Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. But I do however have a boyfriend that refuses to take me to go see New Moon. How jacked up is that? He hates it that much that he won't even take his own girl friend out to see it. And to top it off he has NO reason to hate it! He refuses to read the books and only watched the first five minutes of Twilight saying it's overrated and stupid! *sigh* Why me?

Anyway, yeah… I hope you guys like this chapter! I think I'm getting better at making longer chapters. Hopefully you guys won't have to deal with the teeny tiny chapters any more, or at least not often.

This chapter is dedicated to all of you wonderful readers who reviewed and fed the metaphorical starving five-year-old!

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy the chapter.

Without further ado:

Chapter 24

Draco POV

I couldn't believe this was really happening. I stared down at the sleeping redhead in my arms. She looked beautiful with her hair sprawled across the pillow, my too-big shirt covering her body. Her head was resting on my chest, her even breathing lulling me into sleep. I didn't want to close my eyes though, for fear all of this was just a dream, a very amazing dream. I stared at her for hours just thinking.

The troubles I had tried to keep her out of seemed to be unavoidable now. I couldn't just kick her out and pretend none of this happened, I knew that as I led her to my dormitory. There was no going back, and for that I was grateful. I didn't want to lose her again. I would do everything I could to keep her safe. Nobody would know I was hiding her in here but Blaise. But I could trust Blaise with this secret.

The Carrows were obviously not going to be happy that Ginny had not only escaped them, but also happened to be successfully hiding from them. They would search relentlessly but never would they suspect that it was I who was hiding her. There was no way they could track her here, this room was untraceable. That was just one of the many things I did when I designed this room. Not even Snape knew where my room was or how to get in.

I looked down at the redhead in my arms. She really was beautiful. How was it she fell for me? How could we have fallen for each other? Everything about us was supposed to drive us apart. I was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor. I was a Malfoy and she was a Weasley. But somehow we got over those vast hurdles, those huge differences.

I wasn't sure what caused me to nearly open up to her that first night under the tree. I wasn't allowed to talk about my mission to anyone and keeping it bottled up was hard. Blaise had tried to get me to open up to him to easy my pain but I couldn't do it. I didn't want to drag him into my emotional turmoil. But there was just something about Ginny.

Maybe it was the place, the tree where I went to when I needed to be alone with my emotions. Maybe it was her quiet, unspoken curiosity. Maybe it was the calm that just seemed to radiate from her. There was just such a purity about her that drew me in. Before that night I had never spoken to her, unless you count the taunting. But when she sat next to me shivering rather than go back into the warm castle, I couldn't help but warm to her.

I wasn't sure if it was then that I really got over my prejudice of her house and name, but it was a step. Maybe all of those quiet nights under the tree. But what really seemed to make me realize that I had stopped hating her and actually started liking her was when she said my name. Not just Malfoy, but Draco. But it was when I thought I had truly lost her for good, that I realized how much I loved her.

Ginny made a small noise in her sleep and rolled over a bit. I smiled down at her and pushed the hair gently off her face. The chain around her neck caught my eyes. I gently pulled the necklace from under the shirt. She still had the dragon necklace on. I smiled softly. I wondered if she had ever taken it off. The fact she had it on now made me think she hadn't.

I couldn't help by smile as I pulled her closer to me. She sighed softly in her sleep. Gently, I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes. Having her in my arms felt right. I wondered what it would be like to fall asleep every night with her in my arms, her head on my chest. I finally drifted to sleep with images of Ginny in my arms forever in my mind.

Ginny POV

The sun filtering in through the windows was bright when I was woken by the sound of movement in the front room. It was obviously late in the morning. I sighed softly, expecting it would be Draco doing his homework or something but as I rolled over slightly I felt arms tighten around my waist. I glanced over to see Draco sleeping peacefully. I smiled and pushed the hair out of his eyes. It was getting a bit long. Just then I heard another noise from the front room.

I froze, if Draco was next to me then who was in the front room? I tried to remember our conversation last night to remember if he said anyone else who knew how to get in. Fear clutched my heart and I was about to wake Draco up when I heard a thump and a muffled curse. I laughed softly with relief when I recognized Blaise's voice. Gently I slipped from Draco's arms and made my way quickly to the door.

I eased it open to see Blaise sitting on one of the chairs holding his foot and muttering under his breath. I laughed quietly as I shut the bedroom door. "Did you stub your poor little toe?" I asked teasingly.

His head whipped up and he stared in shock at me. I laughed again and he finally found his voice. "Red?" he asked in disbelief using one of my many nicknames from him.

"The one and only!" I said happily as I skipped over to where he sat. I sank down onto the sofa cross-legged and smiled at him.

Blaise looked like he was in shock. I waved my hand in front of his face and laughed again. That seemed to snap him out of it. "But how? What happened? Where's Draco?" he asked in one quick breath.

"Draco's still asleep. I don't know why, it must be near noon at least," I said as I glanced at the silver clock above the fireplace. It was 11:34 in the morning. "As for what happened and how, it all happened so fast that I'm not really sure. Besides I just woke up and my mind still seems to want to sleep." I laughed happily as I let myself fall sideways onto the couch, my legs hanging off the end.

"Can you try and explain at least? I'm lost here. Why are you here?" he asked curiously as he stood and looked down at my peaceful face.

"Oh Blaise, where to start? Well I was supposed to have a dentition with the Carrows last night but completely lost track of time when I was writing my History of Magic essay," I explained as I gazed up at his face. "But the Carrows came and got me. They drug me from the library and to the room the use for detentions." My face clouded as I remembered the pain. "They used the Cruciatus curse on me," I whispered in a small voice. "But someone knocked on the door of the classroom and Alecto went to see who it was and when Amycus was distracted I made a break for it."

Blaise sat down next my head and put a hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes briefly before continuing. "I barely made it past Alecto as I ran out of the door. They were chasing me though. I made it to the hidden passage that leads to the first floor and lost them. But I kept running and ended up running into Draco. He realized the panic and fear on my face and brought me here."

I then smiled up at Blaise and said happily, "He loves me. He never hated me. It was all a charade to keep me safe, unhappy but safe." I sighed happily and closed my eyes.

"So he just let you stay the night? What are you going to do? You can't leave, the Carrows will find you and likely kill you," he said softly. He gazed down at me worriedly.

"I say here of course. I don't really have much of a choice in the matter anyway but it makes sense. Draco agreed to let me stay and hide here, saying it would be the safest place in the school to hide me. He says nobody in the school knows where his room in or how to get in except you, him, and now me. By the way, why are you here anyway? You nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard you in here," I said as I sat up.

"I was just coming to talk to Draco," he said with a shrug. "And I needed to get back a book he borrowed from me last week." Blaise stood and went over to the desk and pointed out a big green book. "But seeing as Draco is somehow still asleep, I think I'll just come back later."

I nodded and stood up. I smiled happily as I skipped over and wrapped my arms around Blaise. "It's good to see you. You have no idea how bad this year as been without Draco or you," I said as I hugged him.

His arms wrapped around me and he sighed softly. "I missed you too Red," he said with a small laugh. He let go of me and picked the book up. "See you later Weaselette." I just laughed as he walked from the room.

Once the door closed I went over to the window seat and sat down. The snow blanketed the ground and since it was a Saturday there were kids of all years playing outside in it. I could see more than one snowman from where I sat. I smiled when I saw several younger kids having a snowball fight. They looked so happy and carefree.

I let my gaze wander towards the lake where several people were ice-skating. On lakeshore sat Collin, Dean, Seamus, Neville and Luna. They weren't joining in the fun. I felt a wave of guilt hit me at the thought of them worrying over where I was. I wanted to go down there and tell them I was okay, to join them in a snowball fight, or to finally get Neville to try and ice-skate.

I blinked the moisture from my eyes and stood up. I needed to tell them I was okay. My first thought was my DA coin but that was sitting on my bedside table in my dormitory. Sighing I looked around the room. On Draco's desk was a half written essay. I walked over and looked at it. I had read the first few lines of the Charms essay when a thought struck me.

I could write them a letter. I wouldn't be able to tell them where I was or what happened but I could let them know I was okay. I would have to write it to where if anyone else got it, they wouldn't even begin to know where to look for me. I quickly searched for a blank piece of parchment. Once I found one I slid Draco's essay over to the side, picked up his quill, and began writing.

Dear Neville,

I'm sorry that I just seemed to disappear. The Carrows drug me from the library after I forgot about a detention last night. Don't worry though because I'm fine now. I managed to get away from them and found a good place to hide. They won't find me here. I'm safe but, and I'm sorry, I can't tell you where I am. I don't want to take the risk of them finding me. Something tells me they would likely kill me if they caught me now. Like I said though, I'm fine. Tell everyone I'm okay and burn this letter, just to be safe. I know it doesn't say where I am but I still don't want to risk this getting to the Carrows, it would make them even angrier and more determined to find me.

I'm fine, don't worry, cause chaos, and stay safe,

Ginny

I sealed the letter and sat back in the chair. Now how to get the letter to Neville? I was trying to think up an idea of how to get the letter to him without having it lead right to me when the bedroom door swung open and a very worried Draco came running out.

"Oh thank gods your safe. When I woke up and you were gone I almost lost it," Draco said as he came over to me.

I stood up and wrapped my arms round him, laying my head on his bare chest. "I'm sorry. I was woken by Blaise searching for a book," I said with a laugh. "He left about half an hour ago, book in hand. He said he would come by later when you were awake." I lifted my head from his chest and looked up at him.

"Why that boy was sneaking through my stuff I'll never know. The book was in plain sight on the desk. I'm sorry if he startled you. I told him not to just come in uninvited but I guess he needed his book back for that stupid charms essay," Draco said with a reluctant glance at his own half completed essay.

"Tell you what," I said with a laugh. "I'll revise your essay and give you pointers if you can help me get this letter to Neville." I reached over and grabbed the letter off the desk. "It doesn't say where I am, only that I'm safe and not to worry. It also says to burn this letter when he's done reading just in case. I need them to know I'm safe."

"Okay that's definitely giving me the better side of the deal. I swear I'm going to a T on the charms NEWT at this rate," he said with an over dramatic sigh. "And as for the letter, I'll take it up to the owlery and have a school owl take it to him."

"Thanks Draco," I said with a sigh of relief. It was good to have at least one problem solved. "Can you go and send it to him now? I could see him by the lake with some other people and they looked worried. I really hate to know it's because of me they're not enjoying this amazing day. Besides, I know they would be beside themselves with worry." I frowned at the though. I hated to worry people.

Draco took the letter from my hand and nodded. "I'll also go down to the kitchens and ask them to start sending food up here," he said, his brows wrinkling in though. "Even the house elves that clean my dormitory don't really know where it is. I have it set up to where they can only apparate in and out. Besides, I know a memory charm that will keep them from being able to tell anyone you're here, not that the Carrows would be smart enough to ask them if they had seen you."

"Thanks Draco. I don't know what I would have done without you. I feel bad really for being such a burden. It's just amazing to be with you again though. I thought for sure you hated me. But some part of me never really gave up," I whispered softly while holding back the tears that threatened to fall. Looking down at my feet I whispered, "I never took that necklace off."

Suddenly I felt his arms around me again. I couldn't help but let my tears fall as his strong arms pulled me to him. "I'm really sorry for what I did to you Ginny," he said as he placed a kiss on my head. "Can you ever truly forgive me?" His voice was thick, hesitant, and full of guilt.

Without looking up at him I simply nodded. "I already have," I said into his chest.

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