A/N: Trying to get this out real fast, so I'll thank all my reviewers in my next chapters. Excuse any huge mechanical or grammar errors, sorry!
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To Bring You Back
Chapter Four: Memories
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Hermione and Harry ran outside and apparated to St. Mungo's. Taking a deep breathe they ran in, unsurprised to see a mob of aurors mobbing the entrance way.
"Harry, Hermione," Dumbledore's voice begged, and the two of them ran over to him. "We require your presence."
"Yes sir," Hermione replied. Harry nodded.
"He doesn't want to see anyone else but the two of you," Dumbledore said, his eyes sorrowful.
"Who, sir, only wants to see us?" Hermione asked, but Dumbledore disregarded her question. They continued walking down the hallway and soon they stopped outside room 2112.
"Who resides in this room?" Hermione asked, but they all knew the answer. Narcissa Malfoy was forced into the mental ward after raving about her husband.
Dumbledore cast a charm on the door and after turning blue, it opened on its own. The three stepped in carefully before they noticed a man standing at the window, his shoulders rigid.
"Draco?" Hermione asked tentatively, and he turned around, his eyes hollow.
"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore began.
"I'm sorry to say, Dumbledore," Draco answered, avoiding looking Harry in the eye. "That my mother has escaped."
"Malfoy, what-" Harry began, but Draco interrupted.
"Please," he whispered, his eyes clenching shut. "Let me finish." He swallowed, running his hands on the windowsill gently.
"I'm also sorry to say that I must confess something," Draco finally said after a few moments. Draco turned around then, peering directly into Harry's startled green eyes as he muttered, "I killed Ronald Weasley."
~-~-~-~-~-~
"What's the meaning of this!" Ginny screamed, running into the Ministry.
"Ginny, dear-"
"I demand to know what the bloody hell this is!" Ginny tried to get around her father but he restrained her, holding her wrists and speaking sternly.
"Harry is in there talking to him right now. Ginny, you have to understand, you can't talk to him, you're-"
"Don't you say 'You're just a civilian' because that's not all I am! I need to talk to him! I need to know-"
"Go ahead, Gin." Ginny turned to her left to see Harry walking through a door, the door turning a light blue then fading back to its normal wooden color. "You just have to be granted admission, and then you can go in and talk to him." Harry's voice was solemn, his green eyes hooded.
"Harry, he...he's not really..."
"He says he did," Harry replied, cutting Ginny off. "Regardless of whether that's the truth or not, we don't know. But that's what he's claiming."
"Can't we just give him veritasem or something? Prove it? I know he didn't do it, Harry! Draco could never kill someone!"
"Besides the fact that he did."
"Harry, you know as well as I that-"
"That's enough," Mr. Weasley said, laying a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Just...don't take too long, otherwise-"
"Thank you," Ginny muttered, standing on tiptoe to kiss my father on his cheek. Harry tried to give me a small smile, but failed. She appreciated the effort.
After he cast a spell at the door, Ginny opened it cautiously, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. She heard a series of clicking noises and she realized that the door had locked. Immediately, she saw a figure leaning against the window, his fingers drumming against the windowsill.
"Draco," she whispered and his fingers stopped their motion, his body turning stiff as he realized who had spoken.
"What are you doing here," Draco muttered, regaining his drumming. "You aren't allowed to see me."
"I got connections," she replied, taking a step closer.
"I see," was all he could say. He sighed, leaning his forhead against the cool glass.
"Draco?" Draco didn't answer, but Ginny knew he was listening. "You didn't really do it, did you?"
"I said what I said, Weasley," Draco muttered, and Ginny tensed up at hearing the choice of name he had used. "And I meant every word."
"You can't expect me to believe you," Ginny said, walking up to him.
"My expectations are none of your concern."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I'm merely telling the truth. Is that a sin now?"
"Just stop it," she whispered. "Stop lying to me."
"What makes you think that I'm lying?"
"Because I know you. You...you didn't do this. You wouldn't." Draco laughed.
"Well, obviously you don't know me too well, do you, Weasley." Ginny frowned, about to storm out of there and officially name him the bastard he once was when she noticed something peculiar about Draco at that particular moment.
He looked defeated. As if nothing in his life could possibly be worth fighting for. As if he'd given up.
And if Draco Malfoy had ever given up before she would drink one of Ron's handmade potions.
Ginny stepped up to him then, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into the crook of his shoulder and neck. She felt him tense up under her, but he didn't turn away.
"Draco," she whispered. "Don't do this." Draco sighed, his body relaxing as he welcomed Ginny's familiar touch.
"I don't have a choice," he whispered, his jaw clenching. He ran his fingers lightly over her arms, sighing as he looked out the window. Ginny remained silent, biding her time before opening her mouth to say something.
"Look, Gin," Draco said, turning around in her arms. "I have to do this...I'm not asking you to understand, but-"
"Then make me, goddamnit!" Ginny nearly screamed, tears forming in her eyes. "You know what's going to happen to you? They're going to give you the Dementor's Kiss! You'll..." Tears began to stream down her face as she wiped them away angrily. Sighing, she looked up at Draco's eyes and saw the defeat, the hopelessness. The love.
Raising her hands, she touched the sides of his face hesitantly. Running her fingers over the smooth skin he closed his eyes, missing the warmth she always shared. Cradling his face in her hands she begged, "Don't leave me again, Draco..."
His eyes snapped open as he looked at her, her flushed cheeks, her pleading brown eyes.
He leaned down for a kiss, his lips gently touching hers as he tried to lock away into his head the memory of this simple act of love. Suddenly he grabbed her by her arms, pushing her out of his room.
"Draco!" Ginny screamed as she was pushed through the door, the wood turning blue before it faded back into its usual dull gleam. "Draco!" She banged on the portal, sobbing. Harry tried to pull her back but she flew her arms wildly, abandoning all reason. "Draco! Fuck you! Draco!" She sobbed, leaning against the door as tears rained down her cheeks.
"Ginny," Harry began but Ginny continued to sob, her useless attempts biting into her soul as she realized she might have just lost him forever.
Inside, Draco leaned against the portal, tears staining his cheeks as he pressed his palms on the door. "Please...hate me," he muttered, shaking his head as tears splattered the ground. "Merlin, Ginny..."
~-~-~-~-~-~
(A/N: in this section, Draco's going to be experiencing snippets of memories. Every ~-~-~ thing represents a fast-forward or rewind in his life, allright?)
Draco lay down on the cot, frowning and muttering in his sleep. But for once, it wasn't plagued with nightmares. With memories of torture, of deceit. It was blessed with Ginny.
"What the bloody fuck do you think you're doing?" Ginny muttered, glaring.
"It wasn't my choice to be partners, Weasley. Deal with it."
~-~-~
"Look, Malfoy, um...good job."
"On what, Weasley?"
"On your game. Against Gryffindor."
"The one I lost?"
"Yeah."
"Fuck you."
~-~-~
"Malfoy...could you even try?"
"Try to what? Be civil? Work with you?"
"Is that too hard for a Malfoy to do?"
"No, it's just something I don't find worth my precious time."
~-~-~
"Malfoy," Ginny whispered, running her hands over Draco's wound. He flinched, biting back a groan. "What the bloody hell did you do?"
"Nothing, I-"
"Merlin, Malfoy, you've got marks all over you!"
"Get the hell off me."
"You need medical attention!"
"I don't bloody need anything, allright?"
"Just shut the hell up, Malfoy, and let me do my job."
"You're job?"
"Yeah, my job."
"Priceless. What, your parent's couldn't afford the tuition so they forced their children to put scraps on the table?" She didn't answer.
~-~-~
"Malfoy..."
"Yeah?"
"You're not the arrogant bastard I once thought you were. At least, not as much of one."
"I don't give a damn for your approval, Weasley."
~-~-~
"You betrayed your father?"
"What's it to you."
"I'm just...surprised, that's all."
"What, 'cause Malfoys are all bastards? I was supposed to be the deatheater, was that it? Were you looking forward to seeing my bloody body sprawled on some battle field while you scurried around, trying to find some victim to save? Well guess what, Weasley, you don't know bloody anything."
"I guess I do now."
~-~-~
"What the hell are you doing, Weasel. You know I don't like you."
"But you tolerate me. It's more than I could ask for."
~-~-~
"Draco, look at this mess you've put yourself in..." Ginny dabbed Draco with a vaccine.
"Who would've thought, a Weasley trying to save a Malfoy," Draco sneered.
"Trying to save? Don't worry, Malfoy, I'm not going to let you die."
"You might as well. I don't have anything to live for anymore."
"Of course you do. We all have something to hold onto."
"Obviously you don't know me."
~-~-~
"Thanks...Weasley."
"You're welcome, Malfoy."
"No...not for just saving me...you're the only one I know who actually gives a damn. And as much as that fucking gets on my nerves, I appreciate it. Sometimes."
"It's no problem, Malfoy. I've always been the one who drags in those helpless abandoned dogs and nurtures them to health. It's in my blood."
~-~-~
"Ginny! Get the fuck down!" Draco dove in front of Ginny, knocking her to the ground as the curse hit him instead.
~-~-~
"Why'd you do it?" Ginny asked quietly, brushing the tendrils of hair off of Draco's face.
"Like you said...we all have something to hold onto." Ginny smiled. Draco, turning his gaze away from her face quickly said, "I figured your life is going to make a difference. Might as well trade it in for mine, who won't do a damn thing."
"You don't need to prove yourself anymore, Malfoy. You've done enough."
~-~-~
"Look, I know I'm not like Blaise or Pansy, but-"
"Don't you ever compare yourself to them!" Ginny froze, trying to swallow back tears. "You're so much better than that. Don't degrade yourself like that."
~-~-~
"Draco!" Ginny yelled as she ran after him.
"Get the bloody hell away from me!"
"He doesn't mean anything to me, okay?"
"Does it really seem like I fucking care? I don't need any of your excuses, Weasley. I've known from the start that you and Potter were destined to be together. You think it's startling to see it now?"
"Merlin Draco, get it through your bloody head! Harry means nothing to me! At least, not in that way!"
"Then what were you doing snogging him in a dark corner?!"
"He kissed me!"
"Oh, so that makes such a big difference? You didn't stop him!"
"What am I supposed to do, Draco?! Harry's like my brother, I can't just walk away from him like that."
"So you'll just snog him and shag him, that it?"
"No!"
"I don't know what the bloody hell I'm doing talking to you."
"It's because you give a damn! Because you fucking care! Admit it!"
"Why would I admit such a thing. I don't give a damn, especially about a Weasley. You're sadly mistaken."
"Well there's a reason your life is so bloody empty! You don't let a fucking person in! That isn't my fault, Draco, that's yours."
"Oh, so you're just go running off to bed Potter. Of course."
"Merlin, Draco! Would you just shut up for a second?! Don't you think that maybe, maybe I care about you?"
"Why should you? I don't expect you to."
"Fine." With that, Ginny walked away.
~-~-~
"Hey, Weasley?"
"What the bloody fuck do you want."
"Do you love me, Weasley? Is that it? Was that what you were trying to tell me yesterday?"
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"Just answer the question, Weasley."
"I've already answered it."
"Merlin, Weasley, do you always have to be this difficult? I'm trying to tell you that I fucking give a damn!"
"You...do?"
"I might. A tad."
~-~-~
"Look, Draco, I love you, okay? I don't know why. We haven't had romance, we're barely even friends. But-"
"It's okay, Ginny. I understand."
"So...do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Love me?" Draco sighed.
"I don't know."
~-~-~
"Merlin, Ginny, don't..."
"What, what am I supposed to do? This isn't about my life anymore, Draco! This isn't about pride or honor. It's about loyalty. I need to do this, I have to fight."
"No, you-"
"I have to do this for me. For Harry. For my family, Draco."
"I just don't want to lose you."
"There's a chance I'll get through this alive."
"I know, you will live, you'll-"
"And if I live through this, I want to be able to come back to something."
"Yeah, I-"
"And I want to know now, in case...in case I do. You know, die."
"Which you bloody won't."
"Do you love me, Draco? Or are you just...am I some prize? Something to hold over Harry's head?"
"No...never..."
"Then tell me, right now, that you love me. That when I come back, I'll-"
"I love you."
~-~-~-~-~-~
"Ginny," Hermione pleaded, running her fingers through her friend's hair. "Ginny, don't."
"He didn't kill Ron! He..."
"I know, Ginny, we know."
"I have to do something."
"There's nothing you can do."
"No...I don't believe that..."
"Why'd you do it?"
"I don't believe that at all."
"Like you said...we all have something to hold onto."
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