Well, here be the second chapter! So far I've only gotten a few reviews, but I have hope yet!!! And I want to thank each and every one of you for the reviews I did get! I have to admit, I got in a panic, I rearranged my apartment the other day, and when I went to look for the outline for this story I couldn't find it! But upon further inspection and much frantic searching I did find it squirreled away in my coffee table! So, now I have it, and I'm gonna get my ass in gear and write! Any who, on with the show!
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Chapter 2: Waking to Dreams
Pain, undeniable, unbearable pain. Ginny struggled to regain the consciousness that so easily eluded her. What had happened? Why the hell did she hurt so badly? And where was that damn beeping coming from?! She struggled to open her eyes, shutting them immediately half-way through the process. Did it have to be so bright? She stifled a groan. She tried yet again to open her eyes, barely succeeding this time. She managed to crack her eyes open just a bit and took a glance around the room.
Her mother and father were curled around each other on one of the couches, both asleep. Fred and George had two chairs pulled together at a small table playing a regular game of chess. Ron leaned against the wall, fighting and failing to stay awake. Where the rest of her family was, she didn't rightly know. And on top of that she was in a strange room. This room was not her room. In fact, it was a hospital room. But the big question was, why was she in a hospital room? She shifted her head to try to see farther. Pain blossomed across her chest and left shoulder. This time she could not stifle the grunt of pain that came out. She saw her family shift at her noise and all of them rushed to her bedside.
"Oh, Ginny dear!" Her mother tried for gentleness, but didn't manage as she hugged her daughter.
Ginny hissed with the sudden pain and felt bad when her mother pulled away with a worried look on her face.
Fred and George grinned down at her. "Had us worried there for a while, Bug." George stated patting her gently on the head. Ginny managed a grin at the use of her nickname.
"I think I'm still worried about her" Molly stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ginny still couldn't remember why exactly she was here, and why she was in so much pain. "What happened?" she managed to whisper.
She caught the glances exchanged between, not only her parents, but brothers as well. What had happened to her that made them look like that? "Mum, what happened to me?"
Molly's face went soft and yet quizzical. "You don't remember do you?" she asked, taking her daughter's hand. Ginny shook her head.
Ron went to a nearby table and picked up what seemed to be a newspaper. Ginny watched apprehensively, as Ron took a glance at the newspaper and shuddered. He sighed and walked back over to where they had all gathered around her bed. He gave her a sad half-smile and handed her the paper.
She took it in her trembling hands and looked.
CRISIS IN THE MINISTER'S HOUSHOLD!
Late last night at approximately 1:25 a.m. Minister Arthur Weasley's daughter, one Ginevra Weasley, was involved in a head-on collision. (A accident involving a muggle contraption known as an automobile.) While no one is releasing any information at this time, it is speculated that Miss Weasley had been out for a night on the town. She was seen earlier in the evening with Connor Gillespie, lead singer of 30 Seconds to Jupiter, headed to a party in muggle London. It has been reported that there were copious amounts of alcohol consumed on Miss Weasley's part and can thus be determined that she was driving under the influence of alcohol (a significant crime by muggle standards) and swerved into oncoming traffic resulting in the devastating accident…
Ginny stopped reading. This wasn't right. No, this was wrong. This was so wrong. Everything came back to her in a rush. The reporter, Connor's surprise, the party at Jared's, and then the drive home, or rather, what should have been the drive home. She remembered getting comfortable, she remembered the song that had been playing in the CD player. And she remembered the man apparating inside her car. Him trying to have his way with her. Him flinging himself at her and her barley managing a strangled scream as her mind registered that there was a semi headed straight towards her.
She let out a strangled sob.
"Ginny?" her mother questioned softly.
"No, this is wrong! This is all wrong! That's not how it happened!" she wailed. She crumpled the damned paper in her hands and threw it.
"What's wrong dearest?" Her father asked.
Ginny looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "That!" she pointed to where the paper had fallen on the other side of the room. "That's wrong! It's all wrong, that's not what happened!"
Fred rested his hand on her head and bent down to look at her. "Hush Bug, it's alright. We didn't believe that shit anyways."
Ginny took a steadying breath and tried to let herself calm down. "I did go to a party with Connor, and I did drink, but I had a headache and got sick. So I cast a sobering charm. I wasn't drunk when I got behind the wheel! I'm not stupid! I talked to Connor and then I left. I was headed home when he apparated into the car."
"He?" Ron asked. Already there was a thread of anger in his voice.
"One of those fucking paparazzi. He just apparated in and took a bloody picture. So I swerved to try and scare him, get him to get out. But he didn't. He just threw the camera down and came at me. Almost like he was going to try and…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. " So I swerved again. And he hit the window. He got pissed and came at me. He didn't know what the car would do. He grabbed the wheel and lunged. That's how we got in the other lane, that's how this happened."
Saying it out loud didn't make her feel near as good as she thought it would. She thought, now that she remembered, that talking about it would make it easier. It had helped with the chamber. But now, now she just felt weird and dirty. She didn't like it.
Molly was crying and Arthur was positively livid. Ron and Fred and George were looking at her with something akin to pity and a fierce protectiveness.
"Mum? Where's Connor?" she asked. Molly snuffled.
"We sent him home. He's been sitting with you for the past four days. He needed some sleep." Molly replied with a soft smile.
Ginny looked astounded. "I've been out for four days?" she asked quietly. Her mother nodded. Had the accident really been that bad? Was she really that hurt? As if in answer, pain blossomed yet again. She sucked in her breath. It almost hurt to breathe. This was bad.
At about that time a nurse entered her room. She seemed nice enough. Her face held a bright smile. That perfect nurse's smile, that, despite the condition the patient was in, was peaceful and hopeful. "Ah, good Miss Weasley, you're awake. You had you're family quite worried."
Guilt formed in a knot in the pit of her stomach. She hated worrying her family.
"Minister, if I may, I think it would be best if Ginevra rested for a while more. She's still not exactly out of the red yet."
Arthur nodded his head, barley containing the fury he still felt and escorted his wife from the room. Her brothers stayed for a moment longer.
"No worries now, Bug. We'll be here when you wake up again."
Each of her brother's kissed her chastely on the forehead before leaving. The nurse smiled as they went. "Your family seems to care a great deal about you. Of course, that's to be expected. But, as your brother's said, no worries. This," she held out a tiny vial of liquid, "will make you feel so much better." She said it all with the utmost compassion.
Ginny gave her a small smile and the nurse went about her business. Although, what business she went about, Ginny didn't know. As soon as the medicine was inserted into her I.V. she was off to the land where nothingness reigns.
((-))
Ginny floated on the wings of consciousness. Somewhere in her mind she knew that she should wake up. Wake up and make sure her family was still around, wake up and see if this was all still real. She struggled to the surface of her dreams and slowly regained her consciousness. She fought to open her eyes yet again. For a moment she thought she was alone in the room, but movement close to the door told her other wise.
For an instant she panicked. All she could think of was that man apparating into her car. The look on his face as he lunged toward her.
Damn the fucking heart monitor.
The steady beat of her pulse went erratic and the two figures by the door rushed to her side. At the sight of her mother her pulse lessened slightly, but at the sight of her other visitor it increased yet again.
She didn't know him. He was hooded and cloaked. It seemed as if the very shadows hid his features from view, like he took them and wrapped them around himself. He screamed mystery and gave off an intimidating, yet unbelievably sad aura. It made her terrified and yet unbearably sad of and for him. And yet, she felt all too intrigued by him.
"Ginny dear, are you alright?" her mother asked worriedly.
Ginny nodded, trying desperately to avert her gaze from this strange new figure. Her mother though, she was not as aloof as she appeared to be. She caught her daughters failed attempt to look away. She cleared her throat.
"Ginny, you're father and I have decided that, in light of recent events, you need a bodyguard. Now, before you start in on anything, I will have you know he is one of your father's top Arour's. He has proven himself over and over in the line of duty, as well as his loyalty to not only your father but to the Light as well. And, it is not that we don't think you're capable of handling yourself, it's simply that with all of the chaos and commotion it would be benefiting for someone to keep a close eye on you. We don't want what has happened to happen again. So, please, please, keep an open mind." Molly stated, absentmindedly wringing her hands. She looked to the figure and gave a slight nod.
Ginny watched with apprehension. Both wanting and not wanting to know who this person was and why her mother was promoting him thusly.
The figure gave a nod and the shadows dissipated from around him. He reached up and pulled back the hood revealing himself.
Ginny bit back the sound of disbelief that threatened to escape. Surely not, there was no way.
His quicksilver hair was pulled back in tight French braid that both hardened and softened his face. His eyes still held a trace of the arrogance he had once boasted so proudly. Now, those mercury orbs held more than simply arrogance, they also held a bit of content that had never been there before, but also sadness. Some of the sadness that he exuded was reflected there, but over all there was a general intelligence and want to learn all things new. It made her think better of him. But the biggest change to those once stern features were the three identical scars on his left cheek. They could have almost looked as though someone had taken him in a choke hold and racked claws along his face. Maybe that was what had happened. Maybe with time, she would ask.
Ginny looked around and noticed her mother had quietly exited the room while her thoughts bombarded her.
"What? No biting comment, no scathing remark?" he asked, his voice much deeper than she ever remembered it being, yet still holding that tale tell smirk. While he was scornful, he question held a truth and questioning he had never shown before.
"Why should I? What point would there be? I mean, my father has you hear for good reason. I can't argue what is already done." she replied with a slight, testing shrug of her shoulders. She was relieved to find it didn't hurt near as much as it had before the medicine.
His trademark smirk softened into something of a genuine smile, though it did still hold somewhat of his devilish grin.
Ginny quirked the corner of her mouth up in her own smirk.
"Draco Malfoy, what is done is done and can't be undone. The past is the past, so leave it there. And I am hurt and in desperate need of something to eat."
She smiled up at him sweetly and innocently. This could be interesting, hell, she thought, this could even be fun!
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Well, there it is, and I know it's a while in coming. I'm still trying to get all my shit together and get back on the creativity train! Urgh, sometimes this can be totally frustrating! Anyways, it is my sincerest hope that you will all enjoy this story and even give me some ideas. While I do have the outline, there's a lot of filler that I need. So, I hope you guys enjoyed it and keep on reviewing! Thanks to all of you who keep me going! I LOVE YOU GUYS!
Arigato
Ja'ne- Ami
