Savior

Strawberry Shortcake

Rating: PG
Genres: Angst, Drama
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 4
Published: 31/10/2004
Last Updated: 06/02/2005
Status: paused

Every night he saved her. Ever night he did something faster, or more clever, and each time she ended up alive. The only time she didn't was the only time it mattered. Now she's back, ripped out of heaven, by her friends. He wants to save her now, but will she let him? Does she even want to be saved anymore?

Chapters

1. Resurrection

2. Pride

3. Nothingness

1. Resurrection

AN: I disclaim everything except Faylinn. The characters to JKR and the plot, how ever loosely to Joss Whedon.

Italics= Ginny’s thoughts

Bold= Draco’s thoughts

I was content. Wherever I was, I was content. At peace. Time had no meaning. Nothing had form, but I was still me. I was warm, and I was loved. I was finished. Complete. I don't understand theology and dimensions... or any of it, really. But I think I was in heaven. And now I'm not. I was torn out of there, pulled out by my friends. Everything here is hard, and bright, and violent. Everything I feel, everything I touch... this is hell. Just getting through the next moment and the one after that. Knowing what I've lost... They can never know. Never.

“I’m worried about her,” Hermione said in a hushed undertone to Ron. He didn’t need to ask who, he already knew. Looking into the milky white smoke of the view station he could just make out the vibrant red of his sisters hair.

“She is going to be fine,” Ron said reaffirming himself more than anyone else. She had to be alright. If she wasn’t, then he didn’t want to think about it.

“Ron, don’t worry about it, Pansy and I did the right thing. She wasn’t meant to go like that,” Hermione placed a platonic hand on his shoulder in a symbol of reassurance. Ron shrugged off the hand before walking to the other side of the room. Letting out a deep sigh he started.

“I just can not understand why you and Pansy would do something as stupid as binding your souls to Hades just so Ginny could pass through his gates. I expected this from the others, but you Hermione? You were supposed to be the sensible one. Why would you meddle in such dark magicks?” Ron refused to face Hermione, instead he leaned onto the old wooden desk, his head resting in his hands.

“I did what I had to, I did what no one else could. If you want to persecute me for giving a helping hand then so be it, but don’t act all high and mighty as though you weren’t missing her. You may have moved to Ireland, but I know you still missed her,” Hermione drew in a shaky breath willing herself not to cry. The truth of the matter had been everyone else besides Pansy and Hermione seemed to get along fine with out Ginny, but Hermione needed her, she needed her best friend.

“You are a stupid foolish girl!” Ron yelled with anger flashing like lightning through his ice blue eyes. His words were like a slap to Hermione, but she would never let him see that.

“You better back down or you will see what my magic can do exactly,” Hermione managed trying to sound powerful. Summoning the last of her energy she produced some raw sparks from her hands while her pupils slowly turned black.

“Hermione, I am not you enemy,” Ron said in a steadily calm voice before turning to leave. Hermione was left all alone in the tower with her thoughts to keep her company.

___

“Ginny this is your room, we haven’t changed it. I wouldn’t let them,” The young girl said the second part as an after thought as she opened the door. Ginny walked forward as if in a trace and absent mindedly reached to touch a smooth poster. Upon contact her hand flinched back, as if it had been burned.

“I don’t know how you came back Ginny, but I am so glad you did,” Tears began to fall from the young girls face as she stood in the door way. Walking forward she took Ginny’s hand and placed a kiss on the bloody knuckles.

“Do you want me to wrap these?” She asked in a sweet peaceful tone gesturing to the to her hands. Ginny gave a silent nod of her head and Faylinn led her to the bathroom.

“This might sting a little,” Faylinn whispered as she cast a cleansing charm on the wounds. Reaching into the cabinet she pulled out a healing balm and applied it to the wounds before wrapping them in clean cotton.

“Let’s get you out of these dirty clothes,” Taking a bandaged hand Faylinn guided Ginny back to her room to get out a new outfit.

“Do you want to pick out the outfit or do you want me to?” Faylinn waited for a response but got none, letting out a small sigh she turned around and pulled out a crisp white blouse and a pair of light blue jeans. Ginny looked at the clothes in her hands and slowly got dressed. Sitting back down, Faylinn sat behind her and began to braid her long red hair. Nimble fingers worked until the reached the bottom and the used a simple binding spell to keep the braid together.

“Faylinn!” A deep baritone voice penetrated the walls and door frame. Getting off the bed Faylinn walked to the door way and opened the door.

“I’m in here,” She called to the blonde man who eyes looked much older than 21.

“Faylinn,” He began in a weak scolding tone. “You are not supposed to be in her room. Get out of there,” His voice was that of a man who had nothing left to live for.

“No,” The young girl whispered taking a step back in the room.

“Faylinn, don’t make me come in there and get you,” Faylinn didn’t heed his words and rebelliously sat back down on the bed. The man let out a small growl before pushing the door open and freezing. There sitting upon the bed was the woman he though he lost, the love in his heart.

“Ginny?” He asked in a whisper.

____

“I don’t understand why she left. I don’t understand why the spell didn’t work,” Pansy cried onto her lover’s shoulder. Light pink nails combed through her black tendrils of hair in a comforting manor.

“Pansy love, sometimes things happen for a reason and….” Pansy sprang up at the betrayal her love dared to say.

“Padma, she was 20 years old. Tell me how is that ok? It is not. It is wrong. She should be here right now. She shouldn’t be dead while people like Lucius Malfoy are still out there some where. It is not the natural order of things. She was good, she was supposed to stay alive,” Pansy’s knees seemed to crumble from underneath her as she landed on the floor of their flat. Padma rushed forward and pulled the woman into a comforting embrace.

“I don’t understand it either, but it had to make sense to someone, somewhere. If it didn’t she would still be here with us,” Pansy looked up to see tears rolling down Padma’s face as well and she kissed them away with light butterfly kisses.

“We need to go to the house,” Padma stated before they got too caught up in each other. “Faylinn is going to be home alone if we don’t,” Pansy let out a sigh and nodded her head before standing up.

“Sometimes it hurts so bad to look at Faylinn. She looks so much like Ginny that I want to believe it is her, but I can’t because it is not her. And that breaks my heart,” Pansy looked down at the carpet before Padma pushed her head up and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. Pansy gave Padma a slight smile as they headed towards the floo.

Taking a handful of the shimmering green dust she threw it into the fire shouting “Briar Rose”. The last thing she saw was Padma’s siren face before the flames whisked her away.

Landing on her knees on the plush black carpet she made one observation, it was quiet. Too quiet. Withdrawing her wand she slowly began to creep towards the foyer door.

____

“Ginny?” Draco whispered again still eliciting no reply. “Faylinn, what have you done?” He whispered in a mournful way as he went to kneel in front of the silent red head.

“I didn’t do anything!” The younger girl shouted in both anger and defense. “Why is everything always my fault?”

“You mean to tell me that she just appeared here?” Draco waited for Faylinn’s nod before letting out a sigh. “Faylinn, people just don’t rise from the dead.”

“Well she did!” The younger girl yelled in defiance. “Why can’t you just be happy? She’s back,” Faylinn said as tears began to roll down her face. Reaching a shaky hand towards Ginny Faylinn began toying with the thick blood red braid.

“Because Faylinn, what ever this thing is, it isn’t her. It just can’t be,” Draco walked over to the red cherry wood dresser. He stood still for a minuet before picking up a picture frame. Turning around he revealed a picture of a younger Ginny in quidditch robes holding a quaffle while she stood between Padma and Pansy.

“This is her. This thing sitting here, this is just a shell of her. Someone’s botched attempt to bring her back to life,” Draco put the picture down before turning around and pulling Faylinn in to a hug.

“But I want it to be her. I want it to be her so badly,” Faylinn sobbed helplessly the tears continued rolling down her face as Draco rubbed small comforting circles on her back.

Suddenly, as though something had finally clicked in the back of her mind, Ginny locked eyes with the young girl and said one word.

“Faylinn?”

Draco and Faylinn suddenly stopped and turned to look at her, but it was too late. The unknowing glaze had returned to her eyes.

“That wasn’t my imagination, right? She said my name, right?” Faylinn looked at Draco with hopeful imploring eyes, but he could only look away.

“You need to ask someone much wiser than me those questions. I know that my mind plays tricks on me and tells me what I want to hear. Reality is a harsh cruel difference,” His words seemed to trail off into nothingness as the three of them sat in silence. Each one mourning the loss of something.

____

“Oh Zeus,” Hermione whispered stepping out of the view station.

“Merciful Zeus what have I done? I failed. I brought her back broken. What was I thinking?” Tears streamed down her face as she let out a scream of primal rage.

Picking up the crystal seeing stones from the view station she threw them against the wall a watched the glass shatter, as if on a switch the milky white vapors turned black. Looking around she picked up dozens of fragile items and flung them against the wall, and when the tower was destroyed, only then did she let herself fall to the ground and sob quietly.

Harry silently entered and slowly took into account the annihilation Hermione had made.

“Hermione,” He whispered as to not frighten her.

“Harry,” She said turning to look at him. Her eyes were rimmed in red and her breaths were coming in short shuddering sobs. Looking around she drew a short gasp.

“Oh Gods, I’m so sorry. All your stuff,” She trailed off fingering a particularly large shard of glass.

“Hermione, don’t worry about this,” He gestured around as he walked towards her. “All this stuff can be replaced. I more worried about what is wrong with you,” Reaching down he slowly ran his thumb across her soft cheek.

“Oh nothing is wrong Harry, every thing is absolutely perfect,” At the word perfect Hermione clenched her fist, glass and all. Looking down she watched as bright red blood rushed out of the wound.

“Hermione, around me everything doesn’t have to be fine and perfect. You can tell me things just as they are,” Harry looked at her, his face an unreadable mask and his voice unnervingly even.

“We can get through anything together. We always have. We always will,” His words came out in a small steady stream, but Hermione seemed to be in another world.

“Hermione, tell me what is wrong, I can help you,” His words did nothing to comfort her as she began to hold her knees and rock back and forth on the glass.

“We can’t fix it this time,” She sobbed. “This time I screwed up really bad.”

“We can always fix our mistakes once we acknowledge them. Just tell me how to help and I will,” Harry’s words were meant to be comforting but they only earned a half hearted sob.

“This time Harry, you can’t help,” Ron whispered from his position in the shadows. With a light pop he disappeared into thin air leaving the lovers alone.

____

“Faylinn!” Pansy called as she began walking up the stairs. The young girl was no where to be found and Pansy was getting more worried each second.

“Faylinn!” She called once again as she reached the hallway the bedrooms were attached to. Only one door was ajar letting light pour through it, it was the one room Pansy avoided at all costs.

It was Ginny’s room.

Slowly Pansy pushed open the heavy oak door letting out a sigh at the petite red head sitting on the bed.

“Faylinn I was worried sick about you. You need to…” Pansy just froze as she saw Ginny sitting on the bed, her knuckles white as snow.

“Ginny?” She whispered leaning forward. The two women made eye contact and Pansy let out a whoop of joy.

“Ginny!” Hoisting the startled woman off the bed she began dancing around with her to a tune only in your mind. Padma soon bust in the doorway out of breath and disheveled. However, she stopped at the sight of Ginny.

“The spell!” She shrieked with happiness splayed across her dark features. “The spell worked!” Running over to the dancing pair she placed a languid kiss on Pansy’s lips leaving them both flushed.

“I hate to break up this love fest,” Draco snarled from where he was leanging against the wall. “But, when was I going to be told about how you were trying to resurrect her?” The two girls’ faces fell at the sound of his voice, but they didn’t worry too much.

Ginny was back. Everything was going to be ok.

“We weren’t sure he spell was going to work,” Padma said her harmonious tones bouncing off the walls. “We didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“So you gave me no hope at all?” His words were barely audible, but Pansy still heard him.

“You found out now. Isn’t that enough? Tell me this isn’t the happiest day in your life,” Her voice betrayed the calmness she was trying to project.

“The thing is, with dark magick there is always consequences, always,” With that said Draco left with a pop leaving everyone’s thoughts reeling.

I remember what I told her. The promise. To protect her. If I'd have done that, even if I didn't make it, She wouldn't have had to jump. But I want her to know I did save her. Not when it counted, of course, but after that. Every night after that. I'd see it all again, and do something different. Faster, or more clever. Dozens of times, lots of different ways. Every night, I save her.

2. Pride

AN: I disclaim everything except Hei, Aurek, Portia, and Romeo. The characters to JKR and the plot, how ever loosely to Joss Whedon.

Italics=Ginny’s Thoughts

Bold=Draco’s thoughts

Underline=Chronological Order

3 Years Prior

Pride.

Pride was all I had left. Pride was all he had taken from me. How could I have been so stupid? I trusted him with my heart and he broke it. Time and time again he broke it. Well this time, I am not going to take him back.

Ginny walked down the hall. It was the slow, deliberate walk of someone who had nowhere to go, and nowhere to be. Silence circled around her like a tight fitting glove, and not even Peeves dared to break it.

Pride.

She had no pride left. By tomorrow morning the entire school would know of Dean’s infidelities. They would know of how he shamed her, yet she needed him to continue.

Well, not anymore. She didn’t need anyone anymore. She didn’t need Ron, who was too over protective. She didn’t need Harry and Hermione, who were much too caught up in each other. Most of all, She didn’t need Dean Thomas, who was ‘secretly’ screwing Lavender Brown in the Gryffindor common room right at that moment.

“Little Weasel in the woods,” Pansy Parkinson’s melodious voice interrupted her internal ranting.

“Little Slytherin by the dungeons stood,” Her short black hair lay in sheets of ebony ,enviable by god and goddesses alike, around her shoulders. She stood leaning against and ancient tapestry, one foot propped on the head of a mermaid in it.

“Saw the Weasel sulking by, looking like a whore,” Finishing off the first verse of her little song she began to grin like a maniac while whistling the next verse.

“Stuff it Parkinson. You are in no position to talk about me,” The whistling faltered for a moment, but was quickly replaced with words.

“Screw me, Screw me, The Weasel said,” She began to walk towards Ginny and her layered skirts fell back into place.

“Before Lavender gives Dean Thomas head,” Twirling around in a circle her cranberry and green skirts were but a blur and soon Pansy stood directly behind Ginny.

“Little Weasel come and play, I can screw you in every way,” The last part of the song was whispered into Ginny’s ear as she let out a cry of outrage.

“Fuck you Parkinson!” The young redhead screeched. “Fuck you. Fuck Zabini. Fuck Dean Thomas. Most of all, FUCK THAT WHORE LAVENDER BROWN!” Ginny’s outburst left her trembling with an unmistakable flush to her cheeks and Pansy Parkinson barely able to contain her glee.

“A little bit of tension associated with that topic Weasel Princess? You are using so many big words. Tut tut tut, What would your mother say?” The older girl asked, her voice oozing with mirth.

“Stop it! You all treat me like in a child,” Ginny shouted walking over to the wall. “Don’t you get it! The thing is, I’m not. 11. Any. More.” Each of her words was emphasized with a punch on the flagstone wall. Her hand was left broken and bloody, but she didn’t care. As she walked away Pansy remained silent quietly reevaluating her prior thoughts on the Weasley girl.

_______

“Bloody hell,” That was all Ron could say as he sat on his bed with his head secured in his hands. Looking up at the anxious face of Harry, he could only shake his head.

“You…and her…and…she’s your best friend…and…bloody hell,” His thought stream was incoherent and came out in little more than a babble.

“Those are all the reasons that she can never know,” Harry said in a quick scared voice. Putting his fist under Ron’s chin, Harry made the other boy look at his face.

“You have to promise me that you will never tell her, It’s the only way Ron,” Harry took a step away from his best friend, and one towards the fireplace.

“If you tell her it will only break up our friendship. Do you really want to do that?” Harry’s words may not have been true but they seemed to hit home with Ron.

“Well maybe if you told her how you felt about her then…” Ron’s voice trailed off as Harry began to shake his head.

“No Ron, She can never know,” Letting out a sigh Ron agreed.

“All right mate, if that is what you really want, I won’t tell her,” Ron let his shoulders sag as Harry whispered a quick thanks and scuttled out of the room. If only he knew Hermione felt the same way he did.

_______

“I don’t want to start any rumors,” Pansy said to Blaise as she walked into the dungeon common room. “But God has a sick sense of humor, and I have a feeling that when I die, he’ll be laughing.”

“You speak blasphemy,” The dark toned boy said not bothering to look up from his article.

“It is one of the few things I can speak fluently,” Pansy quipped sprawling onto the black leather sofa.

Draco Malfoy sauntered into the dimly lit common room, an icon of angelic beauty.

“Draco?” Pansy asked from her seat. “Have you ever seen beauty in a break down?”

“What are you rambling about now Pansy?” Draco’s exasperated voice asked as he made his way over to the table where Blaise sat.

“ You heard me the first time. Have you ever seen beauty in a break down?” Pansy slowly sat up on the couch and locked eyes with Draco. Hazel versus silver in a deadly battle.

“Why do you ask?” His mask was still up with his voice cold and cutting.

“Because I think I have just seen the most beautiful creature in the world. A vivacious fiery angel…” Pansy trailed off imagining Ginny Weasley.

“Let me guess,” Draco began mockingly. “You ran into Weaslette?” Pansy gave a curt nod of her head and evil laugh escaped Draco’s lips.

“I think if Pansy is so interested in this girl we should start another game,” Blaise intoned humor lacing his words. The dreamy expression faded from Pansy’s features and fear slowly crept into her eyes.

_______

“God Hermione, I feel so stupid!” Ginny shouted Pacing back and forth through the room of requirement.

“Love has a way of blinding even the sharpest minds. We don't look because we don't want to see. But once love is stripped away, we see the real person clearly. There revealed to us, with all their flaws, their foibles, and their secrets,” Hermione said from her seat across the room as her quill madly scratched at a sheet of parchment.

“I never said I loved him,” Ginny whispered resting her head against the wall.

“You never had to,” Hermione said walk over to Ginny who was silently sobbing.

“It hurts, It hurts so bad,” Ginny rasped between sobs.

“I know baby, I know. The thing is, the pain is eventually going to go away,” The older girl pulled Ginny into a hug an let her cry on her pristine scarlet robe.

“Is there anything you can do to make the pain go away?” The red head asked her eyes hopeful. Hermione let out a small sigh and gave a curt nod of her head.

“Let me get the book real quick,” Hermione slowly walked around the makeshift study room knowing that the book she needed would soon appear. Walking towards the back of the room she found what she was looking for. Anti-love potions.

True, they weren’t exactly legal, but anything was better than watching Ginny suffer.

Quickly the older girl scanned the ingredients list of the first potion in the book. Nothing terribly hard to come by or brew. If all went well the potion would be finished by the week end.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Came Ginny’s muffled question as her head lay down on the table.

“Yes and I think I have a solution if you can wait a few days….”

_______

Harry sat in the common room watching the fire slowly dwindle to ashes. This was the fifth night in a row Hermione was out much later than curfew.

So many things had happened in the past days.

Dean and Ginny had broken up leaving Ginny absolutely crushed as he moved onto Lavender Brown. Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini had broken up, not that he was one to follow the illustrious lives of Slytherins but the duel they had in the Great Hall was nearly impossible to miss.

Blaise didn’t stand a chance against Pansy. All students of Hogwarts worry about getting those wretched black crystals from Blasie, but getting dueling crystals from Pansy was nothing less than a nightmare.

Ron had thankfully remained faithful to his words and Hermione remained clueless to the event that had happened prior that week.

Slowly the portrait door creaked open and the girl of Harry’s dreams crept in cradling a bottle of a bright teal substance. She obviously didn’t see him as she silently made her way up the girls’ stair case and entered a dorm room that Harry knew for a fact wasn’t hers.

_______

“Hermione, she’s in the bathroom crying again! I don’t know how much more I can take of this!” Portia, a short Italian girl with hair the same color tan as her skin said as she ran her finger through her dozens of braids.

“I have the solution right here. Stop fussing all of you. Now go to bed,” Portia eyed the bottle with distrust as Hermione slowly made her way to the bathroom and slipped inside.

“Ginny,” Hermione whispered to the sobbing girl shaking her shoulder.

“Ginny, I have the cure,” The petite redhead looked up with gratitude etched across her face.

“Now you have to drink all of it and it will be working by morning,” Hermione held out the bottle to the Ginny. It was quickly uncapped by her nimble hands and swallowed in a few quick chugs.

“You promise I will feel better?” The younger girl rasped her face a puffy red mess.

“I promise,” Whispered Hermione.

_______

Ginny woke up shrieking in magically induced pain. An invisible dagger was tearing at the soft skin above her heart, but created no blood as it gouged into her again and again.

“By Merlin! What is it this time Ginny?” Portia ripped open Ginny’s bed curtains and glared angrily at the red head until she saw the simple red lines appearing over Ginny’s heart. An freckled white hand shot forward and pulled the Italian girl close to Ginny’s face.

“Go get Hermione, tell her it is an emergency,” The girl hissed out releasing Portia’s night clothes as another spasm of pain racked her body.

Another one of Ginny’s dorm mates appeared by the side of her bed compressing a cool rag upon the wound. The girl made a soft tutting noise before casting a simple cooling spell on the rag and adding more pressure to the affected area.

“Ginny, magic can’t solve all problems, that’s something our race needs to realize,” The small blonde said as she cooled the rag again.

“Oh God, Ginny!” Hermione rushed to her friends bedside pushing the other girl out of the way.

“This was supposed to help,” Ginny managed to gasp out amongst the pain. Holding the cool rag to her chest she let out another glass-shattering scream.

“It is helping dear,” Hermione quickly began to explain. “It has to remove the feelings you didn’t want to have anymore. I didn’t think it meant literally.”

“What can we do to help?” The blonde asked from over Hermione’s shoulder.

“Just wait,” The older girl said pressing the damp rag down as screams racked Ginny’s body again.

“This is going to be a long night,” Portia said exasperatedly, letting out a sigh she cast a silencing charm on the room as to not wake up the rest of the tower.

_______

Pulling out a hard canvas corset Pansy began to fiddle with the suede laces. It was an older corset in her collection and she wasn’t completely sure that it fit anymore.

“Parkinson, go to sleep,” The sleepy order was muffled by the thick forest green hangings that surrounded all Slytherin beds.

Pansy ignored the plea and whispered a spell to dim her candle light.

“Pansy, it is four in the morning and I have a strong desire to sleep. That desire can not be fulfilled until you extinguish that stupid candle!” Millicent stood with her hands on her hips slowly raising the degree of her voice with each spoken word.

“Shove it Millicent. I need to pick out an outfit to wear, an I’m not sure if I have any clean corsets that still fit me,” Pansy mumbled putting the canvas corset on her bed and riffling through her drawers for another one.

“Oh the horror. Pansy Parkinson will have to wear a bra,” Millicent sarcastically snapped as she made her way to her bed.

“I don’t own a bra,” Pansy said pulling out a corset made of cornflower blue silk.

“You disgust me,” The brunet muttered snapping her velvet curtains closed.

“You guys know you love me!” Pansy shouted so that all the girls in the dorm could hear her, but was only met with a slipper bouncing off her head.

_______

Draco sat at the long wooden table especially reserved for Slytherins. He was holding an in-depth conversation with Romeo while carefully watching the door for any sign of Ginny Weasley or the golden trio. One or all of the afore mentioned people were usually eating breakfast by now.

“Which is why the veela race is moving to more muggle populated areas,” Romeo finished with a huff of breath waiting for Draco to make some comment.

“Romeo my dear lad, you forget that if veelas wanted to feed more often they would just extend the radius at which their song in heard,” Pansy said plopping down onto the bench next to Draco. Leaning over she gave him an affectionate peck on the cheek before spooning some porridge into a golden bowl.

“Draco love, if you touch the Weasley girl you are going to think Blaise got off easy,” The raven haired girl whispered before returning to her breakfast.

Letting out a sigh he returned to his now cold muffin and scraped some butter across the top. Going against Pansy’s will was like suicide, true she only had his and Blaise’s knowledge of spells, hexes, and curses but she had the Goddess Hera on her side.

“You look lovely today,” Draco said with a smirk running his hand across the exquisite green beading on her silver bodice.

“I know,” His best friend stated with a half smile. “I woke up at four in the morning to get read.”

Draco’s had fell away from the interesting texture and met her hazel eyes. He understood with out her saying a word. The dreams were getting wore.

“ Ebony and jade,” The girl whispered picking at her green skirts.

_______

Harry sat in the common room with Ron. The taller boy was pacing back and forth across the old worn Persian rug, worry splayed across his face. At least half an hour ago a quite Asian Harry knew to be Hei awoke the two boys saying Ginny was in trouble and that Hermione was helping her.

They had been anxiously waiting in the common room ever since.

Ron was muttering quietly to himself leaving Harry only his thoughts for comfort. His thoughts weren’t very comforting at all. No matter which way his mind strung the situation he thought might have occurred it all came back to the teal potion.

“You guys can come up now I said,” Hei stood on the bottom step of the girls stair case waiting for the boys to walk over.

“How do you expect us to get up to the room?” Harry asked calmly while eyeing Ron who continued to pace.

“If you two come over here I can levitate you up,” With a small nod of his head Harry pulled Ron over to the stair well with him where they were slowly floated up to dorm room Hermione had disappeared into earlier that day. Hei ran ahead and opened the door making the two boys glide over the doorstep before releasing them.

Ron sprinted over to his sister’s bed and grasped her limp pale hand. Harry headed over to Hermione who was getting comforted by a small blonde girl, Aurek.

“Hermione, what happened,” Harry whispered clasping her hands into his.

“I tried to help Ginny, and it didn’t work,” The brunet sobbed. “It didn’t work.”

I used to think pride was all about the money, the cars, the fame, and the glory. But lately I've been seeing it differently. Now I think pride is about finding that one thing you really care about, and knowing you would do anything to protect it. That one special thing that means more to you than anything else in the world. And when you find her, you fight for her. You risk it all, you put her in front of everything, your life, all of it. And maybe the stuff you do to help her isn't so clean. You know what? It doesn't matter. Because in your heart you know, that the juice is worth the squeeze. That's what pride is all about.

PROPS WHERE PROPS ARE NEEDED:

The Little Weasel In The Woods song is based off of a song called Little Bunny in the Woods, I don’t know who the author is.

“The thing is, I’m not 11 {13} anymore,” - Thirteen Going on Thirty

The conversation between Blaise and Pansy on Blasphemy was loosely based on some text from Tuck Everlasting.

Love has a way of blinding even the sharpest minds. We don't look because we don't want to see. But once love is stripped away, we see the real person clearly. There revealed to us, with all their flaws, their foibles, and their secrets,” - Smallville

Draco’s thoughts on pride are loosely based on Matthew’s Moral Fiber speech in The Girl Next Door

3. Nothingness

AN: I disclaim everything except Hei, Aurek, Portia, and Romeo. The characters to JKR and the plot, how ever loosely to Joss Whedon.

RANDOM JKR FACT!! Ignatia Wildsmith is the witch who created floo powder

Italics=Ginny’s Thoughts

Bold=Draco’s thoughts

Underline=Chronological Order

It's so cold. What's on my face? It feels like pin drops. Oh. It's water. There are people all around me. I can feel their eyes boring into me. I can't see them, but they're there. Silence. No one speaks. Everyone is too afraid, too shocked. What happened to me? Why am I lying on a bed ? What's the last thing I remember? Taking the potion. Have to stop the pain, heal my heart. Did I heal it? Is whole? Complete? I think I remember now...

Five Hours Prior

A slender young woman stood by Ginny’s bed. Her clothes shimmered in the rising sun and her ornate jewels looked out of place in the dorm room. Three peacock teardrops hung from the earring she wore.

“Young one, I shall keep you in my care,” Her words were spoken in language of the ancients as she reached out and stroked Ginny’s long hair changing the color from the red orange that marked her as a Weasley to a deep wine red.

“You shall be my first chosen one, the scorned lover,” The tall woman with hair of the purest gold bent down and placed a single finger on Ginny’s forearm watching a peacock feather appear. Placing a sweet kiss on the mark it sprung to life, the colors of the feather seemed to bleed into one another in a constantly moving pattern and they sparkled like the ocean.

“My first, you will need some one to watch out for you, to feel for you,” The goddess trailed off before snapping her fingers. A shadowy image of Ginny as a 12 year old appeared.

“You will watch out for her, make sure she knows what is going on, and keep your eyes out for more of my chosen. Help Athena’s chosen one find the spell to reverse the potion,” The image nodded at Hera’s words before fading away.

“Stay strong Ginny, I will be watching you,” Placing one last comforting stroke across Ginny’s face she began to climb the sun rays looking for Apollo.

_______

“Ebony and emerald, that is all I see in them. A person with eyes of emerald and hair of ebony,” Pansy let out a sigh as she sat in the black leather armchair.

“Can you tell if it is a man or a woman?” Draco asked flipping through the current student picture directory to see if anyone matched that description. These dreams, or perhaps nightmares, had kept Pansy awake for the past few days.

“No. Have you any luck?” Pansy questioned seeing that he was already on 3rd year Hufflepuffs.

“The only person to match your description is Potter,” The blonde said slamming the old book shut.

“It’s not Potter,” Pansy said into her hands.

“How can you be so sure? How do you know your not just beating a dead horse?” Draco accused making the other girl spring to life. Wild fire rushed through her eyes giving them a dangerous glow.

“I am positive it isn’t Potter,” She whispered fingering the small sack around her waist that contained black dueling crystals.

It was a bad habit Pansy had, always rushing into a duel to defend her honor.

“I mean you no harm my friend,” Draco said holding his hands up in a defensive stance.

“I know Draco,” Pansy said sitting back down in the chair. “I’m just so tired.” She said with a quite sigh placing her head in her hands.

“Have you tried the dreamless sleep potion? I hear Blaise has some in his stock,” The older boy quietly said slowly running his fingers through her hair.

“It doesn’t work,” The raven-haired girl sobbed into her hands letting go of all her dignity. “Nothing works and I am so tired.”

“Then sleep my friend. Sleep. I will protect you.”

_______

Ginny sat up in bed as water trickled onto her face. At first she saw colors and people and faces swirling all around her, but now. Now everything was in black and white. With out sound.

The gray Hermione sat on the bed and pulled her in to an awkward hug as she mouthed words that seemed to get lost in the void of silence.

Ron had puffy eyes. Dark grey puffy circles around dark gray eyes. She saw for the first time that there was a different between grey and gray. She wanted to reach out and touch the difference, but her arms felt so heavy.

Harry stood behind Hermione and wrapped her in a backwards black and white hug. The gray Hermione let her head fall forward as she sobbed. But Ginny felt nothing. No pain no sadness. No love no happiness. Nothing. Empty. Broken.

_______

Lavender Brown sat at the small square wooden table in her empty dorm room. Today was a happy day for her and her kind, the descendants of the first Olympian goddess worshipers. Today for some unknown reason the altar of Hera, her patron mother, flowed again for the first time in over a thousand years.

Her older sister had owled her this morning telling the good news and for once, her religion seemed real. Her goddess had once again made her presence known and Lavender would never again doubt her.

Taking the needle she ran it through another peacock feather. Her nimble fingers worked quickly at stringing the feathers together in a short chain. Casting a short spell the feathers turned to crystal and she tied the chain around her neck. She had to show homage to the mother.

Extinguishing the white candle she was working by Lavender quickly offered a quick prayer up to Hera before leaving the room.

Today was going to be a happy day indeed.

______

Hermione walked down the hallway to Dumbledore’s office. She might get expelled, but she needed to do this. She needed to save Ginny.

What are you doing? A voice asked. It felt like strength and moonbeams flittering over a dark forest, yet when she turned around no one was there.

“Hello?” Hermione asked hearing her own voice echo off the empty hallway before continuing on once more.

Where are you going? The same voice asked, but it didn’t echo down the hall as Hermione’s had.

“Who are you?” Hermione asked the air expecting to see someone step out from an invisibility cloak. She was shocked when something else happened.

As you wish Wise Hunter. In front of Hermione a young woman in ancient hunting attire appeared. She had midnight black hair in a braided coil around her head holding a crown with the crescent moon in place.

“Who are you?” The brunet asked the beautiful huntress in front of her.

“I am Artemis, and you are my chosen,” Her words seemed to weave through the air enticingly. Reaching out in a fluid motion she grabbed Hermione’s arm and drew her close. Bending down she placed a kiss on it and a crescent moon intertwined with a silver arrow appeared.

“You need to find Athena’s chosen, the Imperfect Reflect, with her help you can save the Scorned Lover,” Artemis said this very languidly using her hand to create different images such as that of a peacock feather and a silver helmet.

“How will I know them?” Hermione asked watching this amazing woman, no goddess, who grace Hogwarts with her presence.

“Ebony and Emerald, Vermillion and slate,” With that said and a blown kiss, Artemis seemed to shimmer away in the light making Hermione feel suddenly bereft.

Looking down she saw her mark shimmer in the light before turning around.

Maybe Dumbledore didn’t need to know.

_______

One thing Draco always found odd about his father was his father’s fascination in incorrect muggle religions.

Lucius always found it humorous to torture Christians and quote their bible against them.

However, in his father’s old age, Draco found the fascination beginning to brink on obsession. The man he used to look up to now spent hours a day trying to decode this bible. Apparently it was supposed to help Voldemort.

Draco hated Voldemort.

That creature was the reason his parents lived on separate estates. It was the reason his father had gone to Azkaban, the beginning of his insanity. It was the reason so many of his friends were going to die.

In no way shape or form was Draco a supporter of the light. He believed in Voldemort’s main concepts, freedom of wizards and elimination of muggles, but he would rather commit suicide then call someone else master.

“Father, I am wondering if this meeting was completely necessary,” Draco said sitting down at the table. His father had asked him to come to a meeting today in Hogsmead to discuss his…future.

“It was, there is news coming in that a certain son of mine has recently denounced his lord,” Lucius had a calm unnerving sort of presence. His long silver hair was held back with a simple ribbon making his eyes stand out that much more.

“I never thought you one to listen to gossipers father,” Draco waved the waiter over and ordered a cup of coffee. Black. This was going to be a long meeting that he needed mass quantities of caffeine to stay awake for.

“I never thought you were one to talk so openly when you are in such a….precarious position,” The older man shot back taking a sip of tea.

“Are you referring to the deal you made regarding my loyalties?” Draco asked letting out a hiss as the warm liquid trickled down his throat.

“What ever are you talking about dear son of mine?” Lucius asked feigning innocence as he tapped his cane against the leg of the table.

“Abraham threw Isaac on the pyre to prove his faith to God – what is your excuse?” Draco threw a galleon down on the table and rose fastening his cloak. He didn’t need to sit here and listen to his father ramble about misplaced loyalties and blood traitors. He had heard it all before.

Walking to the door he stopped when his father called his name.

“Draco, remember, Judas hung himself with his own rope,” Draco let out a scoff and continued on his way. This man wasn’t his father anymore. Just his shell and the remainder of his mind.

_______

Ginny sat in her bed still unmoving from the position she was in this morning. Nothing seemed to matter anyways.

“Ginny?” A slender blonde girl walked up to her bed and sat down.

“Would you like some tea now?” Ginny didn’t turn to look at her, didn’t even give an indication that she heard the words.

“Your hair looks very pretty today,” Aurek said reaching out to touch the ruby waves.

“Like spun fire,” She added with a sigh pulling her hand away. Ginny continued to stare forward, unmoving, unblinking. The only indication that she was still alive was the slight rise and fall of her chest.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up Down Up. Down Up Down. UpDownUp. It seemed that the two motions seemed to fade into each other becoming one long motion, never ending never ceasing.

“Aurek?” Hei stood in the doorway watching Aurek watch Ginny.

“How is she doing?” The timid voice asked daring to take another step. Sinking a little farther into the madness.

“She is still the same. Like a very pretty statue…” The blonde trailed off before standing and smoothing her scarlet and gold plaid skirt.

“Collin was looking for you. Talking about a project in Potions or something. He looked kind of anxious,” Hei said to the unspoken question. In their dorm they seemed to walk on tiptoes around each other. There were no best friends among them. No good friends, or even friends for that matter.

They were acquaintances who shared a room and had disputes. Yes, that was a good way to put it.

True, they cared for each other, but they had no emotional attachment.

Sadly enough, it didn’t seem to bother any of them.

_______

“You know, some days I just feel like I'm fading away into nothing,” Pansy whimpered clutching the pale satin sheet up to her equally pale face.

“Just tell me what is wrong,” Blaise prodded slowly rubbing circles on her back.

“If I did fade away would anyone notice?” Pansy asked like a lost child. Like a deer caught in the headlights. “Would anyone care?”

Draco opened the door and walked to the bed. His breathing was harbored and his usually pale face had a rosy tint.

“What is it this time?” He asked Blaise as Pansy started to shiver in bed.

“I am just so cold,” She said with a lone tear falling down her cheek marring her glacial perfection. The façade she always held up. The mask she always wore.

Around Blaise and Draco she didn’t have to pretend.

“Something about fading away, I don’t know Draco. We were laughing and then she just started crying. It all happened so fast,” Draco swore under his breath at Blaise’s words and made his way to the bathroom.

“Do you love me Blaise?” Pansy asked sniffling a little. “Even the parts you can’t see?”

“Yes Pansy I love every part of you, even your pancreas,” He said with a small smile rubbing a damp cloth across her forehead.

Draco reemerged holding a pewter ladle in one hand and a new cloth in the other.

“Pansy, you need to drink some fresh water,” Draco slowly said extending the hand with the ladle while watching the clear water slosh around inside it.

She plucked it out of his hand and spilled the water all over herself. Lettiong out a half hearted sob Pansy sank back down into her bed.

Letting out a sigh Blaise summoned the cloth in to his hand and began to sop up the mess.

“Blaise you giant ponce. Use a drying charm,” Draco had an evil glint in his eyes as he walked back into the bathroom.

Blaise slowly shook his head realizing how bad the meeting with Draco’s father went.

_______

A young red headed girl skipped across the icy path enjoying the way her feet never seemed to feel the chill.

It seemed like forever since she was allowed to go out and play. Since she had been let out Ginny seemed to have gotten too mature to play with her. It got boring being all by herself all the time.

“Come all ye maidens young and fair
all you that are blooming in your prime
and always beware to keep your garden fair
let no man steal away your thyme”

The little girl closed her eyes and began to twirl in circles. She remembered when her Mum used to sing that song and Ron used to pretend to steal her thyme.

“For thyme it is a precious thing
and thyme brings all things to my mind
Thyme with all its flavours,

along with all its joys
Thyme brings all things to my mind”

She could remember her mum making all these different recipes from the garden thyme. To teach them all of its distinct and wonderful flavors. She called to the front of her mind the time they made thyme ice box cookies and how they were so light they melted on your tongue.

“Once I had a bunch of thyme
I thought it never would decay
Then came a lusty sailor
who chanced to pass my way
and stole my bunch of thyme away”

In her mind she pictured Ron taking her little bouquet of thyme and running around the garden saying he was a ’dusty sailor.’ A small chuckle escaped her lips and then the sun shined on her path making her fade away into nothing but a memory like those she loved so much.

_______

Harry sat in the back corner library with Ron. It was the only place where no one would look for the two of them.

“Mum is going to kill me. Portia told me that Gin is still in the same place where we left her. Didn’t even move a muscle. She swore by it. Swore by it,” Ron whispered as his head fell into his hands. He loved his sister more than he cared to admit, but she was like a puppy to him.

When he remembered she was there she was cute and he enjoyed her, but after a while she just began to fade into the background. Until one day he would be walking about and remember, ‘Oh yeah. Don’t I have a sister?’ Then the cycle would start all over

“Do you think we should go to Dumbledore?” Harry asked using a quill to carve his initials into the soft, pliable wood.

“I dunno Harry. If we do, Hermione will get in trouble. If we don’t then well, then my sister is broken. This is risky business. That was a risky potion Hermione made and now…Now we are going to have to deal with the results I guess,” Ron had no sound of finality and just let his head sink from his hands down onto the table.

For once in their Hogwarts years they were stuck.

_______

Padma Patil awoke to a pulling feeling in her stomach, similar to that of a portkey. Sitting up, she brushed aside the old, faded blue bed hangings and walked to the mirror. Sleepily she rubbed her face but the second she looked into the mirror all signs of sleepiness dissipated and were replaced with horror.

Her beautiful waist length brown hair was cut to just below her shoulders and dyed raven black. Her beautiful caramel colored eyes that she prided her self on were a deep emerald green, similar to that of Slytherin robes. None of that, however, was remotely as horrifying as the tattoo that had appeared on her left arm. A battle helmet sat there inked in enchanted inks, the silver seemed to sparkle in the light.

Racking her brain she tried to think of what the metal helmet symbolized.

“Padma? Why are you awake so early?” A muffle yawn came from a plump brunette sitting up in a bronze toned bed. Turning around Padma grabbed her button up jumper and pulled it on.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” She didn’t want to share this new mystery, not yet at least.

Prop where props are needed:

The quotes about religions Lucius Malfoy says are from Smallville

Bunch of Thyme- Celtic Folk song