Shadow Walkers

By Dranius

Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter!

Previously:

Suprising them all, Pansy suddenly joined her hands and said:

"-Thank you Merlin for granting my prayers. As promised, never again will I jinx first years behind their backs... "

"-I nevere thought you were religious Pansy." said Blaise wearily.

"-Neither did I" said she.

Chapter 11

Ginevra's POV:

As November came to pass and December started, I saw many things happen around me. The glamour and cheefulness that usualy came in December was not present, even thou the decorations were. In fact it was quite the opposite: the news of an attack in late December had became popular and the Hogwarts population had been reductid to one grim lot.

The teachers walked aroung in gangs of morbid looking adults, Hufflepufs jumped at every loud sound, Ravenclaws walked close to the walls looking at their shooes at all times, Gryffindors talked only about fighting and glared at anyone wearing green.

It was the Slytherins who came out the worst: it became dangerous for them to walk alone in the halls because they were often harrased or jinked by the other houses under the excuse of beeing Death Eaters. The ironie was that those who were attacked were mostly part of 'the Pack'; because in order to cover up their treason they acted worst towards muggle-borns than others to pary the risk of beeing repoted. In conclusion they became very edjy and irate, looking nastily at anyone hwo came close to them, not making a diffrece between friend of foe.

I remember one day Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Vincent, Gregory, and Dragon were attacked by no less than 30 students in a hall. They had been ambuched. I ran towards them and immersed myself in the fray, siding besides Draco and said:

"-If anyone is stupid enough to attack, I will hold no responsabilities in my actions. Is that clear?"

They had the idiocy to attack. Ten minust later, they were all lying unconsious or blocked by Draco's clever digipuctur skills.Others were less lucky. The seven of us left them to get a few bruised mended at the Hospital Wing.

If Draco and I had been furious, Dumbledore had been livide.

I'd never seen the old man look so disgusted with his students, our aggressors were severly punished, Dumbledore told us he would have liked to give us house points, but that it wouldn't have been ethical, all he could do was not to give us detention.

I had expected all this up to a certain point, but I couln'd stop my-self from feeling sad. The only light spot was that Dragon and Harry were together at last. But in secret, only very few people knew, only the Golden trio, Dragons' close friends and myself. Draco had not been hapy at all until he saw how much Harry loved his sister, and thanks to a little soothing on my part, he was now 'ok' with the situation.

I woke up with a start, something stirred in me. The Power. It sensed...something bad!

Draco barjed in my room, still putting on a pair of jeans.

"-Red! Something's coming!"

I didn't ask any questions and simply got up and threw on my most confortable clothes: if there was fighting I would need them.

Draco came back in now fully dresses and frowning.

"-Do you have a sort of cold feeling at the back of your neck?"

I nodded, grabing my wand and my thigh dagger, straping on my sword (like Draco had done) and stood besides him; searching last time I'd felt it. Sudely it struck me. I grabbed Draco's arm and looked at him worriedly.

"-Dementors!"

Draco's eyes widened and we raced at the bottom of the stairs runnig straight in McGonagal.

"-Good, at least I won't have to wake you. Go to your comon rooms and go wake everyone! Fast! And take them the the Dining hall as quick as possible. Here are the number of students in each year. Make haste." She thrust a parchment at each of them and ran up the other staircase to wake the two leaders who stil slept.

We walked on the round entry room and shared a glance. A moment passed and I had the sinking feeling of missing something crucial, something I should have done. Dut it was lo late now.

"-See you in a few minuts."

I said opening the Gryffindor entrance open and smiling at him sadly. Draco nodded his mouth forming a half-smile and went thru his own entrance.

I cast a sonorus spell over my voice and called the Gryffindors in the comon room. Under 15 minuts I had them all neatly lined up 2 by 2, sorted by year, and quickly marching towards the Dinig hall, all of them clad in their winter gear. They arrived in the Hall, were all the tables wer pushed against the sides of the room and piled high with all sorts or chocolate, bandages and remedial potions. Aurors were monitoring the room and discussing military tactis in small groops here and there with a few members of the Order. Imediatly, the Golden Trio Broke free from the ranks and ran straight for the cluster including Dumbledore to demand explanations and to 'offer' their help.

I sighed in defeate and observed the worried looking Gryffindors behind me. I then spotted the Slytherins hurredly stacking mushy emerald pillows and sleeping bags in a corner of the room where Draco was magicking a large armchair to sit in front of them. I guessed what he was doing and steered my Gryffs in his direction, noting mostly memders of 'the Pack' were left.

It was time Gryffindor discovered Slytherin under a new perspective.

"-Ok, I want you to help those Slytherins make the ground nice and cozy and then I want you to sitt with them and listen. I don't want to hear any arguing what so ever. Understood?"

I was suprised to see most of my house tentatively follow me towards the island if Green pillows wile the others just plain left. I smiled and waved at the ones I knew best, before going to talk with Draco and Dragon who were surveying Pansy, Blaise, Vin and Greg wile they conforted the younger years.

"-What happened?"

Dragon sighed and looked away unable to talk; Draco took the iniciative.

"-It seems most Death Eaters wanted their children out of here. Thei all disapeared during the night...Some of the pack to, but they had left notes saying they had too leave as to not wake any doubts concerning their loyalty."

I nodded.

"-I brang the Gryffs to share a story with the bunch of you. Maybe it'll help ease the tension..."

"-By the looks of it, they like Pansy." softly said Dragon, looking at Pansy tenderly wipe away the tears of a first year Gryfflette.When she was gone, a tough looking Slythering second year sat dow besides her and said:

"-You see, that was Pansy, she's real nice when you get to know her, and she bakes some wicked chocolate cake when it's your birthday. Most of us don't realy have parents to be proud of but then we have Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Greg and Vin. Their great... enven if their realy nasty in the halls, espesialy lately, it's to protect us. Because if our parents discover we're not as bad as we should be... we have a very hard time..." The second year shivered. By then a gread number of Gryffindors were listening intently and all were tucked up warmly, using their heavy claks as covers.

Tara cleared her voice and started.

"-Do you want me to tell you how Draco took power at the Council?"

All Slythering nodded exitedly, and the oldest students tucked in the youngest without caring with house they belonged to.Draco had sat down on his chair and Ginny sprawled accross his lap and oobserved the students. The other 4 plus Dragon were sitting amongst the students.

"-Well, for all you Gryffs you must know that Slytherin has a council. As to not reveal house secrets, they are the leaders, it's a knid of vestidje from the tradition Dumbledore reinstored. Well anyway, it happened 3 years ago, in my first year. You must know that every new Slytherin must do some kind of initiation, imposed by the Elders, who are the members of the Council. And that peticular year,the Elders were peticularily evil: we had to run accross a valey inhabited by giant spiders...Accromantulas. So, I remember Draco had managed to convince the Elders that he, Pany Blaise Greg and Vin should be allowed to follow us to the point were we'd have to run accross the valey. Merlin I was shaking like a leafe, cluching Dracos hand like to dear life. He was as old as me at the time. Suddenly he'd crouched to my level and said:

"What's the mater love?"

And I'd stuttered I had Arachnophobia. What hapened after that savec at least 4 or 5 lives: he suddenly exclaimed...what was it Dad?

I wached Draco smile and he said

"Drat. Pansy! Were gon'na run with them."

Then Pansy said:

"But Draco; were hardly aloud to be with them now! The elders..."

Tara smiled and explained that in the end, they'd all ran together, and that Draco had blasted at leas 20 beast on his own!

"-Hey" Interupted Blaise, "I had my fare share too!"

"-Oh my Hero!" said Pansy throwing herself at him.

Tara shook her head and continued.

"After that, the Elders were very unhapy. They marched us to the comon room and made us all stay to wach them beat the 'trouble makers'...I feel sick just remembering the way those disgusting 7th years eyed Pansy... Well, no one had expected Draco to be such a wicked boxer. I'd never seen someone play so dirty. With Blaise, Vin and Gregs' help, they had overpowered the Elders and became the youngest Coucil Elders Slytherin had ever had. But then it was great because Slytherin became quite a nice house to be sorted to. They did all the bad things to cover us up realy...it's thanks to them most of us are still alive."

Draco clapped slowly and soon we were all claping.

"-I'm sure you'l become a great story teller when your time comes Love, but for now... I'm the story master! So what shal it be? "

"Sit with us Draco!"

"-Yea! You too Red!"

Once Draco and I were seated; it took some time to decide what story to tell, in the end they opted for a novel Draco had read that summer called 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'. By the end of the story, It was 3 in the morning and most students had fell to sleap.

I helped Draco tuck everyone in after he'd sternly but non the less gently ordered the ones who were still awake to sleep, told Pansy and Blaise to take care of everyone and beconed Greg and Vin to wach out for anyone who would want to harm the sleeping students.

I wraped an arm around Dragon and the the 3 of us including Draco went to meet up with Dumbledore.

"-Ah, I was waiting for you three. Voldemort is conductiong several minor attacks all over the country in Muggle territory, so we havent managed to get a lot of men to defend Hogwarts. Any student over 5th year who can product a patrunus may go fight outside with the teaches and Aurors." Dumbledore lokked at Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dragon, Draco and myself in turn before saying. "Let's hope Life and Death are looking after us tonight..."

At least one thing was sure. Death was going to protect them all.

Draco took a step fowards and decisively said:

"-I'll gather students for the fighting, thou you may require skilled potion brewers and healers to take care of the wounded, as well as other students to simply keep guard."

I stood besides Draco, detemmination rolled in waves from us.

"-Yes, I'll take care of that: I know of a few students gifted in healing and brewing, but don't you think we should ask around for student who knew about protective wards and such? They may be basic, but those are always the last the enemy will think about."

By then all the others were amazed at how effectively they worked together, often developing the others idears.

"-Yes, I've heard about that Ravenclaw who mispronounced a shealding spell, but ended up creating a sort of reppeling/protective nexus. It stayed in place for about 4 hours. If we could find her and get the spell worked out..."

"-I'm sure Lune Lovegood could help us with that, I know I'm not too fond of Ravenclaws for the moment."

"-Neither am I." snarled Draco, glaring at Cho who was holding court at the other end of the hall.

"-We'll need defences and spells to keep the Dementors out of here to..."

"-I know of a few spells my father taught me, but I don't think Dumbledore wan't that kind of thing happening in Hogwarts."

"The Terrorus Villusilus ward? From Drarkness?"

Draco looked suprised and Hermione gasped.

"-Ginny you've actualy read this book?"

"-Yes Hermione. Is that a problem? Because I know you wanted to read it but the professors just won't let you get to it."

"But it's a Drak Arts book!" exclaimed Ron.

"-Yes mister Malfoy, I would rather not have this peticular spell cast. But don't worry, the Aurors have had that point set already."

I nodded ignoring my brothers' famous 'Ginervra Solana Weasley! What on earth...' rant

"-Ok," I delicatly touched Draco's arm making him jump "Do you have any idears?"

"-We should equip the fighters with at least a small blade to his in their shooes to break free of cords and stuff and a dagger to defend themselfes without their wands."

"-The problem is that some of them don't even know how to unse a knife! It would do more baad than good. Maybe just give a blade to hide somewear just in case they get tied up and some chocolate. Do you think chocolate is a good idear? "

Draco nodded, half smiling.

"-Like some first aid kit for for those on who the dementrs influence is especialy powerfull? Clever, Red. Hum, I can't think of anything else..."

"-Neither can I. Professor Dumbledore?"

The old wizard looked at Draco and I over his half mood spectacles.

"-You seem to have handled everything magnificently, I'll go intruduce your plans to the staff and Aurrors, for I doubt they'll be as confident in a Deatheaters' son and a fiery Gryffindor with half their age and twice their experience as I am, but you must know I value your advice greatly."

I wached him leave and torned to Draco, saying:

"-Ok so let us split. I go get healers and potions masters..."

"-And I get fighters,"started Draco but was interupted by Mio tapping his shoulder, " along with the Golden Trio. " he finiched dubiously.

"-I'll work with the Ravenclaws about that spell, and we'll start plastering the walls with basic sheald and fortification spells. " added Dragon, "I get on fairly fell with Luna, she even gave me a corkscrew pendent not so long time ago."

The tree of us echanged a look, smiling darkly and chorused:

"-For the Pack!"

Before pating ways. An hour later,I'd raked the hall and had a lenthy list of healers, brewers and people who wanted to help anyways, but who wouldn't be fighting .

I gave it to Dumbledore and did a quick check up on my Gryffindors, asking them if they needed anythig. Once satisfied, I joined Draco who'd just finished enlisting fighters.

"-You look tired Red. You should sleep a bite."

"-So should you Draco. You look like a walking corps!"

"-Ok then. We both need some sleep. Come on."

POV:

She wached Draco select an empty space in the island of emerald pillows and covers and closed his eyes. She shruged and clambered besides him, curfle not to wake anyone.

All the people in the hall felt sad, lonely and slightly downcast up to a certain point, fighting the DrakLord does that to people.

"-Draco?" Red whispered. He opened his eyes and suveyed her with that intense gaze of his, "can I sleep with you?"

He grinned. He'd dreaded sleeping on his own, her warm body made him relax and the peticular heat she emaned was what he needed. Or was it just her presence?

"-I was wondering if you would ask."

Ginevra almost melted, he looked extreemly handsome when he grinned, and so she couldn't resist the urge to kiss a certain point of his right cheek. Puzzlment flached in his silver orbs.

"-What was that for?"

Red smirked at him,

"-You have a dimple, just here" she bruched the point were he'd been kissed whith the tipp of her fingers; "I can't resist a dimple on a good looking male."

He chuckeled softly and made her fall against his hard chess, holding her close to him, savouring her unique heat. She sighed and snugled closer, using his unbuttoned robe as a cover to absorbe as much of his coolness as she could.

They both fell to sleep within minutes.

Pansy gently shook them awake.

"-They've at last arrived in Hogwarts inner sanctuary. You must get redy to fight. I baught both of you some black coffee." she handed them a thermos of coffee and disapeared.

All the stubents tooked grim and resulute to the fact that they may die. Ginevra gulped down half the hot liquid, quenching her coffe addiction and handed the rest to Draco, who looked incredibly calm, the gost of a smile enhasing his featurs. All the couples she knew were huddled together, speaking, hugging, kissing but mostly just sitting in eachothers arms looking only at the person they loved.

Draco stood and held out his hand to her. She took it gratefully and teasingly stood so she just about touched his body. She winked at him and walked away saying over her shoulder:

"-Are you going to warm up?"

Draco cocked his head smirking at the undertone.

"-Yes I am. Care to help?" he asked following her in the middle of the room.

"-Not in the way you hope. The usual?"

Ginny stanced, one food back one foot slightly in front, her hands in the classical defensive position. Draco took his own stance in front of her.

"-Yes, but take it nice and easy. Let's say slow, it's just streching, realy."

She noded and 'punched' him, slow motion. Draco caught it with his open palm twisting behind her back and snaking his arm around her waist, Ginevra spun and high kicked him, he caught the back of her ancle and held it for a count of 3.

Most of the students looked at the beatifull spectacle. Draco and Ginevra moved with unbiden grace, flirting and rejecting eachother at the same time, almost tenderly touching, brushing past each other. They finished their warm up and inclined their heads at each other.

Red took her kattana and strapped it securely around her waist, quickly taking it out to make sur it was clean and sharp before putting it back in the scabbard. Draco had done the same, exept he was now checking at a strange bracelet made with what seemed to be very thin needles.

Ginevra stood besides him, ballancing a dagger on the point of her index, fliping it up and caching the wilt when it went back down, then she started the process all over again.

Dumbledore, followed by the Golden Trio, Dragon, an Aurror and MadEye stopped in front of them.

"-Ginny! Stop playing with that knife!" exlaimed Ron. Red arched an eyeebrow at him and caught it in mid-air defore wordlessly putting it in the thigh scabard.

"-We're ready." said Draco.

AN: Don't kill me! dogges various sharp objects Plaese! Il post very soon!