[A/N: What can I say? I know it's taken almost a month for me to update with this chapter and I'm really sorry for the long wait. There were lots of things I had to work through with this chapter, I had to re-write a scene, and then I had exams for the end of the year at school.
You all know I know own anything. Characters, settings, and almost everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.]
Heroes Shed No Tears
By VirtualFaerie
Last time on Heroes Shed No Tears:
The door slammed open, Draco standing there, his eyes glittering darkly.
The infiltrate whipped his head around to turn and see who had just entered, his hood falling from his head, unmasking his face. He blanched and his mouth opened slightly, unable to form words.
"To what do we owe this pleasure, Malfoy?" said Zabini, looking over at Draco expectantly. It wasn't everyday that he came bursting into his office in this manner. And he certainly hadn't ever seen Draco so…disheveled before.
Draco ran a hasty hand through his hair, as if sensing Zabini's thoughts, and stepped through the doorway, shutting the door slowly behind him. He looked at the infiltrate with a seemingly mild interest as he approached Zabini's desk. "I was hoping," said Draco, "That I could borrow Pritchard for a moment. We have something important to discuss. He had said previously that we would be meeting at this time…. I was disappointed that he didn't show up." Draco eyed Pritchard calmly. "If I could just speak to him for a moment outside?"
Zabini lowered his eyebrows and twirled his empty cup around on his desk with nimble fingers. Fingers that were able to grab his wand out of his pocket and cast the Unforgivables in mere seconds. "Is this really that important?" He was preparing to tell me something very crucial to our position against the Resistance."
"It's important, Zabini," Draco said firmly. "Lives could depend on it," he added with a grim smile.
Zabini's eyes carefully searched Draco's face for any signs of deception, yet found none. He nodded shortly and waved his hand at Pritchard. "Go on," he said. "But I better have him back in here."
Pritchard looked to Draco, his face set like stone. He got up from his chair and followed Draco out of the darkly furnished office. Draco took care to shut the large oaken door behind them.
"Clever," said Draco, glancing surreptitiously down the halls to see if anyone was coming. "You thought you had everyone fooled."
"I did," Pritchard said steadily. "I had everyone fooled: Penelope, Dumbledore, Potter, the Weasley's and even your precious Ginny."
At that comment, Draco flung his fist out, decking Pritchard in the jaw.
Pritchard stepped back, momentarily shocked. His brow furrowed and he cocked his fists, ready to slam them into Draco's face. "Bastard," Pritchard rasped, glaring hatefully at Draco.
Draco raised his eyebrows. "Me? No, I think you're the bastard here."
Pritchard growled and swung at Draco. Draco leaned back and stepped to the side, escaping Pritchard's fist. He then kicked his foot up and caught Pritchard behind the knees, causing him to fall forward.
He fell onto his wrists, the sickly crunch of bones breaking echoed throughout the halls. Draco whipped his head back and looked to the closed door of Zabini's office. He pulled his wand out quickly and muttered a silencing spell on Pritchard.
"That's enough. I'm tired of hearing lame excuses from a sadistic bastard."
"Mobilus," murmured Draco. He started to walk down the hall, making his way out of the building, Pritchard's feet hovering barely a centimeter off the ground, following him silently.
The secretary at the front desk looked up at Draco and smiled. "Good day, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Pritchard."
Draco inclined his head and exited the building, bringing Pritchard out behind him. He had to get back to Hogwarts before Zabini realized something was up, and fast.
After he was sure that he had cleared the premises of the Head Quarters, and was well out of sight of any Death Eaters on patrol, he reached into his robes and pulled out a lighter. It was small, slim and silver, an even smaller dragon etched into its surface. He flipped the top open to reveal a small marble sitting on top of a rounded platform. It was his emergency Portkey to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had slipped it to him as he was leaving the castle an hour earlier.
He grabbed Pritchard's arm roughly, and popped the marble into his free hand. The familiar sensation of a hook pulling just behind his navel came and his surroundings blurred, only to come back into focus in Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore had been sitting behind his desk, a book open on his lap, and his spectacles resting on the bridge of his nose. He calmly looked up at Draco holding onto Pritchard's arm, as if he had been expecting them.
He smiled dryly. "I see, Mr. Malfoy, that you've caught our infiltrate?" His eyes flickered over to Pritchard, his deep-blue orbs shining dangerously.
Draco nodded. "I caught him right before he could reveal me. Though I'm sure they'll know once they've realized I had no intention of coming back with him."
Getting up out of his chair and walking across the room, Dumbledore pulled the latch free on his phoenix, Fawkes', cage and let him out. The phoenix took a pre-prepared scroll from Dumbledore's hand and flew out the window majestically.
"The others will be coming," said Dumbledore. "I'm sure they'll want to see who the infiltrate is."
Draco shoved Pritchard down in one of the many chairs and release the Mobilus spell from him and instead put him under a full body bind.
"It also turns out," Draco said, "That he personally harmed Penelope."
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. "Sick-making," he said with a slow, sad shake of his head.
Ginny was the first to enter, her eyes scanned the room, only to rest on Pritchard. "Bane?" she half-whispered. She brought a hand up to her face and looked at Draco, "You're sure it's him?"
"Well," Draco said woodenly. "He was in Zabini's office when I reached the Death Eater head quarters, so yes, I think so."
Ginny blinked and looked over at Pritchard with obvious distaste in her eyes. "That's awful," she said to Bane. "I thought you were better than that." She shook her head. "To think that such a sweet girl like Sara has you for a father."
A quick flash of approval flickered in Draco's hardened grey eyes.
The door opened again and Hermione and Neville stepped in. Neville's eyes widened as he looked at Pritchard. "It's him?" he said breathlessly.
"Yes, Mr. Longbottom," said Dumbledore.
Hermione shook her head disbelievingly. "This is amazing. To think that we all thought you were noble, and a kind father… you were so gentle with Sara…." she trailed off and shook her head.
Draco sighed quietly and looked over at Dumbledore. "I'm leaving," he said. "I think I've helped plenty today."
Dumbledore inclined his head. "Rest, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco nodded shortly and left the office. Ginny looked after him, then to Dumbledore. "I'm going to see Sara," she said. "I won't tell her anything, but I want to check on her and make sure she's ok."
"Go ahead, the others will be arriving shortly."
--
Ginny hiked up the stairs leading to the dormitory that she shared with Draco. Sara had been napping on the couch with a big book across her lap. Ginny grabbed a throw blanket from a nearby chair and draped it over Sara. Sara shifted comfortably underneath the blanket; Ginny smiled and gently brushed a few stray strands of Sara's hair back from her face. "Rest well."
Pushing open the door to their room, Ginny saw Draco pulling a robe over his head. He straightened it, looking in the mirror. He tensed when he saw Ginny's reflection standing behind him. "Weasley," he acknowledged.
Ginny took in the appearance of the robes he had just put on. They were slightly darker than his other black robes - the shade more rich. There was also a small silver dragon embroidered on the hood. He had a piece of limp black cloth hanging in his hand. It was his mask.
"You're going out?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yes," he said shortly, turning to face her.
"Where?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business, Weasley." He walked over to his bed, sat down, and started to tug his shoes on, lacing them tightly.
"You're going out to do your Dragon of Hope thing, aren't you?" she asked playfully, a small grin tugging at the corner of her lips.
Draco looked up at her sourly. "It's not a thing."
Ginny grinned broadly. "That's so sweet."
"I'm not sweet."
Ginny's expression sobered suddenly. "You'd better be careful, they're probably already on to you, after the whole thing with Bane."
"I don't see how that's any of your concern," he said, standing back up.
She frowned at him. "If one of my friends is in danger, it's most definitely my concern."
Draco's eyebrow quirked, "friend?"
"Yes…" Ginny said slowly. "You are my friend, aren't you? We're on the same side, and we're working together…so I just figured."
He waved his hand at her. "Yeah, yeah."
"Do you think that I could go with you?" she asked giving her best puppy-dog eyes expression.
"Go with me?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, I do believe that's what I said." She waited for him to say something, but he just looked at her with a blank expression. "Go with you means: can I come, would it be alright for me to join you, can I tag along?" She waved at hand in front of his face. "Know what that means?"
Draco's eyes narrowed. "I'm not an idiot, Weasley."
Ginny shrugged. "Could have fooled me."
"And this is supposed to make me want to bring you?" he asked, arching a blond eyebrow.
Ginny's cheeks tinged pink slightly. "Maybe that wasn't my best plan…." She looked back up at him hopefully. "Please bring me," she said. "Please?"
Lifting a hand up to his face, Draco rubbed his tired eyes and looked back at Ginny thoughtfully. "If you get in the way," he said. Her face brightened immediately. "Don't think that I won't hesitate to leave you behind."
Ginny nodded. "Of course, but I promise I won't get in the way."
"Alright, alright," Draco said shortly. "Go get ready - and I'm not waiting anymore than five minutes."
--
They were riding brooms in the cool evening air. The sun was low, casting pinks, blues, and oranges into the fluffy clouds on the horizon. If one didn't think about the reason that Draco and Ginny were out, it could have been described as perfect.
"Now why did we have to ride brooms again?" Ginny asked, shifting on hers slightly to alleviate the growing numbness in her bottom.
Draco restrained an urge to roll his eyes. "Because there are wards up all over the place that detect Apparations. If we even tried to apparate in there it would be like holding pots over our heads and banging metal spoons on them, saying, 'I'm here to steal your food! I'm here to steal your food!'"
Ginny laughed quietly. "It's hard to imagine you holding a pot over your head."
"That was the point," said Draco. "To make you see how stupid it would be to Apparate."
"Point taken," she said as they started their descent into the outskirts of Hogsmeade.
They landed stealthily, clamping their hands around the twigs at the bottom of their brooms to keep them from rustling in the faint wind.
"Now," Draco whispered. "You just follow me, hood up, we're going to get the food from here - they've got the most to spare." Ginny nodded and followed him down into the main street of Hogsmeade.
Making it to the end of the street successfully, no hags trying to molest them, they came upon the Serpent's League HQ. Draco beckoned Ginny to follow him around the back of the building. Suddenly a strong, foul smelling odor invaded their noses. Ginny grimaced and pinched her nose shut, deciding to breathe through her mouth, which wasn't all that much of an improvement considering how bad the stench was.
"Grimdir?" Draco called out softly, stepping around the corner. Ginny followed him and saw a sleeping troll leaning against a shed. Apparently, he was supposed to guard the food rations. "Good," Draco said. "This'll make it easier."
He slipped over to the front of the shed and pulled out his wand, whispering, "Alohamora." The lock clicked open and Draco pulled the door back, disappearing inside. Ginny stayed next to the door, deciding that she would probably be more help as a look-out.
Draco came out a few seconds later with a burlap sack slung over his shoulder. Ginny looked at it closely. "Isn't that a bit small for all of the food?"
"Shrinking spell," Draco said tersely. "Come on," he said, half dragging her out of the vicinity of the shed.
His hand still tightened around her arm, he led her out back into Hogsmeade's main street. Ginny felt safer as soon as the warm lights from the shops shined on them - it had grown dark since they left Hogwarts. But even the warm lights couldn't keep out the fear that flashed through her heart when she saw Mathilde Lestrange, recognizing her instantly from the day in Ollivander's, pass by, hesitating only for a moment when Draco and Ginny passed her.
Ginny let out a slow breath of relief, feeling Draco's hand clench tighter on her shoulder after she'd passed. She would have expected him to sigh as well if he'd been any other person.
They reached the outskirts in good time and mounted their brooms, flying off into the night sky toward the same camp that Ginny had called home for the years that she lived there.
---
They touched down near a woods not to far from the camp. Draco took their brooms and leaned them against a tree, putting a locator spell on them in case they couldn't find them later.
"How exactly does this go?" Ginny asked.
"How does what go?" said Draco, finishing his spell.
Ginny's hands floundered in the air for a moment. "This whole…Dragon of Hope thing. Do you just go up to people and hand them food?"
Draco snorted. "Of course not, you have to be a bit more sneaky than that. You were there last time I did anything. Some people are idiots."
Ginny nodded and followed him towards the refugee camp a cold feeling forming in the pit of her stomach the closer she got. Soon the butternut robes and cloth tents made their appearance, the flaps fluttering in the wind. People were sitting outside of their tents washing their dinner dishes, or what little dishes they had. Ginny couldn't help but think that maybe she should be there. Why should she be staying at Hogwarts while they're all still suffering at the hands of the New Ministry?
Draco pulled his hood up closer around his face and tied his mask on tighter. "Make sure your hood is up," he said quietly. Ginny reached up to adjust her hood right as they stepped into the camp. Draco led her into the shadows, the cold in the pit of her stomach growing with every step.
He lifted a hand and pointed to a small boy limping back to a tent not far off. He was carrying a bucket of water back to the tent, water sloshing out with every step he took, drenching both himself and the ground below. Ginny winced knowing how precious the water is to the families in the camp. The boy's mother would be furious that so much of it had been wasted.
The boy made it to the tent, five other small children filed out of the tent to help him carry the water in, some stuck their hands into the water and slurped it up eagerly.
Ginny felt her heart ache for the children. They were all skin and bones, and their filthy robes hung on them. "We're going there first," Draco whispered. "I've helped them out a few times before."
Ginny nodded and followed him to the tent, keeping in the shadows. They went around to the back of the tent, where there was a slit cut in the back for them to throw their trash out of. Draco reached into his sack and pulled out two miniature bags of lentils and four tiny parcels of carrots. He waved his wand over them, muttering a quiet charm and they resumed their full size. He slipped them through the slit and touched Ginny's shoulder, urging her away.
They made it to the end of the rows of tents before they heard the loud and blissful laughter streaming out of the tent they'd just visited. Ginny beamed as she heard the children's tinkling laughter. She looked over to Draco to see if he was smiling to, but his face was set, only determined to reach another tent.
They visited a few other tents before a light shone over them, voices whispering behind them: "There he is!"
Draco's eyes widened for a moment, and he grabbed Ginny and pulled her after him, and ran from the camp. Ginny's feet were propelled to go faster than they normally would because of the voices yelling after them.
They followed them out of the camp and to the woods where Draco used the locating charm to find the brooms.
Draco straddled his quickly, and Ginny put a leg up to straddle hers, but didn't go far enough and slammed her foot down so hard that the broom snapped loudly.
"Oh no," Ginny wailed, picking up the two pieces of her broom. Draco flung his arm around her waist and yanked her onto his broom and took off, the Death Eaters' voices too close for comfort.
They flew up, circled around the woodland and took off towards Narcissa's house, Ginny sat in front of Draco, his arms where around her gripping the broom handle in front of her tightly. Ginny sighed in relief as she looked back and didn't see any Death Eater's following them.
She rubbed her face. "That was close," she said. Her red hair was flying around her face wildly in the wind, whipping her cheeks harshly.
"Gods, Weasley," said Draco. "Can't you do something about your hair? It's going to blind me."
Ginny rolled her eyes and put her hands in the pockets of her robes and came up with an elastic; she pulled her hair together in one hand and wound the elastic around it, holding it in place. "Better?" she asked.
"Much," said Draco. His hands tightened around the broom handle in front of her and he let out a low sigh.
"Thanks for letting me come with you," said Ginny, feeling her eyes droop slightly. Fatigue was starting to set in, and she hadn't slept a whole night since they arrived at Hogwarts.
"No problem," Draco said quietly.
Ginny's body grew progressively limp until her back was slack up against Draco's chest, her hands loose on the broom stick in front of her.
"Weasley," Draco growled softly. Ginny lay against him quietly, not replying. "Ginny," he tried a little bit louder. She mumbled quietly and turned slightly and buried her nose in his shoulder. He sighed and shifted on the broom so that she could fall into a more comfortable position.
She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla, Draco found himself leaning in closer and closer, breathing in the warmth of her scent. He jerked his head back and shook his head, "Get a grip, Malfoy," he muttered under his breath.
---
"Draco! Ginny!" exclaimed Narcissa, as she saw them coming in through the entrance hall. "What are you doing back so soon?"
"Want us to leave, mother?" Draco asked with a teasing smile.
"No," she said quickly. "But it's just so late."
"We were out," Draco said vaguely. "Ginny's broom snapped, so we're going to floo back to Hogwarts."
Narcissa nodded. "I see. Well, Haven's not asleep yet, would you like to see him?"
"Yes," said Draco, putting a hand on Ginny's arm and pulling her after him to Haven's room. She used her free hand to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Falling asleep on Draco although awkward, had not been an entirely uncomfortable thing to do. When he tried to wake her, he was shaking her arm, saying, "Wake up, Weasley…." She'd stir a bit, but she wouldn't wake. So he'd shake her again, "Ginny, we're here."
When she'd finally come to, she's been disoriented and Draco had to remind her of what happened. She'd felt like the biggest idiot.
Draco turned the knob on the door to Haven's room and pushed it open. Haven was lying in bed, covers pulled up to his chin, sleeping. Ginny followed Draco into the room and perched herself on the edge of Haven's bed, Draco stood behind her.
She touched his cheek gently. Haven's eyes fluttered open and he looked at Ginny groggily.
"Ginny?" he said, balling his hands, raising them up to rub his eyes.
"I'm here," she said. "Your dad said that you wanted to see me before we had to go fight."
Haven smiled. "I did," he looked up and saw Draco standing behind her. "Hi, Daddy."
The corner of Draco's mouth turned up and he reached over Ginny to ruffle Haven's hair.
Haven sat up in his bed and scooted closer to Ginny, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face into her neck, breathing in deeply. "Ginny," he said, voice muffled. "I love you."
Ginny smiled. "I love you too, Haven." She brought her hands up around him and stroked his hair soothingly.
"Do you want to marry me?" Haven asked, lifting his head up for a moment to look at her.
"Marry you?" Ginny said, amused. "Don't you think you're a bit young for me?"
"No."
"Well I think I may be a bit too old for you then."
"Well…what about my dad?" He looked over at Draco, mischief dancing in his grey eyes.
Draco stiffened. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not? She's not too old to marry you," said Haven.
Ginny raised and eyebrow, smirking at Draco over Haven's head. "Yes, Draco, why not?"
Draco glared at Ginny, rolling his shoulders unconsciously. "Because," he said.
Ginny giggled. "I'll tell you what, Haven," she said. "If you still want to marry me in about ten years, we'll talk, okay?"
Haven nodded.
Draco looked down at his wrist and checked his watch. "We should be going," he said abruptly. Ginny rolled her eyes and squeezed Haven into a hug.
"I'm going to miss you," she said, kissing his forehead.
"I'll miss you too," said Haven, hugging her back. Ginny gave him one last kiss on the forehead and stood up. Draco went over and hugged Haven before leaving the room with Ginny.
-
"Shrieking Shack!"
Ginny fell through the Shrieking Shack fireplace, Draco caught her before she tripped and hit the ground. He placed her back up right on her feet. "Thanks," she said, looking up at him.
Draco brought his hand up to her face and cupped her cheek. Ginny frowned and covered his hand with her own.
"Draco?"
"Shh," he said softly. Very slowly, he tilted his head down and pressed his lips to hers. She let out a soft sigh and leaned into the kiss. His arms wound possessively around her and she embraced him.
Draco's hand reached up and gently tugged at the elastic in her hair, it gave way and her hair slipped out and fanned onto her shoulders. His fingers began to comb and tug at the silken strands. Her face flushed with a wash of heat. She gasped and Draco slid his tongue through her parted lips to taste the sweetness of her mouth.
There was a creak outside and they both jumped apart. Ginny looked over at the window, and brought her fingers up to her lips.
"We should go," said Draco, handing her the elastic for her hair. She took the elastic and fixed her hair. When she looked up he was still standing there, watching her. He trailed a finger down her cheek. "I can't promise you anything."
"I know."
[A/N: Well, ta-da! There's the chapter, I hope it was well worth the wait. I'll probably be done with the next chapter much sooner considering school is out an all, and I've got more free time. Oh, and you can thank my friend Casey for the fluff at the end, the kissy scene (which I'm horrible at, many thanks to Natalie for helping me out there) because Casey was the one who was bugging me about it at school. Lol. She said there needed to be more kisses. So, thank her. I wasn't planning on any for this chapter until she said anything about it.
Till next time…
Virtualfaerie]
Oh yeah! Thanks for all of your reviews! They always mean so much to me. Every time I see a new one I squeal with delight (ok, not really, but almost). Please review some more, maybe it'll help me get the next chapter out sooner!