The Unforgettable Fire

(**text** = memories. *text* = thoughts and other.)

CHAPTER 11: Year 6, Part 3, Discovered

The feast really isn't that bad. Apart from (for me) having to sit next to a bunch of smelly, hairy, hormonally challenged boys who can't take their eyes off my chest, it is a fun experience for all. The teachers sit at the head table looking either excited the school year is starting (everyone minus Snape) or dreading having to walk into a classroom with the monsters they call children (basically just Snape). I dread everything about this year. Think about it. Harry Potter's seventh year. What couldn't go wrong? Warning! Warning! Warning Will Robinson (to quote the old Muggle TV show Lost in Space)! I love how everyone is completely oblivious to the fact that danger lurks behind Harry Potter like a pedophile lurks behind ten-year-old girls. It makes me feel confident about the generation I'm living in. Either that or everyone is just too damn optimistic.

Anyway, start of term feast, yeah! Start of the actual term, yeah! Start of living hell, yeah! Good attitude, eh?

But the first few weeks of school passed smoothly. As always, I met McGonagall on Thursday to get to work on my Animagus. I was surprised to find that I really wasn't that far away from meeting my goal, a month, two tops until I was a full blown Animagus. I was also registered. Can't have illegal Animagus running around like they own the damn place, can we?

I looked forward to my meeting with Dumbledore, which I'd gotten scheduled for a week or two after the start of the year. I'd told Draco I was patitioning for a harder class schedule and he accused me of being a Hermione Granger follower. But it was an excuse.

**"Ah, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said as Ginny entered the office lazily. It was about damn time, she'd scheduled to meet with him the first day she'd come back. She didn't doubt that he'd given up on her, but this would reassure him if he had any doubts. "Do sit down, have some tea. After harder classes are you?"

"No," Ginny said flatly. He raised an eyebrow. "I don't care about the classes. I have something to tell you. It is about Malfoy and Tom. I know what he is planning and I can help you stop him, even kill Tom."

The corner of Dumbledore's lip twitched into a smile and a hint of triumph was present in his infinitely blue eyes. "Do tell."

"I was planning on it." Ginny crossed her legs in a business-like fashion. "As you know I stayed with the Malfoys this summer. As you also probably know, I went with them to Peru. Have you heard of the Intihuatana stone? Do you know what it is, what it does, what it can do?"

"I've heard of it and know what it does."

"Well Malfoy wants to use it to power Tom, not the Peruvian gods and people. He wants to channel the power of the stone into Tom. I've made myself invaluable as a translator in this action."

"Is that so," Dumbledore mused. "And how exactly is Mr. Malfoy planning on doing this?"

"I told him the general theory. He'll need channelers, powerful stones; the whole shebang. But he has Arithromancers working on it as we speak. I'm supposed to be translating the stones, but I already know what they say."

"And that is?"

"We don't have all day, Headmaster, otherwise I'd tell you. Let's just say I won't figure out a very important point until after the Winter Solstice."

The headmaster leaned back in his seat and observed Ginny for a moment. Ginny didn't flinch under his gaze; she knew it bothered him that she didn't. It was only natural for a person with a conscious, but Ginny'd lost that long ago. "What do you propose I do with this information?"

"I don't know. I'm only doing my...duty." Ginny spat out the last word as though it were a plague. Her DUTY. What a joke. "I'm just making sure that Tom is killed. I'll get information to you someway or another, don't come look for me. I'm risking my life here."

"I realize this. I thank you Miss Weasley. It seems that I was wrong about you."

"Save it," she said sharply, not caring who she was talking to. "I don't care. I know you were wrong and I know what you wanted to do was wrong. Just let me do what I think is right and then disappear, that is all I want now."

The headmaster sighed heavily as she left. A beautiful mind in a beautiful and talented woman. It was all for naught. She should have been a Gryffindor.**

But if I had been a Gryffindor, none of this would have happened, now would it? No, sure wouldn't. If I'd been a Gryffindor I'd probably still be mooning over Harry Potter and thinking about how wonderful the world is. Draco'd be even sicker than he is now and Lucius would be plotting away, except no one would know what. If I'd been a Gryffindor I'd turn into a poster-Ginny; a picture of my real talent. One thing about Slytherin, it brings out the best in you. But the best things are always complimented with a good, solid layer of bad.

Speaking of Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, the first match up of the season was coming. I'd been training with the rest of my team. Draco was captain again with Crabbe and Goyle as our Beaters. Julius Flint, Adam Dolohov, and I were the Chasers again. Jonathan Wilkes was out star Keeper. We had a good team, sixth and seventh years all. We'd be a good team next year too.

**Ginny pulled her broom into a stop as Draco called a break in practice. They'd been practicing extra hard for the match, but no one was complaining. This was the last year that Draco could win the Cup. The way Ginny saw it, he deserved it just as much as Harry, maybe more because Harry'd won it three times and he'd only won it once. There was always that competition for the best between those two, Ginny saw it constantly. She was glad her advanced classes didn't include either of them or she might have to kill one or both of them.

"Hold up," Draco said, "What do they think they are doing?"

Ginny looked down on the field and saw a few Gryffindors crowding on the ground. She could see Ron pointing in their direction and Harry was trying to calm him down. "I don't know. What did you do?"

"I didn't do jack," Draco answered. The rest of their team flew over to Ginny and Draco. "Any of you know what is going on?" No one did. They all flew down to the ground to meet their visitors. Sure enough, Ron and Harry walked over with two others. Insurance, Ginny thought.

"We need to talk to Ginny," Harry said plainly. Ron had a scowl on his face and the two boys they had with them, one fair haired and handsome, the other tall and dark. "It is about her family."

Ginny looked up at Draco, who was staring coolly at Harry. "Keep it short, Potter."

"In private," Ron managed to growl out. He seemed to be working very hard at not tackling Draco to the ground.

Doing her best to avoid a fight, Ginny put a hand on Draco's forearm, looking him in the eye in a reassuring manner. He nodded and she turned to Harry and Ron, both of whom looked slightly surprised that there wouldn't be any fighting. Ginny, who hadn't spoken the whole time, walked off the pitch as Ron and the other three Gryffindors followed her. The fair haired boy and dark boy fell in line beside her, as though she might try to run. She looked sideways at the blonde boy. He blushed and averted his blue eyes. Looking up at the tall African boy through her eyelashes, she saw him blush as well and fall behind like the other. She loved power. One coy look and they were cowering like little girls.

When Ginny was far enough from the field, she wheeled on her brother and other three Gryffindors haughtily. "What the hell was that about, Ronald? You couldn't wait for after dinner? Wanted to spy on the practice? Gryffindors! Fair play and honesty my foot!"

"Calm down, Ginny," Ron said, his fist shaking at his side. "It couldn't wait."

"Maybe I should handle this," Harry said calmly. He looked more in control than Ron, whom she thought might blow a gasket or something soon. "Ginny, your father has been fired from his position at the Ministry. Malfoy got him fired."

Ginny looked blankly at the two. "And?"

At that Ron shook with anger and roared off in the direction of the castle. The tall boy and the blonde boy were looking at her with something akin to disgust on their faces. Harry looked angry and disgusted as well, but it was more like disappointment. She wondered if Dumbledore had told him something. It would be dangerous if he had, she needed to get through different channels.

"How can you say that, Ginny?" he asked quietly.

"Easily," Ginny said defiantly. Turning to the two Gryffindors, she said, "Boys, take a walk. Vas!" To Harry's surprise, they did, and none to slowly. "Look, Harry. I don't have to explain myself to you. You understand this right? You aren't anything to me. You never will be. If you think you can impress yourself on my life, you can't. Just let it rest already. Don't worry about Father, and tell Ronald not to worry either. Things are under control."

Harry was shaking his head slowly, his arms crossed and looking at the ground. "I wish you could see what you've done to your family. I don't think you'd be like this now if you could."

"Be like what?" Ginny spat. "I am what the world made me! Don't like it? Tough. Just remember while I still have the strength to look myself in the mirror every morning, I still have the strength to look you in the face. Don't think your act fools me."

"It isn't an act, Ginny. I worried about you, we all are."

"Yeah," she said, looking out over the trees and licking her lips. "Well I'll see you Harry, I've got practice."

"I'll wait for you," he said from behind her. Ginny kept on walking as he called after her. "Ginny, you and I will be together someday, you just wait."**

Persistent as hell and as hot too! Damn, when did he get so sexy? Physical attraction is a powerful thing; it's good I know how to control myself. But damn, Harry'd gotten hot over the summer. It isn't like Draco hot where he looks like an angel and is really a devil, or Jonathan Wilkes hot where you're attracted to his body and there is something alluring about his personality. Harry was just hot. I didn't like him, I didn't want to like him, but a girl can appreciate art when she sees it, and I saw it. He'd gotten taller, his messy hair fell over his forehead in an I'm-not-trying-to-be-sexy-manner-but-you-are-blind-if-you-don't-see-I-am sort of way, and his eyes sparked with some inner fire that you couldn't help but be drawn to.

Thank Merlin I have my own center or I would have been drawn to his. As I said, animal magnetism is a strong thing. So strong, in fact, I was intrigued by it. Not enough to test it in person, but a sort of study would be fun. Manipulating people was more Draco's game than mine, though I hold a few good cards. I also had other things I could be doing...and yet the subject called to me.

Of course I went to the library, what else would I do? Being a Prefect certainly had its perks; access to the Restricted Section was one of them.

**Ginny set the tower of books on the table and sank into the chair. She had a ton of homework, not to mention she had to figure out the last half of the Incan translation, which was becoming more and more challenging. But she wanted to do this, even if she had to stay up all night.

Hours later, she had finished her research, but she needed a subject, well, two if it was going to work properly. She looked around the library discretely and saw Hermione in one corner near a fifth year Slytherin girl and then another Ravenclaw, a handsome boy named Terry Boot. She knew him because he was one of the Prefects that year and the Ravenclaw team captain. No one could really help her with her experiment in this room, but if she could get a Slytherin and a Gryffindor in the same room at the same time, it might work.

*Hermione...* she thought. *I really need to get my first message through her to Dumbledore. She's smart; she'll be able to figure out a subtle hint.* She looked down the table, directly at Hermione. After a moment, Hermione must have felt the itching sensation that you got when some one was looking at you, because she turned her eyes slowly to Ginny. Ginny kept her face emotionless. Then she began blinking her eyes. *Read piece of paper I drop. End. Leave last. End. Don't open it in here. End. Invisible Ink. End.* Ginny repeated this a couple of times until Hermione finally widened her eyes in understanding and nodded.

Ginny scratched her first note to Dumbledore and got back to work.**

Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky. Damn smart too. It was risky with a Slytherin in there, but she didn't seem to know what was going. I don't think people realize the social pyramid in the Slytherin common room. True Slytherins go into the room and know exactly where they fit in. I walked in and was lost for all of three seconds before I figured out I wasn't wanted. But basically, this is how it goes:

At the bottom of the social pyramid are females who are stupid, good for a fuck, but basically dumb blonds with cash. If they are lucky, they marry some one higher than they are.

Next come the group of idiot boys and a few girls, who have not so much at the upper class, but enough to talk of. They end up being the pseudo-friends of the upper class. Golye and Crabbe are excellent examples.

After that come the intellectuals. Mostly people like Blaise Zabini. This class is made of girls for the most part, not nessessarily the richest, but girls you want on your side. These are the sort of people that have wit and book smarts so they can afford to lash anyone with their razor sharp tongues, even the upper class. The upper class puts up with this to a point because they realize that they will be useful in the future.

The upper class is the rich people; the rich and powerful people who throw their weight around and then hide under their father's coat tails if threatened. Draco Malfoy is one of these people. As is Warrington, Wilkes, and Flint.

You are probably wondering where I fit in. Well, it is simple really, I don't. I happened to "make friends" with the most powerful boy in our school and it is the only reason I'm still living probably. I'm the one in a thousand that is beautiful, powerful, and smart. I'm a good ally to have and an awful enemy. I'll give Draco some credit, he realized this before anyone and now he reaps the benefits.

You remember before when I told you that Brigid Allen was Lucius Malfoy's "concubine"? You remember when I said my life sort of mirrors hers? Try this on for size. I did my homework on Allen. She comes from a family that was historically Hufflepuff. Her father, her father's father, her mother, her mother's mother, all her three sisters and two brothers (all older) were Hufflepuff. She got sorted into Slytherin. Appearantly she did well (with, I suspect, the help of Malfoy Sr.) and was prefect her sixth year and Head Girl her seventh. She played Quidditch (Chaser of course) and was a lead scorer for three years. She was reportedly the smartest girl in the school, and from what pictures I saw, very pretty. Is this sounding familiar? Yes? No? Undecided? Well I'll tell you what, it's fucking weird! She lives my life! Lived, I mean. And now she is evil and "works" for Lucius Malfoy.

At this point I wondered about my life a bit. Was I doomed to trace the steps of this woman? History repeats herself if you don't learn from her, or so I've been told. But on with the reason I asked you if you remembered her. She was caught. Yes, caught trying to get to Malfoy senior one night by a troop of Aurors. She killed four before they captured her. It was sad really. I mean, at the rate I was going, that is me in fifteen years. I didn't want to be that. I never wanted to be that. I wasn't going to let anyone turn me into THAT. But that would happen if I kept on with what I was doing.

At any rate, I found this all out a week or two after Halloween. It was in the Daily Prophet, but I got the real story from Draco...

**They had assumed their normal positions, Draco flipping through a book on her bed and Ginny brushing her hair at her vanity. It was a nicer room that her past years, probably because she was Prefect this year. She looked at Draco out of the corner of her eye and he winked at her before looking down at his book again.

"I know you don't read up on Rousseau," Ginny said with a sigh. "You're going to make me ask, aren't you?"

Draco looked up, trying to appear surprised and confused. "Why, what on earth are you talking about Virginia Weasley?"

"Don't Virginia Weasley me." Ginny rolled her eyes. "What is the deal with Allen and your father?"

"Well, when two people are attracted to each other - "

"Cut it out, I've had sex, remember? You know what I mean."

Draco closed the philosophy book and Ginny turned around in her chair. "You know how in the newspapers, they said that she was leaving the Estate?"

Ginny nodded her head.

"Well, she wasn't. Father mailed me with the real story and said if I told anyone, excluding you of course, I'd be a dead man. But he was sending her out to kill Antonio, you remember him? Anyway, he betrayed us and told someone about the Intihuatana stone. So Snape tells my father that Antonio was a traitor and off goes father's assassin to kill Antonio off."

"Wait, two things. Allen was a hit-wizard?"

"Duh! It wasn't all about the sex. Father has other uses for her. If he wanted someone for sex, he'd get a nice whore."

"Okay, I can believe that. And Snape, how did he even know?"

"Father and Snape were best friends at Hogwarts, inseparable. Like Potter and Weasley...almost. But Snape is loosing footing in the ranks because he can't get any more information about Potter for Him."

Ginny kept the truth to herself. "I don't understand how Allen and your father met."

"They were at Hogwarts together. Come to think of it, they were kind of like you and I..."

"I'm prettier," Ginny said as she turned back to her mirror. "I don't have that Merlin awful scar on my face."

"True. But there is something cold and beautiful about her. I can see why my father keeps her around. I mean, other than the fact she can kill nineteen full grown and armed wizards if she is put in a room of twenty. It is true, she did it before."

"Impressive. I want to know why. Obviously she doesn't love him."

"No, probably not."

"And I don't think it is money either; don't ask me why, I just don't."

"I couldn't say. But he doesn't pay her. She just does it."

"Blackmail?"

"No, if Father wants something, he has enough money to pay for it, he doesn't need blackmail. She is kind of like you, why are you friends with me?"

"I'll be killed if I'm not and I can talk to you."

"Well, then," Draco said, lying back on her bed, "We have a winner."

Ginny looked at her reflection and tried to envision a scar there. Then she stood and looked at Draco. "Do you think you and I'll grow up and I'll kill people for you?"

His cold gray eyes softened for a half second. "I don't know if you'll kill people for me. But if I have to be married to Pansy, which I've talked it over with my father and I am once I get out of school, you'll probably be my lover. That is, I mean, if you wanted to."

Ginny wrapped her arms around her stomach and bit the inside of her lip. "I suppose. Better you than Warrington. Or Harry."

At this Draco laughed. "He's in love with you, you know."

Ginny rolled her eyes and sat on the corner of her bed. "I know."

"So does our whole Quidditch team. Well, that is fascination and obsession, not love. But it is as close as Slytherin get to love."

"I know," she repeated.

"And so is Millicent Bludstrode."

Ginny shivered. "Don't remind me. She creeps me out. She needs to be put on a leash or something...wait, how did you know that?"

Draco snorted. "You're kidding me, right? I mean half the house knows and everyone who isn't blind too. Plus, Pansy doesn't stop talking about it. They are lovers you know. She thought it would impress me if she went bisexual. It just disgusts me, really."

"She got fat," Ginny said. "Both of them."

"And I'm so looking forward to marrying that slow, fat, pug-looking bitch." He ran his fingers though his hair uncomfortably. "Virginia, you know I don't get sentimental and soft often, but I don't want to get married, not unless it is to you."

"I know. I wouldn't even consider getting married to anyone if they weren't you. But we can't, we have to remember that."

Draco nodded. "What do you think it would be like if it were different? I mean, you and I were in Gryffindor or something."

"And Harry, Ron, and hermione were in Slytherin?"

Draco leaned back on her pillows and snorted. "Yeah."

"Easier probably. I wouldn't have to be your concubine."

"Do you think we'd love each other?"

"Yeah, I do."

"And we'd grow up and have a bunch of kids?" he said with a yawn.

"Yeah," Ginny said, taking her cue from him and yawning as well. Ginny lay down next to him on the bed and sighed. He put his arm around her shoulders as she scooted closer. "It's fun, imagining it's different."

"Yeah," DRaco mumbled lazily. It was a good time for an afternoon nap. Ginny rolled over and flung her arm over Draco's chest before falling asleep.**

You have to break down sometimes. You can't go back to being cold if you don't know what it is like to feel warmth, it just doesn't work. But at least Draco and I can do it without losing our pride. I hate to think how the other Slytherin feel. Given most of them don't have as much to lose as either Draco or me so most of them don't have to be so cold. But still, they have to let loose some times; even if it is just for a little while. You have to feel, I mean really feel. If you don't you lose something, the part of you that is human. It isn't though I care about being human or not, or ever feeling again, but a certain level of understanding comes with the fact that you are a person. Under the ice, we are all the same really. We all have the need for contact. Not of course when you put on Nysilia's ring.

I finally figured out what that ring did. It is a curse, an abomination. It makes you less human. To think that Nysilia was actually a person once, for all the Virgins once were, is impossible. She must have lived her life like that. No feelings, no contact. I couldn't imagine a world without contact. I couldn't imagine a world with out Draco. He was my stablizer, I was his. We had a connection. If it had only been different...if...

Listen to me. If! Only fools live in the world of "if." If I hadn't been put in Slytherin. If Fred and George hadn't gotten me so angry. If I'd never gotten Tom's diary. If Tom had never tried to kill Harry. Hell, if Tom had never been born. There is a whole world of ifs out there and none of them are reality. If I iffed my life away, I'd really be an oracle and I'd deserve the seat at Delphi.

But I don't. I live in the present, the only thing besides Draco keeping me sane. The only way to live is in the present. Live in the past and you'll get lost. Live in the future and you'll loose your footing on the path. Live in the present and see your enemies and friends alike for what they really are.

It was a twisted life I lived, a twisted life of deceit and complications. I would grow up and kill people fore Draco, the great circle of life. Or at least I thought. Some things happened though...but not yet. Don't be hasty, don't be hasty, all in time, these things go chronologically you know.

But enough of that deep shit. I have a story to tell. I'm sure you are dying to know the turnout of the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.

**It was that time of year again. Quidditch time. The time when boys and girls ran rampant in the halls, some causing havoc and others fleeing from it. The time when tempers flew higher than Quaffles and people basically - **

Annoyed the living shit out of me. Sorry to interrupt. Moving on.

**It was Ginny's least favorite time of year. Draco would flaunt her all over the school; trying to see whose chain he could pull. She knew he loved it, he relished in causing people to lose their control and see what they'd do. All Ginny had to do was pretend to be blithely unconcerned and let Draco do basically whatever he wanted to/with her.

At that moment, Draco was advertising the fact that he could use Ginny any way he wanted right in front of Harry, Ron, and their two Gryffindor friends. Ginny sat on his lap on a bench near the fountain, looking indifferent as he kissed her neck and played with her long red hair.

"Come on, loosen up a bit," Draco murmured into her neck as he ran his knuckles up and down her bare arm.

"This is stupid," Ginny complained, turning to face him. Then she leaned her forehead against his. "And boring. As much as public masturbating sounds fun FOR YOU, I'll pass. Besides, I'll make them angrier if we leave. Then they won't know what we're doing."

Draco paused, then a smirk played on his lips. "You are a very smart woman, Virginia."

"I know," she said imperiously as she got off his lap and took his hand.

And it worked, just as they left, Ron and Harry went following after them. Draco saw this and Ginny noticed a smirk beginning to grow on his face. "You're the devil," Ginny whispered.

"I haven't even begun," he said quietly. With that, he rounded the corner sharply and backed Ginny against the wall, kissing her forcefully. It was so unexpected from him and Ginny let out a small squeak. He pressed her harder against the wall as Ginny wrapped a white calf around his leg sinuously. "Stop it," he said quickly.

Ginny smirked into his neck. She knew this was his fetish of a sort and it drove him absolutely wild. "You started it," she shot back playfully. She ran her foot up and down his calf and listened as he practically purred.

"Ahem!" an angry voice said from behind Draco. Ginny saw Draco smirk evilly and wink before turning around. Right on time, Ron and Harry showed up as her knight protectors.

"Is there a problem?" Draco asked, purposefully straightening his robes.

"Problem!" Ron exploded. "Problem? Why would there be a problem? You're only groping my sister in front of HALF THE SCHOOL!"

"Well is that all?" Draco said tiredly. "She's my girlfriend, Weasley, I can pretty much do anything I want."

A shadow fell over the students, but the only one who noticed was Ginny. It was Snape, towering in the hallway, the back of the boys partially towards him. Ginny noticed though, but she pretended not to.

"Maybe you should watch who you are talking about," Harry growled. "I'm sure Ginny doesn't like being treated like that."

"I'm sure *Virginia* would tell me if she had a problem," Draco retorted. "And since when is it your business Potter? Don't tell me you love *my* girlfriend? You do? This is just too rich! Potter is in love with *my* girlfriend!"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry growled. Ginny just crossed her arms and put her weight on one hip, waiting for the little scuffle to end. She blew a piece of hair out of her face and looked like she'd never been to a more boring place.

"Let's go, Draco," she said pointedly. "I'm bored of this."

"Quite," Draco agreed. Then they turned to walk to their common rooms were.

"Furnunculous!" Harry cried loudly.

The blazing rod of magic narrowly missed Draco and soared past his head. But before anyone could do anything, Snape had come out from the shadows and was looking more moody than he had in a while. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, dueling in the hallways? My, my, my, that just won't do. Fifty points from Gryffindor and detention for a week. Mr. Malfoy, why don't you head along, I have a Potions paper to discuss with Miss Weasley."

"See you tonight, Virginia," Draco said casually, walking down the hall. Snape followed Harry and Ron with his eyes until they were both out of sight, and then began walking, and Ginny followed, doing her best to catch up with his long legs.**

It was nearly perfect. In a room alone with Snape, my "victim." A chance for Miss Virginia Weasley to test her skills of manipulation and seduction. What? Pass up this chance? Never! Plus, if I was going to be a good spy on Malfoy, I was going to have to convince him. If that meant I had to seduce his "best friend," fine, just fine.

But how was the question. The answer was simple. Malfoy had told me Snape had been in love with Lily, Harry's mother. So had Lupin and Black and a lot of other people. I sort of looked like her, the hair and face a bit. But her eyes were green, Harry's eyes. But that was easily remedied. It is called Transfiguration; I'm very good at it. Green one minute; brown the next.

**He motioned for her to sit in the seat opposite him and she did, politely crossing her legs and looking at him attentively. He observed her for a moment, leaning back in his seat and trying to look intimidating. But she wasn't, and this, like Dumbledore, bothered him a little.

"Miss Weasley," he began. "I'll be frank. I don't know what game you are playing, but it is dangerous, quit while you're ahead."

Ginny pretended to look confused. "I don't know what you are talking about, Professor."

Snape frowned and stood. Slowly he paced from his fire to his seat and back again. "Look," he began, "I won't sugar coat this. Dumbledore fears for your life." Ginny blinked her eyes and they were green. "He thinks that going to Malfoy Estate was detrimental to your health and thinks you should ease out of your friendship with Draco Malfoy as soon as you can." He looked at her and stopped. Ginny blinked her eyes and they were brown again. He frowned, like he was trying to decide if he were seeing things or not, and continued. "Your information about Malfoy's plans has been invaluable." Green. "And Antonio, one of our best international spies, is alive because of it." Brown. "Dumbledore was especially impressed with your ways of leaking knowledge through Hermione Granger, ingenious really." Green. "We are aware of your correspondences between Malfoy senior and think it is unhealthy." Brown. She could tell she was getting under his skin. The way he would pause every now and then was proof enough that she was succeeding. His breath was a little faster; Hina's ring could sense it. *Now for a little juice,* Ginny thought. "So...so...the headmaster...thinks you should..."

"Are you okay, Professor?" she asked, taunting him a bit. He didn't even realize she was the one doing it to him. Her eyes flashed back to green momentarily and then back to brown.

"I must not be feeling well," Snape said, sitting dumbly in his seat at his desk.

"I'll go then," she said quietly. "I'll keep what you said in mind, but Professor, you really should look after yourself. You look a little hot, maybe Madam Pomfrey could get you something that could help."

Looking very confused, Snape nodded and waved her out of the room. Ginny smiled to herself and headed up to her common room.**

I know I'm a manipulative bitch. We all have our talents. But I didn't do anything. I simply made him think about doing something. Were it a crime to be beautiful, I'd've been in Azkaban long ago.

But on with the story. Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Oh, exciting.

**It had become a familiar thing to play Quidditch in the rain. The last few years she'd played a couple of times, and then the practices lately. Ginny had walked out on the field and been soaked immediately, her warming charm doing little against the bitter winds.

"And the Quaffle is up!" fifth year Gryffindor, Constance Magdalene, the new announcer since Rhonda Lane graduated, said into the crowds. "And the Quaffle is taken by Hurricane Weasley, starting the season off with a bang! Hurricane to Flint, Flint to Hurricane, Hurricane to the goals and blocked by Dean Thomas, seventh year, Gryffindor Keeper. Looks like he's improved. Good for Gryffindor to have a bit of experience on their field. True there are four seventh years on Gryffindor's team, but inexperienced. Their other players are fourth and fifth years. While Slytherin has only three seventh years, their other players are practiced sixth years all.

"A nice Hawkshead Attacking Formation by Slytherin. Hurricane is in the middle, flanked by Flint and Dolohov. Superior flying by the Slytherin down the pitch and Hurricane scores 10 to 0, Slytherin lead. Will this be a cliché Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game or will Malfoy be able to actually catch the Snitch this time around?" A general laughter was heard from the crowd and Ginny frowned. "And will Hurricane be able to affect the outcome of this game?" That did it. She worked fucking hard every match she played and this fifth year was not only slamming her, but Draco.

"Flint, Dolohov, play catch for a while, I have something to see to!" Ginny yelled at her team mates. They nodded in recognition and Ginn shot to the announcing box. Flying from her goal posts, she shot at Magdalene.

"Oh, no," Magdalene said weakly. Then scrambling to get out of the way, she jumped from her seat and flung herself at the ground.

Ginny stopped three inches short of where Magdalene was sitting, yelling, "Didn't your mommy ever tell you if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!?! Get on with the commentary Gryffindor!" Ginny sneered at the cowering Gryffindor and took off.

Shooting towards play, Ginny was tossed the Quaffle by Flint. Rolling to the side to avoid a Bludger, she heaved the Quaffle at Dolohov. It was stolen by her brother, who shot off to the Slytherin goals and shot. It missed and that was about the time Magdalene got the courage to start talking again.

"And Hurricane with the toss off from Wilkes. Wait! Potter sees the Snitch! I see the Snitch! And Potter has it! Potter has the Snitch! I can't believe it! Ten minutes! What a match! SLytherin can't be happy about this. If I were Malfoy, I'd be upset."**

And he was. In fact, he was. I've never seen Draco as mad as he was that night. He ranted and raved for hours. Ten minutes! Good Merlin! Harry'd gotten good, better than Draco and he hated it. More than anything, Draco hates to lose. He hates to lose to Harry more than that. This was the last chance he'd get to play Harry, and Harry'd got the best of him for the last time. Furious wasn't how I'd describe it. He was beside himself with irate rage. He was livid as bloody hell and no one was safe from his wrath. Well, I was. But Pansy wasn't when she tried to "heal" him. He cursed Goyle and Crabbe. The boys in my year stayed safe enough away. Practices got harder. If Ravenclaw beat Gryffindor (for Hufflepuff couldn't), and Slytherin beat all the other teams badly enough, we still had a chance. Draco knew this and drilled us to death almost every night for a month.

By that time it was finals and then Yule Ball. I guess I was looking forward to the dance this year. I mean, it would be Draco's last dance. He wanted to take me, but his father fobid it. I still find it amazing how Malfoy has so much power over Draco's life. It isn't right that a father should live his son's life. Apart from making Draco weaker, it wasn't fair to make decisions for him. Draco should have to learn, not simply be told, you don't learn that way.

I got a few interesting people ask me to the dance. Crabbe and Goyle being one of them...I shiver to think what it would be like to be their dates. A fifth year Gryffindor actually asked me. I guess it is true (for I would never know), Gryffindors really are that brave. I got asked by a sixth year Ravenclaw Prefect too, Jeremiah Quest. I was always nice (kind of) to the people who asked me, and let then know I could only go with a Slytherin. The Ravenclaw seemed to understand this, but the Gryffindor looked confused.

I should have seen it coming. I knew that Wilkes liked me since...well, for a long time. I correct myself. He didn't like me at all. He was fascinated by me. How could a person so beautiful, so perfect, be so cold and unforgiving? Plus, I was the person he lost his virginity to. We were okay friends, better friends than I was with any other boy in my year. What I didn't know, was he had developed quite an unhealthy obsession with me.

**"Virginia?" a voice said from behind Ginny as she was writing in the library. She was writing her paper, having decided a study on animal magnetism would be too hard to construct. A paper on it would be interesting though.

"Yes," she answered, turning to look at Jonathan Wilkes. He sat down beside her on the library table and looked down at her.

"Who are you going to the Yule Ball with?" he asked casually.

"I've had a few people ask, no one I wanted to go with. So no one yet. Is that an invitation?" she said slyly.

He smirked warily. "Yes."

Ginny leaned back in her seat at looked speculatively at Wilkes. He was no doubt the nicest looking guy in her year, besides Rosier. She didn't want to go with any of her team mates, well, excluding Malfoy. "No," she said simply, getting back to her work. Playing with people was fun.

"You'd rather go with Flint, or Dolohov?" he questioned. He sounded not at all put off, but slightly amused.

"No."

"Then who would you like to go with?"

"Evan Rosier," she answered flatly. She would, actually, rather go with Rosier. Wilkes was getting, not so much clingy, as protective. Just because he knew some things about Ginny that other people didn't, he thought he could treat her like Draco did. It wasn't abnormal for Slytherin to act like that. Slytheirn were just innately protective and possessive. It was a trait Ginny had a bit of, but the drive for power was strong her in her.

He frowned and Ginny looked up at him. "It isn't personal, Jonathan. Actually, I'd like to go with you. But as you remember, I left the Yule Ball with you last year. If people saw me entering this one with you, they'd get ideas about our involvement, which is, as you remember, non-existent. Maybe next year. This year, I have to come and leave with some one different. It is for my safety and yours too."

Wilkes' frown deepened as he thought about this. "I see your logic. Just remember to save me a dance, Virginia."

"I'll save you more than that," Ginny replied. "But later. Right now I have homework and a splitting headache. I don't know if I've told you this, but I like you Wilkes, I don't know why."

He smirked at this and nodded. Then he got up and left. *Thank Merlin,* Ginny said to herself. *Now on with my paper.*

I had a plan for my paper. It would be short, only one page, and it would be about the animal magnetism in my school. Most likely it would be inappropriate for young people...but who cares! One week before the ball and the week of finals, I did a Multiplying Charm and let them loose on the school. The papers would be distributed about the school in secret by the oh, so helpful house elves as they did their rounds.

Not even then could I guess what would happen the day I let my creation loose.

**Ginny was sitting at her table that dinner next to Draco as she drunk her pumpkin juice. The house elves had just finished putting the stacks of papers around the school and she could see people reading her paper and looking at her thoughtfully now and then. Ginny didn't mind it. They had a right to be shocked by what they read. She even saw a couple of teachers reading her paper, McGonagall especially looked nonplussed.

"Ahem," the headmaster said, bringing the school's attention to himself. "I'm sure that most of you have seen the newest publication at Hogwarts. I would like to take this moment to give some recognition to the author, if, of course, she doesn't mind. A fine paper, Miss Weasley. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, or haven't gotten to read this excellent paper, I'll inform you now.

"The Loadstone House

"by V. A. Weasley

"Light versus dark. Hope versus despair. White versus black. Forgiveness versus revenge. Fire versus ice. Good versus bad. Gryffindor versus Slytherin.

"The startling paradox starting before any of us graced the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry. It became apparent to our four founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin, that a certain animosity flamed between the houses of Godric and Salazar. An infinitely strong magnetism and repulsion grew between the two great men, and it passed down to their disciples.

"Why though? Why these two houses? Surely Helga and Rowena were opposite enough to create this sort of bond, if you will. One of these women valued wit, intelligence, quickness, and mental agility, while the other valued humbleness, kindness, a good work ethic, and a solid, loyal streak. Why not have a similar paradox with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff? The answer is simple. Do not be offended by what I have to say. Both houses have noble and good people come out of them. But Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff lack the spark. The one thing that distinguishes the good from the great.

"After all, Slytherin and Gryffindors are known for doing great things. Some great and terrible, but great none the less. They are the doers. They are the people that stand up and follow through. For even Voldemort did great things, though they were terrible things, they were great and ground shaking.

"This is why there is the animosity. A certain competition between the houses of Godric and Salazar. But no matter the similarities, Gryffindor and Slytherin will forever be polar opposites. Salazar desired power, and for all his ambition, he was blinded by hate. Godric valued bravery, nobility, courage, and fair play. Classic powerful men, classic good versus evil.

"But who says? It's I that was put in Slytherin, and unless you are a Slytherin, you don't know what it is like. Society had judged us, waved us around as the harbingers of war, the haters, the sinners, the evil. Society has a vision of black and white that is seldom shaken or broken. The desire for an enemy and their blood has blinded many people in the past.

"Grindelwald was one of them. Dumbledore will concur (and I do) that Grindelwald was once a boy by the name of Louis Merewether, a fine Gryffindor and fine person. Merewether hated the dark powers and Slytherin were his scapegoats. But once you kill, a part of you is lost, a part that makes you unmistakably human. If you kill enough, that part which was human is lost; your connection with your soul is severed.

"This happened to Merewether and good lives were forfeit. Headmaster Dumbledore had to stop it, and he did. This happened to a boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle, or as we know him, Lord Voldemort.

"Here is where the magnetism comes in. If we, I mean of course the Slytherin, are indeed evil, we must have a weakness, a factor that can be exploited for our destruction. To point it out, it would be curiosity. We are curious. What makes you tick, kindly Hufflepuff? Who can you be so nice when all the evil is in the world? Why are you so vibrant Gryffindor? How are you able to stand up to the bad in the world? How can you go back to living in a world where so much bad has happened? How can it be the same?

"Our curiosity is fueled by their ability to become enraged quickly. Emotions are foreign and dangerous in the Slytherin Common Room. It's intoxicating to see life in another's eyes, when all you've seen is cold detachment. It's intriguing to see a person of fire, a person with so much emotion and love. How strange it is to have something to live for, a drive made by something outside of yourself. Why protect people who will just get hurt anyway? Why feel the need to have things righted that were wronged? Isn't it all the same? We don't understand; we don't have the capacity to love, to feel, it isn't valued, it isn't needed. We don't know why, we can't see the reason. You need motivation, right? What is the motivation? We are blind to your world, your emotions, to your brightness. The light shines brighter in the dark, and it's dark in the dungeons and deep places of the world. Moths are drawn to the light.

"So of course we are drawn to them. They are fascinating. But we are also aware that we can't live with them, have a working relationship. Animal magnetism only goes so far. And I wish I could say it is one sided. But it isn't. We don't force Gryffindors into our lives to play with them. Sure we are delighted and amazed by their emotions, their purity, but it has never been one sided.

"Gryffindors wonder what makes us tick. How can a person so cold still be living? How can a person embrace a doom like that and still function every morning, be able to look at their reflection in the mirror? There is the innate need to save us in the heart of every Gryffindor. "Everyone is basically good," is what they are taught. "Everyone has a spark of light in their soul, even the coldest of Slytherin." Were I could say that this is true, but I can't. I can't because I don't know, none of us do. But questioning ourselves isn't what Slytherin do. This is what draws the Gryffindor our way. The cold is a nice break from a searing fire.

"The loadstone rock is an iron ore that has magnetic properties. Gryffindor and Slytherin are two houses with similar magnetic abilities. If I had the ability, I would divine the reason for the hatred, for the malice. I can't however, no one can. A resentment grew between the houses. How can the Slytherin shut off their emotions like that? How can they pretend that nothing is wrong or needs fixing in this awful world? How can the Gryffindors think they are better than everyone, like they own the planet? Who died and made them the ultimate race of the universe? To put is simply, no one understands. Slytherin don't understand emotion and Gryffindor don't understand how we can't understand emotion. A vicious cycle of attraction and hate. A vicious pattern history and society has encouraged.

"Who can step beyond their bounds? Who has that right? The answer is no one. We can't break the circle, it wasn't meant to be broken, nor was it meant to be adjusted. None of us here have the power to change what has been so deeply engrained in our minds and morals (or lack thereof) to turn their back on them. And we are happy like that. It is how it has always been done and all chance of redemption has gone beyond all hope of desire or ability. This is the way it has been done for countless centuries and will be done forever more. Never fear though, Slytherin and Gryffindor will both live. We've managed to stay alive yet, and neither of us are looking particularly frail. Sleep well sweet Hogwarts, time has not yet caught up with you."

Ginny watched as all heads turned to her. It sounded different when Dumbledore read it, more professional, more informed, yet colder. Draco put a hand on her forearm and Dumbledore spoke again. "I congratulate you on your work of art Miss Weasley and would like to see you in my office to talk about it later. Now! Resume eating everyone!"

No one did much eating. Most people either stared at Ginny's paper or Ginny herself. She guessed it was something new, something that they could amuse themselves with until the dance came. She ignored the stares, the looks, the (in some cases) blind hatred, (and in others) the admiration.

Ginny didn't care what these people thought, what they guessed about her or her life. It was her life and only she had to live it, not them.

But eventually, the meal ended and Ginny walked the long mile to Dumbledore's study, not truly sure what he wanted. When she walked in, she saw the strangest sight; Sirius Black and Severus Snape in the same office and Dumbledore no where to be seen. She arched a delicate eyebrow and looked at the two dark men. It was startling, the similarities. Both were tall and dark with pale skin and lanky hair. Both had the hallowed look you'd expect to find in a dead man's eye. And, both looked furious, though not really at her.

"Where's Dumbledore? He said he wanted to talk to me," Ginny said sharply, having no desire whatsoever to stay in a room with both of the men.

Snape frowned and said acidically, "He's been detained by the Boy Wonder."

Black growled in warning and Ginny said, "Well...what are you two doing here?"

Snape sneered at her. "We don't rightly know. You seem to be pretty high on the headmasters list of important people, why don't you tell us."

Ginny looked from tall dark man to tall dark man, then sat in a seat, crossing her legs. "Lucius," she said simply.

"Malfoy?" Black questioned. "What's he got to do with it?"

"Miss Weasley," Snape spat, "Stayed the summer with young Malfoy at Malfoy Estate. She found some interesting things out."

"That is what the headmaster wants to talk about." Ginny re-crossed her legs and noticed how Black's eyes widened almost imperceptivity. *Interesting,* Ginny thought. "He must not have understood my latest communication. The real question is, however, why you two are here. I don't understand what you have to do with it. You," she said to Black, flashing green, then brown eyes at him, "are supposed to be on the run. And you," she said, repeating the procedure on Snape, "aren't even supposed to know yet."

"That will all be explained," Dumbledore said as he whisked into the office, sitting at his desk. "I need to know what your last message meant, Miss Weasley."

Ginny sighed and closed her eyes. "It will be hard. The whole procedure is in ancient Incan, we don't even have some of the words for the process."

"Try then," Snape practically growled.

Dumbledore gave Snape a look and said, "Don't mind him; he just didn't understand the potion needed to complete the channeling."

Ginny absently drew little circles on her knee as she thought. It wasn't easy to explain...

"I'll try; tell me to stop if you don't understand something." The head master nodded and Ginny continued. "All right. I was reading the glyphs and found there are four days of the year that Tom can get power from the stone. They are the vernal equinox, the summer solstice, the autumnal equinox, and the winter solstice. He'll want to do the infusion on the winter solstice, as that is when the dark powers of the Incan gods are strongest. The hours of darkness outweigh the hours of light so much, that he won't be able to resist the temptation. I'll discover this some time near the vernal equinox, after all, I have school and other things to worry about."

"Such as," Black asked, playing with his goatee.

"Finding out things for Malfoy, like where you are hiding," she said to him. "Or," she said to Snape, "how loyal you are to his cause." She rolled her eyes and continued. "He doesn't see six inches in front of his face. He thinks he is so close no one can stop him. He's blind."

"We should attack now," Black said forcefully.

"I hate to admit it," Snape said coolly, "But Black is right. If he is weak..."

Ginny's eyes flashed from the two men to Dumbledore. "I wouldn't," Ginny warned.

"Why is that, Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.**

At this point I had to think fast. I needed an excuse to prolong this. Deep inside I knew it was the wrong time. But how could I convince them of it? Well, there is one way.