Chapter Four
"Get away from me Tom, you're nothing but a half breed, slimy, disgusting monster!" Ginny screamed as she backed up, trying her best to get control again but her hope was failing with every word.
"I take that as a compliment, all except the half breed part and you will eat those words before I'm through with you."
"That's enough Riddle," a calm but commanding voice ordered. Ginny whirled around to see Dumbledor standing a few meters away. The Professor's eyes where not twinkling with the kindness that was usually there. His eyes were determined and stern.
"Leave, now," he commanded. Ginny heard Tom snort.
"And what makes you think I'm going to listen to anything you say old man? You couldn't control me in school, what's in your head that thinks you can now?"
"You do not belong here Riddle, you no longer have control over her, Virginia has defeated the memory of you long ago."
"And yet she stands there shaking like a leaf ready to fall from it's branch," Tom countered.
"You have only brought back horrible memories. She can easily lock you away again if she tries."
"But she can never get rid of me. I am a part of her."
"Oh I think she can, you're just an injury that needs to be healed. Go ahead Virginia. He cannot control you unless you let him." Dumbledor smile a genuine smile at Ginny and it gave her strength. She turned back to Tom with a grin on her face.
"Get out of here Tom, you're nothing to me and you can't hurt me anymore." With her words, Tom began to disappear. He looked down at himself, shocked. "You are nothing more than horrible memory." Tom grew fainter and fainter. "Go away Tom and never return."
"You haven't seen the last of me Ginny, I will find you where ever you are. You can't escape me."
"Oh I think I already have. You had control over me once, never again will I let that happen." Tom howled and with a great gush of air he was gone.
"I did it," Ginny whispered to herself. "I did it!" She turned to see Dumbledor smiling at her. She ran and hugged him. "Thank you Professor, I don't think I could have done it without you." He gently patted her hair as if she was a young child once again.
"I think you could have Ginny, I did nothing but give you a little direction. I must leave you now, but remember, it's all in your head." Ginny laughed as he gently touched his index finger to her forehead and nodded. Dumbledor chucked and then turned away. Within seconds he was gone. Ginny was not alone for long however. Draco soon appeared behind her and nearly crushed her with his embrace when he got close enough.
"Ginny! Are you all right? Where's Riddle?" he rambled but stopped when he saw the grin on her face. "How did you defeat him?" he asked finally catching on.
"I had a little help from an old friend," she replied calmly. Draco gave her a puzzled look but smiled. "It's all in my head after all."
* * * * *
Molly Weasley sat on the edge of the chair she had been sitting in. She had over heard the conversation between her husband and her son and had thoughts of her own.
Draco had proven himself that he cared about her daughter. She hadn't expected to see him walk through the fireplace a back at the Burrow few days ago, yelling to the whole household that Ginny was under a deadly curse. He looked like a garden snake in a fox's layer. Molly had never had a Malfoy in her home before and had to get over that shock before she actually heard what he was saying. She was glad he had come however. Otherwise, the Weasleys would have probably been left in the dark until the end of it, whether it was the death or life of Ginny. The memory of being in the hospital, in a room very much like this one and Ginny lying unconscious on the bed, was still too near and stung Molly like an old wound reopened. She had come so close to losing her daughter then and she was just as worried now, more so because of the kind of curse she was under this time. Molly had cried many tears in the last few days. Tears for herself, tears for Ginny, tears for her family and, to her surprise tears for Draco. This must be so hard on him. He had definitely showed another side of him that wasn't cold hearted and stone. He had really shown himself to be a true prince in shinning armor for Ginny. Molly smiled at her next thought. 'I hope it turns out to be like that Muggle story I once read.'
* * * * *
It was almost time. Draco had made many trips between Ginny's world and reality. The potion was almost ready. Ginny however was getting worse. It was getting harder and harder for her to control what was going on in her mind and the battles were starting to drain her. Her body outside would go through spasms and she had not woken again. Her family, including Draco, were worried and on edge. Ron had snapped on Draco whenever he could.
"It's all your fault!" he yelled.
"How is it my fault?!" Draco yelled back. Harry and Luna were holding Ron back so he couldn't actually start throwing punches.
"Because that slimy git you call a father did this to teach you a lesson!"
"He is not my father!" Draco roared. Ron stopped struggling and every one in the room stared at him. "No real father would have ever done what that man has done to me." The room was deathly silent. The Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and Luna all had their eyes on Draco, mouths hanging open. Draco's eyes fell to the floor and he laughed slightly. It wasn't the normal kind of laugh but one of fear, anger and pain wrapped up into one.
"Draco?" Arthur asked wearily.
"You're right Ron. That monster did this to Ginny was to teach me a lesson. He wanted me to watch the person I love most in the world waste away until she was nothing. Now that I think of it, it is my fault. It's all my fault. I did this to her." His head shot up and his eyes bulged at his knew realization. His legs buckled beneath him and he collapsed to his knees. "What have I done?" To all they're surprise Hermione stepped forward. She knelt before Draco and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You loved her Draco," she said calmly.
"And she is now fighting for her life in another world while she is dying in this one because of that love. Why couldn't I have just…" Hermione slapped him, hard. He brought his hand to his face and stared at her in disbelief.
"Wake up Draco! You can not honestly believe that you did this can you? Can't you see that you're the one helping her and not the one who tried to kill her? You love her and that is what is keeping her alive now," Hermione's voice softened. "You have done nothing but love her Draco. Nobody and I mean nobody blames you for this," Hermione shot a look over her shoulder the once struggling red head of the group before turning back to Draco. "Even it Ron doesn't admit it openly, he doesn't either. You were the one who came to tell us and now you are the one helping the doctors cure her. You have made countless trips between our world and hers to keep her hopes up. Don't even think about blaming yourself Draco Malfoy because you have done nothing but the complete opposite to that, as you so greatly pointed out, monster of a man." Draco shuddered. He had been through so much in the last six days that he was physically and mentally drained. Hermione's words, however, made it to his clouded mind.
"You're right Hermione, thank you." Hermione looked shocked. For all the years that she had known Draco he had never called her by her first name let alone thanked her for something.
"No prob, I'm just here to help," she said breathlessly, eyes still round with amazment. Draco got to his feet and looked down at Ginny. He sat beside her thin body that was more like an empty shell at the moment. Someone clearing their throat caught his attention however but his eyes did not leave Ginny.
"The potion, Mr. Malfoy, it's almost ready and we need your assistance for the last stage," the doctor said in a calm voice.
"I'll be there in a moment," Draco said softly before he turned to the group behind him. The doctor nodded and left the room. The Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and Luna, all had stayed since Draco had called them. They had slept and ate almost as much as he had, which wasn't very much at all. He finally, after a lifetime of hating these people, felt like he was excepted somewhere other than under the wing of the defeated Dark Lord. He wasn't liked by all but he felt something that only he could call friendship because he had experienced very little of it during his child hood. He knew that he had to make amends now so the feeling would not slip away.
"Thank you, all of you. You have showed me the deepest kindness over the last couple of days." He turned to Ron. "I know you hate me more than anybody alive right now but I swear to you that I will not let Ginny die. If I have to I will switch places with her to make sure she lives. Whatever happens, she will be alive in the end. I know how much she means to you." Ron sighed.
"I don't hate you mate," he said quietly. "Your not the stuck up arse you used to be and it's the man who is rotting in Askaban right now that I hate. I'm sorry for making your life miserable." Draco placed his hand on Ron's shoulder.
"Don't be. I did the same to you for so long that I would expect it." He then turned to Harry and Hermione. "I would have thought you two as well would have hated me for all I have done, especially to you Hermione. I am truly sorry." He then turned to the rest of the people in the room. "You all have no idea how sorry I am right now for all the things I've done. I'm sorry for what Lucius has done."
"It's all mostly sticks and stones dear," Molly said cheerfully. "You can't take the blame for Lucius' faults. I think I speak for all of us when I say we except your apology." Everyone in the room smiled at Draco and for the first time in days, he felt happiness.
"Now stop being such a softy," one of the twins said. "It's beginning to creep me out." Everyone in the room laughed a little, the twins always knew how to lighten the mood.
"Sorry to interrupt but Mr. Malfoy? We need you now," the doctor said from behind the group. Draco nodded and followed the doctor out of the room.
* * * * *
Ginny was exhausted. She had been battling for days now and she didn't know how much more she could take. She lay down on the ground, breathing heavily. She closed her eyes trying to catch her breath and rolled onto her side.
"Go to sleep Ginny," an eerie voice cooed. Her eyes snapped open to see Lucius standing over her all though her wasn't completely there. He was faded and the visible part of him was skinny and paler than usual. "You can end it all here and now. All you have to do is close your eyes and let yourself fall asleep." Ginny struggled to her feet and glared at Lucius.
"No, I won't give in."
"You really think you can last until the potion is ready don't you?"
"Draco promised that he would make it as fast as her could and I believe him." Lucius laughed but it was harsher and thin. He immediately started to hack and wheeze. Ginny smirked at him.
"A little under the weather are we Lucius?" she asked, sarcasm dripping from every word. He shot her a menacing look. "I don't have time for you Lucius so just go away." To Ginny's surprise it worked. He disappeared from sight and she was alone once again. His words still buzzed in her mind however. Could it really be that easy to end all this? Just close her eyes and it would be done forever? No. She could let herself give in. Not now that she was so close to being cured.
She shuddered and began to walk. It was going to be a while now before she could close her eyes and not worry about dying.
* * * * *
The twins sat on the floor close to Ginny's bed. Everyone else was talking amongst themselves, trying to make a dent in the remaining time. Fred looked over at his twin brother who was staring at the shaking Ginny. She was going through a fit again and all they could do was wait it out. Their mother was sitting with her now, smoothing her hair and singing a song that she had sung to all her children when they were younger.
"Do you think she'll make it?" George asked quietly. This was an odd thing for the twins to be so serious and not to mention quiet.
"Do you think she won't?" George's eyes fell from Ginny and met his brother's gaze.
"I don't know. She's a fighter, our Gin, we should know after all the pranks we have pulled on her over the years. She always managed to get us back some how. But I don't know what's going to happen."
"What do you think of Draco's turn about?" George smiled grimly.
"He did make quite the turn didn't he?"
"Yeah. The bloke has been through a lot lately hasn't he? I mean with his father and now Gin."
"He'll be happy again when Gin's back up and about. Just wish somethin' could cheer him up in the mean time, he too somber for his own good." George then got a mischievous grin on his face, which only meant one thing. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Great minds think alike," Fred replied, the same grin gracing his features.
"Don't even think about it you two," Molly said sternly, now standing over them.
"Yes mum," they said in unison but as soon as she was out of earshot, they began their scheming. Even after all these years, they still acted like the schoolboys they once were.
* * * * *
"Okay," Draco said, gulping slightly. "Let's hope this works." It had been two days exactly since Draco had been pulled from the room and now the potion was as ready as it could be. Adding the final ingredient and muttering a spell that made the whole thing mix together, the colour turned from dark red to a snow white. Draco smiled. The potion was ready, everything had gone according to plan. Now all they needed to do was give it to Ginny. Draco poured the potion into a flask and walked back to Ginny's room. He carried the flask as if it where a young child, careful when taking every step. He walked to where his new friends were waiting.
"It's ready, but I want to check on her first."