A/N: This was inspired by the Dixie Chick's Travelin' Soldier, but isn't in direct accordance with it. Ha ha! This is my second fic written mostly through letters! I hope you like it. It's a little one sided. Also, it isn't beta-read (I don't have one!!!) so please don't kill me if there are any mistakes. I tried really hard to get all of them.
Time
By VirtualFaerie
Ginny sat on the front steps of Hogwarts with a journal sitting open in her lap, a quill poised over the paper. She twirled the tip of it in her mouth, staring off into the distance, not really thinking of anything in particular.
"I'm leaving," he said, stepping up behind her quietly.
"I know," said Ginny, not turning around. "I hope you're going to the right side."
"The right one for me or for you?" Draco asked. She could hear the amusement in his voice. Why he would be amused about something like that was beyond her. His life depended on that decision. It wasn't something to joke about and he knew it.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "The right side for anyone. Don't kid about this." She flipped her journal shut and set it down beside her, taking the quill out of her mouth and twisting in around in her fingers.
He sat down next to her, smoothing out the folds of his luxuriously dark robes. "I picked the right side for me," he said evasively, looking over at her. She tightened her jaw and kept her eyes trained to the quill. He reached out and touched her shoulder. She stiffened, but his fingers just rubbed against the thin fabric of her shirt. "My parents won't be pleased though," he said morosely.
The corners of Ginny's mouth turned up. "That's an understatement," she laughed.
He took his hand off of her shoulder and Ginny felt it grow cold where his fingers had been. He leaned back against the stairs, propping himself up on the next level with his elbows. "I won't have anyone to write to," he said.
Ginny frowned and looked back at him. "What about me?"
Draco smirked. "Oh, right, forgot about you." She reached over and smacked his head playfully. "Hey! Hey! Watch the hair," warned Draco, bringing his hands up to smooth his hair.
"You better write me. I might have to send you a howler if you don't. I'm sure you'd just love getting one of those, wouldn't you?" she said, grinning at him.
"Yeah?" he said, standing up. "I will. Just thought I'd…" He ran a hand through his hair. "I just thought I'd tell you I'd picked."
Ginny smiled at him. "I'm glad you did." She stood up and wrapped her arms around him quickly, then pulled away and looked up at him nervously. "Come back."
His mouth tilted as he looked at her, his eyes softening. "I'll try," he said.
She blinked. "No, you're coming back."
He shrugged and started to walk away. "I can't make any promises, you never know what'll happen." Ginny rubbed the back of her hand against her closed eyes, wiping away any tears that had welled up in her eyes.
*#*#*#*#*
Weasley,
I said I'd write you a letter, didn't I? Yeah, maybe I didn't exactly say it, but I'm writing you one anyways. No one else really cares that I'm here anyways. My mother won't even talk to me anymore - my father threatened to kill me. Wonderful family, aren't they?
I've been in training for the last two weeks. Everyone's riding my ass and accusing me of being a spy. I've already been under a Veritaserum twice. I swear if they try to put me under it again I'm leaving. No one trusts me here.
- Draco Malfoy
~
Virginia (No way am I calling you Ginny.),
They're moving me to some station in Wales tomorrow, after that I go through a little more training and then I'll be sent right into the direct action. You've probably already heard a lot about that from Potter and your brother. It's getting nasty, but I'm sure it would be a hell of a lot better than sitting in these hell holes of camps just going through stupid drills everyday - just waiting for them to send you off to die.
That's right, we're probably going to die. I know what you're going to say, Virginia, and we're fighting a losing battle. You don't know how much power the Dark Lord has backing him.
Anyways, it was nice getting your letter and those cookies. The guys were so jealous.
- Draco
~
Virginia, (You shouldn't have told me that. Maybe we can fix it next time I see you. Don't look at me like that, I know you want me.)
I'm in Wales. It's awful. But, it's almost Christmas and they've decided that I can go home for a week, not that there's really anywhere for me to go. I guess it'll be a nice break from all the training though. It's ridiculous how much you have to go through. Most of this stuff they're teaching us I already knew.
You know your letters smell like you? You're driving all the guys in my tent mad. Especially with that picture of you in that dress. That's a very nice dress. I'm sure it would look better on the floor though… Just kidding! I can imagine the look on your face right now, and let me tell you, you look better smiling.
- Draco
~
Ginny, (I give up!)
I don't know about staying at your parents' house for Christmas. Won't your brother and Potter be there? I don't imagine they'd fancy the idea of me being there. I don't want to ruin your Christmas by fighting with them. I know you wouldn't like that. Not that I wouldn't want to see you, I'm just sure your family wouldn't want to see me. No one really does - but I'm getting used to it.
I picked up a Christmas present for you yesterday. I'm not going to send it to you just yet because I know you won't be able to wait to open it. But I do know that you'll like it.
Can I say something? You make the best damn ginger-snaps I've ever had. I only got one though. Guys in my tent stole the rest of them. Nasty buggers they are.
Yeah, yeah, I miss you too,
Draco
~
Ginny,
I admit it, I had a nice time with your family for Christmas. And I really enjoyed making those ginger-snaps with you - but don't write about that!! If the guys get a hold of my letter's they'll tease me relentlessly. I'm a Malfoy - I shouldn't get teased.
I'm glad I was right about that dress. It does look much better on the floor. Oh, don't look like that, you know you enjoyed every minute of it, I can even see you smiling now. To tell you the truth, sometimes thinking of your smile is the only thing that keeps me from going insane out here. That and the fact that your letters always smell like you.
Miss you,
Draco
~
Ginny,
We're off to the base just outside of the Dark Lord's HQ tomorrow. I feel like everything we've learned at these stupid camps is going to be completely useless once we get out on the battlefield. Hopefully, thinking of you will keep me from going completely insane.
I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to write again, it seems like I'm going to be pretty busy from here on out, but I promise that I'll try to write whenever I can.
I miss love you,
Draco
~
Ginny,
This has got to be short, I've got five minutes before we move in on Voldemort. Your smile has gotten me this far, let's hope it'll get me a little further. I can't wait to get back to you and feel your kisses again.
Love you,
Draco
P.S. I've got the ribbon you sent tied 'round my arm.
*#*#*#*#*
Ginny was sitting in the Great Hall, digging into her breakfast, her hand resting on the small bundle of letters in her pocket, smiling slightly. Colin was sitting next to her, shoving a few sausages in his mouth, glancing through a letter he'd gotten from his mother.
Dumbledore stood up from his chair at the front of the hall, gathering all the students' attention. The chattering died down, as they turned their eyes up to him expectantly. He cleared his throat. "As you are all quite aware, a large portion of the Ministry's troops moved into Voldemort's Head Quarter's last night." He smiled, "And I'm pleased to report that they fought the best to their ability, with Mr. Harry Potter at their head, and took down Voldemort for the last time."
He waited for the news to sink in, as the buzzing chatter started back up around the hall. Ginny grinned and looked over at Colin. "Can you believe it?!" she said excitedly, thinking about seeing Draco again. She'd been aching for him. "This means it's over!"
"I know," said Colin, beaming.
"But," Dumbledore interrupted the talking. "Of course, with our victory came many casualties. Many of them were students here at our school." He pulled out a piece of parchment from his robes and unrolled it slowly, fixing the perch of his glasses on his nose.
He started reading.
Ginny pulled her letters out of her pocket, and began re-reading them slowly, savoring every one of Draco's words, tracing her fingers over his elegant handwriting.
"Draco Malfoy…Dana Morgan…"
Ginny stopped breathing and looked up at Dumbledore with wide eyes, his words echoing in her ears. "Draco Malfoy…" The letters fell from her limp fingers to the floor, and her heart ached. Tears pushed to her eyes, spilling out rapidly in a small torrent that ran down her cheeks.
"Draco Malfoy…"
Colin looked at her curiously, and picked the letters up for her, pushing them back into her pocket. "Ginny? What's wrong?" he asked concernedly.
Ginny let out a choked breath and stood up from the table, rushing out of the hall quickly, sobbing quietly. She collapsed in a corner, and pulled her knees up to her chest, pressing her face into her knees, tears flowing from her eyes unyieldingly. Draco, her Draco, was gone. He had been killed. He told her that it would happen. She shouldn't have…
I love you.
His words flashed in front of her eyes.
She felt his fingers, his hands, all over her skin. She felt his breath against her neck. She felt his skin under her fingertips. She could see his eyes, looking at her softly. She could hear his voice. She could smell his scent. She could feel his soft hair in her hands. She could see his letters. She could see her name written in his script. She could hear his voice reading the letters to her at Christmas. She could feel his lips on hers.
She let out a hoarse cry and slumped up against the wall, still crying. "Why?" she murmured. "Why…? We didn't have enough time…"
I love you.
"I love you too," she whispered. "I love you too."