Unofficial Portkey Archive

"Ron is dead."

It had started as suddenly and ceaselessly as a dream. Hermione had arrived earlier that night with the harrowing story of her brother's death.

Her parents were upstairs now, alone in their bedroom. They had gone to identify Ron's body and came home looking like a piece of themselves had died too. Her mother had not stopped crying for her son and had been given a potion for a dreamless sleep.

Hermione had stayed up talking with Ginny for a while. She had a tired and haunted look about her. She ultimately decided to go stay at her parent's home to be alone for the night.

Ginny was alone now too. Looking up at the night sky from her own bedroom window, she cried for her brother. She had always shared a special bond with Ron as the youngest members of the family. They had often fought (as siblings do), but she could not fathom that in one night, he could simply be gone. Gone. Her tears blurred her vision and she angrily wiped them away.

Thoughts of betrayal flickered inside her like a live flame. How could she even begin to comprehend what had happened on the streets of Hogsmeade?

Her brother was dead because of Draco Malfoy.

Her husband.

She had married the enemy and seemingly paid the price for it; Draco had finally emerged as the villain she had always thought he was. A snake in the grass. His love was nothing and meant nothing.

But it doesn't make sense she thought to herself.

They had sworn by Unbreakable Vow to love, honor, and be faithful to one another. Why would Draco trick her into a marriage? They were bonded together forever now. If he had broken his vows in any way, he would be dead today too.

Ginny's head reeled for a moment. From what Hermione had described, Draco had tried dearly to avoid a conflict. It was very clear that Ron would have killed Draco if he could have. From Hermione's words, it sounded like Ron indeed almost had. The hard truth was this: Draco had killed Ron because Ron would have killed Draco.

Ginny rubbed her eyes tiredly.

In truth, Ron had died a long time ago. He had died right along with Harry. Ron was never the same after his best friend's death. He had become a different and much darker person.

Still, her heart was broken for her brother. Ginny wished desperately that things could have been different for him. Her family was bleeding from his loss. She wasn't sure how or when she could ever bear to tell them the truth about her marriage to Draco now.

Although she felt incredibly guilty, Ginny was immensely happy that Draco was alive. She knew that there was a very real possibility that she could have lost both a brother and a husband tonight.

She needed to see him. She needed to see that he was okay. She needed him to know that she was okay. Her heart ached and stung in her chest for Draco. Her love for him was an exquisite pain.

She went to her desk and took out a quill and parchment.

-----

Draco had arrived at Snape's door blood stained and drenched from a sudden squall that was raging. He had come once again to the dark and dilapidated home on Spinner's End, unsure of where else he could have escaped to. Snape had ushered him in immediately and quickly discovered the whole unlucky story of Blaise and Ron's deaths.

Draco now sat numbly with his head in his hands in Snape's darkened bedroom. The room was devoid of all light save from a single candle flickering on the nightstand. His clothing was still wet from the rain and he had refused Snape's offer to mend his wounds with magic. He sat alone in the almost darkness, willing with all of his might that this might be just a nightmare.

"I have news from the Ministry, Draco," Snape said entering the room quietly. "Your sentence has been made public."

"Is it better or worse than Azkaban?" Draco muttered, head still down.

"It is - an unexpected choice," Snape said carefully, moving closer to him.

Draco finally looked up, eyes troubled. "Well?"

"Banishment," Snape said finally after a moment. "You will not go to Azkaban. You've been sentenced, without trial, to exile from our world. Your wand has been destroyed."

Draco blinked for a instant and looked down again. "Banishment," he said slowly to himself.

After a beat, he began to laugh - so low at first, Snape thought he might be weeping.

Draco's laugh grew louder and more frenzied until he finally looked up at Snape. "I'd rather you say `death' than banishment," he said viciously, still laughing. "Exile is worse than death. Don't say `banishment' to me."

"Don't be a fool, Draco," Snape hissed at him. "There is a wide world beyond our own. Living amongst Muggles-"

"I'm not a bloody Squib!" Draco cried furiously rising from the chair. His unhinged laughter had finally ceased. "I'm just expected to live without magic forever? I'm a wizard, it's my birthright!"

"It's an unorthodox punishment, but a merciful one considering the circumstances," Snape said a little more tenderly. "Eirena Milnore could have easily condemned you to death."

"Can't you see, she did!" Draco said mournfully. "There is no life without magic. Being banished from all that I've ever known, from being a wizard? I'd rather she'd let the Dementors have me."

Snape grabbed Draco and shook him by the arms aggressively. "Get a hold of yourself," he said harshly. "You committed a crime which is punishable by death, and yet you still live. Be grateful!"

"And what of Ginny?" Draco said painfully, breaking free of Snape's hold. His eyes stung and he could feel fresh tears forming. "We've been married for barely a day and I've already fucked it up."

Snape studied him silently.

"I need to be with her," Draco said gravely. "Every moment we're apart, I feel like every fiber of my being is crying out for her. It's…unbearable."

"It's the Unbreakable Vow," Snape said shrewdly. "The marriage has bonded your souls. The vow you took intensifies the connection. The pain will get worse the longer you are apart."

A sudden and fervent tapping interrupted them.

Snape flicked his wand immediately and the lone candle flame in the room extinguished.

"Stay here, don't move," Snape hissed. Draco felt him pass next to him and through the door.

Draco sunk to the ground from where he stood. Maybe he would be killed after all, he thought. That might be the best thing for Ginny, after all. What kind of life could he possibly offer her now?

Snape returned silently moments later. It was only after he had relit the candle that Draco realized he had an open letter in his hand.

"It's from Ginny," he said, still quietly. He held the letter out to Draco, who reached for it after a slight moment of hesitation. It was the moment of truth: what would Ginny say of their ruined love?

D,

I know everything that has happened. My heart is breaking for it and for you. Please come to me tonight, as soon as you can. Only your presence can help heal me. I must know that you are safe and alive. I must know that our love still survives. Come to me -my love, my life.

-G

Draco exhaled deeply. Ginny didn't hate him. She still loved him, she still wanted him. He felt his faith resorted with her letter in his hand.

"I've got to go to her," he told Snape matter-of-factly. "Immediately."

Snape quickly realized that any attempt to dissuade Draco would be futile.

"You must be gone before the morning," Snape said cautiously. "You must disappear."

"Where would I go?" Draco answered.

"You must go into hiding," Snape said before leaving the room again. He came back a few minutes later with a small gray satchel in hand. "This bag has the tools you'll need to get by," he said extending the bag to Draco.

He reached for the satchel eagerly, but Snape pulled it back at the last moment. "There is a spare wand hidden in a secret pocket of this bag," he said carefully with a concentrated stare. "The Ministry will attempt to watch you. If they see you use magic or even find a wand on you, you'd likely be killed on the spot."

Draco nodded and slung the bag over his shoulder.

Snape put his hand on his other shoulder and pulled him closer. "Once the excitement dies down, I will attempt to seek a pardon from the Ministry for you."

For the first time in his life, Draco hugged Snape. "Thank you for everything," he said earnestly.

Snape only nodded and ushered him towards the door. His final words were "I'll be in touch."

-----

It was just nearing midnight when Draco finally appeared at Ginny's window. Her bedroom was dark but he could see her reading by wand light perched at the foot of her bed. He tapped lightly on the glass.

She looked up straight away and he could see instant relief flood her face. She smiled at him and strode across the room to let him in. He grinned back at her and climbed through the window gingerly.

"You're hurt," she said immediately. She reached for his face, examining the cut and now dried blood across his cheek.

"It's nothing," he dismissed. He took her hand from his face and kissed her fingers.

Her face was still concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Are you alright?" he said back to her. He stared at her intently. "I'm so sorry, Ginny. I never­-"

"Don't," she said, shutting her eyes. He frowned, pulling her to his chest. He held her tightly as she cried a little. She took a breath and opened her eyes finally. "I'm glad you're alive."

"Me too," he said back to her. Ginny pulled away from him and he could see now that she had been weeping. His heart gave a pang. He touched her face now, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

"I love you," he said simply. "So much." It was all he could say to help her now. He could not undo what had been done.

Her eyes softened. She leaned up and kissed him gently, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck. Her fingers brushed through his damp hair.

Draco kissed her back tenderly at first, then leaned in hungrily as he wound his hands arms around her waist. After a minute she pulled away from him and led him towards the bed.

She undid the buttons of his navy shirt for him. As Draco removed it, Ginny's brow furrowed in alarm. His back, chest, and arms were decorated with a handful of fresh wounds and bruises.

She touched his chest gently and kissed him again, deeper this time. Draco lifted her onto the bed quietly and leaned over her, pulling her nightgown up along the way. He ran a hand up her thigh meticulously, lingering slightly when he reached her panties. He stopped.

She pulled herself up on to her elbows and looked up at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure?" he asked softly.

She grinned. "You're my great love," she replied confidently. "I've never been more sure about anything."

He grinned back and kissed her again. He pulled the shoulder of her nightgown down and began exploring her neck with his mouth. She closed her eyes to his touch and sighed contentedly. He trailed his kisses down to her chest. Draco had removed her nightgown completely now.

Ginny pulled him up to her face and found his mouth with hers, kissing him as she had never kissed anyone before. She finally broke the kiss and removed his pants urgently. He looked at her hungrily - the desire in his eyes fueled her.

Feeling bold, she pushed him down onto the bed and straddled him. He touched her eagerly, as if he would never have enough of her body or her love. Being with Ginny made him feel whole, complete, and alive - a feeling he had never experienced before in his adult life.

He kissed her urgently now, passionately. Ginny had never felt such strong desire. It burned through her as hot as ice. She wanted every part of him desperately - now and always.

They lied together for a long time after they had made love. Ginny fell asleep first, her head resting on the crook of Draco's shoulder. She moved ever so slightly along with the steady up and down movement of Draco's chest.

Draco fought sleep for a long while. He wanted to savor every moment he had with Ginny. He watched her for hours, studying the delicate pattern of freckles etched across her nose and cheeks. He wanted to remember each and every one.

He stayed awake until his eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. Finally Draco dozed off, falling asleep to the comforting sounds of Ginny's even breaths on his chest.

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