Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, I merely enjoy playing with her creations.

Beta: un'beta'd

Summary: A drabble concerning the revelation of a certain relationship. Part Two of the "Revelations" series

Rating: -T-

Authors Note: Sorry, loves. This is Ginny/ Draco, because she wouldn't leave me alone, Draco was lonely and Harry was bored. Snarry. Kinda sad.

Title: One Year

Ginny sighed as she listened to her friends giggle and laugh over some boy they were currently fixated on. She gazed longingly at The Wheezes, as she called her brothers' shop, but turned back to her companions with a quickly building headache. I will not go home, I will not go home, she chanted to herself silently. She'd promised to stay out of the house for at least three hours, and it had barely been one.

She knew her parents were worried about her, but she couldn't help it. No one would understand- well, make that no one but Harry. But he was the only one, and aside from him Ginny was alone. She could never tell her family why she was so quiet, different, changed after the War. They would never understand.

She hardly remembered the bright- eyed smiling school- girl she had once been. The War had changed them all, forced them to grow up too fast. But others had returned to their normal lives, had pushed past the pain that rested in every one of their hearts. Others had found new love and resumed old flames, but not Ginny. She couldn't.

She still remembered the first time she had seen him as anyone other than Malfoy, when she had first seen Draco. He'd been talking to Pansy, something serious by his expression, but then he had smiled and laughed, and Ginny had been blinded. He was so different when he smiled, so human, and she didn't know how to handle it. So she had run away, slamming straight into Harry.

He had caught her and kept her from falling, smiling his easy smile until he'd noticed her expression. He'd pulled her inside, and drew the information out of her. He'd been stunned at first, but then his face had lit up again and he'd hugged her hard.

"Little Ginny's fallen for Malfoy, huh?" he'd asked teasingly, and chucked her under her chin at her blush. "I'll help you out, sis. No fear."

And he had, there was no doubt about that. If not for him, Ginny would not be feeling this way right now, would not be forced to leave her house for the first time that month, would not be surrounded by well- meaning friends.

She remembered the first time he'd seen her as someone other than the Weasel's sister. He'd been watching her as she put some things into her bag, and had come over to help. Ginny had frozen, shocked by the closeness, and waited for the other shoe to drop. It never had.

Draco had finished putting her things away, and had smiled at her- that unchained, brilliant smile that had ensnared her in the first place.

"See you around, Ginny," he'd said, and walked away before she could do more than stammer at him. After she had gotten over her shock, she'd hunted Harry down and told him. He'd smiled the smile he reserved just for her and pulled her into a one- armed hug. "No fear," he said, and Ginny remembered repeating that until she had fallen asleep that night.

Ginny didn't notice that her friends were crowded around her, didn't notice them lead her over to a chair in the shade, didn't notice anything but the tear that fell from her eye. She wiped it away, looking down at it- when did I sit?- remembering. She never saw Lavender gesture for Padma to get Harry, all she saw was the reflection of Draco in the silver center of her tear.

Draco had made her so happy, she could never understand it. It seemed suspended, like a feather that floated on the air- their secret happiness- their hidden relationship. But the War had come and changed all that, had tried to bring into their bliss fear and mistrust. B somehow they managed to keep it alive through the long months of hate and doubt and pain, had almost kept on like nothing was different. They had lived in denial.

Sitting in her chair, watching her life replay before her eyes in the veiled depths of a tear, Ginny remembered their last fight. Draco was shouting and she was screaming at him, crying, begging. The War was over, the Dark Lord dead, Harry was their Saviour. But the trials were long from over- and Draco was refusing to take Harry's offer of becoming Malfoy's character witness.

Draco had grabbed her and shaken her by the shoulders, saying hoarsely, "I did it, Ginny, I did all it. I need to pay- I will not accept his testimony. Can't you see?"

She didn't understand- wouldn't understand. He'd been a Spy for the Order- surely that must count for something? Everything he'd done had been to help Harry- to save the World. But Draco was convinced that he deserved this punishment, convinced he deserved to go to Azkaban. Nothing she said could dissuade him, and the next morning he was convicted of assisting the Dark Lord and shipped off to Azkaban.

She'd never gotten to say good- bye.

Since then she'd been but a shadow of her normal self. She'd stayed in her home, coming out only at Harry's rare insistence, and cried. Azkaban was worse now than ever with the Dementors bound tighter and tighter to prevent another mass exodus, and they had taken to giving the Kiss without orders. Even those sentenced for one year were unlikely to be seen again- whole anyway. And no one was safe if they had served the Dark Lord.

After nine months Ginny had given up hope of ever seeing Draco again. She didn't even know if he was alive- the restrictions on the prisoners were that strict- but she didn't care. He was the only one she would ever love, and she knew it.

And now, a year later, her parents had taken to forcing her out of the house whenever the opportunity presented itself, sick of sharing helpless glances as their only daughter wasted away. They never knew her heart was locked in Azkaban, never knew she could never see another man the same way she had seen Draco. But still they worried, still they coddled, still they didn't understand.

Ginny looked up as Harry arrived, her eyes filled with despair, and he dropped to his knees in front of her.

"Oh, Gin," he murmured, "It will be alright, I swear." He captured her hands and wiped the tear away, intoning softly, "No fear, Gin, no fear." Ginny smiled weekly at the kneeling man before her attention was captured by the commotion across the street.

Eight wizards with their wands out surrounded an obscured body, and for some reason Ginny's heart danced as she tried to make out who it was. She barely noticed Harry standing and moving back, barely heard the last whispered "No fear" as he walked away.

The sun glinted off silky silver hair, and Ginny stood at the impossible sight, sending her concerned friends scattering backwards, not caring.

A glimpse through the guards brought her hand up to her chest, and she stumbled back, grabbing the chair for support.

"Draco?" she breathed, frozen at the sight.

Time stood still as Draco swung his head slowly, wearily, glancing behind him as he was led into Gringotts to retake possession of his accounts. He looked across the street and stopped as crimson hair that burned like fire in the sun ensnared his eyes, his guards coalescing around him nervously.

Ginny was moving before she even realized it, pushing random witches and wizards out of her way as she went, running before Draco had taken more than a step in her direction, crossing the circle of guards as passers- by watched with interest, flinging herself into his arms.

He held her tightly, ignoring the stares as his guards reformed around them, standing in the only place he wanted to be, wrapped in Ginny's embrace.

Curious crowds had gathered outside the circle of his nervous protectors, and Draco said huskily, "Gods, Ginny, I missed you," a silver tear working it's way down his face, leaking into her hair as he pressed her close to him, never wanting to let her go.

Harry smiled at his little sister as strong arms wrapped around him from behind. "Pleased with yourself, imp?" a smooth voice asked from above and behind him. Harry turned in the circle of arms and smiled up at the black- eyed man holding him.

"Yup," he agreed brightly, "And you are too, admit it." A deep rumble started in the chest he was pressed against as the laugh worked its way out of Severus' throat. Harry sighed in peace as his lover bent to press a kiss to his scar.

"Thank you, Harry. He deserved to be free."

Harry smiled as he pressed his cheek against Severus' strong chest, and replied, "I know." They turned to watch the couple embracing across the street, and Harry relaxed as pale arms tightened around him and held him safe.

Awww, now wasn't that sweet??

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Netrixie