Restricted Section (part of Library)

[Ginny Weasley]

He was a little too close for comfort as he leaned in to examine the map with the same awe on his features she had remembered feeling when she had seen it for the first time, though she didn't move back, letting him study the names and places, taking the chance to study his features properly (and perhaps a little smug and amused at his entrancement).

He was still thin, too thin really. Not as gaunt as he'd been last term, but definitely not the sleek healthy cocky ice prince of the year before. Then again... she supposed they all looked a little rough right now. She herself had lost weight and often had dark rings around her eyes. A castle full of Death Eaters would do that to you.

She had to wonder though... where exactly DID Malfoy fit into it all? What about his father? Why were the adult Death Eaters treating him as a whipping boy?

Dumbledore had once said that after the Ministry debaucal, Lucius Malfoy was probably happy to be in Azkaban rather than facing his Lord's wrath. Was that what was going on here? A fall from favour leaving his son at the bottom of the pecking order? But if that's all it was, then what had prompted Draco's moments of decency?

Pale silver eyes at last flicked up to meet her brown, holding them a second before he again surprised her by offering a vaguely amused look.

Ginny felt her lips twitch up at the side slightly in response a touch of ironic humour entering her own gaze.

"Not a chance," she agreed, pausing a moment her eyes still holding his as she internally debated before making a counter offer. "But... I do owe you, so I wouldn't be against some supervised usage if you wanted it."

[Draco Malfoy]

"Just admit you want to spend time with me," the blond joked dryly before moving back. "Okay so what did you want to know."

He crossed his arms over his chest once more, tilting his head to the side and studying her curiously. Wondering exactly what Weasley needed to know about dark spells and why. Did she actually plan on fighting the Carrows back or something? He couldn't put it past her, stupid Gryffindors.

[Ginny Weasley]

"What ever gave me away," she snorted shooting him a droll look as she refolded the map and slid it back into her pocket.

"Blood boiling curse," she offered, naming her first and most pressing issue. Apparently it was one that at least one of the Carrow twins favoured, though which she wasn't sure - Remus had been a bit hazy on the details. One thing was for certain though, it was a very messy, very painful way to die, and one she fully expected to run into before this year was out, one way or another. "What exactly does it do, can you block it - I know it slices through an average shield, and can you reverse it before the victim dies? I've tried looking up all the logical branches of magic it could be attached to, but its to dark to be in anything normal and without being able to cast it you can't rely on trial and error."

[Draco Malfoy]

"Ahh... a Carrow special you mean?"Draco responded dryly. "No. You can't reverse it. The damage is pretty quick, once the blood begins to boil it ruptures the veins and that causes internal hemorrhaging. A regular shield doesn't work but a reflective one does... it's your best bet, though you better hope it goes back towards them and not towards one of your little mates who's nearby."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny's assessing eyes studied his face carefully before she gave a small nod of understanding.

"So don't get hit, got you," she murmured wryly, making a mental note to make reflective charms a priority as well as making sure everyone knew how to identify how to spot it... which lead her to her next question. "Any easy way to recognise it? I know it comes out in a orange light, but I'd prefer to know before the spell hits the air."

[Draco Malfoy]

The blond considered her question, a hand lifting to ruffle his hair slightly. "Well... when it's cast there's a distinct movement. Like... how the killing curse circles the head- that one whips back by the ear... but it's quick, so if you see it you just need to be ready to cast. Or just get into the habit of dodging and using reflective shields at the same damn time."

[Ginny Weasley]

Again she nodded, carefully committing all this to memory. In the back of her mind she took a moment to dryly lament that she couldn't just take Malfoy to the DA meeting and be done with it - the guy was invaluable. With him on their side they might actually stand a chance at surviving through all this..

But yeah. Not going to happen on either side. He would never agree to it, and better guy than she thought or not, she wasn't dumb enough to invite him to their secret hideout to hear all their plans. Oh and they would string him up. That too.

"Okay, noted. Thank you," she murmured, nodding distractedly again as she started half designing lessons in her head before forcing herself to move on. She didn't know how much longer he'd play along to her twenty questions after all.

"Next one," Ginny mused, pausing as she selected from her list, trying to seperate the most dangerous/hardest to research/most likely to come accross from the others. Her eyes flickered up to the taller male's silver again for a moment as her mind settled on one.

"I don't know what its called. I don't even know what it does... but your Aunt likes it," she offered at last. "It creates a red light, the wand motion seems to be something like this - " she flicked her hand as though holding a wand in a back handed anti-clockwise circle before lashing through the middle. "I know its enough to take down a powerful wizard if it hits, and I know it hurts but doesn't make them scream."

It was the spell that hit Sirus. That particular memory was burned into her mind so she was sure of the few facts she did have - the gesture, the expression on his face as he had fallen backwards into the vail, the bright flash of blood red light... Later conversation with order members had revealed that no one was entirely clear on it, but it had cropped up a few times before. Some misses, some hits, though no body had ever been in tact enough after the fight to try and find out much about it, or indeed if it had even been the thing to kill them.

There was a good chance Malfoy had no idea what she was trying to describe, but if anyone did, she supposed it'd be him.

[Draco Malfoy]

He eyed her "How many questions are you going to ask?" he finally replied. He knew the spell, however outing the Carrows and outing his own family members were two separate things.

[Ginny Weasley]

"How many answers did telling you about the map get me?" she countered arching an eyebrow. "You're a good resource. I'll take whatever I can get from you."

[Draco Malfoy]

The blond almost did something as low brow as snorting, but ended up scoffing instead "A good resource... noted. Anyway, I'm not going to rat out my family- believe it or now I do have *some* loyalty, Weasley."

[Ginny Weasley]

"I'm sorry, would you rather we went back to me just wanting to hang out with you as much as possible?" she offered pleasantly. "I can play along if you prefer. Whatever works."

At his comment about Bella however Ginny threw him a sceptical look.

"A crazy mass murdering psycho-aunt you've only recently met hardly seems like the type its worth being loyal to," she pointed out dryly, however after taking note of the stubborn look on his face she let it drop. "She doesn't have much loyalty of her own you know - she murdered her first cousin... But fine, if it bothers you that much I'll stay away from immediate relatives. Even the nutty ones."

"Feindfyre then," she offered instead, deliberately skipping over the spells she knew to be connected to Snape for the same reason. The all out demonic blaze had turned up in several Death Eater attack sites over both wars.

[Draco Malfoy]

Draco rose a brow "He chose his mates over his family why should they do differently?" the blond replied raising a brow. As mental as a loon, true, but his Aunt meant a lot to his Mum and she had looked out for him in her own crazy way since being released and while he didn't doubt that if the Dark Lord asked she would hex him, he also didn't doubt that if it it were anyone else *but* the Dark Lord she'd hex them instead.

At the question about fiendfyre the blond shrugged "Bubble charms. It's still fire, just strong water works, it doesn't put it out but it protects..." (this is assuming he was so freaked out he forgot in the ROR )

[Ginny Weasley]

(ahah forgot about that, just chose another spell I could remember as being obscure. You could also blame it on Crabbe loosing control of it - to mad for any conventional method)

Ginny's expression made it clear how little she agreed with that comment however wisely, she for once held her tongue, not wishing to loose her chance at information over something that he would never see sense about.

"Anyway to stop it that you know of after it's been cast, or do you need to take down the caster?" she asked instead.

[Draco Malfoy]

The blond shrugged "No idea really... the only thing I can think is to catch it early, put the bubble around it and then reduce it until it smothers... but that's just a guess."

[Ginny Weasley]

"Alright," she returned giving one last nod, tempted to press for more, but deciding not to push her luck - if she kept him amicable she might be able to bribe him for more information again after all. Besides, she had more than enough to be going on with for now.

"I suppose I'll leave it at that," the redhead remarked casually, her eyes once again flicking over his face. "Thank you for the help."

[Draco Malfoy]

His gaze flicked over her face "Right..." this whole situation was surreal to be honest. He currently got along better with Weasley than most of Slytherin and received better treatment from Sprout than his own uncle. The boy shook his head at his own thoughts but aloud shrugged "It's fine..."

At that he turned back to the shelf, his gaze flicking over the various texts once more.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny watched as he turned away, suddenly looking a little awkward as though it had just occurred to him whom he was standing talking to, considering the... enigma that was Draco Malfoy.

"You never did tell me why you hid me from the Carrows the other day," she remarked off hand, though once again she didn't really expect him to answer her.

[Draco Malfoy]

He glanced over at her, before returning his attention to the texts "Would you prefer I hadn't?"

[Ginny Weasley]

"Not in the slightest," she admitted a touch of amusement warming her tone, her eyes not leaving him even as he turned from her. "Just wondering why."

[Draco Malfoy]

"I wasn't aware I needed a reason, next time I'll think of one first then decide if I want to save your neck or not," Draco remarked moving to kneel own and look at some of the lower levels.

[Ginny Weasley]

"Everyone has a reason for the things they do, even if they don't want to admit them," Ginny returned, tone light as she let her eyes rest on him thoughtfully a few moments longer before turning away. "Good luck finding whatever it is you're looking for."

[Draco Malfoy]

He stilled for a moment, but only a moment, before going back to what he was doing and allowing her to do.. well, whatever the hell she had been doing.

[Ginny Weasley]

Without another word, Ginny slipped back to her own section of the library, having a much better idea what she wanted to look for now, leaving Draco to his own searching.

[Draco Malfoy]

Once she disappeared Draco sighed and rubbed his brow. Just what had he been thinking, being nice to the Weaselette... then again, that map thing could come in handy. Too bad he wouldn't allow him to borrow it.