Disclaimer: None of the characters from Harry Potter belong to me (not even
Draco *pouts*). They belong to the marvelous Ms. J.K. Rowling.
A/N: This isn't gonna be AU (Alternate Universe), but there are gonna be a few changes in the laws of the Harry Potter Universe, like the capabilities of certain characters (such as transporting magically in and out of Hogwarts), so please don't review telling me that I got it all wrong, cuz I know, and that's just how my rendition of the world of magic goes. :-D I'd also like to thank you for reading this. Hopefully I can make this a successful one-shot instead of a chapter fic.
The Bodyguard
Frantic screams and many footsteps scurrying in haste rang throughout the Great Hall. Everyone was either backing cautiously away or flat out running from a point in the center of the room, all in an urgent pace. Colin Creevey was standing in the middle of the room, waving his wand wildly in the air, eyes widened and looking quite the mad man. Ginny Weasley was cowering on the floor, shaking with immense fear, tears chasing down her dampened cheeks, praying silently for a miracle as she closed her eyes and awaited her fate. She heard the dreadful words she knew she'd have to hear someday, "Avada Kedavra." She saw a flash of green light in front of her eyelids growing brighter and brighter until it almost reached her, but it was suddenly stopped by a stream of luminous white light.
Slowly opening her eyes, Ginny gasped at the sight in front of her. Draco Malfoy was in front of her, in a wizard duel's stance, directing the steady glow of the white light to the sharp jet of green. Colin was beginning to sweat, while Draco was looking quite calm, collected, and (was she mistaken?) peaceful. Colin's growing rage was being thoroughly outdone by Draco's fierce, yet composed determination as the white beam was swiftly taking over the narrow line of green beads until it was pushed to the tip of Colin's wand. As the green light made contact with his wand, Colin was sent careening towards the wall on the other side of the room. Suddenly Colin's body was reduced to ashes in his robes. Ginny looked up at Draco in shock, and Draco looked down at her, an unfathomable emotion in his eyes that she couldn't quite place.
"Draco . . ." Ginny whispered. "Shh . . . it's gonna be alright . . . we have to go to Dumbledore's office now, c'mon," Draco said in a soothing, yet restrained tone as he held out a hand to her. Ginny slowly took it and was hoisted up onto her feet. She tried to walk on her own, but her legs were so weak that she kept stumbling across the floor. Without a word, Draco swept Ginny off her feet and into his arms, walking briskly out the doors of the Great Hall, up the staircases, and to the statue guarding the Headmaster's office. He said the new password, "Hershey's kisses," and they went up the winding staircase that was slowly escalating to the door of Dumbledore's office. Draco went in, Ginny still in his arms, and stood in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore looked up at the two with a slight twinkle in his eyes and quite a sly half-smile upon his features. Draco looked down at Ginny, who had buried her face in his chest, her hands playing with the platinum blonde hair at the nape of his neck. He reluctantly let go of Ginny and directed her to the chair next to his.
A serene silence descended upon the room, neither one of the three saying the first word. Dumbledore was watching the younger two in a subtle manner as thoughts ran through their heads of the past couple of months . . .
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
:: Flashback to two months ago ::
"Why, if it isn't the little Weasel . . ." Draco drawled with a smirk upon his face as usual. "Sod off, Mal-ferret," Ginny growled, her eyes narrowed in hatred. "How thoroughly original," Draco said. "Not as original as YOUR material, Draco Malfoy," Ginny shot back. Ginny turned around to walk away but a hand roughly grasped her arm.
"OW! Unhand me this instant!" Ginny shrilly exclaimed. "Nobody turns their back on a Malfoy, and you'll do well to remember that," Draco murmured in a dangerous tone. Ginny slightly shivered not at the coldness of his voice, but of the close proximity and his hold on her. "You're hurting me . . ." she whispered as she struggled from his grasp. Draco looked down at her arm and immediately let go, a pang of guilt reverberating through his body as he saw fingerprint-sized bruises already forming where he had just held her none too gently.
Draco murmured an incantation that made the bruises' marks and pain disappear, and something like "sorry" escaped his lips as he swiftly strode away from her. Ginny's gaze went after him, and as she realized what she was doing, she quickly turned around and headed in the other direction.
As she rounded the corner, a hand came out of nowhere and pulled her, slamming her into the wall. She let out a cry as she collided hard into the marble wall, but it was muffled as another hand went to her mouth. Her eyes widened with fear as she saw Colin Creevey's face leering at her.
"Thought you could break up with me and never have anything to do with me ever again? Well you are very wrong, Ginny, you have been a VERY bad girl. Why did you try to leave me, Ginny? Just tell me the reason and apologize, and I'll pretend that it never happened and we can go right back to the way things were . . ." he was cut off by Ginny, who bit down hard on his hand and screamed, "First of all, because you've been abusing me since Day One, but mostly because you're EVIL, Colin, you're nothing but a criminal in disguise! I know all about you being an undercover Death Eater, don't think that I don't! Get your hands off me you filthy bastard! We'll put this behind us and you can get your unworthy self out of my life!"
"So you've been SPYING on me, have you?" Colin laughed cruelly. "It seems I haven't been the only one doing spying around here, now have I?" Ginny said in a low tone. Colin whirled on her, knocking her to the ground, her arms and legs pinned by his. "Don't you EVER, EVER get smart with me, Ginny Weasley! I am your master, and you must obey my every command!" he yelled maniacally. "I can say whatever I want and do whatever I want, and that most definitely does not include bowing like a coward to your sick wishes!!!" Ginny shrieked with all the bravery she could muster. Without warning, Colin muttered "Stupefy," and Ginny was frozen. She watched in helpless horror as he began to take her clothes off. Tears began to leak from her eyes, and Colin bent to lick them off, and if Ginny could, she would have cringed in disgust and pushed him off her. Silent sobs wracked her body as he began to lower her skirt and he was fingering her knickers.
"Get your filthy hands off of her NOW!" a booming voice echoed through the empty hall. Draco Malfoy was standing a few feet away from them, his body shaking with fury. Ginny opened her eyes, shocked to hear his voice in her defense. She felt Colin being pushed off her and Draco muttering, "Ennervate," and her body regained the capability of movement. Ginny quickly put her clothes back on, strode to where Colin lay, and slapped him hard in the face with all the strength she had. She was still shaking from the whole ordeal. Colin quickly got up and whispered, "This isn't over, Ginny. When you least expect it, I'll come back for you."
He suddenly disapparated, leaving Ginny dumbfounded. "How can he disapparate from the grounds?" Ginny asked. "It takes a really, REALLY dark wizard to penetrate the magic guarding these walls," he stated in a grim tone. Ginny's eyes lowered to the ground as she said, "Thank you for saving me." Before Draco could say anything, Ginny ran to him, her arms going around his neck, her face buried in his chest. Slowly, Draco put his arms around her waist. She sobbed soundly, feeling safe and secure in his arms. When she half-heartedly pulled away, she looked into his eyes. "I'm going to protect you, Ginny, no matter what it takes. I'll never let that bastard get near you ever again. You're safe with me," Draco softly said, and Ginny strangely felt herself trusting him completely. Ginny gave him a small smile before turning around and heading toward Gryffindor tower.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
:: A month later ::
Draco had been guarding Ginny every day since then, and many people had found this quite strange. Ginny didn't mind, though, since she felt safe around him for reasons she couldn't explain. They had begun talking, and after a few weeks, they knew each other like one would know their favorite book by heart. Draco felt happy for once in his life, and he felt his mood and heart rise every time he was in her presence. Ginny felt completely happy, safe, and special every time she was with him.
Ginny knew that their strange friendship was steadily growing into something more. Ginny felt his hand linger on her waist when they sat together and read in the library. Draco felt her fingers playing with his and clasping under the table. They both looked into each other's eyes and saw the love and passion they knew they would see. Ginny knew right then and there that she had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy. But Draco denied he was feeling anything about this girl because he was afraid, and he could never show anyone emotion like he was shamelessly letting out to her right now. His hands pulled away from her waist and her hand and he walked away from her without a word.
Ginny was left alone, feeling so empty inside. She stayed in the library until closing time and chose to wait until everybody else filed out the door until she quietly got up and walked slowly towards the library's entrance by herself. Tears began to fall silently down her cheeks as she got out the door and she was about to head in the direction to Gryffindor tower, but she was pulled the other way and was so shocked she allowed whoever it was to pull her into an empty classroom.
Ginny whirled on the person who brought her in here and tell them off until she recognized Draco. Draco came up to her, taking her face into his hands in a caress, which were gently brushing her tears away. "Draco, what are you -" she was cut off by Draco's lips suddenly making contact with hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, but closed in ecstasy as he massaged her lips with his own, and she quickly returned the kiss. He was hungry for her, couldn't get enough of the taste of her, and the feelings were reciprocated. He willed her lips to part and they did, allowing entrance for his tongue to wrestle with hers. Ginny was pushed to the wall, her arms going around his neck, his hands resting on her waist as they kissed so passionately that they forgot all about the rest of the world.
Finally, Draco pulled back reluctantly from her for breath and leaned his forehead on hers. Their chests were heaving for air, and Ginny looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. She saw the love in his stormy gray orbs that she had wanted to see all along and she smiled. Draco saw her grinning, and wondered why she was, but realized what he had just done. "No," he murmured, backing away from her slowly. Ginny's face contorted into hurt puzzlement as her eyes were threatening to brim with tears. "Why are you doing this to me, Draco? I don't want to play these games anymore. I just want to be with you and only you. I love you, Draco," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "We can't . . . I can't . . . I don't . . ." he was stuttering. Ginny looked into his eyes for the truth. "You don't what?" she whispered with a now fully quivering voice. "I don't l-, er, want you, I don't want to be with you. Just leave me alone," he muttered darkly before stalking out of the room.
Ginny stood there thunderstruck. "What did I do wrong?" she asked herself, and in the darkness and silence she found no answer. She looked down at the ground and let the first tear fall before running out back to her dorm. Little did she know that Draco was standing still in a shadowy part of the wall near the classroom and whispered, "Nothing, nothing at all," before he returned to the Slytherin dungeons.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
:: Back to the present ::
Tears threatened to spill over Ginny's face but she fought to keep them in check. Draco looked very troubled, and very restrained. He was trying to keep himself from reaching out to her to hold her in his arms and to make all the fear and sadness go away. He had lied. He had told the biggest lie he had ever told in his life. He wanted Ginny more than anything. He wanted to be with Ginny more than anything. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and protect her and be with her for the rest of his life. He loved Ginny more than anything.
After this moment of reminiscent and serene silence, Dumbledore finally spoke. "I would usually ask for an explanation of how everything started, but I believe that won't be necessary," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He continued, "But I would like to know what exactly happened in the Great Hall." Ginny looked up and started to explain about how she had gotten into a relationship with Colin several months ago but broke it off when he became abusive and she had discovered that he was a spy for the dark side. Draco looked very upset and murderous at the thought of Colin taking advantage of Ginny, but she continued.
She said that it was lunchtime and suddenly Colin apparated in the middle of the room shooting jets of red light to anyone in his path. All the students had started to evacuate with the teachers, who didn't see Ginny alone in the middle, and Ginny found herself unable to move. He pointed his wand at her and she found herself crippled in pain as she staggered and then fell onto the floor in a heap. Before anyone could do anything, Colin sent this sort of invisible shield around them, and even the teachers couldn't penetrate it. Colin was about to perform the killing curse on her when she saw a stream of white light blocking the green, and she explained that Draco must have somehow gotten through the shield and had actually been able to block the killing curse, which had never been done before in all of magical history (well, except for Harry, but this was done with the use of a wand). Ginny suddenly realized this fact and wondered how he could have ever done it, and Draco was confused as well.
Draco explained his side of the story. He had come to lunch late, and was curious when he heard much noise behind the doors. He opened them and saw a scene of complete and utter chaos. He saw that the cause was right in the middle of the room, where he saw Colin and Ginny. Draco rushed through the crowd to get there and saw a team of teachers trying to penetrate through the shield. Draco summed up as much power as he could to direct a stream of steady white light towards the shield and he was able to get in. When he saw Ginny and heard Colin say, "Avada Kedavara," a surge of energy built up inside him and he used all of it he could to send a full blast of it towards the green light. He said he didn't know how he did it, but he overcame the killing curse and protected Ginny.
Dumbledore smiled knowingly and said mysteriously, "Do you mean to say you really don't know AT ALL why you were able to do all this for Ginny?" Draco and Ginny still looked puzzled, which made Dumbledore's smile grow even wider. "Well, it's quite simple actually. Such magic that can penetrate the darkest and most evil of magic can only be that of what is good. What Draco used was nothing but love, and not just love, love that is in its purest and truest form."
Draco and Ginny exchanged a look, and awkwardly looked back at Dumbledore. After yet another moment of silence, Dumbledore suddenly spoke, "Kiss?" Both Draco and Ginny looked at him incredulously. He smiled and brought out a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Ginny smiled and politely said, "No, thank you. Will you excuse us please? I think we have to talk . . ." Dumbledore grinned and said, "But of course." He waved his hand to the door and they both walked out of it, down the winding staircase and out into the hall. Without a word, Draco took Ginny's hand and they went to the empty classroom they had gotten into and shared their first kiss in just a month ago.
Draco shut the door behind him and turned around to find Ginny looking at him intently. Draco smirked and sat on a desk. Ginny followed and stood in front of him. All they did for a while was look into each other's eyes. Ginny was waiting for him to say something, but he remained silent. Finally she sighed and said, "Well, don't you have anything to say to me now?" Draco looked like he was pondering this, and after a while, he shook his head, "No. But I have something else I'd like to do." Ginny grinned shyly and was going to ask what exactly he had in mind when she was yet again cut off by his lips on hers. His hands reached out to her waist and gently pulled her closer to him. Their lips were scorching from this kiss that seemed to grow even more heated and intense. He increased his pressure on her lips and she gladly returned it. After what seemed like hours, they finally pulled away and gasped for air.
Draco rested his forehead on Ginny's and they both closed their eyes in bliss. He opened his eyes and gazed intently into Ginny's face. He was astounded when she opened her eyes and he was almost lost in the vast pools of cinnamon flecked with gold, while Ginny was drowning in Draco's swirling gray and silver eyes. They both smiled and shared a sweet, chaste kiss.
"I love you, Virginia Weasley," Draco murmured while looking deeply into her eyes. Ginny smiled and whispered, "And I love you, Draco Malfoy." They held hands, went out of the classroom, down the corridor, and out the entrance doors to spend what they both knew was going to be a wonderful day by the lake. They were going to share their lives, in happiness and security, together forever.
A/N: This isn't gonna be AU (Alternate Universe), but there are gonna be a few changes in the laws of the Harry Potter Universe, like the capabilities of certain characters (such as transporting magically in and out of Hogwarts), so please don't review telling me that I got it all wrong, cuz I know, and that's just how my rendition of the world of magic goes. :-D I'd also like to thank you for reading this. Hopefully I can make this a successful one-shot instead of a chapter fic.
The Bodyguard
Frantic screams and many footsteps scurrying in haste rang throughout the Great Hall. Everyone was either backing cautiously away or flat out running from a point in the center of the room, all in an urgent pace. Colin Creevey was standing in the middle of the room, waving his wand wildly in the air, eyes widened and looking quite the mad man. Ginny Weasley was cowering on the floor, shaking with immense fear, tears chasing down her dampened cheeks, praying silently for a miracle as she closed her eyes and awaited her fate. She heard the dreadful words she knew she'd have to hear someday, "Avada Kedavra." She saw a flash of green light in front of her eyelids growing brighter and brighter until it almost reached her, but it was suddenly stopped by a stream of luminous white light.
Slowly opening her eyes, Ginny gasped at the sight in front of her. Draco Malfoy was in front of her, in a wizard duel's stance, directing the steady glow of the white light to the sharp jet of green. Colin was beginning to sweat, while Draco was looking quite calm, collected, and (was she mistaken?) peaceful. Colin's growing rage was being thoroughly outdone by Draco's fierce, yet composed determination as the white beam was swiftly taking over the narrow line of green beads until it was pushed to the tip of Colin's wand. As the green light made contact with his wand, Colin was sent careening towards the wall on the other side of the room. Suddenly Colin's body was reduced to ashes in his robes. Ginny looked up at Draco in shock, and Draco looked down at her, an unfathomable emotion in his eyes that she couldn't quite place.
"Draco . . ." Ginny whispered. "Shh . . . it's gonna be alright . . . we have to go to Dumbledore's office now, c'mon," Draco said in a soothing, yet restrained tone as he held out a hand to her. Ginny slowly took it and was hoisted up onto her feet. She tried to walk on her own, but her legs were so weak that she kept stumbling across the floor. Without a word, Draco swept Ginny off her feet and into his arms, walking briskly out the doors of the Great Hall, up the staircases, and to the statue guarding the Headmaster's office. He said the new password, "Hershey's kisses," and they went up the winding staircase that was slowly escalating to the door of Dumbledore's office. Draco went in, Ginny still in his arms, and stood in front of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore looked up at the two with a slight twinkle in his eyes and quite a sly half-smile upon his features. Draco looked down at Ginny, who had buried her face in his chest, her hands playing with the platinum blonde hair at the nape of his neck. He reluctantly let go of Ginny and directed her to the chair next to his.
A serene silence descended upon the room, neither one of the three saying the first word. Dumbledore was watching the younger two in a subtle manner as thoughts ran through their heads of the past couple of months . . .
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
:: Flashback to two months ago ::
"Why, if it isn't the little Weasel . . ." Draco drawled with a smirk upon his face as usual. "Sod off, Mal-ferret," Ginny growled, her eyes narrowed in hatred. "How thoroughly original," Draco said. "Not as original as YOUR material, Draco Malfoy," Ginny shot back. Ginny turned around to walk away but a hand roughly grasped her arm.
"OW! Unhand me this instant!" Ginny shrilly exclaimed. "Nobody turns their back on a Malfoy, and you'll do well to remember that," Draco murmured in a dangerous tone. Ginny slightly shivered not at the coldness of his voice, but of the close proximity and his hold on her. "You're hurting me . . ." she whispered as she struggled from his grasp. Draco looked down at her arm and immediately let go, a pang of guilt reverberating through his body as he saw fingerprint-sized bruises already forming where he had just held her none too gently.
Draco murmured an incantation that made the bruises' marks and pain disappear, and something like "sorry" escaped his lips as he swiftly strode away from her. Ginny's gaze went after him, and as she realized what she was doing, she quickly turned around and headed in the other direction.
As she rounded the corner, a hand came out of nowhere and pulled her, slamming her into the wall. She let out a cry as she collided hard into the marble wall, but it was muffled as another hand went to her mouth. Her eyes widened with fear as she saw Colin Creevey's face leering at her.
"Thought you could break up with me and never have anything to do with me ever again? Well you are very wrong, Ginny, you have been a VERY bad girl. Why did you try to leave me, Ginny? Just tell me the reason and apologize, and I'll pretend that it never happened and we can go right back to the way things were . . ." he was cut off by Ginny, who bit down hard on his hand and screamed, "First of all, because you've been abusing me since Day One, but mostly because you're EVIL, Colin, you're nothing but a criminal in disguise! I know all about you being an undercover Death Eater, don't think that I don't! Get your hands off me you filthy bastard! We'll put this behind us and you can get your unworthy self out of my life!"
"So you've been SPYING on me, have you?" Colin laughed cruelly. "It seems I haven't been the only one doing spying around here, now have I?" Ginny said in a low tone. Colin whirled on her, knocking her to the ground, her arms and legs pinned by his. "Don't you EVER, EVER get smart with me, Ginny Weasley! I am your master, and you must obey my every command!" he yelled maniacally. "I can say whatever I want and do whatever I want, and that most definitely does not include bowing like a coward to your sick wishes!!!" Ginny shrieked with all the bravery she could muster. Without warning, Colin muttered "Stupefy," and Ginny was frozen. She watched in helpless horror as he began to take her clothes off. Tears began to leak from her eyes, and Colin bent to lick them off, and if Ginny could, she would have cringed in disgust and pushed him off her. Silent sobs wracked her body as he began to lower her skirt and he was fingering her knickers.
"Get your filthy hands off of her NOW!" a booming voice echoed through the empty hall. Draco Malfoy was standing a few feet away from them, his body shaking with fury. Ginny opened her eyes, shocked to hear his voice in her defense. She felt Colin being pushed off her and Draco muttering, "Ennervate," and her body regained the capability of movement. Ginny quickly put her clothes back on, strode to where Colin lay, and slapped him hard in the face with all the strength she had. She was still shaking from the whole ordeal. Colin quickly got up and whispered, "This isn't over, Ginny. When you least expect it, I'll come back for you."
He suddenly disapparated, leaving Ginny dumbfounded. "How can he disapparate from the grounds?" Ginny asked. "It takes a really, REALLY dark wizard to penetrate the magic guarding these walls," he stated in a grim tone. Ginny's eyes lowered to the ground as she said, "Thank you for saving me." Before Draco could say anything, Ginny ran to him, her arms going around his neck, her face buried in his chest. Slowly, Draco put his arms around her waist. She sobbed soundly, feeling safe and secure in his arms. When she half-heartedly pulled away, she looked into his eyes. "I'm going to protect you, Ginny, no matter what it takes. I'll never let that bastard get near you ever again. You're safe with me," Draco softly said, and Ginny strangely felt herself trusting him completely. Ginny gave him a small smile before turning around and heading toward Gryffindor tower.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
:: A month later ::
Draco had been guarding Ginny every day since then, and many people had found this quite strange. Ginny didn't mind, though, since she felt safe around him for reasons she couldn't explain. They had begun talking, and after a few weeks, they knew each other like one would know their favorite book by heart. Draco felt happy for once in his life, and he felt his mood and heart rise every time he was in her presence. Ginny felt completely happy, safe, and special every time she was with him.
Ginny knew that their strange friendship was steadily growing into something more. Ginny felt his hand linger on her waist when they sat together and read in the library. Draco felt her fingers playing with his and clasping under the table. They both looked into each other's eyes and saw the love and passion they knew they would see. Ginny knew right then and there that she had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy. But Draco denied he was feeling anything about this girl because he was afraid, and he could never show anyone emotion like he was shamelessly letting out to her right now. His hands pulled away from her waist and her hand and he walked away from her without a word.
Ginny was left alone, feeling so empty inside. She stayed in the library until closing time and chose to wait until everybody else filed out the door until she quietly got up and walked slowly towards the library's entrance by herself. Tears began to fall silently down her cheeks as she got out the door and she was about to head in the direction to Gryffindor tower, but she was pulled the other way and was so shocked she allowed whoever it was to pull her into an empty classroom.
Ginny whirled on the person who brought her in here and tell them off until she recognized Draco. Draco came up to her, taking her face into his hands in a caress, which were gently brushing her tears away. "Draco, what are you -" she was cut off by Draco's lips suddenly making contact with hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, but closed in ecstasy as he massaged her lips with his own, and she quickly returned the kiss. He was hungry for her, couldn't get enough of the taste of her, and the feelings were reciprocated. He willed her lips to part and they did, allowing entrance for his tongue to wrestle with hers. Ginny was pushed to the wall, her arms going around his neck, his hands resting on her waist as they kissed so passionately that they forgot all about the rest of the world.
Finally, Draco pulled back reluctantly from her for breath and leaned his forehead on hers. Their chests were heaving for air, and Ginny looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. She saw the love in his stormy gray orbs that she had wanted to see all along and she smiled. Draco saw her grinning, and wondered why she was, but realized what he had just done. "No," he murmured, backing away from her slowly. Ginny's face contorted into hurt puzzlement as her eyes were threatening to brim with tears. "Why are you doing this to me, Draco? I don't want to play these games anymore. I just want to be with you and only you. I love you, Draco," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "We can't . . . I can't . . . I don't . . ." he was stuttering. Ginny looked into his eyes for the truth. "You don't what?" she whispered with a now fully quivering voice. "I don't l-, er, want you, I don't want to be with you. Just leave me alone," he muttered darkly before stalking out of the room.
Ginny stood there thunderstruck. "What did I do wrong?" she asked herself, and in the darkness and silence she found no answer. She looked down at the ground and let the first tear fall before running out back to her dorm. Little did she know that Draco was standing still in a shadowy part of the wall near the classroom and whispered, "Nothing, nothing at all," before he returned to the Slytherin dungeons.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
:: Back to the present ::
Tears threatened to spill over Ginny's face but she fought to keep them in check. Draco looked very troubled, and very restrained. He was trying to keep himself from reaching out to her to hold her in his arms and to make all the fear and sadness go away. He had lied. He had told the biggest lie he had ever told in his life. He wanted Ginny more than anything. He wanted to be with Ginny more than anything. He wanted to hold her and kiss her and protect her and be with her for the rest of his life. He loved Ginny more than anything.
After this moment of reminiscent and serene silence, Dumbledore finally spoke. "I would usually ask for an explanation of how everything started, but I believe that won't be necessary," he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He continued, "But I would like to know what exactly happened in the Great Hall." Ginny looked up and started to explain about how she had gotten into a relationship with Colin several months ago but broke it off when he became abusive and she had discovered that he was a spy for the dark side. Draco looked very upset and murderous at the thought of Colin taking advantage of Ginny, but she continued.
She said that it was lunchtime and suddenly Colin apparated in the middle of the room shooting jets of red light to anyone in his path. All the students had started to evacuate with the teachers, who didn't see Ginny alone in the middle, and Ginny found herself unable to move. He pointed his wand at her and she found herself crippled in pain as she staggered and then fell onto the floor in a heap. Before anyone could do anything, Colin sent this sort of invisible shield around them, and even the teachers couldn't penetrate it. Colin was about to perform the killing curse on her when she saw a stream of white light blocking the green, and she explained that Draco must have somehow gotten through the shield and had actually been able to block the killing curse, which had never been done before in all of magical history (well, except for Harry, but this was done with the use of a wand). Ginny suddenly realized this fact and wondered how he could have ever done it, and Draco was confused as well.
Draco explained his side of the story. He had come to lunch late, and was curious when he heard much noise behind the doors. He opened them and saw a scene of complete and utter chaos. He saw that the cause was right in the middle of the room, where he saw Colin and Ginny. Draco rushed through the crowd to get there and saw a team of teachers trying to penetrate through the shield. Draco summed up as much power as he could to direct a stream of steady white light towards the shield and he was able to get in. When he saw Ginny and heard Colin say, "Avada Kedavara," a surge of energy built up inside him and he used all of it he could to send a full blast of it towards the green light. He said he didn't know how he did it, but he overcame the killing curse and protected Ginny.
Dumbledore smiled knowingly and said mysteriously, "Do you mean to say you really don't know AT ALL why you were able to do all this for Ginny?" Draco and Ginny still looked puzzled, which made Dumbledore's smile grow even wider. "Well, it's quite simple actually. Such magic that can penetrate the darkest and most evil of magic can only be that of what is good. What Draco used was nothing but love, and not just love, love that is in its purest and truest form."
Draco and Ginny exchanged a look, and awkwardly looked back at Dumbledore. After yet another moment of silence, Dumbledore suddenly spoke, "Kiss?" Both Draco and Ginny looked at him incredulously. He smiled and brought out a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Ginny smiled and politely said, "No, thank you. Will you excuse us please? I think we have to talk . . ." Dumbledore grinned and said, "But of course." He waved his hand to the door and they both walked out of it, down the winding staircase and out into the hall. Without a word, Draco took Ginny's hand and they went to the empty classroom they had gotten into and shared their first kiss in just a month ago.
Draco shut the door behind him and turned around to find Ginny looking at him intently. Draco smirked and sat on a desk. Ginny followed and stood in front of him. All they did for a while was look into each other's eyes. Ginny was waiting for him to say something, but he remained silent. Finally she sighed and said, "Well, don't you have anything to say to me now?" Draco looked like he was pondering this, and after a while, he shook his head, "No. But I have something else I'd like to do." Ginny grinned shyly and was going to ask what exactly he had in mind when she was yet again cut off by his lips on hers. His hands reached out to her waist and gently pulled her closer to him. Their lips were scorching from this kiss that seemed to grow even more heated and intense. He increased his pressure on her lips and she gladly returned it. After what seemed like hours, they finally pulled away and gasped for air.
Draco rested his forehead on Ginny's and they both closed their eyes in bliss. He opened his eyes and gazed intently into Ginny's face. He was astounded when she opened her eyes and he was almost lost in the vast pools of cinnamon flecked with gold, while Ginny was drowning in Draco's swirling gray and silver eyes. They both smiled and shared a sweet, chaste kiss.
"I love you, Virginia Weasley," Draco murmured while looking deeply into her eyes. Ginny smiled and whispered, "And I love you, Draco Malfoy." They held hands, went out of the classroom, down the corridor, and out the entrance doors to spend what they both knew was going to be a wonderful day by the lake. They were going to share their lives, in happiness and security, together forever.
