Finding a Reason

"Good," Draco thought. "At least someone believed there was a chance this would turn out differently." Ginny silently pressed the ring into his palm.

"We have to go," Harry said.

"Potter," Draco nodded.

"I'll see you again," said Ginny.

"Not like this," Draco said evenly. Ginny nodded, and then looked at Harry. Harry took her arm and for the third time in Draco's life, led Ginny away. Draco wondered what Ginny would have done without Harry to lead her away. Draco looked down at the serpent on his ring. It's once emerald eyes were now glistening rubies.

He watched them retreat down the stone corridor. Neither one looked back at him before turning the corner. He was glad of this at first; he would have felt it fairly stupid and altogether anticlimactic to wave after what had just happened. But all the same--damn her. She couldn't spare him one last look?

A black owl swooped through the iron window frame and into the Slytherin common room. Someone was still awake. "Good to know," he thought, turning back into his room and retreating from any human contact.

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

Harry and Ginny walked in silence for several minutes. Ginny was still trying to wrap her mind over the day's events and gauging Harry's silence, suspected he was doing the same. "Harry?" she asked. He stopped and turned to her, looking greatly relieved that the silence had been broken.

"Yes?"

"Please don't tell Ron about what happened in the dungeon, you know, with the robe and all," she flushed.

"The part where you hexed me, disrobed, and then threw yourself at Malfoy? Why? Do you think that would surprise them?" Harry asked, widening his eyes then smiling.

"Git," Ginny laughed, batting him on the arm lightly. She blew out a breath and covered her face. "I mean it Harry," she said from under her hands. "That was the single most awful, embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me!"

"Ron should know that you were under a curse tonight. I'm not going to tell him about that part," Harry said.

"Please! None of it. Hermione will start asking questions, and sooner or later they'll piece it together. Please promise me!" Ginny said, her fear heightening. "What if people find out?! Oh, Harry, please, please, please..." She should have expected this from Harry, but really she had not.

"Ginny, no one is going to find out. It's strictly between you and me. Oh, and Draco, Lucius, Wormtail, and Nott. Good Lord. You are screwed, aren't you?" he laughed.

"Stop," she said, laughing nervously.

"It's a secret," he said, making a motion of sealing his lips and throwing away the key. "I don't expect any of them will be too keen on making any confessions, but I promise to memory charm the entire school if I need to," he said with a smile that dissolved into a more somber expression. "Ron is my best friend. You can't ask me to not tell him that I saw someone use on of the Unforgivables on his sister," Harry said gently.

"I'm sorry. It's not fair for me to ask that," Ginny relented. Harry drew her into an embrace. She wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck and pressed her face into his shoulder. He smelled like firewood from the floo and must from the dungeons. He brushed a kiss against her cheek.

"Come on," he whispered, and together they returned to the common room.

Hermione and Ron had both been up waiting for them. It appeared that Hermione had spent several hours unsuccessfully trying to calm Ron. At least she had been able to persuade him to hold off on alerting the Order. He was so relieved to see them return, and intrigued by the story (Harry spared the details of 'the knickers incident' as promised) especially the part that involved his own untapped powers, that he did not linger on the idea that all of this had been done without him.

"So now they have You-Know-Who's blood and the ring?" Ron asked with concern.

"Draco has the ring," Ginny corrected.

"That's not very encouraging," Ron said darkly.

"I expect Lucius is already working out another way to use it," Hermione said.

"He can't really though," Harry said. "Only Ginny has had abilities with it, and now she can use it well enough to resist Lucius."

"How did you manage to summon all of those wands?" Ron asked, half in concern, half impressed.

"Hermione helped me practice the Summoning Charm with it, so I can disarm. That's really the only thing I can do," Ginny said meekly, bracing herself for what would come next. Ron's face darkened. He rounded on Harry.

"Did you know about this? That Hermione and my sister were practicing dark magic?" He asked tightly.

"Of course not," Harry said truthfully.

"Don't be stupid, Ron! It saved our lives," Ginny said.

"Oh for goodness sake, Ron! The Summoning Charm is not dark magic," said Hermione, her face beginning to darken.

"The ring belonged to You-Know-Who! Any magic is dark magic!" Ron countered. "You're the one who's supposed to be so effing smart! It's stupid enough for Ginny to expose herself to any more of his remains, but it's especially stupid for you!" His eyes flashed and he waited for Hermione to react. He wanted her to challenge him, wanted as many opportunities as possible to make her regret exposing herself and Ginny to Voldemort. But she said nothing. Her collar was wet from silent tears. Harry and Ginny stood in silence, neither daring to say anything that would incite Ron or Hermione further.

Above them, someone opened a wooden door, and then promptly shut it. The echo from the door faded and all that remained was the soft crackle of the fire. Hermione covered her face in her hands and continued crying. Ron walked over to her. "Oh, bloody hell, Hermione," he sighed. She didn't reply. He tilted his head down toward her and gently pulled her hands away from her face "I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you, to any of you," he said softly.

"I'm really sorry, Ron. You know that I would never, ever-- "her voice broke. He pulled her into an embrace. Ginny moved toward them and Ron put one arm around his sister. Harry closed the space and accepted Ginny's hand when she offered it, stroking Hermione's hair with his other hand. He leaned his forehead against Ginny's and closed his eyes.

"It's alright, Hermione," Harry said. "Everyone's okay. That's all that matters for now."

**********

Theodore Nott was a handsome boy. With his coal black hair sweeping over his azure eyes, he had the subtle grace of a slumming rich boy. The flat line of silver buttons on his immaculate robes accentuated a lean frame, hardened by years of private Quidditch camp. The Slytherin girls appreciated this. The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw girls glanced at him with guilty pleasure. Even the Hufflepuff girls noticed, not that that was of any consequence to him. Marcus Flint had once pointed out all of these attributes, noting that Theodore did not press his sensuality to his own advantage nearly enough. That whole conversation made Theodore fairly uncomfortable, and it was no small relief when Marcus had to repeat sixth year, and subsequently moved to a different room.

Marcus was right, though. But people underestimated the difficulty of being a wealthy, evil, sexy being who looked down on pretty much everyone and everything; it was a much harder job than he felt he was given credit for. And although daughters from powerful Death Eater families were plentiful, there was an ever-looming problem with aesthetics. Theodore had spent the better part of his adolescence silently admiring the wives of Death Eaters. Narcissa Malfoy (the muggle term MILF about said it), Gabrielle Zabini (stunning), Greta Goyle (shockingly beautiful, considering), Presley Parkinson (most spectacular looking if you could get past the cold I-will-probably-poison-you-in-the-end vibe). Yes, he had to admit that his father and his associates had all managed to land incredible women. He sighed. His contemporaries left much to be desired. This was becoming of increasing alarm to the dark wizards. Pretty much every galleon from the muggle pillaging (they'll never stop pillaging; they love the pillage) from last summer was spent sending the majority of the Slytherin girls to glamour camp. It had not all be for naught. Pansy's new nose was quite pretty, and the house elves no longer confused Millicent and Crabbe's robes in the laundry. Then there was Blaise Zabini. Theodore had known her since childhood. She merited being sorted into Slytherin as much as anyone in their house. With her soft blonde ringlets and pretty pink lips, her eyes seemed all the more blue. She was a small girl with sparkling eyes and a deceptively angelic smile when she wanted something. Yes, Blaise Zabini was a pretty little thing. And she wanted him. Better hold on to this one.

"Theodore."

"Blaise. Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked.

"I've no need for beauty rest," she said.

"No, you never have," he smirked. She sat down next to him and they both stared into the fire. Theodore held a crumpled parchment in his hand. "Seems Malfoy's off the hook. His father rid him of the Weasley girl." Blaise took the letter and read it. Long before any romantic- if one could categorize the way people such as Slytherins loved as romantic- liaisons, Theodore and Blaise had a long and deep mutual respect. They kept no secrets.

"Malfoy has a horseshoe up his arse. If the rest of Slytherin House found out about this, it would do more than just knock him down a few pegs," Blaise snorted. On her, even a snort was pretty.

"Mm," Theodore agreed.

"I see they want you to step in where Draco has failed," Blaise sighed. "They might know that you won't be of much help." Theodore looked crossly at her.

"I might be," he said in an injured voice.

"Yes, like that time second year when Lucius Malfoy asked you what you knew about the Ron Weasley?" Blaise said, arching her eyebrow.

"I choked," Theodore said.

"I, er, heard that his sister fancies Harry Potter," Blaise mimicked.

"Well, I thought he might be pleased that I had something on Potter," he said indignantly.

"Or fifth year when you told my father and Peter Pettigrew that Potter had gotten a new pet?" Blaise laughed.

"You know the Dark Lord was not pleased they couldn't catch his owl. I thought a dog might be a bit easier. I was trying to be helpful!" Theodore said, locking fingers with Blaise. It was just as when they played "mercy" as children. He had always let her win. Her fingers pushed his. His wrists bent back farther and farther. He suddenly pulled her forward, quickly spinning to pin her underneath him. Their faces were inches apart. She tilted her chin toward him in anticipation. He was fairly indifferent to the attention he received from other girls, but it never ceased to gratify him that the most beautiful girl he had ever known wanted him. "Any more touching memories you'd like to share?" he whispered. He leaned his head down toward her. Their lips brushed.

CRACK

Theodore shot his head up, and glared at a very guilty looking Crabbe and Goyle. Neither he nor Blaise bothered to move. "What is it?" he asked irritably.

"Sorry, mate. I got an owl from my father. He said I was supposed to do whatever you told me to," said Goyle. Crabbe hastily reparoed a small lampshade.

"Oh, for goodness sakes!" hissed Blaise.

"Did it occur to you that I might be a bit busy at the moment?" Theodore snapped. Crabbe and Goyle looked appropriately chastised. "Very well. If you want to make yourself useful, figure out what Weasley does with himself after Quidditch practice."

"Alright, then," Crabbe said, as he and Goyle backed out of the room. Theodore turned his attention back to Blaise for moment, the sighed and lifted his head back up.

"Wait."

"Huh?

"Whatever you do, don't tell Malfoy about this," he sighed heavily.

"Alright," Goyle said, though he and Crabbe looked clearly vexed at the prospect of hiding anything from Draco Malfoy. The door shut and Theodore and Blaise were alone again. They shifted back up to sitting positions. Blaise looked at him with widened eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Blaise. I would never betray Malfoy. But this is what my father asked." Blaise nodded. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He was proud of what he was. Of where they had both come from. But there were moments, such as this, when secrecy threatened to scrape away at one of the only true friendships he had, when he wondered what it would be like if he, Blaise, and Draco had been raised differently. But that was useless. We are what we are, right?

They both sat and stared at the fire until it died out.

******

Draco spent the better part of the night starring into the darkness of his room. With Crabbe and Goyle lurking elsewhere, the room was deadly silent. "The one night I might benefit from some distraction," Draco thought ruefully. Nott was no doubt off with Zabini somewhere. As for the fifth bed, well, even in this state, he was not sorry about Flint's absence. There was just something dodgy about any man who used that much hair product.

After a fitful sleep, he relented and forced himself to get up. He would have an early breakfast and retreat back to his room before the rest of the bloody school woke up. There was a Ravenclaw / Hufflepuff Quidditch match this weekend. If he stayed behind, he was guaranteed at least a modicum of privacy. He padded out into the common room. Theodore Nott was sprawled on the couch with one hand serving the dual purpose of holding a parchment and pillowing his head. The other arm was thrown over Blaise.

"Doesn't it concern you that Snape just might catch you one of these days?" Draco asked. Theodore jumped slightly and blinked sleepily.

"Snape despises human contact. Why on earth would he be in our dormitory?"

"Good point."

"Are you going down for breakfast?" Draco asked.

"Not for a while," Theodore said, moving his hand from Blaise's crown to the back of her neck. Draco nodded. He walked toward the portrait, casting one last glance back to the couch. Theodore had wrapped both arms around Blaise and leaned his chin against her cheek. Draco sighed and walked out.

******

Ginny woke up. She could not remember feeling more stiff. Turning her head slightly, she began to reorient herself to her surroundings. She had fallen asleep on the common room floor. Her head was pillowed on Harry's lap, who was leaning against the couch. Hermione and Ron were still fast asleep at opposite ends of the couch. Harry's eyes were open, but he did not look at her.

"You were talking about Malfoy in your sleep," he said evenly.

"Was I?" Ginny asked. Harry made a non-committal noise and continued to stare straight ahead into the fire.

******

In Theodore's opinion, Goyle and Crabbe were utterly useless. He couldn't see why Draco chose them as pets. He would have been better off with a nice owl or even a pair of toads. Crabbe had assured him that Ron Weasley had headed to Hagrid's hut after the Ravenclaw / Hufflepuff match, but when Theodore arrived, the hut was empty. He was just about to return to the castle when he heard voices. He quietly walked along the side of the hut and peered into the back garden. Weasley's sister and Granger were behind the pumpkin patch leaning over a small cauldron. They both looked up at him and he swore to himself. He didn't really want to bother with anyone except for Ron Weasley, who was no where in sight at the moment. But it was no matter. He didn't really consider either girl much threat.

"What is it, Nott?" Hermione asked. Her robes were smudged with earth and her hair was tied in a clumsy ponytail. Her glare was only slightly less suspicious than that of Ginny's. Ginny hastily turned the book that was sitting by the cauldron upside-down. Theodore walked over to the girls and lowered himself nimbly to the ground. When Hermione made a muffled noise of frustration, he smirked and propped himself up on his elbows.

"Not brewing any illegal potions, are we girls?" he asked casually.

"Of course not!" Hermione said indignantly. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes hastily darted toward the book.

"Ginny already did you the favor of turning it over," he said. "Really, girls, it's not as if I couldn't summon it if I had half an interest, but I really don't care."

"Then what do you want?" snapped Ginny.

"Yes," said Ron, walking out of the clearing, "that's what I'd like to know." Ron was holding his broomstick in his hand, and his face was flushed from flying.

"If you must know," Theodore sighed dramatically, "Granger dropped this outside of Hagrid's hut." He tossed a small book no larger than size of his palm towards Hermione. "Let's hope Weasley has inherited some of Potter's hero complex," he thought to himself.

"Don't touch it!" Ginny shrieked, just as Hermione reflexively caught at the book. Ginny and Ron both raised their wands as Hermione's fingertips made contact with the book.

But nothing happened. Hermione exhaled with perhaps a mixture of relief and annoyance.

"I've never seen this before," she said to Ron, who was now standing between her and Theodore. Ron took the book and flipped the pages.

"Very dependable of you, Weasley," Theodore thought. He raised his wand and shouted "PORTUS!"

Ron felt his body lurch forward and heard Hermione and Ginny yelling as the forest disappeared.

Ginny ran toward Theodore. "Where did he go?! Why him?! It's me they want!" she shrieked.

"No one of any consequence wants you Weasley, not anymore," he said uncharitably. "Does that disappoint you? I can't see what the fuss is myself, but Draco always did have a passive aggressive streak in him where his father was concerned. You're an abysmal dishonor to purebloods; associating with this mudblood lot. See where it has landed you?"

Ginny replied back with something rude.

"STUPEFY!" Ginny soundlessly fell to the ground. He pointed his wand at Hermione. She was pointing hers right back at him. "Don't be stupid, Granger. You're lucky I don't just Obliviate both of your memories," he sighed.

"What's wrong Nott? You don't think that we're worthy competition for your father and his Death Eater friends?!" Hermione hissed.

"Pretty much," Theodore shrugged. "ACCIO!" Hermione's wand flew out of her hand. Her eyes darted toward Ginny, then back to him. For the first time, she looked fearful. "You're on my list next."

"Pardon me," Hermione said.

"You," Theodore said quickly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You once had a Time Turner. Where is it now?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about," Hermione said. Theodore stepped forward and cocked his finger into her chest.

"Potter has it, doesn't he? I'll just have to ask him myself. You're every bit as useless as I imagined. STUPEFY!"

*******

Harry went directly to the Great Hall for dinner after his (recently reinstated) Occlumency lesson. Initially he was not terribly fussed about the absence of his friends, but toward the end of the meal he became more concerned. He hadn't the faintest idea where they were, and judging by the amount of Gryffindors who had asked for them, neither did anyone else. He slipped out of the dining hall and into an empty classroom.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered. The Marauders Map illuminated the stone wall and the shiny veneer or Harry's wand. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Mischief managed," he whispered.

*******

Ron had never particularly liked traveling by a portkey before. And he especially disliked it this time. The stone floor in Lucius' study was particularly cold and surprisingly jagged considering this was considered one of the finest wizarding homes in all of England. He looked up at Lucius and Nott with great irritation.

"I'll bet you're surprised to see me," he said fiercely.

"Oh, no," Lucius drawled. "On the contrary I have been expecting you for quite some time." He looked at Ron's bewildered face and smirked. "Oh, Mr. Weasley, we have much to talk about. But first, I have something to show you. I'm sure you will find it very interesting."

*******

"PROTEGO!" Draco shouted from behind Hermione. But it was too late, and Hermione crumpled to the ground, precariously close to the flame under the cauldron. Theodore gave Draco a withering look. He raised his wand slightly, and then cast and extinguishing spell on the flame.

"I thought your whole liaison with this lot was supposed to be incognito, Malfoy," Theodore said, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't suppose you have been corresponding with my father," Draco said roughly.

"It's nothing to take personally. Actually, you should be thanking me. They'll be more likely to overlook your failure if I help them."

"What exactly have you been asked to do?" Draco said, kneeling down next to Ginny. He remembered how distraught she had been in the library when the Dementors were loose, how vulnerable she looked in Fazen's grip, how frightened she had been to encounter Tom Riddle at Azkaban. Each of those times he had reached for his wand. Each of those times he was ready to protect her. He was ready to fight. But this time was very different. Theodore Nott? He would sooner turn his wand on himself than come to blows with his oldest friend. But Ginny was in a class of her own. He seized Ginny's spell book and rose to his feet: Madame Fleurben's Glamour Charms. He inwardly rolled his eyes. Theodore reached for the book and smirked.

"Well, that dispels any plausibility of us claiming 'self defense'. What do you suppose we do now? Do you know any memory charms?" Theodore asked conversationally. Draco rounded on him, grabbing his friend by the collar and pushing him against Hagrid's hut. Twigs crackled beneath their feet, and sediment crumbled from the force.

"What did you do to them?" Draco hissed.

"I stunned them. You watched me do it. Well, to Granger at least. Why? What does it look like I did?" Nott asked.

"Before you stunned them! Tell me why you felt it beneficial to risk being caught in the woods with two stunned girls!" Draco snapped.

"It does look rather dodgy," Theodore conceded.

"Yes. It looks very dodgy," Draco snapped.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Theodore and Draco both started, and turned swiftly toward the direction their wands had flown. Harry stood in the clearing. His green eyes were blazing with anger. He lunged at Draco, sending them both toppling to the ground. After a momentary struggle, Harry straddled Draco, with his wand pressed firmly into the other boy's throat.

"Talk about looking dodgy," Theodore drawled.

"You couldn't just leave her alone, could you?" Harry said harshly. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Get off me, Potter," Draco choked. "I had nothing to do with this. I was trying to find out what happened to them!"

"Liar!" Harry said in a low, dangerous voice. The tip of his wand sank deeper into Draco's skin. "You just love this, don't you?"

"That's right, Potter. I can't think of a better way to spend my wedding night than watching my wife bawl her eyes out, then divorce me before I even get to second base," Draco choked out.

Harry clenched Draco's free wrist so hard Draco could feel the bruises forming. He pressed his wand harder. "Your problem will always be that you don't know when to quit! I should just kill you now and save myself the trouble of waiting until you're a full fledged Death Eater!"

"Nott!" Draco ineffectively yelled. It came out as more of a wheeze.

"Right," Theodore said, swiftly pulling Harry upward by the back of the robes and throwing him unceremoniously backward.

"How long were you just going to stand there and watch?!" Draco snapped. Theodore just gave him a withering look. Suddenly both boys were forced toward each other. Two scarlet cords sprang from Harry's wand, tethering the boys to the base of a black oak tree.

"ENNERVATE!" Harry said, as he walked toward Hermione and Ginny.

"Fabulous, Nott. They're about to give Potter a full report of whatever it was you did to them," Draco said, allowing his gaze to flick to Ginny. Harry placed his hands around her small waist and helped her to her feet. He ran his thumb across her cheek to clear away some gravel. "You better pray to God you didn't hurt them. Weasley's Neanderthal brother will break your neck."

"And yet, you're secretly relieved that their most likely telling Potter that you had nothing to do with this. Right now Potter is probably choking on his own tongue in frustration because his little girlfriend is restraining him from coming over here and hexing the hell out of you. Don't tell me that doesn't gratify you a bit." Theodore said knowingly. Draco scowled. They had been like brothers since infancy. Theodore knew his darkest secrets; was able to read his thoughts. Theodore was smug enough without anyone telling him that this observation was spot on. Both boys sat in silence as Harry stalked back over to them. Draco could not help but feel ever so slightly triumphant when Harry kicked Nott in the stomach, then visibly flinched to restrain himself when he and Draco locked glares. Ginny and Hermione were standing on either side of Harry. They both glared at Nott as well.

"Tell me right now where that portkey went," Harry said harshly as he pointed his wand at Theodore. "And don't you dare lie."

"Oh, come off it Potter. How would--"

"LEGILIMENS!" Harry shouted. A series of images flooded Harry's brain. Nott's memories. Blaise Zabini turning quickly to smile at him, her curls bouncing behind her. Draco smirking and tossing his Quidditch gloves to him, a crumbled up piece of parchment. Harry concentrated and tried to hone in on the parchment, sensing that it was important. Although he could not read the letter, a faster series of images came to him. The face of Lucius Malfoy in the fire. Ron's shocked expression before disappearing. Harry's head snapped up. Nott looked fearful. Draco, Ginny, and Hermione looked at Harry expectantly.

"Well, what a surprise," Harry said in a low voice. He waved his wand and Draco fell away from the tree, however Nott could still not move. "Get up, Malfoy."

"Are you just going to leave me here?" Nott asked, suddenly alarmed as Draco and the girls retreated from the tree.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll have Ron send Blaise an owl to let her know where you are. I do hope I find him soon," Harry shot back, and then spun toward the others. He trained his wand on Draco. "Can you think of a reason- and it doesn't even need to be a particularly good one- why your father would be interested in kidnapping Ron?" Harry asked roughly.

"Oh, I can't imagine, Potter," Draco snapped. "I don't suppose this new interest is at all related to my father being a Death Eater and Weasley having the ability to facilitate the resurrection of the Dark Lord!"

"Ron's will be of age in two weeks!" Hermione spat. "And he would never help your father!"

"My father is a bloody Death Eater, Granger! Do you really think he is going to let Weasley evade him for two weeks?"

"What will happen to him?" Hermione asked nervously.

"If my father has not persuaded him into taking the mark, uh, well you really don't want to know," Draco said.

"You think Ron could die?!" Hermione shrieked.

"No one's dead!" Harry snapped.

"We're wasting time!" Hermione wailed at Harry. "We know where Ron is. We have to go save him. Now!"

"No!" Draco yelled at her. "Not you. Neither of you," he said indicating Ginny. "I'll go."

"You?! I don't trust you! You're not going anywhere alone with Harry!" Hermione shrieked. "I'm going to find Ron! If you don't take me, then I'll go anyway!" Hermione stalked away and started gathering her belongings. Harry walked after her. Draco strained to hear what he was telling her, but he was speaking in a low voice. Harry's hand was firmly on Hermione's shoulder. His head was inclined toward hers and his fingers brushed away a few tears from her cheek. Draco turned toward Ginny, who was leaning against a tree also watching Harry and Hermione.

"I suppose you're going to be difficult about his as well," he sighed.

"I'm going to get my brother, if that's what you're asking," Ginny said, keeping her eyes focused on Nott.

"You're lack of trust isn't driving you to tears like your friend, I see," Draco snapped as he glared at Hermione. Ginny turned to him and their eyes met.

"I would trust you with my life," Ginny said evenly. "But that doesn't mean I would trust you with Ron's." She pushed herself away from the tree and walked over to Harry and Hermione.

After much argument and compromise, Harry agreed to let Hermione and Ginny help. More so because Hermione and Ginny refused to rescind their threat to go with or without Harry. After further discussion, Hermione begrudgingly agreed that perhaps it would be beneficial for Draco to assist with breaking into his own home.

Another benefit to including Draco was the floo access he had from his room. Even Hermione had to concede that it would be much faster to floo to Draco's bedroom at the manor with him, as opposed to sneaking out of Hogwarts and into Hogsmeade, then facing the various wards that protected the Malfoy home.

Hermione had only been in the wizarding world for seven years. With her voluminous reading and multitude of adventures, it was getting increasingly difficult for anything to surprise her anymore. The fact that she was now standing in Draco Malfoy's bedroom certainly succeeded in surprising her. Any although ninety-eight percent of the things he said made her want to hex him senseless, their were an increasing amount of times when she caught herself believing that perhaps he was not as hopelessly, inherently evil as she thought. Like the way he caught her arm when she stumbled in the entrance to the Slytherin common room. When they had stood inside Draco's room, perhaps it had suddenly occurred to Ginny how much danger her brother was in. She had stood in the corner like a child and Draco had pursed his lips together and quickly averted his eyes as Harry smoother her hair and spoke in such low tones, Hermione was not even sure what he was telling her, although she could guess. She had seen a brief flash of empathy in Draco's eyes, before her averted them from the scene. His face held no hint of emotion, although she could guess that, too.

*********

Draco's room at his home had been nothing short of spectacular. Harry had made a comment about it looking 'girly' and which initiated a verbal sparring match that Hermione had been quick put an end to so they could focus on finding Ron. It did not take long to find him, which Hermione found to be rather strange, considering the fact that Harry and Ginny had been thrown into the dungeons on their last visit. Ron was most certainly not thrown in a dungeon. On the contrary, he was sitting in the piano room when they found him. The four made quite a racket rushing over to him when they noted that the room was otherwise empty. Ron looked up with vague recognition. Hermione threw her arms around him. Ron's reaction was sudden and violent. He jolted upward and shoved her heavily into Harry. In a standing position, they were able to see that he was in unfamiliar robes. Hermione's eyes widened in fear and pain. She immediately lunged toward him again and caught at the hood on the back of his robes. He flinched for an instant then clawed at her wrists, trying to release her grip.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you Hermione?" he said through his teeth.

"What on earth is wrong with you, Ron?" she asked, still clenching to his robe. He released her hand and raised his hand as if to strike her. Harry and Draco both drew their wands but it was Ginny who stopped him. She sprung forward and pushed Hermione back until she stood between them. Ron looked bewildered for a moment, as if he had just noticed that his sister was in the room, then slowly lowered his arm.

"Be careful where you stand little sister. The famous Harry Potter may hex you by accident," he said slowly.

"Ron!" Ginny said breathlessly. "Ron! We've come to take you home. Whatever you've done, it's alright. It can all be fixed."

"Nothing is broken," Ron said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Ron! Yes, you are! This is foolish. Whatever he told you, whatever spell he cast on you, whatever potions were forced down your throat--" Ginny began. With each phrase, her pitch and volume intensified. Her knuckles white from clasping her wand.

"There is nothing for you to do here, Ginny," Ron cut her off. He rounded on Harry. "How dare you bring them here?! Hermione, I thought at least you would have more sense than this!"

""We came for you Ron. We're not leaving without you. The longer we stay, the more dangerous it becomes," Harry said.

"Ron," Hermione said in a faltering tone, as if it took every ounce of will power to restrain herself from speaking her heart, "I can only imagine what sort of terrible things Lucius might have told you. Let's go. We can sort this out back at school."

"Sort this out," he mimicked. "What is there to sort out? My best mate and my worst enemy have teamed against me. Just when I think my sister couldn't possibly be more irresponsible, she shows up at the home of someone who would very much like to kill her. And you- my friend - you just let the both of them fumble their way to their deaths. Perhaps your intelligence is greatly overestimated," Ron said the last words with such vehemence it made Hermione clutch the piano for support. She quickly turned her head, unwilling to let any of them see the tears in her eyes.

"Where is my father, Weasley?" Draco asked.

"It's none of your concern," Ron said harshly. His eyes became slits as he watched Hermione scrub at her eyes with the back of her hand. Draco took a step forward so that he and Harry seemed to have created a solid barrier separating Ron from Hermione.

"Weasley, you haven't been here but a few hours. Have you participated in anything-- irrevocable?" Draco asked in a low voice that only Harry could overhear. Ron's eyes blazed, but he said nothing.

"Ron! How dare you?!" Hermione shrieked, shoving her way between Harry and Draco. We came to rescue YOU! And while I'd love to sit here all day and listen your insults, I'm much more interested in not dying! Please come with me! I don't care if you hate me after this. I don't care what Lucius might have promised you--"

"Is that what you think, Hermione?" Ron asked. "If you aren't interested in dying, then keeping company with Draco Malfoy is a poor pastime. I would advise you to return to your beloved library and try to make some less lethal friends."

"If you think me so incompetent, then perhaps you should start acting like my friend and see to it that Ginny and I get out of here with our lives!"

"Ah, playing the damsel in distress card so soon, Granger? You're in the company of the savior of our world. I hardly think you need to rely on a lowly Weasley. But if it's my help you are asking for, I will do you this one favor," Ron said icily. He took several steps away from her then waved his wand. The floor dissolved beneath their feet and Draco, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny fell into darkness.

Harry looked up as the floorboards melded back together. For a moment his eyes met Ron's, then Ron turned his back at the final boards fell into place.

Draco and Harry both panted and struggled to catch their breath. "My father must have been here at some point. There's no other way Weasley could have worked out that security spell," Draco said. He turned toward Ginny who was still on her hands and knees. "Are you alright?"

Ginny's eyes were shining with tears of rage. "Just get me back up there. I'm not leaving him. I don't care if I have to use the Imperius curse."

"Oh, that would be just brilliant, Ginny. My father would love to have Harry go pounding up there after you, all scattered and unprepared."

"Maybe your father doesn't know we're here," Ginny protested.

"Weasley, didn't anyone ever tell you that gullibility is the eighth deadly sin?" Draco asked. Ginny sighed, and motioned for him to start walking.

Draco led them through a series us tunnels beneath the house. An occasional skeleton marked where others had not been successful navigating the labyrinth of crawl space below the Malfoy estate. Harry hoped that for all their sakes, Lucius had imparted some of his knowledge of dark magic to Draco. Draco made intermittent comments about the house being one thousand years old, but Harry wondered just how many of those skeletons were from the current master of the house.

"We're nearly below my bedroom," Draco whispered. Hermione stumbled and fell to her knees. She let out a small gasp when the offending obstacle appeared to be a human femur. Harry held out his hand and pulled Hermione to her feet.

Ginny had cautiously moved forward. A small, velvet curtain parted slightly and she could see a small iron ladder leading up to the floorboards. She reached out for the curtain to reveal a small, dirty glass frame when she tugged the curtain aside. She walked around it, then heard Draco call out to her. When she turned toward the others, she could see them through the glass, then caught her own reflection as well. For an instant she saw only her own eyes. Then she saw the other face in the mirror. Overshadowing her own. She broke out in a fit of sweat and chills. She knew she should look away but she could not break contact with this demonic image that fit so perfectly over her reflection. It was a woman, maybe, with large, hollow eyes that were black and sky blue in the very center. A photo negative image of wild brown hair covered her own. She saw every nightmare she had ever dreamed, felt every rejection she had ever felt, relived every hateful impulse she had ever been driven to. Images began to flash through her brain that she could not control. Little girls who laughed at her ragged dolls and hand me down robes when she was a child; Harry watching Cho longingly at the Yule Ball while Ginny nervously tugged at her plain dress robes; Tom coaxing her into the chamber. The glimpse into that gray area in her mind, the one she worked to shut out every single day, was not pretty. "This is it. This is what I have feared my entire life. I am finally having a psychotic break," she thought. Is it possible to have such a break and keep up with ones schoolwork and laundry and remember to pay the floo bill? She feared the worst, but focused on the trivial. That was all she was prepared to do at that point. She stared until she didn't recognize herself. She said her first name over and over. She couldn't even say her last name. She couldn't put a name to the person who was tugging at her, urging her away from the reflection. She was vaguely aware that it was a boy and she thought she might love him. She barely recognized her own name, let alone identify syllables only introduced this decade. Her face looked less and less familiar. Was I really that pale? Is that what other people see? All the time. The wave of embarrassment she felt was immense; speculating on how others must have seen her for all those years when she was just figuring it out at this moment.

Her own fears dissolved into other, new hallucinations. Hermione embracing Harry after the second task, acutely aware and pleased to be seen at his side. Fragments of a conversation between Harry and Lupin. She sensed it was recent. I can't ask her to wait, but I have to do this...

There is a feeling you get when you almost fall, or get caught telling a lie, or do anything else that otherwise exposes you to harm or embarrassment. That feeling that tenses your stomach just enough to make you feel like vomiting without actually doing so. It rises up your esophagus like low residue sand paper and taunts the back of your throat with a sensation that you can't swallow clear. She felt it now, and was convinced that she would never be able to feel anything different. Then her face, and that of the demon, dissolved into blackness.

Ginny's eyes fluttered open. Whose bed was she in? "You're awake," Hermione said with a sigh of relief. "Oh, Ginny. Are you alright? It's been hours. Harry! Come here. She's awake!" Hermione called.

"Where are we?" Ginny asked.

"Draco's room, back at Hogwarts," Hermione answered.

Suddenly a barrage of images and feelings flooded Ginny's memory. She could feel the hysteria rising in here. She could feel her mind detaching from sanity, as if a wall was rising and she couldn't control herself. "Harry! Of course you're calling for Harry! You're just dying for him to come in and be grateful to you as if you did something useful!" Ginny said.

"Ginny?" Harry asked. He gave her a small smile and crawled onto the bed. He smoothed the hair from her face, then leaned in and kissed her. "Oh, thank God. Even Malfoy wasn't sure what type of spell hit you." For a moment, Ginny felt her sense of reason returning. She desperately tried to grasp hold of it, but helplessly felt it fade away.

"I'm surprised Hermione couldn't tell you what type of spell it was!" she spat. Hermione, who had been standing in silence since Ginny's first remark, approached the bed.

"What are you on about Ginny?" she asked.

"You want Harry. You know you do. And you want him to want you!" Ginny accused.

"Ginny, that's not true," Harry said gently. "Come lie down for a moment." He wrapped his arm around Ginny and tried to pull her against him, but she continued to glare at Hermione.

"Ginny, of course that's not true. Harry is my friend. I would think you of all people would know where my interest lies."

"If you're talking about your pathetic intentions toward my brother, of course I know! But you like Harry too. And you think that he favors you over me. You think he would have you if he could!" Ginny yelled, angry tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Hermione's eyes were also shining.

"Ginny," Harry said more firmly.

"Shut up! You like it when other girls see you flanked by Ron and Harry!" Ginny said.

"Malfoy!" Harry yelled. Draco had rushed into the room with his wand drawn during Ginny's initial outburst, however he had stood silently in the doorway ever since. "Malfoy, what's wrong with her?" Ginny was now shaking and sweating and rocking forward and backward. Harry's arms were still wrapped around her, but she appeared oblivious to him.

Draco drew in a breath. He was now standing at the side of the bed. He held his gaze on the crown of Ginny's head. "The glass. It allows you to see the worst impulses in others. My father uses it to sort out the loyalty of his associates."

"I don't have any ill will towards Ginny!" Hermione cried. "I am happy for you! Really, really happy! I don't love Harry, not like that. I love Ron!" A silence hung in the room, punctuated only by Ginny's weak, breathy groans.

"You see what their worst intentions toward you have ever been. Ginny, whatever you saw- it doesn't mean that it's true now," Draco said gently.

"Nice mirror to have lying about. Just mixed up, private thoughts that don't even exist anymore!" Hermione said sharply.

"That mirror is only meant for those trained to use dark magic. I don't suppose my father expected Ginny Weasley to be meandering around his storage space," Draco countered sharply.

Ginny's head snapped toward Harry as if something just occurred to her. "You have no intentions toward me! I saw you! You told Lupin you would leave me!" she choked. Harry looked stunned. Draco's tightened into a straight line and he looked at Harry. "You don't want me to follow you when you join the Order. You don't want me to join! You think I might be in love with Malfoy! You think that puts the Order at risk!" she cried. Her words tumbled out.

Harry was only vaguely concerned about Ginny's references to the Order of the Phoenix. "Ginny, those thoughts are all very misconstrued. I have to join them, you don't. I don't want you to be in danger. That's not the life for you. I'm not leaving you, but I haven't promised you anything. I can't promise anyone," Harry said softly.

"You just want to separate me from all of it!" she cried.

"Well, of course I do. Of course I want to protect you. Lupin asked if I would, if I could do that. That conversation was personal, and beside that, it happened months ago," Harry said defensively. Draco and Hermione watched in silence.

"I know! I saw! You told him you would avoid me this summer! You're going to purposefully drive me away!" Ginny yelled.

"That's not true, Ginny," Harry said softly. "Not true at all. You know I have to stay with the Dursley's all summer. I had to know that you'll be safe. I asked Lupin how I could ensure that."

"You think that I'm a risk!" she yelled.

"I thought you were at risk! You were married to Malfoy at the time. And you must have liked him well enough that you kissed him as he kindly pointed out! And at the same time, you were acting like you cared for me. That in itself could get you killed, because in case you haven't noticed, Voldemort has a habit of murdering the people I love the most!" Harry yelled.

Had Ginny not been so hysterical, Harry's words might have struck her in the same way that they struck Draco and Hermione. Even years later, Ginny could scarcely fathom how the moment she had waited for, the confession that had consumed her daydreams for nearly seven years, had been completely lost to her at that moment.

"You'll spend your whole life trying to sort him out. You'll never know--"

"I do know! I do love you, Ginny, but that doesn't mean I can be with you! And that kills me to think of you with someone else, or knowing that I'm hurting you! My destiny is to face the Dark Lord! I love you, more than I should, but I need you to have some common sense and put away any childish fantasies you might have about a future with me!" Harry yelled.

The room fell deadly silent. Harry's face flushed. Mortified by his stream of consciousness, he leapt from the bed as if it were on fire and stalked over to a window ledge in the farthest corner of the room.

After about ten minutes of uncomfortable silence, Ginny resumed her rocking and heavy breathing. Concerned that she may be on the verge of another vision, Draco took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Ginny," he said softly. When she didn't respond, he said "Ginny!" firmly. "I looked into that mirror a few years ago. You have to fight this. Try to control it."

"I can't! It's frustrating! Aren't I allowed to be frustrated??" Ginny raged. Harry continued to look out the window, ignoring Ginny's glare. Hermione sighed and looked helplessly at Draco. He reached out and caught Ginny's fingers.

"Yes," he said simply. "Be frustrated. But don't be unfair. You're being very unfair," he finished. Hermione crossed the floor into the washroom. The door clicked softly behind her.

"Unfair?! To whom?!" she shrieked, rising unsteadily from the bed and slamming her palm on the dresser scatting several small bottles of hair potions that Draco knew were worth hundreds of gallons.

"Obviously to Potter. And Granger, I suppose," he said firmly. "And me," he added quietly after a moment.

"You?!" she laughed harshly. "I've yet to spend five minutes with you where I haven't nearly been violated, maimed, or lost my mind. Fuck you!"

"Ginny, don't," Harry said flatly, although he was still not facing her.

"This is not Draco's fault," Hermione said, emerging from the washroom.

"I don't need either of you two to defend me!" Draco said shortly to Harry and Hermione. "Weasley, you're testing my patience. And while that in and of itself is not exactly uncharted territory for our train-wreck of an acquaintance; you're pissing me of at an astonishingly high rate at this moment. I know those hallucinations are making you a bit out of sorts, and may I say I'm simply at the edge of my seat waiting for the violent phase to register, but try, try to shut the hell up!" Draco said.

"Violent phase?" Harry said, now turning slightly enough to catch Draco's gaze in the wardrobe mirror.

"If she doesn't pass out first--" Hermione began.

"Or someone locks her in a cupboard like I'm about ten seconds away from," Draco interjected. "And don't tell me it hasn't crossed either of your minds, especially you, Potter."

"Like I said, she'll either pass out, or become really violent and then pass out," Hermione said.

"This is exactly what I mean!" Ginny screamed, her face blood red. "You're all talking about me like I wasn't in the room! Harry, why don't you go ahead and shag her already and get it over with. Fuck pretense! Fuck Ron! Fuck everything!"

"God damn it, Ginny!" was all Harry said, before rising from his seat at the window and stalking out onto the terrace.

"Ginny, I know you must think I'm awful. I did love Ron. I do love Ron. And believe me, I want him to come to his senses just at much as you do, and even if it takes him all night to do it, I'll forgive him. I'll love him always," Hermione said.

"You love Harry, too. Just admit it and put me out of my misery," Ginny said sharply.

"I am in love with Ron. You know that. I would give just about anything to be back in our dormitory talking about all of this. Just you and I hoping - just hoping - to be noticed. I miss that Ginny," Hermione said. "And I understand why you're miserable. Really, I do. He thinks he's doing the right thing. And if he's wrong, you'll forgive him the same way that I'll forgive Ron. But this is more than Ron. This is about Harry. He loves you, not me. But you have to let him make his choices, even if they might be mistakes. Protecting you is his choice," Hermione said gently.

"It's not fair," Ginny whispered weakly. While Draco was not the sort to feel uncomfortable, he felt extremely uncomfortable at this moment. Like he was somehow violating her privacy. Seeing the tender underbelly of Ginny's long and complicated crush on The Boy Who Lived was something Draco would have paid to be privy to a year ago. He blanched at the ideas he was still capable of generating ideas on how he might have exploited this situation at another time.

"I know. I know," Hermione said, and at that moment, Ginny knew she was thinking of Ron. Suddenly Hermione looked drawn. The wear of focusing on Ginny's broken heart, when they had her own wounds to tend to, was beginning to show. "But Harry wants you protected. And you both need to think of the Order. He'll be away all summer. Is this really how you want to leave things?" Hermione asked gently.

Ginny felt her eyes grow heavy. She was lightheaded as if from fever, and for an instant, she visualized herself falling headlong into the wardrobe. She tried to lower herself to the floor, and felt a pair of hands guide her unsteadily to the bed. She heard two male voices over her. At least she bypassed the violent stage. I really was dreading that, said one. I'm really sorry. I just don't know what else to do, said the other boy. She felt herself lifted, then someone kneeling on the bed long enough to smooth the hair from her face and pull a cover over her.

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

It was raining harder than Ginny could remember for a very long time. Thick, heavy raindrops pelleted the stones, branches scraped over the iron grate around the windows. The shutters beat erratically against the windows. She opened her eyes. She was under the covers. There was no clock, but from the darkness, Ginny knew she must have been asleep for several hours. Draco sat in an armchair across from the bed. He had been reading something. When she stirred, she saw him lower the book and lean toward her.

"Alright, Ginny?" he asked quietly.

"Three months. What am I supposed to do," she whispered into her hands.

"Listen, you're not yourself. It's really not the best time to get into this," Draco said. He did not move from the chair. A comfortable distance away. Sterile.

"What do you think is best?" Ginny pleaded. "You always know the answers."

"Not where this is concerned," he said tightly. She gave him a pleading look and he relented. "Fine. Maybe you love him. You're certainly jealous as hell when he pays attention to anyone else," Draco said.

"She thinks he likes her!" Ginny said, suddenly realizing that up until this moment, she had not noticed or wondered where Harry and Hermione were.

"He might have at one time. You need to accept that. Listen, right now he loves you, but he can't sort out his feelings of love versus nobility versus whatever the hell else he's agonizing over. It's not the worst thing in the world. It might be what's best for you both," Draco said bitterly

"You mean what's best for you," Ginny said uncharitably. Draco chose to ignore this, given her state.

"Listen, if you go out there right now and demand he work this out, then he will. And if Voldemort finds out about the two of you- and he will- and he tries to kill you - and he will- Potter just might go mental with guilt. He'll take anything you throw at him. He'll put up with all of it. Is that really what you expect he should do?"

"Why did you?"

"What?"

"Why did you put up with it? With me? I'm hardly worth all of this," Ginny said, feeling the beginnings of what she estimated would be a large amount of embarrassing regret for initiating this conversation.

"I don't know," he said.

"There must be some reason," she said.

"Why do you want him," Draco asked.

"I don't know. It was just what I feel," she said.

"There must be some reason," he mimicked.

There was a soft knock on the door, then Hermione tentatively walked in. Harry followed her, carrying several leather bound books and looking exceptionally exhausted. "Ginny, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Hermione asked.

"Dreadful," Ginny sniffed. Harry ran his hands through his hair, and looked as if he wanted to say something, but held back out of either exhaustion or frustration.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything. Anything that you saw. I, um, I've been at the library. There are loads of possible spells Lucius may have put on Ron, but I have an idea that might work regardless," Hermione said.

"How can we help him if we don't know what spell was used?" Ginny asked.

"There might be a way we can save him," Hermione said slowly. "The only way to help him is for him to help himself."

"I'm sorry, Granger. I don't speak Mud- muggle," Draco said.

"The Mirror of Erised. If he looks into the mirror, he'll see what he truly wants. He doesn't want to not be friends with Harry. He doesn't want to betray his family. Lucius just has him brainwashed into believing that they are barriers to happiness. I know it."

"What if it backfires? What if he looks in the mirror and sees Potter and me in a decomposed heap, and himself tossing back firewhiskey with the Dark Lord?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course he wouldn't see that. That's not what he wants!" Ginny said defensively.

"I don't reckon he'll see you at all, Malfoy," Harry said tightly.

"I should certainly hope not," said Draco indignantly.

"How are we going to get Ron in front of the mirror? We couldn't even get him out of the piano room," Ginny asked.

"We'll have to take the mirror to him," Hermione said. Her face was beginning to flush, her eyes resuming some sparkle. She was tackling a problem. This is what she did. This is where her natural talents lie. This is how they would rescue Ron! "While I was in the library, Harry was searching the castle for the mirror." She checked Ginny's expression to see if she had gotten the subtext of her words; the part of her that wanted to shout "He wasn't with me."

"Did you find it?" Draco asked Harry.

"I did. I tried a quite a few spells before I had any luck moving it," Harry said.

"What did you do?" Ginny asked him. Harry held out the palm of his hand. Ginny could just barely make out the inscription at the top, but it was unmistakably the Mirror of Erised.

"Did you try taking the spell off to see if it still worked?" Hermione asked nervously.

"No. Why wouldn't it work?" Harry asked.

"What if it has a security charm?" Hermione asked.

"No time like the present to find out," Draco said quickly. He waved his wand and the mirror began to grow in size so quickly Harry nearly dropped it. The mirror was facing Harry. "So how exactly is this going to convince Weasley that he misses you lot?"

Hermione took this as her cue to give him an academic, yet mercifully brief explanation. He turned to see that Ginny had approached the mirror cautiously, standing to the side where she could not see her reflection. Draco could not blame her for being tentative given her luck with reflective surfaces thus far this evening.

"Have you ever looked in it?" Harry asked her.

"Yes. Yes I have. I didn't know what it was at the time. It took me years to find out," she said.

"And what did you see?" Draco asked curiously.

"That's personal," Ginny said firmly.

"I'm sure I can guess," Draco said tightly. Ginny chose to ignore this, and walked toward the mirror. Her eyes remained closed. She wondered if the reflection would be nearly identical to the one she had seen so many years ago. Of course, she and Harry were older now, and perhaps she would no longer be wearing that ridiculous marigold yellow princess gown. She willed herself to open her eyes. 'Just have a look' she ordered herself. Her eyes remained closed and she was acutely aware of the silence in the room and felt that surely the others were watching her. After several minutes, she felt someone walk up behind her and gently spin her around by the shoulders.

"Open your eyes," Draco said softly. Ginny fluttered her eyes open. She could see Harry standing on the terrace, his back to her and Draco. She heard water running and knew that Hermione was also in the other room. "They wanted to give you privacy," he explained.

"And you didn't," she asked.

"Not so much," he said offhandedly. Ginny pulled a face. "Don't look at me like that. Without me, you might have vacillated there all night." He waved his wand and walked passed her. "You can look now." She turned without hesitation and he raised his eyebrows and held a fisted hand to her. The rubies on the ring reflected in the firelight. "You're too trusting, Weasley."

"Thank you," she said simply.

"Oh, well, there's no reason to thank me. It would have been rather cruel--"

"No, thank you for helping to save Ron. Maybe that's all I would have seen if I had been brave enough to open my eyes," she laughed sadly. He walked toward her and tilted her chin up with the hand that was not holding the mirror.

"Ginny, you're one of the bravest people I know," he said softly. "And I'm quite sure that saving Ron is not the only thing you would have seen."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Certain," Draco whispered. Ginny felt herself blush, but she willed herself to meet his eyes.

"Ginny?" Hermione said, emerging from the washroom. "We'd better go back to the common room and finish preparing for tonight. Draco, will you tell Harry we'll be back soon. Ask him to owl Dobby. I'm starving."

"Dobby?" Draco asked.

"Oh, I'm almost sorry I'm going to miss this," Ginny laughed. "Yes, Dobby. He's actually an old friend of yours." Draco shrugged and Ginny batted at his arm, then turned to leave with Hermione.

******

Draco walked out onto the terrace. "It's fortunate for you that no one in my house spends much time outdoors. They'd hex you in a heartbeat if they caught you skulking about out here," he said.

Harry seemed to be making a bit of a production polishing his wand, although he continued to steal glances over Draco's shoulder. He only saw his own face in the darkened glass, and tried to inconspicuously focus on one spot as if will the glass to become less reflective in the starlight.

"Is there something you want to ask me or would you rather continue these theatrics?" Draco asked.

"Did she look in the mirror?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.

"She did actually. It was rather disheartening. She immediately saw me, of course, but it seems that she envisions us living at the Burrow and having ten children. You were also in it," Draco said.

"What was I doing?" Harry asked breathlessly

"Getting spanked by Snape," Draco said.

"Sod off, Malfoy!" Harry said angrily.

"Sensitive, Potter? Did I cross the line with the Snape thing?" Draco asked. Harry turned his head away. "She didn't."

"She didn't what?" Harry asked, turning his head back.

"She didn't see anything. She couldn't even open her eyes," Draco said. She didn't see me, his expression continued.

"I didn't believe you, anyway," Harry said.

"I really don't care, Potter," Draco said.

"Look, Malfoy. I know Ginny thinks you're just wonderful, and Hermione is even beginning to warm up to you. But you can't expect to become my confidant in one week. I can't tell you why, but I know what my destiny is. And Ginny knows it too. And it was ok with her, so I let it be ok with me... but that was wrong. I can't be with anyone until something happens. I just don't know how to explain it to you properly, but if I let this continue, it will kill her. I know it. She will die. I can't live with that. I love her more than anything. But I have to stay away from her. And from Hermione. I don't know where Ginny got that idea."

Draco leaned against the wall. His face was expressionless and his body relaxed. "So this thing, that may or may not happen," Draco started, "if it does happen, then you'll be wanting her back, I supposed."

"It will happen," Harry said severely. "I just can't be sure that I'll survive it."

"And if you do?" Draco pressed.

"Of course I would want her. I'll love her always," Harry said weakly.

"I see. Well, let me know how that whole survival thing works out for you," Draco said, pushing himself off the edge of the balcony. He walked back into his room.