Author's Note: Please ignore chapter's two to eight. I'm still working on them. Thanks a lot!
Chapter Two
Ginny woke when she felt a warm heat on her face. 'Sunbeams'. The thought floated through her mind as if from a dream but was closely pursued with another thought. 'What if I never see them again?' She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Good morning," a soft voice whispered. Ginny smiled.
"How long have you been here?" she asked in an amused tone.
"Not very long." She yawned, stretching lazily and pulled her fingers through her hair only to have them get stuck on knots.
"What time is it?"
"Four o'clock, in the afternoon." Ginny's jaw dropped. She knew that she was tired but she didn't know she had been that tired. Draco chuckled at her expression.
"I'm sorry, I should have been up by now. I should have owled Mum or Dad or Ron or somebody. Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Because I probably put a major dent in your schedule and made a big mess for you." She felt the bed sink as Draco sat beside her.
"I don't have any plans for today minus getting you to St. Mungo's to see a doctor." He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Don't worry about me."
"Thank you Draco," Ginny said. She leaned forward and slid her hand up his arm so she could wrap hers around his neck. Draco was surprised at her actions but returned the hug. "You have already done so much for me."
"It's okay Gin. I just want you to be okay again."
"You mean that?" Ginny pulled back, confusion and hope both appearing on her face.
"I do."
"Thank you so much Draco, you don't know how much that means to me," she said as she leaned forward again to hug Draco.
"It's the truth." Ginny tightened her arms around him. Suddenly she felt a paw batting her shirt. She pulled back and heard Draco chuckle. Shadow gave a pitiful meow and crawled into Ginny's lap. "Apparently someone's hungry, again." As if on cue, Ginny's stomach gave a low rumble. "And apparently you are as well. I'm not surprised though, you haven't eaten since eight o'clock last night." Ginny blushed and fondled Shadow's ear. She felt Draco get up, throwing an "I'll be right back" over his shoulder. He soon returned and the smell of pizza entered the room with him. Ginny smiled and gratefully took the pizza slice from Draco.
"You're right! This taste amazing, even on the second day." Draco chuckled softly. She soon finished and was licking her lips for any excess crumbs or taste that were left behind.
"I think we should head over to your flat so you can get changed into some of your own cloths and we can then head over to St. Mungo's. What do you think?"
"Sounds like a plan. Umm…What do you want me to do with your cloths?"
"There's no point in changing into your cloths from last night only to change out of them again so you might as well just keep them on until we get to your flat." Ginny nodded. "Shall we be off then?"
"Sure, I have to grab my cloths and sandals though."
"All ready taken care of, they're waiting at the door for us." Ginny grinned.
"Well don't you just think of everything?" she asked sarcastically.
"It's what I do." Ginny could practically hear him smirking back at her. She was about to move when she remembered the weight on her lap.
"I'm going to miss you Shadow," she said gently as she picked the cat up and cradled him in her arms. Shadow purred loudly in response.
"You don't have to say goodbye to him you know." Ginny tilted her head to the side, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Is this you giving me an invitation back here?"
"I thought that would be the plan," Draco smoothly replied. Ginny smirked broadened as she set Shadow down on the bed.
"All right then. I won't say goodbye, just yet."
"Good, now lets get going." Ginny nodded and made her way to the edge of the bed only to fall off the edge. Her face made full contact with the hard floor and she groaned while the rest of her body slipped to the ground.
"Ginny!" she heard Draco yell above her. "Are you okay?" Ginny could help but smile as she brought her hands to her sore nose. Her smile turned into a giggle and the giggle into all out laugh. She sat up and leaned against the bed while she held her face with one and her side with the other. Happy tears began to steam down her face.
"Uh Gin?" Draco asked in a confused voice. "Aren't you supposed to be in pain and not laughing seeing as your face slammed into a wooden floor?" Ginny's laughter slowly subsided and she stood up.
"Oh it hurts like hell but that doesn't mean that that wasn't hilarious."
"You scared the crap out of me Gin," Draco said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door.
"Why are you so worried about me? I just fell of the bed," Ginny mused. "I did it enough even when I wasn't blind." This brought a chuckle from Draco and he seemed to relax. Draco stopped and let go of Ginny's hand.
"Wait here a sec." Ginny nodded and brought a hand up to rub her nose. It was still a little sore but it wasn't hurt to bad. She sniffed the air. The air still had the woodsy smell, she didn't know what made his apartment smell like that but she liked it. 'Draco's smell'. She smiled to herself at this thought and noticed the smell suddenly getting stronger.
"Nice try Draco." She heard him snort behind her.
"How'd you know?"
"That's my little secret now isn't it?"
"Fine, keep your secrets. I'm only helping you out here and you won't let me have any fun. " Draco fake whined but there was amusement behind it that cause both of them to laugh. Ginny felt something being draped over her shoulders. Her fingers touched a soft material. She scrunched her brow. "Wouldn't want you to catch a cold now would we?"
"Draco, we're just going to my flat," Ginny replied in an amused tone.
"You never know what you could catch in this wet weather, no harm in being careful." Ginny shook her head and smiled. "So do I smell good?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Ginny teased.
"Yes actually I would."
"Well if you're so concerned about it, yes you do."
"I was not concerned, merely curious that's all. We had better be off." Draco took Ginny's hand and led her first to her sandals and then out the door. They then apparated to her flat and Ginny fumbled through her cloths for the key. She soon found it and began to search the door for the keyhole.
"Need help?"
"No I'm fine," Ginny said even though she seemed to be having much difficulty. She bit her lip in frustration. Why couldn't she find that ruddy hole?
To her surprise she felt a warm hand over top of hers. Her hand was guided to the lock and the key slid easily into place. She turned the key and opened the handle. The door swung open with many groaning creeks from the un-oiled hinges.
"Thanks," she said quietly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she stepped inside her flat. She felt along the wall and found her bedroom. She had moved out of her parents house a year ago to this flat and now knew the place inside out. "You can take a seat in the living room if you want," she called over her shoulder.
"You sure you'll be alright?"
"I'll be fine."
"You said that earlier and you fell on your face." Ginny turned and faced the direction that his voice had come.
"Oh very funny." She heard Draco chuckle. "I'll be fine, I know me way around my own flat. I'll call if I need you." She turned back and continued down the wall. She soon found the door to her bedroom and gingerly opened it. Finding her way along the wall, she turned to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans (bottom shelf to the left) and a turtleneck (top shelf to the right). She was really glad that she remembered all this. She took pride in how organized her flat was. She carefully tugged off Draco's shirt and shorts and pulled on the turtleneck and jeans. She folded the t-shirt and shorts and placed them on her bed, which wasn't far from her dresser thankfully. Returning to her dresser, she fumbled for her brush and pulled it through her hair, not bothering to pull it up into anything. She then walked to the door, feeling along the door the whole time. She walked back out into the corridor and found the door to her bathroom, which was to the right of her bedroom. She found the sink and the cabinet above, reaching inside to find her toothbrush and tooth paste. She was surprised at how easily she was getting around without her sight. She finished brushing her teeth and ran her tongue along them to make sure they were clean. Reached under the cabinet, she grabbed her wash cloth and turned on the warm water tap above the sink. The soaked cloth felt great on her face and every muscle in Ginny's body relaxed. There was something about washing her face that made her feel calm and worked every time she was stressed. She hung the cloth back on it's hook and turned to reach for one of her fluffy towels. Satisfied she turned towards the door and felt her way to her living room. The woodsy smell reached her nose and she smiled. He was close. She put her hands out infront of her and felt around. Her fingers brushed something but when she reached again it was gone.
"Hey no fair," she giggled. Her ears perked when she heard a floorboard squeak close by. She slowly turned. The smell was all around her so she had to depend on her ears and hands.
"I didn't know we were playing a game," Draco whispered in her ear but by the time she had turned around, he was once again out of reach. Another floorboard creaked right beside Ginny and her hand flew out and grabbed something.
"Found you," she said in a playful voice.
"Well done," Draco replied also having a playful tone in his voice. Ginny felt his chest rise and fall under her hand. She had clearly grabbed the front of his cloak. She blushed and pulled her hand away but Draco caught it before it could fall to her side. He placed it on the side of his face and kissed the palm.
Ginny desperately wanted to know what Draco looked like and it was killing her that she couldn't see him. She slid her hand out from under his, tracing his lips and then back up to his eyes with her finger tips. The playfulness that she had heard in his voice a moment ago was not present any longer, she could feel the seriousness on his face. She felt his eyebrows. They were relaxed and not scrunched together. Ginny bit her lip and reached high to touch his hair. There was no gel and felt silky. Her hand dropped to his cheek, letting the back of her hand slid slowly down his soft skin. She felt his fingers slowly run through her hair and then his hand cupping her cheek. Ginny let her own hand rest on his neck, her thumb rubbing his jawbone. She was dying on the inside that she couldn't see his face but her thoughts were swept away when she felt his lips softly press against her own. She felt fire works going off in her brain as electricity swept down her spine and stomach turned into a million flapping snitches all at once. Draco slowly pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. Ginny placed her fingertips of the hand that had been resting on Draco's neck on his lips. She felt a smile there. Draco kissed her fingers and she smiled back.
"I wish I could actually see your smile right now," she whispered.
"Hold onto that thought, you will soon," Draco whispered back. He kissed her again and then took her hand, leading her back towards her front door. Ginny reached out for Draco's cloak that she had hung up when she had come in. She pulled it to her nose and sniffed.
"Do I smell that good?" Draco asked in an amused voice.
"Uh-huh," Ginny giggled.
"Then I guess you should have that cloak then, so you can smell me whenever you want."
"Thank you."
"You are most welcome," Draco said and kissing her cheek. He stepped infront of her and helped her put on the cloak before lacing his fingers with hers, leading her out of her flat. Once outside they stopped, wands out.
"Ready?" Ginny asked.
"Hold on a sec." Draco leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "Now I am." Ginny smiled all the way to St. Mungo's.
When they arrived at the wizard hospital, a nurse lead them to a spare bed telling them a doctor would be with them shortly. They now sat impatiently waiting. Ginny sat on the edge of the bed, letting her feet dangle over the side. Her head had dropped into her chest and her eyes were closed. Draco pulled up a chair infront of her.
"Gin? You okay?" he asked.
"I'm scared," Ginny whispered back, placing her hands in her lap and began playing with her fingers.
"Why?"
"Because I can't stand the fact that I might not be able to see anything again." Draco took one of her hands and gently pressed his lips to it. Before he could comfort her, a doctor came in. He carefully examined Ginny, asking for every detail on what happened when she lost her sight. Draco held Ginny's hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb.
"Can you help?" he asked impatiently. The doctor gave him an annoyed look, Draco had asked the same question twice already.
"Without knowing the spell her attacker used, I don't know how to reverse it."
"You're doctor!" Draco exclaimed. "You're supposed to know what causes things like this!"
"I have already told you sir, we can't help without knowing the spell," the doctor replied in an irritated voice.
"So you can't help me?" Ginny asked quietly. The doctor gave a heavy sigh.
"Not at the moment my dear, but we will do everything we can." Ginny bowed her head again as tears stung her eyes. 'Never be able to see anything again, ever?'
"There has to be something you can do for her," Draco persisted.
"We will try sir but there is not much we can do." The doctor looked down at Ginny, his own heart reaching out to this young girl. Sometimes he really hated his job. "I'm sorry miss."
Ginny nodded as a reply because her own words caught in her throat. She heard the doctor's footsteps as he walked away. He tears began to fall as Draco wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry Gin," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." Ginny crunched the front of his robe in her hands and sobbed.
"If there was anything I could do, anything at all, to help you I would," Draco said, his voice shaky. He hated to see her in so much pain. He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms about her, gently rocking back and forth. Slowly Ginny's tears subsided but she still clung to Draco.
"I was so excited. I thought that I would be able to see you but now…"
"Shh…You will. I promised you and I don't intend on falling back on my word." He took Ginny's hand and let her fingertips feel his face. Ginny felt the seriousness on his face. She nodded bringing her hand back to her own face to wipe her tear-streaked cheeks. Suddenly an idea struck Draco.
"What did he look like Ginny? The man who attacked you?"
"I didn't see him that well. All I saw was a green and silver cloak."
"Did you see any writing, a picture?" Draco persisted but Ginny just shook her head. It didn't matter though, he had a pretty good idea who curse her. "Gin, I have to go but I will be back soon okay?"
"Were are you going?"
"To find out the cure to that spell." Draco kissed her full on the lips and then slowly left the bed. He spun around however when Ginny called his name.
"Thank you." Draco smiled at her even though he knew she couldn't see it.
"Don't thank me yet," he said, trying to make his voice sound as amused as possible. He was rewarded with a smile. He turned from her again and walked away.
"I'm going to kill the scum that's done this to her," he fumed as he exited St. Mungo's.
Back on the bed in the hospital, Ginny curled up into a ball. She hated hospitals and it was worse now that she couldn't see anything around her and Draco was gone. 'Draco' Ginny mentally sighed. He had been so nice to her. He had changed so much from being the snotty two-faced prick he was in school. Ginny tried to picture him in her mind. She had felt his aristocratic features but there was no smirk under her fingers when she had run them along his lips. She imagined the boy she had seen for the first time all those years ago, then how he had looked at graduation and finally during the war. His voice had held compassion and caring, which were odd things to find in a Malfoy. Ginny's heart fluttered when she remembered his kiss. She smiled to herself. At least now she didn't have to think about being in a creepy hospital.
*****
"What did you do to her?! What spell was it?!" Draco bellowed as he slammed a man up against the wall. "Tell me now or I will force it from you!" The man smirked. Draco's eyes
flashed as he punched the man in the stomach. The man doubled over but began to snicker.
"Why do you care?" the man asked in a harsh voice. "I thought you didn't care about Muggle-loving scum like her."
"Don't you dare say things like that about her!" Draco threatened. "Say another thing like that and I'll end your life here and now. You know I can."
"And if you do that you will never find out the spell I used. Funny our world, isn't it?"
"I didn't say that I wouldn't get that from you first now did I?"
"You still didn't answer my question." Draco glared at the man.
"I don't have to answer anything you say."
"Now, now, is that any way to talk to your father?" Draco shuddered involuntarily. Lucius smirked, it was the same smirk that Draco had acquired all those years ago.
"You are no father of mine," he spat back and punched Lucius's jaw. He fell to ground. "Now tell me what you did to her."
"Do you love her?" Draco was taken aback.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Lucius sneered as he struggled to his feet only to be slammed once again into the wall by Draco. "Do you love her?"
"And why should I answer you?"
"Because she will never see again if you don't. And that's not all that will happen."
"What else will happen?"
"Answer my question."
"Tell me what else will happen!"
"Answer!" Draco hesitated. "Answer me, Draco."
"Yes," he said in a confident voice.
"Since when?" Draco was about to protest but was cut of. "Just answer Draco. She is a stake here."
"Seventh year at Hogwarts."
"I thought I taught you better than to love. Love is for weaklings Draco. Only pathetic fools fall in love."
"I answered your questions now give me the answers to mine!" Draco threatened only to receive a sneer.
"She has lost her sight now but soon it will get worse. She is dying Draco and it will be a slow painful death indeed."
"You bas…."
"Do not insult me Draco or you will not get anything else from me and you know it."
"How long until it gets worse?"
"Not very actually, I'd give it a week at best before it gets to it's peek." Draco's grip on Lucius slacked. His eyes went wide. Only a week?
"How can I reverse it? What spell was it?" Lucius laughed. Draco recognized the laugh. He had laughed the same way when Draco had cried for mercy in the dungeon under the Malfoy Manor. The laugh brought back horrible memories. How he longed to kill this man for what he had done to him and now to Ginny. He tightened his fists around Lucius's arms and glared. If looks could kill, Lucius would have died a thousand times and shaking six feet under by now.
"Tell me Lucius, tell me what I want to know." Draco's voice was now shaking with fury. Lucius gave a dramatic sigh.
"And then what will you do? Go off and try to save her even though you know you will fail?"
"I won't fail."
"Even if it is the Sebonist curse." Draco's eyes rounded with horror. "Ah, you remember it. The one curse that Potter and his stupid party of scum still haven't found out about."
"But-but the cure, it takes eight or nine days to prepare!" Draco exclaimed.
"Quite right my boy, you will fail this pathetic attempt to save that whore of yours and she will die."
"No!" Draco ripped his wand out of his robes without thinking and pressed it to his father's throat.
"Do it Draco, kill me, that won't save her and you know it."
"STUPIFY!" Draco yelled at the top of his lungs and Lucius collapsed. He didn't know why he hadn't killed him as his father had said but didn't have time to think about it. Draco ran from there with all his power. He had to help Ginny. He would not let her die.
*****
A wave of pain swept over Ginny and it woke her from her sleep. Her eyes shot open only to see darkness. The pain was so severe that she couldn't scream. Her back arched as another wave of pain hit her. She grabbed fistfuls of the sheets on the bed. Finally she screamed. She barely heard the doctor come running. She screamed again, he eyes squeezed shut as hard as they would go. She felt something cool at the side of her neck. The pain was replaced with a numbing sensation.
"Draco," she whispered as sleep over came her.
*****
Draco burst though the hospital doors. He ran as fast as he could to where Ginny lay and found her unconscious with the doctor standing over her.
"What happened?"
"We don't know. One minute she was fast asleep and the next she was screaming. We had to use a sleeping charm to calm her."
"I know what curse was used on her," Draco muttered as her sat next to Ginny, taking her hand in his. "And we don't have much time."