Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, suckas. XD
Shards Of A Diamond
7/05 by Emerald Riddle
Chapter Nine: The Mission Begins
This is the year where hope fails you
The test subjects run the experiments
And the bastards you know, is the hero you hate
But chousing is possible if we strive
There's no reason, there's no lesson
No time like the present, telling you right now
What have you got to lose, what have you got to lose
Except your soul... who's with us!
The Pulse Of The Maggots by Slipknot
--..--..--
Potter, Draco thought seethingly, is an asshole.
He left the compartment in a huff, not wanting to damage his mission further. It was ridiculous, really, how Potter reacted. He was just trying to be civil. Sure, he would ultimately try to kill him and get his revenge- but Potter didn't know that. The only conclusion Draco could come to was that Potter was simply just naturally rude.
He frowned. How was he supposed to look inconspicuous while following Potter around when they couldn't even be in the same room without hexing each other? The Dark Lord was right- he couldn't be friends with him.
At least not easily.
Being "friends" with Potter was the best way to spy on him and make it seem natural, but it would take a lot of work. Months, weeks at the very least. It would take scheming and plotting and even more spying than necessary… but it would be worth it. Oh, would it be worth it! Just to see Potter's face as he is betrayed by someone he came to trust! Draco could not help but let a malicious looking grin slide onto his face.
He walked over to a compartment and slid the door open with confidence. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle waited for him.
"Draco," Pansy immediately squealed and ran into his arms. She tilted her head back to peck him on the lips.
"Hello, Pansy," He greeted, trying to conceal his sneer.
She led him over to the seats across from Crabbe and Goyle and nearly sat on his lap. There was silence for a few moments; Draco was unsure of what to say. Should he gloat about his new accomplishments? Should he rave about starting to learn the Unforgivables?
"I got a hair cut," he said smoothly.
Idiot.
Pansy blinked at his unchanged looking hair. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the compartment door opening. Blaise Zabini strode in, his customary calm look on his face and leaned against the wall.
"Hello Pansy, Draco." He completely ignored Crabbe and Goyle.
Not that they possessed the brains to know that, Draco thought sneeringly as he nodded his head in recognition to Blaise.
Blaise. He was admirable. Forever seeming calmness, all business, no simple-minded chat or frivolous gossip could ever come from him. Everything hr said had a reason behind it. He was the epitome of Slytherin cool, only seconding in respect to Theodore Nott. And that didn't add the fact that he was good-looking. Handsome, many girls thought. Draco was forced to agree with them.
"So, Draco," Blaise said as he sat down. "There is a lot of talk going around about this past summer."
Draco tried to appear nonchalant and shrugged.
Blaise raised an amused eyebrow. "About you. And they're not only about how often Ms. Parkinson over here has been visiting you."
Shit, Draco thought. The Parkinsons and his mother were already working out the details for his arranged marriage. It was a long time coming, and he was expected to purpose around his seventh year. Seeing as this was the beginning of his sixth, it was hard to be pleased.
When Draco remained silent, he continued. "There are also rumors about a certain mark on your arm."
Pansy gasped at the obvious accusation and Crabbe's and Goyle's eyes even widened a fraction. Draco's breath hitched, but as he maintained eye contact with Blaise, he worked to keep his facial features impassive.
"You should know out of all people, Zabini, that some rumors should stay just as that- rumors."
Blaise's lips (which, Draco noted, were shaped rather well) formed a thin line and he narrowed his eyes. The jab at his mother was one he could have done without.
"Besides," Draco continued before the other boy could respond. "I have no marks on my arms of particular value, and even if I did, it would be very unwise of you to speculate about such things."
The threat was veiled, but it was there and Zabini didn't broach the topic further.
What Draco said was the truth. There was no mark on his arm. At least not yet. He was due to get it around the Christmas holiday. Pansy leaned against him and lay her head on his lap lazily. She smiled dreamily at Blaise and Draco started to wonder if she was silently gloating or actually had a thing for the dark looking boy.
Mentally shrugging, he found he didn't much care. They were due to get married no matter what, and if she wanted to be stupid enough to waste her time fancying somebody else, she could go right ahead for all he cared.
"Draco," Blaise started, his voice with a twinge of wariness and something else Draco couldn't recognize. "Many people are conjecturing as to why you gave up your prefect post. Everyone thought you were a shoe-in for Head Boy."
That was a lie. Everyone thought the exact opposite. Why are you trying to charm me, Blaise? Draco wondered to himself, feeling slightly alarmed at the other boy's go at manipulation.
"I hadn't the time for walking about, taking points from snotty first years. I'd much rather be doing something productive in my last years at Hogwarts."
Pansy beamed at him.
"Oh, yeah? You never had a problem with it before," Blaise replied snappishly. Draco had the sudden thought that he wasn't mad at his response, but Pansy's.
Draco sneered and tangled his fingers in her hair. Pansy beamed again, but Draco kept his eyes on Blaise.
"Things change, Blaise. People change. I had fun while it lasted but now I have more important priorities," he said, eyeing Blaise's new prefect badge. Then he leaned over Pansy and kissed her, just for the hell of it.
When he looked back up, the other boy was glowering.
How odd of him to display so many emotions in one day. Girls make fools of even the most respectable, I suppose.
But Theodore Nott, he knew, wouldn't even bat an eyelash.
The rest of the trip went slowly. They ate a bit when the trolley came around, and chatted here and there about the school and new hexes. It was all very boring and Draco found that he wanted to get on with his mission as soon as possible. It was hard to refuse the urge to waltz back into Potter's compartment and stay no matter what any of them said or did.
It would certainly be a learning experience, he thought, snickering.
--..--..--
As the train slid to a halt Draco jumped out of his seat started rummaging through his trunk. Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy waited patiently for him. Blaise just left, looking back at the couple and narrowing his eyes. Draco waved them off and said he would meet them later. Pansy looked worried, Crabbe and Goyle just looked stupid. They left, leaving Draco holding up his invisibility cloak and smirking widely.
--..--..--
Draco swept into the carriage just as Weasley's robes disappeared inside. Granger was sitting next to him with a glazed, confused look on her face. It made Draco wonder if the Dark Lord had an Imperius put on her; possibly to watch him. He settled in a corner on Potter's side, making sure his cloak covered his feet before relaxing.
Potter was sitting stiffly, he noted, and was constantly pulling on his sleeves. Under his school robes were muggle clothes with long sleeves, also.
Thick-headed slob must be burning up, he mused.
Just before the carriage took off a red head poked into view.
Weaselette, he thought, regarding her.
She smiled brightly at Harry and sat next to him, chatting away. Draco struggled to hear some of her words.
"…have all healed then?"
Potter hesitated, then nodded. He was still acting stiffly and uncomfortably. "It was good that your father healed the rest of my face. I wouldn't want to know what the Slytherins would do with material like that."
Material like what?
Weaselette nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He would have done it in the first place, you know, you just never asked."
Potter's eyes widened suddenly and he shot a look at Granger. She opened her mouth to say something, then appeared to forget what it was, and the confused, but happy, look fell onto her face once again. It was most disturbing. Potter's eyebrows creased and Draco suddenly understood just how paranoid Potter was.
He's a lot skinnier than last year, he thought feeling mildly surprised. He wasn't aware that people could be skinnier than Potter was a few months ago. But by the jutting bones in his wrist and the way his skin was beginning to become translucent, he was. Draco concluded that he just wanted to look fit for his fans, and went a bit too far.
Really, Potter, it's called diet potions and exercise, not starving yourself stupid. Ah well, I suppose you couldn't get any thicker even if you tried. In fact, Weaselette doesn't seem to mind your boniness at all.
In fact, the Weasley girl was positively beaming at him. To untrained eyes one couldn't see her adoration, but Draco did and he was disgusted. Honestly, it was so obvious that she was just fawning over him because of his resident hero and celebrity status. Didn't Potter see that? She didn't love him! She loved his image!
An image decidedly fake, Draco silently snorted in his head.
Before long, the carriage was slowing down and Draco needed to curl himself up so that none of the Gryffindors would bump into him and decide something was amiss. As he saw the Weaselette's famous mane of red hair swing out of view he pulled off his cloak and followed them from a distance. Granger was unusually quiet and the Weasel was almost too cheerful. He grabbed her arm and smirked gloatingly, at least that made sense. Potter was subdued. He trailed behind them and stared determinedly at the stone floor of the Entry Hall.
What's wrong with Potter?
The female Weasel was nowhere to be seen.
The blond dully noted Pansy at his side and asking him where he had been and him automatically answering with "Nowhere." She looked at him suspiciously, which was strange in itself, but accepted the answer none-the-less. He still kept his eyes on Potter. It was interesting how much Potter changed as he strode into the Great Hall. His face brightened and a weird expression passed over his face… relief?
Why would he feel relieved?
It was another question that needed to be answered. Another goal in his mission.
A mission that was suddenly beginning to seem endless.
Suddenly Draco realized he was alone. Pansy was no longer by his side, in fact, she was walking towards the dungeons with Zabini tailing her. Even as he watched, she grabbed a handful of his robes and pulled him into a dark corner. Draco's eyes widened, then narrowed. Pansy was betraying him and his mother! Didn't she care what her parents would say?
But, he thought, a smile stretching over his features and scaring a few second years filing past him, I could get myself out of this marriage with a scandal this large. I just need to catch them in the act.
Draco took out his wand and snuck over to where he saw Pansy taking Blaise. He went unnoticed as dozens of students milled around him. Soon he was walking in the stone clad dungeon floor, making sure he made no sound as his dragon hide books hit the cobblestones. Voices were in the distance and he kept walking. He soon remembered his invisibility cloak and swept it around him.
"…Pansy?" Blaise asked sounding slightly annoyed.
Draco brought out his wand and murmured a spell under his breath. "Vox persigno." The tip of his wand illuminated a crimson red.
"I'll tell you what I want!" yelled Pansy, her voice trembling in fury, much to Draco's surprise.
"What I want is for you to stay away from my future husband!"
Draco blinked stupidly.
Eh?
Before Blaise could utter a word, Pansy stepped closer to him. "He's mine, Zabini, back off."
There was a minute of silence before-
"It's his choice, Parkinson. He's not married to you yet. I'm sure if he was to choose me, his mother would be more than happy-"
"This is not about wealth, Zabini!" Pansy screeched, her voice meeting a new high to which few humans and many dogs could probably hear.
Explains a lot, Draco thought, looking at her pug nose.
"It's about respect and blood!" she continued, still screeching furiously.
Blaise gave her an eerie smile after wincing at the sound of her voice. "Everything is about wealth, Parkinson. Everything."
"If I want Draco and I have the proper funds and family heritage, then I could easily have him." But he hesitated after that.
"…But he needs to want you back," Pansy finished triumphantly. She looked positively gleeful. "And he doesn't want you back, does he Blaise? He wants me! He has always wanted me and now he's going to get me!"
Blaise looked disgusted. Draco agreed wholeheartedly with the gesture.
"He doesn't want you! Who in their right mind could want you?"
Again, Draco agreed with Blaise.
A resounding Clap! told Draco Pansy had smacked him across the face.
A few moments passed before she finally replied. It was one of the most cruel whispers he had ever heard her utter.
"And who in their right mind would want a pouf with a gold-digging whore of a mother? Draco sure as hell wouldn't."
They both stood facing each other, fuming. Draco could tell this was either going to end soon or they were going to start sending curses. He wouldn't want to be stuck there in case of either, so he hurriedly muttered "Dirimo Persigno" and hurried off to dinner.
Just before he got out of the dungeons he remembered to whisk off his cloak and stuff it in his pocket. He could hear McGonagall talking to the first years nearby, so he rushed into the Great Hall and took his seat beside Crabbe and Goyle. They looked at him stupidly as he bit the inside of his cheek and thought.
Okay, Blaise is a pouf and he wants me. He doesn't want Pansy, but she knows he wants me and now she's trying to get him away. And then there's Potter who wants to hex my face off, with the Dark Lord who'll-
He shuddered.
"Oh, Merlin," Draco moaned, scrubbing his face with his hands. When had his life become so ungodly complicated?
A few minutes later, Pansy showed up and commanded Goyle to "move the fuck over right now" and sat next to him. Blaise sneered at her sat across from Draco. Draco stared at him.
He wants me.
Pansy began talking, her mood supposedly lightened by having her "future husband" by her side. He pretended to be listening while he was really examining Blaise.
He wants me.
Me.
A boy.
Draco couldn't get it out of his head that another boy wanted him, wanted to be married to him, none-the-less! It was mind numbing. Draco looked over at Blaise again.
And he's good looking, too.
Then…
What if I wanted him back?
Blaise glanced at him and raised his eyebrows at Pansy's constant gibber.
What if I wanted him back? What would it be like to "be" with a guy? What it be like to kiss him, to date him, to have sex with him? What if I didn't have to stare at Pansy's face when I got married? What if it was a boys'? Would I choose a good looking guy over an ugly girl?
Looking between them, Draco had to say, yes.
Yes, I would. Does that mean I'm gay?
Then another realization-
It makes so much sense now. Blaise wasn't jealous of me, he was jealous of Pansy. Draco has the sudden strange desire to laugh. And this summer, when I was staring at Pansy's father, Adonis, I was attracted to him!
But does that mean…
That I'm gay?
Somebody was tugging on his robes. It was Pansy.
"Draco, darling, aren't you going to eat?" she asked him in a disgustingly sweet voice.
He looked at her accusingly (You made me gay!) before realizing that the sorting had already begun and finished, and that there were now plates upon plates of food on the four house tables. He went to pick up some potatoes and his hand brushed another's. Blaise's. Draco's hand twitched and he felt the heat rise up in his face as Blaise winked at him. Pansy saw this. She glared at Blaise and took it upon herself to serve Draco all his food that night.
Draco ate little. His mind was wandering from one thing to another at a rapid rate. First to Pansy, then to Blaise, then to his sexual preferences (or if he had any at all), then his mind somehow ended up with Potter and how the hell was he ever going to complete his mission?
He was most unsatisfactory in keeping his appetite during the Welcoming Feast.
But Draco had a job to do, who needed food? He could always go down to the kitchens later. Instead of eating he sought out Potter at the Gryffindor table. He was grinning at his friends and picking at his plate. He didn't seem to have much of an appetite, either. What he did seem to do a lot, and Draco was beginning to get peeved by it, was tug at his sleeves.
For Gods sake! What the hell is he trying to do? Trying to make sure the Weaselette doesn't crawl up his robes? Potter, you're a moron.
The mudblood Granger was staring at the ceiling in awe, a dreamy wide-eyed look on her face. It made Draco desperately want to smack her with his Nimbus. What the hell were those Gryffindors on? Floo powder?
During his rage and shock, he just barely noticed that Dumbledore had risen to give his yearly speech. All the food disappeared from the plates and even from the small morsel of pudding on Draco's spoon.
Finally going to announce that you're now shagging students in exchange for Lemon Drops? Or maybe it's the other way around… Oh! I know! You're selling the Golden Boy for five Cockroach Custards a night! What a wonderful deal!
His scowling, sarcastic thoughts were relentless. Some frankly ridiculous while others were bluntly vicious. But with the way the world was suddenly acting, he felt they deserved every seething remark. Still, he tuned in to the Headmaster's speech when an unknown adult stood up, dressed in a dark traveling cloak with a hood covering his facial features.
"… So I would like to introduce you to our new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alastor Moody."
Everyone's head immediately swiveled toward the stooped figure who was now lowering his hood and all that remembered him from two years previous gasped. Whispers immediately broke out, and while Draco stared at his new professor, he felt something that tasted suspiciously like bile rise in his throat.
"Draco Malfoy," Weasley yelled out laughingly. "The Amazing Bouncing Ferret shall return!"
The Gryffindors roared with laughter, and so did most of the Hufflepuffs and a few Ravenclaws. He heard a Slytherin snort, and was consequently quieted with a death glare.
"Yes, yes, that will be all Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said, his eyes were twinkling madly and the students stopped talking instantly. "Professor Moody will be staying with us for the remainder of term, then he will be going back to his quiet retirement."
More talk broke out at this news, louder this time. Draco understood why. A teacher staying for only a term? Ridiculous! Why apply at all? But then again, the fall term was the longest. He wondered briefly who was going to take the job after Moody left.
The Headmaster went on to say that, as always, the Forbidden forest was just that, Forbidden (even as he smiled benignly at his golden boy). He also announced that that everything from the Weasley Wizard Wheezes were banned on Caretaker Filch's list. Draco snorted. As if that ever stopped anyone.
"But the one thing I want you to remember most of all," Dumbledore said solemnly, "is that you need to stick together. Lord Voldemort is back, as so many of you should now know, and if we don't stay strong and reach out to others we normally don't, then we might not have another chance."
Draco didn't understand nor care what the Headmaster said that day. One day he might wish he did.
Everyone was getting up to leave. The prefects all called to their house members to whisper the password or escort confused first years to their house. Blaise brushed by Draco and grabbed him by the arm. "The password is 'house unity'," he whispered. Draco trembled slightly at the sensation of a pair of lips near his ear. He had no time to contemplate it, however, as Pansy roughly dragged him away.
--..--..--
It was dark in the dorm room. Draco sealed his curtains around his bed and cast a privacy charm around it. Then he settled down on his bed with his wand in hand. He brought the tip toward his mouth.
"Vox Audio."
The tip of his wand shone a light blue and suddenly sounds erupted from it.
"I'll tell you what I want!"
"What I want is for you to stay away from my future husband!"
It was Pansy's voice, filled with fury and sounding screechy.
"He's mine, Zabini, back off."
Then Blaise's voice cut in. His voice was smooth, mocking, and had a hint of a challenge in it.
"It's his choice, Parkinson. He's not married to you yet. I'm sure if he was to choose me, his mother would be more than happy-"
My mother would be more than happy, Draco realized with a start.
"This is not about wealth, Zabini!"
Pansy was wrong. In fact, the whole point to the marriage arrangement between them was about wealth.
"It's about respect and blood!"
She was only a little correct there. It was always easy to buy respect and cover your bloodlines. It really was all about the money, actually.
"Everything is about wealth, Parkinson. Everything."
Draco respected the fact that Blaise was so blunt with the truth. He didn't hide behind delusions like Pansy did, he worked out what he wanted and found the best way to get it.
He wants me.
He wants my family name.
He wants my money.
But he also wants me.
Draco was seriously considering it. Should he take Zabini? Give up one fiancé for another? I'll ride him out, he decided. If he didn't like Blaise, or being gay, he'll just drop it and never look back.
If only it was that easy.
The sound of a voice muttering "Dirimo Persigno" made Draco realize he missed the last of the conversation and he mentally berated himself for his constant drifting away. He found that ever since the summer, he been doing it increasingly.
Draco yawned and took off the enchantments from his bed. He was tired and he knew he probably had a long day ahead of him tomorrow.
--..--..--
Draco Malfoy sat on the cold, stone floor of the dungeon. He had a wand out and the tip was an almost blinding shade of red. Gryffindor red. Harry Potter was next to him, smiling. Draco thought it very odd for Potter to be smiling, but it was also somehow… nice. It was nice to be smiled at by a hero. By a popular good-guy hero.
But soon the smile turned into a scowl and Potter was pointing at Draco's wand and yelling furiously. Then something strange happened. Draco's face fell off.
Pansy was suddenly sitting in front of him, holding the dislocated face in her hands and beaming. She had a huge diamond ring on one of her fingers and she was saying that he had to love her if he gave her that ring. That the ring would protect her so much more if he loved her. But then she dropped the face onto the floor and looked dangerous.
She was saying that he didn't love her. That he was bribing her. She was saying that he loved Snape, that he only protected Snape and that he was hiding inside the ring. She threw the ring to the floor and Snape burst out from the shattered pieces. He hugged Pansy for a moment before rounding on Draco. He said when a diamond engagement ring broke, he loved another person, and he only wanted to protect that person with the ring's ancient powers. He betrayed the person he was promised to!
Draco spoke for the first time and asked who he loved if he didn't love Pansy. Snape sneered coldly at him and gave him his face back.
"Yourself."
--..--..--
Draco woke up in a cold sweat. Wet tendrils of hair was plastered to his face and his pajamas stuck to his body uncomfortably. It was most unpleasant. He waited a few moments, the dream still buzzing around in his brain. The panic and horror slowly dwindled and he got out of bed shakily.
"Hello, Draco," a voice from behind him calmly greeted.
Draco couldn't help it, he jumped.
"Oh. Hello, Blaise. Up a little early, aren't we?" Draco asked, trying to get the upper hand.
The dark haired boy merely shrugged. His eyes were traveling up and down his length. "Nightmare?" he asked. There was no concern in that voice, but no mocking tone either.
Draco just blinked, trying to regain his composure.
"Happens to the best of us," he said smoothly, looking slightly interested in Draco's current mussed state.
Draco sneered. "It was nothing, Zabini. Actually, not such a bad dream as one that just took a lot out of me."
He then stretched, making sure his pajama shirt rose enough so that a patch of pale skin was clearly visible under his navel.
Blaise swallowed, staring at the spot even after it was recovered by the silk shirt.
Draco smirked at him, yawned, and went off to take a shower. As much fun as it was teasing Blaise, it was all still rather strange to him. He suppose he should take it slow.
The dream was forgotten in the rush to get ready for the first day of term
--..--..--
"Ooohhh! Draco! I have your timetable!" Pansy exclaimed, shoving it under his nose.
During the summer all the students going to sixth year had to pick out which classes they wanted and which they didn't. Draco didn't find the decisions very difficult. He took up potions, of course, which he got an "O" in. He also took up Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against The Dark Arts. He dropped Care of Magical Creatures (useless, in his opinion) and History of Magic (too boring). After some thought he took up Astronomy and Herbology, which could seriously help in Potions and make it easier and more second nature to him. (It was his mother's decision, obviously.)
Pansy took most of the same classes as him, for the exception of Defense and Potions, because she was useless atthem and failed both. She also kept up with Divination, which Draco never thought was worth taking in the first place (even after she had begged him to take it up every chance she got).
"We have Charms this morning," Blaise read off of Draco's timetable behind his back.
Draco stiffened. What the hell was he doing sneaking back there?
"We have most of the same classes," he went on. "Only I have History of Magic and Arithmancy. I was really thinking about dropping Charms, but it has its uses occasionally."
Draco stared at him. Since when did Blaise become such a chatterbox?
A black eagle owl suddenly swooped down toward him, a letter clutched in its razor sharp talons. It landed gracefully on the table in front of Draco and extended its leg. Dracotook the letter and it immediately flew off. Everyone stared at him. Snape's black piercing gaze especially. Draco quickly shovedthe letterinto his robes and told Blaise and Pansy that they should be getting to class.
The two nodded, Blaise was looking suspicious and Draco didn't like it. Crabbe and Goyle followed them off to class. How they managed to pass boggled Draco. Probably cheated, he mused. The more he thought of it the more sense it made that they cheated using his work. They both had the same classes as him, after all.He smirked. Maybe they weren't as stupid as some people thought.
He noticed that Potter was walking behind him with Granger and Weasley. It seemed he would have yet another opportunity to spy on the Boy-Who-Lived and his little Gryffindor fans. Draco smirked before remembering the letter in his pocket. It seemed to burn a hole into his side. He would have to read it later, and find a safe place to do so at that. But where?
A/N: I've had this written for hours, but decided to be a right eejit during the whole "edit document" period. Bugger. Anyhow, I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I felt I drew it out enough. As sick of Harry as many of you probably are, his part in the story is really very important at the moment. I did miss writing Draco, though. I wrote that snark like I was starving ;D Yes, a lot of it is corny. Sorry. I'll need to get over that.
Now, as for reviews... I like hearing random thoughts and silly theories. It doesn't matter, really. I'm beginning to get a bit put out by the number of reviews, though. I've seen stories less well written than this, in their second chapter, and only a few paragraphs long get more reviews than this entire story. Sad, eh? Yeah. I know. I wouldn't mind a few people explaining why, though I have a few theories of my own.
Zesty: Aw, thanks for the wonderful review ;) Yes, longer chapters. It's definitely going to be around fifteen pages now instead of ten. Give or take a few. For instance, this one is only about fourteen while the other was what... eighteen? Piers. Hmmm. I have a few plans for Piers, yes. Not letting that go quite yet, though. Haha, I thought that was a great line too. Couldn't resist, even if it was sorta OOC.
Silver Angel 7: Yeah, I've always been planning the gift-giving scene. I don't think Harry will notice any huge changes in his vault, but I can tell you that he should probably be more careful. Galleons don't grow on trees. Not evenin the wizarding world. Yes, the ring is quite strange, isn't it? You'll be learning more about it soon enough, though, I can't say all the information will be strictly coming from Whitehall. Ah. Hermione. I miss writing her. I think her personality is shoving itsway through Blaise and Luna though. Heh. So very like her. Well, you're close, I'llgive you that. I find it strange that nobody has guessed the real reason by now, though.
Devil's Sporn: Thanks! Hmmm... I don't believe Luna has yet to realize Ginny's jealousy. She knows a lot, but she hasn't been around much, admittedly. As for Ginny being jealous of the ring... I think she realized a few things since the train ride. You'll understand later, hopefully.
Touya4me: I'm still trying to get over how much your penname is so much like my natural surname. Quite strange, really. Anyway, thanks! I hope this was soon enough for you!
SylvarThorne: I think it's great that you read it through. Pleases me a lot that somebody would use a chunk of their day to read one of my stories. Very flattering. Thank you! Your wish is my command ;)
Let me also point out to all readers that this is a Draco chapter, so it is filled with his biased, childish opinions and assumptions. He's an arse. Get over it. Take it how you wish. If you want to believe Ginny is hero-worshipping Harry because Draco says so, go ahead. Things will be fixed in future chapters (though not all of his brain, sadly), I promise you. And yes, I do love Draco. I love him because- well, we shan't get into that, shall we?