Dawn pulled her knees to her chest and Ginny immediately know that the brunette was thinking about her family. Whenever Dawn hugged herself, her head buried into the crevice between her two legs and her shoulders trembling just slightly, she was lost in her old world. The redhead wrapped a gentle arm around Dawn, pulling her towards her and holding her there. Her eyes swept the empty compartment as she attempted to comfort her friend. Eventually Dawn stopped crying and Ginny released her.
"I'm such a baby," She muttered, wiping furiously with the sleeves of her jacket. Ginny smiled slightly, turning her body towards the girl.
"Dawn, you're amazing. If I ever went through what you have I wouldn't have been able to go on. You're the bravest person I know." The honesty in Ginny's eyes caused new tears to leak from her own.
"I haven't stopped crying. What if they forget me? What if the monks made me just for a little while and then decided that once I died I would just fade away? What if I fade away, Ginny? I'm not real, I bleed and I cry but I'm not real," She began scratching at her arm. "I don't want to fade away, don't let me fade away," Ginny reached out to stop her and felt herself being pinned to the wall. Dawn took off, running down the hall of the train and away from the compartment that held her friend. She collapsed into another one that was empty and close to the back of the train. She crumbled to the floor, digging her fingernails into her arms. . She felt blood begin to cake under them. She had broken down since she arrived, but never this bad. "Take me home, take me back to them," Her voice rose a bit and she didn't bother to turn as the door slid open. The person gasped, taking in the sight of her. She folded into a ball; blood dripping from her arms as she violently shook.
"Oh bloody hell," The boy muttered, sliding on the floor next to her. She immediately looked up, her eyes coated in tears.
"Spike," She whispered, launching herself at him in a tight hug. He awkwardly patted her back and breathed in the scent of girl. She was slim and he could easily wrap his arms around her build, probably with room to spare. "Oh God, I missed you so much. Thought I wasn't real, never real. Lightning rod, right? But I'm not, because you told me so. Rot, right? Simply rot. Can't be good, can't be bad; just on the edge. Like you. But you aren't that bad are you? Minimarshmallows and slayers; your so weird. I missed you, please, don't let me fade away. Ginny didn't know how, she didn't fix it. She couldn't stop it. But you can, right?" He shh-ed her, his hand rubbing her back gently.
"It's alright, pet," She sighed in relief, her body falling slack against him.
"Promise me that you won't let me fade away,"
"You'll never fade away," He whispered, staring at the girl in front of him as she fell asleep in his arms. Her hair was dark brown, contrasting against her deathly pale skin. Her eyes were shut, and in her sleep some tears managed to slip down her cheek. Her nose was small and a little upturned and her lips full. He stared at her arms; scratch marks covered them from her bloody fingernails. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it lightly to the cuts. She stirred slightly and muttered the name "Spike," as she clutched tightly to his shirt. Leaning back against the edge of the seat, Draco Malfoy sighed and damned the world for dumping another mess into his hands.
Authors Note: I know it's really short but I was getting demands. I promise the next chapter will be longer. Explanations will be made for Dawn's freak-out. The mentioning that Dawn was dealing to well with this didn't go unnoticed; I never planned on her snapping right back. This is something that will take a while for her to get used to. Soon though, a little bit of her old self will come back. About the whole Spike coming back thing; only time will tell. Review please.
Nixinox: I always had it in my head that Spike taught Dawn Sumerian during the summer Buffy died cause she really didn't start translating/researching until 6th season.
p.d.