A/N: Thank you so much to reviewers! I love you all. Early March. Alright, this is a normal-ish length chapter… I think it's one of the best chapters evveerrrr.
DEDICATION: To Draco and Ginny! I luff them! –hugg-
Disclaimer: I am not lucky enough to be as smart enough as to invent these characters myself. They are not mine. Too bad. –pout-
EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN WAITING! THE MOMENT OF TRUTH HAS ARRIVED! PUCKER UP!!
The Stone Speaks
Chapter Forty: Over My Head
DRACO
"You have disappointed me, Draco… IMPERIO!"
Draco's eyes snapped open. The sun had nearly finished its journey through the sky, and the clock on the wall spoke five o'clock. Get out the bed… get out the bed… Obediently, he climbed out of bed, and waited blankly for further instructions. Get the Weasley girl… get the Weasley girl… As Draco began to walk stiffly from the Hospital Wing, limping on each step, the tiny working part of his brain screamed, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? FIGHT BACK! However, this thinking was not strong enough to overpower Lord Voldemort, and he continued walking.
Up the stairs… up the stairs, Draco… He knew where the Gryffindor tower was, and knew which was the trick step to dodge; his journey up the marble steps was uneventful, until the Fat Lady stopped him from entering the common room.
"You shouldn't be here," she told him bossily, "didn't you hear Professor McGonagall? No-one should be at a house other than their own. You need to go back to Slytherin. Where's your group of eight, or your teacher, anyway? You're going to get in trouble, stupid."
Lie… lie… "I'm with Professor Angleson. He asked out Professor McGonagall yesterday, so he can't face her. He's staying at the bottom of the stairs," Draco said flatly. "I want to talk to Ginny Weasley."
"Hmph!" pouted the Fat Lady. "Whatever happened to 'please may I'? It's always 'I want this, I want that'." She huffed again, and then sidled out of the painting. A moment later she appeared again, and sat down in her chair again. "Have fun."
WHERE IS THE GIRL, roared the voice in Draco's head. It made him yelp, and the tiny, realistic part of his brain woke up. What are you doing? He's controlling you! He's going to kill Ginny! STOP!
The portrait of the Fat Lady creaked open, and Ginny stepped out. She peered around, and then saw Draco. "Oh! Draco, you can walk again! That's wonderful," she squealed, and hugged him. "Do you know who was attacked this morning?"
Say no… say no… "No," replied Draco. "Let's go." He turned and began to march away down the stairs. Ginny, quite sensibly, did not move. "Let's go!" he snapped at her.
"Okay, okay!" said Ginny, following him. "Draco, where are we going? We're not allowed out our common rooms in less than groups of eight." She was nervous, he could tell, and his heart went out to her.
NO GINNY! Don't come with me – please, no, don't, yelled the working part of Draco's brain. Then, Lord Voldemort said sharply, shut up, Malfoy, and work with me. Take her to the statue of the hunchback on the third floor… take her there now… "Come with me," Draco ordered.
"Draco, are you feeling okay?" Ginny said anxiously, tilting her head up to look at him. "You look a little pale. Oh, Draco! You didn't sneak out of the Hospital Wing, did you?" she exclaimed worriedly.
Say no… say no… but I did… SAY NO, DAMNIT! "No. I didn't," said Draco, after a very long pause where he did not say anything. Go on… "Do not worry, Weasley girl. You will be safe with me." Excellent… well done, you might actually do this job well…
Ginny turned to stare at him. "Why are you calling me that?" she asked, suspicious. The necklace was glowing on her collarbone brightly as her wary emotions lit up the sensitive onyx. Excellent… the Stone will soon be mine… no! I won't let you kill her! Let me free! Ginny – Ginny! Please!
"It is your name," replied Draco – or rather, Lord Voldemort. "Now, come."
"No," said Ginny. There was fear in her eyes. "We're not allowed out, Draco, and you're scaring me. You're not well – go back to the Hospital Wing." She started to back away. "I'm sorry."
"COME WITH ME!" Draco roared. He reached out and snatched her wrist, gripping it hard. "Ginny…" the real Draco rasped, pushing past Lord Voldemort for just a few seconds. Damnit! How did you get past me! Shut it.
"Draco, what's wrong with you?" cried Ginny. "Ow – let go of me – Draco, ouch – please – Draco, you're hurting me!"
"Then come," growled Draco. "I'm not going to hurt you…"
"You are hurting me," Ginny pointed out crossly, but the Dark Lord dragged her down the corridor. "Where are we going anyway?"
LET ME GO! Ginny, run away! My lord, please, just take the necklace! Spare her! DON'T MAKE ME KILL HER! Ginny, Ginny, RUN, just go!
"That does not matter," Draco said briskly, and hauled her towards the statue of the hunchback. Every step was stiff, as every muscle battled against Lord Voldemort, fighting for purchase to throw him off. Oh, why didn't I pay attention to Mad-Eye Moody in fourth-year?
Say 'dissendium'… say 'dissendium'… tap the statue with your wand… tap the statue… Teeth gritted in pain and the struggle with the Dark Lord inside his head, Draco grunted, "Dissendium," and tapped the statue. "In you go," he informed Ginny as a passageway opened in the wall.
She gave him a frightened, cautious look, but stepped through the doorway. "Doesn't this lead to Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked. "I think Harry showed me this passageway one, when we were grounded by Umbridge."
"It does," said Draco. His legs were rigid but his brain was forcing him to walk down the small steps. "We are going to Hogsmeade."
"Draco, I don't think that's a good idea, not with these attacks," Ginny reproached him. "Come on, let's go back. We can play Gobstones, and I'll be easy on you this time," she teased. Draco shook his head firmly, and marched on.
PLEASE stop it! I'll just get the necklace, and you can have it, and I'll never bother you again, I swear! Just – please – GINNY!! Ginny! Gin, can you hear me! Please… argh… TALK, MOUTH, TALK!
"Ginny," the real Draco ground out through a clenched jaw. She looked curiously at him, but the Dark Lord took over his senses and his body before he could say any more.
"What?" Ginny said irritably. "You've been doing that for five minutes now. Just saying my name and then shutting up. It's really annoying." She folded her arms across her chest. "You know what, Draco? You're basically ignoring when all I've done is be nice to you, so…" she threw her hands into the air, as an I-give-up gesture. "So screw Hogsmeade. I'm going back to Gryffindor tower."
"NO!" barked Draco. "You're coming with me." He grabbed her elbow and held it tighter than ever. "It's a nice surprise. I want you to see it."
Ginny turned pink, but she glared at him. "For someone who wants to show me a nice surprise, you're not being very nice to start with," she snapped. "Will you let go?" She tried to wrench her arm away, but he was too strong.
The end of the tunnel was in sight. Draco knew that soon he would be out, and he would have to kill Ginny… go to the Shrieking Shack… don't tell her anything… lie… I will meet you there… said the Dark Lord. He walked towards the trapdoor which lead into Honeydukes, his legs taut and unbending with his efforts to stop his own actions. "You first," he said, opening the trapdoor and holding it for her. "…Gin-" this time, Draco didn't even finish the 'ny' of her name before Lord Voldemort cut in.
They crept through Honeydukes, and then walked smartly down the street. "Draco, everyone can see us," she hissed. "We're going to get into loads of trouble. We might even be expelled! Please, let's just go back! Please, Draco?" she begged, tugging on his arm. He did not let go, however, and Draco knew, in the recesses of his mind that she was scared of him.
"We are nearly there," Draco said flatly. Please, Draco, talk to her, get her away! Help her, save her – DRACO, you're stronger than this!"Not far now."
Ginny thinned her lips, but she stumbled along after him. "Why are we going to the Shrieking Shack?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly as they passed shop after shop after shop, until all that remained was the Shrieking Shack that could be their destination.
"I want to …" Draco fought to keep the words back, and input his own. "I want to… give you… surprise!" he spat out the last word quite fiercely as Lord Voldemort forced it out violently from his mouth, the real Draco struggling desperately to change his actions.
Ginny seemed astonished by his outburst, and she stopped momentarily – Draco didn't, so she was pulled forwards harshly and she fell to the ground. "Ow!" she muttered, but Draco still wasn't stopping. He was hauling her towards the Shrieking Shack, not deterred by the fact that she had fallen. "What is with you?" she shrieked. She was getting more and more frightened with every second that passed. She wasn't sure who it was, but this was definitely not Draco acting.
Ginny, are you alright? Gahh! STOP, help her up, she's hurt herself! STOP! STUPID LEGS! No, no, no…
They slipped over the fence that kept the people of Hogsmeade from the Shrieking Shack, and padded through the thick marsh. "Draco, we're not allowed here, and we're not allowed out of the school grounds! We are breaking a thousand rules – Draco, you're going to get us expelled, and you're – OW – hurting me! Please, stop it!"
Draco and Ginny entered the Shrieking Shack, and then, finally he let her go. Ginny was staring up at him – he looked the image of agony. He was twisting and jerking as he stood, a vein pulsing in his temple, sweating terribly, half-formed words coming from his mouth as he wrestled with his own brain. Lord Voldemort is coming! I have to get her out of here…
"Ginny…" he gasped.
"What?" Ginny asked, pressing herself, scared, against the wall. "What is it, Draco?"
"Ginny… go… now…" he choked out, still having an involuntary muscle spasm. "Go… out… shack…"
"What – why?" Ginny was starting to shake. "Draco, what's wrong? What's going on? Where's the surprise?" she cried. Tears were glossing over her amazing, round hazel eyes. "Please, tell me what's wrong!"
"Go… Gin…" finally, he forced out the word he had been struggling for the whole time. "IMPERIUS…"
Ginny gasped.
"Imper – Gin… go… Lord… Vold… now…" he collapsed on the ground. Every muscle in his body was being told to do two different things, and they couldn't cope. "Go!" he yelled, dragging himself to his feet, sweat dripping from his platinum hair.
Ginny was now shaking uncontrollably. "Okay," she said, and, grabbing Draco's hand, tried to run with him.
"Leave him."
The cold, high-pitched voice shocked both of them. Ginny whirled around; Draco remained twitching and convulsing by the wall. "No!" Ginny cried, stumbling backwards.
Lord Voldemort flicked his wand, and Draco fell to the ground, the Imperius curse broken. "Thank you, Draco. You have been of the utmost importance in this plan," he said icily. "I couldn't have gotten the Weasley brat here to kill her without you."
"Over..." Draco grunted, getting to his feet. "…over my… dead body…" He staggered in front of Ginny, spreading his weak arms out in a feeble attempt to protect. "Ginny… give me your wand…" he whispered to her behind him. Her breathing fast and shallow with fear on his damp neck, she slipped it into his pocket, and Draco wrapped his slim, sweaty fingers around it.
"Very well," sneered the Dark Lord. "I'm not picky."
As he raised his wand, Draco drew his, putting all of his strength into pulling out quickly, and then yelled, "Confringo!" The wood on the roof exploded in a ball of flames, and then fell onto Lord Voldemort. The Dark Wizard was distracted, and, in that moment, Draco spun, grabbed Ginny, and ran with her through a winding corridor in the shack that he knew lead to the Whomping Willow.
"Go, Ginny," he urged as he staggered up the passageway with her. "Go through there – you'll come out of the Whomping Willow on the Hogwarts grounds. Get the teachers. Lord Voldemort's already raised his Death Eaters. They're going to attack. Meet them in Hogsmeade before they get to the castle, to cut off possible damage. Get everyone up – GO!"
"Draco," Ginny said, stopping and turning around. "Why are you doing this?"
"Why am I doing what?" Draco said, acting as though he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Saving me – Draco, don't pretend that you don't understand. You're a -" she paused, knowing that it was dangerous territory to discuss with Draco, before bursting out, "You're a Death Eater, Draco, and he's your leader! He wanted me – why did you disobey him?"
"It doesn't matter," Draco said hurriedly, feeling his face heat up. "Go, back to Hogwarts. I'll distract He-Who-Must – You-Know – the Dark –" he took a deep breath, "Voldemort."
"It does matter," Ginny cried. "Tell me, or I'm not going!"
"No!" Draco yelled.
"TELL ME!" She was shouting now, her hair tousled in anger, cheeks red, hazel eyes glow, the Stone of Montol sparkling, lips slightly parted as she breathed hard from running, shouting, and a combination of fear, anticipation, and something else in her expression that Draco did not recognize. She was so beautiful, just standing there in all of her fiery glory, and it that moment Draco knew that he would probably be killed by the Death Eaters or the battle about to ensue, and that he would probably never get a chance to tell the only person in the entire world how he felt –
And Draco kissed her.
He couldn't stop himself, he simply grabbed hold of her shoulders, and crushed her lips under his. It was the most amazing moment of his life, but the saddest with that, too – bittersweet was an understatement. If Draco was going to die, then he wanted this to go to his grave with him, the feel of Ginny and her long, messy red hair tangled between his fingers, her lips softly moving beneath his, capturing his lips time and time again in the most magical thing he'd ever felt. Time was the cruellest thing in the world, because she couldn't stay in his arms forever, pressed against his chest, her mouth under his.
When he pulled back just enough so that he could quietly murmur against her lips, "Go, Ginny", she opened her eyes and stared up into his own eyes, hazel into blue. She flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tight, tears spilling over, brushing her lips against his, and then turned on her heel and ran.
I'm in way over my head. Feeling as though he would either laugh, die or burst into tears, Draco turned back down the corridor to where he knew that Lord Voldemort was waiting.
It was time.
A/N: Yes, in apology for the previous rubbish chapter, I gave you a Ginevra-Drakonus snoggie! Yayyyyy. –happydance- I'm such a wimp, I actually had tears in my eyes when I was writing this, I was so happy and sad at the same time! I'm a loser! LOSERS ROCK!