Trademark smirks and Temperamental redheads

Chapter 10 - An unforgivable mistake (Fifth Year)

He led the way down the corridors and onto the Hogwarts grounds, taking her to the rose gardens beside the castle.

Ginny could see something shimmering and flickering in the darkness as they neared the bushes. She gasped as they reached their destination; fairies, hundreds of them. They were dancing along the roses, their wings reflecting the moonlight brilliantly.

"Malfoy, what-" she began. But Malfoy cut her off.

"Close your eyes," he urged. She did so reluctantly, vowing that if this were a trick, he wouldn't live to see the sunrise tomorrow.

She felt his hands gently brush her hair behind her shoulders, and something cool around her neck. She shivered slightly at the cold, and opened her eyes slowly. She stared down at the fairy in her hand, speechless. Her necklace, how had he gotten it? As she prepared to interrogate Malfoy, the fairy made a slight movement in her hand. She looked down at it in amazement as the tiny fairy came alive, dancing on her hand and laughing up at her.

"How did you get my necklace?" she asked Malfoy, who was a slight way off enjoying her awe.

"You dropped it when Pansy had that fight with Sara," he confessed.

"Why didn't you give it back to me?" she demanded, getting angry.

"Because I was annoyed," he replied, starting to get irritated. Ginny stood looking at him, startled at his reply.

"Why?" she finally asked him. He turned his back to her, picking off a rose stem and beginning to pull off its petals. "Why?" she asked again.

"You're an idiot," he stated flatly, back still turned to her.

"What?" she shouted, losing her temper. "What are you talking about?"

"You thought it was Potter who gave it to you," he accused, tossing the stem away as he finished plucking the last petal. "As if he'd ever give you anything as precious as that. Do you know how long it took me to get that chain made? I spent a month and a half researching it in the library before I found it. Why do you think there's an oak carved on the surface of the box? That's our oak, the one we sat on in second year when you were telling me about your horrible obsession with Potter," he finished his words and turned around to face her. The corners of his mouth twitched as he stared into her eyes, as if daring her to protest.

Ginny stared at him; he was the one who had given her the necklace? But why? How could it be? Her mind swirled with questions as she stared into his eyes. They were colder than usual in the moonlight, with a faint hint of sadness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, not knowing what else to say. She walked towards him and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she mumbled into his shoulder, as his arms held her to him.

Later, the two of them stayed in the rose gardens admiring the fairies.

The tiny creatures fluttered around, communicating in a droning buzz.

"They're so cute," Ginny said.

"Actually they're quite stupid. See?" he indicated to a pair of fairies fighting inside a rose bud. "They're quite fond of themselves, vain and stuck up, and they fight with the other fairies frequently."

"Hmm, reminds me of someone I know." Ginny laughed at Malfoy's scowl.

"Not funny Weasley," he muttered.

"It's late, I should go back," she said, as she realized they had completely forgotten about dinner. Draco nodded.

"Do you need me to walk you back?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine." The two of them walked up the steps of Hogwarts, once inside the chamber off the Hall, they parted ways. Ginny heading for Gryffindor Tower, as Draco made his way down to the dungeons.

Once inside his private room, he lighted the fireplace then settled into a couch facing it, waiting.

At precisely nine o'clock, Lucius Malfoy's head appeared in the fireplace, Draco sat up straighter.

"Father," he greeted him cordially.

"Draco," his father began. "I've received word of your outburst at school. I would've spoken to you sooner but I was away on some Ministry business." Draco snorted to himself; he knew the Dark Lord was having his father run errands. His father continued. "Pansy is quite upset with you, it seems your womanizing is starting to get a little out of hand. You are a Malfoy, what ever possessed you to lower your standards to Weasleys?" his father demanded harshly.

"I am just playing, Father," Draco explained, annoyed at himself. "Pansy doesn't know what she's talking about. There's nothing going on between the Weasley and me. I'm merely establishing some connections as you ordered, she will be useful to us when the Dark Lord begins his work."

His father was silent for a moment, thinking this over. "Very well," he concluded. "Do not forget your words tonight Draco, or you may find yourself regretting it in future. The Dark Lord has great plans for you, we will discuss this later, be on alert and report anything to me immediately." At Draco's nod, his head disappeared from the fire.

Draco leaned back into the couch, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He had not been expecting to be recruited into the Death Eaters so soon. Usually the honor was reserved for those that had graduated, but the impending battle between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore had raised the demand for new Death Eaters. He wasn't sure he felt very honored, to be on the forefront of a group of wizards destined to bring destruction upon the wizarding community throughout Europe.

~~~

Draco made his way down to the dungeons, stopping outside Snape's office; he knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," came the voice from inside. He opened the door and stepped inside, welcoming the warmth of the room.

"You wanted to see me Professor," Draco inquired.

"Yes, I am slightly concerned about your welfare Mister Malfoy. Your Potions work has been quite below the standard I expect of my top student. Is there anything you'd like to discuss with me?" The professor studied the younger boy's face; he had dark bags under his eyes and seemed paler than usual.

"I'm fine Professor, thank you for asking," Draco replied. He was anything but fine, the past few weeks had been hectic for him. His father was constantly appearing in his fireplace to discuss the tasks the Dark Lord had set for him, he had long forgotten when the last time he'd had a proper night's sleep was. Just twenty minutes ago, his father had dropped the bombshell. He was to get the Dark Mark by the end of the school year, during the summer break. But before he could be presented with the honor, he first had to prove his worth by completing his set tasks.

"If there is no problem, then I will be expecting your next Potions assignment to be improved from the pieces you've been handing in this week," the Professor paused as Draco nodded his head. "You know you can talk to me if you have any problems," Snape continued, staring at the pale boy in front of him.

"I understand Professor," Draco replied.

"You may go," the Professor said, and Draco walked out of the office.

Draco headed down to the kitchens; he knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Some Ogden's Old Firewhisky was what he needed, he was sure there was a secret stock in the kitchens reserved for the Professors.

~~~

The room was dark, despite the numerous torches along the sides of the damp walls. He followed behind his father swiftly, his shoes not making a sound on the concrete floor beneath. His hood was brought up around his face, shadowing his features from the other hooded figures in the room. His father headed for an empty space in between the row of Death Eaters, he followed, coming to a halt right behind his father.

They waited until the Dark Lord apparated in front of them, his bright red eyes staring at each of them in turn as if trying to burn them with his gaze. The hooded figures crawled forward then, each getting to their knees and kissing the hems of his robes. Their chants echoing inside the room, making Draco shiver in disgust.

'Master, master, master,' they chanted.

Slowly, they stood up and backed away, surrounding the Dark Lord with their heads bowed.

'It is time,' he spoke, his eyes focusing on Draco's from beneath his hood. He raised one large, spidery hand, his long white finger beckoning for him to come close. Suddenly, Draco backed away, fear grasping his heart. No, he didn't want this; he didn't want to become a slave to this creature like his father.

The hooded figures surrounded either side of him, two particularly large figures held onto him, pulling him towards the Dark Lord. He kneeled in front of him, a cold sweat breaking over his forehead. To his left he could see the brand, smoldering lightly on the hot coals. He struggled, but the Death Eaters only pushed him down with a greater force until he cried out in pain.

Someone had seized his left arm, rolling back the sleeve until his pale arm was exposed to the Dark Lord.

'Mark him,' the Dark Lord hissed harshly, his eyes alight with cold mirth.

He struggled harder, trying to free his arms, but it was useless. He screamed as he felt the searing pain run up his arm and fill his heart. All around him, cold laughter echoed around the room as the hooded figures threw back their heads, imitating their master.

~~~

Ginny walked quietly to the kitchens, keeping her guard up for any sign of Filch. She reached the corridor decorated with large paintings of food and quickened her pace, seeking the safety of the kitchens. Before she reached the entrance however, her foot tripped on something soft and heavy, resulting in her landing on the floor hard. She sat up and gingerly rubbed the elbow she had landed on, squinting her eyes in the darkness to see what she had tripped over.

"Lumos," she muttered, walking over to a form on the ground. She stopped as she got nearer, it was a person, curled up into a ball. She heart caught in her throat as she slowly turned the body over, it was Draco Malfoy. Ginny frowned in confusion, what was Malfoy doing lying in the middle of the corridor? She bent down next to him and shook him on the shoulder gently.

"Malfoy, get up," she said, shaking him harder when he didn't respond.

Suddenly he opened his eyes, pulling away from her and sitting up. He stared at her unseeing, his whole form tense, cold sweat trickling down his face.

"Malfoy," Ginny began hesitantly, she could tell something was wrong by the way his eyes pierced hers.

He held up a shaking hand, studying it in confusion, slowly he unrolled his left sleeve. His expression changed from one of revulsion to one of relief as his pale bare forearm was revealed.

"Malfoy, what are you -" she was cut off as he suddenly launched himself at her, both of them falling back against the wall. He held onto her tightly, burying his face into her stomach, his whole form trembling.

"Malfoy! Let go of me!" Ginny shouted, struggling to loosen his hold on her. She could feel her heart racing and her stomach was making back flips, what was with her? Usually she was only like this around Harry, and even then it was only when she was eleven years old. When it was apparent he wasn't letting go, she sighed, dropping her arms to her sides. They sat there for a long time, and Ginny slowly put her arms around him, patting his head gently.

"I had ... a nightmare," Draco began, his voice muffled from her clothes. "I was getting the Dark Mark, the Dark Lord, he was there..." he stopped, his trembling increased until it became sudden spasms.

Ginny held him close as he spoke, gasping when he told her about the dream. When he finally managed to compose himself slightly, Ginny helped him up, supporting him as he stumbled along. He was clearly drunk; his left hand still gripped a half-empty bottle of Firewhisky. They made their way down to the Slytherin common room, pausing outside a strip of bare stonewall as Malfoy slurred the password.

They made their way up the stairs to the topmost room, where Ginny dragged Malfoy through the door and allowed him to collapse on the bed. She quickly closed the door behind them, glad that Malfoy was a prefect. She did not want to think about what the other Slytherins would do to her if they found her lurking in their common room. She looked around the lavishly furnished room and walked over to the fireplace, quickly lighting a fire there.

Malfoy moaned from the bed and Ginny went over to him. She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to take off Malfoy's heavy cloak.

"Malfoy, get up for a sec," she tried. "At least get under the covers, you'll catch cold - " Once again, she was smothered, as Malfoy grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her towards him.

"Stay with me," he mumbled.

"You're drunk," she replied, vaguely annoyed at him and at her flaming cheeks.

"I have to be...otherwise I can't sleep." He wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. Ginny sighed, counting the empty shots on the table beside his bed. "Stay," he mumbled again, tightening his grip on her.

She wriggled out of his grip, turning on her side to look at him in the light of the fire. His face was still damp with sweat, his hair falling into his eyes, making him look like a child. She brushed his hair away, getting up to go to the bathroom. She returned with a damp cloth, wiping his face and forehead with it. He sighed contentedly, and opened his eyes.

"Virginia," he whispered, eyes slightly unfocused. She laid her head on the pillow beside him, the two of them studying each other. He leaned over suddenly, placing a kiss on her lips. Her eyes widened in shock, but before she had a chance to protest, his arms had snaked around her body, holding her close. He shifted until he was partly on top of her, so that she couldn't escape. He kissed her again, and then abandoning her lips, he trailed kisses down her neck, nibbling slightly on her collarbone. Ginny moaned, her hand going up to his hair, messing it up as he came up and captured her lips once again.

She could feel his hand fumbling with her shirt buttons, as the other went under it, tenderly exploring the skin underneath. She watched slightly dazed, as he threw off his cloak and removed his own shirt. Ginny closed her eyes; she couldn't bring herself to stop this moment.

~~~

Draco awoke with a start; he sat up in his bed, and immediately fell back down. His head was pounding, his eyes stung when he tried to open them.

"It was a dream," he assured himself, as he gingerly got up and threw back the covers. "...a virgin," he stated with a raised eyebrow, as he studied his sheets. He covered his face with his hands, not willing to believe what he had done. "She's never going to forgive me."

After taking a sobering potion and showering, he made his way up to the Hall slowly; his head still feeling quite delicate. Once inside the Great Hall, his eyes wandered over to the Gryffindor table, seeking her out. He found her sitting next to Potter, chatting and laughing with the Trio, Potter even had his arm around her! What was going on here? His hands balled into fists at his side as he made his way to the Slytherin table, scowling at a first year to make way for him.

He didn't taste much of his breakfast as his eyes focused on Ginny and Potter. At last, she got up and waved goodbye to her friends, making her way happily out of the Hall. Draco got up quickly, and strode swiftly from the Hall, eager to catch up to her. Once outside, he spotted her and cornered her.

"We need to talk," he began.

"Okay." Her reply was so quick and sure, that he looked surprised for a moment, before regaining his composure.

"Right, let's go to the lake," he suggested, leading the way.

They walked quietly to the lake until they were below Draco's oak tree, stopping there to study their reflections in the lake.

"We...last night..." before he could get anything more out, Ginny had socked him in the stomach. Gasping, he held onto his stomach with an expression of outrage on his face. "What?!" he demanded.

"Don't. Talk. About. That," she ground out.

"I'm merely trying to figure out what happened," Draco sulked, as he leaned against the oak for support.

He was pushed back hard against it, as Ginny pounced on him, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him down so that their faces were only inches apart.

"Forget about it, it was the biggest mistake of my life, I can only say that I was under a spell or something," Ginny rambled on, reverting back to her favorite pastime of tossing rocks into the lake.

When she had awoken this morning with a heavy weight across her belly, which turned out to be an arm, she had nearly screamed in shock. By the time she made it back to Gryffindor Tower, she was in a state of panic. What had she done? And with Malfoy no less! How would she act around him now? The questions plagued her as she showered, in a juvenile attempt to cleanse herself...

"Do you have to make it sound so criminal?" Draco asked, looking a bit put out, he was sure he wasn't that bad in bed! Even if he was drunk...

"Look, for both our sakes, let's just pretend that this never happened," Ginny suggested with a menacing glare, as if to say 'or else'.

"Well, I guess that's perfect for me..." Draco considered.

"Great!" Ginny smiled happily, "I have to go to class now, Bye!" she bounded away and into the castle. Her smile disappeared as soon as her back was turned to him, she could feel her eyes stinging with unshed tears as she walked away from him.

Draco stood at the lake watching her in amazement, what was she so happy about anyway? Shaking his head, he made his way back inside, he'd never be able to understand women.