Astronomy Tower

[Draco Malfoy]

Come here to check out the stars or for a great view of the Hogwarts Grounds.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny leaned against the rough stone wall, head tilted back and eyes on the heavens, her red hair looking almost black in the moonlight, save for where the pale glitter caught her strands and turned them aflame. Lips parting, the Gryffindor let out a soft sigh, mentally tracing out the consolations with her gaze.

Was Harry, Ron and Hermione somewhere now, looking up at the same stars? Maybe thinking about her and all the others that they'd left behind? Or were they further afield? Mind on darker things? Did Harry even think of her at all these days? Probably not, he probably had much more serious things to think on, but still, she couldn't help but wonder. Wonder if he missed her like she missed him. She missed the others too of course - she loved her brother, and Hermione was one of her closest friends. But Harry... well, she supposed missing him was a normal state of affairs for her.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco headed up to the tower, his hands in his pockets. He'd found that since the nitwits class had been canceled this area was more often deserted than not- which was just the way he liked it. He liked to come up here, look at the stars and imagine his life before all of this foolishness and death began.

Reaching the top of the stairs the blond frowned upon noticing he hadn't been the first one to have this idea. He still felt guilty where the she-weasel was concerned, and he didn't come up here for guilt he came up here for peace. He also wasn't going to let her run him out. If anything *she* needed to go, not him.

He walked further into the room, past an old cabinet that use to house pillows for students who came in to look up at the stars and stopped a few meters from her. He'd ignore her for now, maybe once she saw him she'd leave and he wouldn't have to speak with her at all.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny turned at the sound of footsteps, inwardly sighing that her peace was being interrupted. At the sight of just whom it was however her body stiffened and her brow drew down in a hostile frown.

Draco bloody Malfoy, just her luck... Honestly she didn't even know what to think of the boy any more. She didn't trust him as far as she could throw him - he'd tortured her after all, but equally he had given her that pain potion off his own back and yet to try and guilt her into anything as payment for it either. What the hell *was* she supposed to make of that? Should she thank him or pull her wand? The whole thing left her feeling horribly off balance. Give the prat one good point before it was, whatever else he was, Malfoy was predictable. This new gaunter, more serious and loner version was decidedly not. It was not a comforting realisation.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked him, face suspicious as her hand fell down to her pocket, not drawing her wand but making sure she could do so quickly if he so much as looked at his own, mentally trying to decide how to react to his presence.

[Draco Malfoy]

"Time alone, so why don't you act like a good little weasel and scurry off," the blond remarked dryly, not even bothering to look at her. Though he wasn't stupid, he'd been on the end of one of her bat boogeys before and he had no desire for a repeat, so his hand was near his own wand as well.

[Ginny Weasley]

"Tough luck, I was here first," she countered tone dropping down in annoyance, eyes narrowing slightly as she shot him a wary look, taking note of how his own limb lingered near his pocket as well. "Slither off back to your hole if you want time alone. I'm staying put."

[Draco Malfoy]

"You *live* in a bloody tower, go there and look out the window you silly nit," Draco responded finally looking at her, his expression annoyed. "I don't see why I should be forced to put up with you because you want to hog all of the towers in the bloody castle."

[Ginny Weasley]

"I don't see why I should be forced to put up with you at all, but I have to deal with it," she shot back dryly. "Don't see why you should be any different."

"Tell you what though," Ginny offered expression sarcastic. "Pick another tower - there are plenty from what I hear, and I'll try and resist the urge to follow you there. Sound good? You can even try your luck in Gryffindor if you want."

[Draco Malfoy]

"Look you overbearing air headed twit," Draco said turning to look at her. "First you encroach on the library, now here. Why don't you go pine for Potter somewhere else. You'd look less pathetic that way- not much, but less."

[Ginny Weasley]

That comment stung enough to push her out of her low mood as her temper sparked, eyes flashing as they turned to lock on Draco properly.

"I'm not pining after anyone, you self important prat" she snapped back at him, voice shifting from dry to something more aggressive and hostile. "And hard as it is to believe - you DON'T actually own this damn school so piss off and stop trying to order me around! I was here first, and I'm not going anywhere, least of all because you of all people try to tell me. Spare me your tantrums and find someone else to annoy."

[Draco Malfoy]

"I have more right to this school than you do your moronic little twit. And please, looking up at the stars thinking of Potter- I've seen your type. Head too far in a rubbish romance novel and up your own arse to actually think of anything important," Draco scoffed.

"And to be clear I'm not having a tantrum I'm just calling it like i see it, so get lost and you won't have to see it the same way. However if you insist upon making a nuisance of yourself then be prepared for the consequences," he finished with a glare.

[Ginny Weasley]

"Being a Death Eater pet doesn't give you a right to the school, whatever you may think, and neither does being a overly pampered tosser," Ginny shot back, expression furious as she pushed herself upright and turned to face him fully at last. "I really couldn't care less what airbrained desperate slags you hang around with, but don't you dare think you know the first thing about me Ferret."

Okay so maybe she had been thinking of Harry and maybe she had been pining a little, but damn it, it was nothing like what that git was implying. Whatever she might have been as a child, she wasn't that little lovelorn fangirl any more! Yes she was thinking of Harry, of course she was - whatever else there was between them, he was still family. So what if her mind lingered on a bit of heartache now and again, she was hardly moping. She was worrying is what she was doing, because he and Ron and Hermione might genuinely be lying dead somewhere by now, because unlike this twat she KNEW what they were doing, how dangerous it was. And because if they were dead, if that wasn't horrible enough then there was a real possibility they were all screwed.

She at least was still fighting, which was more than could be said for the little traitorous arse kisser over there.

"Or what?" she asked cooly, tension bleeding into the air at his threat as her eyes narrowed, whatever kindness he might have shown her before forgotten at his unvoiced suggestion. "You'll crucio me again?"

[Draco Malfoy]

"I'd rather be a pet than their lunch," Draco glared looking at the idiot. "And knowing the first thing or not, I know enough about you and your Potter obsession to know that, even if you're not comparing his eyes to toads you're still thinking about them."

It had been years since she'd written that horrible poem, but she'd still written it, which made it fair game. However her next words did piss him off, as he still unwillingly felt guilty about that. "Don't blame me for that. That's your own bloody fault and the fault of your stupid parents for sending you here. If you only knew how to keep your bloody gob shut instead of mouthing off you would have saved us both the trouble. And if your litter breeding parents had actually done their ruddy jobs and kept you home this would be a non-issue and i wouldn't be stuck having this less than pleasing conversation with an air-brained berk like you."

[Ginny Weasley]

Oh that was a low blow... using that horrendous childhood embarrassment against her. Although so was crucio-ing a captive girl so she didn't know why she was surprised. Her cheeks flushed a little at the mention of her first and only attempts at poetry (and valentines) though her expression simply hardened her eyes blazing.

"Really Malfoy, you want to talk to me about childhood obsessions?" she snapped back. "Alright since we're on topic, what about your Daddy one? How's THAT working out for you?"

"Oh stuff it," she scoffed folding her arms. "It WOULD be that simple to someone like you. You really think we would have been given a choice where I went all things considered? If I hadn't come back we'd all have been dragged in on some pathetic made up charge or each other. That's all this ruddy school is right now - a hostage situation to make sure wizarding families toe the line and they've got enough muggle borns and half bloods to mess with when they get board."

"Besides *I* wouldn't turn my back on my friends just because my life got difficult," she added snidely, the comment once again intended as a dig towards his actions last year that had resulted in a lot of casualties as well as Dumbledore's death."

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco advanced on her so quickly even he didn't realize was was about to do it. She ended up between him and the high ledge which stopped at the base of her back "Tell you what why don't you leave my Father out of this and I'll leave your snake food of a Father out as well."

"And yes. It should have been that simple, if you cared about your damn kid, to hide her so that she was safe- not send her into the lions den. But I suppose being willing to sacrificed their kid for a cause is not big thing, at least I know you and Potter don't have the same type of Mum, she was willing to die for *hers*." The blond smirked almost viciously.

[Ginny Weasley]

"Then I guess you and I do... why else would you be here?" she sneered back, indignation flaring through her body at his words - as if HE had the ability to judge anyone. It wasn't like he even had a clue of the reality of being a Weasley right now, one wrong move on any of their parts would get them all collared, let alone the moral highground, the slimey litte...

Just as her lips were parting however to pass on that precise information (with a few more expletives) their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door below swinging shut with a bang - clearly someone either unused to the heavy, stiff door or someone that didn't care about causing a disturbance. Or as the case proved, both...

Head snapping around at the noise, Ginny felt her body still, eyes widening a little and skin paling as two familiar voices drifted up the stairs.

The Carrows... Her heart began to hammer in her chest. Salazar... there was no way out without running into them. She'd been avoiding being alone with them since the incident with Draco, if they caught her here like this they'd insist on finishing up where they started for sure...

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco opened his mouth to reply when he noticed her stiffen. He did so as well his gaze snapping to the entrance as the voices floated up. The Carrows.

"Shite," the blond hissed, his gaze instantly going to Weasley. Indecision flashed in them for a moment before he slapped his hand over her mouth, grabbed her arm and drug her over to the pillow storing cabinet. It wasn't completely empty but was close nough as he lifted the girl, shoved her in, slammed the door shut, used a spell to lock it and took off to the other side, stopping just as he reached the ledge. He'd been looking out for less than a minute before the first twin walked in.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny jumped as the strong hand wrapped abruptly around her upper arm, Draco's other slapping forcefully over her mouth as the blonde began to bodily drag her, her mind snapping in to start struggling a little to late as the former Quidditch player illustrated the fitness he still possessed by dropping his hands to her hips and lifting her with ease into the cabinet, shoving her back in and slamming the door in front of her.

A breath left her as her back hit onto the neatly stacked floor pillows, darkness flooding her vision as Malfoy sealed her in, confused thoughts whirling through her mind uncomprehendingly as she scrabbled for her wand, cursing her slow reaction.

What the hell was he doing? Why had he locked her in here? Was this some kind of sick game...?

Her movements stopped abruptly at the sound of Amycus's voice however, even her thoughts stilling as she listened intently, pulse racing as she heard him greet Draco, waiting for the blonde to dob her in.

[Amycus Carrow]

"...apparantly he screwed up another raid. Much more of this and he'll be overtaking Malfoy as the Dark Lord's current whipping boy," Amycus drawled to his sister as he pushed the door to the tower open, black eyes lazilly gliding around the room, body pausing and mouth curving up as they came to rest on Draco's form.

"Speaking of Malfoy's, look what we have here," he chuckled, teeth flashing in his usual sinister grin.

[Alecto Carrow]

"What do we have indeed," Alecto said looking at the blond who was looking back at them, his face impressively impassive. "Why hello there pet. We were just speaking of your esteemed lineage…" she teased with a grin.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco didn't say anything, his gaze on the two of them but his mouth shut. He could only hope for once in her life Wealsey showed some tact and didn't get them busted.

[Amycus Carrow]

A low, psychotic laugh rumbled in Amycus's throat, his dark eyes flashing with savage amusement as he shifted closer to the blonde, moving to prowl in a circle behind him, long arms settling to lean on the shorter male's shoulders as he lounged against the boy's form, face close to Draco's as he ran lazy eyes over his form.

"Not feeling chatty precious?" he breathed.

[Draco Malfoy]

"Not particularly," Draco responded his gaze on the man, not trusting him at all- with good reason. Though he didn't add anything and the tone was neutral at best.

[Alecto Carrow]

"Aww, why not?" Alecto asked with a slight pout "Is it because you and Amycus have had a ruck before?" she asked with an frown, though her gaze was amused. "Amycus is sorry aren't you, Brother? His wand finger is a bit itchy when it comes to mouthy brats is all…"

[Amycus Carrow]

"Sooo sorry," Amycus agreed, face dropping to nuzzle at the side of Draco's head as was his habit, mouth curving up into a cheshire grin. "I didn't mean to loose my temper with you, sweet-child, but you really shouldn't provoke me like that, now should you?"

"Still... not like you'll do it again, will you Draco?" he added in a purr, lips lingering near the blonde's ear as one of his hands lifted to bury his fingers in the boy's hair, idly winding its strands round his digits. "You've learned your lesson, and you're much to smart to give me another reason to hear that lovely scream of yours, aren't you?"

[Ginny Weasley]

Still locked in her little wooden (albeit comfortable) cell, Ginny had no choice but to shut up and listen to what was going on outside, hyper conscious of her breathing as she tried to stay as quiet as possible.

A confused frown passed over her face at the conversation taking place, her head shifting to press an ear up to the crack as she listened, mind trying to conjour images to the exchanges.

The way they were talking, it was that same sinister teasing that she got... but what really caught her ear was the screaming comment.

Were they talking about what it sounded like they were talking about?

[Draco Malfoy]

"Yes Professor," Draco said in a low tone, his gaze staying on the female one. The male was her dog, she held the leash. Last time he'd gotten bitten because the owner wasn't around. This time he knew regardless of the second twins threats -at least at this moment, she was the deciding factor.

[Alecto Carrow]

"Good boy," Alecto said patting his cheek. "See, he learns. It seems he has his Fathers brains… though he seems to be lacking his Father's ability to suck up… but we'll work on that."

She smirked at bit as he failed to give a reaction to the taunt. Not *this* was interesting, she liked it. He would be fun.

"Hmm… I want him. Can I have him brother? And you can have another pet. I mean, of course we'll share, but I feel that while Luscious Lucius is in the Dark Lords Dog house someone should take his poor pathetic spawn under their wing," she glanced at Draco pleased to see the slight sharpening of his gaze. Hmm… did he have the Black temper after all? "Now now don't worry, my temper is a lot longer than my Brothers… though… my Cruccio is also a bit stronger. I enjoy the screams of that unexpected intense short, when will the next one come rush. While Amycus likes to draw the scream out of you…"

"Which do you prefer?" she asked looking at the boy with a smirk.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco was quiet for a moment, but when she continued to watch him expectantly he realized she *actually* wanted him to answer that asinine question.

"Which ever one is not directed at me..." he remarked dryly, making sure to keep his tone void of any undue emotion.

[Alecto Carrow]

Alecto giggled and clapped shooting him a grin "Oh you're going to be fun… isn't he Brother?"