Unbidden Desires

CHAPTER 19 - Clarity

To say that Bellatrix Lestrange was surprised would have been a gross understatement. One minute, she was faking that she could actually play Quidditch -- and was darned good at it, too -- and the next, she found herself standing in Professor Snape's office, staring into the face of her 16-year-old nephew, Draco Malfoy.

She was very surprised indeed; so much that, for once in her life, she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

She just stood there, absolutely still, her face expressionless and her mouth hanging slightly open as she stared into his silver-grey eyes. Those piercing orbs that were so uncannily like Lucius's. The similarity was slightly unnerving, except that the eyes before her now seemed to hold something that his father's never did: a bit of . . . mirth. It seemed so out of place that she wasn't sure quite what to make of it. For a time, no one moved or spoke.

Then a deep, rich voice sliced through the thick silence that draped the room. The sound of it alarmed Bellatrix, causing her to spin around so sharply that she nearly lost her balance. With a slight curve on his lip and his voice like silk, Professor Snape greeted her, "Good evening, Mrs. Lestrange. Welcome back to Hogwarts, old friend."

She gaped wordlessly at Severus as she worked to deduce how she had come to be in his office and why he was training his wand on her. She figured that she must have somehow inadvertently lost her mirror, and someone with the ability to break the spell had found it.

But Snape? she wondered vaguely. How would he have found it? It was in my robes . . wait a second; when I left the sixth-years' boys' dorm . . . was it then? She recalled hearing something smack against the wall, presumably the end of Draco's broomstick. Was it possibly the mirror, hitting the floor?

As both she and Michael Grant had obviously been restored to their own respective bodies, she rationalized, That had to have been what happened. But how? Then her eyes and mouth drew open wide, not in fear, but in complete shock.

She simply wasn't used to that level of failure.

Ginny, her wand at the ready as her fingers clutched tightly around it, watched as the two adults exchanged looks. Snape revealed little of what he was thinking, and Bellatrix simply looked lost. Ginny almost felt sorry for the woman, who, at the moment, looked more like a small, helpless creature than a devoted servant of You-Know-Who.

But she soon found herself reliving poignant memories of visiting Saint Mungo's and of seeing Neville Longbottom's parents, both of whom were in permanent residence there. When Neville's mother had smiled at him then handed him that worthless, empty wrapper which he devotedly slipped into his pocket as if it were something very precious . . . Ginny's heart literally ached for him. She'd had to turn her face away so that no one would see her cry.

Then she remembered that their family's tragedy had occurred at the hands of this 'small, helpless creature'. Why would Ginny ever have pitied her? Had it been some of Bellatrix's dark, subtle magic, or had it been her own vague imaginings?

She focused on the horrid woman who stood before them now and thought about her innumerable crimes. Knowing that she was the cause of the Longbottom's terrible fate, a renewed hatred stirred within Ginny's Gryffindor heart. She gripped her wand, this time so tightly that her knuckles turned white, as she glared at the cruel witch.

To Draco's eyes, his Aunt Bellatrix suddenly didn't look anything like the woman he had always been so fond of. She looked more like a wild animal, caged, ensnared by her own evil; arrogantly expecting to escape, yet somehow fearful that she might not. He nearly felt like laughing out loud as he watched her try to worm her way out of this tight spot, yet he resisted the temptation and resolutely told himself to be ready for anything.

Then he had a moment of clarity.

Of course. It wasn't my father's brother, Uncle Hadrian, who had showed me that odd little mirror that I was forbidden to touch. It was Aunt Bella's husband, Uncle Rudolphus.

Bellatrix, who had not yet uttered a word, eyed Severus suspiciously. He was still looking at her with a raised brow and a hint of a . . smirk, as if he were actually expecting some sort of reply. The odd expression on his face almost looked to Bella as if he actually thought he was going to make her confess to something. Seeing the vial in his hand, she wondered for a second or two, Gods, does he intend to use Veritaserum on me?

Has he lost his mind?

Trying to decide exactly what her colleague was up to, she weighed her odds of getting away unscathed. If Snape stood against her . . . then obviously, she was outnumbered, but she was by no means outdone. Two of her opponents were mere students; besides, one was a blood relative, and the other was just a Weasley. So would Bellatrix be bothered by the fact that the girl in question now held her wand pointed squarely at her, with a threatening glare on her young, as-yet untarnished face?

Not in the least. She had faced far more formidable and worthy adversaries in her life, and this little slut would not get the better of her. And as for Draco . . well, she had that situation well in hand. Although she anticipated the challenge and was sorely tempted to reach for her wand, she played things cool, smiling and saying lightly, "Thank you, Severus, I'm delighted to be here."

She turned about and faced her nephew once more, giving him a smile that was, in a way, almost . . sweet; for a brief flash, Draco was reminded of his own lovely mother.

His Aunt Bellatrix was anything but.

"And yes, my precious, little nephew," she sneered. "I do have something to 'share' with you." She maintained eye contact as she approached him slowly, cautiously. Ginny and Professor Snape watched her every move from a few feet away, their wands never lowering an inch.

When Bellatrix was in front of him yet far enough away that he couldn't just reach out and strangle her, she stopped and crossed her arms. Then she laughed and said derisively, "You always were the curious sort, Draco. My sister raised you that way, indulging you in your inquisitiveness." In a mocking tone that cut him to the core, she added, "But being curious to the point of stupidity will get you nowhere."

He looked away for a moment. He could see that the Soul Window was about four feet to the left of him. He longed to reach down and grab it, but the more her remark stung him, the more his fingers itched to curl around her throat and literally choke the life out of her. He caught Snape's warning look that said 'Don't.'

Glaring at the couple, Bellatrix carried on scornfully. "I can see it in your eyes -- both of you think you know evil. It's your 'common bond', isn't it?" She snorted with disbelief then hissed, "How could you know it? You've never even seen it."

She turned her attention to Draco alone; she stared at him intently and asked, "So you want to know where Michael Grant's been, do you? Would you like to see how it's done? I'd be glad to . . show you--"

As she spoke the last words, she deftly reached into her robes, quickly securing her wand. Draco's first thought was to protect Ginny, and he edged closer to her. But Bellatrix's first malicious act was to Stun . . . Professor Snape? Finding that slightly odd, Draco wondered, But surely, he wouldn't really have used the Veritaserum on her, considering they're on the same side . . .

They are allies -- aren't they?

That moment's hesitation gave Bellatrix just enough time to round on her nephew; she looked insane, as if she might attack him next. Feeling as if he was seeing her for the first time, he suddenly believed she wouldn't hesitate to kill if pressed -- even a blood relative, if need be. Draco swallowed nervously as he grasped for his wand.

Ginny, however, never took her eyes off the woman. Once she had a clear shot at her, she aimed her wand and shouted with determination, "Expelliarmus!"

The female Death Eater tried to sidestep the spell, but being in another person's body for almost three months had left her own reflexes a bit rusty. Her wand sailed into Ginny's outstretched fingers, and she resolutely stashed it in her robes. Impressed by her tenacity, her boyfriend gave her an appreciative smile, which she returned.

But wand or no, Bellatrix would not be easily subdued. Ginny gasped then shouted, "Draco! Watch out!"

His aunt had picked up a heavy book off the Potion Master's desk and raised it up, intent on striking Draco on the back of the head. Ginny cried, "Accio, book!" It came straight to her, landing with a smack in her arms. She dropped it roughly to the floor, loose pages scattering everywhere, and returned to the ensuing fight.

"She just doesn't know when to quit, does she?" Ginny remarked, breathing hard.

Seconds later, the half-crazed woman came at Draco, wielding a small knife that had been setting atop Snape's desk. Ginny cried, "Accio, knife!" It flew directly into her open hand, but when it reached its target, the sharp edge was facing her and inadvertently stabbed her in the palm. Shocked, she screamed in anguish, and her boyfriend turned quickly to see what had had happened. His jaw dropped at what he saw, and he ran to her side.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Then he cautioned her, albeit a bit too late, "I should have warned you not to underestimate her. She's quite dangerous, even without a wand!"

"Great. Now he tells me," she replied with a grimace, trying to make light of the situation and attempting to laugh. "No, I did this . . on . . on my own. Not intentionally, of course--" she gasped. Fortunately, the blade didn't sink very deep; she panted as she pulled it out of her tender, reddened skin. Ginny muttered a Healing spell to stop the blood flow and lessen the stinging pain. Draco looked on with sympathy, cringing as she started to withdraw the blade.

But frankly, he was having problems of his own. All the while, his aunt was looking for even larger and more dangerous objects to throw at them. He knew what she was capable of, even without magic, and it made him nervous. Amidst all the commotion, he was finally able to aim his wand directly at her. He cried, "Stupefy!", but she jumped to one side and managed to dodge the hex.

Although she was disarmed, Bellatrix was not dissuaded; she got completely out of the line of fire by diving behind Professor Snape's massive oak desk. Draco and Ginny both learned that the desk evidently had some sort of Defensive Charm, so that spells and hexes could not go through it -- not terribly surprising, Ginny thought, for a professor whom so many students utterly despised.

The Gryffindor ran around the desk. She readied her wand to throw a Bat Bogey hex at the other witch, who by now had also discovered the desk's defensive qualities. She managed to keep herself hidden on the other side, laughing at the girl's foolishness. Then to Ginny's surprise, she sprung out at her, knocking her legs out from under her and her wand from of her grip. Ginny landed on her backside as her wand rolled several feet across the room in the opposite direction.

Ignoring the wand for the moment, Bellatrix spotted what she really wanted: the Soul Window. She crawled around on her hands and knees, and when her goal was in sight, she darted out from behind the professor's desk and grasped desperately for the warped mirror.

Draco reached down to stop her and grabbed both of her arms, pushing her away. She fought back, but he easily brought her up to a kneeling position and held both her arms just over her head. She leaned closer to him and sunk her teeth into his upper left arm, biting him so hard that she broke the skin and caused him to unintentionally release her right arm.

"Oww!" he shouted as he let go to examine the bite, which was just starting to bleed. "You bitch!" Shocked, he stood up and staggered backward toward the edge of the professor's desk. It was just the break she needed.

Finally able to slip past him, Bellatrix struggled to make physical contact with the mirror. But her nephew had wrapped his arms around her ankles and impeded her progress. Frustrated that she couldn't quite . . . reach it, she doggedly extended her fingers as far as she could, clutching at it wildly.

At last, one of her long, perfectly-shaped, red-tipped fingernails bumped against the rounded corner of its silver frame. But instead of capturing the precious heirloom, she had grazed against it, causing it to slide even further away from her. She strained once more to latch onto it; no longer protected by the desk, a flurry of spells flew about the room, including one each from Lupin and Tonks, who had arrived just in time to help finish the job.

"Stupefy!"

"Immobulus!"

"Accio, Soul Window!"

The barrage flattened Bellatrix and left her unconscious.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Pointing his wand at his Head of House, he muttered, "Ennervate," and revived him. Tonks surveyed the damages to the room. Ginny stood up, rubbing her twisted ankle and her aching bum; then she limped over to retrieve her wand.

With the mirror in one hand and his wand in the other, Professor Lupin swiftly placed Bellatrix in a full body bind. Then he exhaled quite heavily, as if he had been involved in the duel as well. For a moment, he seemed immensely pleased about something; Ginny reasoned that for him, this had to be retribution for Sirius. Because in truth, if Harry had been distraught about losing Sirius Black, then Remus Lupin had even more right to be.

"Nice work, Severus," Lupin complimented his old school rival. "Good job, you two," he said to the young couple. The Potions Master, who was still slightly out of focus from being Stunned earlier, nodded his thanks. He stood up then proceeded to finish the theatrics that had taken over his office.

Lupin, somewhat mesmerized by the rare artifact in his hand, finally glanced up. When he saw the bottle of clear liquid in Snape's spindly fingers, his fellow professor inferred, "Veritaserum? So she's to be questioned already? Not going to wait for the Ministry officials?"

But Snape was in no mood. Having returned to his normal, terrible, awful old self, he barked impatiently, "Haven't we waited long enough? Besides, doesn't Tonks count?" he added with sarcasm.

When Lupin did not respond, Severus announced, "Yes, we are nearly ready. Miss Weasley, would you please brew Mrs. Lestrange a cup of tea? Mr. Malfoy can show you where I keep it." A faint smirk graced his thin lips as he said this, then he swiftly revived Mrs. Lestrange so she could give him some answers.

She gave him hell.

"You back-stabbing bastard!!" Bellatrix screamed in his face. "You know what He does to traitors. You will pay for this with your life, Severus! You will all pay for this! That is an absolute promise!! None of you are safe; He will get all of you, and your wretched families!!"

Tonks sighed, "Gods, I hate screeching women." Deliberately aiming her wand at her aunt, she asked the professors, "Either of you want me to silence her until the tea is ready?"

Severus declined, "No, that won't be necessary, Tonks."

He called out to Ginny in the other room, "Miss Weasley, don't bother with the tea." Then focusing on the task at hand, he grumbled to his fellow Order members, "Come on, you two -- help me open her mouth. Let's get this over with."

Lupin interjected, "I'd still like some tea, if you wouldn't mind -- making it anyway?" He gave Ginny a slight smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not at all, Professor," she laughed nervously. "I'll brew a pot." Then following Draco to Professor Snape's private stores, she whispered, "Looks like this is going to be a long and interesting night." He heartily agreed.

As they walked toward the cabinet in the far corner of the room, they showed each other their wounds. He winced at seeing the faint scar that was forming in her palm, then he showed her the perfect circle of teeth marks on his injured arm, seeking her sympathy and perhaps a Healing spell. She provided both.

Meanwhile, Bellatrix made it clear that she was having none of the Veritaserum, either with or without tea, as her mouth seemed to be magically sealed shut. Professor Snape worked to pry it open and shove the vial in between her lips. When he was finally successful in administering the potion, she tried to spit it back out, even attempting to bite him as if she were a dog. It was a demanding task, almost as trying and as pointless as it had been attempting to teach Occlumency to Potter.

Although she was quite determined, he eventually forced her to swallow it by simply plugging her nose while Tonks and Lupin held her head still. When she had at last ingested the Veritaserum, a loud, hateful growl emitted from somewhere deep in her throat. Meanwhile, she closed her eyes and whispered spells feverishly, as if to command it not to work.

Her attempts, however, were in vain.

Professor Snape, knowing the most about the case and having been the one to find her out, began the questioning. "Bellatrix Lestrange, do you recognize the object Remus Lupin is holding in his left hand?"

"Y-y-yesss," she replied as she felt the potion starting to work, overtaking her words. "It's my husband's mirror. It's called . . a . . So-Soul W-W-Wind-Window," she stuttered. "It's been in his family for centuries, but he never used it. I saw its potential and shared it with my Master." She cringed in fear of what might happen to her for failing Him again as the potion took the remaining shreds of her dignity.

"Your Master," Severus prompted as his eyes narrowed. "Whom do you mean?"

Bellatrix chuckled mirthlessly, "You know as well as I do. He's your Master too, Severus. Lord Voldemort, of course; he was greatly intrigued."

Meanwhile, the two students reentered the room. Draco watched his aunt intently, as did Ginny, being careful not to spill the tea she was distributing among them. Bellatrix gritted her teeth as if to withhold anything further and deny the potion its prize, but she eventually realized that resisting the Veritaserum was futile. Her eyes rolled as she breathed deeply to calm herself.

It soon became apparent who had won the battle.

Seeing her relax, Professor Snape removed the body bind and went on questioning her. "Mrs. Lestrange, how and why did you capture the soul of Michael Grant and illegally inhabit his body? What were you hoping to achieve by doing this?"

She spoke emotionlessly, paying no attention to the cup of tea that Ginny had gently placed in her extended hand. "I was tapped by Lord Voldemort, via Peter Pettigrew, while I was in hiding in Australia. I was asked to go on a multipurpose assignment to Hogwarts.

"One of my tasks was to recruit young people to our noble cause; another was to ensure loyalty within all of His families. With the arrests last spring at the Ministry of Magic, someone had to help keep watch over their young and ensure they did not stray. Which brings me to you, Draco.

"With Lucius Malfoy imprisoned at Azkaban, he needed someone to remain in contact with his son. To help watch and guide him." She sighed, as if she were still fighting the urge to confess and doing so was utterly draining her. "He needed me to--"

"Needed you to what?" Draco snapped. They were the first words he'd spoken since returning to the room. "Lick his boots?"

"I would have if he asked me," she declared flatly as her eyes met his. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, young Malfoy. He is more powerful than you think."

Her nephew was mildly baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"You feel his power every single day you live," she claimed evasively.

The boy shook his head slowly and laughed softly, "No, I don't, and I assure you, I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do," she insisted. "Although you may not recognize it as his power; you have probably felt it for so long -- indeed, for time immemorial, that you must have thought it was your own." Then she asked him, "Do you still have pains, Draco? Headaches?"

Becoming annoyed, he yelled, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Professor Snape interrupted, "Mr. Malfoy, if you don't mind." Draco begrudgingly relented to the floor to his Head of House, who went on patiently, "Bellatrix, what does Lucius Malfoy's power have to do with his son's recurring headaches?"

"It has everything to do with them," she said blandly.

Snape bit back a frustrated grin and rephrased the question. "Are they somehow . . . caused by it?"

"Yes."

"How, exactly?" was his more direct question.

Her reply stunned everyone in the room, especially Draco.

She sighed and said, "Well. It all started with the Unforgivable Curse his father put on his mother several years ago."

Draco, who had been fairly patient up to this point, now became quite agitated. "Curse?!" he sneered. "What bloody Unforgivable Curse?"

Before she could answer, he shouted angrily in her face, "I'll have you know that my mother is not under any Curse!!! The potion would have shown it -- she only passed out because she took too much at once!"

"You simple, stupid boy," Bellatrix chuckled mirthlessly. "Of course, she is. She has been under it for years, perhaps decades."

Draco started to open his mouth to speak again, but Professor Snape jumped in first. "What curse, Bellatrix?"

She replied dully, "Magno Imperiatum."

On seeing Ginny's and Draco's confused expressions, Professor Lupin, who was watching Bellatrix with extreme interest, joined the conversation. "Magno Imperiatum. It is a lesser known derivative of the Imperius curse -- however rare, it is still an Unforgivable, by association."

Tonks interjected, "And by the way, Draco -- I've seen Aunt Cissy this evening, and Madame Pomfrey said to tell you that she had more information. It seems that your mother's reaction to the potion was partly because of the manner in which it was taken, but mostly because her body was fighting the potion's will to work."

Draco's head was reeling. He quizzed his mother's sister, "Wait a minute . . . did you say a decade or decades? I mean, was she under it when, maybe even before . . I was born?"

"Decades," she answered. "And yes, she was under it for quite some time before you were born. This particular Curse has the rather unique quality of transferring to any offspring a woman bears while she is under it. And once cast, it only requires minimal maintenance."

Draco looked at Ginny and saw the fear in her eyes. He grimaced, and she moved toward him. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him tenderly, the worry never leaving her eyes.

"Bellatrix," Professor Snape began again in a monotone voice. When the Death Eater's lifeless eyes met his, he asked her, "Why would Mr. Malfoy do that to his own wife?"

"Well, it was her own fault, really. She was being incredibly stubborn. She refused to give him an heir."

Draco had been rubbing Ginny's sore palm tenderly then suddenly stopped. "What am I, then?" he scoffed. "Chopped liver?"

"You, dear boy," Bellatrix replied, "are here only due to your father's efforts, in more ways than one. At first, Narcissa rejected the idea of having even one child. Said it would 'ruin her figure' -- more like she was afraid it would cut into her social life. When he discovered her treachery six years into their marriage, he placed her under the Curse." She paused then said, "She would never disobey him again."

"What treachery?" her nephew inquired.

She shook her head, saying, "He was never specific about the details. He only said that your mother and Madame Pomfrey were two daft cows and they wouldn't get away with it."

But Tonks wanted to know more about Magno Imperiatum. "Aunt Trixie, how does the Curse work?"

"Lucius controls all of her thoughts, most of her actions, nearly every feeling she has. He needs to see her at least once a week, preferably twice, to reinforce it. Otherwise, she and her offspring tend to feel intense pain. If Narcissa comes to visit him weekly, then the Curse on Draco can be reinforced by extension."

She droned on, "Through this connection, he could sense his son was starting to slip away from his grasp . . " She eyed Ginny briefly then added coldly, "He was cultivating other interests -- such as this futile 'relationship' with someone who was not worthy of him. His father felt it was necessary to visit, trying to force the issues he saw as important. If Draco chooses to fight against the Curse's effects, or if he feels intense emotions not originating from it, he may also feel pain . . . as a sharp reminder of who owns him."

Then she pointed at Draco and said, "But you--"

After pausing abruptly, she continued, "You have found something that seems to be weakening his hold on you. And it frightens him more than anything." At his confused expression, she elaborated, "Love, as you know from personal experience -- is a very powerful emotion. As such, it sometimes has strange effects on certain types of magic." She frowned then remarked wryly, "Apparently, this Curse's one and only flaw.

"But make no mistake, boy: your father is furious with you, and he will stop at nothing to regain his control. And now that his wife is aware of this, or soon will be, he will seek vengeance on both of you. I'd say you and she are as good as dead; naturally, your girlfriend as well."

Taking in so much information, Ginny's head started to spin. She looked to Draco for strength, her eyes wide and fearful; what would they do? How could they stop his father, if he could actually manipulate Narcissa, and at times Draco, into doing, saying, and feeling what he wanted them to?

Lupin said to Draco, "Madame Pomfrey has managed to revive your mother. She is feeling somewhat better, and Poppy and Professor Dumbledore are now attempting to remove the Curse. If needed, they will call in Ginny's older brother Bill for assistance."

His casual remark caused Ginny's head to snap to attention and Draco to frown slightly. The professor explained, "Breaking curses is Bill Weasley's specialty, Mr. Malfoy."

Professor Snape, irritated by yet another diversion, snipped, "Lupin. The Veratiserum only lasts so long; I must get her confession about the Soul Window. Do you mind?"

"Not at all, Severus. Forgive the interruption."

Snape continued. "Why did you choose Grant for your vessel?"

"No reason, really," she shrugged indifferently. "He was there, alone, rather cute. I used a Glamour to make me look younger. I seduced him, we had sex -- too bad I had to Obliviate him, because he had a fabulous time. Then while he rested, I performed the spell."

Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes as she fought the urge to snort. To hear it that way, the whole thing was as casual as if they had simply gone to Fortescue's for an ice cream.

Bellatrix sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "I'm so very tired. May I rest now?"

Professor Snape had no other questions, but Draco did. He addressed his Head of House respectfully, "One more thing -- Professor, if I may? I have to know." He tried to wrap his mind around all that he had heard, digesting the broken bits that came from his aunt's potion-induced confession and trying to arrange them in some orderly fashion.

He narrowed his eyes, pointed an accusing finger at his aunt, and asked her bluntly, "Did you send Blaise Zabini that Fidelity Mirror? I know you had it in for him. And if wasn't you, then who?"

She licked her lips. Her throat was dry from talking, and she hadn't so much as touched her tea. "Yes. And no. That was Kreacher's idea. He's my auntie's old house-elf. He's unswervingly loyal, the little fart. I do believe he's always had a bit of a crush on me."

Ginny chimed in, assuring her with a smug grin, "I'm relatively certain of it, Mrs. Lestrange."

"At any rate," Bellatrix continued, "Lucius was very keen on the suggestion. He was only too happy to arrange for its delivery."

"But why?" Draco asked he choked back his tears. "What did he have to gain by destroying Blaise? He was crazy in love with the girl -- surely, he knew it would kill him."

"It was to keep you from making a similar mistake. Seeing how close you and Blaise were, he hoped to avert your dating or becoming seriously involved with someone like her -- a muggle, or even a mudblood, especially a common American . . by convincing Blaise and therefore, you, that they are not trustworthy. They always cheat on their partners." She looked up at him, adding with a smirk, "And Lucius ought to know; he's had a good number of them himself."

For the next several minutes, the room was quiet. Eventually, Ministry officials arrived to take Mrs. Lestrange away for further questioning and what Fudge would deem 'a fair and swift trial'. Professor Snape offered what information he had ascertained; he dropped the memories into Kingsley Shacklebolt's portable Pensieve for safekeeping and future reference. Then he Obliviated Bellatrix to remove himself from her memories, to keep his dual role a secret from the being she called 'Master', as well as from Draco's father. Professor Lupin and Tonks also told their side of things, confirming what Severus had already reported.

Just then, Professor Snape's fireplace flared up, and a kindly face appeared in it. "Professor Snape?" Madame Pomfrey shouted. "Is young Mr. Malfoy in your office? I've been looking for him everywhere." Seeing him in the background, she answered her own question. "Ah, there you are, young man. Your mother is awake and asking for you." She reached her hand through the opening, inviting him to join her at the hospital wing.

Draco and Ginny looked at one another with their mouths hanging open dumbly. Madame Pomfrey encouraged, "Miss Weasley can come, too. Come on, now!"

"S'pose I should go and check on Mother . . . Do you want to come?"

"I would love to, but--"

"But what?"

"I've got an essay to write." Holding up her hand and spreading her fingers apart, she reminded him, "Five feet of parchment. And it's due in the morning," she added apologetically.

"Pffff, that?" he snorted. "I'll help you. Come on, now," he pleaded as he took her hand. "I want to introduce you to Mother. And hey -- maybe I'll get to meet Bill." He cleared his throat and asked, "I hope he's not anything like Charlie or either of the twins . . . or even worse, Ron?"

She broke into a grin. "No, Bill's incredibly cool. All of my brothers are cool -- although I question Percy's intelligence at times. They're very understanding; they just want what's best for me."

Draco grabbed a small pinch of Floo Powder and latched onto the hand that extended through the fireplace. He stepped inside, taking Ginny with him.

They landed on a stone floor in a dark, bleak room. It was deathly cold and nearly void of all furniture. When they looked around and saw neither Madame Pomfrey nor any hospital beds, a shock of fear ran through both their hearts.

Draco glanced up at the mantle and saw that there was no Floo Powder to enable them to go back. "Ginny," he panted, "I don't think we're at the hospital wing . . . "