Chapter Five
Ginny coughed. The land around her had turned into a desert, monsters hiding around every sand dune. Every time Ginny breathed in she coughed as sand got sucked into her mouth. It felt like her lungs were being ripped open from the inside. She collapsed into the sand, coughing hard and struggling to breathe. One hand clutched her throat while the other held her up from falling completely into the sand. 'Why was it taking so long? Where was he? He should have been here by now!' were the thoughts going through Ginny's mind. Again Lucius' words went through her mind. They had been haunting her thoughts ever since she had seen him. The longer she waited the more tempting the offer sounded.
She was about ready to give up when she felt someone's arms wrap around her shoulder. She looked up to see the stormy-gray eyes she loved so much.
"Draco," she whispered because she couldn't talk any louder than that.
"It's okay Gin, the potions ready. It's going to hurt a bit but soon you will be back in the hospital."
" 'Bout time," Ginny whispered sarcastically and was rewarded with a chuckle from Draco. It was like music to her ears. "I'm ready."
"I love you Gin and I'll be waiting for you on the other side." Draco gently pressed his lips against hers and disappeared from her side.
* * * * *
Draco's eyes fluttered open and he turned to the people waiting beside the bed.
"Hand me the flask." Arthur handed Draco the flask that he had been holding. Draco gently lifted Ginny so she was sitting against him. He carefully tilted her head and separated her lips with his fingers, causing her mouth to open. Draco then slowly poured the potion into her mouth and waited until the flask was empty. He set the now empty flak on the bed beside him and wrapped his arms around Ginny. Everyone in the room held their breath. Ginny suddenly began to shake uncontrollably and let out an ear-piercing scream.
* * * * *
Ginny screamed. Draco had lied when he said it would hurt a bit. The pain was unimaginable. Ginny rolled in the sand shaking as waves of pain swept over her. She heard someone calling her in the distance. She screamed again as another spasm of unbearable pain leapt through her body.
"Come on Ginny," a voice whispered. "You can do it."
"Come on Gin, don't let us down," another voice said. Soon her mind was filled with voices. She recognized them all. Her mum, her dad, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Luna and most importantly Draco. They were all shouting out to her, encouraging her to make it past the pain. She looked up at the red sky above her as tears spilled down her cheeks. Another wave of pain washed over her and Ginny felt herself falling. Light surrounded her, it was bright and lifted her spirits as she fell. Suddenly, out of no where darkness grabbed her, bringing the sorrow and pain once again. The light fought back as Ginny squirmed, fighting with all her might to get free the darkness' clutches. For Ginny, it felt like a dangerous game of tug-o-war and both sides were equally armed. She tried to scream but nothing would come. Clashing sounds ripped through the air as light and dark fought to gain dominance. They struck all around Ginny, both not willing to yield. The words of her family, their hope, protected her but the darkness was getting dangerously close to hitting her.
A bolt from each side hit Ginny, one on her back and one on her chest. There was a surge of pain that flowed though Ginny's body and then she could feel nothing at all. She was floating and then everything faded.
* * * * *
"Come on love, you can do it." It had been hours since Ginny had been given the potion. Moments after she screamed she stopped moving all together. Everyone had stayed up but Draco had eventually convinced them to get some rest and he would stay with Ginny. Reluctantly they agreed after making him promise to wake them the second something happened. Now the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and Luna were all sound asleep. It was early morning on the ninth day. Draco sat on the bed rocking Ginny back and forth, whispering encouraging words into her ears. Draco looked up at the sleeping figures scattered around the room. The twins were on the floor. Molly and Arthur were on the bed opposite the one he sat on now. Harry and Hermione shared a bed across from Ron and Luna. Bill, Charlie and Percy were all in the hospital chairs that they had changed into comfortable armchairs.
There were bags under Draco's eyes and a week's worth of stubble on his face. His hair was a mess but at the moment he didn't care at all. Anybody that looked at him now would think he had lost his entire life and inheritance in an hour, but to him, it was taking a little over a week. Ginny had become everything to him. He had gone over the memories from the last couple of days before Ginny was taken into the other world a million times already in the last couple hour. He laughed remembering how she had fallen off the bed in his flat. He remembered the hide and seek game they had played in hers. She had made the room light up for him when she had walked in. He wanted to tell her all the things that she did for him and her wanted her to hear it. She had become his life all over again. It had been the same during the war. He had sat outside her room for what felt like ages, visiting her when no one else was around and even when people were around sometimes when he was desperate although he never let anything on to anyone. He thought he would lose her then and was having the same feelings now. His hope was slowly fading away.
"Come on Gin, don't give up now. I need to tell you so many things but you need to wake up," he whispered. He smoothed down her hair for the billionth time. He then brought his hand to her face and began to trace her nose, mouth, eyes, eyebrows, cheeks and chin with his fingertips. Her skin was cold under the warmth of his hand and she was paler than Draco had ever seen her. He was startled slightly when he felt something move on his arm. He looked down to were Ginny's hand rested. It was motionless. Draco sighed and took it in his own hand and pressed it to his lips, his eyes never leaving her face. He thought, for a moment, he saw Ginny's eye flinch. He dismissed it until he saw it again.
"Ginny! Come on Gin, you're almost home," he urged. Her whole face flinched and her body tensed up in Draco's arms. "Come on you can do it." Draco squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. Her eyes shot open and she was breathing heavily. She looked around the room frantically and then saw Draco hanging above her. She threw her arms around his neck and cried.
"It's okay Gin, your home," Draco cooed, his own tears falling down his cheeks. "It's going to be okay. You're home." Ginny buried her face in Draco's shoulder.
"I was so scared," she sobbed.
"Shhh…" Draco hushed and then pulled back to look her in the eyes. "Are you okay?" Something suddenly dawned on Ginny.
"I can see you," she whispered. She put her hands on his cheeks, wiping away his tears with her thumbs and kissed him before hugging him again. "You don't know how much just waiting to see your face out here helped me. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Draco whispered into her hair and he tightened his arms around her.
Someone groaned in their sleep. Ginny didn't seem to notice but Draco remembered his promise. He pulled back and kissed her one more time. It was like their first, complete with electricity, fireworks and snitches. Draco could have stayed there forever but his promise nagged at the back of his mind so he slowly broke it and looked intently into Ginny's eyes.
"There are some people here waiting for you." Ginny nodded and let her arms fall from Draco's neck to his hands. "You better wake them up hadn't you?" Draco stood and picked Ginny up, taking her over to her parents and setting her gently down beside them.
"Mum, dad," Ginny said while shaking them softly. Their eyes fluttered open and they gasped when they saw their daughter.
"Oh Ginny!" Molly cried out as tears streamed down her cheeks while she and Arthur embraced Ginny. Draco went over and woke the others, Ron first.
"Hey mate," he chuckled as Ron grumpily opened his eyes. "There's someone waiting to say hi." Ron's eyes went round as he slowly turned in the direction Draco had motioned.
"Ginny!" he screamed and ran to her, wrapping her up in his arms. He sudden outburst woke the rest of the sleeping people who copied Ron's actions and began a big, family hug. Draco stood back and watched the happy family who were all crying and squishing Ginny with their hugs and kisses. To his surprise, Ron of all people beckoned Draco to join them. He laughed and walked over to them. Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist and then the rest were soon around them, all laughing or crying and all were expressing their joy for the return of their precious Ginny. Arthur clapped his hand on Draco's shoulder and held up his hand for silence.
"Draco," Arthur said calmly when everyone was quiet. "Thank you for saving my daughter's life." He held a hand out to Draco and as soon as he took it, Arthur wrapped him in a hug. He then stood back and Ginny returned to her form position with her arms around Draco.
"Oh go on!" one of the twins yelled.
"Give her a kiss!" said the other and Draco happily obliged by leaning in and kissing Ginny. The two of them broke apart laughing however when the crowd around them cheered with approval.