A Life in the Past

Draco had tracked down a house elf and taken him to the cell in which Ginny was trapped. The elf had happily freed Ginny with one snap of his fingers, then snapped himself away before Draco or Ginny could thank him, not that Draco would ever thank a house elf.

As soon as she was free, Ginny threw her arms around Draco and kissed him, and it wasn't just a little peck, oh no, it was a real kiss. But it was just a spur of the moment thing, and the moment she realized what she was doing, she pulled away, and they stood in uncomfortable silence.

Finally, Draco cleared his throat and spoke. "We should... er... do something productive," he said. "You know, now that we're both free, we should get out of here, before we get imprisoned again."

"Oh, er, yeah," said Ginny.

They both looked around, trying to decide which direction to go in. Ginny began walking one way, but stopped when she noticed Draco was walking in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Outside," he replied.

"And how do you know that's outside?" Ginny asked.

"I don't," said Draco. "But I'm going anyway."

Ginny turned on her heel and followed him.

"I never told you to follow me," said Draco.

"I don't care," said Ginny. "And who says I'm following you?"

"You just turned around," said Draco. "You were going the other way before."

"I could've just changed my mind," said Ginny. "I'm not necessarily following you."

"Don't breathe so loud," said Draco. "You'll get us caught."

"I'm not breathing loud," said Ginny. "I thought that was you."

"I don't even snore when I'm asleep, why would I snore when I'm awake?" said Draco, his voice once again taking on the arrogant drawl it had when Ginny had first ever encountered him. She hadn't heard him talk that way for a long time...

"You do snore," she said. "I know you do, I've heard your snoring."

"Shut up, Ginny," said Draco.

"Here's a question," said Ginny. "Why do you call me Ginny?"

"It's your name, idiot," said Draco, obviously starting to get annoyed.

"But what about Weasley?" asked Ginny.

"That's called a surname," said Draco. "Mine's Malfoy. Honestly, you'd think you were a two year old, so many stupid questions..."

Ginny decided not to ask any further, because although he was good at controlling his temper, Draco did get angry sometimes, and the results were not pleasant at all.

After a lot of walking, Draco and Ginny got absolutely nowhere, but when they turned a corner, Draco spotted Annabelle walking towards them, so he pushed Ginny back behind the corner and told her to hide.

"Elias!" Annabelle hissed when she saw Draco. "How did thy escape?"

"Er..." Draco looked at her blankly.

"You cannot be here," said Annabelle. "If thy is caught, the result shall be horrid."

"I'll go then," said Draco.

"I cannot allow your escape," said Annabelle. "Do you not remember our agreement to act as though we know not of each other? We said we shall treat the other as an outsider."

"Nah, I can't remember that one," said Draco. "Was that before or after you had Hans and his friends throw me in a cellar?"

"Twas at Hogwarts," said Annabelle. "I cannot have this."

"You're a confusing girl," said Draco. "I can't remember going to Hogwarts with you. Well, maybe someone who looked like you, but not you. Or at least I don't think I did."

Annabelle suddenly pulled Draco towards her and kissed him. Ginny, who was watching from behind the corner wasn't sure whether it would be safe to say anything, so she just watched, mouth hanging open, from her hiding place.

At long last, Draco managed to pull away, and when he did, he shot Annabelle the dirtiest scowl humanly possible. "Ginny was right about you," he said, as though greatly repulsed. "I feel so dirty now... Stay away from me, wench."

"I do not understand," said Annabelle.

"Don't think I didn't hear you with Potter," said Draco. "What were you talking about then?"

"But it is as you said," said Annabelle. "We cannot see each other. Tis forbidden. You did say you were planned to marry a French girl."

"I never... French girl? What's her name?" Draco said, gaining interest in the subject.

"You did not say," said Annabelle. "Besides, I have fallen in love with another."

"Tell me who it is," Draco said eagerly.

"Shan't," said Annabelle.

"Potter?" asked Draco.

At this, Annabelle's face turned that familiar Weasley red, and Ginny's mouth fell open, again, but still, she spoke not a word.

Draco chuckled. "Seriously?" he said. "Just like Ginny, you are."

Annabelle's face turned red, and Ginny could've sworn her ears were emitting steam.

"Do not compare me to that wench," said Annabelle, her voice unsteady.

"She is not a wench," said Draco, coming to Ginny's defence for the first time. "You should be honoured to be compared to her, you should be so lucky."

"Hans!" Annabelle called down the corridor. "Hans!"

Ginny jumped out from behind the corner, silver spoon in hand. "Petrificus totalus," she muttered.

The spell was delayed, but after about thirty seconds (in which Annabelle and Draco were getting over the shock of having Ginny jump out from what seemed like nowhere), Annabelle fell rigid to the floor.

"I was afraid Hans would come again," said Draco, his voice relieved. "That was, er... really human of you."

"Thanks would be nice," said Ginny.

"Keep dreaming," said Draco, stepping over the unconscious form of Annabelle. "Where to?"

"I don't know," said Ginny. "Outside, maybe?"

"Sounds good," said Draco. "It feels good to be out of that cellar."

"Cellar?" asked Ginny.

"Yeah," said Draco. "You know, dark, dingy place for storing things, in Annabelle's case, people."

Ginny stopped walking and grabbed hold of Draco's arm. "We've got to go back there," she said.

"Why would we want to do that?" asked Draco. "We just got out of that place."

"I've had an idea," said Ginny.

"You can go back," said Draco. "I'm not going with you though."

"Please, Malfoy," said Ginny.

"No," said Draco stubbornly.

"Fine," said Ginny, reluctantly, starting to walk again. "Lead the way, Malfoy."

Draco smirked and led the way to a door, which so conveniently led outside. "See how clever I am?" said Draco with an air of pride.

"Yeah," said Ginny glumly. "How clever..."

***

Hermione was watching Harry and Ron play chess; just like she always did at Hogwarts. Everything seemed so normal, everything except that missing spot beside Hermione where Ginny always sat. Hermione sighed and smiled a very sad smile. Ron was right; Annabelle couldn't possibly take Ginny's place.

"Hermione, do you want to play?" asked Ron. "Harry's not even trying."

"Er, no, that's all right," said Hermione.

"I don't feel much like playing right now," said Harry. "I'm hungry."

"I should say supper will be ready soon," said Hermione. "Do you want to go and check?"

Harry nodded and left the room through the door with a distant look on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged. "But I think it has something to do with Annabelle," she said. "I don't know if I still trust her."

"Welcome to my side," said Ron. "So what changed your mind?"

"Er, well, she's a little, well, suspicious, in a way," Hermione replied. "As though she's hiding something."

"Exactly," said Ron. "Wonder if Harry's realised it yet."

"I don't think he has," said Hermione. "He certainly is acting strange; it really makes me wonder if it has something to do with Annabelle."

"I don't know," said Ron. "But let's not talk about Annabelle right now; just thinking about her scares me."

***

"I never would have thought the Burrow could have ever been this big," said Ginny. "And the grounds, I didn't know this all belonged to the Weasleys at one time. I wonder where it all went."

"Shut up for a minute," Draco snapped. "Don't you hear those voices?"

Ginny stopped and listened for a moment. She and Draco were outside the Weasley castle, the sun was just starting to set in the sky causing the sky to be a sea of reddening clouds. The air was still, but Ginny did in fact hear voices drifting towards them. There was one voice she recognised as Harry's, and the other sounded like Annabelle, except it was softer, whereas Annabelle spoke to Ginny with a voice deep with hate.

"That's Harry," said Ginny.

"And Annabelle," Draco nodded.

"We've got to find out what they're doing," said Ginny, quickening her pace.

Draco followed her very reluctantly.

They came to a halt behind a large tree that was blocking Annabelle and Harry from view. Ginny peered around the tree and saw Harry's and Annabelle's backs. They were silhouetted against the scarlet sky, both still as statues. It would have been a lovely scene, had it not been Annabelle with Harry. Ginny wanted to step in and put a stop to the charade, but Draco held her back by the arms.

"Don't do anything," he whispered. "Annabelle will probably kill you before you get the chance to get anywhere near Potter."

"I can't stand here and watch!" Ginny hissed, looking up at Draco angrily.

"Then don't watch," said Draco, his voice ironically tranquil.

"Harry is right there," said Ginny. "He may be our key out of here, and Annabelle is corrupting him, why are you so calm?

"She's not corrupting him," said Draco. "Just wait until she leaves, then we'll talk to Potter. Or you'll talk to Potter, I can't risk it."

"But I can't just wait here," said Ginny. "I couldn't possibly, let go of me, I can't stand to watch."

"Then don't watch," Draco repeated sternly.

"Let go of me," said Ginny. "You can't do this to me."

"I can, and I will," said Draco, pulling Ginny back behind the tree. "Don't watch," he said once again. "You don't have to."

"But I can't not watch," said Ginny.

"And they say I'm difficult," Draco said, rolling his eyes.

"I can't stand this," said Ginny. "Let go of me or I'll scream."

Draco covered Ginny's mouth with his left hand and held her hands back with his right hand. "This is far too easy," he smirked.

Ginny kicked Draco in the shin and he let go of her mouth, but kept his hold on her hands.

"I won't let you go," he hissed. "So stop trying to make me."

"Fine, but I want to watch what they're doing," said Ginny.

Draco rolled his eyes again. "Make up your mind," he said exasperatedly.

"I want to watch," Ginny repeated, peering over the side of the tree trunk.

Annabelle and Harry were now looking at each other in a way Ginny did not like at all. And then it happened; Ginny's heart was shattered into a thousand pieces like a dinner plate being dropped from ten feet high; Harry leaned in and kissed Annabelle.