It All Began With Dwarfing Draco

As the days passed, more and more news of the Dark Lord’s return was being announced. The Ministry had sent warnings to all the wizarding families of England and then to the neighboring Ministries. People began to arrive at Hogwarts only a few days after Dumbledore’s announcement. The school buzzed with activity as the staff found room for the new arrivals. More than one argument had arisen between different families and the tension was high in the castle. Even hidden behind a secret door, Ginny and Draco could tell that no one was at ease.

"Thomas and Finnigan are going at it again," Draco said dully from the window in the common room. He watched as the two men started yelling at each other, their son’s at their sides trying to pull them apart, knowing that soon a fist fight would begin.

"That’s not surprising," Ginny replied. She was sitting on one of the overstuffed chairs by the fire, working on a herbology assignment and a scanning a large text book she had charmed to float infront of her. She looked completely calm at the moment but Draco knew otherwise. It had been…different between them since that morning. The bruises had disappeared with a swish of Madame Pomfrey’s wand but Ginny still held her wrists from time to time, when she didn’t think he was watching.

Scanning her face, Draco remembered the dream that had caused her fear.

"Oh Draco, don’t worry about her. Now you and I can be together." It was not hard to recognize who was behind mask now that she had spoken. Pansy pulled it off and a wicked grin appeared on her face. Draco rolled away and pulled his hand out of her grasp. He began to crawl forward again.

Draco shook his head, hating that he could recall every moment of dreams like that. Pushing it to the back of his mind once more, he walked over to Ginny and planted a kiss on her cheek. He kneeled beside her and placed his hands on the arm of the chair. He tucked a stray lock of hair out of her face then let his fingers trail along her jaw and then back up her cheek.

"I have to do my homework," she said but not turning away from her work. "You should be too."

"Finished it hours ago," he mused while tracing her ear. She caught his hand and turned to him. A serious look was in her eyes but there was a smile on her lips.

"You know that if I don’t get it done now I probably won’t get it done at all, don’t you?"

"Can’t you take a break? Just for a little while?"

"Draco…" Her tone was a warning one that Draco had heard before. He held up his hands in defeat, realizing that there would no way to distract her when she was so set on not being distracted.

"Can I at least help?" he asked in a pleading tone, just wanting to be near her.

"I’ve got to do this on my own or I won’t learn properly," she said in a finalizing tone.

"But you let me before…"

"Draco, I’ll be done in a while. Be patient." She gave him a quick kiss and returned to her work. He sighed and stood, leaving her to it. He walked over to the bookcase just behind her and began studying the titles. They were Muggle books, he could tell by the titles. He flipped through a few of them, one being Moby Dick, but found none that really interested. He moved to the next bookcase, these being wizarding books, and again saw nothing to captivating. Boredom was already beginning to set in so he decided to explore the rooms.

He started in the bathroom. Of course he had used it many times already but he began noticing the little things. He tested Ginny’s soap, opening the top and letting the thick, lavender smell tickle his nostrils and remembering the bath he had taken in her dorm. It had been a different soap then, something with strawberry in it.

Setting the bottle back down, he retreated into her room. The smell of flowers floated in the air. The first things Draco noticed were the pictures of her family that were set carefully on her dresser. The first was only her and her siblings. Draco recognized most of the laughing and beaming red heads but there were a few he didn’t. He picked Ginny out right away seeing as she was the female there. She was hugging a man with a ponytail and laughing at something he was telling her. Ron and the twins were laughing beside a snobbish looking Percy who had a thin smile on his face and staring ahead. Then there was another man, pulling faces behind Percy and apparently the cause for the younger boys’ laughter. Neither of the two men was Mr. Weasley, Draco had seen him before. He knew Ginny’s family was big but he thought he had seen all of the Weasleys. Now there was two more?

The next picture was of her parents, the balding Mr. Weasley and his wife. Behind them was a tottery home that looking like it would fall over any minute. Their children kept on popping in and out of the picture, much to Mrs. Weasley’s dislike and annoyance. She would scold them any time she saw them which made them laugh and duck out of the picture again. Mrs. Weasley would sigh and go back to smiling.

"What are you doing?" Draco smiled. He’d been caught.

"Just looking at your pictures." He turned to see Ginny standing in the doorway with her arms folded over her chest and a smile playing on her lips. She walked over and let her eyes drift on the pictures. She ran her fingers over the frames, letting them linger over the one of her and her brothers.

"You miss them, don’t you?" She nodded and let her hand drop.

"Haven’t seen Bill or Charlie since the beginning of summer and Percy and dad still aren’t getting along so we’re seeing more of him but not much. The twins are working at their joke shop now so that just leaves me, Ron, mum and dad around the Burrow these days." They were both silent for a few moments, just staring at the smiling pictures. Draco reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers. Ginny moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

"They are going to be fine, all of them," Draco said, knowing what she was probably thinking. Ginny sighed.

"It’s not just them I’m worried about." She looked up at him with sad eyes. "I’m afraid something will happen to you."

"Nothing will happen…" Draco began but could not continue.

"But you don’t know that!" Ginny snapped, taking a step away. "You cannot tell me that you know nothing will happen to you! You seem to be one of the targets as well now so it’s not hard to see that yes something will happen! You don’t know how much it scares me to think that you will go off to war and never come back!"

"You think that that doesn’t scare me too?!" Draco yelled, his frustration mounting. "I am terrified that I will never see you again!"

"Then why go?!"

"Because I have too!" They were screaming at each other now, both letting out their anger and frustration.

"Why?! To get revenge on your father?! To bring down Voldemort?!"

"Exactly! My father murdered my mother and almost did the same to you! Voldemort himself almost killed you! Why wouldn’t I go to fight?!"

"Because you could die!"

"I’m not afraid of dying Ginny! I’m afraid of letting the Dark Lord win and taking everything I love away from me! I will not let him do that!" Tears were visible in Ginny’s eyes now and she tried to blink them back but was failing.

"And what about him taking away everything I love from me?! If we win the war but you die because of it, nothing will be taken from you but you are everything to me!"

They paused, both breathing heavily from yelling. Ginny’s tears were streaming down her cheeks and she glared at Draco, who was returning her glare. The stood as if they were a pair of duelers, challenging the other to make the next move and say something, anything, so they could start screaming again. It was only then that the two of them noticed that their fingers were still laced. Ginny was the first to realize this and looked down at their clasped hands. She felt the roughness of his palm against hers. A swell of emotions hit her in the gut, many of them familiar. Pain, anger, sadness, fear, disappointment, all melded into one get big heartache. She felt a tear drop from her chin and land on their hands.

Draco felt the tear hit the tear hit the back of his hand. His eyes flicked down to see the silvery drop slide down his hand and onto Ginny’s fingertips. His eyes softened as he watched the tear disappeared behind one of Ginny’s fingers. He felt his anger began to fade till there was nothing left but…guilt. He swallowed hard as it washed over him like a wave. He hadn’t even thought about what would happen to Ginny if he died. His mind was suddenly full of images of Ginny crying over a black coffin. But she was wrong. If he did die, he would still lose everything. He would lose her.

Draco raised his eyes to her bowed face and thought about things he would never see again. Never seeing her beautiful eyes, never seeing her smile or listening to her laugh, never watching her sleep or waking up with her in his arms. There were more nevers then he could count, too many things he would miss. How could he survive, even if it was in some other place? A life of any kind, here or in the next world, without her would be no life at all.

He released her hand and swept her up in his arms and pulled her as close as he possibly could, never wanting to let her go again.

Ginny gasped. She expected him to yell again or at least walk out of the room, not hug her so tight that she could barely breath. She got over her shock quickly, however, and snaked her arms around his waist. She clenched handfuls of his shirt in her fists as more painful tears forced themselves out. She buried her face in his shoulder. Draco tangled his hand in Ginny’s hair and pressed his cheek to the side of her head.

"I don’t want you to die," Ginny whimpered and pulled back, staring into his eyes.

"I know Gin," Draco said softly. He took his hand out of her hair and wiped away her tears. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I would gladly stay here and not go off and fight but you know that isn’t an option."

"But it is! You don’t have to…" Ginny began but stopped when Draco shook his head.

"We’ve been through this. I have to go, to protect you and help protect the rest of the wizarding…" Before he could finish, a large crash shook the whole castle. Ginny flew to the window, despite Draco’s pleas, and almost screamed at what she saw. Death Eaters, too many to count. They swarmed out of the Forbidden Forest like bees, wands pointed at the school and firing all kinds of curses.

Draco froze for a moment when he saw what she was looking at, remembering his dream. He watched the black robed people emerge from the forest as fear swept over him. He had to fight hard to regain control again. He grabbed Ginny around the waist before he pulled her away from the window and hiding beside it. That didn’t protect them however. The Death Eaters were firing every where and even with out seeing the windows of the secret rooms from the outside, a curse struck the wall where Ginny and Draco stood. They were sent flying with bits of wall all around them. They landed hard near the door and Draco struggled over top of Ginny to protect her from the debris. He winced as the large chunks hit his back with and audible thud. When all the pieces had landed, Draco stood, dragging Ginny up with him.

"Hide! Don’t let them find you!" he ordered as they hurried out of Ginny’s room.

"What about you?!"

"I have to go help but I’ll come back for you, I promise!" With a chaste kiss, Draco grabbed his wand from his room and hurtled out of the door. Ginny was stunned for a moment, staring at the entrance where the door was left open. Snapping out of her daze she began to move towards it but stopped when she heard voices on the other side.

"Find the girl!" one voice ordered. "The Dark Lord wants her most! You two! Run after the brat! Don't let him get away! The rest of you spread out!" Ginny looked frantically around the room before running into the bathroom and locking the door. She stuck her hands inside her pockets for her wand but remembered she had left it in her room. The voices were just outside the door. Ginny watched with terror as the lock slowly began to turn. She seized it and pushed it back with all her might but it was no use. The door flew open, revealing a tall man in black robes. The only thing she could see of him were his eyes through slits in his mask. They were a cold, silvery-gray and she recognized them instantly.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Lucius sneered. "I am surprised to see that you have not found yourself a better hiding spot, Miss Weasley. And what’s this? No wand? Well this does make my job easier. Stupefy!" Everything went black before Ginny’s eyes as the curse hit her in the stomach. She was unconscious before she even hit the floor.