The Dragon's Rose
a/n: hey hey! thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing, and thanks to God of Fire for her inspiration and friendship. We have some fairly whacked conversations... ...
chapter six :: when death lives
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Ginny inhaled deeply, pocketing the poem, and started off for the common room again, feeling much more refreshed.
She stopped in the middle of the hallway, because of who she thought she saw standing there, looking at her sadly.
"Draco?" She squeaked. Sure enough, it was him, his grey eyes clouded and full of sorrow. He held his arms out to her. "Ginny." He said, hoarsely. She gasped, dropping her books, and ran into his warm embrace.
He sniffed, and she pulled her head away, to look up at him. "Draco, what's all this then?" She asked, quietly, just above a whisper.
Draco looked at her intensely at her, drowning in the brown depths of her eyes. "I still have one more day." He explained, and bit his lip.
He looked absolutely adorable.
Ginny inhaled heavily. She leaned in, catching his lips upon her own, and they pressed together harshly for a bruising kiss.
The lovers snogged for quite some time. Ginny, breathing raggedly, whispered in his ear. "One last time, Draco. Make love to me one more time." She said, and then bit down on his earlobe.
Draco picked her up and carried her to the dorms.
...
Voldemort paced back and forth, biting his lip. Lucius stood nearby, fiddling with an orb. "He's at it again, lord." He murmured, staring into it's depths.
Voldemort stopped walking, and pulled out a piece of sparkling (obviously magical) chalk. "Oh?" He said, casually. He began drawing a large circle upon the ground, and before he closed the circle he lifted his red eyes to glare at Lucius.
"Are you coming or not?" He hissed, and Lucius' head jerked up. "What?"
Voldemort rolled his eyes. "Would you take your eyes off your son shagging one moment and get inside the circle, or I'll leave without you and your fucking crystal ball." He said, menacingly.
Lucius nodded quickly and stepped inside the unfinished circle. Voldemort carefully closed the circle.
The ground inside the outline began to glow, and the room began spinning. At least, thats what it looked like. Lucius screamed like a little girl as the room spun faster, the lights glowing brighter, and suddenly, they were in a different place.
Voldemort looked around calmly.
"Perfect." He looked at the sparkling chalk in his hand smugly. "Still works." He turned to Lucius, who was clinging to the floor, clutching his chest, gasping for breath.
"What is that?" He asked, between breaths.
Voldemort calmly pocketed the chalk in question. "Teleportation chalk. Highly powerful and extremely rare dark magick." He explained, and stepped out of the circle nodding in approval.
"Salazar's study is just as I remember. We should find all we need for the ritual here. Come Lucius, help me fetch the needed supplies." He ordered.
...
Dumbledore clasped his hands on Harry's shoulders.
"Godspeed, Harry, and good luck." He smiled, his eyes twinkling. He turned released his grip on Harry and patted Ron on the back. "May you stay strong, Ron, never lose your exuberance." Ron smiled awkwardly.
Dumbledore looked at Hermione fondly. "Use your intelligence, Hermione, beware, not everything is as it seems." He said, and she nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.
They, Harry, Hermione, Ron, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape, were standing outside of the door that led to Salazar's study. It would open in ten minutes.
Hermione clutched her wand tightly, blinking back tears. She inhaled slowly. "What should we be looking out for, Professors?" She asked, carefully.
McGonagall sighed. "It could be a number of protections, like in your first year, only more dangerous, perhaps." She explained.
The trio nodded, and Harry checked his watch.
"Seven minutes." He announced. The group looked at each other in silence. Snape reached into his pocket and flourished a bottle with a bright blue liquid inside. "Cure-all." He explained, and handed it to Hermione. "Use only for emergencies."
She pocketed it.
Dumbledore held out the sorting hat to Harry. "I believe you know what to do." He said, and Harry reached inside and brandished Godric Gryffindor's sword with a flourish.
Hermione had never seen it, and she stared at it in awe, as it glimmered in the soft candlelight.
McGonagall reached into her robes and took out a small silver key. "A magick key that opens dark shackles. It might have to be used, Ronald." She said, calling him by his full name.
She pressed it into his awaiting palm. He looked at it and softly exhaled, and pocketed it.
Silence engulfed them again.
Harry checked his watch impatiently. "Two minutes." He sighed, and Hermione stepped closer to him so she could lean her head on his shoulder.
Everyone was tense with anticipation.
Ron suddenly gasped, and everybody turned to him. "Where's Ginny?" He asked, and everyone looked at each other, hoping the other would know.
Hermione bit her lip. "She said she was heading for the common room... what do you think happened?" She asked, worry evident in her voice.
Harry checked his watch. "There's no time to go look for her now, you guys. We'll have to go in without her. Besides, it's probably safer for her this way." He reasoned, and the professors nodded.
"Harry is right." Dumbledore said. "And besides, we'll search for her while you are in." He assured them, and the trio nodded hesitantly.
Harry checked his watch again. "10 seconds. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2... 1."
He turned the handle and they disappeared into the darkness.
...
Draco and Ginny seemed to be perhaps the only two people in the castle enjoying themselves.
Literally.
Ginny moaned as Draco suckled her neck, a bright red blush tainting her cheeks. He traced her collarbone with his fingertips as he raised his head to kiss her lips again.
Their lips met in blind heat, and wrestled with each other in passion. Draco faintly realized the bed was moving. He tried to ignore it, figuring he was having delusions, but as the bed actually lifted off the ground and hovered, he drew back from the kiss reluctantly.
"You know, I've heard of making the earth moving, but this is just ridiculous, love." He said, his words slurring slightly. They were fairly exhausted, and rather dizzy.
The bed actually began to move to the door, and when he realized they were moving through the school at an incredibly fast speed, he sat up.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" He asked, and Ginny grunted and sat up a little bit, clutching her side of the green silk sheets to herself.
"What?" She asked, her eyes tired. He grimaced. "The bed is flying through school." He announced, wrinkling his nose, and peeking out the curtains at the walls flying by.
Her eyes went as big as saucers, as she realized this was, in fact, correct.
"What?!" She screeched, and she too looked out the curtains. "Where is it taking us?" She asked, and Draco's eyes flitted over her figure.
"Don't know, really." He confessed, but licked his lips. "But untill we get there..." He whispered, huskily, and leaned in to kiss her.
She pushed him away gently. "Love, can't you think about anything other than that?" She asked, furrowing her delicate eyebrows.
He rolled his eyes. "Well, gee, I suppose so, but you know, there's only so many things you can do to pass the time when naked in a bed with a beautiful woman, you know." He said, leaning back on his pillows.
Ginny huffed. "I can't maintain a serious conversation with you, do you know that? I believe it's impossible."
Draco smiled coyly. "That's why you love me, though." He said, and she smiled despite herself.
"Now come along, give me a kiss." He begged, and she looked thoughtful for a moment, then grabbed a pillow.
"What are you...?" He trailed off as she promptly kissed the pillow, then bashed it into his face.
"There's your kiss, now come on, let's figure out what's going on."
He sighed, and pulled back the curtains partially. "All right, right now we're passing some unidentifiable dungeons. We're on some forbidden floor, judging by the looks of things... and to your left you'll notice the amazingly boring architecture of stones, stones, and gasp, will you look at that, more stone walls."
She poked him. "Don't make me kiss you again." She threatened, and his hand grabbed hers and brought it to his lips, where he gently kissed it.
"Wouldn't dream of it." He said, softly.
Ginny sighed. "Oh screw it all. You're irresistable." She whispered, and he beamed. "Why thank you." They kissed, gently, and fell back onto the bed.
...
Voldemort fiddled with his mirror amulet in nervous anticipation. Lucius was nearby, as usual, looking into his crystal ball. "Oh, Lord, they're at it again. I don't think my son can keep his hands off the bloody wench." He mused, thoughtfully.
Voldemort sneered. "No shit, Sherlock. Are you going to realize that the earth revolves around the sun one of these days? Or maybe that the pope happens to be Catholic?" He spat, and Lucius glared, setting the orb aside.
"Well excuse me for thinking that perhaps he didn't love her, and was just using her for a good boink." He said, and Voldemort snorted.
"Oh, yes, as any good father would hope for their son." Venomous words dripped sarcasm.
...
The door closed behind Harry, Hermione and Ron with a creak and a loud thud.
The room was dark, and no one could see anything, until the lights brightened, and they were greeted with the sight of a dragon.
Harry inhaled, gripping his sword tightly in one hand, his wand in the other.
Hermione gasped and clutched her wand tightly, and Ron followed suite.
The dragon was large, and an amazing shade of grey, almost silver, it's scales glimmering in the torchlight.
The dragon was slim, and from it's gleaming red eyes, looked like it was pleased to find a meal. The dragon paced back and forth, as though contemplating which to devour first.
Harry gripped his sword tighter, and the dragon noticed this.
It looked at the sword skeptically, as though sizing it up, and wondering if he could do any damage.
The dragon's wings spread as his head lowered, closing it's eyes and touching the ground. It was bowing to them, but why?
Hermione looked at Ron and Harry. "What do you think we should do?" She whispered, and weighed the situation. The dragon seemed to be willing to let them pass, bowing to them, creating a clear path to the other door.
There was a pathway made of glowing stones, that led to the door. They were completely clear of the dragon, and Harry decided they should take a chance. "It looks like it will respect us and let us pass." He whispered, and Hermione and Ron nodded faintly.
Ron spoke up. "You should go first, then Hermione, then me last." He decided, firmly, and the others didn't argue, Harry taking a step onto the first of the glowing stones, keeping his sword ready in his hand and his eyes on the dragon.
It remained still.
They'd gotten halfway across the room when Ron took a step onto the next stone, and it glowed red.
His eyes grew wide with panic, and Harry and Hermione whirled around,just in time to see the dragon sweep in and grab Ron by his maroon sweater.
Ron hollered in fear, as his wand fell from his grasp and to the floor with a clatter.
"RON!!!!!" Harry and Hermione cried out.
Hermione acted quickly, brandishing her wand and pointing it at the dragon. "Petrificus totalus!" She shouted, and the dragon froze, turning to stone.
Everyone was silent for a moment.
Ron curled his lip. "Oh, that was bloody brilliant, Hermione, now I'm stuck in the jaws of a statue." He said, and Hermione glared at him.
"Shut up! I said the first thing that came to mind!" She snapped, and Harry clasped a hand to her shoulder.
"She was trying to help, Ron, you should be glad it's just the jaws of a statue you're stuck in." He reasoned, and Hermione nodded fervently.
Ron sighed. "All right, help me get out of here." He said.
Harry and Hermione frowned in thought.
"Well?" Ron asked, impatiently, as he wiggled. "It's rather uncomfortable up here."
He wriggled around some more, and then, to their utter shock, a loud rip was heard, and Ron came plummetting down.
"Ron!!" Harry ad Hermione screamed, as his head hit against one of the stone dragon's claws, and then continued falling.
Harry rushed forward, and caught his friend before he hit the ground.
"Ron! Can you hear me?" Hermione asked, running to their side. She felt his pulse. "He's unconscious. The blow to the head must have knocked him out." She announced, and Harry let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God he's alive..." He said, then looked at Hermione. "What do we do now?" He asked, setting Ron carefully on the ground.
Hermione sighed. "We go and see what's in the next room..." She said, uncertainly.
Harry nodded. "All right..." He said, then picked Ron up and slung him over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"Taking Ron with us. I can't leave him here, in case the spell wears off."He explained, and Hermione shook her head.
...
Voldemort shifted in his throne. "Your son and his bitch should be arriving at the portal about now..." He mused, this finger still tinkering with his amulet.
"What portal? And how do you know about it?" Asked Lucius, who was trying not to watch his crystal ball, with little success.
"On one of Hogwart's many forbidden floors, down some forbidden corridor, there is a portal. I discovered it in my 4th year as Tom Riddle. It takes you here without having to bother with all the protections that are between the main door and here." Voldemort explained, idly flipping the mirror back and forth.
"How does Dumbledore not know about it?" Lucius asked, carefully covering the crystal ball with a napkin, so it wouldn't distract him.
"Dumbledore does know about it. The loon's got his reasons for not revealing it, I suppose. The portal triggers some... things." He said.
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "What things?"
"The gargoyles of time. The gargoyles protecting the doors to Dumbledore's office come alive, and are set loose throughout the school. They don't really harm anybody, but if somebody's going through the portal, it sort of alerts the school of a huge event.
"I set them loose in my 4th year, and Dumbledore, I'm sure, hasn't forgotten about it. The gargoyles almost trampled some innocent first years. It was sort of hell I suppose. Can't wait for your son to trigger it again." Voldemort answered, his red eyes gleaming. He chuckled evilly.
(a/n: dude i just made that all up! hah! i am genius! *hops off, singing about tackling tom felton*)
Lucius raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you really are evil, my lord." He said, smiling slightly.
Voldemort snorted. "Well, duh."
...
The doors to the Slytherin 6th year boy's dorms flung open, and Minerva McGonagall and Serverus Snape gasped.
One bed was missing, clearly. Some clothes were scattered about the area where it previously stood, and Minerva picked up a blue robe, recognizing it as Ginny's.
"He's taken them both." She whispered, and stood up, her eyes wide with fear.
Serverus bit his lip. "This is terrible. Quickly, Minnie, we've got to tell Dumbledore." The teachers left the room.
...
They found Dumbledore looking up at the gargoyles which guarded his doors.
"Albus!" Minerva called out. She came rushing to his side.
"You-Know-Who... he's taken.. both of them. Mr. Malfoy's bed is missing, and.. he and Ginny's robes..." She trailed off, realizing that Dumbledore was still watching the gargoyles.
"Albus?" She asked, and Serverus raised an eyebrow.
"Headmaster?" He asked, clasping a hand on the old man's shoulder.
Dumbledore sighed. "I know, Minnie. I know Voldemort's taken them both..." His usually twinkling eyes glowed dully.
Suddenly, the gargoyles' eyes gleamed red, and they began moving. They had been brought to life. Draco and Ginny had triggered the portal.
The gargoyles roared, and Dumbledore stared at them calmly, as Minerva and Serverus cowered behind him.
"It has begun." Dumbledore said, and grasped his chest, closing his eyes.
...
a/n: ... uh. yeah. well, lookie, i finished at 10:10 am exactly! how cool is that? *dodges tomatos* well, look, i was never good with plots... there'll prolly be some loose threads when this wraps up, but who cares? at least draco and ginny are back to gettin' it on!
... yeah.
kay, well, till next time, get off your fat (or nonexistant, because not all of us are blessed..) butt, and reviewww!
till next time, mahalo!
...
Draco and Ginny belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Warner Bros and various other corporations. They are being used here without permission and/or affiliation with the above. None of the authors listed here make any profit from these stories.
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