had something incredibly important to get out of their book bags as they tried not to stare. Over the rustling of papers and unbuckling of clasps, Ginny nodded at Pansy.

"Parkinson."

"Weasley ..." Pansy's lips opened, as if she wanted to say something else, but closed again just as quickly. She appeared to be searching for something to say. "Have a nice summer?" she finally asked.

Ginny raised an eyebrow and smirked, trying to ignore the whispered conversations that were going on around her. "Lovely, if you discount the death threats from home."

Draco took her hand, and the whispers increased exponentially. "And here I thought those were all for me and not you," he drawled.

"They were for you, idiot," Ginny joked. "Why do you think they didn't bother me that much?"

A tiny crack appeared in Pansy's demeanor. Her lips twitched at the corners, and finally she laughed, a low chuckle that sounded completely different from the high pitched giggle she usually put on in front of people.

Ginny smiled at her and was about to say something else when the train started with a jolt and the rest of the prefects entered.

Ron glared at Draco and seemed about to speak when Hermione trod on his foot and pulled him down onto a vacant bench across from them. Her brother grimaced but remained silent as the Head Boy began to speak.

The speech was long and rambling. The Head Boy, a timid looking Hufflepuff, explained the new protocol for their assistantships and instructed them to meet with their respective Professors the next morning. He followed that with a lengthy list of routine duties and responsibilities.

Ginny suppressed a sigh, pretending to be interested, but she was distracted because Draco's fingers were gently caressing the back of her hand. Her eyes caught the angry glint in her brother's eyes, and, with a smirk, she interlaced her fingers with Draco's and pulled his hand down beside her. Ron's face turned redder, and she could see Hermione kick him not too discreetly.

The minute the meeting was over and the Head Boy and Girl had left to check on the students, Ron stood up and leaned over menacingly, his voice low and angry.

"Take your filthy hands off my sister."

"Your sister ..." Draco sneered, "happens to be my girlfriend. And despite the obvious idiocy of her brother, I intend to keep it that way. Besides ..." He brought their joined hands over to his lap. "I have it on good authority she likes my hand exactly where it is."

The slow tide of prefects vacating the compartment faltered as a number of them stopped to turn around with curious stares at the drama unfolding before them.

Hermione pulled on Ron's arm, looking around uneasily. "Ron ... Don't cause a scene."

"Why don't you listen to your little girl friend, Weasley?" Draco sneered. "For some reason she seems awfully eager to get you alone. Why don't you go off to have a shag somewhere and leave the two of us in peace."

Ron started forward, his fists clenched. "That's it Malfoy. Leave her alone." He started to pull Draco up out of the seat by the lapels of his robes. An excited murmur ran through the surrounding crowd, causing Hermione to look at them in agitation.

"That's enough." Ginny stood up and insinuated herself between the two boys. She placed a restraining hand on Ron's chest, her back to Draco. "Sod off, Ron," she said, her voice deceptively cold and calm. "I don't need your puny heroics; save it for someone that cares." She avoided her brother's eyes, knowing she couldn't stand to see the pained look that would be in them and turned slightly directing her next words to both of them.

"I'm not a piece of meat for the two of you to squabble over like a pair of mangy curs." She glared at them both. "Now, you are causing a scene. Ron, if you can't behave decently then leave, or I will."

"But ... Ginny ..." Ron started, scowling past her at Draco.

"That's it, I'm leaving," Ginny said. She started to pull Draco past the group of shocked prefects, leaving her brother staring after them with a horrified expression on his face.

Pansy followed, laughing low at Ron under her breath. "Nice one, Weasley. Subtle, suave, you really know how to handle a woman don't you?"

"You stay out of this, Parkinson," snapped Hermione.

Pansy merely smirked at the girl, gave her a mock salute, and joined Ginny and Draco at the door. The three of them went out into the corridor and down to the vacant compartment containing their trunks. Pansy shut the door behind them and looked at the two of them, her blue eyes curious.

"Well, that was ... interesting," said the Slytherin. She sat down on the bench, crossed one ankle casually over the other, and regarded them with pursed lips. "Now, do you intend to fill me in on what's going on, Draco? All I have to go on are Daisy's garbled explanations from her letters, and you know what a dismal correspondent she can be."

Draco merely shrugged his shoulders. "Isn't it obvious, Parkinson? A Girl, a boy, two people falling in love and wanting to be together, then again, I suppose that might fall out of the realm of your experience."

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "Maybe I should just get Weasley's brother in here and ask him what's going on. He certainly seemed keen on this ... relationship."

Ginny turned to Pansy, her lips twisted in a sneer. "My brother is an infantile prat."

A tiny sigh escaped Pansy, and she rolled her eyes. "That's common knowledge, Weasley." Her features tightened, and she looked at Ginny intently. "My question is why exactly you and Draco are together. Last time I saw the two of you, you were hexing the hell out of each other. This sudden intimacy seems strangely suspicious."

Outside, the train was a cacophony of sound, the snack trolley's wheels squeaking, a shrill burst of female giggles, lower years shouting at each other, but inside the compartment the silence was palpable. Ginny met Pansy's gaze coolly. It was almost a shock to glimpse the keen intelligence behind the other girl's stormy blue eyes. She'd always thought that Pansy wouldn't have the sense to string two sentences together, other than to coo over Draco's every word and torment anyone in sight. Then again, Daisy had surprised her too. Apparently it was a trait of the Parkinson females to purposely act in a way that made others underestimate them. Pansy, she realized, would be harder to fool than Draco.

Draco interrupted the silence by draping his arm around Ginny. "You doubt my charms, Pansy? Seems to me you once succumbed to them yourself."

"True," Pansy admitted. She arched an eyebrow and spoke in an insinuating voice. "I'm more than intimately acquainted with your charms. But then again, that was back when I was young and foolish."

Ginny watched the interactions between the two of them with interest. It was rare to see two Slytherins interacting so overtly in front of an outsider. She felt Draco's fingers tighten painfully on her shoulder.

"You were never young and foolish." His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "You always knew exactly what you were doing. The frivolous, little-girl clothes, the simpering, wide eyed flirting, all of it titrated to poisonous effect. You haven't changed at all. You've just gotten better at the act over time."

She merely stared back at him calmly then gave him a devious smile. "I have," she admitted. Her gaze turned back to Ginny. "Now, quit changing the subject. You certainly swayed my sister with ease, Weasley. I think you'll find, however, that I am not nearly as naive. I want you to tell me what is going on."

"Are you hard of hearing, Parkinson?" Ginny said. "Or is it just that difficult for you to believe that I actually like Draco?"

"Not at all. What is difficult to believe is that it has everything to do with love and nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that his grandfather could buy and sell your family." Her lips twisted in a sneer, and she stood up, smoothing down her perfectly pressed robes with her hands. "I'll see you later, Draco." She gave Ginny a final, measuring stare and strode out of the compartment.

Ginny sighed and dropped her head down on Draco's shoulder. "It's going to be this hard with everyone, isn't it?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I won't lie to you. It will be hard. But you can't tell me this comes as a surprise. Besides ..." He tilted her head up and placed a soft kiss at the top of her jaw. "I can't say I'm sorry to have her gone." He began to slowly move his hand in little circles along her back and shoulders and brought his lips down to the side of her neck. "It's been a week since I've seen you," he murmured into her skin.

"Yes. Yes it has," she replied with a smile. He brought his lips in a slow line of kisses up to her lips, then tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her hard. Within minutes, she was halfway on his lap, the two of them becoming more and more involved when suddenly the door opened.

"Oh, excuse me," said a hesitant voice. "I thought this was ... Ginny?"

Ginny broke away and looked up into Neville Longbottom's shocked brown eyes. He was staring back and forth between her and Draco in alarm, his hands clenched nervously in his robes.

"Get lost, Longbottom," hissed Draco.

Neville pulled himself up straight and stared back at Draco. It was oddly touching to see the shy boy stand up to his nemesis, and it saddened Ginny to think what she must do. Neville looked at her again and squared his shoulders. "Are you all right, Ginny? Is he bothering you?"

"I'm fine Neville," she replied. She resisted the urge to smile at him, reminding herself that this was as good a time as any to let her fellow students know exactly where she stood. "Does it look like he's bothering me? Now, be a dear and close your door on the way out. You've left a draft." She turned away, hardening her heart against the hurt look she saw flicker across his face.

She heard the door close, and Draco tugged her hair in appreciation. "Good show, woman. I knew I loved you for a reason."

It was difficult, but she managed a smile and then cast a locking charm on the door before turning to him. She slid her hands up his arms. "Now ... Where were we?"

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

The train arrived at Hogsmeade without incident, and Ginny rode up to the castle with Draco, having ignored the frantic overtures of her brother and her friends. She had been more than a little bit dismayed when Crabbe and Goyle, who had been conspicuously absent up until now, had followed them into the carriage. Their huge bulk filled the seat opposite, and they looked not in the least discomfited to be crammed together like sardines. They were probably used to it, she thought. She couldn't imagine Draco ever sharing a seat with either of them.

Ginny stared at the two boys. Upon seeing Crabbe's pudgy, flat face, she couldn't help but recollect the way his father had looked when Snape had cast the Cruciatus curse on Avery that night this past summer. The younger Crabbe resembled his father to a frightening degree, down to the same cruel, pig like gleam in his eyes. His gaze focused on her, and a tiny grimace escaped him, which made her realize with a start that his father had told him everything. She raised an eyebrow at him imperceptibly and saw him pale a little under his freckles then nod once and look away.

At that moment, Draco chose to introduce them, as if they were complete strangers who hadn't attended the same school for years. "Crabbe, Goyle, you know Virginia?"

They nodded. Goyle looked confused, a dim expression flickering across his face as if he was trying to sort something out. Finally he looked up and spoke. "We know her already, Draco. She's not new."

"I know that." Draco narrowed his eyes. "What I'm trying to tell you is that Virginia ... Well, she's under my protection now. And I want the two of you to be as loyal to her as you are to me. To be loyal to her above all others." He placed especial emphasis on the last two words, and Ginny felt he was trying to tell them something. "Do you understand what I am saying?" he added, looking between the two of them.

Crabbe looked back at him, apparently not following, but nodding quickly anyway. Goyle's eyes, however, glinted with comprehension. He nodded at Draco then met Ginny's eyes. "I understand," he said.

The rest of the short ride was spent in silence. Draco helped her out of the carriage and into the castle. In the Great Hall, they ignored the stares directed towards them and headed to their separate house tables. By now the entire Gryffindor table was whispering and sending her curious glances as she sat down deliberately at the end opposite from her brother and his friends. As the rest of the students filed in, she noticed most of her own year steering clear of her, choosing seats further down the table. She was not surprised, however, to see the two girls who dropped down into seats across from her and stared at her eagerly.

"Spill it," said Lavender Brown, her voice cracking with excitement. "How did you end up with Malfoy?"

"Is he a good kisser?" inserted Parvati Patil, leaning across the table and looking at Ginny intently.

Ginny repressed a sigh and looked at the two of them. "Just lucky I guess," she said, not bothering to hide the sarcastic tone in her voice, "and yes, yes he is."

Parvati squealed. "About time you got yourself a good one, Ginny. Too bad he was in our year." Her eyes swept over the other sixth years at the adjacent tables. "The overall quality in our class is appallingly inadequate." Her eyes stopped thoughtfully at the Ravenclaw table. "Then again, there are always the seventh years."

"Sorry Parvati." Ginny couldn't help but grin at the wistful note in the other girl's voice. "You probably wouldn't like him anyway. I think he has more clothes than you do. Just think how you'd fight for the mirror."

"Oh, I'd get another mirror," Parvati said.

Lavender nodded in agreement. "Just think ... all the girls in school have thought about him, whether they admit it or not. I heard he asked you to marry him. Is that true?"

A flush threatened to color her cheeks, but not because of Lavender's comment. Her eyes had been watching the Head Table since her arrival, and just then Snape had entered, his head held high, his black eyes scanning the crowd. Their eyes met for an instant, and it felt like she was hit by lightning. She swallowed hard, and before she could stop it, her hand crept up to check for the reassuring presence of her pendant Something flickered across his face at her action, but he merely looked away and turned his attention to Professor Sinistra who was sitting next to him. Ginny took a deep breath and reluctantly turned her gaze back to the gossiping sixth years.

"He must have, just look at that dreamy expression she has on her face," Lavender was saying.

Ginny started to open her lips to say something, horrified, yet thankful they hadn't seen who she was looking at. Merlin, was she that transparent? Her mouth grew dry, and she couldn't seem to find the strength to speak.

Thankfully, Parvati interrupted her before she could say anything. "Don't worry, Ginny. We won't tell a soul." She raised her hand solemnly as Lavender nodded in agreement. "We think it's wonderful, no matter what some other people," she sent a scornful glance down the table in the direction of Ron, "might be saying."

At that moment, the Headmaster began to speak, and the rest of the meal passed in a blur. Dumbledore's speech, the sorting, and the feast all mixed into an amalgam held together by Lavender and Parvati's chatter. Before she knew it, she was standing up to help show the new first years to the common room when a voice stopped her. The voice, low and deep, made heads turn, and she saw her brother and Harry look over at her with concerned expressions.

"Miss Weasley, a word please, before you go about your duties."

She threaded her way back through the throng of students to where Snape stood. "Do you need Malfoy too, sir?" she asked.

He sneered at her as if disgusted. "If I had wanted to speak to him, Miss Weasley, I would have asked for him as well." He shrugged dismissively. "I'll speak with him tomorrow, come with me."

Ginny followed him through the halls. It felt odd being here with him, and she was always painfully aware of his presence beside her as they walked. She was reminded of their walk along the river in Beijing and kept casting short glances in his direction, wondering if he thought of it at all. They reached the entry to Dumbledore's office, and she turned to him.

Their eyes met and she felt the same old shivery sensation. She knew he must have felt something as well, because he stared at her a moment before he cleared his throat and answered her silent, questioning look. "He wants to speak to us." Snape turned to the Gargoyle and spoke the password, "Cherry sour." The stone staircase began to spin and they stepped onto the first tread and began the slow ride to the top. It was slightly cramped in the narrow space, and Ginny was very aware of his arm draped behind her causally as his hand rested on the railing.

They reached the top without speaking and entered Dumbledore's office. The portraits were snoozing except for one or two that looked at them expectantly. The headmaster was enfolded in his chair, wringing some tea out of his sopping beard with a large red handkerchief, looking as if he'd been there for years, never mind the fact that not moments before he'd been at the head table. He smiled at them.

"Ah yes ... Severus and Miss Weasley, just the people I wanted to see."