The Unforgettable Fire

CHAPTER 6: Year 4, Part 2, Tainted

We were going to win; I knew it. No, it was nothing like I was 'foreseeing' it. It was like a gut instinct. Like a thrill had entered my veins and I knew that the Slytherins would beat the Gryffindors, fair or not. I would play fair though, whether or not my disreputable teammates would. It isn't winning unless you do it the old fashioned way. That is one of the reasons I suspect I make a bad Slytherin. Have you EVER heard of a Slytherin who doesn't like to cheat? No, I didn't think so.

Soon I was standing on the field, listening to that fool of a referee trying to make sure that there would be no cheating, every one would play fair, blah, blah, blah...

Ginny's eyes were locked with her brother's as he glared at her from the opposite side of the referee. He was upset with her, she could tell, but she also didn't care.

Madam Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air and the announcer, a sixth year Ravenclaw named Rhonda Lane, said into the crowd, "And they are off! The Quaffle is picked up by seventh year Gryffindor, Alicia Spinnet. Spinnet to her counterpart, Katie Bell. Bell to Spinnet and Spinnet to Weasley! Oh! That isn't legal!"

Derrick had hit Ron with his bat. "I swear! I thought he was the Bludger, Madam Hooch!"

"Penalty for Gryffindor! Warrington, keep your players honest!" Madam Hooch said, blowing her whistle.

The crowd in green cheered as Jonathan Wilkes made his first save of the season. Play resumed and Wilkes tossed the Quaffle off to Ginny.

"And Weasley of Slytherin takes the Quaffle, heading towards the goals with no sign of using teamwork. Nice barrel role, Weasley! Oh, watch that! I can't believe it, she dodges it. This girl moves faster than light, a nasty little surprise for the Gryffindors I imagine. Still no pass off to her team mates, and oh, watch out Weasley! No other Weasley!"

Ginny put the Quaffle into her left arm and swung at Ron with her left, looking intent on punching his lights out.

"I don't believe it! A perfectly executed Transylvanian Tackle! Big brother looks a little uneasy about that, and oh! First score of the game goes to Slytherin as Weasley makes it past Gryffindor seventh year Austin Jacobs!" Rhonda exclaimed.

Warrington flew up beside Ginny and said, "Nice job. Try to save some for the rest of us." Then he smacked her hard on the ass and began to fly away.

Rage burned in Ginny and she shot after him did a loop so she was in front of him.

"Ow! And that is a poorly executed Transylvanian Tackle, but it looked intentional to me! Warrington might want to look into not touching his female player there," the announcer laughed.

Play resumed and Warrington shot Ginny a dirty look, though the intimidation factor was somewhat lessened because of his bloody nose.

Ginny sped into the Parkinson's Pincer around Katie Bell, who had the Quaffle. Warrington on her left and Montague on her right, she had no where to go as she shot towards the goals. Ginny was flying right at her and at the last second, Montague turned off and Ginny snatched the Quaffle from Bell's hands.

"A beautifully modified Parkinson's Pincer and Hurricane Weasley heads off to the Gryffindor goals again. No even Gryffindor's beaters can stop her and for a second time, neither can Jacobs! Nice try though!" Rhonda commentated.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a Bludger shooting at her head. At the last second, she pulled into a dive and then shot up at the Beater that batted it at her, narrowly missing him and casting a dangerous glare at him.

"Better watch out Finnigan! Weasley is a fiery one; don't discount her family temperament just because she is in Slytherin!"

That did it for Ginny. She flew past the announcer's box and did a close sweep, making sure to glare at the commentating Ravenclaw. Then she joined her teammates on the pitch, continuing the game much in the way it had begun.

Ginny scored goal after goal, out smarting and out playing the Gryffindors until the score was 90 to 20, Slytherin in the lead. But still, the Snitch would end the game; they weren't up so high that the 150 points wouldn't affect play.

"And Warrington finally puts his two-cents in on the scoring boards with a goal for Slytherin, courtesy of Hurricane Weasley! This game is getting pretty long, it the Snitch isn't caught soon, I think I'll just go to bed. Oh, now that isn't legal Derrick, you can't hit the keeper with a Bludger! Foul shot for Gryffindor! And what a surprise, Wilkes makes another save. This fourth year is worth his weight in gold with a seventy percent save rate at the goals," Rhonda continued.

Ginny was given the Quaffle by Wilkes. Tossing it off to Montague, she headed down the field, dodging a Bludger to the head and swerving around her brother as he tried a Transylvanian Tackle once again that match. Warrington through her the Quaffle and a spark of gold caught her eye.

It was the Snitch floating about thirty feet above her. She looked around and saw that Harry was headed straight for it, but Malfoy was a hundred yards or so behind him. Ginny shot after it, it hadn't moved yet. Higher and higher she climbed, Harry gaining on her fast with his superior broom. Reaching out as far as she could, she grasped the tiny thing clamping down on it with her adrenaline pumped fingers.

A roar of boos was heard as she caught it, smiling at Harry through a few strands of loose hair. He frowned at her and she raised an eyebrow. "Alls fair, Harry, alls fair."

"SNITCHNIP! SNITCHNIP!" Rhonda Lane called furiously. "What a dirty, low down, filthy tactic! Foul shot! FOUL SHOT!"

Madam Hooch came up to her and said, "The Snitch, Weasley!"

Ginny smiled once more at Harry and gave the glittering ball to Madam Hooch. Madam Hooch frowned and blew her whistle, "Two foul shots for Gryffindor, Captain selection!"

Then she let the Snitch go and it zoomed off into the night. Wilkes saved the first shot by Spinnet, but not the second. The score was 100 to 30, still with Slytherin in the lead.

After a shot saved by the Gryffindor Keeper, Ginny snatched the Quaffle as he tried to throw it to Spinnet and did a three-sixty, throwing it into the bottom left goal of the Gryffindor posts.

"And the score is 140 to 40," said Rhonda about fifteen minutes later. "The Gryffindor Chasers look about shot and their Beaters haven't hit anyone in a good thirty minutes. It looks like the Gryffindors are running out of gas. The only people who look wake and ready to be here are Hurricane Weasley and our two Seekers.

"Oh, no! Watch out Weasley! Oh! That can't be legal! Some one get a medic, she is down for the count."

And Ginny saw darkness, but she heard some one, actually, two people. It was foggy, like trying to hear through a door or wall, but it was there.

"Get away from her Potter; it was your Beaters that did this!" It was Malfoy, she was sure of it. "A Dopplebeater Defense to the head! It could have killed her!"

"Look Malfoy, I didn't tell them to do it!" she heard Harry say as the voices grew lower.

"Boys, let Madam Pomfrey look at her!" the voice of Madam Hooch sounded. Then Ginny was lost. The blanket of darkness covered her completely and she had no memory after that.

Several hours later, Ginny began to wake. It was quiet, where ever she was, quiet and warm, different from the dungeons. She heard the rustle of curtains and tried to open her eyes, but it was no use.

"Time to go Draco," the quiet voice of her Head of House, Snape, said. "She'll wake up tomorrow."

"Just a few more minutes, Professor," the hard, but now tired sounding voice of Draco said into the darkness.

She heard Snape sigh and say," Madam Pomfrey says you can visit her when the students are at Hogsmeade tomorrow if you want.

"Potters friends will be in here," Draco sneered. "probably wanting a glimpse at their team's handiwork as they check up on the Boy Hero."

It sounded like Snape was taking Draco and leading him out of the room because their voices died. Cold hands touched her face and the hms and hums of Madam Pomfrey reached her ears. Then they left and it was as if the mist had lifted. The curtain whispered shut and Ginny's eyes flicked open. There was a candle by her bedside with a letter by it. She frowned and opened it.

Virginia-

In case I'm not there when you wake up, I wanted you to know what happened and not have to hear the lies Potter will no doubtedly tell. Last night you were hit by a Dopplebeater Defense and knocked out. I heard your scream and turned around, giving Potter just enough time to reach the Snitch and win. Damn it, we were so close! We can only hope that they loose to Ravenclaw or something. You won our house thirty points however, that is good. I hope you don't have to stay in there with idiot boy wonder too long, they told me I had to leave.

See you tomorrow, I hope.

-Draco

Ginny sighed and closed the letter leaning back in her bed. Almost immediately, she heard the door open and close. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She heard the curtain beside her open and close softly and low voices.

"Is she okay?" she heard the voice of Ron ask.

"Madam Pomfrey says she'll live, but it is hard to tell when she'll wake up," Harry responded quietly.

"That is good news," Hermione said softly.

HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET IN HERE! Ginny screamed mentally. No one could get past Madam Pomfrey...unless they were invisible.

"Can I see her?" Ron asked. "I feel terrible. I told them to distract her, not kill her. Finnigan should know better."

"Yes, he should have," Harry said. "And go ahead, she is asleep."

Her curtain opened and Ginny felt some one move to her bedside and sit on the edge. Ron sighed and took her exposed hand. "I'm sorry, Gin. I know you don't love me anymore, but believe me when I say; I'll never give up on you. I just want to take care of you. I still love you, Gin. Mum still loves you and so does everyone else. I just want you to know you are still a Weasley, even if you were put in Slytherin. It was an awful mistake, Gin, I know it."

He sighed again and let go of her hand. Ginny would have cried if he hadn't said it! He had to go that far! He still didn't get that that was what she was. She was a Slytherin. She was a Slytherin a thousand times over and she didn't even have the will or desire to change anymore.

A tear fell on her bare hand and then he left. The curtain shut behind him and Ginny shut her heart to him, she wouldn't open it again for a long time.

Hermione must have seen Ron's tears because she gasped, and through the shadows, Ginny saw her embrace him tightly. "It is okay, Ron," she said, "She is a big girl and can take care of herself."

"But-"

"Sh, Madam Pomfrey will hear you," Harry said quietly. "You two should probably go. Leave the cloak and use the secret entrance to the common room though the painting over there."

"Okay Harry," Hermione said, "We will see you Sunday. Tomorrow Ron and I are going to Hogsmeade."

"Good, don't stay behind because of me, I'll be in here a day or so more," Harry said. "Bye!"

"Bye."

"See you."

Then a creaking sound was heard and Harry sighed and sat up. As soon as Ginny saw his shadow stand she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. It turned out that this was a good idea because her curtains opened again and Harry sat on her bed.

Ginny cursed mentally, You chose a real popular bed, didn't you Gin? She tried to steady her breathing and wished that she were wearing any one of her rings, with perhaps the exception of Hina's. But all were in her rooms, safe and sound.

Then a tentative hand brushed her cheek. It was warm and gentle, but shy. Ginny wished that she could stop pretending, but something inside stopped her. She didn't know why, but she felt a warmth in her chest. No raging inferno, no screaming winds of ice, just soothing and natural warmth.

The hand cupped her cheek and the thumb caressed her lips lightly. Ginny's stomach grew tight and she strained to keep her breathing normal. Hot breath reached her cheek and eyelids, and then a warm sensation on her lips. Harry Potter was kissing her! He pulled back after a few moments and softly caressed her cheek again.

He never said a word, not a single word, but in the silence, she could feel her heart beat with his, and she knew. But she didn't quite know what yet.

The bed lifted and the curtains closed. She had a lot of thinking to do.

All I have to say about that is HOW COULD HE! WHAT THE HELL WHAS HE THINKING? I WAS FREE! FREE OF HIM, OF THAT STUPID SCHOOLGIRL CRUSH AND HE THOUGHT HE COULD JUST KISS ME AND WAKE ME UP LIKE SLEEPING BEAUTY FROM THE CURSE? He makes me want to SCREAM!

Oh, make no mistake, he would pay for that, he would pay for it for a long time. I don't even know how to express my rage to you, I had no outlet; I had nothing to release my frustrations on. It was like they were building higher and higher and nothing would stop them until they were drained away or something. I hate that pain and I hated him for putting it in me.

There were only two things to do: release the pain or burry it. I'd been burying pain since before I could understand why or how; I wanted a way to release it now. I wanted to make him so angry that he ripped his hair out. I wanted to make him so angry his blood boiled and his eyes burned. I was going to make him jealous...but it would have to wait...it would have to stay buried for a while. But thankfully not too long.

I had a plan, a wonderful plan that would ensure I hurt him just as much as he hurt me. All I had to do was wait till the Yule Ball...

Green. That was the color of her robes. Once again she had made a dress of green. But this time it was cut Mandarin style and had silver designs all over the whole thing. It had taken her a while to decide how far she wanted the slits to go up, but she settled on a little over her knees as a safe spot. She had put her hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck with sterling silver chopsticks holding it back. Her eyes were made to look like green streaks in a pale light dotted with freckles. Her eyes were lengthened because of the makeup pattern and her eyelashes were encrusted with little silver dots. On her bare shoulders she sparkled glitter as well as on her green eye make up. She painted her lips ruby red and she wore green strapped shoes, though no one could see as her dress touched the ground. She was beautiful. A deadly flower she liked to think. The Deadly Nightshade and she was going to poison Harry Potter. She would steal his heart and rip it out of his chest.

Her door opened and Draco walked in. She finished darkening her green eye shadow and Draco said, "Damn, I was hoping you'd need help with your dress."

Ginny stood up and smiled at his dress robes. They were much better than last years, more casual and no lace.

His reaction to her dress was far better than satisfactory. "You can't wear that," he said sharply.

"Oh, I can and I will," she said coldly.

"Then you can't go with Warrington," Draco said forcefully. "I'll dump Pansy and I'll go with you."

Ginny shook her head and said, "No. I told you I'd get my revenge on him and I will Draco. You aren't my father."

"But I am your protector."

Ginny almost faltered, but she gained ground by saying, "I can take care of myself, as you've seen. Besides, I have a plan."

"I know...fine. Fine. But if you get in trouble, I won't be able to protect you. You'll be on your own," Draco conceded.

Ginny smiled and said, "Now Mr. Malfoy won't you lead me down stairs?"

Draco smirked and said, "Of course."

He took her arm in his and led her down to the common room. Ginny was happy to see that she caused even more of a sensation than the year before. Warrington looked especially smitten. She couldn't believe that it had been so easy to get him to ask her to the Yule Ball. All she had to do was wear Nefertiti and Hina's rings to three practices and he was jelly in her hands. The only thing she had worried about was having the urge to sleep with him when she wore them. To her relief, she didn't. Apparently the urges lessened when you weren't a virgin.

It took a good thirty seconds for Warrington to gain his composure, but to his credit, he did look hansom, in a dark, muscle bound way. Ginny smiled and accepted his arm, looking up at him through her eyelashes. He looked like he was having a hard time controlling himself and she smirked as his other hand twitched violently at his side.

Pansy was smiling as Draco took her arm, smiling like she had won something by being Draco's date. Oh, little does she know...Ginny thought. Ginny smiled back at her as Warrington pulled her towards his friends, eager to show off Draco's concubine.

Ginny put on a fake smile as Warrington lead her through the people crowding the entranceway to the Great Hall. She saw looks of surprise and some of disgust. She saw looks of pity and looks of sorrow. But she was only looking for one look. One look; and he was there. He appeared to be alone, but he was standing near Seamus Finnigan and Lavender Brown.

Ginny caught his eye and held it. She sat in between Warrington and Draco with the rest of the Quidditch team and their dates. Still keeping eye contact with him, she licked her lips and leaned over to Warrington, whispered something in it and nibbled gently on his earlobe. Warrington's jaw dropped and Harry went red. Merlin she was loving this!

Dumbledore called for the attention of the hall and made a few short announcements. Everyone ordered their food, but Ginny opted for a salad, knowing she would have to keep her stomach and all its contents firmly inside it for what was going to happen later. Warrington seemed only vaguely interested in what was being served and more anxious for the Yule Ball to end. And with good reason too, Ginny had given him every right to believe that he was going to get to sleep with her after the dance. The affects of Hina's ring were doing their job well on him.

"I request that the Prefects and House Quidditch Captains please begin the dance," Dumbledore said above the crowd.

Warrington practically drug her out to the floor, wanting to get the chance to show Ginny off again with out having to worry about Draco casting dark looks in his direction. Holding her far closer than necessary, he turned her deftly around the ballroom. All Ginny cared about though was her revenge on Harry.

Soon, other students joined the Prefects and Captains on the floor and Warrington pulled her over to the edge of the floor and said, "Let's go."

"What is the hurry, Carl?" she asked innocently.

"You know damn well you whore," he spat. "You've held me on edge all night, it is time to go."

Ginny frowned, "Look Warrington, I've got an agenda of my own. I don't like you, don't flatter yourself, but you'll get your payment, don't worry about that. But I'm not quite done yet here, so wait a little while. Besides, I think you'll like my game a lot more if I tell you your role."

Warrington seemed to think this over for a minute. He had known that Ginny hadn't gone to the dance with him because she liked him, quite the opposite, she hated him and he knew it. She had been surprised when he asked her to go with him, but even more surprised when she accepted. "Fine. What is your game, Weasley?"

Ginny smirked. "Some one has caused me a great deal of pain, Warrington, and I'm not going to let it go. Let's just say, you'll go with the flow and act like you have no idea what is happening, and I'm going go give you the best blow job you've ever had."

"Two questions," he said suspiciously. "Who?"

"Why, Harry Potter, who else?" she said with a light laugh.

"How the hell did you get so cold? Your only fourteen fucking years old and you look and act like you're my age, or older."

Damn, he was smarter than she thought. She frowned at him, "Don't ask questions you're not prepared to hear the answer to, Warrington."

He eyed her suspiciously, then said, "I'll play your game Weasley, but as my payment, I require the price to be higher. One month of you serving me in any way I please."

"Done," Ginny said simply. He was playing right into her trap. "Now all you have to do is play along, Warrington. Come along now, I've got a heart to break."

He smirked and said, "You are one cold bitch, you know that?"

Ginny smiled as she headed towards where Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors were sitting, right next to the exit to the gardens. "You're not so bad yourself, Warrington."

Warrington put his hand around her waste and Ginny caught Harry's eye briefly as Warrington led her out. It didn't take long. Just as Ginny was walking out the door, she saw, out of the corner of her eye, Harry stand up, put his drink down, and walk out the door behind them a ways.

She led Warrington down the path a bit, not too far off the main way, but just enough so that Harry would have to look for them. Soon she came to a bench and she looked at Warrington. His eyes were alight with anticipation. "Sit," she said.

He did, putting his arms over the back of the bench. She smiled coldly down on him and then hitched her skirt up so the slits were at her hips, the put her knees on the outside of his slim waist. He groaned as she sat down lightly on his lap. Looking him in the eye, she ground against his hips slightly before pressing her chest to his. He moaned again and she kissed him hard, her tongue parting his lips swiftly. She explored his mouth deftly, all the while listening for the crunching of gravel that would signal Harry's approach.

Warrington grabbed her hips and ground her harder against his. Ginny bent her head and went to work on his neck, kissing and licking, biting and blowing, all the while hoping Harry would show up soon so she didn't loose what little of diner she'd eaten.

Just as Warrington placed his hands on her breasts, the crunch of gravel sounded and Ginny smiled into Warrington's neck. She raised her head to kiss his lips, this being the way she had pictured.

But then something happened she didn't expect. Warrington flipped her quickly onto her back pinning her under the bench. She squealed in surprise and Warrington chuckled deep in his throat as he pulled the chopsticks out of her hair and then buried his face in her long auburn locks.

And then he was off her. He was off her and on the ground being pounded into oblivion by Harry Potter, her 'knight in shining armor.' A sickening pop was heard and Ginny suspected that Warrington's nose was broken. The odd thing was Warrington wasn't fighting back and Harry wasn't holding back.

Finally, Ginny couldn't take it any more and she yelled, "Harry! Stop! You'll kill him!"

Two more punches and he stopped. Harry was breathing hard and his robes were dirty, but there was no blood on him that Ginny could see. He stood and turned around, facing Ginny with angry green eyes. Ginny knew she looked the picture of the almost ravished damsel in distress with the top two buttons on her dress undone, her hair loose from its bonds, and her dress slightly wrinkled from her activities.

Harry wiped his face with the back of his sleeve and stared hard at her. She glared at him and bent down to check on Warrington. She took his pulse and whipped the blood off her fingers on the front of his robes. "Are you quite finished?" she said coldly. "I mean, a few more minutes and he'd be dead. What are you doing here, Harry?"

Harry's jaw worked up and down for a minute.

"What? You expected me to thank you? I think you presume a bit much. What was your theory? The Slytherins brainwashed me? Hm, that is one I've not heard in a while. Or did you think I was being blackmailed? Either way, they are truly original ideas."

Harry frowned at this; she could tell she worked him up a bit. "Well I expect a little gratitude Ginny, I mean, he would have raped you."

Ginny snorted, "And what makes you think that? What makes you think I wasn't enjoying it? What makes you think that it wasn't what I wanted? I don't need a protector, Harry. I already have one."

"What? Malfoy! You think he gives a damn about you? Do you even know what people say about you? Do you even care?" he sputtered.

"Of course I know. Believe me; it helps more than hurts me. I wouldn't be here with Warrington if Draco didn't know about it."

Ginny pulled out her wand and said, "OBLIVIATE!" while pointing her wand at Warrington.

"So now he controls your life?" Harry said angrily. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"Don't flatter yourself! He does no such thing. I'm sure you'd love to think he does, but sorry, no. But the real question, Harry, is what you are doing here."

Harry was silent.

"What, no answer? Did you figure yourself my knight in shining armor? Did you think you'd come and protect me from the Snake in Salazar's layer? Where were you when I died Harry, or did you miss that part?" she questioned.

Harry's face went blank. It was then that Ginny noticed she was an unhealthy distance from him, only a few inches. "You were always alive to me, Ginny," he said quietly, his hot breath on her face.

Ginny backed up, her jaw trembling. Harry advanced on her, taking slow steps in her direction. Ginny tried to steal herself, but she couldn't. She faltered and she shook as she backed away. "Don't you dare Harry Potter. Don't you dare!"

"Dare what?" he said calmly. How did he get so warm? Where did that look in his eyes come from? She asked herself.

Ginny hit a tree, unable to go further. "Don't you DARE fall in love with me Harry Potter! I will hate you forever!"

His eyes glinted as he put one hand on the trunk of the tree and leaned closer to her. She wasn't prepared for this, she wasn't ready. Ginny trembled as his breath hit her harder and hotter.

Then she darted under his arm and turned to run, but ran into something quite solid. Actually, some one. She looked up and sighed in relief when she saw it was Malfoy. She grabbed onto his robes and looked pleadingly into his eyes. He nodded and said, "Now doesn't this look cozy? What exactly have you done now, Potter?"

Harry growled, "Nothing worse than you've already done, Malfoy."

"Nothing worse than I've done? Now I never remember beating Warrington into a bloody pulp and then trying to rape Virginia. I wonder where I find time to do all these things?"

"Rape Ginny? I would never do that you bastard!" Harry said angrily. "You are the one that has tainted her mind with your Slytherin ways. Leave her be you snake!"

Draco put a hand on Ginny shoulder, "I'm shocked, Potter, shocked that you would accuse me of this. I have no idea what you are talking about, and I'm sure neither does Virginia. But really, is this the time. Virginia seems rattled a bit by you, I think she should go inside where it is warm. Come now, Virginia."

He put an arm around Ginny's shoulder and walked out of the gardens. Ginny heard Harry yell and the tree she had been pinned against shook. Ginny grabbed Draco's robes desperately as she shivered.

Draco sighed and said, "I did try to warn you, Virginia..."

She looked into his eyes and saw that they did hold some measure of pity for her. "He said he loved me, Draco."

Draco looked at her hard and nodded his head. "I know. He always has, you know?"

Ginny shook her head into his chest and tried to subside her shaking. He led her to her rooms and sat her down in her bed. "Will you be okay?"

Ginny nodded her head slightly. Draco nodded his as well and closed the door behind him. As soon as his footsteps died, Ginny riffled through her rings, found Nysilia's and thrust it on, determined not to feel. Damn morals to hell, she was in pain.

"Damn morals to hell, she was in pain," I quote. Weak. It was weak; that is what it was. That is why I'm in Slytherin; I'm fucking weak. I stayed like that for days under the guise of being asleep.

Thankfully, it was Christmas Break and no one bothered me. My whole house, with the exception of me, was gone that break. Even Draco had left a letter saying that he had to leave because his family was staying on their yacht in the South of France for the holidays. He apologized profusely, but I was okay with it. I needed to think...a lot.

It was four days into break when some one found me. Just my luck it was Snape. I suppose that they got worried that I had killed myself or something. I mean, I hadn't eaten in days and no one had seen me. Nysilia's ring gave me enough sustenance to live, but I didn't quite have the will to take it off. I was like Sleeping Beauty, under the spell of the wicked witch to sleep forever. But no wicked witch but me had put me under that spell.

So they put me in the Infirmary, not knowing what was wrong with me. There were times when I was half awake and I heard voices, and there were time when I just heard voices. There were points when all I wanted was to take off the ring and face the pain I would receive when its numbing effect left, and there were times when all I wanted to do was soak in the dull sensation.

I occasionally felt the sensation of magic flowing over me, like some one had hit me with a spell that had no effect. I think that Nysilia's ring protected me from more than just feeling things, but magic spells as well. I actually think that is its actual purpose. One day I heard the familiar voice of Harry. He was apologizing, he was sorry. He told me that he was hurting now, that he wasn't happy with himself and he'd leave me alone if only I'd wake up. He said he missed me.

I hated him. What gave him the right to say those things to me? What gave him the right to care about me? The only person I had let care about me was Draco, and even that was a distorted version of love, distorted by Slytherin politics and policies. Draco I could deal with because it wasn't real love, it wasn't real emotion. It was feigned to protect us both; Draco from his father's torture forms and me from the other Slytherins.

I finally gained enough will to take the ring off one day, the day of Christmas...

Ginny woke and sat in her bed. She moved Nysilia's ring to her other finger and got out of bed. Almost immediately she was assaulted by Madam Pomfrey and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Miss Weasley!" Madam Pomfrey said anxiously. "You're awake! Oh, thank Merlin!"

"How are you feeling Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked her, his eyes doing the piercing thing they did so well. But ice is hard to pierce through and her soul was made of it.

"Angry," she answered simply. "And dirty. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go bathe."

Yeah, that would shake them quite fast. And it did. Though I did get a rather disturbing note from Dumbledore when I entered my rooms saying to meet him in his office when I was ready.

I did and he, once again, asked if I wanted to tell him anything. I said, once again, that I'd love to, but it wasn't a possibility. He didn't want to accept this, but he had no choice. I went back to my common room and began reading Sense and Sensibility for like the thousandth time, what can I say, I love that book.

I didn't go to the Christmas Feast and I didn't leave the common rooms, though I did have an interesting conversation with Snape...

Ginny was sitting in front of the fires of the Slytherin common room reading Whuthering Heights and drinking hot coffee. She was relaxed when she was alone, when she was living her books like this. It was as if she wasn't part of this world anymore, but part of another; another world that was totally accepting and yet unwavering it its consistency. It was safe for her to feel in that world, it was safe for her to love, and it was safe for her to cry. It was safe because it wasn't her, it was some one else. Right now she was Catherine and she was on the wild moors with Heathcliff. She was free and in love, she was young and in love, she was Catherine and in love.

"Miss Weasley," a cold voice said, breaking her fragile world of make-believe. She looked up and saw Snape. "On request of Dumbledore, I am here to inquire on your well being."

She raised an eyebrow and said, "As you can see I'm quite alive and quite well."

He looked at her in an odd way, like he was trying to decide whether or not to care. Finally, he took a seat across from her and said, "Whuthering Heights, it is one of my favorites, even though it is based on Muggles."

"Emily Bronte thought that all people were alike, wizard and Muggle, so she wrote about both," Ginny answered, putting the book down.

"Emily Bronte was also crazy," Snape countered.

"No one is perfect," Ginny replied.

"And no one is sane, or so they say," Snape snorted.

"No one in her book is," Ginny said.

"Least of all Heathcliff," Snape retorted.

"Heathcliff was crazy in love. Catherine was just crazy."

Snap let out a sort of short laugh that reminded her of Sirius and wondered what he would think about the comparison.

"I think it was beautiful," Ginny continued.

"Beautiful?"

"Their pain. They shared it, but both were too caught up to realize what they inflicted on each other. It is like what Helmholtz was saying in Brave New World, there can be no beauty with out first feeling pain. True beauty is borne of suffering."

"But Helmholtz had a grasp of what was going on in the world. Catherine and Heathcliff were trapped in themselves, in that little span of moor that connected Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. They couldn't see around them enough to know love."

"You don't have to see things to know love," Ginny argued, completely forgetting that this was a teacher she was talking to. "In a way, Heathcliff knew more about love and beauty than Helmholtz ever would because he had loved and lost."

"So what your saying is, it is better than to loved and lost, than to never have loved at all?"

"If you want to interpret Shakespeare like that, yes, if you want to know beauty," she replied.

"But if you want to know love?"

"I don't believe in love."

"But you believe in beauty? I thought they came hand in hand."

"No. i and -i come hand in hand. Love and beauty just level each other. You can have one without the other, it just doesn't mean anything."

"How do you figure?" he asked.

"Hypothetically speaking, if you are in love with someone, you are in love with the beauty that they are; their soul, their mind, their body. But since there is no love, no love that can exist between two people that are bonded so, you can never truly see their beauty. But you can see their beauty with out being in love with them.

"For example," she said, holding her hand up as Snape was going to interject, "I see the beauty of Draco, but I am not in love with him. I see how he desperately tries to escape his father, but as the same time knows that he never will. I see the beauty which is the hypocritical life he lives. Even now he tries to escape what he wants, what he's been told he wants and needs from the time he was born. I see his beauty, but I don't love him.

"Another example, and you won't like this one, I see the beauty of Sirius Black. A prisoner of James' shadow, a prisoner of his own mind for years, a prisoner of Azkaban at the same time, now a prisoner of his own guilt. I see the beauty of the life he lives, the pain in knowing that although he is free of one prison, he's unwittingly was thrown into another. I see the beauty, but I don't love him."

He was silent for a while and then he said, "You should never have been put in this house."

Ginny shook her head, "No, probably not. But what is done is done. What I am is what I am."

"But what you have become..." he began, looking into her eyes with a tint of sorrow. "You are so young, you sound so old."

"I've been told that before," Ginny said looking away.

"You deserved something better, you deserved happiness," he said.

"I will be happy one day," she said, looking into the fire.

"When?"

"When Tom is dead. When I am graduated. When I complete my assignment. When I have escaped my prison. When I am free. When I am a prisoner again. Someday," she said. "Don't trouble yourself with me, I'm strong, I'll survive, I'll endure."

Snape looked her in the eye again, "I'm sorry."

"Me, too...sometimes," she said, standing and holding her book in her hand. "But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I'll go to bed now, it is getting late."

"Goodnight, Miss Weasley," Snape said, walking out of the common room and to his office she assumed.

I like to think that I proved something that day, proved something to Snape, that I wasn't weak. Merlin! I wanted to prove my worth! I wanted to prove myself! But it couldn't be then. Later; later when I was something.

The holidays ended, like all good things must; and I met up with an emotionally and somewhat mentally unstable Draco. He is always like this when he's been around his father too much, like he's never known kindness. He'll act like his father for a while then eventually; he'll snap out of it and become himself. He is awful like that, awful and miserable...and insufferable.

School continued and Hufflepuff lost abysmally to us and Gryffindor. School continued and life continued. Not much changed after the holidays. My classes were going fine; I had once gotten top marks in my year for the finals. I was going through a little plateau in my Animagus training, but McGonagall said that everything was ahead of schedule if I wanted to become one before graduation. I get the feeling she didn't like me much, but what is to be expected? Her Gryffindor sense of fair play, however, prevented her from doing anything out of line. All I have to say is if I was a Gryffindor studying under Snape, things would have been much different.

Winter melted into spring, and my heart froze in return. A sense of contentment would have settled on the castle would the final tests have been a little further away, but the looked much closer this side of Spring Break. The only thing I was amazed about was the fact that Harry the Wonder Boy had yet to get in a huge bout of trouble. It seemed every year with out fail, he and his friends would make some harrowing escape or defeat Voldemort in some terrible battle. But I suppose there is in fact rest for the evil because there was only three weeks left of school and no sign of Tom.

But what disturbed me more was the way people looked at me now. I guess word had gotten out (Merlin knows how) that Harry had tried to 'woo' me after the ball, beat up Warrington, and I'd left with Draco. There are many storied about how his happened and I haven't heard one that is accurate yet. But there is just something in a broken man's eyes that make you look twice...

"Virginia," Draco said quietly, "The least you could have done was broken his heart solidly so we don't have to endure this everyday. He is lingering, you should have just nipped it in the bud."

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "Just kiss me and give him a dirty look; that is all I know what to do. I've never broken a person before Draco. What would you suggest?"

"I've never broken a person before either; ask my father," he said boredly. But he did reach over and kiss her and give the heart broken Harry and superior look before returning to his dinner.

Harry had been giving her puppy dog eyes every time he'd seen her for the last few months and Ginny was tired of it. But at least he stayed away from her, at least in reality he did. He haunted her dreams though; he haunted her steps. He was like an unshakable shadow of guilt and Ginny ran from him like the whips of the Furies themselves were at her heals. Truthfully, she didn't want to hurt him like this, she just wanted him to move on. She just wanted to move on.

Ginny licked her lips and looked up at the main table, trying to read the expression of Dumbledore. He seemed to grow more tired looking every day, like a heavy burden was weighing down on him. Ginny had a feeling that he knew something no one else did; something about Tom. There was war brewing, Ginny could feel it. Every day that she lived it felt closer. But still not so close. She would live to see it, that was for sure, but what side she would be on and if she would survive were two totally different questions.

She had given a lot of thought to what side she supported and every time it ended with Dumbledore. He was right, Tom was wrong and that was that. That and Ginny hated Tom with every fiber of her being and would do anything to see him dead...anything, even if it meant her death.

Ginny's ears perked up as she listened to Dumbledore announce the house cup. "Hufflepuff ended the year with a total of 117 points following closely with Ravenclaw at 135. However, for the thirteenth time in school history, a tie-breaker is needed for the House Cup, with Gryffindor and Slytherin both tied at 185 points."

And then there were bells. They rang in Ginny's head like thunder in the midnight sky. This wasn't a good idea. This wasn't a good plan. This wouldn't be a good thing, not at all. Ginny couldn't just keep this to herself. But she needed to be sure.

Stealthily, Ginny made her way to the exit; amazed no one was going to catch her. She raced to the bathrooms, thinking it would be a fine excuse if some one found her. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out Nysilia and Morgana's rings. Ginny hesitated for a moment, not wanting to relive the terror. Eventually her conscious won and she shoved the rings on her finger. Before she reached the bathrooms, she was assaulted with visions. They flew so fast she could barely make them out. Ginny collapsed on the hard stone floor and slid into a sitting position against the chilled walls.

Her eyes unfocused and rolled to the back of her head; she had been right...Tom was here, on the campus...but not.

"Miss Weasley?" a sharp voice said, jolting her out of reality. "Miss Weasley," it said again, more urgently.

Ginny's eyes focused momentarily and saw it was Snape. She could trust him. She grabbed onto his robes weakly and opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the words. "Traitor," she croaked. "In Hogwarts...don't...not Harry...death in the castle...betrayal...in the castle...warn Dumble...dore."

"What are you babbling about?" he said sharply. "Who is the traitor, what about Potter?"

"Dark...don't...not Harry...trust...must tell Dumbledore...traitor," she mumbled. The visions came back, stronger this time, she could smell the blood now; it was awful. She couldn't take the rings off while Snape was here though. This was her punishment for doing the right thing though and she would accept it.

"Dumbledore..." she said, letting darkness claim her.

Hours later, Ginny woke in the infirmary. Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey were immediately at her side. Ginny wished they would leave, she could feel the future weighing in down on her, she felt compressed and uncomfortable.

"Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore said, his eyes full of concern.

"What have you done?" Ginny asked fearfully. She had read it in Hogwarts, A History. When there was a tie in the house competition, there was a type of scavenger hunt to see who the winner is. Teachers hide the trophy in some part of the school and patrol the secret passages, keeping watch over the students to be sure fair play was observed. He wouldn't have sent them out there, would he? "They...you didn't...let him go? Did you?"

"What have you seen, Ginny?"

"You sent them out there, you should have seen this! Headmaster, how could you?" she shrieked.

"You don't have to worry; Professor Allen is watching over Harry, nothing will harm him. Professor Allen is a competent DADA teacher, you have no need to worry," Dumbledore said calmly.

"I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY! I have every right to worry, that isn't one of your supporters, Headmaster; that is a Death Eater!" she said, her body tensing in anger. Ginny's ring hand began to shake and spasm. It was like it was trying to rip her from the room or something. She grabbed it quickly and said, "She's going to kill him, Headmaster. If you don't find him, she'll corner him and find him. I can-" and just as she was about to continue, another seizure of visions hit her and she sank into the bed. Breathing heavily, she looked into the eyes of the Headmaster, "Please believe me; go."

And then he went. I was stuck in that stupid infirmary waiting for those stupid visions. I eventually gave up and took the rings off as I waited. I learned that the five representatives in the hunt from Slytherin were Draco, Warrington, Derrick, Blaise Zabini, and a seventh year Prefect, Theresa Unmacht. The Gryffindors out were, of course, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, the dream team, with a seventh year, Alicia Spinnet and a sixth year, Johannes Battalion, a Prefect.

I take great pride in the fact that I stayed perfectly calm the whole time...well, most of the time. It was like I had a whole bunch of itching powder in my pants. I even tried to sneak out of the room a couple of times. But damn, Madam Pomfrey is fast. You wouldn't think it to look at her, but she has mad skill.

It wasn't till later that I learned what really happened...

Ginny was awake still, her Dreamless Sleep untouched on her nightstand. How could she sleep when that manic teacher was out there and so much excitement was going on? How could Madame Pomfrey handle it? It was around midnight when the doors of the infirmary opened. Dumbledore walked in, haggard and weary; a few smudges of dirt on his normally immaculate robes and a dull quality to his eyes suggested there had been a great misfortune since the last time she'd seen him.

"Headmaster?" Ginny asked weakly, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"Would you please come with me Miss Weasley, there are a few things we'll need to talk to you about."

We? Ginny said to herself. But she got up anyway and followed the Headmaster's weary steps to his office. It seemed like the longest walk she'd ever taken, a Green Mile of sorts. She climbed the stairs behind him and entered his office for the fourth time in her life. Severus Snape was there, as was Sirius Black (both of them looked like they wouldn't complain if asked to duel to the death with each other), Minerva McGonagall, and Harry Potter.

Ginny froze. She didn't want to be here and she knew it. Oh, Merlin, help me, she said quietly. But it wasn't Merlin that answered.

Put on my ring, Virginia. Put my ring and Nysilia's ring on your left thumb, the ethereal and slow speech of Morgana Le Fay said into her head. And Virginia did; no one refused a command from that woman. And then Ginny felt a tingle of power, a new feeling she'd never gotten from that ring before.

"Miss Weasley, I'm sure you'd like to hear what happened this evening-" Dumbledore began.

"-but you already know, don't you?" Snape said coolly, piercing her with his intense black stare.

Ginny did answer.

Harry was looking at her now, the lost puppy dog eyes gone and calmly inquisitive ones in their place. She hated his eyes. She hated everything about him; but she especially hated his eyes.

"Let me rephrase that," Sirius Black said, "We want you to tell us what you know, what is going on with you. We want the truth."

A muscle in Ginny's eye twitched. NO one spoke to HER like that. "I don't have to tell you anything!" she spat, glaring defiantly up at them as she raised from her seat.

A sad expression crossed Dumbleodore's face. "Unfortunately, Miss Weasley, there are ways of changing that." He gestured to Snape, who had produced a vile with a clear liquid in it. "We know that you have some power, and we would like to help you with it. There are places you can go, people you can learn from. Your accuracy is stunning, in your predictions. There hasn't been an oracle of your magnitude in centuries, not since Morgana Le Fay sat in Delphi at any rate. We think with the right training, you could sit in her same spot as the Oracle of Delphi, the same spot Apollo sat. We only want to help you, you must understand. But we can't help you if we don't know the truth."

Ginny looked at the faces of everyone in the room. Each of the expressed some amount of sorrow, Harry's most of all. Ginny would not give in though. Ensured by the rings she wore, she took a deep breath and said, "I refuse."

The sad expression came on Dumbledore's face and then quicker than she thought he could move, Snape did a simple spell and Ginny opened her mouth just long enough for him to pour the Veritaserum down her throat. She coughed and sputtered for a moment and then her mind began to float away. Then like a friendly ray of light on a cloudy day, a voice reached into her head.

"What is your house?" it asked.

"Slytherin," she answered, this game was easy.

"What is the day today?"

"Friday," she said willingly.

"What is your name?"

And that was when it happened. Why should she be playing this game? It was safer to stay away from the light, safer to stay in the dark, right?

"What is your name?"

She saw the black cloud; she would be safe there. She walked into it and a chilly breeze bit her skin, but she liked it, so she stayed.

"What is your name?"

And then Ginny woke, the coldness of the cloud bringing her around. She rubbed her eyes and frowned as a sour taste entered her mouth. Then she frowned in earnest. They had tried to extract the answers from her forcefully. She looked Dumbledore in the eye. Feelings of betrayal, pain, hate, and loneliness washed over her. Deceived by the people she was supposed to trust. The people who were supposed to protect her. The people who, no matter what, did what was right. But this was wrong. They had tricked her...the only people she trusted. She looked around and realized; it had been wrong to trust them. How could she trust them? A waist of a Slytherin and four Gryffindors. How could she have ever thought she could trust them?

"I trusted you...I trusted you," she said. Her world was shattering. She had trusted them. Bile rose in her throat and she had to swallow hard not to puke. She was so disgusted. They had been good people...good people like Cedric. And they deceived her.

She lurched from her seat and ran out of the room, unable to stand being in the same room with them.

I know. You thought it couldn't get worse...and then it went and got worse. I know. "How," you may ask, "did they justify that little shenanigan?" I can only answer what I think is right. They felt justified. They felt they could use me to get the answers to help them. It would seem a necessity to a Gryffindor. For the common good, for the good of the masses, this was the Gryffindor way. It was also the socialist way. All I can guess is that they felt as though they would protect more people than just me if they forced me into an eternal state of clairvoyance.

You didn't know? Re-he-he-he-healy? Well, here is a history lesson for you. A long time ago, the Greek god Apollo (whom modern wizarding historians have proved was in fact a real person, an early Grecian wizard) was punished by some one, who isn't important, to sit on the seat of the Delphi shrine. Well he was so upset, one day, he cursed it, so when any true oracle sat on it they would be in an eternal state of clairvoyance. Now that means that any other damn person on the whole bloody earth could sit on it and not be cursed unless you were an oracle. Morgana Le Fay was an oracle. Morgana Le Fay sat on it one day near the end of her life, and never got up again. Some oracles have sat there their whole lives. There hasn't been one in centuries though, not since Aaron Mondaigo died in 1739. They wanted to banish me to a life of prison, of prison in the future, away from reality. They had got to be kidding if they thought I was that stupid.

I was in an eternal (okay so it wasn't so eternal) state of bitchiness right then and there. I left Hogwarts that next day a very upset woman. I also returned that way, but that is a story for later.