Restricted Section (part of Library)

[Draco Malfoy]

You need permission to be in this area, or to be really good at sneaking about.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco slipped into the restricted section using a disallusionment charm and some hair he'd gotten from Amycus Carrows robes the last time the guy had been standing far too close for comfort. Making it inside he began his search for the book he needed.

[Ginny Weasley]

At the far end, a kneeling figure glanced up sharply at the noise of a foot step, her keen eyes scanning the shadows, frown pulling on her face as she passed over Draco's disillusioned form.

What was that...?

This section of the Library often came with its own weird noises. On any other day she's have shrugged it off, but she did not want to get caught here - sure Sprout had given her the pass, but they both knew that was for the wards only. If the Carrows or Lestrange found her here she very much doubted they would believe it was for Herbology homework.

Not able to shake the feeling of unease, the redhead scanned about her one last time before slipping the marauders map from her pocket to look at, the magical item already active so she could glance at it quickly and often.

Ginny paused as her eyes fell on her own little hovering name tag, a familiar one standing not so very far away at all.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco's steps faltered as he heard a sound, his gaze flicked over the area before he noticed the small form crouched down in the section looking over some type of parchment.

Of course.

They did seem bound that way didn't they. Use to be bloody Potter, now his mental ex. The blond sighed, well- at least he was still disillusioned, however she was still lurking. He couldn't look for what he wanted with her near -while she couldn't see him the floating books may be a dead give away.

[Ginny Weasley]

"You can drop the spell," she said at last, voice pitched to carry over to him without being heard out of the area, calmly folding her map back up and sliding it into her pocket before her eyes lifted to lock on his approximate position. "I know you're there Malfoy."

[Draco Malfoy]

The blond looked at her and though she couldn't see it he rose a brow before saying in a very droll tone "Well, Weasley. That's a nice concept- and I'll get on how you know later. However, aren't you forgetting one important fact? The spell isn't for *you*."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny rolled her eyes at the comment, however given she didn't really want to give away her own methods she couldn't much argue with him. And grudgingly she supposed extra caution never hurt.

"Fine," she shrugged. "Stay invisible if you want. My point is you can stop pretending not to be here. You're obviously here to pillage the bookshelves too. Waiting till I go waists your time and risks more chance of people noticing things are missing."

[Draco Malfoy]

He eyed her, even though she couldn't see it "What are you doing here anyway? How'd you manage to get a pass to come in?"

[Ginny Weasley]

Pausing in her scanning of the shelves, honestly having expected the blonde to simply scoff and walk away, Ginny glanced back over to the spot the voice resonated from.

"I'm writing more terrible poetry," she deadpanned back before snorting and shaking her head. "What do you think I'm doing? And I got my pass by asking. I just asked the right teacher."

Ginny's expression turned to wary curiosity though she had nothing to focus on save a random patch of air, which, unsurprisingly gave away little.

"Why? What are you looking for up here?"

[Draco Malfoy]

"Terrible poetry," was the dry response she recieved.

The fact was he didn't *have* a right teacher to ask. All of the "good" Professors thought he was bad, and none of the "bad" professors thought he was bad enough. Must be nice to have the support, then again the Gryffindors would know, even when crap was bad it was still better for Gryffindor.

[Ginny Weasley]

"Then I recommend the book at the end," she offered back sweetly, before turning away, eyes turning back to the books before her. "Though I'd suggest a silencing charm before you open it if you don't want to get us both caught."

[Draco Malfoy]

He rolled his eyes "Whatever..."

The blond moved to the section just around the corner. The one that held potions information, his gaze slid over the various titles and he would occasionally pull one, thumb through it, then return it.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny listened to the Slytherin's footsteps fade off round the corner, waiting a few moments before she returned to her own searching, eyes and fingers skimming the spines of the books, her actions mirroring Draco's for all she couldn't see them as she pulled books out here and there, flicking open passages to study for a moment before huffing a breath and pushing them back.

Several long minutes ticked by with no luck, the redhead's frustration growing as she failed to come even close to what she was looking for. Damn it all... she was running out of time here.

Biting her lip, Ginny rocked back on her haunches as she tried to decide what to do. Her problem was, she didn't know enough detail about what she was looking for to be able to narrow it down properly, and without that it was just pot luck what she picked up.

Slowly her eyes wandered to the corner Draco had dissapeared around...

He might know... He probably knew a lot about dark arts, certainly more than she did... But why would he help her? And could she trust him?

Well... yes and no to that last one. She didn't expect he'd do her any favours without good cause, but he HAD proven himself to not be the person she had thought he was. Twice now he'd helped her off his own back, at his own risk and apparently for no personal gain. And he hated the Carrows at least, as much as she and everyone else did. That didn't mean he was going to start being generous mind you - his dislike of her still seemed to linger, it just didn't stretch apparently into him wanting her tortured (honestly that still boggled her mind a bit). And if anything she was the one that owed him, not the other way around.

She had no clue where if anywhere she stood with the boy, that was the truth. But she was running out of options here...

Slowly pushing herself up, Ginny checked her map to make sure things were still safe before cautiously slipping around the corner that Draco had dissapeared around, pausing when her eyes fell on the floating book that gave away his presence.

"Find what you're looking for?" she asked him tone and expression neutral as she tried to imagine what his expression would be like now. Damn this was hard when he was invisible...

[Draco Malfoy]

The book snapped shut and was returned to the shelf as Draco turned and looked at the she-weasel "Obiviously not... why..." his tone was suspcious. He knew she was too bloody quiet for her own or, more importantly his own, good and that look on her face told him she wanted something.

Feed a stray once and it always came back...

[Ginny Weasley]

Ah yes. *That* sounded more like the Malfoy that she knew and loved. Mentally she geared herself up for the inevitable rebuttal and the insults that were sure to follow.

"Two sets of eyes work faster than one," she pointed out, voice even, but low pitched so as not to carry. "I could help you find what you're looking for if you'll answer some questions for me."

[Draco Malfoy]

He crossed his arms over his chest in an unseen defensive gesture "What questions?"

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny eyed the blank patch of air she assumed him to be standing in. Okay... not an instant dismissal... that was better than she'd expected honestly.

"You know about dark arts," she stated bluntly. "More than I do anyway. I need you to explain some spells to me or point me in the right direction so I can figure out how to defend against them."

[Draco Malfoy]

A brow rose and a very dry tone responded "And why would I do that?"

[Ginny Weasley]

Theeere it was. Still less beligerent than normal, but it was clear he was toying with her now, which honestly explained it.

Letting out a sigh she folded her arms and cast his spot a dry look.

"I don't know Malfoy, why would you?" she asked him, tone resigned. "What do you want? I've already offered to help you look for your stuff, surely that's worth a few measly questions?"

[Draco Malfoy]

"No, what that does is imply that I am willing to tell you exactly *what* I'm looking for that has me wearing a glamor in the restricted section of the library.... which I'm not. Since obviously it's supposed to be unknown..." he eyed her "But... tell you what, if you answer my question I'll answer yours..."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny's mouth pulled down in annoyance.

"I don't care what you're up to," she informed him, voice exasperated. His defensiveness was unsurprising, but that didn't make it any less annoying.

At his offer however, the Gryffindor paused, brows drawing down in a small frown wishing not for the first time or the last that she could see his face to try adn tell what he was thinking.

"What's your question?" she asked cautiously, unwilling to agree blindly.

[Draco Malfoy]

"Hoe did you know I was there? -And don't give me that- "I felt a breeze" rubish either... it has something to do with that piece of parchment you keep looking at all of the time..." He studied her face, liking that she couldn't see him. It gave him an advantage. She didn't know where to look, or couldn't mirror his expressions which left her to only show her own.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny debated with herself, lifting a hand to run through her hair in frustration as her eyes wandered away, more out of principle than because she didn't want to meet his gaze - it was hard to think like that with an invisible man.

"If I tell you that, you'll swear keep it to yourself?" she asked him sharply at last, turning back to face him. "I'm not risking the Carrows getting wind of this - it's be as bad for you as it would be for me and the other Gryffindors."

[Draco Malfoy]

Now *that* peeked his curiosity. He eyed her for a moment before replying "Fine. Since i don't see myself just striking up conversations with the Carrows or telling them anything if I can help it then you have a deal... in return you keep the fact that I was in here looking for anything to yourself as well. And we have a deal."

[Ginny Weasley]

"Deal," she agreed at last, face smoothing out.

It was still a pretty big gamble admittedly, but unlike her brother she knew how to cut her losses and make the most of a situation. He'd already seen her use it, he knew there was something up, she couldn't see Malfoy dropping this if she refused. Better to give him something now and get something out of it for herself than refuse, get nothing and risk him blowing it for everyone by looking into it himself.

"It's spelled," she offered at last. "It shows you were people are in the school."

[Draco Malfoy]

If she could see his face she'd see how incredulous it was... but she couldn't, so instead she just heard a light scoff. "How so?" The tone implied in itself he didn't believe her.

[Ginny Weasley]

"Can't tell you how it works, don't know," she told him frankly refolding her arms. "It belongs to Harry - his dad and mates made it, so that leaves Remus Lupin as the only one alive with any inkling and he sure as hell has never bothered to explain it to me. All I know is it works, and it's damn handy for steering clear of certain nutcases."

[Draco Malfoy]

Almost suddenly the blond appeared before her, his gaze still skeptical and he held out a hand. "You're shitting me right? If not then let me see it."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny twitched a little as Malfoy suddenly appeared before her - a little closer than she had anticipated, clearly having moved while she was speaking, however she soon composed herself. Her eyes narrowed as they flicked over his face, again debating with herself before slowly withdrawing the map from her pocket, reluctantly admitting to herself that she had known all along that there was no way she was getting out of this without showing him.

"I'll keep hold of it, if its all the same to you," she returned dryly as she unfolded it from the position on the library that she had been keeping it on for her current monitoring, allowing him to get a glimpse of a larger area of the school, various name tags floating here and there, some still some moving.

[Draco Malfoy]

His expression was quite dumbfounded. His gaze flicked over the parchment, looking for and locating names. Snape was in his office and seemed to be pacing. The Carrows were together- it looked like in a room with Lestrange right now. Pansy was in the dorms with Nott while Blaise in the common room with Daphne.

"I'll be..." he muttered locating his name as well, located in the restricted section of the library right next to Ginerva Weasley. Draco's gaze flicked to Weasley, not having realized he'd leaned in for a closer look until that point, they were now eye level.

He stared at her for a moment before giving her a wry look "I don't suppose you'd consider renting it out would you?"