It All Began With Dwarfing Draco

Draco woke up sweating, his platinum hair plastered to his forehead and his heart beating so fast it felt like it would leap out of his chest. He was having a nightmare. He didn’t have many but when he did, the images those nightmares brought could make him cringe with fear. In this one, he had watched Lucius torturing Ginny. She had pleaded with Lucius but the monster only smirked at Draco who was running towards them but never reaching them. He woke when Lucius said the final fetal words that silencing the only person he really cared for.

Draco wiped the sweat from his brow, Ginny’s screams still ringing in his ears. He looked over the edge of his bed to see that she was safe and sound in hers, fast asleep. Draco let out a sigh of relief. This was not going to be easy. Everyday he felt more and more for her. Was this the love he had always wanted. No. Malfoys don’t love. He would just have to keep himself under control. ‘Just until I’m back to normal’ he told himself as he crawled back to the middle of his bed. But he wondered how long it would take and how long he could last.

* * * * *

The next morning they were in the library. Ginny noticed that Draco’s hair was looking a little greasy and his cloths were beginning to get dirty. She was not used to this. Draco was the kind of person who had to be perfect every second of his life and seeing him like this was a little disturbing.

"Hey umm Draco?" she said hesitantly. He looked up at her. This was going to be difficult. "Umm…Do you…Umm…Want a…a…bath or something?" Ginny hid her face behind a book so Draco couldn’t see her face turning the same colour as her hair.

Draco began to snicker and then he was overcome with an all out laugh. Ginny’s face was redder than ever. Why did she do it? Why couldn’t she just let it go? She peered over her book to see Draco on his back, holding his stomach cause he was laughing so hard. It wasn’t his normal mean and cruel laugh but a true laugh that made his face light up with joy. Ginny’s face burned as she sunk back into her book. Draco’s laughter started to die down but Ginny’s embarrassment still showed in her cheeks. Draco walked around her book, still holding his stomach. Ginny pretended to be deeply interested in her book infront of her and willed with all her might for her cheeks to calm.

" Oh man," Draco laughed. "Sorry Gin, but that was too funny," he chuckled as he wiped a tear of mirth from his eyes. "Anyway, yes I would love to have a bath, this is starting to get disgusting." Ginny looked down at him to see that his eyes brighter than she had ever seen them, it was weird. She set down her book and held out her hand for him to step on. She lightly set him in her pocket and worked her way back up to her room. She charmed a large barrette into a cup and realized her lack of water.

She left Draco and stole down to the kitchens for so warm water, which Dobby gladly gave her in abundance. On her way back she heard some Slytherin students talking about the missing Draco. Deciding that it wasn’t a good idea to stick around, Ginny hurried back up to her dorm. Thankfully it was a nice day and everyone who was anyone was outside enjoying it. Closing the curtains around her bed, she began preparing Draco’s bath.

"Shall I put some of my bath soap in or do want just water?" she asked Draco hesitantly after pouring the water into the cup.

"Soap would be great." Ginny nodded and added some of her strawberry and vanilla bath gel to the water and stirred it slightly with her finger. She placed the cup on her bedside table and then turned back to face Draco who was already beginning to get undressed. Ginny blushed slightly and tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I’ll use a cleaning spell on your cloths if you’d like." Draco nodded and Ginny set him on the table before turning her back so he could get fully undressed. She heard a splash and she turned around. Draco had left his cloths in a pile at the base of the cup and Ginny carefully gathered them. She muttered cleaning spells on them and laid them out for Draco to put on after his bath. How strange and yet normal this felt, taking care of someone. Ginny found it very puzzling but was careful not to show it on her face.

"Hey Gin." She looked up to see Draco resting his arms on the edge of the cup and looking at her.

"Yeah?" Draco opened and closed his mouth a couple of times.

"I’m sorry for last night, I was being fairly rude," he said in a quiet voice. Ginny smiled sweetly.

"Don’t worry about it. I would be pretty uptight if I had something on my mind that was bothering me." Draco nodded but his face stayed grave.

"Could you turn around please, I’m getting out now." Ginny turned and played with the hem of her skirt.

"Umm…What are we going to do tomorrow. It’s going to be Monday and we have classes."

"I don’t know, you can turn around now." Ginny turned to see Draco looking how he should be, perfect in every way. His school uniform was now shiny and clean.

"We have to ask Hermione, she is the only one who can help us minus the professors." Draco groaned and walked up to sit on her knee. "Draco, we haven’t come up with any answers and Hermione knows everything."

"She won’t help, she hates me."

"She will if I ask her," Ginny said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Draco looked up at her suspiciously. Ginny smiled and nodded. "Okay, it’s worth a try." Ginny gently picked Draco up and walked out of the girl’s room. She found Hermione in the common room staring at the book infront of her while Harry and Ron were playing a game of wizard’s chess on the floor.

"Uh Hermione?" Ginny asked cautiously. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure." Hermione stood and followed Ginny back up to the girl’s dorm. They sat on Ginny’s bed, remaining silent for a moment or two. Hermione noticed Ginny being careful when sitting but didn’t comment but then she noticed the cup. When she asked, Ginny stared down at her fidgeting hands "Ginny? What’s wrong?"

"I need you to help us." Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Who’s us?" Ginny sighed and reached in her pocket, gently pulling out Draco. Hermione stared at him and then looked back up at Ginny. Draco stood in the palm of Ginny’s hand. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is me Granger. Can you help me to be back to normal or not?"

"Draco," Ginny said in a warning tone.

"What is going on here?" Hermione demanded. Ginny sighed and then launched into the story of how Draco became this size and how they were trying to find someway to change him back but were so far having no luck.

"You can help us Hermione, I know you can," Ginny pleaded when she had finished. Hermione was silent, apparently taking in all she had heard. "Please Hermione."

"I think you used the Dwarfacis spell."

"The what spell?" Draco asked, confused.

"Dwarfacis is a very rare spell. It shrinks the object or person it is aimed at so they’re size is decreased dramatically…" Hermione began.

"Is there anyway to change it back?" Ginny interrupted.

"Hmmm…I’ll have to check in the library but I think it can be reversed. Don’t go anywhere." She stood and began to head towards the door.

"Uh, Granger?" Hermione turned her hand on the doorknob. "Err…Thanks," Draco hesitantly said. Hermione smiled slightly and left the room.

"Told you," Ginny said confidently and gave a very Draco-like smirk.

"You’ve been hanging around me too long," Draco mocked. "You’ve adopted my smirk." Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled. She set Draco down on the bed and stretched when a knock came at the door. Ginny looked around, panicked to hide Draco and threw her robe over him as a last resort.

"Come in." Ron stuck his head around the door, Harry close behind. Ron began to look around the room. "What are you doing Ron?"

"Looking for Malfoy, Hermione told us he was up here and I plan to pound him."

"How did you get up here in the first place?"

"Oh come on Gin, I can’t tell you that no where is he so I can rearrange that way to pretty face of his."

"You certainly will not," Ginny said in her most commanding voice. Ron stopped and starred at her.

"Come again?" Ron said, dumbfounded.

"You will not touch him."

"But…" Ron whined. "When the bugger is only an inch high, I think a pounding would be good for him. Show him what it’s like when he picks on people like you."

"No Ron, now out. Your not supposed to be in the girl’s room. What would mum think?"

"What would mum think if she heard a Malfoy was…"

"She think that I was doing a good deed because I am helping someone without thinking about myself," Ginny returned confidently. With that, she shooed Ron and Harry out of her room and shut the door. She leaned against the door and sighed in relief. Draco crawled out of her robes and dusted himself off.

"Thanks Gin, your brother would have certainly throttled me."

"I would have let him if he tried." Draco smiled at her and Ginny walked over to the bed. She spread her arms and flopped down on the bed, careful not to land on Draco. This had been a very stressful weekend and she was glad that their troubles would be almost over. She felt tiny hands around her thumb and she turned her head to see Draco holding it. His eyes were soft and he was staring at her.

"What is it?" Ginny asked softly. Draco looked down and shook his head as if he were waking from a dream.

"Nothing." Ginny sat up slightly and looked at him with concern. "It’s nothing."

"I can’t help Draco if you don’t let me. You said someone would hurt me last night. Who and why?" Draco looked away from her and let one of his hands drop from her thumb. "Draco tell me." Draco sighed heavily and looked back up at her.

"My father, would hurt you if he found out that I might be…that I’m…"

"You’re what? Draco you can tell me," Ginny coaxed.

"I think I’m falling in love with you," he whispered. Draco squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around her thumb, holding it tight. "I don’t want him to hurt you Ginny." Before Ginny could comfort him or even come out of her own shock, Hermione burst through the door with a massive book clutched in her arms. Ginny pulled Draco out of the way just in time before the book was slammed down on the bed where he had stood moments before.

"I’ve found it." She sounded out of breath from running. The book infront of her looked old and worn from use. The cover was faded and torn in places. Hermione gently opened the book and flipped through the pages. She stopped at a page, her eyes scanning over it faster than any normal human should. Apparently not being the one the one she wanted she flipped through again and finally stopped on a page and began to recite.

" ‘Dwarfacis: the spell that shrinks the person or object to the size of a normal human thumb. This spell maybe countered by the word ‘Sicafrawd’.’ This is it, we can change Draco back to normal with this spell." Hermione’s face suddenly fell. "He can go back to being the obnoxious, stuck up, spoiled brat he always was." Her words were cold and spiteful as she glared at her tormentor with hatred in her eyes.

"I think Draco has changed Hermione," Ginny said gently. "I don’t think he will be bothering any of us like that any more. Am I right Draco?" She looked down at him with a warning look in her eyes. Draco shuddered slightly. He knew what Ginny could do to him if he didn’t agree.

"Yes," he said shakily as he looked back at Hermione. "I don’t plan on taunting you or anyone else like that anymore, on my honor as a Malfoy." Hermione looked suspicious but nodded at him.

"Like that’s a fat lot of good to me but I trust you. Don’t make me regret it. I don’t think that it would be a good idea to change him back in here however," Hermione warned, turning back to Ginny. "Ron is waiting downstairs to slaughter him when he comes down. Take him outside and change him back." And with that Hermione and her book were gone. Ginny stared after her and gave a heavy sigh. It was time. She looked down at Draco.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I’ll ever be." Ginny stood up and grabbed her robe, lifting Draco into her pocket and set off. Just as Hermione had said, Ron was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Ginny smiled at him sweetly, kissing her brother on the cheek and walked past. She heard him scurry up the stairs when she had her back to him. Hermione was sitting on the couch with Harry, looking at her with amusement and thoughtfulness in her eyes. Ginny mouthed a "thank you" to her and walked outside. When she reached the lawn, she hurried as fast as she could without attracting attention to the tree she and Draco had been the morning before. She slid around it and looked around to see if anyone could see them. After checking that the coast was clear, she gently pulled Draco from her pocket and set him on the ground. She took out her wand and pointed it at him, trembling slightly.

"Do it Ginny, I trust you." She nodded and raised her wand.

"Sicafrawd!" A bright light surrounded Draco. Ginny had to squint to see him, holding a hand over her eyes. The light grew brighter and Ginny had to close her eyes to shield them. From behind her eyelids, she saw the light fade and then a pair of strong arms wrapped about her. She looked up to see Draco, once again full height, smiling down at her. Ginny reached up to touch his face just to make sure it wasn’t just her imagination. She traced her fingers over his eyebrows, down his nose and along his lips which gently kissed her fingertips.

"Thank you Ginny," he whispered softly. " I meant what I said up there, I do think that I’m falling in love with you."

"Well I’m glad because I think I’m falling in love with you Draco," Ginny said while her hands snaked up and around his neck. Draco smile widened as leaned forward, gently pressing his lips against Ginny’s. Fireworks went off in their minds and electricity flowed through their bodies. They did not notice a pair of spying eyes that had been drawn by the strange light. Those eyes belonged to none other than Pansy.

"Very interesting, Mr. Malfoy will not be pleased when he hears about this."