Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, places, or anything else related to Harry Potter. They all belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Aliya. I really appreciate what she does.

Chapter 19

"Ginny," Draco began hesitantly. "I think we should break up. I mean, it's not worth people dying over. Especially if one of them is you."
"I was going to say the same thing about breaking up. It's not worth people dying over," Ginny responded, surprised.
"You were?" Draco asked, also pretty surprised.
Ginny nodded. "I mean, if Dumbledore admitted that Lucius is dangerous and that he could somehow get past the wards. As much as I don't want to do this, it's not worth it. He put a threat on Ron's life today, and if he saw us together, he would threaten someone else's life that's close to me," she said sadly, tears sparkling in her chocolate brown eyes. At least promise me that you won't give into Lucius. Don't become a Death Eater."
Draco stood up and walked over to Ginny. "I'll do what I can. Bye, Gin," he whispered, giving her a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I love you."
"Bye, Draco. Maybe we can get back together sometime, when it's safe," she replied softly. "I love you too."
Then Draco turned and walked away, shoulders lumped in defeat. He never looked back in fear that she would see the lone tear that rolled slowly down his cheek.

*~*~*~*

Back at the lake, Ginny watched Draco go sadly. The tears that had shone in her eyes before now falling freely down her cheeks. What a school year it had been for her. From making the Quidditch team to getting hit in the head with a Bludger to Christina dying. Then she'd fallen in love with her worst enemy, had his father threaten her if she didn't stay away from his son, and then breaking up with him. Boy, did she hate Lucius Malfoy. Not only had he tried to kill her in her first year, he had threatened to kill her and taken away her boyfriend. My life sucks, she thought sadly, heading toward the castle.

*~*~*~*

My life sucks, Draco thought as he entered his dormitory. First, he kills Christina, and now this. I hate my father. Why does he feel that he had to control every aspect of my life? He won't even let me pick my own girlfriend for Christ's sake. Why can' the just accept the fact that I don't want to be an exact copy of him and leave me alone?
Sighing, Draco lay down on his bed, brushing away angry tears. He turned his head to look at the pictures that were on his night stand. There was one of him and his mother when he was younger, one of him in his second year with the Slytherin Quidditch team, and one of him, Blaise, and Pansy on their first day of Hogwarts, laughing and waving at the camera. The one that caught his attention however, was one of Ginny, smiling and waving. It had been taken during the summer. He had asked Mrs. Weasley if she had any recent pictures of Ginny that he could have the last time he had owled her. She had only been too happy to send him a few, but of the one's she had sent him, he like the one sitting on his nightstand the best. That's why he had gotten it framed. She just looked so happy and beautiful in the picture that he wanted it where he could see it all of the time, now more than ever. He probably wouldn't be hanging out with Ginny all that much in the near future.
Draco squeezed his eyes shut to keep the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks at bay. He had promised himself that he wouldn't cry. The decision to break up had been mutual. It's not as if she had dumped him, but, for some reason, he felt that that's what she'd done. Maybe it was the fact that he'd expected her to protest and beg him not to do it. When she hadn't, he'd been surprised and hurt.
Shaking his head, Draco sat up and looked around his room. He needed something to occupy his mind so he wouldn't think about Ginny. He picked out a book randomly from the book shelf, and tried reading it. That didn't last very long. He couldn't concentrate. He decided to try and write his History of Magic essay, but after working on that for fifteen minutes and getting one sentence written, he gave up. Finding nothing that would occupy his mind, he laid back down on his bed, succumbing to the thoughts that had been buzzing mercilessly around his mind.

*~*~*~*

When Ginny arrived back in the castle, she made her way quickly to the Gryffindor Tower. When she arrived, she crept as quietly as she could up tot her dormitory. Not quietly enough apparently because just as she was about out of sight, Harry called, "Hi, Gin."
"Oh, hi, Harry," she replied weakly, cursing his keen hearing.
"Ginny, come down here, I've got an owl from Mum for you," Ron yelled up the stairs.
Ginny, knowing she couldn't keep walking because they would only follow her, turned around with a forced smile on her face and went down to the Common Room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't see anything wrong at first, not until she was standing right in front of them.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione asked in concern.
"It's Malfoy, isn't it?" Ron demanded. "What did he do? I swear, I'll kill him!"
Ginny's eyes shone with a fresh wave of tears, and her lip trembled as she tried to hold them back. Harry saw her distress, and he tried to intervene. "Ron, calm down. Ginny is obviously upset about something, you always jump to the wrong conclusions," he reprimanded. "Let her explain."
That's when Ginny's resolve broke, she put her head against Harry's shoulder and started crying. Harry put his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "What's wrong, Gin?" Hermione asked gently, putting a comforting hand on her arm.
"D-Dr-Draco," Ginny choked out between tears. She was about tot go on when Ron cut in.
"What did he do? I swear I'll curse him into next year. I knew it was him! I knew he was bad news," he ranted.
"Let her finish," Harry snapped impatiently. He knew that Ron was only making it worse. He knew that Ginny loved Draco, and even if he had done something terrible, she wouldn't want him hurt.
"D-Draco and I broke up," she stammered out.
"What? What happened?" Hermione asked in surprise.
Ginny then launched in to the whole story about Lucius threatening them. It was often suspended for a few minutes when she would break into a fresh wave of tears. When she had finished, Ron said, "Well, if you both wanted to break up, why are you so upset?"
"Ron, you are one of the stupidest and most insensitive gits I have ever met. They didn't want to break up, but they don't want to die either," Hermione huffed.
Ginny sniffled and then asked quietly, "can I go to my room now?"
"Are you going to be alright?" Hermione inquired in concern.
Ginny nodded and left the room. When she got there, she laid down on her bed. She was exhausted and needed her sleep. She soon fell into a light, restless sleep filled with nightmares.

*~*~*~*

The next morning, Draco woke up and felt as if he would never be able to get out of bed again. He laid in bed for a few minutes, contemplating whether it was worth getting up or not. After thinking for a minute, he got up, deciding that he didn't fancy getting a detention for cutting class on top of everything else. Hurrying to get ready, he walked out of the Common Room fifteen minutes later, completely read for class. Thanking God that Ginny was a year younger than him, he decided to skip breakfast and go straight to class.

*~*~*~*

The rest of the day Draco spent trying his best to avoid Ginny. He knew if he saw her he would try to take back everything he'd said last night. He found that, even thought she was in a different house and year, she seemed to be everywhere. He knew that that wasn't true, but every time he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye, he would stiffen and get himself convinced that it was Ginny. He was paranoid, and he knew it.
At the present time, Draco was making his way to dinner and was lost in his thoughts. That's when he collided into something solid. Whatever he had run into fell down, and he tripped over it, landing on top of it. When he looked down and saw what he had crashed into, he almost had a heart attack. The one person he had been avoiding all day was laying sprawled out underneath him. She was blushing furiously and just lay still, staring into his eyes.
They stayed like that for a few moments before Ginny said quickly, "Sorry I ran into you, Malfoy. I didn't see you, but could you get off of me now? I'm sure there are plenty of other girls that would be willing to be in this position so why don't you go find one?"
"Uh, sure," Draco mumbled sheepishly as he stood up and offered his hand to Ginny. She ignored it and stood up. Then she turned and angrily stalked away.
Draco's heart constricted as he watched her go and remembered her harsh words. They had really hit him hard. They were so scathing, especially coming from her mouth, the person that he was in love with and who was supposed to love him back. Shaking his head, he headed in the same direction as Ginny, towards the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*

All day long, Ginny's thoughts were on Draco and how much she missed him. As hard as she tried, she couldn't concentrate her classes, making more than one of her teachers annoyed. That's why she was now wandering aimlessly down the corridors. She knew that she should probably be heading towards the Great Hall for dinner, but couldn't concentrate on getting there. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone else walking towards her, lost in their thoughts as well. That's when they collided.
Ginny fell to the ground, snapping out of her thoughts. Looking at who she had run into, her heart flipped. It was Draco, and he was currently sprawled on top of her. She stared into his gorgeous grey eyes for a few minutes. She wasn't sure what to say. She needed to get him off of her. She couldn't think with him so close, and she didn't think she could stop herself from kissing him if he didn't move. So, her main concern was to get Draco off. "Sorry, I ran into you, Malfoy. I didn't see you, but could you get off of me now? I'm sure there are plenty of other girls that would be willing to be in this position so why don't you go find one?" she snapped.
"Uh, sure," Draco replied softly as he stood up. She realized that she was being colder than necessary, but she couldn't help it. The whole situation caused her so much pain, and she couldn't take it anymore. Draco offered his hand, but she ignored it and stalked away, not looking back. She knew she had probably hurt him, but if she'd stayed there, they would have gotten back together or at least kissed. That would have caused more trouble and pain, and she couldn't deal with it.
Pushing thoughts of her ex-boyfriend from her mind, Ginny headed towards the Great Hall. She sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Shannon, her back to the Slytherin table. "Hey, Gin, how're you doing?" Shannon asked in concern.
Ginny had told Shannon everything last night when she'd gotten to her dormitory. The concern in Shannon's voice snapped Ginny's resolve. She felt the dam break inside her, and tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I ran into him, literally," she answered mournfully.
"What happened?" Shannon inquired.
Ginny relayed the tale of what had happened only minutes earlier, tears still streaming down her face. "Oh, Gin! Everything will be okay," Shannon said reassuringly.
"I was so stupid. I should have been nicer," Ginny moaned in despair.
"Why were you so mean?" Shannon asked, trying her best to be helpful instead of accusing.
"I don't know. I just couldn't take being around him without kissing him. I had to get away as quickly as possible, it hurt too much, so I lashed out at him. I didn't mean to, and now all I can do is watch him walk around dejectedly. I can't talk to him, Lucius will strike again if I do," Ginny groaned.
"Why don't you write down exactly what you would say. I'll read it to him," Shannon offered.
"Would you? Thank you!" Ginny exclaimed gratefully, giving Shannon a hug. She quickly started to jot down what she would say to Draco with a quill and a parchment she'd had in her bag. Here's what she wrote:

Draco,
I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I just had to get away from you. Being that close was just too painful. I'm sorry. Please believe me. I wish I could tell you this in person, but Lucius would find out and strike again. Just remember, I love you and always will. I hope we'll be able to be together soon.

Handing the parchment to Shannon, Ginny put away her quill and watched Shannon walk over to Draco. For the first time since the incident in the hallway, she looked at his face. It was expressionless, but his eyes were shining with unshed tears. Looking away form his face, she watched Shannon approach and read the parchment. She quickly snuck a glance at Draco's face again. He was looking at her, and, when he saw her looking, he smiled. She returned it. Shannon watched the scene happily. She was glad that she could help, even if it was only for awhile, her friend get through the hard time in her life. She knew Ginny would have done the same for her.

*~*~*~*

Draco sat at the Slytherin table after running into Ginny holding back tears. Her words were running through his head over and over, and they still hurt. That's when Ginny's friend, Shannon, appeared in front of him.
"Yes?" he asked politely.
She looked at him for a minute before looking down at a piece of parchment she was holding. She began reading, and, when she had finished, Draco was confused. Shannon must have noticed this because she jerked her head towards Ginny in explanation. He turned to see her looking at him. He smiled to show that he understood and that he forgave her. She smiled back. That was all that was needed to cheer Draco up.
Turning back to his dinner, he tried to keep his thoughts away from Ginny. They hurt, and he had dealt with enough pain for awhile. Just knowing that they were still okay was good enough, but he still wished that Lucius wasn't such a prat.

*~*~*~*

A week went by with Ginny avoiding Draco as much as possible. It was like old times, only worse because she knew what it could belike when they were together. In the old days, Draco would at least acknowledge her, even if it was just for a n insult, now he simply ignored her completely. Sometimes she wished she could just talk to him or just kiss him for a few minutes, but knew it wasn't possible. She'd even been tempted to e-mail him a few times, but wasn't sure if Lucius was monitoring that too. She didn't want to risk it.
That's what she was thinking about when it happened. Shannon burst into the dormitory, clearly out of breath. She rushed over to Ginny and gasped out, "Lucius Malfoy broke through the wards. Dumbledore told me to get you. You're supposed to go talk to him in his office."
Ginny jumped out of her seat, yelling a quick, "Thanks." over her shoulder. She ran as quickly as she could to Dumbledore's office. When she arrived, he was standing outside the stone gargoyles, presumably waiting for her.
"Lucius Malfoy has attacked. He's taken Draco. He left a note stating that him and his son had some unfinished business. He can't Apparate out of the grounds, and he didn't have a broom. If you take one, you could catch him," Dumbledore said, handing her a broom.
Ginny smiled her thanks before running towards the Entrance Hall. She ran out of the castle doors and into the crisp, cool night. Scanning the landscape, she wished she had the Marauder's Map. Smacking herself on the head for not thinking of it earlier, she took out her wand and said, "Accio Marauder's Map."
Ginny waited a few minutes before she saw the Map flying towards her. She caught it easily and lit her wand. Scanning the Map, she found the figures of Lucius and Draco Malfoy, deep in the Forbidden Forest. Glancing at the Map once more, she mounted the broom and took off. Flying as fast she could in the direction that Lucius and Draco were headed, she prayed she wasn't too late.
Ginny was soon over the middle of the Forbidden Forest. She took out the Map again and looked at it. She did a double take. It showed that Lucius and Draco were headed towards her.

*~*~*~*

Draco woke up with a splitting headache. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He soon realized that he was in the Forbidden Forest, being levitated along side his father. That's when the memories came back. He had been in his dormitory when it happened.

*FLASHBACK*

Draco sat in his dormitory, working on the Charms essay due the next day. He had almost finished when the door opened. Assuming it was one of his roommates, he didn't look up. That was his first mistake. He heard a cold voice from behind him. "I've given you more than ample time to make your decision, Draco. Now, we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Whichever you choose will have the same outcome so you might as well come willingly," Lucius barked.
"Never," Draco snarled. That was his second mistake.
"Stupefy," Lucius said in a bored tone.
Then the world went black.

*END FLASHBACK*

Given the pain in his head, Draco suspected he'd hit his head on the desk he'd been sitting at after Lucius had cast the spell. Deciding it was probably best to pretend he was still unconscious, he closed his eyes once again. That's when he heard Lucius's annoyed ramblings. At first Draco thought that Lucius was talking him, but soon found otherwise.
"Bloody forest. Too many trees. Impossible to find your way. I'm bloody lost. Malfoys aren't supposed to get lost. It's just against their nature," Lucius mumbled angrily.
Draco had to use all of his self control not laugh. Never in a million years would he have thought his father would talk to himself. Mentally shaking his head, Draco comforted himself with the thought that his father wasn't all that he made himself to be.

*~*~*~*

Ginny looked at the Map in awe as the figures of Draco and Lucius moved steadily closer and closer to her. Deciding that landing her broom and waiting for them on land was her best bet, she did just that. Once she had landed, she began walking towards Lucius and Draco. They always moved side-by-side, and Ginny had a suspicion that Draco was unconscious, being levitated next to his father. The suspicion brought a feeling of dread to the pit of her stomach. If Draco was unconscious, she would have to face Lucius all alone. She wasn't sure if she could do it or not.
Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she glanced at the Map. That's when she heard something. Ginny froze, trying to determine what it was. After listening for a minute, she realized it was a human's voice, an angry human's voice, and it was getting louder. Must be Lucius, she thought to herself, hiding behind a tree. She didn't want to get spotted before she could see them.
Ginny soon saw their dark figures quickly approaching. She began to creep as quietly as she could from behind the tree so she could get behind them. That's when a twig snapped under her foot. She saw Lucius light his wand and shine it towards her. "Who's there?" he called.
Ginny stayed as still and quiet as she could, willing Lucius to keep going without investigating. No suck luck. He began walking towards her. Knowing that the only advantage she had was the element of surprise, she shot the first hex she could think of. "Petrificus Totalus," she yelled, aiming her wand at Lucius. The spell missed by a long shot. She had been so nervous that it had gone wide. There went her only advantage.
"Show yourself," Lucius commanded harshly.
Ginny stepped out of the shadows, and into Lucius's wand light. "Weasley," he growled. "Can't stay away, can you? Well, now you'll regret that." Assuming that his son was still unconscious, he ended the levitation spell, sending him to the ground, landing with a thud.

*~*~*~*

Draco heard the interaction between Ginny and Lucius. He was torn between being happy that someone had come to save him, and upset that Ginny had put herself in danger again. That's when he heard Lucius end the levitation spell, and he braced himself for the hard ground. Boy was it hard. His arm took the brunt of the fall, and he had a suspicion that it was broken. He was only thankful that it wasn't his wand arm. Trying his best to move his arm without hurting it, he started to stand up. Not a good idea. His arm hurt even worse when he moved, and he let out an involuntary cry of pain. He watched as both Ginny's and Lucius's heads snapped towards him.
"Looks as if my son has decided to join us in the world of the conscious," Lucius sneered. "Looks who's come to save you, Draco. Your little Weasley whore."
"She's not a whore," Draco gritted out.
"Oh yes, you fancy yourself in love with her, don't you?" Lucius taunted.
"I don't fancy myself in love with her. I am in love with her, and I'll die for her if I have to," Draco vowed.
"Malfoys don't love. I just hope that she'll do the same for you because that's what's going to happen," Lucius said, challenging his son.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "Over my dead body," he hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"That could be arranged, but I don't' think that the Dark Lord would be very pleased with that. Now, unless you want to see your girlfriend die, you will cooperate," Lucius threatened.
"Leave Ginny out of this and fight me like a man," Draco taunted.
"Very well, if that's how you want it, but let me warn you, if you die, Weasley will be taking your place in the Dark Lord's ranks," Lucius warned.
"I won't die," Draco replied arrogantly. The words came out much more confident than he actually felt.
Then they began to fight. "Stupefy," Draco yelled, but Lucius easily dodged it.
"Crucio," Lucius drawled. Draco escaped the spell very narrowly. Lucius cursed softly to himself.
The spells flew back and forth rapidly between the father and son. Lucius became increasingly more frustrated as his son continued to elude his spells. If his son really didn't want to be a Death Eater than Lucius would just kill him. He would give him on last chance. "This is your last chance. If you don't come now, I will kill you, and Weasley will become a Death Eater. Do you really want that to happen?" Lucius sneered, staring at his son.
Draco was about to give in and just become a Death Eater to save Ginny the consequences when she urged him to keep going. She motioned for him to keep going. He didn't know what she was planning, but he had a feeling it wasn't good. He also trusted her though, and glared at Lucius determinedly. "Very well. Avada Kedavra!" A green light shot out of Lucius's wand, headed straight towards Draco.
Knowing that he had no chance of living, Draco closed his eyes and braced himself for death. He waited a few seconds, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes slowly, and on the ground in front of him, lay the lifeless body of Ginny Weasley.

A/N: Only on more chapter left! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. The last chapter should be out soon. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed in the past. You guys are awesome.

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