Crystal Power

Chapter 11: - Hogwarts

Vir refused to talk to Draco until it was time for him to leave for his new job.

"Vir, what did I do?" he asked.

"If you don't knew then I'm not telling you."

"If this is over the money for your school supplies then I don't feel that you need an apology." She glowered at him then tried to turn away. His hand reached out and gripped her shoulder. "Talk to me I leave tonight and I don't know when we'll be able to talk again."

"Then go, you have no attachment to me. I'm merely an inconvenience to you." This time he frowned and looked into her eyes.

"If you were an inconvenience I would have got rid of you by now." His voice was cold and cutting.

"Well, why didn't you?" Her red-haired anger flared.

"Torment is much more pleasurable?" he taunted.

"You are intolerable." His eyes drove into hers, his cold steel, hers equally as hard. The longer they stared at each other the thicker the tension became, time passed and their eyes melted until the cold steel became liquid mercury. His grip softened and he stepped closer, time seemed to slow. He placed his hand from her shoulder into her hair, the other he rested on her waist. The space between them became less and their mouths closed in. Their lips melded and tongues danced, his hands becoming lost in her auburn curls. Her eyes closed and her body relaxed against his. Time ticked by and they became more lost in each other, they separated as their need for oxygen became desperate. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she gasped slightly.

"Oh, I..." she stuttered, Draco licked his lips and smiled.

"Virginia, I must leave now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a chain. "Here, take this."

"What is it?" she questioned taking it and looking at the pendant.

"Anytime you want to know where I am just hold the pendant, and you'll see."

"Why give it to me? You must have a girlfriend somewhere."

"Only my dear Pansy, but she's not talking to me."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"No, she's screeching." She let out a laugh and then covered her mouth with a hand. "Besides, I want you to have it. Oh, and you'd better have your original wand." He turned and picked up her wooden wand and passed it to her.

"Thanks. Draco, I'll miss you."

"You too, Fox." He kissed her cheek and then apperated.

"Fox?" she asked the empty room.

*****

Vir was dropped off at the station by the Malfoy's only human (alive anyway) servant. She pushed her trolley with her trunk onto platforms nine and ten and then ran at the wall between the two. The bright red steam train hissed and she cringed at all the other Hogwarts students that were milling around. Her trunk was loaded onto the train and she boarded. Sighing she walked to the front of the train and sat alone in the compartment for the prefects and head boy and girl. Vir wanted to relinquish her position as head girl but Harry persuaded her. She sat alone waiting to begin the journey north, back to the sanctuary of the Scottish castle. She knew that she had a lot of options to consider this year.

"Ginny?" a voice asked. Vir ignored it and continued to think. "Hello, earth to Ginny." This time a hand waved in front of her face, she looked up at the person.

"Shane, I'm sorry I was elsewhere." He smiled and sat down.

"Hey, I heard you weren't coming back after... So how are you?"

"I'm ready to be head girl, that's not what you meant is it?" The raven-haired Ravenclaw shrugged. "I'm fine with that, I'm coping. How are you?"

"Me? Well I think my Dad has finally gotten over the fact I'm in Ravenclaw not Slytherin like him, I think Steph helped there though." The train pulled out of the station and the huffed and puffed its way out of London and continued through acres of countryside. Shane and Vir made idol chatter most of the way and only had to split up three fights between a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors.

"Why didn't you answer to Ginny earlier?" Shane asked as the second years and above piled into the horseless carriages.

"Oh, it's Vir now. I decided I'm too old to be called Ginny." She smiled and climbed aboard.

*****

The elder students lined their tables in the Great Hall and waited for the first years to be escorted in by McGonagall. As usual Dumbledore stood and addressed the student body once they had been.

"Firstly, I would like to introduce two new members of staff. Our new defence against the dark arts professor, Professor Volkoff and our apprentice potions professor, Mister Malfoy." Vir's head snapped up and she stared at the staff table. Draco was sat next to Snape, who was, as usual looking stern and formidable. "Some of you may know Mister Malfoy, a former student at Hogwarts and prefect." Three of the Hogwarts houses seventh years groaned. Vir tuned out until the food appeared, cheering every time a new Gryffindor joined the ranks. She ate quietly offering only a few words to those around her and then helped heard the other students to Gryffindor tower. Timetables had been issued and Vir wasn't at all pleased to see that her first lesson was potions. Thankfully she was able to retire quite early to her private room. Vir had never been one to socialize with those in her own dorm and so she'd never made too many friends, Hermione Granger was probably her closest friend but she had gone on to become an Auror with Harry. She nestled between the sheets and fell asleep clutching at the pendant.

*****

Vir was sat at Gryffindor table eating a slice of toast; she watched the staff table with a degree of interest. Owls swooped into the large hall delivering letters and parcels. She watched a grand eagle owl gracefully drop a letter on to Draco's plate and then leave. He ripped open the envelope and read the letter, once complete he folded it and slipped it inside his robe. Vir waited until a group of seventh years left to depart herself. They walked mournfully down to the dungeons for their lesson, as usual they lined up outside the door. Snape breezed down the corridor and opened the door, as Vir was about to follow the other students inside an arm grabbed her and pulled her aside. Her eyes met with those of ice.

"I need to talk with you," he pressed some parchment into her hand and then entered the classroom. She followed and met with the steely gaze of Snape.

"Late, Weasley. Sit, you will serve a detention." She slipped into her seat next to Shane and secretly opened the note. "And to think the first detention of the year is awarded to the head girl. Ten points from Gryffindor, not the best way to start the year."

'Sorry.' it read, she then silently paid attention to Snape's lesson.

*****