Potions Classroom

[Ginny Weasley]

Her breath caught in her throat as their gazes met, remaining frozed a beat before she gave a little cough and nodded.

"Right... so, uh... I'll see you round, I guess?" the words were intended as a bumbling attempt at a goodbye however they managed to come out with an almost questioning note at the end, causing her to frown in annoyance with herself. Guh, she sounded like some pathetic little firsty with a crush. The sooner she was out of here and back to the land of the sane the better.

That being said, her body still lingered waiting for his response.

[Draco Malfoy]

"It seems to happen that way doesn't it?" Draco responded with a dry smile at the girl next to him.

After all it did, didn't it? That was how they'd met every single time except for when pushed by the carrows.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny's mouth twitched up despite herself at his point, eyes flicking up to his face again, taking in his handsome features before settling on his eyes.

"I guess it does," she agreed, tone taking on a wry note. "Alright... be seeing you around then."

Reaching out she closed her hand around the map, taking it from his lax grip to glance at once more, before folding and putting back in her pocket, slipping past him to move to push the door open, pausing as she realised his wards were still in place.

"Um, little help?" she asked, glancing back at him sheepishly.

[Draco Malfoy]

The boy actually smiled in amusement before he caught himself and it turned to a smirk instead. With a flick of his wand and some murmured incantations he removed the wards from the door. "There you go..."

[Ginny Weasley]

She rolled her eyes at his smirk, but her own lips did twitch again in vague amusement.

"Show off," she accused lightly as the spell was lifted, moving to push the cupboard door open at last. "Later Malfoy," she murmured over her shoulder as finally moved into the room and out of the classroom door, leaving Draco to his thoughts, Godric knows she needed time to get hers together.

[Draco Malfoy]

He watched her go silently, stepping out of the cupboard behind her. As she exited the room he finally responded "Later... Ginerva..."

Shaking his head he ran a hand through his hair. He made quick work of grabbing the last few supplies before making his way from the room before anyone else could come in, and doing his best not to dwell on what had just happened.

[Ginny Weasley]

*REBOOT*

Shoving the last ingredient into her pocket, Ginny paused to listen at the storeroom door a moment before venturing out into the classroom. She was on another potion raid - honestly she felt like she was having to do this far to much lately... But they were going through supplies fast so she had no choice.

This time however she was without the saftey of the map to guide her, Neville having needed it more as he tried to rendezvous with Tonks. Taking a deep breath, the redhead prayed for luck as she slipped silently towards the exit of the room.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Shoving the door open in front of her, Bellatrix stepped into the room and stopped, a delighted, vindictive smile stretching over her face as she spotted Ginny. "Well, well, well," she commented, a flick of her fingers slamming the door shut. "What do we have here? Out for a little stroll, are we?"

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny jumped back with a hissed curse as the door was thrown open, eyes widening and instantly scrabbling for her wand at the sight of none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, actions automatic, mind instantly snapping back to the last time she had seen her - the Ministry battle.

"What are *you* doing here?" the words blurted out before she could stop them.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix offered her a sweet smile which didn't really hide the way her eyes focused on Ginny with a sick, dark hunger. "Teaching," she replied easily, walking up to the girl without taking her eyes off her. "Hold out your hand."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny backed up, wand still in hand, eyes locked on the woman before her like she was a dangerous animal that might attack at any moment.

The sensible part of her head told her to just do as she was told - Rodolphus Lestrange was already a teacher, why shouldn't his mad wife be one too? But she couldn't quite get her body to listen, mind simply insisting that this woman was a threat, images of Sirius falling through that veil playing over and over on loop.

"Thanks, but my hand's good where it is," she countered, voice low and stubborn.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

"Oh," Bellatrix paused, tilting her head to one side a little, tapping the tip of her wand on her bottom lip. "If you're sure..." and she flicked a quick Crucio at Ginny without a moment's notice.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny registered the shift of the muscles that betrayed the woman's intent, eyes widening and body throwing itself to the side with the reflexes she had gained from Quidditch and the last few weeks intensive work in the DA, however for all her speed, Bellatrix was faster, years of fighting at the front lines of the Dark Lord's army and even longer perfecting that spell making the actions almost as natural as breathing to the mad witch.

The spell caught Ginny over the side as she dove, hitting into her hip and spidering out in vicious tendrils that caused her to sprawl to the floor, body thrashing as her voice and breath caught in her throat, nothing more than a desperate agonised strangled wheeze escaping as she writhed.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix couldn't help but smile, vicious amusement lighting up her eyes, as Ginny crashed to the floor, writhing and wheezing. Stupid little bloodtraitor... she really needed to learn better manners, and Bellatrix really was delighted to help her along with it.

Holding the curse for a little while longer, Bella let it up, though her wand didn't move from pointed at Ginny.

"Don't backchat me," she hissed. "Hold out your hand."

[Ginny Weasley]

Her back crashed back down to the cold stone from where it had been arching, throat finally opening again as she desperately sucked in breaths, gasping and panting as she lay on the floor, limbs trembling slightly with the residual tremors from the crucio.

Eyes with pupils dialated with pain shifted groggily towards the dark haired woman, a flickering of genuine loathing showing in their unguarded depths.

"Why?"

Gods she was being an idiot, she even knew it... but everything in her body screamed at her not to obey Bellatrix bloody Lestrange. Not ever.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at Ginny, her irritation clearly showing through. Without answering the question, she cast the curse again, stronger. The girl was not going to get away with refusing, back-chatting, being rude or obnoxious. Bella was determined to make her obey - she had time, after all. She could do this as long as necessary, once she was determined to see it through.

[Ginny Weasley]

Salazar she was a bloody fool!

Agony lanced white hot through her body, screaming through every nerve cell she had, her body jerking up again as her back arched, head falling back as this time a scream was torn from her throat as her body sought any release from the blinding hurt.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

"So," Bella purred maliciously when she raised the curse. "Hold out your hand, Weasley." She waited impatiently for Weasley to snap back again - any excuse to curse the girl was a good one.

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny's body slumped back to the ground as the spell let up at last, breathing hoarse against her raw throat, body trembling noticeably now as her muscles spasomed lightly in the aftermath. Every inch of her hurt... but that wasn't a new or even strange sensation to her any more. Not after this term.

Slowly her eyes blinked open again, lids heavy, gaze fighting to focus for a moment on the shaggy black head that loomed over her, the words sinking into her mind as the haze cleared.

Again the hatred was there, but slowly the redhead shifted her arm out to the older witch in grudging offering. She didn't want another hit like that...

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

"Good girl," Bella approved, raising her wand before slashing it down viciously, sending a jagged purple light racing across Ginny's palm. She did always like that curse - slicing through to the bone, or through the bone if she was feeling particularly annoyed, blood dripping to the floor... Gideon Prewett had particularly enjoyed that one - it was only fitting his niece got the same treatment.

"Now," she continued, as though they were chatting over scones and tea. "Perhaps we can talk like adults, hm? What are you doing here?"

[Ginny Weasley]

A cry left Ginny's lips as her skin was brutally split open, hand instantly lashing back to her chest, cradling it there as she rolled over, struggling to sit up as she attempted to stay the bleeding with her robes.

"I was borrowing potion supplies," she ground out, pressing the black fabric to her hand as she turned her head to glare over her shoulder. "Professor Slughorne said I could."

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

"Did he now?" Bella cooed. "How sweet of him. Regardless of what he told you, I'm saying otherwise. Empty your pockets."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny eyed the woman, her gaze like that of a trapped animal, debating wether to back up more or lash out. Her hand throbbed and her body still trembled but her anger and indignation burned brightly in her chest.

Pick your battles Weasley... The voice sounded just a little like Draco's dry drawl in the back of her head. If there was one thing this war had taught her sometimes pride needed to take a back seat to get the job done.

Slowly, bad hand still cradled to her chest, eyes never leaving Bellatrix's souless orbs, Ginny reached into her pocket to take a grip of the dragons breath elixer she had just slipped in before trying to leave, pulling it out carefully and setting it on the floor between them, eyes narrowing.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" she drawled patronisingly, giving the girl a wintry smile. "Is that all? And don't lie."

[Ginny Weasley]

Ginny's glare remained stony.

"That's all. Can I go now?" she asked, tone less than impressed.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

"In a minute," Bellatrix drew out casually, flicking another quick Crucio towards Ginny. Honestly, hadn't the girl learned anything? You'd think her manners would have improved by now... not that it mattered, Bella was more than happy to continue the 'lessons' at a later date. Or now, in fact.

[Ginny Weasley]

Everyone could have seen that one coming really...

The blackly humours thought drifted through her mind in resignation in the split second before the spell hit and she was once again writhing on the ground, scream ripping from her throat, wounded hand quickly forgotten in the face of her new agony, bloody appendage scrabbling on the flagstones like its whole partner.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix held this one a little longer than the rest, watching Ginny with a twisted smile playing around her lips. Ah, it was so beautiful to watch... limbs twisting and flailing, body squirming, as though it could get rid of the curse. The way the air was forced from the lungs, into the lungs, hard and fast, heart beating quick.

Yes, it was very beautiful.

Raising the curse, she looked down at the girl on the floor, swipes of blood on the floor. "Oh, look, you made a mess," she drawled. "Clean it up."

[Ginny Weasley]

Groaning, Ginny curled in on herself, body throbbing from the aftermath, only dimly aware of the taunted words that were tossed at her as she waited (hoped) for the other witch to hurry up and leave.

Her nerve ends felt like they were on fire... It was depressing how normal that feeling was becoming lately. Even through the haze of her mind was the knowledge that she needed the woman to go so she could take her pain potion - she had learned from her interactions with the Carrows to always carry one these days.

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

Bellatrix frowned down at the girl when she didn't move, only groaned and shifted. Kicking her in the side roughly, she ordered again,

"Get up."

She certainly wasn't going to clean the mess up, and she wasn't stupid enough to leave Weasley in the room on her own.