Crystal Power

Chapter 9: - Deeper than the Soul?

Draco sat alone drinking. He knew he should be celebrating but the alcohol was numbing the residual pain from the curse Vir had applied. He was confused; he'd never imagined that Vir's soul contained a vast blackness. A harshness required to execute a forbidden curse on another living soul. The wand must have evoked and enhanced that within her. But she had changed, deeper than the soul. She'd teased him; she was very unlike the girl he remembered from the halls at Hogwarts. He wasn't adverse to this change; it provided a whole new world of opportunity.

*****

Vir stood in her room tapping her cheek with her new wand. She looked at the blackness beyond her windowpane and how it was offset by the bright moon. She smiled and felt like a new person, she needed a new image to accompany this new person. On the dresser she found a pair of scissors, she sat before the mirror and enchanted the sharp implements. With a gentle wave of her wand she had them cut her hair into a neat shoulder length bob.

"Hmm," she sighed, twisting strand of auburn hair around her finger.

*****

"My Lord?" Draco's head snapped up at the figure that had entered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We have word that the Ministry is planning a second raid on the manor."

"When?"

"Today, as to the exact time we are unsure." Draco closed his eyes thoughtfully, and then a smile crossed his face.

"Very well, if Potter wants Virginia he shall have her." He turned to in Death Eater. "Inform Miss Weasley that we will be returning to Malfoy Manor within the hour. Tell her to meet with me in here when she has eaten." They had lost six hours in their meeting with Dominique and though he felt invigorated he still felt tired. He frowned at the expression on the other man's face and waved him out of the room.

*****

Vir ate peacefully and then, as was requested met with Draco in his study.

"What the Hell did you do to your hair?" he bellowed as soon as he saw her.

"Do you like it?" she replied.

"What made you do it?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Neither did you."

"Vir, it looks lovely. But what possessed you?" he asked. 'Stupid question really, it's that damn wand.'

"I wanted a change, besides we'll be seeing Harry today and I wanted to surprise him."

"You'll be surprising him sufficiently just by being alive. What do you want to do? Give him a heart attack?" He raised an eyebrow, which she mimicked. "Let's go, we've had this fireplace put into the Floo network."

"Officially?"

"What do you think?" She smiled and took a pinch of the offered Floo Powder.

"Malfoy Manor." With that she stepped into the flames and with a whoosh she was gone. He followed her promptly, looking forward to seeing the expression on Potter's face when he saw his little Ginny as a dark witch rather than a perfect Gryffindor.

On leaving the fireplace he was amazed that he didn't see Vir. She wasn't anywhere in the large open lounge. He called out to her but received no answer. Panic swept over him, 'what if she's escaped?' He then inhaled deeply; realising she had very little opportunity to run and she wouldn't have been able to use the Floo network without Floo Powder. He simply concluded that she had just gone elsewhere and that he wasn't to worry. He slumped into a large chair and fell asleep.

Draco groaned when he heard a loud banging that pulled him kicking and screaming from sleep. He pried his eyes open and waited, running a hand through his tousled hair. A well-dressed ghost swept into the room followed by Harry Potter.

"Where is she Malfoy?" Harry snarled.

"Nice to see you too Potter." Draco drawled expertly applying his patented smirk. "I'm a busy man now Potty, I can't continue to waste my time in these conversations. Surely, you are in a similar situation."

"What do you do Malfoy other than sit on your fat arse?" Out of the corner of his eye Draco spotted Vir.

"I have a very important job, however...."

"Harry James Potter, Draco doesn't have a fat arse, nor a fat anything except maybe his..." The red head bounced into the room and pointed her finger at Harry.

"Ginny! What happened to your hair?" The black haired man swept her up and hugged her.

"Ugh, put her down. Your acting like a right git." Draco's face caused Vir to laugh out loud.

"Draco, stop it. You look like you just found your parents in a compromising situation," she giggled.

"Terrible mental picture, Vir. If I could ever imagine my parents in a compromising situation." Harry let go of the giggling girl and flew at Draco.

"You think your so good Malfoy, just because you have money. Well that's not true and I'm glad that I get the privilege of arresting you." The dark haired man was holding the blonde by his throat pressing his cheek into the wall. Suddenly, the grip vanished and Harry was moving backwards. Vir had her wand trained on him and set him down on the chair. She went to Draco's side and brushed his hair from his face. Harry sat in a stunned silence as he watch her.

"I get the feeling that more than your hair has changed Ginny."

"IT'S VIR, HARRY. VIR, NOT GINNY, I'M NOT FIVE ANYMORE." The fiery red head snapped, with a few sparks unintentionally shooting from her wand as she shook it at Harry. "AND YOUR RIGHT, MORE THAN THE STYLE OF MY HAIR HAS CHANGED SINCE I LEFT SCHOOL FOR THE HOLIDAYS. I'M AN OLDER PERSON, I HAVE LOST MY FAMILY." She couldn't be sure but she suspected that Harry muttered something like:

"his fault," directed at Draco. "GROW UP HARRY. I'VE LEARNT THINGS ABOUT MYSELF; I HAVE DONE THINGS. I AM CONFIDENT; I HAVE AN IMPORTANT FUTURE. I NEED DRACO NOT YOU."

*****