Chapter 13: In the Labyrinth
He fought back the urge to frown when he saw her. Forcefully keeping his face as neutral as possible, he drank in her appearance out of the corner of his eye. Her customary cool and collected outward “public” appearance; the flawless façade that she worked so hard to maintain when around groups of people, had a crack in it. Knowing her tendencies as he felt he did, he was certain he was the only one who could see it.
She looked exhausted. She was wearing black once again, the dark color making her skin look unnaturally ashen, and the circles under her eyes hinted at just how tired she really was. Her hair was pulled back, as always, but in a braid this time, that hung halfway down her back. Her hands, when she thought no one was looking, had a slight tremble to them.
Raising one eyebrow as he continued to observe her, hidden as was usual in a corner, away from the group, Draco decided that she was scared. Virginia Weasley had the look of someone who had seen or heard something terrifying, and was trying to forget it by continuing to act as normal as possible.
This change, this crack, infuriated him. Catching a glimpse of her dark eyes, which were scanning the room nervously while she tried to seem focused on his aunt’s conversation, Draco saw what was hidden from everyone else: a small, frightened little girl.
This unsettled him. Her raging and ranting at him with wild abandon, he could handle. Her temper, her vicious tongue lashing out at him in anger was, albeit a challenge, but it was a challenge that he was well equipped to tackle. But this…this upset the scales, and exposed a weakness. He wanted nothing more than to take her hand and do what he could to ease the trembling. Shaking his head of that thought, angry that it had crossed his mind, he stepped forward, approaching the huddle of his aunt, cousins and Virginia, interrupting the conversation that they were having.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but I promised Virginia that I would take her on a tour today, so I’m going to steal her away for a bit,” he said, smiling softly at his aunt.
“Of course, dear. Just don’t bore the girl with all your knowledge of the family history,” she said with a sly wink. With a quick nod, he grabbed the redhead’s arm and led her out of the family room.
“Draco, what is this all about? We were in the middle of a conversation. You can’t just come stomping up to us and drag me away and you never said anything about giving me a tour,” Ginny spat at him as soon as they were far enough down the corridor.
“I need information,” he said simply, stopping his quick pace, and turning in to look at her. She felt herself cringe slightly as those piercing, cold eyes of his glared down into her own. His arms were on her shoulders, holding her in place. As if she would turn away; she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“And what information could I possibly give you, Mr. Malfoy? Because I’m under the impression that you are the one that seems to know everything around here, and is unwilling to share with me.”
“Your point?”
“If you want something from me, you’re going to have to give something in return. Ooh, I like that. In fact, from now on, it’s going to work that way, not just with information. You want me to play along with this little charade that we are a couple you are going to have to start doing something for me. Yes, I think this will work nicely,” she said, a sudden smile crossing her face as she squirmed out of his hold and crossed her arms in smug satisfaction.
“I suppose the fact that this whole trip is me helping you out has slipped your mind, Weasel,” Draco sneered. Ginny bit back a smile. She knew she had him really riled up if he was resorting back to his childish insults.
“See, Mr. Malfoy, this is your fatal flaw. That arrogance of yours just gives away far too much of your game plan, and that is why I will always be one step ahead of you,” she said, with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She was getting a surprisingly large amount of satisfaction as she watched a flash of anger in his eyes.
“Since you are so far ahead of me, Virginia, what is my game plan?” he asked, his voice cool and silky once again.
“I know why I’m here, what I’m getting out of this. But what I don’t know is what is in this for you, Mr. Malfoy. What do you get out of this? For I can hardly believe that you are doing this out of the kindness of your own heart.”
“And your point, Ms. Weasley?” His bored tone of voice grated at her nerves, already raw from lack of sleep.
“That you want something out of this. There is something in this for you. So you can quit acting like you are a benevolent, good Samaritan acting for the common good of all wizards, and tell me what you’re really after!” she said, her voice growing louder with each word.
“Shhh!” Draco warned, whipping his head around as he thought he heard footsteps. It wouldn’t do for his family members to overhear this argument. Ginny misread his intentions, and her anger exploded.
“Don’t you shush me, you arrogant con artist! Just because your pride can’t accept the fact that little Ginny Weasley, a Gryffindor no less, has caught wind of your Slytherin games doesn’t give you the right to-”
As she spoke, he was suddenly moving closer to her, and she backed away until the wall behind her pressed against her back. In a quick, unexpected move, his arms reached around her waist, and pressed her body to his. About to shout her resistance, she caught a flash of silver in his eyes, and was immobilized. Using her split-second hesitation, he captured her lips with his and silenced her with a searing kiss.
Ginny tried to push him away, but her body betrayed her and despite her will, she found herself reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, pushing her body closer against his. Through the swirling fog of conflicting sensations and the incredible heat his lips were creating, she could distantly hear someone giggling and retreating footsteps.
The sound of a door slamming shut echoed down the hall and the spell that Draco seemed to have over her snapped. Furiously pushing him away, she had to fight against her urge to strike him for his impertinence – the second display of it!
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” she hissed, her anger stealing her ability to properly rage, she noted, which added more fuel to the fire.
“It was either that or my cousins overhear you telling me just how much you hate me. Whether or not there is something in this for me, Virginia Weasley, this strategy is to your benefit. I suggest you accept this and use it to attain your goal, or else we can consider this arrangement terminated and I will arrange for your travel back to London,” he said coolly, trying not to smile as he saw her faced red with anger, her eyes blazing and her small little body tensed as if prepared to do battle with him. Strands of her hair had worked themselves free of her braid, and she looked completely flustered, furious and rattled.
Amusing once again. Fear, vulnerability and sorrow were no longer hidden in her eyes as they glared up at him, blazing as if to burn holes through him. Yes, he could handle her much better this way.
“Don’t you dare touch me again,” she threatened, her voice cold as ice. Ah, my Ice Queen has returned! I was wondering when she’d show up again, he thought with an inward chuckle.
“No more than necessary, Weasley,” he said, with a sly look out of the corner of his eyes as he turned away, his hand on her arm, dragging her away from the wall. “Now, time for your tour.”
She furiously shrugged away from his touch, and followed behind him in silence, a raging storm brewing inside. He’d gotten the upper hand once again!
* * * * *
In the cold wind that whipped around her, prying her hair out of its braid, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes large and bright with excitement. She was practically skipping along, full of the joyful youth of a child. Her cloak billowed out behind her in the breeze as she drank in the sights all around her, turning around and around to make sure she absorbed everything.
The giant, ancient trees were covered in snow, their branching hanging low to the ground. The snow sparkled in the sun, and despite the cold wind blowing through their empty branches, Ginny couldn’t feel the cold. She was walking through a winter Fairyland! There was an indescribable magical feeling about these woods, there was something so special about them, and it made her feel something she couldn’t even describe.
“This is marvelous,” she sighed in wonderment. After the tour of the mansion, he had taken her out to the grounds. Walking out in the clear paths between snowdrifts, he led her into the forest that was behind the house, leading her through a maze of beautiful snow covered trees. The absolute peace of this forest, with the labyrinth of trails that stayed clear despite the light fall of snow all around them, was very soothing to her, and she felt, for the first time in years, like a child on Christmas morning.
“This was created in the early 18th century, by Lancaster Malfoy, a great wizard of his time. The entire forest is a labyrinth, with the paths charmed to keep clear all through the seasons,” Draco answered, forcing his voice to take on a tinge of boredom. He didn’t want her to know that watching her see this place for the first time was having any effect on him. He also didn’t want her to know how special this forest was to him.
“What is at the center?” she asked, her eyes seeming to sparkle with mischief.
“Only members of the Malfoy family line are allowed there. Visitors are off limits,” he said, his voice suddenly stern.
“Now, Malfoy, as we are a couple, I’m practically family,” she said with a quick, teasing smile. Raising one eyebrow, he surveyed the girl in front of him. The change in her had been amazing. This morning, she had been an upset, scared woman. After their discussion in the hallway, she had been the embodiment of burning anger, and now…now she was a smiling, happy little girl, her eyes sparkling and laughing easily as if she didn’t have a care in the world. There was something about this place that made him forget his troubles, and it seemed to have the same effect on her.
“You suddenly seem to have embraced our little game, Virginia.”
“Can’t you feel it, Draco? There’s magic in this place!” she cried, throwing her arms out and twirling around. In her excitement, she became clumsy, and tripped over her foot, sending her crashing into the knee-high snowdrift that lined the clear path. The look on her face was precious; a cross between childish delight and furiousness.
Draco laughed; he couldn’t help it. The girl was amusing as hell, and to see her drop her seriousness and act like a child was priceless. He walked over to where she had landed, and offered her his hand to help her up. Standing up and brushing his hand away, she quickly swept the snow off of her black cloak and glared at him.
“Think that was funny, Malfoy?” she asked darkly. He just chuckled in response. Without warning, she pushed him backwards, until he lost his balance and fell back into the opposite snow drift. Unwilling to allow that to be the extent of her revenge, she grabbed a handful of snow, and shoved it in his face. Laughing as he sputtered, she stood back. He jumped up with a growl of rage.
He stood in front of her, wiping dripping snow out of his eyes, and glared dangerously at her. She crossed her arms and stared back up at him defiantly.
“You’re a feisty little imp, aren’t you Virginia?” he asked wryly. Starting to laugh again, she caught a strange glint in his eyes, and noted that he was clutching a well-formed snowball in his hand. Eyes widening, she guessed his intent, and with a cry of surprise, she ran down the path and away from him, laughing the entire way.
He quickly followed suit, and the two of them continued their little game for almost ten minutes. He would manage to catch her with a well-aimed throw, and she would turn and retaliate. It reminded her of the snow fights she used to have in Gryffindor with her other housemates. It felt good to be a kid again.
She ran around a bend in the path, and seeing that she was hidden from Draco's sight by the trees, she climbed over the snowdrift and hid behind the tree, listening for the sound of his footsteps crunching in the snow.
“Virginia Weasley, you should know that you cannot hide from a Slytherin,” Draco called out playfully, as he rounded the corner and noticed that she couldn’t be seen. “That red hair of yours won’t make it hard to spot you!”
With a Gryffindor-like roar, she jumped from her hiding spot and doused his arrogant stance with a healthy dose of snow. He caught her arms as fell backwards, and pulled her with him. They tumbled to the ground with a loud groan from both parties. They were both laughing heartily, as Ginny pushed herself up and looked into his face. The realization that she was not only lying on top of a Malfoy, but was laughing while she was doing it seemed to hit both her and Draco at the same time, and the laughter quickly subsided.
“Draco!” a loud, angry voice called out. A stricken look took over Draco’s face, and he quickly pushed Ginny off of him to stand up. She glared up at him as he stood, but that was erased as he bent down to help her up. She smiled slightly as she brushed the snow from his clothing, and nearly gasped when she found his hands doing the same.
“Be careful, little Weasley, this will be the test of our little game,” he whispered as he bent down, his warm breath on her ear sending shivers down her spine. He turned to face the person who had yelled, taking her hand in his and pulling her closer, almost protectively.
A tall man with dark hair was storming towards them, obviously in a rage. As he approached, Ginny noticed the resemblance he had to the rest of the Malfoy family. His pale skin, gray eyes and the arrogant look on his face were dead giveaways, despite his dark hair.
“I was under the impression that you were aware of the rules of this house, Draco,” the other man spoke coldly.
“And that is the correct impression, Darien.”
“Then why is she here?” he asked, pointing accusingly at Ginny. She gasped slightly, and took a step closer to Draco, as if to hide herself behind his arm.
“She is my guest, Darien. I thought that you had been informed of her arrival. She will be spending part of the holidays with us. Virginia, this is my cousin Darien. You’ll have to forgive him, he is usually not so barbarically rude to our guests,” Draco said, his tone taking on his arrogant edge that he often used to crush any opposition to his will. It was one of the reasons he had become a successful businessman, his arrogance allowed for ruthless bargaining that found little resistance.
“Why have you brought her out here? No guest is allowed past the outer edge of the forest,” Darien spat out, barely glancing at Ginny. She began to shiver slightly, the sun had been covered by clouds, and the wonderful magical aura of this forest seemed to have been sucked away with Darien’s arrival.
“I was simply giving my guest a tour. I hadn’t realized that hospitality had become so offensive. Come along, Virginia, I’m sure you must be quite cold by now and eager to get inside,” Draco said softly, glancing down at her. Without another word, he simply pushed past his furious cousin, and towed Ginny along with him, still clutching her hand.
* * * * *
Ginny, alone in her room and preparing to sleep, shuddered as she remembered that meeting with Darien. He was very unsettling to her; not at all like the rest of the family. They were all warm and friendly – comforting, much like her own family – but Darien was cold. There was some thing about him that disturbed her. She had found him staring at her periodically throughout the day, and especially at dinner.
She was trying to distract herself from the eerie way he was staring at her by discussing more about Guatemalan culture with Vincent. It wasn’t very successful, and she was pleased to end the evening. Draco had escorted her, once again, to her bedroom and left again with the demand that she stay in her room until morning. Unwilling to allow Draco’s strange pattern of friendly and cold behavior bother her, she sighed comfortably as she relaxed into the soft bed.
She needed a good night’s sleep. Though the Malfoys seemed very nice and she felt herself growing rather fond of them, the two young men, Draco and now Darien, were challenging her sanity. She was still exhausted and reasoned that this was the cause of her strange behavior in the snow that afternoon. Closing her eyes and remembering the peacefulness of the woods when she first stepped foot in them, she soon drifted off to sleep.
* * * * *
A cry in the middle of night roused her out of her deep sleep. Bolting upright, she jumped out of bed and ran to the window, following the sound of the scream. Shaking from cold and fear, she wiped the frost from the window and tried to see out of it. In the dark, all she could see was a swirling landscape of snow.
She turned away from the window, searching her mind for excuses for the scream that had woken her. Just as she was about to dismiss it as a dream, she felt a large tremor that nearly knocked her off of her feet. Grabbing hold of the bed to steady herself, she turned back around to the window. A red shockwave of light filled the room, throwing her to the ground.
Gasping, Ginny remembered what she had witnessed in the field the night that Draco had Portkeyed her to Bulgaria. It was the same type of effect that had just passed through the house. She ran back over to the window, and spotted a few dark figures running through the snow towards the entrance to the woods’ maze. Without even thinking, she grabbed a pair of shoes and her cloak and made her way to the door, eager to find out what was going on. Grabbing her wand as she passed, she twisted her hair up and out of her face, and secured it with her wand for easier access, as she had no pockets in her nightdress.
She ran as quietly as she could through the house, she made her way to the door. As she opened it, she was greeted by a blast of cold air. Peering cautiously outside, she noted the large snowstorm that was attacking the area. She pulled the door shut behind her and began to trudge though the snow, making her way to the woods. The wind howled fiercely and snow whipped her face, making it difficult to move. She pushed herself, one foot in front of the other, until she reached the cover of the trees and the clear path of the labyrinth.
“Lumos,” she whispered, pulling out her wand. Her hair tumbled down and she regretted not actually tying it in her haste. She peered down at the path, and followed the trails of footsteps in the fresh snow with the help of the weak light from her wand. She walked quickly as she could, crouching down around corners to see if anyone was there.
Shaking from the cold, she slowly made her way further in the labyrinth, constantly stopping and listening for sounds from people, or the screams she had heard. The further she made her way into the woods she began to notice a light emanating from the center of the maze. Leaving the trail, she cut through the trees, following the light, looking for its source.
Creeping quietly through the snow, she began to hear voices carried on the wind. Crouching down behind one tree, she gasped as she realized that she could finally see the people on the other side of the patch of trees. Biting back another gasp of amazement at what she was seeing, she had to steady herself on the tree. This is impossible, she thought furiously. She was about to move closer, behind a much larger tree to get a better look to make sure she wasn’t imagining anything, when, without any warning, she felt a strong arm grab her around the waist and a firm arm cover her mouth before she could scream.
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