Hogwarts; overthrown and under the indirect control of Lord Voldemort.

"Malfoy... I know we've had our differences, but things have changed now. I can see what you're doing. I can see that you're trying to change. I've noticed it all. Why keep helping them then? Why not just fully switch sides and help me and Harry aga-"

"Help you and Potter? You must be delusional, Weasley." Draco interrupted, a sneer appearing upon his face. His gaze was cold and gray, his stance was stiff. He watched her as she stood before him, ever so brave. Wasn't she afraid that he'd rat her out for sneaking around the castle at night doing god knows what? That he'd get her another long torture session with the Carrow's? Draco couldn't even count the many times he had dragged her down to the dungeons for her punishments. Did she enjoy getting beaten for her disobedience? Why couldn't she just follow the rules? Why did she make him do this? Was the Weasley girl asking for death? She wouldn't be of much help to precious Potter or anyone else for that matter if she were dead. Did the stupid girl ever think of that?

Even now, she stood here speaking to him of such nonsensesthat could surely get her into a heap trouble. Trying to convince him to switch sides. Now, she wasn't wrong about the things that she had noticed, but how was she so sure that she was right? What made her think that Malfoy would be so quick to admit his own rule breaking? Previous scars that were still healing could be seen upon her visage, a bruise still lingered below her left eye. No, Draco Malfoy knew better than to choose their side. And he knew very well the dangerous game that he was playing whenever he'd look over certain things purposely. If he were to get caught or raise suspicion towards him, he would end up just like her, or even worse for betraying the Death Eaters, for betraying Lord Voldemort. He was one of them now, the mark that burned dark against the flesh of his inner left forearm was proof of that. There was no going back. No matter how many regrets he had. He had a facade to keep for self-preservation. If he wanted to live, Lord Voldemort's side was the right one to be in. Even if he no longer seemed to agree with what it stood for.

"Draco..." Ginny uttered.

Draco's brows furrowed, and he felt himself shiver for a moment. The heaviness in which she had said his name in made him falter for a second. Suddenly, his mouth had gone dry, and he found himself licking his lips. This had been the very first time that he had ever heard her speak his first name, and Draco was no longer sneering. Instead, he looked down at her, confusion flashing within his vision now. She was just a young girl, not much younger from his own age. They all were just young kids. Afraid and lost. Just doing what they all thought was best to do to survive. Draco was a proud Death Eater, once upon a time, but that was all before he knew the horrors that came along with the title. The terrors that came with serving someone like Voldemort. The fantasy had all dissolved away into nothingness,

Witnessing death could truly change a person's life forever, and before all of this, Draco had never suffered through such losses or witnessed such things. Seeing innocent people be murdered and tortured was definitely not something he was prepared for. The images of Dumbledore and Professor Burbage would never leave his mind. The chaos that he brought upon the school upon letting the Death Eaters in would always lay heavy upon his shoulders and bury him down into the ground below him. After living in such a fantasy world where everything was perfect, where his childish slurs and ignorance hurt nothing more than just feelings... knowing the weight of them now, and understanding the horrid consequences that could come from such hatred and bigotry truly shook him. He was disheveled, cracking under pressure, but he knew better. He couldn't let his family down; loyalty to his own tied him, and fear held him in its grip, suffocating him.

"... Please, let me help you. You can change, I know you can. I know you want to. I can see it... just..." Ginny couldn't tell what came over her then, but she reached for his hand and held it within her own.

Draco's confusion only seemed to increase. He tensed up and clenched his jaw, his eyes shifting between her pleading gaze and her hand in his. However, Draco didn't seem to pull away from her touch as quickly as he would've any other time. By now he would've spat his venom at her, called her out for the audacity of her even daring to touch him. She was dirty, she was poor. But no words seemed to form within his mind, no poison fell upon his tongue to lash out upon her. For a moment, for a single moment, he welcomed it. It felt warm, it felt safe; brave and courageous, nothing at all like he was - no, he was coward.

And then, just as quickly, he snapped out of it. His eyes searched wildly at their surroundings. What if someone had seen them?! What if someone had heard them?! How would it look if he were caught holding hands with the enemy? How could he defend himself against the words that accused him of helping her?! He couldn't... The Carrow's would begin to piece things together, and they'd know... they'd know... and they'd kill them both.

Once again, he sneered at her, snatching his hand away and swiftly gripping bruisingly at her upper arm. He gave her a shake and looked down at her with anger, brows knitted, stormy gray eyes as cold as ever. "Have you lost your bloody mind, Weasley?! You're pathetic." He spat in hopes of hurting her, and hopes of angering her enough to never have her come to him in such ways again. In hopes of erasing the thought away from her mind. "Hopeless. I will not join your side, and if you were any smart you'd realize that fighting back is just a waste of time. I swear, Weasley. You must love getting punished." Draco did something between a scoff and a snicker, as he began to drag her along with him, he needed to get rid of her, take her to the dungeons as punishment for her rebellion. He needed to do what he had to do. What he was assigned to do. Unless he wanted to get in trouble along with her.

"You're the one who's pathetic, Malfoy!" Ginny fought back, wiggling in his grip. "Fighting back would never be a waste of my time, even if I die trying! At least I wont be a bloody coward like you!"

Her kind demeanor had flipped over; her words hit him like daggers, pierced right through him. But, she didn't understand. She couldn't understand how things just weren't that easy. She had her loyalties to those that she loved, and he had his. Even if he did want to help her... even if he was helping in his own discreet and passive way; he could not just switch sides in one fell swoop. It would be reckless, it would be dangerous, and he surely was a coward, as she claimed him to be. Draco Malfoy was much too deep, and he knew that such recklessness could bring him death. Something that he was greatly afraid of. He wouldn't let his guard down, not around her. At least not in the way she wanted him to. He would never be on her side. He was one of them, and she needed to realize that.

Ginny eventually quieted down by the time they had reached the dungeons; the silence between them was deafening. Draco brought her to a cell and tossed her inside, and she turned in anger to scowl and glare at him through the rusted bars of the cell door - tears teetered at the edge of her eyes, her cheeks flushed red. Malfoy returned the gesture as he locked her in. He knew that if she had the chance, she'd punch him square in the face. She was holding herself back, but why? It was because of him that she was constantly being put through pain. Or... did she believe that his guilt was enough pain? Slow and growing... it would consume him. Did she see it in his eyes and believed that to be a much greater aching than any strike that her fist could make?

"I can't believe I actually thought I could help you." Ginny finally spoke through clenched teeth, breaking the silence between them. She stepped closer to the cell door.

Draco shook his head, shifting his eyes downwards for a moment, before looking back up and fixing his hard gaze upon her own. "Nobody can help me, not you, not anyone..." His words were uttered with a cold hopelessness in his tone and before she could say anything to him, Draco had turned and began to walk away.

Ginny's angry facial expression had softened again and her brows knitted. She frowned, watching as he turned his back to her, walking away, leaving her here as he had done time and time again. Ginny usually had something smart to yell back at him, but this time, she couldn't find the words to say. Not with the events that unfolded between the two tonight, not with the words that he had left her with. A cry for help that she couldn't seem to answer to - she knew that he'd reject her helping hand, although she knew very well that he needed it, wanted it... yet, Ginny knew that she couldn't save everyone, and at the moment, those who were on the side of good needed her help the most. Perhaps, eventually, she could reach him... maybe... but if she knew anything about him was that he was just as hardheaded and stubborn as she was. If she was being honest, she felt bad for Malfoy.

A sigh fell from her lips and that sudden sinking feeling in her stomach began to appear. She knew Draco would be telling the Carrow's that he had found her sneaking about. She knew they'd be here soon, jovial and excited to make her suffer once more. Her hand reached up to grip around one of the bars from the cell door, and she leaned her head against it... and then... the gate rattled... and pushed... and slipped open. Ginny's brows furrowed again, her lips parting a bit in surprise. She stepped back for a moment, unsure if she was really seeing what she was seeing. Ginny stepped forward again and gave the cell door a push, and it swung forward slightly.

But... how? Did Draco forget to lock her in... by accident... or on purpose?

This wouldn't be the first time he had "accidentally" helped her, although no one ever believed her whenever she would voice her suspicions about it. Would he even tell the Carrow's at all? Something told Ginny that he wasn't going to...

Ginny pushed open the cell door enough to slip out, and carefully she made her way out of the dungeons back to the mission in mind before she had bumped into Malfoy.

If only he could see the good in him...