Of Blood and Bone

All is not lost

A/N: This fic has been in the works for years upon years and I have amended and re-written so much of it as new canon was published. It is AU.

Ginny was livid. Ron's highhandedness had reached an all new level. So she took to the train corridor to try and walk of her anger. She was sixteen not six and it was high time he realized that. She'd made it all the way down the train and almost halfway up again when she was thrown into the wall as the train lurched to a stop and the alarm blared. Collecting herself, Ginny pushed to her feet with her wand in hand; ready to face whatever was threatening the train. She slid along the wall and saw that the nearest compartments were filled with first and second years, judging by their size. Mentally she cursed; there was no way that they could defend themselves. She was so intent on watching the smaller students that the group of Death Eaters took her by surprise, but not for long. She jolted and got it together flinging every curse she could remember at them. She took half a second to thank the gods that there were only four in this group. Two fell but the last two didn't seem to be affected no matter what she used. She didn't take time to ponder just where in the fuck everyone was, she did the only thing she could and continued flinging curses.

One of the Death Eaters moved so fast that she felt her stomach being ripped open before she realized he was on her. The second pushed him aside and Ginny registered the fangs before everything went black.

-DBG-

Harry, Ron and Hermione heard the alarms go off and immediately ran into the corridor; flinging hexes and curses as they went seeing as the corridor was already overrun with Death Eaters. They fought towards the centre of the train, collecting older students as they went. What they saw up ahead shocked all three of them. They pushed through the crowds to try and stop whatever that creature was doing to Ginny. Her hair was all that was immediately visible but easily identifiable. But they could only stand there stunned when they noticed her abdomen was torn open and from the looks of it, healing itself. Two blurs flew through the air and did what they hadn't been able to do.

-DBG-

The small number of seventh year Slytherins that had returned were far different than anyone could have guessed. For far too long they'd been forced to glamour their appearances. But, with their father's deaths while in service of that monster they'd called master, the Slytherins no longer cared to follow any of their directives.

Draco and Blaise were reclining together and idly plaiting one another's waist length hair. Long gone were the days of caring what Dumbledore though of them. With them taking control of the family companies and vaults, they were the richest wizards in Britain if not in all of Europe.

Draco looked up from Blaise's chocolate brown hair to snicker when he realized just what Pansy and Theo were doing across from them. "Get a room," he said teasingly as he dropped the long braid over Blaise's shoulder before brushing a quick kiss on his cheek.

Blaise grinned and replied in kind, dropping Draco's completed braid, far too interested in other activities.

Pansy hissed, literally. She didn't bother to move from Theo's lap or even turn when she retorted. She didn't fear Draco and Blaise as most would. She was like a sister to them and knew all their secrets. So she was more than comfortable saying, "Shove off, Draco. It's nothing you haven't seen before. Or that you've not done in front of us before."

The train lurched slightly and they smelled the Death Eaters before they saw them.

"Fuck he brought lycans!" Draco was on his feet, Blaise at his side, in the blink of an eye.

"We're the only ones capable of fighting them," Tracey said as she drew a boot knife and her short sword.

The train jolted to a stop and the alarm sounded.

Pansy hissed again, drawing her fighting knives. "Let's go. It matters not what they brought. We'll kick their sorry arses."

Draco and Blaise exchanged an amused look before drawing their own boot knives, not bothering with wands they didn't need. They were lycans, each and every one of them. They were all vampires as well. It had been forced on them years ago in hopes of creating the perfect army for the Dark Lord. The thing was none actually wanted to join. But, they weren't going to fight with Dumbledore and Potter either. What they would do was protect those loyal to them.

"We go towards the middle," Draco and Blaise said together.

"The first and second years," Theo said with a low growl.

"Exactly," Daphne spat. "Any others we save along the way would go a long way in our favour."

"Just go," Draco and Blaise growled, shoving into the hall.

With inborn grace and speed thanks to their part-human status they ripped through the crowds. They used their weapons with the precision and expertise of long practice and were mere blurs to the students they passed, taking out every Death Eater they came across before most registered just who it was that saved them.

With twin roars of outrage, Draco and Blaise sheathed their knives and jumped forward. Together they literally ripped the arms off of the vampire leaning over a student they had recognized immediately and realized probably wasn't going to be too terribly pleased about her new status. The battle rage that had overtaken them quickly disappeared and the lycan followed the vampire over their shoulders. Neither bothered with checking; knowing full well Pansy, Theo, Daphne, and Tracey would finish them off. Instead they dropped to their knees simultaneously and set about doing whatever they had to in order to save the witch that had become a part of them without her ever knowing it.

-DBG-

Ron screamed in outrage. "Do something!"

Harry and Hermione turned to protect the decidedly odd group and realized that the Aurors and Order had arrived. They both knew Ron hadn't meant anything more than getting the Slytherins away from Ginny, but what he didn't seem to understand was that they had saved her while the three of them stood back watching horrified. It didn't sit well with either of them.

Ron didn't want to think of what was going to happen to Ginny now. He'd seen her mauled stomach heal itself when that disgusting creature did something they couldn't see. Then he realized that his parents were going to be furious. He stepped forward, only to stop when Pansy Parkinson stepped in front of him before he truly knew she was anywhere near.

"Stay back," Pansy hissed, pointing her swords at his chest. "Let Draco and Blaise help her."

Ron knew he couldn't let them touch her and would have shoved past her if not for Harry and Hermione's restraining hands. He could now see the twin punctures on her neck.

"Let them help her," Hermione whispered. "They may be able to save her."

Incredulous as the thought was, Harry heard himself agreeing. "I don't know what those things were that attacked her but Malfoy and Zabini seem to know what to do to help Ginny. We don't have time to get anyone else here."

Pansy sneered. "Those things," she replied nastily. "I'd be careful, Potter, because she just became one of those things you find so disgusting."

-DBG-

Draco and Blaise ran their hands over Ginny's now healed stomach to assure themselves that everything had healed properly. They opened their mind link, thankful it was one of the lycan abilities; they'd never needed it more than they did now.

"We have to do it."

"I know that, Blaise!"

"She may hate us," Blaise said reluctantly.

"We can't let her die," Draco spat unnecessarily.

"I know but what are the odds that she'll understand."

"Just do it."

They locked eyes, knowing that it was quite possible that the one witch that had caught their attention would hate them further after they did this. Incredibly, Ginny Weasley had caught their eye and neither particularly cared what her name was, just that she called to them as no one had save for each other. With twin sighs of resignation, they did a slight shift and each sliced a wrist before holding both above Ginny's mouth, hoping they weren't too late.

Dimly, they heard Weasley screaming for them to stop, but knew that Ginny wouldn't survive long enough to explain why they had to do this. That prat would just have to deal with the repercussions.

-DBG—

Charlie, Fred, and George pushed through the crowds of students in the corridors. The surviving Death Eaters were on their way to Azkaban and they wanted to find Ron and Ginny.

"Fuck, what the hell happened here?" Fred asked; pointing to the Death Eaters that were littering the area. Most were beheaded. Blood was splattered on the walls, floor and frankly every inch of the corridor. Whatever had happened, someone hadn't worried about doing it neatly.

"Someone's not forgotten how to fight with blades," Charlie said, sounding slightly awed.

"Slytherins," George explained. "I saw them practicing out near the forest one time. They were fast, accurate, and I was reluctantly impressed. I guess this means the rumours are true and they aren't the good little minions some thought they were."

Whatever reply the other two would have made was cut off as they heard Ron's screeching. All three broke into a run, the students parting before them seeming to understand their urgency.

They slid to a stop in time for George and Charlie to each grab Ron with one hand, holding him back.

Charlie's jaw dropped as he looked over his shoulder to see what Ron was so upset about. He saw the oddly-dressed, long haired Slytherins protectively circled around what looked to be Malfoy and Zabini who were leaning over someone.

"What is going on?" Fred asked.

Hermione sighed and whispered, "Ginny was attacked. Malfoy and Zabini saved her and now they're doing what they have to do so she doesn't die."

"They're making her a vampire! You have to stop them!" Ron screeched wildly.

Fred and George shared a look and together they left Ron to Charlie and knelt near Ginny's feet as the Slytherins parted again to let them past. They weren't as horrified at the sight of the blood flowing into Ginny's mouth as Ron was. They wanted her alive, no matter what had to be done to make that happen.

"Will she be okay?" George asked hesitantly.

Draco's head whipped around and he speared them with a look that would have had most running fast and far. The twins however didn't move. "She was attacked by a were-leopard and a vampire so I guess that all depends on your definition of okay."

The twins held their hands up hoping to stave off an attack. They both saw the slit eyes of a cat that Malfoy levelled at them. They also saw Zabini running a hand through Ginny's hair with far more gentleness than they had known existed in the dark-haired Slytherin. They, like the rest of the Slytherins gathered around, were all but covered in blood which only confirmed their suspicions about who had taken care of the majority of the Death Eaters.

"We don't care," they said together. "Just as long as she survives."

Blaise spoke so softly that they had to strain to hear him. "She'll not be welcomed by the rest of your family now; especially the idiot behind us."

Draco laid a soothing hand on Blaise's shoulder. "We'll deal with it as it comes."

Fred and George exchanged a surprised look. So that was the way of it then? "Just do what you have to do. We'll help you explain it to Ginny."

All four had tuned out Ron's ravings out of long habit. Their sole concern was Ginny.

Ginny jolted; causing all four wizards to freeze not daring scare her further. Blaise didn't move his hand from her hair, unwilling to let her go now that he had finally been able to touch her even in the most innocent of ways. He knew it may be the only chance he ever had to do so. However, he and Draco did pull back their hands from above her mouth, waiting to see if she would revive fully.

-DBG-

She didn't open her eyes; the heightened senses were overpowering her ability to think coherently. She could smell six cats of all things and somewhere it registered that it wasn't cats but witches and wizards. She was scared, confused, and yet oddly at peace with whatever it was she was about to face. She remembered the lycan and vampire attacking her and knew with a new clarity that her life had become very different. She cringed as her newly heightened senses levelled out and Ron's screeching broke through the buzzing that had been ringing in her ears. She opened her eyes to find Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and the twins leaning over her. She didn't know what to think when she saw the concern and something else; something more in the Slytherins' eyes…adoration if she wasn't mistaken. "Shut that idiot up, please," she whispered.

Chuckling, Blaise turned his head slightly, but didn't take his eyes off of Ginny. "Shut it, Weasley, you're hurting her ears."

Draco was watching her closely. "Are you alright? Do you think you can sit up?"

Ginny nodded and let them help her up. "Fred, George…shut Ronald up please."

The twins grinned. She looked to be fine. Malfoy and Zabini were on either side of her and didn't look to be moving anytime soon. Turning together they spoke softly in deference to Ginny, but their voices held the threat of serious repercussion. "Shut up, Ronald. Did you not hear Zabini?"

Ron gasped in outrage. "You're siding with Slytherins?"

Charlie sighed heavily. "Come on, Ron."

Harry and Hermione were horrified and their faces clearly showed it.

Ginny saw their horror and turned away, tears quickly pouring down her face. She saw that the other side was protected by Slytherins who were watching her apprehensively. She knew now that it was them that she had sensed, that they were something like what she had just become.

"Get them out of here," Draco and Blaise growled, pinning Charlie with a glare that had him moving quickly.

He pushed, shoved, and pulled Ron, Harry and Hermione down the corridor. He wasn't horrified as they were. He knew without a doubt his parents would be. He looked over his shoulder and quietly said, "Just get some rest, Ginny. I'll find you once I've handled these three."

Ginny turned, having heard Charlie perfectly and nodded tiredly as she wiped the tears from her face knowing that crying was useless. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up in a ball and sleep. She locked eyes with Blaise and sighed. Honey-coloured and full of understanding she never thought was possible for him, she realized something that she had been ignoring for quite some time. He and Draco had both been decent to her, never once harassing her in the past years. She looked to Draco and saw the exact same expression in his grey eyes. She was just too damned tired to think about what it all meant at the moment. "Thanks."

She could hear the utter disbelief in Blaise's voice as he whispered, "We just turned you and you're not angry?"

She was so very tired and didn't much care about anything but sleeping at this point. "Not your fault," she said sleepily.

Fred and George were at a loss as to what exactly they were supposed to do. "Ginny? What's wrong?"

"Tired," she replied groggily as she didn't have the energy to do much of anything but close her eyes again.

"You'll need to sleep," Draco said softly.

She tried to nod in agreement, but found even that was too much for her. She could feel someone pick her up and knew it was either Draco or Blaise and couldn't find it in her too much care. The heightened senses told her tired mind that they wouldn't harm her, but that they would protect her. She gave up fighting sleep.

-DBG-

Pansy watched out of the corner of her eye and very nearly grinned. Ginny Weasley was about to become one of the luckiest witches in the world. That was if she didn't disappoint and run screaming once she realized that Draco and Blaise weren't about to let her out of their sight now that they had her. She'd been hoping that they would find a way to approach Ginny but she had to sigh over the circumstances. Life just became even more fucked up than it already was for all of them. She'd earned the respect of all the Slytherins' when she'd not screamed and rushed to get away from Draco and Blaise. The only question now was; would she regret it when she woke up tomorrow? She turned to the Weasley twins and smiled. "Come on, you two. They won't hurt her."

Fred and George nodded. "We know. We're not blind."

Theo chuckled. "Well let's go then. She'll need to sleep all of today and possibly through the night as well."

"We're staying with her," the twins demanded as they followed the Slytherins.

Daphne chuckled. "You don't care that she's in the arms of a Malfoy?"

"No," they chorused; realizing that they meant it much to their shock.

"Not when he looks at her like that one did," Fred added wryly, finally understanding their easy acceptance of the Slytherins. "Harming her looked to be the last thing on Malfoy and Zabini's minds."

George shook his head in disbelief. "Do they not care that she's a Weasley?"

Tracey tucked her arm in his after a quick cleaning spell that rid her of all the blood that had previously been coating her head to toe –in deference to the students that were watching them wide-eyed and clearly still shaken and snickered. "Not in the least. They hate Weasel, Potter, and Granger. If they despised you, you would be dead right now. You showed true loyalty to your sister and that goes a long way with all of us."

They stopped in front of the compartment that Blaise and Draco had entered. Ginny was laid out on one of the benches with a heavy cloak covering her and what looked to be a second cloak folded under her head like a pillow. Her hair had been plaited and all three were now cleaned up, much to the twins shock. Those two definitely moved quickly. Both wizards were watching her apprehensively as they dropped gracefully and in perfect sync onto the other bench.

"Well come in," Draco said sardonically and without taking his eyes off of Ginny. "We won't bite unless you ask."

Pansy sniggered, cleaning herself up. "We'll stay out here. I'm sure we'll have Ministry officials bashing in the door soon enough."

Fred and George stepped inside and sat on the floor, both watching Ginny sleep. "Thanks," they said softly; as not to disturb her.

"She won't wake no matter how loud it gets," Blaise informed them. "She's totally out of it."

"No need thank us," Draco added. "We just did what we had to do to save her."

Fred leaned over and slid the door closed. "Maybe you could explain just why you did that."

-DBG-

Ron was pacing the corridor angrily. Harry and Hermione were inside the prefect's carriage trying to explain to the Order members and Aurors just what had happened. He was angrier than he could ever remember being. "Charlie," he finally managed to snap. "Why didn't you stop them?"

Charlie leaned against the wall and shook his head sadly. "She would have died had they not finished what the vampire started."

He didn't know what possessed him to say what he did, but at the moment he meant it. "It would have been better had they let her die!"

Shocked, Charlie could only stare at his youngest brother. "Ronald! How can you say that?"

Angry enough to try his luck, Ron stalked over to Charlie standing toe-to-toe with him. "She's a fucking dark creature now and you know they all side with You-Know-Who. She let Malfoy and Zabini put their disgusting hands on her. What will Mum and Dad say when they find out? I thought she couldn't do anything worse than the Chamber incident but now she's managed it."

Charlie didn't think twice. He punched Ron in the face and left him crumpled on the ground. "You bastard! How could you say that? Stay away from Ginny or you'll get far worse than a punch to the face. We saw what the Slytherins did. They were fighting against the Death Eaters, you prat. Just who do you think it was that cleared out three-fourths of them, hmm?"

Barely resisting the urge to kick his idiotic brother, Charlie turned to see Tonks watching the scene dejectedly. "I'm off to find Ginny and the twins. Keep the three of them away from her."

Tonks sighed heavily, running a hand through her now brown hair. "Is it true what Harry said?"

"That all depends on what exactly Harry said," Charlie snapped irately.

"He said that Ginny was being attacked and that Malfoy and Zabini literally tore a werewolf and vampire off of her before feeding her their blood."

Charlie shrugged. "Were-leopard from what Malfoy said. The three of them," he motioned towards Ron and then the compartment where Harry and Hermione were being questioned, "stood back and watched whereas Malfoy and Zabini along with their housemates stepped in. The Slytherins protected Ginny while Malfoy and Zabini did the only thing they could do to save her."

"Molly and Arthur won't understand any of this."

"I don't give a fuck, Tonks! She's my baby sister and I won't abandon her."

Tonks laid a hand on his arm. "Go find her. I'll try and keep everyone away. Remus will help me."

"Thanks," he replied before hurrying down the corridor. He just wanted to find Ginny and assure himself she would be fine, no matter what she had become. He'd lived in Romania long enough to get over any misperceptions about vampires or lycans. It was high time he proved it.

-DBG-

"You have to arrest them!" Harry screeched. "They made her a vampire!"

Hermione sighed. "They saved her life in the process."

She'd thought long and hard the past few minutes. Malfoy and Zabini were evil little shits, but she wasn't as certain that they were Death Eaters as Harry and Ron were. They had saved Ginny knowing damned good and well who she was. She didn't want to think of the row that would occur when Mr and Mrs Weasley found out what had happened. It was possible that Ginny would act as Remus did. The whole vampire thing was what still horrified her beyond all reason.

"We can't arrest them," Kingsley said patiently. "There is no law against it since she's sixteen. They did save her life as well as everyone else's when they attacked the Death Eaters."

Harry jumped to his feet and started screaming again. "I can't believe you, Kingsley! She's a vampire and a lycanthrope! She is a danger to everyone and needs to be locked up for our safety!"

Remus growled. Literally. "You've gone too far, Harry. Should I be locked up as well then?"

Harry grimaced. "No Remus, you're not a vampire on top of being a werewolf. I don't think there's a potion for whatever the fuck it is she was turned into now is there?"

Remus buried his face in his hands. "There's a difference, Harry. Werewolves are the only lycans that need a potion. Ginny isn't a danger to anyone and I'm ashamed that you would say such a thing."

"Remus is correct," Dumbledore said from the doorway. "Ginevra will need to be left alone. The Slytherins are best equipped to explain to her what has happened."

Harry and Hermione gaped. Ron, who was still nursing his broken nose, spoke from behind the headmaster. "I can't believe you would leave her in their hands! They're Death Eaters!"

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "No they killed most of the Death Eaters. It is thanks to them that no one on our side died. I won't allow anyone, which includes you three, to harass Miss Weasley. She'll be confused for a while yet and will need those who won't treat her poorly."

"Mum and Dad will have her locked up," Ron raged. "She's proven once again that she's a danger to herself and everyone around her."

Dumbledore turned to level Ron with a glare that would have scared Voldemort down to his bones. "That will not be happening, Mr Weasley. I stopped them from locking her up once and don't think I won't do it a second time. You three will stay away from Ginevra and every last Slytherin. I have given you free rein before, but not in this case. When she wakes, she will be able to snap you in half if you anger her. You would do well to remember that."

Ron gaped and fell over when the train lurched and restarted the journey to the castle.

No one bothered to catch him.

-DBG-

Charlie could see a handful of the older Slytherins pacing the corridor up ahead and hoped that they would let him through. They hadn't bothered to hide their blades and he very nearly grinned. He held onto the wall as the train jolted getting his bearings before moving on, noting that none of them had any problems.

"Stop," Pansy said, turning to face him. "What do you need?"

Charlie smiled. "I'm not like Ronald." He held out his hand not knowing if she'd take it or slice it off. "I'm Charlie."

Pansy smirked. "You're the one who took the Wonder Trio away," she said; guardedly taking his hand. He had seemed to take Ginny's new status well enough but she wouldn't trust him just yet. "Pansy Parkinson."

"I did and all I want to do is check on her. Thank you, Pansy, for protecting my sister," Charlie replied dropping her hand.

Two witches and a wizard were surrounding Pansy. Pansy snickered and motioned to each of her companions in turn. "Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, and Theo Nott, this would be Charlie Weasley."

"Will you try and haul her off to St. Mungo's?" Theo asked flatly, he had known the introduction was for the redhead's benefit not theirs but he was still feeling a tad testy about any Weasley other than the three already accepted by Draco and Blaise.

Charlie shook his head. "Not a chance. I don't fancy Malfoy and Zabini ripping me to pieces, thank you very much."

Tracey snickered. "You do realize that we'll all rip anyone who dares try it to shreds, don't you?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't fully understand why a bunch of Slytherins would bother with a Weasley but I'm not completely dim. I saw how protective those two were of her. Had any of you wanted to kill all of us, you could have easily."

"Let him in," Daphne said softly but firmly. "Ginny will need as many brothers on her side as she can get."

Shooting the brunette a thankful smile, he slid open the door and nearly fell over in shock at the twins laughing with Malfoy and Zabini while Ginny looked to be sleeping. He didn't miss the fact that while the two Slytherins were talking to the twins, both of them were watching Ginny closely. "Can I join you?"

"Why not," Draco and Blaise said in a resigned tone. They'd long understood if they ever did have Ginny with them that at least some of her brothers would be around as well.

"We'll slaughter you if you dare try and move her," Draco added.

"I know," Charlie said as he stepped around the twins to sit under the window in the only empty space on the floor. He didn't dare try and sit with Malfoy and Zabini knowing full well they had to be running out of patience. "Tonks and Remus are handling Ronald, Harry, and Hermione."

"Good," Fred replied as George said, "Ginny doesn't need their interference."

Charlie didn't miss the look that Malfoy and Zabini shared and he knew in that very moment, without any shadow of a doubt, anyone that dared harm Ginny in any way would meet a very painful death at their hands. Surprisingly, it didn't bother him all that much. He had seen the way most of his family treated Ginny and he'd hated it. There was nothing he could have done from Romania though. Now that he was back he would definitely be stepping in if Ronnikens tried to start anything. It was high time he acted as a proper big brother should.