Some Dangerous Liaisons

A/N: Go me! I updated within a couple of weeks instead of two months!

Thanks to Elric Maxwell who has hung in there with me from the beginning. Also Thrnbrooke who has hung in there on a number of different sites!

Thanks to PetalSoft, Melagic, Paigey07, and Lilith.

Service Announcement: Check out The Coven's new story: It's Just 12 Inches of Wood. It's a compliation of different authors for each chapter. Yours truly is writing a chapter for it as well. It's going to be great.

Hope you enjoy and don't be afraid to review! smooochesss!




Mischief Managed

Ginny surveyed the unconscious form of Harry on his bed. She ran light fingers across his cheeks, reveling in the softness of his skin. His pouty pinkish lips…

The pouty pinkish lips that had been kissing Malfoy earlier…

With a shriek, Ginny slapped Harry as hard as she could.

And again….and again…

“WHY HARRY? WHAT DID I DO WRONG? GOD…WHAT… did I …do wrong?” Her emotional outburst wrung all the energy out of her.

She looked down at his face and winced at the red handprints all over his face.

“Oh…Harry…I didn’t mean to do that…I don’t want to hurt you…never want to do that.” She rested her face against his hot flesh, still smarting from the blows.

“I can’t lose you to Malfoy. I can’t. I won’t! Why can’t you understand that we belong together? From the moment I saw you, I knew that I loved you and that we’d be happy.”

She ran her hand down his cheek again. “But now you’re ruining it! Or really that stupid Malfoy is ruining everything! I know he’s behind all of this, Harry! I know that you are a good person and that he’s bewitched you somehow!”

Ginny’s mind involuntarily flashed to the images she’d seen earlier. She had seen Harry’s bag pushed against the window as she made her way to Snape’s classroom for her detention. She had mouthed off to him when he had tried to take points from Gryffindor because her potion was better than another 6th year Slytherin.

She smiled when she saw the bag and knowing Harry the way she did, he most likely had detention with Snape as well. She was curious why the bag was in the corridor, even though it was slightly hidden from view and not with Harry. It was then she noticed a closed classroom door. One of many rooms that often went unused or even noticed.

Fred and George were the most creative blokes she’d ever had the pleasure to come across. Not only had they invented Extendable Ears, but they had also invented Extendable Eyes, which basically did the same thing. Ginny always carried these things with her.

Maybe Harry was inside the classroom. She had tried the handle but it was locked and Ginny thought that maybe Harry being harassed by some Slytherins. They were in the dungeons after all. She had quickly sent an eye and ear under the door and gasped at what she saw.

She saw Draco kneeling in front of Harry, sucking away on Harry’s cock. The look on her boyfriend’s face was pure bliss. His mouth was slightly parted and his hands were running through Draco’s blond hair. Ginny dug her nails in her palms. She had never given Harry a blowjob because she had been too scared to try one. Now she was paying the price for her fear.

She wanted to blast the door apart and send Malfoy straight to hell! How could she have been so stupid? She should have done that for Harry ages ago! What boy didn’t like his cock sucked? And now Harry had found someone who would do it, even if it was another bloke.

By the time she looked back into the room, things had changed drastically. Harry now had his legs wrapped around Malfoy, who was slowly pumping into him. Harry’s head was thrown back and Malfoy was pressing slow kisses down Harry’s neck.

Ginny almost threw up, so great was her anger.

But then she saw Harry mouth the words, “I love you”, and the way he was looking at Malfoy frightened her. She saw Malfoy hold Harry very tight as he shuddered through his orgasm and the look of absolute devotion on the Slytherin’s face, galvanized her into action.

She pulled the eye from the door, but the ear seemed to be stuck as she yanked on it. She heard Malfoy talking about somebody named Bulstrode and another werewolf that Remus knew and Harry beating his drug addiction.

Ginny had reached into her pocket and lightly fingered the pills she had stolen from Justin earlier that day. She had seen how desperate Harry had seemed to have them, but that stupid Hufflepuff had held out on him and Harry looked angry. She was sure that he would have attacked Justin again if that nosy Hermione hadn’t come along.

However, that event turned out to be very good for her. Justin had never seen her coming when she stunned him and took the drugs from him. She had considered leaving him there on the stairs, but that would have raised way too many questions. So she revived him and simply obliviated his memory of her. It had worked beautifully.

Now as she stood outside a dungeon classroom, her breathing heavy and her heart breaking, she knew what she had to do. She saw how much in love Draco and Harry were with each other and it just wasn’t fair.

She had loved him first, while Malfoy had spent years tormenting them and causing all kinds of trouble. His own father had tried to kill her with Tom Riddle’s diary. How could Harry do this? How could Harry be in love with Malfoy? None of that made any sense.

She was going to make him see reason. And if these little bloody pills were what she needed to make that happen, then so be it. Of course, being a drug addict wasn’t exactly conducive for someone seeing reason, but if Ginny could give Harry something he seemed to so desperately want, then he would turn to her.

Ginny pulled open the drawer next to the bed and saw the vial of potion that Snape had given to him. She picked it up and looked at it closely. She didn’t dare throw it out, because most likely Snape would come asking about it. But she wasn’t going to let Harry have it back, not until he could be firmly convinced that Malfoy was not who he was supposed to be with.

Ginny snuggled down in the covers next to Harry. She was going to leave him stunned for the time being, she wasn’t up for a duel or argument with him right now.


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A knocking at the door woke Ginny from her slumber. She glanced at Harry, who was still in the same position that she had left him last night. She quickly pulled the covers up to his neck and hopped out of bed.

She tiptoed to the door and tried to listen to see who was on the other side.

She then realized the knocking was coming through the bathroom.

Neville…

“Harry?” Neville’s voice came through the door. “You in there?”

Ginny scurried to the door and opened it. Neville’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Ginny? What are you doing in here?”

Ginny huffed and crossed her arms. “I can be here if I want. Harry and I are working things out, thank you very much! What do you want?”

Neville raised an eyebrow. He doubted very seriously that Harry was working things out with Ginny. Things were started to leak around Hogwarts about Harry’s “preferences”. Dean’s accusation about Harry and Zabini was currently confined to Gryffindor, but Dean would never make up something like that. Apparently, Zabini had actually told Dean that he and Harry had shagged at Malfoy’s house.

Neville had been a bit confused about that. He knew that Harry and Malfoy had been involved for quite some time now. Millicent had confirmed that bit of story when Neville had questioned her about the Pansy engagement. Millicent confessed that she thinks her friend has gone round the bend, especially if she thinks that Draco is just going to give up Harry.

How Harry had ended up shagging Zabini in Malfoy’s house was a bit unclear. Malfoy was known for his jealous rages and would never have allowed Harry to have sex with his best friend. Something really crazy must have gone on for that to have happened.

It wasn’t as if the whole notion of Harry and Malfoy wasn’t crazy to begin with. Who could have seen that coming? A romantic relationship between the school’s two biggest rivals? Actually, it did kind of make sense…

“-ville! I asked you what you wanted. Harry’s trying to sleep.”

Neville blinked and then sheepishly smiled. “I wanted to know if he wanted to come to breakfast. And if he was feeling better than yesterday.”

“Oh. Well no, he’s not coming to breakfast and he’s feeling just fine, OK?” She started to pull the door closed on Neville’s foot.

“Oi, Neville!” a voice called out. “You in there?” It was Ron calling through Neville’s bedroom door.

Ginny glanced up and grabbed Neville’s shirt by the collar. Neville looked at her curiously.

“It’s none of Ron’s business that I’m in Harry’s room. You won’t say anything will you?”

Neville felt uneasy about the whole situation. He wondered why Harry hadn’t woken up when Ron shouted. He was loud enough to wake the dead.

Ginny shoved Neville hard and pulled the door closed. She leaned up against it and sighed. She didn’t want Ron to start in on her about Harry and blokes again. Even though she knew he was right.

But she did need to talk to him.

She quickly threw on her pants and hurried out of the room and dashed down the staircase before Ron and Neville.

She sprinted into the common room and sat down on a sofa, shoving a second year over rudely.

“Hey!” she cried out.

“Oh, hush!” Ginny said, “it didn’t hurt.”

Neville and Ron appeared on the staircase and Ginny leapt to greet them. Neville raised another eyebrow and Ginny gave him a stern look. Neville rolled his eyes and headed towards the portrait hole.

“Ron, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Ron looked annoyed. “Not now, Gin. I’m hungry.”

“It’ll only take a second! Stop being such a greedy pig.”

He huffed loudly and glared down at her. “What?”

“Tell me about Professor Lupin and his transformations.”

Ron’s mouth fell open slightly. “Lupin? Why? What do you need to know that for?”

“Just tell me, OK! It’s important.”

“He changes at the full moon. Like any other werewolf.”

“Where does he change, you idiot!”

Ron grumbled and started to walk away, but Ginny grabbed his arm. “Fine! I’m sorry. Look, I need to know. Do you know?”

“He uses his quarters, I think. Or at least he used to use the Shrieking Shack when he was a student here. That git Snape brews that potion for him, so he’s not so mental anymore.”

“Didn’t you tell me that there was a secret entrance to the shack through the Whomping Willow?”

Ron eyed her suspiciously. “What are you up to, Ginny?”

“Nothing. I just want to know. I’m trying to calculate something. Was last night a full moon?”

“I don’t know…do I look like a werewolf to you? It gets dark, a moon comes out. I don’t pay any attention to it.”

The second year that Ginny shoved piped up. “It was a full moon last night. We had work for Professor Sinistra about it.”

Ginny smiled a huge grin and hugged Ron tightly. “Thank you, dear brother!” She turned to the second year. “Thanks to you too!”

She ran out of the common room, leaving Ron to gape after her.


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Ginny hurried towards the direction of Remus’ quarters. She had never been there, but she had an idea where it was. Most teachers who were not the head of their house usually had their rooms near their classrooms. Ginny hoped that she would be able to find it.

After turning several corridors and not having any luck, she gave up. Maybe Lupin was at the Shrieking Shack after all. Why would he risk transforming inside of the school with all the children here? He surely wouldn’t be that stupid.

Ginny ran outside and headed for the Whomping Willow, which stood in the middle of school grounds. She stood gazing up at the shaking branches and then focused her attention to find the little knot against the trunk. It took her some minutes to find it, mainly because she had to keep ducking away from the deadly branches. She seized a stick from the ground, rushed forward and quickly pressed the knot. The tree came to a swift halt and Ginny sighed in relief.

She entered the tunnel that led to the Shack.

“Lumos,” she muttered and followed the tunnel.

After what seemed an age, she finally arrived at the dark, dirty house. She climbed the creaky stairs carefully, listening for any sound of life or movement.

“Professor Lupin?” she called out softly. She squinted in the darkness as she entered a large sitting room that was dominated by a large lumpy couch.

She heard a hiss and she jumped, swinging her wand in a large arc. Her hands trembled and she thought that perhaps this was a big mistake. She should have waited for Remus to come back to the castle.

Someone was moving towards her in the dim light.

Ginny shrunk back, her wand still held in front of her.

It wasn’t Professor Lupin.

“Either you’re pretty brave or very stupid,” said an unfamiliar voice.

Ginny raised her wand. “Who are you?”

“Why don’t you come a bit closer and find out.” The voice was mocking and sarcastic.

Ginny moved back some and stood behind the couch. She glanced towards one of the darkened windows.

“Solariso!”

The window’s blackened pane melted away and sunshine filled the room. Ginny turned toward the voice and gasped.

A young man stood chained to the wall. His hands and feet were shackled together, but he was able to move about the room. He wore a white tee shirt and jeans. He looked to be in his early twenties.

When the light filled the room, he had moved back into the shadows, but Ginny saw his amber colored eyes.

Another werewolf.

“You’re a werewolf, aren’t you?” Ginny asked. “What you doing here?”

The man didn’t answer, but sniffed the air cautiously.

“You’re the one that was with that Bulstrode man. The one who’s in Azkaban.”

At this the man snarled nastily. “He’s in Azkaban? Liar!” He jerked forward on the chains and moved in Ginny’s direction.

Ginny’s wand flew into his face as she jabbed it at him viciously. “Get back! I know some hexes that are good against werewolves! Professor Lupin taught us. He would know!”

The man slowly backed away from her, his eyes on her wand. “What do you want, Red?”

Ginny took a breath. This was better than what she could have hoped. “I need some more of these.”

She pulled a pill from her pocket and showed it to him. “I know you know how to get them. Your partner was the one who gave them to my boyfriend.”

Nicos looked at the pill and then at Ginny. “I’m hardly in a position to get you anything, don’t you think?”

“But you can get them?”

“Of course.”

“So can we make some sort of deal?”

“The only deal that I am making is the one that gets me out of here. Can you do that?”

“How do I know you’ll help me and not just leave? Or…try to hurt me.”

Nicos shrugged. “You don’t.”

“Then no deal!”

Nicos stared calmly at Ginny. “Fine. But the price just went up.” He moved back to the shadows and leaned against the wall.

Ginny huffed and crossed her arms. “And how am I supposed to get you out of here. Professor Lupin must think you’re dangerous or something to just leave you here.”

Nicos snorted, “I’m not dangerous. He’s keeping me here because I won’t give him what he wants.”

“What does he want?”

“I don’t think you need to concern yourself with that, little girl. I’m done with this conversation. You bore me.”

Nicos closed his eyes and said no more. Ginny sat down on the couch and tried to think of what she was supposed to do now. She had found who she was looking for. After hearing Malfoy speak of the missing werewolf, Ginny was going to ask Professor Lupin about him, try to weasel some information out of him. But she had actually found him.

She doubted if it would be a simple matter of removing the cuffs. Lupin was the Defense teacher. There were probably all kinds of spells on those things.

“Do you know how to get out of the cuffs?” Ginny asked.

Nicos opened his eyes and glared at her. “If I did, don’t you think I’d have done it by now?”

Ginny nodded impatiently, “ I meant do you know how to tell someone else how to do it?”

Nicos stared at her for a moment. “I know of someone who could remove the cuffs, but someone would need to contact them.” Nicos suddenly looked interested. “You would help me, then?”

“Only if you get me more of the pills.”

Nicos raised an eyebrow. “They’re not free or cheap, girl. I want money.”

“I’m helping you to escape! That should be payment enough. Professor Lupin will kill me if he finds out!”

“It doesn’t work like that. They’re spelled. I can’t simply give them to you without an exchange of goods.”

“I don’t have any money!”

“Well, I suggest that you borrow some or find something to trade with. Something that’s valuable.”

Ginny ran a hand through her hair. She had nothing of value to trade and no money. Who could she borrow money from?

“You will need to send an owl to Farusha. Simply tell her that she needs to come here. Wherever here is. She will know what to do.”

Ginny looked skeptical. “That’s it? Not even your name?”

“She will know.”

“Well, I won’t send anything to her until I find some money. If I don’t come back, then you’re out of luck.”

“You are the one who came to me, Red. I don’t need you.”

“Says the werewolf tied up against the wall. Don’t be so stupid.”

Nicos smiled in spite of himself. “You have bravery, Red. I’ll give you that. Perhaps I will find some use for you when I get out of here.”

“I’m only doing this to help someone, OK? It’s not because I’m a criminal or anything. So you can spare me the recruiting poster.”

“That’s usually how it begins. But suit yourself.” He closed his eyes again. “Run along, Red. You have work to do.”

Ginny grumbled at the obvious dismissal. Who did he think he was?

Only the person that can supply me with more pills for Harry.

But as Ginny made her way back through the tunnel and onto school grounds, she had to wonder at her course of action. Did she really want Harry to be a drug addict?

“It’s only for a little while,” she spoke aloud. “Then we can get him help the proper way. He wasn’t ready to go off of them like that.”

Ginny had heard the story from Ron, during the week that Harry had been in the infirmary. Harry had developed a drug addiction and some other type nonsense and they were treating him for some kind of illness. Harry hadn’t had time to cope with the drug addiction part.

She made her way into the castle and headed towards Gryffindor Tower. Who could she borrow money from?

She had just reached the Fat Lady when inspiration struck her. Of course!

She sprinted back down the corridor.


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Somewhere during the time that Ginny was running around the castle on various deeds of mischief, Hermione was in the Great Hall for breakfast. She had knocked on Harry’s door before she came down, but he didn’t answer. She was concerned, but decided to not make a big deal out of it.

At least for now.

She had just started on her toast when she spotted Justin at the Hufflepuff table. Justin’s head was bobbing up and down in all directions like some weird Jack-in-the-box. Hermione deduced that Justin was trying to see if Harry was at breakfast.

Justin caught her eye and Hermione waved him over. If Hermione hadn’t known better, she would have said Justin had Apparated to the Gryffindor table. How that boy moved so fast, she couldn’t fathom. She quietly hoped that Harry would eventually give Justin a chance for a relationship. Goodness knows that he was a much better choice than Malfoy.

“Did you take the pills to Professor McGonagall?” Hermione asked when Justin sat down next to her.

Justin looked confused for a moment. “I think I did.”

“You think? What do you mean you think? Either you did or you didn’t.”

“I’m sure I did, Hermione. I just can’t quite remember what I did with them. But I don’t have them anymore, so I must have given them to her.”

Hermione whipped around to stare at him. “You can’t remember? This was just yesterday, Justin!”

Justin rubbed his hand over his eyes. “I can’t remember, Hermione! I don’t know why! I know I had those pills and then I didn’t. I want to help Harry and I wouldn’t just not do it!” Justin looked distraught.

Hermione patted his hand. “It’s OK, Justin. I’ll find out what happened. But it sounds like you may have been obliviated. The question is, who would have done that?”

Justin wrinkled his nose. “Isn’t it obvious, Hermione? Malfoy would do that. He’s the one who got Harry on drugs in the first place. He’d want to keep him on them, yeah? To keep Harry under his spell!”

“Malfoy wouldn’t do that!”

Justin stared incredulously at her. “Are you serious, Hermione? Did you just defend Draco Malfoy?”

Hermione blushed furiously and stammered, “N-noo. I just have a feeling that he wouldn’t do something like that. He’s a toad, of course, but that doesn’t seem like him at all.”

Justin grabbed Hermione’s chin and twisted it towards him. “Draco Malfoy is dangerous, Hermione. I know it. And it’s not because he’s a soon-to-be Death Eater. He wants Harry and he’ll do whatever he can to keep him.”

Hermione stared at Justin. She knew that he was right and that Malfoy was dangerous. But she had seen him at the ritual and his intensity to try and save Harry’s life. She didn’t really think that Malfoy would try to hurt Harry, not after trying to help him live. Something else was going on here, but for the life of her, she just couldn’t figure it out.

Hermione jumped up. “I’ll see you later, Justin. I have something that I need to do.”

Justin nodded slowly as he watched Hermione hurry out of the dining hall. Malfoy wasn’t the only one who was dangerous.


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Ginny stood hidden in the alcove in the dungeon. She had trailed some Slytherins who had been leaving the Great Hall from breakfast. Once they had reached their entrance, Ginny had hurried forward and demanded to see Pansy Parkinson.

The young Slytherins had eyed her suspiciously. “Yeah, right! You’re one of those Gryffindors! Pansy wouldn’t want to talk to you.”

Ginny smiled and said, “Well as long as you’re sure of that. Don’t get mad at me when she hexes you because I have some information regarding her…fiancee’.

The first year girl looked nervous and the second year boy rolled his eyes. “You don’t have any information on Draco. He’d never talk to someone like you.”

“About Harry Potter they would both listen.”

The boy’s eyes widened. Harry Potter?

The girl nodded quickly. “OK, we’ll get her.” She grabbed the other boy’s robes and pulled him inside. Ginny smirked as the girl babbled, “I’m not getting hexed because you’re an idiot, Ian. Stay out of their business!”

A few minutes passed and Pansy sauntered out of the opening. She looked around and spotted Ginny, who was now coming out of the alcove.

“This had better be good, Weasley. I can’t believe you came down here. I don’t want anyone to know I’ve talked to you.”

“Shut it, Pansy. I don’t care what you want. I need some money.”

Pansy goggled at her. “Money? Are you serious? You think I’m going to give you some money? You’ve lost your mind!”

She turned to go back into the common room, but Ginny grabbed her arm and whirled her around.

“Let me go!”

“No! I need this, please. It’s going to help with our plan. But I need some money to make it work, OK?”

“I did my part, Weasley!” Pansy held up her hand and waved her ring in her face. “See? I’m engaged to him, now. We’re getting married. It’s not my fault that Potter isn’t doing what you want him too. You obviously need lessons on how to keep a man.”

“Shut up, Parkinson! You may have that ring, but you don’t have Malfoy! As a matter of fact, you may need some lessons yourself! Seeing as how he was sucking Harry off last night!”

Pansy’s face paled. “What? What are you talking about? Draco didn’t do that!”

Ginny crossed her arms and smirked at her. “Yes he did, I saw them! They were shagging in a classroom near Snape’s office. I had detention last night and I caught them.”

“You’re lying, Weasley! I don’t believe you!”

“You’d better believe it, Parkinson. Because your fiancée is still sleeping with Harry. You think I’m happy about this? It was horrible to see that! Malfoy has obviously cast some spell on Harry to make him go along with this, but I’m going to end it. And you’d better keep helping me if you want him!”

Pansy pursed her lips. “Fine, Weasley. I’ll give you some money, but you’re going to tell me what it’s for.”

“That’s not important for right now. I’ll tell you later. But it’ll keep Harry under my control and not Malfoy’s anymore.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “I’ll owl you the money. Be looking for it this afternoon.” She turned to go, but then stopped short.

“Oh and Weasley? You’ve got bigger problems with Potter than you realize,” she said smugly.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say that…Potter has attracted the attention of a much bigger fish.”


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Pansy banged on Draco’s door so hard that several heads popped out of their rooms to see what was going on.

Draco pulled open the door and glared at her. “What do you want?”

Pansy barged into the room and whirled around to face him. “Is it true that you were with Potter last night, Draco?”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “And if I was?”

“You bastard!! Why are you doing this?”

“Because I can. Did you really think that by putting that ring on, it would change anything? You’re out of your mind if you thought that meant anything!”

“Draco! We’ve been promised to one another for ages. Why are you ruining everything with this thing with Potter? You know you can’t be with him. What do you think your father is going to say?”

Draco moved forward and caught her arm. “My father doesn’t know anything about this, Pansy. And if I ever even think that he may know something, I’ll come straight to you with it. I’ve learned a thing or two from him. Your parents won’t have the privilege of burying your body. They’ll be nothing for them to bury.”

Pansy narrowed her eyes and then smiled icily, “I don’t scare very easily, Draco. You should know that by now. But Potter must be fucking you so good that your brains are scrambled if you’ve forgotten that. This isn’t finished, Draco. You haven’t won. But just know that in the end, you’ll be my husband and you’ll love me properly. And Potter’s body will be broken under the Dark Lord’s foot. Or he’ll be Snape’s bitch.”

Draco’s hand tightened around Pansy’s arm, nearly breaking her bone. She squirmed against him. “What the fuck did you just say?”

Pansy grimaced in pain but didn’t pull away. “Potter must be quite the catch. I’m beginning to think that maybe I’m fucking the wrong heir. Potter may be on the light side of things, but his cock must be made of fucking gold. Snape certainly thinks so.”

Draco struggled to keep from punching Pansy right in the face. He let her go immediately. “Get out, Pansy. I mean, right now.”

“Awww…is Dwaaaco pissed because his wittle boyfriend is fucking his god-father? Does wittle Dwaaacoo not have all it takes to keep him satisfied?”

Draco’s wand was out before he could stop himself. He shoved it hard against Pansy’s neck. “I swear, Pansy. I’ll do it, and I won’t even care that I go to Azkaban. My most cherished moment of my life will be two things. That a half-blood Gryffindor boy gave me more than your Slytherin skank ass ever did and two, that you’ll die knowing that.”

He pulled his shirt down to reveal the tattoo on his chest. Pansy’s eyes widened. “See that? That says “Harry fucking Potter owns me, bitch. Get the fuck out of my room, Pansy.” He shoved her away from him.

Pansy took her time straightening her clothes. “This isn’t done, Draco.” She turned and left.

Draco was shaking after the door closed. What the fuck? That shit about Snape! What had she meant by that? Pansy couldn’t know that Snape and Harry had been together when Harry was messed up by that demon. Could she?

It was time to get some answers.


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Ginny returned to Harry’s room and sat down on the bed next to him. Pulling another pill out of her pocket, she placed it carefully on the nightstand. She then pulled her wand and pointed it at him.

“Ennervate,” she said quietly.

Harry woke with a gasp and gulped. The pill that had been shoved into his mouth the night before went down his throat. He gagged horribly for a moment but then stopped. He looked around wildly and glared when he saw Ginny.

“What the hell? What did you do to me? Why did you stun me?”

Ginny clucked her tongue. “Harry, it’s OK. Just relax, all right? I haven’t hurt you or anything. Please believe that.”

Harry swung his legs out of the bed and went to stand up. The room swayed dangerously. He grabbed the bed post. “The room’s spinning. What’s going on?” He tried to take a step, but the floor dropped away suddenly. Harry held his foot up like a sleeping dainty bird.

“Where’s the floor?” he asked in alarm.

Ginny tugged him back down. “The floor’s there, Harry. Don’t worry. You’ll feel pretty good in a minute, I’m sure.”

Harry blinked and his body felt limp and heavy. He turned to stare at Ginny. “Why will I be feeling good? I haven’t felt like this in a loooonnnggg time.” He started to smile a goofy grin.

Ginny smiled back. Harry looked so adorable grinning like that. She reached out to touch his face. Harry’s eyes crossed as he looked at Ginny’s hand coming toward him.

“How many hands do you have, Ginny? You have a lot of hands. All those Weasley hands.” He grinned again and Ginny laughed.

“You’re so silly, Harry. I miss you. You know that, right? Everything is going to work out again between us.”

Harry was so busy laughing at Ginny’s hands that he didn’t comment on what she had said. Ginny took that as acceptance. She sighed happily and took his face in her hands.

“I love you, Harry. I’ll never stop loving you.” She leaned forward to kiss him.

Harry blinked as Ginny’s lips touched his. He didn’t want to kiss her, but his arms felt way too heavy to lift up. He sighed instead.

Ginny took this as encouraging and she pushed him back against the pillows. Harry chuckled as her freckled face zoomed into his line of vision. He reached up to touch her skin.

“You have so many spots, Ginny. Like a whole bunch of little red snitches! Your face is full of snitches!”

Ginny frowned. “Shut up, Harry. These pills make you really stupid, did you know that?”

Harry huffed and sprang up, pushing her away. “I’m not stooped, I’m…” but he swayed again and fell back against the bed. “Whoaaaaa, let me off, Stan. I want to get off the Nightbus.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. Was she going to have to put up with this?

A loud knocking at the door startled them both. Ginny put her hand over Harry’s mouth.

“Shhhhh…,” she said.

“Shhhh…,” Harry said loudly, “someone’s at the door, Ginny!”

“Harry?”

It was Hermione. Ginny looked worried.

“It’s Hermione! Hermione! Herrrr….myyyyy…neeeee!” Harry sang.

“Merlin! Shut up, Harry!” She grabbed her wand to silence him, but Harry suddenly jumped up again and pushed Ginny off. She lost her balance and fell off the bed onto the floor. Harry swayed and ducked until he managed to get across the room to the door.

He pulled it open and stared at Hermione. “It’s Hermione!”

Hermione raised an eyebrow and squinted at Harry. “Harry? Are you all right? What’s wrong with you?”

She pushed into the room and noticed Ginny by the bed. She looked angry.

“Ginny? What are you doing here? What’s going on?” She looked back at Harry, who was suddenly transfixed with Hermione’s flowing hair. He kept trying to reach for it, but missed.

“I don’t know, Hermione. He was like this when I got here,” Ginny said easily.

“He was like this? Is he…is he high?” Hermione moved closer to Harry to get a better look. Harry looked back at her with wide eyes. The green had almost vanished, his pupils were so big. Hermione inhaled sharply.

“He is high! How did this happen? I spent the whole day with him yesterday helping him with his withdrawal!!”

Ginny casually put her hand on the nightstand and picked up the pill. She put it in her pocket.

“I don’t know, Hermione. I came to see how he was feeling and he was so happy to see me. I thought he was acting bit odd, but not too weird.”

Hermione pointed at Harry, who was now staring up at the ceiling and ducking every few seconds. “You don’t think that’s weird?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, of course it’s weird. But I’m just not going to make a big deal about it. If Harry wants to use drugs, so what? A lot of kids do and it’s not a problem. If anyone needs to relax, it’s Harry.”

Hermione gaped at Ginny. “You’re joking, right? You think it’s OK that Harry is using drugs? Look at him, Ginny! What if a Death Eater or Voldemort came right now! What do you think Harry would do? Giggle at them?”

“Don’t blame me for this, Hermione! I’ve been telling you all year that something was wrong with Harry when he broke up with me the way he did. And this whole thing with him and blokes and Malfoy! You guys didn’t listen to me at all!”

“For God sakes, Ginny! Harry breaking up with you is what he wanted to do! And he did that before school even started. His decision to leave you was not influenced by drugs!”

“But his shagging Malfoy is normal?”

“Ginny, Harry likes boys! You just have to understand that! It wasn’t just Malfoy! He was involved with Zabini and Justin as well! You just don’t want to accept the fact that it’s over between you and Harry!”

“It’s not over, Hermione! Harry can’t suddenly wake up one day and like boys! It just doesn’t happen! You don’t even think it’s strange that Harry starts using drugs and all of a sudden, he’s shagging Malfoy! Who do you think gave him these in the first place? How do you know that the pills aren’t charmed or something to make Harry think he likes boys? We’re talking about Malfoy! They were together last night, Hermione! I saw them. He gave him the pills again.”

“How do you know they are pills, Ginny?”

“Harry told me, of course. How else? And why are you interrogating me? Malfoy’s the one who hates Harry. You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt Harry! As much as I love him…I’d die first!”

Hermione closed her mouth. Ginny looked so upset that Hermione felt sorry for her. She was in complete denial regarding Harry and his sexual preference. But then again, what if Ginny was right and Malfoy was the one behind all of this. Justin had said the same thing. Even though he was almost as off as Ginny was.

An owl came knocking at the window and both girls turned towards it.

Harry shouted, “What the hell is that thing!?” He put his hands in his hair and pulled hard, making it stick up all over his head.

Hermione grabbed his arms and shook him. “Harry, it’s OK! It’s just an owl. A bird, it’s not going to hurt you. Come sit down.”

She led him towards the bed, while Ginny went to the window. The owl was carrying a small purse. Ginny quickly pulled it from the owl’s leg and shoo’d it away. The owl huffed indignantly and gave a reproachful hoot. It then tried to nip her fingers, but Ginny slapped its beak. The owl shot up in the air, hooting loudly and flapping its wings.

From his spot on the bed, Harry shrieked and bolted away from Hermione. He rushed to the window, shoving Ginny hard and grasped the feathered menace in his hands. The bird squawked and feathers rained down on the window ledge. Harry shook the bird harder.

“Leave, you feathered demon! Nooooooo! I won’t let you get me again!”

“Harry!!” Hermione yelled as she ran to the window. “Let it go!! It won’t hurt you!”

Ginny stood and watched in open-mouthed astonishment. Harry stood shaking a school owl, while Hermione wrestled with him to drop it.

“Ginny!! Help me!” Hermione shouted.

Ginny ran forward and grabbed Harry’s other arm. All three fell back into the room and the owl broke free. It swiveled its huge head and hooted long and loud. It flew down towards them and dug its talons into Harry’s head.

“Owwwwwww!!”

Hermione grabbed at the owl and it turned and nipped her hand, then flew off out of the window. They all stared after it with varying degrees of confusion.

Hermione looked at Harry, who now had blood flowing down his face from where the owl had scratched him. She stood up and pulled Harry up with her. She looked at Ginny.

“Fix him up. I’ll be back. I have a score to settle.”


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Hermione stomped through the dungeons, muttering furiously under her breath. As Head Girl, she knew the location of all the House common rooms. She was about to wreck havoc on one Head Boy.

She marched up the Slytherin painting. The svelte witch in the picture looked at Hermione lazily.

“Password?”

“I’m Head Girl. Open the door.”

The witch frowned. “You’re not in Slytherin. As a matter of fact, you’re a Muggleborn! There has never been a Muggleborn in our House!”

Hermione’s wand was out faster than the witch could blink. “Either you open that door now, or I’ll disintegrate what’s left of your horrid face. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.”

The door swung open and Hermione walked into the common room. All heads turned to see who had entered. Every mouth dropped.

“Where’s Draco Malfoy?” Hermione boomed.

“Now see here!”

“Who let that Gryffindor in?”

“-Mudblood!”

“Oh my god!”

Hermione calmly pointed her wand at the closest boy. “The next person who doesn’t answer my question, will see what this Mudblood can do with a wand. I have fought Death Eaters, including Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, and I am the smartest witch that has been at this school for the last seven years. Believe me when I tell you, I know how to cast a spell. Who wants to try me?”

No one spoke.

“That’ll do, Granger.”

Hermione didn’t need to turn to see that Draco was standing in the hallway leading to the male dorms.

“I want a word, Malfoy.”

Draco smirked. “Obviously. If you are so brave as to enter Slytherin with wands blazing. That legendary Gryffindor bravery…will it never cease?”

“Now!”

“Alas, proper breeding and manners were sacrificed in order for that bravery to manifest.”

Someone snickered and Hermione’s head whipped in that direction.

Draco moved forward and asked silkily, “Granger, why so testy? Knickers too tight?”

Hermione glared at Draco. “No, but yours are about to be very loose when I hex your balls off!”

Draco narrowed his eyes in anger and several gasps were heard. He then smiled again. “Well, Granger…if you really want to see my balls, I’d be very happy to show them to you. Of course, you’ll be down on your knees with my cock in your mouth, but they’re big enough to see.”

There were open guffaws now and Hermione’s face turned red. “You miserable dog!” she hissed. She pointed her wand at him. “I should just…”

Draco moved up right into her face, the wand jabbing him in the throat. “Just what, Granger? What are you going to do? Hex me in my own House? How’s that going to look that the Head Girl hexes the Head Boy unprovoked? I don’t even have my wand on me.” He held up his hands. “So just do it, then.”

The tension in the room was thick. Every eye was fixed on Draco and Hermione.

Hermione knew Draco was right. She had barged in Slytherin and threatened to hex people. That certainly was not Head Girl behavior. But at the moment, she didn’t care.

“I’d do it and more, you arse! After what you’ve done to Harry…”

Draco’s face changed and he grabbed Hermione’s arm. “What? What happened?”

Hermione squirmed in Draco’s grasp. “Let me go, Malfoy!”

Draco suddenly realized they were still standing in the middle of the common room, audience to several of his Housemates, who were all staring in shock.

“What’re you all gawking at? Get back to your business!” Draco ordered. He pulled Granger by the arm. “Come on, then!” He brought her down the corridor towards his room.

Once inside his room, he shut the door and turned to face her. “What’s all this about, Granger?”

“Were you with Harry last night, Malfoy?”

Draco just looked at her. “And how is that your business?”

“Just answer the question.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

Hermione frowned at this. “You weren’t?”

“No. Now tell me what’s happened to Potter.”

Hermione folded her arms. “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t care what you believe.”

“Fine, then I’ll just go. If you weren’t with him, then you don’t need to know what happened to him.” She turned to leave, but Draco reached out and pulled her back.

“Fuck that, Granger! You come down here all high and mighty ready to blow my head off, you’d best tell me something!”

Hermione looked hard at Draco. Even though he was covering up his true feelings with hostility and pride, she knew he was worried. It was the way his grey eyes watered a bit.

“You love him, don’t you?”

Draco was completely taken off guard with that. His eyes widened in surprise at the question and his mouth parted slightly. He attempted to sneer but his face was too far out of alignment to do so properly. He looked comical, with his widened eyes struggling against his eyebrows which were trying to move away from his hairline.

Hermione stepped closer. “You do love him, Malfoy. I saw that the night of the ritual. You saved his life. Ron and I were so far gone. It was you who saved him. You and Professor Snape. I wanted to thank you for that.”

Draco couldn’t speak. It was as if Hermione had sucked all of the wind out of his sails.

He tried anyway. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…that’s totally…not…true.”

Hermione put her hand on Draco’s arm and he twisted away as if burned. “Don’t!”

She grabbed him anyway and held on. “He loves you too, Malfoy. I know he does. One of the pictures that demon showed us was of you and him. I know Harry’s looks and his feelings. I saw the look on his face when he was with you, Malfoy. He loves you, but he’s so lost right now. And there is so much crap going on!”

Draco had closed his eyes, remembering the images and all of the times they had been together.

“What’s happened?”

“Harry’s high. I mean, really high. I just found him in his room, totally out of it. He tried to kill a school owl because he thought it was a demon!”

“What? Where did he get the drugs from? He wasn’t supposed to have anymore!”

“That’s what I’d like to know. You were with him last night!”

“OK, I was with him, but he didn’t have any drugs on him. He had just taken Snape’s potion for the withdrawal! He’d told me how horrible it had been, but that you’d sat by his side all day helping him through it. I wouldn’t do that to him again! I wouldn’t give him drugs!”

“Well someone did! Because he’s in his room, flying on a non-existent Firebolt.”

“Let me go talk to him. He’ll tell me what happened.”

Hermione pursed her lips. “I don’t know, Malfoy.”

“I could just go up there and threaten to hex off Gryffindor balls to get in. That seems to work pretty well.”

Hermione looked at Draco for a moment. Then she burst out laughing.

Surprisingly, Draco laughed too.


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After Hermione left, Ginny pushed Harry back on the bed. He lay there babbling something about demons and other nonsense.

Ginny quickly opened the small purse. Inside lay five galleons. She sat down on the bed and stared at the coins. Was that going to be enough? She had no idea how much the stuff was going to cost. She never bothered to ask the werewolf. What else was there of value that she could get her hands on. She glanced at Harry.

He had plenty of money. Having his parents’ fortune and Sirius Black’s money and his house. If only she could get some money from Harry. But he hardly ever kept money on him. It was all at Gringotts. And it would take too long to try and get him to owl away for money and for it to come back.

And then Ginny sat up straight. Something of value!

She turned to look at Harry. “Harry? I need to borrow something from you, OK? I’ll get it back one day, I promise!”

Harry turned towards her. “Little red snitch!”

“I’ll take that as yes.”

Ginny walked over to Harry’s trunk and opened it. She dug down into it until she found the handle of a broomstick. She pulled it out.

“A Firebolt is worth a lot of money! Harry doesn’t even play anymore. He can get another one when he wants.” Her eyes rested on something else in the trunk. They widened in surprise. Her hands closed around it.

“This is worth a whole lot more,” she whispered in awe.

Ginny dashed up the steps inside the Shrieking Shack. She had sent the cryptic message as was ready to pay up for the drugs. The young werewolf was pacing the room when Ginny burst in the door. He looked at her strangely.

“I didn’t think you’d come back, Red.”

Ginny held up the small bag of coins. “I have five galleons. Is that enough?”

Nicos snorted. “Hardly. I can give you about ten pills for that.”

She nodded. “Well how about this?” She pulled open her rucksack and pulled out the Firebolt. Nicos’ eyes widened.

“Is that a Firebolt?”

“Yes,” she said smugly. “It is. How much for that?”

“I can get you considerably more with that.”

“And how about this?”

Nicos’s mouth fell open.

“Is that…is that an Invisibility Cloak?”

Ginny nodded.

Nicos grinned. “Oh, Red. I’d love to turn you right now. Make you my mate. I think I love you.”

“Fat chance, Wolfie. I’m spoken for already.”

“So who’s the lucky man? You’ve gone to quite a bit of trouble for him. I hope he’s worth it.”

“Oh he’s worth it. Harry Potter.”

Nicos looked up sharply. “Harry Potter, did you say?”

“Yes, the one and only.”

Nicos looked at the broom and the cloak. “Do these belong to him?”

“What does that matter? Are you going to give over or not?”

“Sure, Red. Business is business. Besides, he’ll come after you for giving away his things. Not me.”

Ginny felt uneasy at that. Was she doing the right thing? Had she crossed that line now? Would Harry forgive her for taking his stuff and bartering it for drugs? He hadn’t acted very excited about getting high, but then again, she wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be acting like.

She hardly had time to think about it, when a loud crack exploded in the room.

Ginny shrieked and jumped away from the noise.

An extremely old witch stood in the middle of the room. Ginny was amazed that the woman was still alive.

She looked around carefully and spotted Nicos. “Nicos. Nicos. What es des? You ‘ave been here in des place?”

Nicos bowed his head. “Yes, Farusha…I am sorry.”

The witch moved closer to him and struck him across the face. Ginny gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Nicos didn’t move or say anything.

“You ‘ave been playing wid da magik, ‘aven’t ya? Dere is trouble here. Why are you wid des child?”

Nicos didn’t answer, only lowered his head further. The witch eyed the chains. “Ahhh…another did dese. He knows ‘tings. I should leave you here! Troublesome brat! If I find that you ‘ave hurt an innocent…” She stopped and sniffed the air. She turned to look at Ginny.

“It es not you, that I smell. Dere is one here who has da blood. He is close by.” She looked at the cloak in Ginny’s hand. “That…he wears dat…he has da blood.”

Ginny looked confused. “What blood? Harry’s not a werewolf.”

The witch fixed Ginny with an icy look. “He has da blood, girl. I know. I smell. He’s not werewolf, but he is…infected. He will change…soon. Not werewolf, but…different.”

She turned to Nicos. “You have done dis ‘ting. I bring ya down, Nicos. You should not have done dis.”

Nicos raised his eyes. “It was an accident, Farusha! I didn’t mean for it to happen that way. It was all in fun. I didn’t know he’d be infected like that. I would never have wanted to hurt Harry Potter like that!”

Farusha’s eyes went wide. Which wasn’t very wide at all. They still looked closed in fact.

“Harry Potter, ya say? Dat boy dat Voldemort sired by marking him? I be taking ya down for sure, Nicos.”

She raised a hand and muttered an incantation. The chains binding his wrists and ankles fell away with a clank. Nicos rubbed his wrists. He immediately lowered himself to his knees in front of her.

“Forgive me, Mother.”

“Come, stupid boy. We go. What business you be doing wid dis child?”

Nicos looked uncertain but he walked over to a bag that had been sitting on the floor in the corner. He took out a small box and opened it. He said a quick incantation and the insides glowed blue. He reached in and took out a small bag. He turned to Ginny and handed it to her.

She handed him the galleons. He leaned over to pick up the Firebolt and took the cloak from her. Farusha raised an eyebrow.

“You be giving away his ‘tings? You es trouble too, girl.” She looked at Nicos. “Put them back, Nicos. We not be taking dat boy’s ‘tings.”

Nicos reluctantly handed her the broomstick and the cloak. “I have to take some of them back then.”

“Fine.” Ginny was ready to get the hell out of there.

Nicos waved a hand at the bag and muttered something again. The bag felt lighter to Ginny, but she didn’t care. She was sorely regretting this plan of hers.

Another loud crack later and both of them had vanished. Ginny sagged against the couch. Professor Lupin was going to kill her.

Ginny hurried back into the castle, her mind buzzing with the conversation she had heard. What was that batty old witch talking about? Harry was infected with what?

She was in the corridor heading towards the Fat Lady when she was suddenly grabbed by an unseen hand.

“EEEEE!!”

“Shut up, Weasley! It’s me!” Pansy stepped from the shadows.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to know what you needed money for.”

Ginny held up a small bag. “I don’t know if I’m going to use them. But it’s drugs. The ones that they were using before. But Harry acts too weird on them. I don’t know if I should use them or not.”

Pansy waved her hand dismissively. “Yeah, whatever. Look, give me some, OK?”

“What do you want with them?”

“I have my own plans, Weasley. You take care of your man, your way. I’ll take care of mine.”

Ginny shrugged and handed her the bag. “You can have half. I won’t need all of them.”

Pansy nodded and grabbed a handful. She put them in her robes. “Thanks.”

Ginny nodded. “But look, don’t use too many. Those things make you act crazy. Harry’s completely mental.”

Pansy smirked. “He’s mental anyway, Weasley. You were just too stupid to realize it.”

“Sod off, Parkinson. Like Malfoy is some great catch.”

“Touche’, Weasley.”

She walked off and Ginny headed to the portrait.

She hurried up the stairs to Harry’s room and opened the door.

Only to be shoved roughly against the wall with a wand to her throat.

“So, Weasley, been doping anyone else today?”

Ginny stared into the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy.


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Pansy crept silently in Draco’s room. Draco never bothered to use any serious locking charms. He didn’t think anyone would dare break into his room.

Pansy looked over his things carefully. Then she smirked. “I’ve got you, Draco Lucius Malfoy.”

She pulled out three pills and with a wave of her wand, crushed them to powder.

She picked up his toothbrush.