Traitoress

Thawing of Ice

Ginny stepped into the bedroom. Like everything else at Malfoy Manor, it was majestic and richly decorated. Malfoy followed her in.

"You know your way back to the main wing of the house, Weasley?" he asked.

She turned on him and, her eyes spitting fire, hissed, "One, I’m not a Weasley, and two, it’s GINNY. Yes, I think I can find my way!"

He backed off, raising his eyebrows. "Whatever you say, Weasley."

She whipped out her wand, shouted a curse that he couldn’t hear and he found himself flying through the air, out of the door just as it slammed shut. He hit the wall of the corridor, and jumped to his feet, rubbing the back of his head. He walked up to the door and knocked. There was no reply.

"You do know it’s extremely rude to use a curse on your host, Weasley?" he asked and he heard a small laugh from inside. He shook his head and walked off down the corridor.

- - - - -

"He’s coming," Harry hissed and Hermione pointed her wand at the bed, neatening up the sheets and pillows.

Ron opened the tent flap and came inside, brushing the snow off his arms and stamping his feet. "Alright, Harry?" he asked. He looked at Hermione, blushed furiously, and backed away, clearly remembering the scene when he’d returned yesterday. He whispered in a tiny voice, "Alright, Hermione?"

She gave him a scathing look. "Did you hear something, Harry?"

Harry looked between his two friends, and felt sick to his stomach as he realised how much he’d complicated things by sleeping with Hermione. More importantly, he realised he was going to have to tell Ron about it at some point. He swore mentally, then replied, "Um…I think Ron might have said something…" he met her gaze, desperately trying to tell her to keep quiet about the two of them.

Evidently, she got the message, as she grabbed her beaded bag, withdrew a book from it and curled up on the bed they’d both lain on together only an hour ago.

"Night, Harry," Ron said, and as he walked past Harry towards the bathroom, he added quietly, "Thanks for sticking up for me, mate."

Swearing silently again, Harry replied, "No problem." Oh, shit.

- - - - -

Ginny entered the dining room at Malfoy Manor, and all conversation ceased for a moment as she walked in. It was restarted very quickly but she could still see Death Eaters staring at her awkwardly and putting bags on chairs next to them.

Suddenly there was a tight hand on her shoulder and foul breath in her face, and a voice growled, "You smell delicious, Weasley…"

"Get off me, Greyback," she hissed. The hand didn’t move and he moved his other hand onto her cheek.

"You would be a wonderful meal…"

"I said, GET OFF!" she shouted and pulled her wand out and in the next second Greyback lay on the floor, writhing in agony. "What am I?" she asked him.

"Not food," he moaned and then yelped as she gave him a short dose of the cruciatus curse.

"Very good," she replied, and released him. She looked up and down the table, and saw Malfoy sitting at one end by himself. He looked up at her and jerked his head at the seat opposite him.

She slid into the seat, and he looked up and smiled. "That’s a surprising welcome," she commented. "I got a smile - the first ever, probably."

He smiled again. "I’ve been thinking about what you said - about your family and that - and I realised that you never answered my question - about why you dated Potter?"

She laughed. "It wasn’t on the Dark Lord’s orders; he only told me to get close to Potter. But he didn’t notice me until I started to make out that I liked him, so I did what I had to do."

Malfoy was studying her with his fingertips pressed against each other and biting his lip. "What?" she asked, a small smile playing around her lips.

"It’s nothing."

"Go on!" she said playfully, in a good mood.

"I…I don’t know what to think about you," he confessed. "Just last summer, you were dating my enemy and were a Weasley…now you’re blasting werewolves out of your way and a Death Eater."

She shrugged. "I’ve always been a Death Eater, just never had the Dark Mark. How stupid would you have to be to give me a Dark Mark with Mrs Weasley watching you?" she asked, then added as an afterthought, "Oh, and Dumbledore."

He spluttered with laughter and she joined in. A few Death Eaters looked at them oddly, but no one spoke to them and they continued with their meal.

"So, how did you find out you were adopted?" Malfoy asked conversationally, scooping up some ravioli as he noticed Ginny freeze. "Weasley?" he asked, but she didn’t move. "Ginny?"

She blinked and shook herself at the sound of her name, but she knew he had noticed her lapse. She reached for her drink of wine and he noticed she was shaking. "Ginny?" he asked again. "Do you really think you should be drinking? You look awful." She was deadly pale and was swaying slightly in her chair.

"I’m fine!" she snapped and downed the glass quickly. She shuddered and said quickly, "You used my name, Malfoy."

He had noticed her change of the subject, but he moved on and said, "Sure, but you should do the same for me."

"Whatever, Draco," she laughed and he almost missed the tremor in her voice.