Chapter Text
While Harry, Hermione and Ron were out searching for the horcruxes, Ginny and the rest of the students who’d return to school tried their best to keep everyone safe while Hogwarts was run by Death Eaters. From time to time, they learned of risks towards certain students because of their family ties, when the family was being taken in for interrogation there was a big chance the students would also be taken by the Carrow’s and tortured till they got what they wanted to hear.
Being one of the oldest students, as well as one of the most powerful ones, Ginny often offered to sneak the students out to the room of requirements in the darkness of the night. She had just dropped off a third-year student and was on her way back to the Gryffindor tower. Having grown up with her brothers, and mother, she knew how to sneak around, how to listen before taking the next step, and how to find where the different sounds came from. She was skilled at sneaking around and had done more than ten rounds without being caught, but as she took another left, thinking she was safe from the open space of the stairway, she soon realised she’d run out of luck as she crashed straight into a dark man who wasn’t shocked by her presence. Looking at his face she realised he was a Slytherin student, one of Malfoy’s friends, Blaise Zabini.
Ginny didn’t scream or make any other sounds, it wouldn’t help her, not that she would be safe once he called out for the Death Eaters. To her surprise he didn’t do the typical Death Eater in training things she expected him to do, he didn’t call out to the rest of the guards, he didn’t threaten her, and even though his wand was aiming at her he hadn’t cast any binding charms on her.
Tightening her fingers around her own wand she wondered if she could hex him before he had the chance to do it first, but then both their attention was snatched by a Death Eater who called out to Zabini, asking him if he saw anything. As the Death Eater was slowly making his way towards the corner where Ginny and Zabini stood she was certain luck was no longer on her side, but then Zabini did something she hadn’t anticipated, he grabbed her robes and pushed her against the wall while covering her mouth with one hand and signing for her to stay silent with the other. He then turned the corner and faced the Death Eater, and in a calm and steady voice he confirmed the Death Eater's suspicions of hearing something, but that it came from the opposite side of the hallway.
Ginny’s heart was beating so hard she was certain the Death Eater could hear it as the adrenaline of being caught was still rushing through her body, but the other Death Eater accepted Zabini’s information and headed in the opposite direction. While Zabini was occupied, Ginny thought of sneaking away, but before she could run Zabini was once again facing her, his presence closer than before, or maybe it just felt like that because of how his tall presence cast a shadow over her.
Looking at him she noticed the intensity in his eyes as he watched her, but it wasn’t the kind of intensity some Slytherin's had, full of hatred or jealousy, instead it was the kind of intensity Dean had right before he wanted to kiss her. Even though it looked like he wanted to kiss her he didn’t do it, instead he softly grabbed her hand, and before she could say anything he pulled her down the hallway, stopping every time they reached a corner, only continuing when he’d made sure they were completely alone.
It was strange holding hands with a stranger as they rushed through the halls of Hogwarts, especially someone who she thought stood for everything she was against. Soon enough they had reached the Gryffindor tower, far quicker than if she should sneak around alone. To her utter shock he said the password, causing the portrait to swing open. Ginny wanted to thank him, but as they heard Death Eaters in the distance, he once again signed for her to stay silent. Because she didn’t just want to leave him without thanking him properly, she quickly stood up on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek, before quickly entering the safety of the Gryffindor common room, closing the door after her.
Ginny didn’t know why she decided a kiss was proper payment considering she didn’t know him or know why he helped her when they were clearly on opposite sides, but maybe there was more to him than what she assumed, maybe they had an alley. Whatever he was, and whichever side he stood on, she was glad she’d avoided the clutches of the Carrow’s, and that they managed to help another student away from their evil torturous grasp.