Forever and Always
Pairing: Draco x Ginny (established)
Side pairings: Theo x Lisa Turpin, Blaise x Pansy, One-sided Pansy x Draco
Warning: Character(s) death
Ginevra Weasley picks herself up from where she lay, and scrambled past the Death Eaters, past her mother dueling with Bellatrix, past all those who had fallen. Tears come to her eyes, a lump forms in her throat.
Her eyes darts on a young boy, his eyes staring emptily at her. She sobs, she recognizes the look, when Colin was stalking someone to take a picture of. Did he envision himself holding his camera, taking the snapshots of the Battle of Hogwarts, capturing every crucial moment, capturing everyone who fell or triumphed?
"Stop stalking me Colin!" Harry groaned. Colin peered up from his camera, grinning at the Boy-Who-Lived. "I'm not a stalker," He whined half-heartedly, "This is art." Colin announced. Another flash, and Harry groaned again, and he pointedly turned his back on the older Creevey, causing Colin to pout and flash his hurt puppy eyes at Ginny. Ginny hid a smile behind her Charms book.
"It's just one photo, Harry, isn't much." Ginny said, but it seemed all awkward and dry out of her mouth. Harry's emerald eyes turned towards her, and he smiled, than grumbled at Colin, "What's the photo for, by the way?"
As Colin went on to explain about the photography competition, Ginny was hand-signing behind Harry's back to Colin. Remember our arrangement, she signed, I've paid you, now you're going to give me what I want.
When Colin finally got the photos, he handed the photos Ginny needed in a tight package. "Don't tell anyone I've gave 'em to you," he whispered, "He'll have my head, and probably Dennis' as well." And he scampered away, searching for another subject to stalk.
Ginny opened the package slowly. A smile plays on the edge of her lips, and she couldn't stop the blush working up her cheeks. But before she even sees the edge of the person in the photos an annoying voice drawled, "What, Weaselette, fantasizing about Pothead?" Ginny sneers at him, unable to hold her temper. She was just so bloody close! "Why, so unconfident in yourself Malfoy."
The second its got out of her mouth she knew she had slipped up. Draco's eyes widened at her words, but the Slytherin mask set in almost immediately, "Why, Weaselette, you sound like you love me." Ginny narrowed her brows, glaring at him intently.
If only he knew how true his words were. "What?" He said, catching her stare at him. "Too scared of rebuking me, without your big brother and boyfriend guarding you? Huh, Ginevra Weasley?" He mocked. "We aren't on full name basis yet, Draco Malfoy," she growled. "We are now." He pointed out.
"Gin?" Ron was calling for her, interrupting her stare down with Draco Malfoy. "Oh, go on to the Weasel now, wouldn't be too good for you to be seen with a Slytherin," Draco jeered. "Though you're always free to join me in the Room of Requirement if you think that you're getting tired for Potty. I probably snog better than he does, anyway." Then he went down the corridor.
Ginny stood dumbfounded at where Draco Malfoy stalked off. Was he... flirting with her?
"Ginny?" Ron is closer now, then she makes up her mind.
Ginny scrambles to her feet, she sees a tuft of red hair. And hears sobs. She approaches Percy Weasley tentatively, than gives out when she sees who he is cradling. George Weasley has slumped on the corridor wall, though not from death. His eyes are void of emotion. "Fred... I'm sorry... Come back..."
Once upon a time, I believe it was a Tuesday
When I caught your eye
We caught onto something, I hold onto the night
You looked me in the eye and told me you loved me
"You're dating-
"-him-
"-Alas, our dear sister-"
"-Has been corrupted-"
George and Fred covered their eyes in mock disbelief, while Ginny stared at them with wide eyes. How on earth had they known?
"Darling sister-"
"We have our ways."
Gred and Forge sighed dramatically.
"But be assured-"
"-We won't tell anyone."
While Ginny was blushing beet red. Fred and George steered Ginny towards the table, where everyone was already seated. "Gotta be quick-" "Or dear Ronnie-kins-" "Will abandon his table manners-" "and steal all the food."
"Hi Ginny. Everything alright?" Harry asked from his seat. He looked a bit overwhelmed at the cramped Burrow, with red head after red head around the table. She flashed him a weak smile- she wasn't ready to face the crowd yet. The twins plopped her down on her seat.
Then the Weasleys were all but enfulging the table. Poor Harry wasn't accustomed to it.
The good mood, though, was spoilt as Percy walked in. "Git." Ron muttered under his breath. True, Percy Weasley was not welcome here anymore. The Ministry-grubbing Weasley, the Weasley who didn't fit in, who turned a half-eye to the Death Eaters, had an owl cage(with an owl in it). "It's for me." She shouted without thinking. Percy handed her the owl cage, and she took the letter down.
Almost immediately every eye was on her. "Open it here." Molly ordered. "No." Ginny said defiantly. "Why not?" Percy asked desperately. Immediately Ginny know his heart wasn't in it. He just wanted to meld in the family, be part of the family for once. Bad time to be a prat, Percy.
Fred leapt to her defense, "With all those books you read-"
"I'm surprised you don't know respect."
"Are you implying that our mother has no respect?" Percy was positively fuming now.
Fred and George shared a glance. Then Fred snagged Ginny, and they apparated to Weasley Wizard's Wheezes.
"Here-"
"-there are anti-apparation wards-"
"-safe for you to read-"
Ginny looked up to her brothers. She sure did.
But she runs off. Her wand is held loosely in her hand, she can't find her wand holster anymore. A flash of green zips pasts her. She whips her wand out, shouting Avada Kedrava when she spots the mask, and the death eater collapses. The masks slides off his face, and now she's breathing hard. Vincent Crabbe stares back at her. She stumbles backward, and flees.
Sprinting, running, darting. Searching for the familiar hair of blonde.
Ginny gives out again and falls onto her knees. "Draco..." she whispers, "Draco..."
They were hanging out the Room of Requirement like any other day. Crabbe and Goyle were standing guard outside, though they didn't know that Ginny was there. She had come in before Draco had come. Draco was playing with her hair, running his lithe fingers through her red auburn hair. "Your hair feels like silk.' Draco whispered. Ginny blushed. "And I suppose your hair feels like hay." she teased. "Does not." Draco pouted, and Ginny kissed those perfect lips.
She simply lay on Draco's chest, staring out of the window. The bed creaked under them. "Do you think if somebody ever, like, lived here?" Ginny asked. "Why do you think so?" Draco said. "The bed, the cupboard, the random bits of pieces, the jewellery..."
"Probably," Draco whispers, "It's two lovers, like us, having a little our time in here." he said huskily. Draco had always had a great imagination, according to Ginny. His hands trailed along Ginny's shirt, causing her breath to hitch up. Ohmigod what is he-
"Stop it Dray!" she squealed, as Draco attacked her mercilessly with his fingers. "Stop tickling me!" Ginny cried, and threw herself at Draco, assaulting him with her own fingers.
When the two of them finally stopped, they were red-faced and huffing. They lapsed into comfortable silence again as they simply lay there. "I love you." Draco said absentmindedly.
Pounding on the doorway aroused them- "It's near curfew, Dray!" - "Coming Vic. You and Greg go first, I'll come soon."
Both of them waited until the lumbering footsteps of Crabbe and Goyle disappeared down the corridor, before Draco got up, extending his hand to help Ginny up. Draco moved in for his goodnight kiss, but Ginny had something else in her mind. She raised her finger to his lips.
"When can we make us-" she gestured to Draco and her "public? You know I don't like sneaking around, Dray." Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny, pulling her close. "Soon." He mumbled into her hair. "How soon?" she pesters, "After the war? In the middle of the war? Forever?" The last phrase comes out more harsh than she intended to, and she felt Draco flinch behind her.
"Ginny," He said with difficulty, "After the war, everyone will look down at the Malfoys as scum. The Malfoy name will worth nothing. I might even get to see Azkaban before I die. Even if I defect, the Death Eaters will be after me."
Ginny could feel the hot tears trailing down her cheeks. "Do you mean, Mister Malfoy, that you want to break up with me?" She spat. She wanted Draco to shout no, to grab her, to tell her that he wanted to be with her. She looked at the ground, refusing to look at Draco's eyes. He knows legilimency, she knows it, and she refused to let him read her.
"Ginny, I'm just not good enough for you."
"Don't you dare say something like that?" She bristled. "You're the Slytherin Sex god for heavens sake!"
But Draco simply kissed her forehead. "I love you Ginny."
"Look, don't come near me anymore. It'll be bad for your health." Draco said, his tone frosty. Ginny stared up at him, her fists clenched. The Slytherin dormitory was going crazy outside, celebrating their win. Draco was still sweaty, even though he hadn't caught the snitch when Ginny had slipped in using Harry's invisibility cloak.
"Why? Why are you avoiding me? But you looked at me today. You looked at me during the game, despite your lousy playing. What on earth is happening?" Ginny shrieked. The Slytherin dormitory was oblivious to the high-quality soap opera taking place in the Malfoy heir's private chamber. "Ginevra!" Draco roared. "I. Don't. Have. To. Tell. You. Everything."
Ginny shoved away the emerging thorn in her heart. "That means there's something you're keeping from me. Tell me, Malfoy. Am. I. Still. Your. Girlfriend?" She whispered. The hardening of jaw, the set of the eyes, the "No."
"Do you still love me? Did you ever lovee me?" Bloody hell, the tears were falling down now. Draco fixed her with a level gaze. And looked away. Silence hung over the Slytherin and the Gryffindor.
Were you just kidding? 'Cause it seems to me
This thing is breaking down, we almost never speak
I don't feel welcome anymore
Baby, what happened, please tell me
'Cause one second it was perfect
Now you're halfway out the door
"Now excuse me, Weaselette, I've got to go out and celebrate. Feel free to show yourself out." Draco slammed the door behind him.
"Gin-bug? You alright?" Ron asked, hovering over her. She stared up at him. "Huh?" Harry sighed and plopped down to the seat next to Ginny. "Ginny, you haven't really eaten anything for days. You've skipped all the Quidditch practices, you don't even answer questions in Transfiguration and DADA anymore. What has happened?"
"Don't ask me." Ginny mumbled, stabbing her fork into her plate. Then she jumped at the exact moment when the Slytherin prince descended into the hall, his lackeys behind him. Ginny hunched her back, but Draco Malfoy still walks past her. "Nice to see you not stuffing food in your mouth for once, Weasel." He sneered. "What, Ferret, envious?" Ron spat. Zabini, Parkinson, Goyle, and Crabbe sniggered behind Draco. "Line, hook, and sinker." Parkinson drawled.
Harry leapt to Ron's defense, but Ginny was positively cringing in her seat. What did he want? The arrival of Dumbledore sent the Slytherins back to their seats.
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And you feel so low, you can't feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said
Forever and always
After the meal, Ginny hobbled quickly to her first lesson. Potions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't follow her, they are, after all, older than her. Pushing into the classroom, slipping into her usual seat. Snape enters the classroom, and his gaze, perhaps, had lingered longer on her. Had he known? No kidding, that slimy git paid attention to his Slytherins.
She followed in a daze, scrambling away from the classroom as soon as the lesson was over. To Charms. Same thing. Transfiguration. Same thing. She could barely stomach it at History of Magic.
Lunch. Sprinting to the kitchen, the elves prepared her her lunch quickly, and she hid herself in her room. Her roommates are all at the Great Hall. She buried her head in her pillow, stifling the sobs threatening to break through. A lone owl battered at the window, begging to be let in, but Ginny never heard it.
The war is continuing around Ginny, but she could hardly care. "There's the Weaselette!" Someone sneers. She snaps her head back, falling back into fighting mode. Blaise Zabini stands there, Theodore Nott Junior and Pansy Parkinson behind him, Death Eater masks off. "What Weaselette, cat got your tongue? Saw your bastard twin back there. And seems Greyback got your goblin-grubbing brother. Where's the Golden Trio? Your fucking bloody boyfriend? Saw him running up to the Headmaster's office."
Ginny just stares at the self-proud Zabini, Parkinson hanging onto his every word. Nott just looks at them in wide eyes. His wand isn't even pointing to Ginny. Ginny still crouches on the ground. Her eyes locks with Theo's.
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
Cause I was there when you said
Forever and always
Ginny had long given up on trying to approach Draco. Until the day when the Room of Requirement, her only safety haven, where she had had her first unofficial date with Draco, was barred to her by the menacing bodies of Crabbe and Goyle. She hid along the corridor, waited for Draco to come out. And when he did, he looked like hell. Not sexy as hell. Like really in hell. He was sweating, bags hung below his eyes, and his normally slicked back blonde hair was ruffled. His hands- were bleeding. He looked weary as he snapped at Crabbe and Goyle, the Slytherin trio stalking down the hallways. Ginny thought she saw Draco stumble in his normally graceful walk.
What had happened to him? Before she knew it, Ginny had given way in the middle of the third floor corridor, tears trickling down her cheeks. This wasn't the Draco Malfoy she knew. The Draco Malfoy she knew was bloody arrogant, composed, incredibly intelligent, neat freak...
A slender hand holds out a handkerchief. Ginny accepted it, before looking up. The innocent eyes of Theodore Nott Junior stared back at her. "Hey. You alright?" He didn't wait for her to answer, before continuing in the same breath, "The Slytherin password is pietas ad serpentes. Draco's dorms password is mordens leo." Then he left abruptly, his heels clicking on the stone floor.
That night, Ginny snuck into Draco's dormitory. She vowed to look up the definition of those words, but now just wasn't the time. She didn't have to wait for long before Draco stumbled in, slamming the door behind him. Then he saw her. "Ginny." He whispered once, shocked, but immediately fixed his face into a snarl. "You." He said aloud. "Yup. Me." She said. He didn't fix his icy mask fast enough for her to see his initial shock. "Draco, what have you done?"
Was I out of line?
Did I say something way to honest?
Did you run and hide like a scared little boy?
I looked into your eyes, thought I knew you for a minute
Now I'm not so sure
Havoc. Complete chaos. "The Headmaster's dead!" Someone cries. "Death eaters in the castle!" Ginny sprinted through the corridors. She needed to find Harry. She needed to find Hermione. She needed to find Ron. She needed to find Draco. She needed Draco.
But for that one fleeting second, Ginny thought she saw him. With the death eaters. She stopped abruptly, ignoring the terrified screams. Draco, what have you done?
She snarls, leaping at Zabini, and then they're both tumbling down. A stupefy from Parkinson misses narrowly. Then there's a yowling of a girl, then a silently murmured obliviate. Ginny hits Zabini over the head, and then he's out. Waving his wand over Zabini's face, Theo obliviates him as well. "Go, Ginny go." Then he points his wand at himself. "Obliviate."
Ginny doesn't wait for the thud of Theo's body on the ground, before she is up and dashing through the crowd. She's nearing the staircase leading up to the Great Hall now. Then she stumbles, sprawling, a quick crucio racking her bones. It's Astoria Greengrass. "Well well well." Greengrass hisses. "The filthy blood-traitor." She sends another crucio at Ginny, holding her under the curse. Ginny grits her teeth. She can't give Greengrass the satisfaction of hearing her scream. "Who are you looking for, whore? Pothead? He'll be dead in five minutes. Or your brother? Ooh never knew you Weasels played incest." Greengrass taunted. With a blood-curdling scream Ginny left up, abandoning magic, scratching at Greengrass's face.
So here's to everything coming down to nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core
Where is this going?
Thought I knew for a minute
But I don't anymore
Ginny thought everything had been fine. Then Draco had came in, the Slytherin whore hanging on his arms. Astoria Greengrass. She casted smug smiles to the girls, and sultry looks at Draco. Draco did his very good part as a boyfriend, escorting her to Crabbe's usual seat, shoving him out of the way.
Ginny turned her head back to the table in silent fury. Harry sensed her sudden mood change and he looked at her, concerned, but Ginny shook her head. Ron and Mione was still debating about the pros and cons of quidditch. Honestly when would the two of them quit? As the feast started, Ginny tried to tune out the voices of the Slytherins, but it was hard when the Gryffindor table was next to the Slytherin table.
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And you feel so low, you can't feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said
Forever and always
They see each other among the corridors, brushing past, ignoring. Astoria is always with him, clinging to him. God, Ginny wants to slap her face.
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
Cause I was there when you said
Forever and always
"I'm a murderer."
"kay."
"I'm working for you-know-who."
"I know."
"I slept with Astoria."
"You slept with me first."
"…"
"No more arguments?"
"I pushed you away. I broke your heart! I'm evil! How can you still love someone like me?"
Ginny was about to open her mouth to reply when Astoria knocks on the Room of Requirement door. "Ready to go, honey?"
Did you mean it baby?
I don't think so
Back up, baby, back up
Did you forget everything?
Back up, baby, back up
Did you forget everything?
"I love you baby, I love you so much."
"Then stay with me."
"Ginny, I'm evil."
"You're not." Ginny drew back as far as the close proximity of the broom cupboard allowed, staring at Draco in the eye. "You're not. Your father is evil. The Dark Mark is evil. You-Kn- Voldemort is evil. You are not."
Draco flinched. "Don't, Gin, names have power." He mumbled. She stared up at him defiantly. "I love you, Draco Malfoy, and I think that is enough."
Then his mouth was covering hers, kissing her with passion and ferocity. Ginny lost herself in him willingly, melding into him.
"I love you so much, Draco Lucius Malfoy, and don't you dare walk away from me." She murmured.
Draco was silent for a few moments. "I swear. I promise. I won't leave you, forever and ever and ever."
'Cause it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
Cause I was there when you said
Forever and always
Ginny's partially aware of the showdown happening, Voldemort to Harry. She would have stopped to cheer for Harry, but she is in a hurry. She continues to run. Until.
And I stare at the phone, he still hasn't called
And you feel so low, you can't feel nothing at all
And you flashback to when he said
Forever and always
Everything, this shouldn't be possible. Ginny skids to a stop. 'Ginny!' she hears hee brothers screams, 'We win! For bloody sake, Voldemort's dead!' No, this is all wrong. The cheers start up as the realization sinks in, as the Death Eaters start to panic. No, no one should be cheering. Not when he who really deserves to cheer can't. Stop it!
Oh, and it rains in your bedroom, everything is wrong
It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone
Cause I was there when you said
Forever and always
Ginny isn't able to register the presence of others. She collasps onto the ground, for the millionth time today, collasps and the dams break through. Tears that were held back flows. Her hands are raised, in submission, in surrender, 'Wake up,' she sobs, 'Wake up.' and she repeats it like a prayer, a lamentation, a wish. And then she was screaming. 'You promised me! You promised me forever and always! You promised me…''
You didn't mean it baby,
You said forever and always
~Finite Incantatem