Draco apathetically followed his professor to his next class. Whoever had created the rule which forced teachers to escort them everywhere was obviously not thinking straight. What difference did it make whether they all ran amuck to their classes, or whether a teacher accompanied them. Obviously, no professor had every been successful in eliminating the monster from the Chamber, so what advantage did the students have in following around teachers? Draco was utterly fed up of the whole tribulation, and thus proceeded to turn down the wrong corridor on purpose, just so he could walk to his next class in solitude. Suddenly, he heard a loud voice echoing through the corridors.
"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please."
He quickly glanced around the corridor he was in-it was very close to the staff room. Perhaps he would go sneak in there. However, as he was about to turn the corner to find a hidden abode where he could eavesdrop on the staffroom meeting, he caught a glimpse of several professors walking down the hallway, who would certainly notice if he slipped into the staffroom. Turning on his heel, he headed brusquely in the other direction, finally ending up in the second floor corridor where the message concerning the chamber had originally been. He nearly walked by it, not noticing the new addition when suddenly he detected something strange. Looking up, he saw a new message had been scrawled beneath the old one. "`Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"
Staring at the wall in horror, he tried to discern the significance behind its words. Who had been taken into the Chamber? Had someone died? He looked around down the hallway, but there were no students or teachers in either direction. Needing to know what happened, he ran back to the staff room, but the door was securely locked and sealed with impenetrable charms. Running back to his dormitories, he hoped to Merlin that someone had some form of gossip or rumours that could possibly explain what had happened.
Finally, after an hour of anxious waiting in the common room, Professor Snape entered their common room, looking extremely grim. "The teachers do not wish me to tell you the whole story," he started, looking severely around the room as all the Slytherins fell into silence, waiting keenly for his next words. They knew Snape would tell them everything they wanted to hear. "A student has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself," he stated darkly, not seeming at all shocked or displeased by the news. "Hogwarts will be closed-it is too dangerous for students to remain here," Snape added, barely noticing the fretful gazes shooting back and forth between the students in the common room.
"Who was taken into the Chamber?" a sixth year girl asked softly, as though she was afraid Snape would lash out at her.
"Ginny Weasley," Snape said simply, before abruptly turning and departing from the room. Draco felt his heart drop as the name sank in-Ginny had been taken by the heir of Slytherin. His Ginny… But why? Suddenly, he was not very fond of the heir and his wicked behavior. Ginny was too pure and innocent to be taken into the Chamber-she could not die! He would not let her.
Draco moved to open the door to the common room, only to find that it had been sealed from the outside to prevent students from roaming at this time of chaos. He pushed the door as hard as he could, and then kicked it several times, but was similarly unsuccessful. Angrily, he punched the stone wall, trying to release the emotions bottled up inside. However, despite all his antics, the door to the outside remained sealed, and all he was beginning to attract curious gazes from the other students in the common room.
Defeated, Draco trudged to his room and buried himself in his bed, hoping that Ginny would somehow miraculously be all right.
~*~
Feeling cold, Ginny lay on the cool stone ground. She could hear sounds in the background-oh so many noises. They were all blending together horribly, like a huge cacophony in her head. She felt sore-and tired… As though she could not move, even if she wanted to. It felt as though she would need a thousand years of sleep to regain the energy she needed to push herself off the ground. But it was draining from her-the power and force she normally took for granted was slowly but surely emptying from her body and soul, leaving her lifeless and still on the ground. She could still hear voices-almost like yelling. The din was getting louder and louder in her head, pounding fiercely between her ears. Is this what it feels like… to die? She wondered brokenly, as her very existence seemed to be dubious. I… I don't want to leave-she thought idly as her body became weaker. Only if I can say good-bye first-to my mum… and dad… and my brothers… Draco… But she felt like she was fading… Fading into darkness…
Suddenly, a huge wail broke her reflections, and she suddenly felt very alive again. The throbbing pain in her head remained, but she had regained feeling in her body. The floor was cold as she continued to lie still, wondering what had happened. She moaned slightly as she struggled to lift herself off the floor. She slowly rolled over and used all the strength she could muster to lift herself off the floor.
Looking around, she found herself in a dark chamber. Despite its unfamiliarity, she had a sinking feeling that she had been there before. She glanced around, letting her eyes rest upon the giant basilisk before looking at Harry-he had saved her. She felt herself tremble uncontrollable as she tried to find words to say. "Harry-oh, Harry-I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy-it was me, Harry-but I-I s-swear I d-didn't mean to-R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over-and-how did you kill that-that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I remember is his coming out of the diary-"
Unable to control herself, she broke down and began sobbing as Harry tried to comfort her. "I'm going to be expelled!" she cried as Harry tried to help her to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and-what'll Mum and Dad say?" she bawled. She had been so ignorant this entire year, and she had completely messed everything up.
Dismally following Harry through the dark chamber, she fearfully thought of what would happen as a result of her foolhardiness. She trailed Harry until they reached a pile of stones. Suddenly, Ron burst out and pulled Ginny through, thoroughly excited to see her. She could not take it though-they may be thrilled that she was alive, but it was her life that was about to become horrible. She barely paid attention the entire way back to the castle, and as was hardly aware as she was ushered into Professor McGonagall's office.
"Ginny!" she heard her mother scream just before she was squeezed tightly into her mother's arms. She wept silently as Harry began to tell the story of how he had found out about the Chamber and everything. She felt her spirits lifting, as Harry had not yet mentioned her role, or the diary.
"What interests me most," she heard Dumbledore start, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when all my sources tell me he is currently hiding in the forests of Albania." Ginny looked up wonderingly-he was not going to expel her? After all that she had done, he was not angry?
"W-what's that?" she heard her mother say, "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?" Ginny felt a sudden wave of remorse for her mother and father-for them having to find out how horrible she had been all year. This was the worse way for them to find out. She mused to herself as Harry explained the diary to her parents and Dumbledore. It was amazing how much he knew about Tom Riddle and his plan, without Ginny telling him anything.
"But Ginny," she heard her mother begin, "What's our Ginny got to do with-with-him?"
Ginny felt herself involuntarily quiver before she suddenly burst out, "His d-diary! I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year-" she sobbed, feeling awful about what she was putting her parents through.
"Ginny! Haven't I taught you anything?" she heard her father start. She felt herself begin to sob again. "What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic-"
"I d-didn't know," Ginny sobbed, feeling as though her world was crashing down upon her. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me, I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it-" Suddenly, Dumbledore interrupted by suggesting she go to the hospital wing. Glad to finally have an excuse to leave, Ginny began to rise and followed her mother out of the room, with her father in tow.
They walked her to the hospital wing, and Madam Pomfrey shrieked at her dirty appearance before changing her into a hospital gown and insisting that she take a Dreamless Sleep potion. However, the moment she laid down in bed, she fell asleep, without even needing to take a potion to assist her.
~*~
Draco awoke abruptly in the night, a strange feeling that something important had happened. He carefully walked through the common room, careful not to create any unnecessary suspicions as he tried to leave the dormitories once again. He pushed on the door, and much to his surprise, it opened. He cautiously crept down the hallways, trying to stay out of sight.
Suddenly, he saw a long cloak flutter down the hallway, along with the unmistakable long hair of his father. Curious, Draco stealthily snuck down the corridors after his father, all the while wondering what his father was aiming to accomplish. Finally, they were approaching the hallway where Professor McGonagall's office was located. Draco climbed behind a large suit of armor and watched as his father stormed into the office.
Faintly, he could hear an argument arise from inside the office. Draco was not interested in most of it, but it seemed as though Ginny had been writing to Tom Riddle, the Heir of Slytherin, in an enchanted diary, which someone had lead to Voldemort channeling her and forcing her to do wicked deeds. Draco was slightly confused, because he did not quite see the connection between Tom Riddle and the Dark Lord-perhaps he would have to ask his father at another time.
Unexpectedly, he heard Harry Potter's voice pipe up, "Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco stopped breathing as he strived to hear the conversation. He did not even care that Potter was in the room while he was outside snooping in the hallway. As much as he hated to admit it, he was almost used to Potter getting the upper hand on everything.
"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" Draco heard his father say spitefully. Ginny is not stupid, Draco thought angrily to himself. She had been through a lot today-had his father no pity?
"Because you gave it to her," he heard Potter say. Draco froze completely-did he heard Potter correctly? This entire ordeal had been the fault of his father's? He silently sat and recalled the day at Diagon Alley-his father had been on a mission that day-he had been planning all along to use Ginny. Probably ever since he had discovered Draco with her at the Ministry. Glaring at the door to the office, Draco fumed as he tried to reason his father's actions, but failed miserably. His father had absolutely no right to treat Ginny like that-she was pure and innocent, and he had tried to use her to rid the school of Mudbloods and put more shame on the Weasley name.
Climbing out from behind the statue, he took off towards the Hospital Wing. He needed to see Ginny, and tell him he was sorry for everything his father did. Ginny never deserved what he had done to her. This was probably the first time that he truly despised his father.
He crept into the Hospital Wing-it was completely silent and still. Madam Pomfrey was in her office, likely preparing the Mandrake remedy for the petrified people. Ginny was contently sleeping in a bed, looking like a sweet little angel. He walked over and stood next to her for a moment-for the first time in months, she seemed to be comfortable. Suddenly, he heard a noise from Madam Pomfrey's office, and her door began to creak open. Unable to escape, he dove under Ginny's bed and lay quietly, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to leave.
She muttered to herself as she worked on each of the petrified students-each in complete shock and confusion as they were awoken. They each left one by one, apparently headed for the Great Hall where there was reportedly a huge celebration. Finally, Madam Pomfrey had finished with the petrified students, so she walked over to Ginny and paused, making sure she was sleeping soundly. Draco held his breath, afraid to move for fear that he would alert her to his presence. After several moments, she retreated to her office for a minute before leaving the hospital wing, probably headed for the Great Hall.
Draco crept from under the bed, and gazed at Ginny as she slept. He still could not believe the utter insolence of his father. He kneeled beside Ginny and brushed his hand across her face, softly stroking her as though he were comforting her. She did not stir. He tilted his head and looked at her face, dotted with hundreds of tiny freckles. Her breathing was slow and even as she peacefully slept.
She was the one who had always believed in the good in himself-and she had encouraged him to live his own life rather than follow his father. Sighing, Draco stared at Ginny a moment longer, wondering how someone he was supposed to hate could be so special to him.
Reaching towards her ginger hair, he lightly brushed it out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Then, as gently as he could, he softly kissed her forehead-she was the truth in his life. She had never led him astray, or punished those he was close to out of spite. That was his father. Ginny was something else-she was naïve and chaste-and from now on, he knew…
Silently rising, he slowly left the hospital wing and headed towards the Great Hall party, where he could hear boisterous yelling and wild cheers, celebrating the defeat of the Heir of Slytherin.
~*~
As the hospital door closed after Draco, Ginny smiled and touched her forehead tenderly where his lips had touched her. After everything, he still cared about her. She mildly regretted that she was pretending to be asleep as he was next to her-but now she knew how he felt. Underneath the harshness and fierce Slytherin image, he still was that young boy she had met at the Ministry so many years ago.
Stretching her arms above her head, she rolled over and snuggled underneath the covers, elated visions filling her mind as she fell back into a deep sleep, dreaming of Draco.
~*~
The last few weeks of school passed quickly, as there were no final exams. Draco's father had been fired as school governor, which made Draco's home situation much more difficult. His father was once again angry and malicious, and Draco oftentimes found that the wrath of his father was reflected in his own behavior. However, Ginny was fully joyous again. He still watched her bounding around in the halls, wondering what she thought of him.
He got his answer the day before they left Hogwarts, when she somehow managed to corner him in an empty corridor. "Draco," she started nervously, "I'm sorry about everything that happened this year."
He gave her a genuine smile and responded, "it's okay-it was a rough year. I understand…" He said as her trademark smile curled onto her face.
"Friends?" She asked, putting out her hand in the same way he had once offered his hand to her in Diagon Alley when they were six and seven-years old.
He smiled back and grabbed her hand, shaking it playfully. "Friends," he said, with a smile on his face, before he pulled her into a huge hug.
A/N: To those of you who enjoy my fast updates: I'm really sorry, but it's going to slow down now… Some of you might have known, but a version of this fic was already posted on ff.net and dracoandginny.com, but now I've reached the point where I paused on those sites… Don't worry though-I usually only have 2 to 3 days between updates when I'm not super busy (although it's been 2 weeks since I've written anything… Yikes…(That's mostly because I've been posting here, and I've been editing the first chapters of the story) This is the end of the CoS storyline, so now I'm moving onto PoA which will have more original D/G action, since there's less Ginny in the books (until the 5th one). Anyway-I hope you've enjoyed the story, and I'll do my best to keep my updates consistent. PoA is my favorite book, so lets see how it works with the D/G story… Thanks for reviewing (for those of you that do), I really appreciate it! I never understood how much reviews meant until I started writing my own stories-so now I try to leave a little something whenever I find a story I like. Anyway, don't mind my babble-I'm sleepy and its been a long week of laziness. I would stay up and finish a couple chapters for the PoA storyline, but I have to get up early tomorrow so I'm thinking that's not going to work. This Author's Note is turning into a story of its own, so I'm going to take this opportunity to leave you all and wish you a nice happy night of sleep, because sleep is the best thing ever, and everyone should go take a nice long nap, regardless of what time of day it is. Thanks for reading!
-->