When they first heard the yells and bangs coming from the third floor, Draco and Ginny immediately pressed themselves against the wall and exchanged a half-guarded, half-frightened glance.
Stay behind me, Draco mouthed, and Ginny, rolling her eyes, acquiesced. Drawing her wand, she fell in line behind Draco as they crept tentatively forward. They were still Disillusioned and so would hopefully appear as nothing more than a slight shimmer in the air, but it couldn't hurt to be careful. Lacing their fingers together for a brief moment, the two half-figures peeked around the corner.
Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw next.
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When Harry first rolled out of bed, it seemed destined to be a good day. The ceiling of the Great Hall was overcast and bleak, but the Three Broomsticks was sure to be warm and comfortable, and Zonko's cheery atmosphere filled with students and sweets. In fact, the day bested his expectations, turning into one of the best he'd had since Voldemort's return. It was only as he was walking back towards the castle, listening to Ron and Hermione bicker lightheartedly, that he remembered something strange. Hermione noticed the puzzled look on his face almost immediately and asked him what was wrong.
"Nothing, it's just…did Ginny say anything to either of you today about meeting someone at the Shrieking Shack? Because I'm sure I saw her heading that direction."
Ron's brow creased for a moment, but then he shrugged. "Didn't say a word to me, mate. Why do you ask?"
"Yes, Harry," interrupted Hermione slyly, looking as though she was fighting to keep the grin off her face, "why do you ask?"
Harry felt his cheeks burn. "No reason," he mumbled, not looking at her, and after a moment she went back to arguing good-naturedly with Ron. Harry tried to focus on the ground beneath his feet, but couldn't manage erase the image of Ginny heading towards the outskirts of Hogsmeade, her collar turned up against the wind, looking small and frightened and alone.
In a few moments, it would be driven from his head completely.
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Ginny grasped Draco's hand in shock and fear as a strange and horrifying scene unfolded in front of them. Standing on the balcony just around the corner was none other than Lucius Malfoy, accompanied by two hooded figures. His silvery blond hair flowed down his back and his razor-sharp gaze was trained on Severus Snape, who, bereft of a wand, had his arms thrown wide to protect a livid-looking Harry and Ron, who were supporting an unconscious Hermione between them.
"How did you gain access to the castle, Lucius?" asked Snape, his voice remarkably calm for someone who has just been cornered.
Draco's father laughed coldly. "It wasn't so hard now that you mention it…Severus. I think the more pertinent question is what are you doing protecting him?" He acknowledged Harry with a nod, and Ginny noticed the black-haired boy's fists clench. For a long moment, Ginny half-expected Snape to deny everything, but instead he just stood there staring at Malfoy, a serene look in his eyes. Ginny watched as Malfoy's face tightened, and at last he spoke.
"Traitor," he said quietly, but there was enough venom in that one word alone to propel Ginny and Draco into action. Meeting each other's eyes for just a moment – the last of the poorly cast Disillusionment charm was now fading to nothing – they both pointed their wands at the unknown Death Eater's backs and shouted, "Stupefy!"
Ginny's Death Eater crumpled, but Draco's aim was just the slightest bit off, and it was enough. Whirling around, the second Death Eater shot a curse at Ginny, which she was thankfully quick enough to block, but Ron was not so lucky. He'd caught Draco's Stunning spell directly in the face, and might have gone over the railing if Harry hadn't caught hold of him. Meanwhile, Snape took advantage of Malfoy's momentary distraction to snatch up the first Death Eater's discarded wand and send a jinx his way. The pair continued to duel as Snape made his way backwards up the stairs to the next landing, but Ginny was too distracted to notice much; she was still dealing with the second Death Eater. Luckily for her, at that precise moment he tripped backwards and struck his head on the railing. Satisfied, Ginny spun around just in time to see her worst nightmare come true: Harry had recovered his wand and was now pointing it squarely at a disarmed Draco's chest.
"No!" Ginny screamed, but it was too late. There was a bang and a flash of purple light, and suddenly Draco was lying lifeless on the cold stone floor.
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It was the most beautiful day – so perfect, in fact, that it made Ginny feel sad because she knew she'd never again feel this happy. Draco was smiling at her, his hair stained blinding white by the fiercely shining sun. She tried to go to him, but found she couldn't move. He shook his head at her efforts, still smiling, and held a finger to his lips. Then he turned and walked away, his back to her, until his image became a mirage, a mere shadow on the horizon, and she was no longer sure whether he'd ever been beside her at all.
Despite the Indian summer heat, Ginny lay cold as a statue in her bed. Her skin felt clammy to the touch, and her sleep was disturbed by strange dreams featuring the same person that haunted her waking hours. She wouldn't eat, and didn't even seem to realize when other people were in the room with her. Her eyes were glassy, as though they have iced over with the tears she refused to shed. She could hear the others talking outside her door, whispering, but she didn't much care what they said about her. She only listened because she lacked the strength to move.
"What's wrong with her, exactly?"
"No one knows. She won't eat or drink, she does even seem to know when you're talking to her. Hermione keeps throwing around words like "catatonic", and the rest of that Muggle rubbish, but I reckon she's just depressed. Over Malfoy, of all people…" There was a pause, during which Ginny tried to imagine the look on Harry's face. She hoped, whatever he was feeling at the moment, it was causing him a lot of pain. It seemed to be likely, because the next thing she heard was Ron backpedaling frantically: "Sorry, mate, but it's hard to let go of year's worth of hatred in a few days, you know? Anyway, I've told you over and over again that you didn't do anything wrong. I'd have done the same, you know, had I been conscious…"
Harry's voice was hard when he answered, "Yeah, but you didn't. It was me. I did it. And I didn't have to…he wasn't really a threat, I was just angry 'cause his shot nearly sent you over the balcony…I didn't have to. If he...if he dies, it'll be my fault. All mine."
There was a pause. Ginny could imagine the haggard look on Harry's face, the way his lips had twisted around the possibility of Draco's death –
But, wait. He'd said "if". If he dies. That meant he could still be alive. Ginny felt her heart leap. She blinked rapidly, and the unspent tears of the last few days rolled down her cheeks – out of grief or joy, she wasn't sure which. Heart hammering, she swung her legs out of bed and ran into the hallway to confront a shaken-looking Harry and a confused Ron.
"Draco is alive?" she nearly shouted; hope lodging a painful splinter in her chest. "Why didn't you tell me, you imbeciles?! Where is he? How much danger is he in? Tell me!" she demanded, seizing Ron by the front of his robes and shaking him. Harry came to Ron's rescue, stepping in between them and speaking more calmly than Ginny would have believed him capable of merely a moment before.
"Ginny, calm down," said Harry gravely, and Ginny might have lost her head completely and attacked him if not for his next words, words that made no sense and sent chills of fear racing down her spine –
"As far as we can tell, he's at Malfoy Manor."
A/N: Ooh, cliffhanger. Sorry about that. I'm also sorry it took me so long to post this chapter; believe me, it was just as annoying on this end. I want to give a shout-out to my faithful reviewer, Winnamine – you're awesome, and I really appreciate your consistent feedback on this story. Also, if anyone else is reading this, holla – I put a fair amount of my time into this and every review means a lot to me. Thanks.