Fire and Ice

A Trio of Interferers

Where is she?

Draco paced back and forth in the Slytherin locker rooms, agitatedly running his fingers through his hair. Ginny never struck him as somebody who was ever late.

Suddenly, Draco heard numerous voices, voices he recognised with a scowl. What in Merlin is she doing?

"The Slytherin locker rooms, Gin? Really?"

"Why couldn't you talk to us someplace else, Ginny?"

"It smells really badly in here, guys..."

"Oh shut up, the lot of you. We're gonna be all alone here, so I figured this is the best place."

Taking the hint, Draco raced into a locker (his locker, ironically) and shut it behind him. He growled silently when he saw three Gryffindors enter his locker room, through the slits of the locker.

"So, Gin," Granger said brightly, after casting a spell that annoyingly sent a lovely scent through the room. "What did you want to talk about?"

"This," Ginny replied, taking the sheet Draco found in the chest out of her robes and placing it in the bench in front of them. Their identical faces of shocked made Draco bite down on his fist to refrain from snickering.

"What... where..." Granger stuttered. You think you're so smart and mighty, Granger. But no one can outsmart a Malfoy.

"That doesn't matter," Ginny said shortly. "What matters is that you three are up to something, and it involves my life!" she glared. Mm. Draco liked this angry, feisty Ginny.

Clearly, Ron didn't.

Backing towards the dark green walls, Ron raised his hands in surrender. "Now, Gin, don't get mad-"

"I will get mad!" she snarled, and Draco nearly whooped in laughter when he saw that spark of amusement in her fiery eyes. She was getting angry for Draco's entertainment, he realised with a toothy grin.

"And," she added angrily, "I found out that the three of you(!)" glaring at Potter and Granger, "have been doing some dangerous shit with Snape, which you have neglected to inform me about!"

Snape? She must've found that bit of information today, Draco mused.

"Ginny," Hermione began weakly, "we only do it to keep you safe-"

With a start, Draco recoiled in his tiny locker when the spark of amusement in her eyes became sparks of fury.

"Safe?" Ginny hissed, and Draco knew that Hermione had hit a nerve. Ginny sagged onto a bench, her head in her hands.

"No-!" Granger spluttered, panting with anxiety. Draco frowned when he noticed that Potter hadn't said a single word, and had been instead observing Ginny thoughtfully.

Raising her head, Ginny stared at Hermione. "What happened the last time you didn't tell me things, to keep me safe?" Ginny asked softly.

"You were kidnapped." Ron said in a strangled voice. Granger closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they had tears in them. When was Gin kidnapped?! It suddenly hit Draco how little he knew about Ginny, and vice versa.

"Gin," she began shakily, taking Ginny's hands. "We're sorry, we really are. We'll explain everything, right now."

"Shoot," Ginny said, leaning back and slipping her hands out of Hermione's grip. She turned towards Draco to move her hair out of her face, and when she did, winked at him. She grinned back, knowing full well that she couldn't see, but grinning anyway. Ginny had that affect on him.

"We've been working undercover for the Order for the past couple years, and- wait, you know this," Granger mumbled. "Basically, there's about one hundred and eighty future Death Eaters in our year, alone, right? We've been told by Professor Dumbledore about them, what they may try, who they may target, etc..."

ONE HUNDREN AND EIGHTY FUTURE DEATH EATERS! Draco had no idea. It struck him shocking how much information the trio knows. Draco had always thought them as interfering and annoying, yet here they are, doing undercover missions for the... Order? Order what? Shaking his head, he continued to listen.

"...you were one of the main targets, because You-Know-Who-"

Ginny gasped. "You-Know-Who? I thought Lucius Malfoy was after me?! It said on your sheet-"

"Yeah, we thought that too," Granger interrupted, "-but it doesn't make sense." Mirroring Draco's words that he said a thousand years ago, Granger said "if Lucius Malfoy wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Their family is very influential."

Ginny coughed, and Draco knew why. It was almost like hearing Draco speak, regurgitated through Granger's mouth.

"But yes," Granger continued. "We needed to keep tabs on you. It was clear from the day that Calen Soshry's sleeve caught fire that somebody with a Death-Eater past is after you, presumably following You-Know-Who's orders. And we know who it is."

"Who?" Ginny spluttered, "Evenry Valance? I knew-"

"No. Draco Malfoy."