Ginny's Mistake-Trying

It was unusually dark out that night, and the blackness left her feeling hollow and empty. The moon glowed eerily, it's orange light barely reaching the tears streaming down her face. A misty cloud hung over half of it, making it look dull and spooky. No stars shone out that night. It seemed like the sky reflected how she felt.

Her arms were wrapped protectively around her knees, her head was resting on top of them. Her hair was matted to her face, stained from tears. Her throat burned with a sting that only immense sorrow could penetrate, and there was nothing she could do to stop the sobs billowing out of her.

She's crying for him. She's crying for everything he was, he is, and everything he's becoming. She's crying because she knows that no matter what she does, or how much she tries to convince herself, he's going to do something terribly, terribly wrong.

She cries because she knows he won't cry for himself.

A sob erupted from within her and her brown eyes squinted in pain. She hugged her knees tighter, wanting nothing more than to forget everything that happened. She wanted to forget Draco! She wanted to forget what she heard! She wanted to forget ever even meeting him!

The burden of his secret was unbearable. What was she supposed to do! Was she supposed to go back to him and talk to him? Was she supposed to try and convince him to not do what he's going to do? Was she supposed to run to Dumbledore and warn him about what's to come? She wasn't supposed to have to do this! She wasn't supposed to have to carry a secret this big around with her! She just wasn't!

Ginny sobbed harder.

How could he EVER consider killing Dumbledoreཀ Dumbledore was everyone's last hope, and Draco was going to go and ruin it? How could he be so selfishཀ

Anger rained down upon Ginny like a thunderstorm. It overtook her, and her hands started to shake uncontrollably.

"How could you.." she choked silently, rocking back and forth, hugging her knees and sobbing.

After all she had done for him. She had talked to him, comforted him, given him everything he had ever wanted, and the whole time he was planning this. The whole time he was planning to kill Dumbledore, and he didn't even tell her. Was he only thinking of himself? Did he not know what would happen if he did this? Did he not understand the consequences? He couldn'tཀ Ginny couldn't let him do thisཀ She couldn't let him ruin his lifeཀ

Ginny gazed out the window and saw her reflection staring back at her. She looked shaken and distraught, crushed by an overwhelming sadness and anger. A tear trickled down her face, and just this once, she saw it sparkle in the moonlight.

She couldn't let him do this...

An explosion of shouts greeted Ginny's ears as she stepped through the portrait and into the common room. She'd just been to dinner, and was looking forward to a night of peaceful sleep, considering she hadn't slept soundly in days. She had just had to much on her mind! Was she just supposed to forget everything that happened? Whenever she saw Draco in the Great Hall or in the hallways, he'd scurry pass or leave before she got the chance to talk to him. What was his problem? Didn't he trust her? After all, she hadn't gone running to Dumbledore yet to spill about what Draco said. And honestly, that wasn't even an option to her. She loved Draco to much to watch him get expelled. Or worse. He might even get sent to Azkaban. No, Ginny didn't have the strength to watch his grey eyes disappear into the depths of a jail cell. She couldn't, no she wouldn't, ever do that to a friend. Yes, a friend.

The shouts from within the common room brought Ginny back into reality. It seemed like the entire Quidditch team was in an uproar! Katie Bell was screaming at Ron to shut up. Jimmy Peakes, Gryffindor's beater, was sitting on an armchair with his head in his hands. Demelza Robins, a chaser, was just standing there with her mouth completely open. And to Ginny's surprise, Hermione was sitting on the couch with her arm around a miserable looking Harry. Ginny made her way over to the group cautiously. Whatever happened couldn't have been good.

"What happened?" Ginny asked as she stood beside Harry. The group's heads all turned to her simultaneously. Ginny's heart sank as she saw the looks of utter dismay splattered across their faces. A deadly silence floated in between them before Harry spoke quietly. His voice was aching with anger and grief.

"I can't play in the match tomorrow."

Ginny's mouth fell open.

"W-what did you say?" she stammered.

"I," Harry spoke again. He seemed to be having to pull the words from his mouth. "I can't play in the Quidditch match tomorrow."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!" Ginny shouted. This was the match of the year! They could win the cup! This had to be some stupid joke. They couldn't be serious...

"That's what I said when he first told me," Katie grimaced, "but it's true. Go on Harry, why don't you tell her why you can't play?" Katie spoke venomously. Ginny saw Hermione shoot her a deadly look.

"Snape gave me detention on the day of the game," Harry spoke. His voice was so quiet that Ginny could barely hear him.

"WHAT? WHY?!" Ginny screamed. Her anger for Snape erupted inside of her, and she felt the clawing sensation to go to his office and hex him into the next century.

Hermione answered for him. "He got into a fight with Malfoy," she spoke evenly, her brown sympathetic eyes resting on Harry. Harry closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.

All anger for Harry not being able to play suddenly left Ginny. Instead, a blinding panic seemed to take over her.

"What happened? Is he okay? Where's he at?" Ginny spoke like lightening, panic rising in her voice.

It felt weird. She should be cursing Malfoy, screaming that it was his fault. But now, as her heart dropped into her stomach, she was left with a feeling that she didn't quite recognize. She wanted to ask about Draco, and if he was okay. It seemed like, she actually cared. Not for her own needs, but for Draco. Realization hit her, and her legs began to feel weak. She closed her eyes to regain her balance.

Hermione raised her eyebrow up at Ginny. Ginny could tell she knew something was up, but she still continued on with Harry's story.

"Harry walked in on Malfoy in the girl's bathroom. He was talking to Moaning Myrtle. When Malfoy saw him, he flipped out. He started to curse Harry, so Harry used a curse on him. Turns out the curse did something that Harry wasn't expecting," Hermione finished, cutting her eyes over to Harry. Ron huffed.

"But is he okay?"

Hermione looked back up at Ginny.

"Yes, he's fine. He's in the hospital wing."

Ginny closed her eyes and tried to compose herself. He had been talking to Myrtle. He had told her he did that when he had no one else to talk to. Something must be wrong. She had to talk to him. Now.

Ginny began to run towards the exit. She heard Ron scream after her but nothing seemed to matter right now. She just had to talk to Draco!

Her feet flew wildly down the corridor as she skidded across the tiled floor. She ran as fast as she had ever ran before. She had been running her whole life, usually when she was angry. But now, as her feet blurred together in front of her, she recognized that it wasn't anger that fueled her energy.

It was love.

All she could think about was getting to Draco, seeing if he was okay, seeing what was the matter. She didn't think about the cramp spiraling up her side. She didn't think out the pain in her chest as she heaved to take a breath. She didn't think about what Ron, Harry, and Hermione would say when she got back into the common room. She only knew one thing: That Draco was in trouble, and she had to get there.

She skidded to a halt outside the Hospital Wing's door. She paused for a second. And then slowly, tenderly, she turned the handle of the door.

Anticipation and anxiety filled her as the door slowly squeaked open, and when it did, she felt her breath catch in her throat. There he sat, propped up against a pillow, his eyes closed. When she threw open the door his eyes jerked open. When he saw her, something came across him. Ginny didn't understand, and even when she looked back on it later, she still couldn't figure out what that look in his eyes was. Love, maybe. Hatred, regret, greed, lust, happiness. Whatever it was, it didn't matter at the time. She knew she wouldn't leave. She was going to talk to him.

It was weird seeing him after being away from his for so long. After all, they used to talk almost everyday. To Ginny, it felt like they hadn't talked in forever. Her thirst for knowledge overwhelmed her, and she found herself running towards him.

He continued to stare at her with the same expression that she didn't recognize. Moonlight spilled in through the windows of the hospital. The silence around them was deafening. How come every time Ginny went to this place, no one was ever around?

Ginny began talking, pain rising with every word she said.

"Want to talk?"

Those words were so familiar. They brought back memories of when Draco and Ginny used to talk every night. It hurt Ginny to know that things could change so rapidly.

His face changed, and his expression changed to a deep snarl.

"I have nothing to say to you," he spoke deadly. His voice was quiet, but more anger was filed through those words than any scream could endure.

"I don't understand! I don't understand you, Draco! What did I do?" Ginny began to cry, pain and remorse running through her voice.

"IT'S WHAT YOU DIDN'T DO!" Draco yelled, his voice echoing off the hollow walls.

"I didn't even tell on you Draco! I didn't tell anybody! I kept your secret to myself!" Ginny pleaded.

"BUT YOU DIDN'T STAY THERE FOR ME EITHER! You just left me there! You said..." Draco trailed off. He choked on his next words, tears threatening to fall. He hung his head down and looked at his sheets.

Ginny walked closer to his bedside, desperate to get something out of him.

"I said what Draco?" she whispered.

"You said you'd talk to me..." he spoke quietly. He was trying desperately not to cry, and Ginny knew that. Tears streamed down her freckled cheeks. The guilt that flooded through her was to much. She fell to her knees, sobs writhing through her body.

"And it's too late now. I've made up my mind." Draco spoke sternly. He held his head back up and composed himself. Anger took over again, and his silver eyes flashed.

"No! It's not to late!" Ginny cried. She grabbed onto the sheet on Draco's bed and hoisted herself up into a sitting position. She took his hand in hers and cried.

"IT'S NOT TO LATE!" she begged, "Draco you can't! You can't do this; you'll ruin your life! You just can't! I won't let you..."

Tears soaked Draco's sheets. He jerked his hand away. His eyes burned with intensity. A deadly anger burned through him.

"I'VE MADE MY CHOICE!" Draco screamed, ripping up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the dark mark impressed upon his skin. Ginny sobbed harder, pathetic wails coming from her lips. She fingered the dark mark on his arm with her thumb. His skin was so smooth. The sinister blackness of the mark stood out terribly against his pale skin. She cried, her tears dripping onto the mark.

"Now you make yours."

His words were like ice, chilling the bones in Ginny's body. Those four words alone were filled with so much emotion. It was as if all the feelings Draco has ever felt came flooding into those words. The guilt that filled Ginny was unbelievable, unlike anything she'd ever felt.

She stood up slowly, her knees quivering with weakness. Her eyes were red and blotchy. She could hardly talk, but from somewhere within she found the strength to look at Draco once again. She spoke slowly, her voice quivering, barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry."

She turned her back to him. Her feet clicked against the floor as she began to walk away from Draco once again.

And this time, he didn't follow.

A/N: Review!