The Road To Nowhere

Chapter Eight

I Might As Well

"Come out Virginia, don´t let me wait

You Catholic girls start much too late

But sooner or later it comes down to fate

I might as well be the one..."

Billy Joel: `Only The Good Die Young´

Hermione had promised to do everything possible on her end to find hard evidence as to the heirs of Gryffindor´s and Ravenclaw´schosen ones. Harry seemed likely, but she and Ginny had decided not to mention anything about it to him until it became necessary.

Ginny on the other hand, was the only likely candidate for Hufflepuff´schosen. Hermione had been worried that it might be more than the strained and stressed girl could handle. Ginny would insist on no more help from Hermione than research.

Against her better judgment, Ginny took the Pensieve back to Paris with her, convinced it was not safe enough at the Burrow. The crazed, paranoid conspiracy theorist did not become Ginny at all.

Hermione had shut herself into the room she shared with Ginny during her stays at the Burrow. Now it was empty. Ginny had been gone a week and Hermione worried more about her now than she did when she´d left the first time.

She fought the urge to stare at the blank computer screen across the room.

Ginny wasn´t telling her the full story.

Not even half, by Hermione´s guess.

Whatever was so important that it kept Ginny closed off from her family and friends, and as Hermione had suspected, made her attempt suicide twice, was hidden safely away in that computer. She knew Ginny kept a computer journal.

After all of her problems with the regular sort of diary, Hermione didn´t blame her for resorting to Muggle technology. At least a computer didn´t think for itself, literally anyway. Hermione sat up and looked over at the monitor of the computer in shut down mode. She marveled that Ginny had gotten it to work at all. Probably enchanted in some way or another. There was no way that this magical household had the capabilities to power this device. Not power outlets, phone lines, cables.

Off the subject, Hermione reminded herself, shaking her head to clear it.

She´d been buried in books all afternoon.

Founders´ history.

It got repetitive after a while.

Hermione willed herself to return to her task. Ginny asked her to research and like any good, well trained student, she put herself to the task willingly.

But everything she needed to know was locked away on that hard drive.

The reason Ginny had tried to end her life. The reason she was always so skittish and harangued. All of her answers were there. Encrypted as Ginny had pointed out last week, but what was that to Hermione? Her father was an amateur hacker. Call it a hobby of sorts. He´d taught his little girl everything he knew. Ginny´s computer couldn´t be that difficult to crack.

Hermione shook her head.

Invasion of privacy. She couldn´t do that to Ginny.

If she wanted to tell Hermione everything, well she will, in her own time.

Hermione gathered up the essential books for her search and headed down to the kitchen. Harry and Ron couldn´t possibly be as big of a distraction as this IBM that kept beckoning her.

***

"Eliza was the only daughter of Hammond Fiorelli, an Italian who was raised in Southern Germany. His sister Hildegard had a son," Arabellalectured to Severus as they searched for an entrance to the underground around a stout little building of gray stone, a mausoleum.

"Grindewald," Severus added for her, finishing her sentence.

Arabellastopped and turned, leveling a wilting glance at her partner. "Would you like to finish the rest of the story, seeing as you know everything there is to know? Oh, teach me something about the Slytherinsthat I don´t already know Professor Snape, the wisest, best teacher at Hogwarts School-," Arabella teased. Mocking SeverusSnape had become a sort of pastime of sorts for her. She´d always gotten on to Sirius and James for the same thing in school. For some reason, Severus didn´t mind it so much coming from her. They´d always been friends, even though he´d never approved of the other students she´d kept company with. Gryffindorswere all the same to him. They never changed.

Except for Arabella. She was never a textbook definition for anything.

He held his palms up, sign of truce, silencing her rebuke.

He ought to know better, he thought, than to interrupt her when she was telling her story. No one should carry an interest of the original dark wizard to the extreme she did. It was off-putting. She carried on as if he were some celebrity she was infatuated with. A smile came to his face as he thought,if Slytherin were alive today and making headlines she would be the one to collect the cuttings and store then in a scrapbook, like an obsessed thirteen-year-old girl.

"Shall I continue?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Severusnodded slowly, now pretending to be engrossed in finding the passage. If only the old man they´d sought out was more helpful. They´d visited the witness that Black had spoken with, the one who´d seen Peter by the catacombs entrance. He seemed spooked to Severus, like someone was watching him, making sure the old man didn´t give away too much. That meant that they were being watched as well. Severus didn´t like the feel of this place. He would not regret coming along, however. The thought of Arabella coming to this place alone was an even more unsettling one.

He randomly prodded stones at the north wall of the ancient building. It was the only hint the old man would give them regarding the catacomb´s entrance. He was surprised when his touch caused one of the stones to give way, admitting the two into a narrow passage to a dank and musty underground network. The smell of ancient bones and decay wafted through the opening. Severus stepped back, looking around to see if they were being watched. You´d have to have night vision or something like it to have noticed anything. It was closed to ten at night in Ravenna.

Arabellalighted her wand and smiled widely, like a child at Christmas. "Ladies first," she whispered.

Severusgestured for her to take the lead, "If you insist."

She could play Indiana Jones all she liked. At least he wouldn´t be the one breaking all of the spiders´ webs in the path. He didn´t like spiders too much.

***

Closing her eyes to the early afternoon sun, Ginny laid back on the cool grass under a shade tree. She would have to be at work in twenty minutes, but for now, she wanted to have a nap in the park. She shut her book and tossed it aside, flung her sandals off and cushioned her head with her arms. A practically perfect afternoon.

She´d had little sleep since she´d some back to France. She missed home so much. That and the end of the world as she knew it weighed heavily on her shoulders. The one comfort she had pertaining to this eminent dark overthrow was that Hermione was back in England finding out everything she could about these "chosen three".

Although, she had no idea why she´d insisted on it, Ginny was adamant on bringing the Pensieveback with her. She just didn´t think it would be safe at the Burrow. It was a gut feeling. She didn´t want to be separated from it. She didn´t want to have another look in it either. The future scared her. When the past predicted the future--that was even scarier. Ironic, she thought, she was a seer afraid of seeing the future. She remembered the meeting she and Hermione had witnessed. Gift, my ass! This was more like a curse. She didn´t want to see the things she was seeing. It was better to stay awake as long as possible. But she couldn´t stay awake anymore. She was sure she would crash and burn if she´d tried.

But she would not have the luxury of sleep right now.

A snide comment caught her ear and she knew exactly whose mouth it had come from. "This park used to be quite lovely, I remember. Not so full of drunken vagrants passed out on the grass. It´s really gone to hell."

She groaned. "Go away, Draco," she pleaded in a weary tone not opening her eyes. "I didn´t get all that much sleep last night and I´ve been in school all day. Please, have pity on me and bother someone else. Sophie´s across the street in the shop, I´m sure she´d find everything you say humorous."

"That really hurts, you know," he said.

"I´m sorry, it´s the best I can do right now. I´m tired and I´m on in fifteen. So if you don´t mind-." She groaned again and sat up as he took a seat in the grass beside her. No sleep for Ginny today.

"How was your trip home?" he asked good-naturedly, causing Ginny to do a double take. Why did he bother? It was really beyond reason, his behavior. What was the ulterior motive there? So he´d asked around work and found out that she´d been in England last week. Not that impressive.

"Fine."Short, clipped answers, maybe he´ll get the point and leave.

"Just fine?"

"Yep, just fine."

"I´m not going to leave until I get what I want. So give up and tell me what secret of mine you know or act civil. Either way you can´t get rid of me that easily." Wow, he said all of that with one breath. Masterful.

"Draco, I don´t have any incriminating information on you. I know you´re not as evil as everyone else wants to believe you are. What you said in that hospital room was really not that big of a deal and besides I´m not about to leak any information to the press, alright?" Ginny tried to sound as calm and placating as possible.

"If it wasn´t that big of a deal, why won´t you tell me?" he asked, not a hint of aggravation. He was really good at this game.

"It´s nothing. Why not just leave it at that. I was just trying to annoy you, that day when you ran into me. You were acting like an asshole and I was in a hurry. It was all just a bit of fun. Don´t be so paranoid." She smiled sweetly. His expression softened a little and he conceded for the moment.

"When I ran into you?" Draco repeated sarcastically.

"Why must you insist on ruining such a beautiful afternoon?" Ginny asked, staring off at a little French boy wading into the pond to retrieve the injured toy boat of a crying girl in pig-tails on the shore. She smiled. How adorable!

"Did I ruin it?" Draco answered following her gaze to the pair of children.

"Nearly ruined it," she amended.

"Can I make it up to you?" he asked.

"And how would you do that?" Ginny´s attention returned to Draco sitting on the grass next to her after the tiny boy hero returned the invalid vessel to its owner. He got a kiss on the cheek for all of his trouble. Children are the model of what grown-ups ought to be.

"How much of Paris have you seen since you´ve been here?"

"Not much," Ginny sighed with regret, "I´ve been endlessly busy with school and work. I´ve seen the museum once, but that was weeks ago."

"Do you dance?" Dracoasked.

Ginny smiled. Was he asking her out on a date? If it were anyone else, she might have found this sweet but you never know with this one, she reminded herself.

"Depends on what you mean by dancing. I can follow a decent leader." She didn´t mean to be difficult, but she wouldn´t admit to Draco Malfoythat she was bad at anything. She wasn´t that gracious.

Dracolooked at his watch, apparently unaffected by her scathing challenge. Was it just a family trait, a gene somewhere in the genetic makeup of a Malfoy to be that full of yourself?

"It´s almost three, what time do you have to be at work?" he said.

"I go in at three," Ginny said putting her shoes back on.

Dracostood and offered her a hand getting to her feet. Ginny took it, hoping at the same time that she didn´t appear too shocked by the gesture. He wants something, that´s what this act is all about, Ginny told herself.

"What time do you get off?" he asked, handing her book to her as they walked toward the street.

"Tonight?"

"Yes, tonight. Can I take you out dancing? You said you haven´t seen that much of Paris. At night, Paris looks perfect from the inside of my favorite swing club."

"You have a favorite swing club?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Don´t pretend to be shocked. There´s a lot you don´t know about me. I love big bands, Frank Sinatra, black and white movies and swing dancing. Maybe you´ll find out more if you say yes and come with me tonight." He smiled. Why did he have to look and act so charming? Really, he could turn it on and off just like a faucet.

She debated over whether or not to accept him. There were plenty of logical reasons to say no.

"Okay, fine. I get off at eight. You can pick me up at nine-thirty." She had no idea why she had accepted right off the bat like she had, but what the hell. The only thing she´d had planned for tonight was a bit of studying. No need to have two Hermionesloose on earth. Besides, she needed to have a little fun. Who better to raise some hell with that the son of Satan himself?

He smiled,a real genuine smile of someone who is thoroughly pleased with himself. "Good, at least I didn´t have to threaten to get you fired in order to persuade you."

"So I really had no choice," Ginny agreed shaking her head.

"None at all, Weasley." He grinned devilishly, "See you tonight?"

"Fine."

***

"So Hildegard, of course, sought world domination for her son. I mean what kind of mother would she be if she didn´t have some sort of ambition for her child?" Arabellacontinued, turning to speak to Severus over her shoulder. He´d been silent for quite a while. She hadn´t bothered to ask why. Maybe he feared another rebuke if he interrupted or was it that her stories were putting him to sleep?

Either way, she was feeling a bit lonely in that dark and dripping tunnel with only her voice to keep her company.

As if in answer to her thoughts, his hand went to her shoulder and she heard him reply, "Of course. Then what happened?"

She smiled and continued, more to keep herself from having an anxiety attack. The tunnels seemed to be narrowing with every step. She would never admit, however, that she was slightly claustrophobic. That was weak,something Arabella had striven her whole life to prove she wasn´t.

"They knew of Slytherin´sguarantee for his last remaining heir. He´d set up some sort of instruction for the last remainder of Slytherin blood. No one, to this day, has any idea of what that might be or what one has to do to receive that instruction. But an old myth of the family holds that it was cast into a cup, this dark magic instruction. I believe that if the Slytherinline wanted it kept secret, they would have hidden it with their ancestors." She paused, holding her wand up to a wet and slimy wall. A few early Christian frescos depicting Old Testament themes were visible through the algae. She shook her head. Not what they were looking for.

"Hildegard obviously knew she´d had a brother, Hammond, and he might also have children of his own. That would nullify Grindewald´s claim to the- I don´t know what you´d call it. Call it his inheritance. So she did what any loving mother would do--she sought out her brother, who was living in Rome at the time with his eight-year-old daughter Eve. She killed them both. Now the path was clear for her son. He sought wealth, power, world domination, you know, the usual. And he was killed. Unsuccessful."

She paused again and turned, nearly causing her excavation partner to run into her. "Do you know why he was unsuccessful?" she asked, holding her wand up between them to shed some light in the tunnel.

"Do you expect me to answer that truthfully or just shake my head and let you carry on?" Severusasked in a sarcastic monotone.

"No, please answer," Arabella invited him.

"Because Hammond had another child, Eliza."

"Very good.You´re paying attention." Arabella continued down the tunnel again. "While in Rome, sixteen-year-old Eliza Fiorelli met a Mr. Thomas Riddle, vacationing there with his family. The rest is self-explanatory. She left her family and came to England with him. They married. A few months into the marriage he found out what a wicked evil witch she was. He abandoned her along with her unborn child," she turned and spoke over her shoulder again, "which I believe he was unaware of at the time. Eliza gave birth to a one Tom MarvoloRiddle and died, leaving him a ward to the state. Around the time our world dominator, Grindewald, is defeated and killed Hogwarts is home to one of its most promising pupils ever. And you know the rest, I´m sure." Arabella completed her tale with a wry smile and the comment, "History is so much fun."

Severusonly shook his head and dodged a spider web.

***

Dracodepressed the button that buzzed Ginny´s apartment and got a hassled voice on the other end, "Come on up. The door´s open." The lock clicked on the outer door and Draco climbed a short flight of stairs to an open door.

He was five minutes late, but when he saw Ginny, he knew she wasn´t keeping track. She was still in her bathrobe with her hair wrapped in a towel.

She stopped briefly on her way back to the bathroom to apologize for keeping him waiting, she´d been held up at work.

"Do you live here alone?" Draco asked, surprised not to see any other hostile redheads about. He scanned a wall of pictures, his eyes lingering briefly on one in particular of a small girl in a yellow sundress blowing on a dandelion. Flaming red hair and bright brown eyes. She was even beautiful as a child.

"No, my oldest brother Bill lives here as well. He works at the bank. He´s out right now with some one or other. He´s got a new girl each week. It´s hard to keep track, so I don´t." She stopped next to him on her way to her room and groaned. "Oh no, you´ve found the pictures. That one´s particularly embarrassing. Bill´s favorite, though, so he won´t let me take it down." She disappeared into her bedroom.

Dracocontinued to stare at the image. "Why don´t you like it? It´s a nice photograph, really."

"I´m chubby."

"And you´re what? Four-years-old? It´s not that incriminating. All babies are chubby. Besides, you´re not chubby now," Dracoanswered diplomatically.

"Oh, well thank you for noticing," Ginny shot back sarcastically from her room. She appeared in the doorway and straightened the front of her dress self-consciously. "Do I look alright?" she asked. It looked to Draco as if she was fearing his answer.

To his amazement, Draco found it hard to answer, having lost his voice when she walked into the room. A redheaded Natalie Wood. He cleared his throat and reproached himself. He was a Malfoy. He had an answer for everything. "You look fine. We better go. We´re already late." Immediately he regretted saying it. She looked crestfallen. But she covered it gracefully with a smile.

"Yes, I guess I did make us rather late."

La Coupolewas a wonderful Art Deco club that thronged with the wealthy and famous who enjoyed the nightlife of Paris.

Upon entering, Ginny understood why Draco had said that it was the best way to see Paris at night. You could actually see the City of Lights though the immense glass ceiling. The Eiffel Tower sparked with a million fairy lights. It was enchanting.

She hardly even noticed as Draco took her by the arm. The trumpets and saxophones from the live band pounded in her ears. She didn´t even catch half of what he said to her about the notable people who´ve frequented this spot, Lenin, Stravinsky, Hemmingway. She might have even caught the name Einstein. She began to doubt that he´d had an ulterior motive in asking her here. He definitely wouldn´t get his secret out of her tonight. She could hardly hear herself think. And she didn´t want to either. She was amazed at the dancers out on the floor, she´d never seen anyone move like that, except in the movies, and she´d seen a few. She was a big fan of Mugglecinema.

"You can dance like that?" Ginny asked, wide-eyed with amazement as she indicated a pair of lindyhopping dancers who were drawing a crowd of spectators around them. Draco merely smiled and nodded. Ginny´s attention remained on the pair. She could not move like that, she would surely kill herself. She resolved to sit at her table for the rest of the night and not get up for anyone or anything.

"I´ll teach you, if you want. But first I need a drink. Do you want anything?" He asked, getting up from the table.

"A Cosmopolitan, thanks," Ginny answered not taking her eyes off of the crowded dance floor.

Dracodisappeared into a flock of loud partiers, each with a drink in hand. Not two seconds after he´d gone, a man in a suit sidled up to Ginny´s table and took her hand. Surprised at the forwardness of the guy, Ginny jumped slightly.

"You look like you´re in desperate need of a partner," he asked with a gleaming grin and far too much confidence.

"I wouldn´t say in desperate need. I don´t even know how to dance," she admitted with a pleasant smile.

He was insistent. "I spotted you clear across the room. You are a stunning creature. I said to my associates, `I have to dance with that enchanting young lady if it´s the last thing I do." Apparently he thought he was something else and he expected Ginny to pick up on that general theme. "So, how about it?" he asked, laying on his American accent and charm thick. He nearly pulled her from her seat before she´d had the chance to answer in the negative. Apparently he thought she was a sure thing. "Come on, sweetheart. The song will be over before your boyfriend, there realizes you´ve left him." He winked at her and flashed a winning smile.

"Thank you, but I-," she began to pull her hand away when a voice behind her interrupted her protest. She was relieved to hear the scathing and sarcastic tones, for once not directed at herself.

"I think she´s trying to let you down gently. Please accept her rejection with what little dignity you´ve left yourself, release her hand and run along," Draco said to the American, setting Ginny´s drink down on the table and draining the last of his as he stood there.

"Calm down, pal. I was talking with the girl here, not you," the man said, stepping menacingly closer to Draco who merely smiled slyly. This was amusing him? Ginny took a long drink from her martini. This should be interesting.

"I´m afraid you´ve picked the wrong girl to talk to, er... I´m sorry I didn´t catch your name," Draco said, oozing forced politeness.

"Jim, just call me Jim," the man smiled and thrust out a hand. Draco took it and smiled.

"Well, Jim. By the looks of things, I´d say you´re here on business... What line of work are you in?" Draco asked again. His patience with this guy was something to wonder at. Ginny found it all amusing and watched with interest as she sipped her drink.

"I´m an Investment Banker. My firm just flew me and a couple of the guys out here for the weekend. Just landed and huge deal. Letting off a bit of steam, seeing the sights, you know." He puffed himself up importantly.

Dracoraised an eyebrow. "Well, why don´t you take your cheap suit and your tired pick-up lines and invest your time a little more economically trying to pull on one of the drunk and easy girls at the bar. You´re wasting your time with this one, mate," Draco stepped between Ginny and Jim.

"Your last chance to act on the best offer you´ve had all night, doll." He craned his neck to shoot Ginny another winning smile. She smiled but shook her head, declining the less than enticing offer.

The American apparently didn´t have anything else to add to the conversation and so followed Draco´sadvice and headed for the bar. Ginny leaned around Dracoto follow the poor rejected fool with her eyes. He walked up to a woman, swaggering a bit then sagged as the woman shook her head. Tonight was not his night. Ginny almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Draco sat and smiled.

The evening wasn´t a waste after all. He´d wounded the ego of a complete stranger and the most beautiful girl in the crowded room sat across from him smiling amusedly.

"I don´t think he´ll ever recover, you know?" she said, still staring after the sad devil. "I almost felt sorry enough to dance with him."

"Ten to one says he doesn´t even know how to dance. He´s just here to find someone he can take back to his cheap hotel room with him," Draco answered, surveying the dance floor. Ginny noted how his face lit up as a classic Sinatra tune began.

"Dance with me?" he asked in the most sincere tone. Ginny complied before she even knew what he´d asked her. He was just that persuasively charming.

She almost panicked as she found herself on the dance floor in his arms. She had no idea what she was doing. He calmed her fears with a smile. He knew what he was doing and he was an excellent leader. She would appear graceful no matter what she did, Ginny thought, with Draco as her partner. It was a good thing that the song was a slow one anyway.

Halfway into the tune, Ginny was exceedingly grateful for the low lighting of the room. She could feel her cheeks heating and hoped that it was too dark for him to notice. In that incredibly charming way he had, Draco began to sing the lyrics of the song, just inches from her ear. He had a very nice singing voice, Ginny noticed with the slightest bit of surprise.

"Fill my heart with song, let me sing forevermore. You are all I long for all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true. In other words, I love you..."

Now this moment was fast climbing the charts as one of the happiest of her life, and for the life of her, Ginny could not explain why.