A Piece of His Soul

A Piece of His Soul

Chapter Two

Ginny sighed as she Apparated into Diagon Alley. It was a beautiful Saturday. It had been three days since her meeting with Harry and she had rarely seen him at his office in the Ministry. There must be some important matter with the Horcruxes, she thought.

Luckily, the sun had burned away all the clouds, so for once, it wasn't raining. It was a nice October day, so Ginny decided to wear a knee length skirt and throw a light jacket over her shirt. She had picked out the clothes especially for her early lunch date. It was a few minutes before 11 o'clock. Not unreasonably early, she decided

When she walked into the restaurant, Blaise was already waiting for her at one of the tables. He put a piece of paper into his pocket and then looked up to say something to the giggling waitress. The waitress chatted with another waitress, one with brown hair, before bustling off to get the check for the neighboring table.

Blaise waved Ginny over after finishing his water and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Hey, sweetie. How are you doing? I hope you're feeling better, after that attack last week."

"I'm fine, thank you. What about you? Taking on two of those Death Eaters all by yourself. I hope your stay in St. Mungo's was pleasant," Ginny replied.

He gave her a dazzling smile with teeth brighter than nature intended. "It was fine." He reached into his bag. "I brought us a bottle of wine. I thought it would be safest after the attack. I didn't want you poisoned or drugged, you cute little imp. After all, anyone here could be a Death Eater. You'll have to be on your guard, especially after that attack."

"Yes, I know," she said embarrassed. She looked around at the people around her again. Any of them could be Death Eaters. The young man across the street reading a book could be a Death Eater. She couldn't make out his features clearly, but he had very light blonde hair.

Blaise conjured them two wine glasses. The waitress seemed to be neglecting them. Maybe she was gossiping in the back with the brown-haired waitress. Blaise poured her a glass. "To us!" he said raising his glass.

"To us," she replied, lifting hers as well and taking a draft. She allowed Blaise to refill her cup.

The waitress returned and they ordered their meals before she drifted back into the kitchens. She flashed a secretive smile at Blaise before leaving.

Ginny put her hand to her head, rubbing her temples. She glanced at the man reading the book. He had pulled down the book and watched almost unblinking as she drank her wine. However, he put the book back up immediately, covering his face as soon as she looked over at him. She couldn't tell who the man was.

Could he be a Death Eater?

She looked up at Blaise, who was frowning suspiciously. He glanced where she was looking and asked her, "Are you alright?"

"Just a sudden headache," Ginny said and put her napkin on her lap. Changing the subject, she remarked, "That waitress seems to have a taken a fancy to you."

"What can I say? I'm irresistible. Right, snuggle-muffin?"

"Yes, you are. I just love the way your hair curls," she said, ruffling his dark hair. "And I guess I can call you my knight in shining armor after you saved me. The fact that you're such an amazing kisser is just an added bonus." She blushed, completely horrified that she had voiced that particular thought out loud.

Blaise grinned wolfishly at her. "I can do more than that."

She could feel her face burning by now and desperately tried to change the subject. "I was talking with Harry yesterday."

"I keep forgetting that you know him. He's really done a great job with the Auror Office. I've felt much safer from Death Eaters ever since he took over."

"Yes, he has done a great job," she said, "and he is a very nice boss."

"Didn't you two date at Hogwarts?"

"For awhile, starting in my fifth year. We had a mutual breakup when I graduated from the Auror Academy. I can't even remember what it was about." She shrugged.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" Blaise asked suddenly.

"No. I just think of him as another brother. I could never think of him as anything else now."

"Is it awkward having him for a boss?"

"A little. I've known him since I was about eleven," she said, smiling, "and he saved my life in my first year at Hogwarts. However, it's definitely the fact that we slept together so often that makes it the most awkward." She put a hand to her cheek and looked away, feeling a flush creeping up her cheeks. Had she really just said that aloud? She was absolutely mortified. She really had to get out of her habit of talking too much when she got excited or nervous.

"Did he know what caused the assassination attempt?"

"Yes, actually, he does." Ginny nodded.

"Does he know why you were targeted?"

"It was because I killed Voldemort's snake, Nagini. She was actually a Horcrux."

"A what?" Blaise looked intrigued.

The waitress walked over to deliver their dishes, which were levitating in the air in front of her. The waitress winked at Blaise as she left. Ginny picked up her fork and began to eat, looking up at Blaise as she continued where the conversation had left off.

"A Horcrux is an object or an animal in which a wizard places part of his soul. Voldemort actually made five of them. Isn't that crazy!" she said, taking another sip of her drink.

"So you destroyed one of them. That's good. So now there's more of a chance the Dark Lord can be destroyed. Is that why he didn't die when the Killing Curse rebounded on him?"

"Yes," she said, stalling for an opportunity to change the subject. She felt that there was something very dangerous about speaking of these matters in such a public place.

She trusted Blaise, but what if there was a Death Eater listening to their conversation - like the waitress who dropped off their dishes the moment something interesting came out of her mouth, or that suspicious blonde man reading the book.

There was nothing wrong with revisiting previous material. "You got out of St. Mungo's very fast. Did they find anything serious?"

"No, just a few broken bones and bruises."

"Well, that's good. I thought you got hit by a pretty bad Cruciatus Curse from Bellatrix. I thought we were doomed when she showed up."

"Me too. It's too bad she got away though, don't you think?"

"Yes. She's horrible."

"She is. I've noticed that Harry seems to dislike her more intensely than he does the other Death Eaters. Why is that?"

"Bellatrix killed his godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius was basically the only link he had to his parents."

"Poor guy? Are there any more links to his parents left?"

"Just Professor Lupin."

"How are you enjoying your meal?" asked the waitress, who almost seemed to appear out of the air before them.

"It's wonderful, thank you. We're done now so you can bring us the check," Blaise said politely.

The waitress turned away and Blaise looked back at Ginny. "What were we talking about?"

"Harry's links to his parents," Ginny answered.

"Oh yes. Poor guy," said Blaise, absently. "Does he have any left?"

"Just Professor Lupin. I hope nothing ever happens to him."

"What's Professor Lupin up to now? I haven't seen him since my seventh year when he taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. Always loved that class. It's amazing Professor Lupin was able to hold the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts for more than a year. I bet he broke the curse of the Defense Against the Arts position." Ginny laughed at this. Blaise continued, "Isn't he the headmaster now? I was a bit surprised that he got the position. I thought the Board of Governors would be hesitant to let a werewolf teach, let alone be headmaster."

"Yes," she said looking thoughtful, "I never thought of that before. I'll have to ask him about it sometime.

She took another sip of her wine. The waitress walked over and dropped off the check. "I can take it today. I just received my paycheck yesterday."

"Nonsense, my little puffskein, I have more money than I can think of things to spend it on. And I can take you to your flat, just to make sure you're safe."

"I was actually thinking about going to see Fred and George before I go home. Would you like to come?"

"I'd love to go," he said, looking at his watch, "some other time, my pretty puffskein. I have to speak to the curator of the Museum of Magical Artifacts in London about an Egyptian relic I dug up. They had a question about - well I won't bore you with the details."

He pulled her into a kiss before Disapparating. Ginny frowned slightly at Blaise's abrupt departure and looked to see if the blonde man was still watching her. His head was hidden behind his book. Ginny felt slightly uneasy with two potential Death Eaters watching her. Nevertheless, she put on a brave face and walked down the road to her brothers' store keeping her eyes open for potential followers.

She was in a public place. Surely assassins wouldn't go after her in the middle of Diagon Alley in broad daylight!

Would they?

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she finally came upon a sign sporting bright yellow lettering across a purple background. It read "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes". Their infamous "U-No-Poo" sign was up on display beside another sign advertising their other store in Hogsmeade.

She stepped inside and made a beeline for the back of the store where Fred and George usually were. She didn't expect to make it very far. They had a bizarre knack of finding her before she found them in the store. It had made her wonder if they had placed some kind of charm to indicate when she came in.

She pushed past the crowd of young children whining to their parents about not being allowed to have one item or another.

"But I'll die if I don't get a trick wand, Mummy!" a boy with sandy hair and freckles across his nose moaned.

"I'm not getting one of those again, not after your sister's started hitting me when I picked it up accidentally. I will not allow such foolishness in my house again!" said the mother severely.

"Makes you wonder why she's here," said the blonde man she was passing.

She turned around to address the speaker. As she saw who he was, her eyes widened in surprise. She drew her wand and would have hexed him if he hadn't picked it right out of her hands. She took a step backward.

"What do you want?" she demanded, looking uneasily at her wand, now securely in his grasp. She wished that she could hex that insufferable smirk off his face.

"Not to get hexed, my little smeazle kneazle!" He sniggered, tapping her playfully on the nose.

She slapped his hand away. "Are you making fun of my boyfriend?"

"I would never dream of it," he said sarcastically. "After all, I've ended up on the wrong side of your Bat Bogey hex more times that I'd care to remember."

"Serves you right!" she narrowed her eyes at him. "Were you spying on me when I was out with Blaise? You were the man reading the book! Voldemort sent you to murder me!"

"Why would I waste my time trying to kill you? I was actually keeping an eye on Zabini. And I thought while I was here I might as well pick up some of your brothers' self-inking and spell-checking quills. They're really very useful when I have to grade students' papers."

She crossed her arms defensively. "I thought you would have come up with a better excuse for following me." He raised one eyebrow mysteriously. Ginny knew it was a lost cause to get the information out of him now.

He ignored her comment and said, "I have a lot of papers to grade and with all that's going on this weekend, I might not get another chance to get more pens."

"And then miss the chance to see me?" said a voice behind them.

Ginny turned to see her brother George materialize out of nowhere. She shook her head at him. "You're still wearing those horrid magenta robes?"

"What's wrong with them?" Fred asked as he walked up.

"They look awful. They clash with your hair and can't flatter anyone." Ginny clamped a hand over her mouth. Draco looked at her strangely as if his suspicions were confirmed, though Ginny had no idea what he would be suspicious about. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I just said that."

"Well, I think they look smashing on Verity. What do you think, Gin?" George glared at Ginny.

"They do look nice on her. Hers are a bit more formfitting and they compliment her hair."

Ginny looked up at the front of the store where a pretty woman with short blonde hair was ringing up sales. "I can't believe she's still working here after all these years. I don't know whether to pity or admire the poor girl for putting up with you two for so long."

"At least she doesn't have to put up with Lee as manager at the Hogsmeade branch."

Verity looked up and waved. Ginny wondered if Fred and George had strategically placed any Extendable Ears in the store.

"How's Hermione doing?" George asked, picking a trick wand from a little boy was trying to pocket it.

"She's doing well. It's always stressful with the first baby. Ron was complaining that she's having all sorts of weird cravings at odd hours. A few weeks ago she made him get Chocolate Frogs in the middle of the night and smother them in mustard, then she didn't want to eat them."

George chuckled to himself. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Draco Malfoy smiling a little bit.

"How have you been, Malfoy?" Fred said, materializing from somewhere in the crowd. Ginny had no idea how they did it.

"Fabulous," he said acidly.

"Seen any potential pranksters at Hogwarts?"

"I've had a few students put firecrackers in their potions to blow them up in my face. It happens so often that I've begun to brew antidotes beforehand, but nothing up to your standards. One student even tried to put one of those swamp things in my room a few weeks ago. He had heard the legendary account of your flight and thought it would be funny. He didn't think that I would be able to banish it. I have detention with him later today."

"Way to ruin the fun, Malfoy," George said in mock outrage, "That was one of our greatest creations."

"And most difficult," Fred added.

"The swamp charm is frightfully easy. I could have made it in my sleep." he smirked at them. They smirked back knowingly.

"But none of us can be a fabulous as you, Malfoy," Ginny said mockingly.

"What did the swamp do in the classroom? I would have very much liked to use one Snape while I was still at Hogwarts."

"Well, one of the frogs hopped into a student's cauldron and then started to breath fire. The frog almost burned down one of the tables and set a student's robes on fire."

"Really," Fred said, looking thoughtful.

"Thanks for letting us put up those ads around the school," George said while Fred was still deep in thought. He was most likely thinking about a new product. Ginny didn't dare think what it would be, probably something that breathed fire.

"Don't thank me. Thank Remus. I always suspected that he always had a bit of a wild streak in him anyway. Must be the inner wolf coming out." Draco winked.

"Getting some more quills?" Fred asked, rejoining the conversation.

"They're really useful for grading papers. I let the spell-checking ones go over the essays to catch grammatical problems while I check the other ones for accuracy. Some of my students apparently aren't intelligent enough to use some of your quills to spell-check their work before they turn it in."

"A travesty!" Fred exclaimed.

"I think I might pick up a few of those trick wands, also," Draco said. "Remus loves them. Where do you keep them?"

George Summoned a few. He gave them to Draco and continued the conversation. "Funny that you showed up. I was actually thinking about asking you to brew some Felix Felicis for us," George said, with Fred nodding in approval. "I was thinking about making some kind of good luck mint or something. I'd do it myself but it looked way too complicated."

"I actually have some brewing right now that should be ready in a matter of days. But I'm not sure if you'd be allowed to use it. There are strict guidelines about that stuff and if you take it in excess or too frequently..."

"Is there any way we could put it into some kind or treat?"

"It would be really nice of you to make Felix Felicis treats. Maybe the Death Eaters will actually win the war this time," he scoffed.

Fred cringed as if struck. "You're still sore about that shield cloak incident."

"You should really be careful about who you sell those things to."

Fred and George actually looked sheepish, an expression Ginny couldn't imagine them ever feeling whole-heartedly. She grudgingly looked at Draco with a bit of respect.

Fred changed the subject. "What about Veritaserum Sweets? We've experimented with treats that make you tell the truth but we haven't figured out any charms to use."

"Those are quite possibly the worst ideas I've ever heard of. Not only is the use of both of those potions tightly controlled by the Ministry, all the more powerful potions have side effects, including Veritaserum," he said angrily.

"But only headaches and sometimes nausea. We actually did our research this time!" George said in a pleading tone. Ginny was shocked. Only when they were very serious about something did they do research. Draco might as well give in now.

"Maybe some other time," Draco said, looking at his watch. "I have to prepare for a class I have after lunch. I have the Neville Longbottom of the next generation in this class and I need to safety proof everything."

"But it's only a few minutes after 11 o'clock!"

"And I have to walk up from Hogsmeade. Besides, I need to refill my cupboard. I think I'm running low on dragon toenails and jobberknoll feathers."

"Fascinating," said George sarcastically.

"We'll see you later, Malfoy."

Draco gave Fred the money for the quills and Ginny said, "I think I might go as well. I have to check the wards at Azkaban today."

"Bye, Gin," Fred and George replied before turning to help another customer.

"I need to pick up some more potions ingredients. Care to join me?"

"Sure. I still have a few more questions to ask you."

As they walked out of the store and meandered down the street Ginny voiced a question that had been plaguing her since she saw him at Grimmauld place. "So tell me why you decided to turn over a new leaf? I find it unrealistic, given that you tried to murder Dumbledore, and your family's practice of the Dark Arts," Ginny said, walking past him as he held the shop door open for her.

He muttered a silencing charm around them before speaking, ensuring that no one else could hear what they were saying. "Well, my parents were both Death Eaters and from the cradle, they were always telling me stories about how Muggle-borns were inferior and that Dark Lord was our savior." He put a dozen bezoar stones next to the jobberknoll feathers in his shopping bag and then paused to examine the price on a bottle of dragon livers. "They said he would reward me beyond my wildest dreams for obeying him or punish me beyond my darkest nightmares for defying him."

"I see how that could be true. My parents were always as fervent about rights for Muggle-borns as your parents were against rights for them. Why are you being so open with me?" she asked, puzzled.

"Because you said you wanted to know." He shrugged.

"When I came to Hogwarts, I saw both views about the Dark Lord, but still believed that my view, or more appropriately, my parents' view, to be right. When I turned sixteen during the end of my fifth year, my mother persuaded me to become a Death Eater, seeing as my father was still in Azkaban. The matter with Dumbledore was my first mission. The Dark Lord promised that if I killed Dumbledore, he would break my father out of prison. I was really more concerned about what he would do to me if I refused, so I went through with mission. Besides, I would be helping my father. Little did I know that my father died in Azkaban a week before I executed the whole thing. I didn't find out until I returned home in the summer. Then, of course, I went to Durmstrang for my seventh year because as you can imagine I was never allowed to return to Hogwarts."

"Too bad it didn't stay that way," Ginny interrupted in a scathing tone.

Draco ignored her. He put some powdered moonstone in a container. "After graduation I attended a potions school in Germany and immersed myself in my studies and the service of the Dark Lord. I became more of a behind-the-scenes Death Eater. I was too afraid to fight the Aurors on the front lines and too afraid to resign from the Dark Lord's service. I was still useful to him, however. After Snape was killed by Remus Lupin several years back, I was the only one who could brew many of those very complicated potions that the Dark Lord needs. He was never very good at potions."

Ginny smothered a laugh.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her before continuing, "I never reveled in the death and the torture as the other Death Eaters did, but I tolerated it," he said looking away and running a hand through his hair. "After awhile, though, all I felt was disgust. I resented the Dark Lord ever since that night.. I knew then that he didn't care for any of us; we were all just disposable pawns to be used for his own ends."

As they were nearing the front of the store, he saw a container of armadillo bile, "This'll be useful when the fifth years mix a wit sharpening potion later this year. That class could use a healthy dose of it anyway," he added under his breath. He turned to look at her. "I bet you're just dying to know how I became a double agent."

"Just dying," she said sarcastically.

"It was after my mother died that I decided to find a way out, even as a double agent. After all, I had no one who the Dark Lord could use again me. I had taken extra classes in Occlumency at the potions school in Germany and had become a very skilled Occlumens. Eventually I became better at Occlumency than the Dark Lord was at Legilimency," he said.

"How do you know that?" Ginny asked.

"Because I'm still alive," Draco said giving her a look probably reserved for his less intelligent and Gryffindor students. "The Dark Lord wasn't able to read my real thoughts and emotions so I fed him fake ones. I convinced him to allow me to be a double agent, but I did it in such a way so that he thought it was his own idea." He smirked.

"And he went along with it? I'm surprised Voldemort could be so naïve as to be deceived like that."

"Me too. The Dark Lord decided that it would be best for me to spy at Hogwarts. He believed that Hogwarts was the closest someone with a Dark Mark could get to Order or Auror business. I agreed. It was exactly as I planned. Of course I had already spoken to Remus Lupin and Harry Potter. They agreed to let me work as a double agent for them, feeding them information."

"I don't think it would have been that easy. What really happened?"

"That's a story for another time," he said. "Then the day after I had spoken with the Dark Lord, Slughorn was killed by Death Eaters."

"I knew it! I said Voldemort killed Slughorn so you could be the Potions Master!"

"Can you please let me finish?" he asked a little irritably.

"Go ahead," she said nastily.

"Remus asked me to take over as Potions Master because I was the most qualified. And I could make his Wolfsbane potion for him. And that explains everything, I think. Finite!" he said. Now others would be able to hear him. He put his bag on the counter to pay for his items. He handed the man a few Galleons and held the door for Ginny as they stepped outside.

"I'll take you back to your flat to make sure there are no Death Eaters there."

"That would probably be counter productive"

He looked affronted. "Just for safety's sake, then." He smirked. "Don't want you getting murdered by Death Eaters on your way there."

"Because I would be so much safer with you along," she said sarcastically. She stepped back and Disapparated with a small 'pop'.

She reappeared at her flat and smiled. Finally rid of that Draco Malfoy. Suddenly, there was a pop next to her. She aimed her wand at the new arrival's heart.

"Are you determined to hex me today?" Draco asked.

"Stop following me, Malfoy!" she said angrily. She swayed slightly and Draco grabbed her around the waist, steadying her. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a sudden headache. My second today," she said, pushing his hands away and standing up on her own, leaning the slightest bit against the door.

"Your second?" he said, shocked.

"Yes, I had another one about an hour ago."

"An hour?"

"Yes!" she yelled, slapping at his hands, "I just said that! Let go of me."

"Whatever the lady wants." He smirked and let go. She collapsed. He asked ever so politely, "Would you like me to help you inside?"

"Just check the wards, you git," she said, rising unsteadily to her feet.

After waving his wand a few times to check each of the wards, he helped her - despite her protestations - inside and sat her down on the couch.

"Do you feel nauseous?"

"Yes," she said, annoyed, "go away."

"Your symptoms are reminiscent of somebody who was under the influence of Veritaserum. What have you eaten or drunk in the past hour?"

"What have to done to me, you git?" She slapped his hand away from her forehead.

"I didn't give you anything!" he snapped back. "What have you eaten?"

"I had lunch with Blaise at that new restaurant in Diagon Alley," she sat up suddenly, a mistake, she realized, as her head started spinning. "I bet it was that waitress, she looked very suspicious."

Draco pushed her back down. "Try not to sit up too suddenly. It might make you sick. Usually you won't vomit, you'll just feel nauseous for about fifteen minutes. Headaches and faintness are also characteristic of Veritaserum. And if you have all of them, you must have been fed a healthy serving of it. Do you still have to tell the truth?"

"I dunno. Ask me a question."

"Am I a git?"

"Of course," Ginny replied, not missing a beat.

"You have to lie, stupid. Am I a git?" he repeated

"No, you're wonderful, Drakie," she said simperingly, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Strange that so strong a dose would wear off so soon," he said to himself.

"The waitress gave us some water. I bet it was in there. Blaise brought the wine, but we both drank it. If he put Veritaserum in that, he would have been affected also."

"Did anybody ask you a lot of questions? The waitress, for instance?"

"No, she never spoke to us. Blaise asked me questions. But normal things, like how my day went and so forth."

"Did Zabini ask you anything else?"

"Well, he did ask about Harry and the Auror business I was up to. He finds all that stuff fascinating."

Draco felt cold dread sinking in. "What did you tell him?"

"I don't really remember. Maybe about the Horcruxes? And the waitress walked over several times while we were," she said, as she laid back and closed her eyes.

"You told Blaise about the Horcruxes, you idiot! Did you say you saw me at Harry's house?" Draco demanded.

"No. He never asked me if I'd seen anyone other than Harry," she said a bit more confidently.

Draco let out a breath he didn't know to be holding. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes, I think so. The nausea and whatever else has passed."

"Good. I have to go now. I have a class to teach in about an hour and I need to walk up from Hogsmeade."

He kissed her on the brow and Disapparated.

Ginny stared at the place where Draco had stood.