Unhinged

Chapter 8

Over the next few days, Ginny did a lot of sleeping and would only get up to have some water or make an attempt to eat. By the third day Hermione finally got the incantation to work and performed it on Ginny's wound and soon she was able to take off the sling. When Ginny was resting the rest of them just kept to themselves. Harry and Ron played a few games of wizard's chess that Draco had in his room. Hermione read book after book from the Malfoy library. When Draco first showed her the library she was like a kid in a candy shop. Draco just sat deep in thought the whole time. He read also and even played Harry and Ron a few times in chess.

It was the evening of the fourth day and they were all laying sprawled out in Draco's bedroom in front of the fire. Hermione had a book in her hand but was just flipping through it. Harry and Ron sat playing chess but were more just pushing pieces around absent-mindedly. Draco was just sitting there looking into the fire.

"Hey, guys?"

They all turned at the sound of Ginny's voice. Hermione got up and walked over to her.

"Hey Ginny, how are you feeling?"

"A lot better now that this wound is almost healed," she said sitting up.

"You say that now, but I gave you the last of the sleeping potion from Madame Pomfrey so later you might not be saying the same thing." Hermione gave her a small smile.

"Ha, yeah; I need to get up and try and walk. My body is killing me from lying in this bed," she said, taking Hermione's hand and trying to stand up.

Hermione helped her walk over to the couch to sit down. Draco turned his attention from the fire to the redhead next to him. She was pale and looked so weak, he looked down at the floor when a feeling of guilt came over him.

"Thanks, Hermione."

Silence filled the room. It was completely quiet with just the sound of the fire crackling. Ginny looked around at them all. She couldn't stand how quiet it was. Every time she was awake for a little while it was always just a heavy silence that drove her insane.

"Can somebody say or do something" she suddenly said. "If this poison is going to kill me, I really don't want my last few days to be boring as hell." she joked.

They all looked at each other. They were a bit taken aback by the way she addressed such a grave and sensitive subject. Harry and Ron couldn't help the small laughs that slipped out and soon Draco and Hermione gave a small smirk also.

"Well, what do you suggest we do? It's not like you're up to par when it comes to activities," Ron joked.

A smile crept across Ginny's face. "No, but I do enjoy watching good entertainment."

"So then what do you suggest?" Draco asked her.

She turned to face him. She looked into his eyes and her smile grew wider. "Well, we are at Malfoy Manor, surely we can think of something."

Draco thought for a second and then an idea came to him. "Alright then, follow me," He said getting up abruptly. They all followed him; Ginny holding onto her brother for support.

They made their way down the grand staircase and Ron picked Ginny up and carried her down. They followed Draco down a long hall and came to a pair of large wooden doors. He turned both knobs and threw open both doors.

"Welcome to the Malfoy Ballroom" he said with a smirk on his face.

They all stood there in awe. The ballroom was gigantic. It had a grand chandelier in the middle that sparkled so brightly it almost blinded them when Draco turned on the lights. There was a stage at the far end and hundreds of tables all around them. There was a large polished wooden dance floor in the center under the chandelier. There was a gorgeous fireplace on the far side next to the dance floor with great big Victorian looking couches that were black and silver.