Chapter 21 – Out of the Closet
Draco had never seen the inside of the so-called “Room of Requirement” before. However, once he reached the seventh floor he recognized a familiar dragon-shaped vase. It was the same vase he’d hidden behind when the High Inquisitor herself had sent her brown-nosing Slytherins in search of Potter’s secret organization. It was Draco who cast the perfect Trip Jinx that landed Potter right in the middle of the corridor. He had fond memories of how proud his father had been at hearing such news.
His mind came racing back as he heard the sound of trolls grunting to the tune of Swan Lake. Barnabas the Balmy was still unsuccessfully trying to teach them how to perform the ballet. Draco stood transfixed in front of the tapestry, staring at the appalling scene as Ron walked back and forth behind him once, twice and then a third time apparently looking for something. When he turned around, Ron was grasping a doorknob that hadn’t been there moments before.
“What the--?” Draco was royally confused, but the others behaved as though this was nothing new. He bit his tongue and followed the Trio inside.
The room was completely vacant save for four wing-backed chairs and a small coffee table full of food. Draco’s stomach growled as he stared at the sandwiches, biscuits and bottles of butterbeer. He’d had precious little to eat all day and his body was beginning to let him know.
“Well, everybody sit.” Ron motioned to the four chairs as Harry and Hermione took their seats. Draco scoffed at this. As if he was going to take orders from a Weasley! Er, this Weasley, that is.
Ron gave a loud sigh. “Malfoy…just sit down so we can get this over with. I have an idea, all right?”
Draco struggled with himself, then shoved his animosity out of the way and did as Ron demanded. His only concern right now was getting Ginny back safely. Harry picked up a biscuit and Draco followed suit and reached for a butterbeer. He figured that he might as well get as comfortable as he could because it was going to be one hell of a conversation.
Hermione was the first to speak. “This has something to do with Ginny, doesn’t it?” She was looking right at Draco, which almost caused him to choke on his butterbeer. He hadn’t planned on being the one to start the discussion.
As Draco opened his mouth to speak, Ron spoke up. “It has everything to do with Ginny. Draco knows what’s happened to her.”
Before Ron was able to utter another word Harry whipped his head in Draco’s direction, but Draco spoke first. “Save it, Potter! I know exactly what you’re thinking and this time you’re wrong.”
“Look,” Ron was making an effort to stop the argument before it started. “Ginny’s been keeping a secret for quite some time. I discovered it shortly after you came to the Burrow, Hermione, but she made me promise not to tell anyone. Anyway…” Ron stopped talking to look at each of them, obviously struggling for the right words. Hermione’s expression was one of satisfaction - as though she’d already figured out the piece of the puzzle, but Harry’s expression was still unreadable. Draco smirked. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“Surprise! Ginny and I have been seeing each other for the past six months.”
The silence that followed was unnerving. Hermione took a slow breath; her suspicions confirmed. Ron looked slightly taken aback that Draco had ruined his attempt to soften the blow of the news to the others. But Harry…Harry’s expression mirrored Ron’s in the Owlery just hours earlier. He looked as though he could easily strangle Draco.
There seemed a full minute of silence before Draco decided to break it. “What’s the matter, Potter? Cat got your tongue?”
Harry stood up, ready to make a move toward Draco, but stopped when Ron’s hand clutched the sleeve of his robe. “Harry, you need to hear all of it, mate. We don’t have time for this. Can’t you just listen to him so that we can figure out how to get her back?”
Harry took a deep breath and sat back down. “Fine. Let’s hear the rest of what Ferret Boy has to say.”
Draco ignored the comment. Nothing about this meeting was pleasing to him, but he was trying to find the words to explain how he felt about Ginny. He hated being in the Trio’s company, but the truth was…they needed to know how very much he loved that girl and that nothing, nothing would stop him from going after her. As much as it vexed him to admit it, he knew that he couldn’t do it alone.
Draco looked at Harry as he started to speak. “Believe me when I say that I don’t enjoy being in your company any more than you do mine. But the fact is, Weasley here thinks it’s necessary that you both know what’s going on. And - well,” he paused, not wanting to continue. “I just can’t get her back alone.” Harry’s face softened somewhat and Draco knew he was realizing the danger of the situation. “Before I say anything else – I just want you to know that getting her back means more to me than my own life.” Draco stared directly at Harry so that he would see the seriousness in his eyes.
Hermione finally broke the silence that followed. “Voldemort has her, doesn’t he?”
Draco lost the grip on his butterbeer, but barely heard it crash to the floor. “Why…how did you--?”
“Because there’s no other explanation.” Hermione was very calm and matter of fact. “Both you and Ron disappeared from the Great Hall at the same time tonight. You were gone for ages – and when we saw you again you were heading down the corridor from Dumbledore’s office talking somewhat civilly. She MUST be in some kind of trouble for you to be so well-mannered to one another.” Ron began to interrupt and Hermione silenced him. “I knew that Ginny was keeping something from me during the summer. This all began during the last few months of spring term, didn’t it? She just wasn’t acting herself. But then…when you came to our compartment on the train inquiring as to her whereabouts it all made sense.”
“But aside from all of that…what makes you think Voldemort has her?” Draco knew Hermione was intelligent, but this was beyond him.
“It’s my best guess that somebody found out about you and Ginny seeing each other and didn’t like it. It’s obvious that they thought you or Ginny a traitor - and seeing as no one on our side would do such a thing…”
“What do you mean, ‘our side?’ See – this is exactly why…”
“Wait, wait stop…” Harry finally decided to intervene. “This is just…look - we need to stop arguing with each other. Malfoy – you know damn well what Hermione was getting at. It’s a plain fact so let’s just move on.” Harry’s voice suddenly became almost inaudible. “Is she right? Does Voldemort have Ginny?”
Draco shifted his look of contempt from Hermione to Harry. “Yes. Voldemort knows. I’ve already…well, we’ve been to the Manor.” He motioned his hand back and forth toward himself and Ron. “My mother confirmed it for us.”
“So your mother knows where they are?” Harry sounded rather hopeful.
“No. Well, I don’t mean ‘no,’ per se. I’m sure she has some idea of where Voldemort’s lair is, but she didn’t have time to tell me. We had to leave in such a hurry because he…he showed up before we had an opportunity to get any information from her.”
“HE showed up? You mean Voldemort was at the Manor?” Hermione recovered her voice from Draco’s outburst toward her.
Draco nodded his head yes in answer. “One of our house elves practically pushed Ron and me back into the floo over the fear of his arrival.”
Hermione’s lips were pursed together at the mention of house elves. Ron rolled his eyes at her and picked up the conversation again. “This brings us to the point.” He cleared his throat and looked at Harry. “Harry…we need to borrow your cloak.”
Harry’s eyebrows rose on his forehead as he looked at Ron in surprise and then slowly, as he understood, nodded his head supportively. “You need to get out of the castle.”
“Right,” said Ron. “We need to get into Hogsmeade so that we can Apparate back to the Manor to talk to Mal—to Draco’s mother. I thought the One-Eyed Witch passageway into Honeydukes would be the easiest solution, but once we’re there we can’t be spotted. They’ll know we’re students the moment they set eyes on us.”
Draco looked from Harry to Ron, trying to follow their conversation. Passageway? Honeydukes? All of this was news to him, but he had to admit that the idea seemed relatively easy to accomplish. The only part that bothered him was Ron’s insistence on returning to the Manor with him. It was bad enough that he had come the first time and Draco doubted very seriously that his mother would be willing to give up such classified information if Ron tailed along again.
“Wait…” Draco needed to voice his concern. “This all sounds like a great idea and everything, but Ron – you aren’t coming back with me to the Manor. I need to speak with my mother alone.”
He might as well have walked into the Owlery dressed as an owl treat. The Trio pounced on him the moment the words left his mouth.
“What do you mean ‘Not coming back with you – she’s my SISTER…
“Like I’d actually trust a Malfoy to use my cloak alone…”
“Well, somebody has to be the brains of this operation…”
Draco knew at once he was outnumbered. It was the best plan they had and he knew by refusing to let them come along he would never get to speak to his mother. Thoughts of Ginny swam into his head as the others continued to object. He was remembering her smile…the touch of her hand on his and her lips pressing softly against his cheek the first time they touched. Nothing mattered to him anymore but her. He’d worried so much in the beginning about it ruining his Slytherin reputation. Then, he’d feared for her safety and thought it best to be without her and couldn’t. Later, she’d ended it all and his world had seemed lost. Draco cursed himself for chasing her down at Diagon Alley. If he’d have just let her decision be final she’d be sleeping soundly up in Gryffindor Tower right this very moment. Nothing would ever take his love away from her. Voldemort was going to pay.
He let out a slow sigh and held up his hand to silence their protests. “All right. Let’s decide when we’re going to do this and form a plan.” At Draco’s words, they each swallowed their feelings of dislike toward one another and bent their heads together in preparation.
Meanwhile, no one knew that a wise-old wizard was keeping watch, smiling softly behind his beard...
Draco had never seen the inside of the so-called “Room of Requirement” before. However, once he reached the seventh floor he recognized a familiar dragon-shaped vase. It was the same vase he’d hidden behind when the High Inquisitor herself had sent her brown-nosing Slytherins in search of Potter’s secret organization. It was Draco who cast the perfect Trip Jinx that landed Potter right in the middle of the corridor. He had fond memories of how proud his father had been at hearing such news.
His mind came racing back as he heard the sound of trolls grunting to the tune of Swan Lake. Barnabas the Balmy was still unsuccessfully trying to teach them how to perform the ballet. Draco stood transfixed in front of the tapestry, staring at the appalling scene as Ron walked back and forth behind him once, twice and then a third time apparently looking for something. When he turned around, Ron was grasping a doorknob that hadn’t been there moments before.
“What the--?” Draco was royally confused, but the others behaved as though this was nothing new. He bit his tongue and followed the Trio inside.
The room was completely vacant save for four wing-backed chairs and a small coffee table full of food. Draco’s stomach growled as he stared at the sandwiches, biscuits and bottles of butterbeer. He’d had precious little to eat all day and his body was beginning to let him know.
“Well, everybody sit.” Ron motioned to the four chairs as Harry and Hermione took their seats. Draco scoffed at this. As if he was going to take orders from a Weasley! Er, this Weasley, that is.
Ron gave a loud sigh. “Malfoy…just sit down so we can get this over with. I have an idea, all right?”
Draco struggled with himself, then shoved his animosity out of the way and did as Ron demanded. His only concern right now was getting Ginny back safely. Harry picked up a biscuit and Draco followed suit and reached for a butterbeer. He figured that he might as well get as comfortable as he could because it was going to be one hell of a conversation.
Hermione was the first to speak. “This has something to do with Ginny, doesn’t it?” She was looking right at Draco, which almost caused him to choke on his butterbeer. He hadn’t planned on being the one to start the discussion.
As Draco opened his mouth to speak, Ron spoke up. “It has everything to do with Ginny. Draco knows what’s happened to her.”
Before Ron was able to utter another word Harry whipped his head in Draco’s direction, but Draco spoke first. “Save it, Potter! I know exactly what you’re thinking and this time you’re wrong.”
“Look,” Ron was making an effort to stop the argument before it started. “Ginny’s been keeping a secret for quite some time. I discovered it shortly after you came to the Burrow, Hermione, but she made me promise not to tell anyone. Anyway…” Ron stopped talking to look at each of them, obviously struggling for the right words. Hermione’s expression was one of satisfaction - as though she’d already figured out the piece of the puzzle, but Harry’s expression was still unreadable. Draco smirked. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“Surprise! Ginny and I have been seeing each other for the past six months.”
The silence that followed was unnerving. Hermione took a slow breath; her suspicions confirmed. Ron looked slightly taken aback that Draco had ruined his attempt to soften the blow of the news to the others. But Harry…Harry’s expression mirrored Ron’s in the Owlery just hours earlier. He looked as though he could easily strangle Draco.
There seemed a full minute of silence before Draco decided to break it. “What’s the matter, Potter? Cat got your tongue?”
Harry stood up, ready to make a move toward Draco, but stopped when Ron’s hand clutched the sleeve of his robe. “Harry, you need to hear all of it, mate. We don’t have time for this. Can’t you just listen to him so that we can figure out how to get her back?”
Harry took a deep breath and sat back down. “Fine. Let’s hear the rest of what Ferret Boy has to say.”
Draco ignored the comment. Nothing about this meeting was pleasing to him, but he was trying to find the words to explain how he felt about Ginny. He hated being in the Trio’s company, but the truth was…they needed to know how very much he loved that girl and that nothing, nothing would stop him from going after her. As much as it vexed him to admit it, he knew that he couldn’t do it alone.
Draco looked at Harry as he started to speak. “Believe me when I say that I don’t enjoy being in your company any more than you do mine. But the fact is, Weasley here thinks it’s necessary that you both know what’s going on. And - well,” he paused, not wanting to continue. “I just can’t get her back alone.” Harry’s face softened somewhat and Draco knew he was realizing the danger of the situation. “Before I say anything else – I just want you to know that getting her back means more to me than my own life.” Draco stared directly at Harry so that he would see the seriousness in his eyes.
Hermione finally broke the silence that followed. “Voldemort has her, doesn’t he?”
Draco lost the grip on his butterbeer, but barely heard it crash to the floor. “Why…how did you--?”
“Because there’s no other explanation.” Hermione was very calm and matter of fact. “Both you and Ron disappeared from the Great Hall at the same time tonight. You were gone for ages – and when we saw you again you were heading down the corridor from Dumbledore’s office talking somewhat civilly. She MUST be in some kind of trouble for you to be so well-mannered to one another.” Ron began to interrupt and Hermione silenced him. “I knew that Ginny was keeping something from me during the summer. This all began during the last few months of spring term, didn’t it? She just wasn’t acting herself. But then…when you came to our compartment on the train inquiring as to her whereabouts it all made sense.”
“But aside from all of that…what makes you think Voldemort has her?” Draco knew Hermione was intelligent, but this was beyond him.
“It’s my best guess that somebody found out about you and Ginny seeing each other and didn’t like it. It’s obvious that they thought you or Ginny a traitor - and seeing as no one on our side would do such a thing…”
“What do you mean, ‘our side?’ See – this is exactly why…”
“Wait, wait stop…” Harry finally decided to intervene. “This is just…look - we need to stop arguing with each other. Malfoy – you know damn well what Hermione was getting at. It’s a plain fact so let’s just move on.” Harry’s voice suddenly became almost inaudible. “Is she right? Does Voldemort have Ginny?”
Draco shifted his look of contempt from Hermione to Harry. “Yes. Voldemort knows. I’ve already…well, we’ve been to the Manor.” He motioned his hand back and forth toward himself and Ron. “My mother confirmed it for us.”
“So your mother knows where they are?” Harry sounded rather hopeful.
“No. Well, I don’t mean ‘no,’ per se. I’m sure she has some idea of where Voldemort’s lair is, but she didn’t have time to tell me. We had to leave in such a hurry because he…he showed up before we had an opportunity to get any information from her.”
“HE showed up? You mean Voldemort was at the Manor?” Hermione recovered her voice from Draco’s outburst toward her.
Draco nodded his head yes in answer. “One of our house elves practically pushed Ron and me back into the floo over the fear of his arrival.”
Hermione’s lips were pursed together at the mention of house elves. Ron rolled his eyes at her and picked up the conversation again. “This brings us to the point.” He cleared his throat and looked at Harry. “Harry…we need to borrow your cloak.”
Harry’s eyebrows rose on his forehead as he looked at Ron in surprise and then slowly, as he understood, nodded his head supportively. “You need to get out of the castle.”
“Right,” said Ron. “We need to get into Hogsmeade so that we can Apparate back to the Manor to talk to Mal—to Draco’s mother. I thought the One-Eyed Witch passageway into Honeydukes would be the easiest solution, but once we’re there we can’t be spotted. They’ll know we’re students the moment they set eyes on us.”
Draco looked from Harry to Ron, trying to follow their conversation. Passageway? Honeydukes? All of this was news to him, but he had to admit that the idea seemed relatively easy to accomplish. The only part that bothered him was Ron’s insistence on returning to the Manor with him. It was bad enough that he had come the first time and Draco doubted very seriously that his mother would be willing to give up such classified information if Ron tailed along again.
“Wait…” Draco needed to voice his concern. “This all sounds like a great idea and everything, but Ron – you aren’t coming back with me to the Manor. I need to speak with my mother alone.”
He might as well have walked into the Owlery dressed as an owl treat. The Trio pounced on him the moment the words left his mouth.
“What do you mean ‘Not coming back with you – she’s my SISTER…
“Like I’d actually trust a Malfoy to use my cloak alone…”
“Well, somebody has to be the brains of this operation…”
Draco knew at once he was outnumbered. It was the best plan they had and he knew by refusing to let them come along he would never get to speak to his mother. Thoughts of Ginny swam into his head as the others continued to object. He was remembering her smile…the touch of her hand on his and her lips pressing softly against his cheek the first time they touched. Nothing mattered to him anymore but her. He’d worried so much in the beginning about it ruining his Slytherin reputation. Then, he’d feared for her safety and thought it best to be without her and couldn’t. Later, she’d ended it all and his world had seemed lost. Draco cursed himself for chasing her down at Diagon Alley. If he’d have just let her decision be final she’d be sleeping soundly up in Gryffindor Tower right this very moment. Nothing would ever take his love away from her. Voldemort was going to pay.
He let out a slow sigh and held up his hand to silence their protests. “All right. Let’s decide when we’re going to do this and form a plan.” At Draco’s words, they each swallowed their feelings of dislike toward one another and bent their heads together in preparation.
Meanwhile, no one knew that a wise-old wizard was keeping watch, smiling softly behind his beard...
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