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"Why are you doing this!?" Ginny screamed, tears streaming down her face. She was dirty and sore, being held captive by Death Eaters. It was dark in her cell and she hadn't eaten in almost a week, the duration of how long she'd been held there.
"Where's your boy toy?" Pansy demanded, forcing a potion down Ginny's throat. "You're going to tell me the truth now," she smiled wickedly.
"You didn't—" Ginny's eyes widened as she realised what'd just happened. She'd just been force fed veritaserum.
"Shut up," Pansy snaps. "Tell me where Harry Potter is."
"I don't know!" Ginny growls. She's pissed. More than she's been the whole week. "Let me out of here!"
"Not until you tell me where your boyfriend is," Pansy orders, pug face scrunching up with disgust.
"He's not my boyfriend," Ginny barks. "We broke up." She hates this. It's cruel and untasteful. She feels vulnerable and exposed, the truth being forced from her like sap from a tree except it's fast and forceful and raw.
"What?" Pansy looks confused for a minute. "How are you—? But I gave you—."
"I'm telling the truth you bastard," Ginny's voice is sharp and rude, the other girl doesn't flinch.
"What do you mean you broke up?" Pansy asks almost hesitantly.
"We broke up." Ginny says, rolling her eyes. "He told me he only likes me as a friend and I like someone else anyway."
"Who?" Pansy asks, eyes gleaming like she's just caught hold of the best gossip in all of Hogwarts. She may not be as popular and well informed as Penny Haywood was when she went to Hogwarts but she loves drama, and the golden boy breaking up with Ginny? That's worth a lot.
"You," Ginny says. "God dammit, let me go!"
Pansy's eyes are wide and she looks shocked, taken aback by the simple word. "Wait go back. You like me?"
"That's what I said," Ginny says darkly.
"And you don't know where Potter is?"
"No clue," Ginny hisses.
Pansy looks pensive for a moment before she steps forward, gently placing a well manicured hand on Ginny's cheek. Her touch is warm against chilled skin. She leans in and kisses the other girl's cheek. Her breath lingers a moment before she backs away, fading from Ginny's view.
"Wait! Let me go!" Ginny struggles against her binding once more and cries out angrily. "Fuck you!"
Ginny's awakened by the creaking of a door hidden in the shadows of the room she's in. The room's lit dully by a small magicked candelabra on a small table in her cell. Her feet are shackled to the wall allowing her minimum movement, able to move from her uncomfortable cot to the door. Her heart rate picks up as she waits anxiously to see who her torturer is. It can't possibly be morning yet, can it?
Her cell door opens and for not the first time Ginny wishes her hands weren't shackled tightly behind her back. A hooded figure walks in, something glittering in their hand. Ginny squints and her breath gets caught in her throat. A key.
The figure unshackles her feet and roughly prods her as if to wake her. Ginny whimpers as the figure prods a particularly fresh bruise. The figure steps back, hiding in the shadows. Ginny sits up uncomfortably then stands, walking towards the figure who steps back farther into the shadows. Ginny frowns and stops.
"My hands-"
The figure nods. A moment later they motion for Ginny to turn around. Ginny squints at them suspiciously but obeys, gasping in relief when the shackles fall to the floor with a clatter. She quickly brings her arms in front of herself and rubs her raw wrists.
There's a hand on her shoulder and she stiffens, swinging a hand at the figure who catches her fist.
"Bloody hell, I'll kill you," Ginny growls.
The figure shakes their head and shoves Ginny forward a bit. Ginny stumbles and scowls, reluctantly allowing them to lead her away. Maybe she was being taken to Voldemort again for another crucio session. She's lead blindly into the shadows and out of the room.
There's bustling up ahead and the figure shoves Ginny into the wall roughly, hiding her from view as two Death Eaters pass by ahead of them. Ginny scowls to herself curiously and allows the figure to continue leading her.
After maybe fifteen minutes of dodging Death Eaters and being shoved around they're outside. Ginny freezes and the figure shoves her roughly.
Ginny stumbles forward and falls into the leaves. She turns angrily. "What was that for!?"
The figure offers a hand and Ginny slaps it away.
"Why are you helping me?" Ginny demands.
She doesn't get a response.
Ginny scowls again and the figure bends over and forces her up onto her feet. They shuffle through the forest and leaves, Ginny wincing as her bare feet get beaten by nature.
Nearly thirty minutes later Ginny struggles against her rescuer, forcefully pulling away from them. "I demand to know who you are!" She says, reaching for their head. The figure easily sidesteps her movements.
A short scuffle later and she's pinned against a tree, arm twisted painfully behind her back and a wand at her throat.
"I yield!" Ginny cries, tears pricking her eyes.
The figure eases up and shoves her away from the tree, forcing her to keep walking.
They shuffle through the leaves again and shortly after Ginny feels the chill of magic wash over them and suddenly the figure is pulling her close. Her ears feel clogged with cotton and a pop later they're on the hill near the shrieking shack.
Ginny can see the dark mark on her rescuer and her breath catches. "You're one of them," she breathes. "What are you planning with me!?" She pulls away, smacking at grabbing hands.
A moment later the figure steps back, hands raised in a truce. They pocket their wand.
Ginny looks at them uneasily. "Who are you?"
She doesn't expect an answer and doesn't get one. The figure motions her to follow and continues walking.
Curiosity gets the better of her and Ginny follows. Before she knows it they're in Hogsmead, making their way towards Hogwarts.
Ginny stays silent until they get to the school. "Thank you," she mumbles. The figure nods curtly in response and adjusts their hood. Ginny hesitates and reaches for it, unsurprised when the figure steps back and grabs her arm.
She lets her arm drop to her side and sighs when the figure turns her around and starts leading her again. By the time Ginny cares enough to notice where they're going they're standing outside the hospital wing.
The doors open and the figure shoves her in, following after her. Madam Pomfrey looks up from her conversation with McGonagal. "Oh Merlin, come here child!"
She bustles over to Ginny and the figure shoves her forward a bit.
A fuss later and Ginny's in a cot, dozing off with potions in her system and a fresh scorgify spell placed over her to clean the grime away
When Ginny wakes she's startled to see the Death Eater who helped her escape sitting by her bed, elbow on the bedside table and head in hand. If she didn't know better she'd think they were asleep. She shuffles and looks at them wearily, reaching over. She hesitates when she gets close enough to grab their hood.
They remain still.
Slowly Ginny lifts the hood and throws it back revealing-oh. Oh no. "Pansy?" She gasps.
Pansy startles and her cheeks redden, she tugs her hood back on but it's too late.
"You-why'd you help me escape?" Ginny asks angrily, a fire burning in her chest. So many emotions so little time, she runs with the one that feels most sane.
"Because," Pansy murmurs with a shrug. That's so unlike her.
Ginny's eyes harden. "Because? That's all you have to say? After you watched your master torture me and forced potions down my throat you suddenly decide to play nice, just because?"
Pansy shrinks back and Ginny's anger flickers slightly. "I can explain… kind of," Pansy says desperately.
"No," Ginny barks. "You don't get to explain," her anger rushes back full force. "You're a Death Eater for Merlin's sake!"
"Salazar, just listen to me!" Pansy cries. Ginny closes her mouth with a snap and brown eyes focus on Pansy. "When I gave you that potion and you said that you liked me… I-I like you too." Pansy mumbles. "I have for a long time now but-"
"But what? You're evil-"
"Not by choice!" Pansy cries. She shoves her hood back and wild eyes stare back at Ginny. Wild and terrified and so un-Slytherin.
"What do you mean 'not by choice.'" Ginny questions wearily. She's conflicted, her feelings for the other girl getting the better of her. She desperately wants to calm her, to let her know she's okay.
"Most of us didn't have a choice," Pansy says. "Our parents forced us to be harbingers of the Dark Lord. When I gave you that potion and you said what you did I-I thought maybe I could change things. Maybe I could still be good…"
"So, what, you decided to let me go?" At Pansy's nod Ginny frowns. "This is a horrible trick."
"It's not a trick, please-" Pansy breaks off with a cry of pain. She grabs her arm where the dark mark squirms and writhes. He's calling.
Ginny looks terrified for a moment. "He knows I'm gone."
Pansy nods sharply, puggy face scrunched in pain. "They'll be looking for you, and me." Pansy gasps.
"What are you going to do?" Ginny asks quietly. A moment passes and she's afraid Pansy's taken to her cold shoulder again.
"I can't go back," Pansy says quietly, almost a breath that Ginny doesn't hear. "They'll kill me."
Ginny shuffles in her bed. "You could fight with us," Ginny offers.
Pansy barks a laugh, snorting lightly as she does and it's so care free and pure that Ginny almost forgets she's the enemy. "I love you but I don't think Potter would approve."
Silence falls between them, Ginny's stunned and Pansy looks terrified.
"You-you love me?" Ginny whispers.
Pansy looks away, face paling. Then there's a hand on her knee and she's turning to look into soft brown eyes. They're silent another moment before Ginny hesitantly leans up, closing the distance between them in a soft kiss.
"Who cares what Harry thinks?" She says quietly, breath tickling Pansy's lips. "You don't need his approval to fight with us."
Pansy smiles shyly and for a moment Ginny can't believe she's a Slytherin. "Alright," she nods into Ginny's hand on her cheek. "I'll fight with you."