Chapter 9 already? My word, we’re shooting through this, aren’t we?
Apologies about the rather wordy start to this chapter, but as we switch to Ginevra’s POV for the first time in the story there was rather a lot of ground to cover. Hopefully it will provide a bit of a glimpse into the mind of the lovely Miss Weasley.
Thanks as always to the wonderful Arnel for converting my frantic keyboard bashing into something resembling English.
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Hail Odysseus | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Other Genres: Action/Adventure Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence/Physical Abuse Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 370 Summary: After believing that Harry Potter died in a house fire at the age of ten, the Wizarding world is shocked when he returns out of the blue, just in time to attend his seventh year at Hogwarts. They're even more shocked when he's Sorted into Slytherin. Hitcount: Story Total: 120147; Chapter Total: 8232 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Pulling her knees up to her chest, Ginevra Weasley glared at the piece of parchment resting on her legs. She wiggled her toes under the bed covers, silently cursing the fact that the Slytherin dormitories always seemed so cold. The last four days had been horrible for her, even by her normal standards. Ever since that night in the forest, she had been feeling angry, confused and betrayed in equal measures. Once again, she cursed the misfortune that brought Harry bloody Potter into her world. Damn the boy. Before his arrival at Hogwarts, things had at least been straightforward. From her earliest days at the school, when she’d had the misfortune to witness her female classmates being threatened or coerced into satisfying the lust of the older Slytherin boys, she’d vowed that she would leave Hogwarts with her pride and virginity intact. No puffed-up, pure-blood bastard was going to force her to drop her knickers for them, she’d decided. That, of course, meant accepting that she was not going to have an easy or peaceful time within Slytherin House. She realised she would have to fight tooth and claw to protect her honour because, Merlin knows, no one was going to do it for her. To protect herself, Ginevra realised, meant getting good with curses and hexes: really good. It was during the summer between her first and second years that she had really begun to study and practice. She’d begged her brother, Bill–about the only family member that she really still got on with–to help her and he’d come up trumps for her. His training as a curse-breaker meant he knew all sorts of interesting and effective spells, which he had shared with her liberally. Unfortunately, her time with her favourite brother had always been limited, mainly due to the fact he worked most of the year in Egypt, but he always helped when he could. He’d even continued her education via the post, writing long letters describing useful curses and providing support and encouragement. Sadly, that support had dried up when he started dating that part Veela bitch he’d met when he transferred back to England. The Delacour girl had hated Ginevra on sight, and had gradually used her sexual prowess to turn Bill against her, the cow. Still, by that point, through the help Bill had already provided, not to mention her own relentless studying, she’d built up a reputation as being a witch not to be messed with. Several Slytherin boys had discovered that fact to their cost. The only trouble about building a reputation as a cold-hearted, vicious bitch was that it frightened off the boys she did like as well as the ones she had intended to discourage. Her six years here at Hogwarts had been a lonely and frustrating time, with only her own fingers to provide any form of relief. She’d accepted it, however, and believed it was a price worth paying if it got her through her time at the school. Better to be lonely than a victim. Then, of course, Potter had to show up and wreck all her plans. When she’d heard that the famous Harry Potter was not only alive and well, but planning on coming to Hogwarts, she’d been irritated. He would, she’d speculated, undoubtedly turn out to be some sickeningly noble, cloth-brained cretin who would immediately join all the other noble, cloth-brained cretins in Gryffindor. Ginevra would have put money on him and her brother Ron getting on like a house on fire. But, to her amazement, Potter had been Sorted into Slytherin. Rather than the stuck-up, pretentious do-gooder she was expecting, he’d turned out to be smart, devious and cunning. His ravishing good looks, fabulous body and penchant for casual violence had also greatly endeared him to her, too. Nevertheless, she was wary of him. All boys, especially Slytherin boys, were only after one thing. She’d deliberately not allowed herself to get too friendly with him, despite his welcoming overtones, purely as she’d expected him to disappoint her at some point. They always did, just look at how that slime ball Zabini had tried to woo her for months last term. She’d been rather pleased with the attention, but knew that all he’d wanted was screw her and then brag about doing the most unapproachable girl in the school to his mates. No, it was better to just keep all boys at arm’s length while she was in school. Potter, damn him, just had to mess up that plan, didn’t he? Despite herself, Ginevra found herself more and more drawn to him. She’d nearly soiled her knickers watching him effortlessly deal with Malfoy and his goons, and everything he did after then just seemed to endear him more to her. When he’d expressed his disgust at the way the Wizarding world operated, and told her that he wanted to forge a new, better path, he’d awoken something buried deep inside her; a desire to change this broken, corrupted system and fight for a better life. At that point, Potter had won her over completely. The icing on the cake had really been discovering he was an Animagus. For years she’d been desperate to become one herself, but the burnt, half-complete textbook she had tried to teach herself with was just not up to the task. She’d been extremely pleased that Potter had agreed to help her, and astounded at the rapid progress they’d made. As for having the same animal as him, well, that was just beyond belief. Ginevra had still desperately tried to maintain some distance between the two of them, however. She still believed, deep down, that Potter would let her down in some way. The most likely cause of that, she felt, was her only other friend in the whole castle, Tracey Davis. She could tell that Tracey fancied the pants of Harry, and with her heaving breasts, flirtatious nature, and greater sexual experience, Ginevra was certain Potter would fall for the charms of her blond friend. It had been a major surprise to her when, strangely, it hadn’t happened; even when Potter had the opportunity to shag Tracey handed to him on a plate. She’d understood his wish not to do anything that Draco actually wanted him to do, but it had still shocked her, and filled her with a tiny spark of hope. Then, of course, Tracey had been murdered, and Ginevra had been wracked with guilt at ever feeling jealous of her best friend. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about killing Blaise. The boy was a total bastard and deserved to die, undoubtedly, but she’d just wished it hadn’t been her that had to perform the deed. To his credit, Potter had stood by her throughout those difficult days, and she wouldn’t ever forget that. That’s what made the events in the forest so hard to deal with. Her virginity, she had so closely guarded, was gone, and while she was a bloody wolf, too. She’d been mounted and rutted like an animal, defiled in the most primitive of ways. Harry Potter had shown his true colours, and he’d screwed her over, in every sense. This was what she got for trusting someone. Her anger, however, had begun to wane. While she’d been happy to bathe in her righteous fury for a day or two, doubts had soon started to enter her mind. Potter’s biting words about her not offering much resistance had been true, after all. During her time in the forest, she’d experienced a world she couldn’t ever have imagined. She and Harry had bonded in the most profound of ways, and she still remembered the fierce joy of her first kill in wolf form. They had been two ghost-like predators, gliding through the dark woods skilfully, before bringing down their prey without effort. She could almost taste the hot blood on her lips, and it gave her a strange thrill. She and her alpha, stalking the forest like gods… Her alpha. As much as she wanted to deny it, she had wanted him that night. It had been pure instinct that caused her to raise her tail and stand there invitingly for him. In fact, she’d never wanted anything so badly in her life, and when he had mounted her the sensation had been orgasmic. She had given in to the most primal form of lust, and it had felt good. Damn good. So why had she reacted so badly once they had returned to their human forms? Part of her had wanted to jump on him and repeat the act in their normal bodies, but her ingrained survival instincts had kicked in, and her anger at his supposed betrayal had exploded within her almost automatically. Part of it, she had to admit, was anger at herself for allowing a boy to dictate events. Harry had been the alpha and subservience didn’t come easily to her. She was also angry that her first time had been in her Animagus form. Did that even count? Somehow, despite that satisfaction she’d felt on the most basic level, the event seemed cheapened to her. Getting screwed for the first time in her wolf form felt like being taken to a cheap hotel and then waking up the next morning alone: seedy. The trouble with that line of thought was that she apparently really enjoyed seedy. At least, she did when it was with Harry. The memories of him being inside her still made butterflies appear in her stomach and her nipples harden. Damn it, if he was here in her room right now, she’d probably beg him to do her again, in human or wolf form. Possibly both. No, definitely both, one after the other. Damn him! Why the hell did he drive her so insane? Sadly, she realised that the distance she was keeping between them was only hurting herself. She ached for his company, and longed to stare into those beautiful green eyes of his. Ginevra knew that she would need to make peace between them, but was just unsure how to go about it. After all, she really wasn’t really too good at apologies. That, she had to admit, was why she was stalking him now, admittedly in an unusual way. For the last few days she had been tracking his movements via the Marauder’s Map; a fiendishly clever piece of magic that allowed her to see where anyone was within the castle. The map had been a lifesaver for her in recent years, even if its procurement had been responsible for widening the split between her and some of her family members. The map had belonging to her brothers, Fred and George, and she had covertly observed them using it during her second year. Originally, she’d intended to just try and steal it from them, but when a prank of theirs went disastrously wrong and they had been scrambling to hid evidence of their involvement, she had been given the perfect opportunity for a bit of blackmail. The teachers had never found out who had been responsible for that third-year Ravenclaw ending up in the hospital wing, but equally her brothers would never forgive her for extorting their precious map out of their hands under the threat of being exposed. She’d felt bad about blackmailing them, but it wasn’t like they’d been supportive of her after she was sorted into Slytherin, so sod them. Ginevra leaned back into her pillows and stared intently at the dot that represented Harry Potter. He’d been in the library for the last half an hour, probably doing homework, she surmised. How much time had she wasted in the last few days watching that bloody dot? Why couldn’t she just build up the courage to go and talk to him? Hell, she didn’t even need to make a proper apology, just some sarcastic, off-hand comment would probably do. She was wracking her brains for the best way to proceed when she noticed another dot approaching Harry’s. With surprise, she saw it was Daphne Greengrass. Daphne was a strange girl, outwardly a real cold-fish, but Tracy had once told her that that the oldest Greengrass girl was a bit of a pervert on the quiet, and had a thing for younger boys. Apparently, a number of first and second years had their first ever sexual experiences in Daphne’s hands. Ginevra felt a bit sick at the idea, but she doubted the young boys in question had complained much. But, more to the point, what did Greengrass want with Harry? Ginevra was pondering the matter when suddenly Harry’s dot vanished. She blinked in surprise, and began to look around the area marked as the library for him. Not having any luck, she widened her search, becoming more frantic as she did so. Five minutes later, she’d looked over the entire map, and there was no sign of him. A cold fear began to settle in her stomach. Quickly, she sought out Greengrass’s dot again, and she gasped in anger when she saw who the girl was now standing next to: Draco Malfoy. Draco had been standing outside the library and, as soon as Harry had vanished, Daphne had apparently headed straight to the Malfoy boy. That was too much of a coincidence in anyone’s book. Desperately, she tried to think what to do. She’d seen first-hand how effective the teachers were at policing the castle, so she rejected going to one of them yet. She needed more information, and only one person could give that to her. Intently, she watched as Greengrass’s dot began to move, apparently heading back towards the Slytherin common room. Leaping out of bed, Ginevra flung on a set of robes and jammed her trainers on her feet. She made sure she had her wand and a small back-up knife with her. Harry had convinced her recently that carrying a blade was a good idea, and she’d stolen this one from the castle’s kitchens just last week. She slipped it into a side pocket of her robes, and left her room. By now, Daphne had reached the common room and, as a stroke of luck, looked like she was heading up to her room. Ginevra hurried along the corridor that contained the sixth-year girls’ rooms, and casually lounged in the stairwell. Daphne would have to go right past her to get to her own room. Breathing deeply to calm herself, she waited until she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. As soon as Daphne caught sight of her leaning in the doorway, her face blanched. Looking uncharacteristically nervous, the blond girl continued up the stairs, staring rigidly ahead of her. Once she was a few feet away, Ginevra nodded at her casually. Greengrass actually smiled back, obviously pleased that she wasn’t showing any signs of hostile intent. Ginevra almost snorted in disgust, to think, the girl called herself a Slytherin! Once Daphne had passed her by, Ginevra whipped out her wand and sent a Stunner into the blond girl’s back. She crumpled to the floor instantly, never knowing what had hit her. Quickly, Ginevra levitated the fallen girl back to her own room and laid her on the bed. She then locked the door securely, cast a couple of Silencing Charms, before conjuring a number of thick ropes to tie Greengrass securely to the bed. Only then, did she wake the girl. “What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing? Help! Help!” Daphne screamed as soon as she gained consciousness. It earned a sharp slap across the face from Ginevra. “Shut it, bitch,” she growled. “What have you done to Potter?” “Potter? What are you talking about? I haven’t seen Potter all day!” Daphne protested. Ginevra smirked evilly, glad that Greengrass had inadvertently already confirmed that she was lying. That would make what she was about to do a little easier. Slowly and deliberately, Ginevra drew the knife from out of her robes and waved the blade slowly back and forth in front of Daphne. “What are you doing you madwoman?” Daphne shrieked in fear. “Why, I’m going to cut you up, unless you tell me what you did to Potter,” Ginevra said sweetly, while climbing onto the bed. She straddled the confined girl between her legs, and trailed the sharp blade down Daphne’s cheek. “You’ll never get away with this! They’ll throw you in Azkaban,” Daphne yelled in a panic. “They’ll never find your body, bitch, not unless you tell me what you did to Harry. I know you went and talked to him in the library, and then reported to Malfoy. So, I’ll ask once more, what did you do to him?” she growled, letting the knife draw a little blood. “Ouch! I… I can’t say!” Daphne sobbed. “Draco threatened to hurt Astoria if I said anything. They have a Betrothal Contract which he can activate at any time. Astoria could just vanish into Malfoy Manor and never be seen again.” “You’ll never been seen again if you don’t start talking,” Ginevra warned her. “Or if you do, you’ll have some lovely scars to show. What do you think, blondie? Do you think all those little boys you give hand jobs to will like you if you’re all scarred? I doubt it.” “Please,” Daphne sobbed. Thinking she wasn’t making the message clear enough, Ginevra grabbed Daphne’s left earlobe and began to cut. She only severed a few millimetres of flesh, but it was enough to make Daphne scream in pain and thrash against her bindings. “What’s next, bitch?” Ginevra hissed. “Your nose? An eye, maybe? Perhaps I’ll cut of one of those flabby tits of yours and mount it on my wall!” “Please, I… a Portkey! Draco gave me a Portkey to hand to Potter. He knew I was a friend of Tracey’s, so he wouldn’t be suspicious of me. I didn’t want to do it, I swear!” Daphne wailed. “Where did this Portkey go?” Ginevra demanded. “I don’t know; Draco didn’t tell me. Please don’t hurt me,” Daphne sobbed. “Stupefy!” Ginevra yelled, pointing her wand at the girl. Daphne instantly slumped back onto the bed and remained still. Ginevra fought down a wave of panic and tried to think. She had no idea where Harry might have been taken and no means to get there even if she did. She could try and confront Draco, but he was likely to be with his goons, whom he was rarely seen without. No, she needed help. Leaving Greengrass tied to the bed, she sprinted out of her room, locking it securely behind her. Hurriedly, she ran down to the common room and out through the hidden door. Sprinting down the dark corridor beyond, she halted in front of Professor Snape’s door and knocked loudly. She offered a silent prayer of thanks when his voice bid her to enter. Snape was sitting at his desk, and looked up at her with obvious distaste. “What do you want, Weasley?” he drawled. “They’ve got Potter,” she panted, slightly out of breath. “Draco Malfoy forced Daphne Greengrass to hand him a Portkey, and now he’s vanished from the castle.” “What?” Snape gasped. “How do you know this?” “I have a… err, secret means of tracking people in the castle and I just saw Harry vanish about ten minutes ago, just as he was talking with Greengrass. She then reported to Malfoy and headed back to the dorms, where I ambushed her. She’s currently tied to my bed, having admitted giving the Portkey to Harry after her sister was threatened by Draco,” Ginevra spat out in one breath. “We have to do something. They could kill him!” “No, if Draco is involved, then Potter has been sent to the Dark Lord. He will want to interrogate Potter extensively, no doubt after prolonged torture. We still have time. Quickly, take me to Greengrass,” he commanded. Ginevra led him back to the common room and up the stairs to her room. Fortunately, no one was around so they both could enter without difficulties. She then awakened Greengrass, but left the ropes firmly in place. “Wha… I… Professor! Weasley attacked me with a knife, sir! Please help me!” Daphne screeched as soon as she regained her senses. “Silence, you stupid girl,” Snape snapped and pointed his wand at her. “Legilimens!” A few moments later, he lowered his wand and turned to Ginevra. “She was telling you the truth,” he said angrily. “While Greengrass was never told the destination of the Portkey, it’s obviously Malfoy Manor. If Potter has been sent there, then we cannot help him. It is the Dark Lord’s main base and extensively protected. Potter, regrettably, is already dead. All we can do now is Obliviate Greengrass and pretend none of this happened.” “Aren’t you forgetting something, sir?” Ginevra growled. “You said Potter would be interrogated extensively? Well, he knows that you’re a double agent, and I’m sure that will be about the first thing he’ll give up under torture.” Snape scowled. “Damn that Potter! I knew he’d be the death of me. You’re right, it’s probably suicide, but I must make the attempt to rescue him. I, at least, can get through the protective wards at the Manor without difficulties. You had better…” “I’m coming with you,” Ginevra interrupted him. “You? You’ll only be a liability. What possible use would a sixteen-year-old girl be?” he demanded angrily. “I’m an Animagus, and I can pick up Harry’s scent from some distance away,” she blurted. “That’s got to be helpful in finding him, hasn’t it?” “Animagus? You? Merlin’s beard, girl, what form do you take?” Snape exclaimed. “A wolf, just like Harry,” she admitted. “Just get me into the Manor, and I guarantee I’ll be able to find him.” “So, that’s what the pair of you was up to together. How… cosy,” he sneered. “Alright, you can accompany me, but you must obey my orders instantly. Understand?” “Yes, sir,” she replied determinedly. “Good. We’ll need to return to my office to collect a number of things, and then we’ll need to head out of the castle’s grounds. I’ll Obliviate Greengrass before we go, but we’ll leave her here in case we need her later,” Snape instructed. Ginevra nodded and waited by the door while the Professor wiped the last half an hour of the blond girl’s memory and then placed a Sleeping Charm on her. They then hurried back to Snape’s office where the man immediately began hunting through the large collection of potion bottles that he kept there. He selected a number of bottles and placed them inside his robes, before he went back to his desk and unlocked a draw. From inside, he withdrew a plain black bag. “What’s that for, sir?” Ginevra asked curiously. “It contains my Death Eater robes and mask. We will need them once we reach Malfoy Manor,” the man replied sharply. Ginevra stared at the bag in shock. While she hadn’t been surprised to learn that Snape was a spy within the ranks of the Dark Lord’s followers, the idea that he kept his Death Eater paraphernalia right here in this room chilled her for some reason. Suddenly, the war didn’t seem so remote and Potter’s words about having to choose a side felt very relevant. Having found what he needed, Snape lead her out of his office and toward the Entrance Hall. “We’ll need to get off the school grounds before I can Apparate to the manor,” Snape explained as they headed for the front door. “The quickest way will be to…” “Ah, Severus,” a voice interrupted them. They turned and saw the very person they had hoped to avoid: Dumbledore. “Headmaster,” Snape drawled in greeting, being careful to hide the bag containing his mask and robes behind him. “I was just heading to dinner. Would you care to accompany me?” Dumbledore asked with a pleasant smile. “Unfortunately, I have an incident involving a couple of my Slytherins that I will need to deal with outside first,” Snape lied smoothly. “Oh? Nothing serious I hope. I could accompany you, if you like,” Dumbledore offered. “No need, Headmaster,” Snape said graciously. “It is a simple matter involving some banned items that appear to have been smuggled into the school. Miss Weasley here alerted me to the problem.” “Most commendable, Miss Weasley,” Dumbledore praised. “What manner of banned items are we talking about?” “A case of Weasley Wildfire Whiz-bangs, sir,” Ginevra leapt in. “I believe my brother Ronald might be trying to sell them here in school on behalf of Fred and George.” “Ah, I must say, your twin brothers do possess the most remarkable talent when it comes to the creation of such objects. I did always rather think it a shame they could never raise the necessary funds to open their own shop,” Dumbledore noted. “Tell me, how is their mail-order business doing these days?” “I wouldn’t know, sir,” she replied stiffly. “They only tend to involve me in their affairs when they need a test subject, not that I’m ever consulted on the matter, of course.” “Most regrettable,” the old man replied, seemingly finding the whole matter amusing. “Well, I mustn’t delay you in your attempts to foil this most heinous of crimes. I trust I will see you at the dinner table later, Severus.” “Of course, Headmaster,” Snape replied, watching the old man warily as he headed into the Great Hall. “Interfering old busy-body. Come, Weasley, let’s get out of here before we have any more interruptions.” The pair of them hurried out the door and along the path that led down to the main gates. As part of the teaching staff, Snape was able to open the gates without any difficulties, and they soon found themselves standing outside the castle grounds, and beyond the protective magics that prevented Apparation. “Grab my arm,” Snape instructed her. “Have you ever Apparated before?” “I’m afraid not,” she admitted. “Try not to vomit over me, girl,” Snape growled threateningly and made a twisting movement. A second later, Ginevra felt her body being pressed hard from all directions and her chest felt so constricted that she could barely breathe. Incredible pressure was exerted on her, and she felt like her head would cave-in any second. Then, mercifully, it all stopped and she collapsed onto soft grass. “Congratulations, Weasley, you’ve just Apparated for the first time. Now, gather your wits and get back on your feet,” Snape snarled. Ginevra climbed shakily to her feet and looked around. They were standing on an immaculate lawn that was situated in front of an imposing stone wall. Set into the wall was a large set of wrought iron gates which stood directly in front of them, with tall hedges lining the path leading to it. She stared at the ominous gates in trepidation. Maybe insisting on coming hadn’t been such a good idea? By this point, Snape had donned his Death Eater mask and robes, giving him a foreboding look. “Hold out your hands, child,” he ordered. Ginevra did as she was instructed, only to find her wrists being bound together with a thin rope seconds later. “Hey!” she protested. “A necessary precaution, I’m afraid,” Snape’s muffled voice explained. “You are to pretend to be my prisoner. When we encounter the guard, pretend to act terrified. I will then get us inside the manor itself.” She nodded, but felt deeply unhappy at losing the use of her hands. A moment later, she felt the Professor grab the back of her robes and shove her forward. Somehow, they passed through the metal gates as if they were smoke, and she found herself standing in front of a large, three-story house. A large, brutish-looking man dressed in black robes instantly started walking towards them. “What’s all this, then?” the man demanded gruffly. “A prisoner for the Dark Lord,” Snape replied in a deeper voice then he usually talked in. “He specifically ordered her capture as she comes from a family of know blood traitors.” “Ah, pity, I was hoping she was going to be shared round,” the man grunted before he turned and leered at Ginevra. “Still, maybe our lord will let us play with her once he’s finished, eh? What do you say to that, pretty? I’m sure we could find some fun games to play.” Ginevra stared at the man in horror. Although Snape had ordered her to look terrified, it really didn’t require much acting ability on her part. The man was positively loathsome, and the idea of him laying as much as a finger on her made her want to be sick. “We’ll see,” Snape replied simply and again pushed her forward. They passed through a pair of ornate wood doors, before entering a grand hallway. Ginevra recognised the room from the article in ‘Witch Weekly’ a few years back. Then, the house had looked impossibly ostentatious, but now that she stood on its polished floor, it seemed far more sinister. It suddenly occurred to Ginevra that the magazine article had just been a PR exercise to make the world think that the Malfoys were a normal, if extremely wealthy, family. She guessed that the Death Eater guard out front had been missing the day the magazine’s photographer had turned up. As soon as they were clear of the doorway, Snape grabbed her by the collar and pushed her into a side passage. “The dungeons are down this way, which I assume will be the most likely place to find Potter,” he growled in a low voice, before pulling a knife from his robes and cutting the rope tied around Ginevra’s wrists. “I suggest this would be a good time for you to transform into your animal form and sniff out your missing boyfriend.” Ignoring Snape’s snarky comment, Ginevra tried to calm herself and change into her wolf. Fear, apparently, is a great motivator and she found herself transformed before she knew it. “Well?” Snape demanded looking at her in an unimpressed manner. Ginevra resisted biting his leg and instead tried to concentrate on the smells around her. At first, it was extremely confusing as there were a great many scents that she could detect. Instead, she tried to focus on the freshest scent trails that she could find, and soon got a hint of a familiar odour. Immediately, she took off in the direction of the trail, with Snape hurrying after her. They moved along a dark corridor and then down a set of stone stairs that led, apparently, to a dead end, much to Ginevra’s confusion. Snape, however, was unfazed by this turn of events, and tapped a stone wall with his wand. The wall immediately vanished like smoke on the wind, revealing a long, dark passageway that seemed to lead on forever. “We must be especially careful from this point,” Snape whispered. “These are the main dungeons, and we could encounter Death Eaters at any point.” Nodding her understand, Ginevra began to slink up the passageway, her senses on full alert. They had gone perhaps fifty yards when she caught an unfamiliar scent heading towards them. Her ears folded back onto her head and she dropped down onto her belly. Snape, realising what was happening, walked ahead of her, signalling her to try and hide in the shadows. A few moments later, a figure dressed in the full regalia of a Death Eater appeared, walking in their direction. Ginevra tried desperately to press herself against the wall, but there was little to no cover in the bare corridor. The Death Eater approached Snape rapidly, seemingly unconcerned to meet someone there. “It’s about time you showed up,” the Death Eater growled before glancing down and spotting Ginevra. “Hey! What’s that bloody animal…” The man got no further as Snape rapidly drew his wand and shot a green Killing Curse into his chest. The Death Eater dropped like a stone onto the cold, hard floor. “Damn it,” Snape cursed quietly. “We’ll have to hope the fool won’t be missed for a while. The cells are located just up ahead. I’ll have to Levitate his body and hide it in one of them. You scout ahead and make sure the coast is clear.” Without further prompting, Ginevra leapt up and ran ahead. She was shocked to the core at the casual way the man whom she only thought of as her Potions Professor had killed another human being in cold blood. True, just days before she had plunged a knife into the chest of Blaise Zabini, but she’d been in a blind rage when she had done so, and the boy had just killed her best friend, after all. She doubted she could ever so casually kill a foe such as Snape had done. Ahead, the corridor split into two, and she could definitely detect Harry’s scent down the left hand one. She looked back to see Snape approaching, his wand held in front of him as he Levitated the limp body. She padded down the left-hand corridor a few feet to indicate that was the way they should go, and Snape followed without question. By this point, she began to notice heavy, iron doors built into the walls, and assumed these must be the cells the professor had mentioned. Snape tried several of the doors, until he found one that was unlocked. He opened it and vanished inside for a moment, taking his victim with him. A second later, he emerged and cast several spells on the door, one of which Ginevra knew was an advanced Locking Charm that Bill had once shown her. When he had finished, Snape again turned to her. “Have you located Potter yet?” he asked intently. Realising she had become distracted, Ginevra turned and began to follow the scent again. It had become fairly strong, and she suspected Harry must be close by. Suddenly, she stopped in front one of the iron doors. This was it, she was certain! Turning, she looked back at Snape expectantly. “This one?” Snape queried, before pointing his wand at the cell door and casting several Detection Spells. “This must be it. There are a number of Locking Charms on it, not to mention a few traps. This may take a few minutes. Keep watch while I get this door open.” Obediently, she padded back down the corridor a little way, trying to ignore what Snape was doing and concentrating on keeping a look out. She was fairly confident her keen nose and ears would detect anyone approaching long before they could see her. Minutes seemed to drag by like hours, until Snape triumphantly muttered “got it!” and she heard a click as the cell door opened. “Change back into human form, Weasley, I’ll need an extra pair of hands,” he ordered. Ginevra quickly reverted to human form and hurriedly entered the cell, Snape closing the door behind her. It took a moment for her now human eyes to adjust to the dim light, but when they did she spotted a naked form huddle in one corner. With a gasp, she ran over to it. Harry was curled into a ball, shivering. His body was filthy and there were a number of deep cuts on his arms and legs. He seemed completely unaware of their presence. “Harry,” she hissed, “it’s us! Professor Snape and I are going to get you out of here.” Potter remained unresponsive, however. Snape roughly pushed her out of the way, before pulling a vial from his robes. “Lift his head up so I can get this potion down his throat,” Snape ordered. “What the hell’s wrong with him?” Ginevra demanded. “How did he get in this state already? He couldn’t have been here more than an hour.” “Foolish girl! Potter is showing all the signs of repeated exposure to the Cruciatus Curse,” Snape snapped. “More than ten minutes continuous exposure is normally enough to drive a person insane. I’ve seen this before; it’s a standard Death Eater tactic for breaking a prisoner. They are subjected to the curse three or four times a day, at random intervals, for no more than five minutes at a time. Imagine, if you will, laying in the dark, constantly shivering from the cold, hunger gnawing at your stomach, all the while listening to see if your captors are coming to inflict more unspeakable agony on you. Imagine enduring that routine for days on end. Potter would have been begging them to kill him before the end of the second day.” “Oh, god! Harry!” she gasped and hugged him tightly. “His head, girl, his head,” Snape spat. “I need to get this Healing Potion down his throat or he’ll be deadweight to us.” Stroking his hair, Ginevra managed to get him to look up. He looked at her with wild, unseeing eyes. Snape immediately grabbed his jaw and forced it open, pouring the contents of the liquid down his throat, before snapping his mouth shut. Potter swallowed it without protest, and, after a few seconds, began to stop shaking. “Gin… Ginevra,” he murmured. “Yes, it’s me,” she confirmed softly. “We need to get you out of here. Can you stand?” “Think… think so,” he stammered. With both their help, Harry managed to climb to his feet. Guiltily, Ginevra averted her eyes. She realised that she’d been staring at his naked form and, despite the dirt and the blood he’d been covered in, she had been admiring his body. Her eyes had been lingering on his manhood which was hanging limply between his legs. Somehow, it felt like she was violating him, leering at him while he was in this helpless state. “Give him your robes,” Snape commanded, perhaps noticing her examination of Potter’s physique. She shrugged the garment off her shoulders and quickly wrapped it around Harry. “Potter, do you think you can transform into your Animagus form?” Snape asked. “It would be the easiest way to get you out of here.” Harry just shook his head, all the while looking like standing was a major feat for him. Performing an Animagus transformation was difficult and draining at the best of times, and Ginevra realised asking him to do it in his current condition was impossible. “Okay, we do this the hard way, then,” Snape drawled. “Weasley, change back into your wolf form and scout ahead. I’ll support Potter.” Nodding, Ginevra performed the quickest transformation she had ever achieved, and was soon back in her wolf body. Snape cracked open the cell door a fraction, allowing her to sniff the air outside. Finding nothing, she pushed herself out of the gap and ran back the way they had come, determined to give the two men as much warning of any hostiles as she could. Luck was with them, for a change, and there was no sign of any of the manor’s inhabitants as she ranged as far as the stairway. She paused there, waiting for Harry and Snape to catch up. She heard them long before they came into sight; Harry was leaning heavily against the Professor, who had to keep one arm around the young man’s shoulders to support him. As soon as they were within a few yards of the stairs, she turned and darted up to the next level to reconnoitre their escape route. Again, their luck held and the dark corridor was empty, as was the entrance hall. That just left the problem of the guard stationed outside. Once the two men caught up with her again, she looked up at Snape with questioning eyes. “I think we’ll have to abandon stealth from this point,” Snape decided. “I’ll go ahead and take out the guard. My actions might be spotted by someone on the upper floors, but I don’t see we have any choice. I think…” Snape’s words were interrupted by the guard in question unexpectedly entering the entrance hall through the main door. He took one look at the three of them gathered in a huddle and let out an angry cry. Desperately, Snape tried to untangle himself from Potter, while the guard drew his wand. Ginevra, seeing that the guard would beat Snape to the draw, did the only thing she could. Leaping forward, she sank her teeth into the guard’s meaty thigh. The man bellowed in agony and lashed out at Ginevra with his fist. Ginevra, however, had her teeth firmly locked into the man, despite the pain of his blow. “Sectumsempra!” Snape cried and, instantly, blood spurted from the guard’s chest, causing him to stagger backwards. Ginevra released her grip and watched the man fall to the ground in a pool of his own gore. “Come on,” Snape cried. “Someone is bound to have heard that commotion. We need to get out of here.” Grabbing Harry, who seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and was limping as fast as he could, Snape virtually dragged the injured boy through the doors. Ginevra’s keen ears could hear shouts of alarm from somewhere behind her, but did not dare look back. “Change back and grab my arm, otherwise you won’t be able to get through the gates!” Snape yelled at her. With panic mounting inside her, Ginevra transformed back into a human and grabbed hold of the Professor as instructed. They lunged through the gates just as a beam of red light shot past them, missing Harry by inches. “Keep hold of me, I’m going to Apparate us out of here,” Snape commanded, and seconds later Ginevra again felt the horrible feeling of compression as she was jerked off her feet. A moment later, she found herself back outside the gates of Hogwarts, as the three escapees all collapsed in a heap. “Damn it, “Snape cursed. “Side-Along Apparation is hard enough with one person, let alone two. That took a lot out of me. Weasley, help me get Potter to his feet. He needs medical attention urgently and I barely have the strength to stand myself.” Between them, they managed to get Harry onto his feet. By this time the young man looked like he was on the verge of collapse and seemed to be only dimly aware of his surroundings. It was a long, hard trip back to the castle and several times they all nearly collapsed. Harry was barely able to remain upright by the time they reached the main doors. They staggered into the building gratefully. “Weasley, go ahead and…” Snape began but then stopped. Looking up, Ginevra was horrified to see Malfoy, Parkinson and Nott, all coming down the main staircase directly in front of them. As soon as he saw them, Draco’s face turned red with anger and he virtually sprinted past them in the direction of the Slytherin common room, his companions right on his heels. “Professor, we need to stop them!” Ginevra cried. “It’s too late,” Snape groaned. “We’ll never catch them now and I’m too weary to even try. Within minutes the Dark Lord will know that it was us who helped Potter escape.” Gritting her teeth, Ginevra glared in the direction that Malfoy had disappeared. Her life had suddenly become a lot more complicated, to say the least. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HPHPHP Harry groaned and slowly opened his eyes. At first, he was confused as to where he was, but slowly, his memory returned and he remembered he was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. He’d awoken briefly sometime before, but it had been dark, so he’d just rolled over and gone back to sleep. Now, sunlight streamed through the windows, signalling a new day. “Awake are we, Potter?” a voice drawled. Harry looked over and saw Professor Snape sitting by his bedside with a grim expression on his face. Ginevra Weasley was lying on top of the bed next to his, fully dressed. She looked at him with a faint smile. “What… ah… damn! Every single part of my body hurts,” Harry moaned. “That’s hardly surprising. I’m told you were displaying symptoms of extended exposure to the Cruciatus Curse, not to mention several deep lacerations caused by a knife. I take it you had the pleasure of Bellatrix Lestrange’s company again?” Snape asked in a dead voice. “Yeah, and I really don’t want there to be a third time with that mad bitch,” Harry groaned. “I really thought I was going to go insane this time, she kept the curse on me for so long.” “What do you mean?” Ginevra asked, leaping off the bed. “Had you been captured before?” “Indeed, Miss Weasley, Potter here was a guest of the Dark Lord about a year ago, isn’t that right?” Snape confirmed, turning his head back to Harry. “It is. Last time, I was held captive for over a week, and it took me nearly a month to recover from the experience. My guardian was responsible for rescuing me back then, but this time it looks like I have the pair of you to thank. Really, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you. Being back under Lestrange’s heel was my worst nightmare come true,” Harry said sincerely. “I guess you really owe me, now,” Ginevra smirked. “I’m sure I’ll think of a suitable way for you to make it up to me. You did say you were rich, didn’t you? I’ll just start writing out a shopping list, shall I?” “Yes, you can,” Harry laughed softly, “and make it a long one.” “I’m glad you both find the situation amusing,” Snape sneered. “Sometimes you have to laugh, otherwise you’ll cry,” Harry commented drily. “So, what’s been happening while I’ve been out of it?” “A great deal and none of it good,” Snape said with a note of anger in his voice. “You’ll be please to know that Miss Greengrass is no longer in the castle. Her parents came and collected her this morning and she has been officially expelled.” “Wait, what do you mean, she’s gone? She was the main participant in my kidnapping,” Harry protested. “Surely, she’ll need to be interviewed by the Aurors.” “No charges have been brought against Miss Greengrass, and the Headmaster is satisfied that she was forced to act against her will. He merely informed her parents that it would be best for all parties if she did not return to the school,” Snape explained in a detached manner. “Like hell! I was the one kidnapped and used as Bellatrix’s plaything, and it’s my decision if charges are to be brought,” Harry yelled. “The Headmaster felt, and I have to agree with him, that a court case involving Miss Greengrass might raise a number of questions that you would be unwilling to answer,” Snape replied coldly. “Think about it, Harry,” Ginevra interrupted. “Professor Snape would have to explain how he was able to gain access to a Death Eater stronghold and I would have to admit to being an illegal Animagus. I’m pretty sure there are a few things you wouldn’t want to have looked into in greater detail, either.” Harry took her meaning immediately, and huffed in frustration. “So, I guess this means Draco Malfoy gets off the hook again,” he said bitterly. “I take it the little shit blabbed to the nearest Death Eater about your involvement?” “Oh, he did indeed,” Snape growled. “I am now officially a dead man. It’s only a matter of time before Lord Voldemort extracts his revenge on me.” “What has Dumbledore had to say about this?” Harry asked with a frown. “He expressed his great disappointment that I would act so foolishly, and lectured me on how my exposure as a spy may cost the lives of countless witches and wizards in the future. I have now been informed that I am banned from leaving Hogwarts for my own safety, although I doubt that will keep me particularly safe,” Snape noted bitterly. Harry thought for a moment. “You can’t seriously be satisfied with that, can you?” he asked. “You’ve effectively become a prisoner within this school.” “I fail to see what other option I have,” Snape spat. “Professor, do you seriously think I would have made my presence known to the Wizarding world, or ever stepped foot in this school unless I had an escape plan?” Harry smirked. “Escape plan? What do you mean?” Snape demanded. “Quite simply, I have a pre-planned escape route out of the country. Give me a day or two, and I can guarantee to get you out of here and somewhere safe,” Harry assured him. “But to what end? I have only meagre savings, and how would I survive in a foreign country with no immigration papers?” he pointed out. “Besides, where are you talking about sending me?” “America, actually,” Harry explained calmly. “Due to the problems in Europe at the moment, the USA has virtually closed its borders to magical immigrants, but I have a contact already established there. With a little notice, I can arrange an international Portkey to transport you to a safe location in America, and have false identification papers ready and waiting for you. You can just fade into the population, and no one will be any the wiser.” “America? You would have me become an exile from my own home?” Snape snapped. “You can stay here and be killed if you’d prefer,” Harry replied pointedly. “But just think about it. You’d have the chance of a completely fresh start. You’d have a completely new identity and be able to pursue any career you wanted to. Merlin knows, Professor, you seem to loath children, so this would be a great opportunity to try something different. Just think, a different haircut, some snazzy new clothes, maybe a suntan: you’d be a new person. Just remember, too, all those American girls love an English accent.” “You’d be beating those Yankee babes off with a stick, sir,” Ginevra chuckled. Snape just stared at them with his mouth open. “Is staying here really worth dying for?” Harry asked reasonably. “You can’t be happy here, can you? Hogwarts must hold a lot of bitter memories for you, sir, and you’ve been hanging onto the past for too long now, anyway. Perhaps going somewhere new would be the best thing you could do. Let go of what couldn’t have been, and embrace a fresh, new start. Lily would have wanted you to, Professor.” At the mention of Harry’s mother, Snape flinched like he’d been struck. He looked down into Harry eyes for a moment, before sighing in defeat. “You are correct, Potter. Lily would indeed have wanted me to take this opportunity. In fact, she’d probably have hexed me into oblivion for even hesitating. Very well, I will accept your offer. How much time do you need to arrange this?” he asked wearily. “Not long, in fact I should have everything ready by Saturday, providing I can get to my trunk this morning. I’ll need an excuse to get out of the castle, however. My wand will need replacing, Bellatrix snapped my last one in front of me, and so I’ll need to go to Diagon Alley to replace it. Can you inform the Headmaster that I’ll be away from the school all of Saturday. Obviously don’t mention that you’ll be accompanying me, but suggest that you’ll arrange a suitable escort. We’ll smuggle you out of Hogwarts and you’ll be away before anyone is the wiser,” Harry suggested. “Very well, I’ll imply that Hagrid will be escorting you. Dumbledore trusts the man completely, and he would make a suitable person to accompany you. I’ll mention the matter to Hagrid, but be somewhat vague about when you’ll be travelling,” Snape pondered. “Excellent idea,” Harry agreed, before looking over at Ginevra quizzically. “Do you have a back-up wand, Ginevra?” “Back-up wand?” she snorted. “I’m lucky to have the one I’ve got. It’s seen better days, too.” “Right, you’re coming with us, too,” Harry decided. “You’re a target now, and only having one wand is a recipe for a quick death.” “He’s right, Miss Weasley,” Snape said, nodding. “You should always carry at least one spare wand, and some other back-up weapon, too, if possible.” “It was just as well Bellatrix burnt my clothes as soon as she stripped them from my back,” Harry continued. “If she’d searched my robes, she would have found several Extension Charms cast on them. When I was captured, I have two back-up wands, a knife, several types of hand grenades, a few landmines, and a Muggle sub-machine gun hidden away. Oh, and a long sword. You, my dear, need to get tooled-up. I have several sets of enchanted robes in my trunk, and I’ll let you have one of them later.” “Really? Well, okay. I must admit my brother Bill tends to carry more than one wand, so I guess it must be a good idea. Besides, I think I deserve having you splash out a few Galleons on me,” she grinned. “Now that’s decided, I’ll need to start making plans. I will begin to discreetly tidy up my affairs here, not that I have much that I won’t mind leaving behind,” Snape noted with a faint hint of sadness in his voice. “Have everything in your trunk, ready to go by eight o’clock on Saturday morning,” Harry instructed. “Ginevra and I will meet you in your office, and we’ll go from there.” “Very well, I’ll speak to you later,” Snape confirmed, before marching out of the hospital wing without a backward glance. “I should be going too, Harry,” Ginevra said, turning to leave. “Wait,” Harry begged, grabbing her wrist. “I really need to talk with you further. Please stay a little longer.” “Okay,” Ginevra agreed cautiously and sat herself on the edge of Harry’s bed. “Look, about what happened in the forest,” Harry began. “Don’t!” Ginevra interrupted. “Let’s just say that I overreacted a bit and pretend it never happened, okay?” “Alright,” Harry agreed, deciding not to argue, before continuing in a serious tone. “I have to say again, I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me. Really, if there is anything that I can do to repay you then just tell me. I owe you my life.” “I’ll bear that in mind,” she replied, actually looking faintly embarrassed. “One thing you do have to realise, however, is that things have now changed. Voldemort might now want Snape’s head on a plate, but you’ve just been placed on his target list, too. That means we have to do things a bit differently now, if you’re agreeable,” Harry said. “What do you mean?” she asked with a frown. “Ginevra, ever since I met you, I’ve thought that we would make a great team together. I can practically feel your magical power, and the fact that nearly every boy in Slytherin is scared of you is proof enough that you’re a great fighter. I want you by my side,” Harry told her intently. “I…” she began hesitantly. “Just hear me out,” he begged. “From this point, both of us are going to have every single one of the Dark Lord’s followers coming after us. We stand a much better chance of survival if we work together, with one of us covering the other’s back. I’m willing to bet that together we could make a team that even Voldemort would think twice about taking on directly. We’ve already proved that we work well together in our Animagus forms, and I’m certain we can extend that to our normal forms, too. Together, we could do great things, Ginevra,” She looked at him in shock, clearly not sure if he was being serious or not. “I told you a while ago that a time would come when you had to pick a side,” Harry reminded her gently, “and this is it.” For a moment, she looked undecided, before she let out a weary sigh. “What choice do I have?” she said in a defeated voice. “By coming after you I’ve already made my decision. I guess from here on in, we’re partners.” Harry grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Thank you, Ginevra,” he said warmly. “I can’t guarantee that this will be easy, in fact, you’ve picked a dark and dangerous road to tread with me. The rewards, however, will make it all worth it. I tell you, they’ll be singing songs about our exploits for centuries to come.” “As long as they put my name first,” she smirked. “So, what happens now?” “Well, firstly, I need to get out of this bloody hospital bed and get to my trunk. I have some goodies that I want to share with you and I’ll need to arrange for Snape’s passage out of the country. After that, we’ll start training together, and practice working as a team. We’ll spend some more time in our Animagus forms, too,” Harry decided. “Oh? Hoping to get your leg over again, are you, Potter?” Ginevra asked archly. “Actually, I was rather hoping that the next time that happens we’ll both be in human form,” he said, smiling suggestively. “In your dreams,” she teased, leaning towards him dangerously. “You’re always in my dreams, sweet Ginevra,” he replied. With an evil smile on her lips, Ginevra slid off the bed and started to head towards the door. “See you later, Potter,” she called as she left, wiggling her fingers at him. Harry just lay back on the bed and watched her go, his eyes never leaving the fluid curves of her buttocks. Was it his imagination, or was she swaying her hips a little more than normal as she walked? Either way, he had a feeling that this could be the start of a beautiful partnership. |
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