Disclaimer: This is a fan fic, meaning, I do not own any Harry Potter characters you recognize, I do not own the settings, and I do not own the parts of the books I've borrowed. That belongs to JKR. The plot you don't recognize is indeed mine. I hope you enjoy my playing in JKR's playground!
Author's Note: Hello again, and so soon! At the advice of a reviewer, I'm breaking this down into chapters. I admit I was in a rush to put it up and just wanted to put it out there, but I know it's easier to read in chapter format, so here you are! Nothing new has been added or edited. I'll post any warnings needed in author's notes at the beginning of each chapter. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 2
Ginny was running. She was not sure what she was running from, but she was running. She heard splashing, and looked down. The floor was wet. The torches were lighting as she ran past; the stone was cold. The pillars looked oddly familiar…
"Ginevra Weasley. Did you think I would forget you so easily?" she heard a familiar voice say, one that sent her back to running. She knew she was trapped. She had lived this before, four years previously.
She was in the Chamber of Secrets.
But that was impossible! Minutes ago she had been in the Hospital Wing. She had been fine. She had fallen asleep...much as she had her first year. Was this a dream, or was this reality?
"Who says it cannot be both?" she voice said, reading her mind. It had to be a dream, he had not been able to read her mind four years ago, unless she wrote in that diary. And the diary was destroyed. Harry had stabbed it! She knew it no longer worked. The Headmaster had assured her!
"Ah, but the Headmaster is no more, thanks to Snape. Isn't that right, Ginevra?" the voice taunted, again in her mind. She needed to get him out of her mind! How did one get an unwanted person out of their mind? She only knew of one way, but hadn't had anyone to teach her yet. How else?
Instead, she ran. If this was a dream, it was eerily accurate. The basilisk's corpse was still there, slowly decomposing in the cold air, in as much a state she would expect after four years. She ran past, into one of the many tunnels. She kept running, thinking, wondering, how to get him out of her mind.
:"You cannot hide from me, Ginevra. You have a part of me inside of your mind, whether you like it or not!" the voice cackled, mad as ever. She still ran, thinking. She needed to wake up. She was sure this was a dream. He could not be here, she knew it. This was a dream. She had to wake up. She scratched at her head, pinched herself, and finally, just kept running. Perhaps if she collapsed from exhaustion in her dream, she would wake up.
So she ran. When the tunnel came to a split, she took the left side and ran further, as the voice echoed after her, haunting her already haunted dream. Still she ran, she ran until the tunnel ended and she was trapped. She had nowhere to go, as the voice grew closer. She looked for a place to hide, but it was futile. So she crouched down into a shadow, hoping to give herself time to think. How to wake up? She had to wake up! She had to…
-x-
"Ginevra!" a voice half-whispered at her as she startled and fell off the side of the hospital bed she had gone to sleep in at the urging of Madame Pomfrey. She shot up, wand in her hand before she knew what she was doing. When all she saw was Draco Malfoy staring back at her, laying on his side and wincing while whispering at her, she dropped her wand and hid her face in her hands. She leaned against the bed, finally sitting and letting her elbows rest on her knees while she cradled her face.
"Ginevra, what…" Malfoy stopped, scared at the look she threw at him at the mention of her full name.
"Do not use that name, Malfoy," she said sharply, before regretting her tone. He had woken her, after all. "He's the only one to use that name, four years ago. You don't want to be like him," she whispered as her body shook.
Why had she had a dream now, when she had not had one in so long? And how did Tom know? It was if he was really there, but it had been a dream. Had he been there? Was what he said true? Was he really inside of her mind still, after all this time?
Malfoy was looking at her oddly, she noticed, but had waited for her to look back at him before speaking again. "By him, you cannot truly mean him?" he asked, pointing at the mark on his left arm.
Ginny stared, but nodded. "Tom Riddle. Voldemort. Whatever you wish to call him. I can only ever think of him as Tom, though," she admitted. She rubbed a hand against her eyes.
"And you were having a nightmare about him," Malfoy said, frowning. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Harry walked into the Hospital Wing at just that moment and Ginny quickly motioned to Malfoy to be quiet. He looked at her oddly but acquiesced.
Harry saw Ginny first and ignored Malfoy as he walked past. "Ginny, why didn't you come back to the common room last night?" he asked. She supposed he had drawn the short straw for visiting the Hospital Wing, or perhaps he wanted to say his goodbyes. She wasn't sure, but she certainly hadn't expected anyone first thing in the morning, or to be found leaning against a hospital bed.
"I didn't have the energy to walk all the way back after assisting Madame Pomfrey," she said, rubbing her eyes again as she yawned. "I slept poorly and think I may stay here for a while longer," she continued as she moved back to the bed. She did not want to alert him to her nightmare but knew she couldn't outright lie. Harry was already looking at her oddly, but then he turned to look at Malfoy, and looked as if Malfoy had grown a second head. He opened his mouth, closed it again, and gaped for a moment before making up his mind.
"Malfoy, why didn't those bruises go away with that bruise paste?" Harry asked, not knowing how to treat his classmate.
"Too old, Potter. They've been attempting to heal for far too long for the paste to work," Malfoy stated calmly, though eyeing Harry as if he had lost his mind. They were both in unknown territory, but Malfoy knew he was not yet in a condition to hold his own.
Harry gaped again, but a knowing look overcame him. "Belt or fist?" he asked, carefully.
Malfoy face gathered his own knowing look at that point. "Cane, actually," he said nonchalantly, as if discussing a homework assignment.
Harry looked over his enemy's body, at the number of scars that were just visible on the young man's torso, and he could not stop himself from asking, "How long, Malfoy?"
The young man in the bed gulped, but admitted, "As long as I can remember, Potter."
"Every time something went wrong, even if you could not have done it," Harry said, quietly. Malfoy nodded.
"Every time I did not perform the best, every time Father's plan did not work, every time I thought the word 'no' even as I said 'yes'," Malfoy continued, and Harry nodded. He knew. After last night, and seeing this, he knew that while Malfoy may have done some horrible things this year, he had had little choice if he wished to live. He was angry but the knowledge combined with Hermione's logic let him control himself. He nodded his head again at Malfoy, nodded it in a goodbye to Ginny, and turned around and left.
Ginny quietly absorbed the information, her suspicions from the previous night now confirmed. She felt like crying, but she figured Malfoy would not appreciate even more of her tears, especially after his comment from last night. She looked at him, but he wouldn't look her in the eye. So she resettled herself, gaze directed towards him, hoping she could sleep peacefully for a few hours, perhaps until lunch. She thought Malfoy would ignore her, now, but she heard him whisper a question and her eyes shot back open.
"Do you have nightmares about him often?" he asked, finally looking at her.
"No. This morning was my first nightmare with him present since the Headmaster left my home the summer after my first year. I had been having nightmares each night that summer until Professor Dumbledore came and reassured me that I would be coming back to Hogwarts and Tom couldn't reach me," she admitted in a rush. She had not told anyone about that summer, though of course her family knew. She could not hold Malfoy's gaze, ashamed. She could feel his gaze on her still, and she closed her eyes in hopes he would go back to sleep himself.
She was nearly asleep when she heard his voice again. "Do you not find it odd that it was this morning, then that the dream would return?" he asked, pain in his voice but unable to stop himself from asking.
Her eyes shot open. She hadn't thought about it, and she didn't want to think of it, but Malfoy was right. "Surely you cannot mean...but that would mean Tom was right...but how do I keep him out of my head?" she asked, not of Malfoy, not of anyone really, but unwilling to accept that the person who had protected her from herself had left her unprotected now. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the curtains that hid the Headmaster, and then back at Malfoy.
Malfoy struggled to prop himself up on the better of his two arms so he could look at her properly. He really looked at her, careful as he asked, "What exactly did Tom say in your nightmare?"
She looked at him, unwilling to give him any more over her, but at the same time feeling as if she owed him after his trust in her last night. "He said, 'You cannot hide from me, Ginevra. You have a part of me inside your mind,'" she admitted, shaking as she recalled it. "He had trapped me in the Chamber," she allowed as she shut her eyes and let one tear roll down her face.
Malfoy's hand flinched, though she didn't see it. He looked at her again. She was only fifteen, but he knew how strong and brave she was. His insults in previous years had never seemed to crack her, and she played Quidditch as if she were a demon. Her spells were practically legendary when she was upset. Yet it only took one nightmare to show a side that she would not show the world otherwise. One nightmare he felt he understood all too well, having himself lived with the monster controlling him. He wanted to say something, but before he could work it out, she quietly asked, "What if he's right? What if I am like Harry?"
He didn't know how to answer her at first. Could she be a human horcrux? Severus had only mentioned seven to him as he had whispered his last words to Draco while apparating away. He had been clear that Potter was to be the last, as he was the last created. "No, Weasley. The Tom you knew was a horcrux himself, a memory, and Potter killed it. It could not have transferred to you. That one is well and truly dead," he said, hoping she would believe him. He did not know about horcrux magic, but Draco trusted his mentor, as Severus had trusted Dumbledore.
"Ginny," she said, drawing his attention. "There are too many of us for you to be calling me Weasley," she gave as an excuse, shrugging.
He looked at her, really looked at her for the first time in six years, and somehow he knew he could trust this girl. "Draco, then. I prefer to not be associated with the psychopath who tried to kill me," he gave as his own excuse.
Ginny struggled to smile, but did, mouthed his name as if to try it out, before saying, "Pleasant dreams, Draco." She closed her eyes, and as she drifted off, she thought she heard in reply, "Sweetest of dreams, Ginny."
-x-
Ginny woke up a few hours later, as the sunlight shining through the window crossed her face. She looked around for a clock as she stretched, back popping. If she hurried, she could make it down to the kitchens for afternoon tea. Swinging her legs over the side of the hospital bed, she grasped for her wand and tucked it into a pocket, easily accessible, before looking over at Malfoy. 'Draco,' she corrected in her mind. 'That will take some getting used to.'
The young man was not sleeping peacefully, she could tell. Ginny wondered if Madame Pomfrey had given him any more pain potion while she had been asleep, but she didn't want to leave him to go find the matron to ask. Instead, she approached the bed and grabbed for the hand that was clenching and unclenching in his sleep. She heard a low moan and felt her hand being squeezed, hard. She was about to cast her patronus to send a message to the matron when the woman came rushing out of her office towards the bed.
"Miss Weasley?" Madame Pomfrey questioned as she cast a spell to check the state of her patient.
"When I woke I noticed he was trembling and his hands won't stay still. He just started moaning," Ginny said, somewhat sadly.
Poppy nodded at the girl, the results of her spell now apparent to her. She had seen similar results when Severus returned from meetings, and she wished now she had pestered him more on his progress on that potion. "It's the after effects of Cruciatus. He may have built up a small tolerance if he had been subjected to it often enough before, but I wager he had never experienced it this strongly for so long," she told the girl. "I have nothing I can give him, especially while he needs rest to allow those bruises to heal. His open wounds should finally knit closed by the end of tonight, but they will need time to heal as well," she continued.
Ginny nodded at the matron, but didn't understand how that would help Draco. He was in pain now; surely there was something they could do? She looked at Madame Pomfrey with a lost expression, not knowing what was best.
"Stay with him, if you think you can manage to be civil. When he finally wakes, he'll likely want water and will need help if he is still experiencing tremors," the matron said sadly, shaking her head and looking at the curtain hiding Severus' body. "If you can manage, you'll want to go to the Great Hall for the evening meal tonight, Miss Weasley," Poppy said, unwilling to admit what she knew but passing along the message as best she could, looking hard at the two curtained beds.
Ginny nodded, and then turned back towards Draco. She wondered if her hand would bruise from his grip. 'It will be worth it if it gives him some relief,' she thought. She wasn't sure why she was so willing to accept Malfoy, 'Draco!' so easily today, but she had always had a soft spot for those at the mercy of Tom after what she experienced her first year. Could she really hate the young man in front of her when he had been tortured and threatened by the same man that had done the same to her?
"If you go back to acting like a git when you're well, I'll use my best Bat-Bogey hex on you," she whispered fiercely, knowing she had to protect herself somehow. A hacking cough startled her and she saw Draco's eyes cracked open.
"Fourth in line," he managed before coughing again. Ginny tried to move her hand, but he had it gripped so tightly she couldn't move it, so she reached with her other hand and just found the glass of water, managed to grab it without tipping it over, and held it up to his mouth.
"Slowly," she cautioned as he attempted to drink. Using her non-dominant hand meant she spilled a bit of water, but he didn't seem to notice. When he was done, she put the glass back on the nightstand, closer this time so she could more easily grab it. She waited with him as the tremors continued and his hand continued to spasm. Finding the clock, she kept track of how long they lasted before calming. Ten minutes had passed since she woke and noticed his tremors, but it felt like an eternity.
Realizing his hand was otherwise occupied, Draco looked down and he managed some color in his ashen cheeks as he apologized. "Maybe first in line after all, if I manage to break your hand," he said as he let go. Ginny looked at him, eyebrow raised, until he looked back at her.
"We may not be friends, Draco," she started, and held up her hand to stop him from saying anything. "But anyone who endured Tom and got out alive on the right side can certainly earn my trust. I can't allow you to suffer alone knowing that you've endured Tom, too," she said, the last sentence coming out as only a whisper as she dropped her gaze to her hands. She massaged the hand he had gripped so tightly, flexed it, and turned it around. No harm done, at least not yet, so she reached for his hand again.
He seemed unwilling to take it, so she grabbed his hand and wrapped his fingers around hers, before she settled back into her chair, content to let the afternoon pass in relative quiet. After a few minutes had passed, Draco gently squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Ginny," he said quietly before he settled back into his bed, wincing as he shifted and worried his open wounds. Ginny opened her mouth to ask, but he shook his head. "I deserve it," he said. "The pain."
Ginny looked at him, wanting to protest, but knowing he would not listen. Hadn't she said the same thing about deserving her nightmares after all the hurt she had caused her first year? Didn't she still sometimes feel she deserved pain and hurt for what she had done? But she knew that wasn't true. The Headmaster himself had said so. And while he played his pawns as needed, Ginny knew that everything he said to her about Tom's control of her had been true.
"What was done to you, Draco, was not your fault. You did not deserve to be beaten. Not last night, not last week, not last month, not last year, not as a child. No one ever deserves to be beaten, especially by their own father. When your will is taken from you," at this point she paused, remembering what the Headmaster told her. "When your will is taken from you, no matter what you do when you are not in control of yourself for fear of your life, you are not to blame."
"It is not that simple," he said, staring at the ceiling. "I had control of my mind, Ginny. I still chose to say what I said and chose to do what I did."
"Else either you or your mother, or both of you would be killed at first chance, yes?" she countered. She knew what he said was true, but she could not help but try to defend him from himself. It may not excuse all of his behavior in their younger years, either, but she better understood the control his father had over him. Much like Harry had been treated at the Dursley's, from what she gathered.
Draco's single nod of affirmation was the only response she got. "Many wizards and witches much older and wiser than both of us have done far worse deeds when faced with death," she whispered.
"I should have taken death, then," he whispered. "But I was too much of a coward."
"Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is live, especially when protecting the life of another," she said. She took in a breath before saying her last piece. "Your attempts this past year were the worst you had done, and I suspect with every failure, your father and his...associates...got closer to your mother, closer to her death. Your will was not in those attempts, Draco. Had you really wished to do them, you would have been successful. Well, as successful as I imagine the Headmaster was willing to let you be on his time schedule. You looked more desperate and withdrawn by the day, sickly, and I imagine the torture was worse to bear each day. But each day you stayed alive was one more day your mother was safe, one more day the Headmaster was safe, one more day Professor Snape could prepare you and the Headmaster with information. I do think the Headmaster knew what you were planning each time and put you off, to keep you and your mother alive a little longer." She paused, knowing she had to ask but needing some courage herself.
"Draco," she said, softly. "Do you really think Tom would have let you live even if you had been successful?"
He stared at her. Perhaps he had been since she started speaking; she wasn't certain. But he allowed his head to shake in the negative. "No. I rather imagine either outcome was supposed to mean my death." Tears started streaming down his face, silently, but the first real cry he had allowed himself since before heading towards the Astronomy Tower the previous day.
Ginny just held his hand, not knowing if he would welcome anything more or not, but not wanting to anger him or threaten this tenuous truce.
-x-
When Ginny finally left the Hospital Wing, she was nearly risking being late for the evening meal. She had waited for Draco to wake up so she could explain that she needed to go eat supper, but he had slept up until the point Madame Pomfrey came to remind her about supper. It was probably for the best - Ginny felt she needed to talk to Luna tonight before deciding where she would be spending the night and she knew she wouldn't if she stayed in the Hospital Wing.
Ginny felt scummy and she really wanted a shower, but her stomach complained more loudly. She cast a freshening charm on herself and figured it would have to do until she could shower. Even though she was risking being late, Ginny couldn't bring herself to hurry. She wasn't sure she was ready to enter a Great Hall where the Headmaster was absent. If not for her need for food, and the earlier plea of Madame Pomfrey, she would have gone straight to her common room.
She fell into the small crowd of stragglers as she entered the hall, and made her way towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She nodded at them as the three noticed her but she kept quiet as she took her seat. She looked up at the empty chair, gasped as it felt like a knife had stabbed her heart all over again, and she looked down. Ginny managed to miss the food appearing, lost in her head, only looking up when a bacon sandwich appeared on her plate with a nudge to her shoulder. "Your favorite," Ron whispered, not knowing how to comfort her but knowing what foods she would eat. She nodded at him in thanks, and nibbled. Though she had just been hungry, entering the hall seemed to have vanished her appetite.
Ginny worked on her sandwich, but traded it for a bowl of chicken noodle soup when she spotted some on the other side of Harry. At least soup could keep her stomach somewhat calm, she reasoned. Even that, though, was slow going - she had only finished about half of the small cup when Professor McGonagall stood and waited for the students to fall silent.
"Headmaster Dumbledore has passed away," she stated, starting right in as if tearing off a plaster. "However, his death is not as it may at first seem, and I wish to set the record straight tonight, before the funeral tomorrow.
"Under Veritaserum, this was relayed, and therefore by Ministry command, is to be taken as truth. Professor Snape had, many years ago, taken an Unbreakable Vow to do whatever Headmaster Dumbledore asked of him, including the manner of his death. So when the curse in the Headmaster's hand had traveled so far that it meant death was imminent, the Headmaster begged his friend to complete the deed. That is what Mister Potter saw on the Tower last night, and he himself had confirmed what he saw to me," she continued, looking towards Harry at this point. Ginny realized this must have been rehearsed, as Harry seemed to be expecting this and nodded when she was finished speaking.
"Professor Snape left Hogwarts with Mister Malfoy to try to protect him. He had seen the Imperius Curse cast on Mister Malfoy, and while attempting to break the curse and protect him, Professor Snape took the Killing Curse in mid-apparition back to Hogwarts.
"Professor Snape sacrificed everything to protect his charges, Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy included, and he paid the ultimate price for his sacrifice," Minerva intoned.
"Tomorrow's funeral will be a double funeral, to honor Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape. You are not required to attend but are welcomed to do so.
"Mister Malfoy is to be left to heal. Charges will not be pressed, due to the use of the Imperius Curse and evidence of other extenuating circumstance," the professor stated, and glared as the whispers grew louder. "No one is to speak of this to the press until after the article has been run in tomorrow morning's edition of The Prophet. Your parents have already been notified. Now, if you wish to stay, you may, but curfew will be enforced today," she ended, looking over the hall with a sharp eye before seating herself.
Ginny stared at her bowl of soup, appetite completely disappeared. All she could hear were the whispers, both about the late Professor Snape and Draco, and some of them were making her sick. She had heard some similar whispers about herself upon her return to Hogwarts for her second year. She looked at the trio when Ron nudged her again, and Hermione jerked her head toward the door. Ginny nodded, and when she saw a few students start to make their way out of the hall, she quickly joined them and disappeared up the staircase to the Gryffindor common room, sorely in need of a shower.
-x-
Ginny felt much refreshed after her shower, and she resolved to pack a few changes of clothes, some OWLS study guides, and toiletries in a bag with her so she wouldn't feel so grungy again. She also pulled out her best mourning clothing, shrunk them down, and placed them in a separate pocket - she would need something to wear to the funeral tomorrow night after her OWLS and she wasn't sure where she would be sleeping tonight. When she was satisfied with her supplies, she left her dormitory and headed back down to the common room. Luna would be waiting for her at the portrait, as agreed over their messenger coins.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting by the fire, deep in conversation. When Harry noticed her carrying a bag, he waved her over. "Is that a good idea, with OWLS tomorrow?" he asked gently.
Ginny paused, but said firmly, "He has no one else right now. And I might be coming back, depending on Luna's feelings." Harry sighed, running his hand through his hair, but nodded.
"If you do go back, and he's a git…" he started.
"I already promised to give him my best Bat-Bogey hex, Harry," she finished for him. "I'll be fine."
"Ginny," Hermione said, looking her over. "Do you think…?" she trailed off, not knowing how to ask her question, but Ginny thought she knew the question that was on all of their minds.
"I think we will all have to get to know Malfoy again," she allowed. "I think the Malfoy we know is not the Malfoy he really is when he can be himself without fear of repercussion." She looked at them, and convinced they would at least consider her words, she turned and left the common room. As expected, Luna was waiting for her.
"Nargles and Wrackspurts are all over the place today," Luna greeted her with a sad smile. "Though I think the Wrackspurts are leaving you alone."
"How are you handling all of this, Luna?" Ginny asked her friend as they walked towards the Great Hall. Luna always acted odd around the others, but Ginny knew it was because she could sense their emotions and auras better than anyone. If someone was going to be overcome by a castle full of strong emotion, it was likely to be her best friend.
"Daddy's meditation techniques grounded me today. I've worked through some of the confusion to see the truths others are missing," Luna answered her, somewhat ominously though in a happy tone. Ginny still didn't know how she pulled that off, but she had stopped asking years ago. "You were in the Hospital Wing all day. Are you hurt?" she asked, briefly putting a hand on Ginny's closest forearm.
Ginny shook her head as she placed her hand on top of Luna's. "I haven't really had time to process, let alone for that," she said. "I was with Malfoy. Draco. He asked me to call him Draco. And I had a nightmare…" Ginny explained her day in as much detail she felt comfortable sharing in a hallway. Luna pulled her into 'their' classroom when they arrived, as Ginny nearly passed it by while recounting her day.
"...but his father caused me to experience Tom in the first place! And what he's done this year, and just last night. How do we trust someone after all of that?" Ginny ended, asking her friend for her wisdom. Ginny knew she still let her emotions lead her more than logic, and she trusted Luna to have the insight she struggled for.
Luna thought for a long while, humming to herself with her eyes closed. Ginny knew the young woman was feeling, and using her Ravenclaw wits to come to a conclusion. Luna had a way with reading people - she hadn't ever been wrong when she truly felt someone out. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and smiled at her friend. "He is confused and hurting, but I think he is genuine. His story certainly was since he took Veritaserum. He is going to try to find his way now that he can be out from under Tom. You remember what it was like to finally be free of Tom...he will struggle with how he was raised and how he was conditioned to act by both his father and Tom, but I feel he is genuine. You would be safe to spend some time with him, and see if you can find it in you to trust him for yourself," the empathic girl said with a sad smile.
Luna could only feel so much, and the Dark Mark on Draco's arm interfered some, but she felt his love for his mother and his desire to protect. She hadn't ever felt that from the other Death Eaters, and she knew he had been horrified by his task. The blackness that was his horror had been obvious to her all year.
The pair of young women spent the next half-hour together, remembering, grieving as they could, and just being close before they had to return to a sleeping area before curfew.
-x-
When she arrived, Draco was propped up on his bed, eyes closed, and two potion bottles sitting on the nightstand. Ginny tried to close the door quietly, but she must have heard her because she turned back, he was looking at her.
"I didn't expect you to come back," he said as she sat down in the chair she had vacated only hours earlier.
"I didn't expect the news at supper," she countered. "Did anyone tell you?"
He nodded. "Madame Pomfrey told me the insane lie McGonagall told everyone about me," he said, sneer on his face for a moment before he relaxed. "They didn't believe her, did they?"
Ginny looked down at her hands, not knowing what to say. Did he want the truth? Could she give him the truth, not knowing how he would react? She looked up at him, his mask slowly falling in place, but his eyes begged. "Not all, no. Some are saying the same things they said about me, four years ago," she admitted, looking down again.
"It's to be expected," he said. He wouldn't have believed McGonagall if it had been said about anyone else, and he wouldn't blame anyone who came looking for him. He looked around and noticed Ginny had brought a bag with her. "You're not staying again, are you?"
She looked at him, wry smile on her face. "Why not? I was hoping Madame Pomfrey could give me some dreamless sleep," she said. "I have the last of my OWLS tomorrow and need the rest."
Ginny pulled back the covers on the bed she had slept in earlier in the day, and settled in. "What potions do you have there? How is your back?" she asked and she worked at the pillow to form to what she liked.
"Pain potion and dreamless sleep. She gave me another dose to complete the healing of my back earlier," he said, fingering the bottles as he named them. "My back won't be healed in time to go to the funeral tomorrow. I won't get to say my goodbyes to Severus. I know he is...was a cruel and bitter man, but he was my godfather and he treated me like his son. I should be there."
"We can go when you're well," she said, not knowing what else to say but meaning it all the same. She turned to look at him. "We will."
He didn't know what to say to that, so instead, picked up the bottle of Dreamless Sleep, and motioned to throw it. "Catch," he said. When he saw she was ready, he managed to toss it far enough for Ginny to reach it and catch it. "You need it more than I do," he explained. He picked up his other potion and downed it before Ginny could refuse.
She drank half of it, unwilling to risk being late to her tests, and snuggled down into the bed. "Pleasant dreams, Draco," she said as the potion took effect. Before sleep completely overcame her, she heard, "Thank you, and sweetest of dreams, Ginny."
