Something's Missing

Prologue: Intrigues

There has always been one fact about myself of which I have been very aware; I am a romantic. I have always had dreams about galloping off into the sunset with a "knight in shining armour." But you see, what makes me different from all the other romantics out there is that I do not expect my fantasies to actually come true.

There are many professions which I would be extremely proficient at. One, however, I have always fancied above the others, and that is Romance Novelist. Why a romance novelist? You might ask. Why not the next James Joyce or Charles Dickens? Well, first off, have any of you ever read Joyce or Dickens outside of an English course? I thought not. The so-called "classic" novelists are quite dull, actually. I can only stand two classic novelists, Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. What did they write? Romance novels. Pride and Prejudice is a romance novel. Jane Eyre is a romance novel. Most think that romance novels are by nature sordid "bodice rippers" which sad, overweight women without a man read. Boy, are they ever wrong.

In my fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I discovered Hermione Granger reading under her covers. Curious as to which book could convince the practical prefect to lose her precious sleep, I pulled back her covers, and discovered Hermione not re-reading Hogwarts, a History for the millionth time, but reading a Muggle romance novel. She tried in vain to conceal her choice of reading material, but eventually, I managed to trick her into revealing it. Intrigued, I compelled Hermione to lend me one of her many Muggle romance novels.

After finishing the first one, I was just as hooked as Hermione. I found myself reading and caring about the lives of Muggles who lived during the "Regency" period in England. This fascination went as far as to enable me to not only stay awake, but to pay attention during Professor Binns' rather dry History of Magic lectures, trying to figure out what wizards were doing during the period in which Elizabeth and her Darcy had lived.

There were other consequences as well. By my sixth year, I found myself in the predicament in which many romance novel lovers find themselves-there were no good romances left! Moreover, the supply of Wizarding romance novels was almost non-existent, aside from a few strange ones like the Passionate Trousers series... I decided to fill the need by writing a romance novel of my own. The only problem, however, was the lack of experience. I had read how to reform a rake, but had never had any real-life experience in the field. I became determined to find a "rake" in need of reform. I also decided that my favorite hero, Lord Damarel from Georgette Heyer's Venetia, was the template I was going to follow in choosing and reforming my rake.

After what seemed like eons (but was actually little more than a month) I found the perfect candidate, Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Sex God. The archenemy of my brother Ron, and the OTHER arch-nemesis of my erstwhile boyfriend, Harry, but other than that, he was ideal. Except for that whole "evil" thing, that is. He was, like Damarel, a "rake" with a poor reputation. Also like my hero, he was in dire need of a good woman. In addition, there was that "hot as Hades" thing... but that had no influence over my decision whatsoever. I considered myself a scientist, objectively observing the behavior of a strange creature. I thought the role of rake-reforming ingénue suited me very well.

The only challenges at that point were how to go about this reformation without anyone noticing, and who to enlist as allies. Ron, Harry, and my parents could not find out, under any circumstances. Hermione, Lavender, and Colin, however, could be useful allies-if I manipulated them just the teensiest little bit. Knowing that Ron would run to Harry at the first sign of trouble, I circumvented that problem by "borrowing" Harry's invisibility cloak and Marauder's Map.

Determined to write the best romance novel I could, I set off to do some research. Draco's constant companions, I already knew, were Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, the stupidest thugs Hogwarts had seen since their fathers. Draco, however, excelled in all of his subjects except Care of Magical Creatures, which surprised me, as did the fact that his course load was comparable to Hermione the work-a-holic's.

Malfoy had already shagged his way through half of the female population, and seemed hell-bent on working his way through the other half, hence his title, Slytherin Sex God-- which was by no means a misnomer, as I soon discovered. Getting his attention for long enough to enact a transformation of his character would be difficult, I could see. He was arrogant, cold, and calculating. He cared for nothing and no one other than himself and thought that no one could possibly be his equal. His churlishly elegant sneer was the chief manifestation of that. I must confess I often found myself wondering how he managed to keep the sneer in place while in the throes of an orgasm...

Being in a different year was another obstacle I had to work around. I had no classes with the seventh years, but Professor Snape fixed my problem for me halfway through the first term by placing me in Advanced Potions with the seventh years. I highly doubt that he expected me to agree, but he offered, so that was his problem if he didn't want me there.

Potions was always my best subject. I learned how to cook at a young age, my mum being who she is. I would never have dared to tell Snape that I thought of Potions as being similar to cooking-I have no doubt that he would lynch me. The more difficult the potion, the more I enjoyed making it. That would please Snape, after all what was it he said when we were first years? Oh, yes I can't remember the exact phrasing, be he is always going on about how it is a "subtle science" and an "exact art." How can I help it if I think making Polyjuice Potion is similar to making beef stew?!

Part One : Trial and Error

Ginny Weasley sat down in her favorite chair in the Hogwarts library. It faced the stacks, so she could do whatever she wanted and no one would know... however, her current reason for being there was not illicit. It was merely extra advanced potions homework from Professor Snape. He had given her instructions to find out the ingredients for an Umbra Posterum potion. It was not in her textbook, so she had been obliged to trudge all the way from the Gryffindor Tower here. Now to find the right book... Potions were generally found in the 1100s...

Ginny got up and decided to walk through the stacks to get to the potions section. She was so absorbed with trying to figure out what kind of a potion it might be that she bumped into a couple engaged in... amorous relations...

So Malfoy's added Padma Patil to the list, has he? Ginny thought to herself. Aloud, she merely sighed and waited for the couple to clear her a space. It was really quite amusing to see Padma blush and stammer while Draco... who was shirtless... smirked at Ginny as if to say This is what I do. All the time. I won't change...

A brilliant idea came to her... she was supposed to get Malfoy to notice her, right?

"Malfoy..." He looked startled that Ginny was talking to him, "do you know what an Umbra Posterum potion in?"

He gave her a blank look and shook his head. To her surprise, though, he answered her further, "I've never heard of it, but it probably has something to do with shadows. Umbra means 'shadow' in Latin and Posterum means 'follow'. It's probably a stealth potion. Hope that helps." He then flashed a slight grin at her and moved out of her way so she could continue her journey.

Ginny shook her head, surprised that Malfoy was actually being civil... well she would almost call it friendliness! Having Malfoy as a friend might be helpful to her plan... No! Malfoy is arrogant, cold, and calculating. He cares for nothing and no one other than himself. He doesn't have friends. He has minions. If he was being friendly, he had an ulterior motive. She shook her head again, trying to clear her head. It was weird, trying to reconcile her mental image of Malfoy to the real flesh and blood one making out with Padma in the stacks.

Stealth potion, stealth potion, stealth potion... Why wouldn't a stealth potion be in her textbook... if only Hermione was here... she would have explained... After an hour and a half of searching, she gave up. Going back to where she had left her things... avoiding the stacks this time. They were probably gone at this point, but Ginny just wanted to make sure. Draco was hot, to be sure, but she was no voyeur.

Upon entering the Gryffindor common room, she saw no other than Hermione Granger curled up by the fire, reading what looked like a romantic suspense novel with the cover bewitched to look like it was an arithmancy textbook. Creeping up behind the Head Girl, she saw actual arithmancy problems on the page and smiled.

"Hermione!" The Head Girl jumped and covered the book out of habit, and Ginny knew she had been right. "I see that you've improved your deception spell. How are Evelyn and Rothschild?" Hermione smiled guiltily.

"They're kissing for the first time. What did you want?"

Ginny flung herself down on the chair next to Hermione. "I want lots of things. But I do have a question for you... have you heard of the..." she pulled the piece of parchment that she'd scribbled the name down on and read it, "...umbra posterum potion is?"

At Hermione's gasp, Ginny knew she had been right. It was illegal. And not just illegal, it was considered to be one of the key reasons the Dark Arts flourished so. It was indeed a stealth potion, as Malfoy had said.

Hermione detailed to her the exact history of the potion-- how it had been invented by the Dark Wizard Grindelwald as a tool to stalk and later murder victims. It allowed the user to become a particular person's shadow-- literally.

"I guess it's weird then, that Snape asked me to make a list of its ingredients for homework then, huh?" Ginny asked. "I'll go and ask him."

She got up out of her chair and made her way toward Professor Snape's office. She stood outside the door for a moment to get up her nerve. She hated talking to Snape. Especially alone. She was glad that she had paused, for she heard two voices... Snape's and... Malfoy's.

I wonder what they're talking about? She wondered. Still, she needed to find out the answer to her homework, so... she knocked twice on Snape's door. Rap, rap.

"Who is it?" Snape's gruff voice called out.

"Ginny Weasley, sir. I need to talk to you about--" He cut her off.

"Come in, Miss Weasley. I gather your problem is the same as Mr. Malfoy's. I gave the two of you an assignment- to find out the ingredients to the umbra presa potion. But both of you seem to have misheard me."

He ushered Ginny into his office and seated her next to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy thought I wanted the umbra praemissum potion which causes a person's shadow to go before rather than after them. You thought I wanted, according to Mr. Malfoy, an Umbra Posterum potion. But I hardly need tell you what that does. Malfoy knows and no doubt your friend Miss Granger told you all about it. The umbra presa potion gets rid of beards."

Ginny and Draco both looked rather sheepish. Snape smiled malevolently. "As punishment for your poor hearing, the two of you will have to go and collect troia root every day for the rest of the week. Dismissed!"

Ginny was careful not to look at Malfoy lest her glee shine through her mask of indignation. Everything was fitting into place. She had an excuse to hang around Malfoy...

"Oi, Weasley!" Ginny turned around at Malfoy's yell. "Don't even think of trying to transfigure anything into the troia. Snape picked it because it's non-transfigurable."

"Thanks, Malfoy." He had turned around and was lazing his way deeper into the dungeons. "Malfoy!" she yelled. He turne around. "Where does the troia grow?"

"I'll meet you outside that oaf Hagrid's hut and we'll go together, like Snape said."

Ginny did a mental dance of joy and walked off toward Gryffindor tower.