A/N- Just a somewhat fluffy/angsty (but mostly fluffy) little fic that has been plaguing my mind since last year and inspired mostly by watching Northeast Independent's winter guard show with this song (Just so brilliant beyond belief!). So yeah, I know it may not be perfect, but I just thought that I should post it before my winter break as a little in-between for those who read A Study of the Mind. And a little note to those who DO read ASotM: I shall be posting ch.8 & 9 simloultanously; think of it as a(n) -insert holiday of your choice here- gift. The lyrics to Wonderwall are taken from the Ryan Adams version, although they belong to the lovely little band Oasis. Enjoy Wonderwall!
Wonderwall
"How is she, Harry?" Ron Weasley asked as Harry stepped out of the hospital room at St. Mungo's.
"Cho said they're not sure if she'll make it through the night," Harry stated, causing a bout of hysterics from Hermione Granger, who turned to sob into Ron's shoulder.
Harry sat down in the seat next to Ron, remembering how Ginny Weasley made her way to St. Mungo's on the verge of death.
* * * * * * * * *
The war was over not two hours ago when Harry was walking along the grounds of Hogwarts, looking for his then ex-girlfriend, Ginny.
He had seen her at some point during the battle as she attempted to move those injured to the hospital wing, but lost her amongst the melee.
As he continued walking, he noticed the bodies, some dead, some barely alive, calling out to him. But they would have to wait for someone else to save them; he was on the lookout for a curtain of red hair.
Eventually, Harry found Ginny splayed across the grass; her hair fanned out behind her head, her face marred by scars with a pool of blood trailing from her abdomen. Her lips were a pale blue; a small stream of blood was trickling out.
Harry bent down and took off her uniform robe. He gasped once he saw the familiar markings: Sectumsempra. Only it seemed like Ginny was hit with the curse multiple times.
Harry grabbed her left wrist and checked for a pulse; it was there, but just barely.
He called for help, but he heard no response. He looked around for someone, anyone who would know what to do. When he saw nothing but blood and carnage he gathered Ginny into his arms.
Harry placed a small, but lingering kiss on her forehead before running towards the Hogwarts infirmary.
He burst through the door, giving Madame Pomfrey and the students helping the middle-aged woman quite a start. Madame Pomfrey ran over to Harry asking him what happened before she saw Ginny.
Fanning her face, Madame Pomfrey asked Harry to place Ginny on an empty bed in order to check her wounds.
Harry gently lay Ginny down, moving her hair out of her face.
Pomfrey leaned forward, shooing Harry away. She carefully examined Ginny from head to toe, muttering little incoherent phrases every now and then.
After about ten minutes, Madame Pomfrey turned to face Harry.
"We can't treat her here."
"What do you mean 'we can't treat her here'?" Harry asked, enraged.
"Exactly what it means, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey said with a hint of pity. "We have to transfer her over to St. Mungo's if she's to have any chance of survival."
"Ok. Let's go then," Harry said, picking up Ginny.
"Mr. Potter, it's not that easy. Miss Weasley will need to be transported with the utmost care because of her condition. If you wait a few moments, I can get you a Portkey that will safely transfer you and Miss Weasley to St. Mungo's."
"Thanks, Madame Pomfrey."
"I'm only here to help, Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey replied with a sigh as she scurried to her office.
Harry looked down at Ginny, saying a silent prayer for her recovery.
"Please don't leave me."
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry was brought back to reality when someone entered the area outside Ginny's room.
He glanced in the direction of the sound and was met with a pair of grey eyes.
Draco scanned the room before finding Cho Chang, the Junior Healer in charge of watching over Ginny.
He strode over to the young woman, engaging her in a whispered conversation.
Harry, meanwhile, strained to listen in to Draco and Cho's conversation to no avail. He knew that Ginny and Malfoy (even if they did come to a truce, it would be a cold day in hell before he called the blond boy 'Draco') had gotten rather close after Malfoy had become a spy, but he knew that she would forever be his. Right?
Harry focused his attention back on Malfoy and Cho's conversation, his ears still straining for words or phrases.
Cho gave a sigh and a small nod before Malfoy walked into Ginny's room.
Harry made a motion to get up, but felt an arm holding his chest back. He looked to his left and saw Ron.
The redheaded boy shook his once before mouthing "Let him be."
Harry stared back at his best friend with shock, but realized that if Ron was okay with Malfoy visiting Ginny, then maybe he should be too.
But if he did anything to her, Draco Malfoy would regret ever being born.
* * * * * * * * *
Draco silently entered the hospital room, the low lighting causing his eyes to widen to adjust.
The only light in the entire room was coming from a small lamp over Ginny's bed.
Draco took a step forward, noting how ethereal Ginny looked even in her almost comatose state. He found a chair and pulled it up right next to her bed. Draco took a seat, his breath catching in his throat as he received a better view of Ginny.
Her face was covered in small scars and a bandage extending from her right shoulder to just below her torso seemed to blend in with her now ashen skin. Her lips were a faint blue now, while her eyelids seemed dusted with black and purple eye shadow. Her cheeks were sallow and tinged with yellow; her massive blood loss made her face more angular. There was a slight bruise just above her left eyebrow, too.
Draco took her right hand and placed it his; his thumb idly rubbing the top of her hand.
"Hey, Red. Long time, no see," he choked out. "They say that you were hit by a Sectumsempra curse. Multiple times. Or at least, that's what Potter, I mean, Harry told me when he owled me. See, Red, I called him 'Harry'. I know how much it would mean for you to hear that."
He paused for a moment, placing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"I can relate. To what type of pain you're going through, at least. Well, maybe I don't even know about that much; after all, I only got hit with it once." Draco realized that he was babbling, but that didn't matter to him.
"Do you remember when we first became friends? I do. I remember that day perfectly…"
* * * * * * * * *
By that time, Draco was an official member of the Order, as well as one of their top spies.
He hadn't meant to get sick that day, but well, whatever happens, happens and Draco was forced to deal with disease.
Ginny, on the other hand, was volunteering for Madame Pomfrey. She had downright refused to go out into the field unless absolutely necessary. So here she was, taking care of invalids.
When she walked into the Hospital Wing that morning, she only found one patient in the entire wing: a blond hair, grey eyed patient currently coughing up a storm.
Ginny ran over to Draco, grabbing the glass of water on his nightstand, gently raising it to his chapped lips.
He calmed down after a while and leaned back against his propped up pillows.
"What's wrong with you?" Ginny asked, sitting down on the bed next to his.
"I'm sick, Weasley. Isn't that obvious?" Draco stated with a sniffle.
Ginny had to try her hardest not to laugh. Here was Draco Malfoy, an all-around, self-pretentious git, albeit a very valuable git, but a git just the same, sick in bed. His eyes were swollen and puffy, while his nose was as red as a tomato, a small trail of phlegm determined to make its way to his mouth.
Ginny grabbed a tissue and cleared her throat, handing the tissue to him.
He stared at the white paper object in his hand before looking at Ginny with one raised eye brow. She cleared her throat again, this time pretending to wipe her nose with her index finger. She looked up to see Draco still staring at her like she was crazy, so she tried a different approach. This time, she coughed, but said "Wipe your nose" as she did so. She hoped Draco would finally get the hint, but apparently his cold made him lethargic. She let out a frustrated sigh and hissed "Wipe your nose!"
Draco caught on and quickly wiped his nose, a slight pink tinge gracing his cheeks that did not go unnoticed by Ginny.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"So what are you in here for?" Draco asked, thankful for the company.
"I help out Madame Pomfrey."
"You mean you don't fight out in the field?"
"Why does it surprise you that I don't?"
"I guess that Bat-Bogey Hex still bothers me after all this time," Draco said with as much of a smile as he could manage.
Ginny gave a small giggle and had the grace to blush.
Draco cleared his throat and continued.
"So, Weasley, do you just stay here all day if there's no one to attend to?"
"If Madame Pomfrey needs my help with potion-making then, yes. If not, then I usually roam the halls sometimes. Since you're here, though, I can choose to stay."
"Sounds like fun."
"You have no idea," Ginny replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Someone's bitter."
"I'm not bitter; just jaded."
"The difference being…?"
"Good point, Malfoy."
"I'm just filled with wisdom, Weasley."
"Apparently," Ginny said with a laugh. "You know what, Malfoy?"
"What's that, Weasley?"
"You're a whole lot more tolerable when you're down with the flu."
"That's only because I'm too tired to insult you. And please, don't even remind me of this miserable Muggle disease."
"I wouldn't even dare," Ginny replied, getting up to leave the Hospital Wing.
"Wait," Draco whispered, extending his hand.
Ginny slowly turned around to face Draco.
"Do you think that you can stay? To you know, keep me company," Draco asked, hurriedly adding in the last part, looking down at his sheets.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at first, but relented, sitting at the end of his bed.
Draco felt the extra weight at the foot of his bed and looked up. When he saw Ginny, he smiled.
It all started from there. Their friendship, that is. Since Ginny had nothing better to do, she spent the entire day talking to Draco.
By the time she finally walked out of the Hospital Wing, they were on a first name basis and had discussed almost every topic under the sun.
As the war continued over the course of the next six months, their friendship only grew stronger. And that was the extent of their relationship; nothing more, nothing less.
* * * * * * * * *
"Do you still like Muggle Pop music? I know that was one of your 'guilty pleasures'," Draco said with a chuckle.
"Look, Red, I need you to listen and listen well. Cho told me that you might make it through the night, but here's what you don't understand, Red: you can't die on me, you just can't. I know I'm being rather selfish, but damn it, Red, I don't know what I would do without you."
Draco took a deep breath before continuing.
"You're the reason why I still fight, in fact, you're the reason why I'm still here talking to you. You're the only thing I live for, Red. I know you may think I'm crazy for telling you this now, but I finally figured out the right thing to say. I can't believe it took me this long to realize it, but I am in love with you, Ginevra Molly Weasley," Draco finished with a small smile.
"But I guess I should have said that when I had the chance. If anything, Red, promise me this, should you leave me: promise me that you will remember our friendship, what I have told you tonight, but most importantly, remember that I will always love you, no matter what."
Draco left it at that, a small tear landing on Ginny's right hand.
Ginny's finger gave a small twitch in his hand.
She cracked open an eyelid. She couldn't see very much of Draco, only a faint outline, but she could tell he was still in the room.
She opened her mouth, attempting to say something to Draco, who was now looking down at the tiled floor, but her voice came out as a harsh whisper.
Ginny waited a few minutes before trying again.
"Hey there, Stranger," Ginny whispered.
"Red?" Draco asked, whipping his head up to look at Ginny.
"Shh; not so loud," Ginny replied with a shaking finger to his lips.
Draco manoeuvred around her finger, wrapping her in an awkward hug.
"I almost lost hope for you, Red," he whispered, his head buried into her hair.
"Well, you know, you can't really die when someone confesses their undying love for you," Ginny said with her best attempt at a smirk.
"You heard that?" Draco asked, drawing back.
"Every single word. You know, Stranger, I think you unwittingly saved me."
"Is that so, Red?"
"You bet," Ginny spoke with a weak smile. "You know what else, Stranger?"
"What?"
"I love you, too."
* * * * * * * * *
Wonderwall
Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna give it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now
Backbeat the word is on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
And I'm sure you've heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now
And all the roads we have to walk along are winding
And all the lights that lead the way are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
But I don't know how
I said maybe
You're gonna be the one who save me
And after all
You're my wonderwall
Today was gonna be the day
That they'll never bring it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you've gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do
About you now
And all the roads that lead to you were winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
I don't know how
I said maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall
You're my wonderwall
You're my wonderwall
You're my wonderwall
-Ryan Adams
A/N- Thanks to Angel, my lovely beta. She is the only person who thinks me to be a genius at writing
fic, although I feel otherwise. She is absolutely brilliant and I adore her! Thanks for reading and please review if
you see fit to do so.