12 Grimmauld Place was a fury of activity in wake of Snape's revelation. Ginny rarely saw Draco and certainly didn't have the chance to slip in bed with him. He was sequestered with Tonks and Kingsley for most of the day, and then sent off for a shower and a long night of sleep.
The only time she really saw him was when Tonks demanded she give a diagnosis on Draco's foot. Ginny was herded into the salon where Draco sat heavily on a divan, face flushed and sweaty, stringy hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks.
He could barely move, it seemed, so she removed his shoe and sock. Palpating the area thoroughly, she looked up into his tired gray eyes and pronounced him healthy. Ginny was cheered, though, when he gave her the smallest, salacious grin at her position between his legs. She blushed furiously, remembering his previous words on the subject.
Tonks, satisfied with Ginny's answer, sent her packing and Draco to the shower.
Arthur, Snape and Remus spent hours of time locked in the small study on the third floor, planning attack mechanisms. When Draco was not sleeping or being put through his paces by the Aurors, he was with the older men filling in all he could about Malfoy Manor.
All the Weasley brothers, Harry and Ginny spent time brushing up on defensive spells, offensive hexes and nasty curses. Ginny fully believed that Harry would mean his words when he said the killing curse this time. She had never seen him look more weary, more determined than she saw him now. Ginny spent time with each of the boys showing them basic healing spells that they could perform on themselves, or more importantly, others.
The headquarters of The Order of the Phoenix had taken on a decidedly different atmosphere than before. Silence abounded in the rooms and corridors; speaking seemed to only happen during dinner and those times when groups of them gathered to discuss strategy. An eerie calm descended two days before the Saturday of reckoning.
Molly spent much of her time preparing the most nutritious meals she could think up, mind focused only on keeping up the strength of her warrior men. She neglected herself as she went into full-blown mother hen mode.
Whatever mood had blanketed Number 12 was not to last.
Friday morning, everyone was gathered around the scarred, pitted kitchen table.
"We've had some contact with Dumbledore," Arthur said timidly, breaking the silence. "And we've relayed our plans to him. He says he has some small teams of people with him, but he wasn't sure how to Apparate them all in and not upset the wards."
"The Aurors," Professor Snape supplied, taking over for the hapless Mr. Weasley and sparing a sneer in Kingsley and Tonks' direction, "will go first and disarm the wards they set several weeks ago. Then Draco and I shall come next and work on taking down some key wards which protect the Manor itself."
"Are you sure you can do that?" Bill Weasley broke in. "How in the world do you think you can get past ageless wards and curses?"
"Thank you for so subtly offering your curse-breaking services, Mr. Weasley," Snape said in a greasy tone reminiscent of his classroom voice. "But all I need is my wand and Malfoy's wand."
"Y'don't have…oh," Bill finished lamely, ignoring the glare Draco was sending his way.
"Simply being a Malfoy by blood forces the Manor to recognize him. It will also recognize my wand because I have long been granted access to those spells. We will be able to break the wards while causing a minimum of disturbance to those within," Snape concluded.
"When do the rest of us go, Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked Arthur pointedly, avoiding a glowering Snape who clearly meant to lead the rest of the announcements.
Arthur blushed and squirmed in his chair like a six year old.
"Well, you see, it's going to be like this. After the first two pairs go, it will be Remus, Harry, Bill and Ron. Last will be me, Charlie and the twins."
Ginny was hit with a momentary pang of sadness when Percy's name didn't come in the familiar order. Four months into his reconciliation with the family, Theodore Nott Sr. felled him in a raid. She was so deeply into brooding about her brother's death that she almost didn't hear her mother's deadly whisper.
"When do Ginny and I arrive, Arthur?" Molly asked, her tone pure venom.
"Er," Arthur said inelegantly, looking helplessly at Remus who merely shrugged. The entire table trained their eyes on the Weasley volcano they knew was close to eruption.
"Please answer my question, dearest," she said firmly, never taking her eyes off her rapidly reddening spouse.
"You'retostayhere," he said in one breath, running his words together.
"Do you honestly think Ginny and I are going to stay here while you all go out to die? Just because we're not female Aurors means we have to stay behind and tend the fires? Well, I'll not have it. I'm not going to stay behind and wonder if my sons and husband are dead or dying. If it is my time to go, I'm going to go out there with you where I belong!" Molly yelled furiously, standing up abruptly and nearly upending her teacup.
She spared a glance at her daughter, who could only nod in bemusement.
"I appreciate your concern for us, Arthur, and all you other well-meaning men," Molly continued, glaring at said other men around the table. "But the Dark Lord's death means as much to us as it does to you. I won't have it! Do you hear me? I won't have it!" Molly finished, fat tears beginning to roll down her face.
She sobbed once, starkly, before turning and hurrying from the room and clattering up the stairs. The assembly sat in stunned silence until the sound of Arthur's chair scraping the floor rang out through the kitchen. Ginny watched as her father, red-faced and near tears himself, fled after his over-wrought wife.
Snape took over again.
"Well, that's settled," he said to Ginny. "You will come with Lupin's group. Your mother will go with your father."
When Charlie Weasley looked mad enough to jump up and strangle Snape with his meaty hands, Snape fixed him with a gimlet eye.
"It's either bring them with us or worry that they'll find their own way into the fray. Frankly, after that little display, I don't think I'd want to cross your mother when she was really angry."
Snape surveyed the group once more.
"There are other matters to attend to, but now is not the time. I suggest you all go and rest. Tonight's evening meal will be served at 3 p.m. sharp. Curfew is 4 p.m. We must all be awake at midnight."
After Professor Snape made his exit, those still gathered sat for a few more moments, dazed. It wasn't until Draco stood and exited that anyone else made to leave. As he passed her, Draco ran his fingertips down the back of her neck. Her blood ran cold when she realized it was possible she might never feel his touch again.
***
In her room, Ginny tidied up, an inane action that served to calm her nerves. Tatty comforter folded, check. Bed made, check. Clothing hung neatly on the pegs in the wall, check. When all was in its place, she opened her small bag of supplies and took out every item, cataloguing and consolidating where she could. When she realized she was out of bandages, Ginny cast an eye toward her bed. Removing the perfectly folded top sheet, she used her wand and a severing charm. Forty-five minutes later, she sat amongst several neat piles of cloth strips, varying in shape and size. Some she double and triple layered with a sticking charm.
When her bag was as organized as it could ever be, she calmly cast a silencing spell on the room and lay face down on her bed, sobs wracking her body.
***
It was Remus who knocked on her door just before three that afternoon. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of the room and into the kitchen.
Her mum and dad sat next to one another, shoulders almost touching as they ate the meal Molly had prepared. Snape finished first, and began to lay out more plans as everyone else finished their food.
"As you all know, I am expected at the meeting the Dark Lord is holding," he said. This is why Draco and I, as well as Miss Tonks and Mr. Shacklebolt, are leaving early. The Aurors will be leaving at one a.m. Draco and I leave at two, to allow us enough time to dismantle some of the wards and enter the Manor. I shall go to the meeting and Draco will be available to lead you through the front entrance."
Snape waved his wand and small but detailed maps of the Malfoy Manor floor plan appeared in front of each person's plate.
"The Dark Lord says he will be holding the gathering in the chamber Lucius and Narcissa are secreted in. I do not believe that will ultimately be the case. That chamber is very small. Draco and I believe the actual meeting will take place in one of these two rooms, located here."
He pointed his wand at the map to indicate with dots the hidden room and the two other likely meeting places.
"Dumbledore's group will be Apparating in purposely to trip the wards and flush the Death Eaters out of the chamber. I will stay behind under the guise of protecting the Dark Lord. Draco will have led you down to the hallway which holds these rooms."
"Potter will be staying slightly behind to rendezvous with Dumbledore outside that hallway. When they meet, a contingent of Dumbledore's group will protect them and charge up the side of your defense. We intend to get them into the room alone with the Dark Lord."
"Draco will be charged with finding his mother and removing her immediately to St. Mungo's, as we have no inkling as to her condition. He will return and assist, if that is still necessary."
Snape paused, and looked uncertain for the first time in Ginny's memory.
"Should anything…adverse…occur between myself and the Dark Lord or Lucius Malfoy, you have my express permission to do what you find necessary to defend the Order. Even if that includes…injuring me, or worse."
Remus drew in a sharp gasp and Snape turned to look at him directly, though he addressed all at the table.
"If that should become the situation, please know it has been an honor and a privilege to serve The Order of the Phoenix."
Snape sat and suddenly no one else could finish their food. If the greasy dungeon bat was giving the authority to injure or kill him in the Order's defense, victory seemed far out of reach.
***
Ginny lingered in the lounge after everyone left to go to bed in the middle of the day. Draco was already abed, it seemed, and she was left alone and feeling rather lost. There was simply no way she could sleep. There was no dreamless sleep potion left, and even if there had been, she would have felt too sluggish afterward.
She curled up in a squashy old armchair and hugged her arms around her knees, trying to rub some warmth into them. A noise alerted her and she looked toward the doorway.
"It's clear," Remus said nonchalantly, coming to sit near her.
"Clear?" she asked, puzzled.
"For you to visit Draco. I told everyone else I'd seen you go upstairs already."
"I'm not visiting Draco," Ginny lied.
"I've already confronted Draco about it," Remus returned, looking her squarely in the eye. "Some time ago, in fact."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ginny said grimly.
"Humor me, Ginny. Whatever you have or haven't been doing with him is none of my business. All I'm saying is that were you to go stay with him before midnight, I would make sure you're not discovered."
Ginny felt her face crumple and tears sting her eyes.
"Thank you, Remus," Ginny said, standing and heading toward the door.
"Ginny," Remus called, just before she exited the room. She turned and faced him.
"I'll be in to wake you just before midnight. And if I were you, I wouldn't leave any loose ends."
Ginny rushed out the door and down the stairs.
***
The room beneath the stairs was always dark, and provided the perfect trickery to pretend it was nighttime. Easing the door open, Ginny slipped inside.
"I wondered if you would come," Draco said from the darkness.
"Why didn't you tell me that Remus knew about us?" she asked, working hard to keep her tone this side of accusatory.
"Frankly, I was far more worried about your brothers than that werewolf."
She neared the bed and pulled the covers back, sliding in to face Draco in the pitch black.
"There's only three more to impress," she said, suddenly feeling tired and not wanting to fight.
He chuckled low in his throat and pulled her so close their breath mingled.
For several moments they lay together, not moving or speaking. Draco's fingers stroked her hair and she worked an arm around him to trace circles on his pajama'd back.
"I...I'm grateful for all the help you gave me," he said quietly.
"It wasn't just me," she demurred.
"It was."
He crossed the centimeters between them and caught her lips with his, kissing her softly, slowly. Ginny thought her insides were melting. For a long while, they lay entwined, gently caressing hair, cheeks, arms, ears.
When they broke apart for air, they rested their foreheads together on his pillow.
"If something happens tomorrow morning…" Draco began.
"Don't think that way," Ginny said desperately.
"If something happens tomorrow morning," he repeated stubbornly, "I want you to know that for the first time in my life, you had a name and I had a name and it wasn't just Weasley or Malfoy."
"Nope," Ginny said tremulously. "Just us."
She fell asleep in his arms while their tears mixed on the pillow.
Seven hours later, Remus Lupin opened the door.
"Ginny," he said softly. "It's time."
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