Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Harry Potter except for the wonderful posters on my wall. My Sirius poster finally came!! WOOT WOOT!!!
AN: Sorry this took so long to write, Ive been having a horrible case of writers block, and then I went to California for Thanksgiving. I know this isn't my best work, and if I can think of something better to put in this chapter I will, this was merely a filler chapter. I'm just waiting for what I have coming up. Also I have started writing a fan fic about Sirius but I can't post it here because it is not a ship here. So if you would like to read it feel free to contact me, my AIM screen name is DangerousGame17 or email me at Kaoticcutie1@msn.com. Thanks!!!
Chapter Six: The Truth
I left her room knowing very well that she would be asleep within minutes, but thoughts of her still clouded my mind. The past two days had been so trying on both of us, yet she was amazing me with her strength.
I walked into the common room, not daring to sit in the chairs we used to call home, but bypassing them completely and leaving the tower all together.
It was getting pretty late, and I didn't really care if I was caught wandering the corridors right now. I needed to think, and no one was going to stop me.
I must have been close the Slytherin tower because I could hear Malfoy talking with someone, someone with a female voice. I couldn't make it out without being seen, so I stayed pressed against the wall, extremely silent trying to listen to every word that was said.
"I don't want to go, but its something I need to do." The female voice said.
"Its going to be so lonely without you here, who am I going to stare longingly at over dinner?" Malfoy sounded very odd, speaking in this manner to someone else. There as no trace of his normal self in his voice at all. I suddenly wanted very much to know whom he was talking to.
The female laughed in a low voice.
"I have to be there for my family. Please understand." She said in a calm tone.
"I do, I do. Its just I'll miss you Red."
My eyes widened in shock. Red…Malfoy had just called this girl Red. She needed to be there for her family…
Knowing if I stayed longer, I would give myself away, so I retreated back towards the Gryffindor common room.
Ginny and Malfoy? But why would she be with him of all people? I thought she had gone with Fred and George? What was she still doing here?
All these questions raced through my mind, I was so confused. I heard a rustling of cloaks behind me and I realized that it was Ginny returning from her rendezvous with Malfoy. Half of Harry wanted to stop her and throttle her for consorting with the enemy, but then the other half heard the affection in his voice when he used his pet name for her. He quickly decided to duck behind a statue as she walked quickly and quietly passed him with the tiniest of smiles on her spread across her face.
After she passed, Harry suddenly didn't want to go back to the common room, he wanted answers, and he knew exactly where to get them. He sprinted back the way he had come, hoping that Malfoy was still there. To his surprise he was, but he was leaning against the wall, a sullen look upon his face. He looked up at the noise, a look of sudden surprise, then was replaced with a look of resignation.
"Potter, why don't you sit down?" Malfoy asked his familiar drawl coming out.
Harry was surprised to say the least. Was Draco Malfoy being decent to him? He shook his head opting to continue standing, he had his hand on his wand, which was hidden, inside his robes.
"Alright, your choice." Malfoy shrugged his shoulders.
"What's going on Malfoy?" I asked him trying to keep the anger from my voice.
His eyebrows rose in question. Then a look of realization crossed his face.
"Oh you mean with Ginny?" he had said it like it was nothing. He even used her real name. I had never in my life heard him use anyone's real name, yet here he was saying Ginny's first name.
I nodded my head, obviously wanting to know more. He went on without me even needing to say anything to him.
"I'm in love with her."
Now when I say my jaw hit the floor, I mean it could have literally hit the floor. I was in complete and utter shock at the words that had flown so freely from his mouth.
I stammered trying to get what I was saying out.
"Wh-what? Are you serious?" My eyes must have been bulging out of my head by now.
Malfoy nodded his head, a grin spreading across his face.
"Yeah, surprised me when I realized it also. I didn't expect it to go beyond anything other than a fling."
I couldn't even look at him anymore; I was just so shocked at what was happening. The whole time Ginny had been having a fling with Malfoy, while he had been continuously taunting Ron, Hermione, and myself. I was suddenly very angry with her, Malfoy must have sensed this because he stood up straight and looked me in the eye.
"She didn't want anyone to know about us, didn't want her prat of a brother to flip out and tell her entire family. They would have disowned her you know that." Draco looked sympathetic. "So I acted as I always had towards you three. But when Weasley was…killed." He swallowed the lump that had formed in this throat. "I didn't want to pretend anymore. I honestly feel sorry for you." He laughed aloud suddenly. "I even apologized to Granger last night, she looked a little shocked to say the least."
Suddenly my legs didn't seem as if they would hold me up any longer. I fell back against the wall, letting it support me. Malfoy seemed as if he had totally changed, and all because of Ginny. I looked at the boy who had been courting Ginny, she was like a sister to me, and suddenly I felt as if I had to perform all the brotherly duties, being as how I would be the only one who would know about this affair they had been having.
My strength returned in my legs and I stood up to my full height, never taking my eyes from Malfoys.
"Listen to me Malfoy. I don't know what to say to you about this whole thing. I don't know if I can trust you. I haven't spent seven years of my life watching my back because of you…" I took a deep breath, then let it all out. "…but if Ginny approves of you, I will give you a shot." A look of relief seemed to pass his face. So I took great pleasure in what I said to him next. "BUT if you hurt her Malfoy, I will not hesitate to transform you into a ferret myself." I added, attempting to keep a straight face.
He merely nodded his head, a slight smirk lacing his face.
"I understand Potter. Now you need to understand something." He spoke in undertones to me. "This may be the end of our rivalry, but everyone else knows of nothing."
I nodded my head, understanding immediately.
"Are you planning on telling Granger?" he had read my mind.
"Yes, I tell her everything, and she will keep a secret."
Malfoy seemed okay with this, because he then did something I never expected him to do. He stuck out his wand hand, only it was empty. He seemed to want a handshake. I grinned slightly at him, and put my hand in his.
By doing this, a huge weight felt as if it had been lifted off of my shoulders, I had never realized how much stress this feud with Malfoy had caused me. We pulled our hands apart at the same time, I then turned to go. I had gotten about three feet away from him when he called out my name. I turned to look at him.
"I really am sorry about Ron. I hope you know that I am sincere when I say that." That was all he said, ending our conversation immediately. I walked back to the common room in a sort of trance, not quite sure what to make of what Draco had said to me. Had the death of my best friend bridged the gap in our terrible rivalry? Would Malfoy and I be able to become friends?
I came upon the fat lady quicker than I had liked but muttered the password nonetheless. The portrait swung open and I walked slowly into the common room with my eyes on my feet. I had walked past the previous battleground and began my ascent up the stairs, a familiar voice calling out to me held me in place.
"Harry…" I turned to see Hermione sitting in the very chair where Ron had died. A soft glow on her face from the lighted fire. I smiled at her though very brief and made my way to her. I sat down across from her, in her usual chair, a pained look crossing her face momentarily then was replaced by the somber look she had been wearing since she awoke.
"What are you doing up, "Mione?" I asked her gently. She shrugged her shoulders, her face taking on a sad expression.
"I was dreaming about him." She took a breath. "I don't want to dream about him." A silent tear slipped down her face, I wondered if she even knew it had escaped.
I leaned forward and took her hand in mine.
"Hermione there isn't anything we could have done." Immediately I knew I had said the wrong thing. Her eyes went slanted and cat like as if she was trying to understand what I had just said.
"Harry, what we did was wrong." She stated. "There should never have been any kisses between us. It was wrong and Ron died because of it." She wrenched her hands from mine and fled out of the common room. I knew there wasn't anything I could do for her, but let her be. She was convinced that Ron's death was her fault, and for now there wasn't anything I could do to convince her otherwise.
I sat in the chair by the fire until I was sure the sun was coming up. I didn't feel much like sleeping even for a little bit, so I made my way to the showers.
Stripping down I could feel the steam surrounding me; thankful for the warmth it provided me. I stood under the scalding hot water, thinking about everything that had happened in my life to date. The death of my parents, going to live with the Dursleys, finding out I was a wizard, meeting Ron and Hermione, losing Sirius, falling for Hermione, and now…losing Ron.
Everyone I loved died, because of me. I couldn't help that I loved people. I wasn't going to stop; everyone would be much worse off if there wasn't any love in the world. I just knew that I would have to feed off that love to defeat the one being in the world who didn't know what love was. Voldemort. The reason all the bad things in my life happened.
Leaning against the wall of the shower I slid down and landed lightly on the floor, the steam and water enveloping me. Everything seemed so surreal. Any minute now I expected Ron to come barreling in whipping his towel at all our friends as he always did. But he would not come, there would be no laughter in the Gryffindor boys locker room for quite some time.
After a lengthy shower I made my way down the Great Hall where I indulged in a hearty breakfast. I kept looking towards the door for Hermione, but I knew she wouldn't be coming down to breakfast this morning. I ached for Rons' presence. I scanned the table, there was no tell tale head of red hair anywhere at the table, all the Weasleys were gone, Ginny having left last night after her rendezvous with Malfoy. I was suddenly so down, I wanted nothing more than to just fall of the face of the planet.
When the call came for classes to begin I gathered up my books and sauntered out of the Great Hall and to my first class of the day, Potions.