Cold

Chapter Six

(Ginny Weasley)

"Come now, that won't do," Snape's voice trickled through my ears like water, muffling my senses. "Lying to us won't help you."

"Professor--"

Snape's eyes darkened, a look that he always got that said, "Don't mess with me."

"Professor, stop," Draco's voice piped up suddenly, catching us both off guard.

"What?" I gasped.

"Draco, what is it?" Snape asked. Perhaps it was just me, but he sounded awfully exhausted just then.

"...No one... can fight... possession. She's probably being forced not to tell us."

I wanted to yell, "Yes! Yes, you're correct," but I remained silent.

Tell him he's wrong...

"N-no..." I whispered mentally. "I... this can't be happening! You haven't forced me to do anything since first year!"

Did you not... hear me?!

"Draco, I need you to hand me that bottle right there," I heard and I stared blearily at Snape who had his hand out, one of his long bony fingers gesturing to a large indigo flask on his desk.

It was then I realized that I had fallen against the Professor, my legs wobbly and unresponsive. Snape's other hand rested over the burning Dark Mark. His hand was burgundy with coppery blood. Blood that belonged to me.... Draco handed Snape the bottle as the teacher seemed to sit me down-I could tell by the shift in my weight. Everything was in a haze, but I could still make out that he was deathly pale.

"Draco?" the voice echoed in my head. I stared absently at Snape, everything in a blur.

I heard him stumble slightly and the bottle landed in Snape's hand.

"You sit down as well, Draco," he muttered. "I don't need you in the way."

He didn't argue-not that I knew. I found myself falling into a strange slumber, an uncomfortable one... with Tom Riddle's voice in my ear the entire time....

(Severus Snape)

The auburn haired woman fell over onto her side, her eyes squeezed shut, face ghostly white. Sweat had popped upon her forehead. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling an overwhelming need to fall over and go to sleep as well. I glanced over at Draco, seeing that the bleeding on his arm had stopped. Slowly, I sighed and poured a lavender lotion out of the bottle onto my hands and, very gingerly, applied it to the Dark Mark upon her skin.

"This is stronger," I explained sleepily, not wanting to hear the Malfoy boy's questions.

"I didn't think... things could be any worse," Draco whispered.

I knew what he meant. Draco had told me many things, especially about where the bruises had come from on his skin. I would have spoken about it to others, but Draco didn't want it that way. He wanted to fix it himself, and, even though I disapproved of it, I respected his wishes and did nothing. Still, every time he came to me for medical treatment with a new scar or a new bruise or various cuts and dings, I would scold him for not stopping the problem with help.

He became so much paler over the past year, his eyes becoming so much darker, so much more emotionless. Only at moments like this did he ever express himself. He didn't really have to say anything. His eyes almost always told a story, no matter how blank they were. If that made any sense at all, I wouldn't know. I just took things in as I saw.

"Oh, I'm sure they could be," I replied, knowing it wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I could have dealt with it on my own... Why did SHE have to get involved?" His voiced was strained to the point of where one would believe his vocal cords would tear in half.

"I don't know. Voldemort is a wicked, evil man. He does things like this. He always has... well, at least since he WAS Voldemort."

"He was Tom Riddle before... wasn't he? That was his student name... right?"

"Yes... but... how did you know that?" I turned.

"She told me... something about Tom Riddle..."

"And what is that?" I asked, sensing he wasn't telling me something.

"He's... the one... that possesses her. He makes her do these things. He made her open the Chamber of Secrets... or whatever."

"Chamber of Secrets?" I turned quickly, my eyes widening. "Where is it?!"

(Draco Malfoy)

"I... I don't know! That's all she said!"

"I know Dumbledore and Potter know where it is." His emphasis of dislike on Harry Potter's name was obvious. "But I was never told..."

I ran a hand through my hair. "What do I do, Professor? I thought the only person I'd have to look out for is me! Now she's involved and-"

"No one asked you to help her, Draco," Snape said shuffling through parchment, either looking for something or desperately trying to distract himself. "You don't have to. Perhaps you did it because there's some good in you... somewhere." His eyebrows twitched from behind a large piece of parchment.

I grinned. "Yes, and the girls love it!"

He merely shook his head and went back to reading-if he truly WAS reading it. I could almost feel him roll his eyes. My eyes trailed from my teacher to Ginny, who was sleeping soundly on the couch.

"I should take her back to the portrait hole before anyone realizes she's gone."

"Filch will catch you," Snape warned.

"Then help me! I don't want her down here all night, and I most certainly don't want to be down here all night. I'm fucking tired!" I huffed, impatient.

Snape set the parchment down slowly and stared at me with piercing eyes.

I sighed. "Professor, please."

"Fine," he said, standing. "Wait here while I take her. Then I'll come back and get you. If anyone asks, it's a late night detention."

"Yes sir," I said, playing with him by saluting and standing at attention.

"And stop mocking me, Draco. You look like a fool," he added before closing the door quietly behind him.

"Maybe I am," I sighed, plopping down on the couch. My eyes trailed to the papers on the desk. "Oh, I SO am."

With that, I moved to the desk and began sifting through the contents of the documents. One roll of parchment caught my attention. It was laced in gold at the end and had a green ribbon wrapped around it. I reached for it when the door creaked. I quickly shoved it in my pocket and moved back to the couch. I would read it when I had no chance of being seen. After a few minutes, Snape returned, looking weary.

"Let's go," he said. "You're not the only one that's fucking tired."

"Don't YOU start mocking me," I said playfully.

Snape rolled his eyes and pushed me out the door. Soon enough, we were at the Slytherin portrait hole. It was much closer than the Gryffindor one. Snape murmured a password and I stepped in. Just before I closed the door, I turned to him.

"Thanks," I said sincerely. "You didn't have to do that."

"Do what?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow, but a small smile spread across his lips.

"Aw, you know," I said, beaming at him and closing the door. My scowl immediately returned-after all, even if I was basically a-wall when it came to anything anymore, I still had a reputation to keep. The school year was beginning to look a bit better.

(Ginny Weasley)

"Ginny, wake up! You're going to be late, and I'm not waiting for you any longer!"

Ugh. What a wonderful thing to hear first thing in the morning-Hermione chewing you out. My eyes fluttered open and I stared, exhausted.

"Huh? Herms?"

"Yes, Herms!" Hermione replied in that matter-of-fact tone she always had. "Now get up and get ready for class!"

I sighed and stood, my lower lip poking out in a pout. Hermione smiled at me, but still seemed to be in a frazzled hurry.

"You're worse than your brother," she replied.

"Which one?" I returned. "Cause no one is as bad as Percy in the mornings. He's like a dead rat. Smells like one too."

We both laughed.

"Go on," I said. "I don't want to keep you."

"That's sweet," Hermione said, "but I think I'll wait. I guess even someone like me can afford to be late once in awhile, huh?"

"Herms...?"

"Yes?"

I was so tempted to tell her of the past days, but I held it back and shook my head. "Nevermind."